Procedure for transmitting traffic-relevant information and cooperative vehicle

Abstract

Method for transmitting traffic-relevant information from a cooperative vehicle (1) to at least one first road user (2) comprising the steps - Recording (S10) at least one object property of at least one first road user (2), - Capture (S20) at least one object property of at least one other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), - Determine (S40) at least one relevance value that concerns the relevance of the object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) in relation to the object property of the first road user (2), - Selecting (S70) the object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) for inclusion in the traffic-relevant information depending on at least one relevance value and - Transmitting (S80) the traffic-relevant information to at least one first road user (2).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for transmitting traffic-relevant information from a cooperative vehicle and to a cooperative vehicle.

[0002] Vehicle systems are known that enable cooperative behavior in road traffic through the exchange of information between road users and / or the traffic infrastructure. In this way, a particular vehicle can have access to more information than it could gather using its own sensors. For example, a vehicle can be warned early of events (e.g., traffic accidents) or conditions (e.g., black ice) that are still out of the vehicle's field of vision (i.e., out of range of the vehicle's sensors). Such cooperative driving systems provide, for example, for the transmission of periodic or event-related messages. These messages are usually transmitted via broadcast, meaning they are not directed at a specific recipient but are available to all appropriately equipped vehicles within range. It is also possible for messages to be transmitted via unicast, meaning they are sent to all vehicles within range.They are directed at a specific recipient. Generally, the exchange of information between vehicles and / or infrastructure objects and / or mobile devices (e.g., smartphones) is known under the term Car2x, which includes, for example, car-to-car communication and car-to-infrastructure communication.

[0003] Information exchange in cooperative driving systems typically occurs wirelessly. Vehicles can form mobile ad-hoc networks for this purpose, exchanging data via WLAN connections. These networks are known as VANETs (Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks). They can, for example, use the IEEE 802.11p standard for data transmission. Additionally, mobile networks (e.g., UMTS / HSPA, LTE, and similar) can also be used for data transmission.

[0004] Modern vehicles are equipped with a variety of sensors to perceive their surroundings. These include cameras, radar sensors, lidar sensors, laser sensors, and ultrasonic sensors. This allows for the collection of a wealth of information. One resulting challenge is the increasing amount of information exchanged by a cooperative driving system. Since the information is exchanged wirelessly, the maximum amount of data that can be exchanged is limited by the channel capacity of the air interface. Due to the constantly growing volume of information, it is possible for more information to be transmitted than can be carried over the channel. This is particularly true in traffic situations involving many vehicles, such as dense urban traffic, intersections, or traffic jams.The large amount of information being sent can lead to an overload of the channel, causing the information throughput, i.e., the amount of successfully (i.e., interference-free) transmitted information, to decrease or even collapse.

[0005] EP 2 288 190 A1 proposes equipping a VANET node with a congestion control layer. Messages to be transmitted can be assigned a priority value. For example, messages of the type "accident" are assigned a high priority, whereas messages of the type "general information" (e.g., weather information, traffic jam information) receive a low priority. In the event of channel congestion, high-priority messages are given priority, while low-priority messages are transmitted later or not at all.

[0006] The method proposed in EP 2 288 190 A1 does allow for the relief of channel congestion by not transmitting less important messages. However, a disadvantage is that all messages of a certain type are treated the same. In other words, either all messages of a particular type are transmitted, or none are.

[0007] US 2013 / 0278440A1 discloses a method in which a cooperating vehicle transmits traffic-relevant information concerning a potential accident between another road user and yet another, first road user to these road users using a unicast method.

[0008] Based on the state of the art, the task is therefore to provide a method for transmitting traffic-relevant information in a cooperative driving system that offers increased flexibility with regard to the information to be transmitted in the event of channel overload.

[0009] The problem is solved by a method and a vehicle with the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0010] In the inventive method for transmitting traffic-relevant information from a cooperative vehicle to at least one first road user, at least one object property of the at least one first road user and at least one object property of at least one further road user are initially detected. In this context, an object property can be any property of a road user. Any object property that is traffic-relevant, i.e., that is suitable for influencing the participation of the corresponding road user in traffic, can be useful for the invention. An object property can be detected using the vehicle's own sensors. An object property can also be detected by receiving it via wireless communication (e.g., Car2X) or by deriving it from information received via wireless communication.An object property can be, for example, a property that is transmitted in a known manner in cooperative driving systems, such as the position, speed, or size of a vehicle. Properties such as the volume setting of a car radio can also be relevant to traffic (for example, when assessing whether the driver can hear a siren). An object property can also relate to the state of a driving system, such as a driver assistance system (e.g., adaptive cruise control), a turn signal, or a steering system. The steps involved in acquiring an object property can also include further processing of that property. This will be illustrated with an example.In this example, the step of acquiring the object property of the first road user involves the first road user transmitting its position, instantaneous speed, and steering angle to the cooperating vehicle via car-to-car communication. The cooperating vehicle can further process these object properties and thereby determine a likely driving path (trajectory) of the first road user. The trajectory thus determined can also be an acquired object property within the meaning of the invention. In total, four object properties of the first road user would therefore be acquired in this example: position, instantaneous speed, steering angle, and trajectory.

