Automated management of the positioning of the display location of a head-up display device in a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the operation of a head-up display device (2) in a motor vehicle (1). The invention also relates to an apparatus (100) for carrying out such a method and to a motor vehicle (1) comprising such an apparatus.

Description

DESCRIPTION TITLE: Automated management of the positioning of the display location of a head-up display device in a motor vehicle Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2300463 filed on 18.01.2023, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. The present invention relates to the field of head-up display devices for motor vehicles. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing the operation of a head-up display device of a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle comprising such a device. The invention applies to motor vehicles such as land motor vehicles, in particular cars. State of the prior art

[0002] It is known that most modern motor vehicles are equipped with head-up display devices that make it easier for the driver to read driving information by displaying this information at the lower part of the windshield. Originally, these devices operated by using a translucent blade arranged between the windshield and the steering wheel onto which the driving information was projected by means of components such as projectors and mirrors. More recently, head-up display devices use projectors and mirrors retracted behind the steering wheel and the windshield serves as a reflector to generate a virtual image that appears to the driver as a sort of hologram displayed at the level of the roadway in front of the vehicle. However, in order to be seen, this virtual image must be positioned within a particular portion of the driver's field of vision. driver, sometimes called the "eyebox", which corresponds to the volume in which it is considered, based on a certain number of criteria, that the human eye is able to construct an acceptable view of an image. Thus, taking these constraints into account, it is essential that the driver can adjust the positioning of the display location of the head-up display device, i.e. the position of the virtual image, according to his morphology. To do this, manufacturers have generally installed a button or other joystick in the cockpits of vehicles which allows the driver to modify the positioning of the display location of the head-up display device according to his morphology.However, a driver may be unaware of the existence in the cockpit of a button that allows the display location of the vehicle's head-up display equipment to be positioned, for example when considering the context of shared vehicle fleets in which a user may well have only partial knowledge of the equipment on board a vehicle that he is driving.In such a situation, taking into account in addition the fact that the projection means of current head-up display devices are almost invisible, a driver for whom the display location of the head-up display device has not been positioned according to his morphology could not see the information displayed by the head-up display device and thus be unaware of his presence on board the vehicle, at the risk of then not benefiting from the information that the head-up display device provides with the aim of promoting safer driving. In this sense, the known head-up display devices still lack ergonomics. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention aims to solve this problem. The invention aims in particular to provide means to prevent a driver from being prevented from viewing the visual content generated by a head-up display device of a motor vehicle due to a positioning of the location display thereof unsuitable for the driver's morphology. More specifically, the invention aims to provide a method and a device which make it possible to automate the positioning of the display location of a head-up display device of a motor vehicle according to the morphology of a driver, in particular their size. By these means, the invention aims to improve the ergonomics of head-up display devices of motor vehicles and thus contribute to maximizing driving safety.

[0004] In order to achieve these aims, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method for managing, by a computer device on board a motor vehicle, the operation of a head-up display device of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: i) determining data characterizing the position of the driver's eyes; and ii) causing an adaptation of the positioning of the display location of the head-up display device as a function of the data characterizing the position of the driver's eyes.

[0005] According to a variant, step i) may comprise a step consisting of determining data characterizing a value of the height at which the driver's eyes are positioned.

[0006] According to another variant, step i) may comprise a step consisting of determining data characterizing a value of the vertical amplitude of the driver's field of vision.

[0007] According to yet another variant, step ii) may comprise a step of causing an adaptation of the height of said display location measured from a lower edge of the vehicle's windshield.

[0008] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for managing the operation of a head-up display device of a motor vehicle, the device comprising at least one information processing unit, comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium configured to implement a method as described above.

[0009] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a medium usable in a computer on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0011] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a head-up display apparatus and a device as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0012] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawings, in which:

[0013] [Fig- 1] is a diagram of a motor vehicle according to the invention;

[0014] [Fig. 2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention; and

[0015] [Fig. 3] is a flowchart of the steps of a method according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0016] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. This conventionally comprises a head-up display apparatus high 2 to display information at the lower part of the windshield of the vehicle and a camera 3 arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle to take shots of the driver's face, which, conventionally, is notably capable of determining the position of the eyes of a subject present within a shot. In addition, the vehicle 1 according to the invention advantageously incorporates a device 100 for managing the operation of a head-up display apparatus of a motor vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as described below, which implements a method for managing the operation of a head-up display apparatus of a motor vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as described below.

[0017] When implementing the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention uses the camera 3 to determine the position of the driver's eyes, then it adapts the display location of the head-up display apparatus 2 according to this position. This provides a means for automating the positioning of the display location of the head-up display apparatus 2, which prevents a driver from being prevented from viewing the visual content generated by the head-up display apparatus 2 due to an unsuitable positioning of its display location.

