MONITORING A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE

Description

Field of invention

[0001] Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a method, a server device, a system and a computer program for monitoring a commercial vehicle. Background of the invention

[0002] Thefts of goods from commercial vehicles often involve the use of signal jammers. These devices are designed to prevent the vehicle's radio communication, thus preventing the vehicle or its driver from contacting emergency services or dispatchers. The use of such a jammer can therefore prevent calls for help and poses a significant risk to the vehicle, its driver, and the goods being transported. To alert authorities to the presence of such a jammer, the vehicle can, for example, send monitoring information to a server at regular intervals. This allows the server to trigger an alarm (e.g., by notifying a dispatcher or emergency services) when such a monitoring message is overdue.One disadvantage, however, is that this approach can trigger false alarms if the commercial vehicle is in a dead zone. US Patent 9,603,158 B1 discloses a method for monitoring a fleet of self-driving vehicles in which a route map of the mobile network signal strength is maintained on a server. This map focuses primarily on transmission latency; dead zones are not recorded. Summary of some exemplary embodiments of the present invention

[0003] One object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages.

[0004] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous exemplary embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0005] A method executed by a server is disclosed, the method comprising: Maintaining a multitude of historical radio signal information originating from a multitude of commercial vehicles, each piece of historical radio signal information being captured by a respective commercial vehicle at a respective commercial vehicle position, and each piece of historical radio signal information representing the respective commercial vehicle position and a respective radio signal quality of a radio communication system captured by the respective commercial vehicle at the respective commercial vehicle position; Monitoring a commercial vehicle moving along a predetermined route by: Receiving monitoring information transmitted by the monitored commercial vehicle via the radio communication system, each piece of monitoring information representing a respective current commercial vehicle position; Determining whether a monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is overdue;If it is determined that a monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is overdue, determine, at least partially based on historical radio signal information, whether the overdue monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is an expected event.

[0006] The procedure is, for example, a procedure for monitoring the commercial vehicle, i.e., the commercial vehicle moving along the specified route.

[0007] The fact that the method is executed by a server is to be understood, for example, as meaning that the server performs all steps of the method. Here, "server" is to be understood as (1) a server device (e.g., the server device disclosed below), (2) a server cloud comprising several server devices that cooperate with each other to execute the steps of the method, or (3) a virtual server. Here, "server device" is to be understood as a physical device with hardware components.

[0008] Furthermore, a server device is disclosed, wherein the server device comprises means for carrying out the disclosed method. The server device is, for example, a device for monitoring the commercial vehicle, i.e., the commercial vehicle moving along the predetermined route.

[0009] The means may comprise hardware and / or software components. For example, the means may include at least one memory containing program instructions of a computer program (e.g., the computer program disclosed below) and at least one processor configured to execute program instructions from the at least one memory. Accordingly, a server device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory containing program instructions shall also be considered disclosed, wherein the at least one memory and the program instructions, together with the at least one processor, are configured to cause the server device to execute the disclosed method.

[0010] Alternatively or additionally, the means may also include one or more communication interfaces (e.g., one or more wired and / or wireless communication interfaces, e.g., a wireless communication interface in the form of a radio interface) and / or one or more user interfaces (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor, a touchscreen, a speaker, a microphone, etc.). It is understood that the disclosed server device may also include other means not listed.

[0011] Furthermore, a computer program is disclosed, wherein the computer program comprises program instructions designed to cause a server (e.g., the disclosed server device) to execute the disclosed method when executed by at least one processor.

[0012] The disclosed computer program is, for example, contained and / or stored on a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is understood to mean, for example, a physical and / or tangible storage medium.

[0013] Furthermore, a system is disclosed, the system comprising: the disclosed server device; and a commercial vehicle to be monitored by the server device.

[0014] The following describes – partly by way of example – the properties of the disclosed method (hereinafter also referred to as "method"), the disclosed server device (hereinafter also referred to as "server device"), the disclosed computer program (hereinafter also referred to as "computer program"), and the disclosed system (hereinafter also referred to as "system"). It is understood that the method, the server device, the computer program, and the system are interrelated, such that the disclosure of a feature for one of these categories shall be understood as the disclosure of a corresponding feature for the other categories.

[0015] A commercial vehicle is understood to be, for example, a truck, a tractor unit, or a trailer, especially a semi-trailer. Such commercial vehicles are primarily intended for the transport of goods, preferably general cargo, on public roads. For this purpose, commercial vehicles have various types of bodies designed to accommodate the goods being transported in a cargo space. For example, box bodies with fixed side walls and a fixed roof, which enclose the cargo space, are well-known. Because box bodies are enclosed, they are particularly suitable for transporting moisture-sensitive and / or temperature-sensitive goods, i.e., for so-called dry transport and / or refrigerated transport. In addition to box bodies, so-called curtain-sided bodies are also known, in which the side walls and roof are closed by at least one tarpaulin.The front wall of tarpaulin-covered vehicles is usually a fixed wall, while the rear wall is typically formed by two hinged doors to allow loading from the rear when needed. Vehicles with a tarpaulin that can be slid along the side wall are also known as curtain-sided vehicles.

[0016] The numerous commercial vehicles can constitute a commercial vehicle fleet or part of a commercial vehicle fleet, for example, a fleet belonging to a commercial vehicle manufacturer or a telematics service. For instance, a commercial vehicle manufacturer's fleet consists only of vehicles produced by that manufacturer, and a telematics service's fleet consists only of vehicles monitored by that telematics service. The commercial vehicles in such fleets behave similarly and / or have similar technical characteristics, allowing for the effective comparison and joint processing of information collected from these fleets, such as historical radio signal data.Information gathered from such commercial vehicles within a fleet allows for more accurate conclusions to be drawn about other vehicles in the same fleet due to their similar behavior and / or technical characteristics. This is particularly true for identical vehicles from the same manufacturer.