[0011] The first and second road users can be motor vehicles. They can also be other road users, such as pedestrians or cyclists, provided they have the means to receive traffic-related information. Such means could include, for example, a mobile device such as a smartphone or a smartwatch.

[0012] In a further step according to the invention, at least one relevance value is determined which relates to the relevance of the at least one object property of the at least one further road user in relation to the at least one object property of the at least one first road user. In other words, at least one relevance value is determined which indicates how relevant the at least one object property of the at least one further road user is in relation to the at least one object property of the at least one first road user.

[0013] In the simplest case, this step determines exactly one relevance value that relates to the relevance of exactly one object property of exactly one other road user in relation to exactly one object property of exactly one first road user. However, numerous other combinations are also conceivable, resulting from the fact that - several (i.e., at least two) object properties of a road user are recorded, - several (i.e. at least two) first road users are present and / or - several (i.e., at least two) other road users are present.

[0014] For example, exactly one relevance value can be determined that relates to the relevance of one or more object properties of one or more additional road users in relation to one or more object properties of one or more initial road users. According to another example, multiple relevance values ​​can be determined, each of which relates to one object property of each (of several) additional road users in relation to one or more object properties of one or more initial road users. According to yet another example, multiple relevance values ​​can be determined, each of which relates to one (of several) object property of exactly one additional road user in relation to one or more object properties of one or more initial road users.

[0015] The aforementioned step encompasses two essential core aspects of the invention. Firstly, it enables the assignment of relevance values ​​to individual road users (objects) or to individual object properties of these objects. This makes it possible to consider that different objects may have varying degrees of relevance in a given traffic situation. For example, one vehicle may be significantly more relevant in a particular situation than another vehicle of the same type. Secondly, the relevance of the objects or object properties is no longer determined absolutely, but rather in relation to other road users, specifically in relation to at least one object property of the at least one first road user.These two key aspects allow the relevance of the objects in the vicinity of the cooperative vehicle to be assessed much more accurately and with greater nuance, which in the further course of the inventive method makes it possible to select the most relevant information for transmission.

[0016] In a further step according to the invention, at least one object property of at least one other road user is selected for inclusion in the traffic-relevant information depending on at least one relevance value. In other words, the traffic-relevant information comprises at least one, but possibly also several, object properties. If the prevailing transmission conditions, for example, a currently available data rate, allow all recorded object properties to be transmitted, then of course all object properties can be included in the traffic-relevant information.However, if a selection must be made among all object properties due to the prevailing transmission conditions, because not all object properties can be transmitted, the invention makes it possible to select the most relevant object properties by making the selection depending on at least one relevance value.

[0017] The traffic-relevant information thus generated is then transmitted to at least one initial road user. This could be done using unicast, meaning that the traffic-relevant information is transmitted directly to a specific initial road user. However, it is advantageous to transmit the traffic-relevant information using broadcast. The amount of data transmitted (which should be kept as low as possible due to the limited capacity of the air interface) is not increased by broadcast, as the content of the transmitted information remains the same. In other words, broadcast does not burden the channel any more than unicast. Broadcast is therefore advantageous because the traffic-relevant information can then be received by all road users in the vicinity of the cooperating vehicle.While traffic-relevant information could then also be received by road users for whom it is irrelevant, in such a case, the road user could simply discard the received information. However, all road users for whom the information is not irrelevant can receive and use it.

[0018] A first advantageous further development of the method provides that at least one object property of at least one traffic infrastructure object is recorded. A traffic infrastructure object can be, for example, a traffic signal system (traffic light), a traffic sign, or a traffic management system. Recording an object property of a traffic infrastructure object can be accomplished using a method known in the prior art under the heading of car-to-infrastructure communication, whereby the traffic infrastructure object wirelessly transmits the at least one object property. The embodiment further provides that, in the step of determining the at least one relevance value, the relevance of the at least one object property of the at least one other road user is also evaluated in relation to the at least one object property of the traffic infrastructure object.This can further increase the significance of the at least one relevance value, as an additional source of information is taken into account when determining it.

