WO2017134107A1

WO2017134107A1 - Motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2017134107A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/052156
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stephan Berlitz; Friedrich-Uwe Tontsch; Julia KASTNER
Original assignee: Audi Ag
Priority date: 2016-02-03
Filing date: 2017-02-01
Publication date: 2017-08-10
Also published as: DE102016001205B4; DE102016001205A1

Abstract

Motor vehicle, comprising at least one linear lighting means (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) for direct and/or indirect illumination of a vehicle interior, which extends at least in sections horizontally along at least one component of the motor vehicle (1), a speed detection device (24) for detecting a true speed of the motor vehicle (1), and an environment detecting device (16) for detecting an item of road-user information which describes a relative speed and/or a distance of a road user (18) located in front of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the lighting means (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) is divided horizontally into multiple light segments (15), which each have a firmly predetermined radiation profile and can be controlled separately by a control device (14) of the motor vehicle (1) in accordance with the true speed and the road-user information in order to specify a light colour and/or a light brightness of the light segments (15).

Description

motor vehicle

The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one line-shaped illuminant for direct and / or indirect illumination of a vehicle interior which extends at least sectionally horizontally along at least one component of the motor vehicle, a speed detection device for detecting an intrinsic speed of the motor vehicle and an environment detection device for Detecting a road user information that describes a relative speed and / or a distance of a road user located in front of the motor vehicle.

Stop-and-go journeys in viscous traffic, for example on motorways or in city traffic, are very stressful for motor vehicle drivers. Frequently, there are longer stance phases between movement phases of the motor vehicle. In order to maintain a rapid flow of traffic, it is advantageous that own motor vehicle promptly after the preceding vehicle sets in motion to set in motion. In order to assist a driver in these traffic situations, it is known to use driver assistance systems that engage in semi-automated driving operation to enable automatic starting and stopping in congested traffic. However, these systems are relatively expensive and expensive. In addition, the use of appropriate systems is not possible in all driving situations or is not desired by all drivers.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to provide a motor vehicle that allows better support of the driver in a manual guidance of the motor vehicle in slow-moving traffic. The object is achieved by a motor vehicle of the type mentioned above, wherein the light source is divided horizontally into a plurality of light segments, each having a fixed predetermined radiation profile and separately by a control device of the motor vehicle as a function of the airspeed and the road user information for specifying a fluorescent color and / or a luminous brightness of the luminous segments can be controlled.

According to the invention, it is proposed to form line-shaped lighting means for the direct or indirect illumination of a vehicle interior in such a way that they have separately controllable lighting segments, which can be controlled as a function of the airspeed and the road user information. This makes it possible for the driver to visualize the variables that are relevant in stop-and-go traffic, namely the airspeed and the relative speed and / or the distance to a road user who is in particular driving directly ahead. For example, certain fluorescent colors and or luminous brightness may correspond to certain driving instructions, for example, the driving instruction that the person in front has set in motion and the own standing vehicle should also be set in motion.

The environment detection device may be a sensor or comprise one or more sensors. As an environment detection device or sensor, a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a laser scanner and / or a camera can be used. The distance and / or the relative speed can be detected directly by sensors or determined from sensory measured values, for example by image data processing. A video camera, an infrared camera or an SD camera, for example a time-of-flight camera, can be used as the camera. The relative speed and / or the distance can also be obtained from complex environmental data generated by processing sensor data from multiple sensors. For example, a three-dimensional environment model and / or a top-view image composed of camera data from multiple cameras may include a view of the vehicle surroundings. From a bird's-eye view, the data source used to determine the distance and / or the relative speed.

Line-shaped light sources, which extend at least sectionally horizontally along at least one component of the motor vehicle, are used in conventional motor vehicles to provide a so-called ambient lighting, in which a motor vehicle is uniformly illuminated, in particular with a predefinable luminescent color. According to the invention, such lighting means can be developed such that a plurality of separately controllable lighting segments are provided. The line-shaped bulbs preferably extend substantially horizontally. For example, at least 70% or at least 90% of the line length may be horizontal. The course of the luminous means may differ from the horizontal by a slight curvature whose radius is in particular greater than the vehicle width, for example in order to follow a contour of a component.

