Procedure for operating a communication device of a motor vehicle and motor vehicle

Abstract

Method for operating a communication device (6) of a motor vehicle (1) which is driven fully automatically in an autopiloted operating mode, wherein the communication device (6) has a lighting device (7) designed to project at least one light pattern (16, 26, 32) onto a surface surrounding the motor vehicle (1) and the motor vehicle (1) has a control unit (3) evaluating environmental data from at least one environmental sensor of the motor vehicle (1), which is designed to detect road users (12, 14, 25) in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (1) who are not inside the motor vehicle (1) or another motor vehicle (1), characterized in that the environmental data are further evaluated to detect a blind spot area (29) which is not visible through the at least one environmental sensor and from which the motor vehicle (1) is also not visible.wherein, in the presence of a blind spot area (29), a warning light pattern (32) indicating the motor vehicle (1) is projected into a warning area (31) of the ground visible from the blind spot area (29).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a communication device of a motor vehicle that is fully automatically controlled in an autopiloted operating mode. The communication device comprises an illumination device configured to project at least one light pattern onto a surface surrounding the motor vehicle, and the motor vehicle comprises a control unit that evaluates environmental data from at least one environmental sensor of the motor vehicle and is configured to detect road users not located within the motor vehicle or another motor vehicle, in particular pedestrians and / or cyclists, in the vicinity of the motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle.

[0002] A current research area is the fully automatic guidance of motor vehicles, particularly in a variety of traffic situations in which other road users, who may not be fully automatically guided, also participate. Vehicle systems have already been proposed that allow fully automatic guidance of the motor vehicle, in particular automatic lateral and longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle. These vehicle systems utilize a variety of data about the surroundings of the motor vehicle, in particular environmental data from at least one environmental sensor, for example at least one camera, at least one radar sensor, at least one ultrasonic sensor, at least one lidar sensor, and the like. In this case, a c2x device providing environmental data, i.e., a device for motor vehicle-to-x communication, should also be viewed simply as an environmental sensor.The environmental data is evaluated together with other information, including ego data describing the current operating status of the vehicle and navigation data, in order to obtain the most accurate possible representation of the current traffic situation and to plan a trajectory so that the destination can be reached with the greatest possible safety. Road users not inside motor vehicles, especially pedestrians and / or cyclists, also play an important role. Other road users can be detected as dynamic and / or static environmental objects in the environmental data.

[0003] Today's motor vehicles usually feature various types of lighting devices, such as headlights, turn indicators, and brake lights. Headlights primarily serve to improve visibility for the driver, while turn indicators, brake lights, and position lights provide a signaling effect. If the vehicle is operated fully automatically, i.e., with autopilot, the driver's visibility, if present at all, is secondary. Therefore, if ambient illumination is not essential for the functionality of at least one of the environment sensors, headlights could theoretically be dispensed with entirely, so that information is transmitted solely via signaling lighting devices.

[0004] In this context, DE 10 2014 011 811 A1 discloses a possibility for informing a road user about an autopilot-controlled journey. It proposes using a vehicle's lighting system to generate a light pattern with a first feature that indicates to the road user that the vehicle is in an autopilot-controlled operating mode. It is also possible to inform a road user about a planned movement of the vehicle via the light pattern. The light pattern can also include a safety strip around the planned route to inform the road user in an easily understandable manner about the spatial course of an area they should avoid.

[0005] Other means of communicating information about the autopiloted mode of operation to other road users have also been proposed, such as screens located on the fully automated vehicle and / or the use of acoustic signals.

[0006] However, the aforementioned options have the disadvantage that they cannot be used to directly address a specific road user. Even with information directed at a specific road user, it can easily happen that that user does not feel addressed and / or does not perceive the information at all. In particular, the options described cannot replace eye contact between the driver of a motor vehicle and another road user.

[0007] The subsequently published DE 10 2014 226 254 A1 discloses a method for operating a motor vehicle, in particular one that drives / can be driven autonomously or semi-autonomously, using an environmental sensor system. It proposes monitoring the surroundings of the motor vehicle for other road users. Depending on a detected road user, a signaling device is activated to display information about further behavior of the motor vehicle and / or the detected road user to the detected road user. Thus, an automatic or automated interaction with other road users takes place, which advantageously integrates the autonomous / semi-autonomous operation of the motor vehicle into the usual traffic situation with other, particularly human, road users.The information displayed tells other road users how they should or may behave in order, for example, not to disrupt the operation of the autonomous / semi-autonomous vehicle or to avoid an accident.

