Context-dependent control of an alert signal

Abstract

Signaling system (S) for context-dependent control of the output of an acoustic indication signal (sig1, sig2) when using a radio key (FS) to lock and unlock a motor vehicle (KFZ), wherein the signaling system (S) is configured to determine a variable (k) characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle, wherein the characteristic variable indicates a locking state and an unlocking state of the motor vehicle (KFZ), to determine a triggering condition (t1, t2) of the indication signal (sig1, sig2), wherein the triggering condition is one of a command to lock the motor vehicle (KFZ) and a command to unlock the motor vehicle (KFZ), and if the triggering condition (t1, t2) of the acoustic indication signal (sig1, sig2) is present, the output of the acoustic indication signal (sig1, sig2) of the motor vehicle (KFZ) depending on the characteristic value (k) for the context of the motor vehicle,and the determined location of the motor vehicle (KFZ) and / or the current time.,

Description

The invention relates to a signal system and a method for contextually controlling an output of an indicator signal of a motor vehicle.Current motor vehicles frequently have a radio key with which the vehicle can be unlocked and locked remotely. The driver usually receives a feedback about the unlocking process and / or locking process by generating an acoustic indicator signal or by illuminating the low beams of the vehicle as an optical indicator signal.In conventional motor vehicles, this feedback is effected without taking into account the context of the motor vehicle, which is why it is not recognizable to the driver of the motor vehicle during unlocking or locking by means of a radio key.However, this involves the problem that the context of the motor vehicle is entirely relevant in selected situations and a notification of the driver would be necessary.It is an object of the invention to specify a signal system and a corresponding method for contextually controlling an indication signal.The object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims. It is pointed out that additional features of a claim dependent on an independent claim can form a separate invention which is independent of the combination of all features of the independent claim without the features of the independent claim or only in combination with a subset of the features of the independent claim and which can be made the subject matter of an independent claim, a divisional application or a subsequent application. This applies in the same way to technical teachings described in the description, which may form an invention independent of the features of the independent claims.A first aspect of the invention relates to a signal system for contextually controlling an output of an indicator signal of a motor vehicle. The signal system is configured to ascertain, in a first step, a variable that is characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle.In addition, the signal system is configured to ascertain a triggering condition of the notification signal in a second step, and to control the output of the notification signal of the motor vehicle depending on the variable characteristic for the context of the motor vehicle in the presence of the triggering condition of the notification signal.The notification signal can be generated in particular by a conventional system of the motor vehicle, for example by a light, a headlight, an engine, a horn or a flap.If the notification signal is an acoustic signal, the signal system can control, for example, the tone of the notification signal and / or its volume and / or its duration.If the indication signal is an optical signal, the signal system can control, for example, its light intensity or its control. In particular, the signal system can control the frequency and / or the duration of the flashing in the case of a flashing optical signal.In an advantageous embodiment, the signal system is configured such that a first output notification signal differs from a second output notification signal if the triggering condition of the first output notification signal differs from the triggering condition of the second output notification signal.It is thus possible for the driver of the motor vehicle, in particular, to recognize its triggering condition on the basis of the notification signal and, for example, to distinguish a locking of a door of the motor vehicle from an unlocking of a door of the motor vehicle.In a further advantageous embodiment, the triggering condition is characteristic for a locking and / or unlocking of at least one door of the motor vehicle.In particular, the triggering condition can be fulfilled when the vehicle receives a command for locking or unlocking at least one door, for example from a radio key.In a further advantageous embodiment, the signal system is configured to control acoustically output notification signals.These may be, for example, acoustically output notification signals that are triggered when the vehicle is locked and / or unlocked.In a further advantageous embodiment, the signal system is configured to ascertain the variable characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle by ascertaining the state of the motor vehicle.The state of the motor vehicle can be determined in particular by evaluating signals which are available in the data on-board network of the motor vehicle. For example, engine, driving dynamics, body and / or infotainment control devices send information in the data vehicle electrical system, which can be used to determine the state of the motor vehicle.In a further advantageous embodiment, the signal system is configured to ascertain the variable characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle by evaluating at least one variable which is associated with the vehicle access.The size which is associated with the vehicle access can be, in particular, a size which is associated with at least one door, at least one window and / or at least one other flap attached to the body of the vehicle.The size can be characteristic for the state of the door, the window and / or the other flap, for example. In this case, the size can describe, for example, whether the door, the window and / or the other flap is open or closed.In a further advantageous embodiment, the variable which is associated with the vehicle access is characteristic of at least one of the following situations:Error-free locking of the motor vehicleError-free unlocking of the motor vehicledefective locking of the motor vehicleerroneously unlocking the motor vehicleat least one window of the motor vehicle is opened when the motor vehicle is lockedat least one door of the motor vehicle is opened when the motor vehicle is lockederror-free locking of the motor vehicle after a preceding error-free locking of the motor vehicleSince the variable which is associated with the vehicle access can be used in particular to determine the context of the motor vehicle, the signal system according to the invention can control the output of the notification signal depending on at least these situations mentioned in the presence of the triggering condition.As a result, it is possible, for example, to control the output of the notification signal in a respectively different