Procedure for creating a recommendation for an upgrade measure and corresponding motor vehicle

Abstract

Method for making a recommendation (26) for an upgrade measure for at least one exterior mirror (14) of a motor vehicle (10), wherein the exterior mirror (14) is designed without a folding function and / or a heating function, wherein the exterior mirror (14) has an actuator (15) in a deactivated operating mode and / or the exterior mirror (10) is designed without a function and therefore lacks a corresponding actuator (15), comprising the following steps: - Recording parking data (28) that describe parking behavior when parking the motor vehicle (10) and / or a vehicle (30) different from the motor vehicle (10) within a defined parking area (32), wherein the recording of the parking data (28) is carried out by means of a sensor unit (18); - Determining a risk factor (34) using an evaluation device (24) based on the parking data (28), which indicates a probability of damage and / or icing of the exterior mirror (14) when parking the motor vehicle (10) within the parking area (32); - if, during a check of the risk factor (34), an exceedance of a specified risk limit (36) is detected, the recommendation (26) to carry out the upgrade measure is issued to a user (12) of the motor vehicle (10), - after confirmation of the recommendation (26) is recorded, the upgrade measure is carried out so that the folding function and / or the heating function is provided for the exterior mirror (14) of the motor vehicle (10), wherein, if the external mirror (14) has the actuator (15) in the deactivated operating mode (38), the actuator (15) is transferred to an activated operating mode (40) that differs from the deactivated operating mode (38) by means of the upgrade measure to be carried out, and / or if the exterior mirror (14) is designed to be non-functional, the non-functional exterior mirror (14) is replaced by at least one functional exterior mirror of the same series.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for creating a recommendation for an upgrade measure for at least one exterior mirror of a motor vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a corresponding motor vehicle.

[0002] When purchasing a motor vehicle, especially a new car, a buyer can specify a configuration that defines the function of a particular hardware and / or software-based component. Whether a given function is sufficient or superfluous for user-friendly and / or efficient operation of the vehicle can only be determined through actual use of the component.

[0003] In this context, WO 2016 / 187 129 A1 and US 2014 / 0 279 707 A1 each describe a procedure for issuing a vehicle-related recommendation based on vehicle data (for example, sensor data, swarm data, map data, parking data, weather data, etc.). This recommendation may, for example, include a change to be made to a vehicle, in particular an upgrade and / or a replacement.

[0004] The extent to which this change applies in connection with at least one exterior mirror of a motor vehicle is not clear from the two aforementioned publications.

[0005] German patent DE 10 2012 010 500 A1 describes a method for temporarily reducing a vehicle's width. At higher speeds, before entering a narrowed lane, only one exterior mirror can be folded in; at lower speeds, when the vehicle is stopped, both exterior mirrors can be folded in simultaneously. This requires that the exterior mirrors have a folding function and that the current surroundings are reliably detected.

[0006] Furthermore, DE 10 2009 048 491 A1 discloses a retrofit system for a vehicle. For example, a retrofittable, portable communication device is used to generate a top-down view of the vehicle, enabling the driver to determine the distances between the vehicle and other objects.

[0007] Furthermore, US 2019 / 0287316A1 describes a method for active system control. A user can search for available services, such as replacing a side mirror.

[0008] The object of the invention is therefore to determine a recommendation for an upgrade measure for at least one exterior mirror of a motor vehicle in a particularly reliable manner.

[0009] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described by the dependent patent claims, the following description, and the figures.

[0010] The invention is based on the understanding that at least one exterior mirror of a motor vehicle, which is currently non-functional with regard to a function, in particular a folding and / or heating function, can subsequently be upgraded with this function. Upgrading in this context refers to a modification of the function, such that it, for example, has additional functional features and is therefore considered to be of a higher quality. This allows the upgraded exterior mirror to be conveniently folded and / or heated for observing traffic events that are located behind the vehicle's direction of travel.Thus, upgrading at least one exterior mirror can, for example, increase the service life of at least one exterior mirror and / or reduce a safety risk when operating and / or parking the vehicle.

