Method for controlling a vehicle

Abstract

A computer implemented method for controlling a first vehicle is presented, wherein the first vehicle receives information about at least one first environmental parameter to be adhered to in a region while the first vehicle is travelling in the region, the first vehicle negotiates a balance with at least one second vehicle in the region, the first vehicle learns a second environmental parameter to be adhered to from the balance, and the first vehicle is controlled to adhere to the second environmental parameter.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for controlling a vehicle, in particular for controlling one vehicle or all vehicles from a group of vehicles, such that specific environmental variables or emission limits are complied with or optimized by the vehicle or the group of vehicles accordingly. BACKGROUND

[0002] Daily individual peak traffic, long parking space searches, inefficient goods distribution, etc. are current problems in the daily life of big cities. The relevant metropolises are now considering the possibility of reducing air pollution, such as dust values, CO2, etc., in order to still be able to ensure the best possible air quality. In many cities, driving bans are discussed, or incentives to use public means of transport are offered.

[0003] From DE 10 2015 200557 A1 a method is known, in which a server identifies a motor vehicle in a group that reports the greatest CO2 emissions in CO2 emissions and accordingly sends a control command to reduce the power to the identified motor vehicle, such that the CO2 emissions are throttled in accordance with the control command to reduce the power. SUMMARY

[0004] A computer-implemented method for controlling a first vehicle is proposed. Here, the first vehicle receives information about at least one first environmental variable to be complied with in a region, for example from a central authority, such as a server, when driving in the region. The first vehicle and at least one second vehicle in the region negotiate a balance, the first vehicle learns a second environmental variable to be complied with from the balance, and the first vehicle is controlled such that it complies with the second environmental variable.

[0005] The respective method can be used, in particular, to control all vehicles in a specific region. Here, each vehicle receives information about at least one environmental variable to be complied with in the region, for example from a central authority, such as a server, when driving in the region. If one of the vehicles exceeds a limit value, the vehicle and at least one other vehicle or a group of vehicles in the region negotiate a balance. The vehicle that exceeds the limit value learns an individual new environmental variable to be complied with from the balance itself. Accordingly, an individual new environmental variable to be complied with is learned for each vehicle participating in the negotiation. Each vehicle is controlled such that it complies with the individual new environmental variable.

[0006] The described method is in particular aimed at the problem of exceeding emissions, such as fine dust limit values or CO2 emissions. It enables a fair or balanced environmental regulation system without disadvantaging specific traffic participants, in a particularly preferred design, in the case of the use of digital environmental vouchers and associated incentive mechanisms via a DLT system, the environmental regulation system ecologically influences and regulates the amount of vehicles and the driving style of traffic participants in specific regions, for example different urban areas.

[0007] The described method can allow specific limit values to be defined for specific regions, such as cities, towns, counties, states, etc., by a central structure, or also in preferred designs for specific areas of the region individually. According to the proposed method, all traffic participants can jointly automatically contribute to not exceeding the overall applicable limit values and their individualized limit values. The method is characterized by a high flexibility in good planability. It can be achieved that traffic participants do not have to be excluded, or only in exceptional cases, but still adhere to preset environmental parameters.

[0008] In preferred designs, the control can be carried out by a control device of the vehicle, which controls, inter alia, the drive system of the vehicle using control parameters. By intervening in such a computer program or such a control device, or by appropriately parameterizing it, the control can take into account the adapted second environmental parameters as appropriate. This can be done, for example, in accordance with limit values for vehicle parameters, in particular for the acceleration, the rotational speed, the speed, the exhaust gas parameter, the power or the energy consumption of the first vehicle.

[0009] The method can be protected against manipulation by encrypting the communication for the negotiation between the participating vehicles.

[0010] In particularly preferred designs, the negotiation takes place via a DLT system or a multi-party computation protocol, and can include the conclusion of a computer-implemented smart contract here. This provides a trustworthy method that reliably adjusts the control of the vehicles in order to comply with environmental regulations.

