Display system in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11449294-B2
Application number	US-201816652265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2018
Priority date	Oct 4, 2017
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A display system in a vehicle, including: one or more displays; at least one sensor determining a user's line of sight; a controller determining an active zone and a non-active zone of the one or more displays based on the user's line of sight. The one or more displays are configured to operate the active zone at an enhanced level as compared to the non-active zone. There is further provided a controller configured to rank content displayed on one or more displays in a vehicle according to an attention score determined by at least one sensor configured to measure gaze of a user based on the user's line of sight; and a display system including the controller. One of the displays is selected to display the highest ranked content. There is also provided a method of operating one or more displays in a vehicle using the disclosed display systems.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display system in a vehicle, the system comprising:
one or more displays;
at least one sensor configured to determine a user's line of sight;
an input means to receive a command from the user; and
a controller configured to determine an active zone and a non-active zone of the one or more displays based on the user's line of sight,
wherein the one or more displays are configured to operate the active zone at an enhanced level as compared to the non-active zone, and
wherein the controller is configured (i) to determine that a user's gaze is directed toward the active zone of the one or more displays, (ii) to use data obtained from the input means to determine a user feedback occurring at a same time as the user's gaze, the user feedback comprising a head movement or a body movement by the user responding to the operation of the active zone at the enhanced level, and (iii) to associate the user feedback with a particular modification to the operation of the active zone at the enhanced level, and (iv) to perform the particular modification of the active zone at the enhanced level upon detection of the user feedback.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein operation of the active and non-active zones comprises modification of an operating parameter of the one or more displays selected from the group consisting of: illumination; movement of any object on the display; magnification; and combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein illumination of the non-active zone is modified to have at least one of: lower brightness, lower contrast, or lower grey-scale value, as compared to the active zone.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the movement of any object on the display is suspended in the non-active zone.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the system comprises one display, the active zone and non-active zone are within the one display; or
the system comprises more than one display, the active zone comprising one or more displays.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein, where the active zone is within one display, the active zone is magnified.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more displays are connected to an audio output, and wherein where an object displayed in the active zone is accompanied by audio, operation of the active zone comprises at least one of: an increased volume of the audio output, or a repeat of the audio output.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input means comprises: a movement sensor to sense the movement by the user.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein operation of the audio output of the active zone is activated upon the command from the user.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more displays is selected from the group consisting of: an instrument cluster, a head up display, a secondary display, a digital rear view mirror or one or more digital side view mirrors.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of: interior camera, head movement sensor, and body movement sensor.

12. A method of operating one or more displays in a vehicle using the system claim 1 , the method comprising:
determining, by at least one sensor, a user's line of sight;
determining, by a controller, an active zone and a non-active zone of the one or more displays based on the user's line of sight;
operating the active zone of the one or more displays at an enhanced level as compared to the non-active zone;
determining that a user's gaze is directed toward the active zone of the one or more displays;
using data obtained from input means to determine a user feedback occurring at a same time as the user's gaze, the user feedback comprising a head movement or a body movement made by the user responding to the operation of the active zone at the enhanced level;
associating the user feedback with a particular modification to the operation of the active zone at the enhanced level; and
performing the particular modification of the active zone at the enhanced level upon detection of the user feedback.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein operating the active and non-active zones comprises modifying an operating parameter of the one or more displays selected from the group consisting of: illumination; movement of any object on the display; magnification;
and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein operating the active and non-active zones comprises at least one of:
decreasing brightness of the non-active zone as compared to the active zone;
decreasing contrast of the non-active zone as compared to the active zone;
decreasing a grey-scale value of the non-active zone as compared to the active zone; or
suspending movement of any object on the display of the non-active zone.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein, where the active zone is within one display, operating the active zone comprises magnifying the active zone.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein, where an object displayed in the active zone is accompanied by audio, operating the active zone comprises at least one of:
increasing the volume of the audio output; or
repeating the audio output.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the input means comprises; a movement sensor to send the movement by the user; or combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein when the command from the user is received, the steps of increasing the volume of the audio output of the active zone and/or repeating the audio output of the active zone are activated.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more displays is selected from the group consisting of: an instrument cluster, a head up display, a secondary display, a digital rear view mirror and one or more digital side view mirrors.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of: interior camera, head movement sensor, and body movement sensor.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to create a new association between the user feedback and the particular modification to the operation of the active zone at the enhanced level.

22. A controller configured to rank content displayed on one or more displays in a vehicle according to an attention score determined by at least one sensor configured to measure gaze of a user based on the user's line of sight, wherein the controller is configured (i) to determine that a user's gaze is directed toward the active zone of the one or more displays, (ii) to use data obtained from input means configured to receive a command from the user, and to determine a user feedback occurring at a same time as the user's gaze, the user feedback comprising a head movement or a body movement made by the user responding to operation of an active zone of the one or more displays at an enhanced level, and (iii) to associate the user feedback with a particular modification to the operation of the active zone at the enhanced level, and (iv) to perform the particular modification of the active zone at the enhanced level upon detection of the user feedback.

23. The controller of claim 22 , wherein the attention score is determined by at least one of: number of gazes on a content or duration of each gaze on the content.

24. The controller of claim 22 , wherein content is selected from the group consisting of: driving mode, calendar event, route destination, traffic information, weather, time, and a combinatio

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Lee Chee Wei
• Lee Fook Wai

Classifications

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/235

  with means for detecting the driver's gaze direction or eye points · CPC title

• B60K35/26

  using acoustic output · CPC title

• B60K35/81

  for controlling displays · CPC title

• B60K35/234 Primary

  controlling the brightness, colour or contrast of virtual images depending on the driving conditions or on the condition of the vehicle or the driver · CPC title