SE539157C2 - Identification of safety risks in a vehicle to notify fellow road users - Google Patents

Abstract

Method (700) and device (200) in a vehicle (100), for determining and notifying a passenger (110) that the vehicle (100) has an increased need for attention. The method (700) is characterized by: detecting (701) the number of safety-critical operations in the vehicle (100) over a period of time; comparing (702) between the detected (701) number of safety-critical operations with one or more limit value / s; and sending (703) a message to the fellow road user (1 10) to indicate an increased need for attention, when the detected (701) number of safety-critical operations exceeds said one or more limit value / s. Furthermore, a method (900) and a device (300) for alerting a fellow road user (110) to a vehicle (100) having an increased need for attention are included. (Publ. Fig. 6)

Description

This document describes a method and a device in a vehicle as well as a method and a device in connection with a fellow road user of the vehicle. More specifically, a single mechanism is provided for identifying a surrounding vehicle which has an increased need for attention as a result of a safety-critical driving behavior of the driver of this vehicle.

BACKGROUND In a traffic situation, it sometimes happens that some surrounding drivers in front of their vehicle in an unpredictable, irrational way, or simply drive carelessly for various reasons.

Examples of this can be drivers who suddenly change lanes without using direction indicators, drivers who use the inner lane as an overtaking lane on a motorway, drivers who overtake over solid road markings or drivers who slalom with the vehicle between two lanes.

As a result, fellow road users are often forced to adapt their driving to the carelessly driven vehicle with hard braking and / or rapid evasive maneuvers as a result. In the worst case, the result can be a traffic accident.

A fellow road user to the careless driver must, however, have supervision over the surrounding vehicle both in front and behind and on the sides of his own vehicle, as well as over traffic signs, road / road conditions, etc., and may therefore have difficulty distinguishing and identifying the careless driver from the crowd. by other, more predictable road users. The driver must therefore critically examine all surrounding vehicles and may then miss the vehicle that is most at risk of making unforeseen maneuvers.

An existing solution to this problem is to mark certain risk vehicles, for example vehicles that are driving practice. These drivers are often overly cautious and hesitant in their driving style and can therefore cause misunderstandings for fellow road users. The problem with the existing license plate that is put on these vehicles is that it is usually only visible to the vehicle immediately behind. At an intersection or roundabout, the practice-driving vehicle can, through hesitant and indistinct actions, cause misinterpretation by a fellow road user who only sees this vehicle from the front or from the side.

JP 2012168811 shows a system for warning the driver of a vehicle behind for a risky night collision with their own vehicle. The system triggers a warning when the own vehicle is close to another vehicle in front. Thereby, an underlying road user is warned in the event of an overlying collision risk for his own vehicle and a series crash, for example, can be avoided. The problem with this solution is that it does not help the driver to identify other drivers who exhibit risky behavior in traffic.

US 7411485 discloses a system for visually warning the driver when he leaves the lane in which the vehicle is being driven. The system is activated when the driver shows signs of fatigue. This solution is about warning the driver of his own careless driving due to fatigue or inattention, not about warning fellow road users of this. Nor does this solution enable the identification of other drivers with risky behavior in traffic.

US 8031063 discloses a system which determines if the own vehicle makes an unintentional lane change, and warns the driver when this occurs. No warning is given to fellow road users. Nor does this solution make it possible to identify other drivers with risky behavior in traffic.

It can be stated that much still remains to be done to facilitate a road user's detection and identification of careless or dangerous road users in traffic.

SUMMARY It is therefore an object of this invention to be able to solve at least some of the above stated problems and make it easier for a fellow road user to identify a surrounding vehicle with an increased need for attention.

According to a first aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by a method in a vehicle, for determining and informing a fellow road user that the vehicle has an increased need for attention. The method comprises detecting the number of safety-critical operations on the vehicle over a period of time. Furthermore, the method comprises a comparison between the detected number of safety-critical operations with one or more limit value (s). The method also includes sending a message to the fellow road user to indicate the need for heightened attention, when the detected number of safety-critical operations exceeds said one or more limit value / s.

According to a second aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by a device in a vehicle, arranged to determine and notify a fellow road user that the vehicle has a need for heightened attention. The device comprises a detector, arranged to detect a safety-critical operation in the vehicle. Furthermore, the device comprises a processor circuit, arranged to receive an indication of a safety-critical operation of the driver from the detector, and to calculate the number of safety-critical operations of the driver during a period of time. The processor circuit is also arranged to compare the detected number of safety-critical operations with one or more limit value / s. The processor circuit is also arranged to send a control signal to trigger a transmission of a message to the fellow road user to indicate an increased need for attention for the vehicle, when the number of detected safety-critical operations exceeds the one or more limit value / s.

According to a third aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by a method for alerting a fellow road user to a vehicle which has an increased need for attention. The method comprises receiving a message from the vehicle, indicating an increased attention need for the vehicle. Furthermore, the method also includes an indication of the vehicle which has an increased need for attention.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by a device for alerting a fellow road user to a vehicle which has an increased need for attention. Such a device comprises a receiver, arranged for receiving a warning message from the vehicle, which indicates an increased need for attention. The device also comprises an indicator, arranged to indicate the vehicle which has an increased need for attention.

By defining dangerous vehicle drivers, or vehicle drivers with an increased need for attention, and enabling a fellow road user to identify this vehicle, the fellow road users' attention can be directed towards the largest risk objects in the surrounding traffic, which can help reduce the risk of a traffic accident. This is an advantage for the driver of the dangerous vehicle as well as for surrounding road users. This achieves a safer road user environment and safer vehicles for the vehicles involved.

