Motor vehicle with a display device and method for operating a motor vehicle

Abstract

motor vehicle (1), comprising - a recording device (11) for determining speed information describing the current speed of the motor vehicle (1), - a display device (4) which has a display area (3) directed towards the front of the motor vehicle (1) on a vehicle front (2) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the display area (3) comprises independently controllable display segments (7) for forming different display images (13, 17, 18, 19, 20), and - a control device (9) for controlling the display device (4), wherein the control device (9) is designed to determine a display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) showing the speed according to the speed information and to control the display device (4) to output the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) on the display surface (3), wherein the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) includes a stripe scale (14) of speed, wherein the number of displayed and / or highlighted stripes (15) indicates the speed.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising - a recording device for determining speed information describing the current speed of the motor vehicle, - a display device comprising a display area directed towards the front of the motor vehicle on a vehicle front of the motor vehicle, wherein the display area includes independently controllable display segments for forming different display images, and - a control device for controlling the display device, wherein the control device is designed to determine a display image showing the speed according to the speed information and to control the display device to output the display image on the display surface.

[0002] In addition, the invention relates to a method for operating such a motor vehicle.

[0003] In road traffic, road users encounter each other in various situations, particularly at widely varying speeds. Accurately judging the speed of other road users, especially motor vehicles, is often difficult. For example, drivers on a motorway often struggle to judge the speed of approaching vehicles in their rearview mirror. Similarly, in potential overtaking situations, such as on rural roads, it is frequently challenging to assess the speed of oncoming traffic. In another example, pedestrians often find it difficult to determine the speed at which a vehicle is approaching or whether it is currently braking or accelerating.

[0004] Misjudging the speed and / or acceleration of motor vehicles can lead to dangers in a wide variety of traffic situations, for example on the motorway, on country roads and in the city.

[0005] NL 8300073 A discloses a speed indicator for motor vehicles, which is installed on both the windshield and the rear window to assist other drivers. The speed indicator comprises three digits for the analog display of a speed value, the last of which can only show "0" or "5", and arrow-shaped red and green lights or plus / minus signs to indicate current acceleration / deceleration. A problem with this is that the speed indicator obstructs a portion of the driver's field of vision through the respective windows and therefore must be made particularly small, which makes it difficult to see. Furthermore, the speed is displayed numerically in a limited way that is not very intuitive to understand.

[0006] DE 10 2006 034 954 A1 discloses an external speedometer for motor vehicles, consisting of a tachometer for measuring the rotational speed of a wheel of the motor vehicle as it rolls on the road surface of the motor vehicle, and a display of the measured value in speed units that is adjustable to the rolling diameter of the wheel. At least one display is visible on the outside of the motor vehicle. The area of ​​the radiator grille is suitable for large analog displays. For example, pie-slice-shaped circular segments are suggested as indicators of possible speed levels. Alternatively, numbers can be displayed. However, such displays are usually difficult to read and do not integrate well into the design, which is otherwise dominated by mostly angular lights, thus impairing intuitive recognition.

[0007] DE 10 2019 007 059 A1 discloses a daytime running light with multiple light points for a vehicle. Individual light points of the daytime running light illuminate depending on the vehicle's speed, with a greater number of light points illuminating as the speed increases. This dynamic daytime running light control allows other road users to better judge the speed of the approaching vehicle.

[0008] WO 2005 / 014337 A1 concerns a device for signaling the current speed of a vehicle. This device includes a display unit consisting of light sources. To provide a clearly perceptible signal to other traffic about the current speed and, if required, also about the degree and direction of speed change, a signal proportional to the speed is output from a signal source and used to select the number of LEDs to be activated. A deceleration or acceleration can be detected from the temporal sequence of the light sources switching on and off.

[0009] DE 10 2006 034 954 A1 describes an external speedometer for motor vehicles that uses a tachometer to measure the rotational speed of a wheel of the motor vehicle and displays this speed in units on a display visible on the outside of the motor vehicle. A quasi-analog display can be implemented in which an increasing number of bars illuminates proportionally to the speed value.

