Accelerometer integrated with display device

• US 9,836,966 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Peterson, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US14/807,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20160027298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A driver assist system incorporated in a display device is disclosed. The system comprises an accelerometer and a controller in communication with the accelerometer. The controller is configured to receive at least one acceleration signal from the accelerometer and calculate a direction of rotation of the display device. The direction of rotation is utilized by the controller to calculate a drive side of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A driver assist system incorporated in a display device comprising:

an accelerometer;

a controller in communication with the accelerometer, the controller configured to;

receive at least one acceleration signal from the accelerometer; and

calculate a direction of rotation of the display device relative to an operating direction of a vehicle based on the at least one acceleration signal, wherein the direction of rotation is utilized by the controller to calculate a drive side of the vehicle, wherein the drive side of the vehicle comprises a left-hand traffic direction and a right-hand traffic direction.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the direction of rotation is defined about a normal axis relative to a surface on which the vehicle is resting.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an image sensor configured to communicate image data corresponding to a field of view to the controller.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the field of view corresponds to a forward directed field of view.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to identify a target vehicle based on the image data and the drive side of the vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to identify a portion of a field of view to search for headlights and a portion of the field of view to search for taillights in response to the drive side of the vehicle.

7. A display device configured to detect an object approaching a vehicle, the device comprising:

an accelerometer;

a controller in communication with the accelerometer, the controller configured to;

receive at least one acceleration signal from the accelerometer;

calculate a direction of rotation of the display device as a display angle relative to a forward operating vector of the vehicle, wherein the direction of rotation is utilized by the controller to assist in detecting at least one of a leading vehicle and an oncoming vehicle.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the direction of rotation corresponds to an angle between the display device and a forward direction of the vehicle.

9. The device according to claim 7, further comprising an image sensor configured to communicate image data corresponding to a field of view to the controller.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further operable to detect the at least one of the leading vehicle and the oncoming vehicle in the image data based at least in part on the direction of rotation.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to utilize the direction of rotation to identify whether an object detected is in oncoming traffic or common traffic.

12. The device according to claim 7, further comprising a compass configured to communicate a direction signal to the controller.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to utilize the direction signal to identify a turning condition of the vehicle.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the turning condition is identified by the controller by comparing measurements of the direction signal to determine if the vehicle is moving along a substantially forward vector.

15. A method of detecting an object on a roadway with a driver assist system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

measuring acceleration data in a vehicle display device;

measuring an angle of rotation between the vehicle display device and a forward direction of the vehicle based on the acceleration data;

identifying a drive-side of the vehicle based on the angle of rotation;

capturing image data of a forward directed field of view relative to the vehicle; and

identifying a characteristic of a target vehicle in the image data based on the angle of rotation.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the characteristic of the target vehicle corresponds to at least one of a headlamp, tail lamp, and a running light.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the identifying the characteristic consists of searching a first portion of the field of view for a headlamp and a second portion of the field of view for a tail lamp.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the drive side is utilized to identify if the first portion corresponds to a left portion or a right portion of the field of view.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the angle of rotation corresponds to a direction of a display of the display device relative a forward direction of the vehicle.