Motor vehicle and method for operating a vehicle system in a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle (1) having a vehicle system (2), which provides full-automatic guidance of the motor vehicle (1) in an autonomous driving function and which has a control device (3), and having an operating device (4), the actuation device (4) has two activation actuation elements (6) for activating the autonomous driving function and / or two deactivation actuation elements (7) for deactivating the autonomous driving function, the control device (3) is designed to activate the autonomous driving function only when all the activation actuating elements (6) are operated at the same time and / or to deactivate the autonomous driving function only when all the deactivation actuating elements (7) are operated at the same time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a motor vehicle having a vehicle system and a control device, the vehicle system providing fully automatic guidance and control of the motor vehicle in an autonomous driving function. The invention also relates to a method for operating the vehicle system in the motor vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicle systems that allow fully automated guidance of motor vehicles within certain limitations, known as system limitations, are already available and are the subject of research, especially on roads where fully autonomous motor vehicles can operate. According to SAE J3016 dated April 30, 2021, autonomous driving is divided into five levels, with fully automated guidance achieved from Level 3 onwards. At Level 3, the vehicle system performs all aspects of the dynamic driving task in a driving mode-specific manner, provided that the driver is expected to respond to intervention requests (driver takeover invitations). At higher levels, this expectation no longer exists.

[0003] Here, the transfer of driving tasks to autonomous driving functions must be done consciously, and it should be ensured that the activation of autonomous driving functions truly aligns with the driver's intentions. The same applies to deactivation. On the other hand, the activation and / or deactivation control elements are ideally positioned near the controls used to guide the motor vehicle so that the handover can be performed smoothly, and especially in time, in conjunction with the activation phase. This could lead to unintentional operation of such control elements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a safer and more reliable feasible solution for activating and / or deactivating autonomous driving functions in terms of reflecting driver intentions.

[0005] To achieve this objective, for the type of motor vehicle mentioned at the beginning, according to the present invention, the control device has two activation control elements for activating the autonomous driving function and / or two deactivation control elements for deactivating the autonomous driving function, wherein the control device is designed to activate the autonomous driving function only when all activation control elements are operated simultaneously and / or deactivate the autonomous driving function only when all deactivation control elements are operated simultaneously.

[0006] Here, the autonomous driving function is at least a Level 3 driving function according to SAE J3016 of April 30, 2021, which means that the vehicle system completely takes over vehicle guidance and therefore completely takes over dynamic driving tasks within the scope of the autonomous driving function.

[0007] According to the present invention, two control elements are used, both of which must be operated to issue an activation or deactivation command. This ensures the driver's intention is actually realized with higher reliability because the two corresponding control elements must be operated simultaneously and in a coordinated manner. For this purpose, the activation or deactivation control elements are suitably spaced apart from each other. In a specific design, the activation and / or deactivation control elements can be arranged such that one activation and / or deactivation control element can be operated with the left hand, and the other activation and / or deactivation control element can be operated with the right hand. In this way, the driver must place both hands in the corresponding operating positions in a coordinated manner and perform the operation. Through these two control elements that are operated simultaneously, the driver also has a clearer understanding that he is intentionally issuing an activation or deactivation command. Therefore, activation or deactivation is generally performed safely, reliably, and credibly, and the driver clearly understands the meaning of the operation. Therefore, the situation of “jumping” from Level 2 to Level 3 of autonomy is taken into account in particular (in Level 2, the driver still takes over part of the dynamic driving task and / or is responsible for monitoring and maintaining “being aware of the situation”, while in Level 3, vehicle guidance is completely handed over to the vehicle system), because the safe transfer of responsibility for the dynamic driving task only exists when activation and / or deactivation are clearly and credibly determined.

[0008] Specifically, it can be stipulated that all activated control elements and / or all deactivated elements, in particular, provide separate / individual operation signals indicating operation to different input channels of the control device via separate / independent lines. Because there are two input channels in the control device that are queried and both input channels must indicate operation, a high degree of reliability exists.

[0009] In a suitable improvement of the invention, it may be specified that the deactivation control element corresponds at least partially to, and preferably completely to, the activation control element. When they completely correspond / overlap, a simple yet still safe control scheme is achieved, where the occupant only needs to become familiar with two control elements used for both activating and deactivating autonomous driving. However, a scheme where the activation and deactivation control elements partially correspond is also feasible, such that, for example, a common control element is operated in both cases, while the other control element represents a specific choice.

