Method and control unit for operating a vehicle within a vehicle control system

Abstract

This document describes a control unit for a vehicle (100) that operates within a system (150) that includes the vehicle (100) and a set of portable digital key devices (110), each of the devices (110) in the set of devices (110) being configured to establish a communication connection (112) with the vehicle (100) for controlling a function (103) of the vehicle (100). The control unit is configured to detect a redundancy situation of the system (150) in which a plurality of devices (110) in the set of devices (110) are within a communication range for establishing a communication connection (112) with the vehicle (100) or have already established a communication connection (112) with the vehicle (100), and in which the plurality of devices (110) are carried by the same user.The control unit is further configured to select a first device (110) from the plurality of devices (110) in response to detecting the redundancy situation and to apply a power reduction measure to reduce the power consumption with respect to the communication link (112) between the first device (110) and the vehicle (100).

Description

[0001] This document addresses the control of one or more functions of a vehicle using multiple digital key devices. In particular, this document aims to reduce power consumption when controlling a vehicle function using multiple digital key devices.

[0002] A vehicle may be equipped with a communications unit that allows the user to control one or more functions of the vehicle via a wearable device, such as a smartphone or smartwatch. Examples of functions that can be controlled with the wearable device include unlocking and / or locking a vehicle door and / or starting the vehicle engine. The wearable device typically contains a digital key for authenticating the portal device on the vehicle. Such a wearable device may be referred to as a digital key device.

[0003] A user may carry multiple portable devices, in particular multiple digital key devices, such as a work phone, a personal phone, and / or a wearable device such as a smartwatch. Each of these devices may contain a digital key (in particular, a CCC (Car Connectivity Consortium) digital key).

[0004] This document addresses the technical problem of enabling reliable and / or efficient control of one or more vehicle functions using multiple digital key devices. This technical problem is solved by each of the independent claims. Preferred examples are specified in the dependent claims.

[0005] According to one aspect, a control unit is described for operating a system comprising a vehicle and a set of portable digital key devices. Each of the devices in the set of devices can be configured to establish a communication connection with the vehicle for controlling one or more functions of the vehicle. The communication connection between a device and the vehicle can comprise a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and / or an Ultra Wideband (UWB) communication connection. Examples of functions include: an access function for accessing the vehicle, a function for controlling a vehicle engine, a function for controlling a vehicle window, a function for controlling a (comfort) component of the vehicle, etc. One example of this is smart devices, such as a smartphone or a portable smart device.

[0006] A device may contain a digital key (in particular, a Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) digital key, possibly a CCC Digital Key Release 3). The control unit and / or the vehicle may be configured to verify the device's digital key to grant or deny the device authorization to control the vehicle function. The devices in the set of devices may have the same (common) digital key, allowing a user to use different devices to control the vehicle function and / or allowing the user to allow another user to control the vehicle function with their device.

[0007] The control unit of the system may comprise, in particular, a control unit (e.g., a processor) of the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the control unit of the system may comprise, in particular, a control unit (e.g., a processor) of at least one device from the plurality of devices.

[0008] The control unit is configured to detect a redundancy situation in the system. The redundancy situation may be a situation in which a single user has access to multiple devices from the set of devices for controlling one or more vehicle functions. In particular, it may be detected that a plurality of devices from the set of devices are within communication range for establishing a communication connection with the vehicle and / or have already established a communication connection with the vehicle. Furthermore, it may be determined that the plurality of devices are carried by the same user and / or are within their range. On this basis, the existence of a redundancy situation may be detected.

[0009] The control unit is further configured to select a first device from the plurality of devices in response to detecting the redundancy situation. Multiple first devices may be selected from the plurality of devices. In particular, all but one device from the plurality of devices may be selected as "first" devices. On the other hand, at least (or exactly) one device from the plurality of devices may be selected as "second" devices.

[0010] Furthermore, the control unit is configured to apply an energy reduction measure to reduce the energy consumption with respect to the communication link between the first device and the vehicle. In particular, an energy reduction measure may be applied to the communication link of each of the selected first devices. The energy reduction measure applied to a communication link may comprise changing at least one parameter of the communication link, in particular at least one parameter relating to the frequency of data transmission via the communication link. The energy reduction measure may, for example, consist of reducing the frequency of data transmission via the communication link.

[0011] As mentioned above, the communication link between the first device and the vehicle may comprise a BLE communication link. In this case, the energy reduction measure may consist of increasing the BLE link interval used for the BLE communication link. The BLE link interval may be increased by a factor of 1.5 or more, or by a factor of 2 or more. Alternatively or additionally, the communication link between the first device and the vehicle may comprise a UWB communication link. In this case, the energy reduction measure may consist of reducing the UWB reception frequency used to determine the location of the first device (relative to the vehicle). The UWB reception frequency may be reduced by a factor of 1.5 or more, or by a factor of 2 or more.Alternatively or additionally, the energy reduction measure may consist of switching off the communication link (BLE and / or UWB) between the first device and the vehicle or preventing its establishment.

