Control System and Method

• US 20150051752A1
• Filed: 03/20/2013
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Paszkowicz, Sebastian
• Granted Patent: US 9,669,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• 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: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system of controlling the output of information to a driver. It provides to monitor at least one operating parameter of a vehicle and to estimate driver workload is estimated based on said at least one operating parameter, using a plurality of thresholds (HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW) defining driver workload ratings. Output of information to the driver is controlled based on the estimated driver workload rating. To ensure that also low priority information is outputted, the invention provides to periodically cycling through some or all of those defined driver workload ratings having a lower rating than the current estimated workload rating.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the output of information to a driver, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one operating parameter of a vehicle;

estimating a driver workload based on said at least one operating parameter; and

controlling the output of information to said driver based on the estimated driver workload;

wherein the driver workload is estimated with reference to a plurality of thresholds which define a plurality of driver workload ratings, the method comprising periodically cycling through some or all of said defined driver workload ratings having a lower rating than a current estimated workload rating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one operating parameter specifies an operational status or an operating range of one or more associated vehicle systems.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the output of information comprises the presentation of one or more messages.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each message has an associated priority indicator for sequencing the presentation of a plurality of said messages.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein controlling the output of information to the driver comprises controlling the timing of the presentation of said one or more messages, and/or controlling the output format of said one or more messages.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring said at least one operating parameter comprises determining an operating frequency and/or operating magnitude of one or more vehicle systems.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring said at least one operating parameter comprises measuring at least one dynamic operating parameter of the vehicle.

14. A computer system, comprising:

programmable circuitry; and

software encoded on at least one computer-readable medium to program the programmable circuitry to implement the method claimed in claim 1.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one dynamic operating parameter of the vehicle is one of acceleration of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle and braking of the vehicle.

17. A vehicle comprising a processor configured to perform the method of claim 1.

8. A workload monitoring system for a vehicle, the workload monitoring system comprising:

a workload estimator configured to estimate a driver workload based on at least one operating parameter of the vehicle;

a control module configured to define one or more workload ratings and to control the output of information to a driver based on the estimated driver workload; and

a conditioning module configured to cycle through some or all of said workload ratings having a lower rating than a current estimated workload rating.

9. The workload monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the workload monitoring system is configured to monitor said at least one operating parameter to determine an activity level of one or more vehicle systems.

10. The workload monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the workload monitoring system is configured to monitor an operating frequency and/or operating magnitude of one or more vehicle systems.

11. The workload monitoring system of claim 8, further comprising a storage device containing priority indicators for sequencing the output of said information.

12. The workload monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the workload estimator is configured to estimate a driver workload based on at least one dynamic operating parameter of the vehicle.

13. A vehicle comprising a workload monitoring system of claims of claims 8.

16. The workload monitoring system of claim 12, wherein said at least one dynamic operating parameter of the vehicle is one of acceleration of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle and braking of the vehicle.