Motor Vehicle with a Lightweight Dashboard and a Lightweight Steering Column

Abstract

A motor vehicle equipped with a parking light, a low-beam and a high-beam, and with a dashboard and a steering column. For the purpose of realizing a lightweight construction concept, the parking light, the low-beam and the high-beam are automatically controllable via information from a navigation system and from at least one camera for the environment around the vehicle, and the vehicle does not have any operating device operable by the driver for the parking light, the low-beam and/or the high-beam with at least one button, at least one switch and/or at least one operating lever in or on a dashboard or on a steering column.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising: parking lights; low-beam headlights; high-beam headlights; a dashboard; a steering column; a navigation system that supplies information; at least one camera that provides information of the motor vehicle surroundings, wherein the parking lights, the low-beam headlights and the high-beam headlights are automatically controllable via information from the navigation system and from the at least one camera, and the motor vehicle has no driver-operable operator control device for the parking lights, the low-beam headlights, and/or the high-beam headlights with a switch, a button, and/or a control lever in or on the dashboard or the steering column.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a rear fog-light; a fog light; and/or daytime running lights, wherein the rear fog-light, the fog light and/or the daytime running lights are automatically controllable via information from the navigation system and from the at least one camera, and the motor vehicle has no driver-operable operator control device for the rear fog-light, the fog light, and/or the daytime running lights with a switch, a button, and/or a control lever in or on the dashboard or the steering column.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising: a headlight flasher and/or a wiper water delivery device operable via one or more of voice and gesture control, wherein the motor vehicle has no touch-based driver-operable operator control device for the headlight flasher and/or the wiper water delivery device with a switch, a button, and/or a control lever in or on the dashboard or steering column.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a headlight flasher and/or a wiper water delivery device operable via one or more of voice and gesture control, wherein the motor vehicle has no touch-based driver-operable operator control device for the headlight flasher and/or the wiper water delivery device with a switch, a button, and/or a control lever in or on the dashboard or steering column.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a direction of travel indicator; and a steering sensor, wherein the direction of travel indicator is automatically controllable via information from the navigation system, from the at least one camera, and from the steering sensor, and the motor vehicle has no driver-operable operator control device for the direction of travel indicator with a control lever, a button, and/or a switch in or on the dashboard or steering column.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a windshield wiper; and a rain sensor, wherein the windshield wiper is automatically controllable via information from the navigation system and from the rain sensor, and the motor vehicle has no driver-operable operator control device for the windshield wiper with a switch, a button, and/or a control lever in or on the dashboard or the steering column.

7. A method for operator control of a motor vehicle equipped with parking lights, low-beam headlights, high-beam headlights, a navigation system, at least one camera for the motor vehicle surroundings, a direction of travel indicator, a headlight flasher, a windshield wiper, and a rain sensor, the method comprising the acts of: automatically controlling the parking lights, the low-beam headlights, and the high-beam headlights via information from the navigation system and from the at least one camera; automatically controlling the direction of travel indicator via said information and additionally information from the steering sensor; controlling the headlight flasher and/or the wiper water delivery device via one or more of gesture and voice recognition; and automatically controlling the windshield wiper via information from the navigation system and from the rain sensor.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the act of: automatically controlling a rear fog-light, a fog light and/or daylight running lights of the motor vehicle via information from the navigation system and from the at least one camera for the vehicle surroundings.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a dashboard of a motor vehicle according to the prior art.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the flow of information for automatic operation of various lighting functions of a motor vehicle.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the flow of information for automatic operation of a headlight flasher and of a wiper water delivery device of the motor vehicle.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the flow of information for automatic operation of a direction of travel indicator.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the flow of information for automatic operation of a windshield wiper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a dashboard of a motor vehicle 1 according to the prior art. The motor vehicle 1 has a dashboard 2 in which an operator control unit 4 for various lighting functions is installed. In this case, a rotary switch 4a can be used to activate the parking lights and the running lights. Furthermore, two pushbuttons 4b and 4c can be used to activate separately a fog light and a rear fog light. Further, the motor vehicle 1 has a steering column 3 on which a multifunction control lever 5 is arranged. A direction of travel indicator can be activated and deactivated by moving this control lever 5 up and down in a known manner. Further, the headlight flasher can be activated and deactivated in a known manner by pulling/releasing the control lever 5. Arranged on the steering column 3, opposite the control lever 5, is a further control lever 7 that can be used by the driver to control a windshield wiper 6, e.g. by moving said further control lever up and down. Pulling/releasing the control lever 7 operates the wiper water delivery device in a known manner. The dashboard 2 and the steering column 3, as well as the supports thereof, have a rigidity that prevents excessive vibration of these elements. This necessitates considerable use of materials, leading to corresponding weight for said assemblies.

