Warning of weather damage to vehicles

Abstract

Methods for warning of damage to a vehicle caused by weather conditions, including: Providing the vehicle's position; Check whether the vehicle's position corresponds to a protective position, namely a position that is classified as protective against damage from weather influences; Providing information on the current and / or predicted weather at the vehicle's location; Checking the possibility of damage to the vehicle due to the current and / or predicted weather at the vehicle's location, taking into account the result of the check of the vehicle's location; If the inspection reveals that damage to the vehicle is possible: Issue a warning; and in particular references to one or more protective positions.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for warning of damage to a vehicle caused by weather influences, which can be executed by a computing unit of the vehicle, a central computing unit or a mobile device such as a smartphone.

[0002] Vehicles parked outdoors can be damaged by weather conditions, especially hail or storms. Storms can cause objects to be hurled at vehicles or branches to fall from trees. Vehicles with open windows, sliding windows, or convertible tops are particularly vulnerable. In such cases, even light rain can cause damage.

[0003] Damage of this kind occurs particularly in situations where the vehicle is parked in harmless weather and the weather subsequently develops into potentially damaging weather.

[0004] Vehicles can be protected from weather damage by moving them to covered locations. For example, a garage or parking garage offers sufficient protection from weather damage.

[0005] The patent application DE 10 2011 112 686 A1 proposes a warning for a convertible driver when driving a route specified by a navigation system with the top down and precipitation is imminent.

[0006] The patent application DE 44 37 746 A1 discloses a device for detecting precipitation and responding to it in a targeted manner to prevent water damage.

[0007] Patent application US 2012 / 0062392A1 discloses a method for warning at least one contact person associated with a vehicle that the vehicle is within a geographic warning zone. This involves initiating and establishing a wireless communication link between the vehicle's telematics system and a remote control system comprising a weather detection system and a map database.

[0008] The patent application JP 2007 - 237 789 A discloses a device for automatically closing protective devices such as windows and roofs of a vehicle by predicting weather events such as rain before causing inconvenience to the vehicle interior and passengers.

[0009] Against this background, it would be desirable to be able to take the future weather into account when parking the vehicle and to be able to warn of possible weather damage.

[0010] This problem is solved by a method according to claim 1. Advantageous further developments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0011] According to one solution, a procedure for warning of weather-related damage to a vehicle comprises: providing the vehicle's location; checking whether the vehicle's location corresponds to a protective position, namely a position classified as protective against weather-related damage; providing information on the current and / or predicted weather at the vehicle's location; checking the possibility of damage to the vehicle from the current and / or predicted weather at the vehicle's location, taking into account the result of the check of the vehicle's location; if the check reveals that damage to the vehicle is possible: issuing a warning; and in particular, providing information on one or more protective positions.

[0012] It is therefore proposed to assess the vehicle's vulnerability to weather damage based on the vehicle's position classification and the current or future weather conditions. The vehicle classification indicates whether the position offers protection from weather damage or not. This classification is a property of the position that can either be stored separately in a digital map or derived from other properties stored within the digital map. For example, a digital map might contain information indicating the presence of a parking garage at a specific location. If the vehicle's position matches the parking garage's location, the vehicle's position can be classified as a protected position.To classify an entry as a protective position, rules can be defined that list which types of entries in the digital map are to be classified as protective.

[0013] If the vehicle is in a sheltered position, it is not exposed to the weather and is therefore protected. The assessment always concludes that damage to the vehicle is impossible. Consequently, no warning or notification is issued. However, if the vehicle is exposed, which is determined by the fact that its position does not correspond to a location classified as sheltered, and, for example, hail or storms are forecast for that location, then a warning is issued and sheltered positions are suggested.

[0014] In a training course, protected positions are defined as stored locations of parking garages and / or locations defined and stored via user input. Defining protected positions via user input appears necessary because private garages are typically not recorded on digital maps.

[0015] In a training course, the following steps are carried out if the inspection reveals that damage to the vehicle is possible: The driver is offered one or more designated safe locations as destinations for route guidance via a navigation system. This provides the driver with a convenient system for protecting their vehicle. They first receive a notification of a potential safe location and can then immediately select it as a route destination. This is particularly advantageous in unfamiliar locations.

[0016] Typically, checking for the possibility of damage to the vehicle includes: checking whether the current and forecasted weather at the vehicle's location includes hail and / or storms, and whether the vehicle's location is not a sheltered position.

