Vehicle and methods for its operation

Abstract

Automated or autonomous vehicle (1) comprising a display device (7) for displaying information visible outside the vehicle (1) about the automated or autonomous operation and / or about one or more subsequent intended driving maneuvers of the vehicle (1) on a rear window (8) of the vehicle (1), wherein the display device (7) has an algorithm for evaluating and classifying the respective information with regard to its relevance for at least one following road user and wherein the display device (7) is designed and configured such that the size of the information display can be changed depending on a classified relevance for the at least one following road user, in particular it can be scaled.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle according to the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a method for its operation.

[0002] As described in DE 10 2014 105 819 A1, a device and method for displaying tire pressure information of a vehicle are known from the prior art. The device comprises an optical display system designed and arranged such that the tire pressure information is projected onto different windows of the vehicle.

[0003] DE 10 2011 121 715 A1 describes an enhanced road scene display system on a full-windshield head-up display. A method for dynamically aligning a graphic on a driving scene of a vehicle using a graphic projection display includes monitoring a user input specified for a portion of the graphic projection display, determining a graphic representing user-defined content based on the monitored user input specified for the portion of the graphic projection display, dynamically aligning a location of the graphic on the graphic projection display according to the driving scene of the vehicle, and displaying the graphic on the graphic projection display.

[0004] DE 20 2011 105 445 U1 describes a largely transparent LED display device with a GPS unit and a laser measuring device for displaying distance measurements between two vehicles traveling one behind the other. This device warns the following vehicle if it is driving too close to the vehicle in front. This device also contains a built-in camera with a memory chip. The display device calculates the distance to the vehicle in front, taking into account the vehicle's own speed, which is determined by a GPS unit in the device, and in accordance with the applicable rules of the road traffic regulations. It then shows the distance to the following vehicle if the vehicle has fallen below the calculated correct distance. In a threatening situation, the camera unit can briefly film the image, save it to a chip, and play it back after a rear-end collision.The memory chip is overwritten after each recording, but can be read back at the manufacturer's factory after a rear-end collision. The data from the camera recording can also be encrypted if legally required.

[0005] DE 10 2011 016 430 A1 describes a rear window for a motor vehicle and a method for displaying information relating to a parking maneuver on a display element. The rear window has a display element. The display element comprises at least one light guide plate. The light guide plate has a first main surface, a second main surface, and at least one edge surface, as well as light-coupling structures in at least a partial area of ​​the volume of the light guide plate. The light-coupling structures are formed as light-scattering nanoparticles.

[0006] DE 10 2014 214 585 A1 discloses a rail vehicle with a translucent display device for displaying visual information. The rail vehicle has a side area comprising a door with at least one door leaf, a side wall, and a window. The rail vehicle further has at least one translucent display device configured to display variable visual information. The display device is arranged in the side area of ​​the rail vehicle.

[0007] DE 11 2014 004 664 T5 describes a display control for vehicle windows. A display, access, and information system comprises an image display mechanism configured to cause images to appear externally on an otherwise transparent part of a closure for an opening in a vehicle body, a sensor configured to detect a change in state of an element of the vehicle and transmit an indication of the change in state, and a display, access, and information module configured to receive the indication of the change in state, interpret the indication of the change in state to determine an instruction, and transmit the instruction to the image display mechanism.

[0008] The invention is based on the object of providing a vehicle that is improved compared to the prior art and a method for operating the vehicle that is improved compared to the prior art.

[0009] The object is achieved according to the invention by a vehicle having the features of claim 1 and a method for operating the vehicle having the features of claim 8.

[0010] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

[0011] A vehicle, according to the invention an automated or autonomous vehicle, ie a vehicle which is capable of carrying out an automated or autonomous driving operation, in particular is designed and equipped for this purpose, comprises a display device for displaying information visible outside the vehicle on a rear window of the vehicle.

[0012] According to the invention, the display device is designed and configured such that a size of the information representation can be changed, in particular that the information representation is scalable.

