DE102022204284A1 - Merging indicator for multi-lane road traffic - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a merging indicator (12) for multi-lane vehicle traffic. It is formed with at least one display device (16) and/or at least one lighting device (14), with which a vehicle (10) can indicate that in the event of a lane narrowing or a lane disappearing, a vehicle (18) passing at an offset is in front of the indicating one Vehicle (10) can or may cut in. The invention also relates to a method for transmitting a threading instruction (13) and a correspondingly equipped vehicle (10).

Description

The invention relates to a merging indicator for multi-lane vehicle traffic. It is formed with at least one display device and/or at least one lighting device with which a vehicle can indicate that in the event of a lane narrowing or a lane disappearing, a vehicle passing at an offset can or may cut in front of the indicating vehicle. The invention also relates to a method for transmitting a threading message and a correspondingly equipped vehicle.

In city traffic or in the area of construction sites, for example on motorways and especially when lanes are eliminated or lanes are narrowed, it is often unclear whether you have been seen by a driver of a vehicle that is moving at an offset and can safely move into the other lane in front of him without that an accident occurs. As a result, drivers often slow down their vehicles and wait to see if another vehicle cuts in. This slows the flow of traffic and can lead to traffic jams.

In contrast, it can happen that a driver pulls in his vehicle without waiting and without the driver of the following vehicle expecting it. Such reckless driving can lead to accidents.

In order to address this unclear situation, it has emerged that the drivers of following vehicles indicate to vehicles in front of them that they can cut in using the so-called flashing lights and/or hand signals. Alternatively, other drivers cutting in are simply accepted, even if dangerous situations can arise.

In order to reduce the risk of accidents in the aforementioned cases and to facilitate communication between road users in these situations, it would be desirable if a vehicle were equipped to signal another vehicle that it can cut in front of the indicating vehicle. This should also be the object of the invention.

The object of the invention is achieved with a threading indicator according to claim 1, a method according to claim 9 and a vehicle according to claim 10. Further preferred embodiments of the invention result from the remaining features mentioned in the subclaims.

A merging indicator according to the invention for multi-lane road traffic of vehicles is provided in an indicating vehicle, the merging indicator of this indicating vehicle being formed with at least one display device and/or at least one lighting device, by means of which the indicating vehicle can be transmitted as a merging indication to a passing vehicle that the passing vehicle can cut in front of the indicating vehicle.

The merging indicator is intended to be a means of signaling to a passing vehicle or its driver that he can cut in front of his own vehicle, i.e. the indicating vehicle. Both vehicles move in the same direction and the passing vehicle merging in front of the indicating vehicle is due to a narrowing of the lane, the loss of a lane or something similar as a result of a construction site, an accident, an incorrectly or inconveniently parked vehicle, or a vehicle entering a stop or a broken-in bus or the like is necessary.

In order to achieve this, the threading indicator is formed with at least one display device and/or at least one lighting device. A lighting device is formed with at least one light source. If light is emitted from this, it signals the willingness to let the passing vehicle cut in. The at least one lighting device can emit light in a point and/or area, but can also, for example, illuminate symbols or the like, as will be explained in detail later.

A display device is a device with which images, text, symbols and the like can be displayed. In the simplest case, a display device can be a display or an electrically switchable film that can be switched back and forth between a neutral state without a display and a display state and can be applied to any surface. The above-mentioned images, texts, symbols and so on can also be used to signal that a passing vehicle is allowed to cut in.

This indication, i.e. that a passing vehicle can cut in front of the indicating vehicle, is referred to as a merging notice in the context of the invention.

The threading indicator can have both display and lighting device(s), which together transmit a threading indication. There can be one or more display devices and/or lighting devices in a threading device Gate can be provided, which are arranged at different positions on the vehicle so that they can be clearly seen by the driver of the passing vehicle. Preferably, the threading indicator has at least one lighting device and/or at least one display device on both sides of the vehicle, so that, depending on the driving situation in traffic, a threading instruction can be displayed in the required one of the two directions.

In principle, all lighting and/or display devices of a threading indicator must be arranged on or integrated into the vehicle in such a way that other road users, but especially the driver of the passing vehicle, can see and recognize them. If a vehicle drives past that is moving in autonomous driving mode, it could be designed to use its environment recognition to recognize the merging indicator and adapt its journey accordingly.

With the merging indicator designed in this way, it is possible for a passing vehicle to be signaled in the event of a lane narrowing or a lane departure that it can merge without there being a risk of an accident. This signal indicates that the driver of the indicating vehicle has grasped the driving situation and is ready to cut in to the passing vehicle.

In a first preferred embodiment of the threading indicator according to the invention, the at least one lighting device is arranged on a fender, a hood, a side mirror and/or a headlight and/or the at least one lighting device is in a fender, a hood, a side mirror and/or a headlight integrated.

