The present disclosure relates to a method of displaying a virtual lane marker on a windshield, such as in conjunction with a heads-up display.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. Modern vehicles, such as automobiles, may be operated during periods of undesirable weather, such as during rainstorms or during periods of fog. Such periods of undesirable weather may decrease a driver's visibility of a road and road surroundings through a vehicle windshield. Still yet, visibility may be reduced during periods of nighttime driving. Because of such reduced driver visibility, a need exists to enhance a driver's knowledge of where a road lane exits.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. A method of displaying virtual lane markings, relative to a vehicle position within a vehicle roadway lane, upon a display area on an interior surface of a vehicle windshield may entail reading vehicle data, such as vehicle speed for example, into a vehicle control module and determining if the vehicle data is greater than a particular threshold. The method may also permit enabling a virtual lane display switch based upon the vehicle data achieving the particular threshold, switching the virtual lane display switch to a particular position (e.g. on, off or auto), and then displaying virtual lane markings on a vehicle windshield on each side of the roadway lane, relative to a driver's view through the windshield. Displaying virtual lane markings may further entail overlaying the virtual lane markings with actual lane markings, as viewed by a driver of the vehicle through the windshield. Before displaying virtual lane markings, the method may entail determining if actual lane markings exist or do not exist on the roadway lane.
Determining if actual lane markings exist on the roadway lane may entail reading an image of the roadway lane from a camera that is mounted inside of the vehicle and processing the images read with a corresponding control module. Displaying virtual lane markings may be accomplished with a holographic projector to project such virtual lane markings upon the projection area. Displaying virtual lane markings on the projection area of the vehicle windshield may entail displaying such on each side of the roadway lane, as viewed by a driver, and may further take into consideration whether a vehicle steering wheel has been rotated, or not rotated, a predetermined number of degrees. The method may also entail determining that actual lane marking are detectable by the camera and subsequently stopping the displaying of virtual lane markings.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
A virtual lane marking system and its method of operation in accordance with the present disclosure will be described with reference to
Turning to
Turning now to
Continuing with the flowchart, if the response at decision block 44 is “yes,” the logic proceeds to decision block 50 where an inquiry is made as to whether a virtual lane marking system is “on,” “off,” or in an automatic or “auto” mode. If the result of the inquiry at decision block 50 is “off,” the logic proceeds to block 46 where a command is made to display no virtual lane markings at projection area 28 of windshield 22. Logic of the flowchart may then end at block 48 and may then return to start block 40. However, if the result of the inquiry at decision block 50 is “on,” the logic proceeds to block 52 where a command by control module 24 is made to display virtual lane markings at projection area 28 of windshield 22. Decision block 50 may correspond to a switch 38 or button within an interior compartment of vehicle 10. Switch 38 may be located anywhere within passenger compartment 14, such as on dash 26 or as part of a cluster of interior buttons that are part of other vehicle controls. Logic of the flowchart may then proceed to decision block 54 where an inquiry is made if lane markings, such as lane markings 56 have disappeared. Lane markings that have disappeared are lane markings that are absent from a roadway upon which vehicle 10 is travelling, or lane markings that are otherwise undetectable by camera 20, such as lane markings that are so very faintly marked so as to not be discernable by camera 20, or lane markings that are covered, such as with snow. Regardless, lane markings that have disappeared as determined by the logic of the flowchart, are lane markings that are not detectable by camera 20. Essentially, detecting existing lane markings may be accomplished by optical detection or physical detection. Optical detection may be detecting existing lane markings with camera 20. Physical detection may be detecting lane markings from known map data and may provide awareness to control module 24 of lane markings that are ahead of vehicle 10 but that are not yet within a view of driver 30. If lane markings 56 have not disappeared, that is, if lane markings 56 are viewable and detectable by camera 20, then flowchart logic may again proceed to block 50. Logic of the flowchart may then return to decision block 50.
In one example, camera 20 may detect lane markings up to 12 feet (about 4 meters) in front of vehicle 10. Upon camera 20 not being able to discern lane markings 56 because lane markings 56 are absent from center of intersection 92 of lane 78, logic of the flowchart at block 54 may acknowledge that lane markings 56 have disappeared and then immediately display virtual lane markings in accordance with instruction at block 62. When displaying virtual lane markings upon projection area 28 of windshield 22 in accordance with block 62, memory resident with control module 24 may be utilized to store distances between lane markings 56, 84, 86 as vehicle 10 travels along lane 78. If vehicle 10 remains moving upon lane 78 with its steering wheel 70 turning less than a predetermined angle from a starting angle or starting position, then the logic may proceed to decision block 72 where an inquiry is made as to whether lane markings are detectable by camera 20.