Other advantages and additional new features will become apparent from the following detailed description.

LIST OF FIGURES Embodiments of the invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying figures, which illustrate various embodiments: Figure 1A illustrates a vehicle and a fellow road user according to an embodiment.

Figure 1B illustrates a vehicle and a fellow road user according to an embodiment.

Figure 2 Figure 3A Figure 3B Figure 4A Figure 4B Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 illustrates an example of a vehicle interior in a vehicle according to an embodiment. illustrates an example of a vehicle interior in a fellow passenger's vehicle according to an embodiment. illustrates an example of a monitor in a fellow passenger's vehicle according to an embodiment. illustrates an example of a scenario where a fellow road user is warned of a vehicle according to an embodiment. illustrates an example of a monitor of a fellow road user according to an embodiment. illustrates an example of a scenario where a fellow road user is given the opportunity to assess the driving style of the driver of a vehicle according to an embodiment. illustrates an example of a vehicle interior in a fellow passenger's vehicle according to an embodiment. is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the invention. is an illustration of a device according to an embodiment of the invention. is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the invention. is an illustration of a device according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatus which may be realized according to any of the examples described below. However, this invention can be practiced in many different forms and should not be construed as limited by the embodiments described herein, which are intended to illustrate and refute various aspects.

Additional aspects and features of the invention may become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures. However, the figures are to be considered only as examples of different embodiments of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention, which is limited only by the appended claims. Furthermore, the figures are not necessarily to scale, and are, unless otherwise specifically indicated, intended to conceptually illustrate aspects of the invention.

Figure 1A shows a vehicle 100, adapted for motorized driving in, inter alia, a first direction 105. For example, but not necessarily, the vehicle 100 may be a truck, a truck, a truck, a bus, a car, a tractor, a motorcycle, or similar Iand-based manned or unmanned means of transportation. Furthermore, a co-passenger 110 is illustrated to the vehicle 100. In the illustrated example, the co-passenger 110 is a truck, but this is only an arbitrary example. The articulated road user 110 may be constituted, for example, by any of the above-mentioned vehicle types, or by a pedestrian, a cyclist or the like.

According to one embodiment, a vehicle 100 is identified which is driven carelessly, or on which the fellow road user 110 has reason to be extra observant for other reasons. Such reasons may be, for example, that the driver shows signs of fatigue or inattention, that the driver has a used driving license, that the driver is often involved in traffic accidents, that the vehicle's fuel is about to run out (which can either cause the vehicle 100 to stop suddenly, or the driver makes a late lane change to get to an exit where there is a petrol station), or the like. This identified vehicle 100 is illustrated in a suitable manner for the fellow road user 110. The articulated driver 110 can be noticed by, for example, an audible signal, a voice message, visually by marking on a monitor or on the windshield or on a head up display opposite the windscreen, on which the vehicle 100 is marked as an increased risk. In this way, the road user 110 can be made aware and made aware of the increased risk that the vehicle 100 poses, with his current driver. The road user 110 can thereby be helped to quickly identify and distinguish vehicles 100 which have a driver with an unpredictable or dangerous driving style. By becoming aware of the increased accident risk posed by the vehicle 100, the fellow passenger 110 can focus on this vehicle 100 and adapt his actions at an early stage, for example by maintaining an extra long distance to the vehicle 100, driving the vehicle 100 by a wide margin, lowering his own speed, etc. In this way an accident can be avoided, and / or the consequences of an accident can be reduced. This is an advantage, not only for the fellow road user 110 but also for the driver of the vehicle 100, as well as for other, surrounding road users.

A certain vehicle 100 can be driven by different drivers at different times and according to certain embodiments the driver of the vehicle is therefore identified, for example by reading the digital tachograph card in commercial vehicles; reading of the driver's driving license; in that different predefined drivers for the vehicle 100 have different keys or for example short radio transmitters (sometimes called tags) to identify them as individual drivers in the vehicle. In some embodiments, it is also conceivable to identify the driver face with a camera provided for this in the vehicle 100, identify the driver's fingerprint with a fingerprint reader which may be built into the steering wheel or gear lever, retina scanners as the driver's eyes, or similar biometric identification method. The identification of the driver can, in addition to, for example, setting the seat, steering wheel inclination and other driver-related parameters, also be linked to a stored history of the driver's driving data according to certain embodiments.

This also enables individual adaptation of threshold values for various safety-critical operations in the vehicle 100, based on historical data about an identified driver in the vehicle 100.

The term "vehicle 100 which has an increased need for attention" is sometimes used interchangeably here with the term "driver who has an increased need for attention".

Figure 1B shows the same scenario with the vehicle 100 and the fellow road user 110 as shown in Figure 1A, but viewed from a bird's eye view.

The driver of the vehicle 100 has crossed the lane line several times during a certain period of time. According to an embodiment of the invention, the driver of this vehicle 100 can be categorized as a vehicle with an increased need for attention. A message indicating an increased need for attention of the vehicle 100 can be sent to the fellow road user 110 according to certain embodiments, over a wireless interface.

This wireless interface may be based on, for example, any of the following vehicle-to-vehicle communications technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Access Division (CDMA), (CDMA 2000), Time DivisionSynchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced; WirelessFidelity (Wi-Fi), defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards 802.11 a, ac, b, g and / or n, Internet Protocol (IP), WLAN, Bluetooth and / or Near Field Communication, ( NFC), or similar communication technology based on radio communication according to different embodiments, possibly via a base station or the like.

