METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM AND DEVICE FOR PLAYING ANNOUTS IN A VEHICLE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for displaying notifications in a vehicle. The present invention further relates to a device for displaying notifications in a vehicle and a computer program for implementing the method according to the invention.

[0002] In motor vehicles, a wide variety of information is provided, particularly to the driver, but also to other vehicle occupants. Almost all modern motor vehicles feature an instrument cluster above the steering column that displays vehicle parameters such as speed or rpm, the current fuel tank or battery level, indicator and warning lights (e.g., for the turn signal, high beam, parking brake engaged, seat belt not being fastened), malfunctions and defects of important vehicle components, and other information from an on-board computer. Environmental parameters such as the outside temperature can also be displayed.

[0003] Additionally, this or other information can also be shown on a head-up display or on a display located in the center console. Infotainment systems, in particular, which combine the car radio, media playback navigation system, telephone, software applications (so-called apps), and possibly other functions in a central control unit, often use a display located in the center console.

[0004] In addition to displays and indicator lights, output options for acoustic signals, such as warning tones or voice outputs, are often provided. Haptic feedback can also be provided, for example, via piezo systems integrated into control elements.

[0005] Various notifications can also be shown on a display or played via voice output. US 2018 / 0336423 A1, for example, describes using a vehicle camera to detect an object in the vehicle's surroundings and output a message related to it, for example by displaying it on a head-up display or via voice output. Based on machine learning methods, different messages are output depending on the type of event, such as insufficient safety distance, a winding road, the blocking of a lane by a vehicle involved in an accident, or the changing of a traffic light, and the respective level of danger. If the driver does not react within a defined period of time, a vehicle function can be automatically triggered. Similar methods are also disclosed in US 2009 / 0187343 A1 and US 2018 / 0281788 A1.Document EP3363673A1 discloses a technique for processing status signals occurring in a vehicle. A control unit is configured to change the state of the display unit in response to the detected status signal. The change in the state of the display unit may depend on a priority assigned to the status signal or the signal group assigned to the status signal. The priorities assigned to the status signals may be different during different phases of vehicle operation. DE112014007048T5 discloses a display in the event that an event occurs. An arrangement of the information display area 34 may be changed according to the type of event occurring, or a plurality of information display areas 34 may be provided according to the event types.With such a configuration, even when a plurality of types of events occur at the same time, the event icon 31 can be displayed in the information display area 34 according to each event type. Furthermore, priority can be assigned according to the event type, and the information display area 34 for the high-priority event can be arranged, for example, between the gauges 37, in other words, at the center of the combination meter display unit 40, and the information display area 34 for the low-priority event can be arranged at one side end of the combination meter display unit 40. It is therefore possible to increase the visibility of the event icon 31 for the high-priority event.

[0006] Document DE112014007282T5 discloses a display control device 20 comprising a priority order memory 27. The priority order memory 27 stores priority information indicating the relationship between the types and priorities of the information to be displayed in the display areas 201 to 205. For example, the priority of the navigation information is set first, and the priorities of the remaining types (first warning information, second warning information, vehicle information, and AV information) are set second.

[0007] It is an object of the invention to provide a method, a computer program and a device for improved playback of notifications in a vehicle.

[0008] This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1, a computer program having the features of claim 11, and a device according to claim 12. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] The invention is based on the realization that in a vehicle, notifications for the driver are generated by a multitude of different functions implemented as separate hardware or software components.

[0010] For example, a navigation application can generate and display a warning about a hazardous situation, a central control unit can generate and display a warning about a required service measure, a notification from a phone application can indicate an incoming call, or a message received via an email or messenger service or from a news portal can be displayed. These notifications are generated independently of one another. It may happen that different types of notifications are generated almost simultaneously and should be brought to the driver's attention.

[0011] In the method according to the invention for displaying notifications in a vehicle, notifications are received from multiple components of the vehicle. If multiple notifications are present simultaneously, these notifications are prioritized based on a respective assigned category. The prioritized notifications are displayed according to their respective priority.

[0012] This allows for centrally regulating the playback of notifications generated by various vehicle components, avoiding display conflicts or information overload caused by displaying too much information simultaneously. This prevents, in particular, the danger of distraction from driving or overlooking a safety-relevant notification.

[0013] Notifications with the highest priority are played immediately and notifications with a lower priority are cached and played at a later time.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, if several notifications of the same category are present at the same time, the most recent message is preferably displayed first.

[0015] According to a further embodiment of the invention, notifications of a category are each assigned to one of several possible values ​​within a value range, wherein if several notifications of the same category are present at the same time, the notification with a maximum or minimum value is prioritized and played first.

