Motor vehicle with child safety measures

Abstract

Motor vehicle with child protection measures where at least one child protection measure of the motor vehicle is adaptively designed with regard to its protective effect, the motor vehicle has a proximity device by which the proximity of the motor vehicle to a child education center can be determined, and depending on the proximity of the motor vehicle to the childcare facility, the protective effect of at least one child protection measure of the motor vehicle can be increased, characterized by this, that a child protection measure of the motor vehicle, adaptively designed with regard to its protective effect, is designed as a noise output device for emitting artificial engine and / or driving noises to the vehicle environment and that, in order to increase the protective effect of the noise output device, the volume and type of noise emitted can be varied depending on the proximity of the motor vehicle to the childcare facility.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle with child protection measures.

[0002] Modern motor vehicles incorporate numerous and highly effective safety features. Many of these safety measures aim to protect vehicle occupants in the event of a collision with an obstacle and / or another road user. However, safety measures for collision prevention (such as the emission of artificially generated engine and / or driving noises to the surrounding environment, particularly in electric vehicles) and / or safety measures to mitigate the consequences for other road users in the event of an unavoidable collision (e.g., pedestrian protection) are also well-known and increasingly common.

[0003] Document DE 602 14 060 T2 discloses a driving instruction device in which instructions regarding a driving route are set, wherein the instructions are communicated less frequently than the frequency with which a vehicle has driven the route when driving the route multiple times. The instructions are not communicated every time the user drives the route, but only at a predetermined frequency over a predetermined period.

[0004] Document DE 10 2005 035 040 A1 discloses a collision avoidance system for a motor vehicle with a low-noise drive system that has a sound level of less than 65 dB and is, in particular, at least temporarily powered by an electric motor. The system includes an acoustic and / or optical signal generation device that produces an acoustic and / or optical warning signal independently of the driver's input.

[0005] Document DE 10 2005 012 357 A1 discloses a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle, comprising: a collision sensor mounted on a front section of the vehicle to detect a collision and generate a detection signal; and an electronic control unit to recognize, based on the detection signal, whether the vehicle is colliding with a pedestrian. The electronic control unit generates a pedestrian collision signal when it detects that the vehicle is colliding with a pedestrian. Furthermore, the pedestrian protection device includes a height adjustment unit for lowering at least one front section of the vehicle when the pedestrian collision signal is generated by the electronic control unit.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide an efficient motor vehicle with protective measures specifically tailored to protect children in the vicinity of the motor vehicle.

[0007] This problem is solved by a motor vehicle with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

[0008] The motor vehicle according to the invention has at least one child protection measure which is adaptively designed with regard to its protective effect, and it has a proximity device by which the proximity of the motor vehicle to a childcare facility can be determined. In addition, the protective effect of the at least one child protection measure of the motor vehicle can be increased depending on the proximity of the motor vehicle to the childcare facility as determined by the proximity device.

[0009] The focus of the vehicle design according to the invention on the protection of children serves to avoid one of the most detrimental effects of today's individual mass mobility, namely the avoidance of accidents involving children or - in the worst case - the reduction of the consequences of accidents involving children.

[0010] However, an unrestricted prioritization of child safety measures in vehicle design, or the uncompromising maximization of their protective effect, would encounter acceptance problems among modern consumers. Furthermore, maximizing the protective effect of some child safety measures conflicts with other objectives of modern vehicle development, particularly the cost-effective provision of a motor vehicle in collisions with other objects and the reduction of the vehicle's energy consumption. A key aspect of the invention, therefore, lies in increasing the protective effect of child safety measures not permanently, but only depending on the situation.

[0011] In order to enable the situation-dependent increase of the protective effect of child protection measures, at least one child protection measure of the motor vehicle according to the invention is adaptively designed with regard to its protective effect.

[0012] A particularly effective situational dependency is achieved by varying the protective effect depending on the proximity of the motor vehicle to a childcare facility.

