METHOD FOR REPRESENTING VEHICLE STATE INFORMATION AND VEHICLE - Patent application

Abstract

The present application provides a method and apparatus for indicating vehicle status information. The method includes: A controller obtains status information that currently needs to be indicated and status information that is indicated. The status information includes status type and status priority information. The controller determines a status indication policy based on the status information that currently needs to be indicated and status information that is indicated. The status indication policy includes a policy for indicating the status information that currently needs to be indicated. By determining the status that currently needs to be indicated and the status type and / or priority information for the vehicle, a policy for indicating the information that currently needs to be indicated is determined to be indicated to a user, so that the user can know about the status information of the vehicle in a timely manner, thereby ensuring safe driving.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION This application relates to the field of vehicles, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for indicating vehicle status information. [Background technology]

[0002] To ensure safe driving, vehicle status information needs to be fed back to the driver in a timely manner. For example, a dashboard is used to visually indicate the vehicle status, such as the remaining power of the vehicle and whether the vehicle doors are closed, to the driver. Existing vehicle status information indications are usually mechanized indications based on the functions and states of the entire vehicle. This indication method cannot ensure that a state that needs to be urgently handled is indicated to the user in a timely manner, and cannot ensure that the user can clearly know what operation needs to be performed based on the status information. For example, fixed terms are used to indicate information about a fault in a part of the vehicle to the user.

[0003] With the popularity of driving assistant technology and autonomous driving, vehicle status information has become complex and multifaceted. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a method for indicating vehicle status so as to present vehicle status information to users in a timely manner. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a method and apparatus for presenting vehicle status information to present the vehicle's current status information to a user in a timely manner.

[0005] According to a first aspect, a method for indicating vehicle state information is provided. The method includes: a controller obtaining state information that currently needs to be indicated and state information that is being indicated; the state information including state type and state priority information; and the controller determining a state indication strategy based on the state information that currently needs to be indicated and the state information that is being indicated. The state indication strategy includes a strategy for indicating the state information that currently needs to be indicated.

[0006] According to the method provided in this embodiment of the present application, the controller may determine a strategy to display the information that currently needs to be displayed to the user by determining the status that currently needs to be displayed and the status type and / or priority information that is being displayed, so that the user can know the vehicle status information in a timely manner, thereby ensuring safe driving.

[0007] With respect to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the state type includes a timed state, and the timed state includes at least one of a fault-type state, a state in which the driving assistance function partially or fully exits, a state in which the driving assistance function is actively or passively degraded, and a notification-type state.

[0008] Regarding the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the state type further includes a persistent state, the persistent state is used to indicate to the user that a corresponding operation should be performed, and the priority information of the persistent state is determined based on the time when the user starts to perform the corresponding operation.

[0009] Regarding the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the controller determining a state indication strategy based on state information that needs to be currently indicated and state information that is being indicated includes: the controller determining that the state that needs to be currently indicated is a timed state and that the currently indicated state includes a timed state; the controller determining a state indication strategy based on priority information for the state that needs to be currently indicated and the currently indicated state; the priority information for the timed state is determined based on the urgency of a corresponding operation that needs to be performed by the user.

[0010] Regarding the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, determining a state indication strategy based on priority information of the state that currently needs to be indicated and the currently indicated state by the controller includes: if the controller determines that the priority of the state that currently needs to be indicated is higher than the priority of the currently indicated state, the controller determines that the state that currently needs to be indicated will interrupt the currently indicated state, or if the controller determines that the priority of the state that currently needs to be indicated is lower than the priority of the currently indicated state, the controller determines not to indicate the state that currently needs to be indicated.

[0011] Regarding the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the controller determining a state indication strategy based on the state that currently needs to be indicated and priority information of the currently indicated state includes: if the priority of the currently indicated state is the same as the priority of the state that currently needs to be indicated, the controller determines to discontinue the currently indicated state, or the controller determines to indicate the state that currently needs to be indicated after a first time period, wherein the duration of the first time period is equal to or greater than the remaining indication duration of the indicated state.

[0012] Regarding the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the controller determining a state indication strategy based on the state information that currently needs to be indicated and the indicated state information includes: the controller determining that the state that currently needs to be indicated is a persistent state and that the currently indicated state is a timed state, and the controller determining to indicate the state that currently needs to be indicated after a first time period, wherein the duration of the first time period is equal to or greater than the remaining indication duration of the indicated state.

[0013] Regarding the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the controller determining a state indication strategy based on the state information that currently needs to be indicated and the indicated state information includes: the controller determining that the state that currently needs to be indicated is a timed state and that the currently indicated state includes a persistent state, and the controller determining that the state that currently needs to be indicated interrupts or covers the currently indicated state.

[0014] Regarding the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the controller indicates to the user the status that currently needs to be indicated according to a status indication policy.

[0015] Regarding the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the controller determines to show the status that currently needs to be shown to the user in the form of a pop-up window, the display location and format of the pop-up window are fixed, the format of the pop-up window includes icons and drafting arranged separately on the left and right, the drafting includes status indication drafting and drafting of actions that need to be performed, and the two types of drafting are set in different lines.

[0016] With respect to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the controller determines to indicate to the user the status that currently needs to be indicated in the form of a combination of a pop-up window and at least one of a sound effect, a text-to-speech (TTS) voice broadcast, a head-up display (HUD), a vibration, and a lighting effect.

[0017] According to a second aspect, there is provided an apparatus for indicating vehicle state information, the apparatus including: a processing unit configured to obtain currently-to-be-indicated state information and indicated state information, the state information including state type and state priority information; the processor further configured to determine a state indication strategy based on the currently-to-be-indicated state information and the indicated state information, the state indication strategy including a strategy for indicating the currently-to-be-indicated state information.

