Method for two-stage monitoring of inertial sensors in vehicle using local monitoring unit and external remote computer

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring an inertial sensor in a vehicle by means of a local monitoring unit and a remote computer, the monitoring unit being arranged inside the vehicle and the remote computer being arranged outside the vehicle and being spatially separated from the vehicle, said method comprising the following steps: a) providing at least one inertial sensor signal; b) providing metadata for the at least one inertial sensor signal, the metadata comprising at least one feature of the at least one inertial sensor signal; c) storing the at least one inertial sensor signal along with the metadata provided for it; d) sending the at least one inertial sensor signal stored in step c) together with the metadata provided for it to a local monitoring unit and a remote computer based on the metadata; and e) monitoring by using a monitoring unit and a remote computer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for two-stage monitoring of inertial sensors in a vehicle using a local monitoring unit and an external remote computer. Furthermore, a vehicle and a distributed system using the proposed method are provided. The present invention is particularly useful for autonomous or semi-autonomous driving. Background Art

[0002] Powerful inertial measurement units (IMUs) with multiple inertial sensors are often used for automated driving, which requires high safety and accuracy, and for measuring the physical movement of the vehicle, for example in terms of acceleration and rotation rate.

[0003] Autonomous driving requires the use of highly accurate and reliable inertial sensor signals. Therefore, redundant inertial sensors are often used to measure the same physical event so that deviations related to safety and accuracy can be determined by comparing the detected redundant inertial sensor signals. In addition, the detected redundant inertial sensor signals can be set to valid or invalid based on the determined deviation, so that the redundant inertial sensor signals set to valid can be further combined or fused into the "best" final signal (fusion algorithm), and the redundant inertial sensor signals set to invalid can be avoided or minimized for subsequent calculations. It is also possible to select only a single "best" sensor signal from all available redundant sensor signals.

[0004] For redundant inertial sensors, a monitoring unit is typically deployed in the vehicle. This unit is capable of determining deviations relevant to safety and accuracy and providing information on the performance of the redundant inertial sensors. When a large deviation (e.g., a large offset error) is detected within a short period of time, the monitoring unit can determine the most appropriate inertial sensor signal for selection, combination, or fusion based on a limited amount of information.

[0005] However, if the determined deviation is too small, a lot of information is usually required to determine the most appropriate inertial sensor signal. Even if the "best" inertial sensor can be determined very well, it must be considered that over time, depending on the situation / context, the inertial sensor currently identified as the best performing may no longer be the best. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Based on this, the present invention aims to alleviate or at least partially resolve the problems described with reference to the prior art. In particular, a method for two-stage monitoring of inertial sensors in a vehicle is proposed, using a local monitoring unit and a remote computer. This method not only allows for better monitoring of the inertial sensors, but also allows for their characterization and calibration during their service life.

[0007] A method for monitoring an inertial sensor in a vehicle using a local monitoring unit and a remote computer is advantageous, wherein the monitoring unit is arranged inside the vehicle and the remote computer is arranged outside the vehicle and spatially separated from the vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:

[0008] a) providing at least one inertial sensor signal;

[0009] b) providing metadata for the at least one inertial sensor signal, the metadata comprising at least one characteristic of the at least one inertial sensor signal;

[0010] c) storing the at least one inertial sensor signal together with metadata provided therewith;

[0011] d) sending the at least one inertial sensor signal stored in step c) together with metadata provided therefor to a local monitoring unit and a remote computer based on these metadata; and

[0012] e) Monitoring using monitoring units and remote computers.

[0013] The described method is particularly suitable for automated driving. Automated driving is understood to mean, in particular, the movement of a vehicle that is largely autonomous, at least with the aid of inertial sensors, such as inertial navigation. The vehicle can be a motor vehicle, such as a passenger car, a truck or other commercial vehicle, a robot, or the like.

[0014] The method enables two-level monitoring of inertial sensors installed in a vehicle. The inertial sensors can be monitored not only on-site by a monitoring unit also installed in the vehicle, but also long-term remotely by a remote computer located outside the vehicle and spatially separated from the vehicle.

[0015] Compared to known methods of monitoring inertial sensors that typically use only current inertial sensor signals, the monitoring unit proposed here can use not only current inertial sensor signals but also stored historical inertial sensor signals, thereby enabling improved on-site monitoring.