[0017] For example, each of the numerous commercial vehicles is configured to generate specific radio signal information while moving along a route. To this end, each commercial vehicle can be configured to detect its position and the radio signal quality of the communication system at various points along the route and generate corresponding radio signal information representing this location. For instance, the vehicle's position and signal quality can be recorded by the vehicle at predetermined locations, times, and / or intervals (e.g.,The data can be recorded at predetermined intervals (e.g., distance traveled since the last recording) and / or at predetermined spatial intervals (e.g., distance traveled since the last recording). These predetermined temporal and / or spatial intervals are, for example, regular time or distance intervals, thus defining the resolution of the radio signal information. It is understood that the predetermined temporal and / or spatial intervals can differ for various sections of the route. The predetermined positions and / or times can, for example, be chosen to correspond to specific times or positions along the route. The radio signal information generated by each vehicle can be sent to the server by the vehicle itself, either immediately after generation or in a collected form (e.g., after completion of the route).

[0018] This radio signal information, received in the past by the server from the numerous commercial vehicles, is also referred to here as historical radio signal information.

[0019] Receiving information (e.g., historical radio signal information and / or surveillance information) means, for example, that the information is received via a communication network (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or the internet). A local area network is, for example, Ethernet, as specified in the IEEE 802.3 family of standards, which are currently available on the internet at https: / / standards.ieee.org / . The radio communication system may, for example, be part of and / or connected to this communication network.

[0020] The radio signal quality of the radio communication system, represented by each piece of historical radio signal information, can, for example, be a radio signal parameter detected by a radio communication interface of the respective commercial vehicle. This parameter is characteristic of the reception quality of a radio signal from the radio communication system at the respective vehicle position. Examples of such radio signal parameters include received signal strength, received signal strength indicator (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or reference signal received quality (RSRQ). Such a radio signal parameter allows conclusions to be drawn about whether communication via the radio communication system was possible at the respective vehicle position at the time of detection.For example, a radio signal quality threshold (e.g., -95 dBm for received signal strength, 0 dB for signal-to-noise ratio, or -20 dB for reference signal quality) can be specified, below which communication is assumed to be impossible (i.e., a dead zone exists). The radio communication system is, for example, a mobile communication system such as a 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G mobile communication system. The specifications for 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G mobile communication systems are currently being developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and can be accessed online at https: / / www.3gpp.org / .

[0021] It is understood that the position of a commercial vehicle represented by each piece of historical radio signal information does not necessarily correspond exactly to the position at which the radio signal quality of the radio communication system, as represented by that piece of historical radio signal information, was recorded. Differences can arise, for example, due to measurement inaccuracies or different measurement times (e.g., between recording the commercial vehicle position and the radio signal quality of the radio communication system).

[0022] The position of a commercial vehicle represented by each piece of historical radio signal information could, for example, be a position recorded by a position sensor on the respective commercial vehicle. An example of such a position sensor is a position sensor of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) such as Navstar GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, or BeiDou.

[0023] The historical radio signal information was made available by the server, for example, by being stored on the server. This storage of the historical radio signal information can occur in unprocessed form or in further processed form (e.g., in standardized form and / or in compressed form and / or in the form of a radio signal quality map).

[0024] Each piece of historical radio signal information stored by the server represents the respective radio signal quality of the radio communication system as detected by the respective commercial vehicle at its respective location. This allows conclusions to be drawn as to whether communication via the radio communication system was possible at that location at the time of detection. Within the geographical areas covered by the historical radio signal information stored by the server, this information allows conclusions to be drawn about the coverage provided by the radio communication system (i.e., the possibility of communication via the radio communication system). To achieve the most accurate and / or extensive geographical coverage possible, it is advantageous, for example, to store as much historical radio signal information as possible, for instance, by including as many commercial vehicles as possible (e.g.,...Collect radio signal information from all commercial vehicles in the largest possible fleet and send it to the server.

[0025] The present invention utilizes historical radio signal information to monitor a commercial vehicle moving along a predetermined route. This is particularly advantageous if the predetermined route lies wholly or partially within the geographical area covered by the multitude of historical radio signal information. For example, some of the historical radio signal information may have been received from a commercial vehicle that has previously traveled along this predetermined route or a section thereof.

[0026] The monitored commercial vehicle may, for example, be part of a larger group of commercial vehicles. In such a case, some of the historical radio signal information originates from the monitored commercial vehicle and / or, if the group comprises a fleet or part of a fleet, from commercial vehicles that behave similarly and / or have similar technical characteristics. This allows for highly accurate inferences about the monitored commercial vehicle based on the historical radio signal information. For example, the monitored commercial vehicle, or an identical commercial vehicle from the same manufacturer, may have previously traveled along the specified route or a section of the specified route and collected radio signal information during that time.

[0027] The monitored commercial vehicle can, for example, be configured to record its position at various points along the specified route (e.g., using a position sensor such as one from a global navigation satellite system) and generate corresponding monitoring information representing that position. It is understood that each piece of monitoring information can optionally represent the radio signal quality of the radio communication system detected by the monitored vehicle at that specific location, so that each piece of monitoring information is also radio signal information and can subsequently be stored by the server as historical radio signal information.

