Motor vehicle and method for feeding back driving behavior by virtual avatar in motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle (10) and a method for feeding back a driving behavior by means of a virtual avatar (16) in the motor vehicle (10). The method comprises the following steps: measuring driving data by means of a sensor device (12) of the motor vehicle (10); evaluating a driving behavior by means of a computing device (14) of the motor vehicle (10) on the basis of the measured driving data, a reaction of the avatar (16) being determined on the basis of the evaluation of the driving behavior; the virtual avatar (16) is actuated by means of the determined reaction, a reaction being carried out as a body movement by means of the virtual avatar (16), the reaction comprising at least one posture of the virtual avatar (16).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for providing feedback on driving behavior via an avatar in a motor vehicle and also to a motor vehicle designed to perform the method. Background Art

[0002] Many car manufacturers now use avatars to communicate between the user and the vehicle, for example to adjust vehicle functions, such as rolling down a window or adjusting a radio station.

[0003] Furthermore, there are applications that evaluate driving behavior based on acceleration data to assess the driver's driving style, for example, for insurance ratings. In particular, even, continuous steering and appropriate (cornering) speeds in bends can improve safety and comfort. Gentle braking can better utilize the kinetic energy recovery of electric vehicles, thereby saving energy. Gentle acceleration can improve passenger comfort and reduce vehicle wear and tear.

[0004] US 2003 / 0060937 A1 discloses an in-vehicle device, a vehicle, and a method for processing vehicle information, which are used, for example, to assist in driving a motor vehicle and accurately convey driving situations to the driver. Here, user interaction with the vehicle is expressed through virtual emotions, whereby the vehicle has a personality and the virtual emotions are displayed through the facial expressions of a predetermined character.

[0005] An information processing device is known from US2021 / 0291841 A1, which has a controller designed to: detect information about driving behavior as an indication of caution for the driver when driving a vehicle; detect a vehicle virtual avatar corresponding to the vehicle, wherein the vehicle virtual avatar has a basic personality assigned to the vehicle based on the information about the vehicle; generate a message based on the basic personality of the vehicle virtual avatar based on the information about the driving behavior; and output the generated message as an expression of the vehicle virtual avatar.

[0006] DE 10 2010 053 394 A1 discloses a three-dimensional entity for communicating with an occupant of a motor vehicle, wherein the three-dimensional entity can be locked in the motor vehicle. In particular, it is proposed that the communication between the occupant or driver of the motor vehicle and the three-dimensional entity takes place acoustically and / or haptically, and that the communication between the three-dimensional entity and the driver or occupant of the motor vehicle takes place optically and / or acoustically. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to influence the driving behavior of the driver and thus increase safety and / or minimize wear.

[0008] This object is achieved by the independent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims, the following description and the drawings.

[0009] One subject matter of the present invention relates to a method for providing feedback on driving behavior using a virtual avatar in a motor vehicle. The method comprises the following steps: measuring driving data using a sensor device of the motor vehicle; evaluating the driving behavior based on the measured driving data using a computing device of the motor vehicle; determining a reaction of the virtual avatar based on the evaluation of the driving behavior; and controlling the virtual avatar using the determined reaction, wherein the reaction is performed by the virtual avatar as a body movement, the reaction including at least one gesture of the virtual avatar.

[0010] In other words, the vehicle's driving data can first be determined, in particular using a sensor system, such as a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and / or a rotation angle sensor. The driving data can then be analyzed by a computing device in the vehicle, in particular a computer program executed on the computing device, to evaluate the user's driving behavior. For example, the driving data can be compared with predetermined limit values ​​or characteristic curves to determine whether the driving behavior or maneuver is within a normal range. Based on this, a reaction of an avatar can be determined, which should be output as a reflection of the driving behavior. The avatar can be a digital or physical representation of the vehicle and can be displayed, for example, on a display device or via a hardware component.

[0011] Finally, the avatar can be controlled using the determined reactions, wherein the avatar performs the reactions as body movements including at least one gesture. This means that the reactions are displayed as body movements of the avatar, such as by turning the head during steering or by tilting the body during acceleration. If predetermined limits are exceeded, the avatar can, for example, tilt in the corresponding direction. Thus, for example, when steering, the avatar can also turn its head as a reaction, which can cause the avatar to feel dizzy if the driver steers unevenly or abruptly. When accelerating, the avatar can tilt in the direction opposite to the acceleration, which can cause the avatar to fall if the acceleration is too fast or too strong. This also applies, for example, to braking or cornering. As speed increases, the avatar can, for example, display a facial expression of fear.

[0012] The avatar's reactions are preferably presented in real time to provide the driver with direct feedback on their driving behavior. However, a global score can also be generated, which can, for example, represent emotions and reward ratings. Alternatively or additionally, the avatar's facial expressions can be altered. Thus, as speed increases, the avatar might display a fearful expression, and if the driver exhibits the desired behavior for a period of time, the avatar might be in a good mood. Preferably, rewards, such as different avatar appearances, can be unlocked to further influence driving behavior. However, if the driver fails to exhibit the desired driving behavior for a period of time, the avatar might be in a bad mood.

