Safety system and method for warning of hazardous situations for micromobility vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a safety system for micromobility vehicles, in particular electric bicycles, comprising a control unit having a V2X device which is configured to receive surroundings information from infrastructure and / or road users in a radio-based manner and to detect a hazardous situation on the basis thereof, and a plurality of output devices which are configured to output different warnings, the output devices being able to be actuated differently by the control unit on the basis of the detected hazardous situation in order to warn the driver and / or the road user of the hazardous situation on the basis of the situation.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] title

[0003] Safety system and procedures for warning of hazardous situations for

[0004] micromobility vehicles

[0005] State of the art

[0006] The invention relates to a safety system for micromobility vehicles, a method for warning of dangerous situations, and a micromobility vehicle for carrying out the method.

[0007] V2X communication describes the communication between vehicles and their environment. For motorized vehicles such as cars, buses, trucks, and emergency vehicles, V2X communication can help detect critical traffic situations and thus prevent accidents. V2X communication is also increasingly coming into focus for urban planners, authorities, and vehicle manufacturers who want to equip infrastructure and vehicles with this technology.

[0008] Micromobility vehicles, and especially e-bikes, can also benefit from V2X communication. A wide variety of HMIs are available for e-bikes, ranging from minimalist LED-based devices to smartphone-like HMIs that can also be used for navigation, for example. Information is usually displayed visually to the rider at a defined time. It would be desirable to have a safety system for micromobility vehicles that can detect hazardous situations based on V2X communication and address the rider via different sensory channels depending on the situation, in order to warn the rider of the danger in the best possible way without distracting them from the ride. Disclosure of the invention

[0009] The safety system and associated method according to the invention, comprising the features of claims 1 and 8, have the advantage that environmental information from infrastructure and road users can be received in order to detect hazardous situations based on this information and to warn the driver and / or other road users in a situation-adapted manner via an output device. This is achieved according to the invention by the safety system for micromobility vehicles comprising a control unit with a V2X device and several output devices. The V2X device is configured to receive radio-based environmental information from infrastructure and / or other road users, whereupon the control unit can detect hazardous situations based on this information. The output devices are configured to issue warnings to alert a driver and / or other road user to the potential hazardous situation.Preferably, the warning messages from the output devices differ from one another. In particular, the different warning messages are designed to address different sensory channels. Based on the detected hazard situation, the output devices can be controlled differently by the control unit to warn the driver and / or other road users depending on the situation. Thus, the safety system can determine at any given time which information is made available to the driver on which channel, enabling them to react optimally to hazardous situations. The safety system preferably includes a communication bus designed to transmit information between the V2X device, the control unit, and the output devices. The term "control unit" is to be understood broadly. The control unit can be a centralized control unit or a distributed control unit.The environmental information received by the V2X device preferably includes warnings or movement information from other road users, from which the control unit with V2X device can preferably derive warnings.

[0010] Preferably, the safety system comprises a first control unit and a second control unit. The first control unit is preferably arranged on the V2X device and can detect hazardous situations based on the received environmental information. The second control unit is preferably configured to receive the detected hazardous situations and, based on this, to control the output devices.

[0011] The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0012] Preferably, the output devices are configured to provide a visual, audible, and / or haptic warning. This allows the safety system to reach different sensory channels of the driver and / or other road users and warn them in the best possible way. Visual channels are perceived by the eyes and preferably include LEDs, conventional displays or smartphones with symbolic or textual information in black and white or color, distributed display elements for the driver's peripheral vision, VR glasses / visors, and / or projection onto the road. Audible channels are perceived by the ears and preferably include buzzers, piezo buzzers, mono / stereo speakers operating with synthetic patterns or human speech, optionally with directional information, headphones, hearing aids, speakers in bicycle helmets, and / or perceptible sounds generated by targeted motor control.Haptic channels are perceived through the skin and are preferably haptic actuators on the handlebar grips, vibrating pedals or saddle, automated deceleration of the micromobility vehicle, counter-torques to the bicycle torque on the pedals, a brief pressure build-up on the brakes or a brief motor brake and / or haptic actuators in the bicycle helmet.

[0013] Preferably, the output devices comprise a front light, a rear light, a bicycle helmet with a display unit, and / or an acoustic or visual signaling device to warn road users. This allows road users to be warned of the driver of the micromobility vehicle or of a potential hazard. Preferably, for example, road users can be warned by flashing or changing the light intensity of the front and / or rear light. An acoustic signaling device can, for example, alert or warn those nearby of the micromobility vehicle. Road users can also be warned of a hazardous situation by a change in color or the display of moving elements indicating direction. The output devices are preferably configured to communicate a property of the output devices to the control unit via feedback.This allows the security system to preferably identify which output devices are attached to the micromobility vehicle and their status. Knowing the available output devices, the control unit can adapt the output strategy and control the information flow necessary for this strategy in terms of depth and frequency, so that the control unit and / or an associated bus system (to which other components such as the battery, motor, input devices, etc., are potentially connected) are not unnecessarily burdened.