[0013] The term "child education center" is to be understood broadly here. A child education center should be understood to include, in particular, a school and / or a kindergarten and / or a daycare center and / or other childcare facility. The presence of children is to be expected in the immediate vicinity of such child education centers.

[0014] The concept of the invention can be extended from the adaptive design of child protection measures and the enhancement of their protective effect near childcare facilities to the adaptive design of specific senior citizen protection measures and the enhancement of their protective effect near nursing homes, hospitals, and / or other facilities where a high concentration of senior citizens is to be expected. For the sake of clarity and conciseness, the following explanations, without limiting the generality of the subject matter, refer to the adaptive design of child protection measures and the enhancement of their protective effect near childcare facilities.

[0015] The determination of a motor vehicle's proximity to a childcare facility can be quantitative or qualitative; that is, either the actual distance of the motor vehicle from the childcare facility can be determined, or it can simply be determined whether the motor vehicle is "near" (e.g., determinable by a radius) a childcare facility. It can also be determined, for the purpose of determining the motor vehicle's proximity to a childcare facility, whether the motor vehicle is traveling on a street where a childcare facility is located.

[0016] The proximity of a motor vehicle to a childcare facility can be determined, for example, by means of satellite-based positioning of the motor vehicle in conjunction with electronic map material in which the position of the childcare facility is recorded.

[0017] The simplest way to vary the protective effect of a child protection measure is to deactivate it under normal circumstances, but activate it "in the vicinity" (e.g., defined by a radius) of a childcare facility. Alternatively, if possible, the protective effect of the child protection measure can be continuously or in discrete increments depending on the distance of the vehicle from the childcare facility.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a child safety measure in the motor vehicle is designed as an adaptive vehicle dynamics control system. To increase the protective effect, the adaptive vehicle dynamics can then be adjusted to a more defensive driving mode. For example, the engine power can be reduced and / or the accelerator pedal response can be modified. Various other interventions in the vehicle dynamics control system – which are known per se – are conceivable for increasing the protective effect.

[0019] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a child safety measure in a motor vehicle is designed as a camera-based driver assistance system. Preferably, such a camera-based driver assistance system is suitable – in a manner known per se – for alerting the driver of the motor vehicle to persons, particularly children, in the vehicle's vicinity. For this purpose, the camera-based driver assistance system preferably comprises at least one swiveling camera and / or one with a variable field of view, which can be directed towards persons, particularly children, in the vehicle's vicinity. The protective effect of such a camera-based driver assistance system can be increased, for example, by increasing the intensity of any warnings to the driver and / or by lowering a threshold that must be exceeded for the system to respond and / or issue a warning.

[0020] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a child safety device of the motor vehicle is designed as a pedestrian safety device that can be set to a specific configuration with a high level of protection in the event of a child impact. In particular, the motor vehicle body can be designed such that the front design of the motor vehicle is variable. An approach to the practical implementation of a variable body design was presented by the applicant based on the "GINA" study (presented at the reopening of the BMW Museum in Munich, June 2008).

[0021] According to the invention, a child safety device for motor vehicles is designed as a noise output device for emitting artificial engine and / or driving noises to the vehicle's surroundings. The principle of a noise output device for emitting artificial engine and / or driving noises to the vehicle's surroundings is known, for example, from DE 197 01 801 A1. Speed-dependent noise output is also known from the aforementioned document, but not situation-dependent noise output, and in particular not noise output dependent on the vehicle's position.

[0022] With this embodiment of the invention, for example, the energy consumption of the noise output device can be reduced if it is only operated when the motor vehicle is near a childcare facility. The noise emission, which may be perceived as disturbing by other road users, residents, or passersby, can also be reduced by operating the noise output device only when the motor vehicle is near, and especially approaching, a childcare facility.

[0023] In particular, the volume of the noise output in the noise output device according to the invention is variable. To increase the protective effect, the volume can, for example, be increased continuously or in stages as the vehicle gets closer to the childcare facility. The approach speed can also be taken into account. Conversely, reducing the volume (possibly even to zero) at a greater distance from childcare facilities can reduce energy consumption and noise emissions.

