Method and information technology system for determining at least one state of vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining at least one state of a vehicle (1), in which the vehicle (1) determines a state, to which the state is transmitted via an on-board telecommunications unit (2) when there is a wireless communication connection (3) to a central processing unit (4) external to the vehicle, and to which the state is transmitted via the on-board telecommunications unit (2) when the communication connection (3) is interrupted. The status is transmitted to a mobile terminal (5) communicatively coupled to the vehicle (1), the mobile terminal (5) temporarily caching the status received from the vehicle (1) and forwarding the status to the central processing unit (4) when the wireless communication connection (3) between the mobile terminal (5) and the central processing unit (4) is available. The method according to the invention is characterized in that, when the communication connection (3) to the central processing unit (4) is interrupted, the vehicle (1) determines a state only when the door of the vehicle (1) is locked, and then the state is transmitted to the mobile terminal (5).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for determining at least one state of a vehicle according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1 and an information technology system according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 7 . Background Art

[0002] Digitalization is also advancing in the automotive industry. Vehicles are becoming increasingly connected, offering innovative safety and convenience features. Vehicles are able to record, monitor, and archive the status of vehicle subsystems or components and make this information available. This requires reading data from the vehicle's control units. Examples of status information include whether a vehicle's windows are open or closed, the fuel level in the vehicle's tank or the charge status of the vehicle's traction battery, and whether the doors are locked.

[0003] This status information can be transmitted from the vehicle to a central location, such as a server operated by the vehicle manufacturer. Read and write access to the server is possible via the internet. This allows not only status information to be queried but also control commands to be issued, such as remotely closing windows or parking lights. To establish a data connection between the vehicle and the server, the vehicle is typically equipped with a telecommunications unit that can access the internet via mobile communications and thus connect to the server.

[0004] Appropriate software (also called an app) can be run on mobile devices such as smartphones, allowing users to interact with the server and, therefore, the vehicle. This allows users to request vehicle status information from the server and issue the aforementioned control commands. This provides a convenient function, allowing users to easily check whether the vehicle is functioning properly.

[0005] A method of this type is known from DE 10 2018 007 437 A1. Status information can only be transmitted from the vehicle to a server, and then to the user's mobile terminal, if the vehicle's telecommunications unit is connected to the internet via mobile communication. If the vehicle enters a blind spot, such as a multi-story car park or underground parking garage, the mobile communication connection may be lost, preventing the transmission of status information. The vehicle's status can then no longer be accessed via the mobile terminal, or incorrect or outdated information may be displayed. To address this issue, the method disclosed in this document proposes that, when the mobile communication connection is lost, the vehicle transmits the status information directly to the user's mobile terminal, which then forwards the status information to the server. In this case, the mobile terminal acts as a temporary data storage and communication relay. However, the mobile terminal and the telecommunications unit may lose their mobile communication connection simultaneously. However, if the user leaves the blind spot on foot, such as leaving an underground parking garage, the mobile terminal's mobile communication connection to the internet can be quickly reestablished. This allows the cached vehicle status information to be transmitted to the server, even if the vehicle itself remains in the blind spot. However, while the vehicle is staying in the blind spot, the vehicle state may change again, and the method disclosed in this document cannot detect this situation.

[0006] EP 3 128 721 A1 also provides another method and system for providing vehicle data. The method monitors the mobile communication signal strength of a motor vehicle and, upon detecting a mobile communication connection interruption, checks whether the vehicle was parked at the time of the mobile communication interruption. If so, the vehicle's parked location is stored and classified as a dead stop. If the vehicle approaches this dead stop again during subsequent travel and reaches a specified distance, the vehicle transmits vehicle data to a server device. This data includes, in particular, the vehicle's position when the vehicle approached the dead stop and reached the specified distance, as well as (if necessary) other data such as the fuel tank level, battery charge status, etc. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to further improve the method for determining at least one state of a vehicle.

[0008] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method for determining at least one state of a vehicle having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and developments, as well as an information technology system for carrying out the method, are derived from the associated dependent claims.

[0009] A general method for determining at least one state of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle determines the state, transmits the state to a central processing unit external to the vehicle via an onboard telecommunications unit when a wireless communication connection exists with the central processing unit, and transmits the state to a mobile terminal communicatively coupled to the vehicle when the communication connection is interrupted. The mobile terminal temporarily buffers the state received from the vehicle and forwards the state to the central processing unit when the wireless communication connection between the mobile terminal and the central processing unit is available. A further feature of the invention is that, when the communication connection with the central processing unit is interrupted, the vehicle determines the state only when the doors are locked and then transmits the state to the mobile terminal. With the aid of the method according to the invention, changes in state that occur even after the communication connection between the vehicle or telecommunications unit and the central processing unit is interrupted can be recorded and their impact on the vehicle state can be taken into account.

