Apparatus and method for alert of a vehicle occupant

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to a control system (200) for controlling an in-vehicle display device (250) of a vehicle (100), the control system comprising one or more processors collectiv

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for controlling an in-vehicle display device of a vehicle. Aspects of the invention relate to a control system, to a system, to a vehicle, to a method, and to computer readable instructions. BACKGROUND If a child, pet, or other occupant is left unattended in a vehicle, it can be a problem, for example by the occupant panicking, or potentially suffering ill health through heat stroke. It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a control system, a system, a vehicle and a computer-implemented method as claimed in the appended claims. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a control system for controlling an in-vehicle display device of a vehicle, the control system comprising one or more processors collectively configured to: receive a signal indicative of a driver departing the vehicle; receive an abandoned occupant signal indicative of an occupant left inside the vehicle; and control, in dependence on the abandoned occupant signal, the in-vehicle display device to display an image indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle. Advantageously, if an occupant is detected as being abandoned in the vehicle, the in-vehicle display device of the vehicle can provide a visual indicator to attract the attention of people nearby so that abandoned occupant can receive assistance. The in-vehicle display device may be an instrument cluster display or a vehicle human-machine interface. The abandoned occupant signal may be indicative of: an abandoned child, an abandoned animal, or an abandoned adult. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a control system for controlling an in-vehicle display device of a vehicle, the control system comprising one or more processors collectively configured to: receive a signal indicative of a driver departing the vehicle; receive an abandoned occupant signal from an occupant presence sensor, the abandoned occupant signal indicative of detection of an occupant left inside the vehicle; and control, in dependence on the abandoned occupant signal, the in-vehicle display device to operate in an occupant alert mode whereby the in-vehicle display device displays an image indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle. Advantageously, if an occupant is detected as being abandoned in the vehicle, the in-vehicle display device of the vehicle can provide a visual indicator to attract the attention of people nearby the vehicle to the vehicle, and the abandoned occupant can receive assistance. Advantageously, the in-vehicle display device is already part of the vehicle and is configured to include an additional feature to provide the occupant alert as well. Therefore additional or new hardware is not necessary to provide the occupant alert. The signal indicative of the driver departing the vehicle may comprise one or more of: a journey completion signal transmitted in response to determination of the end of a drive cycle and a closure signal indicative of a driver’s door of the vehicle being opened and closed. Advantageously, the in-vehicle display device can operate in the occupant alert mode in response to the end of the drive cycle, indicating the end of journey, and the driver’s door being opened and closed, indicating exiting of the driver from the vehicle, as an additional validation that the situation is indicative of the occupant being abandoned in the vehicle. The control system may be configured to control the in-vehicle display device to operate in the occupant alert mode further in dependence on expiration of a pause period of a predetermined duration, the pause period commencing on a receipt of the signal indicative of the driver departing the vehicle. Advantageously, the in-vehicle display device can operate in the occupant alert mode after a period of time following the end of the drive cycle and the driver exiting the vehicle, for example a period of time to allow the driver to move around to the passenger or backseat and help the occupant to exit the vehicle. Therefore, the in-vehicle display device is not activated in the occupant alert mode immediately and to give the driver time to assist the occupant to exit the vehicle. The control system may be further configured to control the in-vehicle display device to operate in the occupant alert mode further in dependence on determination of a first alert element operating in a first occupant alert mode for a first abandonment duration, whereby the first alert element outputs a first alert indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle. Furthermore, the in-vehicle display device may be activated in an occupant alert mode in a further stage of the alert process following an initial alert or a first alert. The initial alert may be output by a different first alert element, such as a light or audio output system. In this way the in-vehicle display may be utilised as an escalation alert device to indicate passers-by that an abandoned occupant has been detected in the vehicle following an initial period of alert provided by the first alert element. The abandoned occupant signal may comprise abandoned occupant information indicative of the detection of the abandoned occupant. The control system is configured to: determine an output image representative of the abandoned occupant information; and output a display signal to the in-vehicle display device to control the in-vehicle display device to display the determined output image. Advantageously, information particular to the determination of an abandoned occupant can be conveyed clearly in the image displayed by the in-vehicle display device, to better attract the attention of a passers-by. The abandoned occupant signal (e.g. abandoned occupant information in the abandoned occupant signal) may comprise a time of detected abandonment and the determined output image comprises an indication of the duration of abandonment of the occupant. Advantageously, the length of time for which the occupant has been detected as being abandoned may be indicated in the information provided by the in-vehicle display device, to assist a passerby in understanding the situation and perform an appropriate response, for example calling out for the driver, or calling the emergency services. The abandoned occupant information may comprise an indication of the occupant type, and the determined output image may comprise an indication of the occupant type, e.g. a baby, young child, adult, dog, cat, small animal. The control system may be configured to: receive an abandonment time signal indicative of a time of detection of the occupant left inside the vehicle; determine an abandonment duration in dependence on the time of detection and a current time; if the abandonment duration is below a predetermined abandonment duration threshold, control the in-vehicle display device to operate in a first occupant alert mode in which the control system is configured to control the in-vehicle display device to display a