[0018] According to the device provided in this embodiment of the present application, by determining the status that currently needs to be displayed and the status type and / or priority information that is being displayed, the method of the information that currently needs to be displayed is determined to be displayed to the user, so that the user can know the vehicle status information in a timely manner, thereby ensuring safe driving.

[0019] With respect to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the state type includes a timed state, and the timed state includes at least one of a fault-type state, a state in which the driving assistance function partially or fully exits, a state in which the driving assistance function is actively or passively degraded, and a notification-type state.

[0020] Regarding the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the state type further includes a persistent state, the persistent state is used to indicate to the user that a corresponding operation should be performed, and the priority information of the persistent state is determined based on the time when the user starts to perform the corresponding operation.

[0021] Regarding the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the processing unit is particularly configured to determine that the state that currently needs to be indicated is a timed state and the currently indicated state includes a timed state, and the controller determines a state indication strategy based on priority information of the state that currently needs to be indicated and the currently indicated state, and the priority information of the timed state is determined based on the urgency of a corresponding operation that needs to be performed by a user.

[0022] With regard to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, if the controller determines that the priority of a state that currently needs to be indicated is higher than the priority of a state that is currently being indicated, the processing unit is specifically configured to determine that the state that currently needs to be indicated interrupts the state that is currently being indicated, or if the controller determines that the priority of the state that currently needs to be indicated is lower than the priority of the state that is currently being indicated, the processing unit is specifically configured to determine not to indicate the state that currently needs to be indicated.

[0023] With regard to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, if the priority of the currently indicated state is the same as the priority of the state that currently needs to be indicated, the processing unit is particularly configured to determine to discontinue the currently indicated state, or the controller determines to indicate the state that currently needs to be indicated after a first time period, wherein the duration of the first time period is equal to or greater than the remaining indication duration of the indicated state.

[0024] With regard to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the processing unit is particularly configured to determine that the state that currently needs to be indicated is a persistent state and that the currently indicated state is a timed state, and to determine to indicate the state that currently needs to be indicated after a first time period, wherein the duration of the first time period is equal to or greater than the remaining indication duration of the indicated state.

[0025] With respect to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the processing unit is particularly configured to determine that the state that currently needs to be indicated is a timed state, that the currently indicated state includes a persistent state, and that the currently indicated state interrupts or covers the currently indicated state.

[0026] With regard to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the processing unit is specifically configured to indicate to the user a status that currently needs to be indicated according to a status indication policy.

[0027] Regarding the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the processing unit is particularly configured to determine to indicate the status that currently needs to be shown to the user in the form of a pop-up window, the display location and format of the pop-up window are fixed, the format of the pop-up window includes icons and draftings arranged separately on the left and right, the draftings include status indication draftings and draftings of actions that need to be performed, and the two types of draftings are set in different lines.

[0028] With respect to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the processing unit is configured to determine to indicate to the user the status that currently needs to be indicated in the form of a combination of a pop-up window and at least one of a sound effect, a text-to-speech (TTS) voice broadcast, a head-up display (HUD), a vibration, and a lighting effect.

[0029] According to a third aspect, there is provided an apparatus for indicating vehicle state information, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions and the processor operates the computer program instructions to implement a method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0030] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a vehicle including a memory and a processor, the memory storing computer program instructions and the processor operating the computer program instructions to implement a method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0031] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided an apparatus for indicating vehicle state information, the apparatus including a processor and an interface circuit, the processor coupled to a memory via the interface circuit, the processor configured to execute program code in the memory to implement a method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0032] According to a sixth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a vehicle control device to implement a method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0033] According to a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer program product, which, when running on a processor, enables a vehicle control device to implement a method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic flowchart of a method for indicating vehicle state information according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an interface for showing vehicle status information according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a pop-up window format for showing vehicle status information according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a controller according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle structure according to an embodiment of the present application; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] The technical solutions of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] 1 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle 100 may be a manually driven vehicle, or the vehicle 100 may be configured in a fully or partially autonomous driving mode.

[0037] The vehicle 100 may include various subsystems, such as a driving system 110 , a sensing system 120 , a control system 130 , one or more peripheral devices 140 , a computer system 150 , a power source 160 , and a user interface 170 .

[0038] Optionally, vehicle 100 may include more or fewer subsystems, and each of the subsystems may include multiple elements. Additionally, each of the subsystems and elements of vehicle 100 may be interconnected in a wired or wireless manner.

[0039] For example, traction system 110 may include components for providing powered movement to vehicle 100. In an embodiment, traction system 110 may include engine 111, transmission 112, energy source 113, and wheels / tires 114.

[0040] The engine 111 may convert the energy source 113 into mechanical energy. The transmission 112 may transmit the mechanical power from the engine 111 to the wheels 114. The energy source 113 is configured to provide energy to other systems of the vehicle 100.

[0041] For example, sensing system 120 may include several sensors configured to sense ambient environmental information of vehicle 100. For example, sensing system 120 may include a positioning system 121 (e.g., a GPS system, a BeiDou system, or another positioning system), an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 122, a radar 123, a laser range finder 124, and a camera 125. Sensing system 120 may further include sensors for monitoring internal systems of vehicle 100 (e.g., an in-vehicle air quality monitor, a fuel gauge, and an oil temperature gauge). Sensor data from these sensors may be used to detect objects and their corresponding states (motion, position, shape, direction, speed, etc.). Such detection and recognition may be used by vehicle 100 to determine a vehicle state to be indicated to a user to ensure safe operation of the user.

