Method for operating a first motor vehicle with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a first motor vehicle (2) with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating (14), wherein the method comprises: transmitting (S2) at least one situation information (20) describing a situation in an environment of the first motor vehicle (2) between the first motor vehicle (2), at least one second motor vehicle (4) and / or a mobile terminal (5) on the one hand and an external computing device (3) on the other; determining (S3) a control command (23) for the vehicle coating (14) of the first motor vehicle (2) by applying a command determination criterion (24) to the at least one situation information (20) by means of the external computing device (3); receiving (S4) the determined control command (23) by means of the first motor vehicle (2); and controlling (S5) the vehicle coating (14) of the first motor vehicle (2) according to the received control command (23).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a first motor vehicle with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating. Furthermore, the invention relates to a system for implementing such a method.

[0002] A motor vehicle can have a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating that, for example, at least partially covers an exterior of the motor vehicle. The vehicle coating can be controllable by a control device of the motor vehicle such that it emits light of a predetermined color and intensity. For example, at least a portion of the vehicle's surroundings can be illuminated by the vehicle coating. Alternatively or additionally, an information message can be displayed by the vehicle coating, so that the exterior of the motor vehicle can be used as a type of screen on which, for example, information can be displayed for other road users.

[0003] DE 103 55 023 A1 discloses a device for covering a vehicle surface with controllable, optically active surface segments that can be controlled in a temporally and / or spatially variable manner. The control of the surface segments can be based, for example, on sensor data.

[0004] DE 10 2019 212 607 A1 shows a vehicle coating that can be stimulated to form phontonic crystals in order to achieve visual effects.

[0005] It is the object of the invention to provide a solution by means of which a motor vehicle with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating can be operated effectively.

[0006] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Possible embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims, the following description, and the figures.

[0007] A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for operating a first motor vehicle with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating. The vehicle coating is configured, for example, as an electroluminescent paint with which a surface of the motor vehicle is coated. The controllable light-emitting vehicle coating can be referred to as a Light Emitting Vehicle Coating (LEVC). Electroluminescence refers to the ability of a material to glow in response to an electric current. Electroluminescent lighting systems, i.e., the controllable light-emitting vehicle coating, are known, for example, as paint or vinyl for illuminating parts of a vehicle body. They can also be implemented with electroluminescent paint (EL paint). EL paint is a type of luminous paint that allows an object painted with it to be used as a light source.Modern coating processes allow surfaces to be coated with a LEVC layer less than 0.1 mm thick, which can be made from paint, vinyl, and / or EL paint. Surfaces coated in this way can be programmed to turn on and off, flash, exhibit motion sequences (when multiple segments of electroluminescent surfaces are arranged in patterns and activated sequentially), and so on. The vehicle coating can therefore be controlled locally and / or temporally, for example, using a vehicle's control device.

[0008] Advantages of controllable light-emitting vehicle coatings include: It makes it possible to create colors on any part of the vehicle body, and thus the exterior of the vehicle, that differ from the usual white, yellow, and red used for headlights, taillights, and indicators. Using LEVC techniques, it is even possible to create the entire color palette within the scale of a specific color model. Furthermore, two-dimensional shapes with sharp contours can be realized on any surface of the vehicle (i.e., its exterior), enabling the representation of symbols, icons, words, letters, or even traffic signs in any desired color.Several of these two-dimensional shapes can be arranged to form different segments of an animated image (for example, an animated figure pretending to move, like a running child) when activated sequentially. Using a finer granularity for these segments, matrix-like arrangements can be designed on the outside.

[0009] The method comprises transmitting at least one item of situation information between the first motor vehicle, at least one second motor vehicle and / or a mobile terminal, on the one hand, and an external computing device, on the other. The situation information describes a situation in an environment of the first motor vehicle. The situation information can, for example, describe the type of environment in which the motor vehicle is currently located. The situation information can, for example, describe that the first motor vehicle is approaching a zebra crossing or that it is parked longitudinally to the left (in the case of right-hand traffic) next to a sidewalk or pavement. Alternatively or additionally, the situation information can describe at least one other road user, a pedestrian, an animal and / or an object that is located in the environment.For example, the situation information can describe that a pedestrian is crossing the street on the zebra crossing in the vicinity of the motor vehicle. Any number of different situations are possible, each of which can be described, for example, by a current traffic situation as well as participating road users, people, animals and / or objects. The situation information is, for example, determined in the first motor vehicle and then transmitted to the external computing device. Alternatively or additionally, the situation information can be determined using the second motor vehicle, which is, for example, in the vicinity of the first motor vehicle, and thus transmitted from the second motor vehicle to the external computing device.Alternatively or additionally, the situation information can be determined using a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is assigned, for example, to a person, such as another pedestrian, in the vicinity of the motor vehicle and / or to an occupant of the motor vehicle. For example, the pedestrian crossing the zebra crossing can be detected by means of a camera of the first motor vehicle, a camera of the second motor vehicle and / or a camera or application of the mobile device and the corresponding situation information can then be transmitted to the external computing device. The external computing device is, for example, a server, a cloud server, a backend and / or a traffic observation management device. The external computing device is not arranged in the first motor vehicle. The mobile device is, for example, a smartphone and / or a tablet.

[0010] The communication between the respective motor vehicle and the external computing device can be based on vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. It can further be provided that the situation information is transmitted at least partially between the first motor vehicle, the second motor vehicle, and / or the mobile terminal before or in addition to being transmitted to the external computing device. Thus, for example, only an indirect transmission of the sensor information to the external computing device can take place. Cooperation or an exchange can take place between different motor vehicles and / or the mobile terminal and the computing device in order to communicate the current situation in the vicinity of the first motor vehicle to the external computing device.In particular, the situation information relating to one and the same situation may consist of several parts, for example if it is recorded and provided by different motor vehicles and / or mobile devices capturing the situation from different perspectives, and transmitted via different routes to the decision-making unit, i.e. the external computing device, by which the parts can be meaningfully combined and processed together.

[0011] The method comprises determining a control command for the vehicle coating of the first motor vehicle. The control command is determined by applying a command determination criterion to the at least one piece of situation information. This is performed by the external computing device. The external computing device is thus designed to determine and thus specify the control command for the vehicle coating of the first motor vehicle. The command determination criterion comprises at least one algorithm and / or a rule, based on which the control command is generated and thus determined. For this purpose, for example, the command determination criterion can contain specifications regarding which control of the vehicle coating should take place in which situation.In the example where the pedestrian crosses the zebra crossing, this can, for example, trigger a control command, the implementation of which results in the display of an alert message for a second motor vehicle driving behind the first motor vehicle. The alert message, for example, indicates to a driver of the second motor vehicle that the pedestrian is crossing the zebra crossing, which will, for example, lead to a reduction in the speed of the first motor vehicle. A suitable control command for the vehicle coating is thus determined for the detected situation, which is described using the situation information.

