MOTOR VEHICLE WITH A LIGHTING MODULE FOR GENERATING SYMBOLISM

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle with a lighting module for generating symbols.

[0002] Lighting modules for motor vehicles are known from the prior art. These modules display symbols on the ground in the area surrounding the vehicle. For example, the document DE 10 2013 211 877 A1 discloses a motor vehicle with a projection module consisting of an array of projection optics. This projection module generates a light distribution in the form of a carpet of light in the area surrounding the vehicle, particularly next to the entrance doors. This creates static images that bear no relation to the current traffic situation.

[0003] Document DE 10 2014 204 316 A1 describes a motor vehicle with an optical signaling device that projects optical signals onto the ground indicating the intended parking space for the motor vehicle. The optical signals are projected immovably onto the road surface, regardless of the current position of the motor vehicle relative to the intended parking space.

[0004] The document DE 10 2006 050 546 A1 describes a method for displaying information in which a projection object is generated by means of a projection means of a motor vehicle, which projection object marks a probable future location of the motor vehicle in a planar manner.

[0005] EP 1 334 869 A2 discloses a motor vehicle with a lighting device that generates a visible light pattern on the ground in the vicinity of the motor vehicle. Other motor vehicles are known from JP 2008 143505 A, JP 2005 157873 A, or JP 2006 096326 A.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a motor vehicle with a lighting module for generating symbols on the ground in the vicinity of the motor vehicle in order to use the symbols to draw the attention of other road users to the motor vehicle at an early stage and in a situation-appropriate manner.

[0007] This object is achieved by the motor vehicle according to claim 1. Further developments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0008] The motor vehicle according to the invention, which can be an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, comprises a lighting module for generating symbols on the ground in the vicinity of the motor vehicle. The lighting module is preferably a projection module that projects the symbols onto the ground. Furthermore, the motor vehicle according to the invention includes a control device for controlling the operation of the lighting module, which control device can optionally also be a component of the lighting module.

[0009] The control device is designed to automatically adjust the relative position of the symbol to the motor vehicle such that at least part of the symbol is fixed at a predetermined location on the ground in front of the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle falls below a predetermined distance from the predetermined location while traveling toward the predetermined location. The term "in front of the motor vehicle" refers to an area in front of the motor vehicle in the direction of travel. The location may also be offset from the motor vehicle if necessary. When the motor vehicle is traveling forward, the location is thus in front of the front of the motor vehicle, whereas when the motor vehicle is traveling backward, the location is in front of its rear.

[0010] The motor vehicle according to the invention is characterized in that its control device is configured to control the operation of the lighting module in such a way that the symbol is (automatically) generated before the motor vehicle falls below the predetermined distance during its journey toward the specified location. The symbol is moved along with the motor vehicle during the period in which the motor vehicle has not yet fallen below the predetermined distance due to its journey toward the specified location. Furthermore, the symbol does not extend to the specified location during this period.

[0011] If necessary, the motor vehicle according to the invention can also comprise several of the lighting modules described above with a correspondingly assigned control device.

[0012] According to the invention, the symbolism can be designed in any desired way and can include various symbols, in particular letters and numbers. In particular, the symbolism is chosen in such a way that it intuitively conveys a warning or information signal to other road users.

[0013] The invention has the advantage that other road users are alerted to a predetermined location early on by the motor vehicle's lighting module, even though the corresponding symbolism that generates this alert does not yet reach the predetermined location. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the predetermined location is a future location of the motor vehicle, so that other road users are alerted to this location early on.

[0014] In a further, particularly preferred embodiment, the predetermined distance corresponds to the (maximum) range of the lighting module in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle. Thus, an indication of the predetermined location can be provided even if the range of the lighting module does not extend to the predetermined location.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment, the control device is designed such that it automatically determines the predetermined location from information about the surroundings of the motor vehicle. In a preferred variant of this embodiment, the motor vehicle comprises an environmental sensor system and / or a navigation system, wherein the information about the surroundings of the motor vehicle originates at least partially from the environmental sensor system and / or the navigation system. The environmental sensor system is preferably a camera and / or a lidar device and / or a radar device. The environmental sensor system can, for example, detect traffic signs which indicate a stopping location of the motor vehicle as a predetermined location. By means of the navigation system, for example, a road junction ahead of the motor vehicle can be determined, wherein the predetermined location is at the road junction.

