Systems and methods for user interfaces in a vehicular environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021023946-A1
Application number	US-202016936756-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2020
Priority date	Jul 24, 2019
Publication date	Jan 28, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for systems and methods for user interfaces of a vehicular environment, especially for autonomous vehicles wherein an orientation or attention of the vehicle occupants is not constrained to a direction of motion. In one embodiment, a system for providing visualizations within a vehicular environment comprises at least one touch-sensitive display device positioned adjacent to at least one seat within the vehicular environment and configured to display the visualizations to an occupant of the at least one seat, the at least one touch-sensitive display device moveable from a first position in front of the seat to a second position at an interior wall of the vehicular environment.

First claim

1 . A system for providing visualizations within a vehicular environment, comprising:
at least one touch-sensitive display device positioned adjacent to at least one seat within the vehicular environment and configured to display the visualizations to an occupant of the at least one seat, the at least one touch-sensitive display device moveable from a first position in front of the seat to a second position at an interior wall of the vehicular environment.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one touch-sensitive display device is bendable, and wherein the at least one touch-sensitive display device is moveable via bending of the at least one touch-sensitive display device from the first position to the second position.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one touch-sensitive display device is at least partially transparent.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an in-vehicle computing system communicatively coupled to the at least one touch-sensitive display device, the in-vehicle computing system configured with executable instructions in non-transitory memory that when executed cause the in-vehicle computing system to:
display, via the at least one touch-sensitive display device, a graphical user interface including the visualizations; receive, via the at least one touch-sensitive display device, user input from the occupant; and adjust one or more of the visualizations and vehicle control settings based on the user input.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one camera for tracking a gaze of an occupant of the vehicular environment; and at least one display device for displaying the visualizations on a surface of the vehicular environment, wherein the at least one display device displays the visualizations on the surface when the gaze of the occupant is aligned with the surface, and wherein the at least one display device adjusts the display of the visualizations to a second surface of the vehicular environment when the gaze of the occupant is aligned with the second surface.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one display device displays the visualizations at a focus area of a plurality of focus areas defined within the vehicular environment, wherein the at least one display device does not adjust display of the visualizations away from the focus area until the gaze is closer to a second focus area of the plurality of focus areas than the focus area.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of lights integrated into seating surfaces within the vehicular environment, the plurality of lights configured to indicate a location for individualized experience within the vehicular environment.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of lights are configured to illuminate with predefined colors to indicate the individualized experience within the vehicular environment, wherein the individualized experience comprises one or more of climate settings and scent distribution.

9 . A system for providing visualizations within a vehicular environment, comprising:
a plurality of individual experience devices, each individual experience device positioned at a corresponding seat positioned within the vehicular environment and configured to provide an individualized display of the visualizations to an occupant of the corresponding seat.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein each individual experience device comprises an individual experience hood positioned above the corresponding seat within the vehicular environment and configured to at least partially enclose a head of an occupant of the corresponding seat.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the individual experience hood is further configured to provide one or more of the individualized display of the visualizations, a microclimate within the individual experience hood, air purification, noise cancellation, sound generation, and scent generation.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein each individual experience device comprises:
a halo device positioned above the corresponding seat within the vehicular environment, the halo device configured to sense parameters of the occupant of the corresponding seat; and a foldable display device positioned at the corresponding seat for displaying the individualized display of the visualizations according to one or more of the parameters sensed by the halo device.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein each individual experience device further comprises a touch control light surface integrated into the corresponding seat for receiving user inputs to adjust the visualizations.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the foldable display device is bendable from a first position in front of the corresponding seat to a second position at an interior wall of the vehicular environment.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the halo device comprises one or more of a camera adapted to acquire images of the occupant of the corresponding seat, a sensor adapted to sense one or more of vital parameters and electrophysiological measurements of the occupant of the corresponding seat, a microphone adapted to record sounds of the occupant of the corresponding seat, and a directional audio beaming module adapted to selectively output audio to the occupant of the corresponding seat.

16 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising an in-vehicle computing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of individual experience devices, the in-vehicle computing device configured to evaluate signals acquired via each individual experience device associated with the occupant of the corresponding seat, and adjust at least the individualized display of the visualizations based on the evaluated signals.

17 . A system for providing visualizations within a vehicular environment, comprising:
a plurality of display devices configured to provide individualized displays of the visualizations to occupants in different zones of the vehicular environment, the plurality of display devices comprising different types of display devices; and an in-vehicle computing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of display devices and configured to adjust the individualized displays of the visualizations for the occupants in the different zones of the vehicular environment.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of display devices includes a first display device configured to project an individualized display of the visualizations onto a window of the vehicular environment.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the individualized display of the visualizations projected onto the window comprises mixed-reality content associated with structures positioned external to the vehicular environment and visible through the window of the vehicular environment.

20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of display devices includes a second display device configured to display an individualized display of the visualizations, the second display device comprising a flexible screen rollable from a closed, rolled configuration to an open, unrolled configuration, wherein the second display device displays the individualized display of the visualizations when the second display device is at least partially in the open, unrolled configuration.

Assignees

• Harman Int Ind

Inventors

• Johnson Jason B
• Vangoethem Timothy Raymond
• Efimov Alexander

Classifications

• G06F3/013 Primary

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/656

  the user being a passenger · CPC title

• B60K35/55

  Instruments with parts that can change their shape or position to configure an active screen, e.g. by folding or by rolling · CPC title

• B60K35/29

  Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions · CPC title

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title