Method for executing vehicle function using wearable device and vehicle for carrying out the same

• US 9,977,243 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Jung, Kyong Jo
• Primary Examiner(s): Berona, Kimberly S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whalen, Michael F
• Application Number:
  US14/812,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20160207539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0167 Emergency system, e.g. to prevent injuries
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

A method for providing safety-related information of a vehicle using smart glasses includes performing wireless connection with the vehicle, determining whether a driver does not remain focused on the road, requesting the safety-related information from the vehicle upon determination of inattention to the road, and displaying the safety-related information upon reception of the safety-related information from the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for providing safety-related information of a vehicle using smart glasses which comprise a wireless communication unit, at least one camera, a controller, and a display, the method comprising steps of:

establishing, by the wireless communication unit, a wireless connection between the smart glasses and the vehicle;

determining, by the controller, whether a driver does not remain focused on a road based on an image captured by the at least one camera;

requesting, by the controller, the safety-related information from the vehicle upon determination of inattention to the road; and

displaying, by the display, the safety-related information upon reception of the safety-related information from the vehicle,

wherein the step of displaying the safety-related information comprises displaying at least two of a distance between the vehicle and another vehicle ahead thereof, a presence of a third vehicle at a blind spot, a first image indicating a presence of a fourth vehicle at a left rear side of the vehicle, a second image indicating a presence of a fifth vehicle at a right rear side of the vehicle, a surrounding image of the vehicle, a third image indicating whether the vehicle departs from a lane, and a real-time frontal image, simultaneously, and

wherein the step of displaying the safety-related information further comprises displaying the first image at a left side of a display area on the display configured with the smart glasses, the second image at a right side of the display area, and the third image at a center of the display area, simultaneously.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether a driver does not remain focused on a road includes:

determining a gaze direction of the driver via a first camera facing the eye of the driver;

acquiring a forward image via a second camera facing forward; and

determining whether the driver does not remain focused on the road by applying the determined gaze direction to the acquired forward image.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether a driver does not remain focused on a road includes:

determining a current facing direction;

determining a reference direction using a gyro sensor; and

determining whether the driver does not remain focused on the road using a difference between the current facing direction and the determined reference direction.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the smart glasses display the received safety-related information on a Head Mounted Display (HMD).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the safety-related information further comprises displaying the fourth vehicle at the lateral rear side of the vehicle at a side of the display area of the smart glasses, and the image indicating whether the vehicle departs from the lane at the center of the display area of the smart glasses, simultaneously.

6. Smart glasses comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to interchange data with a vehicle in a wireless manner;

at least one camera configured to capture an image to determine whether a driver does not remain focused on a road;

a controller configured to determine, based on the image, whether the driver does not remain focused on the road and to request safety-related information from the vehicle upon determination of inattention to the road; and

a display configured to display the safety-related information upon reception of the safety-related information from the vehicle,

wherein the display displays at least two of a distance between the vehicle and another vehicle ahead thereof, a presence of a third vehicle at a blind spot, a first image indicating a presence of a fourth vehicle at a left rear side of the vehicle, a second image indicating a presence of a fifth vehicle at a right rear side of the vehicle, a surrounding image of the vehicle, a third image indicating whether the vehicle departs from a lane, and a real-time frontal image, simultaneously, and

wherein the display displays the first image at a left side of a display area on the display configured with the smart glasses, the second image at a right side of the display area, and the third image at a center of the display area, simultaneously.

7. The smart glasses according to claim 6, wherein the at least one camera includes:

a first camera oriented to face the eye of the driver; and

a forwardly oriented second camera,

wherein the controller is configured to determine a gaze direction of the driver via the first camera and determine whether the driver does not remain focused on the road by applying the determined gaze direction to a forward image acquired via the second camera.

8. The smart glasses according to claim 6, further comprising a gyro sensor configured to sense variation in direction,

wherein the controller is configured to determine a reference direction using the gyro sensor and to determine whether the driver does not remain focused on the road using a difference between a current facing direction and the determined reference direction.

9. The smart glasses according to claim 6, wherein the display is a Head Mounted Display (HMD) configured to display the received safety-related information.

10. The smart glasses according to claim 6, wherein the display displays the presence of a fourth vehicle at a lateral rear side of the vehicle at a side of a display area on the display and the third image indicating whether the vehicle departs from the lane at a center of the display area on the display, simultaneously.

11. A vehicle comprising:

at least one sensor module configured to acquire safety-related information;

a wireless communication unit connected to smart glasses in a wireless manner; and

an Audio Video Navigation (AVN) system configured to acquire the safety-related information from the at least one sensor module when the smart glasses request the safety-related information and to control the wireless communication unit so as to transmit the safety-related information to the smart glasses,

wherein the safety-related information includes at least two of a distance between the vehicle and another vehicle ahead thereof, a first image indicating a presence of a fourth vehicle at a left rear side of the vehicle, a second image indicating a presence of a fifth vehicle at a right rear side of the vehicle, a surrounding image of the vehicle, a third image indicating whether the vehicle departs from a lane, and a real-time frontal image,

wherein the AVN system is configured to control the wireless communication unit to transmit at least two of the safety-related information to the smart glasses, such that the smart glasses display at least two of the transmitted safety-related information, simultaneously, and

wherein the smart glasses display the first image at a left side of a display area on a display configured with the smart glasses, the second image at a right side of the display area, and the third image at a center of the display area, simultaneously.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor module includes at least one of a smart cruise control sensor, a blind spot sensor, a lateral rear side distance sensor, an around-view module, and a lane departure detection sensor.

13. A control method of a vehicle which comprises at least one sensor module, a wireless communication unit, and an Audio Video Navigation (AVN) system, the control method comprising steps of:

establishing, by the wireless communication unit, a wireless connection between the vehicle and smart glasses;

receiving, by the AVN system, a request for safety-related information from the smart glasses due to inattention to a road;

acquiring, by the AVN system, the safety-related information from the at least one sensor module; and

transmitting, by the AVN system, the acquired safety-related information to the smart glasses,

wherein the safety-related information includes at least two of a distance between the vehicle and another vehicle ahead thereof, a first image indicating a presence of a fourth vehicle at a left rear side of the vehicle, a second image indicating a presence of a fifth vehicle at a right rear side of the vehicle, a surrounding image of the vehicle, a third image indicating whether the vehicle departs from a lane, and a real-time frontal image,

wherein the step of transmitting the acquired safety-related information comprises transmitting at least two of the safety-related information to the smart glasses, such that the smart glasses display the at least two of the transmitted safety-related information, simultaneously,

wherein the step of transmitting the acquired safety-related information further comprises transmitting the first image at a left side of a display area on a display configured with the smart glasses, the second image at a right side of the display area, and the third image at a center of the display area, simultaneously.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor module includes at least one of a smart cruise control sensor, a blind spot sensor, a lateral rear side distance sensor, an around-view module, and a lane departure detection sensor.