Terminal, vehicle having the same and method of controlling the same

• US 9,688,145 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kang, Ki Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, RODNEY ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US14/752,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20160159218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 730 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/197 Blocking or enabling of input functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• 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 35/29 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 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data

Abstract

A terminal includes: a storage unit configured to store a plurality of pieces of software, each having a function restriction level and in which a plurality of functions are selectively restricted, and store a plurality of applications; a communication unit configured to receive driving information of a vehicle and external environment information; a control unit configured to identify a function restriction level corresponding to a driving condition of the vehicle based on the received driving information and external environment information, determine software corresponding to the identified function restriction level, and restrict and control a function of at least one application of the plurality of stored applications using the determined software; and an output unit configured to output execution information of the at least one application whose function is restricted and controlled.

Claims

1. A terminal, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of pieces of software, each having a function restriction level and in which a plurality of functions are selectively restricted, and store a plurality of applications;

a communication unit configured to receive driving information of a vehicle and external environment information;

a control unit configured to identify a function restriction level corresponding to a driving condition of the vehicle based on the received driving information and external environment information, determine software corresponding to the identified function restriction level, and restrict and control a function of at least one application of the plurality of stored applications using the determined software; and

an output unit configured to output execution information of the at least one application whose function is restricted and controlled, wherein;

the communication unit is further configured to receive at least one of state information of a driver of the vehicle and boarding information of a passenger of the vehicle,

the control unit is further configured to identify the state information of the driver and the boarding information of the passenger when the function restriction level is identified,

the driving information includes information relating to one or more of a speed of the vehicle, a driving direction of the vehicle, and a steering angle of the vehicle,

the environment information includes information relating to one or more of a type of a road on which the vehicle travels and weather information indicating a weather condition, and

the state information of the driver includes information relating to one or more of a sightline of the driver, a voice of the driver, and a degree of concentration of the driver.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

the storage unit is further configured to store one or more of;

a weight for each range of speed of the vehicle, a weight for each driving direction of the vehicle, a weight for each range of steering angle of the vehicle, a weight for each type of the road, a weight for each weather condition, a weight for each sightline of the driver, a weight based on whether the driver is or is not speaking, a weight for each degree of concentration of the driver, a weight based on whether a passenger has or has not boarded the vehicle, and a weight based on whether the passenger is or is not manipulating the terminal, and

the control unit is further configured to sum the stored weights and determine the driving condition of the vehicle based on the summed weight.

3. The terminal according to claim 2,

wherein the storage unit is further configured to store a priority of the driving information, a priority of the environment information, a priority of the state information of the driver, a priority of the boarding information, and a weight corresponding to the priorities.

4. The terminal according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit is further configured to enable each of an input function, a display function, and a sound function when the summed weight is less than or equal to a predetermined value and restrict at least one of the input function, the display function, and the sound function when the summed weight is greater than the predetermined value.

5. The terminal according to claim 2, wherein:

the plurality of pieces of software includes first software for enabling each of an input function, a display function, and a sound function, second software for restricting the input function and enabling the display function and the sound function, third software for restricting the input function and the sound function and enabling the display function, fourth software for restricting the input function and the display function and enabling the sound function, and fifth software for restricting each of the input function, the display function, and the sound function, and

the first software corresponds to a first function restriction level, the second software corresponds to a second function restriction level, the third software corresponds to a third function restriction level, the fourth software corresponds to a fourth function restriction level, and the fifth software corresponds to a fifth function restriction level.