[0012] A control unit is therefore described which is configured to detect that a user carries and / or has access to multiple digital key devices for controlling a vehicle function, resulting in multiple communication connections between the respective devices and the vehicle, wherein the multiple communication connections are associated with a relatively high energy consumption. By applying one or more energy reduction measures to at least one of the multiple devices, the overall energy consumption of the system can be reduced without compromising the reliability and convenience of the system. Furthermore, interference between different components of the system, in particular between different digital key devices, can be reduced, thereby increasing the overall reliability of the system and / or increasing the number of users that can be served by the system.

[0013] As mentioned above, the control unit may be configured to select (possibly exactly one) second device from the plurality of devices. The communication connection between the second device and the vehicle may remain unchanged. In particular, the BLE connection interval of the BLE communication connection between the second device and the vehicle and / or the UWB range frequency of the UWB communication connection between the second device and the vehicle may remain unchanged, thereby ensuring that the reliability and / or convenience of the system for controlling the vehicle function is maintained.

[0014] The control unit may be configured to determine the device type for each of the plurality of devices (e.g., based on data transmitted over the respective communication links). The one or more first devices may be selected from the plurality of devices based on the device types. In particular, a device may be selected as the first device if the device type indicates that the device is a portable smart device. By taking the device type into account, the overall reliability and / or convenience of the system for controlling the vehicle function may be increased.

[0015] The control unit may be configured to determine the state of charge and / or energy storage capacity of the battery of each of the plurality of devices. The first device(s) may be selected based on the state of charge and / or capacity of the batteries of the plurality of devices. In particular, the device containing the battery with the relatively lowest state of charge and / or capacity (compared to the batteries of the other devices in the plurality of devices) may be selected first. By taking into account the state of charge and / or capacity of the batteries of the various portable devices, the overall reliability and / or convenience of the system for controlling the vehicle function may be increased.

[0016] The control unit can be configured to determine, for each of the plurality of devices, whether the respective device is known or unknown to the vehicle's infotainment system. A device can be known to the infotainment system if the device has been previously paired with the infotainment system (e.g., via Bluetooth). Otherwise, the device can be unknown.

[0017] The first device can be selected as a device that is unknown to the vehicle's infotainment system (and can therefore be considered the user's secondary device). This can increase the overall convenience of the system for controlling vehicle functions.

[0018] The control unit may be configured to detect that the first device issues a control command (e.g., an RKE (Remote Keyless Entry) command) to control the function of the vehicle. This may, for example, be detected by a control unit that is part of the first device. Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to send the control command to the vehicle via a cross-device communication link (e.g., via a BLE communication link) between the first device and the second device. The control command may then be forwarded from the second device to the vehicle, allowing the user to issue a control command at the first device even though the communication link between the first device and the vehicle is subject to a power reduction measure.By providing a relay function for a control command, the convenience of the system for controlling the vehicle function can be increased in an efficient manner.

[0019] The control unit may be configured to detect the redundancy situation of the system, in particular detecting that the plurality of devices are worn by the same user, based on, • Sensor data from one or more sensors, in particular one or more motion sensors (e.g., one or more inertial measurement units), of the plurality of devices. The sensor data can be transmitted to the control unit via appropriate communication connections. • Signals transmitted via the communication links between the vehicle and each of the plurality of devices; • Signals transmitted via one or more cross-device communication links (e.g. BLE communication links) between the individual devices of the plurality of devices; • UWB ranging of the individual devices from the plurality of devices, wherein the UWB ranging is performed using the UWB communication links between the vehicle and the individual devices from the plurality of devices; and / or • BLE channel probing and / or a signal strength of the BLE communication links between the vehicle and each of the plurality of devices.

[0020] By using at least some of the above data, a redundancy situation can be detected in a reliable and efficient manner.

[0021] The control unit may be configured to determine a plurality of trajectories of the corresponding plurality of devices. The plurality of trajectories may be determined based on the UWB ranging of the plurality of devices using the plurality of UWB communication links between the vehicle and the corresponding plurality of devices. The trajectory of a device may indicate the location of the vehicle (relative to the vehicle) as a function of time. The timestamps of the trajectories of the various devices may be synchronized.

[0022] The system's redundancy situation can be detected based on the multitude of trajectories of the corresponding multitude of devices. For example, the (Euclidean) distance between the different trajectories can be determined. Alternatively or additionally, the multitude of trajectories can be analyzed using machine-learned artificial intelligence. Based on the distance and / or the analysis of the multiple trajectories, it can be checked whether the trajectories are so similar that it can be concluded that the multitude of devices are worn by the same user, thus allowing the redundancy situation to be detected. By analyzing the trajectories of the various devices, a redundancy situation can be detected particularly reliably and efficiently.

[0023] The control unit can be configured to detect the system's redundancy situation based on image data captured by one or more of the vehicle's cameras. In particular, one or more users and / or one or more devices can be detected based on the image data (e.g., using a computer vision and / or object recognition algorithm). This analysis can be used to check whether a single user is carrying multiple devices, thereby efficiently and reliably detecting a redundancy situation.