[0008] DE 10 2006 050 548 A1 relates to a method for warning at least one road user, in which at least one projection object is generated as a warning for at least one other road user at a projection point outside the motor vehicle using projection means provided on the motor vehicle. The method therein relates in particular to an accident or breakdown situation, so that a warning triangle, in particular, can be output as a warning.

[0009] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a possibility for improved, targeted communication with other road users, in particular those who are not in a motor vehicle.

[0010] To achieve this object, the features of claim 1 are provided according to the invention in a method of the type mentioned at the outset.

[0011] The invention provides that the environmental data are further evaluated to detect a blind spot area that is not visible to the at least one environmental sensor and from which the motor vehicle is also not visible. If a blind spot area is present, an indicator light pattern indicating the motor vehicle is projected into an indicator area of ​​the ground that is visible from the blind spot area. Thus, the projection of indicators within the scope of the present invention can already take place before other road users who are located in a blind spot area that is not visible have even been detected based on the environmental data. Projecting an indicator light pattern into an indicator area that is visible from the blind spot area increases the detectability of the motor vehicle from the blind spot, so that the motor vehicle can be detected, in particular, even around a corner.It is particularly useful to use an indicator light pattern indicating a planned trajectory in the indicator area in order to also be able to convey further indicator information.

[0012] In a useful further development, it can be provided that, in order to transmit communication information to a detected road user not in a motor vehicle, a light pattern comprising at least one road user-specific partial pattern, which allows the perceiving road user to identify the communication as being directed at them, is projected onto the ground. It is therefore proposed to use novel lighting functions for enhanced communication and interaction with other road users. Light patterns are projected onto the ground around the motor vehicle in such a way that specific road users, particularly those not in a motor vehicle, are specifically addressed, i.e., recognizable to them.In particular, a subpattern can be aimed at improving perceptibility, tailored to the addressed road user, and / or at improving the ability to assign the information to that road user. This allows for a targeted "addressing" of other road users in order to appropriately reproduce communication information.

[0013] The recognition of road users, i.e., their detection, which accordingly also includes the determination of the road user's position, from environmental data has already been described in detail in the prior art, particularly with regard to the fully automated guidance of motor vehicles. This also applies to the assessment of the relevance of road users or the consideration of safety aspects. Furthermore, possibilities have already been discussed, for example, to achieve coordination between different road users and / or to inform other road users in motor vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication in order to improve the fully automated guidance of the motor vehicle, in particular to make it safer and, if necessary, more effective.If it is now determined in the autopiloted operating mode of the motor vehicle that another road user not in a motor vehicle fulfills a communication criterion, thus the transmission of communication information to this road user brings about an improvement with regard to an optimization goal in the fully automatic operation of the motor vehicle, in particular safety, the light pattern containing at least one partial pattern is generated in order to address and inform the road user in a targeted manner, i.e. in a way that is recognizable to the road user.

[0014] In the simplest case, the communication information could be an indication of the presence of the fully automated vehicle. This means that the light pattern can be used to specifically alert the road user that the vehicle operating in autopilot mode is in their vicinity. However, a variety of other communication information is also conceivable, which could significantly improve the fully automated guidance of the vehicle by specifically addressing a specific road user.

[0015] A useful development of the present invention provides that the control unit also determines the road user's line of sight by evaluating the surroundings data, wherein the partial pattern is a portion of the light pattern projected in the line of sight, particularly directly in front of the road user. For example, within the framework of image processing algorithms for image data recorded, for example, by a camera acting as an environment sensor, it is possible to also determine a person's line of sight, particularly based on the orientation of their head, whereby the direction of movement can also be taken into account. It is then possible to selectively overlay the partial pattern into the road user's field of vision, thus ensuring, as far as possible, that the road user can perceive it.In particular, the control unit and / or the communication device can perform a field of view analysis based on the surroundings data, in particular to determine a distance at which the partial pattern should be projected in the line of sight in front of the addressed road users. However, it is also conceivable to use at least one predefined distance that must be maintained between the addressed road user and the partial pattern. Such predefined distances can depend on a class of the addressed road user, for example, at a coarse resolution to distinguish between cyclists and pedestrians, although a finer classification can also be used, for example "jogger," "walker," "waiting person," and the like.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, it can be provided that at least one of the at least one partial pattern is a line leading from the motor vehicle to the road user, in particular a straight line. In this exemplary embodiment, an optical connection between the communication partners is established by a line projected onto the ground, which line clearly identifies them as such. In the simplest case, this can be a straight line, but it is also possible, for example as part of a ground and / or obstacle analysis, to make a different selection that ensures that the line can also be led completely from the motor vehicle to the addressed road user and thus forms a suitable partial pattern.In this context, it is particularly preferred that at least part of the communication information be the fact that the road user has been detected by the control unit, with the line additionally being used to indicate this information. For the road user, the fact that they have been detected by the motor vehicle is intuitive, because otherwise the lighting device would not be able to project the appropriate partial pattern onto the ground. In this way, the road user can feel safer knowing that they are being taken into account in the fully automatic guidance of the motor vehicle.

