US-12617282-B2 - Vehicle user interface control system and method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a control system ( 200 ), to a vehicle ( 1 ), to a method ( 400 ), and to computer software ( 208 ). The method ( 400 ) is a method of controlling a user interface of a vehicle ( 1 ). The method ( 400 ) comprises obtaining ( 402 ) context information associated with use of the vehicle. The method ( 400 ) comprises providing ( 402 ) the context information to a dynamic decision model to determine ( 404 ) a display location at which to display a user interface item ( 502 - 518 ) on at least one of a plurality of driver-viewable displays ( 216, 218, 220 ) at different locations relative to a front windscreen ( 2 ) of the vehicle. The method ( 400 ) comprises causing ( 406 ) the user interface item ( 502 - 518 ) to be displayed at the determined display location. The method ( 400 ) comprises updating ( 410, 412, 414 ) the dynamic decision model in dependence on the context information and a determined user response to the display location of display of the user interface item ( 502 - 518 ).

Inventors

• Alan Armstrong

Assignees

• JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230322

Priority Date

20220324

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A control system for controlling a user interface of a vehicle, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the control system configured to: obtain context information associated with use of the vehicle; provide the context information to a dynamic decision model to determine a display location at which to display a user interface item, on at least one of a plurality of driver-viewable displays at different locations relative to a front windscreen of the vehicle; cause the user interface item to be displayed at the determined display location; and update the dynamic decision model in dependence on the context information and a determined user response to the display location of display of the user interface item, wherein the update of the dynamic decision model comprises use of sensor information to measure how efficiently driving or non-driving tasks are completed before and after the user interface items have been adapted to the context information.
2. 2 . The control system of claim 1 , wherein the context information associated with use of the vehicle comprises journey information and/or environmental condition information, the journey information comprises one or more of: a time; a phase of the journey; a location of the vehicle; a journey condition, and the context information is associated with use of the vehicle comprises user state information.
3. 3 . The control system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic decision model is configured to determine the display location in dependence on a plurality of modalities of the obtained context information.
4. 4 . The control system of claim 1 , wherein determining the display location comprises determining at which one of the plurality of driver-viewable displays to display the user interface item.
5. 5 . The control system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of driver-viewable displays comprise two or more of: a dashboard display; an instrument cluster display; a head-up display.
6. 6 . The control system of claim 1 , wherein updating the dynamic decision model in dependence on the context information comprises updating the dynamic decision model based on a trend of context information obtained over a plurality of journeys.
7. 7 . The control system of claim 1 , wherein updating the dynamic decision model in dependence on the determined user response comprises updating the dynamic decision model based on a determined passive user response and/or based on a determined active user response, to the display location of the user interface item.
8. 8 . The control system of claim 7 , wherein the determined passive user response comprises ignoring of the user interface item and/or comprises a driver reaction to the display location of the user interface item, indicated by a driver reaction sensor.
9. 9 . The control system of claim 7 , wherein the determined active response comprises a human-machine interface input from the driver, the input comprising one or more of: movement of the user interface item away from the display location, dismissal of the user interface item, and/or acceptance of a prompt or other control of the user interface item.
10. 10 . The control system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface item relates to any one or more of: an HVAC, heating-ventilation and cooling, function of the vehicle; a seat comfort function; a navigation function of the vehicle; a driver instrument function of the vehicle; an infotainment function of the vehicle a communication event notification function; or an ADAS, advanced driver assistance system, function.
11. 11 . The control system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic decision model comprises a drive routine feedback loop to learn a driver's routine of use of each user interface item based on the time, location, or other context information in which the user interface item is used, and a driver response feedback loop determining the driver's response to the display location adaption.
12. 12 . The control system of claim 1 , wherein the context information at least includes driver gaze direction data from eye-tracking detected by a driver-facing camera, and the determined user response is at least based upon detection of the driver gaze direction intersecting the display location of display of the user interface item.
13. 13 . A vehicle comprising a user interface, a front windscreen, and a control system for controlling the user interface, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the control system configured to: obtain context information associated with use of the vehicle; provide the context information to a dynamic decision model to determine a display location at which to display a user interface item, on at least one of a plurality of driver-viewable displays at different locations relative to the front windscreen of the vehicle; cause the user interface item to be displayed at the determined display location; and update the dynamic decision model in dependence on the context information and a determined user response to the display location of display of the user interface item, the update of the dynamic decision model comprises use of sensor information to measure how efficiently driving or non-driving tasks are completed before and after the user interface items have been adapted to the context information.
14. 14 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the context information associated with use of the vehicle comprises journey information and/or environmental condition information.
15. 15 . The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the journey information comprises one or more of: a time; a phase of the journey; a location of the vehicle; a journey condition.
16. 16 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the context information associated with use of the vehicle comprises user state information.
17. 17 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the dynamic decision model is configured to determine the display location in dependence on a plurality of modalities of the obtained context information.
18. 18 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein determining the display location comprises determining at which one of the plurality of driver-viewable displays to display the user interface item.
19. 19 . A method of controlling a user interface of a vehicle, the method comprising: obtaining context information associated with use of the vehicle; providing the context information to a dynamic decision model to determine a display location at which to display a user interface item on at least one of a plurality of driver-viewable displays at different locations relative to a front windscreen of the vehicle; causing the user interface item to be displayed at the determined display location; and updating the dynamic decision model in dependence on the context information and a determined user response to the display location of display of the user interface item, wherein the updating of the dynamic decision model comprises using of sensor information to measure how efficiently driving or non-driving tasks are completed before and after the user interface items have been adapted to the context information.
20. 20 . A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer code that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method according to claim 19 .

