PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is
to be performed:
5 TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The present invention generally relates to the field of navigation system and more
particularly it relates to providing a system and a method for assisting a vehicle in
navigation using various means such as plurality of light sources and plurality of haptic
sensors.
10 BACKGROUND
[002] The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the
present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is
prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication
specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
15 [003] Navigation systems are of utmost importance when it comes to navigating through a
new route or embarking towards a new destination. In the existing scenario, for
providing navigational information to a driver of the vehicle, internal display unit like
dashboard of the vehicle is widely used alternatively, people use smart devices such as
mobile phone to check the navigation details. However, sometimes, to check the
20 navigation information, the driver of the vehicle keeps on gazing the screen in order to
comprehend the next suggested navigational event. Looking at navigation screen, eve for few seconds may distract the driver while driving which leads to increase the
probability of accidents. Further, sometimes, the driver's smart phone may be located
in an area within the vehicle, where it is difficult to read or see the navigation
25 information e.g., if the smart phone is placed within a cup holder. At such instances, it
become difficult to understand the navigation information and the driver keeps on
struggling to get navigation information while driving the vehicle.
[004] There is therefore a need for a technique that may overcome the above-mentioned
difficulties and further assist the driver in providing navigation information.
30 SUMMARY
[005] The present disclosure overcomes one or more shortcomings of the prior art and
provides additional advantages. Embodiments and aspects of the disclosure described
in detail herein are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.
[006] In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, a navigation assistance
35 system is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of light sources placed at one or
more inner peripheral surfaces of the vehicle to illuminate in a pre-defined pattern along
with a plurality of haptic sensors placed on a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate
haptic feedback, in a predefined pattern. It further comprises a navigation unit, an
ambient light sensing module and a control unit. The navigation unit is configured to
40 generate navigation information pertaining to one or more navigation related events and the ambient light sensing module is configured to measure light conditions of an
environment of the vehicle to generate ambient light information. The control unit of the disclosed system is communicatively coupled to the plurality of light sources, the
plurality of haptic sensors, the ambient light sensing module, and the navigation unit.
It is configured to receive the navigation information and the ambient light information.
The control unit is further configured to process the received navigation information
5 and the ambient light information. Further, the control unit is configured to control the
functioning of at least one of the plurality of light sources and at least one of the
plurality of haptic sensors, based on the processed information.
[007] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, one or more inner peripheral
surfaces comprises at least one of: windscreen rail/Sun Visor, Dash panel, A Pillars (A10 Post), and upper arc of the Steering wheel of the vehicle, Center pillars (BC-post) and
back of front seats to provide navigation assistance to vehicle occupants. Further, the
plurality of haptic sensors is placed at a left and right arch of the steering wheel to
provide navigation assistance to a vehicle driver.
[008] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the received navigation
15 information by the control unit comprises at least one communication signal
corresponding to the one or more navigation related events.
[009] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, to control the functioning of the
at least one of the plurality of light sources, the control unit is configured to adjust
illumination and characteristic of light received from the at least one of the plurality of
20 light sources, in accordance with the ambient light information and the navigation
information, wherein the characteristic of the light comprises color and light intensity.
[0010] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, to control functioning of the he
plurality of haptic sensors, the control unit is configured to adjust vibration pattern and
frequency of the at least one of the plurality of haptic sensors in accordance with the
25 navigation information.
[0011] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, to process the received navigation
information and the ambient light information, the control unit is configured to receive
at least one communication signal from the navigation unit and a light signal from the
ambient light sensing module. The control unit is further configured to extract at least
30 one of: information of the one or more navigation events from the at least one
communication signal and ambient light condition from the light signal. Further, the
control unit is configured to process the extracted information and the ambient light
condition to control the plurality of light sources and the plurality of haptic sensors.
[0012] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for providing navigation
35 assistance in a vehicle is disclosed. The method comprises acquiring placement
information for a plurality of light sources and a plurality of haptic sensors. The method
further comprises generating navigation information, pertaining to one or more
navigation related events. The method further comprises measuring light conditions of further comprises generating navigation information, pertaining to one or more
navigation related events. The method further comprises measuring light conditions of
an environment of the vehicle for generating ambient light information. The method
40 comprises receiving the navigation information and the ambient light information and
processing the received navigation information and the ambient light information.
Further, the method comprises controlling functions of at least one of the plurality of
light sources and the plurality of haptic sensors using the acquired placement
information, based on the processed information. In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method comprises receiving
at least one communication signal corresponding to the one or more navigation related
events.
[0014] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, for controlling functions of the at
5 least one of the plurality of light sources, the method comprises adjusting illumination
and characteristic of light received from the at least one of the plurality of light sources,
in accordance with the ambient light information and the navigation information,
wherein the characteristic of the light comprises color and light intensity.
[0015] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, for controlling functions of the at
10 least one of the plurality of haptic sensors, the method comprises controlling functions
of the at least one of the plurality of haptic sensors comprises adjusting vibration pattern
and frequency of the at least one of the plurality of haptic sensors in accordance with
the navigation information.
[0016] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, for processing the received
15 navigation information and the ambient light information, the method comprises
receiving at least one communication signal and a light signal. Further, the method
comprises extracting at least one of: information of the one or more navigation events
from the at least one communication signal and ambient light condition from the light
signal. Further, the method comprises processing the extracted information and the
20 ambient light condition for controlling the plurality of light sources and the plurality of
haptic sensors.
[0017] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting.
In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above,
further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0018] The features, nature, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more
apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with
the drawings in which like reference characters identify correspondingly throughout.
30 Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the
present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference
to the accompanying Figs., in which:
[0019] Figures 1A depicts an exemplary environment 100 of a driving vehicle, where plurality
of light sources is placed at inner peripheral surfaces of the vehicle to assist in
35 navigation, in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0020] Figure 1B depicts an exemplary steering wheel of a driving vehicle where plurality of
light sources along with plurality of haptic sensors are placed on the steering wheel to
assist the driver in navigation, in accordance with the embodiments of the present
disclosure.