[0016] Advantageously, a plurality of playback channels are provided for the playback of the notifications, wherein the plurality of playback channels comprise one or more visual channels by means of one or more displays and / or LED light chains, one or more acoustic channels by means of one or more loudspeakers and / or one or more haptic channels by means of one or more actuators.

[0017] Furthermore, a notification with a high priority can advantageously be output on several playback channels simultaneously.

[0018] Likewise, it can advantageously be provided that several different notifications are output simultaneously on several different playback channels.

[0019] Preferably, a notification of a category is displayed for a minimum display duration before being replaced by a display of another notification.

[0020] Likewise, a notification of one category shown on a display is advantageously overlaid or displaced by a display of a notification of a higher category.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the notifications are sent from the multiple components of the vehicle to a central control unit or a central software component of the vehicle, wherein the central control unit or the central software component prioritizes the received notifications.

[0022] A computer program according to the invention contains instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to receive notifications from a plurality of components of the vehicle, to prioritize these notifications against one another based on a respective assigned category when a plurality of notifications are present at the same time, and to display the prioritized notifications according to their respective priority.

[0023] The term "computer" should be understood broadly. In particular, it also includes control units, microcontrollers, embedded systems, and other processor-based data processing devices. The computer program can, for example, be made available for electronic retrieval or stored on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0024] A device according to the invention for reproducing notifications in a vehicle comprises an input for receiving notifications from multiple components of the vehicle; a prioritization unit to which the received notifications are fed and which, in the case of multiple notifications present simultaneously, prioritizes these notifications against each other based on a respective assigned category; and an output for providing the prioritized notifications for playback according to their respective priority.

[0025] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and claims in conjunction with the figures. Fig. 1 schematically shows a flowchart for an embodiment of the method according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows an example of a temporal progression of a category-based suppression and activation of notifications; and Fig. 3 schematically shows a block diagram of a device according to the invention in conjunction with other components of a vehicle.

[0026] To better understand the principles of the present invention, embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. It is understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments and that the described features may also be combined or modified without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

[0027] Figure 1shows a schematic of an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention for displaying notifications in a vehicle. According to method step 1, notifications are received from several components of the vehicle. A notification is understood here to be any messages addressed to the driver or other occupants of the vehicle. These can, for example, be warnings about an acute or imminent dangerous situation or relate to technical problems with the vehicle, the current vehicle surroundings or the traffic situation on the vehicle's future route. Likewise, information about required service measures, a change to the proposed route or suggestions for the driver's driving style can also be issued. Information about communication with people outside the vehicle can also be provided.Information about current settings, such as the vehicle's climate control system, is also possible. These notifications are generated by various software and / or hardware components of the vehicle and received and processed by another, central software or hardware component of the vehicle. For this to happen, the central vehicle component must be available before any of the other vehicle components can trigger notifications.

[0028] Notifications are categorized by being assigned to one of several categories. The categorization of notifications can be performed in the respective vehicle components, which assign a category to each notification they generate and then send this category with the notification. Categorization can also be performed in the central vehicle component, which then assigns a category to each notification upon receipt. Regardless of where the categorization occurs, it is important that each notification is categorized and that the central vehicle component knows and can process all possible categories.

[0029] This involves using categories for different types of notifications that have been defined by a notification committee. Open or proprietary standards and regulations can define categories for different types of notifications, for example, based on legal requirements, FuSi classifications within the framework of ISO 26262:2011, an internationally valid automotive standard for electrical and electronic systems in road vehicles, or based on other content-related definitions.

[0030] This allows, in a process step 2, to regulate the playback of multiple notifications occurring simultaneously by prioritizing the notifications based on their respective category.

[0031] An example categorization of notifications into categories A to K that can be used for prioritization is as follows: Category A Imminent dangerous situation requiring immediate action or driving intervention with intervention time < 2 s Category B Massive vehicle restriction with a time-critical action request that allows an intervention time > 2 s Category C Imminent danger situation that occurs in the vicinity or on the planned route Category D System limitation requiring service actions Category E Communication with the driver initiated by persons outside the vehicle Category F Adjustment of driving style or route guidance is required Category G Currently existing system limitation, which does not reduce safety but only reduces comfort while driving and does not heal itself Category H Currently existing system limitation, which does not reduce safety but only comfort while driving and heals itself Category I System will experience a restriction in the future, or the system could be improved Category J Predictive messages from applications, without direct user input, which make the driving task more comfortable Category K Global status messages, success messages and feedback from applications without direct user input

[0032] However, a gradation of the categories based on other criteria or even coarser or finer gradations can also be provided.

[0033] The prioritized notifications are then played back in process step 3 based on their respective priority, so that playback conflicts or information overload due to the simultaneous playback of too much information are avoided.