[0019] With particular advantage, the object property(ies) of at least one first and / or at least one subsequent road user include an intention to act on the part of the respective road user. An intention to act can include a speed, a direction of travel, a route (trajectory), and / or other properties relating to the future movement of the road user. An intention to act can be captured directly, for example, by being transmitted by a road user via car-to-car communication. An intention to act can also be captured indirectly by being derived from object properties transmitted by a road user via car-to-car communication. For example, a road user can transmit the state of a turn signal via car-to-car communication.For example, if the road user has activated the right-hand turn signal and this object property is transmitted to the cooperating vehicle, the intention to turn right can be deduced from this and from the additional information that the road user is at a road junction.

[0020] In an advantageous configuration, the relevance value comprises a criticality value and / or an urgency value and / or a timeliness value. A criticality value can represent the degree of criticality of the at least one object property to which the relevance value relates. For example, a high criticality value can relate to an object property that contains indications of an impending collision between road users. For example, a high criticality value can be determined based on an object property that includes a high instantaneous speed and a position near an intersection where a traffic light is red. An urgency value can represent the degree of urgency of the at least one object property to which the relevance value relates. For example, a high urgency value can relate to an object property whose transmission should occur as quickly as possible, for example, to prevent an impending collision.Conversely, a low urgency value might refer to an object property that, while important, could also be transmitted at a later time. A recency value can reflect the recency of at least one object property affected by the relevance value. For example, a recency value could include a timestamp representing the time the recency value was generated and a numerical value representing the rate at which the recency value became outdated. At a later time, the currently valid recency of the object property can be determined from these two values. Alternatively, a recency value could also include a timestamp representing a future point in time at which the object property will no longer be valid. Such a recency value could also be referred to as an "expiration date" or "expiration point."

[0021] The advantage of the aforementioned embodiment is that, in the step of selecting the at least one object property based on the at least one relevance value, the criticality and / or urgency and / or timeliness of the at least one object property can be taken into account. For example, between two equally critical object properties, the more urgent one could be selected, while the less urgent one could be deferred and transferred at a later time. Furthermore, by way of example, a highly critical object property could be discarded (i.e., not selected) if its timeliness value is very low, meaning that the object property is no longer relevant or valid.

[0022] In a further embodiment, the at least one relevance value is a relevance value of at least one other road user. In other words, one (and only one) specific relevance value is determined in such a way that it relates to a specific other road user. Multiple relevance values ​​can also be determined, relating to several other road users, with one relevance value being determined for each additional road user. In this embodiment, the object properties of the other road user(s) are considered to determine the relevance value(s). However, the resulting relevance value does not refer to a single object property, but to the entire object (i.e., the other road user).This means that in the subsequent step of selecting at least one object property of at least one other road user, either all object properties or none of the object properties of a specific other road user are selected, since the selection of object properties for a particular other road user depends on the same relevance value. The advantage of this design lies in its simple implementation, as only one relevance value is determined for each additional road user.

[0023] An alternative design provides that the at least one relevance value is a relevance value of at least one object property of at least one other road user. Unlike the above description, this design allows a separate relevance value to be assigned to each individual object property. If exactly one object property is recorded for a specific other road user, the two alternative designs are identical. In this case, exactly one relevance value is determined per object (i.e., per object property). However, if several (i.e., at least two) object properties are recorded for a specific other road user, the alternative design allows a separate relevance value to be determined for each of the multiple object properties.This allows, in the subsequent step of selecting at least one object property, some (specifically the most relevant) object properties of a particular other road user to be selected. This offers the advantage that the most relevant object properties of all other road users can be selected for transmission, while less relevant object properties do not need to be selected.

[0024] The difference between the two alternative configurations explained above can be simplified as follows: in the first configuration, all object properties of the most relevant other road users are selected (and subsequently transmitted), whereas in the second configuration, the most relevant object properties of all other road users are selected (and subsequently transmitted).

