Method and system for communicating status data

Abstract

A method for communicating status data about fluid containers (10) to a user (N) of a status information system (40), comprising the steps of: wirelessly receiving sensor-detected status information about the fluid containers (10) by at least one transmitting and receiving unit (30), wirelessly transmitting the received status information by the transmitting and receiving unit (30) to the status information system (40), providing the status data based on the status information by the status information system (40), and communicating the provided status data by the status information system (40) to the user (N) based on an interaction of the user (N) with the status information system (40).

Description

Technical FieldThe present invention relates to a method and a system for communicating status data about fluid containers to a user of an additional information system.Prior ArtIt is known from the prior art to detect the pressure or the fill level of a gas container by sensor. It is also known to make such a pressure or fill level accessible by a remote display for remote monitoring of the gas container. For such remote monitoring, it may be necessary to use a reading device for reading out the pressure or fill level detected by sensors.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates, in one aspect, to a method for communicating status data about fluid containers to a user of a status information system. The status data can include or be at least one of fill level data about the fluid containers and fluid pressure data about the fluid containers. The fill level data may include a fluid volume of a fluid located in the fluid container. Alternatively or additionally, the fill level data can comprise a fluid quantity of the fluid located in the fluid container. Further alternatively or additionally, the fill level data can comprise a proportion of a fluid volume located in the fluid container with respect to a predefined fluid volume or a proportion of a fluid quantity located in the fluid container with respect to a predefined fluid quantity. The fluid pressure data may include a fluid pressure of the fluid located in the fluid reservoir. The fluid data may include or be at least one of a fluid temperature, a fluid viscosity, a fluid humidity, a fluid dispersibility, and a fluid composition of the fluid located in the fluid container. The fluid dispersibility can have information about particles located in the fluid.The fluid may be gas located in the fluid container or liquid located in the fluid container. The liquid may be a gas liquefied under pressure in the fluid container. The fluid container can therefore be a gas container, a compressed gas container or a liquid container.The state information system may have a central data processing device for providing the state data. The central data processing device can be a server or a cloud. The state information system may include a user interface for communicating the state data to the user. The user may be an operator, user or manager of the fluid containers.The method comprises, as a step, wirelessly receiving status information relating to the fluid containers acquired by sensor means by at least one transmitting and receiving unit. The wireless reception can be a radio-based reception of the sensorially detected state information. The state information may be wirelessly received by the transmitting and receiving unit using Bluetooth. The transmitting and receiving unit can therefore comprise a Bluetooth receiver for wirelessly receiving the state information. The state information may include at least one of the fluid volume, the fluid amount, the proportion of the fluid volume to the predefined fluid volume, the proportion of the fluid amount to the predefined fluid amount, and the fluid pressure.As a further step, the method can comprise acquiring the status information with sensors which can be assigned to the fluid containers. The sensors may be sensor-connected to the fluid containers to acquire the state information of the fluid containers. The sensors may be fill level sensors for detecting the fill level data. Alternatively or additionally, the sensors may be pressure sensors for sensing the fluid pressure data. The sensors may be attached to the fluid containers.The method comprises, as a further step, wirelessly transmitting the received state information by the transmitting and receiving unit to the state information system. The wireless transmission may be a radio-based transmission of the received state information. The received status information can be transmitted to the status information system by means of mobile radio. The transmitting and receiving unit can therefore have a mobile radio transmitting unit for transmitting the received state information.According to one embodiment of the method, the transmitting and receiving unit can be configured as a communication unit for wirelessly communicating the state information. The communication unit may be configured to communicate the state information with the sensors and communicate the state information with the state information system. The communication of the state information with the sensors can be a radio-based communication, for example by means of Bluetooth, and the communication with the state information system can be a radio-based communication, for example by means of mobile radio. The transmitting and receiving unit can therefore function to transmit the state information from the sensors to the state information system. The transmitting and receiving unit may therefore be configured as a communicator between the sensors and the state information system.The method comprises, as a further step, providing the state data, which are based on the state information, by the state information system. For the provision of the state data, these can be stored at least temporarily by the state information system. The status