[0012] The method comprises receiving the determined control command by the first motor vehicle. The external computing device transmits the determined control command to the first motor vehicle, which has the controllable light-emitting vehicle coating. This occurs, for example, via the same type of communication as the transmission of the situation information to the external computing device.

[0013] The method further includes controlling the vehicle coating of the first motor vehicle according to the received control command. In the example described above, an information message indicating the zebra crossing and / or the pedestrian crossing it is displayed at least on the vehicle coating in the rear area of ​​the motor vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, an information message may be displayed, for example, comprising a text message such as "Caution: Pedestrians!"

[0014] The determination of the control command and its provision are performed centrally by the external computing device. The information underlying the control command, i.e., the at least one piece of situation information, is obtained in cooperation with the first motor vehicle, the second motor vehicle, and / or the mobile device and made available to the external computing device. Thus, a network of motor vehicles and / or the mobile device and the external computing device is provided, with communication taking place between these components in order to be able to make the decision regarding the activation of the vehicle coating centrally (determination of the control command).This enables a sensible operation of the controllable light-emitting vehicle coating, since this is based on the cooperation or collaboration between individual components affected by the situation, i.e. the first motor vehicle, the second motor vehicle and / or the mobile terminal on the one hand and the external computing device on the other.

[0015] The term "mobile device" is broadly defined in this patent application and includes a variety of different devices that can establish a connection to a mobile network, i.e., a cellular communications network, or to a local access point, i.e., a WLAN access point, or to each other using wireless communication technology. For example, mobile phones, laptops, and tablet PCs fall under the term "mobile device," as do at least partially stationary IoT devices (IoT for "Internet of Things"), such as smart utility meters, surveillance cameras, traffic control systems, and the like.

[0016] The invention also includes embodiments which provide additional advantages.

[0017] One embodiment provides that the situation information is determined by applying a situation determination criterion to sensor information. The situation information describes the environment at least partially. The sensor information can be acquired, for example, by means of a sensor device of the first motor vehicle, the second motor vehicle, and / or the mobile device. The sensor device can comprise one or more sensors. Motivated by driver assistance systems (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, ADAS), motor vehicles can be equipped with a variety of different sensors. The sensors can be used either as standalone components or in combination with one another.The sensor device comprises, for example, an optical camera, a time-of-flight camera, a radar (radio detection and ranging), a lidar (light detection and ranging), sensors for distance measurement (e.g., based on ultrasound), a motion detector, an infrared (IR) camera, and / or an IR sensor. The sensor information is preferably a static and / or moving image and thus information provided by a camera.

[0018] The situation detection criterion comprises at least one algorithm and / or a rule by which the sensor information is evaluated so that the situation present in the vehicle's surroundings is detected. For this purpose, various types of possible situations can be specified, for example. The situation detection criterion is based, for example, on machine learning methods, in particular on an artificial neural network trained to detect traffic situations. This makes it clear how information about the situation can be reliably obtained and ultimately evaluated to determine the control command.

[0019] The sensor information is preferably determined where the sensor information was acquired, i.e., in the first motor vehicle, the second motor vehicle, and / or the mobile device. Alternatively or additionally, the external computing device itself can determine sensor information if, for example, a traffic monitoring camera is assigned to it and / or receives the sensor information from a traffic monitoring camera.

[0020] It can be provided that the control command provides for the control of the vehicle coating, by means of which at least a partial area of ​​the surroundings is specifically illuminated and / or by means of which an information message is displayed for at least one road user in the surroundings. Two fundamentally different functionalities for controlling the vehicle coating are therefore provided, which can be referred to as an orientation service and a warning service. The example mentioned so far falls under the "warning service" functionality. Alternative or additional types of control commands are possible, which pursue different purposes and / or goals than the orientation service and warning service. The following describes two examples of the orientation service, followed by examples of the warning service.

[0021] One embodiment provides that the situation described according to the situation information concerns a pedestrian who is located in an environment with lighting conditions that lie outside a target range. The vehicle coating controlled according to the control command specifically illuminates the environment for the pedestrian. For example, the situation may arise that a sidewalk in the vicinity of the motor vehicle is currently illuminated, for example by natural light and / or artificial lighting, e.g., street lighting, in such a way that the sidewalk is so dimly illuminated that the lighting conditions for the pedestrian lie outside the target range. In such a situation, the sidewalk should be additionally illuminated for the pedestrian.This is achieved, for example, by activating the coating on the side of the vehicle, so that it emits light onto the sidewalk when the vehicle is parked on the sidewalk or when passing a pedestrian. This provides at least local and temporary lighting for the pedestrian.

[0022] The situation information can be determined for this purpose, for example, from corresponding sensor information from the first and / or second motor vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, it is possible for the pedestrian themselves to submit a request using their mobile device and, for example, transmit information about their lighting conditions to the external computing device, so that the corresponding control command, by means of which the partial area of ​​the surroundings is specifically illuminated, is then determined by the external computing device, transmitted to the first motor vehicle, and subsequently implemented by the first motor vehicle. This describes a first advantageous situation in which the controlled vehicle coating can contribute to improving the situation in the surroundings through targeted lighting.

[0023] In other words, the situation was described in which at least one first motor vehicle, preferably several first motor vehicles in a row, is or are parked along a sidewalk (street parking). A nearby pedestrian can now be detected by at least one of the motor vehicles if they pass by, either directly or with the help of the request to the external computing device.The situation information can be determined, for example, by means of short-range wireless signals exchanged directly between the motor vehicle(s) and a mobile device carried by the pedestrian, and / or by means of a forward-, side- or rear-facing optical camera integrated into the respective motor vehicle, and / or by means of the external computing device which is informed (at regular intervals) of the positions of the parked motor vehicles and the planned or actual path of the pedestrian and is able to detect location coincidences between the motor vehicles parked in a row and the pedestrian.

[0024] In particular, the pedestrian can request the described sidewalk lighting as a service by using their mobile device, in particular an application installed thereon, when the need arises, or by pre-configuring profile settings stored on a server instance. Alternatively or additionally, the external computing device is capable of collaborating and / or communicating with route planning and / or navigation software (e.g., Google Maps) used by the pedestrian.

[0025] It is assumed that each long side of the motor vehicle is equipped with, for example, four electroluminescent sectors, forming individual coating areas that can be activated and deactivated independently of one another. All sectors are positioned so that white (or yellow) light can shine downwards onto the sidewalk. As the pedestrian moves along the sidewalk, the different sectors are illuminated sequentially or simultaneously to illuminate the pedestrian's path. The speed of transition from one sector to the next can be adapted to the pedestrian's walking speed. The times of the active sectors can overlap, at least partially, to ensure a smooth transition from one sector (i.e., from one illuminated sidewalk segment) to the next.

