Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are provided for monitoring video content provided to a vehicle. In one embodiment a method includes: receiving video content at the vehicle; monitoring the video content based on guidelines data stored in a datastore; and selectively modifying the video content based on the monitoring.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The technical field generally relates to methods and systems for monitoring a video display, and more particularly relates to methods and systems for monitoring video signals to be displayed by a video display in a vehicle. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Guidelines have been established to regulate how and when video content is displayed on a display associated with a human vehicle interface (HVI) of a vehicle. These guidelines take in to consideration the various driving conditions and environments the driver may encounter when operation the vehicle. Any video content that is displayed on the display of the HVI must comply with these guidelines. 
         [0003]    In some cases, video content may be supplied to the HVI from a source other than the vehicle. For example, applications from a Smartphone or an external navigation system may communicate with the HVI to display their video content. These applications must be certified before their video content is displayed to ensure they meet the guidelines. In some cases, the video content is modified after the certification process and thus, may not meet the guidelines. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods and systems for monitoring the video content. In addition, it is desirable to provide methods and systems that perform corrective actions when the video content does not meet the guidelines. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present disclosure will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Methods and apparatus are provided for monitoring video content provided to a vehicle. In one embodiment a method includes: receiving video content at the vehicle; monitoring the video content based on guidelines data stored in a datastore; and selectively modifying the video content based on the monitoring. 
         [0006]    In another example, a system includes a first module that receives the video content at the vehicle. A second module monitors the video content based on guidelines data stored in a datastore. A third module selectively modifies the video content based on the monitoring. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The exemplary embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram illustrating a vehicle that includes a video monitoring system that is associated with a human vehicle interface in accordance with various exemplary embodiments; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a dataflow diagram illustrating a video monitoring module of the video monitoring system in accordance with various exemplary embodiments; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating a video monitoring method that may be performed by a video monitoring system in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the application and uses. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. As used herein, the term module refers to any hardware, software, firmware, electronic control component, processing logic, and/or processor device, individually or in any combination, including without limitation: application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality. 
         [0012]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a vehicle  10  is shown to include a video monitoring system  12  in accordance with various embodiments. Although the figures shown herein depict an example with certain arrangements of elements, additional intervening elements, devices, features, or components may be present in actual embodiments. It should also be understood that  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative and may not be drawn to scale. 
         [0013]    The video monitoring system  12  generally includes a human vehicle interface (HVI) module  14 , and a video monitoring module  16  that communicates with a display device  18 . In various embodiments, the HVI module  14  communicates directly or indirectly with a device that is foreign or not a part of the vehicle  10  (hereinafter referred to as a foreign device  20 ). The foreign device  20  can include, for example, but is not limited to, a Smartphone, a navigation system (e.g., a GPS device), or any other device that is capable of communicating with the vehicle  10  according to any wired or wireless communication protocol. 
         [0014]    The HVI module  14  receives video content  22  from an application  24  of the foreign device  20 . The application  24  can be any software application that generates any type of video content  22  for display. The video content  22  is typically displayed on a display (not shown) of the foreign device  20 , however in this example the video content  22  is being sent to the vehicle  10  to be displayed by the display device  18 . 
         [0015]    Upon receipt of the video content  22 , the HVI module  14  provides the video content  22  to the video monitoring module  16  for monitoring. The video monitoring module  16  monitors the video content  22  based on pre-established guidelines. The pre-established guidelines may include rules or data values in which the video content  22  must comply in order to be displayed on the display device  18  of the vehicle  10 . For example, the guidelines may be established by a governmental entity or by the vehicle manufacturer and may indicate a certain rate of change of the video content  22 , a certain rapid or repeated change in the video stream (i.e., the entire video stream), or a certain area of flashing (e.g., on/off, or red to white to red to white, etc.) In various embodiments, the guidelines may be established for certain types of video content  22 , for certain types of foreign devices  20 , and/or for certain jurisdictions in which the vehicle  10  is driving. 
         [0016]    The video monitoring module  16  modifies the video content  22  before it is displayed by the display device  18  when the video content  22  does not meet the guidelines. For example, the video monitoring module  16  may modify the video content  22  by causing all or a portion of the video content  22  to be blocked from being displayed (e.g., by modified display signals) when the video content  22  does not meet the guidelines. The video monitoring module  16  leaves the video content  22  unmodified when the video content  22  does meet the guidelines. For example, the video monitoring module  16  sends the video content  22  to the display device  18  (e.g., by display signals) when the video content  22  meets the guidelines. 
