Projection control method and related apparatus

Abstract

A projection control method and a related apparatus, which are applied to the technical fields of intelligent vehicles and projections. A projection control device (170) may acquire traveling scene information of a first vehicle, and on the basis of the traveling scene information of the first vehicle, enable the projection of a first projection pattern, wherein the traveling scene information comprises information of a target vehicle, and the first projection pattern is used for prompting the relative distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. A distance-indication projection function can be automatically triggered on the basis of traveling scene information, such that surrounding vehicles notice the presence of a vehicle and perceive the position of the vehicle, thereby significantly reducing the risk of collisions. Using a projection pattern to alert other vehicles can also greatly reduce driving interaction conflicts caused by blind spots, such that driving interaction can be effectively and safely performed with other vehicles, thereby improving the driving safety.

Description

Projection control method and related device

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411244916.1, filed on September 5, 2024, and entitled "A projection control method and related device", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the fields of intelligent vehicle technology and projection technology, and in particular to a projection control method and related device. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the continuous construction of the transportation network, the development of vehicle technology and the improvement of people's living standards, the number of vehicles is increasing, and driving safety has gradually become one of the most concerned safety issues in people's daily life. The driving interaction safety between vehicles is a key link in driving safety.

[0004] As there are more and more vehicles on the road, when the driver drives the ego vehicle to approach other vehicles, especially when the ego vehicle needs to perform interaction behaviors such as overtaking, passing, cutting in and cutting out, the ego vehicle and the surrounding vehicles are prone to collision due to poor intention transmission. How to effectively and safely interact with other vehicles and improve driving safety when passing other vehicles is a hot issue that researchers in the field are studying. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a projection control method and related device, which can automatically project the distance information between the vehicle and other vehicles based on the driving scene information of the vehicle, so that the surrounding vehicles pay attention to the existence of the vehicle and perceive the position of the vehicle, thereby significantly reducing the risk of collision. Using the projection pattern to prompt other vehicles can also greatly reduce the driving interaction conflicts caused by blind spots, effectively and safely interact with other vehicles, and improve driving safety.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a projection control method, comprising: obtaining driving scene information of a first vehicle, and enabling projection of a first projection pattern based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle. The driving scene information includes information of a target vehicle, and the first projection pattern is used to prompt the relative distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle.

[0007] The method can be applied to a vehicle, and the first vehicle is distinguished. In some schemes, the method can be implemented by the first vehicle or a module in the first vehicle. Here, the module can include a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of software and hardware module, etc. For example, the method is executed by a chip, a processor or a device including a processor in the first vehicle, etc. For ease of description, the following describes the execution subject as a projection control device, which is a vehicle-mounted device.

[0008] The present application automatically enables the projection of distance information between the vehicle and other vehicles based on driving scene information of the vehicle, to prompt the distance between the vehicle and the target vehicle. Through the projected first projection pattern, the target vehicle (or the driver of the target vehicle, hereinafter referred to as the target vehicle) can timely perceive the existence of the first vehicle, and intuitively and accurately perceive the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle, so as to estimate the position of the first vehicle, thereby significantly reducing the collision risk between the target vehicle and the first vehicle. Moreover, since the first projection pattern is a two-dimensional pattern projected on the ground, the surrounding ground (for example, the front ground) of the first vehicle occupies a certain area, and even if the first vehicle itself is in the blind area of the target vehicle, the first projection pattern can be projected into the visible area of the target vehicle, so that this information interaction mode can effectively interact with the target vehicle, and greatly reduce the driving interaction conflict caused by the blind area.

[0009] In addition, the distance projection of the present application is automatically enabled based on the recognition of scene information, which can easily enable the ego vehicle to realize intelligent and active communication with other vehicles, greatly reducing the operation process of the driver, and further improving the driving safety. In summary, by using the present application, the first vehicle can effectively and safely interact with other vehicles, greatly reducing the risk caused by the blind area, and significantly improving the driving safety.

[0010] Especially in the case of driving in poor lighting conditions or passing through large vehicles, the present application can significantly reduce the collision risk when performing driving interaction behavior, and improve the safety of the vehicle. The poor lighting conditions here include but are not limited to night, tunnel or other poor lighting conditions.

[0011] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the projection position of the first projection pattern is in front of the first vehicle.

[0012] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the information of the target vehicle includes one or more of position information of the target vehicle, attribute information of the target vehicle, etc. The position information of the target vehicle is used to indicate one or more of the lane where the target vehicle is located, the position of the target vehicle relative to the first vehicle, the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle, etc. The attribute information of the target vehicle is data used to describe the state of the target vehicle, for example, the attribute information of the target vehicle is used to indicate one or more of the driving direction of the target vehicle, the size of the target vehicle, the type of the target vehicle, the speed of the target vehicle, the acceleration of the target vehicle, etc.

[0013] Optionally, the information of the target vehicle can be collected by a sensing system, which includes but is not limited to one or more of a vision-based sensor, a radar-based sensor, a wireless communication device, etc. Exemplarily, the vision-based sensor includes a camera, and the radar-based sensor includes but is not limited to one or more of a laser radar, an ultrasonic radar, a millimeter wave radar, a centimeter wave radar, etc.

[0014] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the driving scene information further comprises information of the first vehicle. The information of the first vehicle comprises one or more of a position of the first vehicle, a driving direction of the first vehicle, a speed of the first vehicle, an acceleration of the first vehicle, a continuous driving time of the first vehicle. The information of the first vehicle can be obtained by measured data collected by a sensing system in the vehicle, which includes one or more of a wheel speed sensor, an inertial measurement unit, a navigation system, a positioning system, a gyroscope, a vision-based sensor, a radar-based sensor, a wireless communication device, etc.

[0015] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, enabling projecting the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle comprises: determining whether a range-finding trigger condition is satisfied based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, and enabling projecting the first projection pattern in case that the range-finding trigger condition is satisfied.

[0016] In the above manner, the range-finding trigger condition restricts the triggering scene of the range-finding projection function, and the projection control device can determine whether the range-finding trigger condition is satisfied based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, so as to accurately trigger the range-finding projection function in some scenes with higher risk or need, which is beneficial to reduce the risk of collision and improve the driving safety. Moreover, based on the condition rule, the triggering of the range-finding projection function has a traceable rule, which is beneficial to cultivate the user's adaptation to the range-finding projection function and improve the user experience.

[0017] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the range-finding trigger condition comprises one or more of the following conditions: condition 1, the position of the target vehicle satisfies a first position condition, condition 2, the attribute of the target vehicle satisfies a first attribute condition, condition 3, the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle satisfies a first intention condition, condition 4, the state of the first vehicle satisfies a first state condition, etc.

[0018] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the position of the target vehicle, the attribute of the target vehicle, the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle, and the state of the first vehicle are all related to the collision risk degree of the vehicle, and the determination of whether to enable the projection of the first projection pattern in combination with one or more of the position of the target vehicle, the attribute of the target vehicle, the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle, and the state of the first vehicle helps to avoid conflicts between the driving intentions of the target vehicle and the first vehicle, significantly reduces the collision risk between the target vehicle and the first vehicle, and improves driving safety.

[0019] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first position condition comprises that the target vehicle is located in an adjacent lane of the first vehicle (for ease of distinction, referred to as condition 1a). Vehicles located in adjacent lanes have a greater collision risk, for example, conflicts are prone to occur when performing overtaking, passing, cutting in, cutting out, lane changing, turning, merging in, and merging out, and the like. The above-mentioned embodiments can prompt the target vehicle in the adjacent lane to be aware of the position of the first vehicle, which helps to avoid conflicts in driving intentions and improves driving safety when passing other vehicles.

[0020] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first position condition comprises that the target vehicle is located in front of the first vehicle (for ease of distinction, referred to as condition 1b). It is more difficult for a front vehicle to observe a rear vehicle, and in the above-mentioned embodiments, when the target vehicle is located in front of the first vehicle, the first projection pattern is projected in front of the first vehicle, so that the target vehicle in front is more likely to perceive the existence of the first vehicle behind and intuitively perceive the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle, further reducing the risk caused by the visual blind area of the front vehicle, and significantly improving driving safety when passing other vehicles.

[0021] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first position condition comprises that the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle satisfies a preset first distance threshold (for ease of distinction, referred to as condition 1c). The above-mentioned embodiments make the distance projection function more targeted, which can accurately and effectively prompt the target vehicle. On the one hand, the closer the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle, the higher the possibility of driving interaction conflict between them, and when the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle is less than the first distance threshold, the distance projection function is triggered, which can more accurately reduce the risk of driving interaction between the target vehicle and the first vehicle. On the other hand, the clarity and brightness of the projected image are limited by the distance, and the projection effect is better within a certain distance range, so the above-mentioned condition can ensure that the first projection pattern can more effectively remind other vehicles when projected.

[0022] Optionally, the first positional condition can further include other conditions, for example, the target vehicle is located on a highway, or the target vehicle is located in a city, or the target vehicle is located on a risk road segment (the risk road segment is predefined), and the like.

[0023] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first attribute condition comprises that the target vehicle is in the same driving direction as the first vehicle (for ease of differentiation, referred to as condition 2a). Vehicles in the same driving direction are prone to conflict in driving intention, and thus the distance projection function can be triggered in the case that the target vehicle is in the same driving direction as the first vehicle, so as to reduce the probability of conflict in driving intention between the target vehicle and the first vehicle, reduce the risk caused by the visual blind area of the vehicle, and significantly improve the driving safety when passing by the other vehicle.

[0024] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first attribute condition comprises that the target vehicle is a first type of vehicle (for ease of differentiation, referred to as condition 2b). The first type includes at least one of a truck, a passenger car, a trailer, or a special vehicle, and the special vehicle includes but is not limited to a mud tank truck, an oil tank truck, a special operation vehicle (such as a fire truck), and the like.

[0025] The first type of vehicle is usually a vehicle with greater danger, and has a larger visual blind area and higher interaction risk relative to other types of vehicles (for example, ordinary cars, sports cars, and the like). In the above manner, the distance projection function is triggered when the vehicle is close to the special type of vehicle, so that the distance projection function is more targeted and can have a more significant prompting effect, thereby improving the driving safety. Since there are many ordinary vehicles on the road, the distance projection function is not triggered for vehicles other than the first type, which can avoid repeated triggering of the distance projection reminder and low-risk triggering, and improve the user experience.

[0026] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first attribute condition comprises that the size of the target vehicle is greater than (or greater than or equal to) a first size threshold (for ease of differentiation, referred to as condition 2c). The larger the size of the vehicle, the larger the blind area range, and the higher the interaction risk. The addition of the above condition can make the distance projection function more targeted, accurately and effectively prompting the large vehicle, and improving the safety when passing by the large vehicle.

[0027] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first attribute condition comprises that the speed data of the target vehicle satisfies a first speed condition (for ease of differentiation, referred to as condition 2d). The speed data includes a speed, a relative speed with the first vehicle, an acceleration, and a relative acceleration with the first vehicle. The speed data satisfies the first speed condition, for example, the speed of the target vehicle falls within a first speed range, the acceleration of the target vehicle falls within a first acceleration range, the relative speed of the target vehicle and the first vehicle falls within a second speed range, the relative acceleration of the target vehicle and the first vehicle falls within a second acceleration range, and the like.

[0028] When interacting, the speed, relative speed, acceleration, relative acceleration, etc. of the target vehicle will significantly affect the risk of interaction between the ego vehicle and the target vehicle. When the distance projection function is triggered, the speed data of the target vehicle is included in the data triggering condition, which can accurately and effectively prompt the target vehicle in a dangerous interaction scenario and improve the safety of interaction with the target vehicle.

[0029] Similar to the first position condition, the first attribute condition can also include other conditions, such as a condition for restricting the load state of the target vehicle, a condition for restricting the estimated weight of the target vehicle, etc.

[0030] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the first intention condition includes: the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle belongs to a first intention type (for ease of distinction, referred to as condition 3a). The first intention type can be predefined, and in the case that the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle belongs to the first intention type, the driving interaction between the ego vehicle and the target vehicle can have a higher risk, so the distance projection function is enabled to be triggered. The introduction of the above condition makes the distance projection function more targeted and can have a more significant prompting effect, thereby improving driving safety.

[0031] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the first intention condition includes: the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle conflicts with the predicted driving intention of the ego vehicle (for ease of distinction, referred to as condition 3b). When the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle conflicts with the predicted driving intention of the ego vehicle, the driving interaction between the target vehicle and the ego vehicle has a higher risk. Therefore, when the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle conflicts with the predicted driving intention of the ego vehicle, the distance projection function is enabled to be triggered, which makes the distance projection function more targeted and can have a more significant prompting effect, thereby improving driving safety.

[0032] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the first state condition includes: the speed data of the ego vehicle satisfies a second speed condition (for ease of distinction, referred to as condition 4a). When interacting, the speed and acceleration of the ego vehicle will significantly affect the risk of interaction between the ego vehicle and the target vehicle. When the distance projection function is triggered, the speed data of the ego vehicle is included in the data triggering condition, which can accurately and effectively prompt the target vehicle in a dangerous interaction scenario and improve the safety of interaction with the target vehicle.

[0033] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the first state condition includes: the position of the ego vehicle satisfies a second position condition (for ease of distinction, referred to as condition 4b).

[0034] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first state condition comprises that a continuous driving time of the first vehicle satisfies a first continuous driving time condition (for ease of reference, referred to as condition 4c). At the moment of interaction, the continuous driving time of the ego vehicle reflects the driving time of the driver, and when the continuous driving time is relatively long, the driver is likely to be tired. In the case where the continuous driving time of the first vehicle is taken into account in the distance projection triggering condition, and the speed data of the ego vehicle is taken into account in the data triggering condition, the ego vehicle can be prompted to improve the safety of interaction with the first vehicle in a dangerous interaction scenario.

