METHOD AND DEVICE FOR INVOLVING-DEPARATE DYNAMIC LOCKING OF AN OPERATING DEVICE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method and a device for blocking display and / or operating contexts in a vehicle due to excessive distraction of the driver from the driving situation.

[0002] Modern vehicles feature a multitude of assistance and comfort systems, some of whose functions require multi-step operation. Experience has shown that there is a risk that the driver will be distracted from the driving situation for too long when operating complex functions that require a large number of steps, thus not always guaranteeing safe driving. In particular, complex multi-step input processes often require the driver to look away from the road.

[0003] In addition, certain comfort features, such as displaying television or video images, are generally blocked while driving because viewing them would be unacceptable as a distraction from the traffic.

[0004] US 2005 / 0038573 A1 discloses a vehicle information and task manager that locks at least one infotainment device under certain conditions depending on the user's current driving environment. Risks are assigned to certain detected conditions while driving using a weighted matrix. A changed condition is assigned a weight, and the weighted risks are summed to calculate risk level information. The risk level information is then compared with priority level information associated with the at least one infotainment device. If the risk level information is equal to or greater than the priority level information of the at least one infotainment device, the infotainment device is temporarily locked until the driving environment has changed, so that a condition has occurred in which it is safe to operate the infotainment device.

[0005] DE 10 2011 080 624 A1 describes several systems and methods for regulating the operation of a vehicle infotainment system. In one embodiment, a vehicle computing system includes a user interface having one or more output components and one or more input components. Software executing in the memory of the vehicle computing system may be programmed with rules that reduce driver distraction, such as preventing inputs or outputs during driving operation. Inputs from the one or more input components of the user interface may be interrupted. Additionally or alternatively, outputs to the output components of the user interface may be interrupted. The interrupted inputs or outputs may be evaluated for one or more violations based on the rules.If one or more violations are detected, the inputs or outputs during driving operation can be prevented.

[0006] DE 10 2013 211 721 A1 describes methods and vehicles for providing haptic feedback to a vehicle occupant. In one embodiment, the method comprises assessing or evaluating vehicle-related conditions, selecting a type of haptic warning orWarning based on the evaluated conditions, selecting a pattern of haptic actuators to control the haptic periods based on the type of haptic warning and a location of the haptic actuators in a seat of the vehicle, selecting a number of active haptic periods to control the haptic periods based on the type of haptic warning, selecting a duration of the active haptic periods and a duration of inactive haptic periods based on the type of haptic warning, and generating a signal indicative of the active haptic periods based on the selected pattern of haptic actuators, the selected number of active haptic periods, and the selected duration of the active and inactive haptic periods.

[0007] US Pat. No. 9,485,097 B2 discloses a driver evaluation system for a vehicle that generates a parameter representing a driver's attention level regarding driving the vehicle during a time period, which parameter is calculated based on the complement of a weighted average of a plurality of counts. Some of the counts represent a number of interaction events between the driver and an infotainment system in the vehicle during the time period. The determined parameter represents the driver's attention during the time period and can be plotted graphically against time.

[0008] Furthermore, it is known to generally disable certain functions in vehicles that require multi-step operation, such as entering an address by selecting the letters of a street name for a navigation destination. However, this leads to unsatisfactory limitations and does not allow for adequately addressing operating situations in which, for example, several functions are operated sequentially or are subsequently integrated into vehicle components.

[0009] The invention is therefore based on the technical object of creating an improved device and an improved method in which at least one operating device ensures the greatest possible flexibility in operation and, at the same time, a sufficiently high level of safety when driving the vehicle by the driver.

[0010] The invention is achieved by a device having the features of patent claim 1 and a method having the features of patent claim 13. Advantageous developments of the invention emerge from the subclaims.

[0011] The invention is based on the idea of ​​not fundamentally blocking functions and functionalities from the outset, but rather dynamically blocking them during use of the at least one operating device, depending on the actual user interaction. This ensures that, regardless of the specific function to be operated or even the operation of a sequence of different functions, the at least one operating device is blocked if there is a risk of excessive driver distraction from the driving process. At the same time, it is possible to operate functions that, in the specific case, require only a small number of operating steps, which a driver can perform in a reasonable time and with an appropriate number of operating steps and operating complexity, without this being unacceptable for driving the vehicle in terms of driving safety.

[0012] The invention offers the advantage that a blocking state is brought about dynamically depending on the involvement value, i.e., the driver's involvement in an operation, by restricting or completely blocking further operation of the at least one operating device. Restricting operation is necessary if certain functionalities necessary for safe driving of the vehicle are still to be operable. Otherwise, all operation with the at least one operating device is generally blocked when the blocking state is reached.

[0013] For example, to ensure that no further operation occurs for a minimum period, in some embodiments, operation of the at least one operating device is only permitted again once the current involvement value has fallen to or below a release threshold. This occurs due to the continuous reduction of the current involvement value over time.

[0014] Basically, for all decisions in the present description in which a distinction is made between two states or conditional conditions depending on whether a value is reached or exceeded, or reached or fallen below, the reaching of the value can be assigned to either one or the other state or one conditional condition or the other. This is in no way decisive for the implementation of the invention. It is only important that the reaching of the value is assigned to only one state or one conditional condition. Accordingly, a change to the blocking state can only occur when the current involvement value exceeds the interruption threshold. Accordingly, in advantageous embodiments, for example, the blocking state is only ended when the current involvement value falls below the release threshold.

[0015] Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the evaluation device is designed to end the blocking state when the current involvement value falls below a release threshold value or alternatively reaches or falls below the release threshold value.

[0016] In order for the involvement value to reflect the driver's involvement in the user interaction as well as possible and to provide a good measure of distraction from driving the vehicle, it has proven advantageous to evaluate the various user interactions using the simplest possible criteria for the involvement value.

[0017] According to the invention, the spatial distance between the positions at which the user interactions are carried out in immediate succession, in particular at which they begin, and the temporal intervals between these user interactions, in particular between the beginnings of these user interactions, are evaluated. In a further development of the invention, the at least one operating device is designed to detect the user interaction in a position-resolved and time-resolved manner, and the evaluation device is designed to increase the current involvement value depending on the spatial distance between the positions and a temporal interval between successive user interactions.