Figure 2 shows an example of a vehicle interior of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 includes a single device 200, for determining that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention due to detected safety-critical operations in the vehicle 100. The device 200 is also arranged to notify a fellow road user 110 that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention, via the sending of a treeless warning message.

The vehicle 100 also includes one or more detectors 210 of the same, similar or different type, arranged to detect a safety-critical operation in the vehicle 100. For example, the probe detector 210 is performed by a camera aimed at the driver's eyes, and / or a vehicle sensor such as steering wheel angle. gear sensor and / or accelerometer. More examples of different detectors 210 that can cooperate in the vehicle 100 are given below.

The safety-critical operation may include, for example, changing lanes without using direction indicators; lane change without the driver looking in the rearview mirror; when the driver has his eyes closed longer than a predetermined period of time; the driver looks at something other than the windscreen / rearview mirror longer than a certain period of time; when the driver is in a different lane than the vehicle's (GPS) navigators indicate (and therefore may need to make a quick lane change shortly); vehicle fuel is about to run out; overtaking another vehicle on the inside; slalom skiing between other vehicles in different lanes; when the distance in time to the vehicle in front is less than three se customers; when the driver activates his mobile phone without using hands-free while driving; the vehicle's tachograph indicates that the maximum permitted driving time without a break / day rest is about to be exceeded / has been exceeded (if the vehicle 100 has a tachograph); when the driver drives the vehicle 100 without a break for longer than a certain limit value, for example 4 hours; when speed limit is exceeded, or exceeded by more than, for example, 10%; when a fatigue warning support in the vehicle 100 indicates that the driver is tired; when an alcohol meter in the vehicle 100 indicates that the driver has drunk alcohol; when the vehicle 100 stops on the highway; then the vehicle 100backs on the highway; when the vehicle 100 is about to turn left on a country road; or other similar act. This list is not exhaustive but can rather be seen as an example of various inappropriate measures while driving, which may indicate that the driver is a traffic hazard.

A detector 210 arranged to detect that the driver is changing lanes without looking in the rearview mirror, or to detect that the driver has his eyes closed for longer than a predetermined period of time may be a camera or the like. A detector 210 arranged to detect when the driver makes a lane change without using direction indicators may include one or more sensors to detect the position of the vehicle in the roadway, or when the driver is in a different lane than that indicated by the vehicle (GPS) navigator. A detector 210 arranged to detect when the distance in time to the vehicle in front is less than three seconds may comprise, for example, a distance meter, such as for example a laser distance meter which can measure the distance to the vehicle in front.

The detector 210 may further include, for example, a fatigue warning support in the vehicle 100, which may indicate that the driver is tired, or an alcohol meter in the vehicle 100, which may indicate that the driver has drunk alcohol.

When the detector / sensors 210 have detected a safety-critical operation, a message to that effect is sent to the device 200, via a wireless or wired interface. Such wired communication can be made, for example, via the vehicle's communication bus, which may consist of one or more of a cable; a data bus, such as a CAN bus (ControllerArea Network bus), a l \ / IOST bus (Media Oriented Systems Transport), or any other bus configuration.

The device 200 and the detector / sensors 210 may also, or alternatively, be arranged for wireless communication over a wireless interface according to certain embodiments, for example one of the wireless interfaces listed above.

The device 200 can then calculate the number of detected safety-critical operations of the driver over a period of time and compare the resulting number with a limit value. If the daily limit value is exceeded, the device 200 can send a control signal to trigger a transmission of a message to the fellow road user 110 to indicate increased need for attention for the vehicle 100, via a wireless interface, for example through a transmitter.

Furthermore, according to certain embodiments, the device 200 can be arranged to determine that the vehicle 100 in front of the driver has an increased need for attention when the driver is practicing, regardless of whether this takes place in a driving school or during private practice driving. This can be done, for example, by the driver himself marking that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention as a result of practice driving. Alternatively, a reading of the driver's driver's license can be taken, and the driver's lack of driver's license can be interpreted as practice driving or illegal driving in the vehicle 100. The fact that the vehicle's driver does not have a valid driver's license can in itself be a source of concern for fellow road users 110.

In certain embodiments, the device 200 may determine that the driver has a driver's license issued less than a second time limit. This second limit can last for a number of years, for example 1 year, 2 years, 5 years; or a multiple of these, or a value between these values. This is because drivers with a new driving license have more limited experience than other drivers.

Furthermore, the device 200 can also determine that the driver is older than a third limit value. This third limit value can be, for example, 70 years, 75 years, 80 years, or a value in between. Older people over these ages are often overrepresented in accident statistics.

The device 200 can also determine if the driver has previously had his driving license revoked; for example, by identifying the driver according to the driving license, sending a request to a database if the driver has had his driving license revoked earlier and determining that the vehicle 100 in which the driver is driving has an increased need for attention in this case.

The device 200 can also send an inquiry to the car register and determine whether the vehicle 100 has a driving ban, and / or is wanted. A vehicle 100 with a driving ban due to failure in the car inspection can pose a safety risk in traffic.

The device 200 can also in certain embodiments determine that the driver has a number of injury-free years below a fourth limit value. This fourth limit value can be, for example, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, or the like. The device 200 can, for example, identify the driver via the driving license, send an inquiry to a database, for example belonging to the driver's insurance company and determine that the vehicle 100 in which the driver is driving then has an increased need for attention.

In certain embodiments, the device 200 may also detect that the vehicle 100 is an emergency vehicle during emergency response and therefore has an increased need for attention as it has a right and sometimes also an obligation to violate ordinary traffic rules, for example regarding speed limitation. The device 200 can then detect when the driver activates sirens / blue lights in the vehicle 100 according to certain embodiments.