[0025] In a further refinement of the procedure, the step of determining the at least one relevance value includes determining at least two relevance values. Additionally, exactly one relevance value relating to the relevance of at least one object property of at least one other road user is then determined, either by calculating the exact one relevance value as the mean of the at least two relevance values ​​or by calculating the exact one relevance value as the largest of the at least two relevance values. This exact one relevance value can also be referred to as the resulting relevance value. For example, if a relevance value is initially determined for each of several object properties of another road user, a single (resulting) relevance value for the other road user can then be determined from the multiple relevance values ​​of the object properties thus determined. It may be provided that an average value (e.g.,an arithmetic mean is calculated. Alternatively, and with particular advantage, it can be provided that the highest of the several relevance values ​​is used as the resulting relevance value. This offers the advantage that, for example, a single particularly relevant object characteristic (e.g., particularly critical or particularly urgent) results in a high relevance value for the other road user, regardless of how many other (possibly less relevant) object characteristics of this other road user have been recorded.

[0026] With a further advantage, the method includes an additional step of acquiring channel state information, whereby the selection of at least one object property of at least one other road user for inclusion in the traffic-relevant information is based on at least one relevance value and additionally on the channel state information. Channel state information can describe how close the channel (e.g., the mobile communication channel) is to its capacity limit. Channel state information thus allows conclusions to be drawn about how much additional data can be successfully transmitted over the channel. Channel state information can include a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Channel state information can be channel state information from the Decentralized Congestion Control (DCC) protocol, as used in cooperative driving systems according to the IEEE 802.11p standard.Channel condition information can also be obtained by measuring the transmission time of data packets sent and / or received at an earlier time. The longer this transmission time, the worse the channel condition may be, i.e., the closer the channel may already be to its capacity limit.

[0027] A heavily loaded or overloaded channel—that is, a channel over which so much data is already being transmitted that the channel capacity limit is almost reached or even exceeded—is disadvantageous because further increasing the transmitted data can lead not to a higher data throughput, but rather to a reduced one. This effect can be so pronounced that, beyond a certain data rate, no data can be successfully transmitted at all. One reason for this effect, which is particularly relevant for mobile communication channels, is that all transmitted data packets overlap. With an excessive amount of data (i.e., a data volume exceeding the channel capacity limit), the overlapping data packets can no longer be separated, and therefore no readable information can be received.

[0028] For this reason, it is advantageous to adapt the amount of transmitted data to the channel condition. If the channel is already heavily loaded (which can be deduced from the acquired channel condition information), it is advantageous to send less data. The invention makes it possible to reduce the amount of data in such a way that the most relevant data is transmitted, while the less relevant data is not transmitted.

[0029] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, a relevance threshold is determined based on the channel condition information. Subsequently, at least one object property of at least one other road user is selected for inclusion in the traffic-relevant information if the relevance value exceeds the relevance threshold. For example, the relevance threshold can be chosen to be higher the worse the channel condition. In the case of a very poor channel condition, a very high relevance threshold is then determined, so that only those object properties with very high relevance values ​​(i.e., exceeding the relevance threshold) are included in the traffic-relevant information to be transmitted.

[0030] As described above, the relevance value may include a criticality value and / or an urgency value and / or a timeliness value. In this case, it is particularly advantageous if the relevance threshold is also defined in these categories, i.e., if the relevance threshold includes a criticality threshold and / or an urgency threshold and / or a timeliness threshold.

[0031] A further advantage is the ability to determine the data rate of the traffic-relevant information. Depending on this data rate, a code rate can be set for an error-correcting code used to transmit the traffic-relevant information from the cooperative vehicle to at least one other road user. If the channel is already heavily congested, the probability of errors during data transmission increases. This can be counteracted by using an error-correcting code. The lower the code rate, i.e., the more redundant data (code data) is added to the data for error correction, the better errors can be detected and corrected at the receiver. As explained above, if fewer object properties (namely, only the most relevant ones) are selected for transmission in a poor channel condition, the data rate of the traffic-relevant information decreases.For example, if a transmission protocol stipulates that the cooperating vehicle may transmit at a predetermined total data rate, more code data can be sent due to the reduced payload rate. This increases the probability of a successful, i.e., error-free, transmission. Thus, the particularly relevant object information selected for transmission can be especially well protected against transmission errors.

[0032] A particular advantage is that the method is implemented in an application layer of the vehicle. The method, in all described embodiments, can be carried out in the application layer. In other words, no interventions in lower layers, especially the physical layer and / or the transport layer, are necessary to execute the method. The method can therefore be implemented easily, for example, by appropriately programming the control unit software. Existing vehicles can thus be easily retrofitted to execute the method.

[0033] A cooperative vehicle according to the invention comprises - a data acquisition module for recording at least one object property of at least one first road user and for recording at least one object property of at least one further road user, - an evaluation module for determining at least one relevance value that relates to the relevance of at least one object property of at least one other road user in relation to at least one object property of at least one first road user, - a selection module for selecting at least one object property of at least one other road user for inclusion in traffic-relevant information depending on the relevance value and - a communication module for transmitting traffic-relevant information to at least one first road user.

