Vehicle warning system and warning method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle warning system and a method for warning a driving state of a motor vehicle.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a vehicle warning system and a warning method. The system comprises: a driving environment evaluation module which calculates collision probability of a motor vehicle on the basis of a collision factor, and generates and transmits collision probability information on the basis of the collision probability of the motor vehicle; and a warning device which receives the collision probability information transmitted from the driving environment evaluation module, and issues a collision warning signal by flickering of a warning lamp on the basis of the collision probability information. A flickering frequency of the warning lamp increases as the collision probability increases, the warning lamp is always turned on or turned off when the collision probability is zero. The present invention instantaneously and exactly warns the outside of a vehicle of a risk of driving environment to improve bidirectionality of traffic information of the motor vehicle, thus, other traffic participants become to instantaneously foresee a risk on safety, and the occurrence of a traffic accident is avoided or reduced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of transportation, and more specifically, to a vehicle warning system and a warning method.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, the installation rate and usage rate of advanced driver assistance (ADAS) and autonomous driving (ADS) functions in motor vehicles are increasing. During the process of using a vehicle, when the ADAS function is activated or the vehicle is in the autonomous driving (ADS) state, the people inside the motor vehicle can know the current state of the ADAS / ADS function and the vehicle driving state from the prompt sound and the text on the display screen. However, other traffic participants outside the motor vehicle cannot know that the motor vehicle is currently being controlled by the ADAS / ADS function in a specific route or manner. Since ADAS / ADS uses sensors such as radars and cameras installed in the vehicle to collect environmental data and further make control decisions, it is difficult to fully guarantee the accuracy and safety of the vehicle's control decisions.

[0003] Also, as the number of vehicles continues to increase, road safety issues are becoming increasingly prominent, and rear-end collisions occur frequently. In the prior art, many motor vehicles are equipped with driving assistance functions such as an advanced emergency braking system (AEB) and an adaptive cruise control (ACC). These functions focus on reducing the collision risk from the perspective of the vehicle itself, but do not give sufficient warnings to other road users. For example, when a vehicle in an adjacent lane suddenly cuts in, it may turn a safe driving state into an emergency situation in an instant. On a road surface with a low adhesion coefficient such as a rainy or snowy day, the braking distance becomes longer due to the deterioration of the road surface conditions, and all these increase the risk of the motor vehicle colliding.

[0004] Therefore, from the two perspectives of improving the bidirectionality and safety of traffic information, it has become an urgent task to introduce a vehicle warning system into vehicles. As a result, other traffic participants on the road can immediately obtain information on the status of advanced driver assistance (ADAS) / automated driving (ADS) functions related to their own vehicle and the degree of danger of the current driving environment, immediately predict safety risks, and avoid or reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents.

[0005] Note that since the information disclosed in the above background art section is for deepening the understanding of the background of the present invention, it may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those skilled in the art.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a vehicle warning system and a method for warning about the driving state of a motor vehicle in order to solve one or more of the above problems existing in the prior art.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention includes a warning device that receives collision probability information transmitted from a driving environment evaluation module and emits a collision warning signal by flashing a warning light based on the collision probability information. The flashing frequency of the warning light increases as the collision probability increases, and when the collision probability is zero, the warning light is constantly lit, providing a vehicle warning system.

[0008] According to the vehicle warning system of an embodiment of the present invention, it further includes a driving environment evaluation module that calculates the collision probability of a motor vehicle based on collision factors, generates and transmits collision probability information based on the collision probability of the motor vehicle. The collision factors include one or more of the road surface adhesion coefficient, the relative speed of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the relative distance of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the mass of the motor vehicle, and the traffic environment situation.

[0009] According to a vehicle warning system of an embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle warning system monitors a manual driving state, an advanced driving assistance state, or an autonomous driving state of a motor vehicle, generates driving state information based on the manual driving state, the advanced driving assistance state, or the autonomous driving state, and further includes a driving state monitoring module that transmits the driving state information to the warning device.

[0010] According to a vehicle warning system of an embodiment of the present invention, the warning device may further receive the driving state information transmitted from the driving state monitoring module and emit a driving state warning signal by a warning light based on the driving state information.

[0011] According to a vehicle warning system of an embodiment of the present invention, the driving state warning signals emitted from the warning lights respectively include different colors or patterns of warning lights indicating the manual driving state, the advanced driving assistance state, or the autonomous driving state of the motor vehicle, or a combination of colors and patterns.

[0012] According to a vehicle warning system of an embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle warning system continuously collects failure information of the driving state monitoring module, the driving environment evaluation module, and the warning device, and when the failure information is collected, further includes a failure processing module that transmits an instruction to turn off the collision warning signal and the driving state warning signal to the warning device.