[0017] It may be possible to consider, when protecting against weather damage, whether, for example, windows or convertible tops are open, or more generally, whether the closable openings are closed. The method further comprises: providing the current open / closed status of the vehicle's closable openings; checking the possibility of damage to the vehicle from the current and forecasted weather at the vehicle's location, taking into account the result of the check to determine whether the vehicle's location offers protection and considering the provided open / closed status; and issuing a warning if the check according to this claim reveals that damage to the vehicle is possible. This further development thus proposes an additional check that considers whether the vehicle has open windows or an open convertible top.In these cases, the vehicle can be damaged even by simple precipitation such as rain. However, the first step in identifying a hazard is to simply issue a warning, as the hazard can be averted by closing the vehicle's openings. As an additional measure, protective positions into which the vehicle could be moved can, of course, be suggested.

[0018] In one implementation, the steps of the preceding procedures will be executed in response to the detection that the vehicle is being parked. This detection could, for example, consist of recognizing that the vehicle's parking brake is engaged, the engine is stopped, and the transmission shifts into "P".

[0019] In an alternative implementation, the steps of the procedure are not executed only upon completion of the parking process, but rather when a parking situation is detected early on, either by reaching the destination (when using a navigation system) or through typical parking maneuvers (parking maneuvers, reversing gear, Park Distance Control activated, reversing camera activated, parking system activated, geofencing at known unsafe parking spaces). This has the advantage of preventing the driver, who has initially gone to great lengths to park in an (unsafe) location, from then having to unpark again.

[0020] In particular, the steps of the preceding procedures can be performed in response to a trigger (for example, at regular intervals, triggered by a timer) and after the vehicle has been parked, especially more than one hour after the vehicle has been parked.

[0021] This makes it possible to take changing weather forecasts into account. Furthermore, it allows for consideration of the risks of weather damage for times when forecasts were unavailable or too inaccurate when the vehicle was parked. The process steps can thus be executed continuously, for example, every half day, once a day, weekly, or at any desired interval. A timer can trigger the execution of the process. The driver is typically outside the vehicle if they parked it several hours or days ago or are monitoring an automatic parking process. In this case, the driver can no longer perceive the vehicle's output devices (such as a display). Warnings and instructions must be communicated to the driver via another device.This can be done via a mobile device with a wireless connection, typically a smartphone. Therefore, it may be possible to provide the notification via a mobile device when the procedure is carried out after the vehicle has been parked.

[0022] Furthermore, implementations can also include triggering the execution of the procedure steps while driving along the route, for example, at least 10 minutes before arrival at the destination. The destination currently entered into the navigation device is used for an early warning. Therefore, the procedure is not based on the vehicle's current position, but rather on the future destination position and the expected weather conditions. For example, the navigation system might announce: "You are currently starting your journey from Munich to Stuttgart city center. Hail is forecast in Stuttgart for your arrival time in two hours." The navigation system thus issues an early warning (e.g., on the highway before Stuttgart; not just when parking) and suggests appropriate sheltered parking areas or parking garages, which can then be approached directly.Shelter positions could also be offered in the event of severe weather directly on the route.

[0023] The damage assessment can be performed by a mobile device, by the vehicle's computer unit, or by a central, non-mobile computer unit. Several scenarios can be distinguished here: When the vehicle is parked, the procedure can naturally be performed by the vehicle's computer unit, because it is still operational and because the driver is still in the vehicle and can react accordingly, i.e., move the vehicle into a protective position.

[0024] If the vehicle is already parked, its computer is often no longer active. In this case, the process (or the steps up to the output) can be executed by a central computer, a so-called backend. The backend then communicates with a mobile device located with the driver. For this to happen, the vehicle's position and, if applicable, the open / closed status of any lockable openings must be transmitted to the backend. This can be done when the vehicle is parked. The backend then regularly checks for hazards and instructs the mobile device to issue a warning in case of weather-related dangers and, if necessary, to suggest sheltered positions. The backend is connected to third-party computers that provide weather information.The mobile device is equipped with special software, sometimes called apps, to communicate with the backend and display notifications.

[0025] Alternatively, the described procedures can also be carried out entirely by a mobile device configured for this purpose with software. For this, the vehicle's position and, if applicable, the open / closed status of any lockable openings are transmitted to the mobile device. The mobile device then has a digital map showing protected positions and communicates with third-party computers to obtain weather information. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a system for carrying out the inventive method when parking a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. Figure 2 schematically shows a system for carrying out the method according to the invention after a vehicle has been parked, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] Identical reference symbols refer to corresponding elements across the figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXECUTION EXAMPLES

[0027] Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a system for executing the method according to the invention when parking a vehicle 1 according to an exemplary embodiment. The vehicle 1 comprises a computing unit 2, for example a microcontroller or an ECU, and a display 3. The system also includes a backend server 4. The vehicle 1 and the server 4 can communicate via a wireless connection.

