Patent Application
20120109451
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle user interface system and method having location specific feature availability. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle user interface system and method that permits availability of user interface features based on criteria associated with the jurisdiction in which the vehicle is present.
2. Background Information
As navigation and communication systems in vehicles increase in capabilities and complexity, the concern about driver distraction also increases. Also, states and municipalities have widely varying laws governing the manner in which these systems are permitted to operate in the respective jurisdictions. For example, certain jurisdictions can regulate the manner in which information is presented to the driver, the types of warnings that are presented to the driver, and the manner in which such warnings can be presented.
To account for the different operations permitted in different jurisdictions, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will often program their systems to comply with the strictest jurisdiction for every operation. However, a user can become frustrated when a system refrains from performing a particular operation that is not restricted in the user's current jurisdiction simply because that operation is restricted in a stricter jurisdiction.
Another possible solution is to program the system to follow the jurisdiction of the user's residence. However, since jurisdictions can be contradictory in their governance of such systems, this may allow the user to inadvertently violate the law of a different jurisdiction when the vehicle enters that different jurisdiction, which can be even only a few miles of the user's residence. Therefore, programming a system to follow a single set of rules can become problematic.
It has been discovered that a need exists for a vehicle user interface system, such as a navigation or communication system, that is capable of controlling availability of system operations based on the jurisdiction in which the vehicle is present.
In view of the state of the known technology, one aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle user interface system comprising a vehicle location determining component, a jurisdiction determining component, a user input component, and a controller. The vehicle location determining component is configured to determine a current location of the vehicle. The jurisdiction determining component is configured to determine a current jurisdiction based on the current location of the vehicle, and to select a policy setting based on the current jurisdiction. The user input component is configured to receive information used by the vehicle user interface system to perform system operations. The controller is configured to control availability of the system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system based on the selected policy setting.
Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:
Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
As shown in
The vehicle location determining component 24 is configured to determine a current location of the vehicle. The vehicle location determining component 24 can include, for example, global positioning system (GPS) equipment that is capable of identifying the location of a vehicle. Also, the vehicle location determining component 24 can use cellular phone or personal digital assistant (PDA) GPS location information that is transmitted via the phone or PDA to the vehicle location determining component 24 by, for example, Bluetooth or any other suitable technology if GPS technology is not available in the vehicle components. The vehicle location determining component 24 is also configured to use, for example, dead-reckoning and map matching to determine vehicle location, as well as time-zone date to determine the regional location of the vehicle as understood in the art.
The jurisdiction determining component 26 is configured to determine a current jurisdiction based on the current location of the vehicle, and to select a policy setting based on the current jurisdiction. The policy setting is based on the laws, regulations, ordinances, etc. of that jurisdiction. For instance, laws governing distracted driving due to texting and telephone use vary from state to state. Other laws such as those governing radar detector use, navigation feature use, and so on also vary from state to state. Hence, different policy settings will be associated with different jurisdictions. It should also be noted that certain jurisdictions may have no restrictions, in which event the policy settings associated with those jurisdictions will have no restrictions. The jurisdiction determining component 26 can include, for example, a look-up table that associates policy settings with jurisdictions, or any other suitable memory configuration for associating the policy settings with the jurisdictions. Therefore, the jurisdiction determining component 26 can retrieve the appropriate policy setting for the jurisdiction that the vehicle is in as determined by the vehicle location determining component 24. Also, as understood by one skilled in the art, the vehicle location determining component 24 and jurisdiction determining component 26 need not be separate components, but can be included, for example, in the controller 30 or in other hardware and software.
As further discussed below, the user input component 28 is configured to receive information used by the vehicle user interface system to perform system operations. The user input component 28 can include, for example, the control buttons 16 and/or control buttons displayed on display 14 or on any other display, which enable a user to enter commands and information for use by the vehicle user interface system 12 and, in particular, the controller 30. The user input component 28 can also include the microphone 22 that enables a user to enter commands or other information vocally.