[0028] For example, the position of a commercial vehicle (and optionally its radio signal quality) can be recorded by the monitored vehicle at predefined locations and / or times and / or at predefined intervals (e.g., elapsed time since the last recording) and / or at predefined spatial intervals (e.g., distance traveled since the last recording). The predefined temporal and / or spatial intervals are, for example, regular time or distance intervals, enabling monitoring of the vehicle's progress along the predefined route. It is understood that the predefined temporal and / or spatial intervals can also differ for different sections of the route. The predefined positions and / or times can, for example, be chosen to correspond to specific times or locations along the route.The monitoring information generated by the respective commercial vehicle can be sent to the server via the radio communication system immediately after generation, thus enabling timely monitoring of the commercial vehicle: Accordingly, the monitoring information can be received by the server sequentially (e.g. at specified time intervals).

[0029] Determining whether monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is overdue can be done, for example, using predefined rules (e.g., a predefined algorithm). These rules are based, for instance, on the specifications for capturing the commercial vehicle's position and the subsequent generation and transmission of monitoring information by the monitored commercial vehicle. For example, the rules can stipulate that monitoring information is overdue if no new monitoring information has been received from the monitored commercial vehicle within a specified time interval since the last monitoring information was received, or by a specified time. Alternatively or additionally, the rules can, for example, stipulate that monitoring information is overdue if it is determined that the monitored commercial vehicle has moved a specified distance (i.e.,a predefined distance) has been covered since receiving the last monitoring information, or a predefined commercial vehicle position on the predefined route has been passed without new monitoring information being received. The distance traveled or the current commercial vehicle position on the predefined route can be determined based on an assumed speed of the monitored commercial vehicle and the elapsed time since receiving the last monitoring information. The assumed speed of the monitored commercial vehicle can, for example, be predefined or at least partially determined based on previously received monitoring information (e.g., the previous average speed of the monitored commercial vehicle on the predefined route or a section of the predefined route). Furthermore, the assumed speed can also be at least partially based on historical radio signal information (e.g.,based on historical radio signal information originating from commercial vehicles that previously traveled along the specified route. Accordingly, overdue monitoring information can, in particular, refer to monitoring information that is overdue in time, i.e., monitoring information that should have already been received according to the specified rules.

[0030] The disclosed method may, for example, include determining that monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is overdue, and then determining whether the overdue monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is an expected event.

[0031] Determining, at least partially based on historical radio signal information, whether the overdue monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is an expected event can be done, for example, using predefined rules (e.g., a predefined algorithm). The rules can, for instance, stipulate that the overdue monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is an expected event if the available historical radio signal information suggests that communication via the radio communication system is not possible at the current location of the monitored commercial vehicle (i.e., that the commercial vehicle might be in a dead zone).

[0032] The invention thus makes it possible, based on historical radio signal information, to detect whether the monitored commercial vehicle might be located in a position where communication via the radio communication system would not be possible. This helps to avoid false alarms, for example, when the commercial vehicle is in a radio dead zone.

[0033] In exemplary embodiments of the disclosed method, the method further comprises: If it is determined that the overdue monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is an expected event, suppress an alarm action; and / or if it is not determined that the overdue monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is an expected event, trigger and / or execute an alarm action.

[0034] Suppressing the alarm action means, for example, that the alarm action is only triggered if the overdue monitoring information is not received within a specified future period (e.g., within the next 2, 5, or 10 minutes).

[0035] Examples of such an alarm action include notifying a dispatcher or an emergency call center. This notification may include, for example, providing the dispatcher or emergency call center with information about the overdue monitoring information and / or the monitored commercial vehicle (e.g., the latest monitoring information, i.e., the last monitoring information received by the monitored commercial vehicle).

[0036] In exemplary embodiments of the disclosed method, determining whether the overdue delivery is an expected event includes: Determining the current position of the monitored commercial vehicle on the specified route; and determining the expected radio signal quality of the radio communication system at the determined current position of the monitored commercial vehicle.

[0037] It is understood that the specified current position of the monitored commercial vehicle may differ from the actual current position of the monitored commercial vehicle, and that the expected radio signal quality may differ from the actual radio signal quality at the respective commercial vehicle position.

[0038] For example, to determine the current position of the monitored commercial vehicle on the specified route, at least one piece of monitoring information previously received by the monitored commercial vehicle will be taken into account. For example, the current position of the commercial vehicle can be determined from the position represented by the last piece of monitoring information by determining the distance traveled by the commercial vehicle on the specified route since receiving the last piece of monitoring information. As disclosed above, the distance traveled on the specified route can be determined based on an assumed speed of the monitored commercial vehicle and the time elapsed since receiving the last piece of monitoring information. The assumed speed of the monitored commercial vehicle can, for example, be predetermined. (e.g.,The current position of a commercial vehicle can be determined based on current traffic and / or speed data (the expected average speed and / or permitted maximum speed on the route segment since the last monitoring information was received) or at least partially based on historical radio signal information (e.g., historical radio signal information from commercial vehicles that previously traveled along the specified route) and / or previously received monitoring information (e.g., the previous average speed on the specified route or a section of the specified route). This is advantageous, for example, for determining the current position of a commercial vehicle as accurately as possible.

