WO2009015943A1

WO2009015943A1 - Signaling device

Info

Publication number: WO2009015943A1
Application number: PCT/EP2008/057956
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lutz Bersiner
Original assignee: Robert Bosch Gmbh
Priority date: 2007-08-02
Filing date: 2008-06-23
Publication date: 2009-02-05
Also published as: JP2010534845A; EP2176848A1; JP5511662B2; ATE498880T1; DE102007036248A1; DE502008002629D1; EP2176848B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a signaling device and to a method for giving indications for driving a motor vehicle. Said signaling device comprises a navigation device (2) for determining a route to be traveled by the first vehicle (1), a communication device (4) for receiving information, an evalulation unit (3) for establishing directions that can be output, for driving the first vehicle (1), and an output unit (5) for outputting the determined indications. The invention is characterized in that the evaluation unit (3) compares the route to be traveled by the first vehicle (1) with a planned route, received by the communication device (4), of a second vehicle (6) driving ahead of the first vehicle (1) to establish the directions.

Description

signaling device

The invention relates to a signaling device for outputting indications for the guidance of a first vehicle, comprising a navigation device for determining a route to be traveled by the first vehicle by means of waypoint data, having a communication device for receiving information, having an evaluation unit for determining issuable instructions for the vehicle Guiding the first vehicle and having an output unit for outputting the detected indications.

Waypoint data is the GPS data processing in a navigation device for modeling a current position of a vehicle and its planned route.

The invention also relates to a method for outputting instructions for the guidance of a first vehicle, wherein a route to be traveled by the first vehicle is determined in a navigation device, wherein information is received via a communication device, wherein the information is stored in an evaluation unit for the planned vehicle Route of the first vehicle is considered and processed in a hint that is output via an output unit.

State of the art

A overtaking assistance system is known from DE 10 2004 019 337 A1.

Furthermore, GB 2 397 189 A discloses a camera system of a vehicle, wherein images of a road lying in front of this vehicle are thereby transmitted to a driver of another vehicle. Navigation devices are known from the prior art. So revealed the

DE 10 245 334 Al a navigation device for guiding a vehicle in a traffic route network. To guide the vehicle, a guide object is represented in relation to the traffic route such that the guide object executes driving maneuvers to be carried out by the vehicle. The driver repeats the driving maneuvers shown to him and thus follows the previously calculated route.

Also known from the prior art signaling devices as part of a navigation device, which provide the leader of a vehicle hints, such as direction information. Known such navigation devices in this case have a central processing unit which also accesses a storage medium in order to use information stored thereon for calculating the distance. Normally, such a storage medium is a built-in memory in the navigation device, a CD or DVD read by the navigation device. With the aid of a determined location, a route to be traveled by the vehicle is calculated.

Known position determination methods and navigation devices use the Global Positioning System (GPS). Thereby the signals received by satellites are determined for the determination of the instantaneous position of the vehicle, the position being used for the calculation of the actual route to be traveled in order to give the driver of the vehicle assistance in the form of an indication for the further guidance of the vehicle , An output of this note is either acoustically by the announcement of a text, such as "Please, the next turn right" and / or the output of such text in a display and / or displaying the route to be traveled on an electronically displayed card and methods used here are known, for example, from DE 602 004 001 326 T2.

It is also known to exchange information between individual vehicles. Thus, it is known from the prior art to exchange video images and to transmit warnings via communication devices which are present in at least two vehicles in each case. In road traffic, the situation often occurs that a first vehicle travels along a route determined by a navigation device of the first vehicle and is braked by a preceding second vehicle by the slower speed of the preceding second vehicle.

It also frequently happens that the preceding vehicle travels on a second planned route determined by a navigation device. Often, time pressure and stress on the first vehicle trailing the second vehicle results in risky overtaking operations being started.

Disclosure of the invention

Advantages of the invention

The device and the method according to the invention offer the advantage that the planned routes to be traveled by the first vehicle and by the second vehicle are compared with one another. The route is compared in such a way that the sections of the route in which the two routes overlap are identified. By comparing the two routes, the overlapping path length can thus be determined. It is then possible to give the driver of the first vehicle, ie the vehicle, which follows the preceding vehicle, an indication that it is to be expected that the second vehicle will soon leave the route planned by the first vehicle. Avoidance of potentially risky and unnecessary overtaking is thereby supported.

Should the second vehicle, after leaving only a very short distance, or after the lapse of only a very short period of time, leave the planned route to be traveled by the first vehicle, the driver of the first vehicle can drive behind the vehicle without becoming impatient until the vehicle second vehicle has left the route planned by the first vehicle.

Of course, the absence of such notice should not be construed as permission or even request for overtaking.