[0011] To reliably recommend an upgrade for at least one exterior mirror of a motor vehicle, the invention provides a corresponding method for generating such a recommendation. This recommendation can be a non-binding suggestion that encourages the vehicle user to perform the upgrade. The method comprises three phases (steps): data collection in a learning phase, data processing to trigger the recommendation, and driver notification. The upgrade concerns the at least one exterior mirror, which is arranged as a side mirror on the driver's and / or passenger's side of the vehicle.At least one exterior mirror is designed to be non-functional with regard to a folding and / or heating function. The exterior mirror has an actuator in a deactivated operating mode and / or the exterior mirror is designed to be non-functional and therefore lacks a corresponding actuator. As a result, the relative position of at least one exterior mirror to the vehicle is irreversible, and the resulting width of the vehicle is unchangeable. Alternatively or additionally, the temperature of at least one exterior mirror is influenced solely by its environment.

[0012] To generate the recommendation, parking data is first collected using a sensor unit. This data describes the parking behavior when a motor vehicle and / or a vehicle other than the motor vehicle is parked within a defined parking area. The vehicle in question is, in particular, another motor vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the vehicle can also be a non-motorized vehicle, such as a bicycle. The parking data characterizes at least one parking operation of the motor vehicle and / or the vehicle within a geographical area defined by the parking area (for example, a city district, an industrial area, and / or a residential area). The parking area can be a public and / or private traffic area where the motor vehicle and / or the vehicle can be parked.For this purpose, the parking area can, for example, comprise at least one parking space and / or at least one parking surface. In the context of the invention, the term "parking" encompasses long-term parking. Short-term stopping (for example, the entry and / or exit of at least one vehicle occupant, the loading and / or unloading of the vehicle), which in particular lasts less than three minutes, is explicitly excluded. Acquiring the parking data can include determining at least one measured value describing the parking process using a measuring device and / or receiving stored parking information. The at least one measured value and / or the parking information can, for example, include a speed and / or steering profile during a parking maneuver in a parking space. This offers the advantage that the parking behavior can be precisely replicated based on the parking data.

[0013] Based on the recorded parking data, a risk factor is determined using an evaluation unit. The risk factor indicates the probability of damage to and / or icing of at least one exterior mirror when the vehicle is parked within the parking area. This probability, also known as the probability of occurrence, can represent a statistical expected value and / or an estimated probability of a specific event (i.e., damage to and / or icing of at least one exterior mirror) occurring within a specific future period. To determine the risk factor, a statistical formula can be applied to the parking data, whereby the parking data undergoes at least one defined evaluation step to determine the probability.For example, the risk factor represents the ratio of recorded parking maneuvers with reported incidents to the total number of parking maneuvers with and without such incidents, or the ratio of recorded parking maneuvers of the vehicle within the parking area to the total number of parking maneuvers without considering the area. Thus, the risk factor serves as a measure to systematically analyze, that is, identify and / or quantify, the risk of damage and / or icing to at least one exterior mirror. This offers the advantage of enabling a data-driven assessment of the probability of a potential negative impact (damage and / or icing) when engaging in a risky situation, such as parking the vehicle with at least one malfunctioning exterior mirror.To determine the risk factor, the parking data is analyzed using an evaluation unit, which can be part of the vehicle and / or part of an external server. To best comply with data protection regulations, the recorded parking data can be processed on-site, i.e., immediately. In the case of parking data recorded by the measuring device installed in the vehicle, this would mean that the risk factor is determined in the vehicle's evaluation unit, and only the determined risk factor is then transmitted to the external server for further analysis. The server can be connected to the vehicle via a communication link and, in particular, configured as a backend.

[0014] If a risk factor check reveals that a predefined risk threshold has been exceeded, a recommendation to implement the upgrade measure is issued to the vehicle user. The risk factor is thus compared to the risk threshold. This risk threshold is, for example, a maximum permissible number of recorded events (damage and / or icing) and / or the resulting additional financial and / or time expenditure for the vehicle owner. If the check determines that the risk factor is greater than the risk threshold, meaning the probability calculated based on the parking data is higher than a permissible probability, the recommendation to implement the upgrade measure is issued.This allows the user to be informed that the upgrade will reduce the current risk of damage to and / or icing of at least one exterior mirror in the future. The recommendation can be displayed, for example, via a vehicle output device (such as an interior screen and / or speakers) and / or the user's mobile device (such as a smartphone, laptop, or tablet), particularly visually, audibly, and / or haptically using a suitable application.