[0017] It should be noted at this point that communication with multiple road users to be addressed simultaneously is of course also possible, in which case an overall light pattern would contain corresponding partial patterns for the individual road users to be addressed. For example, embodiments are conceivable in which all detected road users not inside a motor vehicle are addressed by lines that convey to them that they have been correctly detected. Of course, the concept can also be extended to other road users, such as other motor vehicles. It should also be noted at this point that the method is primarily aimed at other road users on the ground, who can be correctly addressed by projection onto the ground.

[0018] A useful development of the method provides that the communication information comprises at least one instruction to the road user, which is projected into the road user's field of vision by means of text and / or pictograms in the light pattern. Thus, for example, the road user can be given an instruction to continue moving, which increases the safety and / or effectiveness of the fully automated guidance of the motor vehicle, also with regard to the addressed road user, and / or eliminates potential conflicts of interest at an early stage. For example, a stop line with a stop signal can be projected in front of the addressed road user. This can then also correspond to the partial pattern that is projected in front of the road user in the line of sight and explicitly refers to the road user through the orientation of the stop lines and stop signs.Similarly, arrows can be used in the light pattern to indicate to the road user a direction of movement that, for example, deviates from the vehicle's planned trajectory. A variety of different possibilities are conceivable.

[0019] It is particularly advantageous in this context, but also generally, if the communication information is conveyed through at least one color design of the light pattern. For example, a red color can be used to instruct the person being addressed to stop, while a green color indicates mobility, particularly free movement. Instructions indicating a specific desired direction of movement can be highlighted and conveyed using a yellow color, for example. Yellow or red colors are also particularly suitable for warnings as communication information.

[0020] It is further preferred if at least part of the light pattern is animated, in particular for displaying the communication information, and / or if the light pattern is adapted to the new position and / or orientation when the road user changes position and / or orientation during the communication period, wherein the change in position and / or orientation is determined by evaluating the surrounding data. Thus, it is conceivable, on the one hand, to design the light pattern to be dynamically changeable for displaying the communication information, for example, to create animated pictograms, moving arrows, and the like.For example, if a line is used from the motor vehicle to the road user, a structure running along the line, such as illumination, a color change, and / or a thickening, can be used to symbolize ongoing communication with the addressed road user. Constant dynamic adjustment in response to changes in the road user's position and / or orientation is also useful to keep the light pattern up-to-date in its partial pattern relation to the road user and to keep the displayed communication information within the road user's field of vision.

[0021] To realize the light pattern or the information light pattern, a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for the use of an illumination device with a laser light source, in particular an RGB laser light source and / or an LED. At least one micromirror and / or an LCD projector and / or a digital micromirror device (DMD) and / or an LCOS projector, which can be part of a projection device, are suitable as imagers. Laser modules that provide red, green, and blue light (RGB) as a laser light source are already known in the art and are particularly suitable for implementing the method according to the invention. Using a suitable projection device, in particular a deflection unit, the light distribution resulting from the light pattern can be dynamically projected onto the ground, for example the road.The use of laser technology has the particular advantage that, thanks to its low beam divergence, it offers the possibility of providing the required contrast for the light patterns even during the day.

[0022] For the projection device that acts as an image generator, a non-Lambertian scattering element is suitable, for example a micromirror or a DMD / LCD / LCOS.

[0023] In addition to the method, the present invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a vehicle system for fully automatic guidance of the motor vehicle, comprising a control unit, at least one environmental sensor, at least one lighting device configured to project at least one light pattern onto a surface surrounding the motor vehicle, and a communication device configured to implement the method according to the invention. All statements regarding the method according to the invention can be applied analogously to the motor vehicle according to the invention, with which the advantages already described can thus also be achieved.