[0026] Since motor vehicles require energy to illuminate the sidewalk for pedestrians, it is proposed that a motor vehicle (or its owner, if they have enabled this feature) could receive points or other rewards for offering and activating the described lighting service. The described lighting could help municipalities and / or public utilities fulfill their obligations regarding street and sidewalk lighting in future smart cities without the need to install streetlights. The earned points could, for example, be redeemed when the vehicle batteries need to be recharged at charging stations set up by the municipalities and / or public utilities (or even by third parties).Other compensation models (redemption of points) may also be considered, or alternatively, for other types of services offered, for example, by third parties.

[0027] A further embodiment provides for the transmission of several pieces of situation information describing a parking space search by the second motor vehicle, a minimum size of the parking space sought, and a size of a free parking space adjacent to the first motor vehicle. The vehicle coating controlled according to the control command then indicates whether the parking space adjacent to the first motor vehicle is suitable for the second motor vehicle or not. The method can therefore be used to assist the second motor vehicle in its search for a parking space. For this purpose, for example, the second motor vehicle transmits information regarding the minimum size of the parking space sought to the external computing device. The minimum size can, for example, correspond to a size of the second motor vehicle, in particular with tolerance ranges added to an actual size.In addition, the first motor vehicle can, for example, either upon command from the external computing device or independently of it, measure the adjacent free parking space, for example, using its distance measurement sensors. This makes it possible, for example, to determine the size of a free parking space adjacent to the first motor vehicle, and transmit this information to the external computing device as situation information. Furthermore, the second motor vehicle uses corresponding situation information to indicate that it is searching for a parking space, i.e., in a parking space search situation.

[0028] When determining the control command, the external computing device can then determine whether the free parking space adjacent to the first motor vehicle is large enough for the second motor vehicle to park there. If this is the case, the determined and transmitted control command, for example, provides that the motor vehicle controls its vehicle coating in such a way that it signals, for example by means of a green light, that the adjacent parking space is large enough for the second motor vehicle searching for it. However, if it is determined, for example, that the free parking space is smaller than the specified minimum size, this can be signaled by controlling the vehicle coating differently, for example by emitting a red light.By selectively illuminating the surrounding area, or at least a portion of it, the second vehicle knows whether the parking space adjacent to the first vehicle is suitable for it or not. This allows the second vehicle to assist or automatically park in the parking space, for example. It can thus actively support another vehicle in its search for a parking space by controlling the vehicle's coating accordingly.

[0029] According to a further embodiment, if several first motor vehicles are adjacent to the free parking space, each of the first motor vehicles receives the control command. Thus, if several motor vehicles with the vehicle coating are located in the vicinity of the parking space, they can, for example, all be controlled together or one after the other to indicate whether the adjacent parking space is suitable for the second motor vehicle. This clearly signals which free parking space is meant, for example, if several free parking spaces are located in the vicinity of the first motor vehicle.

[0030] Furthermore, through additional communication between the first plurality of motor vehicles, the size of the free parking space can be reliably determined and provided as corresponding situation information to the external computing device. This further improves the method.

[0031] In other words, it can be provided that a first motor vehicle or a row of first motor vehicles are parked along a sidewalk (street parking). There is some space between the motor vehicles, and the motor vehicles are equipped with sensors for measuring distance. The distance between the parked motor vehicles can vary. The traffic management function, i.e., the external computing device, implemented, for example, on a server on the Internet, has knowledge of the positions of the parked vehicles or has means for obtaining this information from them. It is now assumed that each longitudinal side and / or a front and rear side of the respective first motor vehicle has at least one electroluminescent sector, i.e., a vehicle coating. This can be activated or deactivated using the control command.

[0032] Another vehicle, here the second motor vehicle, is approaching the scene. The driver of the second motor vehicle searches for a parking space and initiates a parking service to obtain guidance. The second motor vehicle therefore sends a parking space request to the traffic management function, i.e., to the external computing device. Alternatively, the parking space request can be transmitted via the mobile device operated by the driver or a passenger. Consequently, the functional unit transmitting the parking space request message (here, one of the sensor information items) can be an application (e.g., a downloadable software package) installed either in the second motor vehicle (e.g., as part of the on-board infotainment system) and / or in the mobile device that the driver carries, for example, on board the second motor vehicle.

[0033] The parking request may include parameters such as the current location of the second motor vehicle (e.g., expressed by latitude, longitude, and altitude) as well as information about its physical dimensions, such as length, width, height, weight, and so on. In some scenarios, this data may be enriched with information about the vehicle type, the driver's legitimate interest in parking in this part of the city (e.g., whether the motor vehicle is registered to a resident), a balance of the driver's parking fee account, and so on. The traffic management function (external computing device) then performs a review of the received situation information and requests the first motor vehicles in the vicinity to use their sensors to provide distance measurements regarding available parking spaces in their vicinity as further situation information.This can be achieved by exchanging a "Perform Measurements Request / Response" message pair. The situation information is collected by the external computing device, and the control command is determined. Furthermore, a parking recommendation can be generated by the external computing device. For example, a parking space response message can be sent to the second motor vehicle, informing it whether a sufficiently large parking space has been found. More importantly, a signal parking space message is sent to the relevant parked first motor vehicle (in most cases, this is a subset of all queried first motor vehicles).

[0034] The signal parking message is or includes the determined control command. According to the respective control command, two adjacent parked vehicles can be instructed to activate the red LEVC toward the respective parking space to indicate that the distance is not large enough for the second vehicle to park there, or to activate the green LEVC toward the respective parking space to indicate that the distance is sufficient for the second vehicle to park there.

[0035] Another signaling option could be for the external computing device to immediately forward the request from the second motor vehicle (i.e., the corresponding situation information) to the first motor vehicles in the vicinity (ideally, knowledge of the neighborhood relationships / positions of the first motor vehicles is available) so that they can perform distance measurements with regard to available parking spaces in their vicinity. To enable this, the definition of an "Activate Measurements Request / Response" message pair can be provided. Upon receiving a request to activate distance measurements, the parked first motor vehicles can, for example, independently determine whether the distance between them is large enough for the approaching vehicle to be parked and control the light distribution accordingly using LEVC.

[0036] Furthermore, one embodiment provides that the situation described according to the situation information describes a predicted collision with at least one pedestrian, animal, and / or an object, such as another road user, such that the vehicle coating controlled according to the control command displays a warning symbol. Thus, for example, a potential obstacle for the first motor vehicle can be detected. The obstacle is, for example, the at least one pedestrian, animal, and / or object that is arranged in a direction of travel of the motor vehicle along a trajectory of the first motor vehicle or is expected to cross the trajectory. For example, the first motor vehicle may possibly collide with the pedestrian crossing the zebra crossing. In this example, the situation information therefore describes the potential collision with the pedestrian.

[0037] It can be provided that, for example, a gaze and / or the behavior and / or a gesture of the pedestrian is analyzed in order to predict the collision. The warning symbol illustrates the predicted collision. In the above example, it is an image of the pedestrian and / or the zebra crossing. The warning symbol can, for example, be taken from a catalog of predefined warning symbols. The warning symbol can alternatively or additionally include text and / or numbers. A situation-dependent information function can therefore be implemented using the vehicle coating. This is particularly suitable if, for example, the second motor vehicle or other road users are driving behind the first motor vehicle and should be informed about an expected braking of the first motor vehicle and what caused it.