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a control system and method for controlling a user interface of a vehicle. In particular, but not exclusively it relates to a control system, a vehicle, a method, and computer software, for determining display locations of various user interface items, to optimise display. BACKGROUND As displays increasingly replace physical HMI switchgear and analogue instruments, there is increased flexibility over which user interfaces are displayed on which displays of the vehicle. If the user interfaces are not optimised, users of the vehicle may find that it takes undesirable effort to locate the desired functionality. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art. Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a control system, a vehicle, a method, and computer software as claimed in the appended claims. According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a control system for controlling a user interface of a vehicle, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the control system configured to: obtain context information associated with use of the vehicle;provide the context information to a dynamic decision model to determine a display location at which to display a user interface item on at least one of a plurality of driver-viewable displays at different locations relative to a front windscreen of the vehicle;cause the user interface item to be displayed at the determined display location; andupdate the dynamic decision model in dependence on at least one of: the context information; ora determined user response to the display location and/or timing of display of the user interface item. An advantage is reducing the complexity of the system. A further advantage is to reduce undesirable effort for the user to locate the desired functionality. The control system determines the optimal display locations of user interface items, and adapts to feedback to improve its accuracy. According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a control system for controlling a user interface of a vehicle, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the control system configured to: obtain context information associated with use of the vehicle;provide the context information to a dynamic decision model to determine a display location at which to display a user interface item on at least one of a plurality of driver-viewable displays at different locations relative to a front windscreen of the vehicle;cause the user interface item to be displayed at the determined display location; andupdate the dynamic decision model in dependence on the context information and a determined user response to the display location of display of the user interface item. An advantage is that the dynamic decision model adapts to the user's feedback, to enable the system to further reflect users preferences. In some examples, the context information associated with use of the vehicle comprises journey information and/or environmental condition information. In some examples, the journey information comprises one or more of: a time; a phase of the journey; a location of the vehicle; a journey condition. In some examples, the context information associated with use of the vehicle comprises user state information. In some examples, the dynamic decision model is configured to determine the display location in dependence on a plurality of modalities of the obtained context information. An advantage is improved accuracy and confidence that the determined context is correct. In some examples, determining the display location comprises determining at which one of the plurality of driver-viewable displays to display the user interface item. In some examples, the plurality of driver-viewable displays comprise two or more of: a dashboard display; an instrument cluster display; a head-up display. In some examples, updating the dynamic decision model in dependence on the context information comprises updating the dynamic decision model based on a trend of context information obtained over a plurality of journeys. An advantage is enabling improved accuracy and confidence of the dynamic decision model. In some examples, updating the dynamic decision model in dependence on the determined user response comprises updating the dynamic decision model based on a determined passive user response and/or based on a determined active user response, to the display location of the user interface item. Some examples of monitoring the user response advantageously ensure that the driver does not have to be involved to provide feedback to the dynamic decision model. In some examples, the determined passive user response comprises ignoring of the user interface item and/or comprises a driver reaction to the display location of the user interface item, indicated by a driver reaction sensor. In some examples, t