Method and device for tracking an object

Abstract

Device (101) for tracking an object (103); wherein the object (103) has a communication label, in particular an RFID label; wherein a user device (107) of a user of a vehicle (120) comprises a reading unit for reading communication labels; wherein the user device (107) comprises a position sensor configured to acquire position data relating to a position of the user device (107); wherein the device (101) is configured - to check whether or not there is a communication connection between the reading unit of the user device (107) and the communication label of the object (103); - to associate the object (103) with the user device (107) when it is detected that there is a communication connection between the reading unit of the user device (107) and the communication label of the object (103); - to determine position data of the position sensor of the user device (107); - to determine a termination time at which the communication connection between the reading unit of the user device (107) and the communication label of the object (103) is terminated; - to determine sensor data of a vehicle sensor (202, 204) of the vehicle (120) in relation to the object (103); and - to determine a location (112) of the object (103) on the basis of the position data and on the basis of the sensor data, such that on the basis of the sensor data of the vehicle sensor (202, 204) an area of ​​the vehicle (120) in which the object (103) is or was located at the time of termination is determined as the location (112) of the object (103).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method and a corresponding device for tracking an object to be transported

[0002] It is often necessary for an object, e.g. a product, to be able to be tracked continuously from a place of origin (e.g. a shop) to a current storage location (e.g. a private household) in order to be able to access the object when needed.

[0003] US 2014 / 0 277 935 A1 describes a method designed to detect whether an object has been removed from a vehicle. For this purpose, the vehicle has transmitting units that can detect the presence of one or more wireless devices (i.e., objects) in the vehicle.

[0004] This document deals with the technical task of enabling continuous tracking of an object to be transported or being transported in an efficient and reliable manner.

[0005] The problem is solved by each of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described, among other things, in the dependent claims. It should be noted that additional features of a patent claim dependent on an independent patent claim can form a separate invention, independent of the combination of all features of the independent patent claim, without the features of the independent patent claim or only in combination with a subset of the features of the independent patent claim, which invention can be made the subject of an independent claim, a divisional application, or a subsequent application. This applies equally to technical teachings described in the description, which can form an invention independent of the features of the independent patent claims.

[0006] According to one aspect, a device (e.g., a server and / or an evaluation unit) for tracking an object (e.g., an item purchased by a user) is described. The device can be part of a server, a vehicle, and / or a user device.

[0007] The device is configured to associate the object with a user device of a vehicle user. The user device may comprise a position sensor (e.g., a GPS receiver) configured to acquire position data relating to the current position of the user device. The user device may comprise a smartphone and / or a smart wearable of the user. The vehicle may be a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a motorcycle, a ship, a train, a tram, or an electrically powered means of personal transport such as an e-scooter, e-scooter, e-bike, e-skates, e-skateboard, etc.

[0008] The object can have a communication tag, in particular an RFID tag. The user device can comprise a reading or receiving unit for reading communication tags. The device can be configured to check whether or not a communication connection exists between the reading unit of the user device and the communication tag of the object. The object can be associated with the user device, for example, if it is detected that a communication connection exists between the reading unit of the user device and the communication tag of the object. In this way, an association between an object and the user device can be created in an efficient, reliable, and convenient manner.

[0009] The device is further configured to determine position data of the position sensor of the user device. Based on the position data and the position of the user device, the position of the object can be reliably determined (given the association and, in particular, the presence of a communication connection between the reading unit of the user device and the communication tag of the object). The device can be configured to repeatedly (in particular, periodically and / or quasi-continuously) check whether the communication connection between the reading unit of the user device and the communication tag of the object exists or not.

[0010] The device can further be configured to determine sensor data from a vehicle sensor of the vehicle relating to the object. The vehicle sensor can comprise an (interior and / or surroundings) camera configured to capture image data relating to the object as sensor data.

[0011] Furthermore, the device is configured to determine the location of the object based on the position data and the sensor data. In particular, the current location of the object can be determined at different points in time. The additional consideration of the sensor data from a vehicle sensor of the vehicle in which the object is transported, at least temporarily, enables a particularly reliable and precise determination of the object's location (even if the association between the user device and the object is lost or canceled).