[0024] Furthermore, the type of sound emitted can be varied to increase the protective effect of the sound-emitting device. For example, near a childcare facility, a sound generally perceived as unpleasant and / or a sound specifically designed to attract the attention of children can be emitted, such as the characteristic sound of a vehicle from a television series.

[0025] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the motor vehicle comprises an estimation device by which, when the motor vehicle is near a childcare facility, a characteristic value relating to the presence of children in the vicinity of the childcare facility can be estimated. For example, the number of children attributable to the childcare facility (e.g., the number of pupils in a school) can be related to, for example, a probability of the children's presence in the childcare facility or—even more meaningfully—in the vicinity of the childcare facility, depending on the current time of day and / or day of the week, and multiplied to arrive at such a characteristic value. The characteristic value can, for example, be expressed as a binary value (yes / no) or as a probability of the presence of children in the vicinity of the childcare facility.The protective effect of at least one child safety measure on the vehicle can preferably be increased both depending on the vehicle's proximity to the childcare facility and depending on its characteristic size. For example, taking the characteristic size into account can prevent an unnecessary increase in the level of protection in the vicinity of schools at night or on Sundays. Conversely, a particular increase in the level of protection can be achieved in the vicinity of schools shortly before or after classes begin.

[0026] Facts that are included in the estimation of such an estimation device (e.g., the number of pupils in a school and / or the school's teaching hours) may be contained in extended map data of a motor vehicle navigation system and / or made available via online services.

[0027] A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below. Further details, preferred embodiments, and further developments of the invention will follow from this description.

[0028] A motor vehicle is equipped with a device for monitoring the surroundings, as well as with adaptive vehicle dynamics, with systems for situation-adapted driver assistance, with a variable front design (see BMW GINA study) and with a noise output device for adaptive external noise.

[0029] The ideal sequence of events when using these systems and devices is as follows: The environmental monitoring device detects the proximity of a school or kindergarten with many children present. The vehicle's adaptive dynamics are then adjusted to an extremely defensive driving mode. The situation-adaptive driver assistance system focuses cameras on children who might suddenly run into the road. The adaptive pedestrian protection system adjusts the vehicle's variable front design to anticipate a potential collision with children. The adaptive external noise output system increases the noise level.

Claims

Motor vehicle with child protection measures, wherein at least one child protection measure of the motor vehicle is adaptively designed with regard to its protective effect, the motor vehicle has a proximity device by which the proximity of the motor vehicle to a childcare facility can be determined, and depending on the proximity of the motor vehicle to the childcare facility, the protective effect of the at least one child protection measure of the motor vehicle can be increased, characterized in that a child protection measure of the motor vehicle, which is adaptively designed with regard to its protective effect, is designed as a noise output device for emitting artificial engine and / or driving noises to the vehicle environment, and that, in order to increase the protective effect of the noise output device, the volume and the type of noise emitted can be varied depending on the proximity of the motor vehicle to the childcare facility. Motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that a child protection measure of the motor vehicle is designed as an adaptive vehicle dynamics control. Motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a child protection measure of the motor vehicle is designed as a camera-based driver assistance system. Motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the camera-based driver assistance system is suitable for alerting the driver of the motor vehicle to persons in the vehicle environment. Motor vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that the camera-based driver assistance system has at least one swiveling and / or variable camera with respect to its recording area, which can be directed towards persons in the vehicle environment. Motor vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a child protection measure of the motor vehicle is designed as a pedestrian protection measure which can be moved into a specific setting with a high protective effect in the event of impact by children. Motor vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the motor vehicle further comprises an estimation device by which, in the case of the proximity of the motor vehicle to a child education center, a characteristic quantity relating to the presence of children in the vicinity of the child education center can be estimated, and that the protective effect of the noise output device can be increased depending on the proximity of the motor vehicle to the child education center and depending on the characteristic quantity.