[0024] The control unit can be configured to determine, in particular with the help of a backend server, that the user accounts of the plurality of devices are assigned to the same user (via account binding). The redundancy situation of the system can be reliably detected based on the determined fact that the user accounts of the plurality of devices are assigned to the same user.

[0025] The control unit can be configured to detect that the distance between the first device and the second device of the plurality of devices has increased. In particular, it can be detected that the trajectories of the first and second devices deviate from each other. In response to the detection that the distance has increased, the energy reduction measure for reducing the energy consumption associated with the communication connection between the first device and the vehicle can be terminated. This allows the first device to be used without restriction to control the vehicle function. By monitoring the distance between the first and second devices, the reliability of the system can be increased. In particular, lockout situations (in which the user is locked out of the vehicle) can be reliably avoided.

[0026] As already mentioned, each of the devices in the set of devices typically includes a digital key. The control unit may be configured to check whether the plurality of devices contain the same digital key and / or contain (possibly different) digital keys belonging to and / or associated with the same (single) user. The redundancy situation involving the plurality of devices can be detected, in particular only if the plurality of devices contain the same digital key and / or contain digital keys belonging to and / or associated with the same (single) user. By checking the digital keys of the various devices, the existence of a redundancy situation can be detected particularly reliably.

[0027] The control unit can be configured to detect that two different devices from the set of devices are being carried by two different users (e.g., because the trajectories of the two devices are different). Such a situation cannot be considered a dismissal situation. In particular, the application of the energy reduction measure to the communication links of the two different devices can be prevented, thus enabling a reliable multi-user scenario of the system.

[0028] As already mentioned, the control unit may be part of the vehicle's vehicle control system. Therefore, according to one aspect, a control unit for operating a vehicle is described. The control unit of the digital device may be configured to receive data for detecting the redundancy situation via one or more communication links.

[0029] As already mentioned, the control unit may be part of one of the digital key devices from the set of digital key devices, in particular from the plurality of digital key devices (carried by the same user). Therefore, according to one aspect, a control unit for operating a digital key device is described. The control unit of the digital device may be configured to receive data for detecting the redundancy situation via one or more communication links. The control unit may be part of the second digital key device (where the communication link with the vehicle remains unchanged).

[0030] As mentioned above, the system can be configured so that a (first) digital key device (for which an energy reduction measure is applied) sends a control command to the vehicle to control the vehicle function via a (second) digital key device (for which no energy reduction measure is applied). Therefore, a command relay function can be provided.

[0031] In this context, a control unit for a first digital key device is described, wherein the first device operates within a system comprising a vehicle and a set of portable digital key devices (including the first device itself). As described above, each of the devices in the set of devices may be configured to establish a (respective) communication link with the vehicle for controlling a function of the vehicle. The first digital key device may be a portable smart device.

[0032] The control unit may be configured to apply a power reduction measure to reduce the power consumption associated with the communication link between the first device and the vehicle. The power reduction measure may be applied depending on the detection of a redundancy situation of the system (where the redundancy situation includes the first device and a second device). The redundancy situation may have been detected by the first device itself. Alternatively or additionally, the redundancy situation may have been detected by the vehicle or by the second device.

[0033] Furthermore, the control unit can be configured to cause a control command for controlling the function of the vehicle to be sent to the vehicle via a cross-device communication connection (e.g., a BLE communication connection) between the first device and the second device. In particular, the control unit can be configured to send the control command to the second device (via the communication connection between the devices). The control command can be linked to an instruction to the second device to forward the control command to the vehicle. In this way, reliable and energy-efficient control of a vehicle function can be ensured.

[0034] According to a further aspect, a control unit for the second digital key device is described (which is configured to forward the control command). In particular, the control unit (of the second device) can be configured to detect that a power reduction measure has been applied to reduce power consumption associated with the communication link between the first device and the vehicle (due to the redundancy situation of the system (comprising the first device and the second device).

[0035] The control unit may be configured to receive a control command for controlling the function of the vehicle from the first device via a cross-device communication connection between the first device and the second device (e.g., together with an instruction to forward the control command to the vehicle). Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to forward the control command to the vehicle via the communication connection (e.g., the BLE communication connection) between the vehicle and the second device.

[0036] The control unit of the first and / or second digital key device can be configured to check whether the first device and the second device comprise digital keys belonging to and / or associated with the same user. Furthermore, the control unit of the first and / or second digital key device can be configured to send the control command for controlling the function of the vehicle to the vehicle via the cross-device communication connection between the first device and the second device if (in particular only if) the first device and the second device comprise digital keys belonging to and / or associated with the same user. In particular, the sending of the control command from the first digital key device to the second digital key device can be subject to the above-mentioned verification (by the control unit of the first digital key device).Alternatively or additionally, the forwarding of the control command from the second digital key device to the vehicle may be subjected to the above-mentioned verification (by the control unit of the second digital key device).