40 [0021] Figure 2 depicts an exemplary block diagram 200 illustrating a system to provide
navigation assistance, in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure.Figure 3 depicts an exemplary block diagram 300 illustrating a system to provide
navigation assistance using voice recognition via a mobile device, in accordance with
some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0023] Figure 4 depicts an exemplary block diagram 400 illustrating a system to provide
5 navigation assistance using voice recognition via an infotainment unit, in accordance
with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0024] Figure 5 depicts an exemplary block diagram 500 illustrating a system to provide
navigation assistance using voice recognition via a combination of the mobile device
and the infotainment unit, in accordance with some embodiments of the present
10 disclosure.
[0025] Figure 6 depicts an exemplary block diagram 600 illustrating a system to provide
navigation assistance using Navigation Application SDK (Software Development Kit)
via a mobile device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.] Figure 7 depicts an exemplary block diagram 700 illustrating a system to provide
15 navigation assistance using Navigation Application SDK (Software Development Kit)
via an infotainment unit, in accordance with some embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[0027] Figure 8 depicts an exemplary block diagram 800 illustrating a system to provide
navigation assistance using Navigation Application SDK (Software Development Kit)
20 via a combination of the mobile device and the infotainment unit, in accordance with
some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0028] Figure 9A and 9B depicts exemplary illumination patterns generated by the plurality
of light sources to receive attention of the driver and vehicle occupants viz-a-viz the
upcoming navigation event, in accordance with the embodiments of the present
25 disclosure.
[0029] Figure 10 depicts exemplary vibration patterns generated by haptic sensors to alert the
driver about the upcoming navigation event, in accordance with the embodiments of
the present disclosure.
[0030] Figure 11 represents a flowchart 1100 of an exemplary method for providing
30 navigation assistance, in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0031] Figure 11A represents a flowchart of an exemplary method for processing the
information required for navigation assistance, in accordance with the embodiments of
the present disclosure.
[0032] It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein
35 represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the
present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow
diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various
processes which may be substantially represented in a computer readable medium and
executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is
40 explicitly shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present
disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception
and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or
designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure.
[0034] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to
5 its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages
will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection
with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of
the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not
intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.
10 [0035] Navigation systems are of utmost importance when it comes to navigating through a
new route or embarking towards a new destination. Conventionally, vehicles come with
a navigation assistance apparatus which aim to assist the driver and provide the requisite
navigational event information in order to reach the pre-defined destination. These
navigation assistance apparatuses generally provide either audio signals or display the
15 necessary turn events on a navigational screen of either the mobile device or the
infotainment system embedded in the vehicle. In order to obtain the visual information
about the navigational turn events, the driver has to look at the screen by taking the
attention off from the road thus leading to distraction in driving. Further, the ambient
conditions inside the vehicle and the environmental conditions of the route may be
20 different, therefore, sometimes pupil of the eyes needs to be adjusted when driver shifts
his/her vision to and from between the road and the navigational screen. This leads to
fatigue and in return, the driver may lose focus or distract, which may lead to disastrous
accidents. Further, many a time, the mobile device used for providing navigation
assistance information may be located in a difficult to view area within the vehicle. In
25 such scenario, it may require more effort in reading and understanding the navigation
information present on the mobile device.
[0036] In order to overcome the above-mentioned challenges, the present disclosure provides
a navigation assistance system to aid the driver while navigating through the routes to
reach a pre-defined destination. In particular, the present disclosure employs a
30 combination of plurality of light sources and a plurality of haptic sensors that are placed
inside the vehicle to aid the driver in navigating through the route. The plurality of light
sources is placed at one or more inner peripheral surfaces of the vehicle in such a
manner that the light received through these light sources may be observed by the driver
without any difficulty. In Particular, the driver need not require looking directly (no
35 direct vision required) at the light sources by taking the focus off from the road as the
lights are in the peripheral vision of the driver. The driver, therefore, only needs to see
the ambient lights in the peripheral vision. Further, the intensity of the lights may be
configured as per the light conditions of the environment of the vehicle. For instance,
in a non-limiting exemplary scenario, during daytime, based on the light conditions of
40 the environment, there will be more requirement of illumination intensity of light to
assist the driver of the vehicle in navigation whereas during night-time, even low
intensity may be sufficient to assist the driver. So, the idea is not to disturb the driver
or vehicle occupants but to aid in the navigation with minimum or no distraction. Adetailed explanation of the proposed solution is disclosed in the forthcoming
paragraphs.
[0037] In the present disclosure, the term “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving
as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment or implementation of the
5 present subject matter described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be
construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
[0038] The terms “comprise”, “comprising”, “include”, “including”, or any other
variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a device
that comprises a list of components does not include only those components but may
10 include other components not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device. In
other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises…
a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or
additional elements in the system or apparatus.
[0039] The terms like “at least one” and “one or more” may be used interchangeably
15 or in combination throughout the description.
[0040] The terms like “smart phone” and “mobile device”, may be used
interchangeably or in combination throughout the description.
[0041] The terms like “vehicle occupants” and “passengers”, may be used
interchangeably or in combination throughout the description.
20 [0042] The term “vehicle” used in the present disclosure comprises vehicles such as
Hatchback, Sedan, Tough Utility Vehicle (TUV), Kool Utility Vehicle (KUV), Sport
Utility Vehicle (SUV), Crossover Utility Vehicle (XUV), Multi Utility Vehicle (MUV),
Coupe, Convertible, and Pickup Truck, and the like. The following description is
written in the context of a car as a vehicle, by way of example.
25 [0043] Fig. 1A depicts an exemplary environment 100 of a driving vehicle 102 which
has the navigation assistance system. The navigation system comprises the plurality of
light sources placed at one or more inner peripheral surfaces of the vehicle and the
plurality of haptic sensors placed on a steering wheel of the vehicle to aid the navigation
without any need for the driver to take the attention off the roads while driving the
30 vehicle.
