In-Vehicle Display Management System for Driver Focus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional in-vehicle display systems, including HUDs and HMDs, face challenges in efficiently presenting relevant information to drivers while minimizing distractions, especially during high workload conditions, as they often require the driver to refocus attention from the road and can be cumbersome to package in typical automotive instrument panels.
Innovation Solution
A display system that employs sensing devices to gather data on the vehicle, driver, and surroundings, processing this information to selectively route critical alerts and information to appropriate display devices, such as HUDs, instrument clusters, and wearable displays, ensuring the driver's attention remains on the road by prioritizing safety-related information and reducing visual clutter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional HUDs are used to present information to the driver, then the driver can keep eyes focused on the road, but the HUD volume increases rapidly with desired field-of-view and is difficult to package in typical automotive instrument panels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D HUD displays to a 3D volumetric display that projects images into the driver's field of view. This dimensional change allows the display to occupy minimal physical space in the instrument panel while providing a large effective display area and wide field of view, resolving the contradiction between compact packaging and display capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a combiner element as an intermediary between the HUD projector and the driver's eyes. This combiner reflects and directs the projected images to the driver's field of view, enabling the system to achieve a large effective display volume without requiring a correspondingly large physical footprint in the instrument panel.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wearable HMD displays are used to present information over wide field-of-view, then information is available in driver's field of vision, but the driver may be distracted under high workload conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively displaying different types of information in different regions of the driver's field of view. Critical safety information is presented in prominent locations, while less important information is displayed in peripheral or less distracting areas. The system also adapts the level of information display based on detected driver workload, reducing information presentation when distraction risk is high.
3Loss of information
If multiple display devices are used to provide comprehensive information, then all vehicle status and environmental information is available, but the driver's attention is drawn away from the road
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and prioritizes only the most critical information for display in the driver's field of view, separating essential safety-related information from non-essential information. Critical alerts and warnings are presented through the HUD/HMD system, while less important information is routed to traditional dashboard displays that do not require the driver's immediate attention, thus maintaining information completeness while minimizing distraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic monitoring of driver attention and workload levels, dynamically adjusting the amount and type of information presented. When the driver's attention is detected to be focused on the road, critical information is displayed. When distraction is detected, the system reduces or eliminates non-essential information display, creating a periodic rhythm of information presentation that adapts to driver state.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for displaying information within a vehicle is described. The system includes at least one sensing device detecting a set of data associated with the vehicle, driver, or surroundings, which is processed using a processing unit for identifying a set of information to be displayed. The system also includes a set of display devices coupled to the vehicle. A router selects one or more display devices for displaying the display element based on a set of conditions. A display control unit generates an appropriate display element for the set of information identified and the selected display.