[0016] In a further preferred variant, the motor vehicle according to the invention comprises a communication point, in particular a wireless communication point, in order to receive at least some of the information about the surroundings of the motor vehicle and to provide the control device with this communication interface. The communication interface is preferably a car-to-car and / or car-to-X communication interface. Information is exchanged between motor vehicles or motor vehicles and infrastructure facilities via such interfaces.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment of the motor vehicle according to the invention, the control device is configured to control the operation of the lighting module such that the symbol representation remains identical at least until the motor vehicle falls below the predetermined distance. In other words, the symbol does not change its properties, such as color, shape, brightness, symbols contained therein, and the like, until this point in time. Only the position of the symbol shifts due to the vehicle movement.

[0018] In a further preferred embodiment, the control device is configured to control the operation of the lighting module such that the extent of the symbolism is (automatically) reduced in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle falls below a predetermined distance from the predetermined location, wherein the predetermined distance is less than or equal to the predetermined distance. In this way, account is taken of the fact that parts of the symbolism can no longer be suitably displayed as the distance to the predetermined location decreases. According to the invention, the predetermined location is a stopping location at which the motor vehicle will come to a stop. This stopping location can be given, for example, by a traffic sign instructing a stop at an intersection (e.g., a stop sign). When determining the stopping location, the braking distance of the motor vehicle can also be taken into account if necessary.

[0019] In a preferred variant of the embodiment just described, the symbol comprises a stop bar that indicates the stopping location of the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle falls below the predetermined distance. The stop bar is preferably a straight bar that runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle relative to its position at the stopping location. In this way, the location of the motor vehicle's stopping location is intuitively communicated to other road users.

[0020] In a further preferred embodiment, the symbolism comprises, in addition to the holding bar, a plurality of further bars with a smaller distance from the motor vehicle than the holding bar, wherein the further bars preferably run parallel to the holding bar.

[0021] In a preferred variant of the embodiment just described, the additional bars disappear one after the other when the motor vehicle falls below the predetermined distance from the predetermined location defined above. Preferably, the additional bars continuously decrease their distance from the support bar, thereby merging with each other and finally with the support bar.

[0022] In a further embodiment of a motor vehicle not according to the invention, the predetermined location is a point at a road junction. In this case, the symbolism preferably comprises a navigation arrow, which is displayed at the point of the road junction and indicates the direction of the motor vehicle's onward travel. The direction of onward travel can be determined, for example, from the navigation route along which the motor vehicle is guided by its navigation system.

[0023] In a further variant not according to the invention, if the motor vehicle falls below the predetermined distance from the predetermined location as defined above, the extent of the navigation arrow in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle is reduced by shortening the navigation arrow at its end adjacent to the motor vehicle and / or compressing it as a whole in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle.

[0024] The lighting module in the motor vehicle according to the invention can be designed in various ways. As already mentioned above, it is preferably a projection module. To ensure a long range of the lighting module, it preferably comprises a laser light source, whose light is used to generate the symbols on the ground. It is also possible for the lighting module to be a scanning lighting device that generates the symbols by scanning a light spot on the ground. Using a scanning lighting module, the position, orientation, and shape of the symbols can be easily changed.

[0025] Embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached figures.

[0026] They show: Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 are schematic plan views of a scenario illustrating the generation of a symbol for indicating a stopping location according to an embodiment of a motor vehicle according to the invention; and Fig. 4 to Fig. 6 are schematic plan views of a scenario illustrating the generation of a symbol in the form of a navigation instruction according to an embodiment of a motor vehicle not according to the invention.

[0027] A variant of the motor vehicle according to the invention is described below using an autonomously driving vehicle, which is designated by the reference number 1 in the figures.

[0028] In the scenario according to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3the motor vehicle 1 is moving on a roadway FB, which runs horizontally in the plan views of the figures. The direction of travel of the motor vehicle is indicated by the arrow F and the motor vehicle is approaching a road intersection SK, at which it encounters a road running perpendicular to the roadway FB. The motor vehicle 1 comprises a lighting module 2, which, in the variant described here, projects a symbol SY consisting of a plurality of bars running perpendicular to the roadway FB onto the ground in front of the motor vehicle 1. The motor vehicle 1 further comprises an environmental sensor system 4, such as a camera, which records the environment in front of the motor vehicle. In addition, a control device 3 is installed in the motor vehicle 1, which control device 3, among other things, suitably controls the lighting module 2 by issuing corresponding commands to the lighting module to adapt the symbol SY.