[0042] The control system 130 may be configured to control the operation of the vehicle 100 and its components. For example, the control system 130 may include a driver assistance system 134. The driver assistance system 134 may include an information assistance system and a control assistance system. The driver assistance system 134 may process and analyze the sensor data acquired by the sensing system 120 and perform static and dynamic object and / or feature recognition based on the sensor data. The objects and / or features may include traffic signals, road boundaries, and obstacles, so that possible situations or dangers can be detected in advance, assisting the driver in convenient and safe driving.

[0043] Optionally, as shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 100 may further interact with external sensors, another vehicle, another computer system, or a user through peripheral devices 140. For example, the peripheral devices 140 may include an on-board computer 141, a microphone, 143 ,speaker 144For example, the on-board computer 141 may provide information to the user of the vehicle 100, 141 receives user input through user interface 170. Alternatively, peripheral device 140 may provide a means for vehicle 100 to communicate with other devices in the vehicle. For example, a microphone 143 may receive audio (e.g., voice commands or other audio input) from a user of the vehicle 100. Similarly, the speaker 144 may output audio to the user of the vehicle 100.

[0044] For example, some or all of the functions of vehicle 100 may be controlled by computer system 150, which may include at least one processor 151 that executes instructions 153 stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, for example, in memory 152. Computer system 150 may alternatively be multiple computing devices that control individual components or subsystems of vehicle 100 in a distributed manner.

[0045] For example, processor 151 may be any conventional processor, such as a commercially available CPU.

[0046] Optionally, the processor may be a dedicated device, such as an ASIC or another hardware-based processor. While FIG. 1 functionally illustrates the processor, memory, and other elements of a computer in the same block, those skilled in the art will understand that a processor, computer, or memory may actually include multiple processors, computers, or memories, which may or may not be housed in the same physical housing. For example, the memory may be a hard disk drive or another storage medium located in a different housing than that of the computer. Thus, reference to a processor or computer is understood to include reference to a set of processors or computers or memories, which may or may not operate in parallel. Unlike using a single processor to perform the steps described herein, some components, such as steering and deceleration components, may each include a processor. The processor performs only calculations related to the component's specific function.

[0047] In various aspects described herein, the processor may be located remotely from the vehicle and in wireless communication with the vehicle. In other aspects, some processing described herein is performed on a processor disposed within the vehicle, while others are performed by a remote processor, including performing steps necessary for a single operation.

[0048] In some embodiments, memory 152 may include instructions 153 (e.g., program logic) that may be executed by processor 151 to perform various functions of vehicle 100, including those described above. Memory 152 may also include additional instructions, including instructions for sending data to, receiving data from, interacting with, and / or controlling one or more of cruise system 110, sensing system 120, control system 130, and peripheral devices 140.

[0049] For example, in addition to instructions 153, memory 152 may also store data such as a vehicle road map, route information, location, direction, and speed, other such vehicle data, and other information. Such information may be used by vehicle 100 and computer system 150 during operation of vehicle 100 in autonomous, semi-autonomous, and / or manual modes.

[0050] Optionally, one or more of the above components may be located separately from or associated with vehicle 100. For example, memory 152 may exist partially or completely separate from vehicle 100. The above components may be communicatively coupled to each other in a wired and / or wireless manner.

[0051] In this embodiment of the present application, computer system 150 may control functions of vehicle 100 based on inputs received from various subsystems (e.g., cruise control system 110, sensing system 120, and control system 130) and user interface 170. For example, computer system 150 may determine status information of vehicle 100 based on inputs from control system 130 and sensing system 120, or computer system 150 may further determine status information of vehicle 100 based on data stored in memory 152.

[0052] In this application, the vehicle 100 may be a moving autonomous vehicle, and "autonomous driving" in this specification may be fully autonomous driving or driver-assisted autonomous driving. The level of autonomous driving may be determined based on the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) classification standard and may be divided into L0 level, L1 level, L2 level, L3 level, L4 level, and L5 level. The L0 level is non-autonomous driving, and the driver completely controls the vehicle throughout the entire process. The L1 level is driving support, specifically, a driver assistance system can provide driving support by controlling one of steering and deceleration based on an assessment of the environment. L1 level autonomous driving has driving support functions, but driver operation is the main part. L2 level autonomous driving is partial autonomous driving, specifically, a driver assistance system can control the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle based on an assessment of the surrounding environment, allowing the driver to take a short rest. When a vehicle is L2 autonomous, the driver must pay attention to road traffic conditions and be ready to take over the vehicle at all times. L3 autonomous is condition-constrained autonomous, where the driver assistance system completes all driving operations under certain conditions, and the driver provides adaptive responses based on system requests. L4 autonomous is highly autonomous, where the driver assistance system can complete all driving operations, allowing the driver to completely free their hands when driving on conditional roads. L5 autonomous is fully autonomous. This level of autonomous driving achieves the true feeling of autonomous driving, allowing the driver to sleep in the vehicle, play games online, chat, and more.

[0053] From the above, it can be seen that for vehicles with different levels of autonomous driving, the prerequisites for operating the driver assistance system 134 and the scope of application may also differ based on the vehicle's different levels of autonomous driving intelligence. The driver assistance system 134 can be guaranteed to operate normally only when the corresponding conditions are met. Conversely, if any one of the prerequisites is not met, the driver assistance system 134 may fail.

