SE538759C2 - Motor Vehicle and Method for Determining Vehicle Weight Compatibility with Load Class of Upcoming Road Segment - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract Sensor/receiver units (210, 220, 230) in a motor vehicle (100)register/receive road-type related data (Drmg, Das, Dpos) relatingto an environment in which the motor vehicle (100) is determi-ned to be located. Based thereon, a signal processing system(110) repeatedly derives a parameter (PLC) expressing a loadclass for a road segment (190) on which the motor vehicle (100)is determined to travel during the future period of operation. lt isthen checked whether a current weight (W) of the motor vehicle(100) is compatible with the parameter (PLC). lf the currentweight (W) of the motor vehicle (100) is found to be incompa-tible with the parameter (PLC), the signal processing system(110) generates an output signal (Soul) that causes presentationof at least one warning indication (Aoui) to a driver of the motorvehicle (100). (Fig. 1)

Description

AND PRIOR ART The present invention relates generally to solutions for facilita-ting driver”s compliance with regulatory provisions concerningvehicle load classes for various road segments. More particular-ly, the invention relates to a motor vehicle according to the pre-amble of claim 1 and a corresponding method. The inventionalso relates to a computer program product and a non-transitorycomputer readable medium. ln many countries, a majority of the road network is built tohandle also the heaviest vehicles. However, in every countrythere is at least a subset of streets, roads, highways etc. wherethere are load restrictions. Therefore, the driver of a heavy ve-hicle, e.g. a truck or a bus, may encounter problems when tra-velling to certain destinations. Namely, it is the driver”s respon-sibility to ensure that the maximum load classes are not excee-ded.

US 2014/0005907 discloses an adaptive cruise control systemfor a vehicle, wherein an included camera has a field of view for-ward of the vehicle and is operable to capture image data. Atraffic situation classifier, responsive to captured image data,determines a traffic condition ahead of the vehicle. A control isoperable to process the captured image data and, at least inpart responsive to the traffic situation classifier, generate anoutput to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle to establish a de-sired or appropriate velocity of the vehicle based on the deter-mined traffic condition and image data processing.

CN 202323815-U and CN 20321304-U describe systems foravoiding that roads or bridges are overloaded by heavy traffic.Specifically, the systems described ensure that no vehicle who-se weight exceeds the load restrictions passes onto for example a bridge. Namely, scales integrated into the road measure theweight of the vehicles approaching the bridge, and if the vehicleis too heavy, a bar is operated to automatically block the bridgefor that vehicle. Alternatively, or additionally, a buzzer maysound to alert the driver.

WO 2014/109690 shows a solution for itinerary planning for avehicle. Here, a navigation unit installed on board gathers, colla-tes and presents navigation information. Navigation informationrelated to the vehicle is transferred from the navigation unit onboard the vehicle to a portable unit to enable planning the itine-rary in the portable unit. After completion, the planned itineraryis transferred from the portable unit to the vehicle's navigationunit, wherein the itinerary is introduced.

PROBLEIVIS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRIOR ART Hence, there are various solutions for automatically controllingvehicles and handling potential incompatibility between vehicleweights and load restrictions. However, there is room for impro-vements. For example, installing weight sensors and gates inroads and bridges is very costly. ln practice, it may not alwaysbe possible to plan every route in advance either. Therefore, adriver may nevertheless end up on a road segment with a loadclass that does not match the vehicle”s current weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is therefore to mitigate theabove problems, and thus offer an improved means for handlingany conflicts between a vehicle”s weight and the load class ofthe road.

According to one aspect of the invention, the object is achievedby the initially described motor vehicle, wherein the signal pro-cessing system contains at least one sensor/receiver unit and adata processor. The at least one sensor/receiver unit is configu- red to register/receive road-type related data based upon ex-ternal information signals (e.g. GPS-signals, radio signals and/or image data representing road signs). The data processor isconfigured to, based on the road-type related data, repeatedlyderive a parameter that expresses a load class for a road seg-ment on which the motor vehicle is determined to travel during afuture period of operation. The data processor is further configu-red to check whether a current weight of the motor vehicle iscompatible with the parameter. lf the current weight of the motorvehicle is found not to be compatible with the parameter, the da-ta processor generates an output signal configured to causepresentation of at least one warning indication to a driver of themotor vehicle.

This motor vehicle is advantageous because it enables a conve-nient means of notifying the driver of an upcoming problematicroad segment well in advance. Thereby, he/she can take appro-priate measures to ensure that no load restrictions are excee-ded, for instance by choosing an alternative road.