[0016] Because the remote computer is not permanently connected to the vehicle, it can, in principle, receive and utilize stored historical inertial sensor signals not only from a specific vehicle but also from multiple different vehicles. This is particularly advantageous in that, while the remote computer can support the monitoring unit of a specific vehicle in monitoring the inertial sensors installed in that vehicle, it can also take on expanded tasks, such as characterizing and calibrating the same type of inertial sensor based on stored inertial sensor signals provided by inertial sensors of the same type in different vehicles. This inertial sensor characterization and calibration, in turn, supports the local monitoring unit in performing on-site monitoring. In this way, the local monitoring unit and the remote computer can functionally complement each other to better monitor the inertial sensors.

[0017] In addition, metadata is created for the inertial sensor signals to be stored. The metadata describes the properties of the inertial sensor signals, such as the priority of the inertial sensor signals, and efficient signal storage, signal communication, and signal utilization are achieved on this basis.

[0018] According to step a), at least one inertial sensor signal is provided.

[0019] The inertial sensor signal may be provided by an inertial sensor installed in the vehicle. Since multiple inertial sensors are installed in the vehicle, multiple inertial sensor signals may be provided by the corresponding inertial sensors. In particular, the inertial sensor signal may be a redundant inertial sensor signal provided by a redundant inertial sensor.

[0020] Inertial sensors, such as acceleration and rotation rate sensors, are typically installed in vehicles for multidimensional measurements. It can be specified that at least one inertial sensor of the same type, such as a rotation rate sensor, is used for each dimension to measure the physical quantity (e.g., rotation rate) in that dimension. To improve measurement accuracy and avoid sensor failure, it can also be specified that multiple inertial sensors of the same type are used for each dimension to measure the same physical quantity in the same dimension. For example, three rotation rate sensors can be installed on the same board to measure the same rotation rate in the same dimension. The same applies to acceleration sensors used for multidimensional acceleration measurement. Therefore, multiple inertial sensors of the same type are installed in the vehicle.

[0021] In this context, redundant inertial sensors are understood to mean inertial sensors that all have the same design, the same measured variable and / or the same measuring principle.

[0022] According to step b), metadata for said at least one inertial sensor signal are provided, said metadata comprising at least one characteristic of said at least one inertial sensor signal.

[0023] In principle, metadata is data that is additional to other data and describes the properties of that other data.

[0024] For the provided inertial sensor signal, at least one characteristic of the inertial sensor signal can be provided as metadata, wherein the at least one characteristic can be, for example, a priority of the inertial sensor signal. It can be provided that, in step b), metadata can be created for each inertial sensor signal provided in step a). Using metadata for each inertial sensor signal facilitates evaluating and deciding for what purpose and in what manner the inertial sensor signal should be further processed and / or used.

[0025] Metadata provided for an inertial sensor signal can be appended to the beginning of the inertial sensor signal in the form of a metadata header and, together with the inertial sensor signal, form a data block. This has the advantage that the corresponding inertial sensor signal can be stored, transmitted, further processed, and / or used in the form of a data block based on at least one characteristic contained in the metadata, such as a priority.

[0026] According to step c), the at least one inertial sensor signal is stored together with metadata provided therefor.

[0027] In this case, it can be provided that each inertial sensor signal provided in step a) is stored in a storage unit together with its metadata provided in step b).

[0028] Compared to currently provided inertial sensor signals, the stored inertial sensor signals are historical inertial sensor signals that can be selectively and timely used later according to application needs to support improved monitoring of the inertial sensor.

[0029] Inertial sensor signals stored in the storage unit can be overwritten over time. This has the advantage of efficiently utilizing the storage space in the storage unit. Overwriting can be performed based on metadata stored with the corresponding inertial sensor signals. For example, if a priority value is included as a feature in the metadata of the corresponding inertial sensor signals, inertial sensor signals with low priority values ​​can be overwritten first.

[0030] According to step d), the at least one inertial sensor signal stored in step c) is transmitted together with the metadata provided therefor to a local monitoring unit and to a remote computer based on these metadata.