The device 200 can also in certain embodiments detect other types of vehicles with a deviating driving pattern, such as mail vans (which often stop at mailboxes), garbage trucks (which often stop in front of properties and have garbage collectors jumping out of the vehicle 100), cleaning vehicles such as e.g. salt truck / plow truck (which may have to move overpasses, suddenly stop and turn, etc. to remove snow), and / or detect that a vehicle100 that is not a bus / taxi is driving in a bus lane (as this road user may soon is supposed to detect that he is running in the bus file and then make a quick file change).

A check can be made in certain embodiments, based for example on an identification of the driver with a driving license, if he is criminally charged; alternatively if the vehicle 100 is wanted.

Lifestyle criminals are often less concerned about a considerate and caring driving style. The driver himself can also in certain embodiments feed into the device 200 that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention. This can be done, for example, in an emergency situation where the driver needs to drive a sick or in need of care to a hospital or equivalent, for example when a highly pregnant woman needs to be taken to a maternity ward. The driver can also choose to activate the sending of a warning message based on self-insight about the momentary or permanent limitations in driving ability, for example due to fatigue, stress, sudden onset of illness or other reason. Furthermore, a fellow passenger in the vehicle 100 may also indicate that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention in the device 200. This is because the fellow passenger can often assess the driver's inadequate driving ability better and more objectively than the driver himself, while the fellow passenger has an obvious self-preservation interest not to be injured.

In some cases, the detector 210 may include a sound level meter and / or a whine detector, through which a grumpy fellow passenger and / or dissatisfied / noisy children may be detected in the vehicle 100. Loudly dissatisfied / screaming fellow passengers and / or so-called rear seat drivers may be suspected of having a stress-increasing effect on the driver, which may give rise to a need for heightened attention.

In certain embodiments, the detector 210 may be arranged to read the driver's stress level by measuring one or more stress-related body parameters such as moisture on the driver's skin, electrical resistance on the driver's skin, frequency of eye movements, body temperature, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, muscle movements, hand sweat and the like. . In this way, a stress driver can be detected, regardless of the cause of this stress, by a comparison with one or more limit values.

Furthermore, according to certain embodiments, fellow road users may have judged the driver of the vehicle to have an increased need for attention as a result of, for example, careless driving. The vehicle's driver has previously received and stored assessments of his driving style, and when a number of critical assessments, exceeding a configurable limit value are received, according to one embodiment, the vehicle's driver is judged to have an increased need for attention. This configurable limit value may be, for example, 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 or a value in between or in the vicinity; or a multiple of any of these values.

Furthermore, the driver of the vehicle may have been blacklisted by fellow road user 110 at a previous road meeting. The fellow road user 110 may have indicated that a permanent warning, blacklisting, for the driver of the vehicle 100 is desired. Figure 3A shows an example of a vehicle interior of the fellow road user 110, which is located behind the vehicle 100, for example in the previously depicted scenarios in Figure 1A and Figure 1B. In this example, the fellow road user 110 may be a car, truck, bus or the like. The road user 110 has access to a device 300, in order to draw attention to a surrounding vehicle 100 which has an increased need for attention. The device 300 includes, or is connected to a receiver 310, arranged to receive a warning message from the vehicle 100 indicating an increased need for attention. The receiver 310 can receive wireless signals sent through any of the previously listed vehicle-to-vehicle communication technologies.

Furthermore, the device 300 may comprise, or be connected to an indicator 320, arranged to point to the vehicle 100 which has an increased need for attention for the fellow road user 110. This indicator 320 is exemplified in Figure 3A as a monitor with a camera on the rear side directed towards the lane and the vehicle in front 100. Such an example of a dangerous vehicle warning 100 as the indicator 320 / display may also illustrate in Figure 3B. In this case, the vehicle 100 is marked on the screen and a text message warns the fellow road user 110 that the vehicle 100 has been rocked. The indicator 320 may also, or alternatively, include a loudspeaker or the like and send an outgoing audio or voice message which calls the attention of the fellow road user to the vehicle100.

Figure 4A shows an example of a device 300 with a included receiver 310 and connected indicator 320. In this example, the articulated road 110 is constituted by a pedestrian road which stands at the roadside, here in connection with a pedestrian crossing.

The device 200 in the vehicle 100 has in this example made a detection and analysis of how the driver acts at pedestrian crossings and made the assessment that the driver has a tendency not to give preference, for example by not stopping at three of the five last passed pedestrian crossings, where it was justified to stop . By warning the fellow road user 110 of this, one can avoid that he trusts that the vehicle 100 will give preference at the crossing point and thus avoid being hit.

In the illustrated example, the companion device 300's device is a mobile telephone or similar portable device, arranged to receive wireless signals from the vehicle device 12 200. The illustration may be made, for example, by playing a suitable voice message to call the fellow passenger's attention to the vehicle 100.

In an embodiment shown in Figure 4B, the indicator 320 may be a pair of glasses with a built-in transparent display on which a mark may be made which marks or warns the vehicle 100. For example, but not necessarily, this may be done by a technique sometimes referred to as reinforced reality, or Augmented Reality (AR).

Augmented reality is a general term for a technology where information from the user's physical environment, for example the environment including the vehicle 100, as the fellow traveler 110 sees it through the glasses 320, is mixed with information from a software application; in this case a marking and warning for the vehicle 100. An example of augmented reality may be, for example, to display the image from a mobile camera together with the name of an object visible in the image. Augmented reality can be seen on a screen; via computer, mobile phone, TV (game console), via a projection on another image surface such as the windscreen in a vehicle, a head up display, or the like in various embodiments.

