Procedures and control arrangement in a bus

Abstract

Method in a control arrangement (210) for adaptive passenger comfort and safety of a bus (100) transporting passengers in a passenger compartment (110), wherein the method comprises: Determining the geographical position of the bus (100); Detecting a geographic position in a database (240), wherein the geographic position is associated with a road feature (130) that may cause passenger disruption; Determine that the bus (100) is approaching the detected geographical position; and Providing a notice to the bus driver, informing him of the approach to the road feature (130), the notice is also given to passengers in the passenger compartment (110) to inform passengers about the upcoming road feature (130).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This description relates to a control arrangement and methods implemented therewith. In particular, methods and a control arrangement are provided for adaptive passenger comfort and safety functions in a bus that transports passengers in a passenger compartment. BACKGROUND

[0002] Bus drivers are generally under stress, especially those operating a bus in a busy area of ​​a large city. In addition to the responsibility of constantly monitoring the surrounding traffic situation, the driver must also keep an eye on the passengers and the situation in the passenger compartment. Furthermore, the driver must keep a close eye on the route of the bus line they are currently driving, including all stops, and keep an eye out for any new passengers waiting at a stop—if one is available. The driver must also adhere to a tight schedule.

[0003] In such situations, the bus driver is often required to make sudden braking maneuvers, even when the passenger is moving, as well as to accelerate sharply to keep to the timetable and to make unexpected lateral maneuvers to avoid potholes, bumps or other irregularities in the road, which the driver is often only able to detect at the last moment, which can lead to undesirable and / or dangerous situations for the passengers.

[0004] Also, buses (for example during rush hour in a big city) often contain standing passengers, passengers in wheelchairs or other disabled passengers, as well as strollers, passengers who place bags or boxes on the floor (which could cause other passengers to trip), or items may be placed in luggage racks from where they could fall onto seated passengers, and there may also be passengers with dogs or other small animals, etc. Passengers on board are very sensitive to sudden movements, especially when the bus is full, and serious incidents can occur if a driver performs unexpected or sudden maneuvers.

[0005] Currently, the experience of the bus driver is crucial for the comfort and safety of passengers on board. By identifying and knowing critical sections of the bus route (such as bumps, poorly lit road sections, construction work, sharp curves, etc.), the driver can plan ahead to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted bus journey. However, newly hired drivers are forced to conduct journeys without sufficient knowledge of the specific situations of the bus route. Even experienced drivers are often not very familiar with the specific conditions of certain bus routes.

[0006] Another consideration in bus design is the feasibility of converting buses from buses driven by a human driver to buses that operate autonomously without a driver. As mentioned, the driver's experience with the bus route and the driver's ability to anticipate and plan the journey along the route are crucial for passenger comfort and safety.

[0007] Document WO2016202360 describes an adaptive system for a scheduled bus to increase driving safety. The system is based on accumulated experience, either from the bus in question or from other buses that have previously traveled the same route. The system automatically imposes restrictions on the bus's speed. However, no special consideration is given to passenger comfort / safety; rather, the primary focus is on preventing speeding.

[0008] Document US2014277830 concerns a system for monitoring and recording vehicle data, such as speed and the behavior of the driver when braking hard. This creates a driving pattern for the driver, which is then analyzed. In a similar situation, the driver is warned of a potential hazard. However, the document does not address specific issues related to passenger safety and comfort.

[0009] Document EP3159235 describes the display of a driver assistance system for a vehicle that calculates an impending risk for a given driving situation based on real-time sensors combined with stored data and can alert the driver under certain conditions. The described driver assistance system applies to any vehicle and does not address the specific problems of buses with passengers.

[0010] Document US 2009 / 0 326 796 A1 describes a system for a vehicle that uses information from on-board sensors and information from other vehicles, as well as empirical data regarding, for example, traffic density on certain roads. A risk assessment is performed with advice for the driver. This document also does not address issues of passenger comfort and safety.

[0011] The document JP 2012 - 190 398 A describes a method for generating a map of vehicle hazards, wherein sensor data from sensors of a plurality of different vehicles is collected and a hazard map is thus generated.

[0012] Document DE 10 2015 015 283 A1 describes a device for controlling the speed of a vehicle capable of transporting a plurality of passengers. The device comprises at least one detector unit configured to detect passenger data of one or more passengers of the vehicle and to generate a passenger data signal containing the passenger data.The device further comprises a processing unit configured to receive the passenger data signal; analyze the passenger data to determine passenger situation data indicating the passenger situation; determine a maximum speed of the vehicle based on the passenger situation data and at least one rule that takes passenger safety and / or passenger comfort into account; and transmit the maximum speed to a cruise control of the vehicle, wherein the speed of the vehicle is limited according to the maximum speed.

[0013] It is clear that further developments are needed to improve bus journeys, assist drivers during their journeys, and enhance road safety and passenger comfort. SHORT DESCRIPTION

[0014] It is therefore an object of the invention to solve at least one of the above problems and in particular to improve the bus ride and also the comfort and safety of the passengers.

[0015] The invention is defined by the appended independent claims. Preferred embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

[0016] According to the variants described, by detecting passenger impairments due to road features on the bus route and determining and storing the geographical positions of the detected passenger impairments, it is possible to give the driver a hint warning him / her of the road feature when approaching the determined and stored geographical positions.

