VISUAL INFORMATION VALIDATION SYSTEM

Description

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field.

[0001] This disclosure relates to systems that monitor the visual presentation of information including data that assures functional safety.4. Related Art.

[0002] Visual displays are being used in all types of systems and devices. These displays often use symbols to convey ideas and meaning. For example, vehicles display symbols on instrument clusters to inform drivers when the vehicle's parking brake is applied or when the vehicle's fluids are low.

[0003] In legacy systems, tungsten lamps are used to report faults or operating conditions. As electronic displays become more economical and more widely used, manufacturers are challenged to emulate the appearance of the legacy symbols that in the past were used on the older mechanical instrument clusters, and assure that the symbols shown on new electronic displays are defined correctly and operating correctly. In some instances, it is worse to display misleading symbols than to not report the faults or operating conditions.

[0004] Functional safety features will play a critical role in new systems and devices. When symbols warn of faults and conditions, and those faults affect safety, the systems must ensure that the symbols rendered and are rendered correctly.

[0005] In addition, document US 2016 / 0125269 A1 relates to systems and methods for identifying anomalous test item renderings, document US 5,541,646 relates to display image stabilization apparatus and method of using same, document US 6,327,388 B1 relates to identification of logos from document images, document US 2008 / 0013836 A1 relates to information processing device information processing method, and program, document US 2003 / 0031356 A1 relates to pattern inspection apparatus and method, and document US 2006 / 0110043 A1 relates to system and method for validating graphical components of images by analysis.

[0006] Finally, document "Real-Time Opaque and Semi-Transparent TV Logos Detection",Proc. 5th International Information and Telecommunication Technologies Symposium, Alex Reis Dos Santos ET AL (2006-12-06), retrieved from the Internet:URL:http: / / www.lps.usp.br / hae / i2ts2006-logo.pdf [retrieved on 2014-06-13] describes algorithms for real-time tv logos detection using edge-based template matching to detect opaque, semi-transparent and partially animated logos.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The system may be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. Figure 1 is a process that validates symbology on a screen of a display unit. Figure 2 is a second process that validates symbology on a screen of a display unit. Figure 3 is a transformation of symbol data. Figure 4 is a monitoring engine interfaced to input systems and a display unit. Figure 5 is a symbology system. Figure 6 is monitoring engine in a vehicle and a display

[0008] Other systems, methods, features and advantages will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included with this description. The claimed invention is defined in the appended claims.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] In the past, warning lights were functional or utilitarian. And, they were either operational or they weren't. In vehicles, when a user turns a key, older instrument clusters enter what is known as a test mode. The turn of the key causes the lights in the instrument cluster to illuminate immediately identifying all the systems and conditions that are monitored by illuminating a symbol. A key turn also alerts the driver to lamp failures. As instrument clusters evolve into graphic electronic displays and head-up displays, for example, emulating warning symbols presents challenges. The electronic displays must render the right symbol, using the right color, at the right time. A technical challenge of the disclosed systems is ensuring that the proper warning symbols are displayed at the right time, in some cases, using the right color, at the right location. Other technical challenges include ensuring (1) symbols that should not be rendered are not displayed; (2) that the symbols are displayed clearly (they are not rendered in a corrupt view); and / or (3) that the symbols are shown for the appropriate period of time without loading the electronics driving the electronic displays.

[0010] The disclosed systems (which also encompasses the disclosed processes and sometimes referred to as the symbology system) execute a combination of testing strategies on visual data or a bitmap that drives one or more video displays. By processing data retrieved from a collection of buffers that are used to render an electronic screen, the systems validate the output of subsystems and processes that monitor operating conditions that are rated for safety. In other words, the disclosed systems automatically ensure that the systems used to protect from danger, risk, or injury are functional and communicating with the driver or intended recipients correctly, for the proper duration (in some instances) and at the right time. In response to input from monitoring and analysis circuitry, the disclosed systems automatically process data in real time from a frame buffer or frame store that is retained in a portion of random access memory that is part of or interfaced to an electronic visual display through I / O circuitry. The memory contains a complete frame that directly drives the visual display and typically includes color values for every pixel (a point of an image that can be displayed) to be rendered on a display screen, a destination addresses, frame timing information, and is sufficient in size to satisfy the refresh rate of the display screen. A real time process is a process in which the symbology systems can update and process information at the same rate as it receives the data and operations that proceed as fast or faster than the same rate as a physical or external process is occurring. Real time operations are characteristic of vehicle guidance systems in self-driving vehicles, for example, in which the system responds to situations as they occur (for example, animating a graphic to report a condition as the condition is occurring or making corrections based on the output of an operating sensor as a measurement occurs).