The controller 30 is configured to control availability of the system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system 12 based on the selected policy setting. For example, the controller 30 is configured to prohibit performance of some of the operations of the vehicle user interface system 12 based on the selected policy setting. Also, the controller 30 is configured to receive signals from vehicle sensors indicating vehicle conditions, such as a vehicle speed sensor 44 indicating the speed of the vehicle, and a vehicle transmission sensor 46 indicating the state in which the vehicle is operating. The controller 30 is further configured to permit or prohibit performance of some of the operations of the vehicle user interface system 12 based on the selected policy setting and the vehicle condition, including the vehicle speed and vehicle transmission state (e.g., park, drive, etc.) as discussed in more detail below. Also, the controller 30 is configured to permit or prohibit performance of some of the operations of the vehicle user interface system 12 based on the selected policy setting and information received from occupant sensors 48 indicating whether the person attempting to perform the operations is a driver or passenger.
As understood by one skilled in the art, the controller 30 preferably includes a microcomputer with a control program that controls the vehicle user interface system 12 as discussed herein. The controller 30 can also include other conventional components such as an input interface circuit, an output interface circuit, and storage devices such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) device and a RAM (Random Access Memory) device. The RAM and ROM store processing results and control programs that are run by the controller 30. The controller 30 is operatively coupled to the components of the vehicle user interface system 12, and to the components of the vehicle 12 as appropriate, in a conventional manner. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the precise structure and algorithms for the controller 30 can be any combination of hardware and software that will carry out the functions of the embodiments discussed herein.
The output component 32 is configured to provide information pertaining to the operations of the vehicle user interface system 12. The output component 32 may include a display which can be, for example, display 14 as discussed above, or a separate display or displays. That is, the display 14 can include input features of the user input component 28 and output features of the output component 32. As mentioned above, the output component 32 may also include an audio component 34 that includes at least one speaker which can be, for example, one or more of speakers 20, or separate speakers. The output component 32 can also include other output devices such as tactile devices that can provide a tactile warning to the user via, for example, the seat or steering wheel. The communication component 36 is controlled by controller 30 to perform communication operations which are among the system operations discussed herein. That is, the communication component 36 is configured to enable the vehicle user interface system 12 to wirelessly communicate with, for example, a server 40 that is remote from the vehicle, the Internet, and other systems and networks that are remote from the vehicle. For example, the server 40 can communicate information pertaining to the jurisdictions and associated policy settings discussed herein to the communication component 36 periodically or upon request, so that the vehicle user interface system 12 (e.g., the jurisdiction determining component 26) can store and update such information.
The wireless component 38 is controlled by controller 30 and is configured to enable the vehicle user interface system 12 to communicate with a mobile device 42, such as a wireless telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), 3G and 4G broadband devices, and any other suitable wireless communication device. Accordingly, the communication component 36 is further configured to perform a telephony operation which is among the system operations and includes at least one of placing, receiving, and conducting telephone calls via, for example, the mobile device 42 and wireless component 38 or via the features of the vehicle user interface system 12. The communication component 36 is also configured to perform a messaging operation which is among the system operations discussed herein and includes at least one of creating, sending, receiving, and viewing messages via the mobile device 42 and wireless component 38. The communication component 36 is further configured to perform an Internet function which is among the system operations discussed herein and includes enabling the viewing of Internet content on, for example, display 14 or a display on the mobile device 42. As discussed in more detail below, the controller 30 controls the output component 32 (e.g., the display 14 and/or the audio component 34) to provide the appropriate visual and audio output of the vehicle user interface system 12 to the user.
An example of operations performed by the vehicle user interface system 12 will now be described with reference to the flowchart shown in
When the processing begins in step 100 (e.g., when the vehicle's ignition is started), the location determining component 24 determines a current location of the vehicle in step 110 through the use of, for example, GPS equipment or in any other suitable manner. The location determining component 24 can be controlled by the controller 30 to determine the current location of the vehicle, or can include control and processing features independent of the controller 30. Also, the controller 30 can control the output component 32 to display the current location of the vehicle on a navigation map which can be displayed on the display 14 or on any other suitable display. As in conventional navigation systems, the user can configure the display 14 to display the current location of the vehicle in any suitable manner.