[0044] Fig. 1A in the left image presents perspective view of placement of the plurality of
lights sources at one or more inner peripheral surfaces of the vehicle enabling the driver
to read/see the illumination received from the plurality of the light sources in the
peripheral vision, thus catching the attention of the driver along with the attention of
35 the other vehicle occupants without leading to any sort of distraction or discomfort. The
plurality of light sources may be selected from light-emitting diode (LED), organic
light-emitting diode (OLED), Plastic-OLED (P-OLED), Flexible-OLED (F-OLED)
etc. The one or more inner peripheral surfaces, where the plurality of light sources may
be placed includes windscreen rail/Sun Visor 104, Dash panel 106, A Pillars (A-Post)
40 108, Centre pillars (BC-post) 110 and back of front seats 112 of the vehicle 102 in one
non-limiting embodiment.
[0045] Particularly, in Fig. 1A, placement of plurality of light sources is presented for the
vehicle occupants. For receiving attention of the vehicle occupants, the plurality of light
sources is placed around the front side of the vehicle that covers the areas like windscreen rail/Sun Visor 104, Dash panel 106, A Pillars (A-Post) 108. Illumination
from the light sources, placed in these positions may help the vehicle occupants
specially driver of the driver to receive navigation related information with ease.
[0046] In Fig. 1A, right side image, projects the perspective view of placement of plurality of
5 light sources for the rear seat passengers. Passengers occupying the rear seat may use
to check the navigation information on their personal gadgets (with navigation related
application installed) during their journey or sometimes, they ask the driver about this
information during their journey. Most of the times, the passengers while using a taxi
or cab service may guide the driver in their own way whereas the driver was following
10 the map information. In such situations, they usually disturb the driver of the vehicle to
know about the navigation related event information. With the help of present
disclosure even the rear seat passengers may receive same information about the
navigation events, which the driver is receiving while driving the vehicle through the
navigation assistance system This may keep the rear seat passengers updated about the
15 upcoming navigation event that the driver may follow. To enable the rear seat occupants
aware about the navigation information, the plurality of light sources is placed on
Centre pillars (BC-post) 110 and back of front seats 112 of the vehicle 102 as well.
Illumination from the light sources, placed at these locations, may help the rear
passengers to know about the navigation information or navigation related events that
20 is presented to driver of the vehicle through the navigation assistance system. The
navigation related events may comprises any manoeuvring turn-by-turn events hosted
by a navigation unit. For example, the one or more navigation related events or
manoeuvring turn-by-turn events may comprise at least one of: Turn left, turn right,
straight, Ramp up or down, Clockwise U Turn, and Anticlockwise U turn. In an
25 exemplary scenario, when the next navigation related event is detected as “turn left”.
The plurality of light sources present near the inner peripheral region near the left side
seat gets illuminated and corresponding to this event for rear-passenger convenience,
the plurality of light sources placed on back seat of the left side may also get
illuminated. Similarly, the plurality of light sources gets illuminated based on the one
30 or more navigation events. The light sources presented in figure 1A are illuminated in
particular patterns which are explained in the upcoming paragraphs in conjunction with
Fig. 2, Fig. 9Aand Fig. 9B of the present disclosure.
[0047] Fig. 1B depicts an exemplary steering wheel 100B of the driving vehicle 102. In one
non-limiting embodiment, the plurality of light sources may be placed at the upper arc
35 116 and the hub 114 of the steering wheel 100B to catch attention of the driver while
navigating and suggest the upcoming navigation event without causing any distraction.
Further, in one non-limiting embodiment, the haptic sensors 118 may be placed at a left
and right arch of the hub 114 of the steering wheel 100B to generate vibration alert for
the driver based on the navigation information. In particular, based on the one or more
40 navigation related events, the control unit sends haptic feedback to the haptic sensors
mounted on the steering wheel of the vehicle. In an exemplary embodiment, on
receiving a “Turn Left” navigation related event, the control unit may send vibration
alert to the haptic sensors located on left arch of the steering wheel of the vehicle.
Similarly, based on the navigation related events, feedback is generated for the haptic sensors by the control unit and based on the same, vibration pattern is generated in the
corresponding arch of the steering wheel, where haptic sensors are located. Same is
explained in the upcoming paragraphs in conjunction with Fig. 2 of the present
disclosure.
5 [0048] Figure 2 depicts an exemplary block diagram 200 illustrating a system to provide
navigation assistance to the driver as well as to the other vehicle occupants/passengers
present in the driving vehicle 102. The navigation assistance system 200 comprises a
navigation unit 202 such that it is configured to generate navigation information
pertaining to one or more navigation related events to assist in navigating the routes
10 and manoeuvring turn-by-turn events to a pre-defined destination. The navigation
assistance system 200 further comprises an ambient light sensing module 204 to
measure light conditions of an environment of the vehicle to generate ambient light
information. Communication signal(s) received from the navigation unit 202 and the
ambient light information received from the ambient light sensing module 204 are fed
15 to the control unit 206 via any suitable connection for processing. For example, the
connection may be established via USB or Bluetooth or CAN (Control Area Network)
etc. for processing. To process the received navigation information and the ambient
light information, the control unit 206 extracts the information about one or more
navigation related events from the communication signal and ambient light condition
20 information from a light signal. This extracted information when processed is used to
control the plurality of light sources 208 and the plurality of haptic sensors 210 which
are communicatively coupled with the control unit 206. Now in one non-limiting
embodiment of the present disclosure, the navigation unit 202 may be facilitated by a
voice recognition-module or by a navigation application SDK. Further, depending on
25 the approach being facilitated by the navigation unit 202 for navigating and
manoeuvring turn by turn events, the communication signal(s) from the navigation unit
202 may be received either in the form of an audio signal or an Application
Programming Interface (API) signal. In particular, the audio signal is received by the
navigation unit as communication signal when the navigation information is received
30 through a navigation feature. The navigation feature represents a navigation application
installed on the mobile device for receiving navigation information. The API signal is
received by the navigation unit as communication signal when the navigation
information is received through Software Development Kit (SDK). In one of the
exemplary embodiment, these audio signal or API signal are received by the navigation
35 unit via a mobile device. In another exemplary embodiment, these audio signal or API
signal are received by the navigation unit via infotainment unit. In yet another
embodiment, these audio signal or API signal are received by the navigation unit via
combination of mobile device and the infotainment unit. Based on the communication
signal information and the ambient light information, the control unit 206 is configured
40 to control the plurality of light sources 208 and the plurality of haptic sensors 210 which
are communicatively coupled with the control unit 206. In particular, the Control unit
206 processes these associated information and control the characteristics of light
generated by the plurality of light sources 208 and control the vibration pattern and
frequency of the vibration generated by the plurality of haptic sensors.
