Assistance device in a motor vehicle

• US 7,142,696 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2000
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kussmann, Holger, Engelsberg, Andreas, Bauer, Sven, Schmale, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAWAN, SHEELA C
• Application Number:
  US10/129,398
• Time in Patent Office: 2,233 Days
• Field of Search: 382/118, 382/103, 382/104, 382/117, 382/181, 382/190, 414/462, 414/921, 414/501, 280/304.1, 340/477, 340/988, 340/425.5, 340/5.31, 340/438, 340/5.6, 342/357.06, 342/357.13, 701/117, 701/213, 701/214, 701/28, 701/300, 701/45, 701/1
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

An assistance device in a vehicle is described. The assistance device may be used to create a user profile for a driver and to call up the user profile to perform the settings on the various components. The assistance device may include a computer, which may be connected to means for person recognition. Connected data sources, means for representation, means for data reception, an air conditioning system, and a control system for person-specific variable components of the vehicle may be adjusted according to the user profile of the respective driver. The computer may as an alternative be connected to other components over a bus. The user profile may be altered according to a user'"'"'s most recent settings.

Claims

1. An assistance device in a vehicle, comprising:

a computer;

an arrangement for recognition of persons and being connected to the computer;

a data source connected to the computer;

an arrangement for representation and being connected to the computer; and

an arrangement for performing a data reception and being connected to the computer, wherein;

the computer, as a function of a person recognized by the arrangement for recognition of persons, loads a user profile valid for a person recognized from a memory, in order to load data from the data source corresponding to the user profile, and to set the arrangement for performing the data reception and the arrangement for representation;

the arrangement for data reception is configured to receive a broadband digital wireless signal including a signal for digital radio stations, multimedia data being received via the digital radio stations, and a setting being transferred from the user profile in accordance with the multimedia data;

the data sources includes a navigation device; and

the arrangement for representation includes a display, the user profile determining which multimedia data are received, which settings are made on the navigation device, and which information is displayed on the display.

2. The assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement for recognition of persons includes at least one of:

a camera, a signal processing unit, and a processor to perform video identification of a person; and

a microphone and a speech processor to perform a voice pattern recognition.

3. The assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement for data reception includes at least one of:

a receiving station; and

a sending/receiving station.

4. The assistance device according to claim 3, wherein the data source includes at least one of:

the memory;

a data server; and

a navigation device.

5. The assistance device according to claim 4, wherein the arrangement for representation includes a loudspeaker and a display.

6. The assistance device according to claim 5, wherein the display includes a projector for a windshield of the vehicle.

7. The assistance device according to claim 5, wherein the display includes a display screen.

8. The assistance device according to claim 5, wherein the display includes a projector which images information directly onto a retina of a driver.

9. The assistance device according to claim 5, wherein the display includes a combination of a projector for a windshield of the vehicle, a display screen, and a projector which images information directly onto a retina of a driver.

10. The assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the computer is connected by a bus to at least one other component of the device and to at least one component which is connected to the device.

11. The assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the computer alters the user profile according to at least one new setting of a specific person.