[0010] The invention is therefore based on the objective of providing an improved way of displaying a speed to other road users, in particular in a more intuitive way.

[0011] To solve this problem, the invention provides a motor vehicle and a computer-implemented method according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0012] In a motor vehicle of the type mentioned at the outset, the invention provides that the display image comprises a strip scale of speed, wherein the number of displayed and / or highlighted strips indicates the speed, wherein the detection means also provides acceleration information describing the current acceleration of the motor vehicle, wherein the control unit for determining the display image is also designed to display the acceleration according to the acceleration information, so that the display image communicates the current speed and the current acceleration to other road users.

[0013] It is therefore proposed to integrate a speed display for other road users into the front of a vehicle, particularly a fully digital vehicle front, in an intuitively understandable manner as a digital display. The front of the vehicle is understood to be the foremost, at least substantially vertical, outer section of the motor vehicle. The front of the vehicle typically also includes headlights and / or other vehicle lights, such as turn signals, which are preferably also digital. In the case of headlights, this can mean, for example, that they are designed as a digital matrix light, thus having an illumination area that is divided into illumination segments, particularly in a matrix-like fashion, which can be illuminated independently depending on the control of the vehicle headlight.For this purpose, the headlight can, for example, feature a light-emitting diode matrix and / or a digital micromirror device (DMD). Designs have also been proposed for other vehicle lights at the front of the vehicle, in which these are divided, particularly in a matrix-like fashion, into various lighting segments that can be controlled independently. If, therefore, all vehicle lights at the front of the vehicle are designed digitally, meaning they each have lighting surfaces divided into independently controllable segments and / or illumination areas divided into independently illuminated segments, the display unit and its display surface integrate seamlessly into the design, and with particular advantage, also into the perception of the vehicle's front.

[0014] This is further improved by the provision of a strip scale for displaying the vehicle's speed, which, thanks to the use of particularly rectangular strips, integrates especially well into digital designs of the vehicle's front end, where angular, recognizable shapes are typically used, for example, for daytime running lights, position lights, and / or turn signals, into which a strip scale fits perfectly. It has also been recognized elsewhere within the scope of the present invention that a strip scale represents a particularly intuitive and perceptible way of displaying speed, since, on the one hand, it does not stand out among other perceptible vehicle features, and therefore does not irritate or distract, while on the other hand, it forms a particularly clear, simple, and directly readable display element.For general integration into the design, the stripes of the stripe scale are preferably depicted in a light color that also corresponds to the headlight light and / or daytime running light of the motor vehicle, in particular in white.

[0015] In this context, it is particularly advantageous to use a daytime running light as the display area. The strip shape already provides a suitable lighting element for a daytime running light, which can be further enhanced with an additional function—namely, a strip scale that displays the vehicle's current speed to other road users—without compromising this highly suitable design. Thus, design and multiple functions are combined in a single vehicle light, the daytime running light, in a particularly advantageous and cost-effective manner.

[0016] In general, the arrangement at the front of the vehicle is particularly advantageous because, due to the aforementioned presence of the vehicle's lights, this is a location for displaying information on the exterior of the vehicle that other road users, especially drivers of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, naturally seek out with their eyes and / or to which attention is already drawn by the activity of the vehicle's lights. Specifically, the display area can be located and / or attached to the front bumper, and / or the front of the vehicle can also include a radiator grille.

[0017] It is understood that the speed display realized according to the invention is regularly updated on the strip scale, for example in time steps every 0.05 to 2 s.

[0018] In summary, it is proposed that digital display surfaces, such as illuminated panels and / or daytime running lights, be used at the front of the vehicle to communicate the vehicle's speed to the outside world, specifically to those ahead, in a particularly intuitive and inclusive way. This allows other road users to better estimate the vehicle's speed and its acceleration (both positive and negative). This results in a significant increase in safety, as, for example, on highways, drivers will no longer change lanes when there is a large speed difference, thanks to a better assessment of the speed of a vehicle approaching from behind in their rearview mirror.

