Method and system for avoiding distracting a vehicle occupant

• US 9,758,174 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Davidsson, Staffan, Maresch, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US14/861,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20160096528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A method performed by an information suppressing system for avoiding distracting an occupant of a vehicle with superfluous information via a medium associated with the vehicle is provided. The medium is adapted to present at least a first piece of information associated with at least a first entity located in a current vicinity of the vehicle. The system determines status data comprising one or more status data parameters reflecting current conditions, and further determines the at least first piece of information to be currently superfluous, based on comparing at least a first status data parameter of the status data with predetermined suppression criteria. Moreover, the system suppresses the at least first piece of information, wherein at least a portion of the at least first piece of information is prevented from being presented via the medium. An information suppressing system in accordance with the foregoing is also provided.

Claims

1. A method performed by an information suppressing system for avoiding distracting an occupant of a vehicle with superfluous information via a medium associated with the vehicle, the medium being configured to present at least a first piece of information associated with at least a first entity located in a current vicinity of the vehicle, the method comprising:

determining status data comprising one or more status data parameters reflecting current conditions, wherein the one or more status data parameters reflect a current driver alert status, a current number of vehicle occupants and/or a current timing condition;

determining whether the at least first piece of information is currently superfluous, based on comparing at least a first status data parameter of the status data with at least one predetermined suppression criterion; and

suppressing the at least first piece of information if the at least first piece of information is determined to be superfluous, such that at least a portion of the at least first piece of information is prevented from being presented via the medium.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the status data comprises one or more status data parameters reflecting current status conditions associated with the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least first piece of information comprises a current commercial offer associated with the first entity.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the status data comprises one or more status data parameters reflecting a prior utilization by the information suppressing system of a prior commercial offer associated with the first entity and/or a second entity associated with the first entity.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining status data, the determining whether the at least first piece of information is currently superfluous, and/or the suppressing the at least first piece of information are/is at least partly accomplished by means of one or more applications running on a mobile user device associated with the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining a current position of the information suppressing system;

determining the at least first entity to be in the current vicinity; and

/or

determining the at least first piece of information.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the status data comprises one or more status data parameters reflecting a prior utilization by the information suppressing system of a prior commercial offer associated with the first entity and/or a second entity associated with the first entity.

17. The method according to claim 3 wherein the determining status data, the determining whether the at least first piece of information is currently superfluous, and/or the suppressing the at least first piece of information are/is at least partly accomplished by means of one or more applications running on a mobile user device associated with the vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:

determining a current position of the information suppressing system;

determining the at least first entity to be in the current vicinity; and

/or

determining the at least first piece of information.

7. An information suppressing system for avoiding distracting an occupant of a vehicle with superfluous information via a medium associated with the vehicle, the medium being configured to present at least a first piece of information associated with at least a first entity located in a current vicinity of the vehicle, the information suppressing system comprising:

a status data determining unit configured to determine status data, the status data comprising one or more status data parameters reflecting current conditions, wherein the one or more status data parameters reflect a current driver alert status, a current number of vehicle occupants and/or a current timing condition;

a comparing unit configured to determine whether the at least first piece of information is currently superfluous, based on comparing at least a first status data parameter of the status data with at least one predetermined suppression criterion; and

a suppressing unit configured to suppress the at least first piece of information if the at least first piece of information is determined to be superfluous, such that at least a portion of the at least first piece of information is prevented from being presented via the medium.

8. The information suppressing system according to claim 7 wherein the status data comprises one or more status data parameters reflecting current status conditions associated with the vehicle.

9. The information suppressing system according to claim 7 wherein the at least first piece of information comprises a current commercial offer associated with the first entity.

10. The information suppressing system according to claim 9 wherein the status data comprises one or more status data parameters reflecting a prior utilization by the information suppressing system of a prior commercial offer associated with the first entity and/or a second entity associated with the first entity.

11. The information suppressing system according to claim 7 further comprising:

a mobile user device associated with the vehicle, the mobile user device being configured to, by means of one or more applications, at least partly determine the status data, determine whether the at least first piece of information is currently superfluous, and/or suppress the at least first piece of information.

12. The information suppressing system according to claim 7 further comprising:

a position determining unit configured to determine a current position of the information suppressing system;

a vicinity determining unit configured to determine whether the at least first entity is in the current vicinity; and

/or

an information determining unit configured to determine the at least first piece of information.

13. A vehicle comprising the information suppressing system according to claim 7.

14. A mobile user device comprising the information suppressing system according to claim 7.

19. The information suppressing system according to claim 7 wherein the status data comprises one or more status data parameters reflecting a prior utilization by the information suppressing system of a prior commercial offer associated with the first entity and/or a second entity associated with the first entity.

20. The information suppressing system according to claim 10 further comprising:

a mobile user device associated with the vehicle, the mobile user device being configured to, by means of one or more applications running thereon, at least partly determine the status data, determine whether the at least first piece of information is currently superfluous, and/or suppress the at least first piece of information.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer program including computer program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for execution by a computer or a processor to carry out a method for avoiding distracting an occupant of a vehicle with superfluous information via a medium associated with the vehicle, the medium being configured to present at least a first piece of information associated with at least a first entity located in a current vicinity of the vehicle, wherein the computer program code is configured for execution by the computer or the processor to:

determine status data comprising one or more status data parameters reflecting current conditions, wherein the one or more status data parameters reflect a current driver alert status, a current number of vehicle occupants and/or a current timing condition;

determine whether the at least first piece of information is currently superfluous, based on comparing at least a first status data parameter of the status data with at least one predetermined suppression criterion; and

suppress the at least first piece of information if the at least first piece of information is determined to be superfluous, such that at least a portion of the at least first piece of information is prevented from being presented via the medium.