10
[0049] A person skilled in the art may appreciate that the control unit 206 may be implemented
as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal
processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any
devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Further, the
5 navigation unit 202 may be implemented by at least one of the mobile device and an
infotainment unit of the vehicle 102.
[0050] Now in one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the navigation
assistance system 200 is facilitated by voice recognition module which in turn is being
implemented by a mobile device as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the present disclosure. Fig.
10 3 thus illustrates a navigation assistance system 300 which consists of a mobile device
302. This mobile device 302 has a navigation unit 304 which is well equipped to
provide navigational feature 306 along with other relevant features associated with it.
This navigation unit 304 of the mobile device 302 is capable of generating
communication signals 308 indicating the navigational information and guiding about
15 the upcoming one or more navigational events. The navigation events may comprises
any manoeuvring turn-by-turn events hosted by a navigation unit 304. In an exemplary
embodiment, the one or more navigation related events or manoeuvring turn-by-turn
events comprise at least one of: Turn left, turn right, straight, Ramp up or down,
Clockwise U Turn, and Anticlockwise U turn. In one non-limiting embodiment, the
20 communication signal 308 generated by the navigation unit 202 may be provided to the
control unit via at least one communication protocol. In particular, there may be any
communication protocol (i.e., set of rules) that is used to share communication signal
from navigation unit to the control unit or vice-versa. In an exemplary embodiment, the
communication protocol such as Bluetooth, USB, CAN or any other protocol supported
25 by both the entities, may be used to provide the communication signal generated by the
navigation unit 202 to the control unit. Before sharing the communication signal, it
should be ensured that both the entities i.e., navigation unit and the control unit supports
the communication protocol. The audio signals shared by the navigation unit provide
the information about the navigating route while manoeuvring turn by turn events.
30 Further, in another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the navigation
unit 304 of the mobile device 302 may also generate pictorial information and display
it on the screen of the mobile device 302 in addition to the communication signal 308.
[0051] Further, the navigation assistance system 300 comprises of an ambient light sensing
module 310 which is configured to measure the light conditions of an environment of
35 the vehicle and generate the information regarding the same. This information is further
transmitted to the Control unit 312 which utilizes it to control the illumination and
characteristic of the light generated by the plurality of light sources such that it does not
disturb the driver and is just optimum enough to catch driver’s attention in his
peripheral view. In an exemplary embodiment, the characteristic of light generated from
40 the plurality of light sources comprises colour and light intensity. For example, the
intensity of light generated from the plurality of light sources should be required more
in daytime as compared to evening time. In another embodiment, variation in the colour
of light may also be provided corresponding to the one or more navigation related
events. Both the communication signal 308 received from the navigation unit 304 and the
ambient light information received from the ambient light sensing module 310 are
required to be transmitted to the Control unit 312. However, for processing the
navigation information, the control unit 312 invokes a voice recognition module 314
5 through a customized processor. The voice reorganization module 314 provides the
Turn-by-Turn Navigation information to the customized processor which in turn
generate control signals for controlling functioning of the plurality of light sources and
the plurality of haptic sensors. In particular, the voice reorganization module 314
includes vocabulary related to navigation related events which helps in identifying the
10 turn-by-turn navigation related events. This voice recognition module 314 is configured
to receive the communication signal 308 from the navigation unit present on the mobile
device 302 via a communication protocol and same communication signal is utilized to
analyse the corresponding navigation events. For example, the control unit may extract
the information of the one or more navigation events from the at least one
15 communication signal. For instance, in one non-limiting exemplary scenario, if the
audio signal 308 from the navigation unit 304 of the mobile device 302 recites “Turn
Right in 100 meters” then the voice recognition module 314 is configured to read this
communication signal 308 and generate the corresponding navigation event, let us say,
“TR100”. In similar way, all the navigation related events (such as directions
20 specifications and manoeuvring turn by turn events) may be defined in the system and
the corresponding information may be extracted whenever occurrence of event is
received in form of communication signal by the control unit.
[0053] Now in one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the voice recognition
module 314 may transmit the generated navigation related event information to the
25 processor 316 of the control unit which in turn, processes the extracted information,
and generates the corresponding control signals to control functioning of illumination
of the plurality of light sources 318 as well as plurality of haptic sensors 320. For
instance, in one non-limiting exemplary scenario, for the received navigational event
information “TR100”, the control unit 312 may send the control signals to illuminate
30 the plurality of light sources 318 placed at the right side (as illustrated in Fig. 1B) of
the driving vehicle 102 and also send the haptic feedback to the plurality of haptic
sensors 320 placed at the right arch of the steering wheel 110C as illustrated in Fig. 1B.
Further, the generated ambient light information by the ambient light sensing module
310 is also received as the input by the processor 316 of the control unit 312 which
35 analyses the received signal. The processor 316 of the control unit 312 processes the
ambient light information associated with the light signal to generate the control signal
for adjusting the intensity of the illuminated plurality of light sources 318. In one nonlimiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 312 may be further
configured to vary the patterns of illumination for the plurality of light sources 318.
40 Same is explained in the upcoming paragraphs in conjunction with Fig. 9A and 9B.
Further, in another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit
312 may be further configured to vary the patterns of generating the vibrations via the
plurality of haptic sensors 320 which is explained in the upcoming paragraphs in
conjunction with Fig. 10 of the present disclosure.In context of yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, referring
to Fig. 4, it illustrates a block diagram of a navigation assistance system 400 facilitated
by the voice recognition-based solution which in turn is being implemented by an
infotainment unit 402. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the
5 infotainment unit 402 may be a dashboard or any other similar system which is well
equipped to provide data visualizations and audio for a pre-stored information, or any
other data received from a linked database.