[0013] In a method according to the invention for operating such a vehicle, information is displayed on the rear window of the vehicle, with the size of the information display being adapted to a classified relevance for at least one following road user. For example, the size of the information display is additionally adapted to a type and / or content and / or urgency and / or importance and / or the distance of the at least one following road user from the vehicle.

[0014] By means of the solution according to the invention, the display of the respective information is thus advantageously scalable as needed. As a result, an area of ​​the rear window not required for the information display remains unaffected by this information display, in particular, it remains transparent and thus see-through, especially for one or more vehicle occupants, especially for a driver. In this way, any disruption to the vehicle's occupants, especially for a driver, caused by the information display, which is not intended for the vehicle occupants but for other road users, is minimized as much as possible.

[0015] By means of the solution according to the invention, information is displayed on the rear window, in particular, which, particularly when the vehicle is driving automatically or autonomously, is of interest to another vehicle following the vehicle driving automatically or autonomously, or which it needs to know, or which is of interest to a driver of another vehicle following the vehicle driving non-automatically and / or non-autonomously, or which the driver needs to know. According to the invention, this information is information about the automated or autonomous operation and / or about one or more subsequently intended driving maneuvers of the vehicle. By means of the solution according to the invention, road safety is thus particularly increased.For example, the size of the information display and thus the information displayed is varied depending on the distance of at least one following road user or several following road users from the vehicle and / or depending on the urgency and / or importance of the information displayed.

[0016] For this purpose, the display device according to the invention has an algorithm for evaluating and classifying a respective piece of information with regard to its relevance for at least one following road user or for a plurality of following road users. This advantageously makes it possible to determine whether a respective piece of information is relevant for one or more following road users and whether or not it should therefore be displayed on the rear window of the vehicle for the following road user(s). In addition, this advantageously makes it possible to determine how important, in particular how urgent, this information is. This means that the classification is advantageously carried out according to importance and / or urgency and / or type and / or content, for example in combination with a distance of the at least one following road user from the vehicle.This prevents, for example, the display of unimportant and / or uninteresting information on the rear window, especially when displayed in a particularly large format, which could potentially irritate following road users and unnecessarily distract them from the traffic situation. Furthermore, it avoids unnecessary obstruction of the vehicle's visibility through the rear window for the vehicle's occupants, especially the driver.Thus, advantageously, only information that is relevant for one or more following road users is displayed, and this information is displayed larger or smaller depending on its importance and / or urgency, so that particularly important and / or urgent information is immediately noticed by a respective following road user and, based on the size of the information displayed, this user can also immediately grasp its importance and urgency.

[0017] The solution described here also makes it possible, in particular, to inform the following road user(s) in the manner described about hazards in the immediate vicinity and / or on a route ahead. Automated vehicles, in particular highly automated vehicles, or autonomous vehicles, in particular, have extensive environmental sensors and / or a so-called backend connection, i.e. a connection to a device external to the vehicle, in particular an information device, for example to an external server, and can therefore detect such hazards in this way. The solution described here thus makes it possible to make information about such hazards available to other road users, in particular following ones, and thereby generate an increase in safety for these other road users.The solution described here does this optically, rather than via previously known vehicle-to-vehicle communication via a radio link. Such vehicle-to-vehicle communication requires coordinated communication devices and is therefore not yet widespread. In contrast, the solution described here allows the information presented to following road users to be captured optically. It can therefore be captured by human drivers without additional technical aids, and by automated or autonomous following road users, for example, using technical aids that these automated or autonomous following road users already possess, in particular cameras.

[0018] The information is displayed on the rear window of the vehicle, for example, using symbols, particularly intuitively understandable ones, especially warning symbols, animations, text outputs, and / or images, particularly currently captured images, i.e., so-called live images, which are captured by one or more of the vehicle's cameras, particularly of the area in front of the vehicle. This camera or several cameras is / are expediently a component of the vehicle's environmental sensor system.

[0019] The display device is designed and configured, for example, such that the size of a display surface of the rear window is variable. Thus, the size of the display surface is advantageously adapted to the respective size of the information display and / or the size of the information display is adapted by adjusting the size of the display surface of the rear window. This allows the information display to be varied in the manner described above, and moreover, only the area of ​​the rear window required for the respective information display is used as the display surface, while the remaining area of ​​the rear window remains transparent and thus translucent to the vehicle occupants and unaffected by the information display.