[0015] The method according to the invention offers the advantage that the vehicle user is only advised to carry out the upgrade measure when necessary. This need is determined based on the recorded parking data, particularly data from previous parking events, and can, for example, increase safety when parking the vehicle and / or its readiness for use after parking within the parking area. This prevents the upgrade measure from being recommended if the vehicle's parking behavior provides no indication that it is necessary, i.e., if the risk factor is below or equal to the risk threshold. The recommendation informs the vehicle user and actively involves them in carrying out the upgrade measure, allowing them to verify their own experience and / or intuition regarding the upgrade measure using the evaluated parking data.

[0016] After the recommendation has been confirmed, the upgrade is performed. Therefore, active user intervention is required to carry out the recommended upgrade. Confirmation can be done, for example, via a voice command and / or by pressing a confirmation icon on a touch-sensitive user interface. Performing the upgrade enables the folding and / or heating function for at least one of the vehicle's exterior mirrors. Thus, the exterior mirror, which was previously non-functional, will then have the folding and / or heating function. This allows the exterior mirror to be folded in when the vehicle is parked and unfolded when needed for observation.Alternatively or additionally, at least one iced-up exterior mirror can be heated before use so that the ice layer has melted by the time the vehicle starts driving. Before this upgrade, the at least one non-functional exterior mirror can be characterized by at least one of two things: it can have an actuator in a deactivated operating mode and / or be completely non-functional. Thus, the at least one exterior mirror is capable of implementing the folding and / or heating function via the actuator. However, before the upgrade, the actuator is in the deactivated operating mode, meaning it cannot be controlled, for example, by a control signal. The upgrade process switches the actuator to an activated operating mode, different from the deactivated mode.Thus, the operating mode indicates the actuator's ability to process the control signal or its inability to do so. The advantage is that providing the folding and / or heating function does not require physically replacing at least one exterior mirror. Alternatively or additionally, the exterior mirror in question is non-functional and therefore lacks the necessary actuator for the folding and / or heating function. The upgrade involves replacing it with at least one functional exterior mirror from the same model series. This allows, for example, the replacement of the non-functional exterior mirror with the functional one during vehicle repairs. The advantage here is that the replacement can be performed without any additional modifications, as both mirrors belong to the same model series.

[0017] An advantageous embodiment provides that, in the case of the actuator being in a deactivated operating mode, the issued recommendation includes several selectable activation options. Thus, the recommendation offers at least two different activation options, i.e., ways to activate the actuator, from which the user can select their preferred one. Each of the multiple activation options specifies a particular number of exterior mirrors and / or a particular duration of function use. This allows the user to define whether the side mirror on the driver's side, the passenger's side, or both sides is upgraded. Alternatively or additionally, the respective duration of function can be used to determine how long the folding function and / or the heating function should be available.For example, the user might only want to use the heating function of at least one exterior mirror in winter, so it shouldn't be available in summer. Depending on one of the selected activation actions, a corresponding activation program code is transmitted to a control unit in the vehicle, which is configured to control the actuator to switch to the activated operating mode. A software package containing the respective activation program code is thus transmitted to the control unit. By executing the activation program code via the control unit, the actuator's operating mode is changed so that it has the folding and / or heating function in the activated operating mode. This has the advantage that the upgrade only requires a single communication link through which the respective activation program code can be transmitted to the control unit.This allows for particularly flexible, i.e., location-independent, provision of the folding and / or heating function. Alternatively or additionally, in the case of a non-functional exterior mirror, the generated recommendation will include several selectable appointment suggestions from at least one workshop. Thus, the recommendation comprises at least two differing appointment suggestions, i.e., user-selectable time slots, from at least one workshop where the replacement of the at least one non-functional mirror can be carried out. The appointment suggestions are determined taking into account the installation capacity and / or the availability of the at least one functioning exterior mirror. Therefore, the installation capacity and / or availability dictate the time slots.The assembly capacity can include, for example, a suitable replacement tool, auxiliary materials (such as a clamp for connecting two cables), and / or an unoccupied repair bay in at least one workshop. The availability of at least one functioning exterior mirror can be specified, for example, depending on its stock in a warehouse and / or a delivery time. This offers the advantage that the prerequisites for successfully replacing at least one exterior mirror are met on the date selected by the user.

