User interface method for terminal for vehicle and apparatus thereof

• US 9,723,243 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Park, Hyung-Kil, Kim, Chang-Soo, Choi, Jun-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/065,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 701117, 701119, 123 4112, 123 4131, 116 623
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits

Abstract

A user interface method for a terminal for a vehicle is provided. The terminal obtains position information to detect a point of a road. A road image of a driving direction is obtained, a lanes of the road represented on the obtained road image is recognized, and a point of a road and lane in which the vehicle having the terminal arranged therein is detected. A virtual road image regarding the recognized lanes is generated, and the generated virtual lanes are added to the road image of the driving direction of the vehicle, and displayed. Traffic information for each lane and surrounding information (i.e. lane closure, construction, accident, etc.,) at the detected point of the relevant road are obtained, and the obtained information is displayed for each virtual lane.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a display; and

a processor adapted to;

acquire, using a camera included in the vehicle, an image corresponding to at least one object external to the vehicle, the at least one object including a road having one or more lanes;

generate, based at least in part on the image, a first graphic indication indicating at least one portion of a lane of the one or more lanes;

generate a second graphic indication indicating at least one portion of traffic information related to the road; and

present, via the display, the first graphic indication and the second graphic indication.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

identify the at least one portion of the lane based at least in part on an image analysis of the image.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

obtain different information as at least part of the traffic information based at least in part on a location of the vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the traffic information comprises traffic flow information, accident information, or construction information related to the road.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

obtain the traffic information using a communication interface or a sensor operatively coupled with the vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is adapted to:

generate the second graphic indication based at least in part on the image or the traffic information.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a voice output interface, wherein the processor is adapted to:

generate a voice corresponding to the at least one portion of the traffic information; and

present the voice via the voice output interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

change a color, a shape, or a size of the first graphic indication displayed via the display based at least in part on a location, a movement, or a speed of the vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

display the first graphic indication as overlaid with an area of the image displayed via the display, the area corresponding to a line for the lane.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one object includes another vehicle, a pedestrian, a building, or a sign, and wherein the processor is adapted to:

identify a distance between the vehicle and a corresponding one of the other vehicle, the pedestrian, the building, and the sign; and

display information indicating the distance as at least part of the second graphic indication.

11. An apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

memory to store traffic information; and

a processor adapted to;

acquire, using a camera included in the vehicle, an image corresponding to at least one object external to the vehicle, the at least one object including a road having one or more lanes;

generate, based at least in part on the image, a first graphic indication indicating at least one portion of a lane of the one or more lanes;

generate a second graphic indication indicating at least one portion of the traffic information related to the road; and

present, via a display included in the vehicle, the first graphic indication and the second graphic indication.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the traffic information comprises traffic flow information, accident information, or construction information related to the road.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to:

identify the at least one portion of the lane based at least in part on an image analysis of the image.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to:

generate the first graphic indication based at least in part on the lane corresponding to a position of the vehicle on the road.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to:

present the first and second graphic indications as overlaid with an area of the image displayed via the display, the area corresponding to a line for the lane.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to:

change a color, a shape, or a size of the first graphic indication displayed via the display based at least in part on a location or a driving speed of the vehicle.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to:

obtain the at least one portion of the traffic information using a communication interface or a sensor operatively coupled with the vehicle.

18. A vehicle comprising:

a camera;

a sensor;

a communication interface;

a display; and

a processor adapted to;

acquire, using the camera, an image corresponding to at least one object external to the vehicle, the at least one object including a road having one or more lanes;

generate, based at least in part on the image, a first graphic indication indicating at least one portion of a lane of the one or more lanes;

obtain traffic information related to the road using the sensor or the communication interface;

generate a second graphic indication indicating at least one portion of the traffic information; and

present, via the display, the first graphic indication and the second graphic indication.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, where in the processor is adapted to:

identify the at least one portion of the lane based at least in part on an image analysis of the image.

20. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the at least one object includes another vehicle, a pedestrian, a building, or a sign, and wherein the processor is adapted to:

identify a distance between the vehicle and a corresponding one of the other vehicle, the pedestrian, the building, and the sign; and

display information indicating the distance as at least part of the second graphic indication.

21. The vehicle of claim 18, where in the processor is adapted to:

present, via the display, the first graphic indication and the second graphic indication as overlaid with an area of the image displayed via the display, the area corresponding to a line for the lane.

22. A machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

acquiring, using a camera included in a vehicle, an image corresponding to at least one object external to the vehicle, the at least one object including a road having one or more lanes;

generating, based at least in part on the image, a first graphic indication indicating at least one portion of a lane of the one or more lanes;

generating a second graphic indication indicating at least one portion of traffic information related to the road; and

presenting the first graphic indication and the second graphic indication.

23. The machine-readable storage device of claim 22, wherein the acquiring comprises:

identifying the at least one portion of the lane based at least in part on an image analysis of the image.

24. The machine-readable storage device of claim 22, wherein the presenting comprises:

displaying the first graphic indication as overlaid with an area of the image displayed via the display, the area corresponding to a line for the lane.

25. The machine-readable storage device of claim 22, further comprising a voice output interface and wherein the presenting comprises:

generating a voice corresponding to the at least one portion of the traffic information; and

presenting the voice via the voice output interface.