first image; and if the abandonment duration is at or above the predetermined abandonment duration threshold, control the in-vehicle display device to operate in a second occupant alert mode in which the control system is configured to control the in-vehicle display device to display a second image different from the first image. The first image may comprise one or more of: a first pictorial image, a first textual message, and a first dominant colour. The second image may comprise one or more of: a second pictorial image, a second textual message, and a second dominant colour. Advantageously, the nature of the alert can be escalated dependent on the time that the occupant has been detected as being abandoned. The in-vehicle display device may provide a more noticeable or more urgent warning when operating in the second occupant alert mode when the abandonment duration is above the abandonment time threshold. Advantageously, the nature of the alert can be escalated dependent on the time that the occupant has been detected as being abandoned in different ways. The control system may be further configured to control, in dependence on the abandoned occupant signal, a further alert element to operate in a further occupant alert mode whereby the further alert element outputs a further alert indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle. Advantageously, an additional alert mechanism may also be triggered to supplement the image / message displayed by the in-vehicle display device. The additional alert mechanism may be of a different nature, such as a sound alert, or may be of the same nature but different mechanism of provision, such as lights emitted by the hazard lights, headlights, or light projector of the vehicle. The further alert element may be one or more of: a light projector, a vehicle light, a vehicle horn, an exterior audio output device, and a remote communication device. The control system may be configured to: receive an ambient light signal indicative of an ambient light level in the environment of the vehicle; determine, in dependence on the ambient light signal, an in-vehicle display device brightness level, wherein the in-vehicle display device operating at the brightness level displays the image indicative of detection of an abandoned occupant inside the vehicle at a visible brightness level; and control the in-vehicle display device to display the image indicative of detection of the abandoned occupant inside the vehicle at the determined in-vehicle display device brightness level. Advantageously, the in-vehicle display device may display an output at a brightness commensurate with the ambient light levels, so that a visible alert can be displayed, while not unnecessarily using more power displaying an image at a higher brightness than necessary, for example if the environment is dark. Therefore the alert may be provided in a way which does not unnecessarily use more power of the vehicle, to allow the alert to be provided for longer. Also, in case of battery electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, the battery power is used to provide power to the vehicle, to the auxiliary components of the vehicle as well as the in-vehicle display device. Hence, by appropriately using power to in-vehicle display while displaying alert, it avoids the vehicle battery from running out of power. The control system may be further configured to: receive a state of charge signal indicative of a remaining state of charge of an energy store of the vehicle; and configure the in-vehicle display device to display the image indicative of detection of an abandoned occupant inside the vehicle at a brightness level dependent on the remaining state of charge. Advantageously, the in-vehicle display device can be used to display the alert as well as the energy usage being managed for the vehicle overall. That is, using the in-vehicle display device is adaptively managed dependent on the state of charge, so that the remaining energy store of the vehicle is not unnecessarily depleted in operating in vehicle display. The control system may be configured to: determine if the remaining state of charge is below a first predetermined state of charge threshold; and control a further alert element to output a supplementary alert indicative of detection of the abandoned occupant inside the vehicle to supplement the display of the image using the in-vehicle display device, if the remaining state of charge is below the first predetermined state of charge threshold. The further alert element may be one or more of: a light projector, an external audio output device, a vehicle light, a vehicle horn, an in-vehicle console, and a remote communication device. Advantageously, if the battery I energy store is low in energy, the in-vehicle display device can still display something as an alert, and another different output mode can also be used which uses less energy, such as the vehicle horn or lights. The control system may be configured to: determine if the remaining state of charge is below a second predetermined state of charge threshold; and inhibit the in-vehicle display device from displaying the image indicative of detection of an abandoned occupant inside the vehicle, if the remaining state of charge is below a second predetermined state of charge threshold. Advantageously, the battery / energy store is low in energy such that the remaining state of charge is below an acceptable remaining charge threshold, the control system determines that use of the in-vehicle display device may not be a best option for displaying an alert regarding an abandoned occupant because it may use most or all of the remaining charge and the energy store. Hence, the other way of outputting an occupant alert may be more energy efficient and this can serve remaining energy in the vehicle energy store while still providing an abandoned occupant alert. The control system may be configured to control a further alert element to output an alternative alert indicative of detection of the abandoned occupant inside the vehicle to replace the display of the image using the in-vehicle display device. The further alert element may use a lower amount of energy to output an alert than the in-vehicle display device. Advantageously, if the battery I energy store is very low in energy, the in-vehicle display device can be controlled to avoid displaying an alert which may drain the remaining low battery, and another different output mode can be used instead which uses less energy, such as the vehicle horn or lights. In response to receipt of one or more of a door unlocking signal indicative of a vehicle door being unlocked, and a door opening signal indicative of a vehicle door being opened, the control system may be configured to control the in-vehicle display device to cease operation in the occupant alert mode. Advantageously, the displayed output by the in-vehicle display device may be switched off in response to the vehicle being unlocked and / or a door opened, as this is representative of someone returning to the vehicle and accessing it, to assist the abandoned occupant. In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system comprising: the control system as disclosed herein; and an in-vehicle display