[0020] The display device is advantageously designed and configured to adapt the information display to the size of the display area. This ensures that the information is displayed correctly on the display area in use.

[0021] For example, the display area is divided into several segments. This allows for particularly easy adjustment of the size of the display area by using one, several, or all segments of the display area to display information, depending on the requirements described above.

[0022] The segments can, for example, be switched independently to be opaque or transparent. By switching them opaque, the respective segment can be used to display information. By switching them transparent, no information can be displayed on the respective segment, and this segment of the rear window can be used as a normal rear window, particularly for vehicle occupants, especially for a driver. This means that seeing through it is not impaired by the information display, and surrounding events, particularly traffic events, can thus be perceived unhindered by the vehicle occupants, especially the driver.

[0023] For example, to form the display surface, the rear window has a switchable film which has a plurality of segments which can be switched to be opaque or transparent independently of one another. This means that the display surface is formed by this film and the segments of the display surface are thus formed by the segments of this film. The film, in particular the respective segment of the film, is switched to be opaque or transparent by electrically controlling the film, in particular the individual segments. The film is advantageously based on LCD technology (LCD = Liquid Crystal Display), i.e. on liquid crystal technology. The film is therefore a liquid crystal film and / or has a liquid crystal layer. By means of appropriate electrical control, this film, in particular the liquid crystal layer, can be switched to be opaque or transparent, i.e. it can be switched such that it is either opaque or transparent and thus see-through.Advantageously, the segments of the film can each be individually controlled and thus switched so that the segments can be switched to opaque or transparent independently of one another.

[0024] The display device comprises, for example, a projector, in particular a laser projector, for projecting the information onto the rear window, in particular onto the display surface. With the display surface that can be switched between opaque and transparent, in particular formed by the film described above, this projection thus expediently takes place only onto the display surface that is switched to opaque, i.e., onto the segment or segments that are switched to opaque, whereby the projected information is visible outside the vehicle on the rear window.

[0025] For example, depending on the size of the information display, one segment, several segments or all segments of the display area are switched opaque and the information is displayed on the respective opaque segment or on the respective opaque segments, in particular by projecting onto the respective opaque segment or onto the respective opaque segments by means of the projector.

[0026] Thus, the switchable film on or in the rear window is advantageously switched to opaque, whereby the size of the opaque area can be adjusted by appropriately controlling the film, in particular the respective segments. The selected information for the at least one or more following road users is then projected onto the respective opaque area, which then forms the display area. The area of ​​the rear window not required for the information display remains transparent and thus see-through, in particular for the vehicle occupants, and in particular for the driver of the vehicle. The information, in particular the type of information, is advantageously classified and evaluated beforehand using the algorithm.

[0027] By making the information opaque, the respective projected information becomes more easily comprehensible, especially legible, and thus easier to evaluate, especially for following road users. As already described, the size of the opaque area and the size of the displayed, especially projected, information are varied, for example, depending on the distance of the following road user(s) and / or the urgency and / or importance of the information displayed.

[0028] The described solution thus enables, in particular, an intelligent linking of environmental and route information, particularly available in an automated, particularly highly automated, or autonomous vehicle, with an external user interface in the form of a display on the vehicle's rear window. The algorithm advantageously evaluates the information for its relevance, particularly safety relevance, for following traffic, i.e., for one or more following road users. The information is thus advantageously presented in a situation-dependent manner, in particular via intuitively understandable symbols, animations, text, and / or live camera images of the area in front of the vehicle, as already explained above.In particular for displaying the camera images, in particular live camera images, the display device is coupled to an environment detection device of the vehicle, in particular to its environment sensor system, in particular to one or more cameras of the environment sensor system.

