EP2093738A2 - Method and system for displaying a relevant traffic sign in a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves supplying route information for the actual or planned drive of a vehicle (2) to a control and evaluation unit. The adapted information is indicated to the actual or planned drive of the vehicle, if different road signals or different transportation directions for different drive options are received. An independent claim is included for a system for information indication in a vehicle.

Description

State of the art

The present invention relates to a method for assisting the driver of a motor vehicle in recognizing the surroundings of the motor vehicle, wherein the surroundings of the motor vehicle, in particular in front of the vehicle, are optically recorded by means of one or more image acquisition means arranged in or on the vehicle and the thus acquired image data of a control and evaluation are then evaluated whether they contain traffic signs and / or traffic facilities, and wherein at least one information in a display unit, for example in an instrument cluster of the vehicle is visually displayed, if the latter is the case. Traffic facilities may be formed in particular by barriers, barrier posts, railings, shut-off devices, guidance devices and flashing light or traffic lights.

As image capture means any types of image sensors, preferably video cameras with black and white or color recording can be used. For example, in order to assist drivers of motor vehicles, it is known to use video-based driver assistance systems which display images recorded by a camera in a display. In this way, the driver can be assisted, for example, with a reversing camera system in a parking reversed parking in the detection of parking space limitations or obstacles. Through the use of infrared-sensitive image sensors, for example according to the WO 2004/047449 A1 , the driver can be effectively supported in the context of so-called Nightview systems even in poor visibility or weather conditions.

From the DE 102 49 512 A1 is a vehicle with a device for detecting a current traffic signal known. In this case, the traffic signal emitted by a traffic light signal can be detected by means of a color-sensitive light receiver, for example an optical sensor or a color camera, and analyzed by a control unit with the aid of an image processing program or in a color recognition process. The driver can then be informed of the current traffic light phase in particular optically, for example via colored LEDs. Also, the captured images of the traffic light position can be displayed on a display device.

The aforementioned methods and systems are used to assist the driver in the detection of traffic facilities such as traffic lights by displaying all detected traffic lights as a map or corresponding symbol.

Disclosure of the invention

Object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of the type mentioned, which optimizes the support of the driver in the detection of traffic signs and / or traffic facilities and offers the driver greater comfort.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1.

The idea underlying the present invention is that the control and evaluation unit route information to the current or planned route or to the driving route of the vehicle are supplied, and that adapted to the current or planned route of the vehicle information is displayed as soon as for various Fahrwegmöglichkeiten different traffic signs and / or different traffic facilities are detected.

An essential basic idea of the invention is that the information displayed depends on the route of the vehicle. As a result, the display of information on traffic signs or traffic facilities can be reduced or avoided, which are not relevant for the current or planned route, which means a significant advantage. The driver is therefore preserved in front of an unnecessary variety of information, in particular at crossings or intersections, which represents a considerable gain in comfort, especially in view of a steadily increasing flow of information in the vehicle and increases the acceptance of such assistance systems.

For example, the driver at an intersection with separate traffic signals for the left turn lane on the one hand and the straight-ahead and right turn lane on the other hand information can be displayed, which are adapted to the route planned by the driver so that the relevant traffic light signals are highlighted or exclusively displayed. Also, an adjustment of the display, for example, take place when traffic signs are detected, which are provided with an additional sign indicating that the traffic sign applies only to a particular direction and this deviates from the own route.

However, if the same traffic signs or the same traffic facilities are recorded for different travel options, an adaptation is not necessary. Likewise, the displayed information does not need to be specially adapted when different traffic signs or different traffic facilities are detected but only one possible route exists.

Overall, an optimized method is provided on the inventive way that allows a targeted display of relevant information and thus ensures better support of the driver of a motor vehicle. The inventive method thus leads to a significant increase in ease of use and thus also to a higher acceptance among the users of the corresponding driver assistance system.

Advantageous developments and improvements of the method according to the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

For example, it is particularly advantageous if only information is displayed that relates to the current or planned route of the vehicle. In this case, all information on recorded traffic signs or traffic facilities that affect a direction deviating from the route of the vehicle is suppressed. In this way, the aforementioned advantages of the method according to the invention are particularly strong advantage.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that information is then displayed, in particular only if the captured image data, after being evaluated by the control and evaluation unit, contain at least one traffic device in the form of a traffic light system, in particular a radiolight system or traffic light system. In particular, because traffic lights are not always in the driver's field of vision and possibly require significant dislocations of the driver to detect such information display is useful to relevant traffic signals. In a corresponding manner, however, it is also conceivable that other traffic facilities, for example in the form of a barrier, be recognized and corresponding information displayed.

It is particularly advantageous if, in a manner known per se, the current switching state of a alternating light signaling system is determined by the control and evaluation unit and then information, in particular symbols, are displayed which correspond to the current traffic light signal.

