EP1663728A1

EP1663728A1 - Information system for motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: EP1663728A1
Application number: EP04764220A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Betzitza; Michaela Ludwig; Siegfried Rothe; Manja Zedler
Original assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
Current assignee: Mercedes Benz Group AG
Priority date: 2003-09-20
Filing date: 2004-08-18
Publication date: 2006-06-07
Also published as: DE10343683A1; US20070124027A1; WO2005035321A1; JP2007506166A

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for providing information in accordance with factors that impact on the driver, as the latter is driving the motor vehicle. Increasingly in motor vehicles, functions that are operated or initiated by the driver are provided together with corresponding information, the sheer quantity of which leads to a risk that the driver is placed under too much strain or is distracted from the traffic situation during the operation or actuation of functions of this type, or whilst reading the information that has been provided, thus increasing the potential risk of an accident. The aim of the invention is to provide a system of the aforementioned type, which greatly simplifies the operating complexity, without reducing the concentration of the driver. According to the invention, information is issued in accordance with strain factors that act objectively on the driver, driver activities and driver-specific characteristics that influence the driving of the vehicle. The inventive system can be used advantageously in motor vehicles in order to relieve the strain on the driver, thus ensuring that the driver is not overtaxed in the majority of driving situations and permitting the relaxed driving of the vehicle.

Description

Information system for motor vehicles

The invention relates to a system for providing information in a motor vehicle depending on the driver's condition. Such a system is known from DE 199 52 857 Cl.

Modern information systems for vehicles, based on increasingly complex systems for vehicle guidance and for the operation of comfort functions, also provide the driver with an increasing amount of information, with the result that, despite some information that supports him, he may be overwhelmed and thus become overwhelmed Danger in road traffic cannot be excluded. Excessive demands can arise from the fact that, on the one hand, the objective load factors acting on the driver, such as road traffic condition, environmental conditions or vehicle condition, such as e.g. For example, slingshots become too big and, on the other hand, their current physical or psychological condition no longer allows them to be used under normal loads, ie there is an overuse. Whether a driver feels overused is initially situation-specific and depends above all on individual characteristics, i.e. personality traits of the driver. In the following, the term “stress” d ± e is understood to mean subjectively perceived mental stress due to an objectively measurable stress and the personality characteristics of the driver. The term “workload” is also used synonymously for “stress”. The measurable stress factors relate to Driving a vehicle, e.g. on the traffic condition, the condition of the street, the type of street, whether highway, country road or city street, on the condition of the vehicle, such as vehicle defects, driving stability, fogged or icy windows or temperature values A wide variety of systems and methods are known for measuring the stress on a driver.

JP 2002 010 995 A, for example, describes a method for determining the stress value of a driver while driving in a motor vehicle, in which physiological data of the driver, namely his pulse frequency and breathing frequency, are used for this. The evaluation of the data leads to a classification according to mental stress, physical stress and normal stress in the form of a respective numerical value. Depending on the size relationships of these values, the current situation of the driver is assigned a category with a certain stress value and a driving support action is selected depending on this value, for example by automatically activating a distance control system (ACC), an automatic brake system or a lane change assistant. to relieve the driver of his driving tasks. This method also provides for acoustic or visual warning signals to be generated when the driver is exposed to certain stress levels.

Furthermore, from DE 100 42 367 AI a method and. a device for diagnosing a driver's ability to drive a motor vehicle is known, in which physiological data of the driver, which are recorded while driving, are also used to evaluate the driver's condition and combined with data about the current driving status of the vehicle or with data about the current traffic situation, and from this the driver's ability to drive is estimated and, if necessary, warnings are given to the driver based on this assessment of the ability to drive and, if necessary, auxiliary measures are also initiated. In addition to the currently measured physiological data of the driver, his health-relevant data obtained outside the vehicle, in particular his biographical data, are used in this method to estimate the current driver load. If an overload is detected or the driver is not stressed appropriately for the situation, a corresponding emergency call signal is sent, for example via GSM radio, in order to be able to initiate assistance measures.