[0012] The device can be configured to determine, based on the sensor data from the vehicle sensor (in particular based on the image data), an area (e.g., the trunk or the passenger compartment) within the vehicle in which the object is located as the location of the object. The device can be configured to evaluate the image data from the vehicle sensor using an image analysis algorithm to determine the location of the object. This enables a particularly precise determination of the location of the object.

[0013] The device can be configured to determine a termination time at which the communication connection between the reading unit of the user device and the communication tag of the object is or has been terminated. Based on the sensor data from the vehicle sensor, the area of ​​the vehicle in which the object is or was located at the termination time can then be reliably determined as the location of the object. By taking the sensor data from the vehicle sensor into account, the accuracy and reliability of determining the location of the object can be increased.

[0014] The device can be configured to determine object information relating to the object during a takeover event in which the object is associated with the user device for the first time, in particular during a digital payment transaction (to pay for the object). The object information can include: information relating to the durability and / or storage of the object; information relating to a takeover time at which the object was taken over by the user of the user device; information relating to weather conditions when the object was taken over (e.g., whether the object got wet or not); and / or information relating to the spatial dimensions and / or weight of the object. The automatic provision of object information can further increase user convenience.

[0015] The device can be configured to determine sensor data from a building sensor, in particular a camera, of a building (e.g., a store or a residential building) from which the object is being removed or into which the object is being brought. The location of the object can then be determined particularly precisely based on the sensor data from the building sensor.

[0016] The device can be configured to output and / or provide information regarding the location of the object to the user via a user interface of the user device. This allows the user to be reliably assisted in locating the object.

[0017] The vehicle sensor can comprise a sensor on a door and / or tailgate (e.g., on a tailgate) of the vehicle. The device can be configured to determine, based on the sensor data from the sensor on the door and / or tailgate of the vehicle, whether the location of the object is inside or outside the vehicle. This can increase the accuracy of the determined location of the object.

[0018] According to a further aspect, a (road) motor vehicle (in particular a passenger car or a truck or a bus) is described which comprises the device described in this document.

[0019] According to a further aspect, a method for tracking an object (e.g., a purchased item) is described. The method comprises associating the object with a user device of a user of a vehicle, wherein the user device comprises a position sensor configured to capture position data relating to a position of the user device. The method further comprises determining position data from the position sensor of the user device, as well as determining sensor data relating to the object from a vehicle sensor of the vehicle. Furthermore, the method comprises determining, based on the position data and the sensor data, a location of the object.

[0020] According to a further aspect, a software (SW) program is described. The SW program can be configured to be executed on a processor (e.g., on a control unit of a vehicle and / or on a vehicle-external server and / or on a user device) and thereby to carry out the method described in this document.

[0021] According to a further aspect, a storage medium is described. The storage medium can comprise a software program configured to be executed on a processor and thereby to carry out the method described in this document.

[0022] It should be noted that the methods, devices, and systems described in this document can be used both alone and in combination with other methods, devices, and systems described in this document. Furthermore, any aspects of the methods, devices, and systems described in this document can be combined in a variety of ways. In particular, the features of the claims can be combined in a variety of ways.

[0023] The invention will be described in more detail below using exemplary embodiments. Fig. 1 an exemplary system for tracking an object; Fig. 2 an exemplary motor vehicle; and Fig. 3 a flowchart of an exemplary method for tracking an object.

[0024] As stated at the beginning, this document deals with the reliable and continuous tracking of an object to be transported from its point of origin to its current location. In this context, Fig. 1 shows an exemplary system 100 for tracking an object 103. The object 103 can be picked up by a user at a source location 111. The source location 111 can be, for example, a store where the user purchases the object 103. The object 103 can be scanned at the source location 111 using a user's mobile device 107 (e.g., a smartphone, a smart wearable, a smartwatch, etc.). For example, an RFID (Radio Frequency ID) tag of the object 103 can be scanned.