[0054] For example, in autonomous driving with a high level of autonomous driving intelligence (e.g., L3 level autonomous driving), the driver assistance system 134 may include navigation, cruise control, assist (navigation cruise assistant t, The vehicle may include an NCA (Non-Camera Control) system. The NCA system can adapt to complex road conditions and automatically take appropriate actions (e.g., acceleration, deceleration, braking, and lane changes) based on map information to control the vehicle to reach a destination on the map. The NCA system can implement lateral and longitudinal movement control of the vehicle and can implement autonomous driving by selecting an appropriate lane based on road conditions. In some cases, for example, when the vehicle moves outside the high-resolution map area or the navigation signal is lost, the NCA system automatically exits or declines.

[0055] In autonomous driving with a lower level of autonomous driving intelligence (e.g., L2 level autonomous driving), the driver assistance system 134 may be an intelligent cruise assist. ceThe ICA system may include an ICA (Inter-Car Acceleration and Control) system. The ICA system can implement lateral and longitudinal movement control of the vehicle by continuously controlling the engine 111, transmission 112, brake unit 132, etc. By keeping an appropriate distance from the vehicle ahead and through lateral movement control within the lane line range, the driver's labor intensity is reduced to ensure driving safety. In some cases, for example, when the lane line is unclear or the vehicle deviates from the current lane line, the ICA system can automatically exit or decelerate.

[0056] In autonomous driving with a low degree of autonomous driving intelligence (e.g., L1 level and L2 level autonomous driving), the driver assistance system 134 may further include an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system. The ACC system can implement longitudinal motion control of the vehicle. The driving assistance is implemented by keeping an appropriate distance from the vehicle ahead, and the vehicle typically has a predetermined vehicle speed range, for example, from 65 km / h to 120 km / h. If the vehicle speed is out of the range (e.g., the vehicle speed is less than 65 km / h or greater than 120 km / h), the ACC system will automatically exit.

[0057] It should be understood that the NCA system, the ICA system, and the ACC system are merely illustrative examples of driver assistance systems that may currently be configured for a vehicle, and other driver assistance systems may be further configured for the vehicle to assist the driver in driving.

[0058] When the vehicle is in an inappropriate state (for example, some components in the above description are faulty) or the above conditions for using the driver assistance system are not met, the driver assistance system 134 may actively or passively exit some functions. To ensure safe driving, the current status information of the vehicle needs to be presented to the user in a timely and clear manner. As the environment of the vehicle (including the vehicle's environment and the surrounding environment) becomes more complex, there is an urgent need for an effective solution for presenting vehicle status information in order to feed back the vehicle's status information to the user in a timely and clear manner during driving.

[0059] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for displaying vehicle status information. The method provided in the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 5. The method can be implemented by a controller. The controller can be a controller in the control system 130 or the computing system 150, or can be a chip, circuit, component, system, or mobile terminal disposed in the vehicle. This is not limited in the present application.

[0060] 2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for displaying vehicle status information according to the present application. As shown in FIG. 2, the method may include at least the following steps:

[0061] S210: The controller determines the status information that currently needs to be displayed by the vehicle.

[0062] The status information that currently needs to be displayed may include at least one of information on the type of status that currently needs to be displayed and priority information of the status that currently needs to be displayed.

[0063] For example, the controller may communicate with other components in the vehicle, e.g. computerThrough the system 150, the status information that currently needs to be displayed may be obtained and determined, or the controller may further determine the status information that currently needs to be displayed based on sensor data obtained from the sensing system 120.

[0064] The types of status that need to be currently indicated may include timed status and persistent status. A timed status may be understood as indicating status information to the user for a time period. For example, the indication duration may be 4 seconds. A persistent status may be understood as continuously indicating status information to the user until the user makes a corresponding response. For example, when the driver's hands are released from the steering wheel, a handoff reminder may be indicated until the driver's hands hold the steering wheel.

[0065] The priority of timed conditions may be set in descending order based on the degree of urgency of the user's response to the condition, for example, A1 to A4. A condition corresponding to the A1 level may be an extremely dangerous condition, and the user needs to respond to the condition immediately. An A2 level condition may be a dangerous condition, in which the vehicle may continue to run, but the user needs to respond as soon as possible. An A3 level condition may be a moderately dangerous condition, and when this condition appears, the user may be notified that the condition should be paid attention to, but does not need to be dealt with as soon as possible. An A4 level condition may include a normal notification condition, i.e., in this case the condition changes, but the user only needs to be aware of the condition.

[0066] An example is a vehicle in autonomous driving. The A1-level state may include a fault-type state. The fault-type state may be a component failure in the vehicle or a driver assistance system failure, or an exit from some driver assistance function. For example, a state in which the ICA passively exits may be configured as an A1-level state.

[0067] The A2 level state may include passive degradation of some driving assistance functions. Passive degradation may be understood as degradation under non-manual operation. For example, in the process of using driving assistance, if the conditions under which NCA is applicable change (e.g., leaving a high-resolution map area), the driving assistance may be passively reduced to ACC. After passive degradation, the driving assistance function requires user assistance to adjust the steering wheel or brakes. Therefore, the passive degradation state of the driving assistance function may be set to the A2 level, i.e., the vehicle may continue to drive, but the user needs to respond as soon as possible.

[0068] The A3 level state may include the degradation or exit of some driving assistance functions. The degradation of a driving assistance function may include active degradation or passive degradation. The exit of a driving assistance function may include active exit. An active degradation or exit may be understood as a degradation or exit determined by the controller based on manual operation. For example, the controller may determine that a driving assistance function needs to be actively reduced or exited based on the peripheral device 140 or the user interface 170. In some scenarios, if the controller determines that the driving assistance function after the degradation is a driving assistance function that does not require manual operation, the controller may determine the current state as the A3 level. For example, if the driving assistance function actively or passively reduces from non-conductive cruise to inductive cruise, or if the controller determines that the reduction or exit of the driving assistance function is an active operation, the controller may determine the current state as the A3 level.

