Connected navigation system embedded in a motor vehicle

Abstract

A connected navigation system (CNS) comprising a connected navigation device (DNV) installed in a motor vehicle (MV), belonging to an infotainment system (IVR) of the vehicle (MV), and comprising a touchscreen display (TSD) coupled to the navigation device (DNV); said navigation device (DNV) being connected to a remote server (RDS) capable of providing a dedicated connected service for the video stream from a surveillance camera (WC3), associated with a point of interest (POI) selected on the touchscreen display (TSD), via a specified connection address (ASC; APD); said infotainment system (IVI) further comprising a video stream display management module (DGM) configured to select a specified connection address (ASC; APD) and conditionally validate the display of the video stream on the touchscreen display (TSD). (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Connected navigation system on board a motor vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates generally to connected navigation systems embedded in motor vehicles and relates more particularly to a connected navigation system managing the display of a determined category of "POIs", an English acronym for "Point Of Interest", in particular a category relating to network-connected surveillance cameras, or "webcams", as well as the display of video streams provided by these webcams.

[0002] A connected navigation system embedded in a vehicle is generally integrated into, or coupled with, a so-called vehicle infotainment system which manages exchanges between the vehicle and the outside world: remote servers, portable electronic terminals, etc.

[0003] An infotainment system on board a motor vehicle, also designated by the English acronym "IVI", for "In-Vehicle Infotainment", or IVI system, or multimedia system, is a term from the automotive industry which refers to a system which combines entertainment and the provision of information to drivers and passengers.

[0004] Such an infotainment system conventionally comprises a central unit associated with a digital display screen equipped with a touch-sensitive control surface, also called a multimedia screen, allowing the user, and in particular the driver, to navigate in a menu tree giving him access to numerous vehicle functions and in particular to connected navigation via a vehicle navigation device implementing digital map data and real-time location data of the vehicle provided by a geolocation device commonly referred to as a “GPS” receiver, an English acronym for “Global Positioning System”.

[0005] The navigation system also benefits from another functionality of the infotainment system: connectivity to the exterior of the vehicle and in particular to one or more remote servers, capable of providing different services to the user, also referred to as “connected services”.

[0006] These remote servers make it possible, in connection with the vehicle's infotainment system, to provide in real time with high throughputs and low latency times, data relating to car navigation, by means of secure access via a dedicated application and a subscription to the service also designated by “connected service”.

[0007] These data complement those already present, pre-recorded in a cartographic database of the on-board navigation device.

[0008] Such servers can thus provide real-time map data with potentially useful information for the user such as information on road traffic, danger zones and also POIs.

[0009] Today, among the categories of POIs existing in on-board navigation devices, we find POIs relating to: parking lots, service stations, shops, etc.

[0010] However, it is not possible, from the on-board navigation devices, to have access to a POI category of the “webcam” type from the mapping of the on-board navigation device, as well as to the video streams captured by the webcams when they are available. It is therefore not possible to offer the user the ability to view images in real time, for example of the destination location or of a stage of a journey of a route programmed in the navigation device on board the vehicle.

[0011] To overcome these drawbacks, the invention proposes a solution for managing the display of video streams, in relation to webcam POIs pre-recorded in the on-board navigation device, via the vehicle's infotainment system.

[0012] To this end, the present invention has as its first object a connected navigation system comprising a connected navigation device embedded in a motor vehicle, belonging to an infotainment system of the vehicle, and comprising a touch display screen coupled to the connected navigation device, capable of displaying a determined route, superimposed on a road map, and at least one point of interest near said route indicating a location of at least one surveillance camera capable of providing a real-time video stream relating to the environment of said location; said point of interest being selectable on the touch display screen by a user of the vehicle so as to connect the connected navigation device to a remote server capable of providing a connected service dedicated to the video stream of the surveillance camera relating to said location via a determined connection address;said infotainment system further comprising a video stream display management module configured to select the connection address and conditionally validate the display of the video stream on the touch display screen.;

[0013] According to one characteristic, the display management module is configured to validate the display of the video stream in relation to the location of the surveillance camera, after verification of a subscription to a subscription to the connected service dedicated to the provision of the video stream from the vehicle's infotainment system or from a mobile application dedicated to said connected service, previously downloaded onto a portable terminal of the vehicle user when the portable terminal is connected to the infotainment system.

