METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE ACTIVITY OF AT LEAST ONE VEHICLE MOVING WITHIN A COVERED ZONE

Description

technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the analysis and monitoring of the activity of one or more vehicles, such as forklifts or cleaning machines, moving within a covered area, such as a building or warehouse. The invention also relates to the management and optimization of the use of a fleet of vehicles. Technological background

[0002] It is common nowadays to use vehicles inside buildings, such as warehouses, manufacturing plants, supermarkets, or hospitals. Such vehicles are designed, for example, to facilitate people's work, improve productivity, and ensure maintenance and / or cleaning. Examples include forklifts for transferring loads in warehouses or factories, cleaning machines in supermarkets, and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for moving goods in factories, warehouses, hospitals, or airports.

[0003] US 2016 / 023675 A1, for example, describes a system for controlling or monitoring a fleet of supermarket trolleys and trolley retrievers to collect and return trolleys from a parking lot near the store to a collection area.

[0004] With the increasing size and area of ​​such buildings, the quantity of one or more types of vehicles used in a building can prove to be significant and generate high costs (purchase, maintenance).

[0005] Managing and analyzing the use of a fleet of vehicles, such as forklifts, in a given factory or warehouse is currently most often based on measurements taken by one or more people using observation and possibly tools such as stopwatches and a building plan. This approach is time-consuming and prone to errors, resulting in suboptimal fleet utilization, for example, in terms of the number of vehicles used relative to actual needs. Summary of the invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to propose a solution for determining the activity of one or more vehicles moving within a covered area, for example with the aim of optimizing the number of vehicles in relation to the actual use of each vehicle.

[0007] According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for determining a state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle moving within a covered area, the covered area comprising a plurality of access points, the at least one vehicle comprising a mobile device configured to communicate with the plurality of access points according to a wireless communication protocol, the method comprising the steps of: reception of initial data representative of signals exchanged with at least some of the plurality of access points, the initial data being received from the mobile device; reception of second data representative of the movement of the mobile device, the second data being obtained from at least one accelerometer associated with the mobile device and received from the mobile device; determination of the state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle from the second data, the state being associated with information representative of the location of at least one vehicle in the covered area, the location information being obtained from the initial data and information representative of the location of each access point of at least some of the plurality of access points, for which temporal information is associated with the first and second data points, the temporal information being associated with the representative state of the activity of at least one vehicle and representative location information, and for which the representative state of the activity of at least one vehicle corresponds to one of the following states: an active state corresponding to the movement of at least one vehicle or the immobilization of at least one vehicle for a period less than a threshold value; an inactive state corresponding to the immobilization of at least one vehicle for a period greater than the threshold value.

[0008] According to one variant, the process further includes a step of determining the conformity of the computer based on the information recorded in the computer's memory.

[0009] According to another version, the vehicle is: in the active state when the vehicle speed is non-zero, the speed being determined from the second data or from the representative location information, or when the vehicle speed determined from the representative location information is zero and the second data are non-zero; in the inactive state when the second data are zero for a duration greater than the threshold value, or when the vehicle speed determined from the representative location information is zero and the second data are zero for a duration greater than the threshold value.

[0010] According to yet another variant, the first data includes information representative of the intensity of the signals exchanged with each access point of at least a part of the plurality of access points.

[0011] According to another variant, the process further includes a step of determining an activity rate of at least one vehicle from the representative state of the activity of at least one vehicle over a determined time period.

[0012] According to yet another variant, the process further includes a step of generating a map representing the duration and location of the inactive state of at least one vehicle.

[0013] According to a further variant, the wireless communication protocol corresponds to IEEE 802.11.

[0014] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for determining a state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle moving within a covered area, the covered area comprising a plurality of access points, the at least one vehicle comprising a mobile device configured to communicate with the plurality of access points according to a wireless communication protocol, the device comprising a memory associated with at least one processor configured to implement the steps of the method as described above according to the first aspect of the invention.According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a system for determining a state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle moving within a covered area, the system comprising a mobile device associated with the at least one vehicle, a plurality of access points arranged spatially in the covered area and a device for determining a state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle as described above according to the second aspect of the invention, the mobile device being configured to communicate with the plurality of access points according to a first wireless communication protocol, the mobile device being configured to communicate with the device for determining a state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle according to a second wireless communication protocol.

[0015] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a computer program which includes instructions adapted for carrying out the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the invention, in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

[0016] Such a computer program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or an intermediate form between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0017] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0018] On the one hand, the recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium can include a storage means, such as a ROM, a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit-type ROM, or a magnetic recording means or a hard drive.

