Communication system of a motor vehicle

• US 9,182,818 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Haubenschild, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US14/350,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20140257635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/301, 701/117, 701/24, 359/630, 180/167, 340/902
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/149 Instrument input by detecting viewing direction not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5894 SIM cards
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 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 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• 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: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• 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 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

A communication system of a motor vehicle includes: a first image recording apparatus arranged in the motor vehicle and oriented toward a driver, a first evaluating module for determining a detected viewing direction of the driver from the image recorded by the first image recording apparatus, a determining unit that determines a point of intersection of the detected viewing direction and a windshield of the motor vehicle, and a projection device, connected to the determining unit, for projecting a marking onto the windshield. The position of the marking includes the point of intersection.

Claims

1. A communication system of a motor vehicle (FZ1), the communication system comprising:

a first image acquisition device (K1) situated in the motor vehicle (FZ1) and oriented toward a driver (F);

a first evaluation module configured to determine a detected viewing direction (BR) of the driver from the image acquired by the first image acquisition device (K1);

a first determining unit configured to determine a point of intersection (SP) of the detected viewing direction (BR) and a windshield (W) of the motor vehicle (FZ1);

a projection device (P) configured to project a marking (M) onto the windshield (W), the projection device being in contact with the first determining unit, wherein the position of the marking (M) comprises the point of intersection (SP);

a confirmation device (B) operable by the driver (F); and

a communication device (K) configured to transmit a signal to a receiver outside of the motor vehicle (FZ1) that is marked with the marking (M) from the detected viewing direction (BR) of the driver (F), if a confirmation signal of the confirmation device (B) is present.

2. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second image acquisition device (K2) situated in the motor vehicle (FZ1) and oriented toward a road course in front of the motor vehicle (FZ1);

a second evaluation module configured to determine an object in the acquired image of the second image acquisition device (K2) that is situated outside the vehicle (FZ1) in the viewing direction (BR) of the driver (F); and

a second determining unit configured to determine whether the object determined by the second evaluation unit is the marked receiver.

3. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device (K) is an electromagnetic short-range radio device.

4. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an ascertaining unit configured to ascertain a reception address of the marked receiver.

5. The communication system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a third determining unit configured to determine a position of the motor vehicle, wherein the ascertaining unit ascertains the reception address based on a position specification and reception address received by the marked receiver.

6. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device (K) is an optical short-range communication device.

7. The communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the optical communication system has a light-emitting lighting unit modulated to the outside of the vehicle.

8. A communication system of a motor vehicle (FZ1), the communication system comprising:

a first image acquisition device (K1) situated in the motor vehicle (FZ1) and oriented toward a driver (F);

a first evaluation module configured to determine a detected viewing direction (BR) of the driver from the image acquired by the first image acquisition device (K1);

a first determining unit configured to determine a point of intersection (SP) of the detected viewing direction (BR) and a windshield (W) of the motor vehicle (FZ1);

a projection device (P) configured to project a marking (M) onto the windshield (W), the projection device being in contact with the first determining unit, wherein the position of the marking (M) comprises the point of intersection (SP);

a confirmation device (B) operable by the driver (F);

a communication device (K) configured to transmit a signal to a receiver that is marked with the marking (M) from the detected viewing direction (BR) of the driver (F), if a confirmation signal of the confirmation device (B) is present; and

an ascertaining unit configured to ascertain a reception address of the marked receiver,

wherein the reception address is ascertained based on an extraction of an identifier of the marked receiver from the image acquired by the second image acquisition device (K2).

9. The communication system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the communication device is configured to transmit the signal in a spatial direction that is changeable with respect to a longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle (FZ1).

10. A method for determining a communication partner in a vehicle-to-object communication, the method comprising:

detecting a viewing direction (BR) of a driver of a motor vehicle (FZ1);

determining a point of intersection (SP) of the viewing direction of a driver (F) with a windshield (W) of the motor vehicle (FZ1);

projecting a marking (M) onto the windshield (W) such that the position of the marking (M) on the windshield comprises the point of intersection (SP); and

selecting an object outside the vehicle (FZ1) marked with the marking (M) from the detected viewing direction (BR) of the driver (F) as a communication partner.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the marked object is selected by the driver (F) as a communication partner via a manual or voice-controlled confirmation device (B).

12. A method for establishing a vehicle-to-object communication, in which the communication partner as claimed in claim 11 is determined, wherein a reception address transmitted by the marked object is received by the motor vehicle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a selection of the reception address of the marked object is made from a plurality of received reception addresses of objects by comparison of position data received by the marked object with the position data of the motor vehicle (FZ1) and the detected viewing direction (BR) of the driver.

14. A method for establishing a vehicle-to-object communication, in which the communication partner is determined as claimed in claim 11, wherein a reception address of the communication partner is ascertained by:

recording an image of the communication partner using an image acquisition device (K2); and

extracting an identifier of the communication partner from the recorded image, wherein the identifier is the reception address, or the reception address is ascertained from the identifier.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the object is a second motor vehicle (FZ2) having a receiving device.