Abstract:
A method for driver information includes: sensing an image of an outer area of a motor vehicle, determining a coherent display area in the image, determining personalized information directed to a driver of the motor vehicle, inserting the information into the image in the area of the display area; and outputting the image to the driver. A system for driver information onboard a motor vehicle includes: a pickup device for sensing an image of the outer area of a motor vehicle, a determination device for determining personalized information directed to a driver of the motor vehicle, a processing device for determining a coherent display area in the image and for inserting the information into the image in the area of the display area, and an output device for outputting the image to the driver.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a method and a device for outputting personalized information to a driver of a motor vehicle. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    It is known that one may utilize optical, acoustic or haptic output devices for outputting information to a driver of a motor vehicle. These devices are utilized, first of all, for outputting information on the driving state of the motor vehicle, for instance, an optical speed indicator (tachometer) or a haptic warning before leaving a traffic lane. Since the output of such information involves the danger of distracting the driver from an event in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, such outputs always have to take place with caution. In certain cases one also has to observe legal requirements, such as, in some countries, operating a navigation system being inadmissible while driving. 
         [0005]    Information that does affect the driver, but is not directly linked to the tasks of the driver of the motor vehicle, are therefore frequently not passed on to the driver of the motor vehicle. In this context, it would be desirable also to supply the driver with information that goes beyond his current activity of guiding the motor vehicle. The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a method and a device for personalized driver information for a driver of a motor vehicle.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A method according to the present invention for driver information includes steps of sensing an image of an outer area of a motor vehicle, determining a coherent display area in the image, determining personalized information that is directed to a driver of the motor vehicle, inserting the information into the image in the area of the display area and outputting the image to the driver. 
         [0007]    It is thereby possible to present personalized information to the driver optically, without diverting his attention greatly from the task of guiding the motor vehicle. Thereby traffic safety of the motor vehicle is able to be ensured and legal regulations for avoiding distracting the driver are able to be satisfied. 
         [0008]    In one preferred specific embodiment, the display area includes a surface of the object shown in the image. In this case, the method is able to carry out a recognition of objects in the image, and provide a surface of a detected object as the display area. Thus a coherent display area may be found in a simple manner. In addition, the surface of the object may contain little or no information at all for guiding the motor vehicle, so that superposing with the personalized information represents practically no information loss for the driver. In one further specific embodiment, advertising information on the surface of the object may be faded out by the personalized information. 
         [0009]    The representation of the inserted information is preferably adjusted perspectively to a position and an extent of the surface of the object with respect to the motor vehicle. In this way, the output of the personalized information may take place in agreement with the perceptible objects of the  environment, so that the uptake of the information by the driver may be simplified. 
         [0010]    The information may be obtained from a source outside the motor vehicle. In particular, the information may be obtained, using wireless data transfer, for example, from a computer or a computer network, which provides the personalized information for the driver. Thus, for example, calendar or contact information, reminders or personalized advertising may discreetly be brought to the attention of the driver. 
         [0011]    In one further preferred specific embodiment, the method includes determining a driving situation of the motor vehicle and selecting the information to be inserted as a function of the driving situation. If a driving situation, because of its complexity, for instance, requires an increased degree of attention from the driver, the personalized information may be limited to short messages and messages marked as being urgent. However, if the driving situation is simple, such as driving at constant speed on an expressway that is only minimally traveled during daylight and good visibility, the information may also be more complex and may be changed more frequently. 
         [0012]    The driving situation may be determined, for instance, based on the purpose of travel, a time of day or a driving speed. In that way, overloading the driver with information may be prevented even better. In addition, the personalized information may be output fittingly to the driving situation, so that, for example, on business travel a current appointments plan may be output, but on a vacation trip, personalized weather information for the place of destination as well. 
         [0013]    A computer program product has program code means for carrying out the method described when it is run on a processing device or is stored on a computer-readable data carrier.  
         [0014]    The computer program product may especially run on a processing device that is integrated into the motor vehicle and, if necessary, is also controlling another system, such as a navigation system. The computer program product may also run on a computer that is removable from the motor vehicle, alternatively an integrated output device or an output device that is permanently installed in the motor vehicle being utilized. 