[0010] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the activation and / or deactivation control elements may be arranged at or near the steering wheel of the motor vehicle. The steering wheel is a control device for the driver to guide the vehicle, typically controlled by the driver when at least partially manually steering the vehicle. However, this conversely means that placing both activation and deactivation control elements at the steering wheel ensures that the driver is in control of the steering wheel before activation, in control of the steering wheel during activation, and ready to manually guide the vehicle when deactivating. In other words, the driver can activate the autonomous driving function without removing their hands from the steering wheel, and must have their hands already on the steering wheel to deactivate the autonomous driving function. Therefore, the described control scheme also improves safety and driving comfort.

[0011] Here, it is particularly suitable that, for activating and / or deactivating the control elements, one of the activating and / or deactivating control elements is positioned on the left side of the steering wheel, and the other is positioned on the opposite / right side of the steering wheel. Therefore, the driver can hold the steering wheel as usual, one hand on the left and the other on the right, and the control preparations for activating and / or deactivating are the same as those for manually guiding the vehicle. Two activating and / or two deactivating control elements cannot be operated simultaneously with one hand.

[0012] In this context, a preferred design may specify that the steering wheel has a capacitive grip sensor, specifically for detecting grip on the steering wheel, which provides its sensor data to a control unit. The control unit is designed to activate and / or deactivate the autonomous driving function only if additional conditions are also met, which evaluate the sensor data and indicate that at least one hand, particularly both hands, are gripping the steering wheel. Capacitive sensors capable of determining whether the steering wheel is being gripped have been proposed in the prior art and can constitute additional criteria for allowing activation and deactivation. Therefore, in addition to the primary condition of operating both corresponding control elements, the control unit checks the additional condition indicating that the steering wheel is being gripped by at least one hand, particularly both hands, thus preparing for steering wheel control. This ensures that during the activation phase of the autonomous driving function, the driver can still intervene at any time, and when the autonomous driving function is deactivated, the driver can immediately take over steering.

[0013] In particular, additional conditions can be considered for deactivation, which may relate to the driver's readiness to take over driving. Therefore, it is often stipulated that the control device is designed to deactivate the autonomous driving function only if additional conditions indicating the driver's readiness to take over driving are also met. Thus, in the already mentioned integrated steering wheel approach, the motor vehicle may have a control sensor assigned to at least one control element, whose sensor data may specifically indicate readiness to take over driving or manipulation of the control element (e.g., "foot on / in front of pedal"). Therefore, deactivation requires the execution of additional actions related to driver readiness to take over. Besides the steering wheel, control elements may include, for example, pedals, particularly the accelerator pedal and / or brake pedal. Therefore, one embodiment may specify, for example, that in addition to simultaneously operating the deactivation control element, the pedals must also be contacted and / or operated.

[0014] It should also be noted that in embodiments with only activated control elements, the control sensors (especially grip sensors) may also be evaluated for deactivation only, but it is preferable to check at least two deactivation conditions. The control device can then be designed, for example, to deactivate the autonomous driving function only if sensor data from the control sensor assigned to at least one control element is met, and two of the following deactivation conditions are selected from the group consisting of:

[0015] - The driver holds the steering wheel.

[0016] - The driver applies torque to the steering wheel.

[0017] - The driver operates the accelerator pedal, and

[0018] - The driver operates the brake pedal.

[0019] This provides additional safety because two deactivation conditions must be met. Preferably, applying a steering torque is always necessary as the first primary deactivation condition, which must be met under all circumstances, in which case, at least one of the following additional conditions also exists as a second deactivation condition:

[0020] - The driver operates the accelerator pedal, and

[0021] - The driver operates the brake pedal.

[0022] Then it will be deactivated.

[0023] Another conceivable design is a combination of elements, where the activation element (as a deactivation element) is only optional when deactivated. Therefore, the control device could, for example, be designed to deactivate the autonomous driving function when both a first deactivation condition and a second deactivation condition are met simultaneously. The first deactivation condition requires the driver to hold the steering wheel or apply steering torque to the steering wheel, and the second deactivation condition is different from the first deactivation condition and is selected from the following group:

[0024] The driver simultaneously activated two control elements.

[0025] - The driver applies torque to the steering wheel.