[0018] Figure 2 illustrates in more detail the device 100 for managing the operation of a head-up display device of a motor vehicle according to the invention. It is fundamentally a computer device, which comprises at least one information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which comprises program code instructions for executing the steps of the method according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data.

[0019] Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention is hosted on an independent computer and it interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired communication network of the vehicle (e.g. CAN, Ethernet) - shown in Figure 1 by the two-way arrows - with the head-up display apparatus 2 and the camera 3. According to another embodiment, the device 100 according to the invention is an integral part of a computer of the head-up display apparatus 2. Thus, whatever the embodiment, the device 100 according to the invention is advantageously able, in particular, to determine data characterizing the position of the driver's eyes and it can also cause an adaptation of the positioning of the display location of the head-up display apparatus 2.

[0020] According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the implementation of a method for managing the operation of a head-up display device of a motor vehicle, as described below in connection with Figure 3.

[0021] According to a first step 201 of the method according to the invention, which, preferably, is carried out as soon as the device 100 according to the invention is activated at the moment when the driver activates the ignition of the vehicle, which triggers the switching on of the camera 3, the device 100 according to the invention determines data characterizing the position of the driver's eyes. To do this, it interacts with the camera 3, which is configured to determine data characterizing the coordinates of the driver's eyes from a shot that it takes. And it is from these raw data obtained from the camera 3 that the device 100 according to the invention therefore determines the data characterizing the position of the driver's eyes.

[0022] Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds more precisely by determining data characterizing a value of the height at at which the driver's eyes are positioned. Indeed, it is mainly the height of the driver's eyes, i.e. the vertical component, which constrains the positioning of the display location of the head-up display apparatus 2, because the horizontal component does not vary due to the fact that the eyes of a driver, whatever their size, are always positioned symmetrically relative to the axis of the steering wheel. Then, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds preferentially by determining data characterizing a value of the vertical amplitude of the driver's field of vision from the data characterizing a value of the height at which the driver's eyes are positioned, for example by considering that an angle of between 3° and 7° extends between each of the ends which delimit in height the driver's field of vision.

[0023] Thus, at the end of this first step of the method, the device 100 according to has advantageously determined the size and the viewing capacity of the driver, which, according to the invention, are the parameters which condition the positioning of the display location of the head-up display apparatus 2 to allow the appropriate viewing by the driver of a virtual image that the head-up display apparatus generates.

[0024] According to a second step 202 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes an adaptation of the positioning of the display location of the head-up display apparatus 2 as a function of data characterizing the position of the driver's eyes previously obtained. To do this, the device 100 according to the invention preferentially interacts with the head-up display apparatus 2 by transmitting to it data characterizing a command to adapt the positioning of its display location and the head-up display apparatus 2 executes the command upon receipt of the transmitted data by modifying the orientation of its mirrors or by specifically controlling a projector so that its location display varies in accordance with the command received. Thus, at the end of this second step 202 of the method, the positioning of the display location of the head-up display apparatus 2 is advantageously automated according to data which characterize the morphology of the driver.

[0025] Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds more precisely by causing an adaptation of the height of the display location measured from a lower edge of the vehicle's windshield, the display location being by default positioned in width symmetrically relative to the axis of the steering wheel, and this for the reasons mentioned previously.

[0026] Therefore, thanks to the method and the device according to the invention described above, a solution is provided to prevent a driver from being prevented from viewing the information generated by the head-up display apparatus of a motor vehicle due to a positioning of the display location thereof not corresponding to the morphology of the driver. In particular, it is possible, thanks to the method and the device according to the invention, to automate the positioning of the display location of a head-up display apparatus of a motor vehicle according to the morphology of a driver, in particular his size. This therefore allows a significant improvement in the ergonomics of the head-up display apparatus of motor vehicles and, as a result, a beneficial contribution to driving safety.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Method for managing, by a computer device (100) on board a motor vehicle (1), the operation of a head-up display device (2) of the vehicle, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: i) determining data characterizing the position of the driver's eyes by interacting with a camera (3) arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle; and ii) causing an adaptation of the positioning of the display location of the head-up display device as a function of the data characterizing the position of the driver's eyes.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that step i) comprises a step of determining data characterizing a value of the height at which the driver's eyes are positioned.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step i) comprises a step consisting of determining data characterizing a value of the vertical amplitude of the driver's field of vision.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step ii) comprises a step consisting of causing an adaptation of the height of said display location measured from a lower edge of the vehicle windshield.

5. Device (100) for managing the operation of a head-up display device (2) of a motor vehicle, characterized in that the device comprises at least one information processing unit (101), comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium (102) configured to implement a method according to one of the preceding claims.

6. Computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 when said program is executed by at least one processor.

7. Support usable in a computer, characterized in that a program according to claim 5 is recorded therein.

8. Motor vehicle (1) comprising a head-up display apparatus, characterized in that it incorporates a device (100) according to claim 5.

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