[0018] Position-dependent detection means that the position at which the user makes the input is detected. For an operating device with a keypad, for example, this is the position of the button pressed when activated. For an operating device designed as a touchscreen, for example, the position is the touch position at which the user interaction begins.

[0019] Time-resolved recording means that, in addition to the position, the time at which a user interaction occurs is recorded, or at least a time interval from a previous action is recorded. This does not have to be a time in the sense of clock time, but can also be determined based on a clock cycle. For example, the value of a counting register driven by an oscillating signal can be used, or the clock cycles between two user interaction start times can be counted. In addition, a user interaction duration or actuation duration is advantageously also determined during recording.

[0020] However, in order to avoid an overly complex evaluation of user interactions, it is preferably provided that all user interactions that are not carried out in close proximity to the immediately preceding user interaction and at a short temporal distance from the preceding user interaction are uniformly considered and evaluated as distance user interactions. A distinction is made between user interactions that are carried out consecutively in a temporal and spatial context. Thus, in the case of a double actuation of a control element or a double touch of the same location on a touchscreen, the second user interaction is less complex than the first or a single user interaction carried out at a temporal or spatial distance from the previous user interaction. According to the invention, it is therefore provided that the evaluation device is designedto increase the current involvement value by a constant distance activation value each time a start of an actuation is detected, if the spatial distance between the position at which the start of the actuation of the user interaction is detected from the position at which the start of the actuation of the user interaction detected in time is detected reaches or exceeds a proximity threshold value, or if a time period between the detection of the start of the actuation and the detection of an immediately preceding start of the actuation reaches or exceeds a local actuation time period, and to increase the current involvement value by a constant local actuation value each time a start of an actuation is detected, if the spatial distance between the position at which the start of the actuation of the user interaction is detected from the position at which the start of the actuation of the user interaction detected in time is detected,falls below a close-range threshold value and, in addition, a time period between the detection of the start of actuation and the detection of the immediately preceding start of actuation falls below a local actuation time period, whereby the local actuation value is smaller in magnitude than the distance actuation value.

[0021] In principle, each user interaction is evaluated equally. However, individual interactions whose actuation positions are in close proximity to an immediately preceding user interaction and also occurred in quick succession after an immediately preceding user interaction are evaluated slightly lower, since such a double or multiple actuation is less distracting to a user than two or more actuations requiring the user to reposition the actuation element, especially a finger.

[0022] The duration of a user interaction also influences how much a driver is distracted from the driving situation. This applies in particular if the duration of the user interaction exceeds a threshold, referred to here as the short-term activation threshold. This short-term activation threshold is correlated with a short-term activation period. One embodiment of the invention provides that the evaluation device is designed to increase the current involvement value by an activation duration involvement value upon detecting the end of an activation of a user interaction if the duration of the user interaction has reached or exceeded a short-term activation threshold.

[0023] In principle, user interactions that last longer than, for example, a short touch of a few 100 milliseconds or, in another embodiment, longer than 1 second are considered interactions that indicate a higher level of user involvement during the user interaction.

[0024] A particularly preferred embodiment provides that the actuation duration involvement value is variable and is preferably equal to a minimum of, on the one hand, a product of a difference between the actuation duration and the short-term actuation period and an actuation duration weighting factor and, on the other hand, an actuation duration involvement maximum value.

[0025] User interactions that have a longer duration of operation are thus registered as more distracting activities and user interactions, but very long-lasting activities are not overestimated either.

[0026] However, it has been shown that, in addition to the sheer number of actuations, the positions of the actuations or the distances between the actuation locations and the actuation duration, the temporal sequence of user interactions also provide information that is characteristic of certain driver distractions. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the evaluation device has at least one state machine that evaluates an interaction sequence of the user interactions and is configured to recognize an increased involvement state or a normal involvement state based on the evaluation of the user interaction sequence. The evaluation device is configured to set the current involvement value to or above the interruption threshold value when the increased involvement state is detected.

[0027] Such a state machine can thus switch between a normal involvement state and an increased involvement state, wherein the increased involvement state results in the current involvement value being increased to such an extent that it reaches or exceeds the interrupt threshold, which results in the blocking state of the device being brought about.

[0028] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the user interactions within an interaction sequence are examined to determine whether the consecutive interactions are longer than an interaction monitoring period. Furthermore, it is evaluated whether the time differences between the consecutive starts of the recorded user interactions are shorter than an interaction interval period. If a group of starts of actions is found in the user interaction sequence that fulfills these two criteria, the state machine to which the corresponding interaction monitoring period and the interaction interval period are assigned switches to the increased involvement state.A preferred embodiment therefore provides that the at least one state machine is assigned an interaction monitoring time period and an interaction interval time period, and switches to the increased involvement state upon detection of a user interaction sequence which comprises a group of temporally successive detected starts of actuation, in which the time intervals between the immediately consecutive detected starts of actuation of the group are all shorter than (or equal to) the interaction interval time period, and at the same time these starts of actuation of the group in the user interaction sequence span a time period which is greater than or equal to the interaction monitoring time period.

[0029] Furthermore, it has been shown that the driver's involvement in operating the at least one control device during different user interaction sequences can be so high that it is not conducive to safe driving of the vehicle. Therefore, a preferred embodiment provides for at least one additional state machine to be present in addition to the at least one state machine.

[0030] In a preferred development, it is therefore provided that the evaluation device comprises, in addition to the at least one state machine, at least one further state machine which evaluates the user interaction sequence and which is designed to also recognize an increased involvement state or a normal involvement state, and the evaluation device sets the current involvement value to or above the interruption threshold value when the at least one further state machine changes to the increased involvement state, wherein the at least one further state machine is assigned a further interaction monitoring time period and a further interaction interval time period, and changes to the increased involvement state upon recognition of a user interaction sequence which has a further group of temporally successive detected starts of actuation,in which the time intervals between the immediately consecutive recorded starts of activity of the further group are all shorter than (or equal to) the further interaction interval time period, and at the same time these starts of activity of the further group in the user interaction sequence span a period that is greater than or equal to the further interaction monitoring time period.