device. Optionally, the system may further comprise an occupant presence sensor. Advantageously, an in-vehicle display device may be controlled by control system as above. The system may also include the occupant presence sensor so that the system is able to detect an abandoned occupant and provide an alert that there is an abandoned occupant. Optionally, the system may further comprise at least one further alert element. In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising any control system disclosed herein, or any system disclosed herein. In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-implemented method for controlling an in-vehicle display device of a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving a signal indicative of a driver departing the vehicle; receiving an abandoned occupant signal from an occupant presence sensor, the abandoned occupant signal indicative of detection of an occupant left inside the vehicle; and controlling, in dependence on the abandoned occupant signal, the in-vehicle display device to operate in an occupant alert mode whereby the in-vehicle display device displays an image indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle. In an aspect of the present invention, there are provided computer readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform any method disclosed herein. In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause performance of any method disclosed herein. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in anyway and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a control system according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 3A shows a control system configured to account for a pause period according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 3E3 shows a control system configured to take account of another alert element providing an occupant alert according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 shows a control system configured to operate in plural occupant alert modes according to an embodiment of the invention; Figures 5A and 5B shows a control system configured to account for remaining electrical charge of a vehicle electrical store according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 shows a control system configured to provide alerts by more than one output means according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 shows a control system configured to account for ambient light according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 shows a system according to an embodiment of the invention; and Figure 9 shows a method according to an embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION If a child, pet, or any other occupant is left unattended in a vehicle it can be a problem. An attempt to alert the driver (if nearby the vehicle) or other passer-by by, for example, the vehicle detecting the occupant and sounding the vehicle horn or flashing the vehicle’s hazard lights risks, may be ignored as it may be mistaken for an erroneous vehicle security alarm being triggered as if to indicate an attempted unauthorised entry. There is a European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) implementation aimed towards improving safety for children who may be left unintentionally in a vehicle, for example by a distracted or tired parent. Even if the child (or in other examples, a pet) is left in a vehicle for a short while, it can cause distress and health issues such as heat-stroke and in extreme cases, death. It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved system and method of indicating the presence of an occupant left in a vehicle who may be unable to signal for help or exit the vehicle themselves. Examples aim to make use of existing hardware to provide specific visual signalling of the occupant detected within the vehicle and to draw the attention of the driver and / or passers-by in an improved way. For example, by displaying an indicator which specifically shows that a child or pet is left within the vehicle may be more likely to encourage intervention and assisting the occupant to safety than a more generic alert of flashing vehicle hazard lights and / or sounding the vehicle horn. A vehicle 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 100 is a land-going i.e. wheeled vehicle, and the vehicle may be any vehicle in which there may be an occupant other than the driver present and which has an in-vehicle display device 250. The vehicle 100 shown in Figure 1 is a passenger vehicle 100 having a plurality of doors and seats therein, although embodiments of the invention may be used with other types of vehicle. Figure 2 illustrates a control system 200 according to an embodiment of the invention. The control system 200 is for controlling an in-vehicle display device 250 of a vehicle 100. The control system 200 may comprise one or more controllers 210; in the example shown there is one controller 210. The controller 210 as illustrated in Figure 2 comprises processing means 212 and memory means 214. The processing means 212 may be one or more electronic processing device or processors which operably executes computer-readable instructions. The memory means 214 may be one or more memory device or memory. The memory 214 is electrically coupled to the processing means or processor 212. The memory 214 is configured to store instructions, and the processor 212 is configured to access the memory 214 and execute the instructions stored thereon. The memory 214 may also store data for operation on by a process executing on the processor 212. It will be understood that the controller 210 may be implemented by more than one processor 212 and memory 214. The controller 210 comprises an input means 216 and an output means 218. The input means 216 may comprise an electrical input 216 of the controller 210. The output means 218 may comprise an electrical output 218 of the controller 210. The control system 200 is configured to receive a signal 222 indicative of a driver departing the vehicle. This signal 222 may be understood to indicate that the vehicle is to be left and there should not be occupant left unattended in the vehicle 100. The control system 200 is configured to receive an abandoned occupant signal 220 from an occupant presence sensor 240. The abandoned occupant signal 220 is indicative of detection of an occupant left inside the vehicle 100. The occupant presence sensor 240 may comprise a visual sensor such as a camera. There may be an image processor module configured to receive images captured by the visual sensor and image recognition to determine if there is an occupant and, if so, whether the occupant appears to be an adult, a child, an animal, or other occupant. The occupant presence sensor240 may comprise a pressure sensor, which may be configured to detect a pressure and / or variations in pressure applied to a seat of the vehicle and determine whether there is an occupant present on the seat, and / or whether the occupant is an adult, child, an animal, or other occupant. The occupant presence sensor 240 may comprise a movement sensor which may be movement within the vehicle and determine whether there is an occupant present on the seat. The control system may be configured to