Multi-function Auxiliary Control System with Smart Heads-up Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle telematics systems are piecemeal and disparate, requiring after-market or add-on products, which is not integrated into the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A multi-function auxiliary control system integrated with a Smart heads-up display (HUD) that includes telematics units connected to project vehicle and environmental information onto the windshield, using side view cameras, rear-facing radars, and forward-looking infrared cameras to enhance driver awareness and allow transparent projection of mobile device applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If telematics systems are added to vehicles, then driver awareness and safety information are improved, but system complexity and integration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple previously separate telematics systems (GPS navigation, mobile phone integration, vehicle control, entertainment) into a single integrated vehicle computer system. This consolidation reduces the number of discrete components while maintaining all necessary functions, thereby improving reliability through unified architecture while managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle computer system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: navigation guidance, mobile device connectivity, vehicle parameter monitoring and control, and entertainment. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate dedicated systems for each function, resolving the contradiction between providing comprehensive safety information and maintaining system complexity.
2Reliability
If information is displayed to the driver, then driver awareness is improved, but driver distraction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides customized information display for different driver needs and conditions. The vehicle computer monitors driver state and selectively presents relevant information (navigation directions, safety alerts, entertainment) based on individual preferences and current driving context, ensuring critical safety information is prioritized while minimizing non-essential distractions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors driver response and vehicle conditions, then adjusts information presentation in real-time. When driver attention is required for safety-critical information, the system prioritizes those alerts and can suppress or delay non-urgent information, creating a dynamic feedback loop that balances awareness enhancement with distraction minimization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system increases driver awareness and reduces accident rates by providing essential information without requiring the driver to look away from the road, integrating all necessary components seamlessly into the vehicle.
Implementation Method 1
The HUD projects the display image for heads-up view by the driver using either a reflector lens in back of, or a transparent film applied to, the windshield
Implementation Method 2
Forward-looking infra-red cameras are connected to the HUD to assist the driver's forward view under poor visibility conditions
Data Source
AI summary
The vehicle with a multi-function auxiliary control system and heads-up display includes a plurality of telematics units integrated into a road vehicle. Telematics units are connected to allow communication with an occupant of the vehicle, communication among the telematics units, and communication to a Smart heads-up display (HUD) positioned on the driver's side to project vehicle and environmental information onto the vehicle's windshield. The HUD projects the display image for heads-up view by the driver using either a reflector lens in back of, or a transparent film applied to, the windshield. Side view cameras and rear-facing radars are combined to alert the driver of blind spots of approaching vehicles from the rear. Forward-looking infra-red cameras are connected to the HUD to assist the driver's forward view under poor visibility conditions. A central controller in the vehicle assists driver input to the multi-function auxiliary control system devices.