Illumination method for autonomous driving marker light, autonomous driving marker light system, motor vehicle and program product

Abstract

The present invention discloses an illumination method for an autonomous driving marker light, an autonomous driving marker light system, a motor vehicle, and a computer program product. The illumination method comprises: identifying whether the motor vehicle (1000) receives an instruction to activate an interactive mode (20), when not receiving instruction to activate the interactive mode (20), giving an instruction to activate a standard mode (10), to cause the autonomous driving marker light (120) to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode (10); upon receiving an instruction to activate an interactive mode (20), receiving illumination style information, and causing the autonomous driving marker light (120) to illuminate in accordance with the illumination style information; and upon receiving an instruction to end the interactive mode (20), causing the autonomous driving marker light (120) to reactivate the standard mode (10).

Description

Illumination method for autonomous driving marker light, autonomous driving marker light system, motor vehicle and program product

[0001] The present invention relates to an illumination method for an autonomous driving marker light, an autonomous driving marker light system, a motor vehicle, and an associated computer program product.

[0002] As autonomous driving technology advances and the associated regulations are gradually fine-tuned, it is already a requirement that autonomous driving marker lights be provided on motor vehicles that have autonomous driving functionality, to indicate to other road users that an autonomous driving system is currently controlling the operation of the vehicle. However, the functionality of autonomous driving marker lights can be developed further.Summary of the Invention

[0003] An objective of the present invention is to provide an illumination method for an autonomous driving marker light, an autonomous driving marker light system, a motor vehicle, and an associated computer program product.

[0004] In one aspect, an illumination method for an autonomous driving marker light of a motor vehicle is provided, wherein the method comprises:

[0005] identifying whether the motor vehicle receives an instruction to activate an interactive mode, when not receiving instruction to activate the interactive mode, giving an instruction to activate a standard mode, to cause the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode; upon receiving an instruction to activate an interactive mode, receiving illumination style information, and causing the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate in accordance with the illumination style information; and upon receiving an instruction to end the interactive mode, causing the autonomous driving marker light to reactivate the standard mode.

[0006] In an embodiment, identifying whether the motor vehicle is in an autonomous driving state, and upon identifying that the motor vehicle is in the autonomous driving state, giving an instruction to activate a standard mode, to cause the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode; upon receiving an instruction to activate an interactive mode during autonomous driving, receiving illumination style information, and causing the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate in accordance with the illumination style information; and upon receiving an instruction to end the interactive mode, causing the autonomous driving marker light to reactivate the standard mode.

[0007] In an embodiment, receiving an instruction to activate the interactive mode comprises: upon identifying that the motor vehicle is within a set range of a designated position, giving an instruction to activate the interactive mode of the autonomous driving marker light.

[0008] In an embodiment, receiving the illumination style information comprises: receiving preset illumination style information from the inside of the motor vehicle, and generating illumination effect information on the basis of the received illumination style information, and sending the illumination effect information to the outside of the motor vehicle.

[0009] In an embodiment, receiving the illumination style information comprises: sending an illumination style setting window to the outside of the motor vehicle to set an illumination style and form the illumination style information, so as to receive the illumination style information from the outside of the motor vehicle.

[0010] In an embodiment, causing the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode comprises: causing the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate continuously with a designated colour.

[0011] In an embodiment, the illumination style information comprises at least one of illumination colour, illumination pattern, illumination duration and illumination flashing frequency of the autonomous driving marker light.

[0012] In an embodiment, the method further comprises: upon identifying that the motor vehicle is not in the autonomous driving state, causing the autonomous driving marker light to be in an OFF mode.

[0013] In an embodiment, the method further comprises: when an instruction is given to activate another mode during autonomous driving, causing the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate in accordance with an illumination style of the other mode, wherein the other mode comprises a parking mode.

[0014] In another aspect, an autonomous driving marker light system for a motor vehicle is provided, wherein the autonomous driving marker light system comprises: an autonomous driving marker light, comprising at least one autonomous driving marker light module; and a control unit, configured to control the at least one autonomous driving marker light module in accordance with the method of the present invention.

[0015] In another aspect, a motor vehicle is provided, wherein the motor vehicle comprises: a vehicle controller, configured to identify whether the motor vehicle is in an autonomous driving state; and the autonomous driving marker light system according to the present invention.