According to one preferred embodiment of this aspect of the in-vention, the at least one sensor/receiver unit contains a camera,a Vehicle-to-Infrastructure receiver and/or a Global-Navigation-Satellite-System receiver. Thus, the data processor may base itsdetermining with respect to said parameter on image data, GNSSsignals and/or a land-based system providing operational infra-structure data via radio (e.g. a so-called V2l system). Naturally,this, in turn, offers a high degree of flexibility and robustness.

According to another preferred embodiment of this aspect of theinvention, the signal processing system further comprises atleast one interface which is configured to receive the output sig-nal, and based thereon, produce the at least one warning indica-tion.

For example, thereby, an acoustic signal, a light signal, a notifi-cation on a dashboard display unit, a notification on a heads up display, a notification on an intelligent front windshield, a notifi-cation on a pair of intelligent glasses, and/or a notification on in-telligent contact lenses can be generated. Hence, inter alia de-pending on the driver”s preferences, he/she may be notifiedabout any upcoming load restrictions conflicting with the ve-hicle”s weight.

According to an additional preferred embodiment of this aspectof the invention, the motor vehicle further contains at least oneactuator that is configured to receive the output signal. Here, if,after a predefined period after having generated the output sig-nal, the data processor establishes that the motor vehicle conti-nues to travel in such a direction that the motor vehicle is deter-mined to be located on a road segment where the current weightof the motor vehicle is incompatible with the parameter, the atleast one actuator is configured to, in response to the outputsignal, convey another alarm signal to the driver. Specifically,the alarm signal is represented by mechanical feedback in a dri-ver”s seat, mechanical feedback in a steering wheel, automaticreduction of a speed of the motor vehicle, automatic limitation ofa maximum speed of the motor vehicle and/or preventing themotor vehicle from being started if it has been stopped at a pre-defined location (e.g. in proximity to the load-restricted roadsegment). Thus, if the driver has defied the initial warning, anincreased level of signaling is applied to improve the chancesthat the driver actually complies with the load restrictions.

According to another aspect of the invention, the object is achie-ved by the method described initially, wherein it is assumed thatthe registered/received data from the external signal sourcesare road-type related. The method further involves, on the basisof the road-type related data, repeatedly deriving a parameterthat expresses a load class for a road segment on which the mo-tor vehicle is determined to travel during the future period ofoperation. lt is then checked whether a current weight of the mo-tor vehicle is compatible with the parameter. lf the currentweight of the motor vehicle is found to be incompatible with the parameter, the method involves generating an output signalconfigured to cause presentation of at least one warning indi-cation to a driver of the motor vehicle. The advantages of thismethod, as well as the preferred embodiments thereof, are ap-parent from the discussion above with reference to the proposedmotor vehicle.

According to a further aspect of the invention the object isachieved by a computer program product, which is loadable intothe memory of a computer, and includes software for performingthe steps of the above proposed method when executed on acomputer.

According to another aspect of the invention the object is achie-ved by a non-transitory computer readable medium, having aprogram recorded thereon, where the program is make a compu-ter perform the method proposed above when the program isloaded into the computer.

Further advantages, beneficial features and applications of thepresent invention will be apparent from the following descriptionand the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is now to be explained more closely by means ofpreferred embodiments, which are disclosed as examples, andwith reference to the attached drawings, where: Figure1 illustrates, schematically, a motor vehicle in im-plementing one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a block diagram over a signal processingsystem according to one embodiment of the in-vention; and Figure 3 illustrates, by means of a flow diagram, the gene- ral method according to the invention for charging/powering an electric motor vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE IN-VENTION lnitially, we refer to Figure 1 showing a motor vehicle 100 andFigure 2 illustrating one embodiment of a proposed signal pro-cessing system 110 included in the motor vehicle 100.

The signal processing system 110 is configured to register road-type related data Dimg, Das and/or Dpss reflecting at least one as-pect of an environment in which the motor vehicle 100 is deter-mined to be located during a future period of operation. To re-gister the data Dimg, Dis and/or Dpss, the signal processing sys-tem 110 contains at least one sensor/receiver unit 210, 220 and/or 230 configured to receive external information signals 181,183 and/ or 185. For example, a first sensor/receiver 210 maycontain an image registering unit, e.g. a camera for recordingstill and/or moving pictures Dimg to represent said registereddata.