[0017] This helps prevent accidents involving passengers in the passenger compartment. Passenger comfort and safety are ensured by adapting speed, acceleration, and deceleration to the situation in the passenger compartment (regarding standing passengers, wheelchairs, childcare facilities, etc.).

[0018] Further advantages and other new features are revealed in the following description of details. FIGURES

[0019] Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures: Fig. 1 shows a bus according to an embodiment; Fig. 2A shows a view inside a bus according to one embodiment; Fig. 2B shows an interior view of a bus and external devices of the bus according to an embodiment; Fig. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an embodiment of a method for adapted passenger comfort and safety functionality of a bus; Fig. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an embodiment of a method for updating a database; Fig. 5 shows a system according to an embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF DETAILS

[0020] The exemplary embodiments of the invention described here relate to a control arrangement (device) and methods for executing in a control arrangement, which can be implemented using the exemplary embodiments described below. Corresponding exemplary embodiments can also be implemented in other ways and are therefore not limited to the described examples; rather, the exemplary embodiments presented serve to provide a detailed and complete description.

[0021] Further objects and features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting to the embodiments described herein; rather, the claims determine the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the drawings are not necessarily to scale unless expressly indicated; rather, the drawings are intended to explain the principles of the described structures and methods.

[0022] Fig. 1 shows a scenario in which a bus 100 with a passenger compartment 110 travels in the direction of travel 105 on a road 120 and approaches a special feature 130 of the road 120.

[0023] Bus 100 may be any type of road vehicle that travels on a road to transport people, such as a double-decker bus, an articulated bus, a minibus, an intercity bus, a trolley bus, a transfer bus, a school transport bus, an airport bus, a prisoner transport vehicle, a personal security vehicle, an ambulance, an animal transport vehicle, etc. Depending on the embodiment, bus 100 may be controlled by a driver or may drive without a driver (i.e., drive autonomously), depending on the embodiment. For simplicity, bus 100 will be described below as driver-controlled.

[0024] The road feature 130 may be a bump or other section protruding from the road 120, or a hole or hollow in the road 120, a chicane or other traffic calming feature, or even a sharp bend, a road intersection with poor visibility, a poorly lit section of road, roadworks, a traffic island, or a bus stop that is difficult to see in poor visibility conditions, such as in the dark, fog, rain, etc. The road features 130 along the route can therefore be of different types.

[0025] The bus 100 further has a first sensor 140 configured to monitor the condition of the passengers in the passenger compartment 110 of the bus 100.

[0026] The sensor 140 can comprise a set of sensors of the same type or of different types. The sensor can comprise, for example, a camera, a stereo camera, an infrared camera, a video camera, a radar device, a lidar device, an ultrasound device, a so-called time-of-flight camera (for distance measurement), or a similar device according to the various embodiments. The sensor 140 or the set of sensors can comprise a pressure sensor in the seats of the passenger compartment (for determining, for example, the number of occupied seats), a photodetector for counting the number of passengers entering / exiting the passenger compartment 110. In some embodiments, the sensor 140 can be configured to detect whether a passenger seatbelt is fastened, provided the seats in the passenger compartment 110 are equipped with seatbelts.

[0027] In one embodiment, data and information relating to bus 100 are detected, recorded, and stored while traveling along the bus route. For example, sensor 140 can detect that passengers in passenger compartment 110 are affected by sudden acceleration, sudden braking, lateral steering, or other driving maneuvers.

[0028] The sensor signals can be evaluated, for example, by image recognition / machine vision (“computer vision”) and / or object recognition. Machine vision is a technology that uses methods to acquire, process, analyze, and understand images, generally with multidimensional data from the real world, to generate numerical or symbolic information. One approach in this area is to duplicate the capabilities of human vision through electronic recognition and understanding of an image. “Understanding” in this context means the transformation of visual images (i.e., the input signal to the retina) into descriptions of the environment, which can be linked to other thought processes to trigger an appropriate action.Such image understanding can be understood as the resolution of symbolic information from image data using models built on the basis of geometry, physics, statistics, and learning theory. Machine vision can also be understood as an attempt to automate and integrate a wide range of processes and representations for visual understanding.

[0029] The image data from sensor 140 can take various forms, such as images, video sequences, views from multiple cameras, or multi-dimensional data from a scanner.

[0030] In some embodiments, the passengers in the passenger compartment 110 and their current state can be detected using sensor signals acquired, for example, with the sensor 140 using so-called deep learning (sometimes also referred to as "deep learning," "hierarchical learning," and / or "deep machine learning"); that is, a field of computer-aided learning based on a set of algorithms that attempt to model high-level abstractions of data using multiple processing layers with complex structures or by means of differently composed multiple non-linear transformations. "Deep learning" is based on learning specifications regarding data. An observation (e.g., an image) can be represented in many different ways, for example, as a vector with intensity values ​​per pixel or, more abstractly, as a set of edges, regions, or special shapes, etc.