[0055] The infotainment unit 402 comprises a navigation unit 404 which is well equipped to
provide navigational application 406 along with other informative and entertainment
10 related features. This navigation unit 404 of the infotainment unit 402 is capable of
generating communication signals 408 indicating the navigational information and
guiding about the upcoming navigational events. In one non-limiting embodiment, the
communication signal 408 generated by the navigation unit 404 may be the audio signal
providing the information about the navigating route while manoeuvring turn by turn.
15 In yet another embodiment, the navigation unit 404 of the infotainment unit 402 may
also generate pictorial information and display it on the screen of the infotainment unit
402 along with the communication signal 408. The communication signal 408 from the
navigation feature/application 406 is fed to the voice recognition module/audio reader
410 which is in turn is configured with navigation related vocabulary. Once the voice
20 recognition module 410 receives the audio signal 408, it converts the audio signals into
the corresponding navigational related events information as explained by an
exemplary scenario in the foregoing paragraphs. These navigation related events
generated by the voice recognition module/ audio reader 410 are in turn transmitted to
the control unit 414 via a communication protocol. The control unit 414 processes the
25 received navigation related event information through a dedicated processor 416 and
based on the navigation related event information controls the requisite plurality of
haptic sensors 420.
[0056] Further, the navigation assistance system 400 comprises of an ambient light sensing
module 412 which is configured to measure the ambient (environmental) light
30 conditions and generate the ambient light information. This information is further
transmitted to the Control unit 414 which utilizes it to control the illumination and
characteristic of plurality of the light sources such that it does not disturb the driver and
is just optimum enough to catch driver’s attention in his peripheral view. In particular,
the generated ambient light information by the ambient light sensing module 412 is
35 received by the processor 416 of the control unit 414 which analyses the received signal,
processes it to extract the ambient light condition information associated with it. The
processor 416 further processes the extracted ambient light condition information to
adjust the illumination and characteristic of light received from the plurality of light
sources 418. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit
40 414 may be further configured to vary the patterns of illumination of the plurality of
light sources 418, same is explained in the upcoming paragraphs in conjunction with
Fig. 9A and 9B. Further, in another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure,
the control unit 414 may be further configured to generate vibration patterns for the haptic feedback received via the plurality of haptic sensors 420, same is explained in
the upcoming paragraphs in conjunction with Fig. 10 of the present disclosure.
[0057] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the navigation
assistance system is facilitated by the voice recognition module, where a combination
5 of the mobile device and the infotainment unit is used to provide the navigation
information as illustrated by Fig. 5 of the present disclosure. Fig. 5 thus illustrates a
navigation assistance system 500 which is being implemented by a combination of the
mobile device 502 and the infotainment unit 508. The mobile device 502 has a
navigation unit 504 which is well equipped to provide navigational feature 506 along
10 with other relevant features. This navigation unit 504 of the mobile device 502 is
capable of generating communication signals 508 indicating the navigational
information and guiding the vehicle occupants about the upcoming navigational events.
In one non-limiting embodiment, the communication signal 508 generated by the
navigation unit 404 may be the audio signal providing the information about the
15 navigating route while manoeuvring turn by turn events. This audio/communication
signal 508 in turn received by the infotainment unit 510 is fed to its voice recognition
module/ audio reader 512 which on receiving the communication signal 508, extracts
navigation information and provide navigation related events information to the control
unit as explained by an exemplary scenario in the foregoing paragraphs. These
20 navigation related events generated by the voice recognition module/ audio reader 512
are in turn transmitted to the control unit 516 by using a communication protocol (i.e.,
supported by the control unit and infotainment unit) . The control unit 516, based on
the navigation related event information effectively control the requisite plurality of
light sources 520 as well as the plurality of haptic sensors 522 based on the received
25 navigational information.
[0058] Further, the function of an ambient light sensing module 514 and the controlling
function of the plurality of light sources based on the ambient light information remains
the same as presented in the foregoing paragraphs. Same is not described again for the
sake of brevity.
30 [0059] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the navigation
assistance system is facilitated by the Navigation Application SDK (Software
Development Kit). The navigation application SDK is a collection of tools, libraries,
and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that may be customized for supporting
a set of functionalities. In the present disclosure, SDK is used for providing navigation35 related features required for navigation assistance. In an exemplary embodiment, the
navigation related features may be provided via an application. In one non-limiting
embodiment, SDK of present disclosure provides the necessary components to create
applications capable of providing turn-by-turn directions, route information, location
tracking, geolocation services, and other navigation-related functionalities.
40 [0060] Further, in one implementation, the navigation application SDK may be implemented
by one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal
processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any
devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions.
14
[0061] Fig. 6 illustrates one such non-limiting embodiment which provides a navigation
assistance system 600 facilitated by a navigation application SDK which in turn is being
implemented by the mobile device 602. This mobile device 602 has a navigation unit
604 which has a well-equipped navigational feature/application 606 configured to
5 effectively navigate the routes to a pre-defined destination. The customized navigation
application SDK 610 in turn receives the input 608 from the navigation feature 606 of
the navigation unit 604. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, this
received input 608 to the navigation application SDK may provide a communication
signal 614 i.e., SDK API signal to read the navigation information concerned with the
10 upcoming navigation event for effectively maneuvering turn by turn navigation related
events to the control unit 616. The control unit 616 extracts the navigation related event
information from the API signal and process it by using a customized processor 618 in
order to effectively control the requisite plurality of light sources 620 as well as the
plurality of haptic sensors 622.
15 [0062] Further, the navigation assistance system 600 comprises of an ambient light sensing
module 612 which is configured to measure the ambient (environmental) light
conditions and generate the information regarding the same. This information is further
transmitted to the Control unit 616 which utilizes it to control the intensity of the light
sources such that it does not disturb the driver and is just optimum enough to catch
20 driver’s attention in his/her peripheral view. So, the generated ambient light information
by the ambient light sensing module 612 is also received as the input by the processor
618 of the control unit 616. The processor 618 processes the ambient light information
associated with it. The processor 618 further processes the extracted light signal
information to adjust the illumination and characteristic of the light received from the
25 plurality of light sources 620. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure,
the control unit 616 may be further configured to vary the patterns of illuminating the
plurality of light sources 620 which is explained in the upcoming paragraphs in
conjunction with Fig. 9A and 9B. Further, in another non-limiting embodiment of the
present disclosure, the control unit 616 may be further configured to vary the patterns
30 of vibrations in the plurality of haptic sensors 622 which is explained in the upcoming
paragraphs in conjunction with Fig. 10 of the present disclosure.