[0029] The information can be displayed on the entire rear window or on one or more parts of the rear window, in particular by projecting it onto the rear window, in particular onto the rear window display surface advantageously formed by the film. For this purpose, the corresponding segments of the rear window, or more precisely, the rear window display surface advantageously formed by the film, are switched to opaque, i.e., in particular, milky or frosted glass-like, advantageously synchronously with the projection. The segments not required for displaying the information remain transparent and thus see-through.

[0030] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

[0031] Showing: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a vehicle in side view, Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a display device of the vehicle, and Fig. 3 a schematic cross-sectional view of the rear window.

[0032] Corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numerals in all figures.

[0033] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a side view of a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is in particular an automated or autonomous vehicle 1, i.e. a vehicle 1 which is capable of carrying out automated or autonomous driving operation, in particular is designed and configured for this purpose. For this purpose, the vehicle 1 has a system for carrying out the automated or autonomous driving operation, in particular for the longitudinal and lateral control of the vehicle 1, i.e. in particular for controlling and / or regulating a drive train, a steering device and a braking device of the vehicle 1. Shown here is a driving operation control unit 2 for carrying out the automated or autonomous driving operation, which is expediently a component of this system for carrying out the automated or autonomous driving operation.

[0034] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 has an environment detection device, comprising an environment sensor system for detecting an external environment of the vehicle 1. This environment detection device, in particular the environment sensor system, is coupled to the system for carrying out the automated or autonomous driving operation, in particular, as in Fig. 1, with the driving operation control unit 2 for carrying out the automated or autonomous driving operation, so that the automated or autonomous driving operation can be carried out depending on environmental information detected by the environmental sensors.

[0035] Alternatively, and not shown here, other control units may, of course, be present in the vehicle and involved in the implementation of the invention. In particular, these are control units of an assistance system or general control units for situation assessment.

[0036] The environmental sensor system comprises, for example, one or more radar sensors, one or more lidar sensors, one or more ultrasonic sensors and / or one or more cameras 5. In the schematic example shown here, three sensors of the environmental sensor system are shown: a forward-facing front sensor 3 in a front area of ​​the vehicle 1, in particular for detecting the front environment of the vehicle 1, a rear-facing rear sensor 4 in a rear area of ​​the vehicle 1, in particular for detecting the rear environment of the vehicle 1, for example for determining a distance of at least one following road user from the vehicle 1, and as a further sensor, a forward-facing camera 5, in particular for detecting the front environment of the vehicle 1.

[0037] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 has a communication device for communication with a so-called backend, ie with a vehicle-external device, in particular an information device, in particular with a vehicle-external server. Schematically, it is shown in Fig. 1 only shows an antenna 6 of this communication device on the vehicle 1. Through this communication, the vehicle 1 advantageously also obtains information that is necessary or at least useful for implementing automated or autonomous driving. Therefore, this communication device is also coupled to the system for implementing automated or autonomous driving, in particular, as shown in Fig. 1, with the driving operation control unit 2 for carrying out automated or autonomous driving.

[0038] The vehicle 1 further comprises a display device 7 for displaying information visible outside the vehicle 1 on a rear window 8 of the vehicle 1, in particular for at least one following road user or for several following road users. This display device 7 comprises, in the schematically illustrated example, an information display control unit 9, a projector 10, in particular designed as a laser projector, for projecting the information to be displayed onto the rear window 8, a Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 shows a switchable film 11 on or in the rear window 8 for forming a display surface for the respective projected information, and a display surface control unit 12 for switching the film 11. The film 11 can be switched to opaque or transparent. In the transparent state, it is transparent and, in the opaque state, serves as a display surface for the information projected by the projector 10. By switching to opaque, the respective projected information becomes easier to grasp, especially readable, and thus easier to evaluate, especially for the following road user(s).

[0039] The information display control device 9 is coupled to the projector 10, in particular for transmitting the information to be displayed and thus projected by the projector 10, and is further coupled to the display surface control device 12, in particular for switching the film 11 according to the information to be displayed. In particular for transmitting the information to be displayed from the information display control device 9 to the projector 10, the information display control device 9 and the projector 10 are expediently connected to one another via an input / output interface.

