Method for synchronizing display devices in a motor vehicle

• US 9,649,938 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Roehder, Martin, Bohrer, Lorenz, Schlittenbauer, Michael, Maiwand, Heiko, Strauch, Alexander Sebastian, Coser, Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Application Number:
  US14/759,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,270 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/119 Icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1464 3D-gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/182 Distributing information between displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• 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 35/29 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: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113

Abstract

A method synchronizes two display devices in a motor vehicle. The first display device already displays a first data set which comprises a first display content relating to a predetermined thematic context. A sensor device, in particular a PMD camera, detects as a control gesture of a user, a free movement in the chamber of a body part of the user. A signal which is then generated by the sensor device and which describes the control gesture, is transmitted to a gesture recognition device which generates a control signal in accordance with the determined control gesture. In accordance with the control signal, a control device determines the predetermined thematic context of the determined data set. Using the defined predetermined thematic context, an additional data set which includes a second display content of the predetermined thematic context is provided. This additional data set is displayed on the second display device.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing in a motor vehicle, comprising:

detecting, using an optical sensor device and 3D image data, an operating gesture of a user which comprises a movement of a body part of the user, carried out freely in a space;

generating a gesture signal describing the operating gesture and transmitting the gesture signal to a gesture detection device;

identifying the operating gesture at the gesture detection device;

identifying an origin display device of the motor vehicle and a target display device of the motor vehicle, the origin display device and the target display device being identified at the gesture detection device using the gesture signal;

identifying a first origin data record selected by the operating gesture, the first origin data record being identified at the gesture detection device, the first origin data record being one of a plurality of origin data records simultaneously displayed by the origin display device, the first origin data record comprising a first display content relating to a first predetermined thematic context;

receiving a control signal at a control device, the control signal being received from the gesture detection device, the control signal describing the first origin data record;

determining the first predetermined thematic context of the first origin data record based on the control signal, the first predetermined thematic context being determined at the control device;

determining a further data record based on the first predetermined thematic context, the further data record having a second display content for the first predetermined thematic context; and

displaying the further data record on the target display device so as to synchronize the origin display device and the target display device,

wherein

a second origin data record among the plurality of origin data records comprises a third display content relating to a second predetermined thematic context,

the first predetermined thematic context is common to the first origin data record and the further data record and includes information on a first vehicle system relating to operation of the motor vehicle, and

the second predetermined thematic context is common to the second origin data record and another data record having a fourth display content for the second predetermined thematic context, and includes information on a second vehicle system relating to operation of the motor vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined thematic context is a warning notice relating to operation of the motor vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the control device comprises a program module of the origin display device, and

based on the control signal from the gesture detection device, the control device transmits context data relating to the first predetermined thematic context to the second display device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the further data record is provided by at least one of the following:

the control device calls up the further data record from a motor-vehicle-external data server,

the control device generates the further data record based on operating parameters of the motor vehicle,

the control device controls transmission of the further data record from a data storage device to the target display device, and

the control device provides the further data record in a motor-vehicle-internal data memory for the target display device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the gesture detection device, for detecting at least a part of the operating gesture, checks a trajectory of the body part to determine whether the operating gesture describes a pulling movement or a pulling and gripping movement from the origin display device to the target display device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the gesture detection device uses the operating gesture to synchronize the origin display device with the target display device only if the operating gesture describes a pulling movement or a pulling and gripping movement from the origin display device to the target display device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gesture detection device, for detecting the operating gesture, extends a trajectory of the body part by extrapolation, and checks whether the trajectory of the body part, as extended, represents a pulling movement or a pulling and gripping movement.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor device generates the 3D image data, and

the sensor device comprises at least one of a time-of-flight (TOF) camera of the motor vehicle, a Photonic Mixer Device (PMD) camera of the motor vehicle and a stereocamera of the motor vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the origin display device is a head-up display, and

the target display device is a display of an infotainment system above a center console of the motor vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the first origin data record is a symbol relating to the first predetermined thematic context, and

the further data record is description text relating to the first predetermined thematic context.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the operating gesture includes a gripping movement to indicate selection of the first origin data record from among the plurality of origin data records simultaneously displayed by the origin display device, and a subsequent pulling movement to indicate that the further data record having the second display content is to be displayed on the target display device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of origin data records displays a different symbol on the origin display device, each different symbol relating to a respective different predetermined thematic context relating to respective different vehicle systems.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the first origin data record corresponds to a status of an audio vehicle system and the second origin data record corresponds to a fuel vehicle system, and

in response to the first origin data record being identified at the gesture detection device, displaying the further data record includes displaying descriptive text regarding the status of the audio vehicle system.

14. A motor vehicle comprising:

an optical sensor device to detect, using 3D image data, an operating gesture of a user which comprises a movement of a body part of the user, carried out freely in a space, to generate a gesture signal describing the operating gesture, and to transmit the gesture signal;

a gesture detection device to receive the gesture signal and to use the gesture signal to identify the operating gesture, to identify origin and target display devices of the motor vehicle, and to identify a first origin data record selected by the operating gesture, the origin data record being one of a plurality of origin data records simultaneously displayed by the origin display device, the origin data record comprising a first display content relating to a first predetermined thematic context; and

a control device to receive a control signal describing the first origin data record from the gesture detection device, and to determine the first predetermined thematic context of the first origin data record based on the control signal, wherein

a further data record is determined based on the first predetermined thematic context, the further data record having a second display content for the first predetermined thematic context, and

the further data record is displayed on the target display device so as to synchronize the origin display device and the target display device,

wherein

a second origin data record among the plurality of origin data records comprises a third display content relating to a second predetermined thematic context,

the first predetermined thematic context is common to the first origin data record and the further data record and includes information on a first vehicle system relating to operation of the motor vehicle, and

the second predetermined thematic context is common to the second origin data record and another data record having a fourth display content for the second predetermined thematic context, and includes information on a second vehicle system relating to operation of the motor vehicle.