Method for illuminating a vehicle interior using distributed ambient lighting

Abstract

A method for illuminating a vehicle interior by means of lighting devices, each containing one or more diffuse and / or indirect light sources and each spatially assigned to a specific area of the vehicle interior, wherein the intensity and color of the light emitted by the light sources are automatically adjusted as a function of specific operating parameters over which a vehicle occupant has influence, wherein lighting devices, each spatially assigned to an area of the vehicle interior in which a vehicle component with an operating parameter that can be separately adjusted by the driver and that can affect a general operating mode selected by the driver is located, are controlled in such a way that their intensity and color indicate to the driver whether the current setting of the separately adjustable operating parameter has a positive or negative effect on the general operating mode selected by the driver,characterized in that the intensity and color of the light emitted by the light sources are automatically adjusted as a function of several specific operating parameters over which a vehicle occupant has influence, and in that the selection of the positions, colors and intensities of the distributed light sources takes into account all specific operating parameters that may influence the general operating mode selected by the driver.

Description

The invention relates to a method for illuminating a vehicle interior by means of illumination devices according to the preamble of claim 1.A method having the features of claim 1 is known from DE 10 2009 056 657 A1 and from DE 10 2014 017 337 A1.EP 1 259 400 B1 discloses a method for illuminating a vehicle interior by means of illumination devices which each contain one or more diffuse and / or indirect light sources and which are each spatially assigned to a specific region of the vehicle interior, wherein intensity and color of the light emitted by the light sources are automatically adjusted as a function of specific operating parameters on which a vehicle occupant has influence. This serves to compensate deviations of an actual value, such as an actual interior temperature, from a setpoint value predefined by a vehicle occupant, such as a setpoint interior temperature, by suitable coloring, in such a way that the deviations of vehicle occupants are perceived as less unpleasant and their well-being is increased. Other psychological effects can also be produced, for example by adjusting colors that have a concentration-promoting or a sedative effect.DE 10 2006 036 060 A1 discloses a vehicle interior lighting system which selects and sets one of different stored lighting scenarios as a function of sensor signals which describe the vehicle state or the driving mode. Here, for example, a blue room lighting is set when the outside temperature is high, and a red room lighting is set when the outside temperature is low.DE 10 2011 013 777 A1 discloses a vehicle interior lighting system, wherein captured measurement data are evaluated and wherein the light colors of distributed lighting means, which form an ambulatory lighting, are set separately depending on the lighting means, which form an ambulatory lighting, depending on the evaluation. For example, vehicle data such as speed, acceleration, etc. are converted into light signals that reflect the vehicle state.There are also motor vehicles that use an instrument panel lighting to visualize certain general modes of operation of the vehicle, such as an energy saving mode or a sports mode for sporting driving. It is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 8,786,418 B2 to indicate changes in fuel consumption, power consumption or battery recharging by changing the color of interior lights.If the driver has selected a general operating mode of the aforementioned type, he can identify, on the basis of the feedback about the lighting, whether he is driving, for example, in a fuel-saving manner or not. However, fuel consumption depends on a plurality of operating parameters, and the driver cannot recognize from the lighting alone whether he may do something to drive even more fuel savingly. While appropriate text or voice prompts could be given to the driver, drivers easily feel disturbed by many such prompts.The invention is based on the object of developing the known method for illuminating a vehicle interior by means of distributed illumination devices to the effect that it helps the driver in a comfortable manner to achieve a general operating state desired by him more optimally.This object is achieved by a method and a motor vehicle having the features of the independent patent claims.Advantageous further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent patent claims.According to the invention, lighting devices which are spatially assigned to different regions of the vehicle interior, in each of which there is a vehicle component with an operating parameter which can be adjusted separately by the driver and which can have an effect on a general operating mode selected by the driver, which is aimed at a specific general driving operating mode, are not all controlled jointly but rather independently of one another and optionally differently, namely in such a way that their intensity and color indicate to the driver whether the current adjustment of the separately adjustable operating parameter has a positive or negative effect on the general operating mode selected by the driver.The spatial assignment gives the driver intuitively recognizable visual indications as to which current operating parameters he can change in order to achieve the goal of the general operating mode he selects even better. For this purpose, he does not even have to avert his gaze from the road, since the indication is given by a corresponding spatial part of the instrument illumination and is also perceptible in the eye angle due to a certain spatial size. Nevertheless, the driver is hardly disturbed or irritations as a result, since ambient lighting is relatively decent.For example, if the driver has selected an energy saving mode, an air quality mode or an air conditioning mode, but does not intend a side window to be opened, which is not detrimental to the selected operating mode, he can easily perceive an ambient lighting in a warning color such as red in the area of this side window, particularly if the remaining ambient lighting lights in a contrasting color such as green, which indicates that all other operating parameters are otherwise optimally set. The driver can then easily recognize that he only needs to close the window in order to optimally achieve the general operating state he wants.In this case, the intensity or color of the warningly illuminated region can also be used to make the intensity of the influence of the associated operating parameter of the closed window, the instrument lighting system would become increasingly green or blue here.According to the invention, when selecting the positions, colors and intensities of the distributed light sources, namely so-called instrument lightings, all operating parameters are taken into account which can influence the general operating mode selected by the driver. Their effects are visualized via the distributed ambient illuminations. Unlike in the prior art, an actual state is thus not represented or its perception compensated, but rather the driver is made clear of which driving state-dependent operating parameters positively influence the desired setpoint operating state and can optionally be set better.In the context of the method according to the invention, it is preferably determined to what extent the current setting value of each separately adjustable operating parameter has a positive or negative effect on the general operating mode selected by the driver by forming an associated general operating mode index from measured current setting values of all corresponding operating parameters on which a vehicle occupant has influence, said general operating mode index representing a measure of the degree to which the optimum of the selected general operating mode is currently reached, wherein the intensity and color of each local lighting device is set depending on what proportion of the associated operating parameter in the general operating mode index has.The following is a description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. The single figure thereof schematically shows a portion of the vehicle interior of a motor vehicle as seen by a driver.The detail of the vehicle interior space that can be seen in schematic form in the figure is immaterial here. The areas shown with stronger black lines, in each of which an ambient illumination is located, are essential.In this example, a diffusely radiating ambient lighting extends along a line 1 around the left front side window, and the detail of the vehicle interior space that can be seen in schematic form in the figure is not essential here. The areas shown with stronger black lines, in each of which an ambient illumination is located, are essential.In this example, one diffuse radiant ambient lighting each extends along a line 1 around the left front side window, along a line 2 around the right front side window, along a line 3 partially around the driver's seat, along a line 4 around a gear selector, and along a line 5 around a climate control console.There may also be further instrument lights, which are likewise each spatially assigned to a region of the vehicle interior in which a vehicle component is located with an operating parameter which can be adjusted separately by the driver and which can have an effect on a general operating mode selected by the driver, which general operating mode targets a specific general driving operating mode, such as an energy saving or fuel saving mode, a sport mode for sport driving, an air quality mode for good air quality in the vehicle interior, an air conditioning mode for the greatest possible effectiveness of the air conditioning system or the like.In an example matching the figure, the driver has selected the fuel saving mode and the outside temperature is low.The left side window is open and should be closed in the fuel saving mode, at least in the current parameter situation (speed, external temperature, etc.) Accordingly, the instrument illumination lights red along the line 1. However, at other speeds and outside temperatures, the instrument lighting may illuminate green along line 1 because it may then be more appropriate to open a window than to use the air conditioner.The right side window is open as normally desired in the fuel saving mode. Accordingly, the instrument lighting will illuminate green along line 2.The seat heater is in operation and the driver would consume less if it were turned off. Accordingly, the instrument illumination lights red along the line 3.The gear is chosen too low and a higher gear would save fuel Accordingly, the instrument lighting lights red along line 4.The air conditioner is off and thus does not consume power, accordingly the instrument lighting lights green along line 5.The intensity and color of each local lighting device may also be adjusted depending on how much of the associated operating parameter contributes positively or negatively to the goal of the chosen general operating mode.This will be described in more detail using the example of an energy saving mode. Instead of displaying only a single operating parameter to the user, such as fuel consumption by color and / or brightness variation of an ambulatory lighting, multiple operating parameters are used to form a general operating mode index, in this example a power saving mode index used to drive the ambulatory lighting.The input operating parameters used are normalized to 1 and can additionally each be weighted (multiplied) by a weighting factor which specifies the proportional influence of the respective operating parameter on the fuel consumption, that is to say a measure of the degree to which the optimum of the selected general operating mode is currently reached.The energy saving mode index is then most easily formed as a sum of the products of all operating parameters used and the associated weighting factors divided by the sum of the weighting factors.Some examples of input operating parameters in the example scenario "energy saving mode" are, for example, driving speed, tire pressure, engine speed, engaged gear, window closing states, air conditioning system on or off, air throughput of the ventilation, vehicle weight, vehicle exterior lights on or off, seat heating on or off, steering wheel heating on or off, time-averaged acceleration or deceleration behavior, etc.If input operating parameters are spatially assigned to specific regions of the vehicle interior, the driver can be alerted to the corresponding spatial region in the manner described above with reference to the figure.Input operating parameters with currently favorable or unfavorable values, in which there is no such direct spatial assignment, can be identified, for example, by means of an instrument panel lighting system, which surrounds a display on the dashboard, on which corresponding indications with text or graphics are provided, or optically highlights in some other way.