[0016] In another aspect, a computer program product comprising a computer program instruction is provided, wherein the computer program instruction, when executed by a processor, realizes the method according to the present invention.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] shows a flow chart of an illumination method for an autonomous driving marker light according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0018] shows a schematic drawing of an autonomous driving marker light system according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0019] shows a schematic drawing of a motor vehicle according to embodiments of the present invention.Detailed Description of Embodiments

[0020] The technical solution of the present invention is explained in further detail below by means of embodiments, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this Description, identical or similar reference signs denote identical or similar components. The following explanation of embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the overall inventive concept of the present invention, and should not be interpreted as a limitation of the present invention.

[0021] In addition, in the following detailed description, to facilitate explanation, many specific details are expounded to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it is obvious that one or more embodiments may also be implemented without these specific details.

[0022] shows a flow chart of an illumination method for an autonomous driving marker light 120 according to embodiments of the present invention.shows a schematic drawing of an autonomous driving marker light system 100 according to embodiments of the present invention.shows a schematic drawing of a motor vehicle 1000 according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] An illumination method for an autonomous driving marker light of a motor vehicle is provided, wherein the method comprises: identifying whether the motor vehicle receives an instruction to activate an interactive mode, when not receiving instruction to activate the interactive mode, giving an instruction to activate a standard mode, to cause the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode; upon receiving an instruction to activate an interactive mode, receiving illumination style information, and causing the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate in accordance with the illumination style information; and upon receiving an instruction to end the interactive mode, causing the autonomous driving marker light to reactivate the standard mode.

[0024] As shown in Figs. 1 - 3, an illumination method for an autonomous driving marker light 120 according to embodiments of the present invention may comprise steps S101 - S104. The "autonomous driving marker light" referred to herein may be understood to be a lamp included in an autonomous driving system of the motor vehicle 1000, and used in conjunction with an autonomous driving function of the motor vehicle 1000. As an example, the autonomous driving marker light can be illuminated only when the motor vehicle activates the autonomous driving system.

[0025] In step S101, whether the motor vehicle 1000 is in an autonomous driving state D can be identified. Upon identifying that the motor vehicle 1000 is in the autonomous driving state D, the method can proceed to step S102; otherwise, upon identifying that the motor vehicle 1000 is not in the autonomous driving state D (for example, is in a human driving state), the illumination method can proceed to step S105.

[0026] As an example, a vehicle controller 200 for controlling the motor vehicle 1000 may be used to identify whether the motor vehicle 1000 is in the autonomous driving state D. As shown in, the motor vehicle 1000 may comprise the vehicle controller 200 and an autonomous driving marker light system 100. For example, the vehicle controller 200 may identify whether the motor vehicle 1000 is in the autonomous driving state D by determining whether the autonomous driving system has been activated, or by determining whether a special component (e.g. a specific sensor) of the autonomous driving system is in an operational state, or by checking whether an instruction relating to activation of the autonomous driving function has been received, etc.

[0027] Upon identifying that the motor vehicle 1000 is in the autonomous driving state D, the illumination method according to embodiments of the present invention can proceed to step S102. In step S102, an instruction is given to activate a standard mode 10 of the autonomous driving marker light 120, to cause the autonomous driving marker light 120 to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode 10. For example, the instruction to activate the standard mode 10 may be given by means of the vehicle controller 200. The expression "illumination in accordance with the standard mode" used herein may be understood to realize a conventional function of the autonomous driving marker light 120, i.e. indicating to other road users that the motor vehicle 1000 is currently being controlled by the autonomous driving system, so as to indicate that the motor vehicle 1000 is in the autonomous driving state D.

[0028] The illumination method can then proceed to step S103. In step S103, upon receiving an instruction to activate an interactive mode 20 of the autonomous driving marker light 120 during autonomous driving, illumination style information can be received, and the autonomous driving marker light 120 is caused to illuminate in accordance with the received illumination style information. As an example, a control unit 110 for controlling the autonomous driving marker light 120 can receive the instruction to activate the interactive mode 20. As shown in, the autonomous driving marker light system 100 may comprise the control unit 110 and the autonomous driving marker light 120. For example, the control unit 110 may be configured to: upon receiving an instruction to activate the interactive mode 20, automatically generate a request to acquire illumination style information, and send the generated request to the inside or outside of the motor vehicle 1000, so as to receive illumination style information. The "illumination style information" referred to herein may be understood to be a signal that causes the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate to form a desired illumination effect. That is, by using the illumination style information for illumination, a corresponding illumination effect can be produced. Next, the control unit 110 may be configured to cause the autonomous driving marker light 120 to illuminate in accordance with the illumination style information, thereby causing the autonomous driving marker light 120 to display a corresponding illumination effect.