[0034] The data acquisition module has a data interface to the evaluation module. The recorded object properties can be transferred to the evaluation module via this data interface. The evaluation module has a data interface to the selection module. The recorded object properties and the defined relevance values ​​can be transferred to the selection module via this data interface. The selection module has a data interface to the communication module. Traffic-related information can be transferred to the communication module via this data interface.

[0035] The data acquisition module can be connected to a range of vehicle sensors, which can then be used for data collection. The data acquisition module can also be connected to the communication module. This allows object properties, which the communication module receives from other road users, for example via car-to-car communication, to be transferred to the data acquisition module.

[0036] In an advantageous embodiment, the communication module is configured to acquire channel condition information, and the selection module is configured to select at least one object property of at least one other road user for inclusion in the traffic-relevant information, depending on the channel condition information. For this purpose, the communication module has a data interface to the selection module via which the channel condition information can be transmitted. This can be the same data interface through which the traffic-relevant information is also transmitted from the selection module to the communication module.

[0037] Further aspects and embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to exemplary illustrations. These show Fig. 1 a structure of a cooperative vehicle according to the invention, Fig. 2 a flowchart of the method according to the invention and Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5 to Fig. 6 different traffic situations in which the method according to the invention is used.

[0038] Identical reference numerals in the figures denote identical or related features of the illustrated embodiments of the invention. It should be noted that the figures and the accompanying description are merely exemplary embodiments of the invention. In particular, representations of feature combinations in the figures and / or the figure description are not to be interpreted as necessarily requiring the implementation of all mentioned features. Other embodiments of the invention may contain fewer, more, and / or different features. The scope of protection and the disclosure of the invention are set forth in the accompanying claims and the complete description. It should also be noted that the illustrations are schematic representations of embodiments of the invention.The arrangement of the individual elements shown in relation to each other is only an example and can be chosen differently in other embodiments of the invention.

[0039] Fig.Figure 1 shows a possible structure of a cooperative vehicle 1 according to the invention. The cooperative vehicle 1 has a detection module 110, an evaluation module 120, a selection module 130, and a communication module 140. The modules 110, 120, 130, and 140 are equipped for data exchange via data interfaces 112, 121, 131, 141, and 142, the respective direction of data flow being indicated by arrows symbolizing the data interfaces. In embodiments of the invention, the data interface 142 may be provided to transmit object properties of road users received by the communication module 140, for example, via car-to-car communication, to the detection module 110. The vehicle 1 has detection sensors 111, for example, laser, radar, lidar, or ultrasonic sensors, or a camera.The data generated by the detection sensors 111, which may include, for example, image data from a camera, are transmitted to the detection module 110. The detection module 110 can be configured to perform image processing and other signal processing algorithms by means of which objects and their object properties are detected. The detection module 110 thus performs the processing described in... Fig. 2 illustrated process steps of detection by, namely a detection S10 of at least one object property of the at least one first road user, a detection S20 of at least one object property of at least one further road user and in some embodiments of the invention also a detection S30 of at least one object property of at least one object of the traffic infrastructure.

[0040] The recorded object properties are transferred to the evaluation module 120 via data interface 112. Evaluation module 120 performs step S40, which involves determining the relevance of at least one object property of at least one other road user in relation to the relevance value of at least one object property of at least one first road user. The data generated by evaluation module 120 is transferred to selection module 130 via data interface 121. The set of object properties transferred via data interfaces 112 and 121 is the same. In other words, the set of object properties is neither increased nor decreased in evaluation module 120. Relevance values ​​are simply assigned to some or all of the object properties, which are then transferred (in addition to the object properties themselves) via interface 121.

[0041] Some embodiments of the invention provide that in step S50, channel state information is acquired. This channel state information can be acquired by the communication module 140 and subsequently transmitted to the selection module 130 via the data interface 141. The selection module 130 can be configured to perform step S60 of determining a relevance threshold.

[0042] In step S70, performed by selection module 130, at least one object property of at least one other road user is selected for inclusion in the traffic-relevant information, depending on at least one relevance value. For this purpose, the selection module can compare the relevance value of each object property with the relevance threshold. In other words, the task of the selection module in step S70 is to select the most relevant object properties for later transmission. It is only in this step S70 that the set of object properties is actually reduced, preferably depending on the channel state.