data can be provided by the central data processing device with which the user can interact via the user interface.The method comprises, as a further step, communicating the provided state data by the state information system to the user based on the user interacting with the state information system. The user can interact with the state information system via the user interface. The provided status data can be communicated to the user via the user interface. The step of communicating may comprise displaying the provided state data via a display unit of the state information system to the user based on the interacting.According to an embodiment of the invention, the status data can be communicated to the user via a plurality of distributed fluid containers through a central status information system. For this purpose, the method can comprise, as one step, communicating the state information via the transmitting and receiving unit to the state information system, wherein the state information can already be preprocessed by the transmitting and receiving unit. In the wireless transmission step, the preprocessed state information may be transmitted to the state information system by the transmitting and receiving unit. In the step of providing, the state data can be based on the preprocessed state information. The method therefore allows the state data to be provided efficiently and communicated centrally to the user.According to one embodiment of the method, the fluid containers can be arranged on a vehicle fleet. Alternatively or additionally, the fluid containers can be assigned to the vehicle fleet. The transmitting and receiving unit can also be arranged on the fleet of vehicles. The fleet of vehicles may have vehicles on which the fluid containers and the transmitting and receiving unit may be arranged. Alternatively or additionally, the fluid containers can be assigned to the vehicles. Each fluid container can be arranged on a vehicle of the vehicle fleet or be assigned to the latter. A corresponding arrangement or assignment of the fluid containers can be changed or exchanged over the vehicles within the vehicle fleet. The transmitting and receiving unit can also be kept separate from the vehicles. The state information system can therefore be a fleet management system for providing and communicating the state data. Current states of the fluid containers, which can be arranged distributed on the vehicle fleet, can thus be taken into account efficiently in fleet management.According to a further embodiment of the method, filling level information relating to the fluid containers detected by sensors can be received by the transmitting and receiving unit in the receiving step. The fill level information can be detected in the step of detection with the fill level sensors. In the step of transmitting, the received fill level information can be transmitted by the transmitting and receiving unit to the state information system. In the step of providing, filling level data about the fluid containers, which are based on the filling level information, can be provided by the state information system. In the step of communicating, the provided fill level data can be communicated by the state information system based on the interaction to the user. The fill level data can thus be provided centrally to the user.According to a further embodiment of the method, in the step of receiving, sensor-detected fluid pressure information relating to the fluid containers can be received by the transmitting and receiving unit. The fluid pressure information may be acquired in the step of acquiring with the pressure sensors. In the transmitting step, the received fluid pressure information may be transmitted to the state information system by the transmitting and receiving unit. In the providing step, fluid pressure data about the fluid containers, which are based on the fluid pressure information, can be provided by the state information system. In the communicating step, the provided fluid pressure data can be communicated by the state information system based on the interaction to the user. With the method, fluid pressure data can therefore be provided centrally in order to communicate it to the user through the state information system.According to a further embodiment of the method, this can have, as a further step, a spatial assignment of the at least one transmitting and receiving unit to the fluid containers. The fluid containers may be located in a receiving area of the transmitting and receiving unit for wirelessly receiving the state information. The fluid containers can be mobile fluid containers to which at least one mobile transmitting and receiving unit can be spatially assigned. Alternatively, the transmitting and receiving unit can be at least one stationary transmitting and receiving unit, which can be spatially assigned to the mobile fluid containers. The fluid containers can also be stationary fluid containers which can be spatially assigned to at least one mobile or stationary transmitting and receiving unit. As a further step, the method can comprise a unique assignment of the fluid containers to the transmitting and receiving unit or vice versa. The unique assignment can be a data-technology assignment. The step of spatially associating may be based on the step of uniquely associating or vice versa.According to a further embodiment of the method, the at least one transmitting and receiving unit can be or have at least one mobile transmitting and receiving unit. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one transmitting and receiving unit can be or have at least one stationary transmitting and receiving unit. The mobile transmitting and receiving unit can be arranged on a vehicle of the fleet of vehicles. The mobile transceiver unit can be worn by the user. In the transmitting and receiving unit, a mobile communicator may be configured between the sensors and the state information system.According to a further embodiment of the method, this can comprise, as a further step, a unique assignment of sensors for detecting the status information to the fluid containers. The unique assignment can be a data-technology assignment. Each sensor can be assigned one sensor of the sensors unambiguously, wherein a sensor assigned unambiguously to the fluid container can be arranged on the latter. According to this embodiment, at least one step of the method can be based on an assignment resulting from the step of assigning, which assignment can be a data-technology assignment. For example, the step of providing can be based on the unique assignment of the sensors to the fluid containers. The provided status data can comprise information about the unique assignment. In a further step of the method, the provided state data can be filtered on the basis of the unique assignment. The step of uniquely associating may be performed by the transmitting and receiving unit or the state information system. For example, the unique assignment or a corresponding pairing can be managed by the transmitting and receiving unit at a protocol level. The unique assignment can be a temporary assignment. Central data retention of the state data using the state information system can thus be improved.According to a further embodiment of the method, this can comprise, as a further step, a unique assignment of user authorisations to at least one of the fluid containers and the transmitting and receiving unit. The unique assignment can be a data-technology assignment. The user authorisations can be assigned to user groups, wherein the user can be assigned to at least one of the user groups. Status data can be communicated to the user depending on such a user group assignment.According to a further embodiment of the method, this can comprise, as a further step, uniquely associating a unique character string with at least one of the fluid containers and the transmitting and receiving unit for globally identifying the same. The unique string may be a UUID string. According to this embodiment, at least one step of the method can be based on an assignment resulting from the step of assigning. In the step of assigning, the character string can be assigned to at least one of the sensors and the vehicles of the vehicle fleet for global identification thereof, alternatively or in addition to the at least one fluid container and the transmitting and receiving unit. At least one step of the method can alternatively or additionally be based on an assignment resulting from this alternative or additional assignment. The fluid containers, the transmitting and receiving unit, the sensors and the vehicles, which can form entities of the state information system, can thus be managed via different user groups or entities of the state information system and communicated to user groups separated in this way.According to a further embodiment of the method, this can comprise, as a further step, processing the state information into state metadata which comprise data about the state information. The state metadata can be structured reference data of the state information. Alternatively or additionally, the method can comprise, as a further step, processing the state data to form state metadata which comprises data about the state data. The state metadata can therefore also be structured reference data of the state data. According to this embodiment, in the step of providing, the state data can be based on the state metadata. The state metadata may include the unique strings for globally identifying the fluid containers. A data structure of the state data can thus be kept in an improved manner.According to a further embodiment of the method, this can comprise, as a further step, a comparison of the provided state data with predefined state setpoint data based on the interaction. The state setpoint data can be fill level setpoint data, which can have at least one of a fluid setpoint volume, a fluid setpoint quantity and a fluid setpoint proportion. The state setpoint data can alternatively or additionally be fluid setpoint pressure data, which can have a setpoint fluid pressure, in addition to the fill level setpoint data. The method can comprise, as a further step, communicating a comparison result resulting from the step of comparing to the user based on the interacting. The resulting comparison result can be a comparison result which indicates that the provided state data falls below the predefined state setpoint data. Critical state data can thus be communicated in the communicating step, wherein, for example, a fluid volume falls below a predefined fluid volume and is therefore communicated as critical.According to a further embodiment of the method, this can comprise, as a further step, wirelessly receiving position information relating to the fluid containers by the at least one transmitting and receiving unit or by the state information system. The method may include, as a further step, acquiring the position information about the fluid containers by at least one position detection sensor. The position detection sensor can be a mobile or stationary position detection sensor, which can be uniquely assigned to the fluid containers. According to this embodiment, the provided state data may be based on the position information. In the communicating step, spatial state data can thus be communicated, which are based on the position information.In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a system for communicating status data about fluid containers to a user of a status information system. The system may be configured to perform the method according to the preceding aspect.The system has at least one transmitting and receiving unit which is configured to wirelessly receive status information relating to the fluid containers detected by sensors and to wirelessly transmit the received status information to the status information system. The system also includes the state information system having a user interface for interacting the user with the state information system. The state information system is configured to provide the state data based on the interacting, which is based on the state information. The state information system is further configured to communicate the provided state data to the user via the user interface.Each embodiment of one aspect of the present invention may constitute an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention. The transmitting and receiving unit and the state information system of the system can each be configured to carry out at least one step of the method.Brief Description of the FiguresFIG. 