[0014] Furthermore, the control unit is preferably configured to determine, based on feedback from the output unit, whether the warning message has been issued. This reliably ensures that the driver of the micromobility vehicle has been warned of the hazardous situation. This can increase the reliability of the safety system if, for example, output devices fail and are unable to issue a warning message.

[0015] Non-interpretive feedback from the output devices is particularly preferred. This allows for a simple security system design, as the output devices do not require any logic to provide feedback.

[0016] If the output device includes a screen, the feedback is preferably the checksum of a screen memory, particularly of a defined area of ​​the screen. The checksum can preferably also be subjected to a constant operation, such as constant addition or multiplication, to adapt the result to the expected result of the control unit. The output device itself does not know what the expected result should be. The control unit, on the other hand, preferably expects a specific value for a particular warning message display.

[0017] A preferred method is non-interpretive feedback via a measured control current of the output device. For example, the output of a warning signal via a vibration element when using a motor can be monitored by sampling the phase current. The output of an audible warning signal via a loudspeaker can, for example, be controlled by sampling the driver coil.

[0018] Preferably, the non-interpretive feedback includes a detected audio signal from the output device. The audio signal is preferably captured via a microphone, which can be located in the output device or control unit.

[0019] An LED as an output device can preferably output the brightness level and / or color combination as non-interpretive feedback.

[0020] The safety system preferably comprises a sensor device configured to detect the rider's reaction to the warning. Preferably, the rider's reaction is detected by means of a speed sensor, an eye and / or head tracking sensor, a steering sensor, a pedal sensor, an accelerometer, and / or a push button. Head movement can be detected, for example, by a camera or an accelerometer on the helmet. Eye movement can preferably be detected with a camera. Based on the rider's reaction, the output of the warning can then be stopped, for example, if the rider has perceived it. If it is detected that the rider has not perceived the warning, the output of the warning can be adjusted, for example.Alternatively or additionally, the safety system can initiate steps to reduce hazardous situations for the micromobility vehicle, such as braking. The driver's response to the warning can be actively queried via the push button.

[0021] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for warning of hazardous situations for a micromobility vehicle with a previously described safety system. The method comprises the steps of: receiving radio-based environmental information, detecting a hazardous situation, selecting an output device to warn of the hazardous situation by means of a warning message, determining a start and end time for the warning message, and outputting the warning message via the output device. This allows the driver of a micromobility vehicle to be warned of a hazardous situation by means of a situation-dependent warning message based on received radio-based environmental information. The radio-based environmental information can also include warnings.

[0022] Based on the available and ready-to-use selection of output devices, the control unit can manage or configure the required level of detail for its input information. For example, if only single-stage and very simple output devices are available, the control unit only needs a correspondingly simple, in extreme cases binary, message (warning yes / no). However, if more complex output options such as a matrix display are available, the control unit can display additional information, such as the type or location of the hazard; in this case, it can request correspondingly more complex information from the unit processing the V2X messages. If the V2X message processing control unit and the control unit that outputs the warnings to the display devices are not integrated into the same device, this means that the payload on the bus system connecting the two devices is controlled as needed.

[0023] Preferably, the method includes the further step of prioritizing and / or filtering received radio-based environmental information, in particular warnings, and / or detected hazardous situations. This prevents the driver from being overwhelmed with information and reacting incorrectly due to the large amount of information, especially if several simultaneous hazardous situations can be detected based on the received radio-based environmental information.

[0024] During the warning message is issued, the system preferably checks whether a hazardous situation exists and stops issuing the message when the hazardous situation no longer exists. This prevents the driver from being warned of non-existent hazards and reduces their attention to warning messages.

[0025] Preferably, the method includes the step of determining the driver's reaction. This is preferably done using the sensor device described above. Based on the driver's reaction, the selection of the output device is preferably adjusted and / or the output of the warning message is terminated, intensified, or attenuated, and / or the micromobility vehicle is braked or decelerated. This improves the output of warning messages and better protects the driver of the micromobility vehicle from hazardous situations. The escalation / de-escalation based on the driver's reaction can integrate the driver into a control loop and signal whether their current actions are the right way to defuse the situation.

[0026] The method particularly preferably includes the step of receiving feedback from the output device and subsequently determining, based on this feedback, whether the warning message was issued by the output device. If the warning message was not issued by the output device, another output device is preferably selected to issue the warning message. This ensures that a warning message is reliably issued and that an erroneous output of the warning message by the output device is detected.