[0031] Provision can be made to selectively and timely transmit the inertial sensor signals, along with their associated metadata, from the storage unit to the monitoring unit and / or remote computer, as needed for the application. Transmission can be based on metadata. For example, if a priority value is included as a feature in the metadata of the corresponding inertial sensor signals, inertial sensor signals with a high priority value can be transmitted first.

[0032] According to step e), monitoring is performed using the monitoring unit and the remote computer.

[0033] The key difference between the local monitoring unit and the remote computer is that the monitoring unit is located in the vehicle and can be a signal processor, microcontroller, etc., while the remote computer is located outside the vehicle and spatially separated from the vehicle, and can be a cloud (also called a "computing cloud").

[0034] The monitoring unit is primarily used for on-site monitoring. Here, it can use not only the current inertial sensor signals but also combine them with stored historical inertial sensor signals, enabling improved on-site monitoring. This also applies to metadata.

[0035] In principle, the remote computer can receive and utilize stored historical inertial sensor signals not only from a specific vehicle, but also from multiple different vehicles. This has the advantage that, while the remote computer can support the monitoring unit of a specific vehicle in monitoring the inertial sensors installed in that vehicle, it can also take on expanded tasks, such as characterizing and calibrating inertial sensors of the same type based on stored inertial sensor signals provided by inertial sensors of the same type in different vehicles. This inertial sensor characterization and calibration, in turn, supports on-site monitoring by the local monitoring unit. In this way, the local monitoring unit and the remote computer can functionally support each other to better monitor the inertial sensors.

[0036] In particular, the remote computer can undertake the following (extended) tasks:

[0037] -Support local monitoring units for on-site monitoring;

[0038] - Characterize inertial sensors;

[0039] - Calibrate inertial sensors;

[0040] - Re-enactment of the accident;

[0041] - Create a test environment for new monitoring algorithms to monitor inertial sensors; and

[0042] -Assess road conditions.

[0043] Provision can be made for the remote computer to receive and use inertial sensor signals from different vehicles. This has the advantage that the monitoring unit of a single vehicle and its fusion algorithm can be improved. Since, as mentioned at the outset, the deviations related to safety and accuracy determined based on redundant inertial sensor signals are too small, a large amount of information is usually required to determine the "best" inertial sensor. The remote computer can use a large number of inertial sensor signals over time. Specifically, these inertial sensor signals can come not only from the local redundant inertial sensors in a specific vehicle, but also from inertial sensors of the same type in multiple other vehicles. For example, by using an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm for identifying anomalies, the performance of the inertial sensor can be evaluated (for example, as the best or worst). In addition, the results of this evaluation can be transmitted to the vehicle, so that the monitoring unit of the single vehicle and its fusion algorithm can be improved.

[0044] Provision can be made for a remote computer to characterize the inertial sensors using inertial sensor signals from different vehicles. From a large number of inertial sensor signals from different vehicles, statistical data can be generated that can be used to characterize the behavior and tolerances of the inertial sensors. These statistics can be used, for example, for future risk analysis and prediction.

[0045] Provision may be made for the remote computer to calibrate the inertial sensor by using inertial sensor signals from inertial sensors of the same type from different vehicles to understand how the tolerances (e.g., offset) of the inertial sensors change under different environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, age). This information can be used to create a calibration curve (e.g., offset vs. temperature) for the inertial sensor of that particular sensor type to improve its performance.

[0046] It can be provided that the remote computer reconstructs the accident in the following manner: inertial sensor signals of the vehicle while traveling on relevant road sections (for example, dangerous intersections or sharp bends) are provided, which are then sent to the remote computer and stored in the remote computer, so that accidents occurring on these relevant road sections can be reconstructed with the help of these stored inertial sensor signals, and the course of the accident can be better understood.

[0047] Provision can be made for the remote computer to be used as a test platform for new monitoring algorithms by utilizing inertial sensor signals from different vehicles to train artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms or to test new inertial sensor-based functions.

[0048] Provision can be made for the remote computer to assess the road conditions using an AI algorithm based on inertial sensor signals detected by different vehicles while they are traveling the same route, transmitted to the remote computer, and stored therein. This can, for example, identify possible structural changes in the road, such as cracks in the roadway surface or the depth of rutting.

[0049] Preferably, a priority value of the at least one inertial sensor signal is determined before step b).