[0011] This method can be particularly effectively implemented if computer-generated digital vouchers, which preferably correspond to parameters influencing environmental parameters, in particular emissions or emission ranges, are exchanged as a result of the balancing. Here, the second environmental parameters can be determined from at least one exchanged voucher, and thus the control can be influenced thereby.

[0012] For the possible negotiation between vehicles, which is less computationally intensive and fast, in particular real-time, the negotiation takes place via so-called State Channels. In order not to slow down the method by repeatedly establishing State Channels, the balancing vehicles are preferably members of a network of State Channels or establish such a network.

[0013] In a particularly preferred design, the first and second environmental variables are each a limit value, in particular a limit value for emissions, or the first and second environmental variables are each related to a limit value, in particular a limit value for emissions. Emissions here can in particular include exhaust emissions, in particular CO2 or nitrogen oxides, or dust emissions or sound emissions. This allows particularly direct positive intervention in the environmental impact of the vehicles.

[0014] In a preferred design, the method is started when a first vehicle drives into a region or starts there. The region can furthermore be divided into several territories, wherein only vehicles of the same territory negotiate balancing, or a separate first environmental variable is received for each territory. The assignment of vehicles to a territory takes place in particular in accordance with position information of the vehicles. Thus, a place-flexible and scalable method for environmentally conscious control of vehicles is also able to be realized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] Embodiments of the application are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings:

[0016] Figure 1 An exemplary group of vehicles is schematically shown which communicate with each other and with a server; and

[0017] Figure 2 An exemplary flowchart of a method for controlling vehicles is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Figure 1 An exemplary group of vehicles 11, 12, 13, 14 is schematically shown. The vehicles can here communicate with each other and with a server 15. The vehicles have in particular position sensors. The vehicles in a particular region, for example a city, are assigned by position information, which is known for example from the position sensors of the vehicles or from a dial-in to a communication network.

[0019] In a typical traffic situation, different vehicles drive in a particular, for example urban, range, the vehicles also differing in each case in an environmental-related emission, for example in exhaust emissions, such as CO2 or nitrogen oxides, dust or sound. A flexible system should be provided for such a different group of vehicles, which facilitates compliance with limit values for environmental variables, in particular emission limits, but here also takes into account the actual, different contribution of the individual vehicles.

[0020] Figure 2 An exemplary method for controlling a vehicle is schematically shown in Fig. 1.

[0021] In a first step 21 a first vehicle is registered in a certain region, for example because the first vehicle drives into the region or is restarted in the region. The region can here be a certain area of a region, for example a city area, and is defined by location information. Thus, certain streets or street sections of a city can be assigned to certain regions, respectively. But also the entire city, the entire region or the entire country can be assigned to a region.

[0022] The first vehicle receives in step 22 an announcement of an individualized limit value of an environmental variable, in particular an emission limit, for example a limit of exhaust emissions (such as CO2 or nitrogen oxides), dust or sound emissions. The limit value can here be determined by a central authority, for example depending on current or predicted environmental conditions (for example weather) and traffic conditions, such as traffic flow conditions or traffic density.

[0023] The limit value can also be known depending on the region and / or depending on the current time or the weekday. The transmission of the limit value to the vehicle can be made by a server of the central authority to the vehicle.

[0024] The initial limit value received by the first vehicle can here be calculated as an average value for the entire group of vehicles and thus is identical for all vehicles at first. The initial limit value can also actually be individualized differently based on information about the respective vehicle and be determined based on received or stored information about the vehicle by a server of the central authority or in the vehicle according to determined rules, for example according to rules transmitted with the limit value. Such vehicle information or variables can include:

[0025] - vehicle type and associated harmful substance class (for example burner, electric vehicle,... )

[0026] - speed (for example maximum, average, current speed, profile)

[0027] - driving style, for example anticipatory driving (for example coasting at the end of a traffic jam, red light phase of a traffic light,... )

[0028] - passengers (for example number)

[0029] - rotational speed (for example maximum, average, current rotational speed, profile).

