IP Library Granted Patent US 8,977,489
Granted Patent B2
US 8,977,489 · App. 12/467,340 · Granted Mar 10, 2015

Turn by turn graphical navigation on full windshield head-up display

Inventors: Joseph F. Szczerba (Grand Blanc, MI); Thomas A. Seder (Northville, MI); Dehua Cui (Northville, MI)
Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
G01S13/931G01C21/365G01S13/723G01S13/867G01S13/86G01S13/87G01S17/023G01S2013/9321G01S2013/9325G01S2013/9342G01S2013/9346G01S2013/935G01S2013/9353G01S2013/9357G01S2013/936G01S2013/9375
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,977,489
App. No.
12/467,340
Granted
Mar 10, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system to display graphical images upon a windscreen of a vehicle including navigational aids includes the windscreen having a transparent windscreen head up display, an enhanced vision system manager monitoring a planned travel route, and generating display requirements based upon the planned travel route. The system further includes a graphics system generating the graphical images to be displayed based upon the display requirements, and a graphics projection system communicating with the graphics system and displaying the graphical images.

Claims (40)

1. System to display graphical images upon a windscreen of a vehicle including navigational aids, the system comprising:

the windscreen comprising a transparent windscreen head up display;

an information system comprising:

a global positioning device, and

a map database;

a navigation system configured to determine a position of the vehicle within a lane currently being traveled by the vehicle based upon data from the information system;

a device monitoring informational inputs representing an operational environment for the vehicle comprising one of road geometry in front of the vehicle and objects proximate to the vehicle, the device comprising one of a camera device and a radar device;

an enhanced vision system system manager

monitoring a planned travel route and the informational inputs, and

generating display requirements based upon the planned travel route and the informational inputs, said display requirements including navigational graphics providing turn by turn navigational instructions based upon GPS data improved by the informational inputs, wherein each navigational graphic is registered to overlay a portion of a road surface visible through the windscreen whereat a corresponding maneuver is required to follow the planned route, and wherein a size of each registered navigational graphic is cyclically increased as a distance between the vehicle and a location whereat the corresponding maneuver is required decreases based upon the position of the vehicle determined by the navigational system;

a graphics system generating the graphical images to be displayed based upon the display requirements; and

a graphics projection system communicating with the graphics system and displaying the graphical images;

wherein the display comprises one of a plurality of light emitting particles, with each light emitting particle having a diameter less than 500 nanometers, and a plurality of micro-structures configured to scatter light from the display;

wherein generating display requirements based upon the informational inputs further comprises including within the display requirements one of lane change instructions based upon the informational inputs and a navigational graphic based upon avoiding the objects proximate to the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an occupant eye location sensing system determining a location of one of a head of an occupant of the vehicle and eyes of the occupant of the vehicle; and

wherein the graphics system monitors the informational inputs and the occupant eye location sensing system and generates the graphical images registered to the windscreen based upon the informational inputs and information from the occupant eye location sensing system.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a vehicle operation sensor system monitoring operational characteristics of the vehicle; and

wherein the graphics system monitors the vehicle operation sensor system and generates the graphical images registered to the windscreen further based upon information from the vehicle operation sensor system.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the graphics system generating the graphical images registered to the windscreen determines spatial relationships of features external to the vehicle to the vehicle based upon the informational inputs, and registers the graphical images to the windscreen based upon the determined spatial relationships of the features and the information from the occupant eye location sensing system.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the graphical images comprise the navigational graphics providing the turn by turn navigation instructions, each navigational graphic registered to overlay the corresponding portion of the road surface visible through the windscreen.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an input device configured to input a navigational destination; and

the navigation system configured to compute the planned travel route based upon data from the information system and the navigational destination.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the input device presents a plurality of selectable navigational destinations for input.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the graphical images comprise graphics aiding in the input of the plurality of selectable navigational destinations.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the information system further comprises a wireless communication device accessing a remote system.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the graphical images comprise the navigational graphics providing the turn by turn navigation instructions and information from the wireless communication device.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein information from the remote system is utilized to evaluate factors affecting travel on the planned travel route, and when the factors warrant changing the planned travel route, permitting modification of the planned travel route.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the factors affecting travel are selected from the group consisting of construction, traffic, and weather conditions.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the graphical images comprise the navigational graphics providing the turn by turn navigation instructions and maneuvers required to follow modifications of the planned travel route.

14. The system of claim 6 , wherein the graphical images comprise the navigational graphics providing the turn by turn navigation instructions each registered to overlay the portion of the road surface visible through the windscreen whereat the corresponding maneuver is required to follow the planned travel route.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the graphical images comprise:

a map display projected upon the windscreen; and

the navigational graphics providing the turn by turn navigation instructions each registered to overlay the portion of the road surface visible through the windscreen whereat the corresponding maneuver is required to follow the planned travel route.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transparent windscreen head up display comprises a substrate combined with the plurality of light emitting particles, wherein the particles are sized between 50 nanometers and 500 nanometers.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transparent windscreen head up display comprises a pixilated field of view limited architecture enabling graphical image view from a limited direction corresponding an occupant of the vehicle, the pixilated field of view limited architecture comprises:

a plurality of free standing parabolas filled with emitting material; and

the transparent windscreen comprising a substrate that includes a plurality of divots whereat each free standing parabola is nested and aligned into a corresponding divot to enable view of the graphical images from the limited direction corresponding to the occupant of the vehicle.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034185/0789 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 10, 2011
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 025781/0299 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 8, 2010
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 025324/0555 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2010
From: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025315/0091 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2010
From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025246/0056 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 28, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
Reel/Frame 023162/0048 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 27, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 023201/0118 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 18, 2009
From: SZCZERBA, JOSEPH F.; SEDER, THOMAS A.; CUI, DEHUA
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 022695/0706 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100292886A1 · Nov 18, 2010