Vehicle Infotainment Display Control via SPaT Signal Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current in-vehicle display systems lack efficient methods to provide timely and relevant visual content to drivers at traffic intersections, such as traffic light timing information, which can distract drivers and hinder safe navigation.
Innovation Solution
An onboard computer in vehicles communicates with roadside units to receive Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) signals and traffic intersection maps, displaying countdown timers and visual content on infotainment systems only when the vehicle is stopped, ensuring timely information is presented without distracting drivers as traffic lights change.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If visual content is displayed on the infotainment system while the vehicle is stopped at a traffic light, then drivers receive timely traffic light timing information, but drivers may be distracted from the road
Solution Approach 1:
The display system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on vehicle motion state. Visual content is displayed only when the vehicle is stopped (detected via speed sensor or gear position), and automatically suspended when the vehicle begins to move. This dynamic conditional display resolves the contradiction by providing information when needed (stopped) while eliminating distraction during critical driving phases (moving).
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors vehicle motion state through sensors (speed sensor, gear position sensor) and uses this feedback to control display activation. The feedback loop ensures the display is active only during safe conditions (vehicle stopped) and automatically deactivates when motion is detected, thereby preventing driver distraction while maintaining information delivery during appropriate moments.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the display shows visual content during the entire stopped period, then drivers have ample time to view information, but information may be displayed when it is no longer relevant
Solution Approach 1:
The system receives and processes traffic light timing information in advance from roadside units before the actual light change occurs. By preparing the display content beforehand and showing it during the remaining red light period, the system ensures information is available when needed while automatically ceasing display before the light turns green, thus maintaining both timely delivery and appropriate duration.
Solution Approach 2:
The display system changes its operational parameters (active/inactive state) based on real-time conditions including vehicle motion state and traffic light status. The display duration is dynamically adjusted to match the remaining red light time and vehicle stop duration, ensuring information is displayed long enough to be useful but not so long that it becomes irrelevant or distracting during light changes.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for displaying visual content in an automobile. In an exemplary implementation, an onboard computer of an automobile receives wireless signals from a roadside unit located near the traffic intersection. The wireless signals provide information about how much time is remaining before a traffic light turns from a red state to a green state. The onboard computer uses this information to display visual content on an infotainment system in the automobile as long as the automobile is in a stopped condition. The onboard computer stops displaying the content before the traffic light turns green. In one case, the wireless signals transmitted from the roadside unit include a Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) signal and a traffic intersection map that provides details about a topography of the traffic intersection.