Camera 20 is a lane marking or road marking detector of lines or markings upon a roadway surface. If the result of the inquiry at decision block 72 is “no,” meaning that lane markings have not reappeared, then the logic proceeds (returns) to block 62. However, if lane markings have reappeared, then the logic proceeds from inquiry block 72 to block 60, where the logic instructs control module 24 to stop displaying virtual lane markings. That is, the logic instructs control module 24 to stop displaying virtual lane markings for missing or undetectable lane markings that are undetectable by camera 20. Virtual lane markings may be displayed on projection area 28 of windshield 22. Example lane markings may be those such as lane markings 66 depicted in
As an example of virtual lane markings that may be displayed upon projection area 28 of windshield 22 when actual, physical lane markings are determined to have disappeared from lane 78 (i.e. lane markings are non-detectable for some reason),
Decision block 50 offers yet a third option of automatic or “auto” in addition to “on” and “off,” introduced above. “Auto” may be a position of switch 38 that permits operation of holographic projector 18 in accordance with weather conditions, for example, which may be read into block 42 as vehicle data. In such a scenario, weather data may be read into memory of control module 24 via satellite radio or other source of weather. Bad weather may simply be a forecast for rain, a determination or forecast of a wet road by a moisture sensor on an exterior position of vehicle 10, or detection or forecast of snow or fog, as examples, or a current, real-time weather event of rain, snow or fog. Thus, if switch 38 is in a position that indicates “auto,” logic of the flowchart proceeds to decision block 74, and if an inquiry into weather conditions determine that whether conditions are “bad,” which may be weather conditions that make accurate viewing of actual, physical lane markings 56 by camera 20 impossible or incomplete, logic of the flowchart may proceed to block 52, which causes virtual lane markers 64, 66 to be displayed on projection area 28, as previously discussed. However, if weather conditions are determined not to be “bad,” then logic proceeds to decision block 54 which inquires whether actual, physical lane markings 56 have disappeared, which means that camera 20 can not recognize or detect any actual, physical lane markings on a roadway surface. From decision block 54, logic of the flowchart may proceed as previously presented.
Stated slightly differently, a method of displaying virtual lane markings relative to a vehicle position within a roadway lane may entail reading vehicle data into vehicle control module 24. Vehicle data may be a vehicle speed, for example. The method may also entail determining if the vehicle data is great than a particular threshold, such as greater than a particular speed. The method may also entail enabling (e.g. providing power to) a virtual lane display switch 38 based upon the vehicle data and subsequently switching the virtual lane display switch 38 (e.g. on, off or auto). The method may also entail displaying virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68 on a vehicle windshield 22 such that virtual lane markings appear on each side of the roadway lane 58, when viewed by driver 30 looking through windshield 22 as depicted with driver sightlines 23 (
The method of displaying virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68 on vehicle windshield 22 so that virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68 appear on each side of roadway lane 58 may further entail determining whether steering wheel 70 has rotated or has not rotated through a certain number of degrees. That is, if steering wheel 70 has rotated a predetermined number of degrees, the method may entail stopping displaying virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68; however, if the steering wheel 70 has not rotated a predetermined number of degrees, the method may entail continuing the displaying or overlaying of virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68. Still yet, while virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68 are being displayed, the method may entail determining that actual lane markings 55, 56 on roadway lane 58 are detectable by camera 20. Upon such detection by camera 20, the method may entail stopping displaying virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68.
In another variation, displaying virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68 to mark a projected path of vehicle 10 upon roadway lane 58 may entail reading vehicle data into vehicle control module 24, determining if the vehicle data is greater than a particular threshold, switching a virtual lane display switch (e.g. on, off or auto), and displaying virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68 on vehicle windshield 22 depending upon a response of determining if actual lane markings 55, 56 exist or do not exist on roadway lane 58. Determining if actual lane markings 55, 56 exist or do not exist on roadway lane 58 may be considered determining a status of actual lane markings 55, 56 on roadway lane 58. Determining a status of actual lane markings 55, 56 on roadway lane 58 may further entail determining if actual lane markings exist or do not exist: on a left side (note actual marking 55) of roadway lane 58 from a driver 30 perspective, on a right side of roadway lane 58 (note actual markings 56) from a driver 30 perspective, or on both sides of roadway lane 58. Determining the status may be accomplished by detecting such existence with a camera 20 mounted on or within vehicle 10 and directed in front of or to a side of vehicle 10. Upon detecting an absence of actual lane markings on a surface of roadway lane 58, the method may then invoke displaying virtual lane markers 64, 66, 68 on vehicle windshield 22 where the at least one of a left side lane marking(s) and a right side lane marking(s) are not detectable by camera 20. Displaying virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68 on windshield 22 of vehicle 10 are displayed such that they overlay the area viewable by a vehicle driver where actual roadway lane markings 55, 56 may have originally existed or would exist if the roadway were equipped with roadway lane markings. Control module 24 may control whether or not to display virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68 based upon whether or not a steering wheel 70 has been rotated a predetermined number of degrees, such as by driver 30. In one example, in the event that only a left side lane markings are detectable, then control module 24 and holographic projector 18 may display the missing right side lane markings by using a standard lane width as a measure. That is, a standard lane width of 12 feet (3.66 m) may be used as a scale for displaying the right side virtual lane markings on projection area 28 using holographic projector 18.
Still yet, a method of displaying virtual lane markings upon a roadway lane may entail reading vehicle data (e.g. mph, km/h) into vehicle control module 24, determining if the vehicle data is greater than a particular threshold (e.g. greater than a prescribed speed), switching a virtual lane display switch 38 to automatic mode, determining or assessing atmospheric weather conditions that may affect roadway lane 58, and displaying virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68 upon a projection area 28 of vehicle windshield 22 based upon a result of determining weather conditions. A vehicle-mounted camera 20, whether mounted interior to vehicle 10 or exterior to vehicle 10, may be used in determining if actual lane markings upon roadway lane 58 are detectable or not detectable on a left side of roadway lane 58, detectable or not detectable on a right side of the roadway lane 58, or are detectable or not detectable on a left side and a right side of roadway lane 58. Still yet, determining whether a steering wheel 70 has been rotated a predetermined number of degrees or determining whether a steering wheel 70 has not been rotated a predetermined number of degrees (or at all) may be accomplished and evaluated in displaying or in continuing to display virtual lane markings 64, 66, 68 on windshield 22 of vehicle 10. Displaying virtual lane markings 64, 66 on windshield 22 of vehicle 10 may actually be displayed in an overlay fashion, as depicted in
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.