         [0017]    In various embodiments, the video monitoring module  16  further tracks whether video content  22  meets the guidelines and provides notifications of monitoring results  26  to the foreign device  20  and/or other devices or interested systems based on the tracking These monitoring results  26  may be used by a developer of the application  24  to modify the application  24  such that the video content  22  meets the required guidelines. 
         [0018]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a dataflow diagram illustrates various embodiments of the video monitoring module  16 . Various embodiments of the video monitoring module  16  according to the present disclosure may include any number of sub-modules. As can be appreciated, the sub-modules shown in  FIG. 2  may be combined and/or further partitioned to similarly monitor the video content  22  being supplied to the HVI module  14  and to take corrective actions when the video content  22  does not meet particular guidelines. Inputs to the video monitoring module  16  may be received from the foreign device  20  ( FIG. 1 ), received from other modules (not shown) of the vehicle  10  ( FIG. 1 ), and/or determined by other sub-modules (not shown) of the video monitoring module  16 . In various embodiments, the video monitoring module  16  includes a monitoring module  30 , a content manager module  32 , a display manager module  34 , a verification module  36 , and a guidelines datastore  38 . 
         [0019]    The guidelines datastore  38  stores threshold data and/or rule information  40  associated with the guidelines. The threshold data and/or rule information  40  can be pre-configured based on the guidelines and/or can be updated as the guidelines change. In one example, the threshold data and/or rule information  40  can includes rate of change thresholds that pertain to certain types of video content  22 , video content sources, and/or jurisdictions. For exemplary purposes, the remainder of the disclosure will be discussed in the context of the guidelines pertaining to these rate of change thresholds. 
         [0020]    The monitoring module  30  receives as input the video content  22 , video data  42 , and vehicle data  44 . The video content  22  may be in the form of a video signal that is received from the HVI module  14  ( FIG. 1 ). The video data includes, but is not limited to, a source (e.g., an indication of where the signal is coming from), a type (e.g., an indication of what type of video content is included in the signal), and a certification of the video signal (e.g., an indication that the video content has or has not been certified). As can be appreciated, the video data can be received as part of the video signal or as separate data. The vehicle data includes data that indicates current operational status of the vehicle  10  ( FIG. 1 ) (e.g., a speed of the vehicle, a PRNDL position such as park, reverse, drive, or neutral of the vehicle, etc.) and location of the vehicle  10  ( FIG. 1 ) (e.g., geographic coordinates indicating a country, a state, a city, etc.). 
         [0021]    Based on the video data  42  and/or the vehicle data  44 , the monitoring module  30  accesses the threshold data or rule information  40  from the guidelines datastore  38  for evaluating the video content  22  of the video signal. For example, if vehicle data  44  indicates that the vehicle  10  ( FIG. 1 ) is operating in a certain jurisdiction (e.g., in the United States) then a first set of threshold data (e.g., stored in one or more tables associated with the United States) is selected from the guidelines datastore  38 . If the vehicle data  44  indicates that the vehicle  10  ( FIG. 1 ) is operating under certain vehicle speeds, then a sub-set of threshold data (e.g., one or more tables associated with vehicles speeds between zero and twenty-five miles per hour) is selected from the first set of threshold data. If the video data  42  indicates that the video signal is from a particular source, then a third sub-set of threshold data (e.g., one or more tables for a MirrorLink source) is selected from the guidelines datastore  38 . As can be appreciated, the monitoring module may evaluate the vehicle data  44  and the video data  42  in any order and is thus not limited to the present example. 
         [0022]    The monitoring module  30  continues the process of evaluating the vehicle data  44  and the video data  42  until a single threshold is obtained from the threshold data. In various embodiments, the monitoring module  30  determines a rate of change of the video content in the video signal and compares the determined rate of change with the threshold. For example, the monitoring module  30  determines the rate of change by processing motion vectors of the video data  42 . For example, distance measurements can be processed (e.g., summed, averaged, etc.) to provide an amount of motion. 