[0013] According to a vehicle warning system of an embodiment of the present invention, the warning device includes one or more of a front warning device provided at the front of the motor vehicle, a rear warning device provided at the rear of the motor vehicle, a left warning device provided on the left side of the motor vehicle, and a right warning device provided on the right side of the motor vehicle.

[0014] The present invention also provides a motor vehicle having the above vehicle warning system.

[0015] The present invention also provides a vehicle warning method, which includes a step of issuing a collision warning signal by flashing a warning light based on the collision probability information, wherein the flashing frequency of the warning light may increase as the collision probability increases, and the warning light may be always on or off when the collision probability is zero.

[0016] A vehicle warning method according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a step of calculating a collision probability of a motor vehicle based on collision factors, and generating and transmitting collision probability information based on the collision probability of the motor vehicle, wherein the collision factors may include one or more of the following: road adhesion coefficient, relative speed of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, relative distance of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, mass of the motor vehicle, and traffic environment conditions.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the vehicle warning method of the present invention, the method further includes the steps of monitoring the manual driving state, the advanced driving assistance state, and the autonomous driving state of the motor vehicle; generating and transmitting driving state information based on the manual driving state, the advanced driving assistance state, and the autonomous driving state; and emitting a driving state warning signal using a warning light based on the driving state information.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the vehicle warning method of the present invention, the step of issuing a driving state warning signal using a warning light may include a step of displaying manual driving information, advanced driving assistance information, or autonomous driving information of the vehicle by using different colors or patterns, or a combination of colors and patterns, of the warning light.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the vehicle warning method of the present invention, the method further includes a step of continuously collecting fault information during the generation and transmission of collision probability information and the generation and transmission of driving state information, and turning off the collision warning signal and the driving state warning signal when the fault information is collected.

[0020] The present invention also provides a computer device including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor realizes the steps of the method for warning about the driving state of the motor vehicle of the present invention when executing the program.

[0021] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the steps of the method for warning about the driving state of the motor vehicle of the present invention are realized when the program is executed by a processor.

[0022] The present invention also provides a computer program product including computer instructions, wherein the steps of the method for warning about the driving state of the motor vehicle of the present invention are realized when the computer instructions are executed by a processor.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to immediately and accurately warn about the danger level of the driving environment outside the motor vehicle, so that other traffic participants can immediately predict safety risks and avoid or reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents.

[0024] Hereinafter, the above and other features of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to specific exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. However, since the above exemplary embodiments are provided only as examples below, they do not limit the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram of a vehicle warning system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram of a vehicle warning system according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 3]A flowchart of a vehicle warning method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 4] A flowchart of a vehicle warning method according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 5] A schematic diagram of the usage state of a vehicle warning system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail through specific embodiments so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention based on the content disclosed in this specification. The embodiments described below are only a part of all embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor based on the embodiments described in this specification belong to the protection scope of the present invention. In addition, if there is no contradiction, the embodiments and features of the embodiments in this specification can be combined with each other.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "longitudinal direction", "lateral direction", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "side surface", etc. is only based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience and simplification of the description of the present invention, and does not explicitly or implicitly indicate that the shown device or element must have a specific orientation and be configured and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should be understood that this should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0028] The inventor introduced a vehicle warning system into a motor vehicle to address the problems existing in the prior art, warning other traffic participants outside the vehicle according to the risk level of the driving environment, and adjusting the blinking frequency of the warning lights based on the traffic situation and road surface conditions. This makes it easier for other traffic participants outside the vehicle to immediately predict safety risks, provides more accurate and timely warnings to traffic participants, reduces the occurrence of traffic accidents, and helps improve the sense of security and comfort of traffic participants.

[0029] The vehicle warning system of the present invention includes a driving environment evaluation module 1 and a warning device 2. The driving environment evaluation module 1 can evaluate the driving environment based on the road surface adhesion coefficient, the relative speed of the motor vehicle (the host vehicle) with respect to other traffic participants, the relative distance of the host vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the mass of the motor vehicle, and the traffic environment situation. The warning device 2 emits a signal for indicating the risk level of the driving environment. Note that the traffic environment situation described in the present invention includes variables that may cause changes in the traffic situation, such as the number of traffic participants, the degree of traffic congestion, and sudden behaviors of other traffic participants (for example, cut-ins accompanied by sudden lane changes, sudden braking). The present invention can immediately and accurately warn of the risk of the driving environment to the outside of the vehicle, improving the bidirectionality of the traffic information of the motor vehicle. As a result, other traffic participants outside the vehicle can immediately predict safety risks, avoiding or reducing the occurrence of traffic accidents.