[0035] It should be understood that the above-mentioned various implementation forms can be combined, for example, the distance projection triggering condition can include part or all of the aforementioned conditions. When multiple conditions are included, part of the conditions can be mandatory conditions, or part of the conditions can be combined with other conditions as optional conditions that are alternatively satisfied.

[0036] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, whether to enable the projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle can be determined by using an artificial intelligence (AI) model or the like, or by using information output by the AI model. The AI model includes but is not limited to a machine learning model such as a neural network model. The AI model has high recognition accuracy and can be deployed in a separate computing unit. By determining whether the distance projection triggering condition is satisfied by using the AI model, the triggering accuracy of the distance projection function can be improved and the computing power consumption of the projection control device can be reduced.

[0037] As a possible implementation, based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, enabling the projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle comprises: based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle and a first machine learning model, obtaining perception information, determining whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle satisfies the distance projection triggering condition based on the perception information, and projecting the first projection pattern in the case where the distance projection triggering condition is satisfied. The perception information is used to determine whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle satisfies the distance projection triggering condition.

[0038] In the above embodiments, the first driving scene information can be input to the first machine learning model, which can identify and extract the complex scene information to obtain perception information with better usability. For example, the driving scene information of the first vehicle is image data collected by a point cloud or an image, and the first machine learning model can process the information to obtain information of road elements in the scene, such as lane lines, traffic signs, etc., and information of obstacles, such as positions of obstacles or attributes of obstacles, etc. By processing the first scene information through the machine learning model, information with better usability can be quickly and accurately obtained, which can include indicators for determining the distance display triggering condition, so that the determination of the distance display triggering condition is more accurate, and the triggering accuracy of the projection distance display function and the calculation power consumption of the projection control device can be improved.

[0039] As another possible implementation, enabling projection of a first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on driving scene information of the first vehicle includes: obtaining output result information based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle and the first machine learning model, the output result information indicating whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle satisfies a distance display triggering condition. In the case where the distance display triggering condition is satisfied, the first projection pattern is projected.

[0040] In the above embodiments, the machine learning model can complete identification and extraction of the driving scene information, and further can complete determination of whether the distance display triggering condition is satisfied, so that the determination of the distance display triggering condition is more accurate by combining the machine learning model, the triggering accuracy of the projection distance display function can be improved, and the calculation power consumption of the projection control device can be reduced.

[0041] As another possible implementation, enabling projection of a first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on driving scene information of the first vehicle includes: inputting the driving scene information of the first vehicle to the first machine learning model to obtain output result information, the output result information indicating whether the first projection pattern is enabled to be projected in front of the first vehicle. In response to the output result information indicating that the first projection pattern is enabled to be projected in front of the first vehicle, the first projection pattern is projected in front of the first vehicle.

[0042] In the above embodiments, the machine learning model can complete identification and extraction of the driving scene information, and further can directly control enabling and ending of the distance display projection function, so that the control of the distance display projection function is more accurate by combining the machine learning model, the intelligent degree of the projection distance display function can be improved, and the user's use experience can be improved.

[0043] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the first projection pattern includes one or more of a graphic, a character, or a symbol. For example, the graphic can include one or more of a shape (such as an arrow), a line, a sign (such as a reminder sign), a virtual image, etc.

[0044] In some embodiments, the elements in the first projected pattern include dynamically changeable elements. Optionally, the dynamic effects of the dynamic elements include, but are not limited to, dynamic appearance effects, dynamic emphasis effects, dynamic disappearance effects, or paths with dynamic movement, etc. The dynamic effects can dynamically and vividly show the distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle, are more eye-catching, can enhance the prompting effect, increase the possibility of being observed by the other vehicle, guide the driver of the vehicle, improve the concentration of the driver of the vehicle, and further improve the interactive safety.

[0045] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first vehicle further includes a projection module, and the projecting the first projected pattern comprises: providing the first projected pattern to the projection module, so that the projection module projects the first projected pattern. Optionally, the projection module can include a projection lens, and the projection lens can project an image outward, the image including the first projected pattern.

[0046] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the projection region of the first projected pattern is in front of the first vehicle, and the projection region is at least partially in front of the target vehicle. At least part of the first projected pattern needs to be projected in front of the head of the target vehicle, which can greatly improve the possibility of the target vehicle (or the driver of the vehicle) perceiving the first projected pattern, thereby effectively interacting with the target vehicle, greatly reducing the risk of blind area, and further improving the driving safety.

[0047] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the projection region of the first projected pattern is at least partially in a lane where the first vehicle is located. In this way, the other vehicle can perceive the lane where the first vehicle is located based on the lane position of the first projected pattern, and the other vehicle can avoid the driving interaction conflict with the first vehicle in advance, thereby reducing the risk of collision.

[0048] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the projection region of the first projected pattern is fixed relative to the first vehicle. Projecting the first projected pattern into the projection region fixed relative to the first vehicle can reduce the amount of calculation and the complexity of calculation, and can avoid the position jitter of the projected pattern, and has a good display effect.

[0049] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first projected pattern includes at least two display regions arranged in the direction of the head of the first vehicle, and each of the at least two display regions is used to represent a preset distance length.

[0050] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first projected pattern further includes a display element in each display region, and the display element in each display region is used to indicate the distance between the display region and the first vehicle.

[0051] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the luminance of the at least two display regions gradually changes in a stepwise manner in a direction opposite to the direction of the vehicle head of the first vehicle, for example, the luminance gradually increases. In this way, the target vehicle can further estimate the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle in combination with the stepwise change of the luminance, and realize that the vehicle is approaching or moving away from itself, which helps to reduce the risk of collision between the ego vehicle and the other vehicle, and improve the driving safety of the vehicle.

[0052] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the method further comprises determining a target projection region according to the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. The target projection region is located in front of the target vehicle, and the projection region of the first projection pattern is located in the target projection region. Considering the relative distance between the target vehicle and the ego vehicle when projecting the first pattern can improve the probability of the first projection pattern being perceived by the target vehicle, and improve the interaction effect.

[0053] Further, the projection region of the first projection pattern is fixed relative to the target vehicle. For the target vehicle, the first projection pattern is fixed relative to the target vehicle, so that the target vehicle can obtain the relative distance from the ego vehicle from a fixed region, which is more in line with the observation habits of the user of the target vehicle, reduces the risk of collision and thus improves the driving safety of the first vehicle.

[0054] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the method further comprises updating the position of the target projection region according to the current distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. Since the projection region of the first projection pattern is related to the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle, when the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle changes, the projection region of the first projection pattern is also updated accordingly to adapt to the change of the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. In this way, a display effect of following the movement of the vehicle can be formed, the intelligence of the projection display is improved, and the user experience is improved.

[0055] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the method further comprises enabling the first projection pattern to be no longer projected (i.e., ending the projection of the first projection pattern) based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle. In this way, the distance projection function can be exited in a timely manner based on the driving scene information, which on the one hand can reduce the power consumption of the projection module, and on the other hand can give out the projection region for other information that needs to be projected, improve the intelligent degree of the vehicle projection function, and improve the user experience.

[0056] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the method further includes enabling projecting a second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, the second projection pattern being used to indicate that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches the warning distance. Since the ego vehicle and the other vehicle are in driving interaction, it is inevitable that the distance is close. Through the close distance warning function, the target vehicle can be further prompted that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle has reached the warning distance, which is conducive to the target vehicle and the first vehicle to avoid interaction risks and improve the safety of driving interaction.

[0057] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the method further includes enabling projecting a second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, and determining whether a distance warning condition is met based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, and projecting the second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle in a case where the distance warning condition is met.

[0058] Based on the conditional rule, the triggering of the distance projection function is traceable, which is conducive to cultivating the user's adaptation to the distance projection function and improving the user experience.

[0059] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the distance warning condition includes that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle is less than or equal to a second distance threshold. Further, the second distance threshold is predefined, pre-determined or self-defined. Here, the pre- refers to before the current determination, and in some schemes, the second distance threshold can be adaptively changed. Optionally, the second distance threshold is less than or equal to the first distance threshold.

[0060] Further, the distance warning condition can also include one or more of the conditions included in the distance triggering condition, or the triggering condition of the distance warning condition is more stringent than the distance triggering condition.

[0061] Exemplarily, the distance alert condition further comprises one or more of the following conditions: (a) the target vehicle is located in an adjacent lane of the first vehicle; (b) the target vehicle is located in front of the first vehicle; (c) the target vehicle is of a preset second type of vehicle; (d) the size of the target vehicle is greater than a second size threshold; (e) the speed data of the target vehicle satisfies a third speed condition; (f) the speed data of the first vehicle satisfies a fourth speed condition; (g) the relative speed between the target vehicle and the first vehicle satisfies a second relative speed condition; (h) the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle satisfies a second intention condition; (i) the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle conflicts with the predicted driving intention of the first vehicle. Exemplarily, the second type comprises at least one of a truck, a passenger car, a trailer or a special vehicle. In some schemes, the first type is the same as the second type, and in other schemes, the first type is different from the second type. In some schemes, the first size threshold is the same as the second size threshold. In other schemes, the first size threshold is different from the second size threshold, for example, the second size threshold is greater than the first size threshold.

[0062] Similarly, other indicators, such as size, speed, relative speed, driving intention, etc., can be the same as or different from the thresholds of the indicators in the foregoing distance trigger conditions.

[0063] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further comprises: ending the projection of the second projection pattern when the distance alert condition is no longer met. Timely exiting the distance alert function when the distance alert condition is not met can reduce the power consumption of the projection module, on the one hand, and can give up the projection area for other information that needs to be projected, thereby improving the intelligent degree of the vehicle projection function and improving the user experience.

[0064] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, whether to enable the projection of the second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle can be determined by using an AI model or information output by the AI model. The AI model includes but is not limited to a machine learning model, such as a neural network model. For related descriptions, please refer to the foregoing implementation of enabling the projection of the first pattern by using the AI model.

[0065] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the first projection pattern and the second projection pattern belong to the same layer of the same projection image, or the first projection pattern and the second projection pattern belong to different layers of the same projection image. The multi-layer fusion can obtain layer information respectively and then fuse and project, which is also conducive to decoupling between functions, for example, the user can actively turn off the distance projection or distance alert function without affecting other functions.

[0066] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first projection pattern is contained in each of a plurality of consecutive projection image frames. The method further comprises determining, based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, whether a distance warning condition is met. In the case that the distance warning condition is met, the display style of the first projection pattern in at least two of the plurality of projection image frames is different. Further, the display style of the first projection pattern in the plurality of projection image frames is changed to prompt that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches a warning distance.

[0067] The display style change comprises one or more of a thickness change, a shape dynamic change, a size dynamic change, a position dynamic change, a color dynamic change, etc. The dynamic change can achieve a more vivid and more eye-catching warning effect, and further saves the projection area for projecting the warning information, and combines the distance prompt and the distance warning together, which is more in line with the habit of users to obtain information, and improves the use experience of the distance projection function and the distance warning function.

[0068] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the method further comprises determining, based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, whether a distance warning condition is met. In the case that the distance warning condition is met, the first projection pattern is contained in a first part of a plurality of consecutive projection image frames, and a second part of the plurality of projection image frames does not include the first projection pattern. The existence state of the first projection pattern in the plurality of projection image frames is changed to prompt that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches a warning distance. The flicker change can achieve a more vivid and more eye-catching warning effect, and further saves the projection area for projecting the warning information, and combines the distance prompt and the distance warning together, which is more in line with the habit of users to obtain information, and improves the use experience of the distance projection function and the distance warning function.

[0069] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the method further comprises projecting a third projection pattern in front of the first vehicle, the third projection pattern being used to indicate a first driving intention of the first vehicle. In this way, the target vehicle can be aware of the first driving intention of the first vehicle, which is beneficial to the target vehicle and the first vehicle to avoid interaction risks and reduce collision risks, and improves the safety of driving interaction.

[0070] Further, the method further comprises determining, based on driving state data of the first vehicle, the first driving intention of the first vehicle.

[0071] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first projection pattern and the third projection pattern belong to a same layer of a same projection image, or the first projection pattern and the third projection pattern belong to different layers of a same projection image.

[0072] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the method further comprises: ending projecting the third projection pattern after the first driving intention is cancelled or the first driving intention execution ends. In this way, the projection of the driving intention is exited in time after the first driving intention is cancelled or the first driving intention execution ends, which on the one hand can reduce the power consumption of the projection module, and on the other hand can leave a projection area for other information that needs to be projected, thereby improving the intelligent degree of the vehicle projection function and improving the user experience.

[0073] In a second aspect, a projection control apparatus is provided, which comprises units or modules for performing the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation form of the first aspect. For example, the projection control apparatus comprises a processing unit and an obtaining unit. The processing unit is configured to implement one or more operations of processing, determining, generating, calculating, encrypting, decrypting, etc. The obtaining unit is configured to implement one or more operations of obtaining, receiving, inputting, etc. For example, the obtaining unit can obtain the driving scene information of the first vehicle, and the processing unit can process the information. Further, the processed information can be outputted.

[0074] In a third aspect, a projection control apparatus is provided, which comprises a processor, a memory and a communication interface. The communication interface is configured to obtain information and / or output information. The memory is configured to provide a storage space for storing computer instructions, and the processor is configured to invoke the computer instructions stored in the memory so that the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation form of the first aspect is performed.

[0075] In a fourth aspect, a chip is provided, which comprises a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to obtain information and transmit the information to the processor. The processor is configured to implement the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation form of the first aspect by means of a logic circuit or an execution code instruction.

