Information service system for vehicle

• US 8,089,348 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kameyama, Shogo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SIGMUND N
• Application Number:
  US12/476,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 340 41- 414, 340/438, 340/439, 340/576, 3406911-692, 701/1, 600/484
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• 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 35/654 the user being the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An information service system for a vehicle includes: an information obtaining element for obtaining information, which includes classification information for defining an importance level and an urgency level; a plurality of information output elements having various sensory types so that the information output elements inform the information of an user with various sensory types; a user load detector for detecting a physical and mental load of the user; a selector for selecting one or more information output elements according to the classification information; and a controller for controlling to output the information with the one or more information output elements. The selector selects the one or more information output elements based on the physical and mental load and a priority order of the information.

Claims

1. An information service system for a vehicle comprising:

an information-to-be-provided obtaining device for obtaining information-to-be-provided, which preliminarily includes classification information for defining an importance level and an urgency level of the information;

a plurality of information-to-be-provided output elements, which inform a user of the information with various sensory types;

an information-to-be-provided output element selecting device for properly selecting one type of or a combination of the information-to-be-provided output elements as an output source of the obtained information-to-be-provided according to contents of the classification information;

an information output controlling device for controlling the selected information-to-be-provided output elements to output the information to be provided; and

a physical and mental load detection device for detecting a physical and mental load of the user,

wherein the information output elements include;

a first type information output element having at least one of an audio information output element for outputting the information to be provided with auditory sense to the user and a haptic information output element for outputting the information to be provided with haptic sense to the user;

a second type information output element having at least one of a visual information output element for outputting the information to be provided with visual sense to the user and an olfactory information output element for outputting the information to be provided with olfactory sense to the user,

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device selects the first type information output element as the output source of the information to be provided when the classification information indicates urgency,

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device selects the second type information output element as the output source of the information to be provided when the information-to-be-provided is not an urgency indication object, and

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device prohibits to operate the audio information output element or the olfactory information output element when the physical and mental load detection device detects the physical and mental load equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold level.

2. The information service system for the vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the haptic information output element includes a vibration generator.

3. The information service system for the vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein the vibration generator is embedded in a seat of the vehicle.

4. The information service system for the vehicle according to claim 3,

wherein the olfactory information output element includes a fragrance generator.

5. The information service system for the vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the information-to-be-provided output elements further include a visual information output element for outputting the information to be provided with visual sense to the user and a non-visual information output element, which includes at least one of an audio information output element for outputting the information to be provided with auditory sense to the user, a haptic information output element for outputting the information to be provided with haptic sense to the use and an olfactory information output element for outputting the information to be provided with olfactory sense to the user,

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device selects both of the visual information output element and the non-visual information output element as the output source of the information to be provided when the classification information indicates important, and

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device selects only one of the visual information output element and the non-visual information output element as the output source of the information to be provided when the classification information indicates unimportant.

6. The information service system for the vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device adjusts selection of two or more non-visual information output elements as the output source of the information-to-be-provided, which is indicated as important by the classification information, according to information whether the information-to-be-provided is indicated as urgent.

7. The information service system for the vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device selects both of the visual information output element and the haptic information output element as the output source of the information-to-be-provided, which is indicated as important by the classification information, when the information-to-be-provided is indicated as urgent, and

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device selects both of the visual information output element and the olfactory information output element as the output source of the information-to-be-provided, which is indicated as important by the classification information, when the information-to-be-provided is indicated as non-urgent.

8. The information service system for the vehicle according to claim 7,

wherein an image display is selected as the visual information output element when the information-to-be-provided is indicated as non-urgent, and

wherein a luminescent indicator is selected as the visual information output element when the information-to-be-provided is indicated as urgent.

9. The information service system for the vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device selects the non-visual information output element as the output source of the information-to-be-provided, which is indicated as unimportant by the classification information, when the information-to-be-provided is indicated as urgent, and

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device selects the visual information output element as the output source of the information-to-be-provided, which is indicated as unimportant by the classification information, when the information-to-be-provided is indicated as non-urgent.

10. The information service system for the vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein the information-to-be-provided output element selecting device selects the audio information output element as the output source of the information-to-be-provided, which is indicated as unimportant by the classification information, when the information-to-be-provided is indicated as urgent.