Procedure and system for locating vehicles after a theft

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for locating a missing vehicle, comprising at least one transmitter designed for vehicle-to-vehicle communication over short distances and independent of GPS and remote communication systems on board, comprising the steps: - Sending a data packet containing an identification feature uniquely attributable to the vehicle, by the respective sender of that vehicle at predetermined time intervals; - Receiving this data packet by specially trained receivers in other vehicles or other types of devices nearby; - Forwarding this data packet by the other vehicles / devices, along with their GPS positions, via their remote communication systems to a central, vehicle-external IT backend; and - Assigning the identification feature to the missing vehicle and notifying at least one person, organization and / or authority registered for the missing vehicle via the IT backend.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for locating a missing, particularly stolen, vehicle. Although the term "vehicle" is used for simplicity, this term can also refer to other movable objects, such as machines, trailers, and other objects. This can be, in particular, a motor vehicle, but in principle also any other land, air, or water vehicle. The invention also relates to a system designed and configured to carry out this method.

[0002] Although modern vehicles are equipped with GPS (Global Positioning System) reception systems that can determine the current vehicle position and, depending on the equipment and configuration, transmit it to the owner via mobile communications, thieves often resort to simply disconnecting or removing the required antennas, interrupting the power supply, or permanently blocking radio communication with an external backend using appropriate jamming devices. This makes it impossible to locate the missing vehicle.

[0003] On the other hand, for example, a search method for locating lost mobile devices is known in which an offline missing device can send discovery messages via Bluetooth to all Apple devices within its Bluetooth range that are online. This information can then be forwarded to the manufacturer, who in turn forwards it to the owner of the missing device. To ensure that neither the finding devices nor the manufacturer can read the confidential information about the identity of the missing device and its location, the missing device encrypts it using its public key (the public key of the encryption method known by the same name). The associated private key is known only to the user, so only the user can locate their missing device using this method.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for locating a vehicle in which, for example, GPS and / or remote communication systems such as mobile radio, etc., are deactivated after a theft or in which, for another reason, a connection provided in the vehicle to a central IT backend external to the vehicle of the type described below cannot be established.

[0005] This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and by a corresponding system according to the independent claim. Further embodiments are specified in the dependent claims. All further features and effects mentioned in the claims and the following description for the method also apply to the system, and vice versa.

[0006] According to a first aspect, a method is provided for locating (also called tracking) a missing, in particular stolen, vehicle. This may be, for example, a motor vehicle, but also any other land, air, or water vehicle. In addition to a passenger car, the vehicle may also be, for example, a motorcycle or other two-wheeler with or without a motor, such as an electrically assisted e-bike, etc., a truck, a trailer, in particular a caravan, a construction machine or an agricultural machine such as an excavator, tractor, etc., or any other movable machine.The vehicle is equipped with at least one transmitter capable of vehicle-to-vehicle communication over short distances (e.g., less than ten or a maximum of one hundred meters, also known as close range) and independent of GPS (Global Positioning System) reception systems and mobile radio and other long-distance communication systems on board. Instead of GPS, other satellite navigation systems can always be used to determine the position of a vehicle or device.

[0007] The procedure includes at least the following steps: - Transmission of a data packet containing an identification feature that can be uniquely assigned to the vehicle by the respective transmitter of that vehicle at predetermined time intervals. - Receiving this data packet by one or more receivers trained for this purpose in at least one other vehicle or other type of device (e.g. a smartphone or a charging station) that is located near the missing vehicle and thus within range of its above-mentioned short-range transmitters. - Forwarding of the received data packet by the at least one other vehicle / device together with its own current location information (in particular its GPS position) using its GPS and remote communication systems to a central vehicle-external IT backend (hereinafter referred to as "IT backend"); and - Assigning the identification feature contained therein to the missing vehicle and sending a corresponding found message to at least one person, organization and / or authority registered for the missing vehicle via the said IT backend.