In addition to the targeted display of the relevant information carried out according to the invention, the current traffic light signal or its logical signaling state valid for the current or planned travel path of the vehicle can advantageously also be visually and / or acoustically and / or haptically signaled to the driver visually.

It is furthermore particularly advantageous if the information displayed according to the invention comprises in a manner also known per se a section of the captured image data which comprises at least one detected relevant traffic sign or at least contains a relevant traffic facility. These images can be displayed alone or in combination with other information about relevant information.

According to a first variant of the method according to the invention, it is proposed that the control and evaluation unit be supplied with information on the current or planned driving route of the vehicle which is transmitted by a navigation system of the vehicle. Thus, targeted information about detected traffic signs and / or traffic facilities can be displayed, which apply to the proposed route and thus for the vehicle relevant direction of travel, if the driver adheres to the route suggestions of the navigation system.

According to a second variant of the method according to the invention, it is proposed that the control and evaluation unit be supplied with information on the current or planned route or on the route of the vehicle which are transmitted by a lane recognition system. By lane detection, it can be determined, for example, that a vehicle is located on a leftward lane track, so that when acquiring several different traffic signs and / or traffic devices, only information relating to the traffic signs or traffic facilities that apply to leftward benders can be selectively displayed.

A further variant of the method according to the invention provides that the control and evaluation unit information about the current or planned route or the route of the vehicle are supplied, which take into account the setting of a turn signal by the driver. The information to be displayed can thereby be adapted specifically to the driver's current wish expressed on the intention to change the direction of travel.

The abovementioned variants can each be used individually or else in any combination with one another and / or in combination with further possibilities for detecting the current or planned driving route of the vehicle, which correspondingly increases the accuracy of the adaptation. For example, to record the current or planned driving route of the vehicle, further environmental information, for example, the spatial direction, the size, directional arrows and / or GPS data are evaluated.

It is also particularly advantageous if the information is displayed when the vehicle is at a standstill, in particular only when the vehicle is at a standstill. In this way, distractions of the driver while driving can be avoided.

The subject matter of the present invention is furthermore a driver assistance system for the targeted display of relevant information in a vehicle, which is particularly suitable for carrying out the method of the type described above. Such a system comprises at least one image acquisition means, a display unit and a control and evaluation unit, which is connected to the image acquisition means and the display unit. In addition, an information means or information system connected to the control and evaluation unit is provided by which the control and evaluation unit route information to a current or planned driving route of the vehicle are supplied such that upon detection of different traffic signs and / or different traffic facilities for different Track options Information displayed on the display unit that matches the vehicle's current or planned route.

Advantageously, the system according to the invention can resort to single or multiple components of other systems, such as the camera of a lane detection system or a night vision system, which reduces the cost accordingly.

Brief description of the drawings

In the drawings, an embodiment of the invention is shown, which will be explained in more detail in the following description.

Figur 1:

Eine aus dem Innenraum eines Fahrzeugs heraus gesehene beispielhafte Straßenszene mit einer Kreuzung; und

Figur 2:

Eine schematische Darstellung der Hauptkomponenten eines erfindungsgemäßen Systems zur Ausführung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens.

Show it:

FIG. 1:

An exemplary street scene seen from the interior of a vehicle with an intersection; and

FIG. 2:

A schematic representation of the main components of a system according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Embodiments of the invention

The inventive method is by means of a in FIG. 2 illustrated driver assistance system 1 executed, which is provided in a motor vehicle 2. To display information 3 on relevant traffic signs and / or traffic facilities, a display unit 5 is arranged here in an instrument cluster 4 of the vehicle 2, on which the information 3, for example in the form of an image section 6 of a in FIG. 2 displayed video camera 7 captured image data 8 of the vehicle environment are displayed. As a display unit 5 but can be used in particular also provided elsewhere display or monitor.

To the detected environment belongs here in particular a roadway 9, which opens at a small distance in an intersection 10. For the own direction of travel here already two parallel lane strips 9a and 9b are present, which are separated by lane markings 11 from each other. On the left lane strip 9a traveled by the illustrated vehicle 2, directional arrows 12a pointing to the left are applied, while on the right lane strip 9b located to the right of the vehicle 2 are applied to the right and straight-ahead directional arrows 12b. Since the route planned for the vehicle 2 at the intersection 10 provides a turning operation to the left, the vehicle is on the left turning lane on the left lane lane 9a. The opposite lane 9c of the oncoming direction is also separated by lane markings 11.

At the intersection 10 there is a traffic facility in the form of a traffic light system 13, which for the two lane strips 9a and 9b each have a separate traffic light 13a and 13b, through which for the two lane strips 9a and 9b respectively own signals can be displayed. Both traffic lights 13a and 13b are also detected by the camera 7 and by the in FIG. 2 shown control and evaluation unit 14 recognized as potentially indicating traffic means. If both traffic lights 13a and 13b signal the same color, the driver can be displayed in the display unit 5 a corresponding information 3, which then applies to both lane strips 9a and 9b.