The individual luminous segments can each have a luminous element or consist of a group of jointly controlled luminous elements. As a luminous element, for example, an RGB LED can be used, for which, in particular by a pulse width modulation, the luminous color and / or the luminous brightness can be specified. The control of the luminous brightness and / or the luminous color can be effected by a control device which is associated with the lighting means, but also by a central control device which controls a plurality of the lighting means. For example, the specification of the individual pulse widths or the specification of a control signal for pulse width modulation can take place via a vehicle bus.

It is possible that only parts of the lighting segments are controlled as a function of the airspeed and the road user information. In this case, the further lighting segments can serve to deliver ambient lighting, in particular with an adjustable luminous color and / or luminous brightness, or provide other information functions. The intrinsic speed of the motor vehicle can be detected by a speedometer of the motor vehicle. In or on the motor vehicle, at least one brightness sensor may be provided for detecting an ambient brightness. The brightness of the light segments can additionally be controlled as a function of the ambient brightness.

To provide a driver in stop-and-go traffic as clear as possible information through the light segments, it is advantageous if the control of the lighting segments in dependence of the airspeed and the road user information between the several clearly distinguishable driving states changes. In particular, a clear representation for the driver to be achieved when a journey is possible. The control device can therefore be set up to change to a first operating mode, in which a given subgroup of the lighting elements is driven according to a first predetermined pattern, if the airspeed has a predetermined airspeed limit and / or the relative speed is a predetermined relative airspeed limit and / or the distance of a predetermined one Distance limit falls below, and to change from the first operating mode in a second operating mode in which the subgroup is driven according to a predetermined second pattern, if the distance or a further distance limit and / or a time derivative of the distance a gradient limit and / or the relative speed exceeds the or a further relative speed limit.

The subgroup may comprise all the light segments, but it preferably encompasses only parts of the light segments, in particular exclusively light segments in the front motor vehicle area, for example on the dashboard and / or on the doors. The subgroup may include light segments of one or more of the light sources. While a corresponding indication that further travel is possible is particularly advantageous in the case of manual guidance of the motor vehicle, it is of course also possible to lent to perform a corresponding control of the light segments in the context of a semi-automatic or fully automated driving operation to illustrate the driver the parameters of the automatic guidance.

The subgroup can be controlled by the control device such that in the first operating mode for each of the light segments of the subgroup a temporally constant first luminous color and / or a temporally constant first luminous brightness and in the second operating mode a temporally variable and / or different from the first luminous color second luminous color and / or a temporally variable and / or different from the first luminous brightness luminous brightness. For example, the light segments may be disabled in the first mode of operation, that is, your luminance may be zero, or you may be driven to illuminate with the same luminous color and / or luminous intensity as the out-of-subglass luminous segments that serve ambient lighting. In the second operating mode, the luminous colors and / or the luminous brightness can preferably change between two or more discrete color or brightness levels. The change can preferably be made in discrete stages, so that the light segments of the subgroup flash in the second operating mode.

Luminous segments of a further subgroup of the light segments may each be associated with an environment segment of the vehicle environment, wherein for each of the surrounding segments, an environment segment segment information concerned by the or at least one Umfeldfassungseinrichtung detected, the light segments of the further subgroup separately by the control device in dependence of the respectively associated environment segment relevant environment segment information for specifying a luminous intensity and / or a luminous color of the luminous segments can be controlled. The assignment of the environment segments to the light segments can be effected such that the environment segment associated with one of the light segments includes an extension of the connection line between a driver's position of the driver and the light segment. The light segments of the further subgroup are thus usable, to visualize the driver of the vehicle environment or to provide him easily obtainable information about the vehicle environment. This is particularly relevant for areas of the environment that are located in a so-called blind spot, that is not visible on mirrors of the motor vehicle. A detection of the vehicle environment can be particularly relevant in slow-moving traffic or in stop-and-go traffic, since the driver is thus always easily aware, for example, whether a lane change is possible or if such is impossible because of a parallel vehicle.