[0011] Symbol validation may be assured by a combination of tests that may include summing data that makes up a portion of the stored or transmitted data intended for a selected region of a display screen, color coherency tests on selected pixels within a display screen region, and logically based and statically based tests. The automated processing includes the reduction of a retrieved display image to a grayscale, edge detection of the grayscale image, and the automated processing of the reduced and / or edge detection against data derived from expected images or symbols. Some implementations include one or more or any combination of a (1) a row edge pixel test; (2) a column edge pixel test; (3) total edge pixel test; (4) a row edge pixel frequency test; (5) a column edge pixel frequency test; (6) a cyclical redundancy test according to the appended claims; and (7) selected color pixel validation tests, for example, that are executed in any order in response to the requesting application that can also determine / request the order.

[0012] Some implementations include tolerances that account for variances that may be caused by visual noise or visual corruption or inconsistency that is often undetected by human vision. The intelligence of the symbology systems automatically eliminates and in some systems, does not report test results that indicate that a particular condition or attribute is present. For example, when one pixel is a shade off (out of the millions of shades, for example) or if an entire image is shifted less than five pixels to the right or left, for example, the systems may log the difference in memory but may not report it because while the screen may not be technically perfect, the results are operating within the acceptable limits of variations in the visual domain. In addition to increasing utility by not reporting errors that users would normally disregard, the disclosed systems are versatile as some systems are retroactively integrated into existing software and hardware with minimal changes to the legacy systems; scale to most if not all monitoring technology that render images and symbology; and does not require segregation of checked and non checked symbology data busses. Further, the systems automatically adapt to different display resolutions, color depths, memory layouts, and refresh rate timings.

[0013] In operation, output from a monitoring or analysis circuitry report the existence or status of a particular condition by requesting that symbols be displayed or images be rendered on an electronic display screen when a safety condition is detected as reflected in 102 of Figure 1 . The request may identify the symbol, include a display screen destination address, and timing or time period data for rendering. When a system application issues a warning at 104 in response to a detected condition it communicates with graphics display software that is resident to or is a unitary part of the graphics monitor memory or accessed by a graphics processing unit via an input and output interface (I / O). In response to output of the system application software, the graphics processing unit executing the graphics display software writes the requested symbol into a display frame buffer (shown in Figure 1 ) or a frame store that generates the display screen that is passed on pixel-by-pixel to the screen of the electronic display at 106. When issuing a warning, the system application will request that the symbology system confirm the rendering of the image or symbol on the display screen, which is thereafter acknowledged via a parallel circuit or interface that connects the symbology system to the system application and frame buffer or frame store. Following a predetermined time period such as two frame refresh cycles that may ensure that the entire screen data set has been written to the frame buffer or frame store and rendered on the display at 108, the symbology system samples the frame buffer or frame store and retrieves a portion of the content rendered on the display screen region that comprises the expected symbol or image and in some applications its attributes (such as an absolute or relative address). The selected portion of the screen data set may be sampled at predetermined time periods, at predetermined frequencies (e.g., polling the frame buffer or frame store at predetermined time periods to periodically determine status can be executed to determine duration), or may be sampled at a single instance. The symbology system processes the screen data to ensure that the symbols or images are being displayed and are being displayed correctly at 110. When the analysis is complete, the symbology system transmits the result of an event to the requesting system application regardless of the result. The event results will indicate the success or failure of rendering the symbol or image on the display screen. Based on the scope of the request of the requesting system application, the feedback data that comprise event may be pre-designated by the requesting system application or pre-programmed in a configuration file within a database coupled to the symbology system. In some alternative symbology systems the events may be contemporaneously created / generated in response to the request from the requesting system application. By always transmitting event results the symbology system is also providing a signal to the requesting application that the symbology system is operational.

