SYSTEM FOR TASK AND NOTIFICATION HANDLING IN A CONNECTED CAR

• US 20130038437A1
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Talati, Rohit, Kurihara, Junnosuke, Kryze, David, Jung, Jae
• Application Number:
  US13/205,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038437A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/137 Jog-dials
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/164 Infotainment
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/197 Blocking or enabling of input functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/566 Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/137 Jog-dials
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/146 Input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/148 Input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/164 Infotainment
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/186 Displaying Information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/193 : for improving awareness
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/195 : Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/197 : Blocking or enabling of input functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/52 : Control of displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/55 : Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/566 : Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/573 : Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/589 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 : Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 : Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• 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 35/80 : Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 : for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 : Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 : Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 : Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 : Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The vehicular notification and control apparatus receives user input via a multimodal control system, optionally including touch-responsive control and non-contact gestural and speech control. A processor-controlled display provides visual notifications of notifications and tasks according to a dynamically prioritized queue which takes into account environmental conditions and driving context and available driver attention. The display is filtered to present only valid notifications and tasks for the current available driver attention level. Driver attention is determined using multiple, diverse sensors integrated through a sensor fusion mechanism.

Claims

1. A vehicular notification and control apparatus comprising:

a display disposed within the vehicle;

a control mechanism disposed within the vehicle;

at least one processor coupled to the control mechanism and the display, said at least one processor having an associated data storage memory and being programmed to receive and store incoming notifications in said storage memory;

said at least one processor being programmed to implement a notification manager that sorts said stored incoming notifications into a prioritized queue;

a plurality of sensors that each respond to different environmental or driving context conditions, said plurality of sensors being coupled to a sensor fusion mechanism administered by said at least one processor to produce a driver attention metric;

said at least one processor being programmed to supply visual notifications to said display in a display order based on said prioritized queue and where the content of displayed notifications is further regulated by said driver attention metric.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the notification manager uses the driver attention metric to dynamically alter the sort order of the prioritized queue.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the notification manager is coupled to the control mechanism and dynamically alters the sort order of the prioritized queue based on user input via the control mechanism.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors respond to environmental or driving context conditions selected from the group consisting of location, route information, speed, acceleration, number of passengers, vehicle cabin noise level, speech within vehicle cabin, gear position, engine status, headlight status, steering, and pedal position.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one sensor monitoring conditions of neighboring drivers.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one sensor monitoring conditions of neighboring drivers extracting data from a wireless computer network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one sensor monitoring conditions of neighboring drivers extracting data from a social network.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control mechanism is a multimodal control system that includes both touch-responsive control and non-touch responsive control.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control mechanism employs a non-contact gesture control that senses gestural inputs by sensing energy reflected from a vehicle occupant'"'"'s body.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control mechanism employs a speech recognizer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control mechanism employs a touch pad gesture sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one processor is coupled to control an infotainment system located within the vehicle.