DE3333167A1 - Device for informing vehicle users - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable a vehicle user, particularly a motor vehicle driver, to plan his route accurately from the map, in accordance with information from people who know the area or on the basis of information from an external computer and to keep to this route while travelling, in accordance with the planning, using an on-board device comprising a display device controlled by an on-board computer, a device communicating with the on-board device via information carriers such as magnetic tapes and films is used outside the vehicle, with a display device also controlled by a computer. Using this device, various information carriers can be "read" and/or "recorded", the information carriers being designed in such a manner or the on-board device being constructed in such a manner that the information carriers can also be "read" in the on-board device. For reasons of economy, the device can be integrated in the domestic electronics surrounding the television set outside the vehicle. The connection to an external computer can be established via the medium "videotex". The input device can be equipped with a compass rose keyboard for planning directions of travel. <IMAGE>

Description

description

Device for informing vehicle users The invention relates to a device for informing users of road-bound and road-free vehicles according to the preamble of claim 1.

The vehicle user should be able to determine his route map-guided and also according to information from local people or based on information from an external computer to plan and adhere to.

It is known to have a projecting reading device, that is to say an optical one Projector with screen, for slides or for other projectable information, which e.g. through conversion from other information carriers, such as from magnetic tapes, were obtained in ways not described to be used in vehicles.

(DE-GM 8 022 959. DE-OS 24 20 479. DE-OS 26 25 597.

DE-OS 26 58 855. DE-OS 29 34 998. DE-OS 31 38 874.

DE-PS 30 23 260).

It is known from audiovisual technology as an alternative to projectors Video cameras or slide scanners with semiconductor components or LASERs in connection with television screens or other electronically controllable viewing devices To use the display of images in the context of unspecified applications.

(Funkschau 1978, issue 23, page 80).

For use in amateur photography is a television scanner known in which the optical image of a negative on the surface of a CCD image receiver is projected. Video signals are generated to produce the image on the television screen. The device enables an individual selection of image sections as well as changes to the wet bar by zooming.

(Press release from Kodak AG l / 64-X / 1982).

The use of the TV screen in connection with a keyboard for communication with a central computer via the telephone network, i.e. via cable. It is also known a cassette recorder, i.e. a magnetic tape recorder, for recording of "on-screen text" information.

It is also known that the image position within a microplan film to be approached precisely by computer control. The manual and automatic image positioning is also known in relation to the respective position of a vehicle and a map shown on the sheet film.

(KEM December 1982, page 16. DE-OS 24 20 479. DE-OS 26 58 855. DE-OS 27 40 599).

In this context, it has also been suggested that the user of a motor vehicle with a projecting device integrated into the dashboard Before starting the journey, the map material is compiled and with a marker marked so that certain map excerpts are manual or automatic during the journey get to the projection.

(DE-OS 31 38 874).

Electronics know buffers that allow viewing a still image on the screen of a display device at a time when the Video signal is no longer being fed in.

In television technology, image fades, fades and manipulations are used used regarding the color.

It is known from cinema technology to use photographic films with a transparent to use a magnetizable layer, e.g. to provide directional or further processing information to be stored in a machine-readable manner.

From automotive technology is a driver guidance and information system known to the driver on a screen in the dashboard at every motorway junction indicates the direction to be taken and automatically redirects it in the event of a traffic jam. The connection to the outside world and to a central traffic computer is overflowing an antenna with radio. All road entrances and exits, connecting and neuralgic Points of the route must be equipped with contact loops under the road surface be who establish the radio contact. Before starting the journey, the driver must stand still Enter the vehicle's code number of the travel destination on a keyboard that he selected can be found in a special directory. In the context of this designated with ALl Radio contact systems have also envisaged the "teletext" services from the Federal Post Office to the car by radio, e.g. to carry out banking operations.

(CHIP No. 7, 1983, pages 216-2in).