[0008] The IT backend can, for example, be a vehicle manufacturer or a similar entity or its server, server network or cloud, which has access to a database in which all vehicles participating in the procedure and system presented here are registered with their associated identification features and the persons, organizations and / or authorities to be notified.

[0009] The respective sender can, but does not necessarily have to, also be configured as a receiver. It sends the data packet cyclically in a message. The time interval between the sending of two messages can vary, particularly depending on predetermined conditions.

[0010] Not only radio signals can be used to transmit the aforementioned data packets between vehicles and, where applicable, other devices, but also optical or acoustic signals (imperceptible to humans). For example, these can be tones and tone sequences outside the human hearing spectrum that can be picked up by external microphones from other vehicles / devices. Alternatively or additionally, "blink codes" that are imperceptible to the human eye can also be transmitted and detected by optical sensors (such as cameras, photodiodes, etc.). The transmission can take place, for example, in the non-visible spectrum or as a coded PWM signal (pulse width modulation through targeted variances in the control duration).

[0011] The identification feature can, for example, be a VIN (vehicle identification number), also known as a chassis number, or an identification number of a vehicle part or spare part installed in the vehicle that is uniquely assigned to the vehicle in a database of the IT backend. The respective sender can, for example, know an identification feature of the vehicle and send it in the data packet. Alternatively, it can send its own identification feature. In this case, the prerequisite for this assignability is a linking (also known as "learning") of the transmitter with the vehicle during or after its installation in the vehicle. For this purpose, for example, an identification feature of the transmitter in conjunction with an identification feature of the vehicle is transmitted to the central, external IT backend and stored there.

[0012] The receiving unit does not have to be a vehicle, but can also be, for example, a smartphone, a charging station or another unit / device that has a suitable receiver and is connected to the aforementioned IT backend.

[0013] One idea of ​​the present method and system is that a missing or possibly stolen vehicle automatically transmits its identification features over short distances to nearby receivers via built-in transmitters that are independent of the integrity of the on-board GPS, mobile radio, and other remote communication systems. These receivers, which are installed, for example, in other vehicles or other devices that have not been tampered with or damaged, can send this identification feature combined with their own GPS position to the aforementioned IT backend. This solves the technical problem mentioned above, namely that if the GPS receiver unit and / or the mobile radio unit are deactivated, a vehicle can no longer be located, which is particularly problematic in the event of theft.

[0014] The at least one transmitter mentioned may be integrated in the missing vehicle, for example, in one or more of the following devices installed therein: - in tire pressure sensors with appropriately designed radio interfaces that are installed in vehicle tires or their valves; - in vehicle-mounted control and / or communication units designed to establish connections and transmit signals and / or data over short distances to mobile devices or to other vehicle-mounted devices or to vehicle-external infrastructure in the local area (e.g. charging stations, V2X infrastructure); - in on-board computing units and / or control units that can perform electronic tasks in the vehicle and carry out the task of the transmitter; - in vehicle-mounted vehicle access systems designed to provide a data connection to a digital key; - in vehicle elements or spare parts installed in / on the vehicle, which each have or have stored identification features that can be clearly assigned to the vehicle, such as identification numbers.

[0015] According to one embodiment, at least one of the missing vehicle's transmitters is configured as a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) node. Alternatives such as Wi-Fi and other wireless standards can also be used for the transmitters.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the assignment of said identification feature to the missing vehicle and the transmission of a corresponding lost and found message by said IT backend are performed only after receipt of a predetermined authorized missing person report for the vehicle in question. Alternatively or additionally, in this embodiment, the transmission of said data packet by the respective transmitter of the vehicle only begins when the transmitter has received a predetermined command to do so within the vehicle, which is based on the vehicle-internal detection of at least one predetermined operational abnormality indicating external intervention.In both cases, the computing effort on the IT backend side as well as resources in the form of transmission and reception energy and transmitted data volumes in the entire system can be significantly saved by initiating the passive search procedure presented here only through one of the triggers mentioned.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the data packet, or at least the identification feature contained therein that can be uniquely assigned to the vehicle, is transmitted by the aforementioned sender using encryption accessible only to the central, vehicle-external IT backend, in particular encryption using a public key (public key of the asymmetric cryptosystem known by the same name) of the IT backend. This can prevent, for example, unauthorized third parties, including other vehicles and devices that receive the data packet solely for the purpose of forwarding it to the IT backend, from extracting confidential information about the missing vehicle from the data packet or from tracking the vehicle.

