Apparatus and method for transmitting driving information relating to surrounding situation of vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814778-B2
Application number	US-201816235973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2018
Priority date	Nov 16, 2018
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for transmitting driving information of a vehicle may include: a surrounding information sensing unit configured to sense an obstacle positioned within a designated distance around the vehicle or an obstacle approaching within a designated distance; a vehicle information sensing unit configured to sense a status of the ego vehicle; a control unit configured to determine a surrounding situation of the ego vehicle or whether the surrounding situation was recognized, based on the information sensed through the surrounding information sensing unit, determine the status of the ego vehicle based on the information sensed through the vehicle information sensing unit, and output information through an information output unit, the information corresponding to the determined surrounding situation or whether the surrounding situation was recognized and the determined status of the ego vehicle; and the information output unit including a display lamp and speaker installed on the vehicle body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for transmitting driving information of a vehicle, comprising:
a surrounding information sensing unit configured to sense an obstacle positioned within a designated distance around the vehicle or approaching within a designated distance;
a vehicle information sensing unit configured to sense operation of the vehicle;
a control unit configured to determine a surrounding situation of the vehicle or whether the surrounding situation was recognized, based on the obstacle sensed through the surrounding information sensing unit, determine a status of the vehicle based on the operation sensed through the vehicle information sensing unit, and output information through an information output unit, the information corresponding to the determined surrounding situation of the vehicle or whether the surrounding situation was recognized and the determined status of the vehicle; and
the information output unit comprising a display lamp and speaker installed on an external portion of a body of the vehicle,
wherein the information output unit is configured to perform a headlamp function, a Daytime Running Light (DRL) display function, a position display function, a direction indication function, a stop display function and an emergency display function, which are performed by an existing vehicle lamp, and perform the function of the existing vehicle lamp through a divided part of a display region while performing an information output function in a designated display style through another divided part of the display region,
wherein the information output unit comprises an E-ink device, and performs blinking a designated number of times or more when outputting information through the E-ink device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surrounding information sensing unit comprises one or more of a camera, an infrared sensor, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and a laser sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the obstacle comprises one or more of a pedestrian, another vehicle and a two-wheeled vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle information sensing unit senses one or more of drive/stop of the vehicle, an operation for changing a driving direction, a start-up of the vehicle, a brake operation, a turn signal light operation, the number and positions of passengers, and a steering wheel operation of a driver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit outputs information to the information output unit installed on the vehicle body in a direction facing the obstacle, the information corresponding to the determined surrounding situation of the vehicle or whether the surrounding situation was recognized and the determined status of the vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information output unit is installed at one or more of the front, side, rear, top and bottom of the body of the vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display lamp performs an information output function as a display panel, while performing a function of a lighting lamp using a light emitting device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information output unit is formed in a shape corresponding to an installation position on the body of the vehicle, and formed or installed in a shape corresponding to exterior design of the vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the designated information display style comprises one or more of a text, image, pictogram, graphic and figure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information output unit performs an information output function through a lighting pattern.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information output unit determines whether the current situation is an information transmission situation or a normal situation, and outputs a designated lighting pattern in case of the normal situation.

12. A method for transmitting driving information of a vehicle, comprising:
sensing, by a control unit, an obstacle positioned within a designated distance or approaching within a designated distance through a surrounding information sensing unit;
sensing, by the control unit, operation of the vehicle through a vehicle information sensing unit;
determining, by the control unit, a status of the vehicle and a surrounding situation, based on the sensed obstacle and the sensed operation of the vehicle;
setting, by the control unit, a display style and contents of information to be displayed, in response to the determined status of the vehicle and the determined surrounding situation;
setting, by the control unit, a display direction or display position of the information to be displayed, in response to the determined status of the vehicle and the determined surrounding situation; and
outputting, by the control unit, the information for a designated time through an information output unit installed on an external portion of a body of the vehicle, when the contents, display style and display direction or position of the information to be displayed are set in response to the status of the vehicle and the surrounding situation,
wherein the information output unit performs a headlamp function, a DRL display function, a position display function, a direction indication function, a stop display function and an emergency display function, which are performed by an existing vehicle lamp, and performs the function of the existing vehicle lamp through a divided part of a display region while performing an information output function in a designated display style through another divided part of the display region,
wherein the information output unit comprises an E-ink device, and performs blinking a designated number of times or more when outputting information through the E-ink device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the display direction or position of the information comprises one or more of the front, side, rear, top and bottom of the body of the vehicle, and corresponds to the direction or position where the obstacle is present.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the information output unit is formed in a shape corresponding to an installation position on the body of the vehicle, and formed or installed in a shape corresponding to exterior design of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the information output unit determines whether the current situation is an information transmission situation or a normal situation, and outputs a designated lighting pattern in case of the normal situation.

Assignees

• Hyundai Mobis Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Eun Jeong
• Baek Seung Woo
• Choi Ban Suk
• Shin Cheon Seop
• Cha Jun Hyuk
• Kim Moo Kwan

Classifications

• B60Q1/549

  for expressing greetings, gratitude or emotions · CPC title

• B60Q1/5037 Primary

  the display content changing automatically, e.g. depending on traffic situation · CPC title

• B60Q1/543

  for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle (indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045) · CPC title

• B60Q1/0035 Primary

  relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• B60Q5/005

  automatically actuated · CPC title