determine whether the occupant is an adult, child, an animal, or other occupant. The control system may be configured to determine the location of the occupant within the vehicle, such as row 1, row 2 etc, and / or driver side, passenger side, centre seat, footwell, etc. The occupant presence sensor 240 may comprise an audio sensor, a radar sensor, and / or a temperature sensor. Other occupant presence sensors may be envisaged which are able to determine the presence of an abandoned occupant in the vehicle. The abandoned occupant signal may be indicative of an abandoned child, an abandoned animal, or an abandoned adult. The control system 200 is configured to control, in dependence on the abandoned occupant signal 220, the in-vehicle display device 250 to operate in an occupant alert mode whereby the in-vehicle display device 250 displays an image indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle. Thus, if an occupant is detected as being abandoned in the vehicle 100, the in-vehicle display device 250 of the vehicle can provide a visual indicator to attract the attention of people nearby the vehicle to the vehicle so the abandoned occupant can receive assistance. The in-vehicle display device 250 may already be part of the vehicle 100 and is configured to include an additional feature to provide the occupant alert as well. Therefore additional or new hardware is not necessary to provide the occupant alert. The signal 222 indicative of the driver departing the vehicle may comprise one or more of: a journey completion signal transmitted in response to determination of the end of a drive cycle, and a closure signal indicative of a driver’s door of the vehicle being closed. Advantageously, the in-vehicle display device can operate in the occupant alert mode in response to the end of the drive cycle, indicating the end of journey, and the driver’s door being opened and closed, indicating exiting of the driver from the vehicle, as an additional validation that the situation is indicative of the occupant being abandoned in the vehicle. The control system 200 may be configured to control the in-vehicle display device 250 to operate in the occupant alert mode further in dependence on receipt of signalling indicating opening and closing of a driver’s door of the vehicle. This may take place in the middle of a journey and without the end of a drive cycle, in some examples. Further, the in-vehicle display device 250 can operate in the occupant alert mode after it is determined that an occupant has entered the vehicle and closed the door as well as receiving the abandoned occupant signal. For example, a parent may unlock a vehicle in preparation for loading the vehicle before a journey such as a holiday or a day trip, and a child may enter the vehicle without the parent being aware. Accounting for the operation of the vehicle doors as well as receipt of the abandoned occupant signal may be advantageous in determining the presence of an occupant in the vehicle who may need assistance, or who should not be unsupervised in the vehicle, and that the driver or person in charge of the vehicle should be aware of. Figure 3A shows a control system 200 configured to account for a pause period 302. It may be appropriate to allow the driver a short period of time to assist any occupant out of the vehicle 100 before a determination is made that the occupant has been abandoned. The control system 200 in such examples may be configured to control the in-vehicle display device 250 to operate in the occupant alert mode in dependence on expiration of a pause period 302 of a predetermined duration. The pause period 302 may commence on a receipt of the signal 222 indicative of the driver departing the vehicle 220. The in-vehicle display device 250 can therefore be controlled to operate in the occupant alert mode after a period of time 302 following the end of the drive cycle and the driver exiting the vehicle. This period of time may be, for example, to allow the driver to move around to the passenger or backseat and help the occupant to exit the vehicle. In this way, the in-vehicle display device 250 is not activated in the occupant alert mode immediately and to give the driver time to assist the occupant to exit the vehicle. Figure 3E3 shows a control system 200 configured to take account of another alert element 352 providing an occupant alert. In some examples, the in-vehicle display 350 may not be used as the first, or only, means of providing an abandoned occupant alert. The control system 200 may be configured to control the in-vehicle display device 250 to operate in the occupant alert mode further in dependence on determination of a first alert element 352 operating in a first occupant alert mode for a first abandonment duration. The first alert element 352 outputs a first alert indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle. The controller 200 receives an indication 224 that the first alert element 352 is in operation outputting a first occupant alert mode. After a first abandonment duration (e.g. 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or other time), the control system 200 can then control the in-vehicle display device 250 to operate in the occupant alert mode and output an image indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle 100. Advantageously, the in-vehicle display device 250 can be activated in an occupant alert mode in a further stage of the overall occupant alert process following an initial alert being output by a different first alert element 352. The first alert element may be a light output or audio output system, for example. In this way the in-vehicle display 250 may be utilised as an escalation alert device, to indicate to passers-by that an abandoned occupant has been detected in the vehicle following an initial period of alert provided by the first alert element 352. In some examples, the abandoned occupant signal 220 may comprise abandoned occupant information indicative of the detection of the abandoned occupant. The control system 200 may be configured to determine an output image representative of the abandoned occupant information, and output a display signal 230 to the in-vehicle display device 250 to control the in-vehicle display device 250 to display the determined output image. The abandoned occupant information may comprise an indication of the occupant type, and the determined output image may comprise an indication of the occupant type, e.g. a baby, young child, adult, dog, cat, or small animal. For example if the abandoned occupant is determined to be a small child or baby, then the in-vehicle display device 250 may display an image of a child or baby to indicate the type of abandoned occupant, which can help inform passers-by and / or the driver as to why there is an alert being output. Advantageously, information particular to the determination of an abandoned occupant can be conveyed clearly in the image displayed or provided by the in-vehicle display device 250, to better attract the attention of a passers-by. An image of a child, or dog may attract attention to the vehicle so the occupant is assisted in a more effective way than an alert which does not convey any information about the nature of the alert (such as a horn