[0018] Another advantageous embodiment involves receiving the parking data from an external database. Thus, capturing the parking data includes actively determining the parking data and / or receiving, i.e., receiving, transmitted parking data. The sensor unit (for example, a GPS sensor and / or a speedometer) can be located, for example, in the motor vehicle and / or the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor unit can be integrated into an operating device, such as the user's mobile device, and / or be a component of an infrastructure facility located within the parking area (for example, a traffic monitoring system).The external database can be maintained by, for example, a vehicle manufacturer, a supplier, a motoring club (such as ADAC or OAMTC), a law enforcement agency (such as the police), and / or a service provider (such as a mobile network operator and / or a geodata provider). The recorded parking data includes a movement profile of the motor vehicle and / or the vehicle. This movement profile can be defined, for example, by at least one positional data point, a longitudinal control parameter, and / or a lateral control parameter. This offers the advantage that the parking data is particularly reliable when multiple data sources are available.

[0019] An advantageous embodiment of this provides that the parking data transmitted by the external database includes a history of reported damage events and / or repair events of the motor vehicle and / or the vehicle when parked within the parking area. Thus, the parking data transmitted by the external database can additionally include at least two reported damage events (for example, a kicked-off or damaged side mirror, parking damage due to restricted visibility caused by an icy side mirror) of the motor vehicle and / or vehicle when parked within the parking area. Alternatively or additionally, the parking data can also include at least two repair events (for example, a repair after a side impact) related to the at least one exterior mirror.The risk factor is increased if a maximum number of damage and / or repair events is exceeded within a predefined time period. Thus, the history is considered to increase the risk factor if the actual number of damage and / or repair events within a defined time period exceeds a predefined number for that period. This additional information allows for a particularly precise evaluation of the breakdown data.

[0020] Another advantageous embodiment provides that, based on the parking duration extracted from the parking data, parking is classified as short-term or long-term parking. Thus, parking is categorized depending on the determined parking duration. A distinction is made between short-term and long-term parking. For example, parking can be classified as short-term if the motor vehicle and / or vehicle is parked for less than 8 hours. Accordingly, any parking longer than 8 hours is classified as long-term parking. When determining the risk factor, this is taken into account by including a first weighting factor for long-term parking and a second weighting factor for short-term parking that is reduced by the first. Therefore, the parking data assigned to long-term parking will have a greater influence on the risk factor than that assigned to short-term parking.This advantageously allows for the detection of longer periods of overnight parking, where, based on experience, damage and / or icing occurs more frequently.

[0021] Another advantageous embodiment provides that, based on the parking data, a parking event of the motor vehicle and / or the vehicle is identified as a longitudinal parking event, a transverse parking event, or an angled parking event. This allows the system to recognize whether it involves parking parallel to a roadway (longitudinal parking event), forward parking and reversing out with a first parking angle of 80 to 100 degrees (transverse parking event), in particular 87 to 93 degrees, or parking either forwards or backwards with a second parking angle of 45 to 80 degrees (angled parking event). Depending on the identified parking event, the risk factor increases or decreases.In this context, the risk factor is increased by the identified longitudinal parking event and decreased by the identified transverse or angled parking event compared to the longitudinal parking event. This advantageously allows for consideration of the increased probability of damage and / or icing observed during parallel parking.

