Marking a leading vehicle during distance control

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for operating an at least partially automated following vehicle (2) by controlling a distance between the following vehicle (2) and a leading vehicle (10). The leading vehicle (10) is visually marked by the following vehicle (2), for example by a light spot (12), according to the distance control.

Description

[0001] Marking a leading vehicle during distance control

[0002] The present invention relates to a method for operating an at least partially automated following vehicle by controlling a distance of the following vehicle from a leading vehicle as the reference vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a vehicle arrangement comprising a leading vehicle and an at least partially automated following vehicle, wherein the following vehicle is configured to control its distance from the leading vehicle.

[0003] Automated driving is distinguished between different levels of automation (SAE levels). Level 1 provides driver assistance, with the vehicle being controlled by a driver but featuring assistance functions. Level 2 provides partial automation of driving. The vehicle has combined automatic functions relating to acceleration and steering, but the driver must still perform the driving activity and constantly monitor the surroundings. Level 3 provides conditional driving automation, with the driver being required but not required to monitor the surroundings. However, the driver must always be ready to take control of the vehicle. Levels 4 and 5 relate to highly automated and fully automated driving, with the driver optionally intervening in the vehicle's control. The present invention focuses on levels 1 to 3.

[0004] With automated distance control, a following vehicle follows a target or lead vehicle. The following vehicle regulates its distance to the lead vehicle when a certain confidence level is reached. Particularly on highways, dangerous situations sometimes arise when a vehicle from the side suddenly cuts in, driving between two vehicles with a sufficient safety distance. Especially in assisted ferry operations, it is often unclear whether the merging vehicle is correctly detected and whether the corresponding vehicle is taken into account in the distance and speed control. For the systems to operate correctly, a certain confidence level for the target vehicle must be achieved, which, however, is not visible to the driver in the real environment.

[0005] DE 100 17 139 A1 discloses a lighting control device for an automated follow-up driving system. This system uses headlights to exchange information between two vehicles in follow-up driving mode.

[0006] Document US 2012 / 0306643 A1 discloses that a vehicle activates a display device when a distance assistant of the vehicle is in operation.

[0007] Document DE 202018 105495 ​​U1 describes a signaling device provided on the vehicle, which informs road users about the status of the vehicle when the signaling device is activated in traffic.

[0008] Document DE 10 2018200 099 A1 discloses a method for displaying information on the exterior of a vehicle.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide better support to a driver when distance control is activated.

[0010] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method and a vehicle arrangement according to the independent patent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention emerge from the subclaims.

[0011] According to the present invention, a method for operating an at least partially automated following vehicle is provided. The following vehicle follows a reference vehicle and is at least partially automated. This means that its automation level corresponds to one of the levels 1 to 5 mentioned above. In particular, the automation level corresponds to one of levels 1 to 3.

[0012] The method requires controlling the distance between the following vehicle and a first leading vehicle as the reference vehicle. The distance is controlled automatically. This control is accomplished, for example, by a distance assistance system. The distance assistance system is active while the distance is being controlled. The reference vehicle for the distance control is a first leading vehicle, which the following vehicle is to follow at a specific distance.

[0013] Furthermore, in the method according to the invention, the first leading vehicle is optically marked by the following vehicle depending on the control. The first leading vehicle is optically marked only when the following vehicle regulates its distance from the first leading vehicle. Otherwise, if the following vehicle does not regulate its distance from the first leading vehicle, the first leading vehicle is not optically marked. In other words, as soon as the distance assistance system of the following vehicle is active and the distance of the following vehicle from the first leading vehicle is regulated, the latter is also optically marked.

[0014] By visually marking the first lead vehicle, the driver or passengers of the following vehicle are made aware that the following vehicle is using the first lead vehicle as the reference vehicle for distance control. This allows the driver of the first or following vehicle to immediately recognize which reference vehicle is currently using the distance assistance system.

