Method and device for providing an assistance function for a user of a motor vehicle and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing an assistance function for a user of a motor vehicle (1), comprising detecting a loss of communication of a data connection (10) of the motor vehicle (1), detecting an emergency situation during the loss of communication, autonomously controlling the motor vehicle (1) to a location where there is no loss of communication (21), and triggering an assistance function based on the detected emergency situation as soon as the motor vehicle (1) has reached the location (21) where there is no loss of communication.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a device for providing an assistance function to a user of a motor vehicle, and to a motor vehicle having such a device.Aid functions which are provided by a motor vehicle, for example in the case of an accident, are known in principle.It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and an improved device for providing a help function to a user of a motor vehicle.This object is achieved by the subject matters of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments are specified in the dependent claims.According to a first aspect, a method for providing an assistance function to a user of a motor vehicle is provided.The method comprises the steps of detecting a loss of communication of a data connection of the motor vehicle, detecting an emergency situation during the loss of communication, autonomously controlling the motor vehicle to a location at which no loss of communication exists, and triggering an aid function based on the detected emergency situation as soon as the motor vehicle has reached the location at which no loss of communication exists.The method according to the invention serves in particular to provide autonomous assistance for a person in emergency in the event of an emergency situation with the aid of the motor vehicle, even if the motor vehicle is located in a so-called radio hole.In a first step, a loss of communication of a data connection of the motor vehicle is detected.The motor vehicle is in particular in a normal state in which no loss of communication has occurred, a data connection to a remote computing device.In this case, the motor vehicle and the remote computing device can communicate with one another in particular wirelessly, for example via known data connection technologies, in particular mobile radio, such as 3G, 4G, 5G, Bluetooth, WiFi and / or Car2X, in particular Car2Infrastructure.The remote computing device, which can also be referred to as a backend, is different from the motor vehicle and is spaced apart therefrom. In particular, the remote computing device is one or more servers and / or a, in particular central, data center to which the motor vehicle is regularly connected. In particular, the remote computing device can also be an at least partially or completely cloud-based service.For this purpose, the motor vehicle is connected, for example, periodically, periodically and / or continuously to the remote computing device. Connected in the present case means that a communication connection and / or a data connection can be established between the remote computing device and the motor vehicle or whether this exists.A loss of a data connection between the motor vehicle and the remote computing device is then determined or recognized, for example because the motor vehicle no longer responds to an inquiry and / or interrogation of the remote computing device.The loss of the data connection occurs in particular when the motor vehicle drives into an area in which no or only poor network coverage of one of the previously described data connection technologies is provided. In particular, this is a so-called radio hole or a remote area, such as a forest piece and / or a tunnel, a deep garage or the like.In a further step, an emergency situation is detected during the loss of communication.The emergency situation, which can also be referred to as an emergency situation, can relate to a user, driver and / or passenger of the motor vehicle, as well as to an outside person, such as a passerby, pedestrian and / or a further vehicle driver or passenger who is located in the vicinity of the motor vehicle.The emergency situation is an event and / or a state that occurs or that threatens to occur and in which there is a risk of a person's body or lives or who has been injured. This can be, for example, a medical emergency, such as a battle, a fall and / or an infarction or the like. It may likewise be an accident, in particular with damage to persons, for example between a vehicle, in particular the present motor vehicle, and a further person and / or a further road user.This emergency situation can be detected by suitable detection means. For example, an emergency situation can be determined by one or more sensors, such as accident sensors and in particular acceleration sensors. Alternatively, an emergency situation can be detected by one or more camera devices in the interior and / or exterior and recognized by suitable image evaluation algorithms.In a subsequent step, the motor vehicle is autonomously controlled to a location where there is no loss of communication.In particular, if a communication link were to exist, an aid function would be triggered in situ. However, since this is interrupted or lost, the motor vehicle is autonomously controlled to a location at which a communication connection, in particular with the remote computing device, is possible again.For this purpose, the motor vehicle is designed or configured to be driven in an autonomous driving mode as an at least partially autonomous driving motor vehicle. An autonomous driving mode is an operating state or mode in which the motor vehicle moves, in particular moves, at least partially autonomously, driving processes and / or movements, that is to say without action by the user, driver or driver. Controlling the autonomous driving mode may include steering, braking, and / or accelerating. Specifically, the