[0038] According to a further embodiment, the situation information describes a traffic sign. The traffic sign can alternatively be referred to as a traffic sign. The traffic sign describes a location of the predicted collision and / or a cause of the predicted collision. The vehicle coating controlled according to the control command displays the traffic sign as the warning symbol. For example, if the predicted collision is with a pedestrian crossing the zebra crossing, this can be indicated by a traffic sign showing a pedestrian on a zebra crossing. This can be designed as a sign indicating a pedestrian crossing and / or as a hazard sign. It can be provided that the traffic sign displayed as a warning symbol is actually located in the vicinity of the motor vehicle. It can then be described by the situation information.In the example given, it describes the location of the collision, i.e. the zebra crossing, as well as the cause of the collision, i.e. the pedestrian crossing the road. Alternative or additional traffic signs are possible, such as information and / or warning signs for wildlife crossing, children playing and / or cyclists. For example, in addition to recording and reporting the predicted collision, a traffic sign can be recorded and / or known so that the predicted collision can be linked to the location and / or cause of the collision shown on the traffic sign and displayed as quickly and easily as possible. For example, it can be provided that the warning symbol is only displayed when it can be displayed as a traffic sign, since it can then be assumed that an easily understandable warning symbol is provided.This enables the warning symbol to be quickly recognized and understood by road users who can see it, for example.

[0039] Furthermore, one embodiment provides that the warning symbol is only displayed when another road user is detected in a predefined rear area surrounding the first motor vehicle. If, for example, the second motor vehicle or another vehicle, such as a bicycle, is located behind the first motor vehicle, this is understood as a trigger for the activation of the vehicle coating in accordance with the activation command. This is because the fact that the motor vehicle will stop or decelerate in the near future, for example due to the detected predicted collision, can have an impact on the other road user. Therefore, the warning symbol is specifically displayed for the other road user.For example, using a rear camera or another sensor device arranged at the rear of the first motor vehicle, the surroundings of the rear area are detected and checked to determine whether or not the other road user is present in the rear area of ​​the motor vehicle. The first motor vehicle can perform this check, for example, after receiving the control command. Alternatively or additionally, the check can be performed before reception, in particular continuously. Alternatively or additionally, position data of the other road users can be used, which they communicate directly to the first motor vehicle and / or to the external computing device.

[0040] If, for example, there is no other road user behind the vehicle, the warning symbol does not need to be displayed because no one has been detected for whom this warning message could be relevant.

[0041] This prevents the vehicle coating from being activated unnecessarily in situations where no other road user should be warned or otherwise informed.

[0042] In other words, it was described that the motor vehicle is equipped with, in particular, forward-facing sensor devices (for example, a proximity sensor and / or a motion detection sensor) that enable it to detect persons, animals, and / or objects in front of the motor vehicle. The vehicle coating can, for example, be designed in the shape of a traffic sign, so that it can be used to display a traffic sign as a warning symbol. In the case of LEVC, red, blue, and white areas can be realized with LE paint or film, while black can be realized with a non-electroluminescent area or by leaving it blank. In many cases, leaving such details blank or omitting them (and thus displaying a simplified traffic sign) would still allow the viewer to understand the basic meaning.For other traffic scenarios, countries and / or jurisdictions, appropriate traffic signs or signs may be specified and / or designed.

[0043] The pedestrian who is about to enter the road or has entered is detected by the sensor device of the first and / or second motor vehicle. The external computing device assesses the situation and decides to activate a coating area of ​​the vehicle's coating located at the rear. Additionally, additional rear-facing sensor devices can be incorporated into the process to determine whether other motor vehicles are approaching or overtaking the vehicle from behind. Thus, the inputs from rear-facing sensor devices can be taken into account, so that the warning symbol is only displayed when other motor vehicles are actually approaching the first motor vehicle from behind.It can be provided that no infrastructure component needs to be involved, and neither vehicle-to-vehicle messages nor vehicle-to-infrastructure messages need to be exchanged between a group of motor vehicles and / or the motor vehicle and a traffic management function via the radio access network (RAN) of a cellular communications network. Thus, vehicle-autonomous decisions could be made. However, the external computing device is always involved in this case.

[0044] In addition to people, animals, and objects, traffic signs can also be detected. Furthermore, the vehicle's coating is designed to allow the display of more than one traffic sign. For example, the forward-facing sensor devices of the first motor vehicle enable the identification of people about to enter the road and the reading and interpretation of traffic signs. For example, the situational awareness criterion can be programmed or trained to detect Belisha beacons used in the United Kingdom and Ireland. These are designed as amber spherical lamps on a black-and-white striped pole and indicate a zebra crossing.The use of localization techniques, for example, based on a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) or Galileo, can help select country-specific traffic signs or symbols for display. The output data generated based on GNSS (containing information about the vehicle's location) can be understood as sensor information and / or situational information.

[0045] The at least one second motor vehicle and / or the at least one infrastructure component, such as the traffic monitoring camera, can be integrated via direct vehicle-to-vehicle communication and / or via vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (possibly involving a cellular communication network). Server-based traffic management functions (external computing device) can provide a more holistic view of the entire traffic scenario, as they can be configured to receive and process sensor information from a variety of different system components (i.e., spatially distributed sensor devices installed onboard more than one motor vehicle and / or in different roadside units), leading to more precise decision-making.For example, it may be intended that the vehicle coating is only activated when it is known that traffic is actually approaching from behind, making this type of reverse signaling useful. The detection of the positions / trajectories of other vehicles (here, second vehicles) would then fall under the responsibility of the external computing device, meaning it could be located within the traffic management functions.

[0046] The warning process may not be triggered by the motor vehicle itself, but by external parties, such as a pedestrian witnessing the scene, for example, using their mobile device. However, the first motor vehicle may still be able to detect movements of people, animals, and objects, i.e., predict potential collisions, and it may also be able to recognize traffic signs in its surroundings. Furthermore, the first motor vehicle is able to distinguish between different situations, such as animals and people, and control the display of warning symbols accordingly. In other words, based on sophisticated algorithms, various warning symbols can be selected for display by electroluminescent areas of the vehicle coating.

[0047] Artificial intelligence (AI) and / or machine learning (ML) techniques can be used to refine the respective person / animal / object detection process over time, thereby improving the accuracy of the vehicle's situational awareness. For example, the situational awareness criterion is based on AI and / or ML.

[0048] Furthermore, one embodiment provides that a situation-specific warning symbol is determined by applying a warning symbol determination criterion to the situation information. The situation-specific warning symbol is designed in particular as an animation, i.e. as a film or video. The determined situation-specific warning symbol is displayed in accordance with the control command. For example, if a situation exists for which no traffic sign is known, such as several pedestrians crossing the street while running across the street and flying a kite, a new warning symbol can be created by applying the warning symbol determination criterion, which, for example, shows several people running and flying a kite. The actually detected situation, which particularly concerns the predicted collision, can thus be animated and / or evaluated and displayed as a static image.