Alternatively, or additionally, the signal processing system 110may include a communication unit 220 configured to receive ra-dio signals from a land-based system providing operational inf-rastructure data, e.g. a so-called V2l system (V2l = vehicle-to-infrastructure), Dis to represent said registered data.

Alternatively, or additionally, the signal processing system 110may include a GNSS receiver 230 (e.g. a GPS, Glonass or Gali-leo receiver) configured to receive satellite signals, and basedthereon derive a geographical position for the motor vehicle 100.

A data processor 200 in the signal processing system 110 re-ceives the registered data Dimg, Dis and/or Dpss. The data pro-cessor 200 is also communicatively connected to a database240 storing load class information Dsux for a road network, forexample relating to a given state, country or continent. More-over, the data processor 200 has an input for receiving a para-meter W reflecting a current weight of the motor vehicle 100.The parameter W may originate from internal sensors or from an external sensor, e.g. a scale integrated into the road.

Based on the road-type related data Dllllo, Dlo, Dooo and the loadclass information Doux, the data processor 200 is configured torepeatedly derive a parameter PLC expressing a load class for aroad segment 190 on which the motor vehicle 100 is determinedto travel during the future period of operation. Here, the termload class is understood to designate the load capacity of theroad (in other words, the maximum allowed weight for the vehic-les running thereon).

The data processor 200 is further configured to check whetherthe current weight W of the motor vehicle 100 is compatible withthe parameter PLC. lf the current weight W of the motor vehicle100 is found not to be compatible with the parameter PLC, thedata processor 200 generates an output signal Soul configured tocause presentation of at least one warning indication Aoul to adriver of the motor vehicle 100. To this aim, the signal proces-sing system 110 may include one or more interfaces 260 confi-gured to convert the output signal Soul into a format being app-ropriate for the warning indication Aoul in question.

According to embodiments of the invention, the warning indica-tion Aoul, in turn, may be in the form of an acoustic signal, a lightsignal, a notification on a dashboard display unit, a notificationon a heads up display, a notification on an intelligent front wind-shield, a notification on a pair of intelligent glasses and/or a no-tification on intelligent contact lenses. l\/loreover, to reduce the risk that the driver violates any load-re-lated restrictions of the road segment 190 on which the motorvehicle 100 runs, or is determined to run, the motor vehicle 100preferably includes at least one actuator configured to receivethe output signal Soul. Additionally, the data processor 200 isconfigured to operate as follows. lf, after a predefined periodafter having generated the output signal Soul, the data processor200 establishes that the motor vehicle 100 continues to travel in such a direction that the motor vehicle 100 is determined to belocated on a road segment 190 where the current weight W ofthe motor vehicle 100 is incompatible with the parameter PLC,the at least one actuator is configured to, in response to the out-put signal Soul, convey an alarm signal to the driver of the motorvehicle 100 via said at least one actuator. This may involveproducing signals in the form of mechanical feedback in adriver”s seat, mechanical feedback in a steering wheel,automatic reduction of a speed of the motor vehicle 100 and/orautomatic limitation of a maximum speed of the motor vehicle100. Furthermore, if the driver has already stopped the motorvehicle 100 at a predefined location (e.g. on a ramp to arestricted road segment), the output signal Soul may prevent themotor vehicle 100 from being started.

Preferably, the data processor 200 contains, or is in communica-tive connection with a memory unit 250 storing a computer pro-gram product SW, which includes software for making the dataprocessor 200 execute the above-described actions when thecomputer program product SW is run on the data processor 200.

To sum up, and with reference to the flow diagram in Figure 3,we will now describe the general method executed in the dataprocessor 200 according to the invention. ln a first step 310, it is checked if road-type related data has beenreceived, for example via a GPS receiver, a V2l receiver orthrough a camera. lf no such data has been received, the proce-dure loops back and stays in step 310. Otherwise, a step 320 fol-lows in which a parameter PLC is derived based on the road-typerelated data. The parameter PLC expresses a load class for aroad segment on which the motor vehicle is determined to travelduring a future period of operation, say the following second, mi-nute or hour.

Then, a step 330 checks if a current weight of the motor vehicleis compatible with the parameter PLC, i.e. basically whether or not the total weight is lower than or equal to the maximum allo-wed load on the road segment in question. However, other typesof restrictions may also apply, for example concerning maximumaxle and/or boogie weights, which may place harder restrictionsthan the total weight of the motor vehicle.