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0031] (Example 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle warning system 100 according to Example 1 of the present invention.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle warning system of the present invention includes a driving environment evaluation module 1 and a warning device 2. The driving environment evaluation module 1 calculates the collision probability of a motor vehicle based on the collision factors in the manual driving state, advanced driving assistance state or autonomous driving state of the motor vehicle, and transmits collision probability information based on the collision probability of the motor vehicle. The collision factors include, but are not limited to, the road surface adhesion coefficient, the relative speed of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the relative distance of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the mass of the motor vehicle, and the traffic environment situation (for example, the degree of traffic congestion). The warning device 2 receives the collision probability information transmitted from the driving environment evaluation module 1, and issues a collision warning signal by using the flashing of a warning lamp based on the collision probability information. The flashing frequency of the warning lamp increases as the collision probability increases, and when the collision probability is zero, the warning lamp is always on or off. As described in detail below, when the collision probability is zero, when the motor vehicle is in the manual driving state, the warning lamp can be turned off (extinguished), and when the motor vehicle is in the advanced driving assistance state or the autonomous driving state, the warning lamp can be always on (not flashing). At this time, different colors (or warning lamp patterns, for example, square or circular patterns) can indicate whether the vehicle is in the advanced driving assistance state or the autonomous driving state.

[0033] The driving environment evaluation module 1 of the present invention evaluates the collision risk (collision probability) of a motor vehicle based on parameters such as the road surface adhesion coefficient, relative speed, relative distance, the mass of the entire vehicle, and the traffic environment situation, and issues a collision warning signal, which is the degree of danger of the driving environment, to the outside of the motor vehicle. Specifically, the road surface adhesion coefficient of the present invention is calculated by an algorithm such as an extended Kalman filter (EKF), the vehicle speed is measured by a sensor or calculated by an algorithm, the traffic environment situation can be data-collected by devices such as a camera and a millimeter-wave radar device, and the driving environment evaluation module 1 calculates the collision probability of the motor vehicle based on the collected information. The collision probability is set from 0% to 100%. 0% indicates that there is no current collision risk, and the higher the numerical value, the higher the collision risk. The collision probability can be calculated by a neural network such as a Bayesian neural network. First, it is necessary to select influencing factors, determine the dependence relationship between the factors, assign weights, and further establish a model. Next, a large amount of actual road traffic measurement data is screened to train the model. By inputting the data of the influencing factors into the trained model, the collision probability can be obtained. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the collision probability can be divided into several risk levels (stages) based on the calculated numerical value, for example, five levels. The collision probability is divided in descending order from extremely high, high, medium, slightly low, to extremely low. Furthermore, the warning device 2 issues different warning signals.

[0034] In order for traffic participants outside the vehicle to more easily recognize the warning device 2, in this embodiment, preferably, the warning device 2 is provided on the vehicle body outside the motor vehicle. Of course, the installation of the warning device 2 is not limited to the outside of the vehicle, and those skilled in the art may also select other positions suitable for installing a warning device that is easy for traffic participants outside the vehicle to recognize. As a preferred aspect of the above embodiment, the warning device 2 of this embodiment preferably further includes one or more of a front warning device provided at the front of the motor vehicle, a rear warning device provided at the rear of the motor vehicle, a left warning device provided on the left side of the motor vehicle, and a right warning device provided on the right side of the motor vehicle.

[0035] During the process of a motor vehicle traveling, as shown in FIG. 5, the front warning device gives a warning to the vehicle coming from the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle coming from the front can take measures such as steering avoidance in advance. The rear warning device can give a warning to the vehicle coming from the rear of the vehicle, and the vehicle coming from the rear can avoid it by operations such as decelerating. The left warning device and the right warning device respectively give warnings to the traffic participants on both the left and right sides of the motor vehicle, and the traffic participants on both the left and right sides can keep a safe distance and drive in advance.

[0036] In addition to the above embodiments, the front warning device may preferably include one or more warning lights provided at the front part of the motor vehicle, the rear warning device may preferably include one or more warning lights provided at the rear part of the motor vehicle, the left warning device may preferably include one or more warning lights provided on the left side of the motor vehicle, and the right warning device may preferably include one or more warning lights provided on the right side of the motor vehicle. Of course, the number and form of the warning device 2 of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments, and the present invention may also adopt any other warning device that can be recognized by the traffic participants outside the vehicle. For example, an annular warning tape light is provided surrounding the vehicle body.

[0037] Furthermore, in order for the traffic participants to be able to directly view the front and not look down or up at the presentation module too much, the mounting height of the warning device 2 in this embodiment is preferably greater than 250 mm and less than 1500 mm.

