Method for displaying a visual warning signal

• US 8,390,440 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Krautter, Wolfgang, Dambier, Michael, Rimini-Doering, Maria, Manstetten, Dietrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/570,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20100079270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 340/436, 340/435, 340/437, 340/980, 340/575, 340/576, 701/300, 701/301, 701/302, 348/77, 348/333.03, 348/E5.035, 348/E5.045, 348/E5.047
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/184 Displaying the same information on different displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/184 Displaying the same information on different displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for displaying a visual warning signal to warn a driver of a vehicle about a traffic situation that is determined to be critical. The visual warning signal displayed to the driver is based on sensor data furnished by at least one sensor unit that determines a line of sight of the driver. A display unit for displaying the visual warning signal is selected from a group of at least two separately controllable display units depending on the line of sight of the driver.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a visual warning signal to warn a driver of a vehicle that a traffic situation is critical, the method comprising:

determining a line of sight of the driver based on sensor data furnished by at least one sensor unit, the at least one sensor unit having a first sensor unit embodied as an image capture unit or an image recognition unit and a second sensor unit which includes at least one control mechanism to be operated by the driver;

furnishing a control unit with first sensor data representing image data from the image capture unit or first sensor data representing the line of sight of the driver from the image recognition unit;

furnishing the control unit with additional sensor data from the second sensor unit relating to a control task being performed by the driver;

selecting a display unit for displaying the visual warning signal depending on the line of sight from a group of at least two separately controllable display units; and

terminating the display of the visual warning signal after the driver actuates an input unit.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising selecting a single display unit.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising triggering respective display units via respective separate interfaces for supplying image data in order to display the visual warning signal.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the visual warning signal is a sample image of a traffic situation, a sample video sequence of a traffic situation, a real image of a current traffic situation of the vehicle, or a real video sequence of a current traffic situation of the vehicle.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising selecting the visual warning signal based on a determined type of the critical traffic situation.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising triggering respective display units via respective separate interfaces for supplying image data in order to display the visual warning signal.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the visual warning signal is a sample image of a traffic situation, a sample video sequence of a traffic situation, a real image of a current traffic situation of the vehicle, or a real video sequence of a current traffic situation of the vehicle.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising selecting the visual warning signal based on a determined type of the critical traffic situation.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the display unit is a head-up display, a display unit of an instrument cluster, a display unit of a navigation device, a display unit of a head unit, a display unit of a mobile phone, or a display unit of a mobile computing device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual warning signal is a sample image of a traffic situation, a sample video sequence of a traffic situation, a real image of a current traffic situation of the vehicle, or a real video sequence of a current traffic situation of the vehicle.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising selecting the visual warning signal based on a determined type of the critical traffic situation.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the display unit is a head-up display, a display unit of an instrument cluster, a display unit of a navigation device, a display unit of a head unit, a display unit of a mobile phone, or a display unit of a mobile computing device.

13. A control unit for selecting a display unit from a group of at least two display units for displaying a visual warning signal in order to warn a driver of a vehicle of a critical traffic situation, the control unit comprising:

at least one first interface for triggering a first display unit;

at least one second interface for triggering a second display unit;

a third interface connected to at least one sensor unit, the at least one sensor unit furnishing sensor data which the control unit uses to determine a driver'"'"'s line of sight;

a fourth interface connected to a detecting unit for detecting a critical traffic situation, and

a fifth interface connected to an image capture unit for supplying image capture data of a real image or a real video sequence of a current traffic situation to the display units,

wherein the detecting unit signals the control unit when a critical traffic situation has been detected, and when the control unit is signaled by the detecting unit that a critical traffic situation has arisen, the control unit selects one of the display units to display the visual warning signal depending on the line of sight of the driver.

14. The control unit as recited in claim 13, wherein the control unit selects a single display unit to display the visual warning signal.