[0037] According to a further aspect, a vehicle (in particular a car, a truck, or a bus) is described, comprising a communication unit configured to establish corresponding (BLE and / or UWB) communication connections to a set of portable digital key devices. The vehicle comprises at least one function configured to be controlled based on a communication connection between the communication unit and (any) device from the set of devices. Control of the vehicle function may be made dependent on prior authorization granted based on the digital key stored on the respective device. Furthermore, the vehicle comprises the control unit described in this document.

[0038] According to another aspect, a portable digital key device (e.g., a smart (possibly wearable) device) is described, comprising a digital key that authorizes the device to control a function (e.g., an access function) of a vehicle. Furthermore, the device comprises a communication unit configured to establish a communication connection (BLE and / or UWB) with the vehicle to control the function. Furthermore, the device may include the control unit described in this document.

[0039] According to another aspect, a system is described comprising a vehicle and a set of portable digital key devices, each of the devices in the set of devices being configured to establish a communication link with the vehicle for controlling a function of the vehicle. For this purpose, the devices in the set of devices may each contain a digital key (possibly the same digital key and / or digital keys belonging to the same (individual) user). The system also comprises the control unit described in this document.

[0040] According to a further aspect, a method for operating a system comprising a vehicle and a set of portable digital key devices is described, wherein each of the devices in the set of devices is configured to establish a (respective) communication connection (in particular a BLE and / or UWB communication connection) with the vehicle in order to control a function (in particular an access function) of the vehicle.

[0041] The method includes detecting a system redundancy situation in which a plurality of devices from the set of devices are within communication range for establishing a communication link with the vehicle or have already established a communication link with the vehicle, and in which the plurality of devices are carried by the same user (thereby providing redundancy for the user with respect to controlling the vehicle function).

[0042] Furthermore, in response to detecting the redundancy situation, the method comprises selecting a first device from the plurality of devices and applying a power reduction measure to reduce power consumption associated with the communication link between the first device and the vehicle.

[0043] In addition, a method for operating a digital key device and a method for operating a vehicle are described (as specified in connection with the corresponding control units).

[0044] According to another aspect, a method for operating a first digital key device is described, wherein the first digital key device may be part of a redundancy situation of the system. The method includes applying a power reduction measure to reduce the power consumption associated with the communication link between the first device and the vehicle (due to the redundancy situation). Furthermore, the method includes sending a control command to control the function of the vehicle to the vehicle via a cross-device communication link between the first device and a second digital key device (which is also part of the redundancy situation).

[0045] According to a further aspect, a (corresponding) method for operating a second digital key device is described, wherein the second digital key device may be part of a redundancy situation of the system. The method may comprise determining that an energy reduction measure has been applied to reduce energy consumption with respect to the communication link between the first digital key device (which is also part of the redundancy situation) and the vehicle (with regard to the redundancy situation of the system). Furthermore, the method comprises receiving a control command for controlling the function of the vehicle from the first device via a cross-device communication link between the first device and the second device. Furthermore, the method comprises forwarding the control command to the vehicle via the communication link between the vehicle and the second device.

[0046] According to another aspect, a software program is described. The software program can be adapted to execute on a processor and to perform the method steps described in this document when executed on the processor.

[0047] According to another aspect, a storage medium is described. The storage medium may contain a software program suitable for execution on a processor and performing the method steps described in this document when executed on the processor.

[0048] According to a further aspect, a computer program product is described. The computer program may contain executable instructions for performing the method steps described in this document when executed on a computer, a processor, or a programmable hardware component.

[0049] It should be noted that the methods and systems, including their preferred embodiments, as described in the present patent application may be used alone or in combination with the other methods and systems disclosed in this document. Furthermore, all aspects of the methods and systems presented in the present patent application may be combined in any desired manner. In particular, the features of the claims may be combined in any desired manner. Furthermore, it should be noted that parentheses are used in this document to indicate optional features.

[0050] The invention will now be explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1a shows an example of a system for controlling a vehicle function with a digital key device; Fig. Figure 1b shows an example of a situation where a digital key device is located near a vehicle; Fig. 2 shows an example situation where several digital key devices are located near a vehicle; and Fig. 3 shows a flowchart of an example method for controlling a vehicle function using multiple digital key devices.

[0051] As stated above, this document addresses the technical problem of reliably and efficiently controlling one or more functions of a vehicle using multiple digital key devices. In this context, Fig. 1a shows an example system 150 comprising a vehicle 100 and at least one digital key device 110. The digital key device 110 is typically a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone, a tablet PC, a portable smart device (such as a smartwatch), etc., with a digital key 111 stored on the portable electronic device, in particular in a protected memory area of ​​the portable electronic device.

[0052] The digital key device 110 can communicate with a communication unit 102 of the vehicle 102 via one or more different wireless communication links 112. Different communication links 112 can be used for different purposes. In particular, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication link 112 can be used for the following: • Determining the distance and / or the relative position between the digital key device 110 and the vehicle 100 (in particular based on the signal strength, in particular the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), of the radio signals exchanged between the vehicle 100 and the device 110, and / or based on a channel sounding technique); and / or • Exchanging data between the digital key device 110 (e.g., a control command to control a vehicle function, such as unlocking a door and / or opening or closing a window and / or activating or deactivating a heating function).