Figure 5 shows an example of an embodiment where a vehicle 100 passes a fellow road user 110. The fellow road user 110 can here be given an opportunity to assess the driving skills of the driver in the vehicle 100, here through a questionnaire presented on the fellow road user's device 200, for example the fellow road user's mobile phone or other similar device. In the illustrated example, a rating of the driver can be made on three levels. This is only a good example; such assessment may include any number of levels according to different embodiments, including the ability to blacklist only one vehicle 100.

An advantage of this embodiment is, in addition to warning other fellow road users of a potentially dangerous driver in a vehicle 100 and thereby reducing the risk of accidents, that it can stimulate many drivers to a considerate driving to get a high ride. This behavior of the drivers can be further strengthened, for example, through a social community, sometimes referred to as a "community" or the like, where high resentment gives high status. In some embodiments, the driver's ride can also be illustrated on an Internet site, or the like.

Figure 6 shows an example of an embodiment from the perspective of a fellow road user. On the road in front of the fellow road user 110, the oncoming traffic is seen through the windscreen of his vehicle; among other things, you see the vehicle 100, which in this example is marked with a one-star and an arrow marking to attract the attention of the fellow road user. 13 Other vehicles in front are marked in this example with a circle to show that they are equipped with a device 200, but that no reason for increased attention needs of this driver has been detected, or a triangle, respectively, which shows that this vehicle end lacks a working device 200 , or do not want to announce their status.

These markings can be made, for example, by the technology augmented reality / augmented reality shown on a head up display towards the windscreen, projected towards the windscreen or by allowing the windscreen to include a transparent screen in various embodiments.

In this scenario, an example is shown of how the fellow road user 110 can use the information obtained from a plurality of surrounding vehicles to directly identify the vehicle 100 which he primarily needs to look out for.

Figure 7 illustrates an example embodiment of the invention. The flow chart in Figure 7 illustrates a method 700 in a vehicle 100, for determining and notifying a fellow passenger 110 that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention.

According to certain embodiments, the vehicle 100 may be found to have an increased need for attention, for example when: the driver is training; the driver has a driving license issued less than a second time limit; the driver is older than a third limit, for example 75 years; the driver has previously had his driving license revoked; the driver has a number of injury-free years, according to the driver's insurance company, which is below a fourth limit; the vehicle100 is an emergency vehicle during emergency; the vehicle's fuel is running low; the vehicle 100 is in the bus lane without being a bus / taxi; the vehicle 100 constitutes a mail van, garbage truck or garbage truck such as e.g. salt truck / plow truck; the driver himself, or a fellow passenger, initiates the transmission of the warning message to the fellow road user 110; and / or the driver or vehicle 100 has previously been judged to have an increased need for attention by the road user 110, or by other road users.

In order to correctly determine this increased need for attention and communicate this to the fellow road user 110, the method 700 may comprise a number of steps 701-704. It should be noted, however, that some of the steps described herein are included only in certain alternative embodiments of the invention, such as, for example, step 704. Furthermore, those descriptive steps 701-704 may be performed in a slightly different chronological order than the numerical order suggests and some of them may be performed parallel to each other. Method 700 includes the following steps: 14 Step 701 Detecting a number of safety-critical operations in the vehicle 100 over a period of time.

This time period can be predetermined or configurable. For example, the time period may be an hour, a day, a year, a lifetime or any other time period in between. The time period may in some embodiments be different for different types of safety-critical operations.

The safety-critical operation of the vehicle 100 may be caused by its driver and include, for example: lane change without the use of direction indicators; lane change without the driver looking in the rearview mirror; when the driver has his eyes closed for longer than a predetermined period of time; then the driver is in a different file than the vehicle's (GPS) navigator indicates; overtaking another vehicle on the inside; when the distance in time to the vehicle in front is less than three seconds; when the driver activates his mobile phone without using hands-free while driving; when the vehicle's tachograph indicates that the maximum permitted driving time without a break / daily rest is about to be exceeded / has been exceeded; when speed limit is exceeded; when a fatigue warning support vehicle 100 indicates that the driver is tired; when an alcohol meter in the vehicle 100 indicates that the driver has drunk alcohol or another similar event.

Furthermore, the safety-critical operation in the vehicle 100 may include, for example, stopping the vehicle 100 on the highway, reversing the vehicle 100 on the highway, the vehicle 100 turning left on the highway.

Step 702 The number of safety-critical operations detected 701 is compared with one or more limit value / s.

In some embodiments, for example, the safety-critical operation may be to make a lane change without using direction indicators and the period may be, for example, one hour. The limit value may be set to a predetermined or configurable integer between zero and infinity, such as three.

Furthermore, several limit values can be configured in certain embodiments for the same safety-critical operation, so that, for example, when the number of safety-critical operations is less than a first limit value, the vehicle 100 is regarded as without increased need for attention; when the number of safety-critical operations exceeds a first limit value but not a second, higher limit value, the vehicle 100 is found to have an increased need for attention; and when the number of safety-critical operations exceeds both the first limit value and the second limit value, the vehicle 100 is found to have a significantly increased need for attention; etc.

Such limit value or limit values may in some embodiments be different for different types of safety-critical operations. For certain types of safety-critical operations, the limit value may be zero.

Step 703 A message is sent to the fellow road user 110 to indicate an increased need for attention, when the detected 701 number of safety-critical operations exceeds the one or more limit value / s.

The transmitted message may contain information directed to the fellow road user 110 which indicates that the vehicle 100 has not increased the need for attention, as the number of safety-critical operations detected 701 does not exceed the one or more limit value / s.