[0015] If necessary, the driver of the following vehicle can intervene quickly if he or she believes that the reference vehicle is going in the wrong direction or is taking an undesirable path (e.g. turning).

[0016] In one embodiment, the optical marking is performed by the following vehicle illuminating at least part of the rear of the first leading vehicle. The optical marking is thus performed, for example, with the aid of a headlight of the following vehicle. This headlight can be the same headlight used for the low beam and high beam of the following vehicle. If necessary, the optical marking can also be performed by a specially provided headlight of the following vehicle. For example, it can also be a laser that illuminates the rear of the first leading vehicle with a point.

[0017] With optical marking, a portion of the rear of the first lead vehicle or a portion of the ground behind the lead vehicle is illuminated. If necessary, the entire rear of the first lead vehicle is illuminated. However, it is particularly advantageous if only a relatively small portion of the rear of the first lead vehicle is illuminated, e.g., a small point of light.

[0018] According to a further embodiment, the optical marking is performed by the following vehicle generating a light pattern on the first leading vehicle. Thus, the first leading vehicle is not homogeneously illuminated; rather, a light pattern is projected onto the first leading vehicle, and in particular onto its rear, which is preferably easily recognizable by the driver of the following vehicle. In particular, it is easily recognizable by the driver of the following vehicle if the light pattern has a specific shape or color.

[0019] In addition, the light pattern can also vary in intensity over time, for example, by flashing a dot or a dot that varies in size. This makes it easier for the occupants of the following vehicle to see.

[0020] In a specific embodiment, the light structure can be a point of light, an arrow of light, or a line of light. Such geometries can be easily recognized, for example, on the rear of the lead vehicle. The size of the light structure can be variable if necessary. For example, the size can be automatically controlled depending on the distance between the two vehicles. For example, it is advantageous to control the headlight for the optical marking with a larger aperture angle when the distance between the two vehicles is small. In this case, the optical marking appears larger on the lead vehicle than with a small aperture angle, which would produce a similarly large optical marking on a lead vehicle far away.In addition to the geometries mentioned above, such as dots, arrows, and lines, other geometric shapes such as rings, letters, numbers, triangles, and many others can of course also be used for the light pattern. In another exemplary embodiment, the optical marking of the first leading vehicle occurs at or below the cut-off line of a headlight of the following vehicle. This means that the optical marking of the leading vehicle never occurs at a higher point than the points normally illuminated by the headlight. This, in turn, means that occupants of the leading vehicle are not dazzled any more by the optical marking than by the actual headlight of the following vehicle. Advantageously, the optical marking occurs just below the cut-off line of the headlight, because at normal vehicle distances the cut-off line typically runs across the rear of the leading vehicle.In some circumstances, however, the optical marking may also be located exactly on the light-dark boundary, making it easier to locate the optical marking.

[0021] In a further embodiment, the optical marking can be performed using a high-resolution headlight of the following vehicle. Such a high-resolution headlight can be an LED headlight or a laser headlight. The high-resolution headlight is then controlled, for example, by software and, if necessary, dynamically tracked so that the optical marking appears at a more or less fixed location on the leading vehicle. For example, the high-resolution headlight is dimmed at least slightly around the optical marking so that the optical marking can be more easily perceived, for example when it is in operation at night for a normal dimming function.

[0022] In yet another exemplary embodiment, it is provided that in order to regulate the distance, the reference vehicle changes from the first lead vehicle to the second lead vehicle and, after the change, the second lead vehicle is visually marked instead of the first lead vehicle. This means that the following vehicle first regulates its distance from the first lead vehicle as the reference vehicle and then its distance from the second lead vehicle. This change of reference vehicle for the distance control is necessary, for example, when the second lead vehicle drives between the first lead vehicle and the following vehicle. In this situation, the first lead vehicle is no longer directly in front of the following vehicle, but rather the second lead vehicle.Since the distance control now takes place in relation to the second lead vehicle after the change, the following vehicle must also mark the second lead vehicle accordingly (no longer the first lead vehicle). The optical marking of the second lead vehicle is carried out in the same way as the optical marking of the first lead vehicle. This can therefore be described as dynamic marking, in which the first lead vehicle is optically marked first and then the second lead vehicle is optically marked later to highlight the current reference vehicle accordingly.