[0031] While in the preferred development, one state machine reacts to interaction sequences that have activation starts at short intervals that last beyond the interaction monitoring time period assigned to the at least one state machine, and in which the time intervals between the individual interaction starts are each shorter than the interaction interval time period assigned to the at least one state machine. The at least one further state machine, on the other hand, determines a high level of driver involvement in the operation if, over a longer period that spans the further interaction monitoring time period, user interactions repeatedly take place whose activation starts are spaced closer in time than the further interaction interval time period.Here, the further interaction monitoring period is longer than the interaction monitoring period, and the further interaction interval period is greater than the interaction interval period assigned to the at least one state machine. However, these continuous actuations, which occur at longer intervals and over a longer period of time and do not have an interruption in the actuation that is longer than the further interaction interval period, capture, for example, user interaction sequences in which several functions or vehicle devices requiring one or more operating steps are operated one after the other.This can prevent a driver from attempting to avoid the blocking state by performing a very high number of user interactions in a very short sequence, as well as avoid operations in which at least one operating device is deliberately used slowly but continuously. Both operating strategies lead to the triggering of the blocking state due to the transition of one of the two state machines, either the at least one state machine or the at least one additional state machine, to the increased involvement state, since the current involvement value is set to or above the interruption threshold when one of the state machines assumes the increased involvement state.

[0032] However, which operations or user interactions a user can perform without this having a negative impact on driving the vehicle does not depend solely on the number of user interactions performed or the temporal sequence of these user interactions. Rather, other factors also influence which user interactions can be classified as safe and / or harmless. These factors include, for example, the driver's own condition, such as tension or fatigue, but also factors such as environmental conditions, such as traffic volume or simply the driving situation in which the vehicle is currently located. For example, increased attention is required when driving a vehicle in inner-city traffic.In comparison, in a driving situation where, for example, the driver is traveling at a constant speed on a highway, the strain on the driver is lower. Other factors can include the status of driver assistance systems. For example, if lane detection assistance is active and operates with a high confidence level for detecting lane markings, less attention is required from the driver than, for example, when driving through a construction zone where the assistance system cannot detect the vehicle markings with the same confidence level.

[0033] All information about factors that influence the driver's workload, whether caused by the driver himself, the vehicle or the environment, with the exception of user interaction with at least one control device, is summarized here under the term workload information.

[0034] Therefore, a preferred embodiment provides for this load information to be taken into account by dynamically adjusting the interruption threshold. A preferred embodiment therefore provides for the evaluation device to be configured to receive load information and to dynamically adjust the interruption threshold based on the load information.

[0035] In one embodiment, the evaluation device comprises a stress module which is designed to evaluate load information and to dynamically adapt the interruption threshold value based on this evaluation.

[0036] Accordingly, the release threshold is preferably also adjusted dynamically depending on load information. One embodiment therefore provides that the evaluation device is configured to dynamically adjust the release threshold depending on the load information.

[0037] While the interruption threshold is lowered during dynamic adaptation when a high level of attention is required for driving the vehicle, the interruption threshold can be raised accordingly when less attention is required for driving the vehicle, for example because assistance systems support the driver in driving the vehicle and / or the driving situation does not represent a high burden for the driver due to low traffic volume.

[0038] In some embodiments, the release threshold is not adjusted. In other embodiments, the release threshold is lowered when a high level of attention is required for driving the vehicle and raised accordingly when the driving situation does not require such a high level of attention from the driver for driving the vehicle.

[0039] In one embodiment, the release threshold can be lowered by a greater amount than the interruption threshold if driving the vehicle requires increased driver attention. This extends the enforced operating pause compared to the "normal" state that occurs during the duration of the blocking condition.

[0040] Particularly preferably, the driver is informed of the occurrence of the locking condition. In a preferred embodiment, the evaluation device is therefore coupled to at least one output device in order to output locking information about the existing locking condition that can be perceived without taking one's eyes off the road.

[0041] The output can be provided in various modalities, for example visual and / or acoustic and / or haptic.

[0042] In one embodiment, it is particularly preferred that the output device comprises a lighting device, preferably with a plurality of illuminants, wherein the lighting device, preferably the plurality of illuminants, is arranged or can be arranged at the edge of a windshield in the driver's peripheral field of vision. If the lighting device comprises, for example, a plurality of illuminants, the illuminants can comprise LEDs that are either single-colored, multi-colored, and / or differently colored and can be controlled individually or in groups to indicate the blocking state.

[0043] To prevent the driver from being surprised by the blocking condition, it is advantageous to provide one or more warning levels that inform a driver during user interaction that the current involvement value is approaching the interruption threshold.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, it is therefore provided that the evaluation device comprises a warning device that compares the current involvement value with at least one warning threshold value and outputs at least one warning about an impending blocking condition via the at least one output device and / or the operating device and / or a display device if the current involvement value falls below or reaches the at least one warning threshold value. If, for example, several warning thresholds are provided, a warning threshold value is provided for each of the warning thresholds. These are preferably defined relative to the interruption threshold value, so that even with a dynamic adjustment of the interruption threshold value, the warning threshold values ​​are adjusted accordingly.However, other embodiments may provide that the warning thresholds are assigned fixed values, and the corresponding warning state is triggered whenever the warning threshold assigned to the warning state is exceeded or reached by the current involvement value. If a plurality of warning thresholds exist and the current involvement value exceeds several of these warning thresholds, the warning state assigned to the warning threshold that has the smallest distance from the interruption threshold is the active one.

[0045] Particularly preferably, the driver is informed of the occurrence of a warning condition via the output device. For example, in an embodiment in which the output device has a plurality of lamps in the driver's peripheral field of vision, the lamps can be controlled such that light of a specific color is emitted, which is associated with the warning condition. The blocking condition is then preferably also assigned a corresponding color. For example, a first warning condition is assigned the color yellow, a second warning condition is assigned the color orange, and the blocking condition is assigned the color red. It is understood that only one warning level or more than two warning levels can be provided.

[0046] To inform the driver that the blocking state has ended, information is preferably also output to the driver via the output device. This can be done, for example, via an acoustic signal. It can also be done visually, for example, via the plurality of lamps that are switched off in the normal operating state. To convey to the driver that the current involvement value is decreasing continuously or gradually during the blocking state, one embodiment provides for the number of lamps emitting light to indicate the blocking state to be reduced when the current involvement value decreases. Preferably, there is a proportionality between the current involvement value and the number of light-emitting lamps.