[0019] This also reveals a particularly significant advantage of the striped scale provided according to the invention, as it can be seen especially well and clearly in the rearview mirror of a vehicle ahead, particularly independently of a mirrored display. Furthermore, and more generally, it is also particularly advantageous if the stripes of the scale are only displayed when needed to indicate the speed and otherwise remain invisible. This increases the clarity of the display.

[0020] There are also significant advantages for pedestrians and other non-motorized road users. For example, situations where pedestrians misjudge the speed of approaching vehicles or mistakenly perceive a vehicle braking and cross a road can be avoided.

[0021] Detection devices for recording the current speed and acceleration of a motor vehicle are already known in various forms in the prior art and can also be used within the scope of the present invention. For example, the speed of the motor vehicle can be determined by wheel sensors that detect wheel rotations and / or by means of a radar sensor, while acceleration information can be recorded, for example, by means of an inertial platform of the motor vehicle. The speed information is forwarded to the control unit, which may be a lighting control unit of the motor vehicle, and can be processed there accordingly to display the correct speed on the speedometer.

[0022] According to the invention, the detection device also provides acceleration information describing the current acceleration of the motor vehicle, and the control unit for determining the display image is designed such that it also displays the acceleration according to this acceleration information. In this way, other road users are also provided with the highly relevant additional information of whether the motor vehicle is accelerating or braking, thus significantly improving their assessment. Therefore, the acceleration information preferably describes both an increase and a decrease in speed, i.e., any ongoing change in the current speed of the motor vehicle. The control unit can then be designed to display both positive and negative accelerations in the display image.

[0023] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the display area can extend continuously from one left side to one right side of the vehicle's front and / or between and / or below the vehicle's headlights. For example, the display area can utilize an area not occupied by the vehicle's lights or, when integrated into a daytime running light, by other vehicle lights, in order to complete a digital vehicle front display. It is particularly advantageous for the display area to be large enough to ensure good visibility even in the rearview mirror and / or from a greater distance. For example, the display area can extend over at least 60% of the vehicle's width, and more specifically, over at least 80% of the vehicle's width.In a specific example, the display area could extend below the headlights over a large part or even essentially the entire width of the vehicle front.

[0024] Advantageously, a higher number of stripes allows for the indication of higher speeds. This means that the higher the vehicle's speed, the more stripes on the scale are displayed and / or highlighted. In this way, the greater number of stripes, or the larger illuminated area (resulting from the displayed stripes), makes higher speeds even more noticeable, which also reflects the increased potential danger at higher speeds.

[0025] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention provides that, when the current acceleration is also displayed, the control device for representing the acceleration in the display image is configured via the thickness (width) and / or height of the stripes, with a greater thickness and / or height indicating a higher acceleration. In other words, for example, thicker, and therefore more noticeable, stripes indicate an acceleration of the vehicle, i.e., an increase in the current speed, which in turn intuitively conveys the correspondingly increased potential for danger, together with the speed indicated by the number of stripes. The stripe scale is thus expediently extended to display the acceleration in a degree of freedom available due to the digital display used, so that it particularly intuitively represents two pieces of information through a single display image when the display segments are used accordingly.In principle, a kind of "trinary" display logic is conceivable, which uses stripes of a certain minimum thickness and / or height to indicate braking, stripes of medium thickness and / or height to indicate constant speed, and stripes of a certain maximum thickness and / or height to indicate positive acceleration, i.e., an increase in speed. However, it is preferable to provide several stages, in particular a quasi-continuous display, for both positive and negative acceleration in order to make the most of the display's capabilities for conveying information.