[0013] The driver receives immediate feedback about his driving behavior via the avatar's reactions, and can adjust his driving behavior based on the reactions. In particular, this can lead to improved driving behavior, which improves safety when driving the vehicle and / or reduces wear and tear on the vehicle.

[0014] The present invention also includes designs that produce additional advantages.

[0015] One design option provides that the driving data include positive and / or negative acceleration, steering wheel rotation, pedal operation, and / or jerk. Jerk refers to the time rate of change of acceleration. Driving data can provide important parameters for evaluating driving behavior and determining the avatar's response.

[0016] Another design concept provides for the avatar's reactions to be presented in real time. Real time means that the current driving behavior is directly reflected in the avatar's reactions, with the processing time of the driving data being allowed as a tolerance. In contrast to direct, real-time feedback, the average evaluation of driving behavior over a longer period of time is used. This design concept has the advantage that the driver receives direct feedback for each driving maneuver performed and can therefore better adapt his driving behavior.

[0017] Another embodiment provides for comparing the measured driving data with predetermined characteristic curves to evaluate driving behavior. These can include, for example, target acceleration and deceleration and / or target steering angle characteristic curves. The avatar's reaction can then be calculated based on a target-actual comparison between the current vehicle data and the stored characteristic curves. The evaluation can also preferably include the vehicle's position data and map data, such as the curvature of a curve and which curve characteristic curves should be used. This allows for a simple evaluation of the driving data.

[0018] Another embodiment provides for evaluating driving behavior by evaluating measured driving data using a pre-trained KI model. A KI model refers to an artificial intelligence trained through machine learning, such as a neural network, that can evaluate driving data to assess driving behavior. The KI model can be trained, for example, using driving data from other vehicles' journeys, evaluating driving behavior during training. The learning data can be provided, for example, through supervised learning.

[0019] Another design mode provides that the virtual avatar is displayed on a display device of the motor vehicle, in particular a screen, a head-up display and / or augmented reality glasses. That is, the virtual avatar can exist in digital form and be displayed on the display device.

[0020] Another embodiment provides for providing the avatar as a hardware component that actually displays the reaction. That is, the avatar can be provided as a physical device in the vehicle that can be electromechanically controlled to execute the reaction as a body movement.

[0021] Another embodiment provides that the avatar turns its head as a reaction to the steering and becomes dizzy when steering abruptly. In this way, it can be shown, in particular during steering movements, whether the steering is within the normal range or whether the steering is excessive.

[0022] Another design provides that the avatar reacts to the acceleration by tilting against its direction and falling if the acceleration is too great. Acceleration refers to both positive and negative acceleration, i.e., also includes braking, for example. Furthermore, when turning, the avatar can also tilt in the corresponding direction or fall.

[0023] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one sensor device, a computing device, and an avatar, wherein the motor vehicle is designed to perform the method according to the aforementioned aspect. Here, too, the same advantages and possible variations as in the method are achieved. The motor vehicle according to the present invention is preferably designed as an automobile, in particular a passenger car or truck, or as a bus or motorcycle.

[0024] For use cases or applications that may occur in the method and are not explicitly described here, it can be provided that error messages and / or requests for user feedback are output according to the method and / or default settings and / or predetermined initial states are set.

[0025] The present invention also includes a control device for a motor vehicle. The control device may include a data processing device or processor device configured to execute an embodiment of the method according to the present invention. To this end, the processor device may include at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one field programmable gate array (FPGA) and / or at least one digital signal processor (DSP). In particular, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a neural processing unit (NPU) may be used as the microprocessor. Furthermore, the processor device may include program code configured to execute an embodiment of the method according to the present invention when executed by the processor device. The program code may be stored in a data memory of the processor device. The processor device may be based on, for example, at least one printed circuit board and / or at least one system on a chip (SoC).

[0026] The present invention also includes a development of the motor vehicle according to the invention, which has the features already described in conjunction with the development of the method according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding development of the motor vehicle according to the invention will not be described in detail here.

[0027] As another solution, the present invention also includes a computer-readable storage medium, which includes program code, and the program code causes the computer or computer network to perform an embodiment of the method according to the present invention when implemented by a computer or a computer network. The storage medium can be provided at least in part as a non-volatile data memory (e.g., as a flash memory and / or a solid state drive (SSD)) and / or at least in part as a volatile data memory (e.g., as a random access memory (RAM)). The storage medium can be arranged in a computer or a computer network. However, the storage medium can also be operated, for example, as a so-called application store server and / or a cloud server on the Internet. A processor circuit, exemplarily having at least one microprocessor, can be provided by a computer or a computer network. The program code can be provided as a binary code and / or as an assembly code and / or as a source code of a programming language (e.g., C) and / or as a program script (e.g., Python).