[0038] There are positions in the environment around the vehicle that are blind spots that are difficult for traffic participants to directly see. In order for the driver to easily know the information of the warning lights, it should be avoided to install the warning lights in the blind spots. In this embodiment, it is preferable to install the warning device 2 at a position above the door step and below the spoiler, but it should be avoided to install it on the window, front glass, rear glass and positions above these.

[0039] In addition, the installation position of the warning device 2 should be ensured to be easily observable so that the driver can clearly see the information on the warning device 2. Specifically, this can be achieved by adjusting the warning device 2, for example, by adjusting the angle and color of the warning light, adjusting the angle of the warning light to a position parallel to the line of sight of traffic participants, and using a conspicuous color to improve its visibility.

[0040] Finally, when installing the system of the present invention, one should ensure that the installation location of the warning light complies with local regulations to prevent illegal activities and traffic accidents.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the warning light can be mounted in several locations:

[0042] (1) Use the vehicle emblem as a warning light. Provided that it complies with relevant regulations, the vehicle emblem may be designed as a warning light. Traffic participants can naturally notice the warning light status when looking directly ahead without having to divert their eyes too much. This arrangement combines brand identity and safety functions, improving overall practicality.

[0043] (2) Piercing warning lights. Piercing warning lights used at the rear or front of a vehicle are more visible and easier to perform their warning function. This design can improve vehicle visibility and further enhance safety in poor visibility conditions. By selecting appropriate colors and flashing frequencies, these warning lights can effectively warn other road users.

[0044] (3) Fender warning lights. Mounting warning lights on fenders is a unique and practical installation method. In this embodiment, the warning lights are preferably mounted along the fender or designed to surround the entire fender. This allows more conspicuous warning lights to be installed on both sides of the motor vehicle, making it easier to attract the attention of other road users and further improving driving safety.

[0045] (4) It is a warning light for a door handle. When a warning light is attached to the door handle, the production cost can be reduced by combining it with the ambient light of the door handle. In addition, when other road users approach the vehicle, the warning light on the door handle can play a role in prompting attention and improve the convenience of use.

[0046] Based on the vehicle warning system of Embodiment 1, the present invention further provides a motor vehicle equipped with the above vehicle warning system. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can adaptively attach a driving state monitoring module, a driving environment evaluation module, and a warning device to a motor vehicle according to different types of vehicles, different vehicle configurations, and different production and assembly platforms. Thereby, the bidirectionality of traffic information is improved, and advanced driver assistance (ADAS) / automatic driving (ADS) and traffic risks caused by dangerous road surface conditions are avoided.

[0047] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 3, the vehicle warning method of Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be further described. Specifically, it includes the following steps S11 to S21.

[0048] In S11, based on the collision factors in the manual driving state, advanced driver assistance state, or automatic driving state of the motor vehicle, the collision probability of the motor vehicle is calculated, and collision probability information is generated and transmitted based on the collision probability of the motor vehicle. The collision factors include one or more of the road surface adhesion coefficient, the relative speed of the motor vehicle with respect to other road users, the relative distance of the motor vehicle with respect to other road users, the mass of the motor vehicle, and the traffic environment situation.

[0049] In S21, based on the collision probability information, a collision warning signal is issued by the blinking of the warning light. The blinking frequency of the warning light increases as the collision probability increases. When the collision probability is zero, the warning light is always on or off.

[0050] When in use, the warning device 2 receives the collision probability information transmitted from the driving environment evaluation module 1. When the collision probability is greater than 0%, the warning light of the warning device 2 flashes to warn about the driving environment outside the motor vehicle. When the collision probability is zero, the warning light is always on or turned off.

[0051] According to the above embodiment, this embodiment can not only immediately and accurately present the advanced driver assistance (ADAS) / automatic driving (ADS) state of the host vehicle to the outside of the motor vehicle, but also warn about the driving environment outside the vehicle. As a result, other traffic participants can immediately predict safety risks and avoid or reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents.

[0052] (Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle warning system 100' according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 2, a vehicle warning system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a driving environment evaluation module 1', a warning device 2', a driving state monitoring module 3', and a fault processing module 4'. The driving state monitoring module 3' monitors the driving state of the motor vehicle, that is, monitors whether the motor vehicle is in a manual driving state, an advanced driver assistance state, or an automatic driving state, and collects the manual driving information, advanced driver assistance information, or automatic driving information of the motor vehicle. The driving environment evaluation module 1' calculates the collision probability of the motor vehicle based on collision factors, generates and transmits collision probability information based on the collision probability of the motor vehicle. The collision factors include one or more of the road surface adhesion coefficient, the relative speed to other traffic participants, the relative distance of the motor vehicle to other traffic participants, the mass of the motor vehicle, and the traffic environment situation. The warning device 2' receives the collision probability information transmitted from the driving environment evaluation module 1', emits a collision warning signal by flashing the warning light based on the collision probability information, and the flashing frequency of the warning light increases as the collision probability increases. When the collision probability is zero, the warning light is always on or turned off.