[0053] Alternatively or additionally, an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication link 112 may be used to relatively accurately determine the location of the device 110 relative to the vehicle 100. Determining the location of the device 110 via the UWB communication link 112 may be referred to as UWB ranging.

[0054] A control unit 101 of the vehicle 100 may be configured to control at least one vehicle function 103 of the vehicle 100 depending on the communication between the device 110 and the vehicle 100, as shown in Fig. 1b. In this context, the digital key 111 of the device 110 can be verified, in particular authenticated. Furthermore, depending on the authentication, one or more vehicle functions 103 can be controlled, in particular depending on: • the distance between the device 110 and the vehicle 100; • the location of the device 110 relative to the vehicle 100; and / or • a control command sent from the device 110 to the vehicle 100 via a communication link 112.

[0055] In an example system 150, a BLE communication connection 112 may be established between the device 110 and the vehicle 100 once the distance between the device 110 and the vehicle 100 is equal to or less than a first distance threshold 121. This allows a user to remotely control one or more vehicle functions 103 with the device 110. Typically, the vehicle 100 repeatedly announces the availability of a BLE communication connection 112, e.g., at a certain announcement frequency. At the first distance threshold 121, the device 110 (which may also be referred to as a user equipment (UE)) receives the advertisement, whereupon the vehicle 100 and the device 110 establish the BLE communication connection 112. The first distance threshold 121 may therefore depend on the communication capabilities of the device 110, the environment of the vehicle 100 and the device 110, and / or the location of the device 110 relative to the vehicle 100.

[0056] Furthermore, a UWB communication link 112 may be established between the device 110 and the vehicle 100 once the distance between the device 110 and the vehicle 100 is equal to or less than a second distance threshold 122 (which may be less than the first distance threshold 121 and / or may depend on the communication capabilities of the device 110), allowing the location of the device 110 to be precisely determined. Depending on the establishment of the UWB communication link 112 and / or the determination of the location of the device 110, control of one or more further vehicle functions 103 (in addition to the one or more functions 103 that can be controlled via the BLE communication link 112) may be enabled.

[0057] A user may own multiple digital key devices 110, such as one or more smartphones or one or more portable smart devices. In particular, a user may carry multiple digital key devices 110 when in proximity to the vehicle 100, as shown in Fig. 2. As a result, each digital key device 110 may establish one or more communication connections 112 (particularly, a BLE connection and a UWB connection) with the vehicle 100. In particular, each device 110 may establish an independent BLE connection with the vehicle 100 and be independently located via a UWB connection. Furthermore, at least some of the digital key devices 110 may be interconnected via a cross-device communication connection 212 (e.g., via a BLE communication connection).

[0058] The various communication connections 112 of the digital key devices 110 result in a relatively high energy consumption of the various devices 110 and, consequently, in a relatively rapid drain of the batteries of the devices 110, especially the battery of a portable device 110, which typically has a relatively low storage capacity. This document describes a scheme that can reduce the energy consumption of multiple digital key devices 110 without compromising the functionality of the system 150.

[0059] A control unit of the system 150, e.g., a control unit of one or more devices 110 and / or a control unit 101 of the vehicle 100, may be configured to detect that a user is in the vicinity of the vehicle 110, with the user carrying multiple digital key devices 110. The fact that the user is carrying multiple digital key devices 110 may be determined based on the following criteria: • Location data about the location of the various devices 110, which can be determined using UWB and / or BLE; • Sensor data from one or more sensors (in particular one or more motion sensors and / or one or more inertial measurement units) of the devices 110; • Sensor data from one or more sensors of the vehicle 100 (e.g., one or more cameras); and / or • Data about the user accounts of the various devices 110 (which may be linked to each other via account binding).

[0060] If it is determined that the user is carrying multiple digital key devices 110 (i.e., if a redundancy situation is detected), the control unit of the system 150 may implement one or more energy reduction measures to reduce the energy consumption of at least one or more devices 110, wherein the energy consumption is linked to the communication between the vehicle 100 and the respective device 110. Examples of energy reduction measures to reduce energy consumption include: • the termination of the communication connection 112 between the device 110 and the vehicle 100; • Increasing the duration of the BLE connection interval of the BLE communication between the device 110 and the vehicle 100, thereby reducing the number of communication events between the device 110 and the vehicle 100; and / or • Reducing the UWB reception frequency for determining the location of the device 110 (relative to the vehicle 100), thereby reducing the frequency of transmission of data messages over the UWB communication link 112.

