Adaptive heads-up user interface for automobiles

• US 20070194902A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blanco, Victor, Goldthwaite, Flora, Baumert, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,764,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/461
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

An adaptive user interface presented on a heads-up display of an automobile is provided. The adaptive user interface comprises a number of display elements that may be presented in a variety of display states. The display state for each display element is determined based on inputs from a variety of sources (e.g., the automobile).

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for presenting one or more adaptive user interfaces on a heads-up display of an automobile, the one or more adaptive user interfaces comprising:

a plurality of display elements, each of the plurality of display elements configured to be displayed in a plurality of display states, wherein each of the plurality of display elements is displayed in one of the plurality of display states based at least in part on one or more inputs associated with the automobile.

2. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein at least one of the display elements is displayed in one of the plurality of display states independent of the other display elements.

3. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the plurality of display elements comprise at least one of a navigation element, an information element, a people element, a speedometer element, a status element, a media element, and an environment element.

4. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 3, wherein information for each of the plurality of display elements is accessed from one or more information sources.

5. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein the one or more information sources include at least one of an audio system, a video system, a climate control system, a navigation system, an automobile status detection device, a mobile device, a remote networked source, a user input device, and a communication system.

6. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the plurality of display states comprises at least one of a hidden state, a collapsed state, a preview state, and a full view state.

7. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of display elements is displayed in one of the plurality of display states based further on inputs from at least one of a user input device, a mobile device, and a remote networked source.

8. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1 wherein the computer-readable instructions embodied thereon further comprise one or more rules for determining one of the plurality of display states for each of the plurality of display elements based at least in part on the inputs associated with the automobile.

9. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the one or more rules comprise at least one of a user-defined rule and a rule based on one or more safety requirements.

10. A method for presenting an adaptive user interface on a heads-up display of an automobile, the adaptive user interface comprising a plurality of display elements, each of the plurality of display elements being configured to be presented in a plurality of display states, the method comprising:

receiving one or more inputs from one or more sources providing a context for the adaptive user interface, wherein the one or more inputs include one or inputs from the automobile;

determining a display state for each of the plurality of display elements based on the one or more inputs;

configuring the adaptive user interface; and

presenting the adaptive user interface on the heads-up display of the automobile.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of display elements comprise at least one of a navigation element, an information element, a people element, a speedometer element, a status element, a media element, and an environment element.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of display states comprise at least one of a hidden state, a collapsed state, a preview state, and a full view state.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more inputs comprise one or more inputs from at least one of a user input device, a mobile device, and a remote networked source.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining a display state for each of the plurality of display elements based on the one or more inputs comprises:

accessing one or more rules for determining a display state for each of the plurality of display elements;

comparing the one or more inputs against the one or more rules to determine a display state for each of the plurality of display elements.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more rules for determining a display state for each of the plurality of display elements comprise at least one of a user-defined rule and a rule based on one or more safety requirements.

16. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing the method of claim 10.

17. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for presenting one or more user interfaces on a heads-up display of an automobile, the one or more user interfaces comprising:

one or more user-selectable display elements, wherein at least one of the one or more user-selectable display elements comprises information other than navigational information and information associated with the automobile.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein each of the one or more user-selectable display elements are configured to be presented in a plurality of display states.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein each of the one or more user-selectable display elements are presented in one of the plurality of display states based on one or more inputs from one or more sources.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein at least one of the one or more user-selectable display elements is presented in one of the plurality of display states independent of the other display elements.