Communication between a vehicle and a road user in the surroundings of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9855826-B2
Application number	US-201514970612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A method and a corresponding device permit an at least partially computer-controlled and/or autonomous vehicle to communicate with its surroundings, in particular with a road user such as a person in its surroundings. A control unit for a vehicle is configured to receive surroundings data from one or more surroundings sensors of the vehicle and to detect at least one road user in the surroundings of the vehicle on the basis of the surroundings data. The control unit is configured to determine on the basis of the surroundings data whether there is a need for communication between the road user and the vehicle. The control unit is configured, if it has been determined that there is a need for communication between the road user and the vehicle, to actuate an adaptation system of the vehicle and/or one or more visual communication system in order to communicate with the road user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for a vehicle, comprising:
a control unit of the vehicle, the control unit including programming that when executed:
receives surroundings data from one or more surroundings sensors of the vehicle;
detects at least one road user in the surroundings of the vehicle based on the received surroundings data;
determines, based on the received surroundings data, there is a need for communication between the detected road user and the vehicle; and
controls an adaptation system of the vehicle to adapt an external appearance of the vehicle in order to communicate with the detected road user,
wherein
the adaptation system comprises a side window and/or a vehicle windshield transparency changing system, and
the control unit is further programmed to
determine, based on the surroundings data, that the detected road user is attempting to make visual contact with a driver of the vehicle, and
control the adaptation system to cause a reduction in the transparency of the side window or the windshield whereby the road user is informed that the driver is not controlling the vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to:
determine, based on the received surroundings data, a position of the road user relative to the vehicle; and
control the adaptation system to adapt the external appearance of the vehicle as a function of the position of the road user.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to:
identify a traffic situation between the vehicle and the road user based on the surroundings data;
determine an intention of the vehicle with respect to the identified traffic situation; and
control the adaptation system to adapt the external appearance of the vehicle as a function of the identified traffic situation and/or as a function of the determined intention of the vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the adaptation system comprises one or more of:
a headlight appearance changing device of the vehicle;
a bumper appearance changing device of the vehicle;
at least one of a side mirror, windshield, mud flap and engine hood appearance changing device of the vehicle;
one or more moving elements of the vehicle;
a color changing material or a color changing surface of the vehicle; or
a shape changing material or surface of the vehicle.

5. A system for a vehicle, comprising:
a control unit of the vehicle, the control unit including programming that when executed:
receives surroundings data from one or more surroundings sensors of the vehicle;
detects at least one road user in the surroundings of the vehicle based on the received surroundings data;
determines, based on the received surroundings data, there is a need for communication between the detected road user and the vehicle;
controls one or more visual communication systems of the vehicle to generate a visual output in order to communicate with the detected road user, wherein the one or more visual communication systems have a multiplicity of light points by which at least one of a graphical symbol and a pictogram is displayable as the visual output; and
determines, based on the surroundings data, the detected road user is attempting to make visual contact with a driver of the vehicle, and controls adaptation of an external appearance adaptation system of the vehicle comprising a side window and/or a vehicle windshield transparency changing system by causing a reduction in the transparency of the side window or the windshield whereby the road user is informed that the driver is not controlling the vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to:
identify that the vehicle is in an automatic driving mode in which the vehicle moves in road traffic without any driver intervention; and
subsequently, control the one or more visual communication systems to be moved from a first position, in which the one or more visual communication systems cannot be seen from outside the vehicle, into a second position in which the one or more visual communication systems can be seen from outside the vehicle.

7. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to:
determine lighting conditions in the surroundings of the vehicle based on the surroundings data; and
adapt the visual output generated by the one or more visual communication systems as a function of the determined lighting conditions.

8. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to:
identify one or more of: a traffic situation between the vehicle and the road user, identify a property of the road user, or identify a speed of the road user; and
adapt the visual output generated by the one or more visual communication systems as a function of the identified traffic situation, the identified property of the road user, and/or the identified speed of the vehicle.

9. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to:
identify a position of the road user relative to the vehicle based on the surroundings data; and
adapt the visual output generated by the one or more visual communication systems as a function of the identified position of the road user.

10. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to:
cause the one or more visual communication systems of the vehicle to generate a visual output comprising a symbol and/or a pictogram which points in a direction of the detected road user.

11. The system according to claim 5 , wherein:
the road user is a person;
the control unit is further programmed to detect eyes of the person based on the surroundings data; and
the control unit is further configured to determine, based on the detected eyes of the person, a need for communication between the road user and the vehicle.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the road user is a person;
the control unit is further programmed to detect eyes of the person based on the surroundings data; and
the control unit is further programmed to determine, based on the detected eyes of the person, a need for communication between the road user and the vehicle.

13. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to:
identify one or more indications of an intention of the road user based on the surroundings data;
determine, based on the one or more indications, that there is a traffic situation between the vehicle and the road user that requires communication between the vehicle and the road user; and
actuate an adaptation system of the vehicle, and/or one or more of the visual communication systems as a function of the traffic situation.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to:
identify one or more indications of an intention of the road user based on the surroundings data;
determine, based on the one or more indications, that there is a traffic situation between the vehicle and the road user that requires communication between the vehicle and the road user; and
actuate the adaptation system of the vehicle, and/or one or more visual communication systems as a function of the traffic situation.

15. The system according to claim 5 , wherein:
the vehicle comprises an output device in a passenger compartment of the vehicle; and
the control unit is further programmed to output, via the output device, information as to whether the vehicle is communicating with the detected road user.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Sorokin Lenja
• Franz Gunnar

Classifications

• B60J3/04

  adjustable in transparency · CPC title

• B60Q1/525 Primary

  automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data · CPC title

• B60Q1/50

  for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking · CPC title

• B60J1/04 Primary

  adjustable · CPC title

• B60Q1/507

  specific to autonomous vehicles · CPC title