As already stated, a lighting device is a device with at least one light source that transmits a threading instruction in the form of light. This can be done, for example, in the form of an additional light on the vehicle, as is known, among other things, from a direction indicator.

Such a lighting device can be arranged on a fender. This position can prevent this lighting device from being confused with the vehicle's direction indicator. Another place for arranging a lighting device is the side mirror. Direction indicators are often integrated there, so that the existing infrastructure in the form of electrical cables could be used. However, it is advisable to use a lighting device with a significantly different light color for the threading indication than for the direction indicator in order to avoid confusion. Optionally, a direction indicator can be designed to emit light in different colors so that it combines both functions, namely that of the direction indicator and that of the threading indicator.

Likewise, a bonnet of the indicating vehicle is a suitable place to place a lighting device for the merging indicator, since it can be easily seen by a passing vehicle if it has passed sufficiently far to actually cut in. The same applies to a lighting device on and/or in a headlight.

For all of the arrangement points mentioned, the at least one lighting device can be arranged on these, i.e. placed, applied, attached or attached to them and / or integrated into them, i.e. installed in a common housing with them, for example, or through a combination the function of a threading indicator is integrated with another, original function.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, the at least one display device should be arranged on a fender, a hood and/or a side mirror and/or the at least one display device should be integrated in a fender, a hood and/or a side mirror.

The at least one display device can therefore be arranged at the aforementioned positions or elements of a vehicle and/or integrated into them. With regard to the positions or elements, the same applies as was said with regard to the at least one lighting device. For example, a display device in the form of an electrically switchable coating can be integrated into the paintwork of the vehicle at the aforementioned positions of the vehicle.

It can be provided that the at least one lighting device is a headlight and the headlight is designed to project a merging instruction onto the road.

In order for a lighting device to be able to project a merging indication onto a surface such as the road, it must have imaging optics which are arranged in relation to the light source or light sources of the lighting device in such a way that their light passes through the imaging device Optics passes through and is thus aligned and shaped to achieve a desired image for the projection. Various technical designs for projecting content onto the surface of the road are well known in the prior art.

In this embodiment, a headlight should now be the lighting device(s) that transmits a merging instruction to the passing vehicle. For example, a merging arrow or a verbal merging request can be projected onto the road to indicate to the other vehicle that the vehicle is ready to merge.

By projecting the merging information onto the road, the passing vehicle can be shown at an early stage, i.e. before it has completely passed the indicating vehicle, that it can merge in front of the indicating vehicle. The projected merging notice can expediently be aligned laterally in the direction of the lane of the passing vehicle so that it can be easily seen and understood from there.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the at least one lighting device and/or the at least one display device transmits the threading instruction to a passing vehicle with colored lighting, a constant symbol, a flashing symbol, animated lighting and/or an animated display.

The easiest way to display a threading instruction is with colored lighting. By specifically selecting a color that does not already have a functional assignment, such as the orange of a direction indicator or has a purely lighting function, such as the white of a headlight, confusion with such lighting elements can be avoided. For example, green or blue light could be used for a merging instruction.

The light from the at least one lighting device can be emitted in a point or area, which can be achieved by arranging one or more light sources of the respective lighting device. However, the at least one light source can also be arranged in the form of symbols so that they emit light in the form of the symbol. However, this effect can also be achieved by a template that is arranged in front of the at least one light source. The light of the lighting device designed in this way can be emitted continuously, i.e. consistently, or flashing. Flashing is intended to mean a change between repeated lighting and extinguishing of the lighting device.

The representation of the threading instruction using symbols can also be implemented by the at least one display device. A constant symbol or a flashing symbol can also be displayed using a display device.

A suitable symbol can be an arrow, but also an arrangement of a vehicle cutting in and an indicating vehicle, which are combined into one symbol.

An alternative option is to use animated lighting as a threading guide. So-called animated lighting consists of several light sources that are switched on at different times, so that they are switched on and off one after the other or at least at a different time. This can be used, for example, to create an animation in which the illumination light moves in the direction in which the passing vehicle can cut in. This variant can preferably be combined with colored light and/or the shape into a symbol.

In the case of a display device, an animated display can be shown on it, for example with symbols, arrows and the like, which make it clear that the passing vehicle can cut in. Text can also be used here.

Yet another embodiment of the threading indicator is that the threading indication is to be triggered manually by a driver of the indicating vehicle using an input device, in particular with at least one rocker switch and/or at least one button on a steering wheel of the vehicle.

The driver of the displaying vehicle can therefore, based on his own assessment of the traffic situation and his own desire to let a passing vehicle merge, indicate this by actively triggering the merging indicator using an input device. This can preferably be done separately for a display or lighting to the right and one to the left.

