Method and system for providing directions for driving

• US 7,135,961 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith H., Willner, Barry E., Operowsky, Howard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/676,598
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/988, 340/980, 340/990, 340/995, 340/995.1, 340/995.2, 345/7, 701/201, 701/208, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

A system and method of providing information (such as directions) to a driver of a vehicle while driving the vehicle without requiring that the driver remove his eyes from looking out the windshield at the road ahead. A positioning device is associated with the vehicle and determines the present location of the vehicle which is compared with a desired location (e.g., the location of a desired turn at an intersection) necessary to reach a preset destination which has been stored. When the vehicle is in a predetermined location (e.g., 500 feet or 10 seconds before the intersection), an advisory message to the driver is projected on the windshield using a heads-up display projector so that the driver can prepare for and make the necessary movement (e.g., turning the correct way at the desired intersection). An optional auditory signal can provide a message indicating the necessary action, either in general or specifically (through a speech synthesizer), with optionally different sound indicators depending on the urgency of the action. A wireless receiver used with the present invention can display other information such as road conditions, traffic and weather information, as well as advertising and e-mail. The present invention contemplates that images of intersections (live pictures, photos or sketches) may be displayed to indicate the proper turn and provide landmark information to assist in determining the appropriate turn.

Claims

1. A method of providing driving instructions including the steps of

sensing a position of the vehicle;

comparing the position of the vehicle with a desired location;

if the vehicle is in a predetermined position, generating a signal which indicates that the driver should take an action, wherein the predetermined position is determined based upon an estimated time when the driver should take the action;

in response to the signal, displaying on a windshield of the vehicle a message indicating the action the driver should take the action along with a virtual image of an area around the desired location, the image including at least one landmark; and

terminating the displaying of the message and virtual image prior to when the driver should take the action.

2. A method including the steps of claim 1 wherein the step of generating a signal includes the step of providing an audible signal indicating that the driver should take an action.

3. A method including the steps of claim 2 wherein the step of providing an audible signal indicates that a message is displayed on the windshield.

4. A method including the steps of claim 2 wherein the step of providing an audible signal includes the step of broadcasting the message on a speaker.

5. A method including the steps of claim 1 wherein the method further includes the step of displaying a distance to the desired action.

6. A method including the steps of claim 1 where the method further includes the step of determining the speed of the vehicle and providing an indication of the desired action a predetermined time period in advance of the desired action.

7. A method including the steps of claim 1 wherein the method further includes the step of determining when the vehicle has passed the desired location and providing an indication that the driver has missed a turn, whereby the driver may take action more quickly to recover from missing the desired location.

24. A method including the steps of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute is a size of the at least one landmark, the size increasing as the vehicle moves closer to the at least one landmark.

25. A method including the steps of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute is a brightness of the landmark, the brightness increasing as the vehicle moves closer to the at least one landmark.

28. A method including the steps of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the windshield of the vehicle information corresponding to the at least one landmark and information corresponding to the environs of the desired location.

29. A method including the steps of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the windshield of the vehicle at least one of an e-mail message, an advertisement, a news report, a weather report, and a traffic advisory.

8. A program stored on a storage medium for generating a displayed message to a driver of a vehicle on the windshield of the vehicle, the program comprising:

a program element for determining a message for display, the message indicating an action the driver should take;

a program element for determining an appropriate time for displaying the message, the appropriate time being based on an estimated time when the driver should take the action;

a program element coupled to a projector for providing the message for display at the appropriate time for the display, whereby the message can be displayed to the driver on the windshield of his car at the appropriate time, and for providing a virtual image of an area corresponding to a a location at which the driver should take the action, the virtual image including at least one landmark; and

a program element for terminating the displaying of the message and virtual image prior to when the vehicle will reach the location at which the driver should take the action.

9. A program of the type described in claim 8 wherein the program element for determining the message for display includes a stored program indicating at least one desired driving direction and a location for that driving direction to be displayed and the program further includes a program element for determining when the vehicle is in the location for the driving direction to be displayed.

10. A program of the type described in claim 9 wherein the program element for determining when the car is in the location for the direction to be displayed includes a program element for receiving global positioning information.

