Vehicle information/task manager

Abstract

The present invention is operative to disable at least one infotainment device under certain conditions relative to the current driving environment of the user. The system uses a weighted matrix to assign risk to certain sensed conditions while driving. A changed condition is assigned a weight and the weighted risks are summed to calculate risk level information. The risk level information is thereafter compared to priority level information associated with at least one infotainment device. When the risk level information exceeds or is equal to the priority level information of the at least one infotainment device the system temporarily disables the infotainment device until the driving environment changes to a condition where it is safe to operate the infotainment device.

1 . An apparatus to measure and manage information for the purpose of facilitating the safe operation of a vehicle in relation to a driver's use of at least one infotainment device disposed in the vehicle, said apparatus comprising: 
 an electronic device having memory and operative to receive information from at least one information source and output risk level information;    an information interface in data communication with said electronic device and the at least one infotainment device wherein said information interface is operative to receive said risk level information and transmit a trigger signal to the at least one infotainment device;    a computer program disposed within the electronic device operative to calculate said risk level information based on the information received from the at least one information source and information disposed in said memory, and wherein said apparatus is operative to compare said risk level information with priority level information relative to the at least one infotainment device, and wherein the apparatus generates the trigger signal that causes the at least one infotainment device to be disabled when said risk level information exceeds said priority level information and enabled when said risk level information returns to a value less than said priority level information; and    a user interface in communication with the electronic device, said user interface operative to allow the user to input user-defined priority information relative to at least one function of the at least one infotainment device wherein the at least one function will not be disabled by the apparatus.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the infotainment device is a phone or audio system component.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least one information source is a vehicle sensor operative to monitor the external driving environment.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least one information source is a global positioning system.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least one information source is at least one driver input.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least one information source monitors at least one vehicle dynamic parameter.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein calculating the risk level comprises grading the information received from the at least one information source and combining the graded information to determine the risk level information.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the information interface includes at least one timer device.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the at least one infotainment device is enabled after the expiration of a predetermined time period that follows said signal generated when said risk level information is less than said priority level information.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said comparison between the risk level information and the priority level information is accomplished by the information interface.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the user interface further comprises a visual indicator operative to notify the user that the device has been disabled.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the user defined priority information comprises a list of incoming call phone numbers.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the at least one function that will not be disabled is an incoming call made from an incoming call phone number that matches a phone number in the user defined priority information.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a portion of the information disposed in the memory is information learned from previous experience.  
   
   
       15 . A method for facilitating the safe operation of a vehicle in relation to a driver's use of at least one infotainment device disposed in the vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing an electronic device having memory in communication with the at least one infotainment device wherein the electronic device is operative to disable some or all functions of the at least one infotainment device;    providing information relative to an external driving environment of the vehicle to said electronic device;    calculating risk level information using said electronic device wherein said risk level information is calculated using said information relative to the external driving environment and information disposed in said memory of the electronic device;    comparing said risk level information with priority level information relative to the at least one infotainment device;    disabling the at least one infotainment device when said priority level information is less than or equal to said risk level information; and    re-enabling the at least one infotainment device when said priority level information is higher than said risk level information.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the step of providing a user interface operative to allow the user to define at least one infotainment function that will not be disabled.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the at least one infotainment function is an incoming call.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising providing the user a visual indication at said user interface operative to notify the driver that the at least one infotainment device has been disabled or re-enabled.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the step of providing a timer in the electronic device.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein re-enabling the at least one infotainment device occurs after the expiration of a predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 15  wherein a portion of the information disposed in the memory of the electronic device is information learned from previous experiences.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the information learned from previous experiences is updated during operation of the vehicle.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising the step of comparing the information learned from previous experience to the information relative to said external driving environment.