[0028] During operation, the control unit 2 detects that the vehicle is parked. To recognize the parking process, the control unit 2 receives information from sensors about the status of the parking brake, the engine, and the transmission. If at least two of these vehicle components indicate that the parking process is complete, the control unit checks whether the vehicle could be damaged by weather conditions. Alternatively, the check for potential weather damage can also be initiated while approaching a navigation destination.

[0029] Unit 2 retrieves the vehicle's position, determined using GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, or other positioning techniques. For this position, Unit 2 also retrieves current and future weather information from a remote server (a third-party provider or Server 4).

[0030] Unit 2 also checks whether the vehicle is in a safe location, specifically a protected position. To do this, Unit 2 verifies whether the vehicle's position matches the location of a parking garage or underground parking facility shown on a digital map.

[0031] In addition, unit 2 retrieves data on the status of the lockable openings of vehicle 1, i.e. the status of windows, sunroofs or convertible tops.

[0032] If the location check reveals that the vehicle is in a protected position, no warning or notification will be issued.

[0033] However, if the site inspection reveals that the vehicle is not in a protected position, a detailed inspection will be carried out: If the weather forecast predicts hail or storms for the vehicle's location at the time of the test or in the future, a warning will appear on display 3. The warning advises the driver to move the vehicle to a sheltered location. At the same time, nearby shelters (especially public parking garages) will be displayed, which can also be used as navigation destinations.

[0034] If the weather forecast indicates or predicts rain (or simple precipitation) for the vehicle's location at the time of the test, unit 2 checks whether the open / closed status of all openings is displayed. If not, a warning is issued.

[0035] In general, the driver can also be shown temporal and spatial aspects of the (un)weather situation on display 3 in order to give the driver a better assessment of the danger (for example: severe thunderstorm from 3 pm to 4 pm in Fürstenfeldbruck).

[0036] Fig. Figure 2 schematically shows a system for carrying out the inventive method after a vehicle 1 has been parked for an extended period, according to an exemplary embodiment. Compared to the system according to Fig. 1 includes the system according to Fig. 2 additionally the mobile device 5, which is a smartphone and is set up for communication with the vehicle 1 and the backend server 4.

[0037] After parking, vehicle 1 transmits the open / closed status of the vehicle's lockable openings and its position to server 4. This can be in addition to the information related to... Fig. The functionality described in section 1 is executed. Server 4 monitors according to the same scheme as with regard to... Fig. 1 regularly explains the risk of weather damage to the vehicle. To do this, backend server 4 regularly retrieves weather information from a third party, such as a weather service. As soon as server 4 detects a risk, it communicates with terminal 5. Terminal 5 issues a warning and also suggests possible sheltered locations near the vehicle, where it could be moved, especially if hail or storms are imminent. Terminal 5 also receives this sheltered location information from server 4. If only rain is expected, but the status of, for example, the windows was reported as open to server 4 after parking, the driver is simply prompted to close the vehicle's windows.

Claims

[1] Method for warning of damage to a vehicle caused by weather conditions, comprising: Providing the vehicle's position; Check whether the vehicle's position corresponds to a protective position, namely a position that is classified as protective against damage from weather influences; Providing information on the current and / or predicted weather at the vehicle's location; Checking the possibility of damage to the vehicle due to the current and / or predicted weather at the vehicle's location, taking into account the result of the check of the vehicle's location; If the inspection reveals that damage to the vehicle is possible: Issue a warning; and in particular references to one or more protective positions. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the protection positions comprise stored positions of parking garages and / or positions defined and stored via user input. [3] Method according to claim 1, further comprising: If the inspection reveals that damage to the vehicle is possible: Offering one or more designated protective positions as destinations for route guidance by a navigation system. [4] Method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising checking for the possibility of damage to the vehicle: Check whether the current and forecast weather at the vehicle's location includes hail and / or storms, and whether the vehicle's location is a sheltered position. [5] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Providing information on the current open / closed status of the vehicle's lockable openings; Checking the possibility of damage to the vehicle due to the current and predicted weather at the vehicle's location, taking into account the result of the vehicle's location check and the available opening conditions; If the inspection under this claim reveals that damage to the vehicle is possible: Issuing a warning. [6] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the steps of the method of the preceding claim are carried out in response to the detection that the vehicle is parked. [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the steps of the method of one of the preceding claims are carried out in response to a trigger and after the vehicle has been parked, in particular more than one hour thereafter. [8] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the testing for the possibility of damage according to claim 1 and / or claim 5 is performed by a mobile terminal, by a computing unit of the vehicle or by a central and non-mobile computing unit.

Images