[0069] The A4 level status indication may include an indication of the current status of the driver assistance function, for example, whether the NCA or ICA is available or unavailable, or whether the NCA or ICA is in standby, active, or on state.

[0070] It should be understood that the above setting of priorities for vehicle states in autonomous driving is only an example, and more or less priorities may be set based on actual requirements, and priorities corresponding to more states of the vehicle in autonomous driving may be set separately.

[0071] Optionally, the controller may further determine the status information that needs to be currently displayed based on the user's behavior. In some autonomous driving scenarios, the user needs to perform an assistant operation to assist autonomous driving. For example, during ACC cruise, the user needs assistance adjusting the steering wheel. In this case, if the controller determines that the user will not perform a corresponding operation, the controller may determine to display continuous status information to the user. In other words, the controller may continuously display status information to the user until the user performs a corresponding operation.

[0072] Optionally, the controller may further determine priority information for a persistent state based on information about a time period during which the user does not perform a corresponding action.

[0073] In one example, if the controller determines that the time during which the user does not perform a corresponding operation exceeds a first preset duration, for example, if the first preset duration is one minute, the controller may determine that the persistent condition is at the A3 level and display the persistent condition to the user. If the controller determines that the time during which the user does not perform a corresponding operation exceeds a second preset duration, the controller may determine that the persistent condition is at the A2 level. For example, the second preset duration may be a preset duration after the controller displays the A3 level persistent condition to the user. In other words, if the user does not perform a response operation after the A3 level persistent condition is displayed and the time during which no operation is performed reaches the second preset duration, the A3 level persistent condition is upgraded to the A2 level. If the controller determines that the time during which the user does not perform an operation exceeds a third preset duration, the controller may determine to upgrade the persistent condition to the A1 level. In other words, the priority of the persistent condition increases as the time during which the user does not perform a corresponding operation accumulates.

[0074] For example, as shown in Figures 3(a) to 3(c), during ACC cruise, if the controller determines that the user's hands are off the steering wheel for more than one minute, the controller determines to indicate an A3 level persistence state to the user, and if, one minute after the first indication, the controller determines that the user is still not holding the steering wheel, the controller determines to increase the priority of the persistence state to the A2 level. If, one minute after showing the A2 level persistence state information to the user, the controller determines that the user is still not holding the steering wheel, the controller determines to increase the priority of the persistence state to the A1 level, and this state is continuously indicated until the user holds the steering wheel.

[0075] S220: The controller determines the currently presented state information.

[0076] The currently displayed state information may be information about the state that was last determined by the controller and needs to be displayed. For example, the controller may determine the currently displayed state information through stored information about the state that last needed to be displayed. The currently displayed state information includes the type of the currently displayed state and priority information of the currently displayed state.

[0077] S230: The controller determines a status indication strategy based on the status information that currently needs to be indicated and the status information that is being indicated.

[0078] If the controller determines that the state that needs to be currently indicated is a persistent state, the controller determines to indicate the state that needs to be currently indicated after the indication of the currently indicated state ends. Optionally, the controller may further determine priority information for the currently indicated state. If the currently indicated state is at the A1 level, the controller may control not to process the state that needs to be currently indicated, as shown in the last row of Table 1.

[0079] Note that the controller may determine that a state that currently needs to be indicated is a persistent state only if the currently indicated state is a timed state. Because the indication time of a persistent state is related to the time at which the user performs an operation, if a persistent state is currently indicated, the controller does not need to indicate a new persistent state.

[0080] If the controller determines that the state that currently needs to be indicated is a timed state, the controller determines an indication strategy for the state that currently needs to be indicated based on the priority information of the state that currently needs to be indicated and the state information that is currently being indicated. There are two cases in which the controller determines an indication strategy for the state that currently needs to be indicated based on different types of the state that currently needs to be indicated.

[0081] Case 1: The controller determines that the currently presented state is a timed state.

[0082] In this case, if the controller determines that the priority of the currently-to-be-shown state is higher than the priority of the shown state, the controller determines to show the currently-to-be-shown state to the user, and the controller determines that the currently-to-be-shown state interrupts the shown state. For example, the controller may control the currently-to-be-shown state pop-up window to interrupt the shown state pop-up window. As shown in Table 1, when the currently-to-be-shown state is a timed state, the currently-to-be-shown state is shown in the upper right corner of the diagonal line.

[0083] If the controller determines that the priority of the currently displayed state is the same as the priority of the displayed state, the controller may determine whether to display the currently displayed state based on the priority information. If the controller determines that the currently displayed state is an A1 level state and that the currently displayed state is also at the A1 level, the controller determines not to process the currently displayed state. Generally, in an A1 level state, the user needs to respond to the state immediately. For example, the user needs to immediately take over the steering wheel, apply the brakes, etc. Therefore, if there is an displayed A1 level state, this A1 level state does not need to be displayed again. If the controller determines that the currently displayed state and the currently displayed state are at the A2 level, the controller determines that the currently displayed state will interrupt the displayed A2 level state. If the controller determines that the currently displayed state and the currently displayed state are at the A3 level or A4 level, the controller determines to display the currently displayed state after a first time period. The first time period may be greater than the remaining display duration of the displayed A3 or A4 level state. For example, a state that needs to be shown may be shown 0.5 seconds after the indication of the same level state that is being shown has ended. An A3 or A4 level state does not require the user to respond as soon as possible, and therefore may wait in the queue until the previous indication has ended and then be shown. As shown in Table 1, when the currently shown state is a timed state, the currently needed state is indicated by a diagonal line.