11. A program of the type described in claim 9 wherein the program element for storing at least one driving direction includes a program element for receiving the driving instruction from a remote source.

12. A program of the type described in claim 9 where the program element for storing at least one driving direction includes a stored navigational program.

13. A system for displaying information to a driver in a vehicle comprising:

a location system which determines the location of the vehicle;

a storage device which provides a picture of a roadway near a desired location at which a driver action should be taken; and

a device which generates a display of the picture of the roadway on the windshield of the vehicle allowing the driver of the vehicle to see the display without removing his eyes from the roadway, wherein the picture includes at least one image of a landmark;

wherein the device generates the display based upon at least one of an estimated distance from the vehicle location to the desired location and an estimated time for the vehicle to reach the desired location, and wherein the device terminates the display prior to the vehicle reaching the desired location.

14. A system of the type described in claim 13 wherein the picture displayed is a live picture.

15. A system of the type described in claim 14 wherein the live picture is from a camera mounted over the roadway.

16. A system of the type described in claim 13 wherein the display includes driving directions.

17. A system of the type described in claim 16 wherein the display includes driving directions in the form of a turn indicated on the picture of the roadway.

18. A system of the type described in claim 13 wherein the picture is a picture taken previously and stored in memory.

26. The system of claim 13, wherein the display further includes text superimposed on the picture, the text providing information corresponding to the landmark.

19. A method for displaying information to a vehicle driver comprising the steps of:

determining a first position of the vehicle;

finding a picture of an intersection at which a driver action should be taken;

displaying the picture of the intersection on the windshield of the vehicle so that the driver can see the picture while looking out the windshield, wherein the picture of the intersection includes at least one image of a landmark, and wherein the picture is displayed based upon at least one of an estimated distance from the first determined vehicle position to the intersection and an estimated time at which the driver action should be taken given the determined vehicle position; and

terminating the displaying of the picture prior to the vehicle reaching the intersection given a second determined position of the vehicle.

20. A method of displaying information including the steps of claim 19 wherein the step of finding a picture includes the step of retrieving a stored picture of the roadway from memory.

21. A method of displaying information including the steps of claim 19 wherein the step of finding a picture includes the step of receiving a live picture of the roadway.

22. A method of displaying information including the steps of claim 21 wherein the step of finding a picture includes the step of receiving a live picture from a camera mounted above the intersection.

23. A method of displaying information including the steps of claim 19 wherein the step of displaying a picture of the intersection further includes the step of adding driving instructions to the display.

27. A method including the steps of claim 19, further comprising superimposing on the display textual information corresponding to the landmark.

30. A method of providing driving instructions including the steps of

sensing a position of the vehicle;

comparing the position of the vehicle with a desired location;

if the vehicle is in a predetermined position, generating a signal which indicates that the driver should take an action, wherein the predetermined position is determined based upon an estimated distance to a location at which the driver should take the action;

in response to the signal, displaying on a windshield of the vehicle a message indicating the action the driver should take the action along with a virtual image of an area around the desired location, the image including at least one landmark; and

terminating the displaying of the message and virtual image prior to the vehicle reaching the location at which the driver should take the action.

31. A method including the steps of claim 30 wherein the step of generating a signal includes the step of providing an audible signal indicating that the driver should take an action.

32. A method including the steps of claim 31 wherein the step of providing an audible signal indicates that a message is displayed on the windshield.

33. A method including the steps of claim 32 wherein the step of providing an audible signal includes the step of broadcasting the message on a speaker.

34. A method including the steps of claim 30 wherein the method further includes the step of displaying a distance to the desired action.

35. A method including the steps of claim 30 where the method further includes the step of determining the speed of the vehicle and providing an indication of the desired action a predetermined time period in advance of the desired action.

36. A method including the steps of claim 30 wherein the method further includes the step of determining when the vehicle has passed the desired location and providing an indication that the driver has missed a turn, whereby the driver may take action more quickly to recover from missing the desired location.

37. A method including the steps of claim 30, further comprising displaying on the windshield of the vehicle information corresponding to the at least one landmark and information corresponding to the environs of the desired location.

38. A method including the steps of claim 30, further comprising displaying on the windshield of the vehicle at least one of an e-mail message, an advertisement, a news report, a weather report, and a traffic advisory.