[0034] The presentation of notifications in the vehicle to the driver or other passengers, and possibly also interaction, can generally be achieved through various human-machine interfaces (HMI). Visual channels using one or more displays are particularly suitable as playback channels, as they enable a variety of different modalities, such as displaying notifications as pop-ups, in combination with icons, or as an animation. Safety-critical notifications, in particular, are preferably presented as pop-ups, which immediately attract attention and emphasize their urgency by popping up. If a notification is already displayed on the display, it can be overlaid, suppressed, or replaced with a higher-priority notification.

[0035] Notifications can also be issued via acoustic channels, especially through voice output via one or more loudspeakers. Warning tones can also be issued, indications can be provided via LED lights, or haptic feedback can be provided. Furthermore, tinting of a vehicle window or a so-called display control unit, which houses a display and controls for the display, can be provided.

[0036] Furthermore, a touchscreen display can be provided for playback, so that by touching a graphical user interface at the location of a displayed notification, an assigned function can be executed. Likewise, further information about the notification, such as detailed text information, images and video clips, can be called up and displayed in this way. A display on a central touchscreen display enables particularly convenient operation by the user in the center console area. However, such interaction can also be achieved via voice input or mechanical control keys or buttons that are assigned to the display, for example in the case of a display on the instrument cluster or a head-up display in the vehicle.

[0037] The central vehicle component can assign the playback channels for outputting notifications. The central vehicle component stores information about all possible playback channels for playback of notifications. The central vehicle component also knows the status of the respective playback channels, i.e., whether the required components are actually installed in the vehicle, whether they are active, or whether they are defective. For displays, it is also noted whether they are in the driver's field of vision to ensure that notifications addressed to the driver can be perceived by them.

[0038] Priorities can also be assigned to the various playback components. For example, displays in the line of sight can have priority 1, a light bar or audio playback channels can have priority 2, and other components containing a display can have priority 3. The central vehicle component can then decide, based on the notification category, on which of the components playback should occur.

[0039] Furthermore, the central vehicle component manages the notifications on all playback channels, if necessary also simultaneously on several playback channels, for example to synchronize the display of the notifications on the playback channels, to enable a notification to be moved from one playback channel to another playback channel or to enable a notification to be reactivated at a later time.

[0040] In particular, notifications with the highest priority are played without delay. Since these notifications can reflect an imminent danger, parallel output can occur across multiple playback channels, for example as a flashing display combined with a voice output of the notification and a vibration of the steering wheel. If notifications with a lower priority are present at the same time and are displaced from playback by notifications with a higher priority, the displaced notifications are temporarily stored and played at a later time. Likewise, multiple notifications with different categories can be displayed simultaneously on different playback channels.

[0041] If multiple notifications of the same category are present at the same time, the most recent notification can be displayed first. This notification will then be displayed for a minimum display duration before being replaced by a notification of the same category.

[0042] This minimum display duration also applies if multiple notifications of different categories or priorities are simultaneously present. Depending on the HMI implementation and the legal framework, this may result in a notification being displayed on a different display than the one assigned to the category or priority. This occurs when a notification must continue to be displayed on the originally assigned display because the minimum display duration of the displayed notification has not yet expired.

[0043] It is also possible to establish a hierarchy within a category by assigning a notification one of several possible values ​​within a range. If two notifications of the same category are received, one of the notifications is prioritized based on the assigned value and displayed first. Such hierarchy within a category can also be determined by a notification committee, as mentioned above.

[0044] Figure 2shows an example of a chronological progression of category-based notification suppression and display. Categories A to K correspond to the categories specified above as examples; however, for the sake of clarity, only notifications from categories A to E are used in the example shown. Notifications from the highest categories A to C represent direct or indirect hazard warnings or major vehicle restrictions and are therefore displayed immediately. If notifications from a lower priority category are suppressed by a notification from a higher priority category, they are buffered and, if still relevant, displayed at a later time after a waiting period.

[0045] The notifications are sorted in the memory according to their priority and displayed accordingly. Notifications with lower priority categories, such as messages from a news portal, are subsequently deleted from the memory. However, particularly for safety-critical and vehicle-related notifications, permanent storage can also be provided, allowing the user or third parties to retrieve them later.

[0046] In the example shown, the first notification to arrive belongs to category C. This notification is displayed immediately. Shortly afterwards, a notification from category B arrives. Because this notification has a higher priority than the previous notification, the notification from category B is now displayed and the notification from category C is stored in memory and not displayed again. The message from category E that then arrives is immediately stored in memory and sorted below the notification from category C according to its lower priority. The display of the notification from category B is then interrupted by the arrival of a notification from category A, which is displayed immediately due to its highest priority.The Category B notification is then also stored in memory because its minimum display time had not yet expired, as is the further Category C notification that arrived at the same time as the Category A notification. The Category A notification is now displayed until its minimum display time has expired or the immediate danger no longer exists. The Category B notification is then retrieved from memory and also played back until the minimum display time has expired. The two Category C notifications are then played back, with the more recent message being displayed first. Once the minimum display time for these notifications has also expired, the Category E notification that had not yet been displayed is retrieved from memory and played back.

