Granted Patent B2

US 8,384,532 · App. 12/564,897 · Granted Feb 26, 2013

Inventors: Joseph F. Szczerba (Grand Blanc, MI); Thomas A. Seder (Northville, MI); Dehua Cui (Northville, MI)

Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. Method to represent graphical images upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle describing transit of the vehicle with respect to a lane of travel, the method comprising:

monitoring informational inputs describing an operational environment of the vehicle comprising

monitoring a desired lane of travel, and

monitoring a current position of the vehicle;

determining a relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle;

determining a graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle; and

displaying the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle upon the substantially transparent windscreen head up display; and

wherein the substantially transparent windscreen head up display comprises one of light emitting particles or microstructures over a predefined region of the windscreen permitting luminescent display while permitting vision through the windscreen.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the desired lane of travel is a current lane of travel;

the determining the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle comprises determining the vehicle to be closer to a boundary of the desired lane of travel than a threshold distance; and

the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle comprises a graphic describing a lane departure warning.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising monitoring data related to a location of the eyes of an occupant of the vehicle;

wherein determining the graphic describing the lane departure warning comprises determining a registered graphic describing the lane departure warning based upon the monitoring the data related to the location of the eyes of the occupant of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising monitoring data related to a gaze location;

wherein determining the graphic describing the lane departure warning further comprises adding emphasis to the graphic describing the lane departure warning based upon increasing distance between the location of the registered graphic describing the lane departure warning and the gaze location.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein monitoring the desired lane of travel comprises determining a location of a lane marker describing the boundary of the desired lane of travel;

wherein the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle further comprises a registered graphic overlaying the lane marker; and

wherein the registered graphic describing the lane departure warning comprises changing a color of the registered graphic overlaying the lane marker.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein monitoring the desired lane of travel comprises determining a location of a lane marker describing the boundary of the desired lane of travel;

wherein the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle further comprises a registered graphic overlaying the lane marker; and

wherein the registered graphic describing the lane departure warning comprises increasing an image intensity of the registered graphic overlaying the lane marker.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein monitoring the desired lane of travel comprises determining locations of lane markers on both sides of the desired lane of travel;

wherein the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle further comprises a registered graphic overlaying the lane marker for each of the sides of the desired lane of travel; and

wherein the registered graphic describing the lane departure warning comprises changing the color of the registered graphic overlaying the lane marker.

8. The method of claim 2 , further comprising generating an audio warning corresponding to the lane departure warning.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a desired lane change;

wherein monitoring the desired lane of travel comprises

monitoring traffic in the desired lane of travel based upon the desired lane change, and

determining a clear to change lane status based upon the monitoring traffic in the desired lane of travel; and

wherein the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle depicts the clear to change lane status.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising monitoring data related to a location of the eyes of an occupant of the vehicle; and

wherein determining the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle comprises determining a registered graphic based upon the monitoring the data related to the location of the eyes of the occupant.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising monitoring data related to a gaze location; and

wherein determining the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle further comprises adding emphasis to the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle based upon increasing distance between the location of the registered graphic and the gaze location.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein monitoring the desired lane of travel comprises determining a location of a lane marker describing a boundary between a current lane of travel and the desired lane of travel; and

wherein the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle further comprises a registered graphic overlaying the lane marker.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle depicting the clear to change lane status changes color based upon the clear to change lane status.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the graphic describing the relationship of the desired lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle depicting the clear to change lane status changes a textual message based upon the clear to change lane status.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein monitoring the desired lane change further comprises monitoring a manual turn signal activation by an operator of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein monitoring the desired lane change further comprises monitoring a semi-autonomous request to change lanes.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein monitoring the desired lane change further comprises monitoring an autonomous indication of an impending lane change.

18. Method to indicate a lane departure upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring a current lane of travel;

monitoring a current position of the vehicle within the current lane of travel;

comparing the current lane of travel to the current position of the vehicle;

determining a graphic describing the lane departure based upon the comparing; and

displaying the graphic describing the lane departure upon the transparent windscreen head up display; and

wherein the substantially transparent windscreen head up display comprises one of light emitting particles or microstructures over a predefined region of the windscreen permitting luminescent display while permitting vision through the windscreen.

19. System to evaluate a pending lane change upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to monitor vehicle tracks in a lane of traffic adjacent to a current lane of travel;

sensors configured to monitor operation of the vehicle;

the substantially transparent windscreen head up display comprising one of light emitting particles or microstructures over a predefined region of the windscreen permitting luminescent display while permitting vision through the windscreen;

an enhanced vision system system manager

monitoring a pending lane change,

monitoring the sensor configured to monitor vehicle tracks in the lane of traffic adjacent to the current lane of travel,

monitoring the sensors configured to monitor operation of the vehicle,

evaluating the pending lane change based upon the sensor configured to monitor vehicle tracks in the lane of traffic adjacent to the current lane of travel and the sensors configured to monitor operation of the vehicle, and

determining a display requirement based upon the evaluation of the pending lane change;

a graphics system communicating with the enhanced vision system system manager and generating for display upon the substantially transparent head up display a graphic describing the evaluation of the pending lane change based upon the display requirement; and

a graphics projection system communicating with the graphics system and displaying the graphic describing the evaluation of the pending lane change.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the sensor configured to monitor vehicle tracks in the lane of traffic adjacent to the current lane of travel comprises a vehicle to vehicle communications device.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (2)