[0022] An advantageous embodiment of this approach provides that for each identified parallel parking event, the presence of at least one other road user in the parking area is determined. This allows, for example, the detection of whether other road users are simultaneously moving and / or parked along the roadway to which the motor vehicle and / or vehicle is paralleled. The risk factor is increased with each additional road user detected and / or with each instance where a predetermined minimum distance between two road users is not met. This offers the advantage that a determined distribution density of road users, and alternatively or additionally their relative distances to one another, are incorporated into the evaluation of the parking data.

[0023] Another advantageous embodiment provides that the parking data includes an ambient temperature below freezing and / or a de-icing measure carried out before the motor vehicle and / or the vehicle was put into operation, in order to take these into account when determining the risk factor. Thus, the parking data can be used to document whether icing is possible due to the ambient temperature and / or whether icing has actually occurred. This has the advantage that the user can be specifically shown the need for the heating function for at least one exterior mirror.

[0024] The invention further relates to a motor vehicle with at least one exterior mirror. The motor vehicle is preferably configured as a car, in particular as a passenger car or a truck, or as a passenger bus or as a motorcycle. The at least one exterior mirror of the motor vehicle is designed without a folding function and / or a heating function. Furthermore, the motor vehicle comprises a detection device, an evaluation device, and an output device, these devices advantageously forming components of a control device. The control device can be configured to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention.The detection system is configured to collect parking data using a sensor unit. This data describes the parking behavior of the motor vehicle and / or a vehicle other than the motor vehicle within a defined parking area. The evaluation system is configured to determine a risk factor based on the collected parking data. This risk factor indicates the probability of damage to and / or icing of at least one exterior mirror when the motor vehicle is parked within the parking area. The evaluation system also verifies whether the risk factor exceeds a predefined risk threshold. If the risk factor exceeds a risk threshold, the output system is configured to issue a recommendation for implementing an upgrade measure for the at least one exterior mirror.To implement the embodiment of the method according to the invention, the control device comprises a processor unit configured to initiate the acquisition of the shutdown data by means of the acquisition device, the evaluation of the shutdown data by means of the evaluation device, and the output of the recommendation by means of the output device. Furthermore, the motor vehicle has at least one non-functional exterior mirror with the actuator in the deactivated operating mode, and the exterior mirror is configured to switch the actuator to the activated operating mode, which differs from the deactivated operating mode, by means of the upgrade measure to be carried out. For this purpose, the processor unit can comprise at least one microprocessor, at least one microcontroller, at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor).Furthermore, the processor unit can include program code configured to execute the embodiment of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor unit. The program code can be stored in a data memory of the processor unit.

[0025] The invention also includes further developments of the motor vehicle according to the invention, which have features already described in connection with the further developments of the method according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the method according to the invention are not described again here.

[0026] The invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments.

[0027] The following are exemplary embodiments of the invention described. This is illustrated by: Fig. 1. A schematic side view of a motor vehicle; and Fig. 2. A schematic sequence of a procedure for creating a recommendation for an upgrade measure.

[0028] The exemplary embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In these exemplary embodiments, the described components each represent individual features of the invention, which can be considered independently of one another and each further develops the invention independently. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to include combinations of features of the embodiments other than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0029] In the figures, identical reference symbols denote functionally equivalent elements.

[0030] The one in Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, a motor vehicle 10 can be taken as an example, in whose interior a user 12 is seated. The motor vehicle 10 has two exterior mirrors 14 for observing pedestrian traffic, wherein in the Fig. 1. Only one of the two exterior mirrors 14 is visible, while the other is obscured. The two exterior mirrors 14 are designed without a folding or heating function, but each has an actuator 15 required for this purpose. Furthermore, the motor vehicle 10 comprises several devices 20, 22, 24 combined in a control device 16, a detection device 20 which includes a sensor unit 17 (e.g., a GPS sensor) and a transceiver unit 18, an evaluation device 22, and an output device 24 designed as a user interface (e.g., a touchscreen). The respective communication links between the devices 20, 22, 24, the control device 16, and the respective actuator 15 connected to the exterior mirror 14 are schematically indicated by corresponding connecting lines.