[0039] For example, to determine the expected radio signal quality, a portion of the vast amount of historical radio signal information is taken into account. This portion of historical radio signal information can (e.g., only) include historical radio signal information representing a specific commercial vehicle position within a predefined area and / or distance from the current position of the monitored commercial vehicle. This has the effect of allowing additional radio signal information to be considered alongside the information directly captured at the current position, thus reducing the influence of potential outliers (e.g., due to faulty measurements or data transmissions) or outdated radio signal information. Alternatively or additionally, the portion of historical radio signal information (e.g.,The historical radio signal information should only include historical radio signal information that is no older than a specified age threshold (e.g., one hour, one day, one month, six months, or twelve months). This will reduce the influence of potentially outdated historical radio signal information. It is understood that the specified range, spacing, and / or age threshold can also be chosen such that the portion of the large number of historical radio signal information includes a minimum amount of historical radio signal information (e.g., one, three, five, or ten historical radio signal information).

[0040] The expected radio signal quality is determined, for example, as the average of the radio signal parameters represented by the portion of historical radio signal information as radio signal qualities (e.g., the received field strengths or received field strength indicators or signal-to-noise ratios represented by the historical radio signal information of this portion of the multitude of historical radio signal information). For example, the expected radio signal quality can be determined as a weighted average of the radio signal parameters represented by the portion of historical radio signal information as radio signal qualities, whereby, for example, the distance of the respective historical radio signal information from the specific current position of the commercial vehicle and / or the elapsed time since the acquisition and / or generation and / or reception of the respective radio signal information can be considered as weighting factors.Using a weighted average is advantageous, for example, to take into account the age of the historical radio signal information and / or its distance. Older or more distant historical radio signal information is therefore more likely not to be (or no longer be) characteristic of the actual radio signal quality at the respective commercial vehicle location than more recent or closer historical radio signal information.

[0041] If the historical radio signal information is available in the form of a radio signal quality map, the expected radio signal quality can be determined by determining the radio signal quality represented by the radio signal quality map for the specific current commercial vehicle position.

[0042] For example, it may be stipulated that the overdue notification of monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is an expected event if the anticipated radio signal quality of the radio communication system at the current location of the monitored commercial vehicle falls below a predefined radio signal quality threshold. Examples of such a radio signal quality threshold are -95 dBm for the received signal strength as a radio signal parameter, 0 dB for the signal-to-noise ratio, or -20 dB for the reference signal received quality as a radio signal parameter.

[0043] In exemplary embodiments of the disclosed method, the determination of whether the overdue delivery is an expected event is performed on a machine learning algorithm and / or an artificial neural network, wherein the machine learning algorithm and / or the artificial neural network was previously trained with the multitude of historical radio signal information.

[0044] In exemplary embodiments of the disclosed method, the method further comprises: Determining the route specified for the monitored commercial vehicle, at least partially, based on historical radio signal information.

[0045] For example, the route specified for the monitored commercial vehicle is determined in such a way that route segments with an expected radio signal quality below a predefined radio signal quality threshold are avoided and / or minimized. As revealed above, examples of such a radio signal quality threshold are -95 dBm for the received signal strength as a radio signal parameter, 0 dB for the signal-to-noise ratio, or -20 dB for the reference signal received quality as a radio signal parameter. For each route segment of the specified route, or for the entire specified route, it can be checked, for example, whether the expected radio signal quality is greater than or equal to the predefined radio signal quality threshold.Alternatively or additionally, the route segments of the specified route or the entire specified route can be checked against quality criteria such as the L1< and L2< standards known from control engineering, where e(t) would then represent the radio quality and not the control deviation. Determining the specified route for the monitored commercial vehicle can, for example, be done using a route planning algorithm.

[0046] In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the historical radio signal information and the monitoring information are telematics information, each piece of telematics information being generated by a respective telematics unit of the respective commercial vehicle. For example, each piece of telematics information represents at least one or more of the following: a current commercial vehicle position; a radio signal quality of a radio communication system; a current commercial vehicle speed,

[0047] In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the received or stored historical radio signal information is represented by a radio signal quality map. An example of such a radio signal quality map is a grid map in which each grid node and / or grid area represents a respective expected radio signal quality. If the radio signal quality map is a grid map, it is possible to determine the radio signal quality represented for the grid node nearest to the specific current position of the commercial vehicle or the radio signal quality represented for the grid area of ​​the specific current position of the commercial vehicle.

[0048] Accordingly, the disclosed method may further include: Determining the radio signal quality map, at least partially, based on historical radio signal information.

[0049] It is understood that determining the radio signal quality map can be based on an algorithm that receives historical radio signal information as input parameters. The algorithm can, for example, be (i) a machine learning algorithm (e.g., a regression method based on machine learning) and / or (ii) an interpolation of radio signal parameters represented by historical radio signal information as radio signal qualities and / or an averaging of radio signal parameters represented by historical radio signal information as radio signal qualities.

[0050] If the radio signal quality map is a grid map, then, for example, a respective expected radio signal quality can be determined for each grid node and / or grid area, so that the radio signal quality map represents the respective expected radio signal quality for the respective grid node and / or grid area.

[0051] For example, to determine the expected radio signal quality for a given grid node, all historical radio signal information representing a given commercial vehicle position within a specified area around and / or at a specified distance from the geographical position represented by the grid node is taken into account; and / or to determine the expected radio signal quality for a given grid area, for example, all historical radio signal information representing a given commercial vehicle position within the geographical area represented by the grid area is taken into account.The expected radio signal quality determined for the respective grid node and / or grid area is, for example, an average of the radio signal parameters represented by this historical radio signal information as radio signal qualities (e.g., the received field strengths or received field strength indicators or signal-to-noise ratios or reference signal received qualities represented by this historical radio signal information).