The message can be transmitted over a wireless interface through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, such as WLAN, wi-fi, bluetooth or similar technology based on radio communication. In this way, the fellow road user 110 can be warned, or made aware of the vehicle's increased need for attention and take appropriate measures with this in mind, such as keeping an extra long distance.

Step 704This process step may be included in some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the procedure 700.

An assessment of the vehicle's attention needs can in certain embodiments be received from the fellow road user 110, over a wireless interface. Such an assessment may include, for example, a rating, a rating, an estimate or a blacklist.

Such an assessment can be received over a wireless interface through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, such as WLAN, wi-fi, bluetooth or similar technology based on radio communication.

In this way, fellow road users can provide feedback to the behavior of a driver and / or a certain vehicle in traffic, and thereby also indirectly warn other fellow road users of this vehicle100, without having to confront this driver and convey their assessment of this driver's driving skills via, for example, gestures. ; an action that in itself can constitute a traffic hazard when the focus is taken from the traffic situation. In this way, the risk of traffic accidents can be further reduced.

Figure 8 illustrates an embodiment of a device 200 in a vehicle 100, for determining and notifying a road user 110 that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention.

This device 200 is configured to perform at least some of the previously described method steps 701-704, included in the method 700.

In order to determine and generate a signal to inform the fellow road user 110 that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention, the device 200 contains a number of components, which are described in more detail in the following text. Some of the described sub-components occur in some, but not necessarily all, embodiments. There may also be additional electronics in the device 200, which is not absolutely necessary for understanding the function of the device 200 according to the invention and is therefore omitted in Figure 8, as in this description.

The device 200 comprises, or is connected to one or more detectors 210, arranged to detect at least one safety-critical operation in the vehicle 100.

In certain embodiments, such detector 210 may include, for example, a camera that follows the driver's eyes, vehicle sensor such as steering wheel angle, gear sensor and / or accelerometer, or several sensors for sensing the vehicle's position in the roadway, positioning devices such as GPS, rangefinders such as a laser rangefinder or rangefinder imaging, ultrasound or the like, or a fatigue warning aid in the vehicle 100, which may indicate that the driver is tired, or an alcohol meter in the vehicle 100, which may indicate that the driver has drunk alcohol, a sound level meter in the vehicle 100, a meter measuring one or more stress-related physical parameters of the driver, or the like.

The detector 210 may also be arranged to detect that the driver has made a lane change without using direction indicators, made a lane change without the driver looking in the rearview mirror or that the driver has his eyes closed for longer than a predetermined period of time. Furthermore, the detector 210 may be arranged to detect when the driver is in a different lane than the vehicle (GPS) navigator ranges, overtaking another vehicle on the inside or when the distance in time to the vehicle in question is less than three seconds. The detector 210 may also be arranged to detect when the driver activates his mobile telephone without using hands-free while driving; when the vehicle's tachograph indicates that the permitted maximum driving time without a break / daily rest is on the way 17 to be exceeded / has been exceeded; when speed limit is exceeded; when a fatigue warning support in the vehicle 100 indicates that the driver is tired and / or when an alcohol meter in the vehicle 100 indicates that the driver has drunk alcohol.

Furthermore, the detector 210 may be arranged to detect when the driver stops the vehicle 100 on the highway, reverses the vehicle 100 on the highway, or when the vehicle 100 is about to turn left-turn on the highway, or performs another safety-critical and / or illegal maneuver with the vehicle 100.

Further, the device 200 comprises a processor circuit 820, arranged to receive an indication of a safety-critical operation of the driver from the detector 210, and to calculate the number of such indications of safety-critical operations during a certain period of time. Furthermore, the processor circuit 820 is also arranged to compare the detected number of safety critical operations with one or more limit value / s. The processor circuit 820 is also arranged to send a control signal to trigger a transmission of a message to the fellow road user 110 to indicate increased need for attention for the vehicle 100, when the number of detected safety-critical operations exceeds the one or more limit value / s.

The processor circuit 820 may be, for example, one or more Central Processing Unit (CPU), microprocessor or other logic designed to interpret and execute instructions and / or to read and write data. The processor circuit 820 may handle data for inflow, outflow or data processing of data including including buffering of data, control functions and the like.

The device 200 may also include a signal receiver 810, arranged to receive single wired or wireless signal from the detector 210, according to certain embodiments.

According to certain embodiments, the signal receiver 810 is arranged to receive an assessment of the vehicle's attention needs from the fellow road user 110.

Furthermore, the device 200 may also comprise a memory unit 825 according to certain embodiments, arranged to store detected safety-critical operations in the vehicle 100; limit values; history of previous vehicle-related data; previously received assessments of the driver's driving skills, or the like. The memory unit 825 may be, for example, a memory card, flash memory, USB memory, hard disk or other similar non-volatile data storage device of a permanent nature, for example 18 from the group: ROIVI (Read-Only Memory), PROIVI (Programmable Read- OnlyMemory), EPROIVI (Erasable PROIVI), Flash memory, EEPROIVI (Electrically ErasablePROIVI), etc. in various embodiments.

Furthermore, the device 200 according to certain embodiments may also comprise a transmitting circuit 830, arranged to send a control signal to generate an alarm signal, or information, and send this via a transmitter, over a wireless interface to be received by the fellow road user 110.