[0047] If the at least one control device has a display in the form of a freely programmable screen or display, the blocking state is preferably also indicated to the user by symbols and / or alphanumeric characters. In particular, a static display appears that only indicates the blocking state, encouraging the user to focus their attention on the driving situation.

[0048] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that there may be certain functionalities operated via the at least one operating device that, due to their high importance for driving safety, are not restricted or disabled by the locked state. For example, this applies to a rearview camera, whose video image of the traffic area behind the vehicle is displayed on a display device of the at least one operating device even in the locked state.

[0049] If the at least one operating device has operating elements that cannot be operated by a driver while driving the vehicle, or an interface that enables remote control via operating devices that are not within the driver's reach, user interactions recorded via these are not taken into account in order to increase the current involvement value. However, if, for example, a touchscreen of the at least one operating device is arranged in a center console between the driver and the front passenger, user interactions by both the driver and the front passenger are registered and, if driver-front passenger recognition is not possible, all of them are used to change the current involvement value.

[0050] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing. Herein: Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle with a device for involvement-dependent dynamic locking of an operating device; Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a block diagram to illustrate the current involvement value; Fig. 3 shows a plurality of bar charts to visualize the current involvement value at different times during user interaction; Fig. 4 shows a schematic interior view of a vehicle cockpit with an enlarged operating device in the unblocked state; Fig. 5 shows a schematic interior view of a cockpit with an operating device in the warning state; Fig. 6 shows a schematic representation of a cockpit interior view in which the operating device is in the blocked state; Fig. 7 shows a schematic representation of the mode of operation of two state machines on determining the current involvement value; and Fig.8A schematic representation of a front area of ​​a vehicle with several display and / or control devices.

[0051] In Fig. 1A motor vehicle 1 is shown schematically. This comprises a device 100 for locking at least one operating device 200. This operating device 200 is arranged, for example, as a touchscreen 210 in a cockpit 2, for example in a center console 5, between a driver's seat 10 and a passenger seat 11. The touchscreen 210 has a display device 211 which is coupled to a position detection unit 212. A wide variety of vehicle systems and functions can be operated via the at least one operating device 200, which, in addition to the touchscreen 210, can comprise further operating units that are not shown here. To do this, a user touches the touchscreen 210 with an actuating element, for example a finger. In different display and operating contexts, different visual information can be shown on the display device 211.For example, virtual control elements can be displayed in the form of buttons, sliders, etc. If a user touches the touchscreen 210 in the area of ​​the display area of ​​a control element, this user interaction is recorded as an actuation of the control element.

[0052] In order to perform user interactions on the at least one operating device 200, the driver must generally at least temporarily avert their gaze from the driving situation in order to orient themselves. Therefore, it is a concern for driving safety if operating a vehicle system or a vehicle function requires a large number of user interactions. It is also disadvantageous if a driver, as a user, operates several vehicle functions or systems in quick succession. Therefore, the device 100 for locking the at least one operating device 200 has an evaluation device 300. This evaluation device receives the information about the user interactions recorded by the at least one operating device 210 and evaluates them.

[0053] The at least one operating device is designed to record user interactions with position resolution and time resolution. When we talk about the evaluation of user interactions recorded with position resolution and time resolution, we always mean the evaluation of information about the user interactions recorded by the at least one operating device. In connection with the evaluation, the terms "user interaction" or "operation" etc. are used as a shortened synonym for information about the recorded user interaction or operation, etc. A recorded user interaction is thus a shortened synonym for information about the recorded user interaction.

[0054] The evaluation device 300 receives information about the user interactions recorded both with position resolution and time resolution and uses this information to determine a current involvement value. The current involvement value is a measure of how strongly the user is involved in the operation of the at least one operating device. The greater the involvement in the operation, the less attention is paid to the traffic situation.

[0055] The functionality of the evaluation device is generally implemented by means of a program-controlled processor unit 310. In addition to the processor 310, the evaluation device therefore comprises a memory 320, which includes a program memory 321 and a working and parameter memory 325. The program is stored in the program memory 321, the execution of which on the processor unit provides the functionality of the evaluation device 300. Data relevant to the functionality is stored in the working and parameter memory 325. Some of the parameters can also be stored in the program memory 321. For example, the parameters that define threshold values ​​or their default values ​​for dynamically changing threshold values ​​can be stored in the program memory 321.

[0056] The evaluation device 300 is configured to determine a current involvement value based on the user interactions recorded with the at least one operating device 200. The current involvement value is increased with each recorded user interaction. The current involvement value is decreased continuously or at intervals, regardless of whether a user interaction has occurred or not, provided the current involvement value has not reached its base value, typically zero.

[0057] Furthermore, the evaluation device 300 is configured to compare the current involvement value with an interruption threshold. If this interruption threshold is reached or exceeded, a blocking state occurs, and the evaluation device 300 blocks the operating device 200 or at least restricts its operation. Further user inputs are ignored if the at least one operating device 200 is blocked. If the at least one operating device 200 is restricted only with regard to operation, user interactions relating to blocked functions and functionalities are ignored. This makes it possible to permit individual safety-relevant operations, for example, to continue executing driving safety-relevant inputs via the at least one operating device 200.

[0058] Preferably, the output of content of the functions and / or functionalities to be operated via the at least one operating device 200 is also blocked. However, this does not affect content that is relevant to driving safety, such as the video display of the rear traffic area captured by a rearview camera 15.

[0059] To inform the user that a blocking state of the at least one operating device 200 has occurred, the device 100 has an output device 400. This can comprise different subsystems to make the output multimodal. Firstly, a display context, for example, is shown on the display device 410 of the touchscreen 210, which prompts the driver to pay attention to the traffic situation. Additionally or alternatively, an acoustic output can be provided via an audio system 430 of the vehicle 1. Likewise alternatively or additionally, it is possible to inform the user haptically about the occurrence of the blocking state, for example via a haptic feedback unit 440 coupled to the touchscreen 210. Again alternatively or additionally, haptic feedback means in a steering wheel 20 can also be used.

