IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,311,966
Granted Patent B2
US 12,311,966 · App. 17/961,967 · Granted May 27, 2025

Systems and methods for in-vehicle driver assistance via augmented reality

Inventors: Brian M. Fields (Phoenix, AZ); Nathan L. Tofte (Downs, IL); Aaron C. Williams (Bloomington, IL); Joseph P. Harr (Bloomington, IL); Vicki King (Bloomington, IL)
Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
B60W50/14B60K35/00B60W40/02B60W40/04B60W40/08G01S1/042G02B27/0172G06T19/006G06V20/593B60K35/28B60K35/29B60K35/65B60K2360/166B60K2360/176B60K2360/177B60K2360/178B60K2360/1868B60K2360/741B60Q9/00B60W2050/146B60W2420/403B60W2540/225B60W2540/227B60W2554/4041B60W2556/40B60W2556/45G01C21/3476G02B2027/0138G02B2027/014G06F40/279G06Q50/12
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,311,966
App. No.
17/961,967
Filed
Oct 7, 2022
Granted
May 27, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2686
USPC
340/435
Abstract

The following generally relates to using Augmented Reality (AR) to enhance the in-vehicle experience. In some examples, AR techniques are applied to provide AR indications of vehicle safety indicia to alert vehicle occupants to information that may not otherwise be perceptible. In other example, AR techniques are applied to provide emergency vehicle warnings to improve the likelihood of safe responses thereto. In yet other examples, AR techniques are applied to generated personalized outdoor displays, for example, to ameliorate conditions that may impair safe operation of a vehicle.

Claims (65)

1. A computer-implemented method for improving vehicle safety via Augmented Reality (AR), the method comprising:

obtaining, via one or more processors of an electronic device on-board a vehicle, environmental data indicative of an environment proximate to the vehicle;

analyzing, via the one or more processors, the environmental data to determine a location of a vehicle safety indicia relative to the vehicle;

determining, via the one or more processors, a field of view of an occupant of the vehicle associated with an AR viewer by:

obtaining, via the one or more processors, image data generated by an image sensor configured to have a field of view oriented within the vehicle, and

based upon the image data, determining, via the one or more processors, a location of the occupant within the vehicle; and

based upon a comparison of the location of the vehicle safety indicia and the field of view of the occupant, presenting, via the one or more processors, an indication of the vehicle safety indicia via the AR viewer.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the AR viewer is at least one of a smart windshield, a smart window, or a smart mirror of the vehicle.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the AR viewer is a wearable AR viewer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein determining the field of view comprises:

obtaining, via the one or more processors, orientation data from the AR viewer.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device on-board the vehicle is an on-board computing system operatively coupled to a sensor system of the vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the environmental data includes at least one of image data or light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data generated via the sensor system of the vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:

based upon the environmental data, determining, via the one or more processors, a distance between the vehicle and the vehicle safety indicia; and

based upon the distance, scaling, by the one or more processors, a size of the indication of the vehicle safety indicia.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the environmental data comprises:

receiving, from an electronic device on-board a second vehicle, the environmental data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the environmental data includes at least one of (i) image data or light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data generated via a sensor system of the second vehicle, (ii) position data of the second vehicle, and (iii) telematics data generated by the sensor system of the second vehicle.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein presenting the indication of vehicle safety indicia comprises:

presenting, via the one or more processors, the image data generated by the second vehicle.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein presenting the indication of vehicle safety indicia comprises:

based upon the telematics data, determining, via the one or more processors, a trajectory of the second vehicle; and

presenting, via the one or more processors, an indication of the trajectory of the second vehicle.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

analyzing, via the one or more processors, the environmental data to detect at least one of (i) the environment being a low-visibility environment, or (ii) a presence of an obscured hazard.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle safety indicia is at least one of a presence of ice, a vehicle, a road marking, a road sign, a pot hole, and a pedestrian.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining, via the one or more processors, a maneuver that indicates safe operation of the vehicle in view of the vehicle safety indicia; and

presenting, via the one or more processors, an indication of the maneuver via the AR viewer.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining, via the one or more processors, navigation instructions associated with the vehicle; and

presenting, via the one or more processors, an indication of a navigation instruction via the AR viewer.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the environmental data comprises:

detecting, via the one or more processors, a communication signal emitted by a beacon device, wherein the communication signal includes an indication of the vehicle safety indicia.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the environmental data comprises:

obtaining, via the one or more processors, mapping data from a mapping service provider.