In some embodiments, the transmitter may be included in the device 200, or the transmitting circuit 830, so that they form a common unit. The wireless interface can be based on WLAN, wi-fi, bluetooth or similar communication technology based on radio communication, to enable vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

Furthermore, the invention comprises a computer program in a vehicle 100, for alerting a fellow passenger 110 that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention, by performing a method 700 according to at least one of the previously described steps 701-704, when the computer program is executed in a processor circuit 820 in the device 200. This device 200 may be located in the vehicle 100, or outside the vehicle 100 according to various embodiments.

The method 700 of steps 701-704 for alerting a fellow road user 110 to the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention, may be implemented by one or more processor circuits 820 in the device 200, together with computer program code in a non-volatile computer carrier, to perform any, some, certain or all of the process steps 701-704 described above. Thereby, a computer program may include instructions for performing steps 701-704, when the computer program is loaded into the processor circuit 820 of the device 200.

Figure 9 illustrates an example embodiment of the invention. The flow chart in Figure 9 illustrates a method 900 for alerting a fellow road user 110 to a vehicle 100 having an increased need for attention.

In order to be able to draw the attention of the fellow road user 110 to the vehicle 100 with the increased need for attention, the method 900 may comprise a number of steps 901-903. It should be noted, however, that some of the steps described herein are included only in certain alternative embodiments of the invention, such as, for example, step 903. Furthermore, the steps described 901-903 may be performed in a slightly different chronological order than the numerical order suggests and that some of them can be performed in parallel with each other. The method 900 includes the following steps: Step 901A message indicating an increased need for attention of a vehicle 100 is received from the vehicle 100.

This message can be received over a wireless interface, for example through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, such as WLAN, wi-fi, bluetooth or similar technology based on radio communication.

In some embodiments, the message received from the vehicle 100 may indicate that the vehicle 100 has not increased need for attention.

Step 902 The vehicle 100 having an increased need for attention is indicated, thereby drawing the attention of the fellow road user 110 to this vehicle 100.

In some embodiments, such an indication may include, for example, a visual mark on a monitor 320, such as a head up display, a windshield integrated monitor, or a pair of glasses. Furthermore, the indication may comprise a sound, such as an audio signal, a melodic spoken voice in the form of a voice message. Such an indication may also include tactile signals in the steering wheel or driver's seat.

According to certain embodiments, the indication may be made of the vehicle 100 which does not have an increased need for attention. Hereby, the fellow passenger 110 can understand that a certain vehicle 100 is provided with a device 200 for determining and informing a fellow passenger 110 that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention. Thus, fellow road users also understand that less attention needs to be paid to this vehicle 100.

Step 903This process step may be included in some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the procedure 900.

An assessment of the need for attention of the vehicle 100, and / or the driving skills of the driver of the vehicle, can be established according to certain embodiments and sent to the vehicle 100, for example via a wireless interface.

Figure 10 shows an embodiment of a device 300 for alerting a fellow road user 110 to a vehicle 100 having an increased need for attention. This device 300 is configured to perform at least some of the previously described method steps 901-903, included in the method 900.

In order to be able to draw the attention of the fellow road user 110 to the vehicle 100 with the increased need for attention, the method 900 may comprise a number of components, which are described in more detail in the following text. Some of the described sub-components occur in some, but not necessarily all embodiments. There may also be additional electronics in the device 300, which is not absolutely necessary to understand the operation of the device 300 according to the invention and is therefore omitted in Figure 10, as well as in this description.

The device 300 includes, or is connected to a receiver 310, arranged to receive wireless signals over a wireless interface. The wireless interface may be based on WLAN, wi-fi, bluetooth or similar communication technology based on radio communication, to enable vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

The device 300 may also include, or be connected to an indicator 320, arranged to indicate the vehicle 100 which has an increased need for attention. Such indicator 320 may be or comprise one or more devices such as a monitor, a touch screen, computer monitor, mobile phone screen, TV, via a projection on another image surface such as the windshield of a vehicle, a head up display, a windshield integrated monitor, a pair of glasses, or the like in different embodiments. Furthermore, the indicator 320 may be or comprise a single speaker, a siren, an alarm, headphones, a tactile actuator or similar device. The indication may include a graphic, visual marking and / or a sound, such as an audible signal, a melody or a voice message. The indication may also include a tactile signal. Furthermore, the device 200 may comprise a processor circuit 1020, arranged to detect and alert a fellow road user 110 to a vehicle 100 which has an increased need for attention, according to certain embodiments.

The processor circuit 1020 may be, for example, one or more Central Processing Unit (CPU), microprocessor or other logic designed to interpret and execute instructions and / or to read and write data. The processor circuit 1020 may handle data for inflow, outflow or data processing of data including including buffering of data, control functions and the like.

The device 300 may also include a signal receiver 1010, arranged to receive single wired or wireless signal from the vehicle 100, or rather a transmitter in the vehicle 100. The wireless interface may be based on WLAN, wi-fi, bluetooth or similar communication technology based on radio communication, to enable vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

Furthermore, the device 300 may also comprise a memory unit 1025, arranged to store received information regarding the vehicle 100 according to certain embodiments.

The memory unit 1025 may be, for example, a memory card, flash memory, USB memory, hard disk or other similar non-volatile data storage device of a permanent nature, for example any of the group: ROIVI (Read-Only Memory), PROIVI (Programmable Read-OnlyMemory), EPROIVI ( Erasable PROIVI), Flash memory, EEPROIVI (Electrically ErasablePROIVI), etc. in various embodiments.

Furthermore, the device 300 according to certain embodiments may also comprise a transmitting circuit 1030, arranged to send a control signal to generate an alarm signal, or visual, auditory or tactile information indicating the vehicle 100 which has an increased need for attention. Thereby the vehicle 100 can be indicated, for example, on the indicator 320 .