The acquisition of physiological data of the driver can be acquired, for example, via appropriate sensors on the steering wheel of the vehicle, as is known, for example, from DE 195 45 848 AI. In addition, physiological data can also be determined by means of video recordings, in order, for example, to be able to use the eyelid frequency to derive information about the driver's condition, as is shown in the already mentioned DE 100 42 367 AI. Finally! can sensor systems according to the above JP 2002 010 995 A for measuring the pulse frequency can be accommodated in the seat belt.

From DE 100 39 795 AI a method for warning a driver of a vehicle is known, in which the driver's attention is determined before issuing a warning, a warning of a critical situation only is output as a function of the determined degree of attention, that is to say, for example, that if a high level of attention is determined this output is even suppressed. The driver's attention is detected by detecting the direction of the gaze, the blinking frequency and / or; the head position determined. The ascertainment of attention also includes the secondary activities which the driver has carried out in addition to his driving task, such as the operation and use of audio devices, navigation systems or mobile radio equipment. Finally, a state of fatigue is determined by measuring the body temperature and / or the pulse rate of the driver and the driver's attention is determined from this. With this known method, warnings are output not only as a function of the determined degree of attentiveness of the driver, but also as a function of the state of the vehicle, so that critical vehicle condition situations are detected and assisted by means of assistance systems such as parking aids, distance control systems (ACC) and hard shoulder detection Depending on the detected level of attention of the driver, warning messages are generated sooner or later. In this known method, too, physiological data of the driver, such as pulse frequency and body temperature, are recorded by means of sensors arranged on the steering wheel.

Furthermore, DE 197 53 160 Cl discloses a device for recognizing an impending accident situation of a vehicle, which involves detecting movement changes in the hands by means of an image recognition system and determining the speed at which the movement changes take place , If these changes in movement indicate panic-like movement, at least one security system is activated. Experience has shown that it is assumed that drivers who have an imminent disadvantage Recognize the accident situation, turn the steering wheel in panic to. to avoid the accident situation. In addition to detecting the movement of the hands, the movement of the driver's feet actuating the accelerator and brake pedals can also be detected and also trigger a safety system if the speed of movement of a foot exceeds a predetermined threshold, which indicates a panic reaction of the driver.

In order to determine the stress value of a driver, the steering angle during the journey is recorded using a steering angle sensor in accordance with US Pat. No. 6,061,610 and this steering angle pattern is compared with a standard pattern which corresponds to a steering angle pattern of a load-free driver. Depending on the comparison result, a stress index value is generated.

Furthermore, from DE 198 18 239 AI a device for warning that a driver of a motor vehicle is falling asleep, which has a vehicle environment detection device, a device for detecting a reference driving style of the driver, a comparison logic for evaluating the reference driving style with an actual value determined by the vehicle environment detection device. Driving style and a warning device controlled by the comparison logic comprises. If a lateral movement of the motor vehicle to limit the lane is detected on the basis of the evaluation of the data from the vehicle environment detection device, then this lateral movement is compared with the reference driving style by means of the comparison logic and, if a threshold value is exceeded, a warning device for generating a haptic, acoustic or optical warning signal is triggered. These known methods and devices essentially serve to warn the driver in dangerous situations or to relieve them in such situations by appropriate control of vehicle systems. Dangerous situations are recognized as such if an extreme driver condition, ie either a risk of falling asleep or an overload or a breakdown of the driver is detected, with an overload also being assumed in extreme traffic situations or traffic situations. The corresponding measures are therefore only effective to avert a dangerous situation that has already occurred.

An information system for motor vehicles is known from DE 299 16 000 UI, in which the information density acting on a driver is controlled depending on the current state of the vehicle with regard to the possibilities of functions that can be actuated by the driver. For this purpose, sensor devices for detecting vehicle states, such as, for example, the current speed, the selected gear or the amount of fuel present in the fuel tank, are provided. The operation or actuation of functions which can be triggered by means of control elements is blocked in certain states of the motor vehicle, for example when driving fast, in order not to unnecessarily distract the driver from the traffic situation. For example, the operation of an air conditioning system, a navigation system or an audio system can be blocked at high speed. To identify this state, the corresponding menu items are hidden on a display device, for example, or are otherwise identified accordingly. There are also vehicle states in which a certain function can be triggered but is not recommended due to these vehicle states. In this case, a warning notice, for example by means of a corresponding graphic representation Position or be reproduced in an acoustic or haptic manner.

