Vehicle information acquisition and display assembly

• US 6,429,789 B1
• Filed: 08/09/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kiridena, Vijitha Senaka, Smith, Gregory Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/370,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20020105439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 340/936, 340/937, 340/943, 340/435, 340/436, 340/942, 340/905, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 340/901, 340/903, 340/904, 340/902, 701/301, 701/117, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 701/213, 382/104, 382/107, 359/155, 348/169, 348/143, 348/148, 348/149
• US Class Current: 340/905
• 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 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/106 using night vision cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/404 triggering from stand-by mode to operation mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions or night vision
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A vehicle information acquisition and display assembly 10. The system 10 selectively senses objects 27 residing within a dynamically configurable region of interest 29 and compares values which are created by use of these sensed objects 27 with at least one criteria value. Based upon this comparison, icons are selectively displayed to a driver 15 of a vehicle 11 which represent the sensed objects 27.

Claims

1. An assembly for use within a vehicle which is proximate to at least one object said, assembly comprising at least one external environment sensor which senses said at least one object and which provides certain information related to said at least one object;

and a processor which is coupled to said at least one external environment sensor, which contains at least one object criteria value, which receives said provided certain information, and which compares said provided certain information to said at least one relevance criteria value and, based upon said comparison, selectively displays at least one icon representing said at least one object.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said certain information includes a location of said at least one object.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said at least one object resides at a first and then a second location, said display assembly further being adapted to display said at least one icon when said at least one object resides at said first location and to modify said at least one icon when said at least one object resides at said second location.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one object has a certain size and wherein said certain information includes said size of said at least one object.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein said at least one icon has a certain size which is dependent upon said size of said at least one object.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one object has a certain shape and wherein said certain information includes said certain shape of said at least one object.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one object is moving at a certain velocity and wherein said certain information includes said velocity of said at least one object.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said at least one object is travelling in a certain direction and wherein said certain information includes said direction of travel of said at least one object.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said processor determines whether said at least one object will pass within a predetermined distance of said vehicle and, based upon said determination, to alter the appearance of said displayed at least one icon.

10. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said at least one object travels at a first and then at a second velocity, said assembly being adapted to display said at least one icon in a first color when said at least one object travels at said first velocity and in a second color when said at least one object travels at said second velocity.

11. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least two external environment sensors and wherein said processor, by use of said at least two external environment sensors, dynamically configures a region of interest.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said at least one object must be resident within said dynamically configured region of interest in order for said at least one object to be sensed by said at least one sensor.

13. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said vehicle is driven at a certain speed and wherein said region of interest is dynamically configured by use of said vehicle speed.

14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one external environment sensor comprises an infrared sensor.

15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one external environment sensor comprises a radar sensor.

16. An assembly for use within a vehicle having at least one attribute, said assembly comprising:

at least one vehicle attribute sensor which senses said at least one attribute and which generates a first value based upon said sensed at least one attribute;

a plurality of external environment sensors which cooperatively sense the presence of certain objects in the vicinity of said vehicle and which cooperatively generate a plurality of second values, each of said plurality of second values representing a unique one of said plurality of said certain objects;

a controller which is communicatively coupled to said at least one vehicle attribute sensor and to said plurality of external environment sensors, said controller containing at least one relevance criteria value, receiving said first value, calculating a region of interest based upon said first value, receiving said plurality of second values, selecting one of said second values by use of said calculated region of interest, comparing said selected one of said second values to said at last one relevance criteria value and, based upon said comparison, selectively generating at least one output signal; and

a display which is communicatively coupled to said controller, which receives said at least one output signal, and which selectively displays at least one icon representing one of said plurality of certain objects which is located within said region of interest and which is uniquely associated with said selected one of said second values.

17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said at least one vehicle attribute comprises the speed of the vehicle.

18. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said plurality of said external sensors includes a microwave sensor.

19. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said plurality of said external sensors includes an infrared sensor.

20. A method for use within a vehicle having a certain speed and direct of travel, the method being effective to display information related to an object, said method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one vehicle attribute sensor which measures said speed and direction of travel of said vehicle;

providing at least one external environment sensor;

providing a controller which utilizes said at least one external environment sensor to selectively and dynamically create a region of interest based upon said measured speed and the direction of travel of said vehicle;

providing a second external environment sensor for measuring a location of the object;

providing a third external environment sensor for measuring a size of the object;

determining whether the object resides within the region of interest; and

creating and displaying an icon only if the object resides within the region of interest.