Method for operating a motor vehicle and motor vehicle, computer program and storage medium for carrying out the method

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle (1) having a front (3), a rear (4), a direction of travel (6) directed from the rear (4) to the front (3), a reverse direction of travel (7) directed opposite to the direction of travel (6), a cargo space access point (5), and a cargo space accessible via the cargo space access point (5), comprising the steps of: a) detecting a user (2) of the motor vehicle (1) who is located outside the motor vehicle (1) and in the reverse direction of travel (7) from the motor vehicle (1); b) if the user (2) moves away from the motor vehicle (1) in the reverse direction of travel (7), the motor vehicle (1) follows the user (2) by driving autonomously in the reverse direction of travel (7); c) querying whether the user (2) intends to reach into the cargo space;d) in the event that the answer in step c) is yes, the motor vehicle (1) drives autonomously until the motor vehicle (1) comes to a standstill in such a way that a loading distance between the loading space access point (5) and the user (2) is finely adjusted;

Description

[0001] In the case of an autonomously driving motor vehicle, there are applications in which a driver of the motor vehicle sits inside the vehicle while the motor vehicle drives autonomously, and applications in which the driver is outside the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle autonomously follows the driver. In applications in which the motor vehicle follows the driver, it is conceivable that the driver performs activities in which the driver repeatedly reaches into the motor vehicle to remove objects from the vehicle. For example, the driver can carry out a delivery service in which the objects are delivered to customers. In another example, the objects can be traffic cones that are placed by the driver at regular intervals on a road.Under certain circumstances, the motor vehicle may follow the driver in such a way and come to a stop in such positions that the driver must travel long distances to reach into the motor vehicle and bring the objects to a specific location.

[0002] The object of the invention is therefore to create a method for operating a motor vehicle in which a user is located outside the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle drives autonomously in such a way that the user only needs to travel short distances to repeatedly access the vehicle. Furthermore, the object of the invention is to create the motor vehicle, a computer program, and a storage medium for implementing the method.

[0003] The method according to the invention for operating a motor vehicle having a front, a rear, a direction of travel from the rear to the front, a direction of travel opposite to the direction of travel, a cargo space access point, and a cargo space accessible via the cargo space access point comprises the steps of: a) detecting a user of the motor vehicle located outside the motor vehicle and in the direction of travel reversed from the motor vehicle; b) in the event that the user moves away from the motor vehicle in the direction of travel reversed, the motor vehicle follows the user by driving autonomously in the direction of travel reversed; c) querying whether the user intends to reach into the cargo space;d) in the event that the answer in step c) is yes, the motor vehicle drives autonomously until the motor vehicle comes to a standstill in such a way that a charging distance between the loading space access point and the user is finely adjusted;

[0004] Because the motor vehicle follows the user in the reversing direction in step b), and the cargo space is generally located in the rear area of ​​a motor vehicle, it is advantageous for the user not to have to walk around the entire motor vehicle to reach the cargo space, so that the user only has to travel short distances to get to the cargo space. By finely adjusting the loading distance in step d), the distance to be covered by the user can be shortened even further. After the vehicle has come to a standstill in step d), the method can continue with step b). This means that the user has the repeated routes even if the user repeatedly reaches into the cargo space.

[0005] To detect the user in step a), the motor vehicle may have a sensor. The sensor may, for example, be selected from the group: a camera, in particular a camera system configured to fully capture the surroundings of the motor vehicle, a LIDAR system, a radar system, and a Bluetooth system. The aforementioned systems may also be configured to perform the query in step c).

[0006] It is preferred that step c) includes checking whether the user is stationary. Alternatively or additionally, it is preferred that step c) includes checking whether the user is facing toward the motor vehicle.

[0007] In step b), a minimum distance is preferably maintained between the motor vehicle and the user. This can advantageously prevent a collision between the motor vehicle and the user. The minimum distance can, for example, be in a range of 1.5 m to 3 m. It is particularly preferred that the charging distance be shorter than the minimum distance. This can further shorten the distance the user has to travel. The charging distance can, for example, be in a range of 0.3 m to 1.2 m.

[0008] It is preferable that the charging distance be adjustable by the user. This allows a taller user to choose a longer charging distance, while a shorter user can choose a shorter charging distance. This allows each user to choose the optimal charging distance for themselves.

