DE102019107247A1 - Method and arrangement for communicating between two vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for communicating between two vehicles (1, 2), the first vehicle (1) having a rear light (3) and the second vehicle (2) having a front camera (5) and / or the first vehicle (1 ) a front light (7) and the second vehicle (2) has a rear camera (6), and the rear light (3) and / or the front light (7) each have a plurality of individually switchable light elements (4) for displaying a matrix-like light pattern, with the steps for vehicles (1, 2) driving one behind the other: display of a light pattern assigned to a first item of information by the rear light (3) and detection of the light pattern for recognizing the first item of information by the front camera (5) and / or display of a second item of information assigned light pattern by the front light (7) and detection of the light pattern for recognizing the second information by the rear camera (6).

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to a method for communicating between two vehicles, the first vehicle having a rear light and the second vehicle having a front camera and / or the first vehicle having a front light and the second vehicle having a rear camera. The invention also relates to a vehicle arrangement for communicating between two vehicles, the first vehicle having a rear light and the second vehicle having a front camera, and / or the first vehicle having a front light and the second vehicle having a rear camera.

Background of the invention

A convoy is a journey in a closed group of several road users, in which the road users, for example motor vehicles, drive in a closed unit and are therefore considered to be a single vehicle under traffic law. If, for example, the first vehicle in the column has passed a traffic light when it is green, the other vehicles in the column should also pass the traffic light intersection when the traffic light signal is red. Convoys have the potential to simplify traffic and make the flow of traffic more efficient.

Various solutions are known from the prior art for electronically coupling a number of non-lane-bound vehicles with one another so that the vehicles drive one behind the other in a largely automated manner, with an almost constant and generally small distance. Such an electronic coupling of vehicles is described with the terms “platooning”, “automatic convoy driving”, “electronic drawbar” or “road train”. In addition to the aforementioned advantages of simplifying traffic, the shorter distances lead to better road utilization and a more continuous flow of traffic to fewer traffic jams, with lower energy consumption and relief or even elimination of the driver possible through an aerodynamically more favorable use of slipstreams and the automation described above.

An essential technical prerequisite for such an automatic convoy drive is that all vehicles driving in the convoy are designed with appropriate driver assistance and / or control systems that enable so-called car-to-car communication, C2C, between the vehicles. The C2C communication systems known from the prior art usually use WLAN communication devices according to the IEEE 802.11p or ITS-G5 standard, the standardization process of which has not yet been fully completed with regard to special requirements in the aforementioned driver assistance and / or control systems. Technological challenges of this wireless communication also result from signal attenuation or even interference, so that with the technical solutions available today, problem-free C2C communication between the individual vehicles in the convoy, which is necessary for automatic convoy travel, is not always ensured.

Description of the invention

On the basis of this situation, it is an object to specify a method and an arrangement to enable communication between vehicles, in particular for the purpose of automatic convoy travel, in a much simpler and safer manner.

The object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous configurations are given by the features of the subclaims.

Accordingly, the object is achieved by a method for communicating between two vehicles, the first vehicle having a rear light and the second vehicle having a front camera and / or the first vehicle having a front light and the second vehicle having a rear camera, and the rear light and / or the Front light each have a plurality of individually switchable light elements for displaying a matrix-like light pattern, with the steps in the case of vehicles driving one behind the other: displaying a light pattern assigned to a first piece of information by the rear light and detecting the light pattern for recognizing the first information by the front camera and / or displaying a a light pattern assigned to a second item of information by the front light and detecting the light pattern for recognizing the second information item by the rear camera.

The object is also achieved by a vehicle arrangement with two vehicles for communicating between them, the first vehicle having a rear light and the second vehicle having a front camera and / or the first vehicle having a front light and the second vehicle having a rear camera, and the rear light and / or the front light each have a plurality of individually switchable lighting elements for displaying a matrix-like light pattern, and the rear people are designed for displaying a light pattern assigned to a first item of information and the front camera is designed for capturing the light pattern for recognizing the first information, and / or the front people is designed to display a light pattern assigned to an item of information and the rear camera is designed to detect the light pattern to recognize the information.