[0043] The traffic-relevant information generated by the selection module 130, which contains the set of object information selected in step S70, is transmitted to the communication module 140 via the data interface 131. In step S80, the communication module 130 transmits the traffic-relevant information to at least one first road user. In some embodiments, step S80 may include the communication module 140 determining a data rate for the traffic-relevant information and setting a corresponding code rate for an error-correcting code. For example, if the channel condition is rather poor, so that the traffic-relevant information contains only a few (namely, only the most relevant) pieces of object information, the data rate will be rather low.With a constant overall data rate, more redundant code data can be transmitted (the code rate decreases), thus better protecting traffic-relevant information against transmission errors.

[0044] Fig. Figure 3 shows a first exemplary traffic situation involving vehicles 1, 2, 3, and 4. Vehicles 1, 2, 3, and 4 are traveling in the right lane 11 and the left lane 12 of a highway, respectively. Both lanes therefore have the same direction of travel. A cooperating vehicle 1 is traveling in the right lane 11. The cooperating vehicle 1 has a communication module 140, which is Fig.3 is represented by an (unlabeled) antenna symbol. Vehicle 1 also has detection sensors 111 with which it can detect its surroundings. An example detection range of a sensor 111 of vehicle 1 is symbolized by an (unlabeled) circular segment. Another vehicle 3 is located within this detection range. The other vehicle 3 does not have a communication module and is therefore not capable of car-to-car communication. Nevertheless, vehicle 1 can detect some object properties of the other vehicle 3 using its sensors 111. These include the position, direction of travel, and speed of vehicle 3. In the Fig.In the driving situation shown in Figure 3, vehicle 3 is traveling at a significantly higher speed than the vehicles in the right lane 11. Vehicle 3 is therefore overtaking. A first vehicle 2 is driving in the right lane ahead of vehicle 1. This vehicle 2 is equipped with a communication module, which is indicated by an antenna symbol. The cooperating vehicle 1 can detect object properties of the first vehicle 2 using both its sensors 111 and its communication module 140, whereby in the latter case the object properties can be transmitted via car-to-car communication. Ahead of the first vehicle 2 is another vehicle 4, which is a truck 4 traveling at a low speed. It is assumed that the communication channel, in this case the air interface, is used via WLAN (802.11).11p) Information is to be exchanged, is in rather poor condition and therefore can only transmit a small amount of user data.

[0045] The following section will describe how vehicle 1 selects and transmits the most relevant object information from all possible information sources, taking into account the channel state. In step S10, vehicle 1 uses car-to-car communication to detect the intention of the first vehicle 2 to change lanes to the left lane 12 in order to overtake truck 4. Also in step S10, vehicle 1 detects the speed of the first vehicle 2. From the transmitted data, particularly the described object properties (position, lane-change intention, speed) of vehicle 2, vehicle 1 can derive the trajectory of vehicle 2. The trajectory of vehicle 2 is shown in Fig.1 is represented by an arrow (not separately labeled) illustrating the planned lane change to the left lane 12. The trajectory is also a captured object property within the meaning of the invention. Furthermore, in step S10, vehicle 1 captures numerous other object properties of vehicle 2, which are not particularly relevant in the present driving situation and will therefore not be discussed in detail. In step S20, vehicle 1 captures the position and speed of the other vehicle 3 as object properties. From its knowledge of the road (for example, from the map data of vehicle 1's navigation system), vehicle 1 derives the trajectory of vehicle 3 as a further object property, which essentially corresponds to lane 12 (in Fig.(1 shown with an arrow running along lane 12). The trajectory is also a captured object property within the meaning of the invention. In the step of determining the relevance value S40, the relevance of the object properties trajectory and speed of the further vehicle 3 is evaluated in relation to the object properties trajectory and speed of the first vehicle 2. Since a collision is imminent considering the expected course of travel of vehicles 2 and 3, a high relevance value is assigned to the object properties trajectory and speed of the further vehicle 3. For example, the highest possible relevance value can be determined. The relevance value could also include a criticality value, an urgency value, and a timeliness value. In that case, the highest possible criticality value and urgency value would each be determined. A relative linear scale (e.g.,The criticality value and the urgency value could each be set to 100 percent, using values ​​from 0 to 1 or 0 percent to 100 percent. The actuality value could be defined as the time (in seconds) expected to elapse until vehicle 3 passes vehicle 2. After this point, the relevance of the aforementioned object properties changes abruptly, as vehicle 3 is no longer relevant to vehicle 2 since a collision is no longer imminent. The actuality value thus represents a point in time. In the present example, with a distance of 300 meters between vehicle 3 and the estimated collision location, and a speed of 150 km / h for vehicle 3, the actuality value could be 7.2 seconds.