[0019] On the other hand, this recording medium can also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or radio frequency, by self-directing laser beam, or by other means. The computer program according to the invention can, in particular, be uploaded to a network such as the Internet.

[0020] Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the process in question. Brief description of the figures

[0021] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of the non-limiting embodiments of the invention below, with reference to figures 1 to 3 attached, on which: [ Fig. 1 ] schematically illustrates a covered area in which a vehicle moves, according to a particular embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 ] schematically illustrates an access point arranged in the covered area of ​​the figure 1 and / or a device for determining the vehicle's activity figure 1 , according to a particular embodiment of the present invention; [ Fig. 3] schematically illustrates a mobile device equipping the vehicle of the figure 1 , according to a particular embodiment of the present invention; [ Fig. 4 ] schematically illustrates a method for determining a representative state of the vehicle's activity figure 1 moving within the covered area of ​​the figure 1 , according to a particular embodiment of the present invention. Description of the implementation methods

[0022] A method for determining a representative state of the activity of a vehicle moving within a covered area, the device implementing such a method, and a system implementing such a method will now be described in what follows, with joint reference to figures 1 to 4 The same elements are identified with the same reference symbols throughout the description that follows.

[0023] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a method for determining a state representative of the activity of one or more vehicles moving within a covered area is described. Several wireless access points (for example, of the Wifi® type) are arranged spatially within the covered area (for example, a building such as a warehouse or factory). Each vehicle is equipped with a mobile device, for example, a smartphone or tablet, configured to communicate with the access points according to a wireless communication protocol, for example, compliant with IEEE 802.11. Initial data representative of signals exchanged with at least some of the plurality of access points are received from the mobile device; this initial data corresponds, for example, to the strength of a signal received from each access point covering the area in which the vehicle is located.Second data points representing the movement (e.g., speed or displacement) of the mobile device are received from the device itself, obtained from at least one accelerometer associated with the device. The representative state of the vehicle's activity is determined from these second data points; the vehicle could, for example, be in an active or inactive state. The vehicle's state at a given time is advantageously associated with information representing its location within the covered area. This location information is obtained from the first data points and information representing the location of the access points covering the area where the vehicle is located at that time.

[0024] Determining the status (e.g., active or inactive) of a vehicle, along with its location within the covered area, allows for the determination of information such as its utilization or immobilization rate and its movements within the covered area. This information, determined for each vehicle in a fleet, can then be used to determine whether the number of vehicles present in the covered area exceeds or falls short of requirements.

[0025] [ Fig. 1 ] schematically illustrates a covered area 10 in which one or more vehicles move, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] There figure 1This illustrates a wireless communication network deployed within a covered area 10, corresponding, for example, to the interior of a building such as a warehouse, factory, supermarket, or airport. The wireless communication network comprises several wireless access points 101 to 115 geographically distributed to provide radio frequency signal transmission and reception coverage throughout the entire covered area 10. Thus, a mobile device moving within the covered area 10 can connect to one or more access points at any time and exchange radio frequency signals with them, carrying data destined for the mobile device or access points 101 to 115. The covered area 10 is divided into several zones formed by barriers such as walls or shelving, illustrated by solid lines within the covered area 10.A vehicle 11, such as a forklift, cleaning machine, or VGA, moves within the covered area 10. This vehicle 11 is equipped with a mobile device 12, such as a smartphone or tablet, adapted to communicate with access points 101 to 115 via a wireless communication channel. Communication between the mobile device 12 and access points 101 to 115 is established using a wireless communication protocol such as Wi-Fi® (according to IEEE 802.11), for example in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency bands, or Bluetooth (according to IEEE 802.15.1), in the 2.4 GHz frequency band.

[0027] Wireless access points 101 to 115 are connected to each other by a wired link (or "backbone"), for example of the MoCA type (from the English "Multimedia over Coax Alliance" or in French "Alliance multimédia sur coax"), Ethernet, PLC (from the English "Powerline Communication" or in French CPL "Courants Porteurs en Ligne"), POF (from the English "Plastic Optical Fiber" or in French "Fête optique plastique") or ITU G.hn (corresponding to the standard for next generation home network technologies of ITU, from the English "International Telecommunication Union" or in French "Union internationale des télécommunications").

