Virtual three-dimensional instrument cluster with three-dimensional navigation system

• US 10,062,204 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Di Censo, Davide, Marti, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US14/139,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20150178985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 345419, 345156, 348148, 340970
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/211 producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/215 characterised by the combination of multiple visual outputs, e.g. combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• 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 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

System, method, and computer program product to perform an operation, the operation comprising generating a three-dimensional graphical output comprising: a three-dimensional representation of a vehicle instrument cluster comprising a plurality of instruments at a first depth level, and a three-dimensional representation of a navigation system map at a second depth level, and outputting the three-dimensional graphical output for display on a three-dimensional display in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for generating three-dimensional information for display to a user of a vehicle, the method comprising:

generating a three-dimensional representation of a vehicle instrument cluster including a plurality of instruments;

generating a three-dimensional representation of a navigation system map;

outputting for display, on a three-dimensional display in the vehicle, the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster at a first depth level;

outputting for display, on the three-dimensional display, the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map at a second depth level, wherein the first depth level is closer to a viewing perspective than the second depth level;

determining that the viewing perspective has changed; and

in response to the determining;

moving the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster a first distance, and

moving the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map a second distance, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving at least one of a first instrument included in the plurality of instruments and a first element of the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map to a different depth level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving at least one of a first instrument included in the plurality of instruments and a first element of the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map within the first depth level and the second depth level, respectively.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving at least one of the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster and the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map to a new depth level.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying at least one of the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster and the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map in response to at least one of user input, detecting an eye focus of the user, and a computed driving context.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the driving context comprises at least one of:

a current position of the vehicle, a current speed of the vehicle, a navigation task, a state of an attribute of the vehicle, and one or more external conditions.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying comprises at least one of:

emphasizing, changing a color of, and changing an opacity of the at least one of the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster and the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a three-dimensional navigation notification; and

outputting the three-dimensional navigation notification for display at a depth level within a predefined viewing distance of a viewer of the three-dimensional display.

9. A computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to generate three-dimensional information for display to a user of a vehicle, by performing the steps of:

generating a three-dimensional graphical output that includes a three-dimensional representation of a vehicle instrument cluster at a first depth level, and a three-dimensional representation of a navigation system map at a second depth level;

outputting the three-dimensional graphical output for display on a three-dimensional display in the vehicle;

determining that a status associated with at least one of the navigation system map and the vehicle instrument cluster meets a first condition; and

in response to the determining, moving at least one of the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map and the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster to a third depth level.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising moving at least one of a first instrument included in the plurality of instruments and a first element of the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map to a different depth level.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising moving at least one of a first instrument included in the plurality of instruments and a first element of the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map within the first depth level and the second depth level, respectively.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising moving at least one of the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster and the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map to a new depth level.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising modifying at least one of the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster and the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map in response to at least one of user input, detecting an eye focus of the user, and the computed driving context.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the driving context comprises at least one of:

a current position of the vehicle, a current speed of the vehicle, a navigation task, a state of an attribute of the vehicle, and one or more external conditions.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein modifying comprises at least one of:

emphasizing, changing a color of, and changing an opacity of the at least one of the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster and the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

generating a three-dimensional navigation notification; and

outputting the three-dimensional navigation notification for display at a depth level within a predefined viewing distance of a viewer of the three-dimensional display.

17. A vehicle-based interactive computing system, comprising:

one or more computer processors configured to;

generate a three-dimensional graphical output including a three-dimensional representation of a vehicle instrument cluster at a first depth level, and a three-dimensional representation of a navigation system map at a second depth level;

detect, via one or more sensors, a user eye focus;

in response to the detecting, move at least one of the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster and the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map to a third depth level; and

generate an updated three-dimensional graphical output including the at least one of the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster and the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map at the third depth level; and

a three dimensional display configured to display the three-dimensional graphical output and the updated three-dimensional graphical output in the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster includes a plurality of instruments, the one or more processors further configured to move at least one of a first instrument included in the plurality of instruments and a first element of the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map to a different depth level.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster includes a plurality of instruments, the one or more processors further configured to move at least one of a first instrument included in the plurality of instruments and a first element of the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map within the first depth level and the second depth level, respectively.

20. The system of claim 17, the one or more processors further configured to move at least one of the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster and the three-dimensional representation of the navigation system map to a new depth level.