[0054] Further, the warning device 2' further receives the driving state information transmitted from the driving state monitoring module 3', and based on the driving state information, issues a driving state warning signal by using the color and / or pattern of the warning light. As an example, the driving state warning signal emitted from the warning light of the present invention may optionally include a first color signal for indicating a manual driving state, a second color signal for indicating an automatic driving state, and a third color signal for indicating an advanced driving assistance state. The first color signal, the second color signal, and the third color signal preferably include a constant-on state signal for indicating that the collision probability of the motor vehicle is zero, and a flashing state signal for indicating that the collision probability of the motor vehicle is greater than zero. Such a design can more clearly convey the driving state and collision probability information of the motor vehicle, helping other traffic participants to better understand and take appropriate actions. Specifically, when the motor vehicle is in the manual driving state, the first color signal is in the constant-on state, indicating that the vehicle is being controlled by the driver. When the motor vehicle is in the automatic driving state, the second color signal is in the constant-on state, indicating that the vehicle is under automatic driving control. When the motor vehicle is in the advanced driving assistance state, the third color signal is in the constant-on state, indicating that the vehicle is in the advanced driving assistance state. When the second color signal and the third color signal are lit, other traffic participants should not be negligent and should make a prior judgment and intervene if necessary. When the probability of the motor vehicle colliding is greater than zero, the first color signal, the second color signal, and the third color signal switch to the flashing state, attracting the attention of other traffic participants and prompting them to take appropriate avoidance measures. Optionally, when the motor vehicle is in the manual driving state and the probability of the motor vehicle colliding is zero, the warning light may be turned off (the warning light goes out). In such a manner, traffic safety can be significantly improved and the occurrence of traffic accidents can be reduced. In short, the warning light of this embodiment can clearly convey the driving state and collision probability information of the vehicle by emitting signals of different colors and states, helping other traffic participants to better understand and take appropriate actions, thereby improving traffic safety.A person skilled in the art would understand that, above, different driving states have been described by taking signals of different colors as examples. However, in the implementation process, different warning lights with different patterns or shapes may also be used to indicate different driving states, and it will be understood that these also fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0055] The failure processing module 4' continuously collects the failure information of the driving state monitoring module 3', the driving environment evaluation module 1' and the warning device 2'. After collecting the failure information, the failure processing module 4' sends a command to turn off the corresponding warning signal to the warning device 2'. A person skilled in the art would understand that, as the above driving state monitoring module 3', it is preferable to use sensors, programs or software that can collect information on the advanced driving assistance and / or autonomous driving of motor vehicles. Of course, it will also be understood that a combination of sensors, programs and software may also be used.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in Embodiment 2, the difference from Embodiment 1 is that the vehicle warning system 100' of Embodiment 2 further includes a failure processing module 4'. The failure processing module 4' of this embodiment monitors the operating status of the driving state monitoring module 3', the driving environment evaluation module 1' and the warning device 2', and immediately eliminates the problem that the warning device 2' frequently turns on or off due to the failures of the driving state monitoring module 3', the driving environment evaluation module 1' and the warning device 2', avoiding false alarms of warning information, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the vehicle warning system of the present invention.

[0057] In this embodiment, by changing the color and blinking frequency of the warning light, other traffic participants can more easily distinguish the warning signals of the operating state of the motorcycle and the external driving environment, and take appropriate actions to reduce the risk of traffic accidents. In addition, such changes also help to reduce the driver's eye fatigue. If exposed to the color and blinking frequency of a single warning light for a long time, other traffic participants may experience eye fatigue, which may affect their judgment and response ability to traffic situations. By changing the color and blinking frequency, it is possible to stimulate the visual senses of other traffic participants, enhance their attention and alertness, and improve driving safety.

[0058] In addition, in the case of a motorcycle with a high level of autonomous driving, the driving state monitoring module 3' in the vehicle warning system 100' of the present invention may be set to automatically monitor the manual driving state, advanced driving assistance state, or autonomous driving state of the motorcycle. Also, in the case of a motorcycle with a low level of autonomous driving, for example, a motorcycle below level L3, the vehicle warning system of the present invention may be set such that the driver directly manually transmits the manual driving state information, advanced driving assistance state information, or autonomous driving state information to the driving state monitoring module 3' in a manner such as pressing a button. Similarly, the vehicle warning system 100' of this embodiment can also turn on the driving environment evaluation module 1' manually or automatically when the vehicle is in the manual driving state. When the driving environment evaluation module 1' determines that there is a risk of collision for the motorcycle, the warning module 2' emits a corresponding collision warning signal to the outside.