[0026] In a further advantageous development, the equidistant stripes can extend perpendicular to a transverse direction of the vehicle, particularly one that is at least substantially horizontal. This results in at least substantially vertical stripes or lines on the front of the vehicle, clearly and intuitively indicating the speed. In the transverse direction, stripes are added as the speed increases and removed as the speed decreases, so that, in other words, the stripe scale extends laterally. This is particularly useful when, as already described, the display area extends continuously from left to right, and therefore its greatest extent is in the transverse direction.In this context, a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the stripe scale is symmetrically designed with respect to a vertical central axis of the vehicle's front, with the stripes indicating increasing speed towards the central axis. This ultimately results in two sub-scales that converge. This also maintains the overall symmetry of the vehicle's appearance with respect to the central axis, thus preventing any confusion that hinders intuitive understanding. Furthermore, information can be conveyed to other road users even if they can only see one side of the vehicle.

[0027] In a further, more specific, advantageous embodiment, the height of the stripes can be selected depending on the speed at which they are activated. In this case, the stripes become larger with increasing displayed speed, so that the higher speed is reflected in the display image, specifically the stripe scale, in a further intuitive way. Furthermore, the increasing size of the stripes also reflects the increasing potential for danger at higher speeds. Moreover, this results in a clear design that differs from other purely aesthetic features, making the stripe scale clearly perceptible as a means of communication to those outside the vehicle. A particularly advantageous embodiment is one in which the width or...The thickness of the stripes is used to represent the current acceleration, and their height increases with the speed at which they are switched on.

[0028] In a practical implementation, the control unit for determining the display image can be configured using an assignment rule that assigns speed ranges as display images or template information used to generate them. The template information can, for example, be stored in a memory medium of the control unit. In this specific embodiment, the speed ranges describe threshold values ​​above which the display changes, for example, at which values ​​for the current speed stripes are activated. The assignment rule can, for example, be implemented as a lookup table or similar.

[0029] If acceleration is also to be displayed, acceleration ranges can be assigned to the template information via the assignment rule, for example, in a characteristic-map-like manner. In other words, each template piece of information is then to be used for a specific combination of speed range and acceleration range.

[0030] The display segments, generally arranged in a matrix-like configuration, can be at least partially formed by and / or comprise at least one light-emitting diode (LED). For example, LED matrices can be used to create the display area. In addition to standard LEDs, the LEDs can include at least one mini-LED and / or at least one micro-LED. Other configurations of the display area are also possible, such as at least a partial configuration as a display.

[0031] In addition to the motor vehicle, the invention also relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle, which comprises: - a recording device for determining speed information describing the current speed of the motor vehicle, - a display device comprising a display area directed towards the front of the motor vehicle on a vehicle front of the motor vehicle, wherein the display area includes independently controllable display segments for forming different display images, and - a control device for controlling the display device, wherein the control device determines a display image showing the speed according to the speed information and controls the display device to output the display image on the display surface.

[0032] In the methods, the display image is determined to include a striped scale of speed, wherein the number of displayed and / or highlighted stripes indicates the speed, the detection means also providing acceleration information describing the current acceleration of the motor vehicle, the control device also determines the display image to display the acceleration according to the acceleration information, so that the display image communicates the current speed and the current acceleration to other road users.

[0033] All statements relating to the motor vehicle according to the invention can be applied analogously to the method according to the invention, with which the described advantages can also be obtained.

[0034] Further advantages and details of the present invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments described below and from the drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle according to the invention, Fig. 2 a view of the front of the motor vehicle, Fig. 3 a stripe scale on the front of the vehicle in a first operating state of the motor vehicle, Fig. 4 a stripe scale on the front of the vehicle in a second operating state of the motor vehicle, Fig. 5 a stripe scale on the front of the vehicle in a third operating state of the motor vehicle, Fig. 6 a stripe scale on the front of the vehicle in a fourth operating state of the motor vehicle, and Fig. 7 a stripe scale on the front of the vehicle in a fifth operating state of the motor vehicle.

