METHOD TO MAP GAZE POSITION TO INFORMATION DISPLAY IN VEHICLE

• US 20130024047A1
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Kalhous, Amanda J., Chau, Jarvis, Weigert, Norman J., Al-Amin, Fuad
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of controlling a vehicle system of a vehicle is provided. The method includes: receiving image data that is captured from an occupant of the vehicle; determining a focus of the occupant of the vehicle based on the image data; and generating a user command to control the vehicle system based on the focus of the occupant.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a vehicle system of a vehicle, comprising:

receiving image data that is captured from an occupant of the vehicle;

determining a focus of the occupant of the vehicle based on the image data; and

generating a user command to control the vehicle system based on the focus of the occupant.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the image data to determine at least one of eye data and face data from the image data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the focus of the occupant is based on the at least one of eye data and face data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating display data for displaying a user interface associated with the vehicle system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining a selection of the occupant based on the focus relative to the user interface, and wherein the generating the user command is based on the selection.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising modifying the display data based on the selection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the image data of the occupant.

8. A control system for a vehicle, comprising:

a first module that determines a focus of an occupant of the vehicle based on image data, where the image data is captured from the occupant using an image processor; and

a second module that generates a user command to control a vehicle system based on the focus of the occupant.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a third module that analyzes the image data to determine at least one of eye data and face data from the image data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first module determines the focus of the occupant based on the at least one of eye data and face data.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a fourth module that generates display data for displaying a user interface associated with the vehicle system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second module determines a selection of the occupant based on the focus relative to the user interface, and wherein the second module generates the user command based on the selection.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the fourth module modifies the display data based on the selection.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising the image processor that captures the image data of the occupant.

15. A vehicle, comprising:

an image processor that captures image data of an occupant of the vehicle;

a human machine interface module that processes the image data and that generates a user command based on the image data; and

a vehicle system that receives the user command and that controls a function of the vehicle system based on the user command.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 further comprising a display system that displays a user interface in a line of sight of the occupant.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the human machine interface module processes the image data relative to the user interface.

18. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the human machine interface module transmits interface data to the display system based on the user command.

19. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the human machine interface module determines a focus of the occupant of the vehicle based on the image data;

and generates the user command based on the focus of the occupant.