Evaluation of a simulated vehicle-related feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11257390-B2
Application number	US-201916672756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2019
Priority date	Dec 7, 2018
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A method performed by a vehicle feature evaluation system ( 1 ) for enabling evaluation of a simulated vehicle-related feature. The vehicle feature evaluation system determines ( 1001 ) in relation to a road-driven vehicle ( 2 ), with support from a tracking system ( 5 ), an orientation of a head-mounted display ( 4 ), HMD, adapted to be worn by an occupant ( 3 ) on-board the road-driven vehicle. The vehicle feature evaluation system further determines ( 1002 ) a simulated vehicle design feature to be evaluated in the road-driven vehicle. Moreover, the vehicle feature evaluation system provides ( 1006 ) in real-time to a HMD display ( 41 ) of the HMD, taking into consideration the HMD orientation, a virtual representation ( 7 ) of the simulated vehicle design feature superimposed on a real-time surrounding-showing video stream ( 6 ) derived from real-world image data ( 211 ) captured with support from one or more vehicle-attached cameras ( 21 ) adapted to capture surroundings external of the road-driven vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed by a vehicle feature evaluation system for enabling evaluation of a simulated vehicle-related feature, the method comprising:
determining in relation to a road-driven vehicle, with support from a tracking system, an orientation of a head mounted display, HMD, adapted to be worn by an occupant on-board the road-driven vehicle;
determining a simulated vehicle design feature to be evaluated in the road-driven vehicle; and
providing in real-time to a HMD display of the HMD, taking into consideration the HMD orientation, a virtual representation of the simulated vehicle design feature superimposed on a real-time surrounding-showing video stream derived from real-world image data captured with support from one or more vehicle-attached cameras adapted to capture surroundings external of the road-driven vehicle, wherein the virtual representation of the simulated vehicle design feature replaces an excluded portion of the real-time surrounding-showing video stream, and wherein the virtual representation of the simulated vehicle design feature and the replaced excluded portion of the real-time surrounding-showing video stream are varied based on the HMD orientation.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the simulated vehicle design feature comprises one or more of a simulated vehicle interior section and a simulated vehicle exterior section.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a simulated vehicle functionality feature to be evaluated in the road-driven vehicle;
wherein the providing further comprises additionally providing in real-time to the HMD display, taking into consideration the HMD orientation, a virtual representation of the simulated vehicle functionality feature superimposed on the real-time surrounding-showing video stream, which simulated vehicle functionality feature comprises one or more of:
a simulated vehicle human machine interface, HMI;
a simulated vehicle display;
a simulated vehicle head-up display, HUD;
simulated light characteristics; and
a simulated effect resulting from a simulation of the simulated vehicle functionality feature.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a simulated object feature to be evaluated in the road-driven vehicle;
wherein the providing further comprises additionally providing in real-time to the HMD display, taking into consideration the HMD orientation, a virtual representation of the simulated object feature superimposed on the real-time surrounding-showing video stream, which simulated object feature comprises one or more of:
a simulated other vehicle;
a simulated road user; and
a simulated moving or fixed obstacle.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising one or more of:
updating the virtual functionality feature representation based on a user interaction with the simulated vehicle functionality feature, which user interaction for instance is based on detection, by means of one or more user interaction sensors, of a user in and/or at the fictive functionality feature location; and/or
updating the virtual functionality feature representation based on a vehicle signal affecting the simulated vehicle functionality feature, derived from the road-driven vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining one or more of:
a fictive design feature location of the simulated vehicle design feature relative the road-driven vehicle;
a fictive functionality feature location of the simulated vehicle functionality feature relative the road-driven vehicle; and
a fictive object feature location of the simulated object feature relative the road-driven vehicle;
wherein the providing taking into consideration the HMD orientation comprises one or more of:
providing the virtual design feature representation superimposed on the real-time surrounding-showing video stream such that positioning of the virtual design feature representation corresponds to the fictive design feature location;
providing a virtual functionality feature representation superimposed on the real-time surrounding-showing video stream such that positioning of the virtual functionality feature representation corresponds to the fictive functionality feature location; and
providing the virtual object feature representation superimposed on the real-time surrounding-showing video stream such that positioning of the virtual object feature representation corresponds to the fictive object feature location.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:
updating:
the real-time surrounding-showing video stream;
the superimposed virtual design feature representation;
a superimposed virtual functionality feature representation; and
a superimposed virtual object feature representation based on updated captured image data and/or based on updated determined HMD orientation.

8. A vehicle feature evaluation system for enabling evaluation of a simulated vehicle-related feature, the vehicle feature evaluation system comprising:
a HMD orientation determining unit comprising memory storing instructions executed by a processor for determining in relation to a road-driven vehicle, with support from a tracking system, an orientation of a head mounted display, HMD, adapted to be worn by an occupant on-board the road-driven vehicle;
a design feature determining unit comprising memory storing instructions executed by the processor for determining a simulated vehicle design feature to be evaluated in the road-driven vehicle; and
a HMD providing unit comprising memory storing instructions executed by the processor for providing in real-time to a HMD display of the HMD, taking into consideration the HMD orientation, a virtual representation of the simulated vehicle design feature superimposed on a real-time surrounding-showing video stream derived from real-world image data captured with support from one or more vehicle-attached cameras adapted to capture surroundings external of the road-driven vehicle, wherein the virtual representation of the simulated vehicle design feature replaces an excluded portion of the real-time surrounding-showing video stream, and wherein the virtual representation of the simulated vehicle design feature and the replaced excluded portion of the real-time surrounding-showing video stream are varied based on the HMD orientation.

9. The vehicle feature evaluation system according to claim 8 , wherein the simulated vehicle design feature comprises one or more of a simulated vehicle interior section and a simulated vehicle exterior section.

10. The vehicle feature evaluation system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a functionality feature determining unit comprising memory storing instructions executed by the processor for determining a simulated vehicle functionality feature to be evaluated in the road-driven vehicle;
wherein the HMD providing unit is adapted for additionally providing in real-time to the HMD display, taking into consideration the HMD orientation, a virtual representation of the simulated vehicle functionality feature superimposed on the real-time surrounding-showing video stream, which simulated vehicle functionality feature comprises one or more of:
a simulated vehicle human machine interface, HMI;
a simulated vehicle display;
a simulated vehicle head-up display, HUD;
simulated light characteristics; and
a simulated effect resulting from a simulation of the simulated vehicle functionality feature.

11. The vehicle feature evaluation system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
an object feature determining unit comprising memory storing instructi

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Wickman Casper
• Wikenmalm Mattias
• Ghiurau Timotei
• Seneger Jon

Classifications

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B2027/0181

  Adaptation to the pilot/driver · CPC title

• G09B9/05 Primary

  the view from a vehicle being simulated (G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06V20/20

  in augmented reality scenes · CPC title

• G09B9/042

  providing simulation in a real vehicle (G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence) · CPC title