[0018] Alternatively or additionally, the data packet can be transmitted with a unique signature from the sender, which is created, in particular, using the sender's private key (i.e., their private key known only to them in the aforementioned asymmetric cryptosystem). The information required to verify the signature, in particular the sender's corresponding public key, is stored in the IT backend and used to verify the sender's authenticity. This ensures the integrity protection and authenticity of the search process by allowing the IT backend to recognize any forged or manipulated data packets as such and distinguish them from genuine data packets sent by actual transmitters in missing vehicles.

[0019] To prevent tracking of the vehicle by unauthorized persons, in particular by other receiving vehicles / devices, the data packet or at least the identification feature contained therein can be transmitted by the respective sender with a random number or counter generated anew with each transmission process at the beginning of the data packet, if necessary before encryption, as an alternative or in addition to the above measures. The fact that the random number or counter is at the beginning of the not yet encrypted data packet ensures that when a block cipher with a suitable operating mode (e.g. CBC mode) is used, the entire telegram appears random and that unauthorized third parties cannot assign it to the telegram before or after it. This prevents tracking by unauthorized third parties.This prevents a vehicle from periodically transmitting its identification feature from being noticed by nearby receivers, which are intended to serve only as passive transmitters.

[0020] In particular, the predetermined time intervals at which the missing vehicle transmits the said data packets through its said transmitter(s) - shorten if the missing vehicle moves; and / or - be extended if the missing vehicle does not move; and / or - depending on the transmitter characteristics, be predetermined depending on the status of an on-board power system.

[0021] In particular, transmission can also be interrupted if the missing vehicle has not moved for more than a predetermined period of time and no message has been received from other vehicles.

[0022] To increase the robustness of the method and protect against possible tampering with a stolen vehicle, the missing vehicle can contain two or more (ideally at least three or four) of the aforementioned transmitters, each connected to a different power supply. Alternatively or additionally, for the same purpose, at least one of the missing vehicle's aforementioned transmitters can be connected to a power supply essential for the vehicle's operation (e.g., for its drive, steering, brakes, etc.) and / or be equipped with a digital fuse instead of a physical fuse. Alternatively or additionally, for the same purpose, a backup battery built into the transmitter can be provided, which can enable it to transmit even if the power supply is interrupted.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the data packet sent by the missing vehicle is forwarded by the at least one other vehicle / device, along with its current, ideally standardized time information, to the central, vehicle-external IT backend to enable the IT backend and the owner to reconstruct the temporal location of any movement of the missing vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, in the event of a temporarily weak or missing connection between one of the other vehicles / devices and the IT backend, the forwarding of the received data packet can be buffered until a later time at which sufficient connection quality is guaranteed.

[0024] According to a further aspect, a system is provided which is designed and configured to locate missing (in particular stolen) vehicles by a method presented herein and for this purpose comprises the following: - at least one vehicle, each having at least one transmitter designed for vehicle-to-vehicle communication over short distances and independent of GPS and remote communication systems on board; - at least one vehicle or other device, each of which has at least one receiver designed to receive the said data packets over short distances and has functioning GPS and remote communication systems on board; and - At least one central, off-board IT backend designed and configured to receive the data packets received by the aforementioned vehicles / devices and forwarded using their remote communication systems, to uniquely assign the identification features contained therein to missing vehicles, and to send corresponding lost and found messages to registered individuals, organizations, and / or authorities. For this purpose, a corresponding computer program (software) can be loaded into a processor of the IT backend and run during its operation.