[0029] In the scenario of Fig. 1The traffic sign VS in the form of a stop sign is recognized from the sensor data of the environment sensor system 4 by means of object recognition software, which can be integrated, for example, in the control device 3. From this, the control device 3 derives the information that the motor vehicle 1 must stop at the stopping location PO, which is indicated as an imaginary bar on the ground. The braking distance required for this is Fig. 1 denoted by db. Furthermore, the projection range of the illumination module 2 is indicated by the distance d.

[0030] Although at the time of Fig. 1the projection range d is significantly shorter than the braking distance db to the stopping location PO, the motor vehicle 1 projects a symbol SY onto the ground by means of the lighting module 2 at this point in time in order to convey to other road users that the motor vehicle will soon stop due to the stop sign. For this purpose, the symbol SY contains a large number of bars, with the hook bar HB being the bar furthest away from the motor vehicle, which will indicate the stopping location PO as the motor vehicle approaches further. In addition to the stop bar HB, the symbol SY comprises further bars B, which are only partially designated with this reference symbol for reasons of clarity. The further bars run parallel to the stop bar HB and are closer to the front of the motor vehicle 1. The width of these bars decreases continuously with decreasing distance from the front of the motor vehicle.

[0031] An essential feature of the embodiment of the motor vehicle according to the invention described here is that the symbol SY is projected onto the ground at a time when the distance between the front of the motor vehicle and the stopping location PO is greater than the projection range d of the symbol. This provides an early indication of the vehicle's intention, which in the case of Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 in braking and the associated stopping of the motor vehicle at the stopping location PO.

[0032] As long as the distance between the front of the motor vehicle 1 and the stopping location PO is greater than the projection range d, the symbol SY as a whole is pushed in front of the motor vehicle as it moves forward, until the distance between the front of the motor vehicle and the stopping location PO corresponds to the projection range d. This point in time is Fig. 2As can be seen there, the stop bar HB is now located at the actual future stopping location PO of the motor vehicle.

[0033] As the vehicle continues to move towards the stopping location PO, the symbol SY is now adjusted so that the stopping bar HB is fixed at the stopping location PO, but the remaining bars B disappear one after the other from left to right as the vehicle continues to move. This is again shown in Fig. 3 , in which motor vehicle 1 is already very close to the stopping location PO. As can be seen, due to the very close position of motor vehicle 1 to the stopping location PO, the symbol SY only contains the stopping bar HB and a single additional bar B, which eventually disappears as the motor vehicle continues to move, so that when the motor vehicle stops, only the stopping bar HB remains.

[0034] Fig. 4 to Fig. 6show a second scenario, which is not part of the invention, in which the motor vehicle 1 projects a symbol in the form of a navigation arrow NP onto the ground in front of it instead of a symbol for indicating a stopping location. Just as in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 Motor vehicle 1 approaches a road intersection SK. Analogous to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 The motor vehicle 1 contains the lighting module 2, the environmental sensor system 4 and a control device 3 for controlling the lighting module 2. Furthermore, the motor vehicle in Fig. 4 to Fig. 6 a navigation system (not shown), from which the information originates that the motor vehicle will turn left at the intersection SK according to the current navigation route. Furthermore, it should be noted that the projection range d of the lighting module 2 in Fig. 4 to Fig. 6 is higher than the corresponding projection range of the lighting module in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 .

[0035] According to Fig. 4A symbol SY in the form of a left-pointing turn arrow NP is projected onto the roadway in front of the motor vehicle at an early stage. The projection takes place at a time when the distance between the front of the motor vehicle and the center of the intersection SK is still greater than the projection range d of the lighting module 2. If the motor vehicle 1 now approaches the intersection SK, the navigation arrow NP is moved further to the right without changing its distance from the front of the motor vehicle, until finally the Fig. 5 shown point in time is reached, at which the projection range d corresponds to the distance between the front of the motor vehicle 1 and the center of the road intersection SK.

[0036] As the motor vehicle continues to move, the projection of the lighting module 2 is now adjusted in such a way that the navigation arrow NP is fixed in the middle of the intersection SK, while the motor vehicle 1 continues to approach the intersection SK. This is shown in Fig. 6 shows the distance of the motor vehicle to the road intersection compared to Fig. 5has decreased significantly. As can be seen, the navigation arrow NP remains in the middle of the intersection. When the motor vehicle subsequently enters the intersection, the navigation arrow is finally adjusted. This adjustment can consist of the left end of the navigation arrow, which is adjacent to the front of motor vehicle 1, being successively shortened, giving the impression that the navigation arrow is being "devoured" by the motor vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the navigation arrow can also be successively shortened by optically compressing it in the direction of the extension of the roadway FB.

