SIGNALING DEVICE FOR DEFECTIVE SECTION(S) OF A TRAFFIC LANE USED BY A VEHICLE

Abstract

A signaling device (SD) is fitted to a vehicle (V) travelling on a traffic lane, and comprises: - a computer (CD1) capable of determining at least one piece of information representing a difference in level between at least one defective section of this traffic lane and a non-defective area located next to this defective section, based on the round-trip distances travelled by waves emanating from the vehicle (V) and reflected by this traffic lane, and - a projector (PL) capable of converting each determined piece of information into a color, and of projecting a light of that color onto the corresponding defective section in order to signal it to the driver. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: DEVICE FOR SIGNALING DEFECTIVE PORTION(S) OF A TRAFFIC LANE USED BY A VEHICLE Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to vehicles which can travel on a traffic lane, and more specifically to signaling to drivers of vehicles of defective portion(s) of their traffic lane. State of the art

[0002] Many vehicles, possibly of the automobile type, travel on traffic lanes which in places may have at least one defective portion, for example due to the formation of a hole (or concave zone) or a protuberance (or convex zone), or due to the presence of at least one object (such as for example a stone or a block).

[0003] These defective portions are sometimes difficult for the driver of the vehicle to detect, and the estimation by the driver of the extent of the defect (or deterioration) is generally even more difficult. Consequently, when a vehicle drives over such a defective portion, this can cause damage to at least one wheel (tire and / or rim) and / or a member connecting a wheel to the chassis (such as, for example, a shock absorber). Furthermore, this can be (very) uncomfortable for the vehicle's passengers, and can impair the perceived quality of the vehicle's damping.

[0004] The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation by signaling to drivers the defective portions of the traffic lanes used by their vehicles. Presentation of the invention

[0005] It proposes in particular for this purpose a signaling device intended to equip a vehicle suitable for driving on a traffic lane.

[0006] This signaling device is characterized by the fact that it comprises:

[0007] - a calculator capable of determining at least one piece of information which is representative of a difference in level of at least one so-called defective portion of the traffic lane compared to a so-called non-defective area located next to this defective portion, as a function of round-trip distances traveled by waves which come from the vehicle and are reflected by the traffic lane, and

[0008] - a projector capable of converting each determined information into a color, and project a light of this color onto the corresponding defective portion in order to to report the latter to a driver of the vehicle.

[0009] Thanks to the invention, the driver knows immediately whether the illuminated defective portion is concave or convex, and therefore can act on the vehicle to avoid damage to the wheel and / or the member connecting a wheel to the chassis and a deterioration in the comfort of the vehicle's passengers.

[0010] The signaling device according to the invention may include other characteristics which may be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

[0011] - its projector can be suitable for converting the information (each information) from terminated in a first color when the corresponding level difference is negative, or in a second color when the corresponding level difference is positive;

[0012] - in the presence of the first option, its projector can be suitable for converting the information (each piece of information) determined in a first blue color when the corresponding level difference is negative, or in a second red color when the corresponding level difference is positive.

[0013] - in the presence of the first option or the last sub-option, its projector can be capable of converting the information (each information) determined into a shade of the first color which is a function of a negative amplitude of the corresponding level difference, or into a shade of the second color which is a function of a positive amplitude of the corresponding level difference;

[0014] - its calculator can be capable of determining the information (each piece of information) re presenting a difference in level of at least one defective portion of the traffic lane compared to the corresponding non-defective zone, from a difference between a first round-trip distance traveled by waves reflected by this defective portion and a second round-trip distance traveled by waves reflected by this non-defective zone;

[0015] - its calculator can be capable of determining representative information res respectively of differences in the level of sub-parts of the defective portion. In this case, its projector may be capable of converting this information determined respectively into colors, and of projecting lights having these colors onto these corresponding sub-parts of this defective portion in order to signal them to the driver.

[0016] The invention also proposes a vehicle, possibly of the automobile type, suitable for traveling on a traffic lane, and comprising at least one signaling device of the type presented above.