[0030] In step 23, the first vehicle can now learn its contribution to the environmental variable from the vehicle information or variable. Here, the learned contribution can include the contribution already achieved, the current contribution and / or the predicted contribution. The learning can again be made from the above-mentioned vehicle information or variable. From the learned contribution, the vehicle can now automatically decide whether it should initiate communication in the respective territory with at least one second vehicle from the vehicle group in order to negotiate an individualized limit value for itself which reduces or increases the environmental variable. If this is not the case, the method branches off in step 26. If this is the case, the method branches off in step 24.

[0031] In step 24, the first vehicle and at least one second vehicle of the group or territory negotiate, inter alia, a balancing of the individualized contributions, so that both vehicles or a subgroup of mutually negotiating vehicles take note of the environmental variable applicable to them, i.e. adhere to the limit value of the environmental variable.

[0032] In step 25, the first vehicle learns a new individualized limit value from the negotiated balancing. The limit value can be reduced, unchanged or increased in relation to the initial limit value depending on the result of the negotiation.

[0033] In step 26, the first vehicle is controlled in accordance with the new individualized limit value. This can inter alia include implementing control commands, for example, to the drive or brake system, so as to adhere to the limit value, for example, by limiting the rotational speed, acceleration or speed or by selection under a predetermined control strategy.

[0034] If the situation in the territory changes, for example, by increased traffic, changing environmental or weather conditions or a new time period, it is possible to branch off from step 26 to step 22, i.e. to receive an update on the environmental variable or limit value and to start the method again with the update, inter alia, negotiating again in the vehicles of the territory or group.

[0035] In a preferred design, the traffic participants are networked and able to communicate peer-to-peer. In a particularly preferred variant, the parties are participants in a DLT network which allows a state channel network.

[0036] With the help of the distributed ledger technology, the negotiation between the traffic participants can be implemented by means of a smart contract (SC). The smart contract allows mutually distrustful individualized rational parties to reliably, securely and fairly conclude contracts. Here, the SC defines the contract content as program code, while the DLT provides a decentralized platform which reliably, correctly and verifiably implements the program code and can therefore be regarded as a "decentralized notary service". The respective communication is here preferably cryptographically protected.

[0037] With the so-called state channel (German: Zustandskanal) it is possible for the traffic participants to implement a smart contract without communicating with the distributed ledger and still to preserve the guaranteed properties. Once the state channel is established, a smart contract can be concluded and implemented between the established parties effectively (best in real time). A plurality of state channels networking as a state channel network also enables off-chain implementation (i.e. outside the distributed ledger) on a plurality of state channels, so that the parties concluding a contract do not have to open their own state channel. If the parties are connected via the state channel network, but not directly via a state channel (basic channel), the parties can establish a virtual state channel in real time without communicating with the ledger. The basic channel and the virtual channel are equivalent in their functionality.

[0038] In a preferred design, the negotiation between the vehicles takes place via a respective state channel or a network of state channels, in particular in the implementation where no communication with the distributed ledger is necessary at the time of the negotiation.

[0039] Since a smart contract should be concluded between the traffic participants and it can be ineffective to conclude the smart contract in the new state channel or on the distributed ledger itself, in a preferred design the other members of the network of state channels, which comprise vehicles or traffic participants from the relevant region or the relevant vehicle group, respectively close a long-term-state channel.

[0040] Here, the virtual state channel can be established by a connection to so-called channel hubs (Deziembowski et al.: Proceedings of the 2018 ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security Pages 949-966, 2018) via the existing long-term-state channel.

[0041] In a preferred variant, the vehicles first drive through a specific region. For the vehicles, a respective emission factor and thus tokens to be paid or to be received are calculated and a negotiation with other traffic participants is concluded based on the regulations of a central authority. The negotiation result is regulated by means of a decentralized agreement on the contract for the granted or received tokens and thus also on the agreed or permitted driving style or emissions. After the negotiation, the contract is concluded in a virtual state channel. If the contract is concluded, the tokens are circulated according to the smart contract. The vehicles are controlled according to the negotiation.