[0049] The warning symbol determination criterion comprises at least one algorithm and / or a rule, the application of which to the situation information, which is based on, for example, and particularly includes, the sensor information, creates, i.e., generates, the situation-specific warning symbol. The warning symbol is preferably an animation that is displayed on the vehicle coating, for example, in a locally and temporally varying manner. This allows the current situation to be vividly represented, so that not only an abstract traffic sign or other warning symbol is displayed, but the actual situation about which information is to be provided is visualized.

[0050] In other words, vehicle coating designs consisting of a monochrome dot matrix of m by n elements (m rows, n columns) are possible. This is a cost-effective way to create simple displays with limited resolution. With intelligent control, such a simple dot matrix display can be used to display a variety of different characters and / or symbols, in particular letters, numbers, traffic signs, and / or pictograms. Typically, a dot matrix controller is responsible for converting instructions from a processor into signals that switch specific elements in the matrix on or off, thus generating the desired display. This controller can be implemented by the control device in the first motor vehicle.The resolution of such a LEVC matrix, i.e. the dot matrix display as a vehicle coating, can be increased by increasing the number of dots per row and column.

[0051] When the elements of the LEVC matrix are controlled to display a sequence of different images one after the other, short animations are created, making the warning more noticeable. For example, the vehicle's rear coating can be controlled to display a running man in white against the car's background color (or vice versa). More sophisticated design solutions can add additional elements of different colors to the LEVC matrix. For example, the colors red, white, and blue can be used to create a significant number of traffic signs or traffic-sign-like, situation-specific warning symbols.

[0052] The described information messages, which are realized by the warning symbols and / or the described lighting functions, are preferably based on situation information provided by various components, such as the first and second motor vehicle, the mobile terminal, the traffic observation camera and / or the external computing device itself, so that the control command can ultimately be determined by coordinating the various data.

[0053] The communication connections used in the method can be provided as wireless connections, for example via a wireless local area network (WLAN for Wireless Local Area Network), a Bluetooth connection and / or a mobile data network, for example based on the mobile radio standard of the third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), or sixth generation (6G), such as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) or New Radio (NR).

[0054] Modern motor vehicles are often equipped with radio transmitter and receiver modules that provide wireless connectivity to cloud services (via a cellular communication network) or to other vehicles in the vicinity (direct vehicle-to-vehicle communication). These radio transceiver modules can, for example, operate according to the IEEE 802.11 family of standards (wireless local area network) or be implemented as part of a cellular modem for connection to mobile networks (for example, according to the 3GPP 3G-UMTS, 4G-LTE, or 5G-NR families of standards).

[0055] For example, there are two possible radio technologies that enable so-called V2X services (V2X for "vehicle to everything"), thus enabling communication between the respective motor vehicle and the external computing device. These are IEEE 802.11p and Cellular V2X (C-V2X). IEEE 802.11p is an approved amendment to the IEEE 802.11 standard to add Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE), a vehicular communication system. It defines extensions to 802.11 (the basis of products marketed as Wi-Fi) required to support ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) applications. This includes data exchange between high-speed vehicles as well as data exchange between the vehicles and the roadside infrastructure, i.e., V2X communication, in the licensed ITS band of 5.9 GHz (5.85-5.925 GHz). 802.11p is the foundation for Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC), which is based on the International Organization for Standardization's Communications Access for Land Mobiles (CALM) architecture for vehicle-based communications networks, particularly for applications such as toll collection, vehicle security services, and motor vehicle commerce transactions in the United States of America.

[0056] IEEE 1609 is a standard based on IEEE 802.11p and the foundation of a European standard for vehicular communications known as ETSI ITS-G5. In Europe, 802.11p is used as the basis for the ITS-G5 standard, which supports the GeoNetworking protocol for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications. ITS-G5 and GeoNetworking are standardized by the Intelligent Transport Systems (IST) group of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

[0057] C-V2X is the technology developed within the framework of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and designed for operation in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-grid modes. It supports the generation of real-time and highly reliable information for the implementation of safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly transport services and lays the foundation for connected and automated driving. C-V2X is suitable, for example, for improving traffic management worldwide, for example, to solve problems such as traffic congestion, increased fuel consumption, road safety, and minimized road capacity. C-V2X forms the basis for communication between motor vehicles and their surroundings, providing 360-degree coverage without line of sight and a high degree of predictability for increased road safety and autonomous driving.

[0058] C-V2X uses 3GPP-standardized mobile networks such as 4G LTE or 5G NR to exchange messages between motor vehicles, pedestrians, and roadside traffic control devices, such as traffic signals. This typically uses the 5.9 GHz frequency band, which is considered the official frequency for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in most countries. C-V2X can also operate without network support and exceeds the range of DSRC by about 25%.

[0059] Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), as defined by ETSI, encompass various types of communication between motor vehicles (e.g., from one motor vehicle to another motor vehicle) and communication between motor vehicles and infrastructure installed at fixed locations (e.g., from a motor vehicle to the infrastructure). ITS are not limited to road transport per se, as they also encompass the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for rail, waterway, and air transport, including navigation systems. Generally, the various types of ITS rely on radio services for communication and use specific technologies.

[0060] During its work on ITS, ETSI developed several use cases, requirements, an architectural model, and ultimately two types of basic services. These are: - Cooperative Awareness (CA) Basic Service (CABS); and - Decentralized Environmental Reporting (DEN) Basic Service (DENBS). Cooperative awareness in road traffic means that road users and roadside units (infrastructure) are informed about each other's position, dynamics, and, if applicable, other characteristics. Road users include all types of motor vehicles, such as passenger cars, trucks, and / or motorcycles, as well as bicycles and / or pedestrians. Roadside infrastructure facilities include, for example, road signs, traffic lights, barriers, and / or gates. Mutual knowledge among road users is the basis for various applications to improve road safety and traffic efficiency, which are described in ETSI TR 102 638.

[0061] Cooperative awareness or cooperative sensing is achieved through the regular exchange of information between motor vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle and thus V2V) and between motor vehicles and roadside infrastructure (vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V)) based on wireless networks, so-called V2X networks. The mobile networks developed by the 3GPP, such as 4G LTE and 5G NR, support the exchange of ETSI's CA and DEN messages. Furthermore, it is very likely that the successor generations of the 3GPP mobile networks (e.g., 6G technology) will be among the networks that support the exchange of ETSI's CA and DEN messages.