[0014] According to another characteristic, the management module is configured to use, as a priority, a first connection address to the connected service, provided by the application hosted on the user's portable terminal when the latter is connected to the vehicle's infotainment system, or a second connection address, called a backup address, previously recorded in the management module, when the portable terminal, hosting the application dedicated to the connected service, is not connected to the infotainment system.

[0015] According to one characteristic, the management module is configured to receive updates of the backup address via the airwaves.

[0016] According to another characteristic, the user's portable terminal, when it is connected to the infotainment system, is connected by a wired connection of the USB type, or by a wireless communication connection of the Wifi type.

[0017] According to another characteristic, the connected navigation device is connected to the remote terminal via the connection address determined by a wireless communication link supporting a protocol of a 5G type wireless communication network.

[0018] According to another characteristic, the connected navigation device is configured to display the video stream provided by the surveillance camera in real time on the touchscreen display, superimposed on the map, in a so-called "pop-up" window, with other available information displayed in said window, relating to the environment of the surveillance camera selected by the user via the point of interest corresponding to said surveillance camera on said touchscreen display, when the management module has verified the subscription to a subscription to the connected service.

[0019] According to another characteristic, the connected navigation device is configured to display only the points of interest of the surveillance cameras available, close to the route.

[0020] The second subject of the present invention is a method for managing the display of the video stream provided by the surveillance camera to the connected navigation system as described above; said method, implemented by the management module when the user of the vehicle tactilely selects on the touch screen the point of interest displayed on the touch display screen, consisting of checking whether the portable terminal is connected to the vehicle's infotainment system, and if the portable terminal is connected then, selecting the connection address provided by the user's portable terminal after checking the subscription to the connected service for displaying the video stream, otherwise, if the portable terminal is not connected to the vehicle's infotainment system, then select the backup connection address, pre-registered in the management device after verifying the subscription to the connected service for displaying the video stream.

[0021] The third subject of the present invention is a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by the management module, lead the latter to implement the steps of the method as described above.

[0022] The connected navigation system according to the invention allows users of vehicles implementing such a system to be able to view the environment in real time of the destination or programmed stages from the connected navigation devices, on board these vehicles as well as the surroundings.

[0023] Other advantages and characteristics of the present invention may emerge more clearly from the description which follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the drawings in which:

[0024] [Fig-1] illustrates a functional diagram of a connected navigation system according to the invention;

[0025] [Fig.2] illustrates an example of displaying a video stream captured by a webcam on a display screen of the connected navigation system according to the invention; and

[0026] [Fig.3] illustrates by a flowchart, the main steps of a display management method implemented by the management module of the connected navigation system according to the invention.

[0027] The connected navigation system according to the invention makes it possible to compensate for the lack of a category of additional POIs of the “webcam” POI type by exploiting this category previously stored in a cartographic database of the navigation device on board the vehicle, and also makes it possible to manage access to the display of the video streams captured by the webcams, on a touchscreen display of the vehicle's infotainment system; the display of the video streams offered to the user in the form of a connected service, being conditioned on the user subscribing to the connected service.

[0028] Webcams are now increasingly common in urban areas, particularly for monitoring road traffic in areas with a high concentration of motor vehicles: urban ring roads, bridges, passes, tunnels, tolls, motorway access points, etc., and for providing various information such as weather information in specific geographical locations.

[0029] These webcams are for the most part arranged in a network (internet), communicating with one or more supervisory bodies, capable of making available to third parties the video streams captured by the surveillance cameras, either free of charge or for a fee. paid or other usage.

[0030] [Fig.l] illustrates a functional diagram of a connected navigation system SNC according to the invention.

