Interactive vehicle window display system with a safe driving reminder system

• US 9,400,564 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2014
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Chou, Warren Jing Po, Sayer, Tina Brunetti, Schulz, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US14/461,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20150077237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 709 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/439, 701/301
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/741 Instruments adapted for user detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/65 Instruments specially adapted for specific vehicle types or users, e.g. for left- or right-hand drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/654 the user being the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/268 on windscreens or windows B60Q1/302 takes precedence; lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for windows B60Q3/208
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5035 electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/40 Welcome lights, i.e. specific or existing exterior lamps to assist leaving or approaching the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/00 Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising G09F9/00, G09F11/00 take precedence; control of displays in general using static means to present variable information G09G

Abstract

A system for a vehicle includes a user identification subsystem operable to detect a driver; and an interactive display subsystem operable to generate output for display on a vehicle window based on detection of the driver, the output associated with a reminder specific to a questionable driving habit of the driver.

Claims

1. A system for a vehicle, comprising:

a user identification subsystem operable to detect and identify a driver when the driver is outside the vehicle; and

an interactive display subsystem operable to generate output for display on a vehicle window based on detection and identification of the driver, the output displayed on a side window of the vehicle and adapted for viewing from outside the vehicle, the output associated with a reminder specific to a questionable driving habit of the driver.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interactive display subsystem includes a projector operable to project the output toward the vehicle window, the vehicle window being a driver side passenger window.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the output includes a safe driving reminder page.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the output includes a visual representation of one or more pages, each one of the one or more pages selectable through a user input subsystem after detection of the driver by the user identification subsystem.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein each one of the one or more pages is selectable through a key fob in communication with the user input subsystem.

6. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein each one of the one or more pages is selectable through a gesture identified by the user input subsystem.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a control subsystem in communication with said user identification subsystem and said interactive display subsystem.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said control subsystem is operable to identify and record a questionable driving characteristic.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the questionable driving characteristic includes a traffic violation.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said user identification subsystem includes at least one user profile, the user profile including an age of the driver.

11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the reminder specific to the questionable driving habit of the driver includes a safe driving reminder determined in response to the questionable driving characteristic occurring a statistically significant number of times.

19. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user identification subsystem is operable to authenticate the driver.

12. A method of operating a system for a vehicle, comprising:

identifying a user of a vehicle when the user is located outside the vehicle; and

generating output for display on a vehicle side window in response to identification of the user, the output adapted for viewing from outside the vehicle and associated with a reminder specific to a questionable driving habit of the driver.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the output is visible on the outside of a vehicle window.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the output displayed is based, at least in part, on an age of the driver.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the output displayed is based, at least in part, on a questionable driving characteristic of the driver.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising identifying a questionable driving characteristic.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising recording the questionable driving characteristic.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising determining a statistically significant number of questionable driving characteristics to determine the questionable driving habit of the driver.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, comprising authenticating the user.