18. A system for improving vehicle safety via Augmented Reality (AR), the system comprising:

one or more processors of an electronic device on-board a vehicle; and

one or more non-transitory memories storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

obtain environmental data indicative of an environment proximate to the vehicle;

analyze the environmental data to determine a location of a vehicle safety indicia relative to the vehicle;

determine a field of view of an occupant of the vehicle associated with an AR viewer by:

obtaining image data generated by an image sensor configured to have a field of view oriented within the vehicle, and

based upon the image data, determining a location of the occupant within the vehicle; and

based upon a comparison of the location of the vehicle safety indicia and the field of view of the occupant, present an indication of the vehicle safety indicia via the AR viewer.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the environmental data includes at least one of image data or light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data generated via a sensor system of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the system to:

based upon the environmental data, determine a distance between the vehicle and the vehicle safety indicia; and

based upon the distance, scale a size of the indication of the vehicle safety indicia.

21. The system of claim 18 , wherein to obtain the environmental data, the instructions, when executed, cause the system to:

receive, from an electronic device on-board a second vehicle, the environmental data.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the environmental data includes at least one of (i) image data or light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data generated via a sensor system of the second vehicle, (ii) position data of the second vehicle, and (iii) telematics data generated by the sensor system of the second vehicle.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein to present the indication of vehicle safety indicia, the instructions, when executed, cause the system to:

present the image data generated by the second vehicle.

24. The system of claim 18 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the system to:

analyze the environmental data to detect at least one of (i) the environment being a low-visibility environment, or (ii) a presence of an obscured hazard.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the vehicle safety indicia is at least one of a presence of ice, a vehicle, a road marking, a road sign, a pot hole, and a pedestrian.

26. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device on-board a vehicle cause the one or more processors to:

obtain environmental data indicative of an environment proximate to the vehicle;

analyze the environmental data to determine a location of a vehicle safety indicia relative to the vehicle;

determine a field of view of an occupant of the vehicle associated with an Augmented Reality (AR) viewer by:

obtaining image data generated by an image sensor configured to have a field of view oriented within the vehicle, and

based upon the image data, determining a location of the occupant within the vehicle; and

based upon a comparison of the location of the vehicle safety indicia and the field of view of the occupant, present an indication of the vehicle safety indicia via the AR viewer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: FIELDS, BRIAN M.; TOFTE, NATHAN L.; WILLIAMS, AARON C.; HARR, JOSEPH P.; KING, VICKI
To: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 061414/0585 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63397447 · Aug 12, 2022
Related Publication 20240051562A1 · Feb 15, 2024
References Cited (36)
US 9830748B2 · Rosenbaum · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9990782B2 · Rosenbaum · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10269190B2 · Rosenbaum · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10467824B2 · Rosenbaum · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 11180159B1 · Post et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11227452B2 · Rosenbaum · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11407410B2 · Rosenbaum · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11524707B2 · Rosenbaum · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11594083B1 · Rosenbaum · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20020050927A1 · De Moerloose et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20040179040A1 · Patel et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20100253526A1 · Szczerba et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20130335303A1 · Maciocci et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20150015479A1 · Cho · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150126281A1 · Lewis · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150216466A1 · Kronberg et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150278370A1 · Stratvert et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160120403A1 · Mochizuki et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160267335A1 · Hampiholi · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170151883A1 · Bae · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170155867A1 · Yokota et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170213459A1 · Ogaz · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180143635A1 · Zijderveld et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190089999A1 · Neumeier et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190102636A1 · Koravadi · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20220092893A1 · Rosenbaum · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220340148A1 · Rosenbaum · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230060300A1 · Rosenbaum · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230111436A1 · Petit · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230264706A1 · Yasuda · 2023 [cited by examiner]
EP 3239686A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
EP 3578433B1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
EP 3730375B1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
EP 3960576A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
EP 4190659A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
EP 4190660A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]