[0062] The information to be exchanged for the CA can be summarized in a CA message (CAM), which can be transmitted either regularly or on demand. The creation, management, and processing of CAMs is handled by the CABS, which is part of the facilities layer within the ETSI EN 302 665 ITS communication architecture and supports various ITS applications. The CABS is a mandatory facility for all types of ITS stations (ITS-S) participating in road traffic (i.e., vehicle ITS-S, personal ITS-S, etc.). As mentioned above, ETSI has collected a variety of use cases for deriving service requirements. Based on this, many messages (both CAM and DENM) have been defined.

[0063] The described technologies and standards can be used within the framework of the method according to the invention.

[0064] For use cases or application situations that may arise during the method and which are not explicitly described here, it may be provided that, in accordance with the method, an error message and / or a request to enter user feedback is issued and / or a default setting and / or a predetermined initial state is set.

[0065] A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for operating a first motor vehicle with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating. The method comprises receiving at least one item of situation information describing a situation in an environment of the first motor vehicle from at least one second motor vehicle and / or a mobile terminal and / or an external computing device, which transmits the situation information to the first motor vehicle. Furthermore, the first motor vehicle can determine the situation information itself. The method comprises determining a control command for the vehicle coating of the first motor vehicle by applying a command determination criterion to the at least one received item of situation information by means of a control device of the first motor vehicle. The command determination criterion can also be applied to the self-determined situation information.The method comprises controlling the vehicle coating of the first motor vehicle according to the determined control command. The embodiments described in connection with the further developments of the initially described method according to the invention apply accordingly, where applicable, to this method according to the invention. These embodiments are therefore not described again. In this method, the cooperation between the motor vehicles, the mobile terminal, and the computing device takes place in such a way that information is provided to the first motor vehicle so that it can determine the control command itself, without the need for the external computing device. The control command can therefore be determined and implemented internally within the motor vehicle.

[0066] The invention additionally encompasses an analog method in which the control command is determined by means of the control device of the second motor vehicle and / or the mobile terminal and transmitted to the first motor vehicle. For this purpose, the first motor vehicle, the mobile terminal and / or the external computing device on the one hand, or the first motor vehicle, the second motor vehicle and / or the external computing device on the other hand, can each transmit the sensor information to the second motor vehicle or the mobile terminal, respectively, such that the second motor vehicle or the mobile terminal can then apply the command determination criterion to the at least one received piece of situation information. The embodiments described in connection with the developments of the first-described method according to the invention apply accordingly, where applicable, to these analog methods according to the invention.

[0067] A further aspect of the invention relates to a system. The system comprises the first motor vehicle, the second motor vehicle, the mobile terminal, and the external computing device. The system is configured to perform one of the methods described above.

[0068] The invention also includes the control device for the first motor vehicle, which can implement the received control command, and / or the external computing device. The control device or computing device can have a data processing device or a processor device that is configured to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention. For this purpose, the processor device can have at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). In particular, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) can be used as the microprocessor.Furthermore, the processor device can have program code configured to implement the embodiment of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor device. The program code can be stored in a data memory of the processor device. The processor device can be based, for example, on at least one circuit board and / or on at least one SoC (System on Chip).

[0069] The invention also includes further developments of the system according to the invention that have features already described in connection with the further developments of the method according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments are not described again here.

[0070] The first and / or second motor vehicle is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger car or truck, or as a passenger bus or motorcycle.

[0071] As a further solution, the invention also encompasses a computer-readable storage medium comprising program code which, when executed by a computer or computer network, causes the computer to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention. The storage medium can be provided at least partially as a non-volatile data memory (e.g. as a flash memory and / or as an SSD - solid state drive) and / or at least partially as a volatile data memory (e.g. as a RAM - random access memory). The storage medium can be arranged in the computer or computer network. However, the storage medium can also be operated on the Internet, for example, as a so-called app store server and / or cloud server. The computer or computer network can provide a processor circuit with, for example, at least one microprocessor.The program code may be provided as binary code and / or as assembly code and / or as source code of a programming language (e.g. C) and / or as a program script (e.g. Python).

[0072] The invention also encompasses combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also encompasses implementations that each comprise a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, unless the embodiments are described as mutually exclusive.

[0073] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below. Shown are: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a motor vehicle with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating; and Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a signal flow graph of a method for operating a first motor vehicle with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating.

[0074] The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features of the invention that can be considered independently of one another, each of which also develops the invention independently of one another. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to encompass combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0075] In the figures, the same reference symbols designate elements with the same function.

[0076] Fig. 1 shows a system 1. This system 1 comprises a first motor vehicle 2 and an external computing device 3, which is configured, for example, as a server and / or backend. Furthermore, the system 1 can comprise a second motor vehicle 4 and / or a mobile device 5. It is possible for the system 1 to comprise multiple motor vehicles 2, 4 and / or mobile devices 5. Here, the mobile device 5 is held by a person 6.

[0077] The first motor vehicle 2 can have a control device 7. This is designed, for example, to control a light-emitting vehicle coating 14 of the first motor vehicle 2. Here, the first motor vehicle 2 has individual segments of the vehicle coating 14 at the front and rear areas and / or on the sides.

[0078] The first motor vehicle 2 has a communication interface 8, which is designed, for example, for vehicle-to-vehicle communication and / or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 5, the second motor vehicle 4, and the external computing device 3 have communication options, for example, in the form of respective communication interfaces 8. Communication connections 13 are also outlined here between the individual communication interfaces 8 and the external computing device 3. These are designed to be wireless, in particular, cable-free.

[0079] The external computing device 3 here comprises a radio access network 9, a main network 10, an IP network 11 (Internet), and a traffic management function 12. For example, data transmitted via mobile radio and / or via the Internet can be provided. The external computing device 3 can determine control commands for the first motor vehicle 2 and transmit them to it.

[0080] Fig.2 shows a method for operating the first motor vehicle 2 of the system 1. In a method step S1, situation information 20 can be determined. The situation information 20 describes a situation in an environment of the first motor vehicle 2. The situation information 20 can be determined by applying a situation determination criterion 21 to sensor information 22 that at least partially describes the environment. The sensor information 22 is detected, for example, by the first motor vehicle 2, the second motor vehicle 4, the mobile terminal 5 and / or a traffic observation camera that is assigned, for example, to the external computing device 3, and evaluated to determine the situation information 20. This can take place in the first motor vehicle 2, the second motor vehicle 4, the mobile terminal 5 and / or in the external computing device 3 to which the traffic observation camera is assigned.In the first motor vehicle 2, this is done, for example, by means of the control device 7. The sensor information 22 can be detected by a sensor device, for example by a front camera, a side camera, a rear camera, a surround-view camera, a radar device, a lidar device and / or another sensor.

[0081] In a method step S2, the situation information 20 is transmitted, for example, from the first motor vehicle 2 to the external computing device 3. Alternatively or additionally, the determined situation information 20 can be transmitted from at least one second motor vehicle 4 and / or the mobile terminal 5 to the external computing device 3. This depends, for example, on the component of the system 1 used to determine and subsequently transmit the situation information 20, i.e., whether the first motor vehicle 2, the second motor vehicle 4, and / or the mobile terminal 5.Furthermore, an exchange of situation information 20 can take place between the first motor vehicle 2 and the second motor vehicle 4 and / or between the first motor vehicle 2 and the mobile terminal 5 and / or between the second motor vehicle 4 and the mobile terminal 5 before the corresponding situation information 20 is transmitted to the external computing device 3. Finally, the individual components of the system 1 can exchange the situation information 20 with each other.

