Autonomous vehicle entertainment system

• US 9,272,708 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Cuddihy, Mark A., Rao, Manoharprasad K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fei, Jordan S
• Application Number:
  US14/041,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20150094896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/175 Autonomous driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/66 Projection screens or combiners
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/77 Instrument locations other than the dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0229 for displays, e.g. cathodic tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2146 located in mass transportation means, e.g. aircraft, train or bus flight-deck installations for entertainment or communications B64D11/0015; arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62; moving wireless networks H04W84/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62

Abstract

A vehicle system includes an autonomous mode controller and an entertainment system controller. The autonomous mode controller controls a vehicle in an autonomous mode. The entertainment system controller presents media content on a first display while the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode and on a second display when the vehicle is operating in a non-autonomous mode. A method includes determining whether a vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode, presenting media content on a first display while the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode, and transferring presentation of the media content to a second display when the vehicle is operating in a non-autonomous mode.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

an autonomous mode controller configured to control a vehicle in an autonomous mode;

an entertainment system controller configured to determine whether the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or a non-autonomous mode and present media content on a first display when the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode and on a second display, and not the first display, when the vehicle is operating in a non-autonomous mode,

wherein the entertainment system controller is configured to present the media content on the first display when the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode and transfer presentation of the media content to the second display when the vehicle is operating in the non-autonomous mode.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the entertainment system controller is configured to present the media content via the first display while the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode and in response to a user input.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the entertainment system controller is configured to transfer the media content to the second display prior to the vehicle beginning to operate in the non-autonomous mode.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the entertainment system controller is configured to present the media content via the second display in response to a user input.

5. A method comprising:

determining whether a vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode;

presenting media content on a first display while the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode;

determining whether the vehicle is operating in a non-autonomous mode; and

transferring presentation of the media content to a second display when the vehicle is operating in the non-autonomous mode, wherein the media content is not presented on the first display when the vehicle is operating in the non-autonomous mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determination of whether the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode includes monitoring at least one autonomous driving sensor.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the determination of whether the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode is based at least in part on a signal received from an autonomous mode controller.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the media content is presented on the first display in response to a user input received while the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising activating the second display and transferring the media content to the second display prior to the vehicle operating in the non-autonomous mode.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the media content is presented on only the second display when the vehicle is operating in the non-autonomous mode.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the media content is presented on the first display in response to a user input.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the presentation of the media content is transferred to the second display in response to a user input.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions that cause a processor to execute operations comprising:

determining whether a vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode;

presenting media content on a first display while the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode;

determining whether the vehicle is operating in a non-autonomous mode; and

transferring presentation of the media content to a second display when the vehicle is operating in the non-autonomous mode, wherein the media content is not presented on the first display when the vehicle is operating in the non-autonomous mode.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the determination of whether the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode includes monitoring at least one autonomous driving sensor.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the determination of whether the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode is based at least in part on a signal received from an autonomous mode controller.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the media content is presented on the first display in response to a user input received while the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising activating the second display and transferring the media content to the second display prior to the vehicle operating in the non-autonomous mode.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the presentation of the media content is transferred to the second display in response to a user input.