Augmented reality heads up display (HUD) for left turn safety cues

• US 9,047,703 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Beckwith, Lee, Ng-Thow-Hing, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US13/800,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/629, 345/633, 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/436, 340/901
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

A method, augmented reality driving system and device safely guide a vehicle driver to perform a left turn. A vehicle navigator detects a left turn based upon proximity and speed for a vehicle. A target sensor determines a current position and a relative vector for an oncoming vehicle in a lane for opposing traffic that is approaching the left turn. An augmented reality controller three dimensionally maps a forward view including the oncoming vehicle and spatially overlays an augmented reality display on a volumetric heads up display for a driver of the vehicle by projecting a target path of the oncoming vehicle based upon the vector and relative vector and by projecting a left turn path.

Claims

1. A method for safely guiding a vehicle driver to perform a left turn, comprising:

detecting a left turn based upon proximity and speed for a vehicle;

determining a current position and a relative vector for an oncoming vehicle in a lane for opposing traffic that is approaching the left turn;

three dimensionally mapping a forward view including the oncoming vehicle; and

spatially overlaying an augmented reality display on a volumetric heads up display for a driver of the vehicle by projecting a target path of the oncoming vehicle based upon the position and relative vector and by projecting a left turn path.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising projecting the target path for a calculated time in which the vehicle will cross the opposing left during the left turn.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising overlaying the augmented reality display with an extended left turn graphic in response to determining a nonintersecting path and with a shortened left turn in response to determining an intersecting path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the left turn comprises:

accessing a digital map, a location of the vehicle, and a current trajectory of the vehicle; and

receiving a user input indicative of a planned left turn.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising receiving the user input indicative of the planned left turn by receiving a route map based upon the digital map.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising receiving the user input indicative of the planned left turn by receiving a left turn signal.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

detecting a width of the oncoming vehicle; and

projecting the target path having the width.

8. An augmented reality driver system to safely guide a vehicle driver to perform a left turn, comprising:

a vehicle navigator to detect a left turn based upon proximity and speed for a vehicle;

a target sensor to determine a current position and a relative vector for an oncoming vehicle in a lane for opposing traffic that is approaching the left turn;

a volumetric heads up display; and

an augmented reality controller to three dimensionally map a forward view including the oncoming vehicle, to direct the volumetric heads up display to project a target path of the oncoming vehicle based upon the position and relative vector, and to direct the volumetric heads up display to project a left turn path for the vehicle.

9. The augmented reality driver system of claim 8, wherein the augmented reality controller projects the target path for a calculated time in which the vehicle will cross the opposing left during the left turn.

10. The augmented reality driver system of claim 8, wherein the augmented reality controller directs the volumetric heads up display to project an extended left turn graphic indicative of a safe turn in response to determining a nonintersecting path and with a shortened left turn indicative of an unsafe turn in response to determining an intersecting path.

11. The augmented reality driver system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle navigator detects the left turn by:

accessing a digital map, a location of the vehicle, and a current trajectory of the vehicle; and

receiving a user input indicative of a planned left turn.

12. The augmented reality driver system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle navigator receives the user input indicative of the planned left turn by receiving a route map based upon the digital map.

13. The augmented reality driver system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle navigator receives the user input indicative of the planned left turn by receiving a left turn signal.

14. The augmented reality driver system of claim 11, wherein the target sensor detects a width of the oncoming vehicle;

and

wherein the augmented reality controller directs the volumetric heads up display to project the target path having the width.

15. A device for safely guiding a vehicle driver to perform a left turn, comprising:

a volumetric heads up display; and

a controller in communication with the volumetric heads up display, wherein the controller comprises at least one processor that executes software instructions to perform operations comprising;

detecting a left turn based upon proximity and speed for a vehicle,

determining a current position and a relative vector for an oncoming vehicle in a lane for opposing traffic that is approaching the left turn,

three dimensionally mapping a forward view including the oncoming vehicle, and

spatially overlaying an augmented reality display on the volumetric heads up display for a driver of the vehicle by projecting a target path of the oncoming vehicle based upon the position and relative vector and by projecting a left turn path.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the controller performs operations that comprise projecting the target path for a calculated time in which the vehicle will cross the opposing left during the left turn.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the controller performs operations that comprise overlaying the augmented reality display with an extended left turn graphic in response to determining a nonintersecting path and with a shortened left turn in response to determining an intersecting path.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the controller performs operations that comprise detecting the left turn further by:

accessing a digital map, a location of the vehicle, and a current trajectory of the vehicle, and

receiving a user input indicative of a planned left turn.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the controller receives the user input indicative of the planned left turn by obtaining a route map based upon the digital map.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the controller performs operations that comprise receiving the user input indicative of the planned left turn by receiving a left turn signal.