The environment segment information can be object information that describes whether a relevant object is located in the respective environment segment. For this purpose, object classes which are detected by the or by other surroundings detection devices can be assigned object classes, each of which describes whether the objects of the object class are relevant or not relevant. For example, it is possible to classify whether they are moving or stationary objects and / or objects that can be driven over or are not traversable. Traversable objects are, for example, the road itself, landside objects, such as manhole covers, and very light objects, such as plastic bags. The object classification also differentiates between different moving objects. For example, it can be classified whether the object is a road user, for example a pedestrian, a motor vehicle and / or a bicycle or a two-wheeler. For example, when traveling in congested traffic on motorways, only other motor vehicles can be classified as relevant, while bicycles and pedestrians can additionally be classified as relevant in congested urban traffic. When determining whether a detected object is a relevant object, the distance to the object and / or a movement sighting and / or a movement speed of the object can also be taken into account.

The component may be a dashboard and / or a door and / or a body pillar and / or a center console of the motor vehicle. The horizon- tale extent of the light segments can be between 2 mm and 100 mm. The horizontal extent may in particular be greater than 5 mm or 10 mm and / or less than 50 mm or 30 mm. Preferably, the horizontal extent is 16 mm. The width of the luminous segments, that is, the extent in the vertical direction in the horizontal portion may be less than 2 mm or less than 1 mm. In particular, 0.8 mm.

Further advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the following embodiment and the accompanying drawings. Here are shown schematically:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the interior of a motor vehicle according to the invention, and

Fig. 2 shows the use of the motor vehicle shown in Fig. 1 in one

Traffic situation.

1 and 2 show different views of a motor vehicle 1, wherein Fig. 1 shows schematically a perspective view of the interior of the motor vehicle 1 and Fig. 2 shows the use of the motor vehicle 1 in a traffic situation. The motor vehicle 1 has a plurality of line-shaped light sources 2-10 which are used for direct illumination of the vehicle interior of the motor vehicle 1. In an alternative embodiment, it would be possible, in addition or as an alternative to the bulbs 2-10 for direct illumination, to provide line-shaped illuminants which indirectly illuminate the vehicle interior by illuminating further motor vehicle components, for example a fabric cover of a door. The following statements regarding the linear light sources 2-10 for direct illumination can also be applied to such indirectly illuminated bulbs.

The light sources 2-10 each extend at least in sections horizontally along different components of the motor vehicle 1. The bulbs 2 and 3 extend along the dashboard 1 1 and the lighting 4 and 5 along a contour of the front doors 12 of the motor vehicle. 1 The bulbs 6 and 7 extend horizontally in extension of the bulbs 4 and 5 along the not shown B-pillars of the motor vehicle 1 and the bulbs 8, 9 set these formed by the bulbs 4 and 6 and 5 and 7 along the lines not shown back doors of the motor vehicle 1 continued. The light sources 2-9 thus form, apart from a few interruptions substantially the lateral and front circumference of the motor vehicle 1 revolving light line to illuminate the interior of the motor vehicle 1. To further emphasize the contours of the motor vehicle 1, the line-shaped light-emitting means 10 is additionally provided that extends along the contour of the center console 13 of the motor vehicle 1.

