Motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10645529-B2
Application number	US-201716075232-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2017
Priority date	Feb 3, 2016
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A motor vehicle is disclosed that includes at least one linear lighting means for directly and/or indirectly lighting a vehicle interior. A position-sensing unit senses ego information describing a position and an orientation of the motor vehicle. A control device determines, from location information describing the position of a person, and from the ego information, direction information describing a direction of the person in relation to the motor vehicle (1), selects, in accordance with the direction information, a sub-group of lighting segments that includes at least one lighting segment to be activated, and activates the lighting segment belonging to the sub-group in accordance with a configuration, which specifies the lighting brightness and/or the lighting color of the lighting segment, and which visualizes the position of the person.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
at least one linear lighting means configured to directly and/or indirectly light a vehicle interior, the at least one linear lighting means extending, at least in some sections, horizontally along at least one component of the motor vehicle, and being divided horizontally into a plurality of lighting segments, each of the plurality of lighting segments having a fixed emission profile;
a communication device configured to receive location information from a vehicle-external Internet server, the location information describing a position of a person located outside the motor vehicle;
a position-sensing unit configured to sense ego information describing a position and an orientation of the motor vehicle; and
a control device configured to:
determine, from the location information and ego information, direction information describing a direction of the person in relation to the motor vehicle;
select, in accordance with the direction information, a sub-group of lighting segments comprising at least one lighting segment to be activated; and
activate the respective lighting segment belonging to the sub-group in accordance with a configuration, which specifies the lighting brightness and/or the lighting color of said lighting segment and which visualizes the position of the person.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to select the sub-group in such a way that it includes a lighting segment that is situated, from a point of view of at least one passenger of the motor vehicle on a line with the position of the person.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to select the sub-group and/or to adapt the configuration in accordance with the location information and/or a personal information describing a property of the person.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
an acoustic and/or an optical output device configured to display texts and/or graphics,
wherein the control device is configured to control the acoustic and/or optical output device to output indication information regarding the person.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the indication information additionally describes a wireless contact information to the person, which is provided by the communication device, and
wherein the control device is configured to control the communication device to establish the communication connection if a control input has been provided by the passenger requiring the establishing of a communication connection through a contact link.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a geodata unit configured to provide topographic information regarding an area of the motor vehicle,
wherein the control device is further configured to:
determine, from the topographic information and the location information, visibility information describing a visibility of the person for at least one passenger of the motor vehicle; and
control the respective lighting segment belonging to the sub-group, according to the configuration, in response to the visibility information confirming the visibility.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
select, for a plurality of passengers of the motor vehicle, a respective position, to be visualized, of a person and for the selected positions of persons;
determine the direction information;
select the sub-group; and
control the lighting segments associated with the sub-group.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the component is at least one of a dashboard, a door, a body column, or a central console of the motor vehicle.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the external Internet server is a social media server.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the direction information includes:
calculating a direction of the motor vehicle based on the ego information;
comparing the location information to the direction; and
calculating an angle based on the comparing; and

wherein the activated lighting segment is positioned at the calculated angle.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Berlitz Stephan
• Tontsch Friedrich-Uwe
• Kastner Julia

Classifications

• H04W4/026

  using orientation information, e.g. compass · CPC title

• B60Q9/00

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title

• G01C21/3626

  Details of the output of route guidance instructions (traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968) · CPC title

• H04W4/40

  for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title