METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A VEHICLE, CONTROL DEVICE, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT AND VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for controlling a vehicle including at least one sensor and at least one actuator, and a control device as well as a processing unit. The particular sensor provides sensor values to the control device. An input device provides an input signal to the control device. The control device provides at least one output signal to the actuator. The output signal being determined and provided based on the input signal and the at least one sensor signal, taking an ontology into account, wherein it is decided, based on the ontology, whether an output signal is provided, if at all, to an actuator, or to which actuator the output signal is provided, and wherein the ontology is based on traffic regulations. A control device and a computer program product for carrying out the method are also provided.

Claims

1. A method to control a vehicle, the vehicle comprising at least one sensor and at least one actuator, a control device, and a processing unit, the method comprising: providing, via the at least one sensor, sensor values to the control device; providing, via an input, an input signal to the control device; providing, via the control device, at least one output signal to the actuator, the output signal being determined and provided based on the input signal and the at least one sensor signal, taking an ontology into account, the ontology being based on traffic regulations; and determining, based on the ontology, whether the output signal is provided to an actuator or to which actuator the output signal is provided.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ontology is stored in a memory in the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ontology is stored, at least in part, on a decentralized server, the control device being at least temporarily data-linked to the decentralized server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ontology includes the traffic regulations.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the ontology includes the traffic regulations of a particular region, a country, or a state, and wherein a selection of the traffic regulations takes place based on the particular location of the vehicle in the particular region.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein it is decided, based on the ontology, whether or not the particular actuator carries out an action by use of the control device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein it is decided, based on the ontology, whether an output signal for a first actuator and/or an output signal for a second actuator is provided, based on an input signal.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a sensor is designed to provide GPS data to the control device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ontology is present in the form of a decision logic or a formal language, or a UML code.

10. A control device to control a vehicle, the control device comprising: at least one input for at least one sensor signal of a sensor; at least one input for at least one input signal of an input device; at least one output for at least one output signal for an actuator; and optionally a processing unit, wherein the control device, in particular with the aid of a processing unit, is designed to check the input signal based on an ontology, the check being provided based on at least one sensor signal, the control device being provided to supply an output signal to the particular actuator, and wherein the output signal is supplied based on the check of the input signal using the ontology and taking into account the at least one sensor signal.

11. The control device according to claim 10, wherein the ontology includes or is based on traffic regulations or traffic laws.

12. The control device according to claim 10, wherein the processing unit includes a memory, the memory storing the ontology, at least in part.

13. The control device according to claim 10 further comprising a technical data link to an external server, and wherein the control device or the external server is configured to provide an ontology to the processing unit.

14. A computer program product for installation and execution on a processing unit, wherein the computer program product is configured to carry out the method according to claim 1.

15. A vehicle comprising the control device according to claim 10.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle or a rail vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0085] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0086] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle that includes an example of a control device;

[0087] FIG. 2 shows an example of the operating principle of an ontology;

[0088] FIG. 3 shows another example of the operating principle of an ontology; and

[0089] FIG. 4 shows a control device with a decentralized server.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0090] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1 that includes an example of a control device SE. The control device SE includes a processing unit RE and an ontology. The ontology ON is preferably stored in a memory 9 that is associated with the processing unit RE. The control device SE has an input for an input signal I of an input device EV. In addition, the control device SE has inputs for sensor signals S1, S2, S3, the sensor signals S1, S2, S3 being provided by sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, respectively, that are connected to the control device.

[0091] The control device also includes outputs for output signals A1, A2, the output signals A1, A2 being providable to actuators 5a, 5b, respectively. The control device SE may be designed as a microcontroller. Terminals of the particular vehicle bus, for example a CAN bus, are advantageously used as inputs or outputs.

[0092] FIG. 2 shows an example of the operating principle of the ontology ON. An input signal I and at least one sensor signal S1 (for example, from a first sensor 3a in the present case) are provided to the ontology ON. The ontology ON is configured to decide, based on the input signal I and advantageously according to the at least one sensor signal S1, for which actuator 5a an output signal A1 is provided. In other words, the ontology ON is used to decide which actuator 5a (for example, another/different actuator 5b, 5c could also be selected) for the particular input signal I is to carry out an action. The ontology ON advantageously decides based on the sensor signal S1 and the stored traffic regulations.

[0093] The traffic regulations may be provided as traffic regulations associated with the vehicle. For a road vehicle, the traffic regulations or traffic laws are advantageously stored in the ontology ON. The ontology ON may also be designed as a trainable algorithm, the trainable algorithm having been trained to heed the particular valid traffic regulations. A trainable algorithm is preferably designed as a decision logic or as a neural network.

[0094] FIG. 3 shows another example of the operating principle of an ontology ON. As described above, the ontology ON is used for a decision regarding providing an output signal A1 for an actuator 5a, based on an input signal I and optionally an input sensor signal S1. The operating principle shown in FIG. 3 involves the decision of the ontology ON whether (or not) to provide an output signal A1 for an actuator 5a. The decision is symbolized by a question mark. Here as well, the ontology ON advantageously decides, based on the existing traffic regulations, whether an action of the particular actuator is allowed/permitted under the traffic regulations.

[0095] If the action is allowed, the output signal A1, A2 is provided in accordance with the ontology ON. If the action is not allowed or permitted according to the ontology ON, a warning signal may be provided by the control device SE. In such a case, the driver may overrule the ontology ON, for example by reactuating the input device, and the action is carried out by the particular actuator 5a, 5b despite the traffic regulations stored or taken into account in the ontology ON.

[0096] FIG. 4 shows a control device SE with a decentralized server 11. The decentralized server 11 is designed as a data cloud or an internet server, for example. The decentralized server 11 advantageously provides an ontology ON to the control device SE. The control device SE is connected to the decentralized server 11 via a technical data link 13. The technical data link may be formed by a mobile radio communications network according to the 4G or 5G standard, or the 6G standard in the future.

[0097] The control device SE may advantageously access the ontology ON on the decentralized server 11. The ontology ON may advantageously be transferred or copied from the decentralized server 11 into the memory 9 of the vehicle 1, in particular into the memory 9 of the control device SE.

[0098] The technical data link 13 may also be formed by a cable, in particular a charging cable of an electrically driven vehicle. The technical data link 13 is particularly advantageously designed as a wireless technical data link 13, for example as WLAN or as a mobile radio communications network. The decentralized server 11 may thus advantageously communicate with a charging station, and with the aid of the charging station, provide the data for the memory 9 of the vehicle 1 or of the control device SE.

[0099] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.