[0063] Fig. 7 of the present disclosure illustrates yet another non-limiting embodiment of a
navigation assistance system 700 facilitated by the navigation application SDK. This
embodiment is implemented by an infotainment unit 702. The infotainment unit 702
35 comprises a navigation unit 704 which is well equipped to provide native
navigational/ADAS application 706 along with other informative and entertainment
related features. The navigation application SDK 710 is a customized application
running on the infotainment unit to read the navigation related events using the SDK
API signal i.e., communication signal 708 generated by the navigation application SDK
40 710. The communication signal 714 may be any form of digital or analog signal (API)
which carries the navigational information concerned with the upcoming navigation event for effectively maneuvering turn by turn navigation related events is transmitted
to the control unit 716 for further processing. The control unit 716 further processes the
15
navigational information via its customized processor 718 to effectively control the
requisite plurality of light sources 720 as well as the plurality of haptic sensors 722.
[0064] Further, the navigation assistance system 700 comprises of an ambient light sensing
module 712 which is configured to measure the ambient (environmental) light
5 conditions and generate the ambient light condition information. This information is
further transmitted to the Control unit 716 and processed in similar way as presented in
foregoing paragraphs. Further, the control unit 716 also processes the navigation
information (received from the infotainment unit), and ambient light information in the
similar way to control functioning of plurality of light sources as presented in foregoing
10 paragraphs of the disclosure.
[0065] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the navigation
assistance system facilitated by the navigation application SDK based solution may also
be implemented by the combination of the mobile device and the infotainment unit as
illustrated by Fig. 8 of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 thus illustrates a navigation
15 assistance system 800 which is being implemented by a combination of the mobile
device 802 and the infotainment unit 812. The mobile device 802 has a navigation unit
804 which has a well-equipped navigational feature/application 806 configured to
effectively navigate the routes to a pre-defined destination. The navigation application
SDK 810 in turn receives the input 808 from the navigation feature 806 (once turned
20 on) of the navigation unit 804. However, in another non-limiting embodiment, the
navigation application SDK may feed on the generated navigational information by the
navigation feature 806 directly. The navigation application SDK 810 in turn provides a
communication signal 812 to the infotainment unit 814 via Bluetooth or USB
connection. The communication signal may provide information pertaining to the
25 upcoming navigation events. In an embodiment, the communication signal 812 may be
any form of digital or analog signal (API) which carries the navigational information
concerned with the upcoming navigation event to the infotainment unit 814 for further
processing.
[0066] The infotainment unit 814 receives the navigational information which is further
30 processed by the navigation application SDK 816 and is transmitted to the control unit
820 via CAN. The control unit 820 in turn extracts the navigation related event
information and process it further to effectively control the requisite plurality of light
sources 824 as well as the plurality of haptic sensors 826.
[0067] Further, the navigation assistance system 800 comprises of an ambient light sensing
35 module 818 which is configured to measure the ambient (environmental) light
conditions and generate the information regarding the same. This information is further
transmitted to the Control unit 820 in similar way as presented in foregoing paragraphs.
Further, the control unit 820 also processes the navigation information (received from
the combination of mobile device and infotainment unit), and ambient light information
40 to control functioning of the plurality of light sources in the similar way as presented in
foregoing paragraphs of the disclosure.
[0068] Now with reference to the Fig. 9 of the present disclosure, it illustrates the different
patterns 900 in which the plurality of light sources 902 may be illuminated to catch the
attention of the driver in his/her peripheral vision while driving the vehicle. These
16
patterns are generated in accordance with the control signals provided by the control
unit to the plurality of light sources. In one non-limiting embodiment, the plurality of
light sources 902 may be multi-coloured and thus may be illuminated in variation with
their respective colours i.e., one colour set of light sources may be illuminated at any
5 instant of time and then second colour set of light sources are illuminated at the other
instant of time and so on. In another embodiment, the brightness of light may depend
on the ambient light conditions. In another embodiment, the colour of the light in the
plurality of light sources may depend on the one or more navigation events. For
example, for navigation related event such as straight, the colour of light may be
10 selected as green whereas for navigation related event such as turn left/turn right, the
colour for light may be yellow. A person skilled in the art may appreciate that colour
selection for the plurality of light sources may be customized at the time of installing
the navigation assistance system and/or at later stage based on user requirement. In yet example, for navigation related event such as straight, the colour of light may be
10 selected as green whereas for navigation related event such as turn left/turn right, the
colour for light may be yellow. A person skilled in the art may appreciate that colour
selection for the plurality of light sources may be customized at the time of installing
the navigation assistance system and/or at later stage based on user requirement. In yet
another non-limiting embodiment, the plurality of the light sources 902 may be
15 illuminated with variation in flashing i.e., by changing ON/OFF time duration to create
different illumination patterns 904. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of light
sources 902 may be controlled such as to create a sequential pattern 906. It should be
noted that illumination patterns of the plurality of light sources 902 are not restricted to
the above discussed ones and may be customized based on the requirement.
20 [0069] Similarly, Fig. 10 illustrates different vibration patterns 1000 generated by the plurality
of haptic sensors 1004 that are placed on a steering wheel 1002 of the driving vehicle
102. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit may
send feedback corresponding to the navigation information to the haptic sensors.