The selection of the information output proposed with this known system is based only on the condition of the motor vehicle, but without taking into account the individual properties of the driver with regard to his driving ability, which is why the driver could feel patronized by this system.

The generic system described in DE 199 52 857 Cl takes into account the driver's condition when controlling data sources, the means for controlling vehicle components and the means for controlling optical and / or acoustic display devices. The means for identifying the driver's state with regard to his state of mind or his state of mind consist of a camera and a microphone, the measurement data of which are to allow an assignment to a state of mind of the driver by comparison with stored reference data. Depending on the determined state of mind of the driver, only certain information is displayed, so that information selection or information filtering also takes place here. The information provided for display is provided by vehicle sensors, for example the driving speed, the cooling water temperature, the tire pressure or the fill level of the fuel tank.

Furthermore, emergency functions or help functions for the driver are activated with this known system depending on the determined driver state. For example, depending on the driver’s condition, information such as operating instructions, user guidance or an auxiliary assistant for operating and controlling vehicle components relevant to the driver, in order to assist him with the operation.

A brake assistant serves as an emergency function. In the event of a detected emergency, for example in the event of a driver collapse, the driver brakes slowly and at the same time ensures that the vehicle is disengaged, so that further vehicle acceleration does not occur.

In this known system, the driver's state is described by the terms "state of mind" and "state of mind". In order to obtain information about such a driver's condition, the voice pattern is analyzed using the microphone, since it is assumed that this changes when the driver is excited and, for example, muscle tension, temperature changes or violent and rapid movements are detected by evaluating the driver's visual field , After all, the driver should be automatically exposed to soothing music in a stressful situation. There is no guarantee that the physiological data recorded with the microphone and the camera will indicate the driver's current demands with a high degree of certainty, since a changed voice pattern can also have its cause in the conversation content of a conversation with a passenger or in a throat disease, muscle tension or Temperature changes can be caused by the interior climate and, finally, violent and rapid movements could only indicate a high level of interest on the part of the driver in an object outside the vehicle, or simply have their cause in a conversation with the passenger. The reliable determination of the stress level of the driver therefore requires further information that allows a plausibility check of a certain condition of the driver, otherwise the risk of an incorrect assessment is very high and in the worst case an emergency is incorrectly assumed in this known system.

DE 102 11 069 AI describes a similar method and a device for providing information in which the driver's cognitive load is based on vehicle data, such as vehicle speed, vehicle interior noise, vehicle acceleration, and also on the basis of ambient data, such as Weather and road conditions and finally also on the basis of driver factors such as steering behavior or use of the mobile phone. The information to be output is then selected on the basis of the determined cognitive load. The disadvantage of this known method also lies in the fact that no consideration is given to the individual properties of the driver, so that there is therefore a risk that the driver will feel patronized and the safety-relevant aspect will therefore only be insufficiently fulfilled.

Furthermore, from DE 197 07 188 AI a system for providing information is known in which, depending on the mode of operation of the vehicle, an information device is automatically controlled in defined operating modes. Sensor data relating to the speed of the vehicle, the operating status of an ABS control unit or the ignition system are recorded as input data, and voice dialogues with the vehicle system are recorded and evaluated. Finally, dynamic vehicle conditions, such as frequent braking and acceleration, or drastic steering maneuvers are recorded and processed. As an operating mode, it is proposed, for example, to output current operating parameters, such as engine and vehicle values (for example temperature, speed). Another operating mode relates to the output of traffic information or an electronic route guidance with a corresponding map, a telephone control, the operability of a PC function or an operating mode "customer support" with information from the operating instructions or information about service instructions and circuit diagrams.

This known system is intended to simplify the operation and use of corresponding devices in the vehicle, so that traffic hazards are excluded as far as possible.

This known system also takes no account of the individual resilience when driving a vehicle when selecting the information that is offered to the driver.

