Method and display unit for displaying a driving condition of a vehicle and corresponding computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9376121-B2
Application number	US-201214126208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2012
Priority date	Jun 17, 2011
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A method for determining an item of control information for displaying a driving condition of a vehicle with the aid of a display unit includes: an ascertainment of the safe driving condition of the vehicle, in which no risk of a collision with an object exists; an ascertainment of a prevailing driving condition of the vehicle in relation to the safe driving condition is carried out; a determination of the item of control information for activating the display unit based on the safe driving condition and the prevailing driving condition, the item of control information causing a display of an item of information about the prevailing driving condition in relation to an item of information about the safe driving condition by the display unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining an item of control information for displaying a driving condition of a vehicle with aid from a display unit of the vehicle, the method comprising:
ascertaining a safe driving condition of the vehicle in which no risk of a collision with an object exists;
ascertaining a prevailing driving condition of the vehicle in relation to the safe driving condition; and
determining the item of control information for activating the display unit based on the safe driving condition and the prevailing driving condition, wherein the item of control information causes the display unit to display of an item of information about the prevailing driving condition together with a relationship between the item of information about the prevailing driving condition and an item of information about the safe driving condition.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the display unit has a marking associated with the safe driving condition;
a comparison is performed between the safe driving condition and the prevailing driving condition; and
the item of control information represents the item of information about the prevailing driving condition as a function of the comparison in relation to the marking.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the item of information about the prevailing driving condition represents a time duration until a collision between the vehicle and the object.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the item of information about the prevailing driving condition is displayed on a circular scale.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the scale includes a first sector representing a safe driving condition and a second sector representing an unsafe driving condition.

6. A method for determining an item of control information for displaying a driving condition of a vehicle with aid from a display unit of the vehicle, the method comprising:
ascertaining a safe driving condition of the vehicle in which no risk of a collision with an object exists;
ascertaining a prevailing driving condition of the vehicle in relation to the safe driving condition; and
determining the item of control information for activating the display unit based on the safe driving condition and the prevailing driving condition, wherein:
the item of control information causes a display of an item of information about the prevailing driving condition in relation to an item of information about the safe driving condition by the display unit;
the display unit has a marking associated with the safe driving condition;
a comparison is performed between the safe driving condition and the prevailing driving condition;
the item of control information represents the item of information about the prevailing driving condition as a function of the comparison in relation to the marking;
the display unit includes (i) a first sector associated with a first driving condition in which a distance between the vehicle and the object remains at least approximately constant, (ii) a second sector associated with a second driving condition in which the distance between the vehicle and the object decreases, and (iii) a third sector associated with a third driving condition in which the distance between the vehicle and the object increases; and
the item of control information represents the prevailing driving condition as a function of the comparison in one of the first section, the second sector, or the third sector.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the item of control information sets a size ratio among the first sector, the second sector, and the third sector as a function of the item of information about the velocity of the vehicle.

8. A method for assisting a driver of a vehicle during a driving task with aid from a display unit, comprising:
determining an item of control information for displaying a driving condition of a vehicle with the aid of a display unit of the vehicle, wherein the determining includes:
ascertaining a safe driving condition of the vehicle in which no risk of a collision with an object exists;
ascertaining a prevailing driving condition of the vehicle in relation to the safe driving condition; and
determining the item of control information for activating the display unit based on the safe driving condition and the prevailing driving condition, wherein the item of control information causes a display of an item of information about the prevailing driving condition together with a relationship between the item of information about the prevailing driving condition and an item of information about the safe driving condition by the display unit;

providing the item of control information to the display unit; and
displaying the item of information about the prevailing driving condition together with the relationship between the item of information about the prevailing driving condition and the item of information about the safe driving condition of the vehicle with the aid of the display unit, in response to the item of control information.

9. A device for determining an item of control information for displaying a driving condition of a vehicle with aid from a display unit of the vehicle, comprising:
means for ascertaining a safe driving condition of the vehicle in which no risk of a collision with an object exists;
means for ascertaining a prevailing driving condition of the vehicle in relation to the safe driving condition; and
means for determining the item of control information for activating the display unit based on the safe driving condition and the prevailing driving condition, wherein the item of control information causes the display unit to display of an item of information about the prevailing driving condition together with a relationship between the item of information about the prevailing driving condition and an item of information about the safe driving condition.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing a computer program having program codes which, when executed on a computer, performs a method for determining an item of control information for displaying a driving condition of a vehicle with the aid of a display unit of the vehicle, the method comprising:
ascertaining a safe driving condition of the vehicle in which no risk of a collision with an object exists;
ascertaining a prevailing driving condition of the vehicle in relation to the safe driving condition; and
determining the item of control information for activating the display unit based on the safe driving condition and the prevailing driving condition, wherein the item of control information causes the display unit to display of an item of information about the prevailing driving condition together with a relationship between the item of information about the prevailing driving condition and an item of information about the safe driving condition.

11. A display unit for displaying a driving condition of a vehicle, comprising:
an interface coupled to a processing device, wherein the processing device is configured to:
ascertain a safe driving condition of the vehicle in which no risk of a collision with an object exists;
ascertain a prevailing driving condition of the vehicle in relation to the safe driving condition; and
determine an item of control information for activating the display unit based on the safe driving condition and the prevailing driving condition;

a first display area associated with a first driving condition in which a distance between the vehicle and the object remains at least approximately constant;
a second display area associated with a second driving condition in which the distance betwee

Assignees

• Simon Stephan
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Simon Stephan

Classifications

• G01S2013/9323

  Alternative operation using light waves · CPC title

• G01S13/867

  Combination of radar systems with cameras · CPC title

• G01S7/10

  Providing two-dimensional [2D] co-ordinated display of distance and direction · CPC title

• G01S7/062

  in which different colours are used · CPC title

• B60K35/26

  using acoustic output · CPC title