[0050] Since not all current inertial sensor signals are relevant for further use, a priority value may be determined for each current inertial sensor signal, based on which irrelevant inertial sensor signals may be filtered out to achieve efficient signal storage, signal communication, and signal utilization.

[0051] Preferably, the priority value is determined by considering at least one of the following factors:

[0052] -Trigger control device information;

[0053] - Lane and position information;

[0054] -Environmental and background information;

[0055] -Monitoring unit evaluation.

[0056] The priority values ​​of the corresponding inertial sensor signals may be determined by a priority management unit.

[0057] Provision may be made to determine the priority value of the respective inertial sensor signals by taking into account the monitoring unit's evaluation. For example, if the monitoring unit determines that all inertial sensors are within performance specifications, but a particular inertial sensor exhibits unexpected behavior or the inertial sensor signals provided by these inertial sensors exhibit strong fluctuations, these inertial sensor signals may be assigned a higher priority value. This means that these inertial sensor signals may be relevant / interesting / useful for further use. The priority value of the respective inertial sensor signals may be determined using an internal rating mechanism of the monitoring algorithm (e.g., a counter for rating occurring issues).

[0058] It may also be provided that the priority value is determined by taking into account at least one trigger control unit that is independent of the inertial sensor. The trigger control unit may be an airbag control unit that is located in the same vehicle as the inertial sensor. For example, if the airbag control unit detects that a certain collision recognition algorithm is active, the inertial sensor signals provided by the inertial sensor at that moment may be relevant to understanding why the collision recognition algorithm triggered the airbag. These inertial sensor signals may also be assigned a higher priority value.

[0059] It may also be provided that the priority value is determined by taking into account environmental and background information. For example, if the temperature or humidity is outside a specified range, the priority value of the inertial sensor signal provided at that time and thereafter may be increased.

[0060] It may also be provided that the priority value is determined by considering lane and vehicle position information. The inertial sensor signals provided by the inertial sensors may exhibit significant fluctuations and / or interference in certain lanes or at certain locations, such as in narrow curves. To distinguish fluctuations and / or interference caused by lanes from those caused by a failed inertial sensor, critical lanes and locations may be pre-marked in the navigation map. For example, if a navigation system using a navigation map indicates that the vehicle will approach a curve marked on the navigation map within the next few seconds, a specific priority value may be assigned to each inertial sensor signal provided by the inertial sensor while driving in that curve.

[0061] Preferably, in step b), a priority value is provided for the metadata. In this way, the stored inertial sensor signals can be sent to the remote computer according to their priority value, wherein inertial sensor signals with higher priority values ​​are more relevant and can therefore be sent first.

[0062] Preferably, in step b), the metadata also includes at least one of the following characteristics: lane and position characteristic values, time information, sampling frequency, environmental and context information, data compression level, data block size, and system-dependent characteristic values. This advantage allows for further use of the stored inertial sensor signals according to specific conditions and circumstances. Lane and position characteristic values ​​can refer to lanes and positions marked on a navigation map. System-dependent characteristic values ​​can refer to another system, such as an airbag control unit.

[0063] Preferably, a temporary buffer and a priority-oriented memory are used in step c).

[0064] The current inertial sensor signal may initially be stored in a temporary buffer along with its metadata for a few seconds until the priority management unit determines the priority value of the inertial sensor signal. If the priority value is zero, this means that the inertial sensor signal is irrelevant and can therefore be overwritten, for example, according to a FIFO (first in, first out) policy.

[0065] If the priority value is high, it means that the inertial sensor signal is relevant. To this end, the metadata of the inertial sensor signal is updated, so that the inertial sensor signal deemed relevant can be copied to the priority-based memory along with the updated metadata. The contents of the temporary buffer can then be overwritten. The priority-based memory is, for example, a non-volatile memory.

[0066] If necessary, the data to be copied to the priority-oriented memory (ie, the inertial sensor signals and their metadata that are considered relevant) can be pre-compressed. The data copied to the priority-oriented memory can be used by the monitoring unit and the remote computer.

[0067] Multiple temporary buffers can also be used to buffer inertial sensor signals over a longer period of time. For example, if a temporary buffer is full, subsequent inertial sensor signals can be stored in another temporary buffer.

