Adaptive instruction system for a vehicle

• US 8,209,093 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hill, Scott E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US12/199,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701213-216, 701/36, 701/45, 701/48, 701/49, 701/70, 701/400, 701/408, 701/538, 701/541, 34042613-42619, 34042622-42636, 455345-346
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value

Abstract

Disclosed herein are instruction systems for a vehicle. One system comprises a condition sensor configured to detect and generate an output indicative of at least one vehicle condition, a user interface device and a position sensing system configured to detect and generate an output indicative of a user'"'"'s position relative to a vehicle component. Each instruction is associated with a state of the at least one vehicle condition and the user'"'"'s position relative to the vehicle component. A controller is programmed and configured to select one of the plurality of instructions based upon the vehicle condition as indicated by the condition sensor output and the user'"'"'s position as indicated by the position sensing system. The instructions are provided to the user through the user interface device. Methods for using the system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An instruction system for a vehicle having a plurality of vehicle components, the system comprising:

a condition sensor configured to detect and generate at least one output, each output indicative of a vehicle component condition reprenting an operational status of an associated vehicle component;

a position sensing system including a portable user interface device and a position sensor configured to detect the location of the portable user interface device and generate an output indicative of a position of the portable user interface device relative to the associated vehicle component;

a memory containing a plurality of instructions, each instruction comprising a suggested action to change the vehicle component condition of the associated vehicle component; and

a controller programmed and configured to predict an intended action to change the vehicle component condition based on the vehicle component nearest the position of the portable user interface device and the output associated with the vehicle component;

to select at least one of the plurality of instructions based on the predicted intended action; and

to present the at least one selected instruction to change the vehicle component condition.

2. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected instruction is presented to the user via the portable user interface device and is at least one of an audible instruction and a visual instruction.

3. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to select the at least one instruction only after the user'"'"'s position has remained unchanged for at least a predetermined amount of time.

4. The instruction system of claim 3, wherein the user'"'"'s position is determined to be unchanged based on the portable user interface device remaining within a predetermined distance from the vehicle component.

5. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to select the at least one instruction only after the vehicle component condition has remained unchanged for at least a predetermined amount of time.

6. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle component is a brake pedal, a gear shift, a door, a trunk, a door lock, an ignition switch, an alarm status and a gas cap and the vehicle component condition is at least one of brake pedal status, gear shift position status, door position status, trunk lid position, door lock and unlock requests, ignition switch status, alarm status and gas cap status.

7. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to perform one or both of stopping the presentation of the at least one selected instruction and selecting at least one different instruction based on at least one of a change in the vehicle component condition being detected, a change in the user'"'"'s position relative to the vehicle component being detected, a predetermined amount of time passing, a user action via the portable user interface device, and a user action via an onboard vehicle component.

8. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the controller is located within the vehicle.

9. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the controller is located within the user interface device.

10. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the portable user interface device includes a transmitter configured to transmit the output indicative of the user'"'"'s position and the position sensor includes a vehicle mounted receiver configured to receive the output indicative of the user'"'"'s position.

11. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the portable user interface includes a user control for wirelessly changing a vehicle component condition, and at least one of the instructions includes a suggestion to activate the user control.

12. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate the at least one selected instruction to the portable user interface device, and the portable user interface device presents the instruction to the user.

13. The instruction system of claim 12, wherein the portable user interface device comprises an audio output device and a visual display configured to present the at least one selected instruction to the user.

14. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to present the at least one selected instruction via an onboard vehicle component.

15. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the controller predicts the user'"'"'s intended action based on both the user'"'"'s position relative to the vehicle component and the vehicle component condition remaining unchanged for a predetermined amount of time.

16. The instruction system of claim 1, wherein the portable user interface device is configured to emit a signal indicative of the user'"'"'s position and the position sensor detects the location of the portable user interface device based on a strength of the signal from the portable user interface device.

