Haptic and/or Tactile Warning of People via a Vehicle

Abstract

An assembly is for outputting tactile warning signals in a vehicle environment of a vehicle and includes at least one sensor for scanning the vehicle environment and for detecting sensor data, and at least one signal generator for outputting a warning signal that is tactilely and/or haptically perceptible to people in the vehicle environment. The assembly further includes a control device for receiving and evaluating the sensor data and for generating control commands for actuating the signal generator in the event of a person being detected in the vehicle environment.

Claims

1. An assembly for outputting tactile and/or haptic warning signals in a vehicle environment of a vehicle, comprising: at least one sensor configured to scan the vehicle environment and for to detect sensor data; at least one signal generator configured to output a warning signal, the warning signal tactilely and/or haptically perceptible to people in the vehicle environment; and a control device configured to receive and to evaluate the detected sensor data, the control device further configured to generate control commands for actuating the at least one signal generator when a person is detected in the vehicle environment.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one signal generator includes a pressurized air nozzle, an infrared source, and/or a vibration unit.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to generate control commands for actuating one or more signal generators of the at least one signal generator.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein different signal generators of the at least one signal generator are arranged in different regions of the vehicle.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein a pulse or a pulse pattern is output by the at least one signal generator.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one signal generator has an effective radius in the vehicle environment that is at least three meters.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one signal generator is arranged on the vehicle, and signal generators of the at least one signal generator are actuated separately or in combination by the control device.

8. A method for outputting warning signals in a vehicle environment of a vehicle, comprising: receiving sensor data from a vehicle environment using a control device; evaluating the received sensor data using the control device; outputting control commands to at least one signal generator when at least one person is detected in the vehicle environment based on the evaluated sensor data using the control device; and outputting a warning signal that is tactilely and/or haptically perceptible to the at least one person in the vehicle environment using the at least one actuated signal generator.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein outputting the warning signal comprises: actuating the at least one signal generator based on a detected distance between the vehicle and the at least one person in the vehicle environment.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein outputting the warning signal comprises: adapting a pulse intensity of the warning signal based on the detected distance.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: identifying a selection of signal generators of the at least one signal generator; and wherein outputting the warning signal comprises actuating the selection of the signal generators based on a detected position of the at least one person in the vehicle environment.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein a control device is configured to carry out the method.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein a computer program comprises commands which, when the computer program is executed by a computer or a control device, cause the computer or control device to carry out the method.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the computer program is stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium.

Description

[0035] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to highly simplified schematic representations. In the drawings:

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle comprising an assembly according to one embodiment, and

[0037] FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart for illustrating a method according to one embodiment.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle 1 is an assembly 2 according to one embodiment. In the embodiment shown, the vehicle 1 is designed as an automatically operable vehicle 1. In particular, the vehicle 1 can be operated in a fully automated manner or without a driver.

[0039] The vehicle 1 comprises an assembly 2 which is used to output tactile and/or haptic warning signals in a vehicle environment U of the vehicle 1.

[0040] In particular, people 4 standing in the vehicle environment U can be warned by means of the warning signals generated in order to signal an approach of the vehicle 1.

[0041] The people 4 may be pedestrians, cyclists, animals, and the like.

[0042] The assembly 2 comprises at least one sensor 6 in order to monitor the vehicle environment U for people 4. The sensor 6 may be, for example, a camera sensor, a LIDAR sensor, a radar sensor, and the like.

[0043] The measurement data or sensor data detected by the sensor 6 can be received and evaluated by a control device 8. If a person 4 is noticed in the immediate environment of the vehicle 1, at least one signal generator 10, 12, 14 can be actuated by the control device 8 in order to motivate the person 4 to vacate the vehicle environment U.

[0044] The signal generator 10, 12, 14 may be designed, for example, as a pressurized air nozzle 10, an infrared source 12, or as a vibration unit 14. People 4 at a distance from the vehicle 1 can also be warned by means of the pressurized air nozzles 10 and infrared source 12.

[0045] The vibration unit 14 may, for example, cause part of a vehicle body to vibrate and thus alert or warn a person 4 that is in contact with the vehicle 1.

[0046] The assembly 2 and, in particular, the control device 8 can communicate with an approval module of the vehicle 1 in order to approve a starting movement of the vehicle 1.

[0047] If people 4 are noticed in the vehicle environment U, the approval for the starting movement cannot be granted. By means of the assembly 2, the people 4 are prompted to leave the vehicle environment U, as a result of which the approval for a starting movement of the vehicle 1 can be issued more quickly.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart for illustrating a method 16 according to one embodiment. The method 16 is used to output warning signals in a vehicle environment U of a vehicle 1 and can preferably be executed by a control device 8.

[0049] In a first step 18, sensor data of a vehicle environment U of at least one sensor 6 are received and evaluated by the control device 8.

[0050] In a further step 20, control commands are output to at least one signal generator 10, 12, 14 when at least one person 4 is detected in the vehicle environment U.

[0051] Different signal generators 10, 12, 14 can be actuated by the control device 8 with an adjustable intensity or power depending on a position of the person 4 relative to the vehicle 1 and a distance between the person 4 and the vehicle 1.

[0052] Subsequently 22, a warning signal that is tactilely and/or haptically perceptible to the person 4 in the vehicle environment U is output by means of the at least one actuated signal generator 10, 12, 14.