[0060] Alternatively or additionally, a lighting device 420 can be used, which is arranged, for example, in a peripheral field of vision of the driver on an edge 6 of the windshield 4. The lighting device 420 comprises, for example, a plurality of light sources 421, which are designed, for example, as light-emitting diodes. In order to warn the driver that further user input via the at least one operating device 200 may lead to a blocking state of this at least one operating device 200, the evaluation device 300 has a warning device 390. In a preferred embodiment, this is also integrated into the program code that provides the other functionality of the evaluation device 300 and is shown here as a separate unit only for illustrative purposes. The warning device 390 compares the current involvement value with one or more warning threshold values.If a warning threshold is reached or exceeded, a warning is issued to the driver via output device 400. This can again be visual, acoustic, and / or haptic and / or in any combination. For example, the lighting device 420 can be switched on in the driver's peripheral field of vision. If different warning thresholds are provided, light of different colors can be emitted, with the color being assigned to the corresponding warning threshold. For example, yellow light can be emitted upon reaching a first warning threshold; light of a different color, for example red light, can be emitted upon reaching a second warning threshold, at which the current involvement value is closer to the interruption threshold.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1As shown, the device is connected to a load management system 700. Alternatively, this load management system 700 can be embodied wholly or partially as a component of the evaluation device 300. The load management system 700 evaluates load factors. For this purpose, the load management system 700 monitors various assistance systems 720, for example, a lane departure warning system 721, a driving stability control system (ESP) 722, a navigation system 723, a cruise control system 724, and / or other assistance systems 725. Furthermore, the load management system 700 is coupled to a driver monitoring system 730, which can, for example, include fatigue detection and the like and provides information about the driver. Furthermore, the load management system 700 is preferably also connected to other vehicle control units 740, which provide information about the state of the vehicle 1 and / or the environment.Based on the information provided by the various systems and devices, collectively referred to here as load information, the load management system 700 determines the loads the driver is currently exposed to while driving the vehicle. From this, it can be determined how much attention the driver requires to drive the vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the evaluation device 300 is configured to dynamically adjust the interruption threshold depending on the information from the load management system 700. In some embodiments, a strictness module 380 of the evaluation device is provided for this purpose.For example, if a lane departure warning system is active and has a high confidence level for detecting the lane, and the speed is controlled via the cruise control system, the driver's required attention is considered to be lower than in a situation where the lane departure warning system cannot detect the lanes and the speed is controlled by the driver. Accordingly, the interruption threshold is lowered if the load management system 700 indicates that the driver's required attention is lower. If, however, the required attention is high, the interruption threshold is also raised.

[0062] To ensure that the driver interrupts their operation of the at least one operating system and returns to the driving situation when the blocking state occurs, in preferred embodiments, the blocking state of the at least one operating device 200 is only ended and the operating device 200 is only released for further operation when the current involvement value has fallen below or to a release threshold. The release threshold can also be dynamically adjusted depending on the information from the load management system 700. The adjustment can be carried out such that the same time period is always required to reduce the current involvement value by an amount corresponding to the difference between the interruption threshold and the release threshold.However, other embodiments may provide that the interruption threshold and the release threshold are dynamically adjusted such that the time required to reduce the current involvement value to or below the release threshold after reaching the blocking state becomes longer if greater attention is required from the driver to control the vehicle.

[0063] Preferred embodiments are those in which, in a normal operating state, a medium interruption threshold and a medium release threshold are used, which are each lowered when particularly increased attention is required and raised accordingly when only reduced attention of the driver is required to drive the vehicle.

[0064] In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the current involvement value is influenced via a state machine 1300 and another state machine 1400, which are implemented in the evaluation device. Their functionality is described below in connection with Fig. 7 explained in more detail.

[0065] In addition to the at least one operating device 200, which in the illustrated example also includes a display device 211 of the touchscreen 210, further display units, for example a passenger display unit 500 in front of the passenger and / or a display of the instrument cluster 600, can also be controlled by the evaluation device 300, and display contents can be blocked in the blocked state, provided the driver can perceive content on the corresponding display units. If the passenger display unit 500 is only perceptible to the passenger, display contexts on the passenger display unit 500 are generally not blocked.

[0066] In Fig. 2 A bar chart is shown schematically, in which the current involvement value 1010 is represented by a bar 1020. Furthermore, the various threshold values ​​are shown. These include a warning threshold 328 and, in this embodiment, a further warning threshold 329, the interruption threshold 326, and the release threshold 327. A warning area 335 above the one warning threshold 328 and a further warning area 336 above the further warning threshold 329 are hatched to indicate that a driver will be informed, for example, via colored light, of an impending blocking condition upon further user interaction. The different hatchings indicate different colors.

[0067] An upward arrow 330 indicates that the current involvement value is increased by either a remote actuation value or a local actuation value, and possibly also by a continuous actuation value. In addition, one or more state machines can increase the current actuation value.

[0068] An arrow 331 pointing downwards indicates that the current actuation value is continuously reduced over time in a competing and complementary manner.

[0069] In addition to the interruption threshold 326 and the release threshold 327, three load states 340 are schematically shown, each determined for the driver and the driving situation. In a low load state 341, the interruption threshold 326 and release threshold 327 are lowered compared to the corresponding values ​​for a normal or medium load state 342. In a high load state 343, the interruption threshold 326 and release threshold 327 are raised compared to the corresponding values ​​for a normal or medium load state 342.

[0070] Based on Fig. 4 It is intended to explain schematically how the current involvement value is determined and changed. In Fig. 41 shows a schematic interior view of a vehicle cockpit 2 from the driver's perspective. Visible are the steering wheel 20, at least one operating device 200 configured as a touchscreen 210, an instrument cluster display 600, a lower edge 6 of the windshield 4, and a road 50 visible through the windshield 4. The lighting device 420 of the output device 400 can be seen at the lower edge 6 of the windshield 4. The touchscreen 210 of the at least one operating device 200 is shown enlarged in the foreground. Using an actuating element configured as a finger 31, a user makes a user input, for example, at a first touch position 1210. This increases the current involvement value by a constant distance actuation value.This is due to the fact that no actuation was previously performed within a close range 1220 around the first touch position 1210 within a local actuation period, which is, for example, a few hundred milliseconds long, or 1 second in another embodiment. The user then performs a second actuation at the second touch position 1230. Since this does not occur within the close range 1220 of the previously performed first actuation at the first actuation position 1210, the current involvement value is again increased by the constant distance actuation value.