Advantageous embodiments are claimed in the subclaims and explained in more detail below. It is advantageous if the evaluation unit determines the duration of the driving of the first vehicle on the planned route of the second vehicle and generates the indication when it falls below a limit value. To determine the duration of the driving, it is also advantageous if the evaluation unit has information about the planned and / or actual speed of the first and second vehicle. Alternatively, instead of the duration of the driving, the travel distance of the driving of the first vehicle on the planned route can also be utilized. A combination of duration and distance can be advantageously used in the determination of the hint.

If the output unit outputs the indication optically and / or acoustically, preferably as text, then in this advantageous embodiment the advantage arises that output signals familiar to the driver of the first vehicle can be transmitted to him. The leader of the first vehicle is then advantageously not overwhelmed by him unusual hints. Misbehavior of the leader of the first vehicle is avoided.

In order not to unnecessarily increase the complexity and the weight of the vehicle and to keep costs for the signaling device low, it is advantageous if the output unit is a component of the navigation device, via which direction information can be output. Since in-vehicle navigation devices usually always have an output unit for displaying the route to be traveled, the use of this output unit by the output unit of the navigation device's signaling device also offers the advantage of improved modularity and compatibility.

In a further embodiment of the signaling device, it has proven to be advantageous if the route of the second vehicle planned by a navigation device in the second vehicle can be transmitted directly via a communication device of the second vehicle to a communication device of the first vehicle. In this embodiment, time penalties are avoided by a delayed connection establishment of the planned route to be traveled by the second vehicle. The signaling device of the first vehicle can thus very quickly convey an indication to the driver of the vehicle for guiding the vehicle. A direct dispatch of the planned Route from the second vehicle to the first vehicle via a mutually compatible communication device, bypassing relay points and repeaters thus saves time.

The object underlying the invention is also achieved by a generic method in that the information obtained contains the course of a route from a vehicle traveling in front of the first vehicle second vehicle, which with the course of the route of the first vehicle in the evaluation unit for processing in the Notes is compared.

Such a method makes it possible to give the leader of the first vehicle very quickly an indication, if a failure to overtake is useful, since the vehicle in front will anyway leave the route of the first vehicle in the near future.

Advantageous embodiments of the method are claimed in the subclaims and explained below:

Thus, it is advantageous if the duration of the driving of the first vehicle on the planned route of the second vehicle is determined, if the limit is undershot, the indication is generated and the limit value is preferably set to one minute. By setting a dependent limit, it is possible to respond very finely to the level of stress that is reasonable for the driver of the first vehicle. So it is advantageously also possible to set limits of two, five or ten minutes. It can e.g. be advantageous when used in slow-moving vehicles, such as trucks, e.g. when operating on the highway the limit is set higher than for cars, which are led on country roads.

It is also advantageous here if information such as acceleration, speed or the like is accessed from both the first and the second vehicle.

In order to enable a decentralized operation of the signaling devices according to the invention and of the method according to the invention, it is also advantageous if the planned route of the second vehicle is determined in a second navigation device mounted in the second vehicle. It can on in the second vehicle already attached infrastructure, such as a second navigation device, accessed without external, ie outside of the two vehicles mounted devices must be accessed. If, for example, the navigation device of the second vehicle or a communication unit attached there is missing, this only has effects with regard to the vehicle driving behind this vehicle. A failure of communication with accommodated in several vehicles signaling devices is thereby avoided.

If the course of the planned route of the second vehicle is transmitted to a communication unit of the second vehicle and then transmitted to a communication unit of the first vehicle, it is possible to determine a hint for the driver of the first vehicle in a very short period of time.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be explained in more detail below by means of a drawing. Show it:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a first vehicle with a signaling sierungsvorrichtung that follows a second vehicle, and

2 shows the schematic sequence of a method according to the invention for outputting instructions for the guidance of the first vehicle.

Embodiments of the invention

FIG. 1 shows a first vehicle 1, which has a navigation device 2 for determining a route to be traveled by the first vehicle. The navigation device 2 accesses a GPS receiver (not shown) and a memory device (not shown). In an evaluation unit 3, the determined position of the vehicle 1 and the route to be traveled of the first vehicle 1 is read. A communication device 4 receives information regarding the planned route of another vehicle. The planned route of the first vehicle is compared to the planned route of the other vehicle in the value unit 3 compared. It is in case of falling below a limit value, which is either fixed preset, or by the leader of the first vehicle 1 is entered, or from the current situation (city, highway, highway) is calculated, via an output unit 5 an indication to the leader of the first Vehicle 1 issued. The hint is preferably output as text. Such a text is about "the vehicle in front will leave your planned route soon." It is also possible a definite warning such as "Please do not overtake!".

By issuing the hint, it is avoided that the first vehicle 1, assuming risks, overtakes or overtakes the preceding vehicle, shown in FIG. The second vehicle 6 has a navigation device 7, an evaluation unit 8 and a communication device 9. The navigation device 7, the evaluation unit 8 and the communication device 9 are preferably connected to each other.

