Terminal, vehicle having the same and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688145-B2
Application number	US-201514752951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A terminal includes: a storage unit configured to store a plurality of pieces of software, each having a function restriction level and in which a plurality of functions are selectively restricted, and store a plurality of applications; a communication unit configured to receive driving information of a vehicle and external environment information; a control unit configured to identify a function restriction level corresponding to a driving condition of the vehicle based on the received driving information and external environment information, determine software corresponding to the identified function restriction level, and restrict and control a function of at least one application of the plurality of stored applications using the determined software; and an output unit configured to output execution information of the at least one application whose function is restricted and controlled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A terminal, comprising:
a storage unit configured to store a plurality of pieces of software, each having a function restriction level and in which a plurality of functions are selectively restricted, and store a plurality of applications;
a communication unit configured to receive driving information of a vehicle and external environment information;
a control unit configured to identify a function restriction level corresponding to a driving condition of the vehicle based on the received driving information and external environment information, determine software corresponding to the identified function restriction level, and restrict and control a function of at least one application of the plurality of stored applications using the determined software; and
an output unit configured to output execution information of the at least one application whose function is restricted and controlled, wherein:
the communication unit is further configured to receive at least one of state information of a driver of the vehicle and boarding information of a passenger of the vehicle,
the control unit is further configured to identify the state information of the driver and the boarding information of the passenger when the function restriction level is identified,
the driving information includes information relating to one or more of a speed of the vehicle, a driving direction of the vehicle, and a steering angle of the vehicle,
the environment information includes information relating to one or more of a type of a road on which the vehicle travels and weather information indicating a weather condition, and
the state information of the driver includes information relating to one or more of a sightline of the driver, a voice of the driver, and a degree of concentration of the driver.

2. The terminal according to claim 1 , wherein:
the storage unit is further configured to store one or more of: a weight for each range of speed of the vehicle, a weight for each driving direction of the vehicle, a weight for each range of steering angle of the vehicle, a weight for each type of the road, a weight for each weather condition, a weight for each sightline of the driver, a weight based on whether the driver is or is not speaking, a weight for each degree of concentration of the driver, a weight based on whether a passenger has or has not boarded the vehicle, and a weight based on whether the passenger is or is not manipulating the terminal, and
the control unit is further configured to sum the stored weights and determine the driving condition of the vehicle based on the summed weight.

3. The terminal according to claim 2 ,
wherein the storage unit is further configured to store a priority of the driving information, a priority of the environment information, a priority of the state information of the driver, a priority of the boarding information, and a weight corresponding to the priorities.

4. The terminal according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit is further configured to enable each of an input function, a display function, and a sound function when the summed weight is less than or equal to a predetermined value and restrict at least one of the input function, the display function, and the sound function when the summed weight is greater than the predetermined value.

5. The terminal according to claim 2 , wherein:
the plurality of pieces of software includes first software for enabling each of an input function, a display function, and a sound function, second software for restricting the input function and enabling the display function and the sound function, third software for restricting the input function and the sound function and enabling the display function, fourth software for restricting the input function and the display function and enabling the sound function, and fifth software for restricting each of the input function, the display function, and the sound function, and
the first software corresponds to a first function restriction level, the second software corresponds to a second function restriction level, the third software corresponds to a third function restriction level, the fourth software corresponds to a fourth function restriction level, and the fifth software corresponds to a fifth function restriction level.

6. A vehicle, comprising:
an information collecting unit configured to collect driving information of a vehicle and external environment information;
a storage unit configured to store a plurality of pieces of software each having a function restriction level and in which a plurality of functions are selectively restricted;
a communication unit configured to receive the driving information of the vehicle and the external environment information;
a control unit configured to identify a function restriction level corresponding to a driving condition of the vehicle based on the driving information and the external environment information and determine software corresponding to the identified function restriction level; and
a terminal configured to store a plurality of applications, restrict and control a function of at least one application of the plurality of stored applications using the determined software, and output execution information of the at least one application whose function is restricted and controlled, wherein:
the communication unit is further configured to receive at least one of state information of a driver of the vehicle and boarding information of a passenger of the vehicle,
the control unit is further configured to identify the state information of the driver and the boarding information of the passenger when the function restriction level is identified,
the driving information includes information relating to one or more of a speed of the vehicle, a driving direction of the vehicle, and a steering angle of the vehicle,
the environment information includes information relating to one or more of a type of a road on which the vehicle travels and weather information indicating a weather condition, and
the state information of the driver includes information relating to one or more of a sightline of the driver, a voice of the driver, and a degree of concentration of the driver.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6 ,
wherein the terminal includes the storage unit, the communication unit, and the control unit.

8. The vehicle according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a head unit in which the storage unit, the communication unit, and the control unit are included,
wherein the communication unit is further configured to communicate with the terminal.

9. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein:
the storage unit is further configured to store one or more of: a weight for each range of speed of the vehicle, a weight for each driving direction of the vehicle, a weight for each range of steering angle of the vehicle, a weight for each type of the road, a weight for each weather condition, a weight for each sightline of the driver, a weight based on whether a driver is or is not speaking, a weight for each degree of concentration of the driver, a weight based on whether a passenger has or has not boarded the vehicle, and a weight based on whether a passenger is or is not manipulating the terminal, and
the control unit is further configured to sum the stored weights and determine the driving condition of the vehicle based on the summed weight.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9 ,
wherein the storage unit is further configured to store a priority of the driving information, a priority of the environment information, a priority of the state information of the driver, a priority of the boarding information, and a weight correspondin

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Ki Dong

Classifications

• B60K35/10 Primary

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60R16/02 Primary

  electric {constitutive elements} · CPC title

• B60W40/10

  related to vehicle motion · CPC title

• B60R16/0315

  using multiplexing techniques (multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J) · CPC title

• B60K35/00 Primary

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title