[0024] Further advantages and details of the present invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments described below and from the drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle according to the invention, Fig. 2 targeted communication with another road user in a first traffic situation, Fig. 3 targeted communication with another road user in a second traffic situation, and Fig. 4 an output of an indicator light pattern in a third traffic situation.

[0025] Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. The motor vehicle 1 has a vehicle system 2 for the fully automatic guidance of the motor vehicle 1 in an autopiloted operating mode. The vehicle system 2 has a control unit 3 which, for the purpose of the fully automatic guidance of the motor vehicle 1, evaluates not only further input data but also environmental data from various environmental sensors of the motor vehicle 1. Radar sensors 4 and a camera 5 are shown here only as examples. Of course, other environmental sensors not shown in detail here will usually be present, in particular a c2x device.

[0026] If, by evaluating the surroundings data, the control unit 3 identifies a road user, in particular a pedestrian and / or a cyclist, who meets a communication criterion and is not in the same or another motor vehicle, and to whom communication information is to be transmitted directly, communication data containing the road user to be addressed, data describing their position and orientation, and the communication information are transmitted to a communication device 6. The communication device 6 is designed to carry out the method according to the invention. In this case, communication with the road user to be addressed is enabled via a light pattern projected onto the ground in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, for which purpose the communication device 6 can address a lighting device 7.The illumination device 7 in this case has a laser light source 8, in this case an RGB laser module, and a projection device 9, which comprises, for example, a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) 10.

[0027] The lighting device 7 makes it possible to project light patterns onto the ground in front of the motor vehicle 1, which can contain various colors in addition to white. In particular, for the purpose of communicating specifically with other road users, light patterns are generated that contain partial patterns that allow the perceiving road user to identify the communication as being directed at them.

[0028] The Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 illustrate concrete examples of such communication and the light patterns used, using two traffic situations.

[0029] In the traffic situation of the Fig. 2, motor vehicle 1 is traveling on a road 11. Another road user 12, in this case a pedestrian 13, is about to enter the road 11. Another road user, in this case a cyclist 15, is traveling on a bicycle path on the other side of the road 11 in the opposite direction to motor vehicle 1.

[0030] Road users 12, 14 are both detected and evaluated in the control unit 3 during the evaluation of the environmental data. Since the vehicle system 2 is currently planning to continue moving the motor vehicle 1 along the road 11 as part of the fully automatic guidance, it represents a safety risk for the pedestrian 13 to enter the road 11. Since the pedestrian 13 cannot make eye contact with the driver and thus determine whether the road is safe to cross, communication information is to be transmitted to the pedestrian 13 via the communication device 6, indicating both that they have been detected and that they should stop as an instruction to proceed.This is done by the communication device 6 controlling the lighting device 7 to generate a light pattern 16, which in the present case comprises a line 18 as a first partial pattern 17, which leads from the motor vehicle 1 to the pedestrian 13, thus on the one hand indicating a communication specifically to this pedestrian 13, but on the other hand also containing the communication information that the pedestrian 13 has been correctly detected.

[0031] Another subpattern 19 serves to indicate that precisely pedestrian 13 is being addressed and contains the communication information related to the instruction. For this purpose, a stop line 20 and a stop sign 21 are projected in red as pictograms onto the ground in the line of sight in front of pedestrian 13, at a specific predefined distance assigned to the road user class "pedestrian."

[0032] The color red signals pedestrian 13 to stop. The signs also clearly represent this instruction. Since partial pattern 19 is directly in front of him in his line of sight, which was determined by evaluating the surrounding data, without any other road user in between, he clearly recognizes that the instruction is directed at him, while line 18 informs him that it originates from motor vehicle 1.

[0033] As far as road user 14 is concerned, there is currently no interaction between the future planned fully automatic guidance of motor vehicle 1 and the predicted path of road user 14, so that the communication information that he has been correctly detected by motor vehicle 1 should only be transmitted to him for reassurance, for which purpose a further line 23 is used as partial pattern 22.

[0034] As soon as it is safe for pedestrian 13 to enter street 11 again, another instruction in green can be integrated into the light pattern 16, for example, which ensures full freedom of movement.

[0035] It should be noted at this point that the partial patterns 17, 19, and 22, as well as the light pattern 16 in general, naturally always adapt to the currently determined position and / or orientation of the road users 12, 14. Furthermore, the projection area of ​​the lighting device 7 need not extend solely to the area in front of the motor vehicle, but can of course also be extended to other areas of the surroundings of the motor vehicle, for example the rear area or the sides, by providing additional laser light sources 8 and projection devices 9.