[0042] If the parties of the smart contract do not comply with the smart contract, the parties violate the contract. If one of the parties violates the contract or becomes completely uncooperative, the party can be punished by the established smart contract without further cooperation through a center or finally through the ledger. The injured party can be compensated accordingly. The vehicle that violates the contract or is uncooperative can be excluded from the system, for example, or receive a driving ban, in particular in the relevant region or in a wide area.

[0043] Possible implementation scenarios for the vehicle control for compliance with environmental variables by means of the voucher system are described in detail later.

[0044] Each traffic participant thus receives a certain amount of digital "environmental" vouchers at the beginning of the previously defined period, which are recorded in the DLT system. The vouchers can be distributed, for example, in connection with the payment of a corresponding tax (for example, depending on the harmful substance class of the vehicle). The vouchers are not transferred to people here, in particular, but to vehicles.

[0045] The vouchers correspond, for example, to a certain damage of the environmental variables, for example, the amount of harmful substances emissions, such as fine dust or CO2. Here, not only the exhaust gases of different means of transport have to play a role, but for example also the wear caused by brakes and tires can be taken into account.

[0046] The central authority determines a limit value for the maximum allowed amount of vouchers for a region, for example, a city area, which can be accepted or subjected to the limit value within a certain period of time. The limit value is determined, for example, depending on current or predicted environmental conditions, for example, weather and traffic flow situations.

[0047] In addition, a limit value can also be determined which individual traffic participants cannot exceed. When the maximum amount is reached, all traffic participants must drive, for example, voucher-neutral, i.e. ecologically in the city sense.

[0048] In the model (according to which each traffic participant receives a certain amount of vouchers and is allowed to move using the vouchers accordingly), the limit value model can result in that a vehicle cannot or is not allowed to drive into a region.

[0049] The central authority can also refer to values below the calculated limit value, whereby the air quality can be additionally improved with respect to the limits defined so far, for example, scientifically or administratively. The limit value is preferably updated periodically.

[0050] The city can for example flexibly and automatically determine limit values which traffic participants have to comply with in defined regions. For this purpose, the measuring stations can in particular be given the power to automatically adjust the smart contract which defines the current state of the limit values depending on the current situation (e.g. different weather conditions vs. current emissions), i.e. to implement as a central authority, e.g. as a server in the system.

[0051] The streets can be assigned to regions which can have different limit values as emission reference. This has an impact on the use of the vouchers. There can also only be general regions which cover the entire city, area or country.

[0052] If a vehicle moves in a specific region, a corresponding voucher factor is calculated based on different influencing factors, which results in the amount of vouchers to be paid or received.

[0053] Such influencing factors can for example include:

[0054] - vehicle type and associated harmful substance class (e.g. combustion engine, electric vehicle,...)

[0055] - speed (e.g. maximum, average, current speed, profile)

[0056] - driving style, e.g. anticipatory driving (e.g. coasting when a traffic jam ends, red light phase of a traffic light,...)

[0057] - passengers (e.g. number)

[0058] - rotational speed (e.g. maximum, average, current rotational speed, profile).

[0059] If the vehicle drives according to the regulations derived from the limit values of the region, this is in compliance and thus, for example, no vouchers have to be transferred. Alternatively, vouchers have to be handed over only if the amount of driving according to the requirements is less than the amount of driving outside the requirements.

[0060] Here, the vouchers are in particular handed over to the respective municipality / city, which can be done technically by transferring the vouchers to the server of the central authority.

[0061] In the respective necessity for balancing the amount of emissions between vehicles, the vouchers can now be partially paid to other traffic participants who establish the respective balancing.

[0062] For example, if a vehicle drives worse than the individualized reference factor, it has to communicate or negotiate with other vehicles, in particular with vehicles that drive worse than its individualized reference factor. In this negotiation, the vehicle that accepts the voucher commits (for example by good driving style or by the type of vehicle driver) to remain below its reference factor, so that the vehicle that gives up the voucher can correspondingly remain above its reference value. Here, within the scope of the exchanged vouchers, i.e. for example within the scope of the environmental load or emissions corresponding to the voucher, the reference value is undershot or exceeded. Both vehicles are controlled according to the negotiation, and both vehicles generally comply with the central requirements.

