Vehicle driving aids

• US 9,653,001 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Mughal, Akkas A., Macinnes, Roddi L., Chau, Jarvis, Gautama, Neeraj R., Saraydar, Cem U., Marshall, Shaun S., Weigert, Norman J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, JELANI A
• Application Number:
  US14/684,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20160298971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/042 providing simulation in a real vehicle G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

Automotive vehicle driving aid includes a computer program with a training module having instructions for providing audio/visual feedback during training route (TR) execution, and dynamically adjusting the TR to enable practice of a maneuver and avoidance of another maneuver. The program includes a driver aid module, practice module and/or test module. Driver aid module includes instructions for providing feedback during driver aid route (DAR) execution, dynamically adjusting the DAR to enable practice of a maneuver and avoidance of another maneuver, and providing a notification upon recognizing an object outside a vehicle during DAR execution. Practice module includes instructions for receiving a learning preference input and generating a practice route including the learning preference. Test module includes instructions for disabling feedback systems, assessing a driving maneuver during a test route (TR), and upon completion of TR, providing a driving report. Audio system provides audio feedback, and electronic display provides visual feedback.

Claims

1. A driving aid for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a driving aid computer program embedded on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium, the program including;

a training module including computer readable instructions for providing audio and visual feedback to a driver as a training route is executed, dynamically adjusting the training route to enable the driver to practice a first maneuver and avoid a second distinct maneuver, receiving shoulder check feedback from a gaze detection unit, the shoulder check feedback representing that at least one or more eyes of a driver have not been detected by the gaze detection unit for a predetermined time period, and generating a check blind spot reminder based upon the received shoulder check feedback;

a driver aid module including computer readable instructions for providing audio and visual feedback to the driver as a driver aid route is executed, dynamically adjusting the driver aid route to enable the driver to practice the first maneuver and avoid the second distinct maneuver, monitoring a position of an object external to a vehicle, and providing a notification pertaining to the object external to the vehicle to the driver when the object external to the vehicle approaches the vehicle as the driver aid route is executed;

a practice module including computer readable instructions for receiving an input related to a learning preference and generating a practice route that includes the learning preference; and

a test module including computer readable instructions for i) disabling audio and visual feedback systems, ii) assessing a driving maneuver during a test route, and iii) upon completion of the test route, providing the driver with a driving report based upon the assessment of the driving maneuver;

an audio system of the automotive vehicle for providing the audio feedback; and

an electronic display of the automotive vehicle for providing the visual feedback.

2. The driving aid as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the training module and the driver aid module further includes computer readable instructions for generating and displaying a first driving line and a second distinct driving line on the electronic display, wherein the electronic display is an augmented reality heads-up display.

3. The driving aid as defined in claim 2 wherein each of the training module and the driver aid module further includes computer readable instructions for receiving input from any of the gaze detection unit, a vehicle sensor, an exterior camera, or combinations thereof.

4. The driving aid as defined in claim 1, wherein the program further comprises an exclusions module including computer readable instructions for receiving an input related to an exclusion preference and generating an exclusion route that includes a least number of the exclusion preference.

5. The driving aid as defined in claim 4 wherein:

the practice module includes computer readable instructions for providing audio and visual feedback to the driver as the practice route is executed; and

the exclusions module includes computer readable instructions for providing audio and visual feedback to the driver as the exclusion route is executed.

6. The driving aid as defined in claim 1 wherein the program further comprises a route suggestions module including computer readable instructions for receiving a destination input identifying a destination, displaying a list of historical driver errors made along a fastest route to the destination, receiving driver feedback indicating the historical driver errors to ignore, practice, or exclude, from a driving route, and generating the driver route based upon the driver feedback.

7. The driving aid as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the training module and the driver aid module, the practice module, or combinations thereof further includes computer readable instructions for assessing a driving maneuver during the training route and the driver aid route, the practice route, or combinations thereof, respectively, and for generating a driving report based upon the assessment.

8. The driving aid as defined in claim 7, further comprising a communications module for transmitting the driving report to a communications and processing device selected from a tablet computer, a smartphone, and a desktop computer, for transmitting at least a portion of the driving report to a social media website, or combinations thereof.

9. The driving aid as defined in claim 1, further comprising a communications module for transmitting the driving report to a communications and processing device selected from a tablet computer, a smartphone, and a desktop computer, for transmitting at least a portion of the driving report to a social media website, or combinations thereof.

10. The driving aid as defined in claim 1 wherein the driving report includes a driving score and a map of the test route identifying where an error was made along the test route.

11. A system for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a memory associated with the microprocessor;

an in-vehicle system in communication with the microprocessor, the in-vehicle system including at least a user input device, a gaze detection unit, a vehicle sensor, and an exterior camera; and

a driving aid application resident on the memory, the driving aid application including;

a training module including computer readable instructions for providing audio and visual feedback to a driver as a training route is executed, and dynamically adjusting the training route to enable the driver to practice a first maneuver and avoid a second distinct maneuver;

a driver aid module including computer readable instructions for providing audio and visual feedback to the driver as a driver aid route is executed, dynamically adjusting the driver aid route to enable the driver to practice the first maneuver and avoid the second distinct maneuver, monitoring a position of an object external to a vehicle via the exterior camera, determine that the object is a trigger for providing a notification pertaining to the object external to the vehicle to the driver, and providing a the notification to the driver when the object external to the vehicle approaches the vehicle as the driver aid route is executed;

a practice module including computer readable instructions for receiving an input related to a learning preference and generating a practice route that includes the learning preference;

an exclusions module including computer readable instructions for receiving an input related to an exclusion preference and generating an exclusion route that includes a least number of the exclusion preference; and

a test module including computer readable instructions for i) disabling audio and visual feedback systems, ii) assessing a driving maneuver during a test route, and iii) upon completion of the test route, providing the driver with a driving report based upon the assessment of the driving maneuver.

12. The system as defined in claim 11 wherein:

the practice module includes computer readable instructions for providing audio and visual feedback to the driver as the practice route is executed; and

the exclusions module includes computer readable instructions for providing audio and visual feedback to the driver as the exclusion route is executed.

13. The system as defined in claim 11 wherein the driving aid application further includes a route suggestions module including computer readable instructions for receiving a destination input identifying a destination, displaying a list of historical driver errors made along a fastest route to the destination, receiving driver feedback indicating the historical driver errors to ignore, practice, or exclude, from driving route, and generating the driver route based upon the driver feedback.

14. The system as defined in claim 11 wherein the training module further includes computer readable instructions for receiving shoulder check feedback from the gaze detection unit, the shoulder check feedback representing that at least one or more eyes of a driver have not been detected by the gaze detection unit for a predetermined time period, and generating a check blind spot reminder based upon the received shoulder check feedback.

15. The system as defined in claim 11 wherein the training module further includes computer readable instructions for assessing a driving maneuver during the training route, and for generating a driving report based upon the assessment.

16. The system as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

a communications and processing device selected from a tablet computer, a smartphone, and a desktop computer; and

a social media website;

and wherein the driving aid application further includes a communications module for transmitting the driving report to the communications and processing device, the social media website, or combinations thereof.

17. The system as defined in claim 11 further comprising:

a communications and processing device selected from a tablet computer, a smartphone, and a desktop computer; and

a social media website;

wherein the driving aid application further includes a communications module for transmitting the driving report to the communications and processing device, the social media website, or combinations thereof.

18. The system as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

an audio system of the automotive vehicle for providing the audio feedback; and

an electronic display of the automotive vehicle for providing the visual feedback.