System for pre-attentively communicating information to a driver of a vehicle

• US 8,358,207 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Lenneman, John K., Szczerba, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Son M
• Application Number:
  US12/475,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 340/441, 340/438, 340/461, 340/463, 340/472, 340/478, 340/815.45, 345/7
• US Class Current: 340/463
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/338 Light strips
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/77 Instrument locations other than the dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/40 Several lamps activated in sequence, e.g. sweep effect, progressive activation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/16 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/78 for generating luminous strips, e.g. for marking trim component edges
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for pre-attentively communicating information to a driver of a vehicle. The system includes, but is not limited to a vehicle having a passenger compartment and an illumination component mounted within the passenger compartment. The illumination component is positioned to be peripherally visible to the driver as the driver looks in the direction of vehicle travel. An electronic processing device is operatively connected to the illumination component and is configured to control illumination of the illumination component in a manner that corresponds to a condition of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for pre-attentively communicating information to a driver of a vehicle, the system comprising:

an illumination component mounted within a passenger compartment of the vehicle and positioned to be peripherally visible to the driver as the driver looks in a direction of vehicle travel; and

an electronic processing device operatively connected to the illumination component and configured to control the illumination component to display a plurality of light segments that appear to be continuously moving from one of the plurality of light segments to another light segment repeatedly, wherein movement of the plurality of light segments corresponds with a speed of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the illumination component comprises a light assembly configured to display a plurality of light segments that appear to move from a front of the vehicle to a rear of the vehicle at a rate corresponding to the speed of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the light assembly is configured to display a plurality of light segments that appear to move from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle at a first rate when the vehicle is traveling at approximately a posted speed limit.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the light assembly is configured to display a plurality of light segments that appear to move from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle at a second rate that exceeds the first rate when the vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit by a predetermined amount.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the light assembly is configured to display a plurality of light segments that appear to move from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle at a third rate that is less than the first rate when the vehicle'"'"'s speed falls below the posted speed limit by a predetermined amount.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the light assembly is configured to display a plurality of light segments that appear to move from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle at a second rate that exceeds the first rate when the vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit by a predetermined amount and wherein the light assembly is further configured to display a plurality of light segments that appear to move from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle at a third rate that is less than the first rate when the vehicle'"'"'s speed falls below the posted speed limit by a predetermined amount.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the illumination component is configured and positioned to direct light against a reflective surface in the passenger compartment and wherein light from the illumination component that reflects off of the reflective surface falls within a field of peripheral vision of the driver.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the illumination component comprises a light assembly configured to display a plurality of light segments that appear to move from a front of the vehicle to a rear of the vehicle and wherein each light segment has a width dimension that corresponds with the speed of vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein each light segment has a first width dimension that corresponds to the condition wherein the vehicle is traveling at approximately a speed limit.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein each light segment has a second width dimension that corresponds to the condition wherein the vehicle exceeds the speed limit by at least a predetermined amount, the second width dimension being less than the first width dimension.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein each light segment has a third width dimension that corresponds to the condition wherein the vehicle speed falls below the speed limit by at least a predetermined amount, the third width dimension being greater than the first width dimension.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the illumination component is mounted on a door panel.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the illumination component is mounted on an A-pillar.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the illumination component is mounted within a headliner.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the illumination component comprises light emitting diodes.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic processing device is configured to communicate with an on-board vehicle system to determine the speed of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 1 further comprising a switch operatively connected to the illumination component to selectively disable the illumination component.

18. A system for pre-attentively communicating information to a driver of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle having a passenger compartment including an A-pillar, a B-pillar, and a door panel disposed between the A-pillar and the B-pillar;

a light assembly comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, the light assembly being mounted on the door panel and positioned to be peripherally visible to the driver as the driver looks in a direction of vehicle travel; and

an electronic processing device operatively connected to the light assembly and configured to control illumination of the light assembly such that the light emitting diodes form a plurality of light segments that appear to continuously move from one of the plurality of light segments to another light segment repeatedly from the A-pillar to the B-pillar at a rate that corresponds with a speed of the vehicle.

19. A method for pre-attentively communicating information to a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a condition of the vehicle;

communicating the condition of the vehicle to an electronic processing device mounted on the vehicle;

using the electronic processing device to control an illumination component mounted within a field of peripheral vision of the driver in a manner that causes a plurality of light segments to appear to move continuously from one of the plurality of light segments to another light segment repeatedly at a rate that corresponds to a speed of the vehicle.