An essential point of the proposed method or the arrangement is that the communication takes place by displaying and recognizing the matrix-like light pattern. For this purpose, the rear light and / or front light are preferably designed with LED-like lighting elements, which can be wired individually, in particular to display different two-dimensional light patterns periodically one after the other. While the rear light and / or front light can emit visible light, the rear light and / or front light and accordingly the front camera and / or rear camera are preferably designed to emit or receive infrared light, IR light and / or near infrared light, NIR light. Infrared light with a wavelength preferably in the range from 850 nm to 940 nm is less susceptible to glare and reflections compared to visible light, which enables more stable communication by exchanging the first and / or the second information between the vehicles. Also, because IR light has a longer wavelength than visible light, IR light shines through materials that may be between vehicles, such as paper, cloth, and plastic, so that inter-vehicle debris does not affect communication to a lesser extent than when using visible light becomes. In principle, however, such an optical method is significantly more resistant and therefore more secure in comparison to radio-based methods against unauthorized attacks by third parties.

The rear light and / or front light are particularly preferably designed on the one hand to emit light signals visible to humans in the sense of a conventional rear light and / or front light and on the other hand to emit IR or NIR light for communication between the vehicles. This makes it possible to communicate between the vehicles in a particularly simple manner without having to provide additional rear lights and / or front lights for transmitting the information. Alternatively or preferably, the plurality of individually switchable lighting elements can be provided, in particular structurally integrated, for displaying a matrix-like light pattern in conventional rear lights and / or front lights. The reception of the information can be improved by providing a band-pass filter and / or a lens for the front camera and / or the rear camera.

The proposed solution enables unidirectional and / or bi-directional communication between the vehicles in a particularly simple and secure manner, so that information can be exchanged between the vehicles by displaying and receiving respective light patterns assigned to the information. In this way, car-to-car, C2C, communication between the vehicles can be made possible, which is significantly more robust than the C2C communication systems known from the prior art. Correspondingly, vehicles connected by means of the proposed communication can be networked to form a column. The vehicles can be designed as passenger cars, trucks, motorbikes, bicycles, cargo bikes, trikes or other road vehicles. The vehicles can also be designed differently, for example the first vehicle as a passenger car and the second vehicle as a trike. In addition, other configurations are also conceivable, for example that a deliverer of shipments wears a type of active jacket ‘or vest, which communicates as the“ first vehicle ”with a delivery robot as the“ second vehicle ”as proposed. A delivery robot is a motorized vehicle that, in particular, autonomously delivers, transports and / or picks up consignments to recipients. The delivery robot can also automatically follow the deliverer. In such a case, the rear light could be designed as a light provided on the jacket or vest. The rear light and / or the front light can comprise, for example, 5, 10, 20, 100 or more light-emitting elements for displaying the matrix-like light pattern. With 5 light elements, for example, up to 32 different light patterns can be displayed. A light pattern can also comprise at least two or three active light-emitting elements.

The light pattern assigned to the first and / or the second information item is preferably changed periodically at a predetermined frequency. The frequency can be, for example, 1, 2, 10, 50, 100 or 120 Hertz. In this way, the proposed light-camera coupling between the first, preferably leading vehicle and the second, preferably following vehicle, enables the vehicles to communicate with one another at high frequencies, and very precise tracking between the vehicles can also take place. For example, the leading vehicle can transmit control commands to the following vehicle using matrix-like light patterns in the rear lights. At the same time, the following vehicle can determine a position of the leading vehicle in front, so-called tracking, in that an intensity of the light pattern is measured by the camera. Changing the light pattern means, for example with a 10 × 10 matrix of light elements, that at time t = 0 the entire upper and lower outer row of light elements is connected, while all other light elements are not connected. To the At time t = 1, on the other hand, the right and left outer rows of the light elements are connected, while all other light elements are not connected.

According to a preferred development of the method or the arrangement, the display includes changing an intensity and / or a wavelength of the luminous elements and / or displaying IR light. The intensity and / or the wavelength can be changed periodically with a predetermined frequency. Likewise, the intensity and / or the wavelength of only part of the light-emitting elements can be changed, while the remaining part of the light-emitting elements has a constant intensity and / or wavelength. Changing the intensity and / or the wavelength in addition to the light pattern as well as the respective detection allows the transmission of at least one additional item of information and / or a higher information density per unit of time.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the method or the arrangement, the light elements are designed as LEDs and / or the rear people and / or the front light are designed to represent a two-dimensional light pattern. The rear light and / or the front light can be configured in a particularly simple manner to display the light pattern by means of LEDs, with the individual LEDs being able to be controlled individually for example by means of a corresponding driver to display the two-dimensional light pattern. While the LEDs can be designed to emit light visible to humans, it is very particularly advantageous and correspondingly preferred that the LEDs are designed to emit infrared light, IR light and / or near infrared light, NIR light, for example as IR emitter, in particular with a wavelength in the range from 850 nm to 940 nm. Such a configuration enables daylight-independent and thus reliable communication between the vehicles to be achieved. The front camera and / or the rear camera are preferably designed as IR receptors.

