Variable operating mode HMD application management based upon crowd determined distraction

• US 9,135,849 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kozloski, James R., McCarthy, Matthew A., Herger, Lorraine, Keller, Neal, Pickover, Clifford A., Wyskida, Drew
• Primary Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US14/169,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20150221247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/633, 359/630
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for managing variable operating mode applications that vary a cognitive load of the output of the applications presented to users wearing head mounted display devices. A tolerance level is indicative of the cognitive load of each operating mode of an application is established. In a vehicle setting, the operating mode of the application is selected to enable the safe operation of the vehicle based in part upon the tolerance level associated with the operating mode. If errant operations of vehicles are detected, then an application server modifies the tolerance level and synchronizes the modified tolerance level with head mounted display devices including the application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an application server,

receiving a distraction signal based upon a user engaged in an activity while wearing a remote head mounted display system presenting an output of an application having a plurality of operating modes for modifying information presented to the user wearing the remote head mounted display system, each of the plurality of operating modes having a corresponding tolerance level for enabling the remote head mounted display system to select one of the plurality of operating modes, the distraction signal including

a level of distraction of the user wearing the remote head mounted display system during the activity and

the operating mode of the application;

adjusting the tolerance level of at least one of the plurality of operating modes based upon the distraction signal; and

enabling a second remote head mounted display system to operate the application based upon the adjusted tolerance level.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein

the receiving receives a multiplicity of distraction signals based upon a multiplicity of users engaged in the activity while wearing a corresponding multiplicity of remote head mounted display systems operating the application,

the adjusting adjusts the tolerance level of at least one of the plurality of operating modes based upon the multiplicity of distraction signals, and

the enabling further enables the multiplicity of remote head mounted displays system to operate the application based upon the adjusted tolerance level.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the activity includes operating a vehicle and the level of distraction includes an errant vehicle operation signal received from the vehicle and generated by a telematics system included within the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the activity includes operating a vehicle and the level of distraction includes an errant vehicle operation signal is based upon at least one of a detection of a lane departure of the vehicle and an excessive braking of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the activity includes occupying a vehicle and the level of distraction includes

an errant vehicle operation signal based upon a determined error in an operation of the vehicle, and

a milieu signal including a role of the user engaged in the activity, the role including at least one of a driver and a passenger of the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the activity includes occupying a vehicle and the level of distraction includes

an errant vehicle operation signal based upon a determined error in an operation of the vehicle, and

a driving condition signal based upon at least one of an atmospheric condition, a road condition, and a traffic condition associated with the vehicle occupied by the user.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

at the remote head mounted display system

downloading the application from the application server;

generating a safety check signal based upon an operating context of the remote head mounted display system;

selecting one of the plurality of operating modes of the application based upon the corresponding tolerance level and the safety check signal; and

operating the application at the selected operating mode.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the selecting includes selecting an alternative application.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the activity includes occupying a vehicle and the remote head mounted display system includes a headset output for interfacing with the user, and the vehicle includes a vehicle output for interfacing with the user, wherein the selecting the application operating mode includes directing the output of the application between the headset output and the vehicle output.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein the activity includes occupying a vehicle and the method further comprises the steps of:

determining an errant vehicle operation signal based upon a determined error in an operation of the vehicle;

generating the distraction signal based upon the errant vehicle operation signal and the operating mode of the application; and

communicating the distraction signal to the application server.

11. The method according to claim 7 wherein the activity includes occupying a vehicle and the operating context of the remote head mounted display system is based upon at least one of

a milieu signal determined based upon a role of the user, the role including at least one of a driver and a passenger of the vehicle, and

a driving condition signal determined based upon at least one of an atmospheric condition, a road condition, and a traffic condition associated with the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the milieu signal is further determined based upon a condition of the user, the condition of the user including at least one of user age, user alertness, user driving history, and length of time occupying vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 7 further comprising:

at the application server,

generating a regulations signal based upon changes in regulations for a use of head mounted displays by users within an operating context; and

communicating the regulations signal to the remote head mounted display system, and

at the head mounted display, receiving the regulations signal and the selecting further selects the one of the plurality of operating modes of the application based upon the regulations signal.

14. An application server comprising:

a distraction analyzer operating a process adapted to

receive a distraction signal based upon a user engaged in an activity while wearing a remote head mounted display system presenting an output of an application having a plurality of operating modes for modifying information presented to the user wearing the remote head mounted display system, each of the plurality of operating modes having a corresponding tolerance level for enabling the remote head mounted display system to select one of the plurality of operating modes, the distraction signal including a level of distraction of the user wearing the remote head mounted display system during the activity and the operating mode of the application, and

adjust the tolerance level of at least one of the plurality of operating modes based upon the distraction signal; and

a synchronizer operating a process adapted to communicate the adjusted tolerance level to a second remote head mounted display system.

15. The application server according to claim 14 wherein the distraction analyzer further receives a multiplicity of distraction signals based upon a multiplicity of users engaged in the activity while wearing a corresponding multiplicity of remote head mounted display systems operating the application, and adjusts the tolerance level of at least one of the plurality of operating modes based upon the multiplicity of distraction signals, and

the synchronizer further communicates the adjusted tolerance level to the multiplicity of remote head mounted display systems.

16. An application server according to claim 14 further comprised with an arrangement including the remote head mounted display system, the remote head mounted display system comprising:

an application memory storing the application;

a safety checking module generating a safety check signal based upon an operating context of the remote head mounted display system;

a mode selector selecting the application operating mode based upon the safety check signal and the tolerance level of the application operating mode;

a distraction detector generating the distraction signal based upon a determined error in an operation of a vehicle within which the user is occupying and communicating the distraction signal to the application server; and

a synchronizer modifying the tolerance level based upon an adjusted tolerance signal received from the application server.

17. The application server according to claim 16 wherein the remote head mounted display system further comprises a telematics interface for wirelessly interfacing with a telematics system of the vehicle for receiving an errant vehicle operation signal based upon a vehicle determined error in an operation of the vehicle.

18. The application server according to claim 16 wherein the safety checking module further includes a regulation detector for further generating the safety check signal based upon a regulations signal based upon changes in regulations governing a use of head mounted display systems by users operating vehicles and communicated by the application server to the remote head mounted display system.

19. A non-transitory computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit of an application server for performing a method comprising;

receiving a distraction signal based upon a user engaged in an activity while wearing a remote head mounted display system presenting an output of an application having a plurality of operating modes for modifying an amount of information presented to the user wearing the remote head mounted display system, each of the plurality of operating modes having corresponding tolerance level for enabling the remote head mounted display system to select one of the plurality of operating modes, the distraction signal including

a level of distraction of the user wearing the remote head mounted display system during the activity and

the operating mode of the application;

adjusting the tolerance level of at least one of the plurality of operating modes based upon the distraction signal; and

enabling a second remote head mounted display system to operate the application based upon the adjusted tolerance level.

20. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 19 wherein the storage medium is readable by a second processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit of a the remote head mounted display system for performing a method comprising:

downloading the application from the application server;

generating a safety check signal based upon an operating context of the remote head mounted display system;

selecting one of the plurality of operating modes of the application based upon the corresponding tolerance level and the safety check signal; and

operating the application at the selected operating mode.