[0025] When the user accepts object 103, object information relating to object 103 can be received from a database 102. Examples of object information include: the type of object 103, the durability of object 103, etc. The information can be transmitted directly to a central unit 101 and / or indirectly via user device 107 to central unit 101 (as a message 105). Central unit 101 can be configured to store object data relating to object 103. The object data can include the aforementioned object information. Furthermore, the object data can indicate the current position or current location 112 of object 103.

[0026] The current position 112 of the object 103 can be determined, for example, after the object 130 has been associated with the user device 107 (as a result of the scanning process) based on the position 106 of the user device 107. The position 106 of the user device 107 can be determined, for example, using GPS or another satellite-based positioning system.

[0027] During the transport of the object 103, the object 103 can be located at different locations 112 at different times. The respective location 112 can be determined, for example, based on the position 106 of the user device 107 of the user.

[0028] During transport, a situation may arise in which the object 103 is transported by a motor vehicle 120 (e.g., a passenger car, a truck, a bus, or a motorcycle) (possibly independently of the user device 107 of the user). This may lead to a situation in which the current location 112 can no longer be determined based on the position 106 of the user device 107.

[0029] Fig. 2 shows exemplary components of a vehicle 120. The vehicle 120 comprises one or more vehicle sensors 202, 204 (in particular one or more cameras, and / or the locks of one or more doors or hatches of the vehicle 120) which are configured to acquire sensor data relating to the object 103 to be transported. For example, based on the image data of a camera 202 (by image analysis), it can be detected that the object 103 has been placed at a specific location 112 in or in the vicinity of the vehicle 120. Alternatively or additionally, based on the sensor data of a lock 204, it can be detected that the object 103 has been placed in the interior of the vehicle 120 or in the trunk of the vehicle 120. Door and / or tailgate locks 204 can thus be used to additionally detect that there is a high probability that an object 103 will be removed from the vehicle 120, which object can then, for example,based on the sensor data of another vehicle sensor 202 (e.g., a camera). In particular, such multi-stage object recognition allows for particularly reliable confirmation of object removal and transfer.

[0030] The location 112 can be determined, for example, by an evaluation unit 201 of the vehicle 120. The location 112 of the object 103, determined based on the sensor data from a vehicle sensor 202, can be sent as a message 105 via a communication unit 203 of the vehicle 120 to the central unit 101. By taking into account the sensor data from one or more vehicle sensors 202 when determining the location 112 of an object 103, the quality of tracking the object 103 can be increased.

[0031] Thus, a system 100 is described in which a user device 107 (e.g., a smartphone) of a user is used to track an object 103 (e.g., on the user's body in a piece of clothing, in a carried bag, in a shopping cart, etc.) that is located near the user and thus near the user device 107. The user device 107 with a GPS receiver can be configured to send information 105 relating to the object 103 via Bluetooth to a vehicle 120, to another means of transport with a wireless data connection, or directly to the server 101. The user device 107 can be used to detect the location of the object 103 via RFID and / or NFC (Near Field Communication). The described system 100 can cause an unconsciously placed object 103 to be automatically detected by the system 100 and the location 112 of the object 103 to be displayed by the system 100 when the user searches for it.

[0032] The object 103 can be recorded at the origin 111 (e.g. during a purchase) as part of the digital payment or payment process with the user device 107. In this case, object information such as • the place of origin 111; • the time of purchase of object 103; • the delivery date, the best before date, the dimensions, the required cold chain, storage conditions, etc. of the object 103; and / or • Weather conditions during the handover of the object 103; are determined and sent to a server 101. The object information can be provided by a local database 102 at the origin location 111.

[0033] A permanent data link and / or connection between object 103 and user device 107 (e.g., using RFID and / or NFC) can be established, e.g., to track the transport route and / or the current position 112 of object 103 using the GPS receiver of user device 107. Furthermore, a reference to the person transporting object 103 can be established at any time via user device 107.

