Vehicular heads-up display system

• US 8,068,942 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc; McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US11/928,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 701/37, 701/45, 701/49, 701/200, 701/211, 340/425.5, 340/461, 340/525, 340/815.4, 340/438, 340/457.1, 340/815.45, 340/988, 340/494, 248/549, 280/735, 280/804, 359/838, 359/871, 359/872, 362/503, 345/7
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/24 Wear-indicating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/246 Tread wear monitoring systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/00 Tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0449 Passive transducers, e.g. using surface acoustic waves, backscatter technology or pressure sensitive resonators near field passive transducers B60C23/0428
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23161 specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23519 Resin for coating fabric B60R2021/23514
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23523 Composite coated fabric B60R2021/23514
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23557 Molding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2358 Bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2359 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/20 Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 : in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 : Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 : comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 : characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/30 : with means to draw ambient air into the flow line and mix such air with the inflation fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 : Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 : Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 : Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 : comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 : comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 : slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 : Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 : including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 : Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 : using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Heads-up display systems for vehicles which generate a virtual display in a field of view of an occupant of the vehicle when facing outward of the vehicle. A control system is coupled to the heads-up display system and detects an action by the occupant and controls the content of the virtual display being generated by the heads-up display system based on the detected action.

Claims

1. A vehicle including a passenger compartment in which an occupant is situated when present in the vehicle, comprising:

a display system that generates a display in a field of view of the occupant of the vehicle when facing outward of the vehicle;

an occupant monitoring system that monitors an area of the passenger compartment in which the occupant may be situated, said occupant monitoring system detecting audible sounds generated by the occupant or gestures made by the occupant; and

a control system coupled to said display system and said occupant monitoring system and controlling content of the display being generated by said display system based on the audible sounds and gestures detected by said occupant monitoring system.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an in-vehicle signage system containing information about roads being traveled by the vehicle and signs along the roads, said control system being coupled to said in-vehicle signage system and controlling said display system to display information from said in-vehicle signage system, said control system converting detected audible sounds or gestures into requests by the occupant for information from said in-vehicle signage system to be displayed on said display of said display system.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said control system enables surfing on the Internet and display of television programs and converts detected audible sounds or gestures into requests by the occupant to effect the Internet surfing or control over one or more television programs being displayed on said display of said display system.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a windshield having a plurality of layers of glass, said display system comprising organic light emitting diodes arranged between a pair of said layers of glass.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said occupant monitoring system comprises a voice-reception system that is arranged to detect vocal commands from the occupant.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said occupant monitoring system comprises a gesture-detection system that is arranged to detect gestures by the occupant.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein said gesture-detection system comprises a camera having a field of view of hands or an upper body region of the occupant expected to exercise control of said display system and a processor that receives images from said camera, detects movement of a head, hand or arm of the occupant in one of predetermined number of areas and performs a function based on the detection of movement in the predetermined area.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an in-vehicle signage system containing information about roads being traveled by the vehicle and signs along the roads, said control system being coupled to said in-vehicle signage system and controlling said display system to display information from said in-vehicle signage system.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein said in-vehicle signage system contains a map database with road signs and enables said control system to control said display system to display current signs, previous signs and future signs upon request by the occupant, said in-vehicle signage system receiving transmissions from road signs along the road being traveled by the vehicle and converting the transmissions into information to be displayed by said display system.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a location determining system arranged to determine the location of the vehicle, said in-vehicle signage system obtaining information from the Internet based on its determined location.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein said in-vehicle signage system translates the signs into a different language or annunciates content of the signs upon request by the occupant.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a route guidance system containing a map database; and

a location determining system for determining the location of the vehicle,

said control system being coupled to said route guidance system and said location determining system and controlling said display system to display a map of the area around the vehicle with an indication of the vehicle'"'"'s location on the map.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said control system enables remote control thereof by a remote party upon request by the occupant such that assistance with vehicle navigation is available to the occupant by the remote party.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said control system controls said display system to display a view of the road ahead at a location at which it is an overlay onto a view of the same road seen by the occupant with an indication of a path to follow to guide the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said control system provides an interrupt display function which causes an interruption of content currently being displayed on said display system.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising an e-mail message receiving unit that receives e-mail messages, said control system being arranged to initiate the interrupt display function when said e-mail message receiving unit receives an incoming e-mail message.

17. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said control system enables surfing on the Internet and controls said display system to display web pages from the Internet arising from the surfing and display of television programs.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said display system is a heads-up display system that projects light through a lens system through a holographic combiner or screen.

19. A vehicle, comprising:

a display system that generates a display in a field of view of an occupant of the vehicle when facing outward of the vehicle;

a route guidance system containing a map database;

a location determining system that determines a location of the vehicle; and

a control system coupled to said display system and that detects gestures by the occupant and controls content of the display being generated by said display system based on the detected gestures,

said control system being coupled to said route guidance system and said location determining system and controlling said display system to display a map of the area around the vehicle using data from said map database of said route guidance system with an indication of the vehicle'"'"'s location as determined by said location determining system on the map.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein said control system enables remote control thereof by a remote party upon request by the occupant such that assistance with vehicle navigation is available to the occupant by the remote party.

21. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein said control system controls said heads-up display system to display a view of the road ahead at a location at which it is an overlay onto a view of the same road seen by the occupant with an indication of a path to follow to guide the vehicle.

22. A vehicle, comprising:

a display system that generates a display in a field of view of an occupant of the vehicle when facing outward of the vehicle; and

a control system coupled to said display system that detects gestures by the occupant and controls content of the display being generated by said display system based on the detected gestures,

said control system enabling surfing on the Internet and converting the gestures detected by said control system into requests by the occupant to effect the Internet surfing and thus variation of web pages displayed on said display of said display system.