[0059] As an embodiment of the present invention, when the motor vehicle is in a manual driving state, the warning light of the warning module 2' emits a green signal indicating that the vehicle is in a manual driving state. When the motor vehicle is in an advanced driving assistance state, the warning module 2' emits a yellow warning signal indicating that the vehicle is in an advanced driving assistance state. When the motor vehicle is in an automatic driving state, the warning module 2' emits a red warning signal indicating that the vehicle is in an automatic driving state. When the driving environment evaluation module 1' determines that there is a collision risk (the collision probability is greater than 0%) for the motor vehicle based on various parameters, for example, when the road surface becomes wet and slippery and the relative distance of the motor vehicle from other vehicles is relatively close, the warning light of the warning module 2' preferably flashes frequently to further warn about the driving environment outside the motor vehicle. For example, when the motor vehicle is in an advanced driving assistance state and there is a collision risk (the collision probability is greater than 0%), the yellow warning light will flash at different frequencies according to the magnitude of the collision probability or the collision risk level. When the collision probability is small or the collision risk level is low, the danger level of the driving environment is low. At this time, the flashing frequency of the yellow warning light is low, prompting traffic participants to pay more attention. As the collision probability increases or the collision risk level improves, the flashing frequency of the warning light increases, prompting traffic participants to take appropriate collision avoidance measures. When the collision probability is large or the collision risk level is high, the flashing frequency of the collision warning light is in a high range, prompting traffic participants to take emergency collision avoidance measures. The warning light of this embodiment can, by flashing frequently, immediately and accurately warn other traffic participants about the risk of the road surface situation. For example, when a pile-up accident occurs on a highway, the warning light can warn about the danger level of the current driving environment according to the flashing frequency. The following vehicle can immediately obtain the danger level ahead according to the flashing frequency of the road surface situation warning light and take appropriate preventive measures in advance.

[0060] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, the vehicle warning method of Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be further described. Specifically, the method includes the following steps S11' to S31'.

[0061] In S11’, the collision probability of the motor vehicle is calculated based on the collision factors in the manual driving state, advanced driving assistance state or autonomous driving state of the motor vehicle, and collision probability information is generated and transmitted based on the collision probability of the motor vehicle. The collision factors include one or more of the road surface adhesion coefficient, the relative speed of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the relative distance of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the mass of the motor vehicle, and the traffic environment situation.

[0062] In S21’, based on the collision probability information, a collision warning signal is issued by flashing a warning light. The flashing frequency of the warning light increases as the collision probability increases. When the collision probability is zero, the warning light either stays on constantly or turns off.

[0063] In S121’, the manual driving state, advanced driving assistance state and autonomous driving state of the motor vehicle are monitored.

[0064] In S122’, driving state information is generated and transmitted based on the manual driving state, advanced driving assistance state and autonomous driving state.

[0065] In S22’, the driving state information transmitted from the driving state monitoring module is received, and based on the driving state information, a driving state warning signal is issued using a warning light.

[0066] In S31’, the fault information during the generation and transmission of the collision probability information and the generation and transmission of the driving state information is continuously collected. When the fault information is collected, the collision warning signal and the driving state warning signal are turned off.

[0067] When in use, the warning device 2' receives the driving state information transmitted from the driving state monitoring module 3' and the collision probability information transmitted from the driving environment evaluation module 1'. On the one hand, when the motor vehicle is in the manual state, the advanced driving assistance state or the autonomous driving state, the warning device 2' turns on the warning light of the corresponding color or turns off the warning light. On the other hand, when the collision probability is greater than 0%, the warning light of the warning device 2' further warns about the external driving environment of the motor vehicle in a way that blinks the warning light of the corresponding color. The failure collection module 4' collects the failure information generated by the driving state monitoring module 3', the driving environment evaluation module 1' and the warning device 2'. After collecting the failure information, it sends an instruction to the warning device 2' to turn off the corresponding warning signal. The warning device 2' turns off the collision warning signal and / or the driving state warning signal and repeats step S11'.

[0068] According to the embodiment 2 of the present invention, the problem that the warning device is frequently and wrongly turned on or off can be effectively solved, false alarms of warning information can be avoided, the stability and reliability of the vehicle warning system can be improved, and thus the state of the advanced driving assistance (ADAS) and / or autonomous driving (ADS) functions of the vehicle can be presented to the outside of the motor vehicle more immediately and accurately. As a result, other traffic participants can immediately predict safety risks and avoid or reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents.

