User interface method for terminal for vehicle and apparatus thereof

• US 8,626,427 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Chang-Soo, Park, Hyung-Kil, Choi, Jun-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/422,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 701/119, 123/41.12, 123/41.31, 123/41.49, 123/41.64, 165/41, 165/51, 165/122, 165/140, 165/299, 165/916, 192/48.92, 192/50, 362/548, 362/369, 180/412, 746/50
• US Class Current: 701/119
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits

Abstract

A user interface method for a terminal for a vehicle is provided. The terminal obtains position information to detect a point of a road. A road image of a driving direction is obtained, a lanes of the road represented on the obtained road image is recognized, and a point of a road and lane in which the vehicle having the terminal arranged therein is detected. A virtual road image regarding the recognized lanes is generated, and the generated virtual lanes are added to the road image of the driving direction of the vehicle, and displayed. Traffic information for each lane and surrounding information (i.e. lane closure, construction, accident, etc.) at the detected point of the relevant road are obtained, and the obtained information is displayed for each virtual lane.

Claims

1. A user interface method for a terminal for a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining by a controller position information to detect a point of a road on which a vehicle having the terminal arranged therein is situated;

obtaining by the controller a road image of a driving direction of said vehicle having the terminal arranged therein, recognizing a type of road represented on the obtained road image, and detecting the point of a road;

generating by the controller a virtual road including lane markings identifying lanes as captured by the road image regarding the recognized road, and adding the generated virtual road including lanes to the road image of the driving direction displayed by a display; and

obtaining by the controller traffic information for each lane of the road, respectively, and surrounding information at the detected point of the road, and outputting the obtained information for each lane of the virtual road by the display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the traffic information for each lane of the road and surrounding information at the detected point of said vehicle on the road, and the outputting of the obtained information for each virtual road comprises:

determining, by a processor, a degree of driving speed of each lane from the traffic information and surrounding, information; and

displaying the virtual road and including indicators about the determined degree of driving speed in each lane.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displaying of the virtual road including indicators of the determined degree of driving speed in each lane comprises:

when the degree of driving speed is indicated as high, medium or low relatively as compared to a predetermined driving speed or a driving speed of lanes adjacent to a particular lane in which said vehicle is traveling, and displaying each lane of the virtual road using visually distinctive characteristics.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the visually distinctive characteristics include distinguishing colors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the traffic information for each lane of the road and surrounding information at the detected point of the road, and the outputting the obtained information for each virtual road comprises:

obtaining the traffic information for each lane of the road with respect to the detected point of said vehicle in the road via at least one network; and

communicating with said vehicle via a wired line or wirelessly, and obtaining the surrounding information for each lane of the road from said vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the traffic information comprises at least one of a traffic circumstance for each section of road in front of said vehicle, wherein the traffic circumstance includes an accident, or a road construction.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the surrounding information comprises at least one of a predetermined distance from a front of said vehicle, a predetermined distance from a rear of said vehicle, and a lateral distance from a said vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the user interface communicating with a communication unit of said vehicle, obtaining vehicle operation information from the vehicle, and displaying at least one of the virtual road, the traffic information, and the surrounding information depending on the obtained vehicle operation information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle operation information comprises sensing one of flickering of a directional light and sensing a steering operation of a steering wheel.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein when communicating with the vehicle, obtaining vehicle operation information from the vehicle, and displaying at least one of the virtual road, the traffic information, and the surrounding information depending on the obtained vehicle operation information comprises:

when a left directional light of the vehicle flickers, or it is detected that a steering wheel is steered in a left direction, displaying a virtual road or traffic information or surrounding information for a leftmost lane of the road, and when a right directional light of the vehicle flickers, or it is detected that a steering wheel is steered in a right direction, displaying a virtual road or traffic information or surrounding information for a rightmost lane of the road.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining traffic information for each lane of the road and surrounding information at the detected point of the road where said vehicle is situated, and outputting the obtained information for each virtual lane of the road comprises:

outputting a virtual road corresponding to a lane of the road to which the terminal within said vehicle currently belongs, corresponding traffic information and surrounding information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining traffic information for each lane of the road and surrounding information at the detected point of the road where said vehicle is situated, and outputting the obtained information for each virtual lane of the road comprises:

tracking a user'"'"'s eyes, and displaying at least one of the virtual lane of the road corresponding to a road to which the tracked eyes are directed in the road image, the corresponding traffic information, and the surrounding information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining traffic information for each lane of the road and surrounding information at the detected point of the road where said vehicle is situated, and outputting the obtained information for each virtual lane of the road comprises:

loading indicators for the traffic information and surrounding information to add the indicators to the display of the virtual road and display the same.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with a communicating unit of said vehicle via a wired line or wirelessly, and transmitting at least one of the road image of the driving direction, the virtual road, and the traffic information to said vehicle.

15. An apparatus for a terminal for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an output unit on a front of the terminal comprising at least a display for outputting image data and voice data;

a position information receiver for obtaining position information of a particular vehicle in which said terminal is arranged;

a rear camera on a back of the terminal for capturing a road image of a driving direction when the terminal is positioned in the vehicle so that the front of the terminal faces a steering control;

a traffic information receiver for receiving traffic information for each lane of road via at least one network;

a vehicle sensor receiver for communicating with said vehicle in which the terminal is arranged via a wired line or wirelessly, and obtaining surrounding information for each road from the vehicle;

a non-transitory storage for storing a predetermined program for controlling an overall operation, and various data input/output when a control operation is performed; and

a controller for performing an overall control of the terminal,

wherein the controller recognizes a road from the road image of the driving direction, detects a particular lane of the road in which the terminal is positioned, generates a virtual road image for the recognized road and adds generated virtual lanes to the road image of the driving direction and displays the same, detects a point of a road from the position information, and displays traffic information and surrounding information for each lane of the road at the detected point of the road in which said vehicle is situated.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller determines a driving speed for each lane of the road from the traffic information and surrounding information, and displays each virtual lane of the road displayed with visually distinguishment depending on the determined driving speed of other vehicles lanes of the road.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller categorizes driving speed into high, medium, and low, said driving speed relative to a predetermined speed or by comparing each of the lanes of the road to each other, and visually distinguishes the driving speed of each of the lanes of the road.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein when the driving speed is high, displays the relevant virtual road using a first color or shade of color, when the degree of swiftness in driving is medium, displays the relevant virtual road using a second or shade of color, and when the degree of swiftness in driving is low, displays the relevant virtual road using a third color or shade of color.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the traffic information comprises at least one of a traffic circumstance for each section of upcoming road within a predetermined distance, an accident, and a construction.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the surrounding information comprises at least one of a distance from a front of said vehicle, a distance from a rear of said vehicle, and a lateral distance from said vehicle.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a vehicle operation information receiver for communicating with said vehicle via a wired line or wirelessly, and obtaining vehicle operation information from said vehicle.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller controls display of at least one of the virtual road, the traffic information, and the surrounding information depending on the vehicle operation information.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the vehicle operation information comprises at least one of flickering of a directional light and a steering operation of a steering wheel.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein when a left directional light of the vehicle flickers, or it is detected that a steering wheel is steered in a leftward direction, the controller displays a virtual road or traffic information or surrounding information for a leftward lane road relative to said vehicle, and when a right directional light of the vehicle flickers, or it is detected that a steering wheel is steered in a right direction, the controller displays a virtual road or traffic information or surrounding information for a rightward lane of the road relative to said vehicle.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller controls output of display of a virtual road corresponding to the road to which the terminal currently belongs, corresponding traffic information and surrounding information.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a front camera on a front of the terminal for detecting a user'"'"'s eyeballs and an eyeball tracking unit for tracking the user'"'"'s eyes while viewing the road image of the driving direction via the front camera.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the controller controls output of display of at least one of the virtual road corresponding to a road to which the tracked eyes are directed in the road image, the corresponding traffic information, and the surrounding information.

28. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller controls the display of load indicators for the traffic information and surrounding information and adds the indicators to a virtual road displayed by the display.