Finally, EP 0 590 588 B1 discloses a driving support system to make it easier for the driver to drive the vehicle, which has an information processing unit which, depending on the data from an environment detection device, for detecting objects and objects located directly in the vicinity of the vehicle the data of a driving state determination device for determining one of a plurality of driving states of the vehicle generates reference information corresponding to the detected driving state and displays it on a display device. The driving operation reference information consists, for example, that in a detected traffic overload condition, ie driving in a traffic jam, the approach of the vehicle in front is displayed, or that in a detected normal driving condition the distance between the vehicles is displayed and at the same time the driver is informed of the suitable distance between the vehicle in front and the driver's own vehicle, or that in a driving state that corresponds to the driving in a narrow passage, obstacles are displayed to the driver and their Approaching the vehicle or that the driver is given steering information for parking in a parking mode.

This known driving support system also does not take into account the individual resilience of the driver, so there is a risk that the driver will feel patronized.

The object of the present invention is to provide a system for providing information as a function of the driver's condition in a motor vehicle, in which the driver consumes little attention resources when acquiring the information individually offered by this system and at the same time supports the driver in his driving task and thus contribute to traffic safety.

This object is achieved with the features of patent claim 1, according to which a) a device for detecting objective load factors acting on the driver, in particular the vehicle condition and / or environmental conditions of the motor vehicle, b) a device for recording driver activities, c) a device for recording the driver-specific properties of the driver influencing the driving of the vehicle, d) an information processing unit for determining an information profile as a function of the load factors acting on the driver, the driver activities and the individual properties of the driver influencing the driving of the vehicle, and e) an output device for outputting the information determined by the information profile.

On the basis of the determined information profile, information, preferably operating information as well as vehicle status data and information from communication systems and assistance systems, as well as entertainment information depending on the traffic situation and the vehicle status, are presented to the driver in such a way that the vehicle can be operated and operated safely, taking into account its current load capacity , The information profile generated in this way thus leads to a “personalized” information package for the driver. Communication with the vehicle is structured in accordance with this invention in such a way that the driver is neither distracted, disturbed or overloaded by the information presented, nor is he patronized by the system according to the invention feels, so the system experiences a high level of acceptance by the driver.

The high level of acceptance of this system by the driver is achieved, in particular, by not only recording the driver's objective load factors in the current driving situation, but also those driver characteristics that are relevant for driving a vehicle, such as fatigue and stress also the driver-specific properties, namely the driver's disposition, such as health status, driving style with regard to acceleration, steering or braking, driver nervousness, driving skills or general resilience.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the driver's condition can be determined with regard to its stress level as a function of the objective load factors, the driver's activities and the driving of the vehicle influencing properties of the driver are determined and classified in order to determine the information profile based on this classification. The stress can be divided into different categories, such as "little stressed", "medium stressed" or "highly stressed", whereby a driver is very stress-resistant when assigned to the first-mentioned category, ie can be highly stressed, while in the latter category the driver would be very little stress-resistant and therefore not very stressable, so that when determining the information profile, it is particularly easy to ensure that the driver remains in control of the vehicle under all circumstances, feels relaxed, can trust the system and can react reliably to unexpected events at all times can.

The level of the stress, i.e. the stress level of the driver while driving, is determined from a large number of factors, so that a high degree of accuracy with regard to the classification of the stress is possible, whereby in particular a classification can also be made with regard to the sensory channel concerned, with what stress level the visual, the acoustic and / or the haptic sensory channel is used.

The objective load factors not only record environmental data provided by environmental sensors, telematics systems, communication systems with other vehicles or stationary communication systems, but also vehicle status data, i.e. essentially operating data and status data such as technical status, wear on the windshield wipers, Tire condition, interior temperature, fogged and icy windows and finally the operating status of assistance systems in the vehicle. Important data for determining the stress level is provided by the recording of the driver characteristics of the driver that are decisive for driving a vehicle. Not only the short-term characteristics such as fatigue, stress or emotional state are recorded, but also the driver-specific characteristics, namely the driver's dispositions such as health status, driver-restricting characteristics such as glasses or hearing aid wearers, anxiety (in front of tunnels or bridges), driving style with regard to acceleration, steering or braking, driver nervousness, driving competence or general resilience.

The short-term properties can be, for example, as physiological data such as skin conductivity, eye movement, pupil width or EEG values.

