Controlling the operation of a head-up display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214279-B2
Application number	US-201816349203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2018
Priority date	Feb 13, 2017
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A method ( 900, 1000, 1200, 1300 ) of controlling the operation of a head-up display apparatus ( 302 ), a control apparatus ( 801 ), a system ( 302 ), a vehicle ( 101 ), a computer program ( 804 ) and a non-transitory computer readable medium ( 806 ) is disclosed. The method ( 900, 1000, 1200, 1300 ) comprises: obtaining first directional data indicative of a path of a vehicle ( 101, 101 A, 101 B); and adjusting the position of a graphical element ( 106 ) presented by the head-up display apparatus ( 302 ) in dependence on the first directional data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling the operation of a head-up display apparatus, the method comprising:
obtaining first directional data indicative of a path of a vehicle, wherein the first directional data comprises steering angle data indicative of a steering direction of the vehicle, wherein the steering angle data is from a sensing device configured to detect a rotational angle of a steering wheel or steerable element of the vehicle;
presenting a graphical element formed from generated image data;
obtaining second directional data representative of a lateral orientation of a head of a user and/or a lateral eye-gaze direction of the user;
adjusting a position of the graphical element in dependence on the first directional data and the lateral orientation of the head of the user and/or the lateral eye-gaze direction of the user;
wherein the adjusting comprises displacement of the graphical element in the steering direction along a lateral axis of the vehicle, wherein the displacement is in proportion to the steering angle;
selecting a dynamic displacement mode in which the position of the graphical element is adjusted in dependence on the first directional data when a rate of change of steering angle is below a threshold value; and
selecting a static displacement mode in which the position of the graphical element is fixed when a rate of change of steering angle is above a threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises presenting the graphical element to a user of the vehicle as an image on a windshield of the vehicle, as an image on a transparent or translucent member positioned between a user of the vehicle and the windshield, or as a virtual object on the outside of the windshield.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an image representative of the head of the user from a camera; and
analysing the image to generate the second directional data in dependence on the image.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the position of the graphical element in dependence on the first directional data only, in dependence on the second directional data being temporarily unavailable.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the position of the graphical element in a direction along the lateral axis of the vehicle in dependence on the second directional data.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first directional data comprises a rate of change of steering angle and adjusting the position of the graphical element in dependence on said rate of change of steering angle.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
increasing a displacement of the graphical element in proportion to the steering angle in dependence on the steering angle being less than a threshold value; and maintaining the graphical element at an end position in dependence on the steering angle being equal to or greater than the threshold value.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method of claim 1 .

9. A control apparatus for controlling the operation of a head-up display apparatus, the control apparatus configured to:
obtain first directional data indicative of a path of a vehicle, wherein the first directional data comprises steering angle data indicative of a steering direction of the vehicle, wherein the steering angle data is from a sensing device configured to detect a rotational angle of a steering wheel or a steerable element of the vehicle;
obtain second directional data representative of a lateral orientation of a head of a user and/or a lateral eye-gaze direction of the user;
wherein the control apparatus is configured to adjust a position of a graphical element in dependence on both the first directional data and the lateral orientation of the head of the user and/or the lateral eye-gaze direction of the user;
wherein the adjust comprises displacement of the graphical element in the steering direction along a lateral axis of the vehicle, wherein the displacement is in proportion to the steering angle;
select a dynamic displacement mode in which the position of the graphical element is adjusted in dependence on the first directional data when a rate of change of steering angle is below a threshold value; and
select a static displacement mode in which the position of the graphical element is fixed when a rate of change of steering angle is above a threshold.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control apparatus is located within a vehicle comprising a windshield and a head-up display apparatus arranged to present the graphical element to a driver of the vehicle as an image on the windshield, as an image on a transparent or translucent member positioned between a user of the vehicle and the windshield, or a virtual object on the outside of the windshield.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising: input arranged to receive an image representative of the head of the user from a camera; and
a processor configured to analyse the image and generate the second directional data in dependence thereon.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to adjust the position of the graphical element in dependence on the first directional data only, in dependence on the second directional data being temporarily unavailable.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to adjust the position of the graphical element in a direction along the lateral axis of the vehicle in dependence on the second directional data.

14. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control apparatus is further configured to:
increase a displacement of the graphical element in proportion to the steering angle in dependence on the steering angle being less than a threshold value; and
maintain the graphical element at an end position in dependence on the steering angle being equal to or greater than the threshold value.

15. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control apparatus is further configured to increase a displacement of the graphical element in proportion to the rate of change of steering angle.

16. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control apparatus is further configured to: increase a displacement of the graphical element in proportion to the steering angle in dependence on the rate of change of steering angle being less than a threshold value; and
maintain the graphical element at an end position in dependence on the rate of change of steering angle being equal to or greater than the threshold value.

17. The control apparatus of claim 9 comprised in a vehicle.

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Dias Eduardo
• Hardy Robert

Classifications

• G02B2027/0183

  Adaptation to parameters characterising the motion of the vehicle · CPC title

• G06T19/006 Primary

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title

• G06F3/012 Primary

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• G02B2027/0181

  Adaptation to the pilot/driver · CPC title

• G06V20/597

  Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness · CPC title