[0061] If it is determined that the user is carrying N different digital key devices 110 (where N>1), the energy consumption of N-1 (first) devices 110 can be reduced. On the other hand, the communication of at least or exactly one (second) device 110 can be maintained unchanged, so that the functionality of the system 150 is maintained. For example, the remaining energy stored in the batteries of the N different devices 110 can be determined. The device 110 with the battery with the highest remaining power can be selected as the (second) device 110 for which communication remains unchanged. The energy consumption of the N-1 other (first) devices 110 can be reduced.

[0062] As described above, maintaining a BLE connection, and in particular the range over UWB, is relatively energy-intensive. This is of particular interest for wearable devices 110 (e.g., watches or augmented reality glasses) because their energy budget is particularly limited. When a user carries multiple smart devices 110 (all of which have the vehicle's digital key 111), it is advantageous to focus on only one device 110. This document describes a scheme that allows detecting that multiple different devices 110 are carried by the same user, so that one or more of these different devices 110 can reduce the electrical energy associated with the BLE connection and / or the UWB range of the vehicle 100.

[0063] On the other hand, different devices 110 belonging to different users (where the different devices 110 typically have different digital keys 111 belonging to or assigned to the different users) are not affected by the energy reduction measures, thereby enabling a multi-user scenario in which different users can interact with the same vehicle 100 via the respective devices 110.

[0064] It can be checked (by a control unit of the system 150) whether two different devices 110 (e.g., a portable device) are in proximity (this can be checked, for example, by proximity detection). In particular, it can be determined whether the user is carrying both devices 110. Proximity detection can be based on the following criteria: • distance measurement using UWB; and / or • Channel sounding or RSSI via BLE.

[0065] Checking whether the user is carrying both devices 110 can be done using various device sensors, such as motion sensors or detectors.

[0066] If both conditions are met (i.e., if a redundancy situation is detected), the Bluetooth connection 112 of the first device 110 (in particular, the portable device) to the vehicle 100 may be interrupted. Furthermore, the Bluetooth connection 212 between the first device 110 and the second device 110 (which still maintains the Bluetooth connection 112 to the vehicle 100) may be used to transmit user commands from the first device 110 (via the second device 110) to the vehicle 100. In this way, the overall functionality of the system 150 may be maintained while simultaneously reducing energy consumption.

[0067] Therefore, if the user carries two devices 110, it is possible to conserve the battery of the portable device 110 (i.e., the first device 110) by terminating the Bluetooth connection 112 to the vehicle 100 and instead using the Bluetooth connection 212 to the smartphone 110 (i.e., the second device 110). If the user wishes to perform RKE (Remote Keyless Entry) commands, the commands are sent from the portable device 110 to the smartphone 110 and then transmitted from the smartphone 110 to the vehicle 100 via the active Bluetooth connection 112 to the vehicle 100.

[0068] Alternatively or additionally, if the user carries two devices 110, it is possible to conserve the battery of the portable device 110 by reducing the UWB ranging frequency with the vehicle 100 or by completely stopping UWB ranging with the vehicle 100. Furthermore, the BLE connection interval on the portable device 110 can be increased. If the customer carries two smartphones (e.g., a personal and a work smartphone), the smart device 110 with the higher battery level can be used for further UWB sensing.

[0069] Alternatively or in addition to the above measures, the grouping of the smart devices 110 to a specific user can be done by: • Account binding (e.g. via a backend server); • a temporal trajectory pattern of the various devices 110 (e.g., using UWB localization); and / or • one or more cameras of the vehicle 100 (which counts the number of people near the vehicle 100).

[0070] If there is a smartphone 110 and a portable device 110 associated with the same user, the portable device 110 can: • increase the BLE connection interval (e.g. 60 ms instead of 30 ms); and / or • reduce the UWB reception frequency (e.g. 1 Hz instead of 3 or 10 Hz).

[0071] If two smartphones 110 are assigned to the same user, the smartphone 110 that is not connected to the vehicle's infotainment system, for example, can apply the energy optimization measures mentioned above.

[0072] A degrouping of multiple digital key devices 110 can be detected. In particular, it can be detected that two devices 110 previously carried by the same user are no longer carried by the same user, e.g., because the user left a device 110 in the vehicle 100. This degrouping of the devices 110 can be detected based on the following criteria: • the temporal pattern of the trajectory of the two devices (e.g. using UWB localization); and / or • the image data captured by one or more vehicle cameras (detection and classification of smart devices in the image data).

[0073] If a declustering of the two devices 110 is detected, the energy optimization measures can be at least partially abandoned. In particular, the BLE connection interval can be shortened and / or the UBW reception frequency can be increased. In this way, lockout can be reliably prevented.

[0074] A similarity between trajectories of different devices 110 can be detected using a machine learning method and / or a Euclidean distance of trajectory points with similar timestamps on the trajectories of the different devices 110.

[0075] A backend server and / or BLE communication may enable the vehicle 100 to determine the types of the various devices 110. Examples of such devices include: smartphone, smartwatch, smart glasses, etc. The type of the various devices 110 may be considered when selecting the one or more devices 110 for applying the one or more energy optimization measures.