[0014] The process that validates symbology on a screen of a display unit is shown in Figure 2 . A structure that organizes data and governs the interactions between the logical units such as the system application stored in memory (shown as the system application in Figure 1 ) and the symbology system (shown as the graphics monitor or graphics processing unit in Figure 1 ) and the hosting communication systems is programmed in the configuration file as designated at 202. User configurable objects in the configuration file may include one or more aspects such the identity of the symbol or image to be detected and analyzed, the expected relative or absolute address on the display screen where the symbol or image should be found; the expected color and its corresponding spatial information on the display screen, the analysis being executed; the acceptable tolerance values or variation values with respect to symbol / image clarity, color coherence and / or location, and the feedback or event results requested in response to the test. As previously explained, some systems transmitted events at 210 that are dynamically generated or supplemented automatically in response to the analysis 208 in real time.

[0015] At optional step 208 the appearance of the symbol or image is assured through image queries that assure color fidelity. In the Red Green Blue (RGB) color-space, the system application requesting validation will provide the expected pixels, color, and absolute or relative locations on the screen for the symbol or images to be validated. The information may be pre-programmed in the configuration file or accompany the validation request. The process compares the data retrieved from the frame buffer or frame store with the data provided by the requesting system application using the spatial information to ensure a direct color match within the acceptable tolerance between the previously saved and retrieved symbols that are appropriately scaled to ensure the same pixel resolution or measure of color coherence in alternative processes. Color coherence reflects the degree to which the pixels of color are members of similarly positioned similarly colored regions of the display screen. If the pixels fall within a designated color bucket (a range of color shades pre-designated for a similarly colored region) they are designated coherent, if they fall outside of the color bucket they are designated incoherent.

[0016] A second test at step 208 according to the appended claims will detect any changes in the expected and actual data through a cyclical redundancy test such as a thirty-two-bit cyclical redundancy test. The cyclical redundancy test generates a check sum of the Red Green and Blue components of all the retrieved symbol pixels and then compares the check sum against the expected checksum retained in the configuration file.

[0017] At 206 the original symbol or image retrieved from the frame buffer or buffer store (shown as 302 in Figure 3 ) are converted to a grayscale (shown as 304 in Figure 3 ) by matching the luminance of the retrieved colored symbol or image from the frame buffer or frame store to a weighted predestinated luminance of a grayscale stored in a database. By replication of the tones and variations, the symbol or image is converted into a range of gray without apparent color as shown in Figure 3 .

[0018] An edge detection process, such as a Canny edge detection, is then executed by the symbology system that removes noise and detects edges at 208. The resulting image is a two dimensional model rendered on a grid of the same dimension and edge information as the original symbol or image retrieved from the frame buffer or frame store with just edge information remaining (an exemplary edge detected symbol is shown as 306 in Figure 3 ). The pixels that are attributed to the edge are made back while the non-edge pixels are made white.

[0019] Once reduced to a two-dimensional edge based image model having the same dimension as the received symbol or image, the number of pixels that make up the columns of the grid of the sampled symbol or image may be processed at a third optional test at 208. Through an automated comparison of the actual column count data of the image model against the expected column count data on a column-by-column basis, the symbology system automatically determines the level of similarity between the image model and expected symbol or images. If the column counts are equal or within acceptable tolerances the retrieved symbol or images are validated under this test. In other words, the system will have determined that there is little or no horizontal placement corruption or other distortions causing edges to appear or disappear within the image.

[0020] A fourth optional test may be automatically executed on a row-by-row basis at 208 like the column edge pixel test to detect vertical placement corruption. In this test, the system compares actual row count data of the image model against the expected row count data on a row-by-row basis. Through a second automated comparison of the actual row count data of the image model against the expected column count data on a column-by-column basis, the symbology system automatically determines the level of similarity between the model and expected symbol or images. If the rows counts are equal or within acceptable tolerances the symbol or images are validated under this test.