According to certain embodiments, the transmitting circuit 1030 may also be arranged to transmit an assessment of the need for attention of the vehicle 100, and / or the driving skills of the driver of the vehicle, to the vehicle 100, for example via a wireless interface.

Furthermore, the invention may include a computer program in the device 300, for alerting a fellow road user 110 that the vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention, by performing a method 900 according to at least one of the previously described 22 steps 901-903, when the computer program is executed in a processor circuit 1020 in the device 300. This device 300 can be located in the passenger's vehicle, or included, for example, in the passenger's mobile phone, laptop or the like according to various embodiments.

The method 900 of steps 901-903 for alerting fellow road user 110 to the vehicle 100 with the increased need for attention may be implemented by one or more processor circuits 1020 in the device 300, together with computer program code in a non-volatile computer carrier, to perform any, some, certain or all of the process steps 901-903 described above. Thereby, a computer program may include instructions for performing steps 901-903, when the computer program is loaded into the processor circuit 1020 of the device 300.

Furthermore, certain embodiments also include a system for determining and notifying a road user 110 that a vehicle 100 has an increased need for attention. Such a system may include a device 200 in the vehicle 100 which includes or is connected to a detector 210, arranged to detect a safety critical operation in the vehicle 100, and a processor circuit 820 arranged to send a control signal to trigger a transmission of a message to the fellow road user 110 to indicate increased need for attention for the vehicle100, when the number of detected safety-critical operations exceeds the limit value. The system further includes a device 300 for alerting a fellow road user 110 to a vehicle 100 which has an increased need for attention. The device 300 may include, or be connected to, a receiver 310, arranged to receive a warning message from the vehicle 100 indicating an increased need for attention. Furthermore, the can device 300 comprise, or be connected to an indicator 320, arranged to indicate vehicle 100 which has an increased need for attention.

Claims (9)

23 PATENT REQUIREMENTS A computerized method (700) in a vehicle (100), for determining and notifying a passenger (110) that the vehicle (100) has an increased need for attention, the method (700) being characterized by: detecting (701) a number of safety-critical operations in the vehicle (100) under an exhaust spike; comparing (702) between the detected (701) number of safety-critical operations with one or more limit value (s); and sending (703) a message to the fellow road user (1 10) to indicate need for heightened attention, when the detected (701) number of safety-critical operations exceeds said one or more limit value (s). The method (700) of claim 1, wherein the safety critical operation of the vehicle (100) is caused by its driver and comprises: lane change without using direction indicators; lane change without the driver looking in the rearview mirror; when the driver has his eyes closed for longer than a predetermined period of time; when the driver is in a different file than the vehicle's navigator indicates; re-driving another vehicle on the inside; when the distance in time to the vehicle in front is less than three seconds; when the driver activates his mobile phone without using hands-free driving; when the vehicle's tachograph indicates that the maximum permitted driving time without a break is about to be exceeded / has been exceeded; or that the daily rest is about to be underestimated / underestimated; when speed limit is exceeded; when a fatigue warning support in the vehicle (100) indicates that the driver is tired; when an alcohol meter in the vehicle (100) indicates that the driver has drunk alcohol. The method (700) of any of claims 1 or 2, wherein the safety critical operation in the vehicle (100) comprises: stopping the vehicle (100) on the highway, reversing the vehicle (100) on the highway, the vehicle (100) turning left turn on the highway . The method (700) according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the vehicle (100) has an increased need for attention when: the driver is practicing; the driver has a driving license issued less than a second time limit; the driver is older than a third limit, for example 75 years; the driver has previously had his driving license revoked; the driver has a number of injury-free years, according to the driver's insurance company, which is below a fourth limit; the vehicle (100) is an emergency vehicle during emergency; that the vehicle's fuel is about to run out; that the vehicle (100) is in bus lane without being a bus / taxi; that the vehicle (100) constitutes a mail van, garbage truck or garbage truck such as e.g. saltbill plowbil; that the driver himself, or a fellow passenger, initiates the transmission (703) of the warning message to the fellow passenger (110); and / or the driver or vehicle (100) has previously been judged to have an increased need for attention by the fellow road user (110), or by other road users. The method (700) of any of claims 1-4, wherein the transmitted (703) message includes information to the fellow road user (110) indicating that the vehicle (100) has not increased need for attention when the detected (701) number of safety-critical operations is detected. does not exceed said one or more limit value (s). The method (700) of any of claims 1-5, further comprising: receiving (704) an assessment of the vehicle's attention needs from the road user (110). The method (700) of any of claims 1-6, wherein the message is transmitted (703, 704) over a wireless interface through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, such as WLAN, wi-fi, bluetooth or similar technology based on radio communication. Device (200) in a vehicle (100), for determining and notifying a fellow road user (110) that the vehicle (100) has an increased need for attention, wherein the device (200) is characterized by: a detector (210), arranged detecting a safety-critical operation in the vehicle (100); a processor circuit (820), arranged to receive an indication of a safety critical operation of the driver from the detector (210), and calculate the number of safety critical operations of the driver over a period of time; and also arranged to compare the detected number-critical operations with one or more limit value (s); and also arranged to send a control signal to trigger a transmission of a message to the fellow road user (110) to indicate increased need for attention for the vehicle (100), when the number of detected safety-critical operations exceeds the one or more limit value (s). Computer program in a vehicle (100), for alerting a fellow road user (110) that the vehicle (100) has an increased need for attention, by performing a method (700) according to any one of claims 1-7, when the computer program is executed in a processor circuit (820) in a device (200) according to any one of claims 8.