manner at least for each of the situations mentioned, whereby the driver of the motor vehicle is informed by the notification signal about the presence of at least one of the situations mentioned.In a further advantageous embodiment, the signal system is configured to determine the variable characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle by determining the location of the motor vehicle and / or the current time.For example, the signal system may access signals from a navigation system connected to the motor vehicle to determine the location of the motor vehicle and increase the volume of an audible alert signal when the vehicle is determined to be near a highway.Alternatively, for example, the volume of an audible alert signal may be decreased when it is determined that the vehicle is in a parking garage at night.In a further advantageous embodiment, the signal system is configured to ascertain the variable characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle by means of at least one sensor of the motor vehicle.For this purpose, for example, sensors such as a camera can be used which monitors the vehicle environment or the vehicle interior. Alternatively, a microphone can also be used, which also monitors the vehicle environment or the vehicle interior. In addition, the use of an ultrasonic sensor, radar sensor and / or rain sensor is also possible.The information obtained by the at least one sensor can be used in particular to identify whether the notification signal is perceptible to the driver of the motor vehicle when using a radio key for locking or unlocking the motor vehicle.If the information obtained by the sensor indicates that the notification signal is not perceptible or is only difficult to perceive for the driver of the motor vehicle, then the signal system can control the output of the notification signal in such a way that the perceptibility of the notification signal is increased.In contrast, if the information obtained by the sensor indicates that the notification signal is very well perceivable to the driver of the motor vehicle, then the signal system may control the output of the notification signal such that the perceptibility of the notification signal is reduced. If, for example, it is determined by evaluating the distance between the motor vehicle and the radio key that the driver is located very close to the motor vehicle, then the volume of an acoustically output signal can be reduced in order to prevent noise nuisance from other road users.A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for contextually controlling an output of an indicator signal of a motor vehicle, wherein in a first step a variable characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle is determined.In a second step, a triggering condition of the notification signal is ascertained, and, if the triggering condition of the notification signal is present, the output of the notification signal of the motor vehicle is controlled as a function of the variable characteristic for the context of the motor vehicle.The above explanations relating to the signal system according to the invention according to the first aspect of the invention also apply in a corresponding manner to the method according to the invention according to the second aspect of the invention. Advantageous exemplary embodiments of the method according to the invention that are not explicitly described at this point and in the patent claims correspond to the advantageous exemplary embodiments of the signal system according to the invention that are described above or described in the patent claims.The invention is described below with reference to an exemplary embodiment with the aid of the appended drawings. In this figure: FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle equipped with the signal system according to the invention and exemplary interfaces, and FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the signal system according to the invention.FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle KFZ equipped with the signal system S according to the invention and exemplary interfaces.This shows that the signal system S connected to the motor vehicle KFZ can receive, for example, the current time and the current location of the motor vehicle KFZ as context information in order to control the thereby triggered notification signal as a function thereof when a radio key FS is used by the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ for locking or unlocking the motor vehicle KFZ.FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the signal system S according to the invention.In step 100, the variable k that is characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle KFZ is determined.This can be done in particular by evaluating signals in the data vehicle electrical system of the motor vehicle KFZ, which are sent by control units which are connected to the vehicle access. For example, signals indicating an opened vehicle window or a blocked locking mechanism of a vehicle door can be evaluated.In step 110, the presence of a triggering condition t 1 and / or t 2 is determined. In this case, for example, the first triggering condition t 1 can be fulfilled if the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ transmits the command to the motor vehicle KFZ to lock all doors of the motor vehicle KFZ.Alternatively, the second triggering condition t 2 can be fulfilled if the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ transmits the command to the motor vehicle KFZ to unlock all doors of the motor vehicle KFZ using a radio key.In step 120, it is checked whether the triggering condition t 1 is present, i.e., whether the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ transmits the command to the motor vehicle KFZ to lock all doors of the motor vehicle KFZ with the radio key.If this condition exists, then in step 130, the output of the notification signal sig 1 is controlled as a function of the variable k that is characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle KFZ. If, for example, the variable k indicates that a window of the motor vehicle KFZ is open, a different tone can be generated as the notification signal sig 1 than when the window is closed.The driver of the motor vehicle KFZ can thus be informed that his command for locking the doors of the motor vehicle KFZ has been implemented, but that the motor vehicle KFZ is nevertheless not safe since a window of the motor vehicle KFZ is open.If it is determined in step 120 that the triggering condition t 1 is not present, then a check is made in the following step 140 as to whether the triggering condition t 2 is present instead, i.e. whether the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ transmits the command to the motor vehicle KFZ to unlock all doors.If it is determined in step 140 that the triggering condition t 2 is present, then in step 150 the output of the notification signal sig 2 is controlled as a function of the variable k characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle KFZ.If, for example, the variable k describes that the motor vehicle KFZ is currently located in the garage of its owner, the volume of the notification signal sig 2 can be reduced compared to an acoustic output in the public area if this is an acoustic signal.