[0009] The motor vehicle has a door that has a closed state in which the cargo space is not accessible via the cargo space access point, and an open state in which the cargo space is accessible via the cargo space access point. The door is particularly preferably arranged in the rear region.

[0010] It is preferred that, if the answer in step c) is yes and the door is in the closed state, a query is made in step e) as to whether the user wishes to open the door, and if the answer is yes, the door is moved from the closed state to the open state in step f). The query in step e) can be carried out, for example, using the sensor. It is preferred that, in step e), it is detected whether the user has a free hand, and if the answer is no, this is interpreted as the user wishing to open the door. For example, it can be detected whether the user is carrying something in both hands, and if this is detected, this is interpreted as the user not having a free hand. Alternatively or additionally, it is preferred that, in step e), it is detected whether the user is performing a predetermined gesture, and if the answer is yes, this is interpreted as the user wishing to open the door.

[0011] It is preferred that, if in step a) an object is detected in addition to the user which is located within a maximum distance from the user, a query is made in step b1) as to whether the user is pointing at the object, and if the answer in step b1) is yes, the motor vehicle is driven autonomously until the motor vehicle comes to a standstill in such a way that a predetermined motor vehicle distance is set between the motor vehicle and the object. The user can thereby instruct the motor vehicle to position the motor vehicle not with respect to the user, but with respect to the object. It is preferred that, if the answer in step b1) is yes, the motor vehicle is driven autonomously until the motor vehicle comes to a standstill in such a way that a predetermined motor vehicle orientation is set between the motor vehicle and the object.

[0012] The loading distance preferably depends on whether the door is in the closed or open state. In the closed state, the loading distance can be selected to take into account the fact that the door must pivot to move from the closed to the open state, thereby avoiding a collision between the door and the user. For example, the loading distance can be longer in the closed state than in the open state.

[0013] It is preferred that the cargo access point be located near the rear. This keeps the distance the user has to travel particularly short.

[0014] In step a), the user detects various objects in the vehicle's surroundings, and the path traveled by the vehicle while driving autonomously is planned based on these objects. This allows a collision between the vehicle and the surrounding objects to be avoided.

[0015] The motor vehicle according to the invention is designed to carry out the method according to the invention or a preferred embodiment thereof.

[0016] The computer program according to the invention has instructions which, when the program is executed by a motor vehicle, cause the motor vehicle to carry out the method according to the invention or a preferred embodiment thereof.

[0017] The computer-readable storage medium has instructions which, when executed by a motor vehicle, cause the motor vehicle to carry out the method according to the invention or a preferred embodiment thereof.

[0018] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached schematic drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a top view of a motor vehicle and a user at a first time, Fig. 2 the view from Fig. 1 at a second time, Fig. 3 the view from Fig. 1 at a third point in time, Fig. 4 the view from Fig. 1 at a fourth time and Fig. 5 a top view of a motor vehicle and a user at three different times.

[0019] How it turns out Fig. 1 to 5, a motor vehicle 1 has a front 3, a rear 4, a direction of travel 6 directed from the rear 4 to the front 3, a reverse direction of travel 7 which is directed opposite to the direction of travel 6, a loading space access point 5 and a loading space which is accessible via the loading space access point 5, wherein the loading space is accessible in particular from outside the motor vehicle 1 via the loading space access point 5.The motor vehicle 1 is configured to perform the following steps: a) detecting a user 2 of the motor vehicle 1 located outside the motor vehicle 1 and in the reversing direction 7 from the motor vehicle 1; b) if the user 2 moves away from the motor vehicle 1 in the reversing direction 7, the motor vehicle 1 follows the user 2 by driving the motor vehicle 1 autonomously in the reversing direction 7; c) querying whether the user 2 intends to reach into the cargo space; d) if the answer in step c) is yes, the motor vehicle 1 drives autonomously until the motor vehicle 1 comes to a standstill in such a way that a loading distance between the cargo space access point 5 and the user 2 is finely adjusted. After the motor vehicle 1 has come to a standstill in step d), the method can continue with step b), wherein the user 2 is detected throughout the entire method.