[0031] Deep learning typically uses a cascade of multiple layers of non-linear processing units for feature extraction and transformation. Each successive layer uses the output of the previous layer as input. Algorithms can be verified or unverified, and applications include, for example, pattern analysis (unverified) and classification (verified). Furthermore, deep learning can be based on (unverified) learning with multiple levels of features or representations of data. Higher-level features can be derived from lower-level features to form a hierarchical representation. With deep learning, multiple levels of representations are obtained, corresponding to different levels of abstraction; the levels form a hierarchy of approaches to understanding.The composition of a layer of non-linear processing units for use in a deep learning algorithm depends on the problem to be solved, i.e. the specification of an object to be recognized, in this case impaired (disturbed) passengers, such as falling passengers, passengers losing their footing, etc.

[0032] The geographical position of the detected passenger impairment can be determined, for example, using a satellite navigation system such as Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging (Navstar), the Global Positioning System (GPS), Differential GPS (DGPS), Galileo, GLONASS or the like.

[0033] On the other hand, the geographical position of the vehicle 100 can also be determined, for example, using transponders positioned at known locations along the route, which are detected by a corresponding sensor in the vehicle 100 to detect the transponders in order to determine the respective position; so-called Wi-Fi networks can also be detected and recognized (Wi-Fi networks along the route can be mapped with the respective geographical positions in a database); or by receiving Bluetooth marker signals assigned to geographical positions; or with other wireless signal forms, such as triangulation signals emitted by several fixed stations with known geographical positions. The position can also be entered by the driver.

[0034] In this way, geographical positions along the bus route at which a passenger impairment was detected by the sensor are determined and stored in a database, if necessary in conjunction with information regarding the severity and / or type of passenger impairment.

[0035] If bus 100 or another cooperating bus approaches one of the stored geographical positions associated with a passenger disruption, a notification is given to the bus driver informing him of the upcoming road feature 130.

[0036] This informs the driver about the upcoming road feature 130 and can thus avoid any disruption to passengers.

[0037] Fig. Figure 2A shows an example of how a scenario according to Fig. 1 can be recorded by the driver of the bus 100 when driving on the road 120 in the vicinity of the road feature 130, which in this case is a bump.

[0038] The bus 100 has a control arrangement 210 in which various calculations and processing for adaptive (adaptable) passenger comfort and safety functions of the bus 100 are carried out.

[0039] Furthermore, the bus 100 may include a device for determining its geographical position, such as the position determining device 220. The position determining device 220 may be based on a satellite navigation system, such as Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging (Navstar), the Global Positioning System (GPS), Differential GPS (DGPS), Galileo, GLONASS, or the like.

[0040] The geographical position of the positioning determination device 220 (and thus also that of the bus 100) can be determined continuously with a certain predetermined or adjustable time sequence according to the respective embodiment.

[0041] Positioning by satellite navigation is based on distance measurements using triangulation with a number of satellites 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d. The satellites 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d continuously transmit information regarding the time and date (e.g., in coded form), the identity (regarding the transmitting satellite), the status, and the location of the satellites at any given time. GPS satellites 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d transmit information that is encrypted, for example, with different codes, whereby so-called Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is not necessarily used. This makes it possible to receive information from a single satellite 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d that is differentiated from information from the other satellites according to an individual code for the respective satellite.This information can be transmitted for reception by the appropriately adapted positioning device 220 in the bus 100.

[0042] According to some embodiments, the distance measurement may include measuring the differences in the times until the respective satellite signal emitted by the satellites 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d reaches the position-determining device 220. Since the radio signals propagate at the speed of light, the distance to the individual satellites 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d can be calculated by measuring the signal transmission times.

[0043] The positions of satellites 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d are known because they are continuously monitored by approximately 15-30 earth stations, which are primarily located along or near the Earth's equator. Thus, the geographical position, i.e., the longitude and latitude, of bus 100 equipped with position-determining device 220 can be calculated by determining the distances to at least three satellites 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d using triangulation. In some embodiments, four satellites 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d can be used to determine the latitude.

[0044] After determining the geographical position of the positioning device 220 and thus also of the bus 100, this can be displayed on a map where the position of the bus 100 is marked and also the positions of, for example, the bus route and / or bus stops on the route in front of the bus 100.

[0045] In some embodiments, bus 100 may include a database 240. Database 240 is configured to store geographic locations of locations along the route that may cause disruption to passengers.

[0046] The bus 100 may further comprise an output device 250 configured to provide an indication to the bus driver informing him that a road feature 130 is approaching. The output device 250 may comprise, for example, a loudspeaker, a (graphic) display, a projector, a tactile device, a so-called head-up display (projection into the field of vision), a display integrated into the windshield of the bus 100, a display integrated into the dashboard of the bus 100, a device wearable by the bus driver, a set of displays near the eye (so-called "smart glasses"; "smart lenses," etc.) for the driver; or combinations of such devices.

[0047] The bus 100 also has a second sensor 260. The second sensor 260 may be forward-facing. In the illustrated embodiment, the forward-facing sensor 260 is arranged to be positioned at the front of the bus 100, behind the windshield of the bus 100.

[0048] Mounting the forward-facing second sensor 260 behind the windshield offers several advantages over externally mounted camera systems. Such advantages include the ability to use windshield wipers for cleaning and the use of headlight light to illuminate objects in the camera's field of view. It also provides protection against dirt, snow, rain, and a certain degree of protection against damage, vandalism, and / or theft. Such a sensor 260 can also be used for other purposes.