The construction of the individual lamps is shown schematically in FIG. The light sources 2-9 and the light-emitting means 10, not shown in FIG. 2 for reasons of clarity, are each subdivided horizontally into a plurality of light segments 15. For reasons of clarity, the individual luminous segments in FIG. 2 are shown relatively large, and the subdivision of the individual luminous means in the horizontal direction is relatively coarse, so that, for example, the luminous means 3 is subdivided into only two luminous segments 15. In a real implementation, the horizontal extent of the individual light segments between 2 mm and 100 mm, preferably between 5 mm and 30 mm, so that a much finer horizontal division of the light sources 2-10 is achieved. The width of the bulbs in the vertical direction is preferably less than 1 mm.

The individual light segments 15 have a fixed predetermined radiation profile, that is, the radiated light is indeed changeable in its luminous brightness and color, but not in its spatial distribution. The individual lighting segments 15 each have a lighting element, not shown, that may be, for example, an RGB LED whose luminous brightness and / or luminous color can be controlled by the control device 14. Between the individual lighting elements and the vehicle interior, a not-shown diffuser is arranged, which illuminates the light of the individual luminaires. scattered elements such that when operating the lighting elements adjacent lighting segments 15 with the same predetermined luminous brightness and luminous color, a substantially homogeneous light emission in the horizontal direction is achieved.

FIG. 2 shows a driving situation in stop-and-go traffic in which an immediately preceding road user 18, namely a motor vehicle, repeatedly stops and starts again due to the traffic situation. The driver should be given a clear indication by a subset 17 of the light segments 15, which includes the light segments 15 of the bulbs 2, 3, when the road user 18 continues his journey after a stance phase and thus the motor vehicle 1 can be moved on. In order to make this possible, an environment detection device 16, for example a radar sensor, which detects the apron of the motor vehicle, is provided in the motor vehicle in order to detect a distance 19 to the preceding road user 18. In addition, an intrinsic speed of the motor vehicle 1 is detected by a speed detection device 24. In a normal driving operation of the motor vehicle, in particular when driving at an airspeed exceeding a predetermined speed limit, all lighting segments 15 of the motor vehicle 1, if they are not, as explained later, are used to reference relevant objects in the vehicle environment, to issue a Ambient lighting used, that is, controlled by the control device 14 for outputting a predetermined luminous brightness and luminous color.

If the airspeed falls below the predefined airspeed limit value and, at the same time, the distance 19 is smaller than a distance limit value, then the control device changes to a first operating mode in which the luminous elements 15 in the subgroup 17 are actuated according to a predetermined pattern. The control can be carried out such that the light segments 15 of the subgroup 17 are controlled constant in time, each with the same luminous color and luminous intensity, the luminous intensity and luminous color of the luminous brightness and luminous color of Ambient lighting can match. It is thus possible that the change in the first operating mode the driver 25 is not visualized. However, during operation in the first operating mode, if the distance 19 exceeds a distance limit value and / or a time derivative of the distance 19 exceeds a gradient limit value, the control device 14 changes to a second operating mode in which the lighting segments 15 of the subgroup 17 are driven with a second pattern , In this case, the predetermined second luminous color and / or second luminous brightness is different from the first luminous color and / or luminous intensity predetermined in the first operating mode. In an alternative embodiment, it would be possible that in the second operating mode a time-varying second luminous color and / or a temporally variable second luminous brightness is specified, the second luminous color and / or the second luminous brightness, in particular in discrete steps, jumping between at least two different values and the lighting segments 15 of the subgroup 17 thus flash in the second operating mode.

The light segments 15 of a further subset of the light segments, namely all light segments that do not belong to the subgroup 17, are each assigned to an environment segment of the vehicle environment in order to visualize relevant objects in this environment segment. The assignment of a luminous segment 15 to an environment segment 20 is shown in FIG. 2 by way of example for one of the luminous segments 15 of the luminous means 5. In the environment segment 20 is a solid angle segment of the vehicle environment with respect to a driver's position of the driver 25. The driver position can be fixed, for example, for a given standard driver, but it can also by sensors in the seat and / or other sensors of the motor vehicle, for example an interior camera, are detected, after which the assignment of the environmental segments 20 to the light-emitting segments 15 can take place as a function of the ascertained driver position. The surrounding segment 20 assigned to one of the lighting segments 15 in each case comprises an extension 21 of the connecting line 26 between a driver's position of the driver 25 and the driver Luminous segment 15. This gives a particularly intuitive assignment of the light segments 15 to the surrounding segments 20.