[0028] Following the example of the figure 1The vehicle 11 and the associated mobile device 12 are located within the radio frequency coverage areas of access points 111, 112, and 113. The mobile device 12 receives signals from each of these access points 111, 112, and 113 (for example, beacon frames), for example, to determine which access point it will connect to in order to communicate data, for example, based on the strength of the signal emitted by each access point, and the bandwidth available at each of the access points 111, 112, and 113. The mobile device 12 can thus determine the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) of the signal received from each access point 111, 112, and 113 and decodes the signal to extract the identifier of each access point 111. 112 and 113 signal transmitter.The mobile device 12 can thus determine its position relative to each access point, for example by determining the distance that separates it from each access point based on the RSSI determined for each access point 111, 112 and 113.

[0029] The mobile device 12 advantageously includes one or more inertial sensors, for example one or more accelerometers, which measure the linear accelerations of the latter, corresponding to the linear accelerations of the vehicle 11 transporting the mobile device 12. It is then possible to determine, from this linear acceleration information, information on the speed of the vehicle (by integration of the acceleration information) and information on the displacements of the vehicle (by double integration of the acceleration information).

[0030] The mobile device 12 is also in wireless communication with a remote device 100, for example, the "cloud". The mobile device 12 transmits initial data representing the signals exchanged with access points 111 to 113 (for example, the RSSI and the identifier of each access point 111 to 113). The mobile device 12 also transmits secondary data representing the movement of the mobile device 12 (and ultimately of the vehicle 11), for example, measurements from the accelerometer(s) or speed or displacement information determined by the mobile device 12. The mobile device 12 communicates with the remote device 100 using, for example, a wireless connection used in a mobile network such as a 4G (or LTE Advanced according to 3GPP release 10) or 5G network.

[0031] In one variant, the mobile device 12 is not in direct communication with the remote device 100. In this variant, the remote device 100 is connected to the network of access points 101 to 115, for example, via a gateway connected to the wired link (or backbone) linking the access points. In this variant, the mobile device 12 transmits the first and second data to one of the access points, for example, access point 113, which relays them to the remote device 100 via the wired link and the gateway.

[0032] The remote device 100 determines the geographical position of the mobile device 12 (and ultimately of the vehicle 11) from the initial data, relying, for example, on information representing the spatial position of each of the access points 101 to 115 in the covered area 10 (corresponding, for example, to the x, y, and z coordinates of each access point in an absolute frame of reference (called a world frame) or in a frame of reference associated with the covered area 10). This position is determined, for example, at different timestamps t (for example, at regular intervals, for example, every second or every 40, 100, 500 milliseconds) or at any time, the initial data being advantageously time-stamped, that is to say, each piece of information on the quality of the signal received by the mobile device 12 from each access point 111 to 113 is associated with a time-stamped piece of information (obtained, for example, from the clock of the mobile device 12).Since zone 10 is covered, the vehicle's position in the covered zone 10 cannot be determined with a GPS-type satellite system (Global Positioning System).

[0033] According to one variant, the geographical position of vehicle 11 is associated with a mapping of the covered area 10 and materialized on a map of the covered area 10.

[0034] The remote device 100 also determines a representative state of the activity of the vehicle 11 from the second representative motion data of the mobile device 12, obtained from the accelerometer(s) associated with the mobile device 12. The representative state of the activity of the vehicle 11 corresponds to one of the following states: An active state corresponds to a state in which the vehicle is operating and being used to perform tasks; the active state corresponds to a state in which the vehicle is mobile (i.e., moving with a non-zero velocity), the vehicle's mobility being determined, for example, from the initial data; the active state also corresponds to a state in which the vehicle is stationary (i.e., without movement with zero velocity), the vehicle's immobility being determined, for example, from the initial data, but with second, non-zero data from the accelerometer(s), this second scenario corresponding, for example, to the case where the vehicle is active even if its geographical position does not change (for example, a forklift loading a bin onto a shelf); an inactive state corresponds to a state in which the vehicle is not operating and is not being used to perform a task;The inactive state corresponds to a state in which the vehicle is stationary (i.e., without movement with zero velocity), the stationary state being determined, for example, from the first data, and in which the second data are zero for a duration greater than a determined value (also called the threshold value), for example 10, 20 or 30 seconds; a vehicle is determined to be in the inactive state when it fulfills both criteria: geographical stationary state determined from the first data and second data from the accelerometer(s) being zero for a duration greater than the threshold value.

[0035] The state of vehicle 11 is determined, for example, at different times t (for example, at regular intervals, such as every second or every 40, 100, or 500 milliseconds) or at any time, the latter data being advantageously time-stamped; that is, each piece of information about the movement of the mobile device 12 is associated with a temporal piece of information (obtained, for example, from the clock of the mobile device 12). The state of vehicle 11 at a time t is advantageously associated with its geographical position at the same time t.