[0076] In a fifth aspect, a projection system is provided, which comprises a projection module and the projection control apparatus of the second aspect or the third aspect. The projection control apparatus is configured to provide a projection image to the projection module, the projection image comprising a first projection pattern, and the projection module is configured to project the projection image. Further, the projection module is arranged in a vehicle lamp.

[0077] In a sixth aspect, a vehicle is provided, which comprises the projection system of the fifth aspect and a perception device. The perception device is configured to collect driving scene information of the vehicle and provide the driving scene information of the vehicle to the projection system.

[0078] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a readable storage medium, which is used for storing a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, causes an apparatus comprising the processor to implement the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0079] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, and when the computer program product is executed by a processor, causes an apparatus comprising the processor to implement the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0080] The beneficial effects of the second aspect to the eighth aspect of the present application can be referred to the beneficial effects of the solution of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0081] The drawings needed to be used in the following embodiment description will be briefly introduced.

[0082] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a scene in which a self-vehicle and other vehicles are driving on a road;

[0083] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a blind area of a vehicle;

[0084] FIG. 3A is a functional block diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0086] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a projection system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0087] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a flow of a projection control method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of another projection pattern according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0090] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of another projection pattern according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0091] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a determination manner of two adjacent lanes according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0092] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another two projection patterns according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0093] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of another projection pattern according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0094] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a layer of a projection image according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0095] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of image frames of two projection images according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0096] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of image frames of two projection images according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0097] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of another projection pattern according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0098] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of layers of another projection image according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0099] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a projection control device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0100] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a structure of another projection control device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0101] Some terms that may be involved in the present application will be introduced first.

[0102] A domain controller (DC) is a device that centrally controls each domain in a vehicle. The domain is a functional domain formed by dividing the systems of the vehicle according to functions, such as a power domain, a chassis domain, a body domain, a cabin domain, an autonomous driving domain, a left domain, a right domain, and the like. Each domain in the vehicle is controlled by a high-performance computing platform, which is the domain controller. The domain controller mainly includes, but is not limited to, one or more processors, memories, communication interfaces, power management modules, sensor interfaces, and the like. The processor is responsible for running various software algorithms in the domain, processing data, making decisions, and controlling actuators. The memory is used to store the operating system, application programs, and data, or to temporarily store the programs and data that are running. The communication interface is used to communicate with other electronic devices in the vehicle, to realize the transmission and interaction of data. The power management module is responsible for managing and distributing the power supply of the domain controller, to ensure that the system can obtain stable power supply in different working states. The sensor interface connects various types of sensors, such as cameras, radars, accelerometers, and the like, according to different domains, so that the processor can receive the sensor data of the corresponding domain and process and analyze it.

[0103] A mobile data center (MDC), which can also be referred to as an intelligent driving domain controller, is positioned as a computing platform for intelligent driving and is a key hardware architecture for implementing software-defined vehicles. The hardware architecture of the MDC includes, but is not limited to, a master control chip, a sensor interface, a communication module, a power management module, a heat dissipation system, and the like. The master control chip can provide powerful artificial intelligence computing power for processing a large number of perception and computing tasks in intelligent driving, as well as system control and the like. The sensor interface can have rich interfaces to connect various types of sensors, which ensures that the MDC can quickly and accurately receive information from different sensors to provide data support for intelligent driving decisions. The communication module has high-speed communication capabilities and supports communication modes such as vehicle Ethernet (only as an example) to ensure efficient communication with other electronic control units (ECUs) of the vehicle and the cloud, and to realize real-time transmission and interaction of data. The power management module is responsible for managing and distributing power to the entire system to ensure that each component can obtain stable and reliable power supply in different working states, while also considering energy consumption optimization to reduce the overall power consumption of the system. The heat dissipation system can ensure that the temperature of the system remains within a reasonable range during long-time high-load operation, and an efficient heat dissipation system is the key to ensuring stable operation of the intelligent driving computing platform.

[0104] An obstacle refers to an entity (or an entity considered by the terminal) that can hinder or delay the terminal (e.g., a vehicle) during the terminal's travel, such as an object, a terrain, or a facility, and the like. The object can include a living object or a non-living object. In addition, the position of the obstacle can be fixed or mobile. Exemplarily, the obstacles during the travel of the vehicle include other vehicles and other road users.

[0105] The above description of technical terms can be applied to the embodiments below.

[0106] When a vehicle and a surrounding vehicle exist driving interaction (such as overtaking, passing, lane changing, and the like), the information exchange is relatively passive. As shown in FIG. 1, when the ego vehicle approaches the other vehicle, driving interaction usually needs to be performed between the two vehicles, for example, the ego vehicle can overtake the other vehicle, the other vehicle can change lanes, the ego vehicle can change lanes, and the like. These driving interactions are prone to conflict, which can cause the ego vehicle and the surrounding vehicle to collide due to poor intention transmission.

[0107] Due to the existence of the vehicle blind area, the other vehicle can not be aware of the existence of the ego vehicle. At this time, the ego vehicle can also communicate with the other vehicle through a horn, a flashing light, and the like, so that the driver of the other vehicle perceives the ego vehicle. However, this requires the driver to manually perform some operations, which can increase the risk of driving.

[0108] Especially when the other vehicle is a large vehicle, the risk is often higher when the ego vehicle passes the large vehicle, because the large vehicle has a longer length and a larger blind area, and the reminding effect of the horn, flash light and other ways is further reduced. Please refer to (a) of FIG. 2, the visual blind area of the large vehicle is divided into a semi-blind area and a full-blind area, the full-blind area is the D area and the E area shown in (a) of FIG. 2, the D area is located at the left, right and rear positions of the vehicle body, that is, outside the range of the driver's line of sight and the range of the three rearview mirrors. When the vehicle is located in the full-blind area of the large vehicle, it is extremely dangerous. The semi-blind area is the A area, the B area and the C area shown in (a) of FIG. 2, which are located at the left, front and right areas of the vehicle head, respectively. The dangerous range of the semi-blind area depends on the size of the large truck. Approaching the lower part of the vehicle body will enter the semi-blind area, the closer, the more difficult to be found by the driver of the large vehicle, the more likely to cause a traffic accident. In addition to the static blind area, the inner wheel difference generated when the large truck turns also generates a large area of blind area. Please refer to (b) of FIG. 2, the inner wheel difference refers to the difference between the turning radii of the front inner wheel and the rear inner wheel when the vehicle turns. Simply put, when the large vehicle turns, the front and rear wheels are not on the same track, the front wheel can pass the object, but the rear wheel may not be able to pass. In the vicious traffic accidents caused by large vehicles, the accidents caused by ignoring the inner wheel difference account for more than 70%, and the mortality rate is more than 90%. When the ego vehicle driver overtakes the large truck, he often needs to hold the steering wheel to accurately control the direction, and it is often difficult to make other hand operations (such as flash light, horn, etc.), and in the process of being in a hurry, it is easy to cause a traffic accident.

[0109] Therefore, the present application provides a projection control method and related device, which can project the distance information between the vehicle and the other vehicle in front of the vehicle, so that the surrounding vehicles can pay attention to the existence of the vehicle and perceive the position of the vehicle, and can greatly reduce the risk caused by the blind area. The present application can effectively and safely interact with the other vehicle, and improve the driving safety when passing the other vehicle. Especially when driving at night or in other poor lighting conditions, and passing the large vehicle, the present application can significantly reduce the risk when performing the interaction behavior, and improve the safety of the vehicle.

[0110] The system architecture and scene to which the embodiments of the present application are applied will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 4. It should be noted that the system architecture and business scene described in the present application are used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the present application. Those skilled in the art can know that, as the system architecture evolves and new business scenes appear, the technical solutions provided by the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0111] A functional block diagram of a vehicle to which the present application can be applied is first described below in connection with FIG. 3A. As shown in FIG. 3A, the vehicle 200 can include various subsystems, such as a travel subsystem 21, a control subsystem 22, a sensing subsystem 23, one or more peripheral devices 24, and a power source 26 and a computing device 101. Among others, the subsystems can include one or more elements, and the subsystems or the elements can be interconnected by wired or wireless connections. Of course, the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 3A is merely illustrative, and the vehicle can include more or fewer subsystems, and the subsystems can include elements of different types and quantities in other implementations.

[0112] The travel subsystem 21 includes elements to provide powered movement of the vehicle 200. Illustratively, the travel subsystem 21 can include an engine 211, an energy source 212, a transmission 213, and wheels 214 (or tires). The engine 211 can be used to convert the energy source 212 into mechanical energy and can include an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, an air compression engine, or other types of engine combinations, such as a hybrid engine including a gasoline engine and an electric motor, a hybrid engine including an internal combustion engine and an air compression engine. Examples of the energy source 212 include gasoline, diesel, other petroleum-based fuels, propane, other compressed gas-based fuels, ethanol, solar panels, batteries, and other sources of electrical power. In some implementations, the energy source 212 can also provide energy to other systems of the vehicle 200. The transmission 213 can transmit the mechanical power from the engine 211 to the wheels 214 and can include a gearbox, a differential, and a drive shaft. Illustratively, the transmission 213 can also include more elements, such as a clutch.

[0113] The control subsystem 22 is a system to control the vehicle and its elements. The control subsystem 22 can include various elements, including a steering system 221, a throttle 222, or a braking unit 223. The steering system 221 can adjust the heading direction of the vehicle and can include, for example, a steering wheel system. The throttle 222 can be used to control the operating speed of the engine 211 and, in turn, the speed of the vehicle. The braking unit 223 can be used to control the deceleration of the vehicle and can be used to slow down the rotation speed of the wheels 214 to control the deceleration of the vehicle. In some implementations, the braking unit 223 can convert the kinetic energy of the wheels 214 into electrical current. Of course, the braking unit 223 can take other forms to slow down the rotation speed of the wheels 214 to control the speed of the vehicle. Of course, in some implementations, the control subsystem 22 can include more or fewer elements or use other elements to replace the elements shown in FIG. 3A, such as one or more of a computer vision system, a route control system, an obstacle avoidance system, or an emergency braking system.

[0114] The sensing system 23 can include several sensors of vehicle status and / or vehicle surrounding environment. For example, the sensing system 23 can include a positioning system 231 (which can be a global positioning system, a Beidou system, or other positioning system), an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 232, a radar 233, a lidar 234, a camera 235, a pressure sensor (not shown), a touch sensor (not shown), etc. The sensing system 23 can also include sensors that sense the internal environment of the vehicle (e.g., an in-vehicle air quality monitor, a fuel gauge, an oil temperature gauge, etc.). Sensor data from one or more of these sensors can be used to detect objects and their respective characteristics (position, shape, direction, speed, etc.).

[0115] The positioning system 231 can be used to obtain the geographical position of the vehicle.

[0116] The IMU 232 is used to sense the position and orientation changes of the vehicle based on inertial acceleration. In one embodiment, the IMU 232 is a combination of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

[0117] The radar 233 can use signals such as electromagnetic waves or sound waves to sense objects in the surrounding environment of the vehicle and obtain relevant information of the objects. The relevant information of the objects can include one or more of the distance, angle, speed, heading, reflectivity, angle, reflectivity, color, texture, size, posture, etc. of the objects. The lidar 234 can use light to sense objects in the environment in which the vehicle is located and obtain relevant information of the objects. Illustratively, the lidar 234 can include one or more laser sources, a laser scanner, and one or more detectors, as well as other system components (e.g., optical elements).

[0118] The camera 235 is used to capture image data, including images and videos, etc. The camera 235 can include a monocular camera, a binocular camera, a time-of-flight (TOF) camera, a camera of a driver monitoring system (DMS), a camera of a cockpit monitoring system (CMS), etc.

[0119] The wheel speed sensor 236 is used to capture one or more of the wheel speed or motor speed, etc. Based on the data captured by the wheel speed sensor, the wheel speed and / or the vehicle speed of the vehicle 200, etc. can be processed.

[0120] The peripheral device 24 is used for the vehicle to interact with the outside world. The peripheral device 24 can include one or more of the projection module 20, a communication system 241, a screen (or display screen) 242, a microphone 243, and / or a loudspeaker 244, etc.

[0121] The projection module 20 is configured to project an image to a physical space. The projected image (or simply, projection image) includes one or more of a still image, a dynamic image, and a video.

[0122] The communication system 241 can communicate with one or more devices directly or via a communication network, including wired and wireless communication.

[0123] The screen 242 can present information to a user. The screen 242 includes one or more of a physical screen (e.g., a center screen), a projection system (e.g., a light field screen, a head-up display (HUD), or another projection system), a smart entity, or a key panel. As shown in FIG. 4, a center screen can be disposed on a center console of a vehicle and configured to display a driving route of the vehicle, present configuration information of a function in the vehicle, or play a video. In addition to the center screen, other types of screens 242 can be disposed in the vehicle and configured to enable a passenger in a front passenger seat, a passenger in a rear seat, or the like to interact with the vehicle. Of course, the screen 242 includes one or more of a physical screen, a projection system (e.g., a light field screen, a head-up display (HUD), or another projection system), a smart entity, or a key panel. The number and the disposition of the screen 242 in a scenario are not limited in this application. For example, the screen 242 can be disposed in front of a front passenger seat, on a headrest (or a backrest) of a front seat, on an armrest of a seat, on a door, or on a roof of a vehicle cabin.

[0124] The microphone 243 can receive a voice command or another audio input of a user in the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 3A, the microphone 243 can be disposed in a steering wheel of the vehicle or integrated in a vehicle display device. The microphone 243 can collect a sound in a vehicle cabin, such as a voice instruction of a user.

[0125] The speaker 244 can output audio to a user in the vehicle. For example, the speaker 244 can play a voice prompt and / or sound effects, such as a prompt of a current state of a control object and a feedback of an execution of an operation. For another example, the speaker 244 can play sound effect information, such as a frequency of a “dripping” sound. In some examples, the speaker 244 can also belong to a sound wave emitting device, such as a transmitting end of an ultrasonic wave detection system (e.g., an ultrasonic wave radar).