autonomous driving mode is a driving mode of L 1 or higher, L 2 or higher, L 3 or higher, or L 4 or higher.In this case, the person who has suffered the emergency situation may or may not be located in the motor vehicle. In particular, the motor vehicle may have been in a parking mode or state when the emergency situation was detected. Likewise, in particular, the user, driver and / or passenger of the motor vehicle can also be located outside the motor vehicle, for example because the latter has gone joggle-spaz. Both the user, driver and / or passenger can experience an emergency situation and an unauthorized third party, which was recognized by the motor vehicle.The motor vehicle is then controlled or guided by means of the autonomous driving mode to a location at which a communication loss no longer exists. This location can be recognized randomly in particular, for example because the motor vehicle travels on the path farther or in the opposite direction on which it has occurred and regularly, periodically and / or continuously attempts to establish a communication connection, in particular with the remote computing device, until this was successful.An aid function is then triggered on the basis of the detected emergency situation as soon as the motor vehicle has reached the location at which no communication loss exists.An assistance function can comprise, for example, a function which supports the user and provides mitigation, in particular in the emergency situation in which he may have reached. For example, the help function can comprise informing relatives or a rescue service, for example by call, SMS, e-mail and / or data transmission.In particular, the remote computing device can be informed of the emergency situation, which then initiates further steps. Further examples of an aid function will be explained in the following.Optionally, the motor vehicle, after it has reached a location where there is no loss of communication and the assistance function has been successfully triggered, can also return autonomously to the location of the user, the location where the emergency situation has occurred and / or where it was parked before the autonomous driving.The method according to the invention makes it possible, in the case of an emergency situation, to provide assistance autonomously for a person in emergency using the motor vehicle, even if the motor vehicle is located in a so-called radio hole and / or if the user is not located on or in the motor vehicle.According to one development, the method further comprises the step of detecting a location at which the communication loss occurs, wherein the autonomous control of the motor vehicle takes place on the basis of the detected location.The detection of a location comprises the determination of a sufficiently precise position of the motor vehicle, in particular at the time of the use request. A location may include an address, one or more coordinates, an area, a region, a federal country, or a country.The location can be detected via one or more position detection units, such as a global positioning system, in particular GPS, GLONASS and / or Galleo, which functions in particular on a satellite basis. Alternatively or additionally, the location can also be determined in a mobile-radio-assisted manner and / or by triangulation, for example via the radio cell or radio cells in which the motor vehicle is currently logged in.The location is detected here in particular regularly, periodically and / or continuously. If a communication loss then occurs, this location and / or the last location at which the communication link still existed can be stored and retrieved again in the case of the emergency situation.For this purpose, the autonomous motor vehicle is controlled on the basis of the detected location. In particular, the motor vehicle is controlled autonomously to the location at which the communication connection is broken off or beyond, so that a communication connection can be set up again. This can be done in particular using a navigation system.This further development makes it possible to reach a location at which the communication connection can be re-established particularly quickly and in a targeted manner.According to a further development, the method further comprises the step of detecting a location at which the emergency situation occurs, wherein the triggering of an aid function comprises informing a rescue service and providing the detected location at which the emergency situation occurs to the rescue service.Thus, alternatively or in addition to the location at which the communication loss has occurred, the location at which the emergency situation has occurred is detected and in particular stored. This can likewise be effected via suitable position detection units, as described above.If the motor vehicle has then autonomously reached a location at which a communication connection can be re-established, a rescue service is informed about the emergency situation. A rescue service comprises the fire weir, a hospital, a police and / or a technical utility.Triggering the aid function also includes providing the recorded location, at which the emergency situation has occurred, to the rescue service. This, like the information of the rescue service, can also be effected by call, SMS, e-mail and / or data connection, either directly through the motor vehicle or via the remote computing device.This development makes it possible to provide a particularly specific assistance performance, in particular with information based on an acute event. In particular, this further development enables a rapid detection of the emergency situation.According to one development, an emergency situation is detected on the basis of a previous behavior of the user.In particular, a user behavior was recorded and / or analyzed before carrying out the method. For example, a movement, behavior and / or activity pattern of the user was detected and evaluated.In particular, a user behavior was observed or considered over the last five, ten, hundred or