[0017] The vehicle according to the invention may include other characteristics which may be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

[0018] - it may comprise a front part equipped with the signaling device;

[0019] - it may include an analysis device capable of generating the waves intended for be reflected by the traffic lane and to determine the round-trip distances traveled by these reflected waves;

[0020] - in the presence of the last option, the analysis device can be a lidar or a radar. Brief description of the figures

[0021] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawings, in which:

[0022] [Fig. 1] schematically and functionally illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle comprising a powertrain, an analysis device, and a signaling device according to the invention,

[0023] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates the vehicle of [Fig.l] traveling on a lane of circulation including an example of a defective portion, and

[0024] [Fig.3] schematically and functionally illustrates an example of embodiment of the calculator of the signaling device of [Fig.l]. Detailed description of the invention

[0025] The invention aims in particular to propose a signaling device DS intended to enable the driver of a vehicle V to be notified of defective portion(s) PD of the traffic lane VC on which this vehicle V is traveling.

[0026] In the following, it is considered, by way of non-limiting example, that the vehicle V is of the automobile type. It is for example a car, as illustrated in [Fig.l]. But the invention is not limited to this type of vehicle. It in fact concerns any type of land vehicle suitable for circulating on a traffic lane VC. Thus, it concerns utility vehicles, camper vans, minibuses, coaches, trucks, motorcycles, road machinery, construction machinery, and agricultural machinery, for example.

[0027] In [Fig.2] the X direction is the longitudinal direction of the vehicle V, which is substantially parallel to the lateral (or longitudinal) sides comprising the side doors, the Y direction is the transverse direction of the vehicle V, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, and the Z direction is the vertical direction of the vehicle V, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal directions X and transverse directions Y.

[0028] [Fig.l] schematically shows a vehicle V comprising a powertrain (or GMP) G and a signaling device DS according to the invention.

[0029] It is considered in the following, by way of non-limiting example, that the vehicle V comprises a transmission chain with GMP G of the all-electric type (and therefore whose drive is provided exclusively by at least one electric motor). But the GMP G could be of the hybrid type (thermal and electric) or purely thermal. This GMP G is coupled to a transmission shaft AT which is itself coupled to a first train Tl (here of wheels), preferably via a DV differential.

[0030] This first train T1 is here located in the front part PVV of the vehicle V. But in a variant this first train T1 could be the one which is here referenced T2 and which is located in the rear part PRV of the vehicle V.

[0031] As illustrated in [Fig.l], a signaling device DS, according to the invention, comprises a (first) computer CD1 and a projector PL. It will be noted that this signaling device DS can be put into operation selectively by the driver or else automatically when the speed of the vehicle V becomes lower than a speed predefined or chosen by the driver, for example.

[0032] The first computer CD1 is capable of determining at least one item of information in, which is representative of the difference in level dn, of at least one so-called defective portion PD of the traffic lane VC relative to a so-called non-defective zone ZND located next to this defective portion PD, as a function of round-trip distances dar traveled by waves which come from the vehicle V and are reflected by the traffic lane VC.

[0033] It is important to note that a defective portion PD may result from deterioration of the rolling surface of the traffic lane VC, for example due to the formation of a hole (or concave zone) or a protuberance (or convex zone), or due to the presence on this rolling surface of at least one object (such as for example a stone or a block). It is also important to note, as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig. 2], that a non-defective zone ZND is an area of ​​the traffic lane VC which is close to a defective portion PD and whose different geographical points are located, at the instant considered, substantially at the same distance from a (fixed) reference point of the vehicle V in the longitudinal direction X (this distance being equal to half of the aforementioned round-trip distance dar) and at the same height (in the vertical direction Z) relative to this reference point.

[0034] The projector PL is capable of converting each determined information in, into a color, and of projecting a light having this color onto the corresponding defective portion PD in order to signal it to the driver of the vehicle V.

[0035] In other words, the defective portion PD is illuminated by the projector PL with photons that it generates and which have at least one wavelength corresponding to the color resulting from the conversion of information in, determined by the first computer CD1 and representative of its level difference dn, compared to the neighboring non-defective zone ZND. Thus, a driver knowing the meaning of the color of the light projected onto the defective portion PD immediately knows whether the latter (PD) is concave (or in depth) or convex (or protruding), and therefore he can act accordingly, for example by slowing down the vehicle V and / or by carrying out an avoidance maneuver of the defective portion PD. The signaling device DS thus provides a function of assistance (or assistance) for driving the vehicle V such as to avoid not only damage to the wheel and / or the connecting member of a wheel to the chassis but also a deterioration in the comfort of the passengers of the vehicle V.

[0036] It will be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig.l], that the vehicle V may comprise a front part PVV which is equipped with the signaling device DS so as to detect and illuminate the defective portions PD located in front of it (V). For example, and as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig.l], in this case the signaling device DS may be installed in the front bumper (or shield) PCV of the vehicle V.