In step 120, the jurisdiction determining component 26 determines a current jurisdiction based on the current location of the vehicle. The jurisdiction determining component 26 can be controlled by the controller 30 to determine the current jurisdiction, or can include control and processing features independent of the controller 30. As discussed above, the jurisdiction determining component 26 can include, for example, a look-up table that associates policy settings with jurisdictions, or any other suitable memory configuration for associating the policy settings with the jurisdictions. Alternatively, the jurisdiction determining component 26 can send a request via, for example, communication component 36 to the server 40, or any other off-vehicle location, which can transmit the appropriate jurisdiction and associated policy setting information for receipt by the communication component 36 and thus, by the jurisdiction determining component 26. In this event, the server 40 or other off-vehicle location provides the jurisdiction and associated policy setting information to the jurisdiction determining component 26 in real-time or essentially real-time on an as-requested basis. In step 130, the jurisdiction determining component 26 can select the appropriate policy setting for the jurisdiction that the vehicle is in as determined by the jurisdiction determining component 26 based on the current vehicle location as determined by the vehicle location determining component 24.
Furthermore, the policy settings information stored in the vehicle user interface system 12 can be updated using, for example, telematics or by any other suitable technique. For example, the communication component 36 is configured to receive updated policy settings and jurisdictional information from, for example, the server 40 or any other suitable source. The communication component 36 can request such updates periodically (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) under the control of controller 30, for example, or can operate to monitor for receipt of updates from the server 40 or any other source. That is, the server 40 or other source can be configured to broadcast updated jurisdictional or policy settings when a change to the jurisdictional information or policy settings occurs. Thus, the communication component 36 can receive such updates when they are broadcast. The controller 30, for example, controls the jurisdiction determining component 26 to update the stored jurisdiction information and policy settings in accordance with the updates received by the communication component 36. The updating can also be performed via manual entry or by using storage media such as a CD ROM, flash drive, etc. Accordingly, the jurisdiction determining component 26 will store and have access to the most current jurisdictional information and policy settings. By providing a real-time or essentially real-time means of updating the vehicle user interface system 12 as discussed above, customer safety and satisfaction can be maximized throughout the life of the vehicle.
In step 140, the controller 30 controls the vehicle user interface system 12 to present a warning about the selected settings. For example, the controller 30 can control the output component 32 to display a message 50 as shown in
In step 150, the controller 30 controls the vehicle user interface system 12 in accordance with the policy settings that were selected by the jurisdiction determining component 26. In doing so, the controller 30 can control the vehicle user interface system 12 to present the required warnings, such as those shown in
In addition, according to the selected policy settings, the controller 30, can prohibit or restrict the manner in which the user interacts with the vehicle user interface system 12 and vice-versa. For example, the controller 30 can control the vehicle user interface system 12 to permit only audible instructions to be received and/or only audible output to be provided, and to prohibit any text or visual information to be output or input. Alternatively, or in addition, the controller 30 can control the vehicle user interface system 12 to permit only text or visual information to be input or output to and from the vehicle user interface system 12, while prohibiting any audible input and/or output. Naturally, the controller 30 can control the input and/or output of the vehicle user interface system 12 to be a combination of audio and visual information. Furthermore, in the case where there) are no restrictions associated with a particular jurisdiction, the controller 30 can control the vehicle user interface system 12 to permit all of the available operations and functions to be performed.