[0069] According to the above embodiment, the present invention provides a computer device, which includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. The computer device may be integrated into a motor vehicle in the form of an in-vehicle device. When the processor executes the program, it can realize the steps of the warning method of the vehicle warning system in this embodiment.

[0070] Furthermore, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which may be included in the system described in the above embodiments, or may exist independently without being incorporated into the system. One or more programs are included in the above computer-readable medium, and when the above one or more programs are executed by the system, the system can execute the steps of the warning method of the vehicle warning system of this embodiment.

[0071] According to the above embodiment, the present invention also provides a computer program product including computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of the warning method of the vehicle warning system are realized.

[0072] In particular, the process of the embodiment described above with reference to the flowchart in the figure may be realized as a computer software program. For example, the embodiment disclosed in the specification of the present application includes a computer program product including a computer program included in a computer-readable medium, and the computer program includes program codes for executing the methods shown in the respective flowcharts in the figure. By the processor executing the computer program, the method of the present application is executed.

[0073] Note that the computer-readable medium described in this application may be a computer-readable signal medium, a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination of the two. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium may include, but are not limited to, computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0074] In this application, the computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program, and the program may be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In this application, the computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave and containing computer-readable program code. Such a propagated data signal may have various forms, including, but not limited to, electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. The computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable medium other than the computer-readable storage medium, and the computer-readable medium may be capable of transmitting, propagating, or conveying a program used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained in the computer-readable medium may be transmitted via any suitable medium, including, but not limited to, wireless, wired, optical cable, RF, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0075] The computer program code for performing the operations of this application may be written in one or more programming languages or combinations thereof, including object-oriented programming languages such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and also including conventional procedural programming languages such as the C language or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, executed as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. When a remote computer is involved, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer by any type of network such as a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computer (for example, connected via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0076] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures exemplarily show the system architecture, functions, and operations that can be realized by the systems, methods, and computer program products of the embodiments of the present application. Each block in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of code, and the module, program segment, or part of code includes one or more executable instructions for realizing a predetermined logical function. It should be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions described in the blocks may occur in an order different from that shown in the drawings. For example, due to a predetermined function, two sequentially shown blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, or may be executed in the reverse order in some cases. Also, each block in the block diagram and / or flowchart, as well as combinations of blocks in the block diagram and / or flowchart, may be realized by a dedicated hardware system for executing a predetermined function or operation, or may be realized by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0077] The units or modules according to the embodiments of the present application may be realized by software or by hardware. The above units or modules may be provided in a processor, and for example, it may be described as a processor including an acquisition module, a theme generation module, an execution module, etc. The names of these units or modules do not constitute a limitation to the units or modules themselves in some cases.

[0078] This embodiment respectively collects information on advanced driving assistance and autonomous driving, and issues different warning signals, so that traffic participants outside the vehicle can identify different warning signals and know the driving states to respond, realize the distinction of different driving risks, and furthermore, it is possible for traffic participants outside the vehicle to take more reasonable and safe driving countermeasures.

[0079] In short, according to the technical aspects of the present invention, specifically speaking, there are the following technical effects.

[0080] (1) The present invention evaluates the driving environment from the road surface adhesion coefficient, relative speed to other traffic participants, relative distance, the mass of the motor vehicle, and traffic environment conditions, warns about the danger level of the driving environment, and reduces the risk of collisions.

[0081] (2) The present invention improves the two-way nature of traffic information by introducing a vehicle warning system to a motor vehicle, immediately and accurately presents the manual driving state, advanced driving assistance state, or autonomous driving state of the vehicle outside the motor vehicle, so that other traffic participants can immediately predict safety risks, and avoid or reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents.

[0082] (3) The present invention effectively eliminates the problem that the warning device frequently turns on or off erroneously by monitoring fault information about the vehicle warning system, can avoid false alarms of warning information, and improves the stability and reliability of the vehicle warning system.

[0083] It should be understood that the structure shown in the drawings is only an example, and it may include more or fewer modules or components than those shown in the figures, or may have a configuration different from those shown in the figures. When implementing the present invention using embodiments not comprehensively listed in this specification, those skilled in the art may appropriately adjust the structure, position, or function settings of related components.

[0084] It should be understood that when technically feasible, the technical features listed above may be combined with each other for different embodiments to form another embodiment within the scope of the present invention. Also, the specific examples and embodiments described in this specification are not limiting, and corrections may be made to the above-described structure, dimensions, and materials without departing from the protection scope of the present invention.

[0085] In this application, the adversative conjunction is used with the intention of including conjunctions. The definite article or indefinite article is not used to indicate a cardinal number. Specifically, in the case of the "said" object or the object of "one" and "one piece", it represents one of a plurality of such objects. Also, the conjunction "or" can be used to mean features that exist simultaneously, rather than mutually exclusive events. In other words, the conjunction "or" is understood to include "and / or". The term "comprising" is inclusive and has the same scope as "including".