[0052] It is understood that when new historical radio signal information is received, the radio signal quality map is recalculated, at least partially, based on this new historical information. For example, the radio signal quality map is determined only based on historical radio signal information that is no older than a predefined age threshold (e.g., one month, six months, or twelve months). This ensures that the radio signal quality map remains up-to-date and adapts to a changing radio environment.

[0053] Furthermore, it may be provided that the radio signal quality map is made available to the monitored commercial vehicle. For example, the radio signal quality map can be sent from the server and received by the telematics unit of the monitored commercial vehicle.

[0054] This is advantageous, for example, to enable the monitored commercial vehicle to determine whether the radio signal quality at its current position corresponds to the expected radio signal quality as represented by the radio signal quality map. The radio signal quality at the current position of the monitored commercial vehicle can be a radio signal parameter detected by a radio communication interface of the monitored commercial vehicle at that position, and which is characteristic of the reception quality of a radio signal from the radio communication system at that specific location.This radio signal parameter, acquired via a radio communication interface of the monitored commercial vehicle at its current position, can be compared, for example, with a radio signal parameter represented by the radio signal quality map for the current position of the monitored commercial vehicle as the expected radio signal quality. Examples of such radio signal parameters are, as disclosed above, received signal strength, received signal strength indicator (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or reference signal received quality (RSRQ).

[0055] For example, it may be stipulated that if the deviation between the radio signal quality at the current position of the monitored commercial vehicle and the expected radio signal quality at that position, as represented by the radio signal quality map, exceeds a predefined threshold, an alarm action is triggered. Examples of such an alarm action include a visual alarm (e.g., activation of the warning lights), an audible alarm (e.g., activation of the horn), a notification to the driver (e.g., via a driver information display), or a combination of these alarm actions.

[0056] In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the monitored commercial vehicle is a truck, a tractor unit or a trailer, in particular a semi-trailer.

[0057] Further advantageous exemplary embodiments of the invention can be found in the following detailed description of some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, particularly in conjunction with the figures. However, the figures accompanying the application are intended only for illustrative purposes and not to determine the scope of protection of the invention. The accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale and are intended only to reflect the general concept of the present invention by way of example. In particular, features included in the figures should by no means be considered a necessary component of the present invention.

[0058] They show: Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a server device according to the invention; and Fig. 3 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method according to the invention.

[0059] Fig. 1 Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a system 1 according to the invention.

[0060] System 1 includes, among other things, a variety of commercial vehicles 101 to 106. Commercial vehicles 101 to 103 are in Fig. 1 The system is exemplified by semi-trailers pulled by one of the respective tractor units 104 to 106. Furthermore, system 1 comprises a server device 2 located remotely from the semi-trailers 101 to 103 and the tractor units 101 to 103.

[0061] In Fig. 1The respective communication paths 107 to 109 between the semi-trailers 101 to 103 and the server device 2 are shown. Via communication path 107, semi-trailer 101 and the server device 2 can exchange information (e.g., radio jamming signal information and / or monitoring information) (e.g., send and receive). Similarly, semi-trailers 102 and 103 and the server device 2 can exchange information (e.g., radio jamming signal information and / or monitoring information) (e.g., send and receive) via the respective communication paths 108 and 109. For example, each of the semi-trailers 101 to 103 can include a telematics unit configured to exchange information with the server device 2 via the respective communication path.

[0062] The following example assumes that each of the communication paths 107 to 109 involves a connection via a mobile communication system such as a 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G communication system. As revealed above, the specifications for the 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G mobile communication systems are currently being developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and can be accessed online at https: / / www.3gpp.org / .

[0063] It is understood that each of the communication paths 107 to 109 can include, in addition to the wireless connection via the cellular communication system, a wired connection via a wired communication network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or the internet. For example, it is assumed below that the server device 2 can send and / or receive information via the respective connection over the wired communication network of each of the communication paths 107 to 109. A local area network is, for example, an Ethernet network specified in the IEEE 802.3 family of standards, which are currently available on the internet at https: / / standards.ieee.org / . The exchange of information via communication paths 107 to 109 can be encrypted.

[0064] Additionally, in Fig. 1A dispatcher and / or an emergency call center with the reference number 110 is optionally represented. Server device 2 can communicate with dispatcher / emergency call center 110, for example, via communication path 111. Dispatcher / emergency call center 110 should not be considered part of system 1.

[0065] Commercial vehicles 101 to 106 move along the predetermined route 112 at staggered times, so that commercial vehicles 101 and 104 as well as 102 and 105 have already passed the current commercial vehicle position of commercial vehicles 103 and 106 in the past.

[0066] At the current vehicle position of vehicles 103 and 106 on the specified route 112, a jammer 113 is also shown. This jammer is also not part of system 1. When vehicles 101 and 104, as well as 102 and 105, passed this vehicle position, the jammer 113 was not yet there, for example. The jammer 113 prevents, for example, the semi-trailer 103 at the current vehicle position from exchanging information via the mobile communication system, i.e., via communication path 109 with the server device 2. For example, the jammer 113 is configured to transmit a radio jamming signal to prevent the reception of a mobile communication signal from the mobile communication system.For this purpose, the radio jamming signal is emitted, for example, by the jammer 113 at the same frequency as the carrier signal of the mobile phone signal or at a frequency in the same frequency band as the carrier signal of the mobile phone signal, so that the radio jamming signal overlays the mobile phone signal within the jammer 113's coverage area in such a way that reception of the mobile phone signal is prevented. For example, this overlay leads to such a reduction in the signal-to-noise ratio within the jammer 113's coverage area that reception of the mobile phone signal is impossible. The jammer 113's coverage area includes the current position of commercial vehicles 103 and 106.Therefore, it is assumed in the following that the semi-trailer 103 cannot receive a mobile signal at the current commercial vehicle position and thus cannot exchange information with the server device 2 via the communication path 109.