Claims

Method for illuminating a vehicle interior by means of illumination devices which each contain one or more diffuse and / or indirect light sources and which are each spatially associated with a specific region of the vehicle interior, wherein intensity and colour of the light emitted by the light sources are automatically adjusted as a function of specific operating parameters on which a vehicle occupant has an influence, wherein illumination devices which are each spatially associated with a region of the vehicle interior in which a vehicle component is located with an operating parameter which can be adjusted separately by the driver and which can have an effect on a general operating mode selected by the driver are actuated in such a way that their intensity and colour indicate to the driver whether the current adjustment of the separately adjustable operating parameter has a positive or negative effect on the general operating mode selected by the driver, characterized in that, that intensity and color of the light emitted by the light sources are automatically adjusted as a function of a plurality of specific operating parameters on which a vehicle occupant has influence, and that all specific operating parameters which can influence the general operating mode selected by the driver are taken into account when selecting the positions, colors and intensities of the distributed light sources.Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the general operating mode is an energy-saving or fuel-saving mode, a sport mode for sport driving, an air quality mode for good air quality in the vehicle interior or an air conditioning mode for the greatest possible effectiveness of the air conditioning system.Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is determined how much the current setting value of each separately adjustable operating parameter has a positive or negative effect on the general operating mode selected by the driver by forming an associated general operating mode index from measured current setting values of all corresponding operating parameters on which a vehicle occupant has influence, said general operating mode index representing a measure of the degree to which the optimum of the selected general operating mode is currently reached, wherein the intensity and colour of each local lighting device is set depending on what proportion of the associated operating parameter in the general operating mode index has.Motor vehicle having a plurality of interior lighting devices, which each contain one or more diffuse and / or indirect light sources and which are each spatially assigned to a specific region of the vehicle interior, in which a vehicle component having an operating parameter which can be adjusted separately by the driver and can affect a general operating mode selected by the driver is located, wherein the motor vehicle is configured to carry out the method according to one of the preceding claims.

Images