System and method for vehicular dynamic display

• US 10,297,092 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Schaffer, Daniel Mark, Miller, Kenneth James, Tomik, Filip
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US15/004,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20170213401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22, 701 36, 701 48, 701 69, 701 314- 316, 701 325, 701 327, 701 1, 701 41, 701 45, 701 70, 701 71, 340438, 340439, 340441, 340461, 340905, 340576
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction

Abstract

One example dynamic display system includes: (a) a vehicle including steering, an accelerator, brakes, sensors recording sensor data, a display, a processor, and memory; (b) a display program operatively coupled to the processor and configured to: determine a user hindrance rating based on the sensor data, and select instructions from a pool of instructions based on the hindrance rating and a user-selectable fidelity level, the pool of instructions including visual cues, and audio cues.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

sensors;

a display;

a user interface associated with vehicle features; and

a processor configured to;

determine, via the sensors, a level of confusion for using the user interface;

receive a user-selected fidelity level corresponding to a desired degree of assistance; and

based on the level of confusion and the user-selected fidelity level, select one of a plurality of instructions for using the user interface; and

present selected instruction on the display.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to select a user hindrance topic based on sensor data recorded by the sensors;

and

wherein the user hindrance topic identifies a source of confusion for the driver.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to combine the level of confusion and the user-selected fidelity level into a quality level and subsequently select one of the plurality of instructions based on the quality level.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions include autonomous controls performed by the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to select the plurality of instructions based on the user hindrance topic.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to track determined user hindrances from other vehicles.

7. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to select a first hindrance topic in response to detecting, for a predetermined time span, that a 4×

4 low option has been selected and a 4×

4 low drive has not engaged.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to select a second hindrance topic at least partially in response to detecting that the vehicle has been stuck for the predetermined time span.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to select a third hindrance topic at least partially in response to measured vehicle oscillation and measured vehicle pulsation.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to select a fourth hindrance topic in response to determining that traction control is unsuitable for current conditions.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the fidelity level includes a range between a minimum value that corresponds to no desired assistance and a maximum value that corresponds to a maximum degree of desired assistance.

16. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the level of confusion includes a range between a minimum value that corresponds to an absence of user confusion and a maximum amount that corresponds to a maximum amount of user confusion, the range including a medium value that corresponds a medium amount of user confusion.

17. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the user hindrance rating is updated based upon additional sensor data recorded by the sensors over time.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a different user interface to present said instruction to a driver of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising a different user interface that presents a list of potential hindrance topics for selection by a driver of the vehicle when the processor is unable to select the user hindrance topic with threshold level of certainty, wherein the processor selects the list of the potential hindrance topics based upon the sensor data.

20. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an input device, wherein the sensors measure a magnitude of a user'"'"'s physical engagement level with the input device while the vehicle feature is being used, wherein the level of confusion is based at least in part on the user'"'"'s physical engagement level.

21. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of instructions includes different magnitude of quality and detail for presenting said instruction.

22. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the level of confusion is determined based at least in part on order, sequence, magnitude, and frequency in which the user interface is physically engaged by a user.

11. A method of operating a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, via a processor, a level of confusion for using a user interface associated with a vehicle feature based on sensor data recorded via sensors;

receiving, at the processor, a user-selected fidelity level corresponding to a desired degree of assistance; and

based on the level of confusion and the user-selected fidelity level, selecting, via the processor, one of a plurality of instructions for using the user interface; and

presenting selected instruction on a vehicle display.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting, via the processor, a user hindrance topic based on the sensor data,

wherein the user hindrance topic identifies a source of confusion for the driver.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting, via the processor, one of the plurality of instructions based on the user hindrance topic.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting, via the processor, a first hindrance topic in response to detecting, for a predetermined time span, that a 4×

4 low option has been selected and a 4×

4 low drive has not engaged;

selecting, via the processor, a second hindrance topic at least partially in response to detecting that the vehicle has been stuck for the predetermined time span;

selecting, via the processor, a third hindrance topic at least partially in response to measured vehicle oscillation and measured vehicle pulsation; and

selecting, via the processor, a fourth hindrance topic in response to determining that traction control is unsuitable for current conditions.