For city traffic an "electronic traffic controller" was created for Suggested motorists. It is one derived from ship navigation System. It is based on a topography stored on magnetic tape, which on the names or their code numbers of road crossings and others prominent points with data for determining straight-line distances and straight-line directions limited between two points.

To determine the respective position of a motor vehicle a special compass controlled by the earth's magnetic field and one based on wheel sensors System described. These devices as well as all others for operational control in vehicles Instruments used are known to have an electronic output.

(WIRTSCHAFTSWOCHE No. 45 of November 5, 1982, page i30.

FAZ from June 22nd, 1983, No. 117, page 5. Stuttgarter Nachrichten No. 162, Page 5).

Finally, there are devices for the optional visualization of instrument displays and maps or sea maps on one and the same screen of a vehicle and a selective projection of images in the field of view of pilots is known.

(FR property right of the companies Dassaulte Sud-Aviation or Onera).

The known devices for informing vehicle users have various disadvantages that have hindered the introduction of narcotics so far.

Optical projectors with screens take up a lot of space. at In a bright environment, the image is impaired by stray light until it is illegible. the Integration into an instrumentation system controlled by an on-board computer and navigation system is hard to imagine. A relationship with an external, central one Verkefirscomputer cannot be realized. The information carrier cannot Absorb changes. It has been suggested to be recorded on magnetic tape To transform information into projectable information. How that should be done was not described, however. (See.

DE-GM 8 022 959).

The proposed driver guidance and information system sets that Existence of a corresponding radio network with contact loops under the road surface Ahead at all road entrances and exits, junctions and neuralgic points. This system proved itself, in a reduced form, and only on the highways limited as uneconomical and has therefore been postponed. An expansion on the rest of the road network, where it would be much more necessary, or even on foreign countries therefore economically impracticable. (See Wirtschaftswoche No. 45 of November 5, 1982, page 130).

The proposed navigation systems or traffic pilots for cars in city traffic only show straight line directions and straight line distances to the target point. When navigating on the open sea, where there are no obstacles, this method has been tried and tested since time immemorial. When driving around town, the driver wishes Information about the actual course of the road as well as an orientation in the place image, as a road map offers. According to the state of the art, it is possible to save the full card image on tape or disk and on a display device to display the section required depending on the vehicle position. For tapes and panels, however, this route is not ruled out for reasons of economy last because of the effort required for an on-board computer, which is the constant Conversion of the entire map information to the requirements of the respective map excerpts should perform.

Finally, the well-known navigation systems and traffic pilots continue the commercial availability of information carriers, e.g. B. of magnetic tape cassettes, on which the topographical information is stored in a manner appropriate to the system. With a rapid spread of such complex information carriers, in particular for areas with less traffic and for foreign countries, it can hardly be calculated.

None of the known systems with electronically powered viewing devices replaces the map, as none of the systems provide a destination or route decision enables. "Electronic maps" have to be closed for reasons of economy a lot of unnecessary information and too little information needed for the specific trip contain.

None of the known systems with electronically powered on-board vision devices takes note of the need for vehicle users to be able to the Route map-guided and also according to information from local people or on the basis of information to plan from an external large computer and to adhere to it when driving. And who wants to look at the map on a trip, must stop as before the presence of electronic control systems and on-board computers.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for information from To name vehicle users who set a route outside of the vehicle with existing or economically producible information carriers. The device should also be suitable for use when planning the route outside of the vehicle specified details of the route to that on board the vehicle installed navigation or control system. It should also be possible to display the map section of the immediate vicinity of the route on the on-board display device and to move in a known manner with the change of location of the vehicle. If used new information carriers for the map information to solve the task these should be at least as economical to produce and distribute be like paper cards, and can then replace them. After all, it should be possible be able to use a central large computer via the medium Bilaschimtext without To be dependent on non-existent, investment-intensive large-scale systems, such as special radio networks.

This object is achieved in a generic device by the characterizing features of claim 1 solved.