[0126] The motor 245 can generate vibration.

[0127] The power source 26 can provide power to various components of the vehicle. In one embodiment, the power source 26 can be a rechargeable lithium-ion or lead-acid battery. One or more battery packs of such a battery can be configured as the power source to provide power to various components of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the power source 26 and the energy source 212 can be implemented together, such as in a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a range-extended vehicle.

[0128] Some or all of the functionality of the vehicle 200 is controlled by the computing device 101. The computing device 101 can include at least one processor for executing instructions that are stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as memory. The computing device 101 can also be a plurality of computing devices that control individual components or subsystems of the vehicle 200 in a distributed fashion. Those skilled in the art will understand that the number, type, and disposition of the processors, computers, or memories are a matter of design choice, and that they can be implemented in a wide variety of configurations. For example, the memory can be a hard drive or other storage medium located in a housing that is different from the computing device 101. Thus, references to the processor or computing device 101 will be understood to include references to a collection of processors or computers or memories that can or can not operate in parallel. Rather than using a single processor to perform the steps described herein, some components, such as the steering component and the deceleration component, can each have their own processor that performs only the computations related to the functionality specific to that component.

[0129] In some arrangements, the processor can be located remotely from the vehicle 200 and capable of transmitting information to the vehicle 200.

[0130] In some embodiments, the memory can contain instructions (e.g., program logic) that can be executed by the processor to perform various functions of the vehicle 200, including those described above. The memory can also contain additional instructions, including instructions to send data to, receive data from, interact with, and / or control one or more of the travel system 21, the sensing system 23, the control system 22, and the peripherals 24. In addition to instructions, the memory can store data, such as road maps, route information, the location, orientation, speed, and other such vehicle data of the vehicle, and other information. Such information can be used by the vehicle 200 and the computing device 101 during operation of the vehicle in autonomous, semi-autonomous, and / or manual modes.

[0131] It should be understood that the connection relationship between the computing device 101 and the components in the vehicle shown in FIG. 3A is not shown, but in a specific implementation, the computing device 101 can be connected to one or more components in the vehicle. In some embodiments, the computing device 101 is also connected to one or more devices, such as a projection module, etc. These devices can be used to implement the functions of the response, such as the computing device can output a projection image to the projection module, so that the projection module projects the image into the object space.

[0132] Optionally, one or more of the elements in the vehicle 200 can be installed or associated separately from the vehicle 200. For example, the memory can exist partially or completely separately from the vehicle 200. The above-mentioned components can be communicatively coupled together in a wired and / or wireless manner.

[0133] It should be understood that the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 3A is only an example, and in actual applications, elements in the vehicle can be added or deleted according to actual needs, and FIG. 3A should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. The above-mentioned vehicle 200 can be a car, a truck, a motorcycle, a bus, a ship, an airplane, a helicopter, a lawn mower, an entertainment vehicle, an amusement park vehicle, a construction device, a trolley, a golf cart, a train, or a cart, etc. The embodiments of the present application are not particularly limited.

[0134] Please refer to FIG. 4, which is an architecture schematic diagram of a projection system provided by an embodiment of the present application. In combination with FIG. 3B, the projection system 100 can be provided in a vehicle, or at least part (such as the projection module 20) is provided in the vehicle. The projection system 100 includes a projection control device 10 and a projection module 20, and further can include a perception device 30. Wherein:

[0135] The projection control device 10 is a device with computing capability, which can process information and obtain a projection pattern. It can include a hardware module with computing capability and / or include a software module with computing capability. The following will be introduced based on the case of hardware implementation and software implementation respectively.

[0136] As an example of a hardware implementation, the projection control device 10 can include at least one processor, which is a processing module having processing capability. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit having instruction reading and running capability, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), or the like. In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through a logic relationship of hardware circuits, which can be fixed or reconfigurable, such as a hardware circuit implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD) such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA). In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of loading a configuration document to implement the configuration of the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of loading instructions to implement the corresponding functions by the processor. In addition, the processor can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), or the like. In some implementations, the projection control device 10 includes at least one processor integrated together in the form of a system-on-chip (SOC), which is commonly referred to as an SOC by those skilled in the art. The SOC can include at least one processor, and when the SOC includes multiple processors, the types of the multiple processors can be different, such as including a CPU and an NPU, and the like.

[0137] Exemplarily, the projection system 100 can be applied to a vehicle projection scenario, and the projection control device 10 can be a computing device 101 in the vehicle 200. Exemplarily, the projection control device 10 can include, but is not limited to, a domain controller (DC), a mobile data center (MDC), an electronic control unit (ECU), a vehicle integrated / integration unit (VIU), etc. Among them, the DC can include a cockpit domain controller (CDC).

[0138] As an example of a software implementation, the projection control device 10 can include a software functional unit. As an example of a software functional unit, the projection control device 10 can include one or more of a computer program, computer code, or computer instructions, which can be executed on a processor or a computing instance. As another example of a software functional unit, the projection control device 10 can include a computing instance, which includes a virtual machine, a container, etc. Among them, the virtual machine is a computer system running in an isolated environment with complete hardware system functions simulated by software. The container is an isolated environment obtained by packaging an application and application dependency package.

[0139] The projection module 20 is a device with projection capability, which can project an image to a physical space. The projected image (or simply referred to as a projection image) includes one or more of a normal image (static image and dynamic image) and a video, etc. For example, the projection module 20 can include a projection lens, and optionally further include a processor connected to the projection lens, which is used to obtain the projection image and control the projection lens to project.

[0140] In some possible solutions, in combination with FIG. 4, the projection module 20 can be located at a position of a vehicle lamp of the vehicle 200. Exemplarily, the projection module 20 can be combined with the vehicle lamp, that is, the vehicle lamp can serve as the projection module 20 to project an image and / or a video. Of course, the present application is also applicable to the case where the projection module 20 is independent of the vehicle lamp. Further, the projection device can also be deployed at other positions of the vehicle, such as being arranged as a separate device on the top of the cockpit, the front of the vehicle, or the instrument panel (IP, or IP relay station, IP station) of the vehicle.

[0141] In the present application, the projection control device 10 is capable of providing (e.g., outputting, transmitting, transmitting) a projection image to the projection module 20, and the projection module 20 is capable of projecting the projection image into a physical space, wherein the projection image can include one or more projection patterns. Optionally, the projection control device 10 and the projection module 20 can be integrated in the same device, or they can be separately arranged in different devices. When they are separately arranged in different devices, the projection control device 10 is connected to the projection module 20, wherein the connection can include wired connection, wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connection.

[0142] In some possible embodiments, the projection system further includes a perception device 30, which is configured to collect data, such as one or more of images, point cloud data, distance, speed, etc. The driving scene information obtained by the projection control device 10 can include the collected data of the perception device 30, or the driving scene information is information processed based on the collected data provided by the perception device 30. In combination with FIG. 3A, the perception device 30 can include one or more devices in the sensing system 23, such as the positioning system 231, the inertial measurement unit 232, the radar 233, the lidar 234, the camera 235, the wheel speed sensor 236, etc. For example, the perception device 30 can include one or more of visual system sensors, radar system sensors, and wireless communication devices, etc.

[0143] For example, the visual system sensor includes a camera, such as the camera 235 in the vehicle 200, which can include a photosensitive unit capable of sensing light signals and imaging to obtain images. The photosensitive unit can be, for example, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), a charge-coupled device (CCD), a Live MOS, etc. The classification of the camera is usually based on the type of photosensitive unit in the image sensor, for example, the camera with a CMOS photosensitive unit is a CMOS image sensor (CIS), which can include one or more of a color sensor, a monosensor, etc. For example, the color sensor can be a red-green-blue sensor (RGB sensor). The camera is capable of collecting images in the driving scene of the vehicle, including images inside the vehicle and images outside the vehicle, etc.

[0144] Radar-based sensors are devices that emit probe signals and receive echoes returned by targets in the space to detect targets. Radar-based sensors can obtain information about targets in the space, such as distance, position, angle, speed, reflectivity, reflectivity intensity, image, color, texture, material, etc. based on echo processing. Radar-based sensors can be classified into radar (electronic wave-based radar), laser radar, ultrasonic radar, etc. based on the emitted probe signals.

[0145] Wireless communication devices are devices that can receive wireless signals, and optionally, emit wireless signals. Wireless signals can travel through multiple transmission paths to reach receiving devices after being emitted into the space. Wireless communication devices can perceive objects in the space and obtain information about the objects, such as position, distance, direction of motion, angle, size, speed of motion, material, etc. based on the received wireless signals. For example, according to the basic model of the Fresnel zone, wireless communication devices can perceive the motion of objects in the space through the waveform of the received wireless signals. Wireless technologies used by wireless communication devices include one or more of the following: SparkLink, NearLink, wireless local area network (WLAN), Bluetooth, Zigbee, radio frequency identification (RFID), ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, long term evolution (LTE) based communication technology, 5th generation mobile networks or 5th generation wireless systems (5G), global system for mobile communications (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), or universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS).

[0146] It should be understood that the projection system shown in FIG. 4 is only an example. In some scenarios, the projection system 100 can include more projection modules 20, and more perception devices 30. The plurality of projection modules 20 can be arranged at different positions of the vehicle 200. The perception devices 30 can include multiple types of sensors and can be arranged at multiple mounting positions of the vehicle to capture images of different fields of view. In yet other scenarios, the projection control apparatus 10 can include multiple modules, which can be separately arranged in different devices and cooperate to complete the functions of the projection control apparatus 10.

[0147] In the present application, the projection control apparatus 10 is capable of acquiring the driving scene information of the vehicle, and based on the driving scene information of the vehicle, enables projection of a first projection pattern, which is used to prompt the distance between the vehicle and a target vehicle. Please refer to FIG. 5, the first projection pattern projected in front of the vehicle 200, which is capable of reflecting the distance between the vehicle 200 and another vehicle (regarded as a target vehicle). Through the projection, the driver of the other vehicle is capable of timely perceiving the existence of the rear vehicle, and intuitively and accurately perceiving the distance between the rear vehicle 200 and the other vehicle, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle 200 when performing driving operations. Moreover, since the first projection pattern is two-dimensional and extends to a certain area on the ground in front of the vehicle, even if the vehicle 200 itself is in the blind area of the other vehicle, the first projection pattern can be projected into the visible area of the other vehicle, so that the present application can effectively and safely interact with the other vehicle, greatly reducing the risk of blind area. In addition, the distance indication projection of the present application is automatically triggered based on the recognition of the scene information, easily realizing intelligent and active communication with the other vehicle, greatly reducing the operation process of the driver, and further improving the driving safety.

[0148] In summary, the present application can effectively and safely interact with the other vehicle, greatly reduce the risk caused by the blind area, and significantly improve the driving safety when passing the other vehicle. Especially when driving in poor lighting conditions or passing large vehicles, the present application can significantly reduce the risk of performing interaction behavior and improve the safety of the vehicle. The poor lighting conditions herein are, for example, night, tunnel or other scenes with poor lighting conditions. Of course, the present application can further realize the distance indication warning function and the driving intention prompting function, which will be introduced below.

[0149] The method provided by the embodiment of the present application will be introduced below.

[0150] Referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a projection control method according to an embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the projection control method can be applied to a projection system, such as the projection system shown in FIG. 4, or the projection control method can be applied to the vehicle shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. The projection control method shown in FIG. 6 can include steps S601 to S602. It should be understood that the execution time, execution times, etc. of one or more steps described above are not limited by the embodiments of the present application. Steps S601 to S602 are as follows:

[0151] Step S601: The projection control device obtains the driving scene information of the first vehicle.

[0152] The projection control device is a device with computing capability, which is exemplarily taken as the execution subject of the method. Exemplarily, the projection control device can be the computing device 101 in the vehicle 200, such as a DC, a MDC, or an ECU, etc. In some schemes, the projection control device can include multiple modules, such as some modules arranged in the computing device and some modules arranged in the projection module, and each module can be used to cooperate to complete the functions completed by the projection control device.

[0153] The driving scene information of the first vehicle is information used to indicate or describe the driving process of the first vehicle, including but not limited to one or more of the image of the driving scene of the first vehicle (or the image of the surroundings of the first vehicle), the point cloud of the driving scene of the first vehicle, the ego state data of the first vehicle, the information of the obstacle in the driving scene of the first vehicle, the information of the static element in the driving scene of the first vehicle, etc. The information of the obstacle includes but is not limited to one or more of the position of the obstacle (such as the spatial position, the lane position, etc.), the distance between the obstacle and the ego vehicle (i.e. the first vehicle), the size of the obstacle, the type of the obstacle, the motion information of the obstacle (such as the speed, the acceleration, the motion direction, etc.), etc. The static element is, for example, the static element in the scene such as the lane line, the separation line, the guide arrow, the signboard, the signal lamp, etc.

[0154] In the embodiments of the present application, the driving scene information of the first vehicle includes the information of the target vehicle. The information of the target vehicle includes one or more of the position information of the target vehicle, the attribute information of the target vehicle, etc. The position information of the target vehicle is used to indicate one or more of the lane where the target vehicle is located, the position of the target vehicle relative to the first vehicle, the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle, etc. The attribute information of the target vehicle is data used to describe the state of the target vehicle, for example, the attribute information of the target vehicle is used to indicate one or more of the driving direction of the target vehicle, the size of the target vehicle, the type of the target vehicle, the speed data (such as the speed, the relative speed, the acceleration, or the relative acceleration, etc.) of the target vehicle, etc.