[0049] The optional sensor 260 can be oriented toward the front of the bus 100 in the direction of travel 105. The sensor 260 can, for example, comprise a camera, a stereo camera, an infrared camera, a video camera, a radar device, a lidar device, an ultrasound device, a time-of-flight camera, or a similar device according to various embodiments.

[0050] In some embodiments, the sensor 260 may, for example, comprise a motion detector and / or a passive infrared (PIR) sensor that is sensitive to a person's skin temperature due to the radiation emitted therein in the mid-infrared wavelength range, in contrast to background objects that are at room temperature (e.g., for detecting road locations where people or animals frequently cross the road 120); or it may continuously emit microwave radiation and thereby detect movements according to the principle of Doppler radar; or it may emit ultrasonic waves and detect the reflections; or it may use a tomographic motion detection system based on the detection of radio wave interference, to name just a few possibilities.

[0051] The second sensor 260 is thus configured to monitor environmental conditions of the bus 100.

[0052] The control arrangement 210 can communicate interactively with the aforementioned units and components in the bus 100 via, for example, a wired or wireless communication bus. The communication bus can, for example, comprise a controller area network (CAN), a media-oriented systems transport (MOST), an Ethernet, or the like. Alternatively, communication can also be carried out via a wireless connection or at least based on one of the aforementioned wireless communication technologies.

[0053] While traveling on the route of bus 100, upon detection of a passenger disturbance in the passenger compartment 110 by the first sensor 140, which, as mentioned, can be a variety of different sensors, the geographical position of bus 100 is determined and stored in the base 240. This position corresponds to the occurrence of the passenger disturbance, i.e., the location where the disturbance occurred. In some embodiments, the extent of the passenger disturbance can be determined and stored in conjunction with the determined geographical position.

[0054] If the bus 100 then later approaches the geographical position stored in this way, an indication is triggered and given to the driver, for which purpose one or more output devices 250 are used.

[0055] A third sensor 270 may be provided in the bus 100 and configured to monitor certain actions performed by the driver when the warning (alarm) is issued. Such a protective action performed by the driver typically means reducing the speed of the bus 100 (without sharp braking above a certain deceleration threshold); accelerating the bus 100 without excessive acceleration exceeding a threshold, etc. The third sensor 270 may, for example, detect a brake application by the driver, an operation of the accelerator pedal, and / or the steering wheel.

[0056] The third sensor 270 can detect that the driver is neglecting the warning regarding the approaching road feature 130. In some embodiments, an automatic action can be triggered in such a situation, e.g., a cautious reduction of the speed of the bus 100 to values ​​below a speed threshold.

[0057] Fig. Figure 2B shows an example of a scenario similar to the scenario according to Fig. 2A, however, the control arrangement 210 and the database 240 are arranged in a structure external to the vehicle. The bus 100 can communicate via a wireless interface by means of a transceiver 280, which communicates with the control arrangement 210 arranged externally with respect to the vehicle via a further communication device 290 arranged externally with respect to the vehicle.

[0058] The bus 100 may be the same as or similar to the bus 100 used in Fig. 2A. It is explained in more detail how a structure external to the vehicle communicates with the bus 100 or with other buses and / or vehicles.

[0059] Communication between bus 100 and the structure external to it and / or between other vehicles and the external structure can take place via a wireless communication interface, such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) or through so-called vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (V2I). The general term "vehicle-to-everything" (V2X) is sometimes used for this, for which, for example, so-called dedicated short-range communication resources (DSRC) are used. DSRC operates in the 5.9 GHz band with bandwidths of 75 MHz and, in exemplary embodiments, has a range of approximately 1000 m.

[0060] Wireless communication can, for example, be implemented according to an IEEE standard for wireless vehicular communication, such as the IEEE 802.11 special operating mode for vehicular networks, also known as Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE). IEEE 802.11p is an extension of 802.11 according to wireless LAAAN with a medium access unit (MAC) and physical unit (PHY) according to the specification.

[0061] Such a wireless communication interface may include or at least utilize the following communication technologies: Wi-Fi, wireless local area networks (WLAN), so-called Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Bluetooth (BT), near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), Z-wave ZigBee, IPv6 low-power wireless personal area networks (6LoWPAN), Wireless Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) Protocol, Wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB), optical communication such as infrared data link (IrDA), low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) such as LoRa, or infrared transmission, to name just a few possibilities for wireless communication in some embodiments.

[0062] On the other hand, communication can also take place via a wireless interface that features or at least uses the following technologies: radio link technologies, such as 3GPP LTE, LTE-Advanced, E-UTRAN, UMTS, GSM, GSM / EDGE, WCDMA, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks, Worldwide Linkable Microwave Systems (WiMax), or Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), 3GPP2 CDMA technologies, e.g. CDMA 2000 1x RTT and High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), or similar, just to mention a few possibilities for a wireless communication network.