An input device must be easily accessible and intuitive to use for the driver of the vehicle. An arrangement on or close to the steering wheel is therefore particularly preferable. Esp Specially, an input device can include at least one rocker switch and/or at least one button on the steering wheel of the vehicle. The at least one button can be integrated into the known steering wheel control device.

The at least one rocker switch and/or the at least one button can be designed in such a way that they each trigger a transmission of a threading instruction to one side of the vehicle. In this case, two rocker switches and/or buttons would have to be provided for each. But they can also be assigned to one side of the vehicle through an operating sequence, such as repeated tapping or, in the case of a rocker switch, actuation in different directions.

Alternatively or additionally, the threading indicator can be provided in or on a vehicle that is designed to drive autonomously. The merging indicator is to be triggered in autonomous driving mode by a control device in the vehicle.

An autonomous vehicle continuously records its surroundings using the vehicle's own environment detection. This information, together with the specified destination of the trip and other optional information, such as a desired route, is used to determine the specific route for the vehicle, i.e. where it is on the road and along which trajectory it is moved towards the destination.

The threading indicator according to the invention should be provided on or in such a vehicle and it should be able to be triggered by a control device of the vehicle during autonomous driving.

Even if it has not yet been explicitly stated, it is clear to the person skilled in the art that operation of the at least one display device and/or the at least one lighting device to implement a threading instruction requires a control device which controls the at least one display device and/or the at least one lighting device controlled in such a way that the merging instruction becomes effective or visible to a passing vehicle. Such a control device can be a specially designed control device or another control device located in the vehicle, which, among other things, also controls the threading indicator.

Control in autonomous driving mode can now take place in the same way. If a merging situation, or a lane narrowing or lane loss, is detected during the autonomous journey based on all available information and other parameters of the journey of the indicating vehicle allow a passing vehicle to cut in, the control device that controls and monitors the autonomous journey can trigger the merging indicator.

It goes without saying that when returning to self-propelled mode, the threading indicator can or should be triggered manually.

It will prove to be extremely useful if the merging notice goes out after a predetermined time interval and/or after the passing vehicle has cut in.

Extinction should be understood to mean switching off the threading instruction and thus the at least one display device and/or the at least one lighting device, so that no threading instruction can be seen anymore.

In order not to transmit the merging instructions to every passing vehicle and thus invite everyone to merge, the merging instructions should go out after a vehicle has merged. This can be recognized and implemented by monitoring the vehicle's surroundings in cooperation with the control device. Alternatively or additionally, a time interval can also be specified, after which the threading notice expires. Preferably, the length of the time interval can be dependent on the speed of the indicating vehicle in order to take into account the duration of the cutting-in process.

Manually switching off the threading warning can also be considered.

The invention also provides a method for transmitting a merging instruction using a merging indicator according to the invention on a passing vehicle, wherein in an autonomous driving operation of the indicating vehicle it is determined based on a planned route and information from an environmental recording of the indicating vehicle whether merging of the passing vehicle is possible and if this is possible, the merging message is triggered by a control device in the vehicle.

As already explained, autonomous driving is based on a large amount of information that must be constantly recorded and evaluated in order to then maintain or adapt the parameters of the autonomous drive. Further information may come from other road users, infrastructure and/or data service providers (weather, navigation data, traffic jam information and the like). The destination, preferences of the vehicle occupant regarding the route to be traveled, the prevailing traffic density, the speed, distances to other road users and, if necessary, the surroundings or infrastructure, the design of the most economical driving style and the like are all taken into account. Knowing whether a turn or a lane change will soon be initiated can also be relevant information.

If it is now recognized based on the environmental information and the route information, as provided and used, for example, by navigation systems, that a lane has disappeared and a passing vehicle could possibly want to cut in, the available information is evaluated to determine whether cutting in is possible immediately or after adjusting a or several of the driving parameters are possible without risk. If this is actually possible, the merging message should be triggered by the control device controlling the autonomous drive.

A vehicle is also claimed that is designed with a threading indicator according to the invention and/or that is designed to carry out the methods described above.

With the merging indicator according to the invention, it becomes easier in road traffic to enable a passing vehicle to change lanes by indicating your willingness to do so by means of a merging message. This eliminates the need for risky driving maneuvers or slowing down the entire traffic. The passing vehicle can easily recognize that the driver of the indicating vehicle is expecting to cut in.

The various embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application can be advantageously combined with one another, unless stated otherwise in individual cases.

• 1 eine Seitenansicht eines Fahrzeuges mit geeigneten Positionen für Elemente des Einfädelindikators, und
• 2 Positionen für Eingabeeinrichtungen für den Einfädelindikator.

The invention is explained below in exemplary embodiments using the associated drawings. Show it:

• 1 a side view of a vehicle with suitable positions for elements of the threading indicator, and
• 2 Positions for input devices for the threading indicator.