[0034] Exterior and interior cameras 202 of vehicles 120 (e.g., cars, trucks, buses, trains, trams, ships, subways, etc.) can be used to determine the current position 112 of the object 103. Person recognition based on the sensor data of a camera 202 can be used to determine the identity of the person being transported. Data from a door and / or hatch lock 204 of the vehicle 120 can be used to determine whether an object 103 has been removed from or placed into the vehicle 120. Furthermore, any arm movements and / or hand movements can be detected based on the sensor data in order to detect any (re)positioning, moving, and / or depositing of the object 103. The position 112 of the object 103 can thus be determined based on the sensor data of a camera 201 of a vehicle 120.

[0035] If necessary, the determined position 112 of object 103 can be confirmed by any surveillance cameras on a house (outside) or inside a house. For example, based on the image data from a camera in a building, it can be determined that object 103 has been parked inside the building.

[0036] During a journey, a vehicle 120 with one or more interior cameras 202 can observe the person associated with the object 103. For example, it can be observed whether any hands are reaching into a jacket pocket, a handbag, a storage compartment, etc., in order to detect and store where the object 103 was placed during the journey. This information 105 can be transmitted to the server 101 and / or the user device 107 in order to store the current location 112 of the object 103. If, for example, the object 103 has been stowed in a person's coat and the user device 107 is spatially separated from the coat containing the object 103 in the house, the user device 107 can only track the RFID / NFC signal between the coat and the user device 107 until the removal process (i.e., until a termination point).When determining the location 112, one or more surveillance cameras can also be integrated, which can take over the monitoring and / or tracking of the object 103 if the RFID / NFC signal is interrupted. Based on the stored location 112, the object 103 can still be found by the user.

[0037] If, for example, the object 103 is placed in the trunk of the vehicle 120 and the connection between the user device 107 and the object 103 is lost while driving (e.g., because the driver is transporting the user device 107 in his trouser pocket on the driver's seat in the passenger compartment), the user device 107 can check after leaving the vehicle 120 whether a new contact could be established with the object 103 after the object 103 was placed in the trunk. If this is not the case, it can be concluded that the object 103 is still in the trunk of the vehicle 120. The user device 107 thus "remembers" the trunk as the last location at which an RFID / NFC connection to the object 103 existed.The vehicle 120 can communicate the location of the trunk to the user device 107 because the person was detected by the vehicle 120 through a sensor 202 at the rear of the vehicle 120 at the time of the last contact between the user device 107 and the object 103.

[0038] Particularly in the case of a relatively heavy object 103, the emptying of the vehicle 120 can be carried out by measuring the load or unloading of the object 103.

[0039] The vehicle 120 can be configured to establish contact with a communication component of a building, in particular a smart home (e.g., via car-to-X communication) to ensure that the transported object 103 / to be transported, which was detected by the vehicle 120 via the user device 107, was actually parked in the building or taken from the building in the vehicle 120. It can thus be reliably determined whether the object 103 was unloaded from the vehicle 120 or loaded into the vehicle 120.

[0040] The described system 100 can be configured to enable the tracking of an article or object 103 by a person using a user device 107. Furthermore, the system 100 can be configured to record any number of transfers of objects 103 between any number of people using any number of user devices 107 and to take them into account when tracking the individual objects 103.

[0041] Fig.3 shows a flowchart of an exemplary (possibly computer-implemented) method 300 for tracking an object 103 (e.g., a purchased item). The method 300 includes associating 301 the object 103 with a user device 107 (e.g., a smartphone) of a user of a vehicle 120. The user device 107 may include a position sensor (e.g., a GPS receiver) configured to capture position data relating to the respective current position 106 of the user device 107. The association between the user device 107 and the object 103 may be established via NFC and / or RFID.

[0042] The method 300 comprises determining 302 position data of the position sensor of the user device 107. Through the association between the user device 107 and the object 103, the location 112 of the object 103 can be deduced based on the position 106 of the user device 107.

[0043] Furthermore, the method 300 comprises determining 303 sensor data of a vehicle sensor 202 (in particular an environment and / or interior camera) of the vehicle 120 with respect to the object 103. Based on the sensor data of the vehicle sensor 202, the area (e.g. the trunk) within the vehicle 120 in which the object 103 was stored can be determined.