[0067] Fig. 2 Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a server device 2 according to the invention. In the following, it is assumed by way of example that the server device 2 of the [reference to be added] is [reference to be added]. Fig. 1 depicted system 1 of this in Fig. 2 corresponds to the server device 2 shown.

[0068] The server device includes a processor 200 and, connected to the processor 200, a first memory as program memory 201, a second memory as main memory 202 and a network interface 203.

[0069] A processor is understood to mean, for example, a microprocessor (Central Processing Unit, CPU), a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a graphics processing unit (GPU). It is understood that the server device 2 can also include multiple processors 200.

[0070] Processor 200 executes program instructions stored in program memory 201 and stores intermediate results or similar information in main memory 202. The use of an (additional) graphics processor can be advantageous, for example, for executing machine learning algorithms and / or artificial neural networks.

[0071] Program memory 201 contains, for example, program instructions which, when the processor 200 executes the program instructions, cause it to perform the method according to the second aspect of the invention (e.g., the method according to the one described in Fig. 3 to execute and / or control at least part of the flowchart shown in section 3.

[0072] Program memory 201 also contains, for example, the operating system of the server device 2, which is at least partially loaded into main memory 202 and executed by processor 200 when the server device 2 is started. In particular, when the radio communication device 2 is started, at least part of the kernel of the operating system is loaded into main memory 202 and executed by processor 200.

[0073] An example of an operating system is a Windows, UNIX, Linux, Android, Apple iOS, and / or macOS operating system. The operating system, in particular, enables the use of the server device 2 for data processing. For example, it manages resources such as main memory and program memory, provides basic functions to other computer programs through programming interfaces, and controls the execution of computer programs.

[0074] Program memory is, for example, non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic memory, EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), and / or optical memory. Main memory is, for example, volatile or non-volatile memory, in particular random access memory (RAM) such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), and / or magnetic RAM (MRAM).

[0075] Main memory 202 and program memory 201 can also be configured as a single memory. Alternatively, main memory 202 and / or program memory 201 can each be comprised of multiple memory locations. Furthermore, main memory 202 and / or program memory 201 can also be part of the processor 200.

[0076] Processor 200 controls network interface 203, which is configured, for example, to exchange information with a remote device via a connection in a communication network (e.g., to send and / or receive data). For the purposes of this example, it is assumed that network interface 203 is a wired network interface. An example of a wired network interface is an Ethernet interface. For example, server device 2 can use network interface 203 to exchange information (e.g., radio signal information and / or monitoring information) with the semi-trailers 101 to 103 of the [unclear text] via communication paths 107 to 109. Fig. 1 to exchange (e.g., to send and / or receive) the system 1 shown.

[0077] The components 200 to 203 of the server device 2 are, for example, communicatively and / or operationally connected to each other via one or more bus systems (e.g. one or more serial and / or parallel bus connections).

[0078] It is understood that the server device 2 may include additional components (e.g., a user interface) besides components 200 to 203.

[0079] Fig. 3 Figure 3 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method according to the invention. For the purposes of this figure, it is assumed by way of example that steps 300 to 303 are performed by the server device 2 of the [document / model]. Fig. 1 The depicted system 1 will be executed.

[0080] In step 300, a large number of historical radio signal information pieces, originating from the numerous commercial vehicles 101 to 103, are stored. Each piece of historical radio signal information was recorded by one of the commercial vehicles 101 to 103 at a specific vehicle position, and each piece of historical radio signal information represents the respective vehicle position and the respective radio signal quality of the mobile communication system, as recorded by the respective commercial vehicle 101 to 103 at that specific vehicle position, over which the communication paths 107 to 109 at least partially run.

[0081] For example, each of the commercial vehicles 101 to 103 is configured to generate respective radio signal information while traveling along a route such as route 112. For this purpose, each commercial vehicle may be configured, for example, to detect its own position and the radio signal quality of the mobile communication system at various points along the route, and to generate respective radio signal information representing the detected vehicle position and the detected radio signal quality of the mobile communication system.The respective radio signal quality of the mobile communication system, represented by a given radio signal information, can, for example, be a radio signal parameter detected by a radio communication interface of the respective commercial vehicle, which is characteristic of the reception quality of a mobile signal of the mobile communication system at the respective commercial vehicle position. Examples of such a radio signal parameter are, as disclosed above, a received signal strength, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), or a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In the following, it is assumed by way of example that the respective commercial vehicle position and the respective radio signal quality of the mobile communication system are recorded by each of the commercial vehicles 101 to 103 at predetermined time intervals (e.g.,(elapsed time since the last acquisition) is recorded and corresponding radio signal information is generated and sent to the server device 2 immediately after generation via the respective communication paths 107 to 109.

[0082] This radio signal information received in the past by the server device 2 from the commercial vehicles 101 to 103 is also referred to here as historical radio signal information and is kept available by the server device 2 as historical radio signal information by storing it in the program memory 201 of the server device 2.