1a shows a side view of a vehicle 10 with a threading indicator 12 according to the invention. For this purpose, the vehicle has lighting devices 14 and display devices 16 with which a threading message 13 can be transmitted to a passing vehicle (not shown).

A display device 16 is provided on the front fender 32, with which a threading instruction 13 can be displayed in the form of an arrow. The display device 16 is designed as a display. Alternatively or additionally, a lighting device 14, which emits light in the form of an arrow, can be arranged on the fender and transmit a threading instruction 13. In order to attract the attention of the driver of the passing vehicle, the light of the lighting device 14 can be emitted in a flashing manner.

A display device 16 or a lighting device 14 can be integrated on the side mirror 34 in order to transmit a threading message 13 to a passing vehicle. The lighting device 14 can be combined with a direction indicator and transmit the threading instruction 13 by using a different color of lighting, for example green or blue.

Another possibility is that the headlight 30 acts as a lighting device 14 for the threading indicator 12 and in particular has imaging optics in order to display a threading indication 13 on the road. To make this clear, shows 1 b a top view of a threading situation. The indicating vehicle 10 projects a threading instruction 13 in the form of a threading arrow onto the road using the headlights 30, 14. The projection 13 is oriented towards the center of the road so that the passing vehicle 18 can clearly see it.

In 1a Only one side of the vehicle is shown, but the display devices 16 and lighting devices 14 are also provided on the other side of the vehicle in order to also communicate a threading instruction 13 in this direction. For the threading indicator 12, one or more of the proposed display devices 16 and/or lighting devices 14 can be used.

In order to trigger the threading indicator 12, an input device is provided on the steering wheel 20 of the vehicle, as in 2 shown. This can be achieved in particular by two rocker switches 22 for the corresponding side of the vehicle or alternatively by a button 24 on the right and left of the steering wheel within the steering wheel control device.

The threading message 13 is transmitted as soon as the driver operates the input device. If he presses it again while the threading indicator 13 is active, it will be switched off. If there is no manual switch-off, a switch-off is effected after a speed-dependent time interval by the vehicle's control device.

In the case of an autonomously driving vehicle 10, the switching on and off of the threading instruction 13 can also be triggered by the control device that controls the autonomous driving operation.

Reference symbol list

10

indicating vehicle

12

Threading indicator

13

Threading instructions

14

Lighting device

16

Display device

18

passing vehicle

20

steering wheel

22

Rocker switch

24

Button

30

Headlight

32

fender

34

Side mirror

36

Engine Hood

Claims (10)

Merging indicator (12) for multi-lane road traffic of vehicles, the merging indicator (12) of an indicating vehicle (10) being formed with at least one display device (16) and/or at least one lighting device (14), by means of which a merging indication is provided by the indicating vehicle (13) can be transmitted to a passing vehicle (18) that the passing vehicle (18) can cut in front of the indicating vehicle (10). threading indicator (12). Claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one lighting device (14) is arranged on a fender (32), a hood (36), a side mirror (34) and / or a headlight (30) and / or that the at least one lighting device (14 ) is integrated in a fender (32), a hood (36), a side mirror (34) and / or a headlight (30). threading indicator (12). Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the at least one display device (16) is arranged on a fender (32), a hood (36) and / or a side mirror (34) and / or that the at least one display device (16) in a fender (32 ), a hood (36) and / or a side mirror (34) is integrated. Threading indicator (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one lighting device (14) is a headlight (30) and the headlight (30) is designed to project a threading indication (13) onto the road. Threading indicator (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one lighting device (14) and/or the at least one display device (16) provides the threading indication (13) with colored lighting, a constant symbol, a flashing symbol, a animated lighting and/or an animated display is transmitted to a passing vehicle (10). Threading indicator (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the threading indicator (13) is to be triggered manually by a driver of the indicating vehicle (10) by means of an input device, in particular with a rocker switch (22) and/or a button (24) on a steering wheel (20) of the vehicle (10). Threading indicator (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the threading indicator (12) is provided in or on a vehicle (10) which is designed to drive autonomously and that the threading indicator (12) in autonomous driving mode is controlled by a control device of the vehicle (10). Threading indicator (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the threading indicator (13) goes out after a predetermined time interval and/or after the passing vehicle (18) has cut in. Method for transmitting a threading instruction (13) to a passing vehicle (18) with a threading indicator (12) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in an autonomous driving operation of the indicating vehicle (10) based on a planned route and information from an environment detection of the indicating vehicle (10) it is determined whether it is possible for the passing vehicle (18) to merge and, if this is possible, the input Threading notice (13) is triggered by a control device of the vehicle (10). Vehicle (10) with a threading indicator (12) according to one of the preceding Claims 1 until 8th is trained and/or who is trained according to a method Claim 9 to carry out.

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