[0063] An advantage of having a database 240 and control arrangement 210 external to the vehicle is that multiple vehicles can share the same database 240, and thus the information in the database 240 can be reused. This makes it possible for a bus (or another vehicle) to receive an indication warning the driver of an upcoming vehicle feature 130 that could affect the comfort / safety of passengers, even if the bus 100 is traveling the route for the first time. This allows personal knowledge to be transferred from a driver experienced on the route to a driver new to the route (i.e., to the benefit of a driver who is not yet familiar with this bus route), which also promotes the safe and comfortable transportation of passengers.

[0064] Fig. 3 illustrates an example of a method 300 according to an embodiment. The flowchart according to Fig. 3 shows the method 300 executed in the control arrangement 210. In some embodiments, the control arrangement 210 may be located in the bus 100. In other embodiments, the control arrangement 210 may be located in a structure 320 provided externally with respect to the vehicle.

[0065] The method 300 aims to achieve adaptable passenger comfort and increased safety for a bus 100, wherein the bus transports passengers in a passenger compartment 110.

[0066] The bus 100 may be any device for transporting passengers, i.e. persons in addition to the driver.

[0067] To achieve adaptive passenger comfort and safety features, method 300 may include method steps 301-310. Some of method steps 301-310 may be performed only in certain specific embodiments, such as steps 304-307 and / or 309-310. Steps 301-310, described in more detail below, may also be performed in a slightly different chronological order, i.e., differently than the numbering suggests. Method 300 may include the following steps: Step 301 involves determining the geographical position of the bus 100.

[0068] The geographical position can be determined, for example, using GPS or by one of the methods explained above.

[0069] Step 302 includes detecting, in a database 240, a geographical position associated with a road feature 130 at which there is a possibility of causing an inconvenience to a passenger.

[0070] The database 240 may include geographical locations of previously discovered road features 130 where passenger disruptions have been detected.

[0071] The database 240 can time-tag the geographical positions associated with the road feature 130. This allows outdated data (i.e., data older than a predetermined time threshold) to be filtered out and / or deleted from the database 240.

[0072] Step 303 includes a conclusion that the bus 100 is approaching the detected (step 302) geographical position.

[0073] The distance between the currently determined geographical position of the bus (step 301) and the detected geographical position in the database (step 302) can be specified or predetermined according to various embodiments.

[0074] Step 304, which may only be provided in some embodiments, includes monitoring the passenger status in the passenger compartment 110 of the bus 100.

[0075] Standing passengers and / or passengers in wheelchairs, baby baskets, etc. can be detected by one or more sensors 140 in the passenger compartment 110.

[0076] On the other hand, in some embodiments, the number of passengers boarding bus 100 may be counted by a sensor at each vehicle entrance (or the number of tickets sold may be used as a basis). The number of standing passengers may be estimated by considering the number of seats and comparing it with the number of boarding passengers (assuming that most passengers prefer to be seated if possible). Seat sensors may also be provided in the seats of bus 100, and the number of seated passengers may be subtracted from the number of boarding passengers.

[0077] Seatbelt sensors can also be used to detect whether seated passengers are buckled in. If all seated passengers are buckled in, some embodiments may permit higher speed and acceleration, as well as greater braking and / or lateral steering.

[0078] Step 305, which in some embodiments is performed only in conjunction with step 304, includes estimating the extent of potential disruption caused by road feature 130 according to the monitored condition of the passengers according to step 304.

[0079] The presence of standing passengers, a wheelchair, a baby basket, etc., in the passenger compartment 110 can cause the greatest degree of impairment. Therefore, when passengers are standing in the passenger compartment 110, only a relatively low acceleration / deceleration / speed may be permitted, ie, an acceleration / deceleration / speed lower than a first threshold value.

[0080] If all passengers are seated but not buckled up, moderate acceleration / deceleration / speed values ​​can be permitted. If all passengers in the passenger compartment 110 are seated and buckled up, relatively high acceleration / deceleration / speed values ​​can be permitted.

[0081] Step 306 may only be performed in some particular embodiments in which the road feature 130 stored in the database 240 is linked to an environmental condition, i.e., an environmental condition (state) is determined for the bus 100.

[0082] The environmental condition may, for example, be the amount of daylight (certain road features 130 may be difficult to see in poor light conditions, i.e., the prevailing light level may be lower than a threshold); it may be the time of day (pedestrians crossing the road, etc., may be more numerous during peak traffic times); it may be the time of year (certain roads may be slippery in autumn, for example, due to leaves; certain roads may cause aquaplaning in rain; certain roads may become slippery in subzero temperatures); etc.

[0083] Such environmental conditions can, for example, be determined time-dependently by a sensor such as a light sensor, a rain sensor, a thermometer, etc.

[0084] Step 307, which may be provided when step 306 has been executed, includes a determination as to whether the environmental condition determined in step 306 corresponds to a condition associated with a stored road feature 130.

[0085] Step 308 involves issuing a notice to the bus driver, who is informed of the approaching road feature 130.

[0086] In some embodiments, the indication given to the bus driver may depend on the extent of the possible passenger disruption estimated in step 305.

[0087] In some embodiments in which a limit regarding the extent of the passenger impairment in connection with the road feature 130 is stored in the database 240, the indication can be given to the bus driver if the extent of the passenger impairment estimated in step 305 exceeds the limit value stored for this purpose in the database 240.

