METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REDUCING A PROBABILITY OF TRANSMITTING PATHOGENS IN A VEHICLE

Abstract

A method and a system for reducing a probability of transmitting pathogens between vehicle occupants located in an interior of a vehicle is disclosed. A hazardous situation present in a vehicle interior of the vehicle is recognized, which is associated with an elevated probability of transmitting pathogens, namely by registering a vehicle occupant-related event associated with the elevated probability of transmitting pathogens, and/or by registering a current pathogen load in the vehicle interior, and/or on the basis of an instruction provided by a vehicle occupant or externally, from which the elevated probability of transmitting pathogens and thus the hazardous situation can be concluded. In the event of a recognized hazardous situation, a measured for reducing the probability of transmitting pathogens in the vehicle interior is initiated.

Claims

1. A method for reducing a probability of transmitting pathogens between vehicle occupants located in a vehicle interior of a vehicle, the method comprising: determining a hazardous situation, which is associated with an elevated probability of transmitting pathogens, is present in the vehicle interior of the: by registering a vehicle occupant-related event associated with the elevated probability of transmitting pathogens, by registering a current pathogen load in the vehicle interior and subsequently checking whether the registered current pathogen load is above a predefined threshold pathogen load, wherein the hazardous situation is present in the event of a current pathogen load lying above the threshold pathogen load, and/or on the basis of an instruction provided by a vehicle occupant or externally, which permits the elevated probability of transmitting pathogens and thus the hazardous situation to be concluded; ascertaining an event-related, vehicle occupant-related, and/or vehicle-related parameter or a parameter tuple; and in the event of a recognized hazardous situation, initiating a measure to reduce the probability of transmitting pathogens in the vehicle interior taking consideration of the ascertained parameter or parameter tuple.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is carried out using a vehicle-side computing and monitoring unit, in particular an onboard computer, or an external computing and monitoring unit connected in terms of communications technology to the vehicle-side computing and monitoring unit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein an event linked to an elevated substance emission via the oral-pharyngeal-nasal cavity of a vehicle occupant is registered as the vehicle occupant-related event.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the event is a coughing event, a sneezing event, a speech event, a voice event, a singing event, a respiratory event, a movement event, or a vomiting event, in which the substance is emitted.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an elevated body temperature of a vehicle occupant is registered as the vehicle occupant-related event.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the event is registered using one or more sensor(s), in particular one or more acoustic sensor(s), one or more optical sensor(s), one or more movement sensor(s), one or more thermal sensor(s), one or more radiation sensor(s), one or more seat sensor(s), one or more weight sensors arranged on a vehicle seat, and/or one or more touch sensor(s).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the current pathogen load is registered by a sensor arranged in the vehicle for determining a pathogen load in a room air sample or a room volume element from the vehicle interior.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein that the instruction is based on a notification about a positive test of a pathogen infection of a vehicle occupant, wherein the instruction is transmitted in the course of a manual input of the vehicle occupant or automatically to the vehicle-side computing and monitoring unit.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the event-related parameter is a chronological duration and/or an intensity of the event linked to the elevated substance emission via the oral-pharyngeal-nasal cavity of a vehicle occupant.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the event-related parameter relates to a movement form, a movement duration, a movement intensity, or a movement sequence of a movement of a vehicle occupant.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle occupant-related parameter relates to a number, seat position, seat distribution, seat posture, height, age, weight, and/or a gender of the vehicle occupants.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-related parameter relates to an airflow parameter of an airflow situation present in the vehicle interior, wherein the airflow parameter is ascertained in particular from a vehicle speed, a window status, a door status, aeration settings, ventilation settings, climate control system settings, and/or air filter settings.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter tuple relates to a plurality of parameters which are selected from one or more event-related parameter(s), one or more vehicle occupant-related parameter(s), and/or one or more vehicle-related parameter(s).

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measure for reducing the probability of transmitting pathogens in the vehicle interior relates to an adaptation of at least one vehicle parameter, wherein the adaptation relates in particular to an adaptation of an airflow situation present in the vehicle interior.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the adaptation of the at least one vehicle parameter relates to an adaptation of the vehicle speed, the window status, the door status, the aeration settings, the ventilation settings, the climate control system settings, and/or air filter settings.

16. A system implemented in a vehicle, the system comprising: a computing device configured to: determine a hazardous situation present in a vehicle interior of the vehicle, which is associated with an elevated probability of transmitting pathogens, comprising: registration means for registering a vehicle occupant-related event associated with the elevated probability of transmitting pathogens, pathogen load registration means for registering a current pathogen load in the vehicle interior and checking means for checking whether the registered current pathogen load is above a predefined threshold pathogen load, wherein the hazardous situation is present in the event of a current pathogen load lying above the threshold pathogen load, and/or receiving means for receiving an instruction provided by a vehicle occupant or externally, from which the elevated probability of transmitting pathogens and thus the hazardous situation can be concluded; ascertain an event-related, vehicle occupant-related, and/or vehicle-related parameter or a parameter tuple; and initiate a measure for reducing the probability of transmitting pathogens in the vehicle interior taking consideration of the ascertained parameter or parameter tuple in the event of an established hazardous situation.