         [0015]    One system for driver information according to the present invention includes a pickup device for sensing an image of the outer area of a motor vehicle, a determination device for determining personalized information directed to a driver of the motor vehicle, a processing device for determining a coherent display area in the image and for inserting the information into the image in the area of the display area, and an output device for outputting the image to the driver. 
         [0016]    In one preferred specific embodiment, the system is permanently installed in the motor vehicle. For this reason, networking with other systems of the motor vehicle may particularly be easier, in order perhaps to permit an improved or easier determination of the driving situation of the motor vehicle. 
         [0017]    In one especially preferred specific embodiment, the output device includes a so-called head-up display. Such an optical output device allows superposing the directly visually perceivable surroundings by a generated image. In this instance, superposing only in subareas of the surroundings may take place, perhaps using an alphanumeric output. A context-sensitive superposing of visually perceivable objects by additional information is designated as augmented reality. This technique may be used advantageously to carry out the output to the driver, according to the present invention.  
         [0018]    Furthermore, the system preferably includes a receiving device for receiving the information from a source outside the motor vehicle. The receiving device may particularly include a unidirectional or a bidirectional digital data interface, which is connected to a computer or a computer network, such as the Internet. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a system for driver information. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 2-4  show examples of superposing optically perceivable information by output personalized information. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  a shows flow chart of a method for carrying out the method on the system in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a system  100  for driver information. Onboard a motor vehicle  105 , there are located a processing device  110 , a first camera  115 , a second camera  120 , an interface  125 , a receiving device  130  and an output device  135 . In different specific embodiments of system  100 , not all the elements shown have to be present, as will be stated more exactly in the following text. 
         [0023]    Processing device  110  preferably includes a programmable microcomputer. In one specific embodiment, processing device  110  is permanently installed onboard motor vehicle  105 , processing device  110  in connection with the devices connected to it being able to take on even additional processing and control tasks. For example, processing device  110  may be a part of a navigation system or an entertainment system onboard motor vehicle  105 .  
         [0024]    First camera  115  and second camera  120 , which may also be substituted by a stereo camera, are equipped to provide images, or rather a combined image of an outer area of motor vehicle  105 . A viewing angle of cameras  115  and  120  preferable corresponds as exactly as possible to a viewing angle of the driver of motor vehicle  105 . Cameras  115  and  120  are preferably aligned forwards in the travel direction, and besides that, are mounted offset to each other, so that images that were taken at the same time using the two cameras  115 ,  120 , are able to be put one on top of the other, for determining depth information. The determination of depth information in the combined image may take place either in cameras  115 ,  120  or the stereo camera replacing them, or using processing device  110 . In one additional specific embodiment, only a single camera  115  is provided and depth information of the image provided by this camera  115  are able to be determined by a geometrical distance estimation. 
         [0025]    Optional interface  125  is equipped to provide data which point to a driving state of motor vehicle  105 . Such data may include a position, a speed, an acceleration, a planned route, a time of day, an outside temperature, illumination conditions and other parameters which are important for the operation of motor vehicle  105 . Based on the information provided, processing device  110  is able to determine the driving state of motor vehicle  105 . 
         [0026]    Receiving device  130  is likewise optional, and is equipped to receive personalized information directed to the driver of motor vehicle  105 . Receiving device  130  may be cable-bound or be connected in a wireless manner to a data memory onboard motor vehicle  105 , for instance, to a mobile phone or a personalized computer, for managing appointments, for example. Receiving device  130  may also be equipped, however, for the wireless reception of data from a network. This network may  include a mobile radio network, for example, which is also connected to the Internet. In one preferred specific embodiment, receiving device  130  may also be equipped to transmit a request for personalized data from processing device  110  to another computer, which then provides these data. 