[0010] For example, when a vehicle enters an underground parking garage, the communication link between the vehicle and the central processing unit may be interrupted. In this case, the vehicle transmits status information indicating that the doors are unlocked and the driver's side window is down. This corresponds to the state upon entering the underground parking garage, where the driver obtains a parking ticket from a self-service machine. The vehicle then enters the underground parking garage and parks in a parking space. The driver's side window is closed, and the doors are locked when the driver exits. If the vehicle status is transmitted directly to a mobile terminal during the interrupted communication link, and the mobile terminal later transmits this information to the central processing unit, the central processing unit will store a status that does not correspond to the actual situation: "doors unlocked" and "windows down."

[0011] However, by transmitting the status to the mobile terminal only when the doors are locked, the vehicle's actual status is more reliably recorded. The time the vehicle is locked typically corresponds to the time the driver leaves the vehicle. From this point on, the status should not change. Therefore, the vehicle's actual status is cached in a more reliable manner in the mobile terminal and then transmitted to the central processing unit when the mobile terminal reestablishes a communication connection with the central processing unit. This prevents the driver from receiving a warning message on the mobile terminal when leaving an underground parking garage, for example, indicating that the driver's side window is still down and the door is unlocked.

[0012] Various attributes of a vehicle or its components can be considered vehicle states. These include the aforementioned door lock status, window opening level, fuel tank level, battery charge status, headlight on / off, infotainment system on (particularly which audio source is tuned to, and whether and what media is playing), parking light on / off, last measured tire pressure, and whether a mobile device is connected to the vehicle. Therefore, a vehicle state can describe the conditions of one or more vehicle subsystems or components.

[0013] As mentioned at the outset, the wireless communication connection between the telecommunications unit and the central processing unit can be considered an internet connection established between the telecommunications unit and the central processing unit via mobile communication. Furthermore, it is also conceivable that the telecommunications unit can also be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi (e.g., via a fixed Wi-Fi hotspot). Such a hotspot could be installed, for example, in a public parking lot or the driver's private garage and could maintain the communication connection between the vehicle and the central processing unit even if the mobile communication connection is interrupted. Conversely, if a Wi-Fi connection cannot be established, the method according to the present invention comes into play.

[0014] The vehicle status is continuously determined, for example at set time intervals. Status updates are accordingly transmitted to the central processing unit to update the vehicle status stored on the central processing unit to the actual status.

[0015] The mobile terminal can be any device, such as a tablet, smartphone, laptop, or wearable device. However, the mobile terminal must be able to transmit the status received from the vehicle to the central processing unit via a wireless communication connection. Therefore, smartphones are particularly suitable for performing this method due to their convenient mobile communication connection.

[0016] The method according to the present invention is not limited to situations where a vehicle is parked in a multi-story parking garage or underground parking lot. For example, the communication connection between the telecommunications unit and the central processing unit may be lost in any blind spot, such as in remote areas where mobile communication networks are underdeveloped. For example, a driver may park their vehicle in a parking lot in a blind spot and then go hiking. The driver may then climb a hill or mountain, where the mobile terminal they are carrying can regain signal reception. This means that even in such situations, the vehicle status can be reliably transmitted to the central processing unit.

[0017] An advantageous improvement to the method provides that a third party queries the vehicle status from the central processing unit. Therefore, the central processing unit is adapted to provide an entry for third parties to access the information managed by the central processing unit. Since the vehicle status is always transmitted to the driver's mobile terminal when the doors are locked, the current status information is already available on the mobile terminal. However, the method according to the present invention is particularly useful when a third party (such as the driver's family or a service provider) also wants to check the vehicle status. For example, the vehicle can be a fleet vehicle and the third party can be a fleet manager. This means that a third party can also reliably read the actual status of the vehicle. "Third party" also includes the owner or the driver himself.

[0018] Another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention further provides that, when the central processing unit detects a disruption in the communication connection with the telecommunications unit, the central processing unit adds a status indication to the vehicle status stored on the central processing unit, indicating that the stored status may be problematic. This more reliably prevents a person observing the vehicle status from misinterpreting the vehicle status or believing an erroneous status.

[0019] In order to transmit the vehicle status transmitted to the mobile terminal to the central processing unit, the mobile terminal also needs to re-establish a communication connection with the central processing unit, for example, by restarting the mobile communication connection. However, if the driver is in the blind spot for a long time, the mobile terminal will not be able to transmit the vehicle status to the central processing unit. If a third party accesses the vehicle status from the central processing unit during this period, they will read the last transmitted status, which may no longer match the current actual status. However, in this case, the central processing unit can provide a corresponding status prompt to inform the third party that due to the interruption of the communication connection, the current status information cannot be received from the vehicle, and therefore the saved and displayed status may be erroneous (outdated).

