Vehicle head-up display arrangement

• US 9,834,144 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Olesen, Anna, Christoffersson, Joakim, Christensen, Claus Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Nan-Ying
• Application Number:
  US14/168,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20140218268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/005 specially adapted for viewing traffic-lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/308 by overlaying the real scene, e.g. through a head-up display on the windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle head-up display arrangement is provided that may include a projection unit, a vehicle driver eye position estimation unit and a detecting unit arranged to detect traffic signs and their location in relation to the vehicle, and a processing unit arranged to determine a content of the traffic signs. The processing unit is further arranged to determine relevance of content of the traffic signs. The projection unit is arranged to project light onto one or more areas of the windshield in line with the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver and traffic signs determined to have content not being relevant, such that these traffic signs, at least partially, are covered from the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver.

Claims

1. A vehicle head-up display arrangement comprising:

a vehicle windshield and a projection unit arranged to selectively project light onto the vehicle windshield;

a vehicle driver eye position estimation unit for estimating eye position of a vehicle driver;

a detecting unit arranged to detect traffic signs in an environment external to a vehicle hosting the arrangement, and to detect locations of the traffic signs in relation to the vehicle; and

a processing unit arranged to determine content of the traffic signs detected by the detecting unit;

wherein the processing unit further is arranged to determine relevance of the content of the traffic signs detected by the detecting unit, and the projection unit is arranged to project light onto one or more areas of the windshield in line with the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver such that traffic signs detected in the environment external to the hosting vehicle determined to have content not relevant are at least partially covered by the projection unit on the windshield by blocking the not relevant content of the detected traffic signs from the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver without projecting an expanded view of an area from a field of vision of the driver.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the projection unit further is arranged to project light onto one or more areas of the windshield with an intensity such that it at least partially will provide an opaque cover of content determined not to be relevant from the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the projection unit is arranged to project light onto one or more areas of the windshield such that content of traffic signs determined to be relevant is highlighted from the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the arrangement further comprises a vehicle navigation unit arranged to guide a vehicle driver to a destination, and that the processing unit further is arranged to determine the relevance of the content of traffic signs with respect to the destination.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle driver eye position estimation unit comprises a head tracking camera.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle driver eye position estimation unit comprises an eye tracking camera.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the projection unit is arranged to project light with a color and intensity similar to a color and intensity of the traffic signs determined to have a content not being relevant.

8. A vehicle comprising a vehicle head-up display arrangement according to claim 1.

9. A method of projecting light onto a windshield of a vehicle using a vehicle head-up display arrangement, the method comprising:

estimating eye position of a vehicle driver, using a vehicle driver eye position estimation unit;

detecting traffic signs in an environment external to a vehicle hosting the arrangement, and detecting locations of the traffic signs in relation to the vehicle, using a detecting unit;

determining content of the traffic signs detected by the detecting unit, using a processing unit;

determining relevance of the content of the traffic signs detected by the detecting unit, using the processing unit, and

projecting light onto one or more areas of the windshield in line with the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver such that traffic signs detected in the environment external to the hosting vehicle determined to have content not relevant are at least partially covered from the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver, using a projection unit arranged to selectively project light onto the vehicle windshield to block on the windshield the not relevant content of the detected traffic signs without projecting an expanded view of an area from a field of vision of the driver.

10. A vehicle head-up display arrangement comprising:

a projection unit arranged to selectively project light onto a vehicle windshield;

a vehicle driver eye position estimation unit for estimating eye position of a vehicle driver;

a detecting unit arranged to detect traffic signs in an environment external to a vehicle hosting the arrangement; and

a processing unit arranged to determine content of the traffic signs detected by the detecting unit;

wherein the processing unit is further arranged to determine a relevance of the content of the traffic signs detected by the detecting unit and to control the projection unit to project light onto one or more areas of the windshield in line with the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver such that traffic signs detected in the environment external to the hosting vehicle determined to have content not relevant are at least partially covered by the projection unit on the windshield by blocking the not relevant content of the detected traffic signs from the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver without projecting an expanded view of an area from a field of vision of the driver.

11. The arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the control unit is further arranged to control the projection unit to project light onto one or more areas of the windshield with an intensity to at least partially provide an opaque cover of content determined not to be relevant from the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver.

12. The arrangement according to claim 10 wherein control unit is further arranged to control the projection unit to project light onto one or more areas of the windshield such that content of traffic signs determined to be relevant is highlighted from the estimated eye position of the vehicle driver.

13. The arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the arrangement further comprises a vehicle navigation unit arranged to guide a vehicle driver to a destination, and the processing unit is further arranged to determine the relevance of the content of traffic signs with respect to the destination.

14. The arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the vehicle driver eye position estimation unit comprises a head tracking camera.

15. The arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the vehicle driver eye position estimation unit comprises an eye tracking camera.

16. The arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the control unit is further arranged to control the projection unit to project light with a color and intensity similar to a color and intensity of the traffic signs determined to have not relevant content.

17. A vehicle comprising a vehicle head-up display arrangement according to claim 10.