1 illustrates a system for communicating status data about fluid containers to a user of a status information system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a system for communicating status data about fluid containers to a user of a status information system according to a further embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a flow chart with method steps for carrying out a method for communicating state data about fluid containers to a user of a state information system according to one embodiment.Detailed Description of EmbodimentsFIG. 1 shows a system 100 which has transmitting and receiving units 30 and a state information system 40. The transmitting and receiving units 30 are arranged on vehicles 4 of a fleet of vehicles 2. The state information system 40 is designed as a central state information system 40 separate from the vehicles 4. The transmitting and receiving units 30 are connected to the state information system 40 via wireless transmission connections 34.Fluid containers 10 are arranged on the vehicles 4, to which sensors 20 are attached. The sensors 20 are configured to acquire state information about the fluid containers 10. The sensors 20 are connected to the transmitting and receiving units 30 via wireless receiving connections 32. According to the embodiment of the system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the transmitting and receiving units 30 are designed as mobile transmitting and receiving units 30, which are arranged together with the fluid containers 10 on the vehicles 4. The transmitting and receiving units 30 also have position detection sensors 22, which are configured to detect position information relating to the fluid containers 10.The state information system 40 comprises a receiving unit 44, a data structure 46 and a user interface 42. The receiving unit 44 is connected to the transmitting and receiving units 30 via the wireless transmission connections 34. A user N of the state information system 40 can access the data structure 46 by interaction with the user interface 42. The data structure 46 has state data which are kept ready on the basis of the state information relating to the fluid containers 10.The embodiment of the system 100 shown in FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that a transmitting and receiving unit 30 is arranged separately from the vehicles 10. According to one embodiment, the transmitting and receiving unit 30 is a stationary transmitting and receiving unit 30. the transmitting and receiving unit 30 has a receiving region 31 in which the sensors 20 are located. The wireless reception connections 32 are formed between the sensors 20 and the transmitting and receiving unit 30. According to a further embodiment, the sensors 20 and the position detection sensors 22 form a sensor unit 24 which is uniquely assigned to the fluid containers 10.FIG. 3 shows a flow chart with method steps for carrying out a method for communicating state data about the fluid containers 10 to the user N of the state information system 40 in a chronological sequence according to one embodiment.In a step S 1, the status information regarding the fluid containers 10 detected by the sensors 20 is wirelessly received by the transmitting and receiving units 30 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 or by the transmitting and receiving unit 30 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 via the wireless transmission connections 32 on a radio basis by means of Bluetooth. In step S 1, optionally, the position information regarding the fluid containers 10 detected by the position detection sensors 22 is also wirelessly received by the transmitting and receiving units 30 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 or by the transmitting and receiving unit 30 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 via the wireless transmission connections 32 on a radio basis. In a further step S 2, the received state information is wirelessly transmitted by the transmitting and receiving units ( 30) or by the transmitting and receiving unit 30 to the state information system 40 via the wireless transmission links 34 by means of mobile radio. In step S 2, the received position information is optionally also wirelessly transmitted by the transmitting and receiving units 30 or the transmitting and receiving unit 30 to the state information system 40 via the wireless transmission connections 34 by means of mobile radio.In a further step S 3, the state data, which are based on the state information and optionally on the position information, are provided in the data structure 46 of the state information system 40. Based on a further step S 4 of interacting the user N through the interaction 48 with the user interface 42, the state information system 40 communicates the provided state data via the user interface 42 to the user N. Based on the step S 4 of interacting, in a further optional step S 6, the provided state data is compared with predefined state setpoint data. In a further optional step S 7, a comparison result resulting from step S 6 is communicated to the user N.Reference numerals denote reference numerals2 Fleet of vehicles 4 Vehicle 10 Fluid container 20 Sensor 22 Position detection sensor 24 Sensor unit 30 Transmitting and receiving unit 31 Receiving region 32 Wireless receiving connection 34 Wireless transmitting connection 40 State information system 42 User interface 44 Receiving unit 46 Data structure 48 User interaction 100 System N User S 1 Wireless receiving S 2 Wireless transmitting S 3 Providing S 4 Interacting S 5 Communicating S 6 Comparing S 7 Communicating