[0071] Subsequently, in the example shown, the user performs a third to sixth actuation within the near range 1240 of the second touch position 1230, each with a time difference that is smaller than the near range span, which is, for example, a few hundred milliseconds. For the third to sixth user interactions, the current involvement value is increased only by the local actuation value, which is smaller than the distance actuation value.

[0072] Additionally, it is checked whether the duration of the user interaction has reached or exceeded a short-term operation period. In this case, the current involvement value is additionally increased by an operation duration involvement value. The operation duration involvement value is preferably variable. If the operation lasts longer than the short-term operation period and shorter than a maximum operation period, the operation duration involvement value is preferably equal to the product of an operation duration weighting value and a difference between the operation duration and the short-term operation period, or more precisely, the value indicating the duration of the short-term operation period. If the operation lasts longer than the maximum operation period, the operation duration involvement value is set to a maximum operation duration involvement value.This preferably corresponds to the product of the actuation duration weighting value and the time difference between the lengths of the maximum actuation period and the short-term actuation period. Thus, the actuation duration involvement value is preferably either equal to a product of the actuation duration weighting value and a difference between the actuation duration and the short-term actuation period, or, if this difference is greater than a maximum actuation duration involvement value, equal to a product of the actuation duration weighting value and this maximum actuation duration involvement value.

[0073] In the illustrated embodiment, for example, it is assumed that when the sixth user interaction is performed, the current involvement value exceeds a first warning threshold. Yellow light is then emitted via the lighting device 420 in the driver's peripheral field of vision at the lower edge 6 of the windshield 4. Additionally or alternatively, haptic feedback can be provided via the touchscreen 210 and / or an audio output via an audio system (not shown). The emitted light, the audio output, and / or the haptic feedback warn the driver of the possible occurrence of a blocking state in which further user interactions with the at least one operating device 200 are no longer possible and are ignored for a certain period of time until the current involvement value has again reached or fallen below a release threshold.This occurs due to a continuous or time-stepped reduction of the current involvement value by a constant amount per unit of time until the current involvement value reaches a minimum base value, for example zero.

[0074] This warning state is, for example, in Fig. 5shown schematically. Identical technical features are identified with the same reference numerals in all figures. For a seventh actuation whose time interval exceeds the short-term actuation period and whose actuation start position 1280 is spaced from the preceding actuation start position 1260 of the sixth user interaction by more than its proximity threshold, the current involvement value is again increased by the constant distance actuation value. The proximity ranges 1270 and 1290 are also shown. The user interaction lasts for a period of time that is greater than the short-term actuation period. Therefore, the current involvement value is increased by an actuation duration involvement value, which is calculated as described above.

[0075] As a result, for example, the further warning threshold is exceeded, so that a color of the light emitted by the illumination device 420 of the output device 400 is changed, for example, red light is now emitted. This informs the driver in his peripheral field of vision that a blocking condition is imminent upon further user interaction via the at least one operating device 200.

[0076] If the user performs another user interaction before the current involvement value has decreased sufficiently due to the reduction occurring over time, the interruption threshold is reached or exceeded by the current involvement value during the renewed user interaction and the at least one operating device 200 changes to a blocking state.

[0077] This is exemplified in Fig. 6On the display device 211 of the touchscreen 210, the driver is prompted to pay attention to road 50 via graphic symbols such as a stylized roadway 1250 and a stylized eye 1251, and additionally, for example, via text 1252.

[0078] In the blocking state, further user interactions are ignored. In other embodiments, it may be provided that certain individual user inputs necessary for safety-relevant functionalities continue to be recorded. In any case, however, operation is restricted with regard to certain functions and functionalities. As a rule, the display of information is also blocked at least on the at least one operating device 200 and, if necessary, also on other displays, such as information elements in the instrument cluster display 600 or other displays contained in the vehicle cockpit 2 (not shown).

[0079] In Fig. 31000 different bar charts are shown in chronological order, corresponding to several consecutive points in time, labeled tx, where x is a natural number. Not every point in time has to correspond to a user interaction. The time intervals between the different points in time do not have to be the same. Identical technical features are labeled the same and will not be explained again.

[0080] During the execution of user interactions, the current involvement value 1010 initially increases at t1, t2. At time t3, the current involvement value 1010 reaches a warning threshold value 238. This is output to the user by the output device, for example, by changing the color of virtual control elements on the display surface of one control device 200 or by emitting colored light in the driver's peripheral field of vision, or acoustically by outputting a signal or via haptic feedback from the at least one control device 200 designed as a touchscreen.

[0081] Through further user interaction, the current involvement value 1010 is further increased and a further warning threshold 329 is exceeded t4. Here, too, a warning is issued again by the output device, for example, by the emitted light changing its color and / or by virtual control elements being displayed differently, by an acoustic signal being emitted and / or by haptic feedback being provided.

[0082] At time t5, due to further user interaction, the current involvement value 1010 reaches or exceeds the interruption threshold 326, resulting in a blocking state. This state lasts until, due to elapsed time, the continuous reduction of the current involvement value 1010, which occurs with and without user interaction, has reduced the current involvement value 1010 back to or below the release threshold 327 (t6). Without user interaction, the current involvement value 1010 continues to decrease from t7.

[0083] In the preferred embodiment, a sequence of user interactions is also monitored using one or more state machines. This is intended to prevent user interactions in which the user attempts to perform very complex functional operations that still demand the driver's attention, either through particularly rapid, consecutive user interactions or through targeted, slow, yet continuous user interactions, or to perform several functions in immediate succession, particularly without taking sufficient breaks.

[0084] In Fig. 7 are shown schematically next to a bar chart 1000, which is similar to the one shown in Fig. 2The operation of a first state machine 1300, which monitors particularly fast operation of complex functionalities, and a further state machine 1400, which monitors slow but continuous operation of complex functionalities, are shown. The state machines 1300, 1400 each monitor whether the temporally consecutive user interactions comprise a group of user interactions in which the temporally consecutive user interactions are performed at time intervals that are shorter than a respective interaction interval time period assigned to the corresponding state machine. In addition, an interaction monitoring time period is assigned to the respective state machine.The respective state machine 1300, 1400 checks whether a group of user interactions, each of which has a time interval shorter than the interaction interval, collectively spans a period greater than or equal to the interaction monitoring period. If this is the case, the corresponding state machine switches to an increased involvement state. This causes the evaluation device to raise the current involvement value to or above the interruption threshold. In the illustrated embodiment, the interaction monitoring period of one state machine 1300 is, for example, 12 seconds, and the associated interaction interval period is 2 seconds.Therefore, if operations are performed within 12 seconds, the time intervals between which never reach or exceed 2 seconds (or alternatively never exceed 2 seconds), this state machine 1300 changes to the increased involvement state and leads to a blocking state of the operating device.