[0155] Optionally, the information of the target vehicle can be acquired by a perception device or processed from the acquisition data reported by the perception device. The perception device can be the sensing system 23 in the vehicle 200.

[0156] In a possible implementation, the driving scene information of the first vehicle further comprises information of the first vehicle. The information of the first vehicle comprises one or more of the following: position of the first vehicle, driving direction of the first vehicle, speed of the first vehicle, acceleration of the first vehicle, continuous driving time of the first vehicle, etc. The information of the first vehicle can be acquired from the measurement data acquired by the sensing system 23 in the vehicle, which comprises one or more of the following: wheel speed meter, inertial measurement unit, navigation system, positioning system, gyroscope, visual sensor, radar sensor, wireless communication device, etc.

[0157] In some possible implementations, the first vehicle comprises a perception device for acquiring data, such as one or more of the following: image, point cloud data, distance, speed, etc. Optionally, the projection control device receives the acquisition data reported by the perception device, which can be used as the driving scene information of the first vehicle. Alternatively, the projection control device receives the acquisition data reported by the perception device, and processes the driving scene information of the first vehicle based on the acquisition data. Alternatively, the projection control device is connected to a processing device for processing the acquisition data acquired by the perception device to obtain the driving scene information of the first vehicle, and the processing device further provides the driving scene information of the first vehicle to the projection control device, so that the projection control device obtains the driving scene information of the first vehicle.

[0158] In some possible implementations, the driving scene information of the first vehicle is continuously acquired in real time, which can reflect the driving scene of the first vehicle at the current time (or the current period or a specified time or a specified period).

[0159] Step S602: The projection control device enables projection of the first projection pattern based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle.

[0160] The driving scene information of the first vehicle reflects the driving scene of the first vehicle, and based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, the environment and the risk level in which the current vehicle is located can be determined. Therefore, based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, the first projection pattern can be automatically enabled for projection in the case of need, so as to prompt other traffic participants in the current environment, including the target vehicle, to perceive the first vehicle, and through active information interaction, the collision risk of the first vehicle can be reduced. In some schemes, the function of projecting the first projection pattern is referred to as range projection function, or range light carpet.

[0161] The first projection pattern is introduced below. The first projection pattern is used to prompt the relative distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. Exemplarily, the first projection pattern can include one or more display elements for indicating the relative distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle, thereby prompting the relative distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. The display element can include one or more of graphics, characters or symbols, etc. Exemplarily, the graphics can include one or more of shapes (such as arrows), lines, signs (such as warning signs), virtual images, etc. The characters can include one or more of numbers, Chinese characters, English characters and other characters, etc. The symbols can include one or more of punctuation marks, mathematical symbols or other ideographic symbols, etc.

[0162] In some possible embodiments, the display element (such as a pattern, a character or a symbol, etc.) in the first projection pattern can include static elements and / or dynamic elements. The static element is an element that does not change over time, and the dynamic element refers to an element in which one or more of the display style, the display manner, the shape or the content, etc. changes dynamically. Optionally, the dynamic effect of the dynamic element includes but is not limited to a dynamic appearance effect, a dynamic emphasis effect, a dynamic disappearance effect or a path with dynamic movement, etc. The appearance effect can be, for example, floating, flying in, erasing, moving from far to near, turning over, turning pages, etc. The emphasis effect can be, for example, zooming in and out, color thickening, flashing effect, underlining, pulsing, extending, diffusion effect, etc. The dynamic effects listed here are only examples, and more or fewer effects can be included in the specific implementation. The dynamic effect can dynamically and vividly show the distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle, be more eye-catching, achieve a better prompting effect, improve the possibility of being observed by the other vehicle, guide the driver of the self vehicle, improve the concentration of the driver of the self vehicle, and further improve the interactive safety.

[0163] For ease of understanding, two possible design examples of the first projection pattern are exemplarily introduced below:

[0164] Design example 1: The first projection pattern includes a display element for prompting the relative distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. Referring to FIG. 5, the first projection pattern can include a character element, such as “100 meters behind there is a vehicle”, for prompting that the distance between the position of the character element and the vehicle 200 is 100 meters, or for prompting that the distance between the other vehicle and the vehicle 200 is 200 meters. The driver of the other vehicle can perceive the vehicle 200 and know the relative distance between the other vehicle and the vehicle 200 by viewing the character element.

[0165] The display element of the first projection pattern shown in FIG. 5 can be a static element or a dynamic element. Here, the static display effect at a certain moment is exemplified, and the display element can have a dynamic effect in the specific implementation.

[0166] Optionally, the number of display elements can be one or more, and the multiple display elements can be used to indicate different distances. Please refer to FIG. 7, which is a schematic diagram of another projection pattern according to an embodiment of the present application. The first projection pattern includes display element #1, display element #2 and display element #3, each of which includes a reference line and a text element used to represent the distance between the reference line and the first vehicle. In this way, the target vehicle can estimate the relative distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle by observing the first projection pattern.

[0167] In design example 2, the first projection pattern includes at least two display regions arranged in the direction opposite to the head direction of the first vehicle (which can be regarded as two rectangular patterns, and the shape is only an example), and each of the at least two display regions is used to represent a preset distance length. Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a schematic diagram of another projection pattern according to an embodiment of the present application. The first projection pattern includes display region #1 to display region #5, each of which is used to represent a corresponding distance length. The distance length represented by each display region can be predefined or pre-calculated, and the pre-mentioned pre- is before projection, for example, at the time of factory shipment, or before projection. For example, each of display region #1 to display region #4 is used to represent a distance length of 20 meters, and display region #5 is used to represent a distance length of 40 meters. In this way, the target vehicle can estimate the relative distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle by observing the first projection pattern.

[0168] In some possible implementations, the first projection pattern further includes a display element in each display region, and the display element in each display region is used to indicate the distance between the display region and the first vehicle. For example, each display region further includes a display element used to indicate the distance between the current display region and the first vehicle, for example, including the text “120 meters” in display region #1, etc., indicating that display region #1 is 120 meters away from the first vehicle.

[0169] In some possible implementations, the brightness of the at least two display regions gradually changes in a step-by-step manner in the direction opposite to the head direction of the first vehicle. For example, in combination with FIG. 7, the brightness of display region #1 to display region #5 gradually increases in a step-by-step manner in the direction opposite to the head direction of the first vehicle. In this way, the driver of the target vehicle can estimate the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle in combination with the step-by-step change of brightness, and realize that the vehicle is approaching or moving away from itself.

[0170] It should be noted that the various examples of the present application can be combined without being mutually exclusive, for example, design example 2 and design example 1 can be combined as the first display pattern.

[0171] The above has exemplarily introduced the projection pattern, and the following introduces how to enable the projection of the first projection.

[0172] In a possible design, the projection control device determines whether a distance display triggering condition is met based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, and enables the projection of the first projection pattern in the case where the distance display triggering condition is met. The distance display triggering condition restricts the triggering scene of the distance display projection function, and the projection control device can determine whether the distance display triggering condition is met based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, so as to accurately trigger the distance display projection function in some scenes with higher risk or need. The following introduces some possible distance display triggering conditions.

[0173] Condition 1: The position of the target vehicle meets a first position condition. The position of the target vehicle is related to the collision risk degree of the vehicle, and in combination with the position of the target vehicle, whether to enable the projection of the first projection pattern is determined, which is beneficial to reduce the collision risk between the target vehicle and the first vehicle. Further, the first position condition includes one or more of the following conditions:

[0174] Condition 1a: The target vehicle is located in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle. A lane, also known as a driving line or a vehicle lane, is used for vehicle driving. A road can usually accommodate multiple vehicles to drive, that is, multiple lanes can be formed, and the target vehicle (or at least part of the target vehicle) and the first vehicle are located in different lanes, and the lane where the target vehicle (or at least part of the target vehicle) is located is adjacent to the lane where the first vehicle is located. Since the vehicles in the two adjacent lanes are likely to have driving interactions, such as overtaking, passing, cutting in, cutting out, lane changing, turning, merging in, and merging out, etc., through the scheme of the present application, the target vehicle in the adjacent lane can be prompted to perceive the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle, thereby improving the driving safety when passing the vehicle.

[0175] In some cases, the determination of the adjacent lane is determined by the road reference line such as the lane line, that is, the lane is the road between two road reference lines. The adjacent lane is the lane located on the other side of a certain lane line relative to the lane of the ego vehicle. For example, the driving scene information of the first vehicle includes the information of the lane line and the information of the target vehicle, and by identifying the lane line of the road, when the first vehicle is located on one side of the target lane line and the target vehicle as a whole or at least part of the target vehicle is located on the other side of the target lane line, it is determined that the target vehicle is located in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle, and condition 1a is met. For example, in combination with FIG. 7, the target vehicle and the first vehicle are located on the two sides of the same lane line, and at this time the target vehicle is located in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle.

[0176] In some cases, no lane line is provided on the road, and whether the target vehicle is in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle can be determined by the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle in the first direction. Exemplarily, the first direction is perpendicular to the ground and perpendicular to the vehicle heading direction. In combination with (a) of FIG. 9, based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, the edge distance (e.g., denoted as D1) between the target vehicle and the first vehicle can be determined, which refers to the distance between the edge of the target vehicle close to the first vehicle and the edge of the first vehicle close to the target vehicle. When the edge distance D1 satisfies certain conditions, e.g., greater than (or equal to) a first edge distance threshold and less than (or equal to) a second edge distance threshold, it is determined that the target vehicle is in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle, condition 1a is satisfied, otherwise condition 1a is not satisfied. The second edge distance threshold is greater than the first edge distance threshold, which can be pre-defined or pre-designed. Of course, (a) of FIG. 9 above is only an example, and in some schemes, there can be other determination conditions for whether the target vehicle is in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle. For example, in combination with (b) of FIG. 9, the projection control device determines whether the target vehicle is in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle based on the center distance D2, and the edge distance D1 is used to represent the distance between the center of the target vehicle along the first direction and the center of the first vehicle along the first direction.

[0177] It should be understood that the above cases can be combined, e.g., the lane line and the position of the target vehicle can be combined to determine whether the target vehicle is in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle.

[0178] Condition 1b, the target vehicle is in front of the first vehicle. Wherein the target vehicle in front of the first vehicle can include one or more of the following cases: at least part of the target vehicle is in front of the vehicle head of the first vehicle, at least part of the target vehicle is in front of the vehicle tail of the first vehicle, the whole target vehicle is in front of the vehicle tail of the first vehicle, the whole target vehicle is in front of the vehicle head of the first vehicle, etc.

[0179] As we know, it is relatively more difficult for the front vehicle to observe the rear vehicle, and in the above implementation, when the target vehicle is in front of the first vehicle, the first projection pattern is projected in front of the first vehicle, so that the target vehicle in front is more likely to perceive the existence of the first vehicle behind and intuitively perceive the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle, further reducing the risk caused by the front visual blind area, and significantly improving the driving safety when passing through the vehicle.

[0180] Condition 1c, the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle is less than or equal to a preset first distance threshold. The first distance threshold is predefined or pre-calculated, where pre refers to before this time of judgment. For example, the first distance threshold is predefined, for example, at the time of factory shipment, or at the time of application upgrade. Alternatively, the vehicle receives user input to obtain the first distance threshold. Alternatively, the vehicle obtains the corresponding first distance threshold in the current driving environment based on the environment, where the environment includes weather, geographical environment (such as mountains, cities, tunnels, etc.), road type (such as highway, urban road, rural road), road paving condition, road flatness, etc. In summary, the vehicle can flexibly determine the first distance threshold based on the environment information to adapt to the needs of the distance projection function in different scenarios.

[0181] For example, the first distance threshold is 50 meters (m), 100 m, or 120 m.

[0182] The addition of the above conditions can make the distance projection function more targeted and accurately and effectively prompt the target vehicle. On the one hand, the closer the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle, the higher the possibility of driving interaction conflict between the two. When the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle is less than the first distance threshold, triggering the distance projection function can more accurately reduce the risk of driving interaction between the target vehicle and the first vehicle. On the other hand, the clarity and brightness of the image are limited by the distance, and the projection effect is better within a certain distance range, so the above conditions can ensure that the first projection pattern can be more effectively reminded when the projection image is projected.

[0183] Optionally, the first position condition can also include other conditions, for example, the target vehicle is located in a high-speed, or the target vehicle is located in an urban area, or the target vehicle is located in a risk section (the risk section is predefined). In specific implementation, more or less conditions can be designed for the position of the target vehicle, and the first position condition is not exemplified here.

[0184] Condition 2, the attribute of the target vehicle satisfies the first attribute condition. Several possible first attribute conditions are introduced as follows:

[0185] Condition 2a, the target vehicle and the first vehicle are in the same driving direction. It should be understood that the same here does not mean the absolute same head direction, but means that the first vehicle and the target vehicle are driving along the same direction of the road. Further, the driving direction has a certain real-time, which means that based on the current collected driving scene information, the first vehicle and the target vehicle are driving in a certain direction of the road, and in the subsequent time, the first vehicle and the target vehicle can drive in different directions of the road, for example, the target vehicle can drive out of the road from the exit ramp, or the first vehicle can turn, U-turn, etc. into the driving direction of other roads.

[0186] The vehicles driving in the same direction are prone to conflicts in driving intention, so the distance projection function can be triggered when the target vehicle and the first vehicle are driving in the same direction, so as to reduce the probability of conflicts in driving intention between the target vehicle and the first vehicle, reduce the risk caused by the visual blind area of the vehicle, and significantly improve the driving safety when passing other vehicles.

[0187] Condition 2b, the target vehicle is a first type of vehicle. The first type includes at least one of a truck, a bus, a trailer, or a special vehicle. The special vehicle is one or more of a mud tank truck, an oil tank truck, a fire truck, a large transport vehicle, etc. Alternatively, the first type can be predefined or pre-calculated.