[0088] In some embodiments, the indication may be given to the bus driver if the environmental condition determined in step 306 corresponds to the environmental condition associated with the stored road feature 130.

[0089] According to the invention, the warning message is also given to passengers in the passenger compartment 110 to inform them about the approaching road feature 130, e.g., by means of an output device such as a loudspeaker, a display device, a projector, a touchable device, etc.

[0090] In some embodiments, the warning can be given to the bus driver whenever there is a risk that a passenger will be affected, particularly injured, by the road feature 130. In other embodiments, the warning can be disabled when the driver takes a specific precaution or takes specific actions when approaching the road feature 130, such as reducing speed below a threshold, reducing acceleration, etc., each of which can be detected by a sensor. By disabling the warning under certain predetermined conditions, the driver is prevented from being distracted by unnecessary warnings. Unnecessary warnings can disturb the driver and reduce their attention and confidence in the adaptive passenger comfort and safety system.It can therefore be provided that the warning is only given if the bus 100 is traveling faster than a predefined speed threshold. Different predefined thresholds can be linked to different road features 130, and this can be stored in the database 240 in conjunction with the respective geographical position.

[0091] Step 309 can only be provided in those embodiments in which a precautionary measure by the driver is detected due to the indication issued according to step 308.

[0092] Action initiated by the driver as a precautionary measure may be, for example, gentle braking, gentle acceleration, etc., depending on the type of indication given in step 308.

[0093] Step 310 can only be provided in the particular embodiments in which step 309 was carried out and comprises an activation of an automatic action to avoid disturbance to passengers if no action by the driver as a precautionary measure is detected in step 309 when a warning is issued.

[0094] Different threshold values ​​can be linked to different road features 130, which are stored accordingly in the database 240 to initiate the automatic action. Different automatic actions can also be linked to different road features 130, such as reducing speed, limiting acceleration, limiting deceleration, stopping the bus 100, etc.

[0095] Fig. 4 illustrates an example of a method 400 according to an embodiment. The flowchart according to Fig. 4 shows the method 400 as executed in a control arrangement 210. The control arrangement 210 may be arranged in a bus. In other embodiments, the control arrangement 210 is arranged in a structure 320 that is provided externally with respect to the vehicle.

[0096] The method 400 has as its subject an update of a database 240, which is created within the framework of the method 300 described above in accordance with Fig. 3 is used for the adaptive comfort of the passengers and the safety of the bus 100, which transports the passengers in a passenger compartment 110.

[0097] The bus 100 may be any type of facility for transporting and carrying passengers, i.e., persons in addition to the driver.

[0098] To accurately update the database 240, the method 400 may include a number of steps 401-403. Some of the method steps 401-403 may be performed in a different chronological order than the predefined numbering. The method 400 may include the following steps: Step 401 includes the detection of a possible impairment of passengers in the passenger compartment 110 of the bus 100.

[0099] The detection can be carried out by one or more sensors 140 which monitor the passengers in the passenger compartment 110.

[0100] Detection may include determining whether a passenger falls, loses their footing, loses their balance and / or drops a piece of luggage, etc.

[0101] In some specific embodiments, the extent of potential passenger disruption can be determined.

[0102] Step 402 involves determining the geographical position of the bus 100 at the moment of the detected (step 401) passenger impairment.

[0103] The geographical position can be determined using GPS or any of the other methods described above.

[0104] Step 403 comprises storing the geographical position determined in step 402 in the database 240 in association with the road feature 130 that caused the passenger disturbance detected in step 401.

[0105] In some particular embodiments, an estimated extent of passenger impairment may also be stored in the database 240 in association with the geographical position determined in step 402.

[0106] In some embodiments, a timestamp may be determined and associated with the storage of the geographical position and the road feature 130.

[0107] Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of a system 500. The system 500 is configured to generate adaptive passenger comfort and functional reliability of a bus 100 that transports 110 passengers in a passenger compartment.

[0108] The system 500 has a control arrangement 210 for generating adaptive passenger comfort and promoting the safety of a bus 100 transporting passengers in a passenger compartment 110, wherein the above-described method 300 for adaptive passenger comfort and safety of the bus 110 is carried out. The control arrangement 210 can be configured to execute the method 400 for updating the database 240. The control arrangement 210 is configured to determine the geographical position of the bus 100. Furthermore, the control arrangement 210 is configured to determine in a database 240 a geographical position associated with a road feature 130 at which there is a possibility of a passenger being affected. The control arrangement 210 is also configured to determine that the bus 100 is approaching the determined geographical position.Finally, the control arrangement 210 is also configured to give the bus driver an indication via an output device 250, which informs him that the road feature 130 is approaching.

[0109] In some embodiments, the control arrangement 210 may also be configured to monitor the condition of the passengers in the passenger compartment 110 of the bus 100. Furthermore, the control arrangement 210 may additionally be configured to estimate the extent of potential passenger disruption caused by the road feature 130 based on the monitored condition of the passengers.

[0110] The control arrangement 210 can further be configured to determine a threshold value with regard to the passenger impairment and / or to store it in the database 240, which is linked to the road feature 130.

[0111] Finally, the control arrangement 210 can be configured to give the bus driver an indication if the estimated potential for impairment of the passenger exceeds the threshold value for the passenger impairment as stored in the database 240.

