System for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071747-B2
Application number	US-201314654484-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 21, 2012
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed for systems for a vehicle. An example system for a vehicle includes a head-up display and a circuit, which is connected to the head-up display, wherein the head-up display is configured to project an image onto a front windshield of the vehicle or onto a separate combiner, wherein the circuit is configured to output image data to the head-up display, whereby the image data have a set of objects which include messages for the user, to determine a user's workload level, based on a set of driving conditions, to switch between at least one first workload mode and a second workload mode based on the level, whereby the second workload mode is assigned a higher level than the first workload mode, and in the second workload mode to reduce at least one object, which is output in the first workload mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for a vehicle, comprising:
a head-up display; and
a circuit, which is connected to the head-up display,
wherein the head-up display is configured to project an image onto a front windshield of the vehicle or onto a separate combiner,
wherein the circuit is configured to output image data to the head-up display in order to generate the image, whereby the image data has a set of objects which includes messages for a user,
wherein the circuit is configured to determine a user's workload level for operating the vehicle, based on a set of driving conditions, the set of driving conditions including at least a road situation,
wherein the circuit is configured, based on the user's workload level, to switch between at least one first workload mode and a second workload mode, whereby the second workload mode is assigned a higher user's workload level than the first workload mode,
wherein the circuit is configured, in the second workload mode, to reduce at least one object, which is output in the first workload mode such that a combined user's workload comprising the user's workload level for operating the vehicle and a user's workload for comprehending a content of the image is reduced in the second workload mode as compared to the first workload mode, and
wherein, to reduce the at least one object, the circuit is configured
to make the object in the image smaller, or
to increase a transparency of the object and fade out the object.

2. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein, to reduce the at least one object, the circuit is further configured
to move the object within the image away from a central position into a predetermined area.

3. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuit is configured, during or after the reduction, to output a message associated with the object by means of another object in another display apart from the front windshield or combiner.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the circuit is configured to determine an input by the user, and
the circuit is configured, based on the input, to start an application program, whereby the object is associated with the application program.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the circuit is configured to prioritize the objects of the set, and
the circuit is configured to reduce first the object with a lowest priority in the second workload mode.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the circuit is configured to switch to a warning mode, and
the circuit is configured, in the warning mode, to reduce at least one of the objects of the set and to output at least one warning object at least temporarily in the image data.

7. A method for controlling a head-up display for a vehicle, comprising:
projecting an image onto a front windshield of the vehicle or onto a separate combiner by means of the head-up display,
outputting image data from a circuit, connected to the head-up display, to the head-up display to generate the image, whereby the image data has a set of objects that includes messages for a user,
determining a level of a user's workload for operating the vehicle based on a set of driving conditions by means of the circuit, the set of driving conditions including at least a road situation,
switching between at least a first workload mode and a second workload mode based on the user's workload level, whereby the second workload mode is assigned a higher user's workload level than the first workload mode, and
reducing at least one object of the set, output in the first workload mode, in the second workload mode, such that a combined user's workload comprising the user's workload level for operating the vehicle and a user's workload for comprehending a content of the image is reduced in the second workload mode as compared to the first workload mode,
wherein reducing the at least one object includes
moving the object within the image away from a central position into a predetermined area, and
fading out the object.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit is configured to determine the user's workload level based on a traffic density.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein, to reduce the at least one object, the circuit is configured to move the object within the image away from a central position to an edge area of the image.

10. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one object comprises a video object,
wherein the circuit is configured to determine the user's workload level based on a remaining time of a red phase of a traffic light, and
wherein the circuit is configured, in the second workload mode, to stop and fade out the video object.

11. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one object comprises a text object,
wherein the circuit is configured to determine the user's workload level based on a transition of the vehicle from standing still to moving, and
wherein the circuit is configured, in the second workload mode, to move the text object within the image from a central position to a lower edge of the image.

12. A system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
a head-up display; and
a circuit, which is connected to the head-up display,
wherein the head-up display is configured to project an image onto a front windshield of the vehicle or onto a separate combiner,
wherein the circuit is configured to output image data to the head-up display in order to generate the image, whereby the image data has a set of objects that include messages for a user,
wherein the circuit is configured to determine a user's workload level based on a set of driving conditions,
wherein the circuit is configured, based on the user's workload level, to switch between at least one first workload mode and a second workload mode, whereby the second workload mode is assigned a higher user's workload level than the first workload mode,
wherein the circuit is configured, in the second workload mode, to reduce at least one object, which is output in the first workload mode,
wherein the at least one object comprises a video object,
wherein the circuit is configured to determine the user's workload level based on a remaining time of a red phase of a traffic light, and
wherein the circuit is configured, in the second workload mode, to stop and fade out the video object.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising prioritizing the objects of the set, and wherein reducing the at least one object includes reducing first the object with a lowest priority in the second workload mode.

14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining the user's workload level based on a traffic density.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one object comprises a text object, the method further comprising determining the user's workload level based on a transition of the vehicle from standing still to moving, and, in the second workload mode, moving the text object within the image from a central position to a lower edge of the image.

Assignees

• Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh

Inventors

• Roth Hans
• Preissner Olaf
• Reifenrath Christoph

Classifications

• B60Q9/008

  for anti-collision purposes · CPC title

• B60K2350/2095

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G02B2027/0141

  characterised by the informative content of the display · CPC title

• G02B2027/014

  comprising information/image processing systems · CPC title

• H04M1/6075

  adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle (H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241) · CPC title