         [0027]    Output device  135  is an optical output device, preferably having the support of a multi-colored output. Output device  135  is installed in such a way that the driver of motor vehicle  105  is easily able to read off from it. In one simple specific embodiment, output device  135  includes a freely viewable display, such as a liquid crystal display. In one preferred specific embodiment, output device  135  includes a so-called head-up display, which is equipped to reflect data into the viewing range of the driver. In this context, the viewing range of cameras  115  and  120  includes the essential viewing range of the driver, so that the directly viewable optical data from the surroundings of motor vehicle  105  based on the images provided by cameras  115 ,  120  are able to be superposed using output device  135 . It is determined by the superposing which objects in the surroundings of motor vehicle  105  are visible to the driver and which are wholly or partially superposed by information of the image. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 2-5  show examples of superposing optically perceivable information by output personalized information. In each case, a region  200  is shown, which lies in front of motor vehicle  105  and which is able to be viewed by the driver of motor vehicle  105  by casting a glance in the driving direction. From region  200  one is able to infer an image  205 , which was taken using cameras  115 ,  120  and processed using processing device  110  of  FIG. 1 . Image  205  is preferably faded into region  200  in such a way that objects perceivable directly from region  200  and representations of these objects  in image  205  are coincident with each other, so that additional information of image  205  fall on predetermined areas of the field of view of the driver. In another specific embodiment, image  205  is not completely reproduced for the driver but includes only additional information which are superposed in an exactly fitting manner on directly visible objects. 
         [0029]    In each representation of  FIGS. 2 through 4 , in each case an object  210 , an area  215  of the respective object  210  and a graphic representation of information  220  are shown. For this, processing device  110  carries out in each case an object detection on image  205 . For each object  210  detected, one or more surfaces  215  may be determined, based on which a coherent display surface  220  is determined. For this purpose, a plurality of areas  215  of one or more objects  210  may be taken together. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 2  object  210  includes a guardrail. Display area  220  corresponds to the visible surface of the guardrail, and information  225 , which is shown on display area  220 , concerns a travel booking that is due, which the driver of motor vehicle  105  has to take care of. 
         [0031]    In  FIG. 3 , object  210  is a truck and area  215  is its rear periphery. The personalized information  225  refers, for instance, to an ordering of tickets that is due by the driver of motor vehicle  105 , which is superposed on the periphery. 
         [0032]    In  FIG. 4 , object  210  is an area of the road lying ahead of motor vehicle  105 , and the surface of the road forms the display area. The personalized information  225  shown relate to a general product information that is being presented to the driver.  
         [0033]      FIG. 5  shows a flow chart of a method  500  for driver information of the driver of motor vehicle  105  of  FIG. 1 . Method  500  is particularly equipped to be carried out on processing device  110  of system  100  in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0034]    Method  500  includes steps  505  to  550 , in the simplest possible specific embodiment only those steps being required which are shown edged in bold. The remaining steps are optional, and may also be omitted in other specific embodiments. 
         [0035]    In steps  505  and  510 , an image  205  is produced in each case, as simultaneously as possible using cameras  115  and  120 . If only one camera  115  is used, steps  505  and  510  merge into one. 
         [0036]    In a following step  515 , an object detection is carried out, in order to record objects  210 , which are shown on image  205 . If image  200  was taken by the two cameras  115 ,  120  or by a stereo camera, a determination may previously be carried out of depth information in image  200 , and the object detection in step  515  may additionally be supported by the depth information. 
         [0037]    Subsequently, in a step  520 , a coherent display area is determined in image  205 . For this, one may draw upon individual surfaces of objects determined in step  515 . An area  215  of an object  210  or a plurality of areas  215  of one or more objects  210  may together form display area  220 . 
         [0038]    Independently of steps  505  to  520  described up to this point, in a step  525 , personalized information directed to the driver of motor vehicle  105  is obtained. This personalized information is preferably received using receiving device  130  in  FIG. 1 . In addition, in a step  530 , based on the information included in image  205  and/or information provided via interface  525  by other systems of motor vehicle  105 , a driving state of motor vehicle  105  may be determined.  
         [0039]    In a step  535 , personalized information to be shown is selected, based on information obtained in step  525 . If necessary, the selection may be made based on the driving state of motor vehicle  105  determined in step  530 . 
         [0040]    In an optional step  540 , the information selected in step  535  may be perspectively enlarged, diminished, rotated or distorted for showing them on display area  220 . 
         [0041]    In a further step  545 , the information is inserted into image  205 , and then, in a step  550  are output to the driver of motor vehicle  105 . There are examples of possible outputs in  FIGS. 2 to 4 .