[0036] Fig. Figure 3 shows a second traffic situation in which motor vehicle 1 is again moving on a road 24. Another road user 25, not in a motor vehicle, for example, a cyclist, is approaching in the same lane. Therefore, the light pattern 26 shown here, which is again projected in the line of sight directly in front of road user 25, contains a warning sign 27 and an evasive action arrow 28 in yellow as pictograms of a corresponding partial pattern. Thus, both the warning and an instruction to evade are transmitted as communication information.

[0037] Fig.Figure 4 finally shows a third traffic situation in which a blind spot area 29 is present that cannot be seen by the environmental sensors of the motor vehicle 1 due to shading by a building 30. Road users within the blind spot area 29 cannot therefore be detected. However, since the position of the blind spot area 29 and other objects in the vicinity of the motor vehicle 1 is known through evaluation of the environmental data, an indication area 31 can be determined that is both accessible to projection by the lighting device 7 and visible from the blind spot area 29. In such a case, an indication light pattern 32 is projected into the indication area 31, which, on the one hand, symbolically informs by means of a symbol 33 that a motor vehicle operating in autopilot mode is approaching, but, on the other hand, also conveys the planned trajectory of the motor vehicle 1 by means of an arrow 34.

Claims

[1] Method for operating a communication device (6) of a motor vehicle (1) which is driven completely automatically in an autopiloted operating mode, wherein the communication device (6) has a lighting device (7) designed to project at least one light pattern (16, 26, 32) onto a surface surrounding the motor vehicle (1), and the motor vehicle (1) has a control unit (3) which evaluates environmental data from at least one environmental sensor of the motor vehicle (1), which control unit is designed to detect road users (12, 14, 25) in the environment of the motor vehicle (1) who are not located inside the motor vehicle (1) or another motor vehicle (1), characterized bythat the environmental data are further evaluated to detect a blind spot area (29) which is not visible by the at least one environmental sensor and from which the motor vehicle (1) is also not visible, wherein, when a blind spot area (29) is present, an indicator light pattern (32) pointing to the motor vehicle (1) is projected into an indicator area (31) of the ground which is visible from the blind spot area (29). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by in that, in order to transmit communication information to a detected road user (12, 14, 25) who is not inside a motor vehicle (1), a light pattern (16, 26) having at least one road user-related partial pattern (17, 19, 22) which allows the perceiving road user (12, 14, 25) to identify the communication as being directed at him is projected onto the ground. [3] Method according to claim 2, characterized bythat the control unit (3) also determines a viewing direction of the road user (12, 14, 25) by evaluating the surroundings data, wherein the partial pattern (17, 19, 22) is a portion of the light pattern (16, 26) projected in the viewing direction in front of the road user (12, 14, 25). [4] Method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by that the partial pattern (17, 19, 22) is a line (18, 23) leading from the motor vehicle (1) to the road user (12, 14, 25). [5] Method according to claim 4, characterized by that at least part of the communication information is the fact that the road user (12, 14, 25) has been detected by the control device (3), the line (18, 23) being additionally used as an indication of this information. [6] Method according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized bythat the communication information comprises at least one instruction to the road user (12, 14, 25), which is projected into a field of vision of the road user (12, 14, 25) by means of text and / or pictograms in the light pattern (16, 26). [7] Method according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized by that the communication information is transmitted by at least one color design of the light pattern (16, 26). [8] Method according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized by that at least part of the light pattern (16, 26) is animated and / or the light pattern (16, 26) is adapted to the new position and / or orientation in the event of a change in position and / or orientation of the road user (12, 14, 25) during the communication period, which was determined by evaluating the environmental data. [9] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat an indicator light pattern (32) indicating a planned trajectory in the indicator area (31) is used. [10] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that an illumination device (7) with a laser light source (8) and / or a projection device (9) comprising at least one micromirror and / or at least one digital micromirror device (10) is used. [11] Motor vehicle (1), comprising a vehicle system (2) for the fully automatic guidance of the motor vehicle (1) with a control unit (3), at least one environment sensor, at least one lighting device (7) designed to project at least one light pattern (16, 26, 32) onto a surface surrounding the motor vehicle (1) and a communication device (6) designed to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims.

Images