The data collection for the driver-specific properties can be carried out, for example, by means of a corresponding questionnaire when purchasing the vehicle and stored in the data memory provided for this purpose, or can be entered directly into the system, that is to say the data memory, by the driver.

Finally, the driver's activities, such as steering activity or pedal pressure, also the vehicle's speed level or rapid collision with a vehicle in front with determination of the distance, a lane change, a turning, cornering, reversing, tunneling or driving through an entrance or Exit recorded and used to determine the stress level.

With the system according to the invention, the information offered can be adapted extremely individually to the driver. According to an advantageous development, the type of information of the information to be output can be determined depending on the particular stress level, ie whether warning messages, operating information or entertainment information are to be output, and the time of the information output can also depend on this. Finally, depending on the type of stress determined, the type of information or the time of information output can be determined.

Furthermore, the amount and density of information can be determined by the stress level or the type of stress, for example whether the information is displayed briefly or in detail, whether many or few information units are offered for a given display area, or whether speech is spoken quickly or slowly ,

Finally, depending on the load level or the type of load, the output medium can be determined, ie whether the information is output optically, acoustically or haptically or in a combination thereof.

For example, in certain situations, an exclusive acoustic output for the driver can represent less stress than an interaction with the vehicle via a haptic or visual communication channel.

In addition, the type of output of visual data, namely text data, symbolic data, graphics or videos, can also be controlled as a function of the stress level or the type of stress. In particular, the length of text data can also be output as a function of the sizes mentioned. In a further advantageous embodiment, in which functions can be triggered by means of operating elements and these functions are categorized into operating options with different extents, an operating option is offered to the driver by means of a selection device depending on the level of stress or the type of stress. An input device for executing the selected operating option is advantageously provided. The operator input can take place acoustically, visually and / or haptically depending on the stress level or the type of stress.

Finally, in a last advantageous embodiment of the invention, a “minimal” operating option consists in that it only includes the functions required for driving and excludes options that are not relevant for driving.

In the following, the invention will be explained and illustrated in connection with the figure. This figure shows an exemplary embodiment of a block diagram of the system according to the invention.

The block diagram shows an information and operating system with a central information processing unit 1, which works, for example, as a microprocessor μP and to which a series of data and information are supplied in order to determine the strain on the driver.

For this purpose, the objective load factors acting on the driver are first detected by means of a device 2, in that device 3 only detects vehicle environment data and device 4 only vehicle condition data. The device 3 is connected via an interface 5 to corresponding sensors or information sources, such as telematics or communication systems, and also vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems for recording the desired data. This is information and data on the route on which the vehicle is currently driving, which road rank, whether highway, federal roads, interurban roads, local passages or residential area / footpath, as well as data on bridges, tunnels, highway entrances and exits, data on the development the roadside, as well as data on the difficulty of the route, data on the inclines and descents of the route, the width of the road, level crossings, one-way streets, priority streets, pedestrian crossings, traffic islands, pedestrian zones, play streets, construction sites, the number of lanes, narrowing lanes, the end of the lane, Lane reduction or expansion, bumps, roundabout, complex intersections, special traffic figures (e.g. circular intersection), radii of curvature of curves, road junctions, speed categories and data from a traffic sign recognition (including traffic light conditions). Other environmental data relate to the road conditions (risk of aquaplaning, dry, wet, snow-covered or icy road surface, ruts, gravel, sand, bumpy) and the traffic condition (traffic density, oncoming traffic, glare from oncoming vehicles, stop and go traffic, traffic jams (in motion or standing), right of way violation by other road users, driving in the parking garage, suddenly occurring obstacles (e.g. pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists), distance or relative speed to the vehicle in front or behind, as well as environmental conditions (weather and visibility, such as Rain or fog, number of passengers, noise level in the vehicle, lighting conditions, position of the sun, time of day, season, geographical location, outside temperature, cross wind conditions). Likewise, the device 4 for acquiring the desired data is connected via an interface 6 to corresponding sensors or information sources relating to the condition of the vehicle. These are operating data of the vehicle and information regarding critical vehicle defects (e.g. brake failure), fogged / icy windows, operating status of ABS / ESP / parking assistant / distance control assistant / cornering warning, yaw rate, technical condition of the vehicle, wear and tear Windscreen wipers, tire condition, tire pressure, winter / summer tires, fuel quantity, inside temperature of seat heating and the trailer hitch (e.g. whether trailer or caravan is attached).