[0112] In embodiments in which the road feature 130 is stored in the database 240 in association with an environmental condition (environmental state), the control arrangement 210 can also be additionally configured to determine an environmental condition of the bus 100. The control arrangement 210 can further be configured to determine whether the determined environmental condition corresponds to an environmental condition associated with the stored road feature 130. The control arrangement 210 can further be configured to provide the indication to the bus driver if the determined environmental condition corresponds to the environmental condition associated with the stored road feature 130.

[0113] In some embodiments, the control arrangement 210 can further be configured to detect a precautionary measure (action) initiated by the driver based on the issued warning. The control arrangement 210 can also be configured to initiate an automatic action to prevent passenger disruption if no precautionary measure is detected by the driver.

[0114] According to the invention, the control arrangement 210 is also configured to give the indication to the passengers in the passenger compartment 110 in order to inform them about the approaching road feature 130.

[0115] The system 500 also includes a database 240. The database 240 is configured to include data regarding geographic locations associated with respective road features 130 that could potentially cause disruption to passengers. The database 240 may be located within the bus 100 or, in other embodiments, in a structure external to the vehicle.

[0116] The system 500 also has a position determining device 220 configured to determine the geographical position of the bus 100.

[0117] The system 500 includes an output device 250, such as a display device, a speaker, a touch device, etc. The output device 250 is configured to provide the indication to passengers in the passenger compartment 110 to inform them that a road feature 130 is approaching.

[0118] In some embodiments, the system 500 may also include a first sensor 140 configured to monitor the condition of passengers in the passenger compartment 110 of the bus 100.

[0119] The system 500 may also include a second sensor 260 configured to monitor the environmental conditions of the bus 100.

[0120] Finally, the system 500 may also include a third sensor 270 configured to monitor driver precautions.

[0121] The control arrangement 210 has a receiving circuit 510 configured to receive data from the following components: the database 240, the position determining device 220, the first sensor 140, the second sensor 260, and / or the third sensor 270. The receiving circuit 510 may further be configured to communicate with the structure 320 external to the vehicle.

[0122] The control arrangement 210 has a processor circuit 520 which is configured to perform various calculations and derivations to carry out the methods 300 and 400 according to the steps 301-310 and / or 401-403 described above.

[0123] Such a processor circuit 420 may include one or more processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a microprocessor, or other processor logic capable of interpreting and executing instructions. Thus, the term "processor" as used herein may mean a processor circuit including multiple processors, such as those described above.

[0124] The control arrangement 210 may include a memory 525. The optional memory 525 may include a physical structure for storing data or programs, i.e., instruction sequences, either temporarily or permanently. In some embodiments, the memory 525 may include integrated circuits with silicon-based transistors. The memory 525 may, for example, be a memory card, a flash memory, a USB memory, a hard disk, or other volatile or non-volatile storage devices for storing data, such as a ROM (read-only memory), a PROM (programmable read-only memory), an EPROM (erasable PROM), an EEPROM (electronically erasable PROM), etc., according to the respective embodiments.

[0125] The above-described steps 301-310 and / or 401-403 to be executed in the control arrangement 210 can be implemented by one or more processor circuits 520 in the control arrangement 210 in cooperation with a computer program for executing at least the functions according to steps 301-310 and / or 401-403. Thus, a so-called computer program product with instructions for executing steps 301-310 and / or 401-403 in the control arrangement 210 can execute the methods 300 and 400, respectively, with at least some of the steps 301-310 and / or 401-403 when the computer program is loaded into the one or more processor circuits 520 of the control arrangement 210.The described method steps 301-310 and / or 401-403 can thus be carried out by a computer algorithm, a machine-executable code, a non-transferable computer-readable medium or software instructions programmed into suitable program logic, such as the processor circuits 520 and the control arrangement 210.

[0126] The aforementioned computer program product may, for example, be provided in the form of a data carrier containing the computer program code for executing at least some of steps 301-310 and / or 401-403 according to corresponding embodiments when loaded into the one or more processor circuits 520 of the control device 210. The data carrier may, for example, be a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a memory stick, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any other suitable device, such as a disk or tape, containing stable, machine-readable data. The computer program product may further be provided as computer program code in a server and remotely loaded into a control device 210 via the Internet or a corresponding Internet connection.

[0127] Some embodiments include a bus 100 with a control arrangement 210.

[0128] On the other hand, other embodiments have a structure external to the vehicle with the control arrangement 210.

[0129] The terms used herein in the description of the illustrated embodiments are not intended to limit the methods 300, 400, the control arrangement 210, the computer program, the system 500, the bus 100, and / or the structure external to the vehicle. Various modifications, substitutions, and / or alterations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

[0130] The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of the one or more items mentioned herein. The term "or" as used herein is to be understood in the sense of a mathematical "OR," i.e., as an inclusive designation; not in the sense of an exclusive OR (XOR), unless expressly stated otherwise. The singular expressions "a," "an," and "the" are to be understood as "at least one...", thus also including multiple items (quantities) of this type, unless expressly stated otherwise.Furthermore, the terms "including," "having," "including," and / or "comprising" are to be understood as meaning that the recited features, actions, quantities, steps, operations, elements, and / or components are present, but do not exclude the presence of additional features, actions, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. A single unit, such as a processor, may perform the functions of various features recited in the claims. The fact that certain features are recited in different dependent claims does not mean that a combination of these features cannot be advantageously used.A computer program may be stored / distributed in a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state storage medium, which may be provided as part of the hardware or together with it, but distribution may also be in other forms, such as over the Internet or via a wired or wireless communications system.