sounding or hazard lights flashing) which may be more likely to be ignored by a passer-by. The abandoned occupant information may comprise a time of detected abandonment and the determined output image may comprise an indication of the duration of abandonment of the occupant. For example, the in-vehicle display may display a counter showing, e.g. “Occupant abandoned for: 32s...34s...36s...” or e.g. “Occupant abandoned for: 1 minute...2 minutes...3 minutes...” (or any other suitable time period update) to show how long the occupant has been detected as being left for. The abandoned occupant information may comprise, additionally or alternatively, other information relating to the situation of the abandoned occupant, such as in-cabin temperature (e.g. 30°C), air attribute such as air quality (e.g. CO2 level, estimated perceived air temperature, dust or pollution levels in-cabin, or other comfort orcabin quality) to provide an indication of a risk of heatstroke or other potential health emergency such as difficulty breathing or fainting. Such factors may be sensed by associated sensors and the sensor data transmitted to the control system 200 for processing and output. Advantageously, the length of time forwhich the occupant has been detected as being abandoned, and / or sensed temperature or cabin environment factors, may be indicated in the information provided by the in-vehicle display device, to assist a passerby in understanding the situation and perform an appropriate response, for example calling out for the driver, or calling the emergency services. Figure 4 shows a control system 200 configured to operate in plural occupant alert modes. It may be advantageous to provide different types of alert depending on the context of determining that an occupant has been abandoned in the vehicle 100. For example, the length of time since the occupant has been determined to have been abandoned may be detected and used to cause different visual alerts to be output via the in-vehicle display device dependent on the length of time. As another example, the current temperature for e.g. of a vehicle or ambient temperature, may be detected / measured and may be taken into account when controlling the in-vehicle display device, for example to indicate a risk of heat stroke if the temperature is above the threshold temperature. It will be appreciated that other contextual factors may be detected and used to determine what type of output is provided by the in-vehicle display device. The control system 200 as shown in Figure 4 is configured to receive an abandonment time signal 402 indicative of a time of detection of the occupant being left inside the vehicle. The abandoned occupant signal 220 is also received as before. In some examples the abandoned occupant signal 220 may comprise the time of detected abandonment 402. The control system 200 is configured to determine 404 an abandonment duration in dependence on the time of detection 402 and a current time. If the abandonment duration is below 408 a predetermined abandonment duration threshold, the control system 200 controls the in-vehicle display device 250 to operate in a first occupant alert mode in which the in-vehicle display device 250 displays a first image. If the abandonment duration is at or above 406 the predetermined abandonment duration threshold, the control system 200 controls the in-vehicle display device to operate in a second occupant alert mode in which the control system 200 is configured to control the in-vehicle display device 250 to display a second image different from the first image. The first image may comprise a first pictorial image, a first textual message, and / or a first dominant colour. In an example of a child detected as being left in a vehicle, the first image may be a cartoon or animated picture of a child, with a textual message stating “child in vehicle”, shown in yellow / amber as a dominant colour. The second image may comprise a second pictorial image, a second textual message, and / or a second dominant colour. For example, the second image may be a cartoon or animated picture of a child with an exclamation mark, with a textual message stating “ ALERT! ABANDONED CHILD”, shown in red as a dominant colour. Advantageously, the nature of the alert can be escalated dependent on the time that the occupant has been detected as being abandoned. The in-vehicle display device 250 may provide a more noticeable or more urgent warning when operating in the second occupant alert mode when the abandonment duration is above the abandonment time threshold. In some examples, in response to receipt of a door unlocking signal indicative of a vehicle door being unlocked, and / or a door opening signal indicative of a vehicle door being opened, the control system 200 may be configured to control the in-vehicle display device 250 to cease operation in the occupant alert mode. Thus, the displayed output by the in-vehicle display device 250 may be switched off in response to the vehicle 100 being unlocked and / or a door opened, as this is representative of someone returning to the vehicle and accessing it, who can assist the abandoned occupant. Figures 5A and 5B show a control system 200 configured to account for remaining electrical charge of a vehicle electrical store 502. These examples take account of a remaining energy available at the vehicle electrical store and manage the use of the in-vehicle display device 250 and one or more other available means by which an abandoned occupant alert may be output according to the available energy to power the in-vehicle display device 250 and the output means. Figure 5A shows the control system 200 that may be configured to receive a state of charge signal 510 indicative of a remaining state of charge of an energy store 502 of the vehicle 100. The control system 200 may then configure the in-vehicle display device 250 to display the image indicative of detection of an abandoned occupant inside the vehicle at a brightness level dependent on the remaining state of charge. Advantageously, the in-vehicle display device 250 can be used to display the alert, as well as the energy usage being managed for the vehicle. Fora lower remaining charge, the brightness level of the in-vehicle display may be lower, for example. Such example control system 200 assist in adapting the operation of the in-vehicle display dependent on the state of charge so that the remaining energy store of the vehicle is not unnecessarily depleted in operating the in-vehicle display. Figure 5B shows the control system 200 that may be configured to determine 504 if the remaining state of charge is below a first predetermined state of charge threshold, and control a further alert element 260 to output a supplementary alert indicative of detection of the abandoned occupant inside the vehicle to supplement the display of the image using the in-vehicle display device 250 if the remaining state of charge is below the first predetermined state of charge threshold. The further alert element 260 may be one or more of: a light projector, an external audio output device, a vehicle light, a vehicle horn, an in-vehicle console, and a remote communication device, for example. The further alert element 260 may use less electrical