[0083] Each piece of historical radio signal information stored by server device 2 represents the respective radio signal quality of the mobile communication system as detected by the respective commercial vehicle at its respective location. This allows conclusions to be drawn as to whether communication via the mobile communication system was possible at that location at the time of detection. For example, commercial vehicles 101 and 104, as well as 102 and 105, travel along route 112 ahead of commercial vehicles 103 and 106. Therefore, server device 2 stores historical radio signal information detected by commercial vehicles 101 and 102 on route 112 at locations that commercial vehicles 103 and 106 have not yet passed.Each of these historical radio signal pieces of information allows conclusions to be drawn as to whether communication via the mobile communication system was possible at the respective commercial vehicle position on route 112 at the time when the respective commercial vehicle 101 and 102 passed the respective commercial vehicle position. The present invention utilizes this historical radio signal information when monitoring commercial vehicle 103 as it moves along the specified route 112.

[0084] Monitoring the commercial vehicle 103, which is moving along the specified route 112, comprises the steps 301 to 304 disclosed below and optionally steps 305 and 306: In step 301, monitoring information transmitted by the monitored commercial vehicle 103 via the communication path 109, which runs at least partially via the mobile communication system, is received, each piece of monitoring information representing a respective current position of the monitored commercial vehicle 103.

[0085] As revealed above, the commercial vehicle 103 is equipped to record its respective commercial vehicle position on route 112 and the respective radio signal quality of the mobile communication system at the respective commercial vehicle position at predetermined time intervals (e.g. at a predetermined time interval of 30 seconds or 60 seconds or 120 seconds or 300 seconds) and to generate a respective radio signal information representing the recorded commercial vehicle position and the recorded radio signal quality of the radio communication system and to send it immediately after generation via communication paths 109 to the server device 2, so that it is received by the server device at least substantially at the predetermined time intervals.In the following, it is assumed that the radio signal information received by the monitored commercial vehicle 103 via the communication path 109 at the specified time intervals corresponds at least essentially to the monitoring information received in step 301.

[0086] Step 302 determines whether a monitoring information message from the monitored commercial vehicle 103 is overdue. This determination in step 302 can be made according to predefined rules. For example, the rules can stipulate that if the time elapsed since the last monitoring information message was received exceeds the specified time interval (e.g., by more than 5% or more than 10%), and no new monitoring information message has been received from the monitored commercial vehicle 103, then a monitoring information message from the monitored commercial vehicle 103 is deemed overdue.

[0087] If it is determined that monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle 103 is overdue, the flowchart continues with step 304. Otherwise, the flowchart jumps back to step 301 at step 303.

[0088] The following example assumes that the monitored commercial vehicle 103 has recorded its position and the radio signal quality of the mobile communication system at its current position 114. However, due to the jammer 113, the monitored commercial vehicle 103 was unable to transmit the monitoring information (i.e., the corresponding radio signal information) to the server device 2 via communication path 109, resulting in the monitoring information being overdue. Accordingly, step 302 determines that monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle 103 is overdue, and the flowchart continues with step 304.

[0089] In step 304, it is determined, at least partially based on the historical radio signal information, whether the overdue monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle 103 is an expected event. Determining,

[0090] For example, determining in step 304 includes: Determining the current position of the monitored commercial vehicle 103 on the specified route 113; and determining the expected radio signal quality of the radio communication system at the determined current position of the monitored commercial vehicle 113.

[0091] For example, the current position of a commercial vehicle can be determined from the position represented by the last monitoring information by calculating the distance traveled by the vehicle along the specified route 112 since receiving the last monitoring information. This distance traveled along the specified route 112 can be determined based on an assumed speed of the monitored commercial vehicle 113 and the elapsed time since receiving the last monitoring information. The assumed speed of the monitored commercial vehicle can be predefined, for example, as the expected average speed on the route segment since receiving the last monitoring information. The expected average speed can be determined, at least in part, based on available historical radio signal information.For example, for each of the commercial vehicles 101 and 102 that have already passed commercial vehicle position 114 on route 112, there are at least two historical radio signal information pieces received by the respective commercial vehicle. These at least two historical radio signal information pieces include one historical radio signal information piece representing a commercial vehicle position on route 112 immediately before or equal to the commercial vehicle position represented by the last monitoring information received by the monitored commercial vehicle, and one historical radio signal information piece representing a commercial vehicle position on route 112 immediately after the commercial vehicle position represented by the last monitoring information received by the monitored commercial vehicle.Each of these at least two historical radio signal information pieces can be used to calculate an average speed for the respective commercial vehicle from the time difference between the reception times of the respective radio signal information and the distance between the respective radio signal information on the specified route. The expected average speed for the route segment can, for example, be determined as the mean of the average speeds calculated for commercial vehicles 101 and 102. It is understood that the determined current position of the monitored commercial vehicle 103 may differ from the actual current position 114 of the monitored commercial vehicle 103.

[0092] For determining the expected radio signal quality, only historical radio signal information representing a specific commercial vehicle position within a predefined area around and / or distance from the current position of the monitored commercial vehicle 103 is considered, and this information must not be older than a predefined age threshold (e.g., one hour, one day, one month, six months, or twelve months). For example, the predefined area around and / or distance from the current position of the monitored commercial vehicle is selected such that historical radio signal information from commercial vehicles 101 and 102 is considered when determining the expected radio signal quality.The expected radio signal quality is determined, for example, as the average of the radio signal parameters represented by this historical radio signal information as radio signal qualities (e.g., the received field strengths or received field strength indicators or signal-to-noise ratios represented by this historical radio signal information).