To further develop the invention is under economic Aspects as a viewing device for use outside the vehicle, a television set intended.

The TV can use a decoder and a tape recorder be in communication and be connected to the telephone network via a modem. In In this case, an individual dialog is created with the help of the manual input device with an external computer, e.g. via the medium '8 screen text "of the Federal Post Office, possible. The device according to the invention can be designed so that magnetic tape cassettes can be "read" as they are used in commercially available "screen text" systems will.

As an information carrier for shared use in the on board the Vehicle and outside of the vehicle provided devices with electronic Output for reading or for "reading" and "writing" can be magnetic tapes as well as magnetic, optical, capacitive or other disks may be used. Optical, especially photographic films, e.g.

be provided as sheet films, roll films or film disks, which according to classical or silver-free photographic processes or by printing respectively.

Embossing are made. Is particularly economical. the production such films in large editions after electrophotographic, photoelectrophoreti chemical, diazo or vesicular photographic processes.

The devices with electronic output for "reading" from Film can be designed in such a way that either negative or positive films in formats as they occur in amateur or professional photography and can be "read" or films in special formats with special equipment. To the automatic Certain images can be found, for example, the markings known from microfilm technology, Codings and devices can be applied. In particular, they are optical and magnetic Markings suitable.

It is also possible to use films which have a transparent, magnetizable Own layer. On such films, e.g. with a magnetic "stylus" the planned route, which can be deleted at any time, can be entered. When inserting of the film in the reading device can automatically create such a magnetic track "read" and for playback on the display device on board or outside the The vehicle is temporarily stored in a buffer after electronic encryption will. The x, y movement of the magnetic stylus can be entered using the manual input device take place.

Colored representations on the display devices on board and outside the Vehicle can on the one hand by colored, also using so-called false colors colorful films can be achieved. On the other hand, colored pictures can do a lot can be produced economically by monochrome or black and white color separation films. A buffer allows the separation films to be scanned one after the other and viewed together on the display device. The separation films can either be scanned one after the other or in layers one on top of the other be arranged and optically by shifting the focal plane can be controlled individually. In this case must be known Line drawings with a photographically positive character are available.

With the help of extract films, other substructures of the to saving images must be saved separately. E.g. the main traffic arteries can only be made visible if they are without the back roads on an extract film are shown.

The above-mentioned transparent magnetizable layer can also be used limit to one of the excerpt films.

The input device can be designed so that it next to a alphanumeric keyboard and various function keys, if necessary, too for communication within the medium ~ screen text ", a compass rose for input of driving directions. Furthermore, buttons can be provided for control or to search for and retrieve specific points on the information carriers, to choose the magnification or to guide a magnetic "stylus".

The industrial application of the invention lies in the branches of vehicle in particular the automotive industry, electronics, photo and micrographic industry, Card publishing and trading, telecommunications.

With the invention, a number of Advantages over the known Information devices achieved by vehicle users without the possibility of using the positive properties affecting these systems.

There is no projecting reading device in the device according to the invention used in which the image deteriorates to the point of illegibility in a bright environment and that takes up space. Rather, the device according to the invention is an exception magnetic, optical, capacitive or film-like information carriers fully electronic system that controls the integration of an on-board computer Instrumentation, navigation and even traffic information systems using a single viewing device in the dashboard enables that in all lighting conditions mn provides an easy-to-read image.

The device of the invention meets the needs of many Vehicle users for the possibility of pre-planning a route outside of the vehicle.

It does not use a non-existent, very expensive traffic or at least the autobahn radio network ahead is still assumed that there is for everyone: traffic areas on magnetic tape cassettes or other sequential information carriers Stored "electronic maps", that is, directories with distinctive points and their local coordinates, gives or will give.

According to the invention, topographic maps can be made on paper as they are available everywhere, or their representation on film, used for route planning will.