[0027] Furthermore, the invention relates to a micromobility vehicle, in particular an electric bicycle, which is equipped to carry out the method described above.

[0028] Brief description of the drawings

[0029] A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawing shows:

[0030] Figure 1 shows a schematic view of an electric vehicle with a

[0031] Security system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention and

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart for a procedure for

[0033] Warning of dangerous situations for the e-bike with the safety system according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. Embodiments of the invention

[0034] Preferably, all identical components, elements and / or units in all figures are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0035] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, an electric bicycle 100 with a safety system 1 and a method for warning of dangerous situations according to the preferred embodiment are described in detail below.

[0036] Figure 1 shows the electric bicycle 100 with the safety system 1. The safety system 1 comprises a control unit 10, a V2X device 11, and several output devices 12. The control unit 10 consists of a first control unit 10a and a second control unit 10b. The second control unit 10b is preferably a general control unit of the electric bicycle 100, which can also control other functions of the electric bicycle 100. The V2X device 11 can receive radio-based environmental information, which can be analyzed by the first control unit 10a, located on the V2X device 11, for potential hazards.Detected hazardous situations can then be transmitted from the first control unit 10a to the second control unit 10b, which can control the output devices 12 differently based on the detected hazardous situation in order to warn the rider of the electric bicycle 100 and / or road users of the possible hazardous situation depending on the situation.

[0037] The control unit 10 is schematically arranged in the area of ​​the electrical energy storage system of the electric bicycle 100. The V2X device 11 is shown as a radio antenna and is adjacent to the first control unit 10a. This allows the V2X device 11 to receive radio-based environmental information 3 from infrastructure and road users. To improve reception, the V2X device 11 can also be arranged in other areas of the electric bicycle 100. Alternatively, the control unit 10 can also be designed as a single unit. The electric bicycle 100 includes a front light 15, a rear light 16, and a bell as an acoustic signaling device 17 as output devices 12. Furthermore, a bicycle computer 18 is arranged on the handlebars of the electric bicycle 100, which can also serve as an output device 12. The bicycle computer 18 preferably includes a display and can be a smartphone.Thus, the bicycle computer 18 can address the rider's visual sensory channel.

[0038] The acoustic signaling device 17 can address the driver's auditory sensory channel, and the front light 15 and the rear light 16 can address the visual sensory channel of other road users. Furthermore, a smartwatch belonging to the driver, for example, can serve as an output device 12, which can address the driver's haptic sensory channel by means of a haptic actuator. Through feedback from the output devices 12 to the control unit 10, the latter can preferably determine which output devices 10 are available to issue a warning, for example, whether the driver is wearing a smartwatch that can issue a warning.

[0039] The system shown allows the V2X device 11 to receive radio-based environmental information 3 from infrastructure and / or road users. The first control unit 10a then checks this radio-based environmental information 3, in conjunction with its own predicted trajectory, for potential hazards. If the first control unit 10a detects a hazard, it can transmit this information to the second control unit 10b. Based on the detected hazard, the second control unit 10b can control the output devices 12 differently to warn the rider and / or other road users of the hazard, depending on the situation. For example, the rider can be warned of a dangerous intersection by a display on the bicycle computer 18.For example, in the event of a potential collision with another road user, the driver and the other road user can be warned by the acoustic warning signal device 17.

[0040] The electric bicycle 100, for example, has a [feature / description] on the top tube.

[0041] Sensor device 14 is used to detect a rider's reaction to the warning message 13. The sensor device 14 can, for example, include a speed sensor that detects when the e-bike 100 brakes in response to a warning message. Furthermore, the sensor device 14 can include an eye- or head-tracking sensor that, for example, uses a camera to detect eye and / or head movements. This allows, for example, the detection of whether the rider is paying attention to the bike computer 18 or to the traffic. If the rider is looking at the bike computer 18, for example, the warning message 13 can be preferentially displayed via the bike computer 18. In a hazardous situation approaching from the right, the sensor device 14 with eye / head-tracking sensor can, for example, detect whether the rider is looking to the right to assess the hazard.

[0042] Thus, the safety system 1 for the electric bicycle 100 allows the rider to be provided with information at any time via the optimal channel in order to warn the rider efficiently and reliably of dangerous situations.

[0043] Figure 2 describes a method for warning a driver of a micromobility vehicle, in particular an electric bicycle 100, of hazardous situations. In a first step, S1 receives radio-based environmental information by means of a V2X device 11.

[0044] To reduce the computational effort, in a further step S1 .1, the radio-based environmental information is preferably prioritized and / or filtered for a large number of V2X signals.

