Vehicle user interface system and method having location specific feature availability

• US 8,527,143 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tan, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US12/916,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A vehicle user interface system comprises a vehicle location determining component, a jurisdiction determining component, a user input component, and a controller. The vehicle location determining component is configured to determine a current location of the vehicle. The jurisdiction determining component is configured to determine a current jurisdiction based on the current location of the vehicle, and to select a policy setting based on the current jurisdiction. The user input component is configured to receive information used by the vehicle user interface system to perform system operations. The controller is configured to control availability of the system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system based on the selected policy setting.

Claims

1. A vehicle user interface system comprising:

a vehicle location determining component configured to determine a current location of the vehicle and a future location of the vehicle;

a jurisdiction determining component configured to determine a current jurisdiction based on the current location of the vehicle, to select a current policy setting based on the current jurisdiction, to determine a new jurisdiction based on the future location, and to select a new policy setting based on the new jurisdiction;

a user input component configured to receive information used by the vehicle user interface system to perform system operations; and

a controller that is configured to control availability of the system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system based on a selected policy setting, the selected policy setting being set to the current policy setting while the vehicle is within the current jurisdiction and the new policy setting while the vehicle is within the new jurisdiction, and is further configured to provide information pertaining to the new jurisdiction, including a warning of an upcoming change to the new jurisdiction prior to the vehicle entering the new jurisdiction,

the controller being further configured to refrain from including the warning in the information accessible to the user while all of the system operations currently being performed by the vehicle user interface system are permissible for performance by the vehicle user interface system under both the current policy setting and the new policy setting.

2. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to limit performance of some of the system operations based on the selected policy setting.

3. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, further comprising

an output component configured to provide information pertaining to the system operations.

4. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to provide an alert based on the selected policy setting upon startup of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, further comprising

a navigation component configured to perform navigation operations which are among the system operations.

6. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, further comprising

a communication component configured to perform communication operations which are among the system operations.

7. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to determine the future location and the new jurisdiction based on a historical trend pertaining to the vehicle.

8. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to control availability of some of the system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system based on the selected policy setting and a detected vehicle speed of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to determine whether a user is a driver or a passenger, and to control availability of some of the system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system based on the selected policy setting and whether the user is a driver or a passenger.

10. A method of controlling a user interface system of a vehicle, the method comprising

controlling availability of system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system based on a selected policy setting;

determining a current location of the vehicle;

determining a current jurisdiction according to the current location;

selecting a current policy setting based on the current jurisdiction and setting the selected policy setting to the current policy setting while the vehicle is within the current jurisdiction;

determining a future location of the vehicle;

determining a new jurisdiction according to the future location;

selecting a new policy setting based on the new jurisdiction and setting the selected policy setting to the new policy setting while the vehicle is within the new jurisdiction;

providing information pertaining to the new jurisdiction, including a warning of an upcoming change to the new jurisdiction, prior to the vehicle entering the new jurisdiction; and

determining whether a current one of the system operations that is allowed under the current policy setting and is currently being performed by the user interface system would be limited according to the new policy setting, such that the providing of the information includes providing an indication that the current one of the system operations will be limited in the new jurisdiction.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein

the determining of the future location of the vehicle is based on a historical trend pertaining to the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising

selecting a second policy setting based on at least one of information provided by a user and a configuration of the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein

the controlling includes limiting availability of use of at least one feature of the system operations by the user interface system.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein

the controlling includes limiting availability of use of at least one feature of the system operations by the user interface system based on the selected policy setting and a detected vehicle speed.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising

determining whether a user is a driver or a passenger of the vehicle;

and

wherein the controlling includes limiting availability of use of at least one feature of the system operations by the user interface system based on the selected policy setting and whether the user is a driver or a passenger.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein

the providing of the information pertaining to the new jurisdiction includes refraining from including the warning in the information accessible to the user while all of the system operations currently being performed by the vehicle user interface system are permissible for performance by the vehicle user interface system under both the current policy setting and the new policy setting.

17. A method of controlling a user interface system of a vehicle, the method comprising

determining a current location of the vehicle;

determining a current jurisdiction according to the current location;

selecting a current policy setting based on the current jurisdiction;

determining a historical trend pertaining to the vehicle;

determining a future location of the vehicle based on the historical trend;

determining a new jurisdiction based on the future location;

setting a selected policy setting as the current policy setting while the vehicle is within the current jurisdiction;

controlling availability of system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system based on the selected policy setting;

providing information accessible to a user of the user interface system based on the new jurisdiction prior to the vehicle entering the new jurisdiction, the information including a warning of a possible change to the new jurisdiction;

selecting a new policy setting based on the new jurisdiction;

setting the selected policy setting to the new policy setting while the vehicle is within the new jurisdiction; and

controlling availability of the system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system based on the selected policy setting while the vehicle is at a location within the new jurisdiction.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising

refraining from including the warning in the information accessible to the user while all of the system operations currently being performed by the vehicle user interface system are permissible for performance by the vehicle user interface system under both the current policy setting and the new policy setting.