However, as soon as, as in the situation shown, the traffic light 13a (red light) signals a traffic light phase deviating from the other traffic light 13b (green light), the driver should only have information 3 displayed, that of the traffic light 13a and thus the planned direction of travel 9a corresponds. For this purpose, the control and evaluation unit 14 additional route information 15 is supplied, which correspond to the planned route of the vehicle 2. Here, these route information 15 originating from different sources includes data from a navigation system 16 as well as data on the driver-operated left turn signal 17.

In addition, a lane detection system may also detect that the vehicle 2 is on the left lane strip 9a. Furthermore, the position and / or size of the directional arrows 12a and 12b can be analyzed via image recognition method and conclusions can be drawn therefrom on the currently traveled lane strip 9a and thus also on the planned direction of travel.

In each case, it is thus possible to display information 3 adapted to the current or planned route of the vehicle 2, so that the driver advantageously has only the information relevant to him in the case of several detected traffic signs and / or traffic devices 13a, 13b which deviate from one another receives. At the in FIG. 1 As shown, the driver in the display unit 5 is therefore only displayed information in the form of an image detail 6, which contains the valid for the left turn lane left traffic light 13a with the thus signaled hold signal (red light).

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram with the essential components of the system according to the invention 1. As an image capture means is a video camera 7, which transmits the captured image data 8 of the vehicle environment to the control and evaluation unit 14. After the evaluation of this image data 8, the control and evaluation unit 14, upon detection of relevant traffic signs or traffic facilities 13, transmits corresponding display data 18 to the display unit 5 in order to display information 3 corresponding to the driver. In order to be able to assess the relevance of the detected traffic signs or traffic devices 13 for the current or planned driving route of the vehicle 2, the control and evaluation unit 14 is additionally connected to an information system 19, from which its route information 15 to the current or planned route of the vehicle 2 are supplied. The information system 19 may in particular comprise information of a navigation system 16 and / or a lane recognition system.

Claims (11)

Method for displaying information in a vehicle (2), comprising at least the following steps: an area of the surroundings of the vehicle (2) is optically detected via at least one image acquisition means (7), the acquired image data (8) are transmitted to a control and evaluation unit (14) which evaluates the acquired image data (8) for the presence of traffic signs or traffic facilities (13, 13a, 13b), - Information (3) is displayed on a display unit (5) in the vehicle (2) if the captured image data (8) after evaluation by the control and evaluation unit (14) at least one traffic sign and / or at least one traffic device (13, 13a, 13b), characterized,
in that the control and evaluation unit (14) is supplied with route information (15) to the current or planned route (9a) of the vehicle (2),
and that information (3) adapted to the current or planned route (9a) of the vehicle (2) is displayed if different traffic signs and / or different traffic devices (13a, 13b) are detected for different route options (9a, 9b). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that only information (3) are displayed, which relate to the current or planned route (9a) of the vehicle (2). Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that information (3) is displayed when the acquired image data (8) after evaluation by the control and evaluation unit (14) at least one traffic device (13, 13a, 13b) in the form of a traffic light system, in particular a Wechsellichtichtanlage included. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the current switching state of a Wechsellichtichtanlage (13, 13a, 13b) of the control and evaluation unit (14) is determined and corresponding information (3), in particular symbols are displayed. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the valid for the current or planned route (9a) of the vehicle (2) current traffic signal (13a) the driver optically and / or audibly and / or haptic is signaled. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the displayed information (3) comprises a section (6) of the acquired image data (8). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control and evaluation unit (14) route information (15) to the current or planned route (9a) of the vehicle (2) are supplied, which are transmitted by a navigation system (16) , Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control and evaluation unit (14) route information (15) to the current or planned route (9a) of the vehicle (2) are supplied, which are transmitted by a lane detection system. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control and evaluation unit (14) route information (15) to the current or planned route (9a) of the vehicle (2) are supplied, which detect the operation of a direction indicator (17) , Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the information (3) at standstill of the vehicle (2) are displayed. System (1) for displaying information in a vehicle (2), in particular for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1-10, comprising at least one image acquisition means (7), a display unit (5) and one with the image acquisition means (7) and the display unit (5) connected control and evaluation unit (14),
characterized,
in that at least one information means or information system (19) connected to the control and evaluation unit (14) is provided, by which the control and evaluation unit (14) provides route information (15) to a current or planned travel path (9a) of the vehicle ( 2) can be supplied in such a way that upon detection of different traffic signs and / or different traffic facilities (13a, 13b) for different travel options (9a, 9b) information (3) can be displayed on the display unit (5), which is connected to the current or planned infrastructure (9a) of the vehicle (2) are adapted.

Images