Method and system for supervising information communication based on occupant and vehicle environment

• US 9,141,583 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Elliott, Doron M., Strumolo, Gary Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US13/798,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/37, 701/41, 701/45, 701/48, 701/49, 701/70, 370/241, 370/252, 370/259, 340/425.5, 340/426.17, 340/426.2, 340/438, 340459-467, 455/418, 455/456.1, 455/466
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to 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: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A vehicle computer system includes one or more processors configured to receive context data representative of a vehicle'"'"'s environment from one or more modules. The one or more processors are programmed and configured to receive the context data from one or more modules, determine an attention demand value utilizing the context data and a workload value corresponding to the context data, and output an indicator to activate or adjust a do not disturb feature based on the attention demand value.

Claims

1. A vehicle system, comprising:

one or more sensors on the vehicle configured to generate context data;

one or more processors of the vehicle system located in a vehicle configured to receive context data representative of a vehicle'"'"'s environment from the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed and configured to;

receive the context data from the one or more sensors;

determine an attention demand value based on the context data and a workload value corresponding to the context data; and

output an indicator based upon the determination and suggesting activation or adjustment of a plurality of configurations each corresponding to an individual magnitude of inhibiting communication via a do not disturb communication feature that inhibits communication to a driver.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the do not disturb communication feature is configured to delay an incoming communication to a vehicle occupant.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle system further comprises a vehicle speaker configured to output the indicator suggesting activation or adjustment of the do not disturb communication feature via an audible message.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle system further comprises a vehicle display configured to output the indicator suggesting activation or adjustment of the do not disturb communication feature via a visual indicator.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive an user input to activate or adjust the do not disturb feature based on the indicator.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a transceiver configured to communicate with a nomadic device or an off-board server.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a cellular phone in communication with the vehicle system.

8. The vehicle system of claim 7, wherein an incoming vehicle communication is received from the cellular phone and the processor is further configured to send a message to the cellular phone indicating that a user is unavailable when the do not disturb communication feature is activated.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the message is capable of being customized by a vehicle occupant.

10. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the context data indicates the one or more sensors are off.

11. The vehicle system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to activate or adjust the do not disturb feature based on the user input.

12. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the workload value corresponding to the context data is based on a type of usage of the one or more sensors sending the context data.

13. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the attention demand value is representative of a short-term high attention demand environment.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving context data from one or more sensors representative of a vehicle'"'"'s environment;

determining an attention demand value based on the context data and a workload value corresponding to the context data;

outputting an indicator based upon the determination and suggesting activation or adjustment of an option of a do not disturb communication setting, wherein the do not disturb communication setting inhibits communication to a driver from a device and includes two or more options each corresponding to an individual magnitude of inhibiting the communication;

receiving a request at the vehicle to output a communication; and

controlling the communication based on the do not disturb setting.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors includes a transceiver in communication with an off-board server.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the two or more options include delaying, ignoring, or outputting an incoming communication to an occupant based on a different type of communication.

17. A vehicle system (VS), comprising:

a vehicle sensor generating data related to a vehicle'"'"'s environment; and

a processor in the VS receiving a signal from the sensor, the processor programmed and configured to;

determine an attention demand value utilizing the signal; and

output an indicator based on the determination and suggesting user-adjustment of a setting of a communication feature, the setting corresponding to a magnitude of inhibiting communication from a device.

18. The vehicle system of claim 17, wherein the signal is data or an analog signal.

19. The vehicle system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a long-term workload indicator to compute attention demand for a long-term driving scenario; and

output the indicator based on the long-term workload indicator.

20. The vehicle system of claim 17, wherein the indicator suggests adjustment of the communication feature via an audible warning.