[0068] Preferably, in step d), said at least one inertial sensor signal is sent to a remote computer together with metadata provided therefor based on a priority value contained in these metadata.

[0069] Preferably, in step d), the at least one inertial sensor signal together with metadata provided therefor is sent to a remote computer directly via an Internet connection or indirectly via a medium.

[0070] Provision can be made for the stored inertial sensor signals together with their corresponding metadata to be sent directly to the remote computer via an internet connection if an internet connection is available, wherein inertial sensor signals having a high priority value can be sent first.

[0071] It can also be provided that the stored inertial sensor signals together with the corresponding metadata are transmitted indirectly to a remote computer via a medium.

[0072] This intermediary can be the user's mobile phone. In this case, the inertial sensor signals, along with associated metadata, are first transmitted to the mobile phone, from which they can then be forwarded to the remote computer. For example, inertial sensor signals with a lower priority value can be transmitted to the user's mobile phone. If the mobile phone has an internet connection and sufficient bandwidth (e.g., a home WLAN), these inertial sensor signals are forwarded to the remote computer.

[0073] Another possible intermediary is a smart traffic light, a traffic control system that combines traditional traffic lights with a range of sensors and artificial intelligence. If a stable, high-speed, short-range data connection can be established between the vehicle and the smart traffic light, the inertial sensor signal, which has a lower priority value, can be transmitted to the smart traffic light, which then forwards it to a remote computer.

[0074] The intermediary can also be a charger capable of transmitting data via PLC (Power Line Communication). If the vehicle is an electric vehicle, it can communicate with the charger during the charging process. In this way, the inertial sensor signal with a lower priority value can be transmitted to the charger, which then forwards it to the remote computer.

[0075] In all of these cases, the data set stored in the priority-oriented memory may be deleted only after the remote computer confirms that it has been completely received.

[0076] Furthermore, a vehicle having a plurality of inertial sensors and a monitoring unit for monitoring the inertial sensors is proposed, the vehicle comprising:

[0077] a priority management unit configured to determine a priority value of the inertial sensor signal;

[0078] - a metadata mapping unit configured to provide metadata for the inertial sensor signals;

[0079] - a data storage unit configured to store the inertial sensor signals and metadata provided therefor; and

[0080] A data transmission unit which is connectable in a data-conducting manner to a remote computer, wherein the remote computer is spatially separated from the vehicle and is arranged outside the vehicle.

[0081] Preferably, the data storage unit includes a temporary buffer and a priority-oriented memory.

[0082] Furthermore, preferably, the data storage unit includes a plurality of temporary buffers.

[0083] Furthermore, it is also preferred that the data transmission unit is configured to transmit the inertial sensor signal together with metadata provided therefor to a remote computer directly via an Internet connection or indirectly via a medium.

[0084] Furthermore, a distributed system is proposed having a remote computer and at least one of the aforementioned vehicles, wherein the at least one vehicle is connectable to the remote computer in a data-transmitting manner.

[0085] Preferably, the remote computer is configured to perform at least one of the following tasks:

[0086] - A monitoring unit supporting at least one vehicle;

[0087] - characterizing at least one vehicle's inertial sensor;

[0088] - calibrating at least one vehicle's inertial sensor;

[0089] - Re-enactment of the accident;

[0090] - Create a test environment for new monitoring algorithms;

[0091] -Assess road conditions.

[0092] The solutions proposed in this paper share a commonality: they are both two-tiered monitoring solutions. In this scenario, inertial sensors installed in a vehicle can be monitored not only locally by a monitoring unit also installed in the vehicle, but also remotely and long-term via a remote computer located externally and spatially separate from the vehicle. This allows the local monitoring unit and the remote computer to functionally support each other for optimal inertial sensor monitoring. Furthermore, metadata is generated for the stored inertial sensor signals. This metadata describes their properties, such as their priority, enabling efficient signal storage, communication, and utilization. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0093] The solution proposed herein and its technical environment are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. In particular, unless otherwise explicitly stated, some aspects of the facts illustrated in the drawings may be extracted and combined with other components and / or insights from other drawings and / or this specification. Among them:

[0094] Figure 1 A block diagram schematically illustrates the method; and

[0095] Figure 2 The data transmission between the vehicle and the remote computer is shown schematically. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0096] Figure 1 A block diagram of the method is shown schematically and exemplarily. With this method, inertial sensors arranged in a vehicle 23 can be monitored not only on-site by a monitoring unit 1 also arranged in the vehicle 23, but also long-term remotely by a remote computer 2 arranged outside the vehicle 23 and spatially separated from the vehicle 23.