[0021] A fifth test according to the appended claims is automatically executed by comparing the total number of pixels of the image model and expected total number of pixel counts at 208. If the total number of edges pixels present in the image model is the same or within acceptable tolerances as the expected total count the retrieved symbol or images are validated under this test.

[0022] A sixth optional test may be automatically executed by statistically analysing two data sets through a Chi squared calculation at 208. In this test the frequency of the column edge of the image model is compared against the expected frequency of the column edge to determining if images could have originated from the same source. The closer the results are aligned, and thus share a common source, the closer the result is to the unity value or one. When applying a predetermined tolerance through a multiplier, such as ninety percent, for example, when the result is .9 or greater (e.g., 1 x .9 = .9), the retrieved symbol or images are validated under this test. The seventh optional test is similar to the sixth optional test, except that the frequency of the column edge of the image model is compared against the expected frequency of the column edge following the same process described above.

[0023] Once the retrieved symbol or image and / or the reduced two-dimensional edge based image model are analyzed, the symbology system transmits the event results of the test to the requesting system application. The data that comprise the event results may be pre-programmed by the requesting system application or pre-programmed by a user in the configuration file. In some alternative symbology systems, the events may be dynamically generated (not preprogrammed) and transmitted in real time as each requested test is completed or in batch meaning all the scheduled or requested event results are transmitted in a single transmission run when all of the requested tests are completed.

[0024] In Figure 4 the symbology system comprises a monitoring engine 400 and configuration services are served by a local or a remote distributed database 412. The monitoring engine contains or accesses the tools and tests for validating the retrieved symbol or image and / or the reduced two-dimensional image model via the processes described. The monitoring and analysis circuitry shown as systems 402-408 automatically notifies the monitoring engine 400 of faults, warning conditions, or operating conditions as they occur which is then stored in the configuration services 416 in real time. In response, the monitoring engine 400 automatically monitors regions of the display screen 414 shown as locations by executing one or more of the tests described and temporarily stores the results in the configuration services 416. The event results can be read by the monitoring engine 400 and transmitted to the requesting system 402-408 or transmitted to a proxy system or software. A proxy system or software may mediate the communication between the systems 402-408 and the monitoring engine 400 if the monitoring engine 400 is not in direct communication with the requesting systems 402-408.

[0025] The methods, devices, systems, and logic described above may be implemented in many other ways in many different combinations of hardware, software or both hardware and software and may be used to compare, contrast, and visually display objects. All or parts of the system may be executed through one or more specifically programmed controllers, one or more specifically programmed microprocessors (CPUs), one or more specifically programmed signal processors (SPU), one or more specifically programmed graphics processors (GPUs), one or more application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more programmable media or any and all combinations of such hardware including the hardware shown in Figures 4-6. All or part of the logic described above including that shown in Figures 1-3 may be implemented as unique instructions for execution by a microcontroller that comprises electronics including input / output interfaces, a microprocessor, and an up-dateable memory comprising at least a random access memory which is capable of being updated via an electronic medium and which is capable of storing updated information, processors (e.g., CPUs, SPUs, and / or GPUs), controller, an integrated circuit that includes a microcontroller on a single chip or other processing devices and may be displayed through a display driver in communication with a remote or local display, or stored and accessible from a machine-readable or computer readable medium (or tangible or non-transitory machine-readable or computer-readable medium) such as flash memory, random access memory (RAM) or read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM) or other machine-readable medium such as a compact disc read only memory (CDROM), or magnetic or optical disk as shown in program modules 502-508 of Figure 5 . Thus, a product, such as a computer program product, includes a specifically programmed storage medium and computer readable instructions stored on that medium, which when executed, cause the device to perform the specially programmed operations according to the descriptions above.