[0076] The image data from one or more vehicle cameras can be analyzed using image processing algorithms (in particular object detection algorithms) to count the number of people near the vehicle 100 and / or to detect smartwatches, smartphones, etc.

[0077] Device declustering can be detected when the Euclidean distance of the trajectory points of the trajectories of two devices 110 increases and / or when the position of one device 110 remains stationary while the position of the other device 110 changes.

[0078] Fig. 3 shows a flowchart of a (computer-implemented) method 300 for operating a system 150 comprising a vehicle 100 and a set of portable digital key devices 110. Each device 110 typically comprises a digital key 111, wherein the digital keys 111 of the various devices 110 may be identical. Examples of devices 110 include: a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a portable smart device (such as a smartwatch or smart glasses). The method 300 may be performed by the vehicle 100 and / or by one or more of the devices 110.

[0079] Each of the devices 110 in the set of devices 110 may be configured to establish a communication connection 112 with the vehicle 100 for controlling a function 103 of the vehicle 100. The communication connection 112 between a vehicle 100 and a device 110 may include a BLE communication connection and / or a UWB communication connection. Example vehicle functions 103 that may be controlled by a device 110 via the communication connection 112 may include: locking or unlocking a door of the vehicle 100; closing or opening a window of the vehicle 100; activating or deactivating an engine of the vehicle 100; etc.

[0080] The method 300 includes detecting 301 a redundancy situation of the system 150, where a redundancy situation may be a situation in which: • a plurality of devices 110 from the set of devices 110 are located in a communication area for establishing a communication connection 112 with the vehicle 100 or have already established a communication connection 112 with the vehicle 100; in particular, it can be recognized that several devices 110 (with the same digital key 111 and / or with (different) digital keys 111 belonging to and / or assigned to the same user) have established corresponding communication connections 112 with the vehicle 100; and • the plurality of devices 110 are worn by the same user.

[0081] Thus, it can be detected that a user is in the vicinity of the vehicle 100, wherein the user is carrying multiple digital key devices 110 (wherein the devices 110 each comprise the same digital key 111 and / or each comprise a (different) digital key 111, wherein the digital keys 111 of the devices 110 all belong to and / or are assigned to the same user). In other words, it can be determined that one and the same user is carrying multiple devices 110, wherein each of the devices 110 enables the user to control the vehicle function 103, so that there is redundancy with regard to the devices 110 for controlling the vehicle function 103.

[0082] The redundancy situation can be identified using the following criteria: • Data provided by one or more sensors of the plurality of devices 110; • Data provided by one or more sensors of the vehicle 100; and / or • Data from the communication links 112 between the vehicle 100 and the plurality of devices 110.

[0083] The method 300 further includes, in response to the detection 301 of the redundancy situation, selecting 302 a first device 110 from the plurality of devices 110. In other words, at least one of the devices 110 may be selected from the plurality of (redundant) devices 110. In a preferred example, all but one of the devices 110 may be selected from the plurality of devices 110. For example, the device or devices 110 with the lowest state of charge and / or the lowest battery capacity may be selected.

[0084] Furthermore, the method 300 includes applying a power reduction measure 303 to reduce the power consumption of the communication link 112 between the first device 110 and the vehicle 100. The power reduction measure can be applied to the communication links 112 of all selected devices 110 (e.g., all devices 110 except one of the plurality of devices 110). Examples of power reduction measures include: suppressing the communication link 112, increasing the BLE connection interval, and / or reducing the UWB reception frequency.

[0085] On the other hand, the communication connection 112 of at least (or exactly) one device 110 of the plurality of devices 110 can be maintained unchanged (without applying the energy reduction measure), thereby ensuring that this device 110 can be used to control the vehicle function 103 in a reliable and convenient manner.

[0086] A method 300 is therefore described with which the energy consumption for the remote control of a vehicle function 103 can be reduced efficiently and reliably without compromising the reliability and convenience of the remote control of the vehicle function 103.

[0087] It should be understood that the description and drawings merely illustrate the principles of the proposed methods and systems. Those skilled in the art will be able to implement various arrangements that, although not expressly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples and embodiments described herein are expressly intended for explanatory purposes only to assist the reader in understanding the principles of the proposed methods and systems. Furthermore, all explanations contained herein describing principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to include equivalents thereof.