[0023] The object formulated above is also achieved according to the invention by a vehicle arrangement with a leading vehicle and an at least partially automated following vehicle, wherein the following vehicle is designed to regulate its distance from the leading vehicle, wherein the following vehicle is further designed to optically mark the leading vehicle (only) during the regulation.

[0024] The advantages and further development possibilities presented above in connection with the method according to the invention also apply mutatis mutandis to the vehicle assembly according to the invention. Accordingly, the method features presented can be viewed as functional features of corresponding elements of the vehicle assembly.

[0025] The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Fig. 1 shows an initial situation when a vehicle moves from the left lane to the right lane;

[0027] Fig. 2 the situation of Fig. 1 during reeving;

[0028] Fig. 3 the situation of Fig. 1 after reeving;

[0029] Fig. 4 the optical marking of a leading vehicle by a

[0030] following vehicle; and

[0031] Fig. 5 the marking of a rear of a leading vehicle.

[0032] The exemplary embodiments described in more detail below represent preferred embodiments of the present invention. Figs. 1 to 3 depict a typical situation on a highway 1 in which a following vehicle 2 is following a first leading vehicle 4 in the right lane 3. The following vehicle 2 has an automatic distance control (ADR), also called Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), with which it regulates the distance 5 to the first leading vehicle 4. The distance control can be implemented using radar 6 or lidar.

[0033] In the situation of Fig. 1, a second leading vehicle 7 is driving on the left lane 8 and wants to merge into the right lane 3 between the following vehicle 2 and the first leading vehicle 4.

[0034] The first lead vehicle 4 is optically marked by the following vehicle 2, so that the driver or the passengers of the following vehicle 2 can easily identify which target or lead vehicle is being used for automatic distance control. In the example of Figs. 1 to 3, the marking (e.g., instead of a dot on the rear of the lead vehicle 4) is provided by a bar 9, which is projected behind the moving first lead vehicle 4 by the following vehicle 2.

[0035] If necessary, the bar 9 is wider so that it can be better seen by the occupants of the following vehicle 2. Instead of the bar 9, any other object can be projected behind the first leading vehicle 4 onto the road or, for example, onto the rear (see Figs. 4 and 5). If necessary, the optical marking of the leading vehicle 4 can also be done virtually using a head-up display.

[0036] Fig. 2 now shows the merging process, with the second leading vehicle 2 signaling and already halfway through changing lanes. As before, the distance control system of the following vehicle 2 still uses the first leading vehicle 1 for distance control.

[0037] As the process continues according to Fig. 3, the second lead vehicle 7 has completely moved into the right lane 3 between the following vehicle 2 and the first lead vehicle 4. The distance control of the following vehicle 2 now recognizes the second lead vehicle 7 as the new reference vehicle. Accordingly, the following vehicle 2 now marks the second lead vehicle 7 with the bar 9 as a visual marker. It is again irrelevant whether the bar 9 or another marker appears behind the second lead vehicle 7 on the road or at the rear of the second lead vehicle 7. The new distance 5 to the second lead vehicle 7 is significantly shorter than the original distance 5 to the first lead vehicle 4. Thanks to the marking, the driver or passenger of the following vehicle 2 can reliably recognize which reference vehicle is being used for the distance control.As soon as the distance control system of the following vehicle 2 uses a different reference or target vehicle for distance control, the optical marking also changes. This results in a dynamic marking of the reference or target vehicle.