[0020] After the central processing unit receives the status again from the mobile terminal, according to a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, the status indication can be deleted. The status can be sent from the onboard telecommunication unit or from the mobile terminal.

[0021] Another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention provides that the vehicle transmits its status as a data packet to a mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal checks the integrity of the data packet. To this end, the data packet can, for example, have a defined data structure. For example, each data transmission can include the corresponding status for a predetermined number of vehicle attributes. During data packet transmission, the communication connection between the mobile terminal and the vehicle may be lost, resulting in only partial data packet transmission. The mobile terminal can therefore check the integrity of the data packet to detect this situation. To this end, the mobile terminal can, for example, check whether the data packet contains all information that matches the defined data structure. The connection between the mobile terminal and the vehicle can be established via an efficient means, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, NFC, etc. In particular, if the data packet is particularly large and the driver leaves the vehicle relatively quickly after locking it, there is an increased risk that not all relevant information related to the status will be transmitted.

[0022] The mobile terminal and the vehicle can also establish a two-way communication connection, allowing the vehicle to send a corresponding message to the mobile terminal after the data packet has been fully transmitted. The mobile terminal can then provide feedback to the vehicle confirming receipt of the message. Only when the vehicle and mobile terminal mutually confirm that the data packet has been fully transmitted and received will the mobile terminal output a message indicating that the data packet has been fully transmitted and received.

[0023] Particularly preferably, the data packet includes an information portion and a payload portion, wherein the payload portion contains the status and the information portion describes the scope of the payload portion. A data packet can also be understood as a digital message consisting of a header and a payload. The header describes the size of the data packet and other parameters (if applicable), such as the start time of data transmission, which status information is included as status in the payload portion (for example, whether it only includes status updates for the door locks and low-beam headlights or also for other vehicle components), etc. The information describing the individual statuses constitutes the payload portion. This has the advantage that the data packet can have a flexible data structure.

[0024] In this case, the state information can be included in the data packet in the form of differential updates. In other words, the data packet only contains the state changes of the vehicle attributes that have changed since the last transmission. This can reduce the size of the data packet.

[0025] Another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention provides that if the mobile terminal detects incomplete data packet transmission, it outputs a warning. This prompts the driver to ensure successful data transmission. For example, if data transmission fails due to the driver leaving the vehicle too early or too quickly, the driver can return to the vehicle's radio range with the mobile terminal. This ensures more reliable transmission of the vehicle status to the mobile terminal and its corresponding forwarding to the central processing unit. The mobile terminal can output visual, auditory, and tactile information as a warning. For example, if the driver leaves the vehicle after locking it and the status data transmitted to the mobile terminal is incomplete, a warning tone will sound and the mobile terminal will vibrate. This allows the driver to detect the warning even if the mobile terminal is in their pocket. The driver can then pick up the mobile terminal and read the warning message displayed on the mobile terminal, which includes a request to complete the data transmission.

[0026] According to the present invention, in an information technology system comprising a vehicle, a central processing unit, and a mobile terminal, the vehicle, the central processing unit, and the mobile terminal are adapted to perform the aforementioned method. The vehicle can be any road vehicle, such as a car, truck, van, bus, etc. The vehicle can also be a rail vehicle, a ship, or an aircraft. To determine whether the vehicle is parked, the door locking status is monitored. Accordingly, the vehicle has lockable doors. The door locking can be performed using, for example, a wireless key or a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal and the vehicle can be configured accordingly. This function is also known as "Keyless Go."

[0027] The central processing unit can be, for example, a cloud server, also referred to as a backend. The central processing unit is preferably operated by the vehicle manufacturer.

[0028] Each hardware component (i.e., a corresponding onboard processing unit, such as an onboard central computer, a control unit of a vehicle subsystem, or even the telecommunications unit itself), as well as the central processing unit and the mobile terminal, each executes a computer program product capable of implementing the steps of the method of the present invention executed by the respective hardware component. Each computer program product is stored on a computer-readable storage medium on the respective hardware component. Therefore, each storage medium and each computer program product are also part of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Further advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention for determining at least one state of a vehicle also emerge from the exemplary embodiments, which will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] in:

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a vehicle entering an underground parking lot; and

[0032] Figure 2 A flow chart of the method according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Figure 1 Vehicle 1 is shown entering an underground parking lot 6. Vehicle 1 has a convenience feature that allows driver 7 to query the status of vehicle 1 from outside vehicle 1 using a mobile terminal 5. The status of vehicle 1 can be understood as properties of vehicle components, subsystems, and / or functions. This includes, for example, the ignition status, door lock status, window opening level, and which lighting devices in vehicle 1 are currently operating.