[0020] The motor vehicle 1 can have a sensor configured to detect the user 2 in step a). The sensor can have a field of view 10 (cf. Fig. 1 to 4), within which the user 2 is detectable. The sensor can be selected from the group: a camera, in particular a camera system configured to fully capture the surroundings around the motor vehicle, a LIDAR system, a radar system, and a Bluetooth system. The Bluetooth system can be configured to communicate with a device portable by the user. The sensor can also be configured to perform the query in step c).

[0021] In Fig. 1 to 4, the process is shown at four different points in time, with the time from Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 continues to progress. In Fig. 1 shows that in step a), the motor vehicle detects the user 2, who is arranged in the reversing direction 7 from the motor vehicle 1 and is moving in the reversing direction 7 and along a path 11 away from the motor vehicle 1. This results in the motor vehicle 1 following the user 2 in step b), in that the motor vehicle 1 drives autonomously in the reversing direction 7. In step b), a minimum distance can be maintained between the motor vehicle 1 and the user 2. The minimum distance can be dimensioned such that a collision between the motor vehicle 1 and the user 2 can be safely avoided. The minimum distance can, for example, be in a range of 1.5 m to 3 m.

[0022] While the motor vehicle 1 is following the user 2, in step c) it can be queried whether the user 2 intends to reach into the cargo space. The query in step c) can include whether the user 2 remains stationary and / or whether the user 2 is facing towards the motor vehicle 1. Whether the user 2 is facing towards the motor vehicle 1 can be queried, for example, by whether the face of the user 2 is visible. Fig. Figure 2 shows that user 2 reaches a parking location 8, stops, and turns around so that they are facing the motor vehicle 1. Thus, in step c), user 2's intention to reach into the cargo space is detected, whereupon the loading distance is finely adjusted in step d). The loading distance can be shorter than the minimum distance. For example, the loading distance can be in a range of 0.3 m to 1.2 m.

[0023] In Fig. 3 shows that the user 2 has removed an object 9 from the cargo space and placed it on the storage location 8. The object 9 can be, for example, a traffic cone. In Fig. 4 shows that the user 2 moves away from the motor vehicle 1 again in the reverse direction 7 and along the path 11, so that the process starts again from the beginning.

[0024] The motor vehicle 1 may have a door that has a closed state in which the cargo space is not accessible via the cargo space access point 5, and an open state in which the cargo space is accessible via the cargo space access point 5. In one example, if the motor vehicle 1 is a passenger car, the door may be a tailgate. In another example, if the motor vehicle 1 is a van, the door may be a cargo door.

[0025] If the answer in step c) is yes and the door is in the closed state, a query can be made in step e) as to whether the user 2 wishes to open the door, and if the answer is yes, the door can be moved autonomously by the motor vehicle 1 from the closed state to the open state in step f). It is conceivable that the query in step e) is carried out using the sensor. In step e), it can be detected whether the user 2 has a free hand, and if the answer is no, this can be interpreted as meaning that the user 2 wishes to open the door, and / or in step e) it can be detected whether the user 2 performs a predetermined gesture, and if the answer is yes, this can be interpreted as meaning that the user 2 wishes to open the door.

[0026] The charging distance (cf. Fig. 2) can be adjustable by the user 2 and / or can depend on whether the door is in the closed or open state. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the charging distance is longer in the closed state than in the open state.

[0027] Fig. 1 to 5 show that the cargo space access point 5 can be arranged such that the user 2 can reach into the cargo space in the direction of travel 6 via the cargo space access point 5. For this purpose, the cargo space access point 5 can be arranged in the area of ​​the rear 4. The cargo space access point 5 can, for example, be arranged in the y-direction (cf. Fig. 1) of the motor vehicle 1 in the center of the motor vehicle. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the cargo space access point 5 is located in the y-direction in the center of a vehicle opening that is covered by the door when closed and is open when open.

[0028] It is conceivable that if, in step a), in addition to the user 2, an object 9 is detected that is located within a maximum distance from the user 2, a query is made in step b1) as to whether the user 2 is pointing at the object 9, and if the answer in step b1) is yes, the motor vehicle 1 is driven autonomously until the motor vehicle 1 comes to a standstill in such a way that a predetermined motor vehicle distance is set between the motor vehicle 1 and the object 9. The query in step b1) can be made by means of the sensor. If the answer in step b1) is yes, the motor vehicle 1 is driven autonomously until the motor vehicle 1 comes to a standstill in such a way that a predetermined motor vehicle orientation is set between the motor vehicle 1 and the object 9.