[0026] The systems may evaluate warning symbols being used in any equipment including electronic displays and / or heads-up displays as shown in Figure 6 and may render operational controls that operate under functional safety parameters that adhere to safety standards such as ISO 26262, IEC 61508, and IEC 62304. Parameters, databases, software, filters and data structures used to evaluate and analyze the symbols or images to be rendered may be separately stored in memory and may be executed by the processors. It may be incorporated into a single memory block or database, may be logically and / or physically organized in many different ways, and may be implemented in many ways. The programing executed by the symbology systems may be parts (e.g., subroutines) of a single program, separate programs, application program or programs distributed across several memories and processor cores and / or processing nodes, or implemented in many different ways, such as in a library or a shared library accessed through a specifically programmed client server architecture through a local tangible or wireless network. The library may store the configuration file and the software code that performs any of the system processing described herein, and the scratch pad used by the graphical processing unit. The processing steps described may be performed sequentially or concurrently in parallel without user intervention, meaning the processor may execute the next test before the prior test is completed in a continuous and / or autonomous manner. When the system is operating autonomously, it operates independently of the requesting device or system and does not incorporate the requesting device or system's functionality. Further, the testing cycle can include any combination of the test described, meaning each of the tests is optional and may be performed in any order or combination and may be supplemented or replaced by other display screen tests. While various embodiments have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are encompassed in this disclosure.

[0027] The term "coupled" disclosed in this description may encompass both direct and indirect coupling. Thus, first and second parts are said to be coupled together when they directly contact one another, as well as when the first part couples to an intermediate part which couples either directly or via one or more additional intermediate parts to the second part. The term "substantially" or "about" may encompass a range that is largely, but not necessarily wholly, that which is specified. It encompasses all but a significant amount. When devices are responsive to commands events and / or requests, or occur in response to something, the actions and / or steps of the devices, such as the operations that devices are performing, necessarily occur as a direct or indirect result of the preceding commands, events, actions, and / or requests. In other words, the operations occur as a result of the preceding operations. A device that is responsive to another requires more than an action (i.e., the device's response to) merely follow another action. The scope of the invention is only restricted by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of automatically verifying that information is rendered correctly on a display screen comprising: retrieving, by a symbology system, data stored in a portion of a display's memory that holds the content of a screen image rendered on a monitored region of the display screen automatically, the content being a symbol; processing (206), by the symbology system, the data by reducing the screen image to a grayscale image, performing an edge detection process on the grayscale image to produce an image containing edge pixels, and producing count data by performing a count of edge pixels; automatically comparing (208), by the symbology system, the count data with second data provided by a system application to verify that the screen image is correctly displayed at a location in an area of the display screen specified by the system application corresponding to the monitored region of the display screen, wherein the second data is expected count data derived from an expected image and acceptable tolerance values; automatically comparing (208), by the symbology system, the data stored in the portion of the display's memory with the second data provided by the system application by performing a cyclical redundancy test of the red, blue, and green components of the screen image, and transmitting (210), by the symbology system, the results of the comparisons to the system application automatically.

2. The method of claim 1, where the count data is produced by at least one of: counting the total number of edge pixels; counting the edge pixels on a row-by-row basis; counting the edge pixels on a column-by-column basis.

3. The method of any of claims 1 to 2, where the results are generated by the symbology system dynamically in response to a request transmitted from the system application.

4. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, where the acts of: retrieving the data stored in the portion of the display's memory that holds the content of the screen image rendered on the display screen; and processing the data to produce the count data; and comparing the count data with the second data provided by the system application; and transmitting the results of the comparison to the system application; occur automatically and in real time in response to a request transmitted by the system application to a graphics monitoring unit of the symbology system.

5. The method of any of claims 1 to 4, where the display's memory comprises a frame store remote from the display screen.

6. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, where the data stored in the portion of a display's memory is transmitted by the system application to the display's memory.

7. The method of any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising automatically comparing (208), by the symbology system, the data stored in the portion of the display's memory with the second data provided by the system application to compare the screen image's color fidelity.

8. The method of any of claims 1 to 7, further comprising automatically comparing (208), by the symbology system, data stored in the portion of the display's memory with the second data provided by the system application to compare the screen image's coherency.

9. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for performing the method of any of claims 1 to 8.

10. An apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor containing instructions, executable by the processor, for performing the method of any of claims 1 to 8.