[0031] It implements an IVI infotainment system on board a VHL motor vehicle comprising a connected DNV navigation device, and a touch screen ECR, for example a multimedia screen of the vehicle, or a remote screen for example the screen of a portable terminal, coupled to the DNV navigation device, capable of displaying journeys from a determined route, calculated by a search engine of the DNV navigation device, not shown.

[0032] The DNV navigation device also has a cartographic database BdD in which POIs usually available in navigation devices are stored, advantageously enhanced with a “webcam POI” category.

[0033] This latter POI webcam category can be updated with each evolution of the navigation software, in particular for the updating of the cartographic data, by a wired connection, in particular of the USB (Universal Serial Bus) type, or by a wireless communication connection supporting a protocol of a wireless communication network of the 4G, 5G type, in particular using OTA (Over-the-Air) technology, between the IVI infotainment system and a server of the automobile manufacturer of the brand to which the vehicle belongs, VHL or its representatives, not shown.

[0034] The DNV navigation device is also configured to filter the display of webcam POIs. This filtering consists of only considering the webcam POIs to be displayed, whose locations are either on the TRJ route calculated and retained by the user or within a radius determined in relation to the TRJ route retained. This radius is configurable: for example, it is set at 150 m by default.

[0035] The IVI infotainment system also includes a display management module MDG configured to manage the APD or ASC connection address used by the connected navigation device DNV and to validate the access rights to a connected service dedicated to the video streams captured by the webcams WC1-WC3.

[0036] The MDG management module uses for this the connectivity resources, not shown, of the IVI infotainment system or those of the DNV connected navigation device, to establish a connection with a remote SDF server via a wireless communication link supporting a protocol of a 5G type wireless communication network (low latency and high speeds).

[0037] The remote SDF server belongs, for example, to a navigation data provider with a contractual relationship with the car manufacturer or its representatives and which provides a connected service dedicated to the video streams captured by the WC1-WC3 webcams.

[0038] The MDG management module is configured to use, as a priority, a first ASC connection address, or URL (Uniform Resource Locator), to the connected service, which will be read (retrieved) by the DNV navigation device to display video streams on the ECR touchscreen display.

[0039] This first ASC connection address is transmitted by the remote server SDF to a portable terminal SMP of a USG user of the VHL vehicle, for example a smartphone, which has subscribed to the connected service via an APM mobile application developed by, or for, the automobile manufacturer and hosted on the SMP smartphone of the USG user.

[0040] The ASC connection address is transmitted to the SMP smartphone following activation of the APM application by the USG user via DAS activation means of the SMP smartphone.

[0041] When the SMP smartphone is connected to the IVI infotainment system either by a USB type wired connection or by a short-distance wireless communication connection of the Wifi type, not shown, with the APM application activated, T / F access control means of the MDG management module check whether a subscription to the connected service has been taken out and activated by the USG user from the APM application, via the DAS means.

[0042] After validation of the subscription by the T / F control means of the MDG management module, the connected navigation device DNV displays the video streams on the ECR touch display screen retrieved (read) via the ASC connection address.

[0043] If the MDG management module detects a lack of connection between the SMP smartphone and the IVI infotainment system, then a second APD connection address, called a backup address, pre-recorded in the MDG management module, is used. This second “backup” address corresponds to an address pre-recorded at the factory, or recorded in the MDG management module, in particular during the last OTA update.

[0044] The activation of the connected service is then done from an HMI (Human Machine Interface) DAI of the IVI infotainment system, for example via the entry of a code allowing the T / F access control means to validate the display of the video streams.

[0045] A “backup channel” is thus provided, the specific elements and links of which are shown in [Fig.2] in broken lines. This back-up channel thus ensures continuity of service to the USG subscriber user

[0046] Without going into details that are outside the scope of the present invention, it is simply indicated that for secure authentication and connection, the SNC connected navigation system is based on the VIN, or VIN code, for “Vehicle Identification Number” or VHL vehicle identification number, which is a unique number corresponding to the vehicle serial number (or chassis number) and a UIN “Unique Identifier Number” which is a unique identifier associated with the IVI infotainment system of the VHL vehicle.

