Pedestrian intersection alert system and method thereof

• US 9,588,340 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ng-Thow-Hing, Victor, Kim, Nuri
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghulamali, Qutbuddin
• Application Number:
  US14/636,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20160260326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/909, 340/915, 340/925
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A vehicle having a sensor and a head-up display is provided. The sensor can detect pedestrians at an intersection. The head-up display can depict an augmented reality indicator represented as the intersection and the pedestrians. The augmented reality indicator can be displayed directly in a driver'"'"'s field of view centralized to provide a situational environment for the driver. The head-up display can show pedestrians outside the driver'"'"'s field of view.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying a situational environment of a vehicle on a head-up display, the method comprising:

determining that the vehicle is approaching an intersection;

generating an intersection indicator representing a perspective view of the intersection;

displaying the intersection indicator on the head-up display upon determining that the vehicle is approaching the intersection;

identifying a location of at least one pedestrian at the intersection through at least one sensor; and

overlaying at least one pedestrian indicia on the intersection indicator based on the identified location of the at least one pedestrian.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the location of the at least one pedestrian at the intersection comprises activating the at least one sensor.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the location of the at least one pedestrian at the intersection comprises locating pedestrians that are within a predetermined distance from a crosswalk.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the intersection indicator comprises presenting the intersection indicator at a centralized location on the head-up display of the vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the intersection indicator comprises displaying a bird'"'"'s eye view of the intersection.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein overlaying the at least one pedestrian indicia on the intersection indicator comprises depicting the at least one pedestrian indicia as a dot on the intersection indicator.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising depicting the at least one pedestrian indicia as moving.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein overlaying the at least one pedestrian indicia on the intersection indicator comprises depicting at least one pedestrian outside a field of view.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the intersection indicator representing the intersection and overlaying the at least one pedestrian indicia on the intersection indicator comprises depicting the intersection indicator and the at least one pedestrian indicia on an augmented reality head-up display.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising removing the intersection indicator and the at least one pedestrian indicia when the vehicle passes the intersection.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the intersection indicator on the head-up display comprises:

generating a mapping corresponding to the intersection; and

displaying the mapping as the intersection indicator such that the intersection indicator accurately represents the intersection.

12. A pedestrian intersection alert system for a vehicle comprising:

a head-up display;

at least one processor; and

a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing program instructions that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

determine that the vehicle is approaching an intersection;

generate and display an intersection indicator represented as a bird'"'"'s eye view of the intersection on the head-up display;

identify a location of at least one pedestrian at the intersection; and

spatially overlay at least one pedestrian indicia on the intersection indicator based on the identified location of the at least one pedestrian displayed on the head-up display.

13. The pedestrian intersection alert system of claim 12, wherein the memory storing program instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to activate a camera on the vehicle for identifying the location of the at least one pedestrian at the intersection.

14. The pedestrian intersection alert system of claim 12, wherein spatially overlaying the at least one pedestrian indicia on the intersection indicator comprises depicting the at least one pedestrian indicia as a dot on the intersection indicator.

15. The pedestrian intersection alert system of claim 12, wherein displaying the intersection indicator represented as the bird'"'"'s eye view of the intersection on the head-up display comprises depicting the intersection indicator at a centralized position on the head-up display in front of a driver.

16. The pedestrian intersection alert system of claim 12, wherein the memory storing program instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to identify pedestrians crossing the intersection.

17. A vehicle comprising:

a sensor detecting a location of at least one pedestrian at an intersection; and

a head-up display depicting a generated augmented reality intersection indicator representing the intersection and spatially overlaying at least one pedestrian indicia on the augmented reality intersection indicator based on the detected location of the at least one pedestrian.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the augmented reality intersection indicator for the intersection is displayed as the vehicle approaches the intersection.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the augmented reality intersection indicator is displayed directly in a driver'"'"'s field of view.

20. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the detected location of the at least one pedestrian is outside a driver'"'"'s field of view.