DRIVER ASSISTANCE APPARATUS AND VEHICLE HAVING THE SAME

• US 20170240185A1
• Filed: 10/25/2016
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LI, Chungen
• Application Number:
  US15/333,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20170240185A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096855 where the output is provided in a suitable form to the driver details on I/O arrangements for onboard navigation computers G01C21/36

Abstract

A vehicle driving assistance apparatus that includes an output unit including an audio output unit configured to output an audio notification and a display unit configured to display a visual image; a monitoring unit configured to monitor an inside status of a vehicle and obtain vehicle internal information from the inside status; a camera configured to capture an outside view of the vehicle and obtain vehicle external information from the outside view; and a processor configured to (i) determine, based on the vehicle internal information and the vehicle external information, a first guide mode from a plurality of guide modes including a general guide mode, a display guide mode, and a sound guide mode, and (ii) provide, to the output unit, driving assistance information associated with the first guide mode is disclosed.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving assistance apparatus, comprising:

an output unit including an audio output unit configured to output an audio notification and a display unit configured to display a visual image;

a monitoring unit configured to monitor an inside status of a vehicle and obtain vehicle internal information from the inside status;

a camera configured to capture an outside view of the vehicle and obtain vehicle external information from the outside view; and

a processor configured to (i) determine, based on the vehicle internal information and the vehicle external information, a first guide mode from a plurality of guide modes including a general guide mode, a display guide mode, and a sound guide mode, and (ii) provide, to the output unit, driving assistance information associated with the first guide mode,

wherein the driving assistance information is provided with one or more visual images that are displayed by the display unit and one or more audio notifications that are output by the audio output unit.

2. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the first guide mode is the display guide mode or the sound guide mode, and

change, based on the determination that the first guide mode is the display guide mode or the sound guide mode, a number of the one or more visual images and a number of the one or more audio notifications.

3. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the first guide mode is the display guide mode, and

change, based on the determination that the first mode is the display guide mode, a shape, a size, a hue, a type, a luminance, or a saturation of each visual image.

4. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store data that associates the vehicle internal information and the vehicle external information with the plurality of guide modes,

wherein the processor is configured to determine the first guide mode from the plurality of guide modes based on the data.

5. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine, based on at least the vehicle internal information, vehicle internal noise, user behavior information, and passenger behavior information, and

determine the first guide mode as the display guide mode based on the vehicle internal noise, the user behavior information, and the passenger behavior information.

6. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine, based on the vehicle internal information and the vehicle external information, external object information, external weather information, and driver status information, and

determine the first guide mode as the sound guide mode based on the external object information, the external weather information, and the driver status information.

7. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an input unit configured to receive user input,

wherein the processor is configured to determine the first guide mode from the plurality of guide modes based on the user input.

8. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the driving assistance information includes navigation information, traffic information, communication information, vehicle state information, advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) information, or driver convenience information, and

the processor is configured to determine a number of the one or more visual images and a number of the one or more audio notifications based on the determination of the first guide mode.

9. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the first guide mode is the display guide mode, and

transfer a speech or an image between a driver and a passenger based on the determination that the first guide mode is the display guide mode.

10. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 9, wherein the speech is made by the passenger located in a back seat of the vehicle and the image is obtained by capturing a view toward a spare seat or the back seat.

11. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the first guide mode is the display guide mode, and

change directions of the one or more audio notifications toward a driver.

12. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit includes a microphone that measures a vehicle internal noise, and

the processor is configured to determine the first guide mode as the display guide mode based on the vehicle internal noise.

13. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to change a number of the one or more visual images and a number of the one or more audio notifications based on the determination of the first guide mode.

14. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the driving assistance information is user convenience information including navigation information, traffic information, communication information, and vehicle state information, and

mute the one or more audio notifications provided for the user convenience information including navigation information, traffic information, communication information, and vehicle state information based on the determination that the driving assistance information is the user convenience information.

15. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 14, further comprising one or more sensors configured to monitor outside regions of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain emergency assistance information including automatic emergency braking information, blind-spot detection information, forward collision avoidance information, cross traffic alert information, and parking assistance information, and

increase, based on the emergency assistance information, a volume of the one or more audio notifications.

16. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to provide the one or more visual images as text.

17. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the first guide mode is switched to the display guide mode, and

change a shape, a size, a hue, a type, a luminance, or a saturation of each visual image based on the determination that the first guide mode is switched to the display guide mode.

18. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 12, further comprising one or more sensors to monitor outside regions of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain emergency assistance information including automatic emergency braking information, blind-spot detection information, forward collision avoidance information, cross traffic alert information, and parking assistance information, and

expand the outside regions of the vehicle for monitoring.

19. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain external object information from the vehicle external information, and

determine, based on the external object information, whether the first guide mode is the sound guide mode.

20. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to change a number of the one or more visual images and a number of the one or more audio notifications.

21. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the first guide mode is the sound guide mode, and

change, based on the determination that the first mode is the sound guide mode, a volume or direction of each audio notification.