[0026] - The driver operates the accelerator pedal, and

[0027] - The driver operates the brake pedal.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the activation and / or deactivation of the control elements can be achieved by means of direct / frontal illumination and / or backlighting / rear illumination from the lighting device. The control device is designed to activate the control elements by direct and / or backlighting when the autonomous driving function is activated, and / or deactivate the control elements by direct and / or backlighting when the autonomous driving function is deactivated. This means that the corresponding control elements can be optically indicated, for example, by backlighting LEDs of the lighting device, to indicate readiness for operation. Different types of direct and / or backlighting are also conceivable if the activation and deactivation of the control elements correspond, to distinguish between activation and deactivation of the autonomous driving function. This again provides the driver with better information and a better basis for operation.

[0029] Specifically, the activation and / or deactivation of the control elements may be configured as buttons and / or switches and / or joysticks and / or return / reset elements having a return mechanism to the inactive position. Therefore, for example, buttons and / or joysticks may be present on both sides of the steering wheel to achieve activation and / or deactivation. Preferably, the control elements may be operated against a return force, so that the control elements automatically return to their original inactive position even if accidentally operated, and in this way, simultaneous operation is also ensured.

[0030] In addition to relating to motor vehicles, the present invention also relates to a method for operating a vehicle system within a motor vehicle, particularly a computer-implemented method, wherein the vehicle system provides fully automatic guidance of the motor vehicle in an autonomous driving function and has a control device, wherein the motor vehicle has a steering mechanism. According to the invention, in this method, the steering mechanism is specified to have two activation steering elements for activating the autonomous driving function and / or two deactivation steering elements for deactivating the autonomous driving function, wherein the control device activates the autonomous driving function only when all activation steering elements are operated simultaneously and / or deactivates the autonomous driving function only when all deactivation steering elements are operated simultaneously. All embodiments of the motor vehicle aspect according to the invention can be similarly applied to the method according to the invention, and vice versa, thereby allowing the aforementioned advantages to be obtained using a motor vehicle as well. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Other advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below and with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

[0032] in:

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the principle of a motor vehicle according to the present invention is shown.

[0034] Figure 2 A steering wheel of a motor vehicle in one embodiment is shown, and

[0035] Figure 3 The control element that can be backlit is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a motor vehicle 1 according to the present invention is shown. The motor vehicle 1 has a vehicle system 2 that provides autonomous driving capabilities and is designed to guide the motor vehicle fully automatically within the scope of these capabilities. The vehicle system 2 has a control device 3, particularly a controller, which controls the operation of the vehicle system. Furthermore, the motor vehicle 1 has a steering device 4, which has various different control mechanisms, including those for manually guiding the motor vehicle 1, such as a steering wheel 5. Here, the two control elements of the steering device 4 are designed as an activation control element 6 and a deactivation control element 7 for the vehicle system 2. These elements can be backlit by a lighting device 8 (shown only briefly), but can also be directly illuminated, either additionally or alternatively.

[0037] In other embodiments, it is also conceivable to provide different pairs of control elements, one pair being configured to activate only control element 6 and the other pair being configured to deactivate only control element 7, or only one of such a pair of control elements corresponding to each other.

[0038] Figure 2 A specific embodiment is schematically illustrated, wherein control elements 6 and 7 are arranged on the steering wheel 5, for example, as a reset button or reset switch. It can be seen that one of the activation control elements 6 and one of the deactivation control elements 7 are arranged on the left side, and the other on the right side, so that the left side can be operated with the left hand and the right side with the right hand. It is also possible for the activation control element 6 and the deactivation control element 7 to be positioned near the joystick of the steering wheel 5.

[0039] The steering wheel 5 also includes a capacitive grip sensor 9, shown only partially here, which determines whether at least one hand, in this case both hands, is gripping the steering wheel 5 using its sensor data. The grip sensor 9 is an example of a control sensor, as the steering wheel 5 is a control element. Another control sensor (not shown here) also detects whether the driver has applied steering torque to the steering wheel 5. Other control elements, not shown further for clarity, include the accelerator pedal and brake pedal, which may also be assigned their own control sensors, specifically for detecting operation on them.

[0040] Figure 3 A feasible specific design for an activation control element 6 and a deactivation control element 7, exemplarily shown here as buttons, is illustrated. It includes a button body 11 that can be pressed in against the return force of a return member 10, the button body being at least partially transparent. At least one light-emitting diode 12, capable of emitting light of different colors, is arranged behind the button body 11 to illuminate the transparent portion.

[0041] Now, the control device 3 is first designed to backlight the activated control element 6 with a first color, such as green, when the autonomous driving function can be activated, and to backlight the deactivated control element 7 with a second color, such as yellow or red, when the (activated) autonomous driving function can be deactivated.