[0086] In the above embodiments, in particular, any "preferred" or "optional" embodiments are merely possible examples of the embodiments and are provided only for clearly understanding the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the above embodiments without basically departing from the spirit and principles of the technology described in this specification. All corrections are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0087] All documents referred to in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference into this application as if each document were incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0088] Also, those skilled in the art should understand that after reading the above description of the present invention, various changes or modifications can be made to the present invention, and these equivalent forms also fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0089] 1 Driving environment evaluation module, 2 Warning device, 1' Driving environment evaluation module, 2' Warning device, 3' Driving state monitoring module, 4' Fault handling module, 100 Vehicle warning system, 100' Vehicle warning system

Claims

1. A warning device that issues a collision warning signal by flashing a warning light based on collision probability information, wherein the flashing frequency of the warning light increases as the collision probability increases, and when the collision probability is zero, the warning light is either constantly on or off. A vehicle warning system characterized by this.

2. Further includes a driving environment evaluation module that calculates the collision probability of a motor vehicle based on collision factors, generates and transmits collision probability information based on the collision probability of the motor vehicle. The collision factors include one or more of the road surface adhesion coefficient, the relative speed of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the relative distance of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the mass of the motor vehicle, and the traffic environment situation. The vehicle warning system according to Claim 1, characterized by this.

3. Further includes a driving state monitoring module that monitors the manual driving state, advanced driving assistance state, or autonomous driving state of a motor vehicle, generates driving state information based on the manual driving state, the advanced driving assistance state, or the autonomous driving state, and transmits the driving state information to the warning device. The vehicle warning system according to Claim 2, characterized by this.

4. The warning device further receives the driving state information transmitted from the driving state monitoring module and issues a driving state warning signal using the warning light based on the driving state information. The vehicle warning system according to Claim 3, characterized by this.

5. The driving state warning signals emitted from the warning light respectively include different colors or patterns or combinations of colors and patterns of the warning light indicating the manual driving state, the advanced driving assistance state, or the autonomous driving state of the motor vehicle. The vehicle warning system according to Claim 4, characterized by this.

6. Further includes a fault processing module that continuously collects fault information of the driving state monitoring module, the driving environment evaluation module, and the warning device. When the fault processing module collects the fault information, it transmits an instruction to turn off the collision warning signal and the driving state warning signal to the warning device. The vehicle warning system according to Claim 4, characterized by this.

7. The warning device includes one or more of a front warning device provided at the front of the motor vehicle, a rear warning device provided at the rear of the motor vehicle, a left warning device provided on the left side of the motor vehicle, and a right warning device provided on the right side of the motor vehicle. The vehicle warning system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is characterized by this.

8. A motor vehicle having the vehicle warning system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Including the step of emitting a collision warning signal by flashing a warning light based on collision probability information. The flashing frequency of the warning light increases as the collision probability increases, and when the collision probability is zero, the warning light is constantly lit or turned off. The vehicle warning method is characterized by this.

10. Further including the step of calculating the collision probability of the motor vehicle based on the collision factors, and generating and transmitting collision probability information based on the collision probability of the motor vehicle. The collision factors include one or more of the road surface adhesion coefficient, the relative speed of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the relative distance of the motor vehicle with respect to other traffic participants, the mass of the motor vehicle, and the traffic environment situation. The vehicle warning method according to claim 9 is characterized by this.

11. The steps of monitoring the manual driving state, the advanced driving assistance state, and the autonomous driving state of the motor vehicle. The step of generating and transmitting driving state information based on the manual driving state, the advanced driving assistance state, and the autonomous driving state. Further including the step of emitting a driving state warning signal using the warning light based on the driving state information. The vehicle warning method according to claim 10 is characterized by this.

12. The step of emitting the driving state warning signal using the warning light includes the step of displaying manual driving information, advanced driving assistance information, or autonomous driving information of the vehicle by different colors or patterns or combinations of colors and patterns of the warning light. The vehicle warning method according to claim 11 is characterized by this.

13. Further including the step of continuously collecting fault information during the generation and transmission of the collision probability information and the generation and transmission of the driving state information, and turning off the collision warning signal and the driving state warning signal when the fault information is collected. The vehicle warning method according to claim 10 is characterized by this.

14. A computer device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 9 to 13 are realized. A computer device characterized by the above.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 9 to 13 are realized. A computer-readable storage medium characterized by the above.

16. A computer program product including computer instructions, wherein when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 9 to 13 are realized. A computer program product characterized by the above.

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