more days, in particular in a vicinity of 500 m, 1000 m, 5000 m or 10000 m around the detected location at which the communication loss and / or the emergency situation occurs, in order to determine patterns, movement sequences and / or activities.In particular, the user behavior comprises a location, a time and a time duration at which the user has been located, and / or a removal of the user from the motor vehicle or a leaving action of the user, such as, for example, an opening and / or closing of the driver's door and / or a locking of the motor vehicle. In addition, the user behavior can also take account of a day and / or night time, in particular a time, a day of the week, a date and / or a season.This further development makes it possible to estimate particularly accurately where the user is located and, in particular, whether he is in an emergency situation.According to one development, an emergency situation is detected on the basis of previous user data from a mobile terminal of the user.The mobile terminal of the user can be, in particular, a smartphone which has suitable sensors, such as a GPS sensor, which functions, in particular, also without a data connection and can record a path of the user, also in the radio hole.In particular, the mobile terminal can also be a so-called wearable, i.e. a device which is worn on the body and which is in particular designed to record vital data, such as, for example, pulse, heart beat, breathing frequency and / or oxygen saturation in the blood. This makes it possible to infer the user's activity in the radio hole, such as, for example, joggle or other sport.This further development makes it possible to analyze the behavior of the user particularly accurately.According to one development, the method further comprises the step of detecting a user input, wherein the detection of an emergency situation is additionally carried out on the basis of the user input.The user input is detected in particular before reaching the radio hole or as long as a data connection exists. This can be preceded in particular by a request which is displayed on a multimedia device of the motor vehicle and / or a mobile terminal of the user.For example, the user can be asked what he schedules in the next time. Alternatively or additionally, a calendar function can also be read out, in which a planned activity is stored and the future user behavior can be deduced therefrom.This further development also makes it possible to analyze the behavior of the user particularly accurately.According to one development, the method further comprises the step of detecting a user input, wherein the autonomous control of the motor vehicle to a location at which there is no loss of communication takes place on the basis of the user input.In particular, the user input can set enablings and / or limits of autonomous control by a user.For example, the user can enable or block whether the motor vehicle is intended to control a location autonomously at all and / or in what type of emergency situation. Likewise, for example, the user can define one or more conditions for controlling the location, for example a minimum remaining range at start, when reaching the location or when returning to the user and / or a maximum distance and / or travel time to the location and / or until the motor vehicle returns.This further development makes it possible to provide the help function particularly as required for the user.According to a further development, an emergency situation is detected with the aid of an artificial intelligence.The artificial intelligence can be, in particular, a neural network which analyzes the information provided to it and, in particular, the previous behavior of the user and recognizes certain patterns and behaviors here.This further development makes it possible to predict an emergency situation particularly accurately.According to one development, the artificial intelligence has been trained on the basis of a previous behavior of the user.In particular, the artificial intelligence was trained not or not only with generic user data, but with concrete data relating to the specific user, which were collected and analyzed by its previous behavior.This development makes it possible to predict an emergency situation of the specific user particularly accurately.According to a further development, the method further comprises the step of providing an information element from the motor vehicle in response to the detection of an emergency situation, wherein the information element contains readable information about the location at which no communication loss exists.An information element is an element that comprises readable information that comprises an indication of the location at which the communication connection can be restored and to which, in particular, the motor vehicle has moved autonomously. In particular, the information element is provided before the motor vehicle is autonomously controlled.In this case, the information element can be designed to be readable electronically or digitally, in particular. For example, the information element comprises a chip or a memory which can be read out by a corresponding electronic device, such as in particular the mobile user terminal. For example, the information element can be read out via a wireless near connection, such as Bluetooth, NFC and / or RFID. For this purpose, the information element can also comprise an energy store, in particular a rechargeable energy store. The information element can be designed in a writable manner, in particular in a rewritable manner, and can be written or programmed by a writing device of the motor vehicle.In particular, the information element also has a positioning function in which a positioning mode is started via a wireless close-range connection, wherein the mobile user terminal sends a wireless message with a unique code, in particular as a payload, in particular regularly and / or continuously. The information element can listen in parallel to such a message or listen to it afterwards. If the