[0084] If the controller determines that the priority of the state that currently needs to be indicated is lower than the priority of the indicated state, the controller may decide not to process the state that currently needs to be indicated. As shown in Table 1, when the state that currently needs to be indicated is a timed state, the state that currently needs to be indicated is shown in the bottom left corner of the diagonal.

[0085] Case 2: The controller determines that the currently indicated state is a persistent state.

[0086] In this case, if the controller determines that the priority of the state that needs to be indicated is at the A1 level, the controller determines that the state that needs to be indicated interrupts the currently indicated persistent state. Alternatively, if the controller determines that the state that needs to be indicated is at the A2 to A4 levels, the controller determines that the currently indicated persistent state should be covered. In other words, for a timed state with a high priority, the user needs to respond to the state immediately, and in this case, the persistent state does not need to be displayed to the user. For a timed state that does not require the user to respond as soon as possible, this timed state may cover the currently indicated persistent state. If the user does not perform the operation required by the persistent state after the indication of the currently indicated timed state has ended, the persistent state may continue to be displayed. The above state indication policy is as shown in Table 1.

[0087] [Table 1]

[0088] S240: The controller indicates to the user the status that currently needs to be indicated according to a status indication policy.

[0089] According to the above status indication strategy, the controller may determine whether or in what manner, for example, in an interruption or coverage manner, the status that currently needs to be indicated should be indicated to the user.

[0090] When the controller decides to indicate the current status of the vehicle to the user, the status indication form may include the form of a pop-up window. In a timed state, the pop-up window can be set to display for several seconds after it is displayed. For example, the duration can be set to 4 seconds. In a persistent state, the pop-up window can be set to display continuously until the user performs a corresponding operation.

[0091] The specific form of the pop-up window may be configured in the controller. The same size may be displayed for the different levels A1 to A4 of timed states. Z A pop-up window may be set. In addition, the same display location may be set, for example, below the middle part of the dashboard or below the vehicle display in the autonomous driving area. In this way, the user can intuitively determine the current driving status of the vehicle without blocking other important driving information.

[0092] In one example, the pop-up window used to indicate the timed state may be configured to be in a rounded rectangular style, as shown in Figure 4. Additionally, different pop-up window colors may be set for states with different priorities. For example, the pop-up window for the A1 level state may be set to red, and the pop-up window for the A2 level state may be set to yellow.

[0093] The content displayed in the pop-up window may be arranged in a left-right layout. Visual icons related to the status may be included on the left side to quickly inform the user. Text messages related to the status may be included on the right side to facilitate user understanding. As shown in FIG. 4 , the text messages on the right side may include a title text message and an assistant text message. In a typical setting, the title text message may include a status description, and the assistant text message may include an action that needs to be performed by the user. For clarity, the text message corresponding to the status description and the action that needs to be performed by the user may be displayed on different lines. For example, a first line may display the status, and the action that needs to be performed by the user may be displayed on a different line. For example, in an A2 level state where the ICA passively drops to ACC, a first line of text messages may display "Hold the steering wheel" and a second line may display "Drop to adaptive cruise completed." In the indication of some priority states, as shown in Table 2, the title statement may also be a fault type, and the assistant statement may be an action that needs to be performed, or the assistant statement may be a state. For example, "System Failure" and "Intelligent Driving Temporarily Unavailable" are displayed in two lines. In other priority states, the title statement and assistant statement may be a high-priority action and a next action, respectively. For example, "Take over immediately" and "Close doors" are displayed in two lines. In the indication of some states with low priority, only the title statement or assistant statement may be shown. For example, if the ICA actively degrades to ACC, "Degrade to adaptive cruise completed" may be displayed.

[0094] [Table 2]

[0095] For quick comprehension by the user, punctuation may not be used in the transcription, and both the title transcription and the assistant transcription are complete sentences. To more quickly and clearly communicate the status to the user, a color halo may be placed at the top of the pop-up window in a high priority state. For example, a red halo may be placed at the top of the pop-up window in an A1 level state for assistance. Additionally, in a state where the driving assistance function is exiting, an animation effect of holding the steering wheel and pressing the brake may be displayed in addition to the pop-up window to highlight the action the user needs to take immediately.

[0096] The state of a vehicle in autonomous driving is used as an example. The states that currently need to be indicated may include the states shown in Table 3. The pop-up windows may be classified into normal timed state pop-up windows (toasts) and take-over request (TOR) pop-up windows that require the user to take over. The last column of Table 3 shows various levels of state indication drafting.

[0097] [Table 3-1] [Table 3-2]

[0098] It should be understood that the state indication information of the vehicle in autonomous driving in Table 3 is only an example. State indication information of more states may be set for the vehicle in autonomous driving based on actual requirements, and the state indication text corresponding to the state indication information may be set separately.

[0099] Optionally, the state indication form may further include other forms or combinations of forms, which may include at least one of a sound effect, a text-to-speech (TTS) audio broadcast, a head-up display (HUD), a vibration, a lighting effect, etc.

[0100] According to different levels of the status information to be indicated, a combination of one or more of the above status indication forms may be set, for example, a combination of a large amount of status indication forms may be set for status information with high priority, and a combination of a small amount of status indication forms may be set for status information with low priority, so that the user can clearly know the current status information of the vehicle in a timely manner.