Claims

[1] Control unit (101) for a vehicle (100) operated within a system (150) comprising the vehicle (100) and a set of portable digital key devices (110); wherein each of the devices (110) from the set of devices (110) is configured to establish a communication link (112) with the vehicle (100) for controlling a function (103) of the vehicle (100); wherein the control unit (101) is configured to: - Identifying a redundancy situation of the system (150), within which - a plurality of devices (110) from the set of devices (110) are located within a communication area for establishing a communication link (112) with the vehicle (100) or have already established a communication link (112) with the vehicle (100); and - the large number of devices (110) are worn by the same user; - in response to the detection of the redundancy situation, selecting a first device (110) from the plurality of devices (110); and - Applying an energy reduction measure to reduce energy consumption in connection with the communication link (112) between the first device (110) and the vehicle (100). [2] Control unit (101) according to claim 1, wherein - the communication link (112) includes a Bluetooth Low Energy, or BLE, communication link; and - the energy reduction measure includes increasing a BLE connection interval; and / or - the communication link (112) includes an ultra-wideband, or UWB, communication link; and - the energy reduction measure includes reducing a UWB reception frequency. [3] Control unit (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the energy reduction measure comprises switching off or preventing the establishment of the communication link (112) between the first device (110) and the vehicle (100). [4] Control unit (101) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (101) is configured for the following: - Determining a device type for each of the multitude of devices (110); and - Selecting the first device (110) based on the device types of the multitude of devices (110); in particular, selecting a device (110) as the first device (110) with a device type indicating that the device (110) is a portable smart device. [5] Control unit (101) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (101) is configured for the following: - Determining the state of charge and / or capacity of batteries in a variety of devices (110); and - Selecting the first device (110) based on the state of charge and / or capacity of the batteries of the plurality of devices (110); in particular, selecting the device (110) as the first device (110) that includes the battery with the relatively lowest state of charge and / or the relatively lowest capacity. [6] Control unit (101) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (101) is configured for the following: - Determine, for each of the multitude of devices (110), whether the respective device (110) is known or unknown to an infotainment system of the vehicle (100); and - Selecting a device (110) as the first device (110) that is unknown to the vehicle's infotainment system (100). [7] Control unit (101) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (101) is configured for the following: - Selecting a second device (110) from the multitude of devices (110); and - maintaining the communication link (112) between the second device (110) and the vehicle (100) unchanged. [8] Control unit (101) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (101) is configured to detect the redundancy situation of the system (150) based on the following: - Sensor data from one or more sensors, in particular one or more motion sensors, from the multitude of devices (110); - Signals transmitted via the communication links (112) between the vehicle (100) and the individual devices (110) from the multitude of devices (110); - UWB distance measurement of individual devices (110) from the plurality of devices (110) using UWB communication links between the vehicle (100) and the individual devices (110) from the plurality of devices (110); and / or - BLE channel scanning and / or signal strength of BLE communication links between the vehicle (100) and the individual devices (110) from the multitude of devices (110). [9] Control unit (101) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (101) is configured for the following: - Determining a plurality of trajectories of the corresponding plurality of devices (110); wherein, in particular, the plurality of trajectories is determined based on UWB distance measurement of the plurality of devices (110) using a plurality of UWB communication links between the vehicle (100) and the corresponding plurality of devices (110); and - Identifying the redundancy situation of the system (150) based on the multitude of trajectories of the corresponding multitude of devices (110). [10] Control unit (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (101) is configured to detect the redundancy situation of the system (150) on the basis of image data captured by one or more cameras of the vehicle (100), in particular by detecting one or more users and / or one or more devices (110) on the basis of the image data. [11] Control unit (101) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (101) is configured for the following: - Determine, in particular using a backend server, that the user accounts of the multitude of devices (110) are assigned to the same user; and - Identifying the system redundancy situation (150) based on the established fact that the user accounts of the multitude of devices (110) are assigned to the same user. [12] Control unit (101) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (101) is configured for the following: - Recognizing that the distance between the first device (110) and a second device (110) from the plurality of devices (110) has increased; and - in response to the detection that the distance has increased, stopping the energy reduction measure to reduce the energy consumption of the communication link (112) between the first device (110) and the vehicle (100). [13] Control unit (101) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein - each of the devices (110) from the set of devices (110) includes a digital key (111); - the control unit (101) is configured for the following: - Verify that the plurality of devices (110) comprises a corresponding plurality of digital keys (111), wherein the digital keys (111) belong to and / or are associated with the same user; and - Detecting the redundancy situation of the multitude of devices (110), especially only if the multitude of devices (110) includes digital keys (111) that belong to and / or are associated with the same user. [14] Vehicle (100) comprising the following: - a communication unit (102) configured to establish appropriate communication links (112) to a set of portable digital key devices (110); - a function (103) configured to be controlled on the basis of a communication link (112) between the communication unit (102) and a device (110) from the set of devices (110); and - a control unit (101) (101) according to one of the preceding claims. [15] Method (300) for operating a vehicle (100) within a system (150) comprising the vehicle (100) and a set of portable digital key devices (110); wherein each of the devices (110) from the set of devices (110) is configured to establish a communication link (112) with the vehicle (100) for controlling a function (103) of the vehicle (100); wherein the method (300) comprises: - Identifying (301) a redundancy situation of the system (150), within which - a plurality of devices (110) from the set of devices (110) are located within a communication area for establishing a communication link (112) with the vehicle (100) or have already established a communication link (112) with the vehicle (100); and - the large number of devices (110) are worn by the same user; - in response to the detection (301) of the redundancy situation, selecting (302) a first device (110) from the plurality of devices (110); and - Applying (303) an energy reduction measure to reduce energy consumption in relation to the communication link (112) between the first device (110) and the vehicle (100).

Images