The driver activities are recorded with a device 7 via an associated interface 8, which is also connected to corresponding sensors and information sources. These driver activities concern the operation of controls (radio, navigation system, seat adjustment, brake and accelerator pedal, etc.), the observation of displays in the vehicle, the observation of traffic signs, in particular signposts and traffic lights, the speed of the vehicle, the type of acceleration / deceleration , the accelerator pedal position, the brake pedal position, the braking torque, kickdown, the actuation of the clutch, the steering angle (including steering angle speed, steering angle acceleration), the gear selection, actuation of the horn and the turn signals (including the hazard lights), telephone operation, mirror adjustment, actuation of the air conditioning system and operation of the operating and display instruments. Further information describing the driver activities relates to the driving maneuvers initiated by the driver, such as turning, overtaking, approaching bends and vehicles in front, driving bends, changing lanes and parking. Driver properties are recorded with a device 9, a distinction being made between driver dispositions, ie long-term driver properties, which are stored in a data memory 10 and short-term driver properties, which are determined by means of a device 11. The data memory 10 and the device 11 are connected to the device 9. In order to record the short-term driver characteristics, the device 11 is connected to corresponding sensors and information sources via an interface 12.

The short-term driver characteristics essentially describe the current driver's condition with regard to tiredness, psychological fatigue or satiety, stress, motivation (e.g. trip to work, vacation trip, shopping trip), time pressure, visual / acoustic / mental distraction, emotional state (anger, irritability , Frustration, joy), alcohol or drug influences and level of awareness of the route traveled.

Some of these properties can be detected by detecting the driver's physiological data. For example, fatigue, stress, psychological fatigue or satiety, emotional state and alcohol or drug influences. For example, the skin conductivity, the driver's eye movement, voice frequency, pupil width, pulse and breathing frequency or the eyelid beat frequency are determined as physiological data. Other properties can be opened up indirectly, for example, psychological fatigue or satiety can be inferred due to a monotonous traffic situation or monotonous driving route. Such data can generally also be used to check the plausibility of driver properties. In addition to the physiological data, the state of stress or motivation can also be plausibly determined using certain driving parameters (e.g. steering angle detection). bilize. Navigation information from a navigation system with a learning component can also be used to e.g. For example, to be able to evaluate the driver's motivation. Driver observation cameras are used to record the visual distraction of the driver, and loudness measurements give an indication of the acoustic distraction of the driver. The detection of the actuation of controls or the steering wheel lock indicate haptic stress.

The driver dispositions, i.e. the long-term driver characteristics relate, for example, to the driver's driving style with regard to acceleration, steering and braking, driver nervousness, anxiety when driving through tunnels and bridges, driving skills (experienced or inexperienced driver), general resilience (endurance, fitness), Illness and willingness to act or ability to act, characteristics that restrict driving (e.g. impaired vision or hearing) and risk behavior, gender. These individual data of a driver can be determined, for example, when purchasing the vehicle using a questionnaire in order to then be stored in the data memory 10. It is also conceivable to use a specially developed test to determine this driver-specific data or to combine driving data and draw conclusions from it.

The data supplied to the detection devices 2, 7 and 9 are processed there and transformed into standard values in order to be able to compare them with reference values. For this purpose, these standard values are supplied to the information processing unit 1, which determines the current stress level and / or the type of stress on the driver by means of a “workload classification” characteristic diagram stored in a data memory 21. For this purpose, the characteristic diagram stored in the data memory 21 has a matrix-like structure, so that a data record, consisting of "load factor" and "driver activity", a category of the workload, that is to say the stress level can be assigned, possibly also the type of stress, that is whether the stress is visual, acoustic or haptic. In the simplest case, for example, a classification into three categories can be carried out, such as "little used", "medium used" and "highly used". Of course, this number of categories can be increased arbitrarily in order to achieve finer gradations, especially with a view to the selection of information to be offered to the driver depending on this classification, and a category can also be defined by other factors, for example the type of stress or the cause of the stress, for example by the severity of the stress objective load factors acting on the driver are dependent on the level of the stress or only on the basis of the individual driver characteristics, for example due to an extraordinary fear of the driver.