[0085] The state machine 1300 is thus initially in an internal unattended state 1310. If a user interaction occurs, it changes to an internal actuation state 1320. Externally, the state of the state machine is a normal involvement state 1330. If a new actuation takes place within the assigned interaction interval time period (e.g., 2 seconds), the state machine remains in the internal actuation state 1320. If a pause occurs between the user interactions that is equal to or greater than the interaction interval time period, it changes to the internal unattended state 1310. If the state machine remains for a period of time that is equal to or greater than the interaction monitoring time period (e.g.,12 seconds) (alternatively, greater than the interaction monitoring period) in the internal actuation state 1320, the state machine transitions to the increased involvement state 1340, which is an externally detectable state of the state machine 1300. This increased involvement state 1340 causes the current involvement value 1010 to be raised to or above the interrupt threshold 326. Subsequently, the state machine is reset to the normal involvement state 1330 with the internal unattended state 1310.

[0086] For example, the additional state machine 1400 is assigned a further interaction monitoring period of 24 seconds and a further interaction interval period of 6 seconds. Thus, if operations occur for 24 seconds or more, with no more than 6 seconds between them (or alternatively, no more than 6 seconds between them), this additional state machine 1400 switches to the increased involvement state and also causes the current involvement value 1010 to be raised to the interrupt threshold 326, thus triggering a blocking state.

[0087] The further state machine 1400 is thus initially in an internal unattended state 1410. If a user interaction 1500 occurs, an internal operation state 1420 is changed. Externally, the state of the state machine is a normal involvement state 1430. If a further operation takes place within the assigned interaction interval time period, the state machine remains in the internal operation state 1420. If a pause occurs between the user interactions 1500 that is equal to or greater than the interaction interval time period (e.g., greater than 6 seconds), a change is made to the internal unattended state 1410. If the state machine remains for a period of time that is equal to or greater than the interaction monitoring time period (e.g.,24 seconds) (alternatively, greater than the interaction monitoring period) in the internal actuation state 1420, the state machine transitions to the increased involvement state 1440, which is an externally detectable state of the state machine 1400. This increased involvement state 1440 causes the current involvement value 1010 to be raised to or above the interrupt threshold 326. Subsequently, the state machine is reset to the normal involvement state 1430 with the internal unattended state 1410.

[0088] In Fig. 8A front area 1600 of a vehicle 1 is shown schematically. The front area 1600 has a driver's side 1601 and a passenger side 1602. In an operating area 1610 of the driver there are a display and operating device 1620 and a further display and operating device 1630, for example two touchscreens, via which the driver can make user inputs. At least one further display and operating device 1630 is additionally in a further operating area 1615 of the passenger. In addition, in the front area 1600 of the vehicle 1 there is a further display device 1640, the content of which is perceptible to both the driver and the passenger, as well as a further additional display device 1650, the content of which is perceptible only to the passenger.While operations on the two display and operating devices 1620, 1630 result in the current involvement value being increased accordingly, regardless of whether the user interaction is carried out by the driver or the passenger, and accordingly the operation and, if applicable, the display of information on the two display devices is blocked as soon as the interruption threshold is reached or exceeded by the current involvement value, the displayed content is statically blocked on the further display device 1640, which is visible to both the driver and the passenger, but via which the driver cannot make any user inputs, i.e. the display of certain content is prevented depending on the driving situation, such as the display of moving image sequences while the vehicle is moving.The additional display device 1650, the content of which can only be perceived by the passenger, is not affected at all by the blocking state or locking measures.

[0089] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that only exemplary embodiments are described here. Embodiments are conceivable that have no state machines, only one state machine, or more than two state machines. However, these are always provided for further influencing the current involvement value in addition to the increases caused by each user interaction with the at least one operating device. List of reference symbols

[0090] 1Vehicle 2Vehicle cockpit 4Windshield 5Center console 6Rim 10Driver's seat 11Passenger seat 15Rear view cameraa 20Steering wheel 30Operating element 31Finger 50Road 100Device for locking at least one operating device 200Operating device 210Touchscreen 211Display 212Position detection unit 300Evaluation device 310Processor 320Memory 321Program memory 325Parameter memory 326Interruption threshold 327Release threshold 328Warning threshold 329Further warning threshold 330Up arrow 331Down arrow 335Warning area 336Further warning area 340Load state 341Low load state 342Medium / normal load state 343High Load state 380Strictness module 390Warning device 400Output device 411Display device 420Lighting device 421Lamp 430Audio system 440Haptic feedback unit 500Passenger display 600Instrument cluster display 700Load management system 720Assistance systems 721Lane keeping assistant722 Driving Stability Assist (ESP) 723 Navigation system 724 Cruise control system 725 Other assistance systems 730 Driver condition monitoring system 740 Other vehicle control units 1000 Bar chart 1010 Current involvement value 1020 Bar 1210 First touch position 1220 Close range (1st touch position) 1230 Second touch position 1240 Close range (2nd touch position) 1250 Stylized roadway 1251 Stylized eye 1252 Text 1260 Previous start of operation position (6th user interaction) 1270 Close range (6th user interaction) 1280 Start of operation position (7th operation) 1290 Close range (7th operation) 1300 State machine 1310 Unoperated state 1320 internal operation state 1330 normal involvement state 1340 increased involvement state 1400 further state machine 1410 unoperated state 1420 internal operation state 1430 normal involvement state 1440 increased involvement state 1500 user interaction 1600 front area 1601 driver side 1602 passenger side1610 Actuating area 1615 Additional operating area 1620 Display and operating device 1630 Additional display and operating device 1640 Additional display device 1650 Additional display device t1-t7 Times

