Augmented reality system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11670260-B2
Application number	US-202117162960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2021
Priority date	Jan 31, 2020
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

An augmented reality system for assisting the driver of a vehicle comprising a display headset, a positioning system and a display driver configured to generate graphic elements which appear to the driver to move independently with respect to one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An augmented reality system for assisting the driver of a vehicle being driven on a surface in an environment, the environment including one or more dynamic bodies, the system comprising:
a display headset comprising an at least partially transparent display pane;
a positioning system configured to determine the relative positions of the display headset, the vehicle, the surface and at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle; and
a display driver configured to generate, in dependence on the relative positions determined by the positioning system, graphic elements on the at least partially transparent display pane, the display driver being configured such that, to a wearer of the display headset:
at least one graphic element appears stationary relative to the display headset;
at least one graphic element appears stationary relative to the vehicle notwithstanding motion of the display headset relative to the vehicle;
at least one graphic element appears stationary relative to the surface; and
at least one graphic element appears stationary relative to the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle, and wherein the augmented reality system is configured to communicate with a display of the vehicle configured to display graphic elements and deactivate at least part of the vehicle display such that graphic elements are not duplicated on the vehicle display and the display headset of the augmented reality system.

2. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the display driver is configured to display a first, second, third and fourth graphic element such that each graphic element appears, to the wearer of the display device, to move independently with respect to each of the other graphic elements and wherein
the first graphic element appears, to the wearer of the display headset, stationary relative to the display headset;
the second graphic element appears, to the wearer of the display headset, stationary relative to the vehicle;
the third graphic element appears, to the wearer of the display headset, stationary relative to the surface; and
the fourth graphic element appears, to the wearer of the display headset, stationary relative to the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle.

3. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning system is arranged to characterize a vector between the viewpoint of the wearer of the display headset and each one of the display headset, the vehicle, the surface and the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle.

4. The augmented reality system of claim 3 , wherein the display driver generates graphic elements such that:
a vector between the viewpoint of the wearer of the display headset and the at least one graphic element which appears, to a wearer of the display headset, stationary relative to the display headset, does not move relative to any vector between the viewpoint of the wearer of the display headset and the display headset; and
a vector between the viewpoint of the wearer of the display headset and the at least one graphic element which appears, to a wearer of the display headset, stationary relative to the vehicle, is equal in direction to the vector between the viewpoint of the wearer of the display headset and the vehicle; and
a vector between the viewpoint of the wearer of the display headset and the at least one graphic element which appears, to a wearer of the display headset, stationary relative to the surface, is equal in direction to the vector between the viewpoint of the wearer of the display headset and the surface; and
a vector between the viewpoint of the wearer of the display headset and the at least one graphic element which appears, to a wearer of the display headset, stationary relative to the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle is equal in direction to the vector between the viewpoint of the wearer of the display headset and the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle.

5. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one graphic element which, to the wearer of the display headset, appears stationary relative to the display headset, is any of warning signs, information regarding the operation of the vehicle, safety information or video content.

6. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one graphic element which, to the wearer of the display headset, appears stationary relative to the vehicle, is any of virtual instruments, information regarding the operation of the vehicle, navigation information or video content.

7. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one graphic element which, to the wearer of the display headset, appears stationary relative to the surface, is any of navigation information, track information and hazard identifiers.

8. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one graphic element which, to the wearer of the display headset, appears stationary relative to the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle, is a hazard identifier.

9. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning system is configured to determine whether the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle is moving with respect to the vehicle, and having determined that the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle is moving with respect to the vehicle, is further configured to determine whether the at least one dynamic body is moving towards or away from the expected path of the vehicle.

10. The augmented reality system of claim 9 , wherein the display driver is configured to generate a graphic element being a hazard identifier, which to the wearer of the display headset appears stationary relative to the at least one dynamic body, if the positioning system determines that the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle is moving towards the expected path of the vehicle.

11. The augmented reality system of claim 9 , wherein the display driver is configured to generate a graphic element being a braking or turning point indicator, which to the wearer of the display headset appears stationary relative to the surface, if the positioning system determines that the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle is moving towards the expected path of the vehicle.

12. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a road and the graphic elements comprise:
warning signs, which to the wearer of the display headset appear stationary relative to the display headset;
information regarding the operation of the vehicle, which to the wearer of the display headset, appear stationary relative to the vehicle;
navigation information, which to the wearer of the display headset, appear stationary relative to the road; and
hazard identifiers, which to the wearer of the display headset, appear stationary relative to the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle.

13. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a track and the graphic elements comprise:
warning signs, which to the wearer of the display headset appear stationary relative to the display headset;
information regarding the operation of the vehicle, which to the wearer of the display headset, appear stationary relative to the vehicle;
track information, which to the wearer of the display headset, appear stationary relative to the road; and
hazard identifiers, which to the wearer of the display headset, appear stationary relative to the at least one dynamic body external to the vehicle.

14. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the augmented reality system

Assignees

• Mclaren Automotive Ltd

Inventors

• Tucker Stephen Gordon David
• Cohn Hugo Peter
• Lacey Simon

Classifications

• B60Q9/008

  for anti-collision purposes · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G09G2354/00

  Aspects of interface with display user · CPC title

• G02B27/017 Primary

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G02B2027/014

  comprising information/image processing systems · CPC title