With the workload category now determined in this way, the associated information is determined by the central information processing unit 1 by accessing a data memory 22 in which context-adaptive information profiles are stored and is output via an output device 13. This output device 13 contains output means 14 for outputting haptic information, output means 15 for outputting acoustic information and outputting means 16 for outputting visual information.

The context-adaptive information profiles stored in the data memory 22 are constructed, for example, from a basic menu, with topics that are relevant to the driver only while driving, depending on the load factors, the driver activities and the driver properties - that is, context- adaptive - the type of information is determined, i.e. operating information, warning messages, messages or entertainment information or information from communication systems such as the telephone to be output, short texts by means of the visual output means 16 or, in the case of critical vehicle conditions, only by voice using the output means 15, which are even output in one such a case can be interrupted or ended by the driver by means of a voice instruction “pause” or “stop”. In the case of less critical vehicle environment data or vehicle condition data, the text abbreviations can be withdrawn in stages or the menu can be supplemented with further topics. The number of stages provided can relate to a minimum version of two stages, namely vehicle state "driving" and vehicle state "standstill". In addition, a finer gradation can be provided in that the gradation can now take place depending on the “severity” of the detected states either with regard to the vehicle environment, that is to say the traffic situation, and also with regard to driving activities. The amount of information can also be controlled in the case of an acoustic output, for example, in the case of a speech output, only words and short sentences or long detailed explanations are output.

In addition to this control of the amount of information, the information density can also be specified as a function of the stress level and the variables determining this classification. For example, the output of text information on a display by means of the output means 16 in a small font size, so that a great deal of information has to be recorded by the driver, compared to a text output with a large font in which the information density is lower. With a voice output using the acoustic output 15 means that a quickly spoken text leads to a high information density compared to a slowly spoken text.

Finally, the communication channel, that is to say the medium for outputting the information as a function of the variables mentioned, can also be controlled with regard to the workload category, so that a visual, an acoustic and / or a haptic output is possible by means of the output device 13. The type of output can also be controlled via these individual communication channels, for example by outputting texts of different lengths, self-explanatory symbols, images or videos. The acoustic output can be presented as speech, music or as warning signals. The haptic information output can take the form of vibrations of the steering wheel or vibrations on other vehicle parts, such as, for example, on the driver's seat. Furthermore, haptic feedback can also be implemented on operating elements. In DE 102 11946 Cl it is proposed, for example, to provide a sensor and actuator element on the steering wheel, by means of which pressure, tension, electrical voltage or a change in the chemical surface condition of the actuator stimulates the sense of touch of the driver's hand.

It is also provided to change the communication channel if it is determined that, for example, the driver is under high visual stress due to the traffic situation, that is to say the type of stress has been determined. Such a change in modality leads, for example, to the auditory channel by means of the acoustic output means 15.

The information control achieved in this way is optimally tailored to the driver, that is to say both to his individual driver characteristics and driver activities as well as to hang with the current driving task to be carried out by him, the severity of which is determined by the load factors.

The information and operating system according to the single figure furthermore has an input device 17 with a manual input means 18, an acoustic input means 19 for input by voice, for example a microphone, and with an optical input means 20, for example a device for detecting the hand movement or the line of sight of the driver.