[0046] Because the channel condition is poor, a high relevance threshold is determined, which in this example includes a criticality threshold, a urgency threshold, and a recency threshold. For example, the criticality and urgency thresholds could each be 95 percent, and the recency threshold could be three seconds. This means that in step S70, only those object properties are selected whose criticality value is at least 95 percent, whose urgency value is at least 95 percent, and whose recency value is at least three seconds. In this example, due to the high relevance values ​​determined in step S40, the object information speed and trajectory is included in the traffic-relevant information (step S70), whereas other, less relevant object information is not included.In step S80, the traffic-relevant information (comprising the aforementioned object information) is transmitted to vehicle 2 via car-to-car communication. A low code rate can be set for this purpose to ensure strong error protection.

[0047] It should be noted that, in an additional, parallel procedure, traffic-relevant information could also be transmitted to vehicle 3. However, this would require vehicle 3 to have the means to receive such information. The parallel procedure would proceed similarly to the one described above, except that the roles of vehicles 2 and 3 would be reversed; that is, vehicle 3 would be the first road user and vehicle 2 would be a subsequent road user.

[0048] Fig.Figure 4 represents another traffic situation, namely a multi-lane intersection (Figure 10). To avoid repetition, some of the depicted elements are explained in the description of... Fig. 3. The same applies to those described below. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. In Fig. In step S10, the cooperating vehicle 1 uses car-to-car communication to acquire object properties (including a trajectory) of a first vehicle 2, which is moving in lane 13, a turning lane 13. Vehicle 1 also acquires object properties of other vehicles 3, 4, and 5. Furthermore, in step S30, vehicle 1 acquires object properties of a traffic infrastructure element, namely the traffic signal 9. Vehicles 4 and 1 are moving in a turning lane 11, while vehicle 3 is moving in a straight-ahead lane 12.

[0049] The in Fig.The traffic situation depicted in Figure 4 presents the following potential hazard. Vehicle 3 is traveling straight ahead and can continue without stopping due to the green traffic light (9). Vehicle 2 intends to turn left, so its trajectory intersects with that of vehicle 3. Truck 4, waiting at the intersection, obstructs vehicle 2's view of vehicle 3, creating a risk of collision between vehicles 2 and 3. However, the object properties of the other vehicles (4 and 5) do not indicate any potential hazard. The object properties of these other vehicles, recorded and processed during the procedure, are shown in the table below. Additional vehicle Object properties Relevance value Inclusion of traffic-related information 3 Position, speed, trajectory high Yes 4 Position, trajectory low no 5 Position, speed, direction of travel low no

[0050] Therefore, based on all determined relevance values, ultimately only the object properties of the additional vehicle 3 are included in the traffic-relevant information and thus transmitted to the first vehicle 2. It should be noted that all available object properties can and should be considered when determining the relevance values ​​(step S40). In the present example, the relevance values ​​of the object properties of vehicle 3 are determined in relation to the object properties of vehicles 2, 4, and the traffic signal 9. However, the invention makes it possible to avoid having to transmit all of these used object properties.

[0051] Fig.Figure 5 presents another traffic situation, this time a country road with lanes 11 and 12. The cooperating vehicle 1, traveling in lane 12, encounters the first vehicle 2 in the opposite direction in lane 11. Furthermore, another road user, namely a pedestrian 6, is also moving in lane 11.

[0052] Vehicle 1 uses its sensors 111 to detect the position and type of pedestrian 6 (i.e., that it is a pedestrian) as object properties. Vehicle 2 uses car-to-car communication to detect the trajectory of vehicle 2. The first vehicle is moving towards pedestrian 6. The object properties of pedestrian 6 are thus assigned high relevance values. In step S40, when determining the relevance values, environmental parameters, such as those detected by sensors 111, can also be considered. For example, a light sensor 111 can detect the brightness of the ambient light. This information can be taken into account in step S40. For example, the relevance values ​​for pedestrian 6 might be lower in bright light, when the pedestrian is clearly visible, than in darkness, when the pedestrian 6 is poorly visible.