[0028] The present invention also includes combinations of features of the described embodiments. Therefore, the present invention also includes implementations that each have a combination of features of several of the described embodiments, as long as these embodiments are not described as mutually exclusive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The following describes embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 1 A motor vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0031] Figure 2 An exemplary reaction of the avatar is shown;

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of a method according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments, the described components of the embodiments are respectively individual features of the present invention that can be considered independently of one another and can also improve the present invention independently of one another. Therefore, the present disclosure should also include features of the embodiments in addition to the illustrated feature combinations. In addition, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by other features of the already described features of the present invention.

[0034] In the figures, the same reference numerals respectively denote functionally identical elements.

[0035] Figure 1 1 shows a perspective view of a motor vehicle 10 according to an exemplary embodiment, wherein the motor vehicle 10 can be designed to represent driving behavior via an avatar. To this end, the motor vehicle 10 can include a sensor device 12, a computing device 14, and an avatar 16.

[0036] The sensor device 12 may be designed to measure driving data of the motor vehicle 10 . For example, the sensor device 12 may determine positive and / or negative accelerations of the motor vehicle 10 , steering wheel rotations, pedal actuations, and / or jerkiness.

[0037] The computing device 14, which can be provided as a vehicle computer, for example, can be designed to evaluate the measured driving data and, therefore, the driving behavior. For example, the driving data can be compared with a predetermined characteristic curve to evaluate the driving behavior. Here, the target acceleration and / or target steering angle can be compared with the corresponding actual values ​​to check whether the driving maneuver is within the expected range. Alternatively, the evaluation can be performed by a trained KI model. Based on the evaluation, the computing device can generate control signals that can be used to control the reaction of the avatar 16.

[0038] The avatar 16 may be a virtual or physical representation of the vehicle 10, and the evaluation of the driving behavior is conveyed through the avatar's reactions. The avatar 16 may be, for example, a hardware component in the vehicle 10 that is controllable by the computing device 14. Alternatively, the avatar 16 may be displayed on a display device 18 of the vehicle 10, such as a vehicle screen, augmented reality, or head-up display.

[0039] Based on the determined reaction, the avatar 16 may now perform body movements including at least one gesture to indicate driving behavior. Figure 2 . Thus, for example, during a normal steering process, the avatar can turn its head in accordance with the steering movement, wherein the avatar may feel dizzy if the steering movement is too fast or abrupt. In addition, the avatar 16 may, for example, tilt against the direction of acceleration during accelerations that also include braking and cornering, and fall over if the acceleration is too great. Therefore, the driver preferably receives real-time feedback on whether his or her driving behavior is appropriate. In particular, the avatar 16 can express reactions to driving behavior and thus reflect mood. Therefore, the avatar 16 can express direct feedback on the driver's driving behavior through its behavior and can contribute to improving driving style, for example, improving driving comfort or reducing energy consumption, as well as increasing safety in road traffic, and making the driver aware of his or her driving behavior.

[0040] exist Figure 3 , a schematic flowchart of a method for providing feedback on driving behavior via an avatar 16 in a motor vehicle 10 is shown.

[0041] In step S10 , driving data may be measured by sensor device 12 of motor vehicle 10 .

[0042] In step S12, the driving behavior can be evaluated by the computing device 14 based on the measured driving data, wherein the reaction of the avatar 16 can be determined based on the evaluation of the driving behavior. In this case, the evaluation of the driving behavior can be performed, for example, by a pre-trained KI model.

[0043] Finally, in step S14 , the avatar 16 can be manipulated by the determined reaction, wherein the reaction is performed as a body movement, for example, turning the head or the avatar 16 tilting in a certain direction or falling.

[0044] In summary, the examples illustrate that feedback on driving behavior can be performed via the avatar 16 .

Claims

1. A method for providing driving behavior feedback via a virtual avatar (16) in a motor vehicle (10), the method comprising the following steps: - measuring driving data by means of a sensor device (12) of the motor vehicle (10); - evaluating the driving behavior based on the measured driving data by a computing device (14) of the motor vehicle (10), wherein determining a response of the avatar (16) based on the evaluation of the driving behavior; - manipulating the virtual avatar (16) by means of the determined reaction, wherein the reaction is performed by the virtual avatar (16) as a body movement, the reaction comprising at least one gesture of the virtual avatar (16).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The driving data include positive and / or negative acceleration, steering wheel rotation, pedal operation and / or jerk.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The reactions of the avatar (16) are presented in real time.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The measured driving data is compared with a predefined characteristic curve to evaluate driving behavior.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The measured driving data is evaluated by a pre-trained KI model to assess driving behavior.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The virtual avatar is displayed on a display device (18) of a motor vehicle (10), in particular on a screen, a head-up display and / or AR glasses.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that An avatar (16) is provided as a hardware component that physically shows the reaction.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The avatar turns its head in response to the turn, and the avatar feels dizzy when turning sharply.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The avatar reacts to the acceleration by tilting against the direction of the acceleration and falls over if the acceleration is too great.

10. A motor vehicle (10) comprising at least one sensor device (12), a computing device (14) and an avatar (16), wherein: A motor vehicle (10) is designed to carry out a method according to any of the preceding claims.

Images