[0025] The above aspects of the invention and its embodiments and specific configurations are explained in more detail below with reference to an example shown in the accompanying drawing. It shows: Fig. 1 a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0026] All the various embodiments, variants and specific design features of the method and system according to the above aspects of the invention mentioned above in the description and in the following claims can be implemented in the Fig. 1, in particular alternatively or in addition to the features shown therein. They will therefore not be repeated again below. The same applies accordingly to all definitions and effects already given above with regard to individual features that are described in Fig. 1 are shown.

[0027] Fig. Figure 1 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of the type presented herein for locating a missing, in particular stolen, vehicle. This is purely an example of a motor vehicle, but the example is also applicable analogously to other land, air, and water vehicles.

[0028] At least one transmitter is installed in the missing vehicle. This transmitter is designed and configured to transmit a data packet containing an identification feature uniquely attributable to that vehicle via vehicle-to-vehicle communication over short distances, and is independent of the integrity of GPS and remote communication systems on board. The respective transmitter can, in particular, be designed as a transmitting and receiving unit. The method comprises the following steps: In a first step S1, the said data packet is transmitted by the said transmitter(s) of this vehicle at predetermined time intervals. In a further step S2, this data packet is received by one or more receivers configured for this purpose in at least one other vehicle or other type of device that is currently within range of the respective transmitter. In a subsequent step S3, the received data packet is forwarded by the at least one other vehicle / device, along with its current location and, if applicable, time information, using its own GPS and mobile radio or other remote communication systems, to a predetermined central IT backend external to the vehicle. This functionality can be implemented, for example, in a central control unit, a telematics unit, or another control unit of the respective receiving vehicle / device.In a further step S4, the identification feature contained in the data packet is extracted / read out in the IT backend, which is designed and configured for this purpose, and assigned to the missing vehicle. If these steps are successful, a corresponding found message is sent to at least one person, organization and / or authority registered for the missing vehicle in a database of the IT backend.

[0029] In this process, a vehicle can have multiple transmitters or transceiver units of a type built into it, which enable it to establish communication with transceiver units in another vehicle. These can be, for example, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) nodes. The identification feature (here also referred to as ID) can be, for example, a VIN (vehicle identification number) of the vehicle, also known as the chassis number, or an identification number of a vehicle part or spare part installed in it. By previously registering a vehicle or vehicle parts and spare parts installed in it with a manufacturer, vehicle rental company, authority, etc., the authorized IT backend can access a corresponding database and link the received identification feature to an owner or user of the missing vehicle.

[0030] One or more of the aforementioned transmitters, particularly BLE nodes, can be installed in a vehicle. Their actual purpose is usually to establish a connection to an external device, such as a smartphone, but possibly also to an electronic unit located in the vehicle with the same radio interface. This is used, for example, for telephony, the transmission of audio data, or data transmission. Other BLE nodes can, for example, establish a data connection to a digital key in a vehicle access system, for example for so-called car connectivity. Another application is BLE nodes in vehicle tires, which transmit tire pressure data to the vehicle. Thus, a variety of different BLE nodes can be installed in a vehicle. However, the transmitter can also use any other radio technology with the properties mentioned here.

[0031] Ideally, transmission is carried out by as many such transmitters as possible in the vehicle. Ideally, the transmitters should all be connected to different power supplies, which are also essential for the vehicle's operation (e.g., drive, steering, brakes, etc.). This makes it more difficult for a thief to find and disable all the transmitters. Furthermore, with the use of digital fuses in the respective transmitters, simply pulling the fuse can no longer be used to override the system.