[0042] The operation signals indicating the current operation, namely activating control element 6 and deactivating control element 7, are transmitted to two different input channels of control unit 3 via separate lines. Sensor data from grip sensor 9 is also transmitted to control unit 3. To activate the autonomous driving function, control unit 3 checks whether both activating control elements 6 are operated simultaneously. Additionally, it checks whether the driver's hands are gripping the steering wheel, based on sensor data from grip sensor 9, i.e., whether the driver can still intervene during the activation phase. The autonomous driving function is activated only when both conditions are met (and in principle, when activation is possible, i.e., the activating control elements 6 are correspondingly backlit).

[0043] Similarly, the same conditions must be met to deactivate the driving function, namely, the primary condition and the secondary condition. The latter, in particular, at least in part, indicates readiness for takeover driving. Therefore, in the deactivation scheme, deactivation is only performed via control device 3 when both conditions are met and the autonomous driving function is activated and deactivated. Other additional or supplementary conditions related to applying steering torque to steering wheel 5 and / or operating the pedals are also conceivable.

[0044] In other embodiments, only the activation manipulation element 6 is used, and the activation manipulation element must be used only to achieve activation. Therefore, to achieve deactivation, two deactivation conditions from the following group can be selected:

[0045] - The driver holds the steering wheel 5.

[0046] - The driver applies torque to the steering wheel 5.

[0047] - Two activation manipulation elements 6 were operated simultaneously.

[0048] - The driver operates the accelerator pedal, and

[0049] - The driver operates the brake pedal.

[0050] Of these conditions, the first primary deactivation condition, such as applying torque to the steering wheel 5, can always be necessary, while other conditions, especially the activation of the control element 6, can be optional in this case.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle (1) having a vehicle system (2) and a control device (4), the vehicle system providing fully automatic guidance of the motor vehicle (1) in an autonomous driving function and having a control device (3), characterized in that, The control device (4) has two activation control elements (6) for activating the autonomous driving function and / or two deactivation control elements (7) for deactivating the autonomous driving function, wherein the control device (3) is designed to activate the autonomous driving function only when all activation control elements (6) are operated simultaneously and / or deactivate the autonomous driving function only when all deactivation control elements (7) are operated simultaneously.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, All active control elements (6) and / or all deactivated control elements (7) provide separate operation signals indicating operation to different input channels of the control device (3) via separate lines.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The activation control element (6) and / or the deactivation control element (7) are arranged such that one activation control element and / or one deactivation control element is operated with the left hand, and the other activation control element and / or the other deactivation control element is operated with the right hand.

4. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The deactivation control element (7) corresponds at least partially to the activation control element (6), and preferably completely to the activation control element.

5. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The activation control element (6) and / or the deactivation control element (7) are located at or near the steering wheel of the motor vehicle (1).

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that, The steering wheel (5) has a grip sensor (9) for detecting grip on the steering wheel (5), particularly a capacitive grip sensor, which provides its sensor data to the control device (3), wherein the control device (3) is designed to activate and / or deactivate the autonomous driving function only if additional conditions are also met, which evaluate the sensor data and indicate that at least one hand, particularly both hands, are gripping the steering wheel (5).

7. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control device (3) is designed to deactivate the autonomous driving function only if at least one of the additional conditions indicating that the driver is ready to take over driving or the additional conditions are also met.

8. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The activation control element (6) and / or the deactivation control element (7) can be directly illuminated and / or backlit by the lighting device (8), wherein the control device (3) is designed to directly illuminate and / or backlit the activation control element (6) when the autonomous driving function is activated, and / or directly illuminate and / or backlit the deactivation control element (7) when the autonomous driving function is deactivated.

9. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The activation control element (6) and / or the deactivation control element (7) are designed as buttons and / or switches and / or joysticks, and / or have a return element (10) that returns to the inactive position.

10. A method for operating a vehicle system (2) in a motor vehicle (1), wherein, The vehicle system (2) provides fully automatic guidance for the motor vehicle (1) in its autonomous driving function and has a control device (3), wherein the motor vehicle (1) has a control device (4). The control device (4) is characterized in that it has two activation control elements (6) for activating the autonomous driving function and / or two deactivation control elements (7) for deactivating the autonomous driving function, wherein the control device (3) activates the autonomous driving function only when all activation control elements (6) are operated simultaneously and / or deactivates the autonomous driving function only when all deactivation control elements (7) are operated simultaneously.

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