[0037] The embodiments of the invention described above offer a number of advantages. In particular, they alternate between a display of symbols that move with the vehicle and a display of the symbols at a fixed location. In this way, the vehicle's intention can be communicated to other road users at an early stage, even beyond the range of the lighting module, thereby increasing road safety. List of reference symbols

[0038] 1Motor vehicle 2Lighting module 3Control device 4Environmental sensors SYSymbol HBStop bar BBar POStopping location SKRoad intersection dbBraking distance dProjection range FBRoadway VSTraffic sign NPNavigation arrow

Claims

1. Motor vehicle having an illumination module (2) for generating symbolic imagery (SY) on the ground in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (1) and having a control device (3) for controlling the operation of the illumination module (2), wherein the control device (3) is configured in such a way that it automatically adapts the relative position of the symbolic imagery (SY) with respect to the motor vehicle (1) in a manner such that at least some of the symbolic imagery (SY) is fixed at a specified location on the ground in front of the motor vehicle (1) when the distance of the motor vehicle (1) from the specified location (PO) falls below a specified distance (d) during a journey toward the specified location (PO), wherein the control device (3) is configured to control the operation of the illumination module (2) in such a way that the symbolic imagery (SY) is already generated before the distance of the motor vehicle (1) falls below the specified distance (d) during its journey toward the specified location (PO), wherein, for the period of time in which the distance of the motor vehicle (1) has not yet fallen below the specified distance (d), the symbolic imagery (SY) is moved together with the motor vehicle (2) on account of its journey toward the specified location (PO) and in the process does not reach as far as the specified location (PO), characterized in that the specified location (PO) is a stopping location at which the motor vehicle (1) will come to a standstill.

2. Motor vehicle according to Claim 1, characterized in that the specified distance (d) corresponds to the range of the illumination module (2) in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle (1).

3. Motor vehicle according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control device (3) is configured in such a way that it automatically determines the specified location (PO) from information about the vicinity of the motor vehicle (1).

4. Motor vehicle according to Claim 3, characterized in that the motor vehicle (1) comprises a vicinity sensor system (4) and / or a navigation system, wherein the information about the vicinity of the motor vehicle (1) originates at least partially from the vicinity sensor system (4) and / or the navigation system.

5. Motor vehicle according to Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the motor vehicle (1) comprises a communication interface, in particular a wireless communication interface, in order to at least partially receive the information about the vicinity of the motor vehicle (1) with this communication interface and to provide it to the control device (3), wherein the communication interface is in particular a car-to-car and / or car-to-X communication interface.

6. Motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (3) is configured to control the operation of the illumination module (2) in such a way that the symbolic imagery (SY) remains the same in terms of its representation at least until the time at which the distance of the motor vehicle (1) falls below the specified distance (d).

7. Motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (3) is configured to control the operation of the illumination module (2) in such a way that the extent of the symbolic imagery (SY) in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle (1) is reduced when the separation length between the motor vehicle (1) and the specified location (PO) falls below a specified separation length, wherein the specified separation length is less than or equal to the specified distance (d).

8. Motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the symbolic imagery (SY) comprises a stopping bar (HB), which indicates the stopping location (PO) of the motor vehicle (1) when the distance of the motor vehicle (1) falls below the specified distance (d), wherein the stopping bar (HB) is preferably a straight bar which runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle (1) in relation to the position thereof at the stopping location (PO).

9. Motor vehicle according to Claim 8, characterized in that the symbolic imagery (SY) comprises, in addition to the stopping bar (HB), a plurality of further bars (B) having smaller distances from the motor vehicle (1) than the stopping bar (HB), wherein the further bars (B) preferably run parallel to the stopping bar (HB).

10. Motor vehicle according to Claim 9 in combination with Claim 7, characterized in that the further bars (B) disappear one after the other when the distance of the motor vehicle (1) from the specified location (PO) falls below the specified distance, wherein the distances of the further bars from the stopping bar (HB) preferably decrease continuously and in the process merge first with one another and finally with the stopping bar (HB).

11. Motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the illumination module (2) comprises a laser light source, with the light of which the generation of the symbolic imagery (SY) on the ground is effected, and / or the illumination module (2) is a scanning illumination module (2), which generates the symbolic imagery (SY) by means of a scanning movement of a light spot on the ground.