[0047] In the example shown, the cached notifications are still relevant and current and are therefore displayed again for playback. Whether a notification is still current is managed by the component that generated it. The central vehicle component then queries this status before displaying it.

[0048] Figure 3 shows a schematic, simplified block diagram of a device 4 according to the invention in conjunction with other components of a vehicle. For example, the device 4 is a control unit, a computer, a microcontroller, or an embedded system and is provided with a processor and a memory in which instructions are stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the device 4 to perform the steps according to one of the methods described above.

[0049] The device 4 has an input 5 for receiving notifications sent to the device from various vehicle components 10, 11 via a vehicle bus 12. The received notifications are fed to a prioritization unit 6, in which the notifications are prioritized based on a respective assigned category and then provided via an output 7 for playback according to their respective priority. The input 5 and the output 7 can be combined to form a bidirectional interface.

[0050] Notifications can be temporarily stored in a storage unit 8. The storage unit 8 can consist of a single memory module or several separate memory modules for notifications of different categories or priorities. The memory modules can be configured, for example, as random-access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), EPROM, or flash memory. A constant power supply can be used, if necessary, to ensure that safety-critical or vehicle-relevant notifications are not lost. Notifications that require service intervention or are permanently relevant can thus be retained in the storage unit until the user actively "reads" them, and then deleted or, marked as "read," retained.

[0051] Furthermore, a memory control unit 9 is provided, which regulates the data flow between the prioritization unit 6 and the memory unit 8 and sorts the notifications in the memory according to their priority. Furthermore, the memory control unit can ensure that notifications with lower priority categories are deleted from the memory after they have been played back.

[0052] Finally, a user interface (HMI) 13 is provided, by means of which the information output described above to the user of the vehicle and, if necessary, interaction with the user takes place.

[0053] The invention can be applied in a wide variety of motor vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, mobile homes or buses, but is not limited to use in such vehicles. List of reference symbols

[0054] 1- 3Procedure steps 4Device according to the invention 5Input 6Prioritization unit 7Output 8Storage unit 9Storage control unit 10, 11Vehicle components 12Vehicle bus 13User interface

Claims

1. Method for playback of messages in a vehicle, in which - messages are received (1) from a plurality of components of the vehicle; - in the case where a plurality of messages are present simultaneously, these messages are prioritized (2) relative to one another on the basis of a respective allocated category; and - the prioritized messages are played back (3) according to their respective priority, wherein messages with the highest priority are played back immediately, and messages with a lower priority are temporarily stored and are played back at a later time.

2. Method according to Claim 1, wherein, in the case where a plurality of messages of the same category are present simultaneously, the most recent notification is played back first.

3. Method according to Claim 2, wherein messages of a category are each allocated one of a plurality of possible values within a value range and, in the case where a plurality of messages of the same category are present simultaneously, the message with a maximum or minimum value is prioritized and played back first.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of playback channels are provided for playback of the messages, and the plurality of playback channels include one or more visual channels by means of one or more displays and / or LED light chains, one or more acoustic channels by means of one or more loudspeakers, and / or one or more haptic channels by means of one or more actuators.

5. Method according to Claim 4, wherein a message with a high priority can be output on a plurality of playback channels simultaneously.

6. Method according to Claim 4 or 5, wherein a plurality of different messages are output simultaneously on a plurality of different playback channels.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a message of a category is displayed for a minimum display time before it is replaced by a display of another message.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a message of a category displayed on a display is overlaid or displaced by a display of a message of a higher category.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the messages are sent by the plurality of components of the vehicle to a central control device or a central software component of the vehicle, and the central control device or the central software component prioritizes the received messages.

10. Computer program having instructions which, when carried out by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of a method according to one of Claims 1 to 9.

11. Apparatus for playback of messages in a vehicle, having - an input (5) for receiving messages from a plurality of components of the vehicle; - a prioritization unit (6) to which the received messages are fed and which, in the case where a plurality of messages are present simultaneously, prioritizes these messages relative to one another on the basis of a respective allocated category, wherein messages with the highest priority are played back immediately, and messages with a lower priority are temporarily stored and are played back at a later time, - a storage unit (8) for temporarily storing messages with a lower priority; - a storage control unit (9) which controls the data flow between the prioritization unit (6) and the storage unit (8); and - an output (7) for providing the prioritized messages for playback according to their respective priority.