[0034] To provide this functionality, the onboard processing unit 8 can read information from the various control units 9 via the data bus and send it to the central processing unit 4 via the telecommunications unit 2. Typically, the telecommunications unit 2 is connected to a mobile network base station 10 via mobile communications, and in turn communicates with the central processing unit 4 via the Internet 11. This provides a wireless communication connection 3.

[0035] The mobile terminal 5 is also connected to the central processing unit 4 via a wireless communication connection 3 (via the Internet 11 by mobile communication) and can thus access the data obtained from the vehicle 1 .

[0036] If vehicle 1 now enters underground parking lot 6, it enters blind spot 12. The status information recorded by vehicle 1 can no longer be transmitted to central processing unit 4 via mobile communication. If driver 7 is now outside underground parking lot 6 and wishes to inquire about the status of vehicle 1, central processing unit 4 will query the last transmitted status, which, for example, indicates that vehicle 1's doors are unlocked and the driver's side window is lowered, as this corresponds to the state of vehicle 1 when entering underground parking lot 6 (indicated by the dashed line), at which point wireless communication link 3 is interrupted.

[0037] The method according to the present invention can now prevent the display of erroneous status information to driver 7, which could potentially cause him or her discomfort. To this end, according to the present invention, after parking, vehicle 1 once again checks and determines its status upon receiving a lock command, and transmits this information directly to mobile terminal 5. Mobile terminal 5 acts as a temporary storage device because it is also located within blind spot 12 when leaving vehicle 1, and communication between central processing unit 4 and mobile terminal 5 may also be impossible. Driver 7 is outside vehicle 1 when locking vehicle 1, as indicated by the dashed line. Therefore, no further status changes are considered.

[0038] If the driver 7 leaves the underground parking lot 6 (as shown by the solid line), the mobile terminal 5 can re-establish the wireless communication connection 3 with the central processing unit 4, thereby transmitting the status information received and temporarily buffered from the vehicle 1 to the central processing unit 4. This ensures that the actual status of the vehicle 1 is also stored in the central processing unit 4.

[0039] Figure 2 The process is illustrated in a flow chart: In step 201 , the vehicle 1 continuously determines the state.

[0040] In step 202 , the telecommunication unit 2 detects that the wireless communication connection 3 with the central processing unit 4 is interrupted.

[0041] Subsequently, in step 203, the vehicle 1 monitors the door locking status. This can be performed by one of the hardware components shown, such as the telecommunications unit 2, the onboard processing unit 8, or any control unit 9. If the vehicle 1 subsequently receives a door lock command, the vehicle status is again recorded and transmitted to the mobile terminal 5 in step 204.

[0042] In step 205 , the mobile terminal 5 checks whether a wireless communication connection 3 with the central processing unit 4 can be established.

[0043] If so, in step 206 , the mobile terminal 5 forwards the status acquired from the vehicle 1 to the central processing unit 4 . There, the status information can be provided again to a third party or the driver 7 via the mobile terminal 5 .

Claims

1. A method for determining at least one state of a vehicle (1), wherein: The vehicle (1) determines the state, transmits the state to the central processing unit (4) outside the vehicle via the onboard telecommunication unit (2) when there is a wireless communication connection (3) with the central processing unit (4) outside the vehicle, and transmits the state to a mobile terminal (5) communicatively coupled to the vehicle (1) when the communication connection (3) is interrupted, the mobile terminal (5) temporarily buffers the state received from the vehicle (1) and forwards the state to the central processing unit (4) when the wireless communication connection (3) between the mobile terminal (5) and the central processing unit (4) is available, It is characterized by: When the communication connection (3) with the central processing unit (4) is interrupted, the vehicle (1) determines the status only when the doors of the vehicle (1) are locked, and then transmits the status to the mobile terminal (5).

2. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized by: A third party inquires about the status of the vehicle (1) from the central processing unit (4).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized by: When the central processing unit (4) detects that the communication connection (3) with the telecommunication unit (2) is interrupted, the central processing unit (4) adds a status prompt to the status of the vehicle (1) stored on the central processing unit (4), indicating that there may be a problem with the stored status.

4. The method according to claim 3, It is characterized by: When the central processing unit (4) receives the status again from the telecommunication unit (2) or the mobile terminal (5), the central processing unit (4) deletes the status indication.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized by: The vehicle (1) transmits the status as a data packet to the mobile terminal (5), and the mobile terminal (5) checks the integrity of the data packet.

6. The method according to claim 5, It is characterized by: The data packet includes an information portion and a payload portion, wherein the payload portion contains the status and the information portion describes a range of the payload portion.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, It is characterized by: If the mobile terminal (5) detects that the data packet transmission is incomplete, the mobile terminal (5) outputs a warning prompt.

8. An information technology system comprising a vehicle (1), a central processing unit (4) and a mobile terminal (5), It is characterized by: The vehicle (1), the central processing unit (4) and the mobile terminal (5) are adapted to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images