[0037] But in alternative embodiments not illustrated, the vehicle V could comprise a rear part PRV equipped with the signaling device DS so as to detect and illuminate the defective portions PD located behind it (V), or the vehicle V could comprise a front part PVV equipped with a first signaling device DS and a rear part PRV equipped with a second signaling device DS so as to detect and illuminate the defective portions PD located in front of and behind it (V).

[0038] It will also be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in Figures 1 and 2, that the vehicle V may comprise an analysis device DA which is capable of generating the waves which are intended to be reflected by the traffic lane VC, and of determining the round-trip distances dar traveled by these reflected waves. For this purpose, it comprises at least one sensor (or transmitter / receiver) CA, responsible for emitting the waves towards the rolling surface of the traffic lane VC and receiving the waves reflected by this traffic lane VC, and a second computer CD2 arranged so as to determine, for example periodically, the round-trip distances dar.

[0039] Such an analysis device DA may, for example, participate in the analysis of a part of the environment of the vehicle V to provide the driver with environmental information during parking maneuvers (parking assistance function). In this case, the round-trip distances dar are transmitted to the first computer CD1 by the second computer CD2 (possibly via an internal communication network of the vehicle V (possibly multiplexed)).

[0040] However, the analysis device DA could be exclusively dedicated to determining the round-trip distances dar for the signaling device DS. In this case, the analysis device DA is part of the latter (DS).

[0041] For example, the DA analysis device may be a lidar or a radar. It is recalled that a LIDAR (“LIght Detection And Ranging”) is a device for detecting and estimating distance using photons, while a radar (“RAdio Detection And Ranging") is a device for detecting and estimating distance using electromagnetic waves.

[0042] Also for example, the projector PL can be arranged so as to convert each determined information in, either into a first color when the corresponding level difference dn, is negative (case of a concave defective portion PD), or into a second color when the corresponding level difference dn, is positive (case of a convex defective portion PD).

[0043] In the presence of this option, the PL projector can be arranged so as to convert each determined information in, into a first blue color when the corresponding level difference dn, is negative, or into a second red color when the corresponding level difference dn, is positive. But other colors than blue and red can be used respectively for the first and second colors.

[0044] Also for example, the projector PL can be arranged so as to convert each determined information inj either into a shade of the first color which is a function of the negative amplitude of the corresponding level difference dn, or into a shade of the second color which is a function of the positive amplitude of the corresponding level difference dn. Thus, depending on the color shade of a light projected onto a defective portion PD, the driver can immediately know whether the depth or height of the defect is more or less significant.

[0045] When using shades, each shade can, for example, be defined by a triplet of numerical values ​​each between 0 and 255 in the so-called RGB color space (red, green, blue). In this case, the maximum value (255) of a first numerical value (associated with red) of a triplet can correspond to a maximum positive amplitude (convexity) taken into account (for example equal to + 30 cm), and the maximum value (255) of a third numerical value (associated with blue) of a triplet can correspond to a maximum negative amplitude (concavity) taken into account (for example equal to - 30 cm).

[0046] But in an alternative embodiment the projector PL could be arranged so as to convert each determined information inj into a first (unique) color whatever the negative amplitude of the corresponding level difference dn, or into a second (unique) color whatever the positive amplitude of the corresponding level difference dn,.

[0047] Also for example, the first computer CD1 can be arranged so as to determine each information inj (representative of a difference in level dn, of a defective portion PD) with respect to the corresponding non-defective zone ZND, from the difference between a first round trip distance darl traveled by waves reflected by this defective portion PD and a second round trip distance dar2 traveled by waves reflected by this non-defective zone ZND. It will be understood for example that in the case of a concave defective portion PD, a wave will have more distance to travel before being reflected towards the vehicle V than a neighboring wave reflected by the neighboring non-defective zone ZND (located at a higher level in the vertical direction Z). Similarly, in the case of a convex defective portion PD, a wave will have less distance to travel before being reflected towards the vehicle V than a neighboring wave reflected by the neighboring non-defective zone ZND (located at a lower level in the vertical direction Z). We can thus deduce from the difference (darl - dar2) the amplitude of a level difference dnj.

[0048] Also for example, the first computer CD1 can be arranged so as to determine information in, which is respectively representative of differences in level dn, of sub-parts spj of a defective portion PD. The index j makes it possible to differentiate from each other the sub-parts spj of the same defective portion PD, and therefore takes values ​​between 1 and J (the value of J being variable depending on the shape and the surface of the defective portion PD). We thus have a topography of the defective portion PD broken down into sub-parts spj each having a difference in level dnj.