Claims

1. Apparatus (100) for a vehicle for blocking display contexts and / or operating contexts, comprising: at least one operating device (200) for detecting haptic user interactions and an evaluation device (300) which is designed to determine a current involvement value (1010) at least on the basis of the detected user interactions, the evaluation device (300) being designed to compare the current involvement value (1010) with at least one interruption threshold value (326) and to establish a blocking state when the current involvement value (1010) reaches the at least one interruption threshold value (326), and the evaluation device (300) blocking or at least restricting at least one operating context of the at least one operating device (200), the current involvement value (1010) being increased for each detected haptic user interaction, provided that the current involvement value (1010) has not reached or exceeded the at least one interruption threshold value (326), the evaluation device (300) being designed to lower the current involvement value (1010) by a recovery value continuously in time or in time increments, characterized in that the at least one operating device (200) is designed to detect the user interaction in a position-resolved and time-resolved manner, and the evaluation device (300) is designed to increase the current involvement value (1010) depending on the spatial distance of the positions and on a temporal distance between successive actuation beginnings, the evaluation device (300) being designed to increase the current involvement value (1010) by a constant remote actuation value each time an actuation beginning is detected if the spatial distance between the position at which the actuation beginning of the user interaction is detected and the position at which the actuation beginning of the temporally preceding detected user interaction is detected reaches or exceeds a close-range threshold value or if a time period between detecting the actuation beginning and detecting the temporally preceding actuation beginning reaches or exceeds a local actuation time period, and the evaluation device being designed to increase the current involvement value (1010) by a constant local actuation value each time an actuation beginning is detected if the spatial distance between the position at which the actuation beginning of the user interaction is detected and the position at which the actuation beginning of the temporally preceding user interaction is detected falls below a close-range threshold value and, in addition, a time period between detecting the actuation beginning and detecting the temporally preceding actuation beginning is less than a local actuation time period, the local actuation value being smaller in magnitude than the remote actuation value.

2. Apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation device (300) is designed to increase the current involvement value (1010) by an actuation duration involvement value, when an actuation end of a user interaction is detected, if an actuation duration of the user interaction has reached or exceeded a short-term actuation time period.

3. Apparatus (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that the actuation duration involvement value is variable and is a minimum of a difference between the actuation duration and the short-term actuation time period, and an actuation duration involvement maximum value.

4. Apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the evaluation device (300) is designed to end the blocking state when the current involvement value (1010) falls below a release threshold value (327).

5. Apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the evaluation device (300) has at least one state machine, evaluates an interaction sequence of the user interactions, and is designed to recognize an increased interaction involvement state or a normal involvement state on the basis of the evaluation of the user interaction sequence, the evaluation device (300) being designed to set the current involvement value (1010) to the interruption threshold value (326) when the increased involvement state is recognized.

6. Apparatus (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that the at least one state machine is assigned an interaction monitoring time period and an interaction interval time period, and, upon recognition of a user interaction sequence, switches to the increased involvement state, which sequence a group of temporally successively detected actuation beginnings in which group the time intervals between the immediately successively detected actuation beginnings in the group are all shorter than or equal to the interaction interval time period, and at the same time these actuation beginnings in the group in the user interaction sequence span a period greater than or equal to the interaction monitoring time period.

7. Apparatus (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that the evaluation device (300) comprises, in addition to the at least one state machine, at least one further state machine which evaluates the user interaction sequence and which is designed to also recognize an increased interaction involvement state or a normal involvement state, and the evaluation device (300) sets the current involvement value (1010) to the interruption threshold value (326) when the at least one further state machine switches to the increased involvement state, the at least one further state machine being assigned a further interaction monitoring time period and a further interaction interval time period, and, upon recognition of a user interaction sequence, switches to the increased involvement state, which sequence a further group of temporally successively detected actuation beginnings, in which group the time intervals between the immediately successively detected actuation beginnings in the further group are all shorter than (or equal to) the further interaction interval time period, and at the same time these actuation beginnings in the further group in the user interaction sequence span a period greater than or equal to the further interaction monitoring time period.

8. Apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, that the evaluation device (300) is designed to receive load information and to dynamically adjust the interruption threshold value (326) on the basis of the load information.

9. Apparatus (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that the evaluation device (300) is designed to dynamically adjust the release threshold value (327) depending on the load information.

10. Apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, that the evaluation device (300) is designed, is coupled to at least one output device (400) in order to output blocking information about the existing blocking state, which information can be perceived without looking away from the road traffic.

11. Apparatus (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that the output device comprises an illumination device (420) which has a plurality of lamps (421), the plurality of lamps (421) being arranged or being arrangeable on the edge of a windshield in the driver's peripheral field of vision.

12. Apparatus (100) according to any of the preceding claims, that the evaluation device (300) comprises a warning device (390), outputs a warning about an impending blocking state via the at least one output device (400) and / or the operating device (200) and / or a display device if the current involvement value (1010) falls below or reaches at least one warning threshold value (328).

13. Method for blocking display contexts and / or operating contexts in a vehicle (1), comprising: detecting haptic user interactions by means of at least one operating device (200) and determining a current involvement value (1010) at least on the basis of the detected user interactions, the current involvement value (1010) being compared with at least one interruption threshold value (326) and a blocking state being established if the current involvement value (1010) has reached or exceeded the at least one interruption threshold value (326), and at least one operating context of the at least one operating device (200) being blocked or at least restricted for a further operation, the current involvement value (1010) being increased for each detected haptic user interaction, provided that the current involvement value (1010) does not reach or exceed the at least one interruption threshold value (326), and the current involvement value (1010) being lowered by a recovery value continuously in time or in time increments, characterized in that the current involvement value (1010) is increased by a constant remote actuation value each time an actuation beginning is detected if the spatial distance between the position at which the actuation beginning of the user interaction is detected and the position at which the actuation beginning of the temporally preceding detected user interaction is detected reaches or exceeds a close-range threshold value or if a time period between detecting the actuation beginning and detecting the temporally preceding actuation beginning reaches or exceeds a local actuation time period, and the current involvement value (1010) is increased by a constant local actuation value each time an actuation beginning is detected if the spatial distance between the position at which the actuation beginning of the user interaction is detected and the position at which the actuation beginning of the temporally preceding user interaction is detected falls below a close-range threshold value and, in addition, a time period between detecting the actuation beginning and detecting the temporally preceding actuation beginning is less than a local actuation time period, the local actuation value being smaller in magnitude than the remote actuation value.