[0093] The determination in step 304 can, for example, be carried out according to predefined rules. For instance, the rules can specify that the overdue monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is determined to be an expected event if the expected radio signal quality of the mobile communication system at the current location of the monitored commercial vehicle 103 is below a predefined radio signal quality threshold. Examples of such a radio signal quality threshold are -95 dBm for the received signal strength as a radio signal parameter, or 0 dB for the signal-to-noise ratio, or -20 dB for the reference signal received quality as a radio signal parameter.Since the jammer 113 was not yet at the commercial vehicle position 114 when the commercial vehicles 101 and 102 passed, it is assumed in the following example that the expected radio signal quality determined on the basis of the historical radio signal information from the commercial vehicles 101 and 102 at the determined current commercial vehicle position of the monitored commercial vehicle 103 is above the specified radio signal quality threshold.

[0094] If it is determined that the overdue monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle 103 is an expected event, the flowchart jumps back to step 301 in step 305. Otherwise, the flowchart continues with the optional step 306.

[0095] However, in the following example, it is assumed that in step 304 it is not determined that the overdue monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle is an expected event, so the flowchart continues with the optional step 306.

[0096] In optional step 306, an alarm action is triggered. For example, in step 306, the dispatcher / emergency call center 110 is notified via the communication path that the monitoring information from the monitored commercial vehicle 103 is overdue.

[0097] The flowchart ends, for example, when the monitored commercial vehicle 103 reaches the end of the specified route 112.

[0098] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention described in this specification are to be understood as disclosed in all combinations with one another. In particular, the description of a feature included in an embodiment—unless explicitly stated otherwise—is not to be understood as meaning that the feature is indispensable or essential for the function of the embodiment. The sequence of steps described in the individual flowcharts in this specification is not mandatory; alternative sequences of steps are conceivable—unless otherwise stated. The steps can be implemented in various ways; for example, implementation in software (by program instructions), hardware, or a combination of both is conceivable.

[0099] Terms used in the patent claims, such as "comprise," "exhibit," "include," "contain," and the like, do not exclude further elements or steps. The phrase "at least partially" covers both "partially" and "completely." The phrase "and / or" should be understood to mean that both the alternative and the combination are disclosed; thus, "A and / or B" means "(A) or (B) or (A and B)." A plurality of units, persons, or the like, in the context of this specification, means multiple units, persons, or the like.

[0100] The use of the indefinite article does not preclude multiple uses. A single component can perform the functions of several units or devices mentioned in the claims. Reference numerals specified in the claims are not to be considered as limitations on the means and steps employed.

Claims

1. Method performed by a server (2), the method comprising: - holding available (300) a plurality of historical radio signal information that originate from a plurality of utility vehicles (101-103), wherein each of the historical radio signal information was acquired by a respective one of the utility vehicles at a respective utility vehicle position, and wherein each of the historical radio signal information represents the respective utility vehicle position and a respective radio signal quality of a radio communication system acquired by the respective utility vehicle at the respective utility vehicle position; - monitoring a utility vehicle (103) moving along a predetermined route (112), by: - receiving (301) monitoring information transmitted by the monitored utility vehicle (103) via the radio communication system, wherein each of the monitoring information represents a respective current utility vehicle position (114); - determining (302) whether monitoring information from the monitored utility vehicle (103) is overdue; - if it is determined that a monitoring information from the monitored utility vehicle (103) is overdue, determining (304), based at least in part on the historical radio signal information, whether the overdueness of the monitoring information from the monitored utility vehicle (103) is an event to be expected.

2. Method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the temporal overdueness is an event to be expected comprises: - determining a current utility vehicle position (114) of the monitored utility vehicle (103) on the predetermined route (112); and - determining an radio signal quality to be expected of the radio communication system at the specific current utility vehicle position of the monitored utility vehicle.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein at least one monitoring information previously received from the monitored utility vehicle (103) is taken into account for determining the current utility vehicle position (114) of the monitored utility vehicle (103) on the predetermined route.

4. Method according to any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein for determining the radio signal quality to be expected, all historical radio signal information of the historical radio signal information representing a respective utility vehicle position which is in a predetermined area around and / or predetermined distance from the determined current utility vehicle position of the monitored utility vehicle position is taken into account.

5. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein it is determined that the overdueness of the monitoring information from the monitored utility vehicle (103) is an event to be expected if the radio signal quality to be expected of the radio communication system at the determined current utility vehicle position (114) of the monitored utility vehicle (103) is below a predetermined radio signal quality threshold.

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the method further comprises: - determining the predetermined route (112) for the monitored utility vehicle (103) based at least in part on the historical radio signal information.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined route (112) for the monitored utility vehicle (103) is determined in such a way that route sections with an expected radio signal quality below a predetermined radio signal quality threshold are avoided and / or minimized.

8. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the historical radio signal information and the monitoring information are telematics information, wherein each of the telematics information is generated by a respective telematics unit of the respective utility vehicle.

9. Method of claim 8, wherein each of the telematics information represents at least one or more of the following: - a current utility vehicle position; - a radio signal quality of a radio communication system; - a current utility vehicle speed.

10. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the received or held available historical radio signal information is represented by a radio signal quality map.

11. Method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises: - determine the radio signal quality map based at least in part on the historical radio signal information.

12. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the monitored utility vehicle (103) is a truck, a tractor unit or a trailer, in particular a semi-trailer.

13. Server apparatus comprising means (200-203) configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. System comprising: - a server device (2) according to claim 13, and - a utility vehicle (103) to be monitored by the server device (2).

15. Computer program comprising program instructions which, when executed by at least one processor (200) of a server (2), are configured to cause the server (2) to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.