[0188] The first type of vehicle is usually a vehicle with greater danger, and has a larger visual blind area and higher interaction risk than other types of vehicles (such as ordinary cars, sports cars, etc.). In the above manner, when approaching a special type of vehicle, the distance projection function is triggered, so that the distance projection function is more targeted and can have a more significant prompting effect, thereby improving driving safety. Since there are many ordinary vehicles on the road, the distance projection function is not triggered for vehicles other than the first type, which can avoid repeated triggering of the distance projection function and low-risk triggering, and improve the user experience.

[0189] Condition 2c, the size of the target vehicle is greater than a first size threshold. The size includes one or more of length, width, height, or volume. The first size threshold is predefined or pre-calculated. For example, the first size threshold is that the vehicle length is greater than (or greater than or equal to) 6m. The larger the size of the vehicle, the larger the blind area, and the higher the interaction risk. The addition of the above condition can make the distance projection function more targeted and accurately and effectively prompt large vehicles, thereby improving the safety when passing large vehicles.

[0190] Condition 2d, the speed data of the target vehicle satisfies a first speed condition.

[0191] The speed data includes speed, relative speed with the first vehicle, acceleration, and relative acceleration with the first vehicle. The speed data satisfies a first speed condition, for example, the speed of the target vehicle falls into a first speed range, the acceleration of the target vehicle falls into a first acceleration range, the relative speed of the target vehicle with the first vehicle falls into a second speed range, the relative acceleration of the target vehicle with the first vehicle falls into a second acceleration range, and the like.

[0192] For example, the first speed range is greater than 80 kilometers per hour (Km / h), that is, the distance projection function is triggered when the speed of the target vehicle is greater than 80 Km / h. For another example, the first acceleration range is greater than or equal to 20 meters per second (m / s), that is, the distance projection function is triggered when the speed of the target vehicle is greater than or equal to 20 m / s.

[0193] For another example, the first relative speed condition is that the relative speed of the target vehicle with the first vehicle is greater than 60 Km / h.

[0194] Optionally, the first attribute condition can also include other conditions, for example, a condition for restricting the load state of the target vehicle, a condition for restricting the estimated weight of the target vehicle, and the like. In a specific implementation, more or fewer condition restrictions can be designed for the attributes of the target vehicle, and the first attribute condition is not exemplified one by one here.

[0195] Condition 3, the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle satisfies a first intention condition. Two first intention conditions are introduced as follows:

[0196] Condition 3a, the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle belongs to a first intention type. For example, the first intention type includes one or more of the following intention types: lane changing, cutting in, overtaking, passing, cutting out, and the like.

[0197] For example, when the driving scene information of the first vehicle indicates that the target vehicle moves laterally towards the lane close to the first vehicle or the turn signal of the target vehicle close to the first vehicle is on, it is determined that the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle is to change lanes towards the lane of the first vehicle. In combination with the foregoing example, the predicted driving intention belongs to lane changing, satisfying the first intention condition.

[0198] Condition 3b, the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle conflicts with the predicted driving intention of the first vehicle. Here, the conflict means that the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle and the predicted driving intention of the first vehicle coincide in time and space, for example, both are likely to pass through the same trajectory point and the predicted passing time of the trajectory point is close.

[0199] When the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle conflicts with the predicted driving intention of the first vehicle, the driving interaction between the target vehicle and the first vehicle has a higher risk, and therefore, when the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle conflicts with the predicted driving intention of the first vehicle, enabling the triggering of the range projection function can make the range projection function more targeted and have a more significant prompting effect, thereby improving driving safety.

[0200] Optionally, the first intention condition can further include other conditions.

[0201] Condition 4: The state of the first vehicle satisfies a first state condition. Three possible first state conditions are introduced below.

[0202] Condition 4a: The speed data of the first vehicle satisfies a second speed condition. The speed data includes speed and / or acceleration, and the speed data satisfies the first speed condition, for example, the speed of the first vehicle falls within a second speed range and / or the acceleration of the first vehicle falls within a second acceleration range. For example, the second speed range is greater than 60Km / h, that is, when the speed of the first vehicle is greater than 60Km / h, the range projection function is triggered. For another example, the second acceleration range is greater than or equal to 20m / s, that is, when the speed of the first vehicle is greater than or equal to 20m / s, the range projection function is triggered.

[0203] Condition 4b: The position of the first vehicle satisfies a second position condition. For example, the position of the first vehicle is located on a highway, an urban road section, or a high-risk road section.

[0204] Condition 4c: The continuous driving time of the first vehicle satisfies a first continuous driving time condition. For example, the continuous driving time of the first vehicle is more than 3 hours.

[0205] Optionally, the first state condition can further include other conditions.

[0206] It should be understood that the above-mentioned various embodiments can be combined, for example, the range triggering condition can include part or all of the aforementioned conditions. When multiple conditions are included, part of the conditions can be mandatory conditions, or part of the conditions can be combined with other conditions as optional conditions that are alternatively satisfied.

[0207] As an example of a combination, when conditions 1 to 4 are satisfied, the range triggering condition is satisfied.

[0208] As another example of combination, the distance-triggering condition is: the target vehicle is located in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle (condition 1a), the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle meets a preset first distance threshold (condition 1c), the target vehicle is a first type of vehicle (condition 2b) or the size of the target vehicle is greater than (or greater than or equal to) a first size threshold (condition 2c). That is, in the distance-triggering condition, conditions 1a and 1c are mandatory, and conditions 2b and 2c need to meet at least one of them.

[0209] As another example of combination, the distance-triggering condition is: the target vehicle is located in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle (condition 1a), the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle meets a preset first distance threshold (condition 1c), the speed data of the target vehicle meets a first speed condition (condition 2d) or the speed data of the first vehicle meets a second speed condition (condition 4a). That is, in the distance-triggering condition, conditions 1a and 1c are mandatory, and conditions 2d and 4a need to meet at least one of them.

[0210] In the implementation process, for the above conditions and other conditions not shown, there may be many possible combinations, which are not exemplified here.

[0211] The above describes the rule-based condition judgment exemplarily. In some possible designs, whether to enable the first vehicle to project the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle can be determined by using an artificial intelligence (AI) model or information output by the AI model. The AI model includes but is not limited to a machine learning model, such as a neural network model. In some schemes, the AI model can be obtained by training sample data, and the sample data includes a plurality of driving scene information, each driving scene information includes information of at least one vehicle other than the ego vehicle, and the AI model obtained by training can determine whether to trigger the distance projection function based on the current driving scene data of the first vehicle. Optionally, the AI model can be pre-set in the projection control device, or the AI model and the projection control device are arranged in the same computing device, or the AI model and the projection control device are arranged in different devices, but the two can have a communication connection to transmit data.

[0212] In order to facilitate understanding of the role of the AI model, three possible implementation manners are introduced as follows:

[0213] In an embodiment, the projection control device obtains perception information based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle and a first machine learning model, determines whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle satisfies the range-lifting trigger condition based on the perception information, and projects the first projection pattern in a case where the range-lifting trigger condition is satisfied. The perception information is used to determine whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle satisfies the range-lifting trigger condition. For example, the first driving scene information can be input into the first machine learning model. The first machine learning model can identify and extract complex scene information to obtain perception information with better usability. For example, the driving scene information of the first vehicle is point cloud, image data collected by an image, and the first machine learning model can process the information to obtain information of road elements in the scene, such as lane lines and traffic signs, and information of obstacles, such as positions of obstacles and attributes of obstacles.

[0214] In an embodiment, the projection control device obtains output result information based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle and a first machine learning model. The output result information indicates whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle satisfies the range-lifting trigger condition. The first projection pattern is projected in a case where the range-lifting trigger condition is satisfied. In the above embodiment, the machine learning model can identify and extract the driving scene information, and further can determine whether the range-lifting trigger condition is satisfied. The machine learning model makes the determination of the range-lifting trigger condition more accurate.

[0215] In an embodiment, the projection control device inputs the driving scene information of the first vehicle into a first machine learning model to obtain output result information. The output result information indicates whether the first projection pattern is enabled to be projected in front of the first vehicle. The first projection pattern is projected in front of the first vehicle in response to the output result information indicating that the first projection pattern is enabled to be projected in front of the first vehicle. In the above embodiment, the machine learning model can identify and extract the driving scene information, and further can directly control enabling and ending of the range-lifting projection function. The machine learning model makes the control of the range-lifting projection function more accurate.

[0216] In some scenarios, the vehicle is in a process of continuous driving, and the driving scene information of the first vehicle is real-time information collected continuously. The range-lifting trigger condition can be satisfied only at some time or in some scenario. The projection control device can no longer enable the first projection pattern to be projected based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, that is, the projection of the first projection pattern is ended.

[0217] As a possible implementation, the projection control device ends the projection of the first projection pattern when the range-trigger condition is no longer met. For example, the aforementioned driving scene information meeting the range-trigger condition is collected at a first time or in a first time period, and the projection of the first projection pattern is ended when the range-trigger condition is no longer met based on driving scene information collected at a second time or in a second time period. In this way, the range projection function is exited in time when the range-trigger condition is not met, which on the one hand can reduce the power consumption of the projection module, and on the other hand can give up the projection area for other information that needs to be projected, thereby improving the intelligent degree of the vehicle projection function and improving the user experience.

[0218] Optionally, the first projection pattern can be a part of the projection image, or a part of a projection image layer. When the projection of the first projection pattern is ended, the projection function can not be closed, and the projection control device can still continue to project the projection image, but the projection image no longer includes the first projection pattern.

[0219] The aforementioned content of the first projection pattern and the design of enabling the projection of the first projection pattern are introduced, and the possible design of the projection area of the first projection pattern is introduced as follows.

[0220] Design 1: The projection position of the first projection pattern is in front of the first vehicle. That is, the projection of the first projection pattern includes projecting the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle. The front of the first vehicle includes the front of the cabin of the first vehicle, or the front of the head of the first vehicle. For example, the projection module can be arranged in the headlamp of the vehicle, and the first projection pattern is projected by the headlamp of the vehicle to the front of the vehicle.

[0221] Design 2: The projection area of the first projection pattern is at least partially in the lane where the first vehicle is located. For example, the first vehicle is driving on a road with lane lines, and the projection area of the first projection pattern is entirely in the lane where the first vehicle is located. In this way, the other vehicle can perceive the lane where the first vehicle is located based on the lane position of the first projection pattern, and can avoid the driving interaction conflict between the first vehicle and the other vehicle in advance, thereby improving the driving safety when passing the other vehicle.

[0222] Further, the projection area of the first projection pattern does not occupy an area other than the lane where the first vehicle is located.

[0223] It should be understood that the design of the projection area of the first pattern needs to comply with the provisions of local laws and regulations. For example, when the law of the location of the first vehicle stipulates that the projection area of the first vehicle is within 60m in front of the first vehicle, the area of the first projection pattern can be controlled within 60m in front of the first vehicle by design.

[0224] Design 3, the projection area of the first projection pattern is at least partially in front of the target vehicle. In combination with FIGS. 5, 7 and 8, at least part of the first projection pattern needs to be projected in front of the head of the target vehicle, which can greatly improve the possibility of the target vehicle (or the driver of the vehicle) perceiving the first projection pattern, thereby effectively interacting with the target vehicle, greatly reducing the risk of blind area and further improving the safety of driving.

[0225] Design 4, the projection area of the first projection pattern is fixed relative to the first vehicle. In combination with FIGS. 5, 7 and 8, projecting the first projection pattern into a projection area fixed relative to the first vehicle can reduce the amount of calculation and the complexity of calculation, and can avoid the position jitter of the projection pattern, and has a good display effect.

[0226] Design 5, the projection area of the first projection pattern is related to the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. When projecting the first pattern, considering the relative distance between the target vehicle and the ego vehicle can improve the probability of the target vehicle perceiving the first projection pattern and improve the interaction effect.

[0227] In some schemes, the projection area of the first pattern is fixed relative to the target vehicle. As a possible implementation, the projection control device determines the target projection area according to the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. Wherein, the target projection area is in front of the target vehicle, and the projection area of the first projection pattern is in the target projection area. Please refer to FIG. 10(a) and (b), in the process of the first vehicle driving, the target projection area is always in front of the target vehicle, and there is a distance D3 between the target projection area and the head of the target vehicle. The projection control device can determine the projection position of the target projection area relative to the first vehicle based on the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle, and further control the first projection pattern to be projected into the target projection area. Further, the target projection area is in the visible area of the target vehicle, in combination with FIG. 10 and FIG. 2, the near distance range in front of the large vehicle and the side front of the large vehicle is the blind area of the vehicle, and setting the target projection area in the visible area of the target vehicle, i.e. in the area with a distance D3 from the head of the target vehicle, can facilitate the target vehicle to observe the first projection pattern and improve the effectiveness of the interaction.

[0228] And the first projection pattern can dynamically indicate the relative distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle, such as 40 meters shown in FIG. 10(a), 5 meters shown in FIG. 10(b), etc., so that the target vehicle can intuitively perceive the relative distance of the vehicle behind. For the target vehicle, the first projection pattern is fixed relative to the target vehicle, so that the target vehicle can observe the distance of the first vehicle from a fixed area, which is more in line with the observation habits of the users of the target vehicle, reduces the risk of collision and improves the driving safety of the first vehicle.

[0229] In some possible implementation, the projection control device can update the position of the target projection area according to the current distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. In this way, as the vehicles are constantly moving, as the projection area of the first projection pattern is related to the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle, when the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle changes, the projection area of the first projection pattern is also updated accordingly to adapt to the change of the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle.