[0101] In one example, as shown in Table 4, a combination of multiple forms, including a pop-up window, sound effects, TTS voice broadcast, steering wheel vibration, and ambient lights, may be configured for an A1-level state to clearly and intuitively indicate to the user the vehicle's highest-priority current state. A combination of multiple forms may also be configured to indicate an A2-level state. A combination of a pop-up window, TTS, and sound effects may be used in an A3-level state indication. For example, a TTS voice broadcast may be configured to be used when a dangerous state, such as a function exit or degradation, is indicated, or in some cases, the indication may be implemented only in the form of a pop-up window and sound effects. A combination of a pop-up window and sound effects may be used in an A4-level state indication. Based on different state priorities, different colors may be configured for the above ambient light indication; for example, an A1-level state may be set to red, and an A2-level state may be set to yellow. Based on different state priorities, sound effect materials with different alertness and awareness may be used for the sound effect tone settings.

[0102] It should be understood that the above combination indication forms, such as a pop-up window and other forms, are only examples. Based on the actual situation, different combination forms may be set for status information with different priorities to clearly present the current status information of the vehicle to the driver in a timely manner. [Table 4]

[0103] In a possible indication scheme, the controller may further control the broadcast strategy of the status indication TTS to be detailed, brief, or sound only. A detailed broadcast strategy may include broadcast sound effects and all copywriting content in a pop-up window. A brief broadcast may include only sound effects and a portion of the copywriting, for example, only the first line of the broadcast sound effects and copywriting. Furthermore, when the status indication TTS broadcast overlaps with other information broadcasts in the vehicle, such as a navigation broadcast, a music broadcast, and a phone call, the controller may control the status indication TTS to first perform the navigation broadcast. When the status indication TTS broadcast overlaps with a music broadcast, the controller may control the status indication TTS to broadcast with a brief broadcast strategy. When the controller determines that the status broadcast TTS overlaps with a phone call, the controller may control the status indication TTS to broadcast only sound. For a status indication with sound effects, the controller may control the sound effect and the pop-up window to appear simultaneously and start broadcasting the TTS after the sound effect ends.

[0104] The method for indicating vehicle status information provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail above with reference to Figures 2 and 4. The apparatus for indicating vehicle status information provided in the embodiment of the present application is described below with reference to Figures 5 to 7.

[0105] Please refer to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the structure of an apparatus 500 for displaying vehicle status information according to the present application. As shown in Fig. 5, the apparatus 500 may include an obtaining unit 510 and a processing unit 520.

[0106] The obtaining unit 510 is configured to obtain the status information of the vehicle.

[0107] The processing unit 520 is configured to determine, based on the vehicle status information, a strategy for presenting the status information to a user.

[0108] In particular, processing unit 520 may be configured to determine status information that currently needs to be displayed and status information that is currently being displayed, and to determine a strategy for displaying status information to a user based on the status information that currently needs to be displayed and the status that is currently being displayed.

[0109] For example, the acquiring unit 510 includes a sending unit or a receiving unit.

[0110] The sending unit is configured to indicate vehicle status information that currently needs to be shown to a user. The receiving unit may be configured to receive an operation or command input by a user.

[0111] The apparatus 500 corresponds to the execution body of the above method embodiment. The apparatus 500 may be a vehicle in the method embodiment, or a chip, circuit, component, system, or functional module in the vehicle in the method embodiment. The corresponding units of the apparatus 500 are configured to perform the corresponding steps in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

[0112] One or more of the units in the device 500 may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. Software or firmware includes, but is not limited to, computer program instructions or codes, and may be executed by a hardware processor. Hardware includes, but is not limited to, various integrated circuits, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The above units may exist independently or may be fully or partially integrated.

[0113] 6 is a schematic block diagram of a controller according to an embodiment of the present application. The controller shown in FIG. 6 may include a memory 610, a processor 620, and a communication interface 630. The memory 610, the processor 620, and the communication interface 630 are connected through an internal connection path. The memory 610 is configured to store instructions. The processor 620 is the memory 610 Optionally, memory 610 may be coupled to processor 620 through an interface or may be integral with processor 620.

[0114] It should be noted that the communication interface 630 uses a device, such as, but not limited to, an input / output interface, to implement communication between the controller and another device or communication network.

[0115] In the implementation process, the steps of the above method may be implemented by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor 620 or by instructions in the form of software. The methods related to the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented by a hardware processor or may be implemented through a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software modules may be located in a mature storage medium in the art, such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable memory, or a register. The storage medium is located in the memory 610. The processor 620 reads information from the memory 610 and implements the steps of the above method through the hardware of the processor 620. To avoid repetition, the details will not be described again in this specification.

[0116] 7 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 700 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. For ease of explanation, FIG. 7 shows only the main components of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle 700 includes a processor 710 and a memory 720.

[0117] The memory 720 stores computer program instructions, and the processor 710 operates the computer program instructions to implement the method for indicating vehicle status information described in the method embodiment shown in FIG.

[0118] The present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when run on a computer, enable a vehicle control device to perform the steps in the method shown in FIG.

[0119] The present application further provides a computer program product including instructions, which, when run on a computer, enable a vehicle control device to perform the steps of the method shown in FIG.

[0120] The present application further provides a chip including a processor. The processor is configured to read and operate a computer program stored in a memory to perform corresponding operations and / or procedures performed by a first vehicle in the vehicle control method provided herein. Optionally, the chip further includes a memory. The memory is connected to the processor through circuits or wires. The processor is configured to read and execute the computer program in the memory. Optionally, the chip further includes a communication interface, and the processor is connected to the communication interface. The communication interface is configured to receive processed data and / or information. The processor obtains the data and / or information from the communication interface and processes the data and / or information. The communication interface may be an input / output interface, an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin, related circuits, etc. in the chip. The processor may alternatively be included as a processing circuit or a logic circuit.

[0121] It should be understood that the sequence numbers of the above processes do not mean the execution sequence in various embodiments of the present application. The execution sequence of the processes should be determined based on the functions and internal logic of the processes, and should not be construed as any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0122] Those skilled in the art may realize that in connection with the examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the units and algorithm steps can be implemented by electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether a function is implemented by hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but the implementation should not be considered to go beyond the scope of this application.