[0029] In Fig. 5 shows that in step a), various environmental objects 13 of the motor vehicle 1 can be detected by the user 2, and the route 12, which is traveled by the motor vehicle 1 while the motor vehicle 1 is driving autonomously, is planned based on the environmental objects 13. Because the motor vehicle 1 is traveling in the reverse direction 7, the route 12 can be planned such that a maximum steering angle of the motor vehicle 1 is used, compare in Fig. 5 in particular the route between motor vehicle 1 at the second time and the third time. List of reference symbols 1 motor vehicle 2 users 3 Front 4 Rear 5 Cargo access point 6 Direction of travel 7 Reverse direction 8 Parking location 9 Object 10 Field of view 11 Walkway 12 Route 13 Environment object

Claims

[1] Method for operating a motor vehicle (1) having a front (3), a rear (4), a direction of travel (6) directed from the rear (4) to the front (3), a reverse direction of travel (7) opposite to the direction of travel (6), a loading space access point (5) and a loading space accessible via the loading space access point (5), comprising the steps: a) detecting a user (2) of the motor vehicle (1) who is located outside the motor vehicle (1) and in the reversing direction (7) of the motor vehicle (1); b) in the event that the user (2) moves away from the motor vehicle (1) in the reverse direction (7), the motor vehicle (1) follows the user (2) by driving autonomously in the reverse direction (7); c) Check whether the user (2) intends to reach into the cargo space; d) in the event that the answer in step c) is yes, the motor vehicle (1) drives autonomously until the motor vehicle (1) comes to a standstill in such a way that a loading distance between the loading space access point (5) and the user (2) is finely adjusted. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein step c) comprises checking whether the user (2) stops. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein step c) comprises querying whether the user (2) is facing towards the motor vehicle (1). [4] Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in step b) a minimum distance is maintained between the motor vehicle (1) and the user (2). [5] The method according to claim 4, wherein the charging distance is shorter than the minimum distance. [6] Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the charging distance is adjustable by the user (2). [7] Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the motor vehicle (1) has a door which has a closed state in which the loading space is not accessible via the loading space access point (5) and an open state in which the loading space is accessible via the loading space access point (5). [8] Method according to claim 7, wherein in the case that the answer in step c) is yes and the door is in the closed state, in a step e) it is queried whether the user (2) wishes to open the door and in the case that the answer is yes, in a step f) the door is brought from the closed state to the open state. [9] Method according to claim 8, wherein in step e) it is detected whether the user (2) has a free hand, and if the answer is no, it is considered that the user (2) wishes to open the door. [10] Method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein in step e) it is detected whether the user (2) performs a predetermined gesture, and if the answer is yes, it is considered that the user (2) wishes to open the door. [11] Method according to one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the loading distance depends on whether the door is in the closed state or in the open state. [12] Method according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein in the case that in step a) in addition to the user (2) an object (9) is detected which is arranged within a maximum distance from the user (2), in a step b1) it is queried whether the user (2) is pointing at the object (9), and in the case that the answer in step b1) is yes, the motor vehicle (1) is driven autonomously until the motor vehicle (1) comes to a standstill in such a way that a predetermined motor vehicle distance between the motor vehicle (1) and the object (9) is set. [13] Method according to claim 12, wherein in the event that the answer in step b1) is yes, the motor vehicle (1) is driven autonomously until the motor vehicle (1) comes to a standstill in such a way that a predetermined motor vehicle orientation is set between the motor vehicle (1) and the object (9). [14] Method according to one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the loading space access point (5) is arranged in the region of the rear (4). [15] Method according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein in step a) various environmental objects (13) of the motor vehicle (1) are detected by the user (2) and the route (12) covered by the motor vehicle (1) while the motor vehicle (1) is traveling autonomously is planned on the basis of the environmental objects (13). [16] Motor vehicle arranged to carry out a method according to one of claims 1 to 15. [17] Computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a motor vehicle, cause the motor vehicle to carry out the method according to one of claims 1 to 15. [18] A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a motor vehicle, cause the motor vehicle to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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