[0097] For this purpose, in particular, a priority value 22 is determined by the priority management unit 3 for each inertial sensor signal 9. The priority value 22 can be determined based on the monitoring unit evaluation 15. The priority value 22 can also be determined based on external inputs, such as trigger control device information 12, lane and vehicle position information 13 and / or environment and background information 14.

[0098] Furthermore, metadata 11 is created by the metadata mapping unit 4 for each inertial sensor signal 9 to be stored.

[0099] The metadata 11 of the inertial sensor signal 9 to be stored may include a previously determined priority value 22 for the inertial sensor signal 9. Furthermore, the metadata 11 may include a lane and position characteristic value 16, time information 17, a sampling frequency 18, environmental and context information 14, a data compression level 19, a data block size 20, and / or a system-relevance characteristic value 21. Therefore, the priority value 22, the lane and position characteristic value 16, the time information 17, the sampling frequency 18, the environmental and context information 14, the data compression level 19, the data block size 20, and the system-relevance characteristic value 21 together constitute characteristics of the inertial sensor signal 9, which may describe the priority and context of the inertial sensor signal 9.

[0100] The inertial sensor signal 9 to be stored may be stored in the data storage unit 5 , 6 together with metadata 11 previously created for the inertial sensor signal 9 .

[0101] The data storage units 5, 6 may include a temporary buffer 5 and a priority-oriented memory 6. The current inertial sensor signal 9 may initially be stored together with its metadata in the temporary buffer 5 for a few seconds until the priority management unit 3 has determined a priority value 22 for this inertial sensor signal 9. If the priority value 22 is zero, this means that this inertial sensor signal 9 is not relevant and can therefore be overwritten, for example, according to a FIFO policy ("first in, first out").

[0102] If the priority value 22 is high, this means that the inertial sensor signal 9 is relevant. To this end, the metadata 11 of the inertial sensor signal 9 is updated so that the inertial sensor signal 9 considered relevant can be copied to the priority-oriented memory 6 together with the updated metadata 11. The contents of the temporary buffer 5 can then be overwritten. The priority-oriented memory 6 is, for example, a non-volatile memory.

[0103] Data can be transmitted from the priority-oriented memory 6 to the remote computer 2 via the data transmission unit 7. Likewise, data can be received from the remote computer 2 via the data transmission unit 7. The inertial sensor signals 10 can be transmitted to the remote computer 2 together with the metadata 11 provided therefor, depending on the priority values ​​22 contained in these metadata 11. The inertial sensor signals 10 can also be transmitted to the remote computer 2 together with the metadata 11 provided therefor, directly via an Internet connection or indirectly via the medium 8.

[0104] exist Figure 1It can also be seen that the vehicle 23 and the remote computer 2 together form a distributed system 24 , wherein the remote computer 2 is arranged outside the vehicle 23 and is spatially separated from the vehicle 23 and can be connected to the vehicle 23 in a data-conducting manner.

[0105] Figure 2 The data transmission between the vehicle 23 and the remote computer 2 is shown schematically and exemplarily.

[0106] exist Figure 2 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , if an internet connection is available, the stored inertial sensor signals 10 together with their corresponding metadata 11 can be sent directly to the remote computer 2 , wherein inertial sensor signals having a high priority value can be sent first.

[0107] exist Figure 2 It can also be seen in FIG1 that the stored inertial sensor signals 10 together with the corresponding metadata 11 can be indirectly transmitted to the remote computer 2 via the user's mobile phone 25, the smart traffic light 26 or the charger 27. Indirect transmission is particularly advantageous for inertial sensor signals having a low priority value.

[0108] In the case of a mobile phone 25 , the inertial sensor signals 10 along with the associated metadata 11 may first be transmitted to the mobile phone 25 , and then may be forwarded from the mobile phone 25 to the remote computer 2 .

[0109] In the case of a smart traffic light 26 , the inertial sensor signals 10 along with the associated metadata 11 can be transmitted to the smart traffic light 26 , which then forwards them to the remote computer 2 if a stable, high-speed, short-range data connection can be established between the vehicle 23 and the smart traffic light 26 .