The control of the light segments 15 of the further subgroup is such that, if no relevant object is detected in the associated environment segment 20, they are controlled with a predetermined luminous color and luminous brightness, which can be in particular the luminous color and luminous intensity of the ambient lighting. However, if a relevant object, for example the object 22, is another vehicle, in the respective environment segment 20, then the luminous color and / or the luminous brightness changes to a predetermined warning luminous color and / or warning light brightness. Alternatively, it would be possible in this case, temporally variable patterns, such as flashing represent. In the traffic situation shown in FIG. 2, the lighting segments 15 in the region 23 of the lighting means 4, 6 are thus activated in such a way that they shine with the warning color and the warning brightness, since the motor vehicle, a relevant object 22, is detected in the associated environment segments 20 , The further lighting segments 15 of the further subgroup are controlled in such a way that they shine with the luminous brightness and luminous color of the ambient lighting.

Claims

PATENT APPLICATIONS

1 . Motor vehicle comprising at least one line-shaped luminous means (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) for direct and / or indirect illumination of a vehicle interior, which extends at least in sections horizontally along at least one component of the motor vehicle (1). extends, a speed detection device (24) for detecting an intrinsic speed of the motor vehicle (1) and an environment detection device (16) for detecting a road user information, which describes a relative speed and / or a distance of a preceding in the motor vehicle (1) road user (18),

characterized,

in that the illuminant (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) is subdivided horizontally into a plurality of luminous segments (15) each having a fixed emission profile and separated by a control device (14) of the motor vehicle ( 1) as a function of the airspeed and the road user information for specifying a luminous color and / or a luminous intensity of the luminous segments (15) are controllable.

2. Motor vehicle according to claim 1,

characterized,

in that the control device (14) is set up to change to a first operating mode in which a predefined subgroup (17) of the lighting elements (15) is activated according to a first predetermined pattern if the airspeed has a predetermined airspeed limit and / or the relative speed is a predetermined one Relativgeschwindigkeitsgrenzwert and / or the distance falls below a predetermined distance limit value, and to change starting from the first operating mode in a second operating mode in which the subgroup (17) is driven according to a predetermined second pattern, if the distance is the o the one further distance limit value and / or a time derivative of the distance exceeds a gradient limit value and / or the relative speed exceeds the one or more relative speed limit value.

3. Motor vehicle according to claim 2,

characterized,

that the subgroup (17) can be controlled by the control device (14) in the first bed ebsmodus for each of the Leuchtseg- elements (15) of the subgroup (17) a temporally constant first luminous color and / or a temporally constant first luminous brightness and second mode of operation a time-varying and / or different from the first luminous color second luminous color and / or a temporally variable and / or different from the first luminous brightness second luminous brightness can be specified.

4. Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that luminous segments (15) are assigned to a further subgroup of the luminous segments (15) in each case an environment segment (20) of the vehicle environment, wherein the respective surrounding segment (20) concerns by the or at least one further environment detection device (16) for each of the surrounding segments (20) Environment segment information can be detected, wherein the lighting segments (15) of the further subgroup separately by the control device (14) depending on the respective associated environment segment (20) related environment segment information to specify a luminous intensity and / or a luminous color of the light segments (15) are controlled.

5. Motor vehicle according to claim 4,

characterized,

the environment segment information is an object information which describes whether a relevant object (22) is located in the respective environment segment (20).

6. Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the component is a dashboard (1 1) and / or a door (12) and / or a body pillar and / or a center console (13) of the motor vehicle (1).

7. Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the horizontal extent of the light-emitting segments (15) is in each case between 2 mm and 100 mm.