[0047] This VIN, UIN information is provided by the car manufacturer, or its representatives, to the video stream provider who, once authentication has been verified, provides the connected service.

[0048] In the example of [Fig.2], the touch screen ECR displays a portion of a road map CAR and three POIs, PC1-PC3, corresponding here to the locations of three webcams WC1-WC3 ([Fig.l]), arranged on or in the vicinity of a TRJ selected from among the routes proposed by the search engine of the connected navigation device DNV between points A and B.

[0049] A usage scenario of the SDN navigation system, seen by the USG user, is described below with reference to [Fig.2].

[0050] Thus, when the USG user enters a destination in the navigation menu of the DNV navigation device, for example a destination corresponding to point B, the DNV navigation device displays a portion of CAR mapping on the ECR touchscreen of the VHL vehicle, here a two-dimensional (2D) mapping, with a TRJ route calculated by the search engine of the DNV navigation device according to the preferences of the USG user. The ECR touchscreen also displays the location of the webcams WC1-WC3, in the form of POIs webcam PC1-PC3, identified on the selected TRJ route, in the form of a graphic representation evocative of a webcam, here a camera.

[0051] Each POI webcam PC1-PC3 is a touchpad which, when activated by the user USG, controls the display (opening) of the PUP window superimposed on the current display; this type of PUP window is also referred to as a “pop-up” in English terminology.

[0052] The PUP window then displays information relating to the activated webcam POI, here PC3.

[0053] Pressing the touchpad corresponding to the PC3 webcam POI again makes the PUP window disappear (closes) from the ECR touchscreen.

[0054] The user USG can also choose to display the video streams of the three webcam POIs PC1-PC3 simultaneously on the touchscreen display ECR, in which case, three windows corresponding respectively to the three webcam POIs PC1-PC3 are displayed at the same time on the screen ECR.

[0055] If the USG user has previously subscribed to a connected service dedicated to the display of video streams, and the service has been activated via his SMP smartphone (via the DAS means), or via the HMI (the DAI means) of the IVI infotainment system, then the FVD video stream captured by the WC3 webcam is displayed instantly in the PUP window with potentially information on the location of the WC3 webcam: street name, GPS coordinates, etc.

[0056] In case of non-subscription, the FVD video stream is not displayed in the PUP window and a message may be displayed to inform the USG user of the non-subscription to the connected service.

[0057] A flowchart of the main steps of a method for managing the display of the FVD video stream supplied by the WC3 surveillance camera to the connected navigation device DNV is described below, with reference to [Fig. 3], said method being implemented by the MDG management module.

[0058] The method is implemented when the user USG of the vehicle VHL “tactilely” selects on the touch screen ECR, coupled to the navigation device NDV, the location of the surveillance camera WC3 identified by a point of interest PC3 displayed on the touch display screen ECR, near the route TRJ calculated by the connected navigation device DNV.

[0059] The method then consists of checking 100 whether the portable terminal SMP is connected to the infotainment system IVI of the vehicle VHL, and if the portable terminal SMP is connected then selecting 300 the ASC connection address provided by the portable terminal SMP of the user USG after checking 200 the subscription to the connected service, otherwise if the portable terminal SMP is not connected to the infotainment system IVI then selecting 500 the backup connection address APD, pre-recorded in the management device MDG after checking 400 the subscription to the connected service.

[0060] The present invention implements a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by the management module MDG, cause the latter to implement the steps of the method described above.