The second vehicle 6 also has an output unit 10. The driver of the second vehicle 6 is transmitted via the output unit 10 to be performed direction changes and potential warnings. The output unit 10 preferably displays the indications acoustically and / or optically.

The planned route of the second vehicle 6 is transmitted via the communication device 9 of the second vehicle 6 to the communication device 4 of the first vehicle 1. As already described, the evaluation unit 3 of the first vehicle 1 compares the planned routes of the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 6.

Preferably, when comparing with a limit value and when determining an indication of the output via the output unit 5 of evaluation unit 3, information from sensors of the first vehicle 1 and / or the second vehicle 2, such as from infrared, radar or optical sensors used. For this purpose, the information from the second vehicle 6 is also transmitted by means of the communication device 9 to the communication device 4 of the first vehicle 1. In this case, the speed Vi of the first vehicle 1 and the speed V _{2 of} the second vehicle 6 are taken into account. It is also possible to take into account the course of the planned route of the first and / or second vehicle 6. So a particularly curvy to driving route can lead to the use of a larger limit.

It is advantageous if the driver of the first vehicle 1 can activate or deactivate the signaling device. It is also advantageous if a switch is provided directly in the second vehicle, which prevents the transmission of the planned route of the second vehicle 6, if this is desired for the protection of privacy.

Of course, it must be ensured that the individual components are compatible with each other.

Particularly advantageous is the implementation of such a signaling device in lorries, using a locating unit in existing OBUs (on-board units) which can serve, for example, to detect a road user charge.

FIG. 2 explains the method for issuing instructions for guiding a first vehicle 1. There also the function of a signaling device according to the invention becomes obvious.

In a first step 21, the position of the first vehicle 1 is determined. In a second step 22, the planned route of the first vehicle 1 is determined. In parallel, the position of the second vehicle 6 is determined in step 23 in the second vehicle 6. Subsequently, the planned route of the second vehicle 6 is determined in step 24 in the second vehicle 6. In step 25, the planned route of the second vehicle 6 is transmitted to the communication device 4 of the first vehicle 1. In step 26, this information, which can also be supplemented by additional information such as speed, distance, acceleration or the like, is obtained from the first vehicle 1 by means of the local communication device 4. In step 27, the intersection of the planned routes of the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 6 is determined in the evaluation unit 3. Before comparing the temporal and spatial lengths of the intersection with a threshold in step 29, an end threshold is set in step 28. Such a limit value can also be specified by the manufacturer.

If the limit is exceeded, no action is taken in step 30. Even if the limit value is present, no action is taken in step 30. If the limit value is undershot, however, an indication of the perception by the driver of the first vehicle 1 in the evaluation unit 3 is determined in step 31. The note is transmitted to the output unit 5 in step 32. In step 33, the message to the driver of the first vehicle 1 is then output by means of the output unit 5.

Claims

claims

A signaling device for indicating indications for guiding a first vehicle (1), with a navigation device (2) for determining a route to be traveled by the first vehicle (1) by means of waypoint data, with a communication device (4) for receiving information, with an evaluation unit (3) for determining dispensable instructions for the guidance of the first vehicle (1) and with an output unit (5) for outputting the determined indications, characterized in that the evaluation unit (5) that from the first vehicle (1) driving route with the waypoint data obtained by means of the communication device (4), which describe a planned route of a second vehicle (6) traveling in front of the first vehicle (1), for determining the indications.

2. Signaling device according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit (3) determines the duration of the driving of the first vehicle (1) on the planned route of the second vehicle (6) and generates the indication when it falls below a limit value.

3. Signaling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output unit (5) the hint optically and / or acoustically, preferably as text, outputs.

4. Signaling device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the output unit (5) is a component of the navigation device (2) can be output via the direction information.

5. The signaling device according to claim 1, wherein the route of the second vehicle planned by a navigation device in the second vehicle is connected to the communication device via a communication device of the second vehicle ) of the first vehicle (1) is transferable.

6. A method for outputting instructions for driving a first vehicle (1), wherein a route to be traveled by the first vehicle (1) is determined by a navigation device (2), wherein information is received via a communication device (4), wherein the information is taken into account in an evaluation unit (3) for the planned route of the first vehicle (1) and processed in a message output via an output unit (5), characterized in that the information obtained is the course of a route from a second vehicle (6) traveling in front of the first vehicle (1), which is compared with the course of the route of the first vehicle (1) in the evaluation unit (3) for processing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the duration of the driving of the first vehicle (1) on the planned route of the second vehicle (6) is determined, is generated below a limit value of the hint and the threshold is preferably set by the driver to one minute ,

8. The method of claim 6 or 7, wherein the planned route of the second vehicle (6) in a in the second vehicle (6) mounted second navigation device (7) is determined.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the course of the planned route of the second vehicle is transmitted to a communication device of the second vehicle and then to a communication device of the first vehicle.