Furthermore, via cables from a central large computer or route-specific information obtained from locals can be used.

While driving, the result of the route planning can be similar Be used in a way, such as the ~ electronic map "of well-known navigation and guidance systems, namely according to a list of intermediate destinations displayed on the on-board display device and destinations as well as their directions and distances from the location of the vehicle. According to the invention, an expensive or non-existent electronic Map "can be dispensed with. This has the advantage of individual route planning to its full advantage: instead of straight-line distances, you can use the map derived real distances are processed. Except for the information that is not route-specific "Electronic map" may contain details of the route, e.g. names of Federal roads, forks, sights us. must also be taken into account.

In addition, a closer or closer film can be used on the information carrier further map section, possibly reduced by using an extract film on the main traffic arteries, on the on-board vision device. In case of Using film, paper cards can be dispensed with without replacement.

Compared to known systems, there is also no need for a List of numbers to use for the travel destinations.

The manufacture and distribution of cards on film is more economical than the manufacture and Also in comparison to paper result significant cost advantages, especially when using color separation films very inexpensive diazo or vesicular footage.

The basic ability of known on-board equipment to provide information of vehicle users to receive guidance information via radio, the respective Determine the location of the vehicle using navigation, display the compass course, Import data from the on-board instrumentation as well as those not specifically designed for the route and to evaluate "electronic cards" sold as copies on magnetic tape cassettes, can be fully retained in a device according to the invention.

According to the invention, the result of the individual route planning outside the vehicle by an information carrier compatible with the on-board device transferred to the on-board device. When using a magnetic tape, this can deleted and reused as necessary while the known devices require the constant procurement of new information carriers. It is in the Nature of the matter that these mass-produced information carriers too a lot of information about points outside of the route, but too little detail about the desired individual route included.

Another advantage of the device according to the invention is that that apart from a film or paper card, no further information carrier is required is.

Instead of the proposed, very complex radio network According to the invention, a central traffic computer can be used for route planning will.

Current traffic conditions can be viewed e.g. via the medium "screen text" at petrol stations, Raststetten, etc.

Since the advantages of the known devices for informing vehicle users are not abolished, but essential new advantages opened up by the invention including, in particular, independence from and for many areas may also be heard from sources of information that are not expected in the future are expected that the invention will make a significant contribution to improving the Will provide information from vehicle users.

In the case of the inventive use of film as a carrier Map information opens up the possibility of the on-board device with known By means of such a way that the map section relevant for the route automatically on the according to the respective location of the vehicle On-board vision device is shown tracking. Here is the advantage over one "electronic card" in profitability, in particular due to the cost a suitable on-board computer is determined.

Finally, the device according to the invention offers the possibility of as an additional benefit amateur recordings on the television screen and because of the invention Compatibility with the on-board device can also be shown on the on-board vision device.

Based on the drawing, the structure and mode of operation are shown below an embodiment of the invention explained.

Serves as an electronically powered viewing device outside the vehicle a television set 1. The television set 1 is in communication with the computer 2 with Additional devices for storing, converting, buffering, coding and decoding of electronic Signals that are transmitted via the connections to the manual input device 3, to the magnetic tape cassette reader and writing device 4, to the film scanner 5 and to the telephone 6 with video text modem to run. The magnetic tape cassette "written to" in the magnetic tape cassette reader and writer 4 7 can use the magnetic tape cassette reader 8, which is part of the on-board device for information heard by vehicle users, especially motorists, evaluated. Of the Film 9 can both in the film scanner 5 outside the vehicle as well as in the film scanner 10 of the on-board device can be "read". The manual input device 3 is with alphanumeric and function keys as well as a compass rose 11. the Keys 12 attached around the compass rose are used for digital input of cardinal directions.

The mode of operation of the embodiment, which relates to a device for the information of motorists is referred to in the following on the basis of usage examples explained.

