Device for displaying information about an imminent takeover of manual control of a vehicle

• US 10,150,484 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Kleen, Andro, Rhede, Johannes, Meinecke, Marc-Michael, Ricknas, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl
• Application Number:
  US15/026,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20160236692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 3404255, 340438, 340439
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 9/004 removably attached to the book
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity

Abstract

A device displaying information about an imminent takeover of manual control of a vehicle. The device includes a radio receiving apparatus and a controller, and a projection unit, a vibration unit or a display. The radio receiving apparatus receives the information by radio. The projection unit projects the information by lighting of the projection unit, while the vibration unit is activated by the device in accordance with the receipt of the information. The information is displayed on the display together with additional information.

Claims

1. A device for displaying information about an imminent takeover of manual control of a transportation vehicle, wherein the device comprises:

a radio receiving apparatus;

a controller; and

a projection unit configured for projection onto a surface of at least one non-technical entertainment element to inform the user about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle,

wherein the radio receiving apparatus receives the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle by radio, and

wherein the projection unit projects the received information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the vehicle onto the at least one non-technical entertainment element.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device displays at least one item of additional information, wherein the at least one item of additional information is selected from a group comprising:

a current speed of transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the vehicle;

a degree of density which indicates how many transportation vehicles are located in a lane, which is adjacent to a current lane of the transportation vehicle, per unit length;

a proportion of transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle, in which transportation vehicles Car2X technology is installed;

a quality of an infrastructure of a road which is currently being driven on by the transportation vehicle with respect to the Car2X technology; and

an indication of a degree of utilization of a device of the transportation vehicle for automatically driving the transportation vehicle.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the radio receiving apparatus receives the information by near-field communication, Bluetooth and/or WLAN.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the projection unit includes a lazer generating a lazer beam for projection of the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle onto a non-technical surface of the non-technical entertainment element.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a vibration unit.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the vibration unit includes at least one of an armband or badge.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device displays the additional information as a graphical illustration.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the graphical illustration includes at least one of a pattern or a colored portion.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-technical entertainment element includes a book.

2. A device for displaying information about an imminent takeover of manual control of a transportation vehicle, wherein the device comprises:

a radio receiving apparatus;

a controller; and

a display,

wherein the radio receiving apparatus receives the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle by radio,

wherein the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle includes additional information for classifying a degree of urgency of the takeover, and

wherein the device displays the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle including the additional information on the display, the at least one item of additional information is selected from a group comprising;

a proportion of transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the vehicle, in which vehicles Car2X technology is installed;

a quality of an infrastructure of a road which is currently being driven on by the vehicle with respect to the Car2X technology; and

an indication of a degree of utilization of a device of the transportation vehicle for automatically driving the transportation vehicle.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the display comprises organic light-emitting diodes, and/or is implemented as electronic paper.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one item of additional information includes at least one of:

a current speed of transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle, and

a degree of density which indicates how many transportation vehicles are located in a lane, which is adjacent to a current lane of the transportation vehicle, per unit length.

13. The device of claim 2, wherein the display includes a projection unit for projection of the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle onto a surface.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the projection unit includes a lazer generating a lazer beam for projection of the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle onto a surface.

15. The device of claim 2, further comprising a vibration unit activatable based on the information about an imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle.

16. The device of claim 2, wherein the radio receiving apparatus receives the information by near-field communication, Bluetooth and/or WLAN.

17. The device of claim 2, wherein the device displays the additional information as a graphical illustration.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the graphical illustration includes at least one of a pattern or a colored portion.

19. A system for displaying information about an imminent takeover of manual control of a transportation vehicle, wherein the system comprises:

a transportation vehicle apparatus comprising at least one sensor, a controller, and a transmitting apparatus, wherein the at least one sensor detects objects in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle, wherein the transportation vehicle apparatus automatically drives the transportation vehicle without interaction from a user; and

a device for displaying information about an imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle, the device comprising a radio receiving apparatus, a controller, and a display, wherein the radio receiving apparatus receives the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the vehicle by radio, wherein the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle includes additional information for classifying a degree of urgency of the takeover, and the device displays the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle including the additional information on the display, wherein the device displays the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle including the additional information on the display, the at least one item of additional information is selected from a group comprising;

a proportion of transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle, in which vehicles Car2X technology is installed;

a quality of an infrastructure of a road which is currently being driven on by the transportation vehicle with respect to the Car2X technology; and

an indication of a degree of utilization of the transportation vehicle apparatus for automatically driving the transportation vehicle.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the display includes a projection unit for projection of the information about the imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle onto a surface.

21. The device of claim 19, further comprising a vibration unit activatable based on the information about an imminent takeover of manual control of the transportation vehicle.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the radio receiving apparatus receives the information by near-field communication, Bluetooth and/or WLAN.

23. The device of claim 19, wherein the device displays the additional information as a graphical illustration.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the graphical illustration includes at least one of a pattern or a colored portion.