[0053] Fig.Figure 6 shows another traffic situation, this time an intersection 10. The cooperative vehicle 1 and the first vehicle 2, which wants to turn right, are traveling in lane 11. A traffic light 9 is green. Another road user 7, a cyclist 7, is traveling on a cycle path next to the road towards the intersection. Another road user 8, also a cyclist 8, is traveling away from the intersection on the cycle path next to the road. The cooperative vehicle 1 records the object properties of road users 2, 7, 8, and the traffic light 9 in the manner described above. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 can be configured to record other traffic-relevant objects and their properties. In the example shown, these are (unlabeled) trees that obstruct the view, as they block the vehicle 2's view of the cyclist 7.Since a collision between road users 2 and 7 is imminent, in step S40 the object properties (trajectory, speed) of cyclist 7 are assigned high relevance values, whereas low relevance values ​​are determined for the object properties of cyclist 8. Reference symbol list 1 Cooperative Vehicle 2 First road user 3, 4, 5 Other road user (vehicle) 6. Other road user (pedestrian) 7, 8 Other road user (cyclist) 9 traffic light system 10 Intersection area 11-13 lanes 110 Data acquisition module 111 vehicle sensors 120 Assessment Module 130 Selection module 140 Communication module 112, 121, 131, 141, 142 Data interfaces S10 - S80 Procedure steps

Claims

[1] Method for transmitting traffic-relevant information from a cooperative vehicle (1) to at least one first road user (2) comprising the steps - Recording (S10) at least one object property of at least one first road user (2), - Capture (S20) at least one object property of at least one other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), - Determine (S40) at least one relevance value that concerns the relevance of the object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) in relation to the object property of the first road user (2), - Selecting (S70) the object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) for inclusion in the traffic-relevant information depending on at least one relevance value and - Transmitting (S80) the traffic-relevant information to at least one first road user (2). [2] Method according to claim 1 comprising the steps - Recording (S30) at least one object property of at least one object of the transport infrastructure (9) and - Determine (S40) at least one relevance value that concerns the relevance of the object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) in relation to the object property of the first road user (2) and in relation to the object property of the road infrastructure object (9). [3] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the object property of the first (2) and / or further road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) includes an intention to act on the part of the respective road user (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, if not all object properties can be transmitted due to the prevailing transmission conditions, - a selection of the most relevant object properties is made depending on at least one relevance value and - only these most relevant object properties are included in the traffic-related information to be transmitted. [5] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the relevance value comprises a criticality value, an urgency value and / or a timeliness value. [6] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one relevance value is a relevance value of the object property of the at least one other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). [7] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the step of determining (S40) the at least one relevance value comprises determining (S40) at least two relevance values ​​with the step - Determine exactly one relevance value relating to the relevance of the object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), where the exactly one relevance value - as the mean of at least two relevance values ​​or - as the largest value that is determined by at least two relevance values. [8] Method according to any of the preceding claims comprising the steps - Acquisition (S50) of channel status information and - Selecting (S70) at least one object property of at least one other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) for inclusion in the traffic-relevant information depending on the channel condition information. [9] Method according to claim 8 comprising the steps - Determining (S60) a relevance threshold depending on the channel state information and - Select (S70) at least one object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) to include in the traffic-relevant information if the relevance value exceeds the relevance threshold. [10] Method according to claim 8 or 9 comprising the steps - Determining (S80) a user data rate of traffic-relevant information and - Setting (S80) a code rate of an error-correcting code used to transmit traffic-relevant information from the cooperative vehicle (1) to the at least one first road user (2) depending on the user data rate. [11] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the method is carried out in an application layer of the cooperative vehicle (1). [12] Cooperative vehicle (1) with - a recording module (110) for recording at least one object property of at least one first road user (2) and for recording at least one object property of at least one further road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), - an evaluation module (120) for determining at least one relevance value that relates to the relevance of the object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) in relation to the object property of the first road user (2), - a selection module (130) for selecting the object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) for inclusion in traffic-relevant information depending on the relevance value and - a communication module (140) for transmitting traffic-relevant information to at least one first road user (2). [13] Cooperative vehicle (1) according to claim 12, - wherein the communication module (140) is set up to acquire channel status information, and - wherein the selection module (130) is set up to select at least one object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) for inclusion in the traffic-relevant information depending on the channel condition information. [14] Cooperative vehicle (1) according to claim 13, wherein the selection module (130) is configured, - to determine a relevance threshold depending on the channel condition information and - to select the object property of the other road user (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) for inclusion in the traffic-relevant information if the relevance value exceeds the relevance threshold. [15] Cooperative vehicle (1) according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the communication module (140) - is set up to use an error-correcting code during transmission, and wherein the communication module (140) is set up, - to determine a usable data rate for traffic-relevant information and - to set a code rate for the error-correcting code depending on the user data rate.

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