Claims

[1] A method in a control arrangement (210) for adaptive passenger comfort and safety of a bus (100) carrying passengers in a passenger compartment (110), the method comprising: Determining the geographical position of the bus (100); Detecting a geographical position in a database (240), the geographical position being associated with a road feature (130) that may cause a passenger disturbance; Determining that the bus (100) is approaching the detected geographical position; and Giving a warning to the bus driver informing him about the approach to the road feature (130), the notice is also given to passengers in the passenger compartment (110) to inform the passengers about the upcoming road feature (130). [2] The method of claim 1, further comprising: Monitoring the passenger status in the passenger compartment (110) of the bus (100); and Estimating the possibility of passenger disruption due to the road feature (130) based on the monitored passenger condition; wherein the indication is given to the bus driver based on the estimated possibility of passenger disruption. [3] A method according to claim 2, wherein: a threshold value regarding the possibility of passenger impairment is stored in the database (240) in association with the road feature (130); and wherein the information is given to the bus driver if the estimated possibility of passenger impairment exceeds the limit value for passenger impairment stored in the database (240). [4] Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the road feature (130) is stored in the database (240) in connection with an environmental condition and wherein the method comprises: Determining an environmental state of the bus (100); Detecting that the determined environmental condition corresponds to an environmental condition associated with the stored road feature (130); and Providing the information to the bus driver if the detected environmental condition corresponds to the environmental condition associated with the stored road feature (130). [5] Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: Check whether a precautionary measure has been taken by the driver based on the given warning; and Triggering an automatic measure to avoid passenger disruption if no precautionary measure is detected by the driver. [6] A control arrangement (210) for adaptive passenger comfort and safety of a bus (100) which carries passengers in a passenger compartment (110), the control arrangement (210) being arranged to: to determine the geographical position of the bus (100); to determine in a database (240) a geographical position which is associated with a road feature (130) which may cause a passenger disturbance; to determine that the bus (100) is approaching the determined geographical position; and to issue a message to the bus driver via an output device (250a, 250b), the message informing the bus driver about the approach to the road feature (130), the notice is also given to passengers in the passenger compartment (110) to inform the passengers about the upcoming road feature (130). [7] Method (400) in a control arrangement (210) for adaptive passenger comfort and safety of a bus (100) which transports passengers in a passenger compartment (110), wherein the control arrangement (210) is arranged to: to determine the geographical position of the bus (100); to determine in a database (240) a geographical position which is associated with a road feature (130) which may cause a passenger disturbance; to determine that the bus (100) is approaching the determined geographical position; and to issue a message to the bus driver via an output device (250a, 250b), the message informing the bus driver about the approach to the road feature (130), wherein the method is for updating a database (240) used in a first method in the control arrangement (210) for adaptive passenger comfort and safety of a bus (100) carrying passengers in a passenger compartment (110), the first method comprising: Determining the geographical position of the bus (100); Detecting a geographical position in a database (240), the geographical position being associated with a road feature (130) that may cause a passenger disturbance; Determining that the bus (100) is approaching the detected geographical position; and Giving a warning to the bus driver informing him about the approach to the road feature (130), wherein the method (400) comprises: Detecting (401) a passenger impairment in the passenger compartment (110) of the bus (100); Determining (402) the geographical position of the bus (100) at the time of the detected passenger disturbance; and Storing (403) the determined geographical position in the database (240) associated with the road feature (130) that caused the detected passenger disturbance. [8] A system (500) for adaptive passenger comfort and safety of a bus (100) carrying passengers in a passenger compartment (110), the system (500) comprising: a control arrangement (210) which is arranged to: to determine the geographical position of the bus (100); to determine in a database (240) a geographical position which is associated with a road feature (130) which may cause a passenger disturbance; to determine that the bus (100) is approaching the determined geographical position; and to issue a message to the bus driver via an output device (250a, 250b), the message informing the bus driver about the approach to the road feature (130); and a database (240) configured to contain data relating to geographical positions associated with road features (130) that may cause passenger disruption; a position determining device (220) configured to determine the geographical position of the bus (100); and an output device (250a, 250b), wherein the output device (250a, 250b) is further configured to give the indication to the passengers in the passenger compartment (110) in order to inform them of the approach to a road feature (130). [9] System (500) according to claim 8, further comprising: a first sensor (140) configured to monitor the passenger condition in the passenger compartment (110) of the bus (100). [10] System (500) according to one of claims 8 or 9, further comprising: a second sensor (260) configured to monitor the environmental condition of the bus (100). [11] System (500) according to one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising: a third sensor (270) configured to monitor driver precautions. [12] Computer program with a program code for carrying out a method (400) according to one of claims 1 to 5 or 7 when the program is executed in a computer. [13] A bus (100) for transporting passengers in a passenger compartment (110) comprising a system (500) according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

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