According to another preferred development of the method or the arrangement, the rear light is designed as a rear light and / or the front light is designed as a headlight. The rear light and / or the front light or the lighting elements are preferably integrated into the rear light and / or the headlight, in particular made in one piece, in order to achieve a space-saving design.

In a further preferred embodiment, the method or the arrangement includes the display of the first information and the second information for bi-directional communication between the two vehicles. By means of bi-directional communication, the two vehicles can be electronically coupled to one another, for example to form a column. The preceding first vehicle sends control commands to the following second vehicle, such as a braking command that the second vehicle executes and acknowledges to the first vehicle. Likewise, a plurality of appropriately designed vehicles can be provided which are electronically connected by means of the proposed solution for the purpose of “platooning”, “automatic convoy driving”, “electronic drawbar” or “road train”.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the method or the arrangement comprises a pulse-wave-modulated, PWM, and / or amplitude-modulated display of the first information item and / or the second information item. The vehicles can exchange information at a high data transmission rate, in particular through pulse-wave-modulated display of the information or through such communication. Pulse wave modulation, PWM, enables precise regulation between the vehicles, for example for the purpose of driving in a procession, whereby the PWM communication can also be used for obstacle detection. The simultaneous obstacle detection in addition to the communication is a very important advantage of the proposed solution compared to radar. The display can also or alternatively take place as a type of combined phase and amplitude modulation, for example as QAM and / or PSK. Quadrature amplitude modulation or quadrature amplitude modulation, abbreviated to QAM, English Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, is a modulation method that combines amplitude modulation and phase modulation. Phase shift keying, abbreviated to PSK, represents the digital form of phase modulation.

According to another preferred development, the method or the arrangement comprises the display and the respective recognition of the first item of information, the second vehicle being designed to follow the first, preceding vehicle based on the recognized first item of information, in particular for the advantageous formation of a convoy.

According to yet another preferred development of the method or the arrangement, the first vehicle has a rear guide light and / or the second vehicle has a front guide light, the detection of the light pattern by the front camera and / or by the rear camera depending on the detection of the rear and / or front guide light takes place. The guide light, also called tracking light, can identify the vehicle ahead and / or synchronize the Vehicles serve. The guide light preferably surrounds the front light and / or the rear light. For example, the guide light can comprise four individual LEDs that emit IR light at a different wavelength, for example 905 nm, than the front light and / or the rear light, the four individual LEDs being arranged in a rectangular manner around the front light and / or the rear light are. The guide light can also be used to see if there are objects between the vehicles.

The front camera and / or the rear camera are preferably designed as FishEye cameras in order not to lose the front light, the rear light and / or the guide light from the field of view even when cornering. Alternatively or in addition, the front camera and / or the rear camera can be provided with a cylindrical lens and / or with a bandpass filter in order to filter out ambient light when the information is recognized. Furthermore, the front camera and / or the rear camera can also be used for position and / or collision detection, as is known from conventional systems.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the method, the first vehicle has the rear light and the rear camera and the second vehicle has the front light and the front camera, the method including the step of following the second vehicle following the first vehicle by means of bi-directional communication between the two vehicles by displaying and respective recognition of the first information and the second information for traveling in a procession.

The object of the invention is also achieved by using the above-described method or the above-described arrangement for non-lane-bound convoy driving by means of bidirectional communication between the vehicles by displaying and respectively recognizing the first information and the second information.

Figure list

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings using preferred exemplary embodiments.

• 1 eine Fahrzeuganordnung mit zwei Fahrzeugen zum Kommunizieren zwischen denselben gemäß einem bevorzugten Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung in einer schematischen Draufsicht,
• 2 die Fahrzeuganordnung gemäß 1 in einer schematischen Perspektivansicht, und
• 3 das erste Fahrzeug gemäß 1 in einer schematischen Rückansicht einschließlich einer Vergrößerung eines Ausschnitts der Rückansicht.