         [0023]    If the rate of change exceeds the threshold, then the monitoring module  30  sets a content status  46  to indicate that all or part of the video content  22  violates the guidelines as indicated by the threshold and that the video content  22  should be blocked. If the rate of change is less than the threshold, then the monitoring module  30  sets the content status  46  to indicate that the video content  22  does not violate the guidelines as indicated by the threshold and that the video content  22  should not be blocked. 
         [0024]    The content manager module  32  receives as input the video content  22  from the video signal and the content status  46 . Based on the content status  46 , the content manager module  32  selectively modifies or does not modify the video content  22  such that the content is “blocked” from being displayed or is fully displayed and provides monitored video content  48  to the display manager module  34  based thereon. 
         [0025]    For example, when the content status  46  indicates that the video content  22  does not violate the guidelines, the video content  22  provided to the display manger module  34  unmodified. In another example, when the content status  46  indicates that all or part of the video content  22  violates the guidelines, then the content manager module  32  modifies the portion of the video content  22  that was indicated as violating the guidelines such that the display of which does not distract a driver of the vehicle  10  ( FIG. 1 ). For example, the video content  22  can be modified (or otherwise replaced) in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, in a way such that the content displays all one color on the display device  18 , such that the video content  22  displays a hash or other pattern on the display device  18 , or such that the video content  22  appears frozen (e.g., the video content  22  is set to the video content of a previous frame). The content manager module  32  blocks the video content  22  from being displayed until the content status  46  indicates that the video content  22  no longer violates the guidelines. 
         [0026]    The display manager module  34  receives as input the monitored video content  48  that is either modified or unmodified. The display manager module  34  generates display signals  50  to the display device  18  ( FIG. 1 ) to display the video content  22  either in the modified or blocked form or the unmodified or unblocked form. 
         [0027]    The verification module  36  receives as input the video data  42 , and the content status  46 . Based on the video data  42  and the content status  46 , the verification module  36  tracks and verifies the video content  22 . For example, the verification module  36  tracks the content status  46  of the video content  22  for the particular device or application source based on one or more predefined verification metrics. The verification module  36  generates the monitoring results  26  based on the tracking. For example, if the content status  46  does not meet the verification metrics, the verification module  36  generates monitoring results  26  that indicate that the video content  22  does not meet requirements and the application  24  that produced the video content  22  must be reworked. In another example, if the content status  46  does meet the verification metrics, the verification module  36  generates monitoring results  26  that indicate that the video content  22  has been verified and that no rework is necessary. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , and with continued reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a flowchart illustrates a video monitoring method that can be performed by the video monitoring system  10  of  FIG. 1  in accordance with various embodiments. As can be appreciated in light of the disclosure, the order operation within the method is not limited to the sequential execution as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , but may be performed in one or more varying orders as applicable and in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         [0029]    As can further be appreciated, the method of  FIG. 3  may be scheduled to run at predetermined time intervals during operation of the vehicle  10  or the HVI module  14  and/or may be scheduled to run based on predetermined events. 
         [0030]    In one example, the method may begin at  100 . The video content  22  is received at  110 . The video data  42  is evaluated to determine if it is from a foreign device  20  at  120 . If the video content  22  is from a foreign device  20  at  120 , the threshold data and/or rule information  40  are obtained from the guidelines datastore  38  based on the video data  42  and/or the vehicle data  44  at  130 . The metrics for evaluating the video content  22  are determined at  140  and compared to the threshold data and/or rule information  40  at  150 . For example, the rate of change of the video content  22  is determined at  140 . The determined rate of change is then compared to the threshold data at  150 . If the rate of change exceeds the threshold data at  150 , the video content is modified at  160  and the modified video content is displayed such that all or part of the video content  22  is blocked at  170 . Thereafter, the content status is tracked at  180 , the monitoring results  26  are generated based on the content status at  190 , and the method may end at  200 . 
         [0031]    If, however, at  150  the rate of change of the video content  22  does not exceed the threshold data, the video content is not modified rather the unmodified video content is displayed by the display device  18  at  210 . Thereafter, the monitoring results  26  are generated based on the content status at  220 , and the method may end at  200 . 
         [0032]    If, however, at  120 , the video content  22  is not from a foreign device  20 , the video content is displayed by the display device  18  at  230  and the method may end at  200 . As can be appreciated, the flow of steps  120  and  230  is merely exemplary as the video content  22  from non-foreign sources may similarly be evaluated according to steps  130 - 220 . 
         [0033]    While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.