Method for handling a control card

Abstract

A method for handling a control card, wherein the control card is received by another vehicle. This provides an increased degree of safety in situations to be regulated, as it is possible to compare control cards of different vehicles and coordinate them if necessary.

1 . A method for handling a control card containing traffic regulations in a vehicle, comprising:
 receiving a control card directly from another vehicle;   comparing the received control card with a further control card; and   triggering a matching procedure when the control card and the further control card do not match.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 recognizing an approach to an intersection or junction,   wherein the approach is recognised by environmental sensors, including at least one of a camera, satellite navigation, an electronic road map and/or car-to-X-communication.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein traffic regulations contained in the control card are assigned to the intersection or junction.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the method is performed such that the vehicle has sent a message to another vehicle which receives a request for sending a control card.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the method is repeated periodically for a continual comparison.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein together with the control card one or more of the following elements are received:
 a registration number of a vehicle sending the control card, 
 an identification number of a vehicle sending the control card, 
 an intersection topology, 
 object properties of a vehicle sending the control card, 
 information about the reliability of the control card and/or about the reliability of environmental sensors, 
 information about vehicles, which are not equipped with car-to-X-communication technology, and including their registration number, and 
 a measure of reliability. 
   
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the further control card is produced by:
 identifying the environmental surroundings by a number of environmental sensors, 
 deriving a number of traffic regulations based on the environmental surroundings, and 
 producing the control card on the basis at least of the traffic regulations. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the further control card is received by a central server.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the vehicle and other vehicles are involved in the matching procedure which are approaching an intersection or junction or which are driving on the same road;   and/or   wherein vehicles are exclusively involved in the matching procedure from which an intersection of trajectories has been calculated.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the matching procedure is performed by the multiple direct exchange and comparison of control cards and/or plausibility information between involved vehicles, until all of the vehicles involved have an identical control card or until a predefined number of repetitions has been reached.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a comparison of control cards and/or plausibility information contains a respective plausibility check,   wherein a plausibility check preferably comprises one or more of the following:
 evaluating and/or weighting available information, with reference to information from other vehicles, 
 determining the significance and/or reliability of information, 
 checking which other vehicles have identical information or have sent identical information, 
 adding information, if this is complementary. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein when performing the matching procedure one or more of the following are performed repeatedly:
 evaluating the significance and/or confidence level of information with thresholds or probabilities, 
 plausibility checks, 
 bringing together all available information, 
 creating a new spatially extended and/or refined which has a consistent content. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein from the matching procedure a control card is produced which is sent to a number of other vehicles.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 which when performing the matching procedure also comprises the step of identifying a blockage.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein, in the case of a blockage a control card is created and/or coordinated
 in which vehicles without car-to-X-communication technology are let through with priority, and/or 
 in which, in the case of an impasse, priorities are allocated to vehicles on the basis of one or more of the following parameters:
 driving speed, 
 fixed set of rules, 
 driving direction, for example compass direction, 
 reading of respective right-of-way counter, 
 navigation information, 
 information about activated components, 
 information about indicators, 
 information about automatic steering, 
 information about giving way, 
 destination, 
 planned trajectory, and 
 special action rights or provision of special right-of-way features; 
 
   or   wherein in the case of a blockage the matching procedure is interrupted.   
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein when performing the matching procedure the following are carried out:
 establishing a vehicle involved in the matching procedure or a road side unit as a master unit, 
 determining a control card for all of the vehicles involved in the matching procedure by the master unit, and 
 sending the control card to all of the vehicles involved. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 sending a confirmation to the master unit and/or to other vehicles involved in the matching procedure after receiving a control card from the master unit.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 ,
 wherein the master unit is determined from vehicles involved in the matching procedure, and by using one or more of the following criteria:
 times of arrival at a location with a traffic situation to be regulated, 
 quality of respective sensors, 
 reliability of driving experience, 
 number of regulations as master unit in the past, 
 special action rights or provision of special right-of-way features 
   and/or   wherein a unit arranged at the road-side is determined as the master unit.   
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 18 ,
 wherein vehicles, which are not the master unit, perform one or more of the following:
 sending traffic regulations and/or at least one control card to the master unit, 
 receiving a control card from the master unit, 
 and preferably also sending a confirmation about observing the control card received by the master unit. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 18 ,
 wherein the master unit performs one or more of the following:
 receiving traffic regulations and/or control cards of vehicles, 
 bringing together and/or merging the traffic regulations or control cards, 
 identifying and/or resolving blockages and/or unclear rule situations, in particular by adapting or modifying a control card, 
 sending a control card created from the latter, in particular a merged control card, to other vehicles involved in the matching procedure, and 
 sending the road behaviour of the vehicle, which is the master unit. 
   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein when performing the matching procedure there is a random allocation of priorities to the vehicles involved,   wherein a vehicle with a higher priority has right-of-way over vehicles with a lower priority.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 which if a termination criterion is met during the matching procedure further comprising, terminating the matching procedure.   
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control card or the further control card is received via a car-to-X-message.   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising sending information via control cards and/or traffic regulations to following or other road users,   wherein this sending is repeated continually or performed in response to a situation that has been regulated in the past.   
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control card and/or the further control card is assigned to:
 an intersection, 
 a roundabout 
 a junction, in particular on a motorway, 
 a narrow section, 
 a stopping point 
   and/or   a road where overtaking is possible.