Claims

Method for communicating state data about fluid containers (10) to a user (N) of a state information system (40), comprising the steps of: wirelessly receiving (S1), by at least one transmitting and receiving unit (30), state information detected by sensors to the fluid containers (10), wirelessly transmitting (S2) the received state information by the transmitting and receiving unit (30) to the state information system (40), providing (S3), by the state information system (40), the state data which are based on the state information, and communicating (S5), by the state information system (40), the provided state data to the user (N) based on interacting (S4) of the user (N) with the state information system (40).Method according to claim 1, wherein the fluid containers (10) are arranged on a vehicle fleet (2) or are assigned to the latter.Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the step of receiving (S1), filling level information relating to the fluid containers (10) detected by sensors is received by the transmitting and receiving unit (30), wherein in the step of transmitting (S2) the received filling level information is transmitted by the transmitting and receiving unit (30) to the state information system (40), wherein in the step of providing (S3) filling level data relating to the fluid containers (10), which are based on the filling level information, are provided by the state information system (40), and wherein in the step of communicating (S5) the provided filling level data is communicated by the state information system (40) based on the interacting (S4) to the user (N).Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the step of receiving (S1) sensorially detected fluid pressure information relating to the fluid containers (10) is received by the transmitting and receiving unit (30), wherein in the step of transmitting (S2) the received fluid pressure information is transmitted by the transmitting and receiving unit (30) to the state information system (40), wherein in the step of providing (S3) fluid pressure data relating to the fluid containers (10), which are based on the fluid pressure information, are provided by the state information system (40), and wherein in the step of communicating (S5) the provided fluid pressure data are communicated by the state information system (40) based on the interacting (S4) to the user (N).Method according to one of the preceding claims, having the further step of spatially associating the at least one transmitting and receiving unit (30) with the fluid containers (10) which are located in a receiving region (31) of the transmitting and receiving unit (30) for wirelessly receiving (S1) the state information.Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one transmitting and receiving unit (30) has at least one mobile transmitting and receiving unit (30).Method according to one of the preceding claims, having the further step of explicitly associating sensors (20) for detecting the state information (I) with the fluid containers (10), wherein at least one step of the method is based on an association resulting from the step of associating.Method according to one of the preceding claims, having the further step of uniquely assigning user authorisations to at least one of the fluid containers (10) and the transmitting and receiving unit (30), wherein the step of communicating (S5) is based on an assignment resulting from the step of assigning.The method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the further step of uniquely associating a unique string of characters with at least one of the fluid containers (10) and the transceiver unit (30) for globally identifying the same, wherein at least one step of the method is based on an association resulting from the step of associating.Method according to one of the preceding claims, having the further step of processing the state information to form state metadata which comprise data about the state information, wherein, in the step of providing (S3), the state data are based on the state metadata.Method according to one of the preceding claims, having the further steps: comparing (S6) the provided state data with predefined state setpoint data based on the interaction (S4), communicating (S7) a comparison result resulting from the step of comparing (S6) to the user (N) based on the interaction (S4).Method according to one of the preceding claims, having the further step of wirelessly receiving position information relating to the fluid containers (10) by the at least one transmitting and receiving unit (30) or by the state information system (40), wherein the provided state data are based on the position information.System (100) for communicating state data (D) via fluid containers (10) to a user (N) of a state information system (40), having at least one transmitting and receiving unit (30) which is configured to wirelessly receive sensor-detected state information (I) relating to the fluid containers (10) and to wirelessly transmit the received state information (I) to the state information system (40), and having the state information system (40) which has a user interface (42) for interacting the user (N) with the state information system (40), wherein the state information system (40) is configured to provide the state data based on the interacting, which are based on the state information, and to communicate the provided state data (D) to the user (N) via the user interface (32).The system (100) of claim 13, configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

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