Peripheral salient feature enhancement on full-windshield head-up display

• US 8,629,784 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Szczerba, Joseph F., Angell, Linda S., Seder, Thomas A., Cui, Dehua
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US12/487,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20100253594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/901, 340/905, 345/7, 701/1, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/00 Windows; Windscreens; Accessories therefor B60J10/00 takes precedence; air curtains instead of windows B60J9/04 ; sealing strips for windshields B60J10/70; sealing sash guides for sliding window panes B60J10/74; glass partitions inside vehicles to protect occupants against personal attack B60R21/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/001 integrated in the windows, e.g. Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• 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: 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: G09G 2380/10 : Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 : to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3473 : based on light coupled out of a light guide, e.g. due to scattering, by contracting the light guide with external means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/026 : Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence

Abstract

A method to selectively project graphical images upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle based upon visual information present in a peripheral zone of vision includes monitoring a location of visual information corresponding to critical information with respect to the windscreen, processing the location of the visual information to generate display requirements describing the visual information as present in the peripheral zone of vision, generating the graphical images to be projected based upon the display requirements, and projecting the graphical images upon the transparent windscreen head up display based upon the estimated operator gaze location.

Claims

1. Method to selectively project graphical images upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle based upon visual information present in a peripheral zone of vision, the method comprising:

monitoring a location of visual information corresponding to critical information with respect to the windscreen;

processing the location of the visual information to generate display requirements describing the visual information as present in the peripheral zone of vision, the processing comprising;

monitoring an estimated operator gaze location with respect to the windscreen;

comparing the estimated operator gaze location to the location of visual information; and

generating the display requirements when the estimated operator gaze location is distant from the location of visual information by more than a threshold distance;

generating the graphical images to be projected based upon the display requirements; and

projecting the graphical images upon the transparent windscreen head up display based upon the estimated operator gaze location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring an estimated operator gaze location with respect to the windscreen comprises:

determining the estimated operator gaze location based upon a zone centered on a view of a lane of travel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring an estimated operator gaze location with respect to the windscreen comprises:

monitoring an operator gaze location from an occupant eye location sensing system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of visual information corresponding to critical information comprises a location upon the windscreen where a visible feature in an operating environment of the vehicle corresponding to the critical information is visible.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of visual information corresponding to critical information comprises a location upon the windscreen where a graphic corresponding to the critical information is projected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the estimated operator gaze location to the location of visual information is based upon a lateral position of the estimated operator gaze location upon the windscreen and a lateral position of the location of visual information upon the windscreen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the estimated operator gaze location to the location of visual information is based upon a planar position of the estimated operator gaze location upon the windscreen and a planar position of the location of visual information upon the windscreen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold distance is the shortest of a series of increasing threshold distances;

wherein comparing the estimated operator gaze location to the location of visual information comprises comparing the estimated operator gaze location and the location of visual information to the series of increasing threshold distances; and

wherein generating the display requirements increases an emphasis based upon the comparing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the display requirements increases an emphasis based upon a monitored importance of the corresponding critical information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the critical information corresponds to a feature not visible through the windscreen.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein monitoring a location of visual information comprises monitoring the location of the feature not visible through the windscreen.

12. System to selectively project graphical images upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle based upon visual information in a peripheral zone of vision, the system comprising:

the transparent windscreen head up display;

an enhanced vision system manager

monitoring a location of visual information corresponding to critical information;

monitoring an estimated operator gaze location with respect to the windscreen;

determining the location of visual information to be in the peripheral zone of vision based upon comparing the location of the visual information and the estimated operator gaze location to a threshold distance; and

generating display requirements prompting a view to the visual information when the location of visual information is in the peripheral zone of vision;

a graphics system generating the graphical images to be displayed based upon the display requirements; and

a graphics projection system communicating with the graphics system and displaying the graphical images upon the transparent windscreen head up display.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein monitoring the location of visual information corresponding to critical information comprises:

monitoring an estimated operator head location;

monitoring vehicle sensor inputs;

determining a location of a visible feature outside the vehicle corresponding to the critical information based upon the monitored vehicle sensor inputs;

determining a line of sight between the estimated operator head location and the location of the visible feature; and

determining the location of visual information based upon an intersection of the line of sight and the transparent windscreen head up display.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein monitoring the location of visual information corresponding to critical information comprises:

monitoring a location where a graphic corresponding to the critical information is projected.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an occupant eye location sensing system; and

wherein monitoring the estimated operator gaze location comprises monitoring from the occupant eye location sensing system.