Furthermore, in step 150, the controller 30 may restrict certain functions, instead of completely prohibiting them or locking them out. For example, the selected policy setting may permit texting or handset use when the vehicle is stopped or the vehicle transmission is in park. Accordingly, the controller 30 can determine from the vehicle speed sensor 44 and vehicle transmission sensor 46 (
The controller 30 is further configured to determine whether a user is a driver or a passenger using, for example, sensors 48 in the seats of the vehicle, or cameras or other visual or tactile sensors in the vehicle to determine whether the driver or a passenger is using a particular feature. The controller 30 is thus configured to control availability of some of the system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system 12 based on the selected policy setting and whether the user is a driver or a passenger. Other operations, such as navigation operations which are performed by the navigation component, are among the system operations that can be locked out or restricted. For example, an address entry function and a point of interest search function are among the navigation operations which can be locked out or restricted. Also, the controller 30 can limit the number of characters that could be entered in a navigation system or the functions that are available to accept the character entry. These character and function limitations can be limited by, for example, the speed of the vehicle, etc.
The vehicle location determining component 24 continues to monitor the location of the vehicle. Furthermore, the processing beginning in step 160 can be performed to determine whether additional policy settings have been selected by a user. For example, the user can implement parental lock-out of certain functions (e.g., cell phone use, texting, etc.) for a beginner driver through the use of the user input component 28. This can be accomplished by using the control buttons 16 to control the display 14, for example, to display a telephone features setting display 80 as shown in
Also, the vehicle user interface system 12 can be controlled to affect mandatory or court-ordered lock-out features, such as those required for repeat offenders, etc. Commands for such mandatory or court-ordered lock out features can be entered by a third party (e.g., police officer) via the user input component 28 using, for example, a passcode which prevents the driver or others from disabling the lock out features. Also, commands for such lock out features can be implemented by telematics. That is, the commands can be received via the communication component 36 from a remote location (e.g., server 40), and upon receiving these commands, the controller 30 will implement the appropriate lockout. The lockout features that are entered manually or by telematics can expire automatically after a required period of time (e.g., a 30 day suspension) or can be disabled manually or by telematics.
If no additional policy settings have been selected, the processing shown in
The processing shown in
As shown in the exemplary flowchart in
If the controller 30 determines in step 210 that the current or attempted use does not violate current policy settings and/or are otherwise not restricted based on the vehicle conditions and user identification as a driver or passenger, the processing continues to step 220. In step 220, the controller 30 determines whether the current or attempted use violates additional policy settings that could be selected by the user, for example, or another entity (e.g., police) as discussed above with regard to step 160 in
If the controller 30 determines in step 220 that the current or attempted use does not violate additional policy settings and/or are otherwise not restricted based on the vehicle conditions and user identification as a driver or passenger, the processing ends in step 230. However, the vehicle location determining component 24 continues to monitor the location of the vehicle.
Alternatively, if a violation or potential violation is identified in steps 210 or 220, the processing continues to step 240 whether the vehicle user interface system 12 can transition to or permit alternate operations that are in compliance with the policy settings. For example, if the jurisdiction policy settings or additional user configured policy settings permit a driver to use a handset when the vehicle is in park, as long as the vehicle is in park, the driver is not in violation. However, once the vehicle is shifted into a motive gear, the driver is in violation. In this event, the controller 30 can control the display 14 to present a warning such as that shown in
The vehicle user interface system 12 also operates to warn of a possible upcoming jurisdiction change. That is, as shown in
However, if no destination or travel path information has been entered in the vehicle's navigation system, the processing continues to step 330 whether the vehicle location determining component 24 determines whether historical trends should be considered. For instance, many people living in one jurisdiction commute to and from another jurisdiction for their employment. Typically, a driver will travel the same or about the same route to and from their place of employment at or about the same time every day.
Hence, the controller 30 can control the vehicle user interface system 12 to store vehicle travel information, travel times, etc., and identify trends or patterns in vehicle travel. Accordingly, if historical trends should be considered, the processing continues to step 340 where the vehicle location determining component 24 determines the potential future location of the vehicle based on historical trends.