According to the feedback received, the haptic sensor may generate the vibration
25 pattern in the left or right portion of the steering wheel. The vibration pattern 1006 may
be generated by altering the ON/OFF timing of the vibration as illustrated in Fig.10. In
yet another embodiment, the control signals may be generated by providing sequential
vibration 1008 along the plurality of haptic sensors 1004. It should be noted that haptic
feedback patterns generated by the plurality of haptic sensors 1004 are not restricted to
30 the above discussed ones and may be customized based on the requirement. Further, in
an embodiment, along with the vibration pattern, the control unit may also alter the
frequency of vibration in the haptic sensors. Referring back to Fig. 9 and 10, in one
non-limiting embodiment, the plurality of light sources 902 and plurality of haptic
sensors 1004 may be embedded in the driving vehicles 102 during their manufacturing.
35 However, in another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality
of light sources 902 may be retrofitted with suction cup attached to mount it at the inner
peripheral surfaces of the existing vehicles.
[0070] Fig. 11 illustrates a flowchart 1100 of an exemplary method for providing navigation
assistance in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method
40 1100 may also be described in the general context of computer executable instructions.
Generally, computer executable instructions may include routines, programs, objects,
components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform
specific functions or implement specific abstract data types patterns are generated in accordance with the control signals provided by the control
unit to the plurality of light sources. In one non-limiting embodiment, the plurality of
light sources 902 may be multi-coloured and thus may be illuminated in variation with
their respective colours i.e., one colour set of light sources may be illuminated at any
5 instant of time and then second colour set of light sources are illuminated at the other
instant of time and so on. In another embodiment, the brightness of light may depend
on the ambient light conditions. In another embodiment, the colour of the light in the
plurality of light sources may depend on the one or more navigation events. For
example, for navigation related event such as straight, the colour of light may be
10 selected as green whereas for navigation related event such as turn left/turn right, the
colour for light may be yellow. A person skilled in the art may appreciate that colour
selection for the plurality of light sources may be customized at the time of installing
the navigation assistance system and/or at later stage based on user requirement. In yet
another non-limiting embodiment, the plurality of the light sources 902 may be
15 illuminated with variation in flashing i.e., by changing ON/OFF time duration to create
different illumination patterns 904. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of light
sources 902 may be controlled such as to create a sequential pattern 906. It should be
noted that illumination patterns of the plurality of light sources 902 are not restricted to
the above discussed ones and may be customized based on the requirement.
20 [0069] Similarly, Fig. 10 illustrates different vibration patterns 1000 generated by the plurality
of haptic sensors 1004 that are placed on a steering wheel 1002 of the driving vehicle
102. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit may
send feedback corresponding to the navigation information to the haptic sensors.
According to the feedback received, the haptic sensor may generate the vibration
25 pattern in the left or right portion of the steering wheel. The vibration pattern 1006 may
be generated by altering the ON/OFF timing of the vibration as illustrated in Fig.10. In
yet another embodiment, the control signals may be generated by providing sequential
vibration 1008 along the plurality of haptic sensors 1004. It should be noted that haptic
feedback patterns generated by the plurality of haptic sensors 1004 are not restricted to
30 the above discussed ones and may be customized based on the requirement. Further, in
an embodiment, along with the vibration pattern, the control unit may also alter the
frequency of vibration in the haptic sensors. Referring back to Fig. 9 and 10, in one
non-limiting embodiment, the plurality of light sources 902 and plurality of haptic
sensors 1004 may be embedded in the driving vehicles 102 during their manufacturing.
35 However, in another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality
of light sources 902 may be retrofitted with suction cup attached to mount it at the inner
peripheral surfaces of the existing vehicles.
[0070] Fig. 11 illustrates a flowchart 1100 of an exemplary method for providing navigation
assistance in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method
40 1100 may also be described in the general context of computer executable instructions.
Generally, computer executable instructions may include routines, programs, objects,
components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform
specific functions or implement specific abstract data types.
17
[0071] The order in which the method 1100 is described is not intended to be construed as a
limitation, and any number of the described method blocks may be combined in any
order to implement the method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from
the methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described.
5 [0072] At step 1102, the method 1100 may include acquiring placement information for a
plurality of light sources and a plurality of haptic sensors at one or more inner peripheral
surfaces of the vehicle for illuminating in a predefined pattern. Further, in one nonlimiting embodiment, acquiring the placement information for the plurality of light
sources may include placing the plurality of light sources at such places inside the
10 vehicle to catch attention of the vehicle occupants e.g., driver and other passengers
present in the vehicle as illustrated in Fig. 1B and 1C. Further, the plurality of light
sources may provide illumination pattern and plurality of haptic sensors may provide
vibration pattern to receive attention of the vehicle occupants.
[0073] At step 1104, the method 1100 may include generating navigation information,
15 pertaining to one or more navigation related events. In one non-limiting embodiment,
the navigation unit 202 is used for generating this navigation information via at least
one mobile device and/or infotainment unit.
[0074] At step 1106, the method 1100 may include measuring light conditions of an
environment of the vehicle for generating ambient light information. In one non20 limiting embodiment, an ambient light sensing module 204 may be used to measure the
ambient light conditions in order to obtain the existing light intensity information.
[0075] At step 1108, the method 1100 may include receiving the navigation information and
the ambient light information. In one non-limiting embodiment, the control unit 206
may be configured to receive these navigation and ambient light information.
25 [0076] At step 1110, the method 1100 may include processing the navigation information and
the ambient light information. The control unit extracts the requisite navigation
information and light intensity information from the received the communication signal
and light signal and processes it further to control the plurality of light sources and the
plurality of haptic sensors. In one non-limiting embodiment, the control unit 206 may
30 comprise a voice recognition module to process the received navigation information. In
another non-limiting embodiment, the control unit 206 may comprise a navigation
application SDK to process the received navigation information. In yet another nonlimiting embodiment, the control unit 206 may comprise a processor to process both
the navigation information as well as the ambient light information. Same may be
35 understood by referring the figure 11A.
[0077] Figure 11A represents the method steps followed for processing the navigation
information and the ambient light information.
[0078] At step 1110A, the method includes receiving at least one communication signal and a
light signal. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one
40 communication signal may be received from the navigation unit and the light signal is
received from the ambient light sensing module.
[0079] At step 1110B, the method includes extracting at least information of the one or more
navigation events from the at least one communication signal and ambient light
18
condition from the light signal. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present
disclosure, the information is extracted by the control unit.