[0123] For the sake of convenient and brief description, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the detailed operation processes of the above systems, devices and units, please refer to the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments, and the details will not be described again in this specification.

[0124] In some embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods may be implemented in other manners. For example, the described device embodiments are merely examples. For example, the division into units is merely a logical functional division, and other divisions may be used in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or incorporated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not implemented. In addition, the shown or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be implemented by using some interfaces. Indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be implemented in electronic, mechanical, or other forms.

[0125] The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and the parts shown as units may or may not be physical units, and may be located in one location or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected based on actual requirements to achieve the objectives of the solutions of the embodiments.

[0126] In addition, the functional units in the embodiments of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, each of the units may exist physically alone, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0127] When a function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, the function may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application may essentially be implemented in the form of a software product, or a portion of the technical solution may be implemented in the form of a software product. The software product may be stored in a storage medium and include instructions for instructing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in the embodiments of the present application. The storage medium may include any medium capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a removable hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0128] The above description is merely a specific implementation of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Any modifications or replacements that are easily understood by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application shall fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for indicating vehicle status information, comprising: obtaining, by a controller, status information that is currently required to be displayed and currently displayed by the vehicle, the status information including status type and priority information; determining, by the controller, a status indication strategy based on the currently-to-be-indicated status information and the currently-indicated status information, the status indication strategy including a strategy for indicating the currently-to-be-indicated status information; Including, determining, by the controller, a status indication strategy based on the currently required status information and the currently indicated status information, determining, by the controller, that the status type of the currently-to-be-indicated status information is a timed status and that the status type of the currently-indicated status information includes the timed status; determining, by the controller, the status indication strategy based on the priority information of the status information that currently needs to be indicated and the priority information of the status information that is currently being indicated, wherein the priority information corresponding to the timed status is determined based on the urgency of a corresponding operation that needs to be performed by a user; Including, determining, by the controller, the status indication strategy based on the priority information of the status information that needs to be currently indicated and the priority information of the status information that is currently indicated, determining, by the controller, to suspend the currently shown state information if the priority information of the currently shown state information is the same as the priority information of the currently need-to-be-shown state information; or determining, by the controller, to indicate the currently-to-be-indicated status information after a first time period, the duration of the first time period being equal to or greater than a remaining indication duration of the currently-indicated status information; A method comprising:

2. The state type includes a timed state, the timed state being: Fault type states, states in which the driver assistance function is partially or completely exited, states in which the driver assistance function is actively or passively degraded, and notification type states; The method of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:

3. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the state types further include persistent states, the persistent states being used to indicate to a user that a corresponding operation should be performed, and the priority information corresponding to the persistent states is determined based on a time at which the user starts to perform the corresponding operation.

4. The step of determining, by the controller, the status indication strategy based on the status information that needs to be currently indicated and priority information of the currently indicated status information, comprises: determining, by the controller, that the currently-to-be-shown state information interrupts the currently-shown state information if the controller determines that the priority information of the currently-to-be-shown state information is higher than the priority information of the currently-shown state information; or determining, by the controller, not to display the state information that currently needs to be displayed if the controller determines that the priority information of the state information that currently needs to be displayed is lower than the priority information of the state information that is currently being displayed; 10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

5. A method for indicating vehicle status information, comprising: obtaining, by a controller, status information that is currently required to be displayed and currently displayed by the vehicle, the status information including status type and priority information; determining, by the controller, a status indication strategy based on the currently-to-be-indicated status information and the currently-indicated status information, the status indication strategy including a strategy for indicating the currently-to-be-indicated status information; determining, by the controller, a status indication strategy based on the currently required status information and the currently indicated status information, determining, by the controller, that the currently required state information is a persistent state and that the currently indicated state information is a timed state; determining, by the controller, to indicate the currently-to-be-indicated status information after a first time period, the duration of the first time period being equal to or greater than a remaining indication duration of the currently-indicated status information; 10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

6. A method for indicating vehicle status information, comprising: obtaining, by a controller, status information that is currently required to be displayed and currently displayed by the vehicle, the status information including status type and priority information; determining, by the controller, a status indication strategy based on the currently-to-be-indicated status information and the currently-indicated status information, the status indication strategy including a strategy for indicating the currently-to-be-indicated status information; determining, by the controller, a status indication strategy based on the currently required status information and the currently indicated status information, determining, by the controller, that the currently indicated state information is a timed state and that the currently indicated state information includes a persistent state; determining, by the controller, that the currently-to-be-presented state information interrupts or covers the currently-presented state information; 10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

7. The method comprises: indicating, by the controller, to a user in accordance with the status indication policy, the status information that currently needs to be displayed. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising:

8. The step of indicating the currently required status information to the user by the controller in accordance with the status indication policy comprises: determining, by the controller, to show the currently-needed-to-be-shown status information to the user in the form of a pop-up window, wherein the display location and format of the pop-up window are fixed, the format of the pop-up window includes icons and draftings arranged separately on the left and right, the draftings include status indication draftings and draftings of actions that need to be performed, and the two types of draftings are set in different lines; 8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

9. The step of indicating the currently required status information to the user by the controller in accordance with the status indication policy comprises: The controller displays the pop-up window. a form of sound effects, a form of text-to-speech audio broadcast, a form of heads-up display, a form of vibration, and a form of lighting effects determining to show said user said currently required status information in combination with at least one of The method of claim 8 further comprising:

10. A vehicle comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing computer program instructions and the processor operating the computer program instructions to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images