Nevertheless, if the current weight of the motor vehicle is foundnot to be compatible with the parameter PLC, a step 340 follows.Otherwise, the procedure loops back to step 310. ln step 340, an output signal is generated, which output signal isconfigured to cause presentation of at least one warning indica-tion to a driver of the motor vehicle as described above. Subse-quently, the procedure loops back to step 310.

All of the process steps, as well as any sub-sequence of steps,described with reference to Figure 3 above may be controlled bymeans of a programmed computer apparatus. Moreover, al-though the embodiments of the invention described above withreference to the drawings comprise a computer apparatus andprocesses performed in a computer apparatus, the invention thusalso extends to computer programs, particularly computer pro-grams on or in a carrier, adapted for putting the invention intopractice. The program may be in the form of source code, objectcode, a code intermediate source and object code such as inpartially compiled form, or in any other form suitable for use inthe implementation of the process according to the invention.The program may either be a part of an operating system, or bea separate application. The carrier may be any non-transitoryentity or device capable of carrying the program. For example,the carrier may comprise a storage medium, such as a Flash me-mory, a ROM (Read Only Memory), for example a DVD (DigitalVideo/Versatile Disk), a CD (Compact Disc) or a semiconductorROM, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory),an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-OnlyMemory), or a magnetic recording medium, for example a floppydisc or hard disc. Alternatively, the carrier may be an integrated circuit in which the program is embedded, the integrated circuitbeing adapted for performing, or for use in the performance of,the relevant processes.

The term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specificationis taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers,steps or components. However, the term does not prec|ude thepresence or addition of one or more additional features, inte-gers, steps or components or groups thereof.

The invention is not restricted to the described embodiments inthe figures, but may be varied freely within the scope of theclaims.

Claims (6)

1. (It 2G SO ti Ctaints t. A rttotor vehicie (too) ooinorising a signai processing sys~tern (ttO) oonttgureoi to register data (Öring, De, Bass) retieotiitgat ieast one aspect ot an environrnerit in which the ntotor vehtoie(tOO) ts deterrnineo to travet during a tuture period ot operation,vvherein the signai orocessing systern (ttO) cornoiises:at ieast one sensor/receiver unit (Ett), 226, 239) oontigu-red to register/receive road-type reiated data (Drag, De, Data) ioa~sed upon intorrnation signais (tât, 183, 185) externa! to the rno-tor vehioie (tGG), anda data processor (260) oontigureo to:on the basis ot the :road-type reiated data (Drag, De,Dess), repeatedty derive a pararneter (Pto) exoressing aioad otass tor a road segment (tQO) on vvhioh the :notor ve«hiote (tOO) is deterritined to travet during the tuture periodot operation;oheok Whether a ourrent Weight (W) ot the motor ve-hiote (tütt) is oornoatihie with the oaraitteter (Ptc), and ttthe ourrent trrfeight (W) ot the rnotor vehioie (tott) is toundto be tncornoatihte vvith the oararneter (Pto)generate an output signat (Satir) contigured to causepresentation, via at teast one intertaoe (256), oi at ieastone warning irioiioation (Acta) to a driver ot the rriotor vehio-ie (tttti),wherein the at ieast one sensorfreoeiver unit conftorises at ieastone ot: a camera (219), a Vehieie~to~tntrastructure receiver(226)), and a Giohai-Navigattonåateitite-System receiver (230),vvherein the at ieast one intertace (Eêü) is ooritigured to oroduoethe at teast one warning intiioation (Att-ut) in the torin ot at ieastone ot: an aooustic signai, a tight signai, a itotitioatton en adashhoard disoiay unit, a notitioation on a heads up disoiay, artotitioation on an inteiiigertt tront vvindshieid, a notitioatiort on apair ot inteiiigent gtasses, and a notiiication on inteitigent con»taot ienses,ottaraoteriaed in that the rnotor vehioie (tott) turther eorrrprisesat ieast one actuator oontigured to reoeive the otrtput signai "EG 2G 12 (âštttii), end, it efter e predetined eeried etter heving generetedthe etitput eignei (SO-ei), the dete processer (QGG) esteeiishesthet the rneter vehieie (tee) eentinees te travet in such e diree-tien thet tne rneter vehieie (ttlttš) is deterrnined te he ieeeted ene reed segment (tätt) where the eurrent weight (W) et the rnetervehieie (tee) is ineentpetieie with the pererneter (Pm), the etieest ene eeteeter is eentigered te, in response te tne euteutsignei (Sem), cenvey en eierrn signet te e hurnen eeereter' et tnerneter venieie (tíiü) in the terrn et ereventing the rneter vehieie(tOO) frern being started it it nes eeen stepeed et e eredetinedieeetien.