[0032] If a radio unit (receiver, especially a BLE node) in another vehicle or other suitable device such as a charging station, a smartphone, etc., receives this message (data packet), this information is supplemented with its own GPS position in its processing unit and transmitted to the IT backend. Transmission to the IT backend occurs, for example, either via mobile communications or another connection, such as Wi-Fi, over a distance of several kilometers.

[0033] This allows, for example, even if the GPS and / or cellular unit in a stolen vehicle has been disabled, its approximate position can be determined by the IT backend. This is because the stolen vehicle must be nearby to receive its ID data packet, which can only be transmitted over short distances. It can be assumed that the vehicle that forwarded this data packet has not been tampered with. In addition, the current UTC time can be added to the received data packet in the receiving vehicle / device and transmitted to the IT backend.

[0034] From the perspective of an owner of a stolen vehicle, the tracking process presented here could, for example, be as follows: - The vehicle owner reports a vehicle theft to the authorities, who then inform the manufacturer or the specified IT backend. Alternatively, the vehicle owner can contact the manufacturer or the IT backend directly and have their vehicle searched. - The IT backend then retrieves the respective ID (as an identification feature) from its database, along with, for example, a public key for the vehicle or its respective radio components (transmitters). This data is added to the current search list. Based on this data, the incoming tracking messages containing data packets forwarded by the other vehicles / devices are checked. - If a hit occurs, the owner receives a corresponding message from the IT backend with information about the location and, if applicable, the time of a tracking message that can be traced back to his vehicle.

[0035] In the IT backend, the processing of incoming tracking messages using the tracking procedure presented here could, for example, proceed as follows: - Decryption of the tracking message (data packet) with the private key of the IT backend and extraction of the ID (identification feature) contained therein; - Search for the ID in the current search list. If not found, abort and continue with the next tracking message, i.e., return to the first step. If found, proceed to the next step. - Optional: Determine the public key for the ID and verify the signature of the tracking message with the determined public key. If the signature is not authentic, abort and continue with the next tracking message, i.e., return to the first step. If the signature is authentic, proceed to the next step. - Output of the GPS position contained in the tracking message to the requesting authority or the vehicle owner.

[0036] This allows the GPS position of the stolen vehicle to be determined based on a current search query. It is also conceivable that the messages received in the IT backend are stored for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 24 hours) for one or more predefined vehicles or a region and only then deleted. Thus, after activating a search query, not only the current location of the missing vehicle can be determined, but also the data can be temporarily stored for this period. Optionally, each search query and its processed data can be stored in a database for a specific period of time.

[0037] As already mentioned, nodes that can act as transmitters and receivers in the vehicle can optionally only start transmitting data packets when they receive a command to do so within the vehicle. This means that if tampering is detected electronically or by software in the vehicle, the corresponding transmitters can only begin transmitting. Examples of detected tampering could be the activation of the anti-theft alarm system, a GPS or mobile phone antenna that is no longer connected, a non-responsive electronic unit in the vehicle network, or other abnormalities detected by the software installed for this purpose that indicate external interference or a "hacker attack."

[0038] The invention is designed to make it significantly more difficult for vehicle thieves to steal vehicles and make them disappear unnoticed. Simply disconnecting a GPS or mobile phone antenna is no longer sufficient: Depending on the vehicle's equipment, four or more additional components may need to be removed to make them disappear, without which the vehicle may no longer be moveable. If tire pressure sensor units installed in tires or their valves are also used as transmitters, the tires would also "have to" be replaced. This makes stealing a vehicle equipped with these components considerably less attractive. List of reference symbols S1-S4 steps of the procedure