[0019] FIG. 2 schematically shows the flow of information for automatic operation of the parking lights 23, low-beam headlights 24, high-beam headlights 25, daytime running lights 26, rear fog light 27 and fog light 28. Operation is caused by an automatic operating system 20. The automatic operating system may be a processor-based system including memory and associated peripherals executing program code. The information for the automatic operating system 20 is supplied by a navigation system 21 and a camera or camera systems (for ambient data inter alia) 22 for the vehicle environment or surroundings. The automatic operating system 20 evaluates the information and automatically operates at least one of the lighting functions: parking lights 23, low-beam headlights 24, high-beam headlights 25, daytime running lights 26, rear fog light 27 and/or fog light 28. As an alternative to the structure shown for automatic operation of all of said types of lighting by way of a single automatic operating system, it is contemplated for a selection or just individual instances of these functions to be automatically operated and for this particularly also to involve more than one automatic operating system being used, the respective functions or groups thereof possibly having associated separate automatic operating systems.

[0020] FIG. 3 schematically shows the flow of information for automatic operation of a headlight flasher 33 and/or of a wiper water delivery device 34. Information from a sensor (e.g. acoustic) 31, for example from a microphone, and/or from a camera or camera systems (e.g. for gestures) 32 of the driver, is supplied to an automatic operating system 30 for operator control of the headlight flasher 33 and/or the wiper water delivery device 34. The automatic operating system 30 evaluates the information and automatically operates the headlight flasher 33 and/or the wiper water delivery device 34. The automatic operating system 30 comprises a voice and/or gesture controller. Alternatively, these functions may also be integrated in the camera systems (e.g. for gestures) 32 or in the sensor (e.g. acoustic) 31.

[0021] FIG. 4 schematically shows the flow of information for operation of a direction of travel indicator 44. An automatic operating system 40 for the direction of travel indicator 44 receives information from the navigation system 21 and the camera systems (for ambient data inter alia) 22. It is also possible for multiple cameras or camera systems for the vehicle surroundings to be used. Further, the automatic operating system 40 receives data from a steering sensor 43 that records movements of a steering wheel of the motor vehicle 1. The automatic operating system 40 ascertains when the direction of travel indicator 44 needs to be operated and automatically sends appropriate operating signals to the direction of travel indicator 44.

[0022] FIG. 5 schematically shows the flow of information for automatic operation of a windshield wiper 6 of the motor vehicle 1. An automatic operating system 50 for operating the windshield wiper 6 receives information from a rain sensor 51 and the navigation system 21. In particular, the navigation system 21 supplies weather data to the automatic operating system 50. The automatic operating system 50 evaluates the information from the rain sensor 51 and the navigation system 21, and automatically operates the windshield wiper 6 when required.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0023] 1 Motor vehicle

[0024] 2 Dashboard

[0025] 3 Steering column

[0026] 4 Operator control device

[0027] 4a Switch

[0028] 4b Button for a fog light

[0029] 4c Button for a rear fog light

[0030] 5 Control lever for a direction of travel indicator

[0031] 6 Windshield wiper

[0032] 7 Control lever for the windshield wiper and wiper water delivery device

[0033] 20 Automatic operator control system for the lighting

[0034] 21 Navigation system

[0035] 22 Camera or camera systems (for ambient data inter alia)

[0036] 23 Parking lights

[0037] 24 Low-beam headlights

[0038] 25 High-beam headlights

[0039] 26 Daytime running lights

[0040] 27 Rear fog light

[0041] 28 Fog light

[0042] 30 Automatic operator control system for a headlight flasher and wiper water delivery device

[0043] 31 Sensor (e.g. acoustic)

[0044] 32 Camera or camera systems (e.g. for gestures)

[0045] 33 Headlight flasher

[0046] 34 Wiper water delivery device

[0047] 40 Automatic operator control system for the direction of travel indicator

[0048] 43 Steering sensor

[0049] 44 Direction of travel indicator

[0050] 50 Automatic operator control system for the windshield wiper

[0051] 51 Rain sensor

[0052] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.