[0035] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. The motor vehicle 1 has a Fig. Figure 2 shows a more detailed vehicle front 2, which, in addition to a display area 3, has a display device 4 that also serves as a daytime running light, headlights 5 and turn signals 6 as further vehicle lights. The display device 4 and the other vehicle lights together form a digital vehicle front.

[0036] For this purpose, display area 3 in Fig. The enlarged section shows two independently controllable display segments 7 for creating different display images. Each display segment 7 includes at least one associated light-emitting diode 8. The headlights 5 and the direction indicators 6 also feature, in Fig. 2. For the sake of clarity, not shown in detail, are the respective lighting surfaces divided into independently controllable lighting segments and / or lighting areas divided into independently illuminated lighting segments.

[0037] The operation of the display device 4, as well as the headlights 5 and turn signals 6, and optionally other vehicle lights, is controlled by a control unit 9, in this case a lighting control unit 10. To control the display device 4, the control unit 9 receives speed information from detection means 11, describing the current speed of the vehicle 1, and acceleration information, describing the current acceleration of the vehicle 1 (positive or negative, i.e., increase in speed or deceleration). In addition, template information is stored in a memory medium of the control unit 9, which is assigned to a combination of speed range and acceleration range, for example, by means of a lookup table and / or another assignment rule.The control unit determines the speed and acceleration range within which the current speed and acceleration lie, respectively, according to the relevant information, and retrieves the corresponding template information. This information either already includes an assigned display image or at least allows for the simple selection of a display image. The display image is suitable for communicating the current speed and acceleration to other road users. For this purpose, the control unit 9 activates the display unit 4 to reproduce the display image on the display surface 3.

[0038] As can be seen from Fig. As can be seen from Figure 2, the display area 3 extends continuously from the right side of the vehicle front 2 to the left side of the vehicle front 2 below the headlights 5 and covers, for example, 80% of the width of the vehicle front 2. The vehicle front 2 is symmetrical about its vertical central axis 12. The display device 4 can, for example, be attached to a front bumper of the vehicle 1.

[0039] Fig. Figure 3 shows a display image 13 on the display surface 3 in a first operating state of the motor vehicle 1, in which the motor vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed that is at least substantially constant, such that the entire stripe scale 14, which displays the speed and acceleration, is visible. This means that, due to the high speed, all stripes 15 of the stripe scale 14 are displayed. The stripes 15 run perpendicular to the transverse direction, i.e., at least substantially vertically, with the height of the stripes 15 increasing from the outside towards the central axis 12. The stripe scale 14 is divided by the central axis 12 into two sub-scales 16, which are symmetrical to the central axis 12 and each of which indicates the speed range in which the current speed lies.For this purpose, stripes 15 are activated from the outside inwards as speed increases, at certain threshold values ​​defined by the aforementioned speed ranges, so that the shorter, lower stripes 15 also represent lower speeds.

[0040] In this case, display area 3, specifically the strip scale 14, also serves as daytime running lights, so that the outermost strips 15 on the right and left are always displayed. The strips 15 are shown in white.

[0041] Fig. Figure 4 shows another display image 17 in a further, second operating situation, in which the motor vehicle 1 travels at a constant medium speed. Accordingly, fewer stripes 15 of the stripe scale 14 are displayed. Fig. Figure 5 shows a display image 18 of a third operating state, in which the motor vehicle 1 travels at a low speed without significant changes in speed, i.e. with an acceleration around zero, so that only the two outer stripes 15 of the stripe scale 14 are displayed.

[0042] The acceleration is represented by the width (thickness) of the strips 15. Accordingly, since an acceleration around zero exists in the first three operating states of the motor vehicle 1, in the Fig. 3 to 5 showed a medium thickness.

