Vehicle human machine interface control

• US 10,754,029 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2017
• Issued: 08/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Talamonti, Walter Joseph, Chung, Shun-an, Tijerina, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, Garrett F
• Application Number:
  US15/608,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20180281855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/161 Explanation of functions, e.g. instructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 : Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 : using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 : Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 : with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 : where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 : where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 : Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 : event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A computing device in a vehicle can determine a plurality of lane change maneuvers based on the time to collision. The computing device can determine a field of safe travel to execute the lane change maneuvers without braking to a stop and display the field of safe travel to an occupant.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a plurality of path polynomials, each for a respective lane change maneuver in a plurality of lane change maneuvers, based on a time to collision, a maneuver time to change lanes, and an occupant reaction time;

determining, according to an area defined by the path polynomials, a field of safe travel to execute the lane change maneuvers without braking to a stop; and

displaying the field of safe travel to an occupant, including displaying a prompt based on the time to collision, the prompt including the maneuver time to change lanes and a remaining amount of time in the maneuver time within which to execute any one of the plurality of lane change maneuvers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the prompt including by displaying a visual depiction of steering direction based on the lane change maneuver and the time to the collision.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising displaying a visual depiction of steering direction including a color of the display based on the time to the collision.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the prompt including displaying a visual depiction of a friction circle including vehicle traction and vehicle lateral acceleration based on the plurality of lane change maneuvers and the time to the collision.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the prompt including by delivering a haptic output to a steering wheel based on the plurality of lane change maneuvers and the time to collision.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising delivering the haptic output to the steering wheel as patterns of haptic output.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising delivering the haptic output to the steering wheel with a rotational force in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction to indicate a direction of the lane change maneuver.

8. A computer apparatus, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer apparatus is programmed to:

determine a plurality of path polynomials, each for a respective lane change maneuver in a plurality of lane change maneuvers, based on a time to collision, a maneuver time to change lanes, and an occupant reaction time;

determine, according to an area defined by the path polynomials, a field of safe travel to execute the lane change maneuvers without braking to a stop; and

display the field of safe travel to an occupant, including displaying a prompt based on the time to collision, the prompt including the maneuver time to change lanes and a remaining amount of time in the maneuver time within which to execute any one of the plurality of lane change maneuvers.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the computer further programmed to display the prompt including by displaying a visual depiction of steering direction based on the lane change maneuver and the time to the collision.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, the computer further programmed to display a visual depiction of steering direction including a color of the display based on the time to the collision.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, the computer further programmed to display the prompt including by displaying a visual depiction of a friction circle including vehicle traction and vehicle lateral acceleration based on the lane change maneuver and the time to the collision.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, the computer further programmed to display the prompt including by delivering a haptic output to a steering wheel based on the lane change maneuver and the time to collision.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the computer further programmed to actuate delivery of the haptic output to the steering wheel as patterns of haptic output.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, the computer further programmed to deliver the haptic output to the steering wheel with a rotational force in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction to indicate a direction of the lane change maneuver.