[0082] In a method step S3, a control command 23 for the vehicle coating 14 of the first motor vehicle 2 is determined. This is done by applying a command determination criterion 24 to the at least one piece of situation information 20 determined or received by the external computing device 3. The method step S3 is carried out by the external computing device 3. Subsequently, the determined control command 23 is received by the first motor vehicle 2 in a method step S4, and in a method step S5, the vehicle coating 14 of the first motor vehicle 2 is controlled according to the received control command 23.

[0083] Alternatively or in addition to the described method, in an alternative method step S2, the first motor vehicle 2 can receive the at least one piece of situation information 20, which describes a situation in an environment of the first motor vehicle 2, from the at least one second motor vehicle 4 and / or the mobile terminal 5 and / or the external computing device 3. Furthermore, the first motor vehicle 2 can determine the situation information 20 itself and provide it to its control device 7. In an alternative method step S3, the control command 23 for the vehicle coating 14 of the first motor vehicle 2 is then determined by applying the command determination criterion 24 to the at least one received piece of situation information 20 and in particular to the own sensor information 20 by means of the control device 7 of the first motor vehicle 2.In an alternative method step S5, the vehicle coating 14 of the first motor vehicle 2 can then be controlled according to the determined control command 23. Method step S4 is therefore not necessary here.

[0084] The activation of the vehicle coating 14 is intended to specifically illuminate at least a portion of the surrounding area (category "orientation service") and / or to display an information message for at least one road user in the surrounding area (category "warning service"). Various possible situations A, B, C, D, E are now outlined in which the method according to the invention can be applied: In situation A, the situation described by the situation information 20 can relate to a pedestrian 30 who is located in the surroundings of the first motor vehicle 2 under lighting conditions that lie outside a target range, so that the vehicle coating 14 controlled according to the control command 23 specifically illuminates the surroundings for the pedestrian 30. This is done here by activating or displaying a light cone 32 on a footpath 31 on which the pedestrian 30 is located. The situation information 20 provided for this purpose can be determined and transmitted, for example, by the mobile device 5 of the pedestrian 30 as the person 6 and / or by the first motor vehicle 2.

[0085] In situation B, several pieces of situation information 20 are determined, which describe, for example, a parking space search by the second motor vehicle 4, a minimum size of the sought-after parking space 33, and a size of a free parking space 33 adjacent to the first motor vehicle 2. The vehicle coating 14, controlled according to the control command 23, then indicates whether the parking space 33 adjacent to the first motor vehicle 2 is suitable for the second motor vehicle 4 or not. The parking space 33 is suitable, for example, if a parking space length 34 is greater than a minimum length of the sought-after parking space 33. However, if the parking space length 34 is smaller than the size of the sought-after parking space 33 and thus smaller than the minimum length, it is indicated that the parking space 33 is unsuitable. If it is unsuitable, for example, a red light cone 32 is emitted by the first motor vehicle 2 by means of the vehicle coating 14.If the parking space 33 is suitable for the second motor vehicle 4, for example, a green light cone 32 is emitted. If several first motor vehicles 2, and thus several motor vehicles with vehicle coating 14, are adjacent to the free parking space 33, each of these several first motor vehicles 2 can receive the control command 23, so that, as outlined here, all motor vehicles 2, 4 adjacent to the free parking space 33 can activate their vehicle coatings 14 to indicate the suitability or unsuitability of the parking space 33 for the second motor vehicle 4.

[0086] In situation C, the situation described according to situation information 20 is a predicted collision with the pedestrian 30. Alternatively or additionally, the predicted collision can occur with an animal and / or an object (such as a child playing a ball) and / or another road user such as a cyclist. The vehicle coating 14, controlled according to the control command 23, now displays a warning symbol 35. Here, for example, a warning sign is displayed that indicates to a second motor vehicle 4 traveling behind and / or another road user that a potentially dangerous situation, such as braking to avoid the predicted collision, has been predicted, whereby a warning is now issued about this potentially dangerous situation.

[0087] It can be provided that not just any warning symbol 35 is displayed, but rather, as shown in situation D, a traffic sign 36 is displayed as a warning symbol 35. It can be specified here that the situation information 20 describes the traffic sign 36. For example, in the example outlined here, this is a sign indicating the zebra crossing 37. If a pedestrian 30 is detected who is about to cross the zebra crossing 37, the predicted collision with the pedestrian 30 can be detected. In addition, the traffic sign 36 can be recognized. Here, two corresponding pieces of situation information 20 can be provided by the first motor vehicle 2 and / or a person 6 located nearby with the mobile terminal 5 and / or by the second motor vehicle 4, one of which describes the predicted collision and the other the traffic sign 36.This example shows, as already explained above, that situation information 20 relating to one and the same situation can consist of multiple parts, with the parts being recorded, for example, by different sensors that capture the situation from different angles. Traffic sign 36 here indicates a location of a predicted collision and / or a cause of the predicted collision.

[0088] The vehicle coating 14, controlled according to the control command 23, can display the traffic sign 36 as the warning symbol 35. Thus, the traffic sign 36, which indicates the zebra crossing 37, is displayed in the light cone 32. It can be provided that the warning symbol 35 is only displayed when another road user is detected in a predetermined rear area surrounding the first motor vehicle 2, such as, for example, the second motor vehicle 4 in this example.

[0089] In situation E, a situation-specific warning symbol 38 is determined and displayed by applying a warning symbol determination criterion to the situation information 20. For example, the situation-specific warning symbol 38 shows a running person 6 as an animation in several phases of the race. The control command 23 here provides that the determined situation-specific warning symbol 38 is displayed with the vehicle coating 14. Thus, the animation of the running person 6 and thus of the running pedestrian 30 is displayed in the light cone 32. The situation-specific warning symbol 38 can be such an animation. Alternatively or additionally, it can be a static image, for example, in the style of a traffic sign 36.

[0090] Overall, the examples show a controlled light-emitting vehicle coating 14.

[0091] The core idea is that areas on the surface of the first motor vehicle 2 are coated with electroluminescent paints and / or films in such a way that the following new services are possible: orientation services and / or warning services

[0092] The guidance services provide for pedestrians 30, for example, to request the first motor vehicle 2 to illuminate the sidewalk when it passes by or is parked next to the sidewalk. Alternatively or additionally, drivers requiring a parking space 33 can instruct / request first motor vehicles 2 to signal available parking spaces 33 to them as they approach. In some scenarios, this service may involve an exchange of vehicle dimensions and / or parking space dimensions measured by the first motor vehicles (for example, in the form of the length / width / height of the second motor vehicle 4 seeking the parking space 33, or the length / width / height of the parking space 33, respectively). Other information such as other vehicle characteristics and / or vehicle type (combustion engine or battery-powered) and / or the mass of the second motor vehicle 4 (above / below a certain mass threshold) may also be taken into account.