[0031] Taking into account the Fig. The component shown in section 1 is located in the Fig.The embodiment shown in Figure 2 is based on a schematic sequence of a method for generating a recommendation 26 for an upgrade measure for at least one of the two non-functional exterior mirrors 14 of the motor vehicle 10. For this purpose, in a first step, parking data 28 are recorded by means of the detection device 20, which describes the parking behavior when a vehicle 30, different from the motor vehicle 10, is parked within a defined parking area 32. The defined parking area 32 is, for example, designated as a shaded parking lane. As indicated by an arrow, vehicle 30 parks backwards into a gap between two of the parked vehicles 33.Based on the recorded parking data 28, a risk factor 34 is determined in a subsequent second step S2 using the evaluation unit 22. This risk factor indicates the probability of damage to and / or icing of at least one of the exterior mirrors 14 when the motor vehicle 10 is parked within the parking area 32. If, during a check of the risk factor 34 using the evaluation unit 22, an exceedance of a predefined risk limit 36 ​​is detected, a recommendation 26 to carry out the upgrade measure is issued to the user 12 of the motor vehicle 10 in a third step S3.

[0032] Following the issuance of recommendation 26, the upgrade measure can be carried out in a further step S4 after confirmation of recommendation 26 has been recorded, so that the folding function and / or the heating function can be provided for at least one of the exterior mirrors 14 of the motor vehicle 10. In this process, the respective actuator 15 for at least one of the non-functional exterior mirrors 14 may be in a deactivated operating mode 38 before the upgrade measure is carried out. By means of the upgrade measure to be carried out, the actuator 15 can be switched to an activated operating mode 40, which differs from the deactivated operating mode 38.Additionally, the issued recommendation 26 can include several selectable activation options, each of which specifies a particular number of exterior mirrors and a particular duration of function use. Depending on a selected activation action, a corresponding activation program code is transmitted to the control device 16 of the motor vehicle 10, which is configured to control the actuator 15 to switch to the activated operating mode 40. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the non-functional exterior mirrors 14 can be replaced by the upgrade measure with at least one functional exterior mirror of the same model series, which is not shown here.The issued recommendation 26 may contain several selectable appointment suggestions from a workshop, which can be determined taking into account an assembly capacity and the availability of at least one functional exterior mirror.

[0033] Furthermore, the recording of parking data 28 in connection with step S1 can be carried out using the sensor unit 17 of the motor vehicle 10 and can include receiving the parking data 28 from an external database using the transceiver unit 18. The parking data 28 can include a movement profile of the motor vehicle 10 and the vehicle 30. Additionally, the parking data 28 transmitted from the external database can include a history of reported damage events and repair events for the motor vehicle 10 and the vehicle 30 when parked within the parking area 32. The risk factor 34 can be increased if a maximum number of damage and repair events is exceeded within a predefined time period.Furthermore, the parking data 28 may include an ambient temperature below freezing and a de-icing measure carried out before the motor vehicle 10 and the vehicle 30 are put into operation, in order to take these into account when determining the risk factor 34.

[0034] When evaluating the parking data 28 in step S2, the parking duration extracted from the parking data 28 can be used to classify the parking as short-term or long-term parking. Long-term parking can be weighted with a first weighting factor, and short-term parking with a second weighting factor that is lower than the first, when determining risk factor 34. Furthermore, the parking data 28 can be used to identify a parking event of motor vehicle 10 and vehicle 30 as a longitudinal parking event, a transverse parking event, or an angled parking event. In this context, risk factor 34 can be increased by the identified longitudinal parking event and decreased by the identified transverse or angled parking event compared to the longitudinal parking event.In addition, for the identified longitudinal parking event, a corresponding presence of at least one other road user, for example at least one of the vehicles 33, in the parking area 32 can be determined, whereby the risk factor 34 can be increased with each additional road user detected and with each detected failure to maintain a specified minimum distance between two road users.

[0035] The present invention is based on the idea of ​​issuing a usage-based recommendation 26 to indicate to the user 12 the upgrade measure for the exterior mirrors 14 of the motor vehicle 10. This is based on the fact that the motor vehicle 10 generally meets the technical requirements to be able to upgrade the exterior mirrors 14 at a later date, in particular to enable them to have a folding function. It is necessary to identify the specific motor vehicle 10 that can particularly benefit from the upgrade measure. Such identification can be of technical and / or economic interest to a vehicle manufacturer and / or a supplier, a so-called OEM, and the associated user 12.

