Method and system for supervising information communication based on occupant and vehicle environment

• US 9,612,999 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Elliott, Doron M., Strumolo, Gary Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US14/829,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20150358456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36, 701 45
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A vehicle computer system includes one or more processors configured to receive context data representative of a vehicle'"'"'s environment from one or more modules. The one or more processors are programmed and configured to receive the context data from one or more modules, determine an attention demand value utilizing the context data and a workload value corresponding to the context data, and output an indicator to activate or adjust a do not disturb feature based on the attention demand value.

Claims

1. A vehicle computer system, comprising:

one or more processors of the vehicle computer system located in a vehicle configured to receive context data representative of a vehicle'"'"'s environment from one or more vehicle sensors, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed and configured to;

receive the context data from the sensors and a driver-identifier from a mobile phone in communication with the vehicle computer system;

output an indicator displaying automatic selection of a do-not-disturb (DND) feature in response to an attention demand value based upon the context data and the driver-identifier received from the mobile phone; and

automatically adjust to one of a plurality of configurations, wherein each configuration corresponds to an individual magnitude of inhibiting communication using the DND feature that inhibits communication to a driver.

2. The vehicle computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine a driver profile based on the driver-identifier, and wherein the driver profile includes a novice driver subscription.

3. The vehicle computer system of claim 2, wherein the novice driver subscription is configured to adjust the configuration to inhibit incoming text messages to the driver, and wherein the novice driver subscription is further configured to prevent the configuration from being overridden.

4. The vehicle computer system of claim 2, wherein the driver profile includes a driving history.

5. A vehicle computer system, comprising:

one or more processors of the vehicle computer system located in a vehicle configured to receive context data representative of a vehicle'"'"'s environment from one or more vehicle sensors, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed and configured to;

receive the context data from the one or more vehicle sensors; and

a driver-identifier from a mobile phone in communication with the vehicle computer system

determine an attention demand value based on the context data and the driver-identifier;

in response to the determination, output an indicator displaying an automatic selection of a do-not-disturb (DND) feature that inhibits communication to a driver, wherein the feature automatically adjusts a configuration to inhibit communication based on the attention demand value and a communication-type indicative of an alert; and

receive the alert to be output at the vehicle, wherein the alert is output if the alert exceeds a threshold of the configuration, or the alert is delayed to be output when the alert does not exceed the threshold.

6. The vehicle computer system of claim 5, wherein the alert is one or more of a text message, in-vehicle message, incoming phone call, or vehicle sensor alert.

7. The vehicle computer system of claim 6, wherein the driver-identifier is received from a cellular phone.

8. The vehicle computer system of claim 5, wherein the driver-identifier is received from a key-fob.

9. The vehicle computer system of claim 5, wherein the vehicle computer system further comprises a vehicle speaker configured to output the indicator suggesting activation or adjustment of the do-not-disturb communication feature via an audible message.

10. The vehicle computer system of claim 5, wherein the vehicle computer system further comprises a vehicle display configured to output the indicator suggesting activation or adjustment of the do-not-disturb feature via a visual indicator.

11. The vehicle computer system of claim 5, wherein the one or more vehicle sensors include a transceiver configured to communicate with an off-board server.

12. The vehicle computer system of claim 5, wherein the one or more vehicle sensors include a cellular phone in communication with the vehicle computer system.

13. A vehicle system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive context data indicating a vehicle'"'"'s environment from a vehicle sensor and a driver-identifier from a mobile phone connected to the vehicle system; and

output, in response to an attention demand value indicating a driver'"'"'s workload using both the context data and the driver-identifier received from the mobile phone, an indicator suggesting user-adjustment of a setting inhibiting communication from the mobile phone.

14. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to enable a selective do-not-disturb feature configured to allow an incoming communication in response to an allowed list.

15. The vehicle system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to allow the incoming communication to be output in response to the incoming communication being authorized on the allowed list.

16. The vehicle system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to disable the incoming communication from being output in response to the incoming communication not being authorized on the allowed list.

17. The vehicle system of claim 14, wherein the allowed list includes a type of incoming notification to allow the type of incoming notification to be output to users.

18. The vehicle system of claim 14, wherein the allowed list includes a communicator of the incoming communication to allow the communicator of the incoming communication to be output to users.

19. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to send a mute-signal to the mobile phone to mute an audible notification of the mobile phone.