[0038] Fig. 4 shows an example of how an optical marking can be generated on or at the respective leading vehicle 10. In the present example, the following vehicle 2 generates a light spot 12 on the rear 13 of the leading vehicle 10 using its headlights 11. The light spot 12 can be generated with both headlights 11 of the following vehicle 2. Alternatively, it can also be generated with just a single headlight 11. Alternatively, a separate spotlight can be provided specifically for this marking on the following vehicle 2, which is independent of the headlights 11.

[0039] In Fig. 4, a similar situation is again indicated as in Fig. 2 above. The leading vehicle 10 moves in the transverse direction 14 into the right lane 3. The distance control of the following vehicle 2 thus recognizes the leading vehicle 10 as the reference or target vehicle and marks it with the light spot or the like.

[0040] Under certain circumstances, the leading vehicle 10 could also be marked by a head-up display 15 of the following vehicle 2. With the help of the head-up display 15, the leading vehicle 10 can be marked more easily, since this technology prevents glare for the occupants of the leading vehicle 10.

[0041] Fig. 5 shows the rear of the leading vehicle 4, 7, 10. It is marked with a light point 12. In particular, the light point 12 is projected onto the rear of the leading vehicle 4, 7, 10. In addition, a cut-off line 16 of the dipped beam of the following vehicle 2 is marked on the rear of the leading vehicle 4, 7, 10. The height and course of the cut-off line 16 naturally change with the distance between the two vehicles and their angle to one another. The only essential aspect is that the light point 12 (generally the optical marking) is arranged below the cut-off line 16. This can prevent occupants of the leading vehicle 4, 7, 10 from being dazzled by the optical marking if they are not dazzled by the dipped beam.

[0042] As the examples show, dynamic marking of the reference or target vehicle can be realized, for example, using digital headlights, with the reference vehicle representing the adaptive cruise control or ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System). The dynamic marking should be independent of the speed and distance of the target vehicle.

[0043] During assisted ferry operation, the driver is given a visual representation of the target vehicle in the real environment. This allows the driver to proactively avoid critical situations in advance.

[0044] A further advantage of the optical marking of the rear of the leading vehicle 4, 7, 10 is that the driver of the following vehicle or ego vehicle can easily perceive such a marking.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Method for operating an at least partially automated following vehicle (2) by - Controlling a distance of the following vehicle (2) to a first leading vehicle (4) as reference vehicle, characterized by - optical marking of the first leading vehicle (4) by the following vehicle (2) depending on the rules, where - the leading vehicle (4) is only marked by the following vehicle (2) if the distance to the leading vehicle (4) in the following vehicle (2) is controlled by a distance assistance system.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical marking is carried out by illuminating at least part of the rear (13) of the first leading vehicle (4) by the following vehicle (2).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the optical marking is carried out by generating a light pattern on the first leading vehicle (4) by the following vehicle (2).

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the light formation is a light point (12), a light arrow or a light line.

5. Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the light structure varies in its luminous intensity over time.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical marking of the first leading vehicle (4) takes place in a head-up display (15) of the following vehicle (2).

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical marking of the first leading vehicle (4) takes place on or below a light-dark boundary (16) of a headlight (11) of the following vehicle (2).

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical marking is carried out by means of a high-resolution headlight (11) of the following vehicle (2).

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for regulating the distance, the reference vehicle changes from the first leading vehicle (4) to a second leading vehicle (7) and after the change, the second leading vehicle (7) is optically marked instead of the first leading vehicle (4).

10. Vehicle arrangement with a leading vehicle (4, 7, 10) and an at least partially automated following vehicle (2), wherein - the following vehicle (2) is designed to regulate its distance from the leading vehicle (4, 7, 10), characterized in that - the following vehicle (2) is further designed to optically mark the leading vehicle (4, 7, 10) during the control, wherein - the leading vehicle (4) is only marked by the following vehicle (2) if the distance to the leading vehicle (4) in the following vehicle (2) is controlled by a distance assistance system.

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