[0049] In this case, the projector PL can be arranged so as to convert the determined information inj respectively into colors, and to project lights having these colors onto the corresponding sub-parts spj of a defective portion PD in order to signal them to the driver. In other words, the projector PL receives from the first computer CD1 the topography of the defective portion PD broken down into sub-parts spj and converts this topography into a map of color(s) (and preferably a map of shades of a color in which each map sub-part corresponds to a shade associated with a sub-part spj of the defective portion PD).

[0050] This option allows the driver to have even more topographical information on the entirety of a defective portion PD, which allows him to adapt his action accordingly.

[0051] It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig. 2] the traffic lane VC comprises only a single defective portion PD located in the sub-part which is placed in front of the vehicle V at the instant considered. But the signaling device DS can detect and illuminate several (at least two) defective portions PD located in the same sub-part of a traffic lane VC. This may require the projector PL to be arranged so as to provide matrix-type lighting for an entire sub-part of a traffic lane VC.

[0052] It will also be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig. 3], that the signaling device DS can at least comprise a processor PR1, for example of a digital signal (or DSP ("Digital Signal Processor")), and an MD memory. In this case, it can be realized in the form of a combination of electrical or electronic circuits or components (or "hardware") and software modules (or "software"). For example, it can be a microcontroller.

[0053] The memory MD is RAM in order to store instructions for the implementation by the processor PR1 of at least part of an algorithm or computer program. The processor PR1 may comprise integrated (or printed) circuits, or several integrated (or printed) circuits connected by wired or wireless connections. An integrated (or printed) circuit is understood to mean any type of device capable of carrying out at least one electrical or electronic operation.

[0054] It will also be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig. 3], that the first computer CD1 of the signaling device DS may also comprise a mass memory MM1, in particular for storing the round-trip distances dar, as well as any intermediate data involved in all its calculations and processing. Furthermore, this first computer CD1 may also comprise an input interface IE for receiving at least the round-trip distances dar to use them in calculations or processing, possibly after having formatted and / or demodulated and / or amplified them, in a manner known per se, by means of a digital signal processor PR2. In addition, this first computer CD1 may also comprise an output interface IS, in particular for delivering, to the projector PL, the information inj.

Claims

Claims

1. Signaling device (DS) for a vehicle (V) suitable for traveling on a traffic lane (VC), characterized in that it comprises i) a computer (CD1) suitable for determining at least one item of information representative of a difference in level of at least one so-called defective portion of said traffic lane (VC) relative to a so-called non-defective zone located next to this defective portion, as a function of round-trip distances traveled by waves coming from said vehicle (V) and reflected by said traffic lane (VC), and ii) a projector (PL) suitable for converting each item of information determined into a color, and for projecting a light having this color onto said corresponding defective portion in order to signal it to a driver of said vehicle (V).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said projector (PL) is capable of converting said determined information into a first color when said corresponding level difference is negative, or into a second color when said corresponding level difference is positive.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said projector (PL) is capable of converting said determined information into a first blue color when said corresponding level difference is negative, or into a second red color when said corresponding level difference is positive.

4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said projector (PL) is capable of converting said determined information into a shade of said first color as a function of a negative amplitude of said corresponding level difference, or into a shade of said second color as a function of a positive amplitude of said corresponding level difference.

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said calculator (CD1) is capable of determining said information representative of a difference in level of said defective portion relative to said corresponding non-defective zone, from a difference between a first round-trip distance traveled by waves reflected by said defective portion and a second round-trip distance traveled by waves reflected by said non-defective zone.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said calculator (CD1) is capable of determining information representing respectively differences in level of sub-parts of said defective portion, and in that said projector (PL) is capable of converting said determined information respectively into colors, and of projecting lights having these colors onto said corresponding sub-parts of this defective portion in order to signal them to said driver.

7. Vehicle (V) suitable for driving on a traffic lane (VC), characterized in that it comprises at least one signaling device (DS) according to one of the preceding claims.

8. Vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a front part equipped with said signaling device (DS).

9. Vehicle according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that it comprises an analysis device (DA) capable of generating said waves intended to be reflected by said traffic lane (VC) and of determining said round-trip distances traveled by these reflected waves.

10. Vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that said analysis device (DA) is a lidar or a radar.

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