[0029] In this way, the autonomous driving marker light can be caused to illuminate in accordance with a required or indicated illumination effect, and a function of interaction with a vehicle user can thus be realized. For example, in the case of an autonomously driven taxi, the autonomous driving marker light can interact, by means of such an interactive function, with a user hailing the taxi. That is, causing the autonomous driving marker light to illuminate in accordance with an illumination effect specified in a vehicle system or a user-designed illumination effect enables the user to easily identify the hailed taxi by means of the autonomous driving marker light (e.g. an illumination pattern). In other words, a function of identifying a corresponding motor vehicle can be realized by causing the autonomous driving marker light to display a specific pattern or effect. Thus, the illumination method according to embodiments of the present invention enables the autonomous driving marker light to have not only a conventional function of indicating an autonomous driving state but also a function of interaction with the outside of the motor vehicle, so as to make use of the vehicle convenient and diverse for the user.

[0030] The illumination method can then proceed to step S104. In step S104, upon receiving an instruction to end the interactive mode 20, the autonomous driving marker light 120 can be caused to reactivate the standard mode 10, so as to continue illumination in accordance with the standard mode 10. As an example, the control unit 110 may also be configured to receive an instruction to end the interactive mode 20, and upon receiving the ending instruction, to control the autonomous driving marker light 120 again to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode 10.

[0031] In an embodiment, receiving an instruction to activate the interactive mode 20 of the autonomous driving marker light 120 in step S103 may comprise: upon identifying that the motor vehicle 1000 is within a set range of a designated position, giving an instruction to activate the interactive mode 20 of the autonomous driving marker light 120. As stated above, when the interactive mode 20 is activated, the autonomous driving marker light 120 is configured to display a specific illumination effect to facilitate identification of the motor vehicle 1000. Thus, the motor vehicle 1000 will generally be instructed to activate the interactive mode while waiting to be identified, so as to release interactive information (i.e. a specific illumination effect). While waiting to the identified, the motor vehicle 1000 will be at a particular location; therefore, upon identifying that the motor vehicle 1000 is at that location or within a certain range of that location, an instruction can be given to activate the interactive mode 20. For example, in the case of an autonomously driven taxi, the motor vehicle 1000 may receive location information of a designated boarding position, and travel to the designated boarding position. When the motor vehicle 1000 arrives within a set range (e.g. a 0 m - 5 m) of the location information of the designated boarding position, the vehicle controller 200 can identify this state, and send an instruction to activate the interactive mode 20 to the control unit 110 of the autonomous driving marker light system 100, so that the control unit 110 controls the autonomous driving marker light 120 to enter the interactive mode 20.

[0032] In this way, when the motor vehicle 1000 arrives (or is about to arrive) at the location where it is to be identified, the autonomous driving marker light 120 can be used to display a specific illumination effect to release interactive or communicative information, thereby making it easier for the user to identify the corresponding vehicle more quickly and conveniently.

[0033] In an embodiment, receiving illumination style information in step S103 may comprise: receiving preset illumination style information from the inside of the motor vehicle 1000, and generating illumination effect information on the basis of the received illumination style information, and sending the generated illumination effect information to the outside of the motor vehicle 1000. As an example, the illumination style information may be predesigned and stored in a vehicle memory. The control unit 110 of the autonomous driving marker light system 100 may be configured to acquire the predesigned and stored illumination style information from the vehicle memory after entering the interactive mode 200, so as to perform illumination in accordance with the acquired illumination style information. In this case, the autonomous driving marker light 120 will display a predesigned illumination effect. For interaction with the user, the control unit 110 is further configured to generate illumination effect information on the basis of the illumination style information. The "illumination effect information" referred to herein may be understood to show a specific colour, pattern or dynamic effect of the autonomous driving marker light system 100. The control unit 110 can then send the generated illumination effect information to the user, so that the user can identify the corresponding motor vehicle 1000 on the basis of the received illumination effect information.