[0045] The radio-based environmental information is then evaluated in step S2 by control unit 10 to detect hazardous situations. Control unit 10 is specifically the first control unit 10a.

[0046] Detected hazardous situations can also be prioritized and / or filtered in a further step S2.1 to avoid issuing too many or irrelevant warnings 13 to the driver and / or other road users. This can also reduce the computational effort, especially if the hazardous situations are evaluated by the second control unit 10b. If a hazardous situation has been detected, the output device 12 is then selected in a step S3 to issue the warning 13. The driver's reaction, which is determined in a step S7, can be taken into account. For example, if the driver looks at the bicycle computer 18, the warning is preferentially issued via the bicycle computer 18, or if the risk of danger decreases due to braking initiated by the driver, the intensity of an audible warning can be reduced.

[0047] After output devices 12 have been designated to issue the warning message, a start and end time of the warning message is determined in step S4 and then issued by output device 12 in step S5.

[0048] Preferably, during the issuance of warning message S5, the existence of the hazardous situation is checked in a further step S6. The issuance of warning message S5 is stopped if the hazardous situation no longer exists.

[0049] The dangerous situation can be eliminated, for example, by determining the driver's reaction S7, which reveals that the driver perceived the dangerous situation and reacted to it.

[0050] If it is determined that the rider does not react to the hazardous situation despite the issuance of warning message 13, the issuance of the warning message can be terminated, intensified, or weakened in step S8. Furthermore, if the rider still does not react, the e-bike can be braked or its speed reduced to mitigate the hazardous situation.

[0051] The output device 12 preferably sends feedback S9 back to the control unit 10 while issuing a warning message. The control unit can then determine in step S10 whether the output device 12 issued a warning message 13 based on the feedback. For example, if it is detected that the output device 12 could not issue a warning message 13, this is taken into account when selecting the output device 12 in step S3, and other output devices 12 are selected preferentially.

Claims

Claims 1. Safety system for micromobility vehicles, in particular electric bicycles (100), comprising a control unit (10) with a V2X device (11) which is configured to receive radio-based environmental information (3) from infrastructure and / or road users and to detect a hazardous situation based on this information, and several output devices (12) which are configured to issue warnings (13), wherein the output devices (12) can be controlled differently by the control unit based on the detected hazardous situation in order to warn the driver and / or the road user of the hazardous situation depending on the situation.

2. Security system according to claim 1, wherein the output devices (12) are configured to issue a visual, acoustic and / or haptic warning.

3. Safety system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the output devices (12) comprise a front light (15), a rear light (16), a bicycle helmet with a display unit and / or an acoustic signaling device (17) to warn a road user.

4. Security system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the output devices (12) are configured to communicate a property of the output devices (12) to the control unit (10) by means of a feedback.

5. Safety system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit (10) is configured to determine, based on the feedback from the output devices (12), whether the warning message has been issued.

6. Security system according to claim 4, wherein the feedback is non-interpretive, in particular the feedback is the checksum of a screen memory of the output device (12), a measured control current of the output device (12) and / or a detected audio signal of the output device (12).

7. Safety system according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a sensor device (14) which is configured to detect a driver's reaction to the warning (13), in particular by means of a speed sensor, an eye / head tracking sensor, a steering sensor, a pedal sensor, an acceleration sensor and / or a push button.

8. Method for warning of hazardous situations for a micromobility vehicle with a safety system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps: Receiving (S1) radio-based environmental information, detecting (S2) a dangerous situation, Selecting (S3) an output device (12) to warn of the hazardous situation by means of a warning message (13), determining (S4) a start and end time of the warning message (13), output (S5) the warning message by the output device (12).

9. Method according to claim 8, comprising the step: prioritizing and / or filtering received radio-based environmental information (S1.1) and / or detected hazardous situations (S2.1).

10. Method according to one of claims 8 or 9, wherein during the output of the warning message (13) the existence of the hazardous situation is checked (S6) and wherein the output (S5) is stopped when the hazardous situation no longer exists.

11. Method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the step: Determining a driver reaction (S7).

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the selection (S3) of the output device is adapted based on the driver's reaction (S7) and / or the output (S5) of the warning (13) is terminated, intensified or reduced and / or the micromobility vehicle is braked or throttled (S8).

13. Method according to one of claims 8 to 12, comprising the steps: receiving a response (S9) from the output device (12) and subsequently determining, based on the response (S10), whether an output (S5) of the warning message (13) has been made by the output device (12) and selecting (S3) another output device if the warning message (13) could not be output by the output device (12).

14. Micromobility vehicle, in particular electric bicycle (100), which is equipped to carry out a method according to one of claims 8 to 13.

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