System for automatically monitored signalling of a vehicle state and method for monitoring a vehicle state-signalling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12202497-B2
Application number	US-201917262074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jul 26, 2018
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for the monitored signalling of a vehicle state, in particular for the monitored signalling of an activated, at least partially automated, driving operating state of a motor vehicle and to a method for the automatic monitoring of a vehicle state-signalling device. Specifically, the invention relates not only to the system and to the method but also to a monitoring device for carrying out the method, to a computer program which is configured to execute the method and to a vehicle state-signalling device and to a vehicle, in particular to a motor vehicle, equipped with the system. In the method, a first control signal, which is configured to change an assigned signal encoder of the vehicle state-signalling device into a deactivated state, is transferred to the vehicle state-signalling device. Testing of a current actual operating state of the signal encoder is then carried out. If the testing reveals that the signal encoder is in an activated operating state despite the transferred control signal, at least one predetermined fault remedying action which is assigned to this test result is triggered.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the automated monitoring of a vehicle state-signalling device for signalling an activated, at least partially automated, driving operating state of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
assigning a level of safety-relevance to an assigned signal encoder of the motor vehicle, wherein the level of safety-relevance is related to a current vehicle driving mode of the motor vehicle, wherein the current vehicle driving mode is one of manual driving, partially autonomous driving, and fully autonomous driving;
transferring a first control signal to the vehicle state-signalling device, wherein the first control signal is configured to change the assigned signal encoder of the vehicle state-signalling device into a deactivated state;
subsequently testing a current actual operating state of the assigned signal encoder; and
triggering at least one assigned fault remedying action based on the testing and the level of safety-relevance assigned to the assigned signal encoder, wherein the testing reveals that the assigned signal encoder is in an activated state despite the transferred first control signal, and
wherein the method is carried out according to the level of safety-relevance assigned to the assigned signal encoder and a vehicle state of the motor vehicle, wherein the vehicle state is a condition of the motor vehicle that requires an operation of an optical, acoustic, or haptic state signal of the assigned signal encoder, and wherein the vehicle state is assigned individually to the assigned signal encoder.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one assigned fault remedying action comprises outputting a second control signal which is independent of the first control signal and is configured to trigger at least one of the following processes:
changing the vehicle state-signalling device into a safe state; and
outputting a fault message at a human-machine Interface.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second control signal is configured to cause the vehicle state-signalling device to change into the safe state by self-deactivating the vehicle state-signalling device or by selective deactivation of the assigned signal encoder.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out repeatedly.

5. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle state-signalling device has a multiplicity of assigned signal encoders which differ from one another, at least in one signalling aspect, and the method is selectively only implemented on a first subset of the multiplicity of assigned signal encoders of the vehicle state-signalling device, wherein each of the assigned signal encoders in the first subset is assigned an identical level of safety-relevance, and
wherein the method is implemented on one or more predetermined combinations of the multiplicity of assigned signal encoders from the first subset.

6. A monitoring device which is configured to carry out the method according to claim 1 with respect to the vehicle state-signalling device.

7. The monitoring device according to claim 6 , comprising: at least one test device which is configured to test a test signal which is output at at least one test signal output of the vehicle state-signalling device to determine, based on the testing, a current operating state of the assigned signal encoder of the vehicle state-signalling device.

8. A computer program which is configured to carry out, when it is run on a monitoring device, the method according to claim 1 .

9. A vehicle state-signalling device for signalling an activated, at least partially automated, driving operating state of a motor vehicle, comprising:
an assigned signal encoder which is configured to output a state signal for signalling a vehicle state assigned to the assigned signal encoder; and
a circuit for actuating the assigned signal encoder to selectively activate or deactivate the assigned signal encoder in reaction to at least one corresponding control signal, which is transferred by a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device is configured to carry out a method comprising:
assigning a level of safety-relevance to the assigned signal encoder of the motor vehicle, wherein the level of safety-relevance is related to a current vehicle driving mode of the motor vehicle, wherein the current vehicle driving mode is one of manual driving, partially autonomous driving, and fully autonomous driving;
transferring a first control signal to the vehicle state-signalling device wherein the first control signal is configured to change the assigned signal encoder of the vehicle state-signalling device into a deactivated state;
subsequently testing a current actual operating state of the assigned signal encoder; and
triggering at least one assigned fault remedying action based on the testing and the level of safety-relevance assigned to the assigned signal encoder, wherein the testing reveals that the assigned signal encoder is in an activated state despite the transferred first control signal;
wherein the method is carried out according to the level of safety-relevance assigned to the assigned signal encoder and the vehicle state of the motor vehicle, wherein the vehicle state is a condition of the motor vehicle that requires an operation of an optical, acoustic, or haptic state signal of the assigned signal encoder, and wherein the vehicle state is assigned individually to the assigned signal encoder;

wherein the circuit comprises:
a first switch and a second switch which are configured to be switched independently thereof; and
at least one test signal output for making available a test signal for testing a current operating state of the assigned signal encoder; and

wherein the circuit is configured to activate the assigned signal encoder by requiring that the first switch and the second switch have a specific predetermined switched state combination, wherein switched state combinations of the first switch and the second switch which do not correspond to the specific predetermined switched state combination of the first switch and the second switch correspond to deactivation of the assigned signal encoder.

10. The vehicle state-signalling device according to claim 9 , wherein:
the circuit has a voltage divider with a first dipole and a second dipole which are connected in series, and the at least one test signal output starts from a circuit point which is located between the first dipole and the second dipole,
the first switch and the second switch are arranged in the first dipole, and the assigned signal encoder is arranged in the second dipole, and
the assigned signal encoder is activated by an operating voltage applied via the voltage divider only when the first switch and the second switch are each simultaneously in a closed switched state.

11. The vehicle state-signalling device according to claim 9 , wherein:
the circuit has a voltage divider with a first dipole and a second dipole which are connected in series, and the at least one test signal output starts from a circuit point which is located between the first dipole and the second dipole,
the first switch is arranged in the first dipole, and the assigned signal encoder and the second switch are arranged in the second dipole, and
the assigned signal encoder is activated by an operating voltage applied via the voltage divider only when the first switch and the second switch are each simultaneously in a closed switched state.

12. The vehicle state-signalling device according to claim 11 , wherein:
the second switch of the second dipole is connected parallel to the assigned signal encoder of the second dipole

Assignees

• Valeo Schalter & Sensoren Gmbh

Inventors

• Staude Sascha
• Mack Raphael
• Dietz Benjamin
• Tandjeu Tchuissi Landry

Classifications

• B60K35/81

  for controlling displays · CPC title

• B60K35/28 Primary

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/90

  Calibration of instruments, e.g. setting initial or reference parameters; Testing of instruments, e.g. detecting malfunction · CPC title

• B60K35/25

  using haptic output · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title