information element listens for messages as soon as it has been sent from the vehicle. If the information element recognizes this unique code, which has been notified to it in particular beforehand by the vehicle, the information element enters a transmitter mode and responds with a message to the unique code. The information element can then be found using the signal strength with the aid of the mobile user terminal.The information element can be stored in particular at a specific location of the motor vehicle and there for carrying out this development or such a case that the motor vehicle moves autonomously, in particular without the user, to a location at which the communication connection can be re-established.From this location or this position of the motor vehicle, at which the information element is stored, it can be provided to the exterior of the motor vehicle and left behind there, for example by opening a flap or a compartment and / or by actuating an ejection device, which throws the information element away from the motor vehicle. In particular, the information element can be stored in a tank and / or charging lid, which is opened and from where the information element is released by a release mechanism.The information element can be configured in particular to be easily detectable or recognizable for a user. For example, the information element has a bright, in particular neon color, and / or an acoustic and / or visual attention element, such as an LED, which, for example, regularly lights up and / or a loudspeaker, which, for example, regularly plays back a sound.In particular, the information element can have a handy shape and be designed, for example, to be picked up and / or held in place with one hand, such as a chip card and / or a small limestone.This development makes it possible to inform the user particularly accurately about any assistance functions that the motor vehicle autonomously performs.According to one development, the information element comprises readable information about actions of the motor vehicle.In particular, the information element comprises information which goes beyond the location at which the communication connection can be re-established and to which the motor vehicle moves autonomously. For example, the information element comprises information on one or more of a start time, a return time, a distance and / or a type of the emergency situation.This further development also makes it possible to inform the user particularly accurately about any assistance functions that the motor vehicle autonomously performs.For use cases or application situations which can arise in the method and which are not explicitly described here, provision can be made for an error message and / or a request for inputting a user feedback to be output and / or for a default setting and / or a predetermined initial state to be set according to the method.According to a further aspect, a device is provided. The apparatus can have a data processing apparatus or a processor device which is configured to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention.In particular, the apparatus is configured to communicate with and / or cooperate with the remote computing device, as described above, in order to carry out or at least to bring about the embodiments of the method described above. In particular, the apparatus can also comprise the remote computing device and / or form a system therewith in order to carry out embodiments of the method according to the invention.For this purpose, the processor device can have at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one FPGA (field programmable gate array) and / or at least one DSP (digital signal processor). In particular, a CPU (central processing unit), a GPU (graphic processing unit) or an NPU (neural processing unit) can be used as the microprocessor in each case. Furthermore, the processor device can have program code which is configured to carry out the embodiment of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor device. The program code can be stored in a data memory of the processor device. The processor device can be based on at least one circuit board and / or on at least one SoC (system on chip), for example.According to a further aspect, a motor vehicle is provided which comprises such a device.The motor vehicle according to the invention is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger car or truck, or as a passenger bus or motorcycle.As a further solution, the invention also comprises a computer-readable storage medium comprising program code which, when executed by a computer or a computer cluster, causes the latter to execute an embodiment of the method according to the invention. The storage medium may be provided at least partially as a non-volatile data memory (e.g. as a flash memory and / or as an SSD-solid state drive) and / or at least partially as a volatile data memory (e.g. as a RAM-random access memory). The storage medium can be arranged in the computer or computer network. However, the storage medium can also be operated, for example, as a so-called store server and / or cloud server on the Internet. The computer or computer network can provide a processor circuit with, for example, at least one microprocessor. The program code can be provided as binary code and / or as assembler code and / or as source code of a programming language (e.g. C) and / or as a program script (e.g. Python).The invention also includes the combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also comprises implementations which each have a combination of the features of a plurality of the described embodiments, provided that the embodiments have not been described as mutually exclusive.With regard to the embodiments of the device, the motor vehicle and the storage medium and the associated advantages, reference is made to the previously described embodiments of the method and the advantages in this respect.The invention also includes the combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also comprises implementations which each have a combination of the features of a plurality of the described embodiments, provided that the embodiments have not been described as mutually exclusive.Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below. The following shows: FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a method and a device for providing an assistance function to a user of a motor vehicle.The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features of the invention that are to be considered independently of one another and that also develop the invention independently of one another. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to include combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those illustrated. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention that have already been described.In the figures, identical reference numerals designate functionally identical elements.FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a method and a device 100 for providing a help function to a user of a motor vehicle 1.The device 100 is configured to carry out or at least to bring about the method steps described below, in particular together with the motor vehicle 1 and / or a user's terminal device not shown in more detail here.As shown in FIG. 1, the motor vehicle 1 has traveled into a so-called radio hole and is currently located at a location 20 at which a loss of communication of a data connection 10 of the motor vehicle 1 with a remote computing device 11, which is shown here as a cloud by way of example, has occurred and a data connection 10 to the remote computing device 11 cannot be established.This state, in which a loss of communication of the data connection 10 of the motor vehicle 1 has occurred, can recognize the device 100.The device 100 may also detect an emergency situation occurring during the loss of communication, in the motor vehicle, or in the vicinity thereof.The device 100 is also designed to autonomously control the motor vehicle 1 to a location 21 where there is no loss of communication and to trigger an assistance function there based on the detected emergency situation.The device 100 is also designed to detect a location 20 at which the loss of communication has occurred, wherein the autonomous control of the motor vehicle 1 takes place on the basis of the detected location. In particular, the motor vehicle 1 is returned to the location 21 at which no communication loss occurs.The device 100 is also designed to detect a location at which the emergency situation occurs, wherein the triggering of an aid function comprises informing a rescue service 2 and providing the detected location at which the emergency situation occurs to the rescue service 2.An emergency situation is detected here on the basis of a previous behavior of the user and in particular on the basis of user data from a mobile terminal of the user.The device 100 is also designed to detect a user input, wherein the detection of an emergency situation additionally takes place based on the user input.The device 100 is also designed to provide an information element 101 from the motor vehicle 1 in response to detecting an emergency situation to the exterior, wherein the information element comprises readable information about the location at which there is no loss of communication that the user can read with a suitable terminal. The information element 101 is depicted here as a check card, for example, which can be read out by a mobile terminal of the user, for example.The information element 101 also comprises readable information about currently performed or future actions of the motor vehicle 1.Overall, the examples show how autonomous driving for offline vehicle care mode can be provided with a smart tracking device.

Claims

Method for providing an assistance function for a user of a motor vehicle (1), comprising: - detecting a loss of communication of a data connection (10) of the motor vehicle (1); - detecting an emergency situation during the loss of communication; - autonomously controlling the motor vehicle (1) to a location (21) at which there is no loss of communication; and - triggering an assistance function based on the detected emergency situation as soon as the motor vehicle (1) has reached the location (21) at which there is no loss of communication.Method according to claim 1, further comprising: - detecting a location (20) at which the communication loss occurs; wherein the autonomous control of the motor vehicle (1) is performed based on the detected location (20).Method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: - detecting a location at which the emergency situation occurs; wherein triggering an assistance function comprises informing a rescue service (2) and providing the detected location at which the emergency situation occurs to the rescue service (2)Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection of an emergency situation takes place on the basis of a previous behavior of the user.Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection of an emergency situation takes place on the basis of user data from a mobile terminal of the user.Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: - detecting a user input; wherein the detection of an emergency situation is additionally carried out on the basis of the user input.Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: - providing an information element (101) from the motor vehicle (1) in response to detecting an emergency situation, wherein the information element comprises readable information about the location at which there is no communication loss.Method according to Claim 7, wherein the information element (101) comprises readable information relating to actions of the motor vehicle (1).Device (100) for providing an assistance function to a user of a motor vehicle (1), wherein the device is designed to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims.Motor vehicle (1) comprising a device (100) according to claim 9.

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