[0034] For example, the vehicle memory may comprise only one item of illumination style information. In this case, the autonomous driving marker light 120 can display the same illumination effect on each occasion that the interactive mode 200 is entered. As another example, the vehicle memory may comprise two or more items of illumination style information. In this case, the autonomous driving marker light 120 can sequentially or randomly acquire one of the items of illumination style information. Further, two or more items of illumination effect information respectively corresponding to two or more items of illumination style information, and a mapping relationship between the illumination effect information and the illumination style information, may also be stored in the vehicle memory, so that illumination effect information can be generated on the basis of the mapping relationship. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0035] In an embodiment, receiving illumination style information in step S103 may comprise: sending an illumination style setting window to the outside of the motor vehicle 1000 to set an illumination style and form illumination style information, so as to receive illumination style information from the outside of the motor vehicle 1000. As an example, the control unit 110 may be configured to send a request to acquire illumination style information to the outside of the motor vehicle 1000 (e.g. to the user's mobile phone or another communication device) when the interactive mode 20 is entered. The request may comprise an illumination style setting window, so as to display to the user a window for setting or designing an illumination style, and the user can set an illumination effect via the illumination style setting window. For example, the user can input a desired illumination effect (for example, designed by himself or selected according to provided options) in the illumination style setting window, so as to form illumination style information. The illumination style information thus formed can then be sent back to the control unit 110 from the outside (i.e. from the user), so that the control unit 110 controls illumination of the autonomous driving marker light 120 according to the illumination style information received from the outside.

[0036] In this way, the content of interaction or communication with the motor vehicle 1000 can be designed by the user; this increases the diversity of interactive functionality in use, and provides the user with a personalized service.

[0037] In an embodiment, causing the autonomous driving marker light 120 to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode 10 in step S102 may comprise: causing the autonomous driving marker light 120 to illuminate continuously with a designated colour. As an example, the autonomous driving marker light 120 may be caused to illuminate continuously with a blue-green colour, so as to indicate to other road users that the motor vehicle 1000 is currently being controlled by the autonomous driving system, thereby indicating that the motor vehicle 1000 is in the autonomous driving state D.

[0038] In an embodiment, the illumination style information may comprise at least one of illumination colour, illumination pattern, illumination duration and illumination flashing frequency of the autonomous driving marker light 120. As an example, the illumination style information may be set to comprise a red colour, a square shape, and continuous illumination. The control unit 110 can control the autonomous driving marker light 120 according to the illumination style information. Specifically, multiple autonomous driving marker light modules 1200 comprised in the autonomous driving marker light 120 are controlled, to cause corresponding light modules 1200 among the multiple autonomous driving marker light modules 1200 to illuminate, so that the illumination effect is red, in a square pattern, and is continuous illumination without flashing. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this, and the illumination style information may comprise more features or elements for designing illumination effects.

[0039] In this way, illumination effects can be diversified, so that the interactive information used for identification is more unique, thus facilitating differentiation and identification by the user.

[0040] In an embodiment, the illumination method according to embodiments of the present invention may further comprise: upon identifying that the motor vehicle 1000 is not in the autonomous driving state D, causing the autonomous driving marker light 120 to be in an OFF mode. As shown in, upon identifying that the motor vehicle 1000 is not in the autonomous driving state D (for example, is in a human driving state), the illumination method can proceed to step S105, to give an instruction to activate the OFF mode of the autonomous driving marker light 120. The expression "OFF mode" as used herein can mean that the autonomous driving marker light system 100 is caused to be in a switched-off state. According to embodiments of the present invention, as long as the motor vehicle 1000 is not in the autonomous driving state D, the autonomous driving marker light system 100 is not activated, and the autonomous driving marker light 120 will not be illuminated in any way.

[0041] In an embodiment, the illumination method according to embodiments of the present invention may further comprise: when an instruction is given to activate another mode 40 during autonomous driving, causing the autonomous driving marker light 120 to illuminate in accordance with an illumination style of the other mode 40. As an example, the autonomous driving marker light 120 may have other modes for other functions, and corresponding illumination styles may be designed for the other modes. Thus, when an instruction is given to activate another mode of the autonomous driving marker light 120, illumination of the autonomous driving marker light 120 can be controlled according to the corresponding illumination style. Specifically, multiple autonomous driving marker light modules 1200 comprised in the autonomous driving marker light 120 are controlled to display a corresponding illumination effect. For example, the other mode 40 may comprise a parking mode, and the illumination style of the parking mode may be designed to cause all of the autonomous driving marker light modules 1200 to illuminate by flashing red. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this, and other illumination styles may be set according to regulations or user requirements.