power to provide an alert than the in-vehicle display uses. By determining to use more than one alert element 250, 260 based on the determined stage or charge 502, if the battery I energy store is low in energy, the in-vehicle display device 250 can still display meaningful picture as an alert which consumes less energy, and another different output means 260 can also be used in conjunction which uses less energy, such as the vehicle horn or lights. Figure 5B also shows the control system 200 that may be configured to determine 506 if the remaining state of charge is below a second predetermined state of charge threshold. The control system 200 may inhibit the in-vehicle display device 250 from displaying the image indicative of detection of an abandoned occupant inside the vehicle if the remaining state of charge is below a second predetermined state of charge threshold. In this way, if the battery / energy store is low in energy such that the remaining state of charge is below an acceptable remaining charge threshold, the control system 200 may determine that use of the in-vehicle display device 250 may not be a best option for displaying an alert regarding an abandoned occupant because it may use most or all of the remaining charge in the energy store. So, an energy efficient way of outputting an occupant alert can be determined and used, to conserve remaining energy in the vehicle energy store while still providing an abandoned occupant alert. The further alert element 260 may use a lower amount of energy to output an alert than the in-vehicle display device 250 and, for example, if the battery I energy store of the vehicle is low in energy, the in-vehicle display device can be controlled to avoid displaying an alert which may drain the remaining low battery, and another different output mode can be used instead which uses less energy. It will be appreciated the control system 200 may perform one, the other, or both of functionalities described in relation to Figure 5E3. Figure 6 shows a control system 200 configured to provide alerts by more than one output means 250, 260. The control system 200 may be configured to control, in dependence on the abandoned occupant signal 220, a further alert element 260 to output an alternative alert indicative of detection of the abandoned occupant inside the vehicle. The further alert element 260 may be controlled to provide an alert to replace the display of an alert image using the in-vehicle display device 250. In some examples, the further alert element 260 (e.g. a light projector, external audio output device, vehicle light or vehicle horn) may be controlled to provide an alert indicative of detection of the abandoned occupant inside the vehicle as well as the in-vehicle display device 250 being controlled to output an alert indicative of detection of the abandoned occupant inside the vehicle. In some examples, the in-vehicle display device 250 may be used for a first alert duration, and the further alert element 260 may be used as well as the in-vehicle display device 250 for a second alert duration, as described in relation to Figure 4. Thus the control system 200 can control the provision of abandoned occupant alert according to available output means, which may be regardless of energy availability at the vehicle. Advantageously, an additional alert mechanism may also be triggered to supplement the image / message displayed by the in-vehicle display device. The additional alert mechanism may be of a different nature, such as a sound alert, or may be of the same nature but different mechanism of provision, such as lights emitted by the hazard lights, headlights, or light projector of the vehicle. Figure 7 shows a control system 200 configured to account for ambient light 710. The control system 200 in this example is configured to receive an ambient light signal 710 indicative of an ambient light level in the environment of the vehicle. The control system 200 can then determine (702), in dependence on the ambient light signal 710, an in-vehicle display device 250 brightness level. The in-vehicle display device 250 operating at the determined brightness level displays the image indicative of detection of an abandoned occupant inside the vehicle at a visible brightness level. The control system 200 is configured to then control the in-vehicle display 250 device to display the image indicative of detection of the abandoned occupant inside the vehicle at the determined in-vehicle display device brightness level. In this way, the in-vehicle display device 250 may display an output at a brightness commensurate with the ambient light levels, so that a visible alert can be displayed, while not unnecessarily using more power displaying an image at a higher brightness than necessary, for example if the environment is dark. Figure 8 shows a system 800 which comprises a control system 200 as disclosed herein, and an in-vehicle display device 250. Optionally, the system 800 may further comprise an occupant presence sensor 240 so that the system 800 is able to detect an abandoned occupant and provide an alert that there is an abandoned occupant. Optionally, the system 800 may further comprise at least one further alert element 260 as discussed above. Figure 9 shows a method 900 which may be performed by the system 300 as described above or by the control system 200 as described herein. The method 900 is a computer-implemented method for controlling an in-vehicle display device 250 of a vehicle 100. The method 900 comprises: at step 902, receiving a signal indicative of a driver departing the vehicle; at step 904, receiving an abandoned occupant signal from an occupant presence sensor, the abandoned occupant signal indicative of detection of an occupant left inside the vehicle; and at step 906, controlling, in dependence on the abandoned occupant signal, the in-vehicle display device to operate in an occupant alert mode whereby the in-vehicle display device displays an image indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle. Also covered in this disclosure are computer readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors (e.g. the processor 212 of Figure 2), cause the one or more processors to perform the method 900 or any method disclosed herein. Also covered in this disclosure is a computer readable medium (e.g. a non-transient medium) comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor (e.g. the processor 212 of Figure 2), cause performance of the method 900 or of any method disclosed herein. It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling an in-vehicle display device of a vehicle, the control system comprising one or more processors collectively configured to:receive a signal indicative of a driver departing the vehicle;receive an abandoned occupant signal from an occupant presence sensor, the abandoned occupant signal indicative of detection of an occupant left inside the vehicle; andcontrol, in dependence on the abandoned occupant signal, the in-vehicle display device to operate in an occupant alert mode whereby the in-vehicle display device displays an image indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle display device is an instrument cluster display or a vehicle human-machine interface.

3. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the signal indicative of the driver departing the vehicle comprises one or more of: a journey completion signal transmitted in response to determination of the end of a drive cycle, and a closure signal indicative of a driver’s door of the vehicle being closed.

4. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the control system is configured to control the in-vehicle display device to operate in the occupant alert mode further in dependence on expiration of a pause period of a predetermined duration, the pause period commencing on a receipt of the signal indicative of the driver departing the vehicle.

5. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the control system is configured to control the in-vehicle display device to operate in the occupant alert mode further in dependence on determination of a first alert element operating in a first occupant alert mode for a first abandonment duration, whereby the first alert element outputs a first alert indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle.

6. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the abandoned occupant signal comprises a time of detected abandonment and the determined output image comprises an indication of the duration of abandonment of the occupant.

7. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the control system is configured to: receive an abandonment time signal indicative of a time of detection of the occupant left inside the vehicle;determine an abandonment duration in dependence on the time of detection and a current time;if the abandonment duration is below a predetermined abandonment duration threshold, control the in-vehicle display device to operate in a first occupant alert mode in which the control system is configured to control the in-vehicle display device to display a first image; andif the abandonment duration is at or above the predetermined abandonment duration threshold, control the in-vehicle display device to operate in a second occupant alert mode in which the control system is configured to control the in-vehicle display device to display a second image different from the first image.

8. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the control system is further configured to: control, in dependence on the abandoned occupant signal, a further alert element to operate in a further occupant alert mode whereby the further alert element outputs a further alert indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle.

9. The control system of any preceding claim, further configured to:receive an ambient light signal indicative of an ambient light level in the environment of the vehicle; determine, in dependence on the ambient light signal, an in-vehicle display device brightness level, wherein the in-vehicle display device operating at the brightness level displays the image indicative of detection of an abandoned occupant inside the vehicle at a visible brightness level; andcontrol the in-vehicle display device to display the image indicative of detection of the abandoned occupant inside the vehicle at the determined in-vehicle display device brightness level.

10. The control system of any preceding claim, further configured to:receive a state of charge signal indicative of a remaining state of charge of an energy store of the vehicle; andconfigure the in-vehicle display device to display the image indicative of detection of an abandoned occupant inside the vehicle at a brightness level dependent on the remaining state of charge.

11. The control system of claim 10, configured to:determine if the remaining state of charge is below a first predetermined state of charge threshold; andcontrol a further alert element to output a supplementary alert indicative of detection of the abandoned occupant inside the vehicle to supplement the display of the image using the in-vehicle display device, if the remaining state of charge is below the first predetermined state of charge threshold.

12. The control system of claim 10 or claim 11, configured to:determine if the remaining state of charge is below a second predetermined state of charge threshold; andinhibit the in-vehicle display device from displaying the image indicative of detection of an abandoned occupant inside the vehicle, if the remaining state of charge is below a second predetermined state of charge threshold.

13. A system comprising:the control system of any preceding claim; andan in-vehicle display device;optionally, further comprising an occupant presence sensor;optionally, further comprising a further alert element.

14. A vehicle comprising the control system of any of claims 1 to 12, or the system of claim 13.5 15. A computer-implemented method for controlling an in-vehicle display device (250) of a vehicle, themethod comprising:receiving a signal indicative of a driver departing the vehicle;receiving an abandoned occupant signal from an occupant presence sensor, the abandoned occupant signal indicative of detection of an occupant left inside the vehicle; and10 controlling, in dependence on the abandoned occupant signal, the in-vehicle display device tooperate in an occupant alert mode whereby the in-vehicle display device displays an image indicative of detection of the occupant inside the vehicle.15s

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