In the simplest case, the driver uses a road map to plan a route outside the vehicle. With the help of the manual input device "writes" he has an "electronic map" that relates to his route and the relevant environment limited to the memory of the computer, keeping the result on the display device 1 can control. Are e.g.

Street names, localities, distances, cardinal points, Rest areas or sights recorded to the satisfaction of the driver, the result is recorded with the help of the magnetic tape cassette reader and writer the magnetic tape cassette 7 transferred. When starting the journey, the magnetic tape cassette wi # rd 7 placed in the magnetic tape cassette reader 8 on board the car. While driving the information stored on the magnetic tape cassette 7 can be used as in known Automobile driver guidance and information systems are used because according to the invention Magnetic tape cassettes are designed and "written on" or the on-board device is designed so that the magnetic tape cartridges in the device outside of the vehicle can also be "read" in the device on board can.

A variant of the first usage example is that instead of a road map on paper a road map on film 9 is used. The film can be evaluated with the help of the scanning devices 5 and 10 outside or on board the car will. The film can be a roll film, sheet film or a film disk. Color can be represented by extracts in black and white. An automatic picture search is e.g. with the methods of microfilm technology or the one from the Amateur photography known magnetic coding possible on film discs. With Using a magnetic stylus guided over the manual input device " the route, which can be deleted at any time, can be drawn on the film if a film with a magnetizable, transparent layer is used.

Finally, the device described can be used to a route plan or a specific "electronic map" via the medium Retrieve "screen text" from a central computer, possibly by your own Notes from other information sources, e.g. from information from local people add and record on the magnetic tape cassette so that the evaluation in the on-board device is possible. In this case: it is appropriate to use a magnetic tape cassette recording system to use that with the commercially available systems for recording "on-screen text" -Information is compatible. According to the invention, "screen text" traffic service statuses could in the future e.g. deliver system-compatible cassettes in petrol stations and rest stops that also deliver Board the car can be "read".

Claims (8)

Claims 1. Device for informing users of road-bound users and -free vehicles with an electronically powered on-board vision device, with a On-board computer with memory, with a keyboard, with at least one device with electronic Output for "reading" externally "written" information carriers, with various other on-board devices with electronic output and, if applicable, with devices for converting and buffering differently encrypted digital or analog electrical Information signals, characterized in that one housed outside the vehicle Another device with an electronically powered sighting device, with a computer with memory, with a manual input device, with at least one device with electronic output for "reading" and / or "writing" information carriers and, if necessary, with those for storing, converting, buffering, coding or decoding electronically encrypted analog or digital information is used, the information carriers being so designed and "written on" or the on-board device is designed so that the information carrier is also in the Device on board the vehicle can be "read". 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that as a viewing device a television is used. 3. Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized ge-- claims 4 - 7 - indicates that the information carrier is magnetic tapes, in particular Magnetic tape cassettes, optical, in particular photographic films and / or magnetic, optical or capacitive disks are used. 4. Device according to claims 1-3, characterized in that Information sent from another computer via cable on the display device shown and recorded on at least one of the information carriers used can be. 5. Device according to claims 1-4, characterized in that at least one of the devices for "reading" and "writing" information carriers and the associated accessories are designed so that the known information carriers used for recording in remote computer services by telephone, in particular magnetic tape cassettes with "screen text" information, ~ read " can. 6. Device according to claims 1-5, characterized in that in the case of the use of film as an information carrier, substructures of the analog Stored information, in particular colors, stored on extract films are buffer memories as well as additional devices on board and outside the vehicle are used that provide an overall view on the viewing device and on the extract films enable stored partial information. 7. Device according to claims 1-6, characterized in that the manual input device - claim 8 - with a compass rose is equipped with either an analog input of cardinal points with the help a rotatable pointer or a digital one with the help of buttons that allows around the compass rose. 8. Device according to claims 1-7, characterized in that an optical, in particular photographic, film is used as the information carrier which is provided with a transparent, magnetizable layer.