[0230] It should be understood that the above designs can be combined without being mutually exclusive, for example, design 1, design 2, design 3 and design 4 are combined. Or design 1, design 2, design 3 and design 5 are combined. For the combined case, it will not be described one by one here.

[0231] The foregoing introduces the distance indication projection function, and the following introduces some other possible designs of the embodiments of the present application.

[0232] In some possible designs, the projection control device enables projection of a second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, and the second projection pattern is used to indicate that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches an alert distance. Since the ego vehicle and the other vehicle are interactive in driving, it is inevitable to have a close distance. Through the close distance alert function, the target vehicle can be further prompted that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle has reached the alert distance, which is conducive to avoiding the interaction risk between the target vehicle and the first vehicle and improving the safety of driving interaction.

[0233] In some possible implementation, the projection control device enables projection of a second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, and the method further includes: determining whether a distance indication warning condition is met based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, and projecting the second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle in the case that the distance indication warning condition is met. Based on the condition rule, the triggering of the distance indication projection function has a trace, which is conducive to cultivating the adaptation of users to the distance indication projection function and improving the user experience.

[0234] As a possible implementation, the distance indication warning condition includes that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle is less than or equal to a second distance threshold. In combination with FIG. 11, when the distance D4 between the target vehicle and the first vehicle is less than the second distance threshold D0, the projection control device can project the second projection pattern to indicate that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches the alert distance. The second distance threshold is pre-defined, pre-determined or self-defined, where the pre- refers to before the current determination, and in some schemes, the second distance threshold can be adaptively changed. Exemplarily, the second distance threshold is, for example, 10 meters, 20 meters, etc.

[0235] As a possible implementation, the distance-indication warning condition can also include one or more of the conditions included in the distance-indication triggering condition. Alternatively, the indicators of the conditions in the distance-indication warning condition include part or all of the indicators of the conditions in the distance-indication triggering condition, but the corresponding conditions are more stringent.

[0236] Exemplarily, the distance-indication warning condition further includes one or more of the following conditions: (a) the target vehicle is located in the adjacent lane of the first vehicle, (b) the target vehicle is located in front of the first vehicle, (c) the target vehicle is of a preset second type of vehicle, (d) the size of the target vehicle is greater than a second size threshold; (e) the speed data of the target vehicle satisfies a third speed condition; (f) the speed data of the first vehicle satisfies a fourth speed condition; (g) the relative speed between the target vehicle and the first vehicle satisfies a second relative speed condition; (h) the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle satisfies a second intention condition; (i) the predicted driving intention of the target vehicle conflicts with the predicted driving intention of the first vehicle. For related descriptions, please refer to the description of the distance-indication triggering condition. Exemplarily, the second type includes at least one of a truck, a passenger car, a trailer, or a special vehicle. In some schemes, the first type and the second type are the same, and in other schemes, the second type includes part of the first type. Exemplarily, the first size threshold and the second size threshold are the same. In other schemes, the first size threshold and the second size threshold are different, for example, the second size threshold is greater than the first size threshold. Similarly, other indicators, such as speed, acceleration, relative speed, driving intention, etc., can be the same as or different from the thresholds of the indicators in the distance-indication triggering condition.

[0237] As another possible implementation, whether to enable projection of the second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle can be determined by an AI model, or determined by information output by the AI model. The AI model includes but is not limited to a machine learning model, such as a neural network model. For related descriptions, please refer to the implementation of enabling projection of the first pattern by the AI model.

[0238] As a possible implementation, the first projection pattern and the second projection pattern belong to the same layer of the same projection image, or the first projection pattern and the second projection pattern belong to different layers of the same projection image. Referring to FIG. 12, the projection image shown in FIG. 11 can include multiple layers, for example, layer #1, layer #2 and layer #3, where layer #1 is a light carpet layer for light carpet display in a certain area range, and layer #2 is a ranging warning layer including the first projection pattern. Layer #2 is a ranging warning layer including the second projection pattern. The projection control device can fuse multiple layers to obtain the projection image. Further, when the pattern in a certain layer ends projection, the pattern of other layers can continue to project. For example, when the second projection pattern ends projection, the first projection pattern can continue to project.

[0239] As a possible implementation, the projection control device ends projection of the second projection pattern when the ranging warning condition is no longer met. In this way, the ranging warning function is exited in time when the ranging warning condition is not met, which can reduce the power consumption of the projection module on the one hand, and can give up the projection area for other information that needs to be projected, thereby improving the intelligent degree of the vehicle projection function and improving the user experience.

[0240] In yet some possible implementations, the ranging warning can not be displayed using an additional projection pattern, for example, the ranging warning function can be realized by changing the display effect of the first projection pattern, changing the existence state, and the like. Two possible examples are introduced below:

[0241] In one possible example, the first projection pattern is included in each image frame of a plurality of continuous projection image frames, and the display style of the first projection pattern in at least two projection image frames of the plurality of projection image frames is different when the ranging warning condition is met. Further, the display style change of the first projection pattern in the plurality of projection image frames is used to prompt that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches the warning distance. FIG. 13(a) and FIG. 13(b) show two continuous image frames, and the first projection pattern in the image frame shown in FIG. 13(a) is normally displayed when the ranging warning condition is met, while the first projection pattern in the image frame shown in FIG. 13(b) is displayed in bold, thereby prompting that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches the warning distance.

[0242] In yet another possible example, in the case that the distance warning condition is met, the first projection pattern is included in a first portion of a plurality of consecutive projection image frames, a second portion of the plurality of projection image frames does not include the first projection pattern, and a change in the presence of the first projection pattern in the plurality of projection image frames is used to indicate that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches the warning distance. FIG. 14(a) and FIG. 14(b) show two consecutive image frames, in the case that the distance warning condition is met, the first projection pattern is normally displayed in the image frame shown in FIG. 14(a), while the first projection pattern is no longer displayed in the image frame shown in FIG. 14(b), thereby forming a flickering effect in multiple image frames, indicating that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches the warning distance.

[0243] In yet some possible designs, the projection control device can project a third projection pattern in front of the first vehicle, the third projection pattern being used to indicate a first driving intention of the first vehicle. Projecting the third projection pattern can make the target vehicle aware of the driving intention of the first vehicle, which is conducive to the target vehicle and the first vehicle avoiding interaction risks and improving the safety of the driving interaction.

[0244] The driving intention includes, but is not limited to, one or more of a driving operation (such as an acceleration, braking, steering, etc. driving operation) of the ego vehicle, a driving interaction behavior (such as overtaking, passing, lane changing, cutting in, cutting out, merging, etc.) of the ego vehicle, a driving route (such as a navigation route) of the ego vehicle, a light operation (such as a left turn light on, a right turn light on, etc.) of the ego vehicle, etc. Optionally, the third projection pattern can include one or more display elements, the display elements including, but not limited to, one or more of an image, a text, a symbol, etc.

[0245] Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 10 and FIG. 13, the third projection pattern included in the projection image includes a figure (such as an arrow) and a text (i.e. “accelerating”), which is used to indicate that the driving intention of the first vehicle is acceleration, and further can indicate that the first vehicle is performing acceleration overtaking.

[0246] Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 15(a), the projection image projected by the first vehicle includes a light carpet and other prompt patterns, and the first driving intention of the first vehicle can be indicated through the shape change of the light carpet and the third projection pattern, for example, the end of the light carpet away from the vehicle is curved to the right, combined with the right lane changing path arrow of the third projection pattern, which can indicate that the driving intention of the first vehicle is to change lanes to the right. Of course, in some possible solutions, the projection image of the first vehicle is only displayed in the lane range of the first vehicle, as shown in FIG. 15(b), at this time, the light carpet can not change or change slightly (not beyond the lane where the first vehicle is located), and the third projection pattern is still the right lane changing path arrow, which can indicate that the driving intention of the first vehicle is to change lanes to the right.

[0247] Optionally, the first driving intention can be determined by the projection control device based on the driving state data of the first vehicle, or the first driving intention can be provided by other devices to the projection control device.

[0248] As a possible implementation, the first projection pattern and the third projection pattern belong to the same layer of the same projection image, or the first projection pattern and the third projection pattern belong to different layers of the same projection image. Please refer to FIG. 16, the projection image shown in FIG. 15(b) can include multiple layers, such as layer #1, layer #2 and layer #4, and under some conditions, layer #3 can also be included, wherein layer #1 is a light carpet layer, used for light carpet display within a certain area, and layer #2 is a range indicator layer, including the first projection pattern. Layer #4 is a driving intention layer, including the third projection pattern. When displaying the projection image, the projection control device can fuse multiple layers to obtain the projection image. Further, when the pattern in a certain layer ends projection, the pattern of other layers can continue to project. For example, when the third projection pattern ends projection, the first projection pattern can continue to project.

[0249] As a possible implementation, after the first driving intention is cancelled or the execution of the first driving intention ends, the third projection pattern ends projection. For example, when the right turn signal of the first vehicle is on, the projection control device projects the projection image shown in FIG. 15(b), and when the right turn signal is off, the projection control device no longer projects the third projection pattern in FIG. 15(b), and other parts can continue to project normally. For another example, when the right turn signal of the first vehicle is on, the projection control device projects the projection image shown in FIG. 15(b), and after the first vehicle executes right turn lane changing, the projection control device no longer projects the third projection pattern in FIG. 15(b), and other parts can continue to project normally.

[0250] In this way, the projection of the driving intention is exited in time after the first driving intention is cancelled or the execution of the first driving intention ends, which on the one hand can reduce the power consumption of the projection module, and on the other hand can give up the projection area for other information that needs to be projected, improve the intelligent degree of the vehicle projection function, and improve the user experience.

[0251] Optionally, the projection operation can be implemented by using the projection module. In combination with FIG. 4, the projection control device 10 can provide the projection image to the projection module 20, and the projection image can include the projection pattern. The projection module 20 can perform the projection operation to project the projection image (including the projection pattern) into the object space. Optionally, the projection module can be arranged in the vehicle lamp.

[0252] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the projection control device can project the first projection pattern to prompt the distance between the vehicle and the target vehicle when the ranging trigger condition is met. Through the projected first projection pattern, the target vehicle (or the driver of the target vehicle) can timely perceive the existence of the rear vehicle and intuitively and accurately perceive the distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle, thereby improving the safety of the first vehicle when performing a driving operation. Moreover, since the first projection pattern is two-dimensional and extends to a certain area in front of the first vehicle, the first projection pattern can be projected into the visible area of the target vehicle even if the first vehicle itself is in the blind area of the target vehicle, so that the information interaction mode can effectively interact with the target vehicle, thereby greatly reducing the risk of the blind area.

[0253] The above describes the method of the embodiments of the present application in detail, and the device of the embodiments of the present application is provided below.

[0254] It should be understood that the device provided in the embodiments of the present application is logically divided into units, and all or part of the units can be integrated into a physical entity, or can be physically separated. In addition, the units in the device can be implemented in the form of processor calling software. For example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected with a memory, the memory stores instructions, and the processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any one of the above methods or to realize the functions of the units of the device, wherein the processor is a general processor such as CPU or MPU, and the memory is an internal memory of the device or an external memory of the device.

[0255] Alternatively, the units in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuit, and the functions of part or all of the units can be realized by designing the hardware circuit, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is ASIC, and the functions of part or all of the units are realized by designing the logical relationship of elements in the circuit. For another example, in another implementation, the hardware circuit is PLD, and taking FPGA as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured through a configuration file, so as to realize the functions of part or all of the units.

[0256] In the embodiments of the present application, each unit in the device can be one or more processors (or processing circuits) configured to implement the above method, such as CPU, GPU, NPU, TPU, DPU, MPU, digital signal processor (DSP), ASIC, FPGA, or a combination of at least two of these processor forms.

[0257] In addition, all or part of each unit in the above apparatus can be integrated together or can be independently implemented. In one implementation, these units are integrated together to be implemented in the form of an SOC. The SOC can include at least one processor for implementing the functions of any of the above methods or implementing the functions of each unit of the apparatus. The at least one processor can be of different types, such as including a CPU and an FPGA, or including a CPU and an MCU, or including a CPU and a GPU, and the like. The following lists several possible apparatuses.

[0258] Referring to FIG. 17, FIG. 17 is a structural schematic diagram of a projection control apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the projection control apparatus 170 can be a standalone device, such as a vehicle, a computing device (for example, a DC), and the like. Alternatively, the projection control apparatus 170 can also be a component, such as a chip or an integrated circuit, in a standalone device (for example, a vehicle or a DC). The projection control apparatus 170 is configured to implement the projection control method described above, such as the projection control method shown in FIG. 6 and possible implementation manners thereof.

[0259] For example, the projection control apparatus 170 includes an acquisition unit 1701 and a processing unit 1702. The acquisition unit 1701 is configured to implement one or more operations of receiving, acquiring, and the like, and the processing unit 1702 is configured to implement one or more operations of processing, determining, generating, calculating, updating, and the like. In some schemes, the information processed by the processing unit 1702 can be provided to other devices for projection, display, storage, or further processing. It should be understood that the division of the units here is only illustrative, and in specific implementations, some units can be combined together, or one unit can be split into multiple units.

[0260] In one possible design, the projection control apparatus 170 is configured to implement the projection control method described above.

[0261] In one possible implementation, the acquisition unit 1701 is configured to acquire driving scene information of a first vehicle, and the processing unit 1702 is configured to enable projection of a first projection pattern based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle. The driving scene information includes information of a target vehicle, and the first projection pattern is used to prompt a relative distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle. The possible design of the distance prompting trigger condition and the projection pattern can be referred to the method embodiments described above.

[0262] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to determine whether the distance prompting trigger condition is met based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, and enable projection of the first projection pattern in a case where the distance prompting trigger condition is met.