[0093] The warning services provide for the first motor vehicles 2 to independently detect dangerous situations or misconduct by persons 6 in their immediate vicinity (e.g., through integrated vehicle sensors), i.e., the potential collision. Warning symbols 35 are then automatically displayed to warn other road users. For example, motor vehicles 2, 4 jointly detect the dangerous situation or misconduct by persons 6 in their wider surroundings (e.g., using a network of distributed sensors). The then activated warning symbol 35 is, for example, a warning sign to jointly warn other road users.

[0094] The use of wireless sidelink communication (in particular via a PC5 interface according to the 3GPP definition) is explicitly included in the scope of application. Decision-making units are preferably located in the external computing device 3. Furthermore, they can be arranged in one of the motor vehicles 2, 4 and / or in the mobile terminal 5. Thus, decision-making can be a centralized process or a distributed process. If decisions are made primarily in a motor vehicle 2, 4, they can be infrastructure-supported. If decisions are made primarily on the infrastructure side (external computing device 3), they can also be vehicle-supported. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can be used to fine-tune the calculations, thereby improving the accuracy of the results over time.

[0095] Warning signals can take various forms: For example, warning signals can be generated by LEVC sectors (vehicle coating 14) on the exterior surface of the first motor vehicle 2 in the form of a single-colored area or in the form of several differently colored areas modeled on a traffic sign 36 or pictogram. Furthermore, depending on the application, warning symbols 35 can be implemented in the form of a (standardized) flashing sequence of the LEVC sectors according to the invention, for example, similar to the signaling of an "emergency stop" by brake lights during an emergency stop.

[0096] It is worth noting that either a single motor vehicle 2, 4 can sense and analyze the environment, or a group of motor vehicles 2, 4 can perform this sense and analysis jointly. Thus, the respective motor vehicles 2, 4 can be interconnected and form vehicle clusters, either via direct vehicle-to-vehicle communication or indirectly via vehicle-to-infrastructure communication means (possibly involving a cellular communication network and / or a server infrastructure located on the Internet, referred to herein as external computing device 3). Furthermore, the motor vehicles 2, 4 can be equipped with sensor devices (cameras, motion detection sensors, and so on).

[0097] The motor vehicles 2, 4, for example, are capable of exchanging messages and information via both a V2V connection and a C-V2X connection. The decision-making unit (DMU) according to the invention, which enables the control of an electroluminescent lighting system, such as LEVC (Light Emitting Vehicle Coating) sectors applied to the outer skin of the first motor vehicle 2, is located here in the external computing device 3. Alternatively, it could be the control device 7 of the first motor vehicle 2. In a further variant, the control device 7 and the external computing device 3 could be parts of a distributed DMU system that work hand in hand. The DMUs can be part of the traffic management function 12, which is connected to the main network 10 (core network) of a mobile network operator (MNO) via an IP network 11, such as the Internet.

[0098] A signaling chain of the method according to the invention can provide that the external computing device 3 and / or the control device 7 can receive input data for decision-making from various sensor devices and / or from other motor vehicles 2, 4 and / or from roadside units (including street furniture) and / or from a traffic management function on the infrastructure side. The LEVC control unit (control device 7) is capable of controlling multiple LEVC sectors (vehicle coatings 14). Within the scope of the present invention, a LEVC sector can take the form of a matrix (from a simple "7-bar display" format to complex array displays), from monochrome to multi-color, thus allowing sufficient freedom in designing the display of icons, letters, symbols, and traffic signs 36 on the vehicle body. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 103 55 023 A1

[0003] DE 10 2019 212 607 A1

[0004]

Claims

[1] Method for operating a first motor vehicle (2) with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating (14), the method comprising: - transmitting (S2) at least one item of situation information (20) describing a situation in an environment of the first motor vehicle (2) between the first motor vehicle (2), at least one second motor vehicle (4) and / or a mobile terminal (5) on the one hand and an external computing device (3) on the other hand; - determining (S3) a control command (23) for the vehicle coating (14) of the first motor vehicle (2) by applying a command determination criterion (24) to the at least one piece of situation information (20) by means of the external computing device (3); - receiving (S4) the determined control command (23) by means of the first motor vehicle (2); and - controlling (S5) the vehicle coating (14) of the first motor vehicle (2) according to the received control command (23). [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the situation information (20) is determined by applying a situation determination criterion (21) to sensor information (22) which at least partially describes the environment (S1). [3] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the situation described according to the situation information (20) relates to a pedestrian (30) who is located in the environment under a lighting condition which lies outside a target range, so that the vehicle coating (14) controlled according to the control command (23) specifically illuminates the environment for the pedestrian (30). [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of situation information items (20) are transmitted which describe a parking space search by the second motor vehicle (4), a minimum size of a sought-after parking space (33) and a size of a free parking space (33) adjacent to the first motor vehicle (2), so that the vehicle coating (14) controlled according to the control command (23) indicates whether the parking space (33) adjacent to the first motor vehicle (2) is suitable for the second motor vehicle (4) or not. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the situation described according to the situation information (20) describes a predicted collision with at least one pedestrian (30), animal, object and / or other road user, so that the vehicle coating (14) controlled according to the control command (23) displays a warning symbol (35). [6] Method according to claim 5, wherein the situation information (20) describes a traffic sign (36) which describes a location of the predicted collision and / or a cause of the predicted collision, so that the vehicle coating (14) controlled according to the control command (23) displays the traffic sign (36) as the warning symbol (35). [7] Method according to claim 6, wherein a situation-specific warning symbol (38) is determined by applying a warning symbol determination criterion to the situation information (20), which is designed in particular as an animation, and the determined situation-specific warning symbol (38) is displayed in accordance with the control command (23). [8] Method according to one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the warning symbol (35, 38) is only displayed when another road user is detected in a predetermined rear area surrounding the first motor vehicle (2). [9] Method for operating a first motor vehicle (2) with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating (14), the method comprising: - receiving at least one item of situation information (20) describing a situation in an environment of the first motor vehicle (2) from at least one second motor vehicle (4) and / or a mobile terminal (5) and / or an external computing device (3) by means of the first motor vehicle (2); - Determining a control command (23) for the vehicle coating (14) of the first motor vehicle (2) by applying a command determination criterion (24) to the at least one received situation information item (20) by means of a control device (7) of the first motor vehicle (2); and - controlling the vehicle coating (14) of the first motor vehicle (2) according to the determined control command (23). [10] System (1) comprising a first motor vehicle (2) with a controllable light-emitting vehicle coating (14), at least one second motor vehicle (4), a mobile terminal (5) and an external computing device (3), wherein the system (1) is designed to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims.

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