2. "the nrteter vehieie (tee) eeeerding eieim t, whereiit the etieest ene eetueter' ie eentigtired te, in reseense te the etiteuteignei (Siste), eenvey en eterrn eignei te e hernen eeereter et themeter vehieie (ttlitli) in the terrn et et ieeet ene et: rnechenieei teedheek in e drivefs seet, nteehenieei feedeeek in e steering wheet, eiiterttetie redeetien et e speed et the rneter vehiete (tGO), endeetenffetie iirnitetien et e rnexirnum speed et the rneter ve»hieie (tOG).

3. A rrietned eerterrried in e rneter vehieie (tee), the rnethedeeriterising: registering/reeeiving dete (Bring, Be, Dees) retfeetirig et ieestene eseeet et en envirerrrnent in whieh the rneter venieie (me) isdeterrnined te trevet during e “future eeried et eeeretien, the re»gietered/reeeived dete being reed~type reieted (Bring, Be, Dees)end eesed eeen signei setireee (tSt, t83, 185) externet te thenteter vehieie (tOO), the ntethed further eernerieing: en the besie et tne reeei-tyee reteted dete (Dirie, De, Dees),reeeetedfy deriving e eererneter (Pine) expressing e ieed eiesster e read eegrnent (tee) en whien tne rneter vehiefe (tee) isdeterntined te trevei during the tuttire period et eeeretien, eneekiitg whether e eurrent weight (W) ef the meter vehicie "EG tšš 2D SO 13 (tott) is oorrtpatihie with the pararrieter (Pt_c,), and it the currenttrveight (W) ot the nrotor vettioie (tott) is tound he inoornpatihiewith the pararneter (Pm) generating an output signai (Sen) oorttigured to cause pre~sentation ot at ieast one warning indioatiort (Atari) to a driver otthe nrotor vehiote (tOG), register/receive road-type reiated data (Dima, Det Dita-t) viaat ieast one sensor/receiver urtit in the torrn ot at ieast one ot: aoarnera (ätit), a Vehioie-trmtntrastruottrre receiver' (226), and aGiobat-Navigation-Satetiite-Svstern receiver (ESC), and producing the at ieast one warning indioation (Asta) in thetornt ot at ieast one ot: an aooustie signat, a tight signat, a noti»tioatiort on a dashhoard dispiay unit, a notitioation on a heads updispiay, a notitioation on an inteiiigertt tront vvindshieid, a rtotiti~oation on a pair ot inteiiigeht giasses, and a notitioation on intet-tigent oontaot tenses,oharaoteriaed hy in response to the output signat (SO-att, and, itatter a predeterrnined period atter having generated the outputsignai (åt-tur), it is estabtished that the rnotor vehioie (tOO) oonti~nues to travei in suoh a direction that the rnotor vehioie (tott) isdeterntined to he iooated on a road segment (190) where thecurrent weight (W) ot the rnotor vehioie (tott) is inoorripatihievvith the pararneter (the), the rnethod turther oornprises oonvey-ing an aiarrrt signai to a hurrian operator ot the rnotor vehioie(tOO) in the torrn ot preventing the rnotor vehioie (tÜO) trorn he-ing started it it has been stoppad at a oredetined tooation.

4. The rriethod according oiairn 3, the rnethod turther oorripri»ses oonveying an atarnr signai to a human operator ot the rnototvehioie (t GO) ih the torrri ot at ieast one ot: rneohartioat teedhaok in a drivers seat, rneohanioai teedoaok in a steering vvheet, automatic: reduotion ot a speed ot the ntotor vehioie (tOO), andautornatio iirnitation ot a rnaxirnum speed ot the rnotor ve~hioie (tott). 14

5. A computer program product (SW) ioaeabie inte a memory(250) of at. Eeasr one computer, cornpršsrng sorter/are ror perror»mrng the ereps of the rnerhod according to any of the câašrne 3 or4 when execured on the ar íeaet one cornpurer.

6. A computer reaeabie rnediurn (256) having a program (SW)reoerdeo rnereon, where the prograrn (SW) Es re make ar ieaetone oornpurer eerforrn *rhe steps o? any of rne ošairns 3 or 4.