[0263] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to obtain, based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle and the first machine learning model, perception information, determine, based on the perception information, whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle satisfies the range indication trigger condition, and project the first projection pattern in a case where the range indication trigger condition is satisfied.

[0264] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to obtain, based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle and the first machine learning model, output result information, the output result information indicating whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle satisfies the range indication trigger condition, and project the first projection pattern in a case where the range indication trigger condition is satisfied.

[0265] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to input the driving scene information of the first vehicle into the first machine learning model to obtain output result information, the output result information indicating whether to enable projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle, and project the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle in response to the output result information indicating that the projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle is enabled.

[0266] In another possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to provide the first projection pattern to the projection module, so that the projection module projects the first projection pattern.

[0267] In another possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to determine a target projection area according to a distance between the first vehicle and a target vehicle, wherein the target projection area is located in front of the target vehicle, and a projection area of the first projection pattern is located in the target projection area, and further, the projection area of the first projection pattern is fixed relative to the target vehicle.

[0268] In another possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to update a position of the target projection area according to a current distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle.

[0269] In another possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to enable no longer projection of the first projection pattern based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle.

[0270] In another possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to end projection of the first projection pattern in a case where the range indication trigger condition is no longer satisfied.

[0271] In another possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to enable projection of a second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, the second projection pattern being used to indicate that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches an alert distance.

[0272] In a further possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to determine, based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, whether a range warning condition is met, and project a second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle to indicate that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches a warning distance when the range warning condition is met.

[0273] In a further possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to end the projection of the second projection pattern when the range warning condition is no longer met.

[0274] In a further possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to project a third projection pattern in front of the first vehicle, the third projection pattern being used to indicate the first driving intention of the first vehicle.

[0275] Further, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to determine the first driving intention of the first vehicle based on driving state data of the first vehicle.

[0276] In a further possible implementation, the processing unit 1702 is further configured to end the projection of the third projection pattern after the first driving intention is cancelled or the first driving intention is executed to the end.

[0277] Referring to FIG. 18, FIG. 18 is a structural schematic diagram of a projection control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. The projection control apparatus 180 shown in FIG. 18 can be a standalone device, such as a vehicle, a computing device (e.g., a DC), etc. Alternatively, the projection control apparatus 180 can also be a component (e.g., a chip or an integrated circuit, etc.) in a standalone device (e.g., a vehicle or a DC). The projection control apparatus 180 is configured to implement the projection control method described above, such as the projection control method shown in FIG. 6 and possible implementations thereof.

[0278] The projection control apparatus 180 can include at least one processor 1801 and a memory 1803. Optionally, the projection control apparatus 180 can also include a communication interface 1802. Further optionally, the projection control apparatus 180 can also include a connection line 1804, where the processor 1801, the communication interface 1802 and / or the memory 1803 are connected by the connection line 1804, and / or communicate with each other through the connection line 1804 to transfer control signals and / or data signals.

[0279] In the projection control apparatus 180, the processor 1801 is configured to implement the projection control method described above, such as the projection control method shown in FIG. 6 and possible implementations thereof.

[0280] The processor 1801 is a module for performing arithmetic operations and / or logical operations, and can specifically include one or more of the following modules: a CPU, an application processor (AP), an MCU, an ECU, a GPU, an MPU, an ASIC, an image signal processor (ISP), a DSP, an FPGA, a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), or a co-processor, etc.

[0281] The communication interface 1802 can be configured to provide information input or output for at least one processor, or to receive externally transmitted signals and / or transmit signals to the outside. For example, the communication interface 1802 can include interface circuitry. For example, the communication interface 1802 can include a wired link interface such as an Ethernet cable, and / or a wireless link (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, universal wireless transmission, vehicle-mounted short-range communication technology, and other short-range wireless communication technologies) interface. Optionally, the communication interface 1802 can further include a radio frequency transmitter, an antenna, etc. In the case where the communication interface 1802 includes an antenna, the number of antennas can be one or more.

[0282] As one possible design, if the projection control device 180 is a standalone device, the communication interface 1802 can include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver and the transmitter can be the same component, or different components. When the receiver and the transmitter are the same component, the component can be referred to as a transceiver.

[0283] As another possible design, if the projection control device 180 is a chip or a circuit, the communication interface 1802 can include an input interface and an output interface, which can be the same interface, or can be different interfaces.

[0284] Optionally, the functions of the communication interface 1802 can be implemented by a transceiver circuit or a dedicated chip for transceiving.

[0285] The memory 1803 is configured to provide a storage space in which data such as an operating system and a computer program can be stored. The memory 1803 can be one or a combination of a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM).

[0286] The functions and actions of the modules or units in the projection control device 180 listed above are only exemplary.

[0287] The functional units in the projection control device 180 can be used to implement the projection control method described above, for example, the projection control method shown in FIG. 6 and possible implementation manners thereof.

[0288] Optionally, the processor 1801 can be a processor specially used for executing the method described above (conveniently distinguished as a special-purpose processor), or a processor that executes the method described above by calling a computer program (conveniently distinguished as a special-purpose processor). Optionally, the at least one processor can include both a special-purpose processor and a general-purpose processor.

[0289] Optionally, in the case where the projection control device 180 includes at least one memory 1803, if the processor 1801 implements the projection control method described above by calling a computer program, the computer program can be stored in the memory 1803.

[0290] The chip provided in the embodiments of the present application includes a logic circuit and a communication interface. The communication interface is used to receive and / or send information, or to input and / or output information. The logic circuit is used to process information. The chip is used to implement the projection control method described above, for example, the projection control method shown in FIG. 6 and possible implementation manners thereof.

[0291] The present application provides a vehicle. In combination with FIG. 3B, the vehicle 200 includes the projection system 100 and the perception device 30 (optionally, the perception device 30 is also included in the projection system 100). The perception device is used to collect driving scene information of the vehicle and provide the driving scene information of the vehicle to the projection system.

[0292] Exemplarily, in combination with FIG. 3A, the projection control device 10 in the projection system 100 can be implemented by the computing device 101, and the perception device 30 can include the sensing system 23, or part or all of the devices in the sensing system 23.

[0293] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium, and the computer readable storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on at least one processor (or a projection control device), the projection control method described above is implemented, for example, the projection control method shown in FIG. 6 and possible implementation manners thereof.

[0294] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product, and the computer program product includes computer instructions. The computer instructions are used to implement the projection control method described above, for example, the projection control method shown in FIG. 6 and possible implementation manners thereof.

[0295] It should be noted that the words "exemplary" and "for example" are used herein to mean "an example of" rather than "an ideal example" or "an ideal implementation." Any implementation having "exemplary" or "for example" descriptors is not necessarily to be considered as being more advantageous or more functional than other implementations. In fact, any implementation described as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to convey that the feature is one example implementation, and not an ideal implementation. A person skilled in the art would understand that any of the features described herein that are accompanied with an "exemplary" or "for example" descriptor can have any other suitable design and function, and are not limited to the design and function described by way of example.

[0296] In the embodiments of the present application, the names of information and devices are exemplarily named for the convenience of understanding the content of the present application, and in the specific implementation, the names can have other designs. In addition, the names of the same thing in different scenarios can also have different designs.

[0297] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "At least one" or the like refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items.

[0298] For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, (a and b), (a and c), (b and c), or (a and b and c), where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the front and rear associated objects.

[0299] In addition, unless otherwise stated, the ordinal numbers "first", "second", etc. used in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish a plurality of objects, and are not used to limit the order, time sequence, priority or importance of the plurality of objects. For example, the first projection pattern and the second projection pattern are only used to facilitate the description of operation information in different embodiments, and do not represent the difference in importance, structure, etc.

[0300] In the above embodiments, according to the context, the term "when" can be interpreted as meaning "if", "after", "in response to determining", or "in response to detecting". The above is only an optional embodiment of the present application, and is not used to limit the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. within the concept and principle of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

[0301] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned embodiments can be completed by hardware, or by program instructing relevant hardware to complete, and the program can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. The storage medium mentioned above can be a read-only memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

Claims

1. A projection control method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to a first vehicle, and comprises: obtaining driving scene information of the first vehicle, the driving scene information comprising information of a target vehicle; enabling projection of a first projection pattern based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, the first projection pattern being used to prompt a relative distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The driving scene information further comprises information of the first vehicle, The information of the target vehicle comprises position information of the target vehicle and / or attribute information of the target vehicle, wherein the position information of the target vehicle is used to indicate one or more of a lane where the target vehicle is located, a position of the target vehicle relative to the first vehicle, and a distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle; The attribute of the target vehicle is used to indicate one or more of a driving direction of the target vehicle, a size of the target vehicle, a type of the target vehicle, a speed of the target vehicle, and an acceleration of the target vehicle, The information of the first vehicle comprises one or more of a position of the first vehicle, a driving direction of the first vehicle, a speed of the first vehicle, and an acceleration of the first vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The enabling of the projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle comprises: determining whether a distance-prompting trigger condition is met based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle; in a case where the distance-prompting trigger condition is met, enabling the projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, The distance-prompting trigger condition comprises one or more of the following conditions: condition 1, the position of the target vehicle meets a first position condition; condition 2, the attribute of the target vehicle meets a first attribute condition; condition 3, a predicted driving intention of the target vehicle meets a first intention condition; condition 4, a state of the first vehicle meets a first state condition.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The first position condition comprises one or more of the following conditions: condition 1a, the target vehicle is located in a lane adjacent to the first vehicle; condition 1b, the target vehicle is located in front of the first vehicle; condition 1c, a distance between the target vehicle and the first vehicle is less than or equal to a preset first distance threshold.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, The first attribute condition comprises one or more of the following conditions: condition 2a, the target vehicle has a same driving direction as the first vehicle; condition 2b, the target vehicle is a first type of vehicle; condition 2c, a size of the target vehicle is greater than a preset first size threshold; condition 2d, speed data of the target vehicle meets a first speed condition.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The first type comprises at least one of a truck, a passenger car, a trailer, or a special vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The enabling of the projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle comprises: obtaining perception information based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle and a first machine learning model, the perception information being used to determine whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle meets the distance-prompting trigger condition; determining whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle meets the distance-prompting trigger condition based on the perception information; project the first projection pattern in the case that the distance indication trigger condition is met.

9. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The enabling of the projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle comprises: obtaining, based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle and a first machine learning model, output result information indicating whether the driving scene information of the first vehicle meets a distance indication trigger condition; projecting the first projection pattern in the case that the distance indication trigger condition is met.

10. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The enabling of the projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle comprises: inputting the driving scene information of the first vehicle into a first machine learning model to obtain output result information indicating whether the projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle is enabled; projecting the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle in response to the output result information indicating that the projection of the first projection pattern in front of the first vehicle is enabled.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first projection pattern comprises one or more of a figure, a character or a symbol.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The projection area of the first projection pattern is located in front of the first vehicle, and the projection area is at least partially located in front of the target vehicle.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The first projection pattern comprises at least two display areas arranged in the direction of the vehicle head of the first vehicle, and each of the at least two display areas is used to represent a preset distance length.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The first projection pattern further comprises a display element in each of the display areas, and the display element in each of the display areas is used to indicate the distance between the display area and the first vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The luminance of the at least two display areas gradually changes in a stepwise manner in the direction opposite to the direction of the vehicle head of the first vehicle.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The method further comprises: determining a target projection area in front of the target vehicle according to the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle; the projection area of the first projection pattern is located in the target projection area.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The method further comprises: updating the position of the target projection area according to the current distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle.

18. The method of any one of claims 3-8, wherein, The method further comprises: ending the projection of the first projection pattern in the case that the distance indication trigger condition is no longer met.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that, The method further comprises: enabling the projection of a second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, the second projection pattern being used to indicate that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle reaches an alert distance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The method further comprises: determining, based on the driving scene information of the first vehicle, whether a distance indication warning condition is met; projecting the second projection pattern in front of the first vehicle in the case that the distance indication warning condition is met, the distance indication warning condition comprising that the distance between the first vehicle and the target vehicle is less than or equal to a second distance threshold.

21. The method of claim 19 or 20, wherein, The first projection pattern and the second projection pattern belong to the same layer of the same projection image, or the first projection pattern and the second projection pattern belong to different layers of the same projection image.

22. The method of any one of claims 1-21, wherein, The method further comprises: projecting a third projection pattern in front of the first vehicle, the third projection pattern being used to indicate a first driving intention of the first vehicle.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, The method further comprises: ending the projection of the third projection pattern after the first driving intention is cancelled or the first driving intention is ended.

24. A projection control device, characterized by The projection control device comprises an acquisition unit and a processing unit, The acquisition unit is configured to acquire driving scene information of the first vehicle. The processing unit is configured to process the information. The projection control device is configured to implement the method of any one of claims 1-23.

25. A projection control device, characterized by The projection control device comprises a processor, a memory and a communication interface, The communication interface is configured to acquire information and / or output information. The memory is configured to provide a storage space for storing computer instructions, The processor is configured to invoke the computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the method of any one of claims 1-23 is executed.

26. A projection system, characterized by The projection system comprises a projection module and the projection control device of claim 24 or claim 25, The projection control device is configured to provide a projection image to the projection module, the projection image comprising a first projection pattern; The projection module is configured to project the projection image.

27. The projection system of claim 25, wherein, The projection module is arranged in a vehicle lamp.

28. A vehicle characterized by The vehicle comprises a perception device and the projection system of claim 26 or claim 27, The perception device is configured to acquire driving scene information of the vehicle and provide the driving scene information of the vehicle to the projection system.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium is configured to store computer instructions; When the instructions are executed by the processor, the method of any one of claims 1-23 is executed.

30. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises computer language codes or computer instructions; when the computer program product is executed by the processor, the method of any one of claims 1-23 is executed.

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