[0036] According to one variant, the active and / or inactive state is associated with a map of the covered area 10 and represented on a map of the covered area 10, for example with colors, thus generating a heatmap. For example, the inactive state is represented geographically on the map using colors representing the duration of inactivity (for example green if the vehicle is active, orange when the vehicle is inactive for less than a few minutes or tens of minutes, and red when the vehicle is inactive for several tens of minutes or more).

[0037] Of course, several vehicles such as vehicle 11 can move within the covered area 10, a representative state of activity associated with a location of the vehicle in the covered area being determined for each vehicle, for example to analyze the activity of all vehicles in relation to needs and to determine, for example, whether the vehicle fleet can be reduced or not.

[0038] [ Fig. 2 [ ] schematically illustrates a device 2, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. Device 2 corresponds, for example, to an access point 101 to 115 and / or the remote device 100 (for example, a tablet, a smartphone, a server, a computer).

[0039] The elements of Device 2, individually or in combination, can be integrated into a single integrated circuit, into several integrated circuits, and / or into discrete components. Device 2 can be implemented as electronic circuits, software (or computer) modules, or a combination of electronic circuits and software modules. In various specific embodiments, Device 2 is coupled for communication with other similar devices or systems, for example, via a communication bus or through dedicated input / output ports.

[0040] Device 2 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 20 configured for executing the instructions of the software embedded in Device 2. The processor 20 may include integrated memory, an input / output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. Device 2 further comprises at least one memory 21, corresponding, for example, to volatile and / or non-volatile memory.

[0041] Memory 21 contains, for example, parameters related to the execution of the embedded software. Memory 21 also contains the first and second data points. The computer code of the embedded software, including the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor, is stored in memory 21.

[0042] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 2 includes a block 22 of interface elements for communicating with external devices, for example a mobile device such as the mobile device 12. The interface elements of the block 22 include one or more of the following interfaces: RF radio frequency interface, for example of type Bluetooth ®< or Wi-Fi ®<, LTE (from the English "Long-Term Evolution" or in French "Evolution à long terme"), LTE-Advanced (or in French LTE-avancé); USB interface (from the English "Universal Serial Bus" or "Bus Universel en Série" in French); HDMI interface (from the English "High Definition Multimedia Interface", or "Interface Multimedia Haute Definition" in French).

[0043] According to another particular embodiment, the device 2 includes a communication interface 23 which enables communication with other devices (such as access points) via a communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds, for example, to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and / or data via the communication channel 230. The communication channel 230 corresponds, for example, to a wired backbone network.

[0044] [ Fig. 3[Figure 3] schematically illustrates a device 3 corresponding, for example, to the mobile device 12 equipping the vehicle 11, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. Examples of such a device 3 include, but are not limited to, various electronic devices such as a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop computer, and electronic equipment embedded in the vehicle 11. The elements of the device 3, individually or in combination, can be integrated into a single integrated circuit, into several integrated circuits, and / or into discrete components. The device 3 can be implemented in the form of electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules, or a combination of electronic circuits and software modules.

[0045] Device 3 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 30 configured for executing the instructions of the software embedded in Device 3. The processor 30 may include integrated memory, an input / output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. Device 3 further comprises at least one memory 31, consisting of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, and / or includes a memory storage device which may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0046] The computer code including the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is, for example, stored on memory or memory storage device 31.

[0047] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 3 includes a block 32 of interface elements for communicating with external devices, for example the remote device 100 or one or more access points 101 to 115. The interface elements of the block 32 include one or more of the following interfaces: RF radio frequency interface, for example of type Bluetooth ®< or Wi-Fi ®< ; USB interface (from the English "Universal Serial Bus" or "Universal Serial Bus" in French); HDMI interface (from the English "High Definition Multimedia Interface", or "High Definition Multimedia Interface" in French).

[0048] According to another particular embodiment, the device 3 includes a communication interface 33 that enables communication with other devices. The communication interface 33 corresponds, for example, to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and / or data via the communication channel 330. The communication interface 33 includes, for example, a modem and / or a network card, and the communication channel can, for example, be implemented in a wired and / or wireless medium.

[0049] Data is exchanged with device 2 using a Wi-Fi ®< network such as according to IEEE 802.11 or a mobile network such as a 4G (or LTE Advanced according to 3GPP release 10 - version 10) or 5G network.

[0050] Device 3 also includes an inertial measurement unit 37 (IMU) which includes one or more accelerometers.

[0051] According to a further particular embodiment, the device 3 can provide output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen 340, one or more loudspeakers 350 and / or other peripherals 360 (projection system) via output interfaces 34, 35 and 36 respectively. According to a variant, one or more of the external devices is integrated into the device 3. The display screen 340 corresponds for example to the screen, whether touch-sensitive or not.