[0080] At step 1110C, the method includes processing the extracted information of the one or
more navigation related events and the ambient light condition for controlling the
5 plurality of light sources and the plurality of haptic sensors. In one non-limiting
embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the control unit processes the
extracted information of the one or more navigation related events and the ambient light
condition for controlling the plurality of light sources and the plurality of haptic sensor.
[0081] At step 1112, the method 1100 may include controlling the functions of at least one of
10 the plurality of light sources and the plurality of haptic sensors, based on the processed
information. In one non-limiting embodiment, the control unit 206 included with a
processor may be configured to control the characteristic of light generated by the
plurality of light sources and control the vibration pattern in the haptic sensors.
[0082] The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it
15 should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner
in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for
purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional
building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the
description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions
20 and relationships thereof are appropriately performed.
[0083] Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those
described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the
teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the
disclosed embodiments.
25 [0084] Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized in
implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. A computerreadable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information
or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage
medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including
30 instructions for causing the processor(s) to perform steps or stages consistent with the
embodiments described herein. The term “computer- readable medium” should be
understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals,
i.e., are non-transitory. Examples include random access memory (RAM), read-only
memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drives, CD ROMs,
35 DVDs, flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media.
[0085] Suitable processors include, by way of example, a general-purpose processor, a special
purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphic
processing unit (GPU), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in
association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific
40 Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) circuits, any
other type of integrated circuit (IC), and/or a state machine.
Advantages of the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated herein In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides techniques for providing
navigation assistance to driver in his/her peripheral vision so as not to cause any
distraction as the driver is not required to take the eyes off from the road, thus enabling
safe driving ecosystem preventing accidents.
5 In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides techniques to enable hassle
free driving experience for the driver and other passengers as they are not required to
look at navigational information being displayed at the mobile screens or dashboards
in order to know the upcoming navigational event and may get the requisite information
in their peripheral visions.
10 In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides techniques to retrofit the
plurality of light sources in the existing vehicle thus serving the requisite objective for
both the existing as well as newly manufactured vehicles.
In another embodiment, the present disclosure does not interrupt the ongoing
audio play on an infotainment system since the present disclosure only takes audio input
15 from the infotainment system for controlling the light sources and Haptics only and not
over audio.WE CLAIM:
1. A navigation assistance system for a vehicle (102), comprising:
a plurality of light sources (208) placed at one or more inner peripheral surfaces of the
vehicle to illuminate in a pre-defined pattern;
a plurality of haptic sensors (210) placed on a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate
haptic feedback, in a predefined pattern;
a navigation unit (202) configured to generate navigation information pertaining to one or
more navigation related events;
an ambient light sensing module (204)configured to measure light conditions of an
environment of the vehicle to generate ambient light information; and
a control unit (206) communicatively coupled to the plurality of light sources (208), the
plurality of haptic sensors (210), the ambient light sensing module (204) and the navigation
unit (202), the control unit (206) is configured to:
receive the navigation information and the ambient light information; and
process the received navigation information and the ambient light information;
and
control functioning of at least one of the plurality of light sources and at least
one of the plurality of haptic sensors, based on the processed information.
2. The navigation assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more inner
peripheral surfaces comprises at least on one of: windscreen rail/Sun Visor (104), Dash panel
(106), A Pillars (A-Post, 108), and upper arc of the Steering wheel (116) of the vehicle (102),
Center pillars (BC-post, 110) and back of front seats (112) to provide navigation assistance to
vehicle occupants; and
wherein the plurality of haptic sensors (210) is placed at a left and right arch of the steering
wheel (118) to provide navigation assistance to a vehicle driver.
3. The navigation assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the received navigation
information comprises at least one communication signal corresponding to the one or more
navigation related events.
4. The navigation assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein to control functioning
of the at least one of the plurality of light sources(208), the control unit (206) is configured to:
adjust illumination and characteristic of light received from the at least one of the plurality
of light sources (208), in accordance with the ambient light information and the navigation
information, wherein the characteristic of the light comprises colour and light intensity.
5. The navigation assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein to control functioning
of the plurality of haptic sensors (210), the control unit (206) is configured to adjust vibration
pattern and frequency of the at least one of the plurality of haptic sensors (210) in accordance
with the navigation information.
21
6. The navigation assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein to process the received
navigation information and the ambient light information, the control unit (206) is configured
to:
receive at least one communication signal from the navigation unit (202) and a light signal
from an ambient light sensing module (204);
extract at least one of: information of the one or more navigation events from the at least
one communication signal and ambient light condition from the light signal; and
process the extracted information and the ambient light condition to control the plurality of
light sources (208) and the plurality of haptic sensors (210).
7. A method (1100) for providing navigation assistance in a vehicle, the method
comprising:
acquiring (1102) placement information for a plurality of light sources and a plurality of
haptic sensors;
generating (1104) navigation information, pertaining to one or more navigation related
events;
measuring (1106) light conditions of an environment of the vehicle for generating
ambient light information;
receiving (1108) the navigation information and the ambient light information;
processing (1110) the received navigation information and the ambient light
information; and
controlling (1112) functions of at least one of the plurality of light sources (208) and the
plurality of haptic sensors (210) using the acquired placement information, based on the
processed information.
8. The method for providing navigation assistance as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
received navigation information further comprises:
receiving at least one communication signal corresponding to the one or more navigation
related events, wherein the one or more navigation related events.
9. The method for providing navigation assistance as claimed in claim 6, wherein
controlling functions of:
the at least one of the plurality of light sources comprises:
adjusting illumination and characteristic of light received from the at least one of the
plurality of light sources, in accordance with the ambient light information and the navigation
information, wherein the characteristic of the light comprises colour and light intensity; and
the at least one of the plurality of haptic sensors comprises:
adjusting vibration pattern and frequency of the at least one of the plurality of haptic
sensors in accordance with the navigation information.
10. The method assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein processing the received
navigation information and the ambient light information comprises:
receiving at least one communication signal and a light signal;