Optionally, an operating option can also be determined as a function of the workload classification with regard to the above-mentioned variables, which provides the driver with a certain range of vehicle functions that can be triggered by him using operating elements via the input device 17. For this purpose, a data memory 23 is provided, which is drawn in dashed lines in the figure to indicate the optionality. This data memory 23 contains different operating options from which an operating option is selected by a selection device 1.1 assigned to the information processing unit 1 as a function of the stress level or its classifying variables, namely the load factors, driving activities and driver properties. A minimal operating option is given by the fact that all functions required for driving the vehicle are offered and can be operated by the driver. Additional functions can then be activated depending on the workload category or the variables mentioned. The information associated with the selected operating option is made available by accessing the data memory 22. The operating options can differ in that the menu depth, i.e. the number of menu levels, is varied, and the menu width or certain options can also be shown or hidden. In particular, input options can be specified because, for example, in critical driving situations, acoustic input, that is to say voice input, is less demanding for the driver than manual input by means of a switch. The decisive factor for this should be that the total time for the completion of an operating time is less than 15 seconds, whereby an average person can read about three to four words per second. If you consider that a vehicle travels a distance of approx. 28 m per second at a speed of 100 km / h, the meaning of the inclusion, for example the variable "vehicle state", becomes apparent, because at this speed a considerable one within a few seconds Loss of information regarding the traffic situation occurs.

This enables an option control that is optimized for maximum traffic safety, so that in particular novice drivers with little driving experience and driving experience are optimally relieved over a certain period of time and can thus concentrate fully on the traffic.

Claims

claims

System for providing information in a motor vehicle as a function of the driver's condition, characterized bya) a device (2, 3, 4) for detecting objective load factors acting on the driver, in particular the motor vehicle condition and / or environmental conditions of the motor vehicle, b) a device ( 7) for recording the driver activities, c) a device (9, 10, 11) for recording the driver-specific properties of the driver influencing the driving of the vehicle, d) an information processing unit (1) for generating an information profile as a function of those acting on the driver Load factors, driver activities and the driver's individual properties influencing the driving of the vehicle, and e) an output device (13, 14, 15, 16) for outputting the information determined by the information profile. System for providing information on demand

1, characterized in that by means of a map stored in a data memory (21) for workload classification, the information processing unit (1), depending on the load factors, the driver activities and the driver's properties influencing the driving of the vehicle, the stress level (workload) of the driver is determined and the information is output as a function of the determined stress level.

System for providing information according to claim 2, so that the stress is classified in terms of the type of stress on the driver, in particular according to a visual, acoustic and / or haptic stress.

System for providing information according to one of the preceding claims, d a d u r c h g e k e n n e e i c h n e t that the driver maneuvers caused by the driver and / or the operator controls actuated by the driver to detect the driver activities are detected.

System for providing information according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (11) for detecting the driver's individual properties of the driver influencing the driving of the vehicle has short-term properties of the driver. rers recorded, in particular the degree of fatigue, the degree of stress, the degree of distraction, the emotional state and / or the state influenced by alcohol or drugs.

System for providing information according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the device (10) for detecting the driver-specific properties of the driver influencing the driving of the vehicle detects long-term properties of the driver, in particular the driver disposition with regard to the driving style, the driving competence, the Nervousness, anxiety, state of health, responsiveness and / or willingness to act.

System for the provision of information according to one of the preceding claims, that the information processing unit (1) determines the type of information of the information to be output.

System for providing information according to one of the preceding claims, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the information processing unit (1) determines the time of output of the information to be output.

System for providing information according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the information processing unit (1) determines the amount and / or density of information.

10. System for providing information according to one of the preceding claims, that the information processing unit (1) outputs the information as visual and / or acoustic and / or haptic data.

11. System for providing information according to claim 10, so that visual data are output as text data and / or symbolic data and / or graphics and / or videos.

12. System for providing information according to claim 11, so that the information processing unit (1) determines the length of the text data.

13. System for providing information according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that functions can be triggered by means of operating elements and these functions are categorized into operating options with different extent and stored in a data memory (23) and a selection device (1.1) for determining an operating option in Dependence of the load factors, the driver activities and the driver's properties influencing the driving of the vehicle is provided.

14. System for providing information according to claim 13, so that an input device (17, 18, 19, 20) is provided for executing the selected operating option.

15. System for providing information according to claim 14, characterized in that the input device (17) has means (18, 19, 20) for operator input, the information processing unit (1) determining the type of operator input, in particular operator input by voice and / or manually and / or optically.

16. System for providing information according to one of claims 13 to 15, so that the selected operating option comprises at least the functions required for driving.

17. System for providing information according to one of the preceding claims, so that the information to be output is vehicle status information, operating information, environmental information and warning messages as well as information from communication devices.