Claims

Signal system (S) for contextually controlling an output of an acoustic indicator signal (sig 1, sig 2) when using a radio key (FS) for locking and unlocking a motor vehicle (KFZ), wherein the signal system (S) is configured to ascertain a variable (k) characteristic for the context of the motor vehicle, wherein the characteristic variable is indicative of a locking state and an unlocking state of the motor vehicle (KFZ) to ascertain a triggering condition (t 1, t 2) of the indicator signal (sig 1, sig 2), wherein the triggering condition is one of a command for locking the motor vehicle (KFZ) and a command for unlocking the motor vehicle (KFZ), and if the triggering condition (t 1, t 2) of the acoustic notification signal (sig 1, sig 2) is present, to control the output of the acoustic notification signal (sig 1, sig 2) of the motor vehicle (KFZ) as a function of the variable (k) characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle, and the ascertained location of the motor vehicle (KFZ) and / or the current time.The signal system (S) according to claim 1, wherein the signal system (S) is configured to access signals of a navigation system connected to the motor vehicle (KFZ) for determining the location of the motor vehicle (KFZ) and to increase the volume of the acoustic indicator signal (sig 1) if it is determined that the motor vehicle (KFZ) is located in the vicinity of a multi-street.The signalling system (S) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the signalling system (S) is arranged to reduce the volume of the audible indication signal when it is determined that the motor vehicle (KFZ) is in a parking garage at night.Method for contextually controlling an output of an acoustic notification signal (sig 1, sig 2) when using a radio key (FS) for locking and unlocking a motor vehicle (KFZ), wherein a variable (k) characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle is determined, wherein the characteristic variable is indicative of a locking state and an unlocking state of the motor vehicle (KFZ), a triggering condition (t 1, t 2) of the notification signal (sig 1, sig 2) is determined, wherein the triggering condition is one of a command for locking the motor vehicle (KFZ) and a command for unlocking the motor vehicle (KFZ), and when the triggering condition (t 1, t 2) of the acoustic notification signal (sig 1, sig 2) is present, the output of the acoustic notification signal (sig 1, sig 2) of the motor vehicle (KFZ) is controlled as a function of the variable (k) characteristic of the context of the motor vehicle, and the ascertained location of the motor vehicle (KFZ) and / or the current time.

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