Show in the drawings

• 1 a vehicle arrangement with two vehicles for communicating between them according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in a schematic plan view,
• 2 the vehicle arrangement according to 1 in a schematic perspective view, and
• 3 the first vehicle according to 1 in a schematic rear view including an enlargement of a section of the rear view.

Detailed description of the working examples

1 shows a vehicle arrangement with two vehicles 1 , 2 for communicating between them according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in a schematic plan view, while 2 Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the vehicle assembly. 3 finally, one shows the first vehicle 1 according to the vehicle arrangement 1 in a schematic rear view including an enlargement of a section of the rear view.

The first vehicle 1 has a rear light on its back 3 as a rear light which, as in detail, is better in 3 can be seen, a plurality of individually switchable lighting elements designed as LEDs 4th for displaying a matrix-like two-dimensional light pattern. At the front of the second vehicle 2 is a front camera 5 provided that when the second vehicle 2 the first vehicle 1 follows, one through the luminous elements 4th the rear light 3 detected matrix-like light pattern shown. Correspondingly, first information assigned to the light pattern shown is provided by the front camera 5 detectable so that the first vehicle 1 by varying the light pattern uni-directionally with the second vehicle 2 can communicate.

Varying the light pattern means that a single light element is not switched on and off in the sense of Morse code, but rather periodically alternating matrix-like two-dimensional light patterns by the rear light 3 being represented. A higher transmission rate of the first information can be achieved by pulse wave and / or amplitude modulation of the light pattern. Amplitude modulation can change the intensity of the brightness of the light elements 4th include. The transmission rate of the first information can also be changed by changing a wavelength of the light elements 4th increase.

To enable bi-directional communication between the two vehicles 1 , 2 instructs the second vehicle 2 a rear view camera 6th and the first vehicle 1 a front light designed as a headlight 7th which are only shown schematically in the figures. The front light 7th points just like the rear light 3 a plurality of individually switchable lighting elements designed as LEDs 4th for displaying a matrix-like two-dimensional light pattern. One by the front light 7th a second piece of information assigned light pattern is through the rear view camera 6th detectable.

By displaying and correspondingly varying the light pattern assigned to the first item of information by the first vehicle 1 and corresponding detection of the light pattern for recognizing the first information by the second vehicle 2 as well as displaying and correspondingly varying the light pattern assigned to the second information by the second vehicle 2 and corresponding detection of the light pattern for recognizing the first information by the first vehicle 1 can both vehicles 1 , 2 securely exchange the first and second information, for example in a high-frequency manner, and communicate with one another in such a precise manner.

By exchanging the first and second information, the two vehicles 1 , 2 Drive autonomously one behind the other with a short distance of a few meters in a column. The first vehicle transmits control commands, for example for acceleration or braking 1 to the second vehicle driving behind 2 by means of the above-described exchange of first and second information. The second vehicle 2 can through the front camera 5 also the distance to the first vehicle in front 1 by determining an intensity of the from the first vehicle 1 Detect emitted light pattern and, if necessary, reduce or increase the distance.

The first vehicle 1 can also have a rear guide light 8th as well as the second vehicle 2 via a front guide light 9 have, the latter is only indicated in the figures. The rear guide light 8th includes how out 3 to recognize a plurality of individual guide light-emitting elements, each designed as LEDs, around the light-emitting elements 4th the rear light 3 are arranged around. On the one hand, the front camera can capture the light pattern 5 and / or through the rear view camera 6th depending on the detection of the rear and / or front guide light 8th , 9 took place. This means, for example, that the light pattern is only detected when the guide lights 8th , 9 synchronization of the two vehicles 1 , 2 was established.

The guide lights 8th , 9 you can use a constant light pattern such as in 3 shown comprise two rows of five LEDs arranged at defined intervals. Only when the second vehicle 2 has detected this light pattern, the second vehicle begins 2 the convoy. On the other hand, due to the constant light pattern, the second vehicle driving behind can 2 Based on the defined distances between the LEDs, recognize whether or how large the distance and the inclination between the vehicles 1 , 2 is. Bends the first vehicle in front 1 the distance between the individual LEDs changes in relation to the second vehicle 2 .