Claims

[1] A method for locating a missing vehicle having at least one transmitter configured for vehicle-to-vehicle communication over short distances and independent of GPS and remote communication systems on board, comprising the steps of: - transmission of a data packet containing an identification feature that can be uniquely assigned to the vehicle by the respective transmitter of that vehicle at predetermined time intervals (S1); - receiving this data packet by one or more receivers designed for this purpose of at least one other vehicle or other type of device within range of said at least one transmitter (S2); - forwarding the received data packet by the at least one other vehicle / device together with its current location information using its GPS and remote communication systems to a central vehicle-external IT backend (S3); and - Assigning the identification feature contained therein to the missing vehicle and sending a corresponding found message to at least one person, organization and / or authority registered for the missing vehicle via the aforementioned IT backend (S4). [2] The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one transmitter in the missing vehicle is integrated into one or more of the following devices installed therein: - tire pressure sensors installed in vehicle tires or their valves with appropriately designed radio interfaces; - vehicle-mounted control and / or communication units designed to establish connections and to transmit signals and / or data over short distances to mobile terminals or to vehicle-mounted devices or to infrastructure external to the vehicle in the short range; - in on-board computing units and / or control units that can perform electronic tasks in the vehicle and carry out the task of the transmitter; - vehicle-mounted vehicle access systems designed to provide a data connection to a digital key; - vehicle parts or spare parts installed in or on the vehicle, each of which has or has stored identification features that can be clearly assigned to the vehicle. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein - at least one of the missing vehicle's transmitters is designed as a BLE node. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the assignment of the said identification feature to the missing vehicle and sending of a corresponding lost and found message to at least one person, organization and / or authority registered for the missing vehicle is carried out by the said IT backend only after receipt of a missing person report authorized in a predetermined manner for the vehicle in question; and / or - the periodic transmission of said data packet by the respective transmitter of the vehicle only begins after the transmitter has received a predetermined command to do so within the vehicle, which is based on an internal detection of at least one predetermined operating abnormality indicating external intervention. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the data packet or at least the identification feature contained therein that can be clearly assigned to the vehicle is transmitted by the said sender using encryption that is only accessible to the said IT backend, in particular encryption with a public key of the IT backend; and / or - the data packet is transmitted with a unique signature of the sender, in particular created using a private key of the sender, and the information necessary to verify the signature or the associated public key of the sender is stored in the IT backend and is used to verify the sender signature. [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the data packet or at least the identification feature contained therein is transmitted by the respective sender with a random number / counter newly generated with each transmission process at the beginning of the data packet, if necessary before encryption. [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined time intervals at which the respective transmitter transmits said data packet, - shorten if the missing vehicle moves; and / or - be extended if the missing vehicle does not move; and / or - are predetermined depending on the status of the missing vehicle's power system; and / or - be interrupted if the missing vehicle has not moved for more than a predetermined period of time and no message has been received from other vehicles. [8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the missing vehicle comprises two or more of the above-mentioned transmitters, each connected to a different power supply; and / or - at least one of the missing vehicle's transmitters is connected to a power supply essential for the vehicle's operation; and / or - at least one of the missing vehicle's transmitters is equipped with a digital security device instead of a physical security device; and / or - a backup battery is built into the transmitter itself, which enables it to transmit even when the power supply is interrupted. [9] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the data packet sent by the missing vehicle is forwarded by at least one other vehicle / device together with its current time information to the central vehicle-external IT backend; and / or - in the event of a temporarily weak or missing connection between one of the other vehicles / devices mentioned and the central vehicle-external IT backend, the forwarding of the received data packet is buffered until a later time at which a sufficient connection quality is guaranteed. [10] A system designed and arranged to locate missing vehicles by a method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: - at least one vehicle, each having at least one transmitter designed for vehicle-to-vehicle communication over short distances and independent of GPS and remote communication systems on board; - at least one vehicle or other device, each of which has at least one receiver designed to receive the said data packets over short distances and has functioning GPS and remote communication systems on board; and - at least one central, off-board IT backend that is designed and configured to receive the data packets received by the aforementioned vehicles / devices and forwarded using their remote communication systems, to uniquely assign the identification features contained therein to missing vehicles, and to send corresponding lost and found messages to persons, organizations and / or authorities registered for this purpose.

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