Notification system of a car and method of controlling therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10235879-B2
Application number	US-201515115359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2015
Priority date	May 18, 2015
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A notification system of a vehicle includes a sensing unit that detects an object outside the vehicle or detects an operational status of a function of the vehicle; an output unit; and a controller. The controller is configured to determine whether a touch has been detected on an interior handle of a door of the vehicle. If a touch is detected on the interior handle, the controller determines that an object outside the vehicle detected by the sensor is within a predetermined distance in a rearward direction from the door on which the touch was detected, or determines that an operational status of a function of the vehicle detected by the sensor indicates that the function is not yet complete; and controls the output unit to output a notification corresponding to the detected object outside the vehicle or the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A notification system of a vehicle, the notification system comprising:
a sensing unit configured to detect an object outside the vehicle or an operational status of a function of the vehicle;
an output unit; and
a controller configured to:
determine that a touch has been detected on an interior handle of a door of the vehicle; and
based on the determination that the touch has been detected on the interior handle of the door:
determine that the object outside the vehicle detected by the sensing unit is within a predetermined distance in a rearward direction from the door on which the touch has been detected, or that an operational status of a function of the vehicle detected by the sensing unit indicates that the function is not yet complete; and
control the output unit to output a notification based on the determination that the detected object outside the vehicle is within the predetermined distance in the rearward direction from the door, or that the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete,

wherein the controller is further configured to, based on the determination that the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete:
control the output unit to output the notification to a window of the door on which the touch has been detected.

2. The notification system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on a determination that the object outside the vehicle detected by the sensing unit is within the predetermined distance in the rearward direction from the door on which the touch has been detected:
control the output unit to output the notification by projecting the notification on an area of ground adjacent to the door and towards a direction in which the object outside the vehicle is detected.

3. The notification system of claim 2 , wherein the notification comprises at least one of a text, an image, or a guide line.

4. The notification system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a distance between the vehicle and the object detected outside the vehicle; and
control at least one of a flickering speed of the notification or a color of the notification based on the determined distance between the vehicle and the object.

5. The notification system of claim 1 , wherein the output unit comprises at least one warning light disposed on an interior portion of the door or on an interior pillar of the vehicle, and
wherein the controller is further configured to, based on a determination that the object outside the vehicle detected by the sensing unit is within the predetermined distance in the rearward direction from the door on which the touch has been detected:
determine a warning light, from among the at least one warning light, that is disposed in a position closest to the door on which the touch has been detected; and
activate the warning light that is disposed in the position closest to the door on which the touch has been detected.

6. The notification system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on a determination that the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete:
determine that a user exiting the vehicle has been detected; and
based on the determination that the user exiting the vehicle has been detected, control the output unit to output the notification by projecting the notification on an area of ground adjacent to the door and towards a direction in which the user is detected to be exiting the vehicle.

7. The notification system of claim 6 , wherein the notification indicates at least one of a type of the function that has been detected to be not yet complete or a location of the function that has been detected to be not yet complete.

8. The notification system of claim 1 , wherein the function that has been detected to be not yet complete comprises at least one of a lighting function of the vehicle, a door lock function of the vehicle, or a window opening and closing function of the vehicle.

9. The notification system of claim 1 , further comprising a communication unit configured to receive a signal from a car key,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the received signal corresponds to a request for providing information on a position of the vehicle; and
based on the determination that the received signal corresponds to the request for providing information on a position of the vehicle, control the output unit to output the notification for providing the information on the position of the vehicle by projecting the notification in an upward direction above the vehicle.

10. The notification system of claim 9 , wherein the notification comprises at least one of an emblem associated with the vehicle, a number associated with the vehicle, a user-defined text, or a user-defined image.

11. The notification system of claim 1 , further comprising an input unit configured to receive an input,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the received input indicates an emergency; and
based on the determination that the received input indicates the emergency, control the output unit to output the notification corresponding to the emergency.

12. The notification system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control the output unit to output the notification to a rear window of the vehicle or to project the notification on an area of ground at a rear of the vehicle.

13. The notification system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control the output unit to output the notification by projecting the notification on the area of ground at the rear of the vehicle, and
wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the object is approaching from a rearward direction of the vehicle;
determine a distance and a speed of the object approaching from the rearward direction of the vehicle; and
adjust an output position and a size of the projected notification based on the distance and the speed of the object approaching from the rearward direction of the vehicle.

14. The notification system of claim 1 , wherein the output unit comprises a Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) projector.

15. The notification system of claim 1 , wherein the output unit is configured to rotate.

16. A method of controlling a notification system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining that a touch has been detected on an interior handle of a door of the vehicle; and
based on the determination that the touch has been detected on the interior handle of the door:
determining that an object outside the vehicle is within a predetermined distance in a rearward direction from the door on which the touch has been detected, or that an operational status of a function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete; and
outputting a notification based on the determination that the detected object outside the vehicle is within the predetermined distance in the rearward direction from the door, or that the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete,

wherein outputting a notification further comprises:
based on the determination that the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete, outputting the notification to a window of the door on which the touch has been

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Im Hyeongjin
• Park Saekyu
• Lee Eunju
• Kang Byeongki
• Lim Seijun
• Lee Chulbae

Classifications

• G08G1/16

  Anti-collision systems (road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08) · CPC title

• B60Q1/525

  automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data · CPC title

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• G08G1/0962 Primary

  having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages · CPC title

• B60Q2400/50

  Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body · CPC title