[0040] The display device 7 is designed and configured such that the size of the information display is variable, in particular scalable, i.e., the information display is scalable. In the example shown, the display device 7 is designed and configured such that the size of the display surface of the rear window 8 formed by the film 11 is variable, and the display device 7 is also designed and configured to adapt the information display to the size of the display surface.

[0041] In the example shown, the change in the size of the display surface of the rear window 8 formed by the film 11 is made possible by the fact that the display surface, in this case in particular the film 11, is divided into several segments, wherein the segments can be switched to be opaque or transparent independently of one another. Fig. 2 shows the rear window 8 with the film 11 divided into several segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, in the example shown into three segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, as well as their interconnection. Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of the film 11 in the example shown in the rear window 8, covered on both sides by a glass layer 8.1, 8.2 of the rear window 8.

[0042] The segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 are separated from each other, for example, by a gap in the film 11 running between each two segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, as shown in Fig. 2. Each segment 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 can thus be controlled separately, in particular independently of the respective other segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, by means of the display surface control unit 12 and can be switched to either opaque or transparent, according to a respective information to be displayed and provided to the projector 10 by the information display control unit 9, which is then projected by the projector 10 onto the opaque segment 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 or onto the opaque segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3.

[0043] The information display control device 9 therefore expediently transmits to the projector 10 the information to be displayed and projected by the projector, as well as its size and the respective display area, so that the projector 10 projects the information in the specified size and onto the specified area of ​​the rear window 8, and transmits to the display area control device 12 the size and position of the information to be displayed and / or the required display area, so that the display area control device 12 controls the film 11, in particular the segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 accordingly and switches each one opaque or transparent, so that the opaquely switched segment 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 or the plurality of opaquely switched segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 form / form the display area.

[0044] In order to switch the segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 in the manner described, the film 11 has electrical contacts 13, 14 on each segment 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, in particular for an electrical voltage, wherein in each case one electrical contact 13 of the respective segment 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 is coupled to the display surface control device 12 and the respective other electrical contact 14 is coupled to an electrical ground potential M.

[0045] The size of the information display is adapted, for example, to a type and / or content and / or urgency and / or relevance, in particular a classified relevance, for at least one following road user and / or to a distance of the at least one following road user. This distance can be determined using the environment sensors of vehicle 1, in the example shown using the rear sensor 4.

[0046] The information display is thus advantageously scaled as needed. For this purpose, the switchable film 11 is switched to opaque, whereby the size of the opaque area and thus the size of the display area is adjusted by appropriately controlling the film 11, in particular the respective segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3. The information to be displayed for at least one following road user or several following road users is then projected onto this opaque area. The rear window area not required as a display area thus remains transparent, i.e., see-through.

[0047] The respective information is advantageously displayed depending on the situation, advantageously via symbols, for example warning symbols, and / or animations, and / or texts, and / or via a camera image, in particular a live camera image, of the surroundings in front of the vehicle 1, captured in the example shown by the camera 5 of the surroundings sensor system of the vehicle 1. The respective information is projected in the manner described onto the entire rear window 8, more precisely onto the entire switchable film 11, or onto one or more segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 of the rear window 8, more precisely the switchable film 11. For this purpose, the corresponding segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 are expediently switched to opaque in synchronization with the projection, while the unnecessary segments 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 remain transparent and thus see-through.To display the camera image, in particular the live camera image, camera 5 of the environment sensor system is used, as shown in . Fig. 1, is also coupled to the display device 7, in particular to its information display control unit 9. In other embodiments, a differently oriented camera or multiple cameras can be coupled to the display device 7.

[0048] In particular, the type of projected information is advantageously classified and evaluated in advance using an algorithm. For this purpose, the display device 7 has a corresponding algorithm for evaluating and classifying the respective information, in particular with regard to its relevance for at least one following road user. The classification is performed, for example, with regard to the type and / or content and / or urgency and / or importance for at least one following road user and / or, for example, with regard to the distance of the at least one following road user from the vehicle 1.