[0110] In the case of charger 27 , the inertial sensor signals along with the associated metadata 11 can be transmitted to charger 23 , which then forwards them to remote computer 2 if charger 27 has PLC (Power Line Communication) and vehicle 23 can communicate with charger 27 during charging.

[0111] In all these cases, it is possible to delete the stored inertial sensor signals 10 and their associated metadata 11 only after the remote computer 2 has confirmed complete receipt. However, it is also possible that only stored inertial sensor signals 10 with a high priority value require confirmation before deletion.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an inertial sensor in a vehicle (23) using a local monitoring unit (1) and an external remote computer (2), wherein: The monitoring unit (1) is arranged inside the vehicle (23), and the remote computer (2) is arranged outside the vehicle (23) and spatially separated from the vehicle (23), and the method includes the following steps: a) providing at least one inertial sensor signal (9, 10); b) providing metadata (11) for the at least one inertial sensor signal (9, 10), the metadata comprising at least one characteristic (14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22) of the at least one inertial sensor signal (9, 10); c) storing the at least one inertial sensor signal (9, 10) together with the metadata (11) provided therefor; d) sending the at least one inertial sensor signal (10) stored in step c) together with the metadata (11) provided therefor to the local monitoring unit (1) and the remote computer (2) based on the metadata (11); and e) performing monitoring using the monitoring unit (1) and the remote computer (2).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Prior to step b), a priority value (22) of the at least one inertial sensor signal (9) is determined.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The priority value (2) is determined by considering at least one of the following factors: - trigger control device information (12); - Lane and position information (13); - Environmental and background information (14); - Monitoring unit evaluation (15).

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: In step b), the metadata (11) is provided with the priority value (22).

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein In step b), the metadata (11) includes at least one of the following characteristics: - Lane and position feature values ​​(16); - time information (17); - sampling frequency (18); - Environmental and background information (14); - Data compression level (19); - data block size (20); - System correlation eigenvalue (21).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein In step c) a temporary buffer (5) and a priority-oriented memory (6) are used.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 5, wherein: In step d), the at least one inertial sensor signal (10) is sent to the remote computer (2) together with the metadata (11) provided therefor based on the priority value (22) contained in the metadata (11).

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein In step d), the at least one inertial sensor signal (10) is sent to the remote computer (2) together with the metadata (11) provided for the inertial sensor signal (10) directly via an Internet connection or indirectly via a medium (8).

9. A vehicle (23) having a plurality of inertial sensors and a monitoring unit (1) for monitoring the inertial sensors, the vehicle comprising: a priority management unit (3) configured to determine a priority value (22) of the inertial sensor signals (9, 10); - a metadata mapping unit (4) configured to provide metadata (11) for the inertial sensor signals (9, 10); - a data storage unit (5, 6) configured to store an inertial sensor signal (10) with metadata (11) provided therewith; and A data transmission unit (7) which can be connected in a data-conducting manner to a remote computer (2), wherein the remote computer (2) is arranged spatially separated from the vehicle (23) and is located outside the vehicle (23).

10. The vehicle (23) of claim 9, wherein: The data storage unit (5, 6) includes a temporary buffer (5) and a priority-oriented memory (6).

11. The vehicle (23) of claim 9, wherein: The data storage unit (5, 6) includes a plurality of temporary buffers (5).

12. The vehicle (23) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein The data transmission unit (9) is configured to transmit the inertial sensor signal (10) together with the metadata (11) provided therefor to the remote computer (2) directly via an Internet connection or indirectly via a medium (8).

13. Distributed system (24) having a remote computer (2) and at least one vehicle (23) according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein The at least one vehicle (23) is connectable to the remote computer (2) in a data-transmitting manner.

14. The distributed system (24) of claim 13, wherein: The remote computer (2) is configured to perform at least one of the following tasks: - a monitoring unit (1) supporting said at least one vehicle (23); - an inertial sensor characterizing said at least one vehicle (23); - calibrating said inertial sensors of said at least one vehicle (23); - Re-enactment of the accident; - Create a testing environment for new monitoring algorithms; - Evaluate road conditions.

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