[0063] If in a particular region, for example based on the new vehicles reaching a limit value, the vehicles preferably negotiate with each other, for example on the entire fleet in the region, the best driving style for all vehicles in order not to exceed the limit value in addition. If a vehicle drives into the region with a faster driving style, for example a reduction in the rotational speed of other vehicles is generated as a counterbalance, which is maintained by the other vehicles. The fast driving vehicle is correspondingly compensated by the slow driving vehicle with a voucher. The almost unchanged rotational speed is almost imperceptible to the driver of the slow vehicle, but the slow vehicle thus automatically contributes to the air improvement in the city. The vouchers thus obtained can then be used at any other time.

[0064] Thus, if a vehicle exceeds or falls below a particular limit value of the voucher, it is mandatory to drive ecologically according to the guidelines of the respective region, or to throttle based on the requirements in the region, or to balance with other participants.

[0065] In certain cases, it can happen despite the balancing system that a vehicle wants to drive into a region, but the region cannot balance, for example, higher emissions. This situation can be adjusted by the user of the vehicle by, for example, proposing an alternative route. Vouchers can motivate the use of public transportation instead of one's own vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a first vehicle (11), characterized in that The following steps are performed: - a first vehicle (11) receives information about at least one first environmental quantity to be observed in a region while driving in the region, - the first vehicle and at least one second vehicle (12, 13, 14) in the region negotiate a balance, - the first vehicle (11) learns from the balance a second environmental quantity to be observed, - the first vehicle (11) is controlled to observe the second environmental quantity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The balance is negotiated such that the first vehicle (11) and the at least one second vehicle (12, 13, 14) observe as a group an environmental quantity to be observed by the group.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The control of the first vehicle (11) comprises controlling a drive system of the first vehicle (11).

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The control of the first vehicle (11) is performed in accordance with limit values for vehicle quantities.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The control of the first vehicle (11) is performed in accordance with limit values for acceleration, rotational speed, speed, exhaust quantity, power or energy consumption of the first vehicle (11).

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The negotiation comprises a communication between the first vehicle (11) and the at least one second vehicle (12, 13, 14).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The communication is cryptographically protected.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The negotiation is performed by means of a distributed ledger system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The negotiation comprises signing a smart contract.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein, At least one digital voucher is exchanged between the first vehicle (11) and the at least one second vehicle (12, 13, 14) as a result of the negotiation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The digital voucher corresponds to a quantity influencing an environmental quantity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The digital voucher corresponds to an emission.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, The second environmental quantity is determined in accordance with at least one exchanged voucher.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein, The negotiation is performed by means of a state channel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The first vehicle (11) and the at least one second vehicle (12, 13, 14) are members of, or establish, a network of state channels.

16. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first environmental quantity and the second environmental quantity are respectively limit values, or the first environmental quantity and the second environmental quantity are respectively related to limit values.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The first environmental quantity and the second environmental quantity are respectively limit values for emissions.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein, The first environmental quantity and the second environmental quantity are respectively related to limit values for emissions.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein, The emissions comprise exhaust emissions or dust emissions or sound emissions.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The emissions comprise exhaust emissions of CO2 or nitrogen oxides.

21. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first environmental quantity to be observed is sent by a central authority.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, The first environmental quantity to be observed is sent by a server (15).

23. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The method is started when the first vehicle (11) drives into the region or starts there.

24. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The region is divided into zones and only vehicles of the same zone negotiate a balance, or a separate first environmental quantity is received for each zone.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein, The assignment of vehicles to zones is performed in accordance with location information of the vehicles.

26. Computer-implemented method for controlling a group of vehicles, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 25 being performed for each vehicle of the group.

27. Computer program product comprising a computer program arranged for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

28. Electronic storage medium on which a computer program for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 25 is stored.

29. Vehicle having a storage medium according to claim 28.

Images