17. A method of providing instructions to change a vehicle component condition of a vehicle having a plurality of vehicle components, the method comprising:

detecting at least one vehicle component condition with a condition sensor, each vehicle component condition representing an operational status of one of the plurality of vehicle components, and generating an output indicative of the at least one vehicle component condition from the condition sensor;

detecting a position of a user interface device relative to the associated vehicle component with a position sensor and generating an output indicative of the position;

predicting an intended activity to change the vehicle component condition based on the vehicle component nearest the position of the user interface device and the output associated with the vehicle component indicative of the vehicle component condition;

selecting at least one instruction comprising a suggested action to change the vehicle component condition based upon the predicted intended activity; and

presenting the at least one selected instruction through the user interface device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the presenting of the at least one selected instruction through the user interface is performed audibly.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the presenting of the at least one selected instruction through the user interface is performed visually.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting of the at least one instruction occurs only after the user'"'"'s position has remained unchanged for a predetermined period of time.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting of the at least one instruction occurs only after the vehicle condition has remained unchanged for a predetermined period of time.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one vehicle component is a brake pedal, a gear shift, a door, a trunk, a door lock, an ignition switch, an alarm status and a gas cap and the vehicle component condition is at least one of brake pedal status, gear shift position status, door position status, trunk lid position, door lock and unlock requests, ignition switch status, alarm status and gas cap status.

23. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

at least one of stopping the presenting of the at least one selected instruction and selecting at least one different instruction based on at least one of detecting a change in the vehicle component condition, detecting a change in the user'"'"'s position relative to the vehicle component, delaying for a predetermined amount of time, detecting a user action via the user interface device, and detecting a user action via a vehicle information display.

24. An instruction system for a vehicle having a plurality of vehicle components, the system comprising:

a condition sensor configured to detect and generate at least one output, each output indicative of a vehicle component condition representing an operational status of an associated vehicle component;

a portable user interface device;

at least one position sensor configured to detect a position of the portable user interface device relative to the associated vehicle component based on a location of the portable user interface device;

a memory containing a plurality of instructions, each instruction associated with an intended activity to change the vehicle component condition; and

a controller configured to predict the intended activity to change the vehicle component condition based on the vehicle component nearest the position the portable user interface device and the output associated with the vehicle component;

select at least one instruction corresponding to the predicted intended activity only after the position has remained unchanged for a predetermined amount of time, and present the at least one selected instruction to change the vehicle component condition.

25. The instruction system of claim 24, wherein the portable user interface device is configured to emit a signal indicative of the user'"'"'s position and the position sensor detects the location of the portable user interface device based on a strength of the signal from the portable user interface device.

26. The instruction system of claim 24, wherein the at least one selected instruction is provided to the user via the portable user interface device and is at least one of an audible instruction and a visual instruction.

27. The instruction system of claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to select one of the instructions only after the vehicle component condition has remained unchanged for at least a predetermined amount of time.

28. The instruction system of claim 24, wherein the controller predicts the user'"'"'s intended activity based on the user'"'"'s position relative to the vehicle component and the vehicle component condition both remaining unchanged for a predetermined amount of time.

29. The instruction system of claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to perform one or both of stopping the presenting of the at least one selected instruction and selecting at least one different instruction based on at least one of a change in the vehicle component condition being detected, a change in the user'"'"'s position relative to the vehicle component being detected, a predetermined amount of time passing, a user action via the user interface device, and a user action via a vehicle information display.

30. The instruction system of claim 24, wherein the user'"'"'s position is determined to be unchanged based on the portable user interface device remaining within a predetermined distance from the vehicle component.

31. The instruction system of claim 24, wherein the portable user interface includes a user control for wirelessly changing a vehicle component condition, and at least one of the instructions includes a suggestion to activate the user control.

32. The instruction system of claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate the at least one selected instruction to the portable user interface device, and the portable user interface device presents the at least one selected instruction to the user.

33. The instruction system of claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to present the at least one selected instruction via an onboard vehicle component.