[0036] The corresponding procedure can comprise three phases (S1-S3): the collection of parking data 28 (“Data Collection”) in a learning phase (“Learning Phase”), the evaluation of the parking data 28 (“Data Processing”) to trigger the recommendation 26 (“Recommendation Trigger”); and the output of the recommendation 26 to carry out the upgrade measure to the user 12 of the motor vehicle 10 (“Driver Notification”).

[0037] When recording parking data 28, user-specific driving behavior can be recorded over a specific period of time. For example, parking data 28 of vehicle 10 can be recorded, whereby the exterior mirrors 14 of vehicle 10 are inoperative at this time. Additionally, the parking data 28 can originate from an external data source, which, for example, indicates a probability of damage to the parking area 32. In particular, individual parking events of vehicle 10 can be recorded, determining a specific location and time window. For this purpose, vehicle 10, for example its GPS sensor, and / or a smartphone belonging to the user 12 can be used.To differentiate between parallel and angled parking, i.e., the longitudinal and angled positioning of the vehicle 10, a steering profile of the vehicle 10 before parking and / or parking space-related information from the external data source, such as the arrangement of the parking spaces, can be used. Additionally, damage reported by the external data source and historical traffic data, such as traffic density, can be transmitted. Parking data 28 related to driving on a narrow roadway, for example, when driving through an alley in an old town center, can also be recorded. Furthermore, personalized parking data 28 for the vehicle 30 can be determined and transferred to the vehicle 10 without a person actually having driven the vehicle 10; their authorization to use the vehicle 10 is sufficient.

[0038] The recorded parking data 28 can be evaluated in a backend (external server setup) or on a computer located in the vehicle 10, taking into account a threshold value (risk limit 36). First, a number of parking maneuvers in the parking area 32 with an increased risk of damage is determined relative to the total number of parking maneuvers; that is, the risk factor 34 is calculated. Long-term parking with a high probability of damage is considered, while stopping without a parking position carries a comparatively lower probability of damage. If the risk factor 34 is greater than the risk limit 36, which is set, for example, by the vehicle manufacturer, then the vehicle 10 is shown that performing the upgrade is advantageous, and the recommendation 26 is issued to the user 12. This upgrade may include providing the folding function and / or the heating function.

[0039] Thus, based on the parking data 28, a user profile can be identified that would particularly benefit from the upgrade. This results in the advantage that the probability of damage can be reduced by means of the upgraded exterior mirrors 14. Furthermore, the unsafe parking area 32 for the exterior mirrors 14 can be identified based on existing damage cases, triggering the output of recommendation 26.

[0040] Once the upgrade has been completed, the folding function can, for example, be activated automatically when a need to fold in or unfold at least one of the exterior mirrors 14 is detected, for example when using a service from the vehicle 10 (drive-through), such as an ATM. This can occur if the user 12 does not respond to a corresponding warning beforehand.

[0041] Overall, the examples show how a user-based recommendation 26 for a motor vehicle 10 to retrofit folding exterior mirrors 14 can be provided.