[0042] The present invention also provides an autonomous driving marker light system 100. As shown in, the autonomous driving marker light system 100 comprises at least one autonomous driving marker light module 1200 and a control unit 110. The control unit 110 is configured to control the at least one autonomous driving marker light module 1200 in accordance with the illumination method of the present invention.

[0043] The present invention further provides a motor vehicle 1000. As shown in, the motor vehicle 1000 comprises a vehicle controller 200 and the autonomous driving marker light system 100 according to the present invention.

[0044] The present invention also provides a computer program product comprising a computer program instruction. When executed by a processor, the computer program instruction realizes the illumination method according to the present invention.

[0045] Although the present invention has been explained in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the accompanying drawings are intended to provide an exemplary illustration of preferred embodiments of the present invention, and must not be interpreted as a limitation of the present invention.

[0046] Although some embodiments of the overall concept of the present invention have been shown and explained, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the overall inventive concept. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

[0047]

[0001]

Claims

Illumination method for an autonomous driving marker light (120) of a motor vehicle (1000), characterized in that the method comprises:identifying whether the motor vehicle (1000) receives an instruction to activate an interactive mode (20), when not receiving instruction to activate the interactive mode (20), giving an instruction to activate a standard mode (10), to cause the autonomous driving marker light (120) to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode (10);upon receiving an instruction to activate an interactive mode (20), receiving illumination style information, and causing the autonomous driving marker light (120) to illuminate in accordance with the illumination style information; andupon receiving an instruction to end the interactive mode (20), causing the autonomous driving marker light (120) to reactivate the standard mode (10).Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that identifying whether the motor vehicle (1000) is in an autonomous driving state (D), and upon identifying that the motor vehicle (1000) is in the autonomous driving state (D), giving an instruction to activate a standard mode (10), to cause the autonomous driving marker light (120) to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode (10);upon receiving an instruction to activate an interactive mode (20) during autonomous driving, receiving illumination style information, and causing the autonomous driving marker light (120) to illuminate in accordance with the illumination style information; andupon receiving an instruction to end the interactive mode (20), causing the autonomous driving marker light (120) to reactivate the standard mode (10).Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that receiving an instruction to activate the interactive mode (20) comprises: upon identifying that the motor vehicle (1000) is within a set range of a designated position, giving an instruction to activate the interactive mode (20) of the autonomous driving marker light (120).Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that receiving the illumination style information comprises: receiving preset illumination style information from the inside of the motor vehicle (1000), and generating illumination effect information on the basis of the received illumination style information, and sending the illumination effect information to the outside of the motor vehicle (1000).Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that receiving the illumination style information comprises: sending an illumination style setting window to the outside of the motor vehicle (1000) to set an illumination style and form the illumination style information, so as to receive the illumination style information from the outside of the motor vehicle (1000).Method according to any one of Claims 1 - 5, characterized in that causing the autonomous driving marker light (120) to illuminate in accordance with the standard mode (10) comprises: causing the autonomous driving marker light (120) to illuminate continuously with a designated colour.Method according to any one of Claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the illumination style information comprises at least one of illumination colour, illumination pattern, illumination duration and illumination flashing frequency of the autonomous driving marker light (120).Method according to any one of Claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the method further comprises: upon identifying that the motor vehicle (1000) is not in the autonomous driving state (D), causing the autonomous driving marker light (120) to be in an OFF mode (30).Method according to any one of Claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the method further comprises: when an instruction is given to activate another mode (40) during autonomous driving, causing the autonomous driving marker light (120) to illuminate in accordance with an illumination style of the other mode (40),wherein the other mode (40) comprises a parking mode.Autonomous driving marker light system (100) for a motor vehicle, characterized in that the autonomous driving marker light system (100) comprises:an autonomous driving marker light (120), comprising at least one autonomous driving marker light module (1200); anda control unit (110), configured to control the at least one autonomous driving marker light module (1200) in accordance with the method of any one of Claims 1 - 9.Motor vehicle (1000), characterized in that the motor vehicle comprises:a vehicle controller (200), configured to identify whether the motor vehicle (1000) is in an autonomous driving state (D); andthe autonomous driving marker light system (100) according to Claim 10.Computer program product comprising a computer program instruction, characterized in that the computer program instruction, when executed by a processor, realizes the method according to any one of Claims 1 - 9.

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