[0043] Fig. Figure 6 shows a case in which the vehicle 1 brakes at a medium speed. The acceleration is therefore less than zero, and the stripes 15 of the stripe scale 14 in the display image 19 of this fourth operating state are significantly thinner, meaning that the width of the stripes 15 decreases with decreasing acceleration.

[0044] Fig. Figure 7 finally shows a fifth operating state in which the vehicle 1 accelerates at medium speed. The thickness of the stripes 15 in the corresponding display image 20 is correspondingly greater than in the other operating states.

Claims

[1] motor vehicle (1), comprising - a recording device (11) for determining speed information describing the current speed of the motor vehicle (1), - a display device (4) which has a display area (3) directed towards the front of the motor vehicle (1) on a vehicle front (2) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the display area (3) comprises independently controllable display segments (7) for forming different display images (13, 17, 18, 19, 20), and - a control device (9) for controlling the display device (4), wherein the control device (9) is configured to determine a display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) indicating the speed according to the speed information and to control the display device (4) to output the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) on the display surface (3), wherein the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) comprises a strip scale (14) of the speed, wherein the number of displayed and / or highlighted strips (15) indicates the speed, characterized by, that the detection device (11) also provides acceleration information describing the current acceleration of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the control unit (9) for determining the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) is also designed to display the acceleration according to the acceleration information, so that the display image communicates the current speed and the current acceleration to other road users. [2] Motor vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the control device (9) is designed to display both positive and negative accelerations in the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20). [3] Motor vehicle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the display area (3) extends continuously from a left side to a right side of the vehicle front (2) and / or between and / or below vehicle headlights (5) of the motor vehicle (1). [4] Motor vehicle (1) according to claim 3, characterized by , that the display area (3) extends over at least 60% of the vehicle width, in particular over at least 80% of the vehicle width. [5] Motor vehicle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a higher number of stripes (15) on the stripe scale (14) corresponds to a higher speed. [6] Motor vehicle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the control device (9) for displaying the acceleration in the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) is designed via a thickness and / or a height of the strips (15), wherein a greater thickness and / or height indicates a greater acceleration. [7] Motor vehicle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the equidistant stripes (15) extend perpendicular to a transverse direction of the motor vehicle (1), in particular at least substantially horizontal. [8] Motor vehicle (1) according to claim 7, characterized by , that the stripe scale (14) is symmetrical with respect to a vertical central axis (12) of the vehicle front (2), with the stripes (15) indicating increasing speed towards the central axis (12). [9] Motor vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized by , that the height of the strips (15) is chosen depending on the speed at which they are switched on. [10] Motor vehicle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the control device (9) is designed to determine the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) by means of an assignment rule that assigns template information to speed ranges, which is to be used as display images (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) or for their generation. [11] Motor vehicle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the display area (3) is formed by a daytime running light. [12] Motor vehicle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the display segments (7) are at least partially formed by at least one light-emitting diode (8). [13] Motor vehicle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one vehicle light is provided at the front of the vehicle (2), wherein each vehicle light has respective lighting areas divided into independently controllable lighting segments and / or lighting areas divided into independently illuminated lighting segments. [14] Method for operating a motor vehicle (1) which has: - a recording device (11) for determining speed information describing the current speed of the motor vehicle (1), - a display device (4) which has a display area (3) directed towards the front of the motor vehicle (1) on a vehicle front (2) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the display area (3) comprises independently controllable display segments (7) for forming different display images (13, 17, 18, 19, 20), and - a control device (9) for controlling the display device (4), wherein the control device (9) determines a display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) showing the speed according to the speed information and controls the display device (4) to output the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) on the display surface (3), wherein the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) comprises a stripe scale (14) of speed, wherein the number of displayed and / or highlighted stripes (15) indicates the speed, characterized by , that the detection device (11) also provides acceleration information describing the current acceleration of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the control device (9) also determines the display image (13, 17, 18, 19, 20) to display the acceleration according to the acceleration information, so that the display image communicates the current speed and the current acceleration to other road users.

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