Claims

[1] Method for drawing up a recommendation (26) for an upgrade measure for at least one external mirror (14) of a motor vehicle (10), wherein the external mirror (14) is designed without a folding function and / or a heating function, wherein the external mirror (14) has an actuator (15) in a deactivated operating mode and / or the external mirror (10) is designed without a function and therefore lacks a corresponding actuator (15), comprising the following steps: - Recording parking data (28) that describe parking behavior when parking the motor vehicle (10) and / or a vehicle (30) different from the motor vehicle (10) within a defined parking area (32), wherein the recording of the parking data (28) is carried out by means of a sensor unit (18); - Determining a risk factor (34) using an evaluation device (24) based on the parking data (28), which indicates a probability of damage and / or icing of the exterior mirror (14) when parking the motor vehicle (10) within the parking area (32); - if, during a check of the risk factor (34), an exceedance of a specified risk limit (36) is detected, the recommendation (26) to carry out the upgrade measure is issued to a user (12) of the motor vehicle (10), - after confirmation of the recommendation (26) is recorded, the upgrade measure is carried out so that the folding function and / or the heating function is provided for the exterior mirror (14) of the motor vehicle (10), wherein, if the external mirror (14) has the actuator (15) in the deactivated operating mode (38), the actuator (15) is transferred to an activated operating mode (40) that differs from the deactivated operating mode (38) by means of the upgrade measure to be carried out, and / or if the exterior mirror (14) is designed to be non-functional, the non-functional exterior mirror (14) is replaced by at least one functional exterior mirror of the same series. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein - in the case of the actuator (15) being in a deactivated operating mode, the issued recommendation (26) includes several selectable activation options, each of which specifies a respective number of exterior mirrors and / or a respective function usage duration, and depending on one of the selected activation actions, a respective activation program code is transmitted to a control device (16) of the motor vehicle (10) which is configured to control the actuator (15) to switch it into the activated operating mode (40), and / or - in the case of the non-functional exterior mirror (14), the issued recommendation (26) includes several selectable appointment suggestions from at least one workshop, which are determined taking into account the assembly capacity and / or the availability of the exterior mirror that has at least one function. [3] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the acquisition of the parking data (28) includes receiving the parking data (28) from an external database, wherein the parking data (28) comprise a movement profile of the motor vehicle (10) and / or the vehicle (30). [4] Method according to claim 3, wherein the parking data (28) transmitted from the external database includes a history of reported damage events and / or repair events of the motor vehicle (10) and / or the vehicle (30) when parked within the parking area (32), wherein the risk factor (34) is increased if a maximum number of damage and / or repair events is exceeded in relation to a predetermined time period. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, based on a parking duration taken from the parking data (28), the parking is classified as short-term parking or long-term parking, wherein long-term parking is taken into account with a first weighting factor and short-term parking with a second weighting factor reduced to the first weighting factor when determining the risk factor (34). [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, based on the parking data (28), a parking event of the motor vehicle (10) and / or the vehicle (30) is identified as a longitudinal parking event, a transverse parking event or an inclined parking event, wherein the risk factor (34) is increased by means of the identified longitudinal parking event and the risk factor (34) is decreased by means of the identified transverse parking or inclined parking event compared to the longitudinal parking event. [7] Method according to claim 6, wherein for the identified longitudinal parking event a corresponding presence of at least one other road user in the parking area (32) is determined, wherein the risk factor (34) is increased with each additional road user detected and / or with each detected failure to maintain a predetermined minimum distance between two road users. [8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the shutdown data (28) includes an ambient temperature below freezing and / or a de-icing measure carried out before the motor vehicle (10) and / or the vehicle (30) is put into operation, in order to take these into account when determining the risk factor (34). [9] Motor vehicle (10) with at least one exterior mirror (14) configured to perform the method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the exterior mirror (14) is designed to be non-functional with regard to a folding function and / or a heating function, comprising - a recording device (22) which is configured to record parking data (28) describing parking behavior when parking the motor vehicle (10) and / or a vehicle (30) different from the motor vehicle (10) within a defined parking area (32), wherein the recording of the parking data (28) is carried out by means of a sensor unit (18); - an evaluation unit (24) which is equipped to ◯ to determine a risk factor (34) based on the recorded parking data (28), wherein the risk factor (34) indicates a probability of damage and / or icing of at least one external mirror (14) when parking the motor vehicle (10) within the parking area (32), and to check whether the risk factor (34) exceeds a predetermined risk threshold (36); and - an output device (26) which is set up to issue a recommendation (26) to carry out an upgrade measure for at least one external mirror (14) if the risk factor (34) exceeds the risk limit (36), wherein - the motor vehicle (10) has at least one non-functional exterior mirror (14) with the actuator (15) in the deactivated operating mode (38) and the exterior mirror (14) is designed to transfer the actuator (15) to the activated operating mode (40) which differs from the deactivated operating mode (38) by means of the upgrade measure to be carried out.

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