For example, if the vehicle location determining component 24 determines that the vehicle is traveling along the route the driver typically takes to work in a different jurisdiction every morning (e.g., from Virginia to Washington, D.C.), and the time is during the driver's usual morning commuting time (e.g., between 7 AM and 9 AM, Monday through Friday), the controller 30 can determine that the jurisdiction change is likely. On the contrary, if the vehicle location determining component 24 determines that the vehicle is traveling along a route that the driver usually takes to the shopping mall that is in the driver's home jurisdiction, the controller 30 may determine that the likelihood of the vehicle crossing into a new jurisdiction is low. Naturally, the vehicle user interface system 12 can be configured during a setup operation, for example, to avoid using historical trend data, or to give different weight to such historical trend data.
However, if the processing determines in step 330 that historical trends should not be considered because, for example, the vehicle is traveling on a route for which no significant historical trend data has been collected, the processing continues from step 330 to step 350 where the vehicle location determining component 24 determines a potential future location of the vehicle based on the trajectory of the vehicle as determined based on, for example, GPS or other location information indicating a path of travel of the vehicle.
After completing step 320, 340 or 350 as discussed above, the vehicle location determining component 24 can determine in step 360 whether the possibility exists that the vehicle may soon cross into another jurisdiction (e.g., cross state lines). If the future location is not within a different jurisdiction, the processing returns to step 310 and repeats as discussed above. However, if the vehicle location determining component 24 determines that a future location of the vehicle will be in a new jurisdiction, the processing continues to step 370.
In step 370, the jurisdiction determining component 26 determines the new policy settings for the new jurisdiction. That is, as discussed above, the jurisdiction determining component 26 can select the appropriate policy setting for the new jurisdiction. The jurisdiction determining component 26 can retrieve this information from, for example, a lookup table, or can request this information from server 40 or another location off the vehicle. In step 380, the controller 30, for example, then can determine whether the current vehicle location is within a predetermined distance or time of arrival to the new jurisdiction based on vehicle location information received from the vehicle location determining component 24. If the vehicle is not within the predetermined distance or time of arrival, the processing can repeat step 380. However, once the vehicle is within the predetermined distance or time of arrival, in step 390 the controller 30 can control the output component 32 to display a message screen 90 on the display screen 14 warning that the policy settings of the upcoming new jurisdiction prohibit certain operations (e.g., the use of a handset while driving) as shown, for example, in the display 90 of
The vehicle location determining component 24 continues to monitor the location of the vehicle, and the vehicle location determining component 24 or controller 30 determines in step 400 whether the vehicle has entered the new jurisdiction. That is, the controller 30 is further configured to control availability of the system operations for performance by the vehicle user interface system 12 based on the new selected policy setting when the vehicle is at a location relative to the new jurisdiction. This relative location can be a location at the point where the vehicle crosses into the new jurisdiction. (e.g., where the vehicle crosses the boundary 91).
Hence, when the vehicle has crossed into the new jurisdiction, the controller 30 can control the output component 32 in step 410 to issue a warning that new policy settings are now in effect. That is, the controller 30 can control the display 14 to display a warning, such as that shown in
The processing then ends in step 420. However, the vehicle location determining component 24 continues to monitor the location of the vehicle.
In addition to the processing discussed above with regard to
On the contrary, if it is determined in step 440 that the operation currently in use violates the new policy settings, the controller 30 controls the output component 32 to issue a visual and/or audible warning as discussed above and as shown, for example, in
This phase of the processing then ends in step 480. However, the vehicle location determining component 24 continues to monitor the location of the vehicle as discussed above.
In addition, as discussed above with regard to
In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. Also, the term “detect” as used herein to describe an operation or function carried out by a component, a section, a device or the like includes a component, a section, a device or the like that does not require physical detection, but rather includes determining, measuring, modeling, predicting or computing or the like to carry out the operation or function. The term “configured” as used herein to describe a component, section or part of a device includes hardware and/or software that is constructed and/or programmed to carry out the desired function. The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.
While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such feature(s). Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