[0044] The method 300 further comprises determining 304, based on the position data and on the sensor data, the location 112 of the object 103. By (additionally) taking into account the sensor data of a vehicle sensor 202, the location 112 of the object 103 can be determined in a particularly precise and robust manner, thus enabling reliable tracking of the object 103.

[0045] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. In particular, it should be noted that the description and figures are intended only to illustrate the principle of the proposed methods, devices, and systems by way of example.

Claims

[1] Device (101) for tracking an object (103); wherein the object (103) has a communication label, in particular an RFID label; wherein a user device (107) of a user of a vehicle (120) comprises a reading unit for reading communication labels; wherein the user device (107) comprises a position sensor configured to detect position data relating to a position of the user device (107); wherein the device (101) is configured - to check whether or not there is a communication connection between the reading unit of the user device (107) and the communication label of the object (103); - to associate the object (103) with the user device (107) when it is detected that there is a communication connection between the reading unit of the user device (107) and the communication label of the object (103); - to determine position data of the position sensor of the user device (107); - to determine a termination time at which the communication connection between the reading unit of the user device (107) and the communication label of the object (103) is terminated; - to determine sensor data of a vehicle sensor (202, 204) of the vehicle (120) in relation to the object (103); and - to determine a location (112) of the object (103) on the basis of the position data and on the basis of the sensor data, such that on the basis of the sensor data of the vehicle sensor (202, 204) an area of ​​the vehicle (120) in which the object (103) is or was located at the time of termination is determined as the location (112) of the object (103). [2] Device (101) according to claim 1, wherein - the vehicle sensor (202, 204) comprises a camera configured to capture image data relating to the object (103) as sensor data; and - the device (101) is configured to evaluate the image data of the vehicle sensor (202, 204) by means of an image analysis algorithm in order to determine the location (112) of the object (103). [3] Device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the device (101) is configured to determine object information relating to the object (103) within the scope of a takeover event in which the object (103) is associated with the user device (107) for the first time, in particular within the scope of a digital payment transaction; and - the object information comprises in particular: information relating to the shelf life and / or storage of the object (103); information relating to a time at which the object (103) was received by the user of the user device (107); and / or information relating to the spatial dimensions and / or weight of the object (103). [4] Device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the user device (107) comprises a smartphone and / or a smart wearable of the user. [5] Device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (101) is arranged - to determine sensor data of a building sensor, in particular a camera, of a building from which the object (103) is taken or into which the object (103) is brought; and - to determine the location (112) of the object (103) also on the basis of the sensor data of the building sensor. [6] Device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the vehicle sensor (202, 204) comprises a sensor (204) on a door and / or flap of the vehicle (120); and - the device (101) is configured to determine, on the basis of the sensor data of the sensor (204) on the door and / or flap of the vehicle (120), whether the location (112) of the object (103) is inside or outside the vehicle (120). [7] Device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle (120) is a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a motorcycle, a ship, a train or a tram. [8] Device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (101) is configured to output information relating to the location (112) of the object (103) to the user via a user interface of the user device (107). [9] Method (300) for tracking an object (103); wherein the object (103) has a communication label, in particular an RFID label; wherein a user device (107) of a user of a vehicle (120) comprises a reading unit for reading communication labels; wherein the user device (107) comprises a position sensor configured to acquire position data relating to a position of the user device (107); wherein the method (300) comprises - Checking whether or not there is a communication connection between the reading unit of the user device (107) and the communication label of the object (103); - associating (301) the object (103) with the user device (107) when it is detected that a communication connection exists between the reading unit of the user device (107) and the communication label of the object (103); - determining (302) position data of the position sensor of the user device (107); - determining (303) sensor data of a vehicle sensor (202, 204) of the vehicle (120) in relation to the object (103); - Determining a termination time at which the communication connection between the reading unit of the user device (107) and the communication label of the object (103) is terminated; and - Determining (304), on the basis of the position data and on the basis of the sensor data, a location (112) of the object (103), such that, on the basis of the sensor data of the vehicle sensor (202, 204), an area of ​​the vehicle (120) in which the object (103) is or was located at the time of termination is determined as the location (112) of the object (103).

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