DISPLAY REAR PASSENGER VIEW ON A DISPLAY SCREEN IN VEHICLE

• US 20170313248A1
• Filed: 07/14/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Be TopNotch, LLC
• Original Assignee: Be TopNotch, LLC
• Inventors: Kothari, Ankit Dilip
• Granted Patent: US 10,723,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00371 for vehicles carrying large numbers of passengers, e.g. buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/0204 Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/176 Camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/777 on or in sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/152 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/176 Camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/777 on or in sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• 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: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/008 allowing the driver to see passengers, e.g. for busses combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/29 for viewing an area inside the vehicle, e.g. for viewing passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1269 : with sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0035 : Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 : using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 : using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 : using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/406 : using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8006 : for monitoring and displaying scenes of vehicle interior, e.g. for monitoring passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8013 : for child monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 : Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 : Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 : inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 : Recognising seat occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 : Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 : Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 : for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 : Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 : Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 : Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An automotive audio visual system includes a display screen on the vehicle, such as the central display screen on the vehicle'"'"'s dashboard, and one or more rear cameras facing a rear passenger seat of the vehicle. The image or video feed from one or more rear cameras is displayed on the display screen in the vehicle, so that the front passengers can view the rear passenger area on the vehicle'"'"'s display screen.

Claims

1. An automotive audio visual system comprising:

a plurality of cameras;

a display apparatus comprising a display screen, wherein said display apparatus is integrated into a vehicle dashboard;

a computer processor;

non-volatile computer memory storing computer instructions configured to;

receive an image from at least one of said plurality of cameras,

display said image on said display apparatus in real time;

wherein said plurality of cameras comprise;

one or more rear cameras directed to a rear passenger seat of the vehicle; and

wherein said display apparatus is configured to display a rear view produced by one or more of said plurality of cameras, in response to user input.

2. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said display apparatus is configured to:

display multiple rear views in a split view mode displaying each of said multiple rear views in a separate section of the display apparatus simultaneously.

3. The automotive audio visual system of claim 2, wherein said computer instructions are configured to:

generate multiple rear views displayed on said display apparatus arranged in a particular sequence, either horizontally or vertically, based on user input using drag and drop functionality,

wherein said user can select a camera view on said display screen and drag and drop it to another section of said display screen, which would exchange or rearrange the position of said camera views on said display apparatus as per the user'"'"'s preference.

4. The automotive audio visual system of claim 3, wherein said computer instructions are further configured to display guiding gridlines on said display screen of said display apparatus when said user drags one of said camera views to another section of the screen but before they drop said camera view at that location, showing said user in advance how said camera view will be rearranged before dropping said camera view at that location.

5. The automotive audio visual system of claim 2, wherein said computer instructions are further configured to:

cause at least one of said plurality of camera views to switch to an enlarged view of one of said multiple rear views in response to user input, and

cause at least one of said plurality of camera views to switch from an enlarged view to a restored view in response to user input such that said multiple rear views become visible again on said display apparatus.

6. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said computer instructions are further configured to:

cause at least one of said plurality of camera views to adjust focus and/or zoom in response to user input.

7. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said computer instructions are further configured to cause at least one of said plurality of camera views to:

save a focus and/or zoom level as a default camera setting,

wherein a separate default camera setting is stored for each of said one or more rear cameras, and

wherein said default camera setting is used each time the rear view of the camera associated with said default setting is displayed.

8. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said computer instructions are further configured to cause said computer processor to:

store said camera view image and provide an option to view said recorded camera view image.

9. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said computer instructions are further configured to cause said computer processor to:

transfer said recorded camera view image to another device either wirelessly or using a wired connection.

10. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, further comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) in a display area of said display apparatus, wherein said GUI comprises;

touch screen controls comprising button objects configured to select a rear passenger camera view for display on said display apparatus, wherein said rear passenger camera view comprises a view of passengers seated in the rear section of the vehicle.

11. The automotive audio visual system of claim 10, wherein said GUI further comprises:

adjustment controls for moving the camera view up, down, left, or right.

12. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said computer instructions are configured to cause said computer processor to:

send video chat requests to selected recipients;

send video feed from at least one of said plurality of cameras to said video chat recipients in real time;

display video feed from said recipients on said display apparatus in real time; and

exchange audio between said video chat recipients and an occupant of said vehicle in real time.

13. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors in a seat belt buckle, wherein the sensor detects when said seat belt buckle is buckled and sends a corresponding signal to the vehicle computer, wherein said signal is further sent to said display apparatus to activate the display screen if it is not already activated.

14. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said display apparatus is configured to:

display multiple rear camera views displaying both rear facing passengers and front facing passengers sitting in the rear seats of said vehicle.

15. The automotive audio visual system of claim 14, wherein said multiple rear camera views displaying both rear facing passengers and front facing passengers sitting in rear seats of said vehicle are merged together to show the combined ‘

Rear passengers’

camera view.

16. The automotive audio visual system of claim 14, further comprising a rear seat sensor located on a ceiling of the vehicle, wherein when said “

Rear passengers”

camera view is selected by the vehicle user to be displayed on the display apparatus, said rear seat sensor checks whether a rear facing child car seat is installed and whether it is occupied by a child, and sends a signal to a rear facing passenger camera to automatically display an image of the child sitting in the rear facing child car seat on at least one of said multiple rear camera views on said display apparatus.

17. The automotive audio visual system of claim 14, further comprising a sensor in a chest clip of the rear facing child car seat, wherein when said “

Rear passengers”

camera view is selected by the vehicle user to be displayed on the display apparatus, it receives a signal from said chest clip sensor when said chest clip of the rear facing child car seat is buckled, and displays an image of a child sitting in the rear facing child car seat on at least one of said multiple rear camera views on said display apparatus.

18. The automotive audio visual system of claim 17, wherein said sensor in the chest clip of the rear facing child car seat is activated when said chest clip is buckled, and said sensor sends a signal to said display apparatus to activate the display screen if it was not already activated and automatically changes said display screen to show the ‘

Rear Passengers’

view on said display apparatus.

19. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said display apparatus is configured to display a “

Child seat”

camera view which displays an image of any of the children sitting in a rear facing child car seat or a front facing child car seat in a rear passenger row of the vehicle.

20. The automotive audio visual system of claim 19, further comprising a sensor in the chest clip of the rear or front facing child car seat, wherein when said “

Child seat”

camera view is selected to be displayed on the display apparatus, a signal from said chest clip sensor is transmitted, indicating that the chest clip is buckled, and displays an image of a child sitting in the car seat.

21. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said display apparatus is configured to generate an alert that a child is still sitting in a rear passenger child car seat with their child seat belt buckled while the vehicle'"'"'s ignition is turned off, wherein the sensor in the chest clip of said child seat buckle detects the buckled child seat and sends a signal to the vehicle computer, wherein said signal is further sent to said display apparatus causing it to display an alert that a child is still sitting in the rear passenger child car seat.

22. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said display apparatus is configured to display a “

Front passengers”

camera view which displays an image of passengers sitting in the front row, wherein said display apparatus is visible to the rear passengers.

23. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said computer instructions are configured to generate a non-touch selfie function that allows a rear passenger to take selfie photos/videos without touching the display apparatus by making hand gestures towards one of the rear passenger cameras, wherein a user initiates a countdown for taking the selfie photo/video by raising a certain number of fingers, wherein each finger corresponds to a number of seconds before the photo/video is taken.

24. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said computer instructions define an occupant recognition module configured to automatically identify vehicle occupants based on at least one of voice recognition, facial recognition, object detection, or an ID sensor, wherein said display screen of said display apparatus is automatically activated upon detection of one or more vehicle occupants.

25. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said computer instructions define a personal assistant module configured to answer user questions and is further configured to inform a user about preprogrammed items of interest.

26. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said computer instructions define a module configured to help a rear passenger stay awake by monitoring the rear passenger and providing stimuli in the form of at least one of:

activate an alarm, generate audio, play music, play photos/videos, generate a vibration, talk to the rear passenger to try and engage them in a conversation, or call a friend.

27. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, further comprising:

a switching mechanism configured to cause said display apparatus to turn on and/or off in response to said switching mechanism.

28. The automotive audio visual system of claim 1, wherein said display apparatus is configured to accept input from a user in the form of a preset movement of one or more fingers on different parts of the display screen of said display apparatus to execute different functions available on the display apparatus.

29. A method of viewing one or more passengers in a vehicle, each of which is seated in a rear passenger seat of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a display apparatus an image from at least one camera directed to a rear passenger seat of the vehicle;

inputting on said display apparatus a request to view one or more rear passengers in the vehicle;

viewing on said display apparatus a rear view produced by said at least one camera, wherein said display apparatus is integrated into the dashboard of the vehicle.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the display apparatus displays multiple rear views in a split view mode displaying each of said multiple rear views in a separate section of the display apparatus simultaneously.