17. A vehicle comprising a system having the features of claim 16.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are to be understood as nonrestrictive and which are explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings. In the schematic figures of these drawings:

[0063] FIG. 1 shows a schematic method sequence of a method executable in the scope of the invention in a first embodiment variant; and

[0064] FIG. 2 shows a schematic method sequence of a method executable in the scope of the invention in a further embodiment variant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] The invention firstly relates to a method for reducing a probability of transmitting pathogens between vehicle occupants located in a vehicle interior of a vehicle, in which a hazardous situation present in a vehicle interior of the vehicle is recognized, which is associated with an elevated probability of transmitting pathogens, namely i.) by registering a vehicle occupant-related event associated with the elevated probability of transmitting pathogens and/or ii.) by registering a current pathogen load in the vehicle interior and subsequently checking whether the registered current pathogen load is above a predefined threshold pathogen load, wherein the hazardous situation is present in the event of a current pathogen load lying above the threshold pathogen load, and/or iii.) on the basis of an instruction provided by a vehicle occupant or externally, which permits the elevated probability of transmitting pathogens and thus the hazardous situation to be concluded.

[0066] In the method, furthermore an event-related, vehicle occupant-related, and/or vehicle-related parameter or a parameter tuple is ascertained and, in the event of a recognized hazardous situation, a measure for reducing the probability of transmitting pathogens in the vehicle interior is initiated taking consideration of the ascertained parameter or parameter tuple.

[0067] FIG. 1 shows a schematic method sequence of a method executed in the scope of the invention in a first embodiment variant. Here, after a start S1 of the method, in a step S2, one or more event-related, vehicle occupant-related, and/or vehicle-related parameters are ascertained by means of suitable sensors P. The ascertainment of the mentioned parameters can be triggered for example by a vehicle occupant-related event (for example a coughing or sneezing event) or can take place during the event. In a step S3, it is ascertained whether one of the parameters exceeds a certain parameter specification or a threshold value. For example, it can be checked whether the amount of the pathogens emitted by a vehicle occupant lies above a predefined threshold pathogen load. This can be carried out via a direct determination or an indirect determination (for example via parameters proportional to the pathogen load, which can be determined via different sensors P). If the parameter specification or the threshold value is not exceeded, for example in reference to the predefined threshold pathogen load, the method is thus ended according to flow line 100 (step S7). If the parameter specification or the threshold value is exceeded, for example in reference to the predefined threshold pathogen load, the method is thus continued according to flow line 101. In a step S4, for example a currently present pathogen load is then ascertained, for example via a direct determination or an indirect determination. Step S4 thus relates, in contrast to step S3 (qualitative determination in reference to a parameter specification or a threshold value), to a quantitative determination. In a step S5, the duration is calculated to reduce the probability of transmitting pathogens in the vehicle interior to an un-critical amount, or to ascertain the duration to purify the vehicle interior of the pathogen load. In step S6, a measure for reducing the probability of transmitting pathogens in the vehicle interior is then taken before the method ends in step S7. The measure for reducing the probability of transmitting pathogens preferably takes into consideration the ascertained event-related, vehicle occupant-related, and/or vehicle-related parameter(s) or a parameter tuple thereof.

[0068] FIG. 2 shows a schematic method sequence of a method executed in the scope of the invention in a second embodiment variant.

[0069] If a (measurement) signal, an instruction, or other reference is present (step N1), which can indicate a possible hazardous situation associated with an elevated probability of transmitting pathogens, in step N2, the mentioned signal, the instruction, or the reference is checked in reference to the presence of an elevated probability of transmitting pathogens. If the signal, the instruction, or the reference does not supply an indication of an elevated probability of transmitting pathogens, the method is thus ended according to flow line 200 (step N10). Otherwise, according to flow line 201, sensor signals of the sensors P present in the vehicle are firstly checked in a step N3. In step N4, the source and direction of the pathogen propagation is checked based thereon. In step N5, it is checked how many vehicle occupants are located in the vehicle and at which spatial positions they are located in the vehicle. In step N6, airflow parameters relating to an airflow situation currently present in the vehicle interior are then ascertained, wherein the airflow parameter is in particular ascertained from parameters V such as a vehicle speed, a window status, a door status, aeration settings, ventilation settings, climate control system settings, and/or air filter settings. Thereupon, in step N7, the probability is ascertained according to which pathogens could be transmitted from one vehicle occupant to a further vehicle occupant. If the probability is low or a transmission is improbable, the method is thus ended according to flow line 300 (step N10). Otherwise, a measure is determined which can provide an airflow situation that is accompanied by a reduced probability of transmitting pathogens (step N8). In step N9, this measure is then initiated before the method ends in step N10.

[0070] When it is recognized according to the invention that a person coughs, sneezes, speaks with high intensity, or is infectious (vehicle occupant-related event), the position of the vehicle occupants, the location of the source, and the direction of the propagating infectious material are determined with the aid of the sensors and items of vehicle system information available in the vehicle. By changing the airflow settings, opening one or more windows, or activating air purification devices, the best airflow and air purification scenarios are ascertained and applied, so that pathogens are transported away from other vehicle occupants.

[0071] When a sensor signal is present that indicates a pathogen propagation in the vehicle interior, or such a propagation is recognized by manual actuation of a switch, sensors present in the vehicle are used and the measurement results thereof are combined to recognize the position of that vehicle occupant who coughs, sneezes, or speaks a large amount. In addition, it is registered whether the vehicle occupant has an elevated skin temperature, which can be an indicator of the presence of fever. The items of sensor information are used to ascertain the location of the source and the propagation direction as well as the position of other vehicle occupants who have to be protected. The items of information of the vehicle system (vehicle parameters) are used to assess the current airflow directions. If this would result in other vehicle occupants possibly inhaling or being contaminated by pathogens, an alternative airflow and purification setting is ascertained and set for a certain time period.