6. A vehicle, comprising:

an information collecting unit configured to collect driving information of a vehicle and external environment information;

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of pieces of software each having a function restriction level and in which a plurality of functions are selectively restricted;

a communication unit configured to receive the driving information of the vehicle and the external environment information;

a control unit configured to identify a function restriction level corresponding to a driving condition of the vehicle based on the driving information and the external environment information and determine software corresponding to the identified function restriction level; and

a terminal configured to store a plurality of applications, restrict and control a function of at least one application of the plurality of stored applications using the determined software, and output execution information of the at least one application whose function is restricted and controlled, wherein;

the communication unit is further configured to receive at least one of state information of a driver of the vehicle and boarding information of a passenger of the vehicle,

the control unit is further configured to identify the state information of the driver and the boarding information of the passenger when the function restriction level is identified,

the driving information includes information relating to one or more of a speed of the vehicle, a driving direction of the vehicle, and a steering angle of the vehicle,

the environment information includes information relating to one or more of a type of a road on which the vehicle travels and weather information indicating a weather condition, and

the state information of the driver includes information relating to one or more of a sightline of the driver, a voice of the driver, and a degree of concentration of the driver.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the terminal includes the storage unit, the communication unit, and the control unit.

8. The vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising:

a head unit in which the storage unit, the communication unit, and the control unit are included,

wherein the communication unit is further configured to communicate with the terminal.

9. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein:

the storage unit is further configured to store one or more of;

a weight for each range of speed of the vehicle, a weight for each driving direction of the vehicle, a weight for each range of steering angle of the vehicle, a weight for each type of the road, a weight for each weather condition, a weight for each sightline of the driver, a weight based on whether a driver is or is not speaking, a weight for each degree of concentration of the driver, a weight based on whether a passenger has or has not boarded the vehicle, and a weight based on whether a passenger is or is not manipulating the terminal, and

the control unit is further configured to sum the stored weights and determine the driving condition of the vehicle based on the summed weight.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein the storage unit is further configured to store a priority of the driving information, a priority of the environment information, a priority of the state information of the driver, a priority of the boarding information, and a weight corresponding to the priorities.

11. The vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein the control unit is further configured to enable each of an input function, a display function, and a sound function when the summed weight is less than or equal to a predetermined value and restricts at least one of the input function, the display function, and the sound function when the summed weight is greater than the predetermined value.

12. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:

supplying power to a terminal when the vehicle starts;

collecting driving information of the vehicle, external environment information, and boarding information of a user of the vehicle;

identifying a function restriction level corresponding to a driving condition of the vehicle based on the collected driving information of the vehicle, external environment information, and boarding information of the user;

determining software corresponding to the identified function restriction level;

identifying at least one application to be executed in the terminal; and

controlling execution of the identified at least one application using the determined software by restricting and controlling at least one of an input function, a display function, and a sound function of the identified at least one application.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

the driving information includes information relating to one or more of a speed of the vehicle, a driving direction of the vehicle, and a steering angle of the vehicle,

the environment information includes information relating to one or more of a type of a road on which the vehicle travels and weather information indicating a weather condition, and

the state information of the driver includes information relating to one or more of a sightline of the driver, a voice of the driver, and a degree of concentration of the driver.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the identifying of the function restriction level comprises:

identifying a weight for each range of speed of the vehicle, a weight for each driving direction of the vehicle, a weight for each range of steering angle of the vehicle, a weight for each type of the road, a weight for each weather condition, a weight for each sightline of the driver, a weight based on whether the driver is or is not speaking, a weight for each degree of concentration of the driver, a weight based on whether a passenger has or has not boarded the vehicle, and a weight based on whether the passenger is or is not manipulating the terminal;

summing the identified weights; and

determining the driving condition of the vehicle based on the summed weight.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

identifying a priority of the driving information, a priority of the environment information, a priority of the state information of the driver, and a priority of the boarding information; and

determining the driving condition of the vehicle using a weight corresponding to the identified priorities.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the controlling of execution of the identified at least one application comprises:

enabling each of the input function, the display function, and the sound function when the summed weight is less than or equal to a predetermined value; and

restricting at least one of the input function, the display function, and the sound function when the summed weight is greater than the predetermined value.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the restricting of at least one of the input function, the display function, and the sound function when the summed weight is greater than the predetermined value, comprises:

determining whether the at least one application is a navigation application; and

restricting and controlling an input function of a navigation function of the at least one application when the at least one application is the navigation application.