Claims

Claims

1. Connected navigation system (SNC) comprising a connected navigation device (DNV) on board a motor vehicle (VHL), belonging to an infotainment system (IVI) of the vehicle (VHL), and comprising a touch display screen (ECR) coupled to the connected navigation device (DNV), capable of displaying a determined route (TRJ), superimposed on a road map (CAR), and at least one point of interest (PC3) in the vicinity of said route (TRJ) indicating a location of at least one surveillance camera (WC3) capable of providing a video stream (FVD) in real time in relation to the environment of said location;said point of interest (PC3) being selectable on the touchscreen display (ECR) by a user (USG) of the vehicle (VHL) so as to connect the connected navigation device (DNV) to a remote server (SDF) capable of providing a connected service dedicated to the video stream (FVD) of the surveillance camera (WC3) in relation to said location via a determined connection address (ASC; APD); said infotainment system (IVI) further comprising a management module (MDG) for the display of the video stream (FVD) configured to select the connection address (ASC; APD) and conditionally validate the display of the video stream (FVD) on the touchscreen display (ECR).;

2. System (SNC) according to the preceding claim in which the display management module (MDG) is configured to validate the display of the video stream (FVD) in relation to the location of the surveillance camera (WC3), after verification of a subscription to a subscription to the connected service dedicated to the provision of the video stream (FVD) from the infotainment system (IVI) of the vehicle (VHL) or from a mobile application (APM) dedicated to said connected service, previously downloaded onto a portable terminal (SMP) of the user (USG) of the vehicle (VHL) when the portable terminal (SMP) is connected to the infotainment system (IVI).

3. System (SNC) according to the preceding claim, in which the management module (MDG) is configured to use, as a priority, a first connection address (ASC) to the connected service, provided by the application (APM) hosted on the portable terminal (SMP) of the user (USG) when the latter (SMP) is connected to the infotainment system (IVI) of the vehicle (VHL), or a second connection address (APD), called backup, previously recorded in the management module (MDG), when the portable terminal (SMP), hosting the application (APM) dedicated to the connected service, is not connected to the infotainment system (IVI).

4. System (SNC) according to the preceding claim, in which the management module (MDG) is configured to receive updates of the backup address (APD) via the airwaves.

5. System (SNC) according to one of claims 2 to 4, in which the portable terminal (SMP) of the user (USG), when it is connected to the infotainment system (IVI), is connected by a wired connection of the USB type, or by a wireless communication connection of the Wifi type.

6. System (SNC) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the connected navigation device (DNV) is connected to the remote server (SDF) via the determined connection address (APD; ASC) by a wireless communication link supporting a protocol of a 5G type wireless communication network.

7. System (SNC) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the connected navigation device (DNV) is configured to display the video stream (FVD) provided by the surveillance camera (WC3) in real time on the touchscreen display (ECR), superimposed on the map (CAR), in a window (PUP) called "pop-up", with other available information displayed in said window (PUP), in relation to the environment of the surveillance camera (WC3) selected by the user (USG) via the point of interest (PC3) corresponding to said surveillance camera (WC3) on said touchscreen display (ECR), when the management module (MDG) has verified the subscription to a subscription to the connected service.

8. System (SNC) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the connected navigation device (DNV) is configured to display only the points of interest (POI) of the surveillance cameras (WC1-WC3) available, near the route (TRJ).

9. Method for managing the display of the video stream (FVD) provided by the surveillance camera (WC3) to the connected navigation system (SDN) according to the preceding claims; said method, implemented by the management module (MDG) when the user (USG) of the vehicle (VHL) tactilely selects on the touch screen (ECR) the point of interest (PC3) displayed on the touch display screen (CR), consisting of checking (100) whether the portable terminal (SMP) is connected to the system infotainment system (IVI) of the vehicle (VHL), and if the portable terminal (SMP) is connected then, to select (300) the connection address (ASC) provided by the portable terminal (SMP) of the user (USG) after verification (200) of the subscription to the connected service for the display of the video stream (FVD), otherwise if the portable terminal (SMP) is not connected to the infotainment system (IVI) of the vehicle (VHL) then, to select (500) the backup connection address (APD), pre-recorded in the management device (MDG) after verification (400) of the subscription to the connected service for the display of the video stream (FVD).

10. Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by the management module (MDG), cause the latter to implement the steps of the method according to claim 9.

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