While the guide lights 8th , 9 as well as the rear light 3 and the front light 7th can emit visible light, the aforementioned lights are in the present case designed as NIR, near-infrared, lights that emit infrared light with wavelengths in the range from 850 nm to 940 nm. The front camera 5 as well as the rear camera 6th are designed accordingly as NIR cameras. Infrared light, IR light, can help reduce the colors of objects, glare and reflections, resulting in more stable communication between vehicles 1 , 2 leads. Because IR light has a longer wavelength than visible light, IR shines through materials such as paper, cloth, and plastic, leaving between vehicles 1 , 2 Any contaminants present affect communication to a lesser extent than if visible light were used.

For controlling the guide lights 8th , 9 as well as the rear light 3 and the front light 7th as well as the front camera designed as FishEye cameras 5 and the rear view camera 6th instruct the vehicles 1 , 2 each a computer-based control 10 that evaluate the communicated information and, for example, to control the second vehicle 2 for the autonomous following of the first vehicle 1 apply. The front camera 5 and the rear view camera 6th A NIR bandpass filter (not shown) and a lens can be connected upstream. It can also be used to control the guide lights 8th , 9 as well as the rear light 3 and the front light 7th an encoder / decoder 11 be provided.

The exemplary embodiments described are merely examples that can be modified and / or supplemented in many ways within the scope of the claims. Each feature that has been described for a specific exemplary embodiment can be used on its own or in combination with other features in any other exemplary embodiment. Each feature that has been described for an exemplary embodiment of a specific category can also be used in a corresponding manner in an exemplary embodiment of another category.

List of reference symbols

1

First vehicle

2

Second vehicle

3

Rear light

4th

Luminous element

5

Front camera

6th

Rear view camera

7th

Front light

8th

Rear guide light

9

Front guide light

10

control

11

Encoder / decoder

Claims (11)

Method for communicating between two vehicles (1, 2), wherein the first vehicle (1) has a rear light (3) and the second vehicle (2) has a front camera (5) and / or the first vehicle (1) has a front light (7) and the second vehicle (2) has a rear camera (6) has, and the rear light (3) and / or the front light (7) each have a plurality of individually switchable lighting elements (4) for displaying a matrix-like light pattern, with the following steps for vehicles (1, 2) driving one behind the other: The rear light (3) displays a light pattern assigned to a first item of information and the front camera (5) and / or the detection of the light pattern for recognizing the first information item The front light (7) displays a light pattern assigned to a second item of information and the rear camera (6) captures the light pattern to recognize the second item of information. Vehicle arrangement with two vehicles (1, 2) for communicating between them, wherein the first vehicle (1) has a rear light (3) and the second vehicle (2) has a front camera (5) and / or the first vehicle (1) has a front light (7) and the second vehicle (2) has a rear camera (6) has, and the rear light (3) and / or the front light (7) each have a plurality of individually switchable lighting elements (4) for displaying a matrix-like light pattern, and the rear people is designed to display a light pattern assigned to a first item of information and the front camera (5) is designed to capture the light pattern to recognize the first information item, and / or the front people are designed to display a light pattern assigned to information and the rear camera (6) is designed to capture the light pattern for recognizing the information. Method or arrangement according to the preceding claims, wherein the display comprises changing an intensity and / or a wavelength of the luminous elements (4) and / or displaying IR light. Method or arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lighting elements (4) are designed as LEDs and / or the rear people (3) and / or the front light (7) are designed to represent a two-dimensional light pattern. Method or arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rear light (3) is designed as a rear light and / or the front light (7) is designed as a headlight. Method or arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the display of the first information and the second information for bi-directional communication of the two vehicles (1, 2). Method or arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a pulse-wave-modulated and / or amplitude-modulated display of the first information and / or the second information. Method or arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, comprising displaying and respectively recognizing the first information, wherein the second vehicle (2) is designed to autonomously follow the first vehicle (1) ahead on the basis of the recognized information. Method or arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first vehicle (1) has a rear guide light (8) and / or the second vehicle (2) has a front guide light (9) and the detection of the light pattern by the front camera (5) and / or by the rear camera (6) depending on the detection of the rear and / or front guide lights (8, 9). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first vehicle (1) has the rear light (3) and the rear camera (6) and the second vehicle (2) has the front light (7) and the front camera (5), comprising the step of: following of the second vehicle 82) to the first vehicle (1) by means of bi-directional communication between the two vehicles (1, 2) by means of representation and respect Recognizing the first information and the second information about driving in a procession. Use of a method or an arrangement according to one of the preceding claims for non-lane-bound convoy driving by means of bi-directional communication between the vehicles (1, 2) by displaying and respectively recognizing the first information and the second information.

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