[0049] The information to be displayed is, in particular, information which, particularly when vehicle 1 is driving automatically or autonomously, is of interest to another automated or autonomous vehicle following vehicle 1 or which it needs to know, or which is of interest to a driver of another non-automated and / or non-autonomous vehicle following vehicle 1 or which the driver needs to know. This is, in particular, information about the autonomous driving operation and / or upcoming driving maneuvers of vehicle 1. For example, the size of the opaque area and thus the display surface and also the size of the information displayed are varied depending on the distance of the at least one following road user or the several following road users and / or the urgency and / or importance of the information displayed.

[0050] Alternatively or in addition to this information about autonomous driving and the upcoming maneuvers of vehicle 1, it can be provided, for example, that the information to be displayed concerns hazards in the immediate vicinity of vehicle 1 and / or on a route ahead. Such hazards can be detected using the vehicle 1's environmental sensors and / or via the communication connection to the backend. The solution described here thus makes it possible to make information about such hazards available to other, particularly following, road users, thereby generating a safety gain for these other road users.This enables an intelligent linking of the surroundings and route information, particularly available in the automated, particularly highly automated, or autonomous vehicle 1, with an external user interface in the form of the display device 7 for displaying the information on the rear window 8 for following road users. This information is also advantageously evaluated by the algorithm with regard to its relevance, particularly safety relevance, for following road users and advantageously classified in order to display it in a respective adapted size in the manner described above.

[0051] The solution described will, in particular, increase road safety. List of reference symbols 1 vehicle 2 Driving operation control unit 3 front sensor 4 rear sensor 5 Camera 6 Antenna 7 Display device 8 Rear window 8.1, 8.2 Glass layer 9 Information display control unit 10 projectors 11 Slide 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 Segment 12 Display area control unit 13, 14 Contact M ground potential

Claims

[1] Automated or autonomous vehicle (1), comprising a display device (7) for displaying information visible outside the vehicle (1) about the automated or autonomous operation and / or about one or more subsequently intended driving maneuvers of the vehicle (1) on a rear window (8) of the vehicle (1), wherein the display device (7) has an algorithm for evaluating and classifying a respective piece of information with regard to its relevance for at least one following road user and wherein the display device (7) is designed and configured such that a size of the information display can be changed, in particular scaled, depending on a classified relevance for the at least one following road user. [2] Vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the display device (7) is designed and arranged such that a size of a display surface of the rear window (8) can be changed. [3] Vehicle (1) according to claim 2, characterized by that the display device (7) is designed and arranged to adapt the information display to the size of the display area. [4] Vehicle (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by that the display area is divided into several segments (11.1, 11.2, 11.3). [5] Vehicle (1) according to claim 4, characterized by that the segments (11.1, 11.2, 11.3) can be switched to opaque or transparent independently of each other. [6] Vehicle (1) according to claim 5, characterized by that the rear window (8) has a switchable film (11) for forming the display surface, which film has a plurality of segments (11.1, 11.2, 11.3) which can be switched to be opaque or transparent independently of one another. [7] Vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the display device (7) comprises a projector (10), in particular a laser projector, for projecting the information onto the rear window (8), in particular onto the display surface. [8] Method for operating an automated or autonomous vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein information about the automated or autonomous operation and / or about one or more subsequently intended driving maneuvers of the vehicle (1) is displayed on the rear window (8) of the vehicle (1), said information being visible outside the vehicle, and wherein the size of the information display is adapted to a classified relevance for at least one following road user. [9] Method according to claim 8, characterized bythat the size of the information display is adapted to a type and / or content and / or urgency and / or importance and / or distance of at least one following road user. [10] Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by that, depending on the size of the information display, one segment (11.1, 11.2, 11.3), several segments (11.1, 11.2, 11.3) or all segments (11.1, 11.2, 11.3) of the display surface are switched opaque and the information is displayed on the respectively opaque segment (11.1, 11.2, 11.3) or on the respectively opaque segments (11.1, 11.2, 11.3), in particular by projecting onto the respectively opaque segment (11.1, 11.2, 11.3) or onto the respectively opaque segments (11.1, 11.2, 11.3) by means of the projector (10).

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