[0052] [ Fig. 4 [Illustrates a flowchart of the different steps in a method for determining a representative state of a vehicle's activity, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The method is implemented, for example, by the remote device 100. According to an alternative embodiment, the method is implemented in the mobile device 12.]

[0053] In a first step 41, initial data representing signals exchanged with one or more access points are received from a mobile device mounted on a vehicle moving within a covered area. The access point(s) with which the mobile device exchanges one or more radio signals belong to a network of access points located and spatially distributed within the covered area. The initial data corresponds, for example, to information representing the intensity of the signals exchanged with each access point, such as the RSSI established from a beacon frame received from each access point whose coverage area includes the vehicle's position.

[0054] In a second step 42, second representative motion data of the mobile device are received from the mobile device. This second data is advantageously obtained from at least one accelerometer associated with the mobile device.

[0055] In a third step 43, a representative state of the vehicle's activity is derived from the second set of data. This representative state of vehicle activity is advantageously associated with representative information of the vehicle's location within the covered area, the representative location information being obtained from the first set of data and representative location information of each access point communicating with the mobile device.

[0056] The vehicle's state corresponds, for example, to an active or inactive state. A vehicle is considered active when: The vehicle is in motion, meaning its velocity is non-zero. The velocity is determined, for example, from the second set of data obtained from the accelerometer(s) or from the location information obtained from the first set of data. Alternatively, the velocity is determined using both the second set of data and the location information; or the vehicle is stationary, meaning its velocity determined from the location information is zero (i.e., the vehicle's location is fixed), but the second set of data obtained from the accelerometer(s) is non-zero. This second scenario corresponds to the case where the vehicle performs maneuvers while remaining in the same location.

[0057] The vehicle's status is determined to be inactive when: The vehicle is stationary for a period exceeding a threshold value, meaning its speed is zero. Speed ​​is determined, for example, from the second readings obtained from the accelerometer(s) or from the location information obtained from the first readings. Alternatively, speed is determined using both the second readings and the location information; or the vehicle is stationary, meaning its speed determined from the location information is zero (i.e., the vehicle's location is fixed), and the second readings obtained from the accelerometer(s) are zero for a period exceeding the threshold value.

[0058] According to one embodiment, first and second data are for example associated with several vehicles moving in the covered area, each vehicle being equipped with a mobile device transmitting the first and second data to a unit (for example a remote device or one of the mobile devices equipping one of the vehicles) centralizing the information and determining the state of each vehicle.

[0059] According to another embodiment, the method further comprises determining a vehicle activity rate from the representative state of the vehicle's activity over a defined time period (e.g., a few hours, one day, or several days). For example, the activity rate corresponds to the ratio of the time the vehicle is in the active state to the duration of the defined time period.

[0060] According to another embodiment, the method further includes generating a map representing the duration for which the vehicle is inactive, associated with the vehicle's location information. The map corresponds, for example, to a heat map.

[0061] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but extends to a method of managing and / or optimizing a fleet of several vehicles taking into account the state of activity of each vehicle over a given time period, and to the device configured for the implementation of such a management and / or optimization method.

[0062] The invention also relates to a system comprising the vehicle, the mobile device mounted on the vehicle, and a network of access points. According to one embodiment, the system further comprises a remote device receiving the first and second data transmitted by the mobile device.

Claims

1. Method for determining a state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle (11) moving within a covered area (10), said covered area (10) comprising a plurality of access points (101 to 115), said at least one vehicle (11) comprising a mobile device (12) configured to communicate with said plurality of access points (101 to 115) according to a wireless communication protocol, said method comprising the steps of: - receiving (41) first data representative of signals exchanged with at least a part (111 to 113) of the plurality of access points, said first data being received from said mobile device; - receiving (42) second data representative of the movement of said mobile device (12), said second data being obtained from at least one accelerometer (37) associated with said mobile device and received from said mobile device; - determination (43) of the representative state of the activity of said at least one vehicle (11) from said second data, said state being associated with information representative of the location of said at least one vehicle (11) in the covered area (10), the information representative of the location being obtained from said first data and information representative of the location of each access point (111 to 113) of said at least a part of the plurality of access points, characterized in that temporal information is associated with said first data and said second data, the temporal information being associated with said state representing the activity of said at least one vehicle (11) and with said information representing the location, and said state representing the activity of said at least one vehicle (11) corresponds to one of the following states: - an active state corresponding to a movement of said at least one vehicle or to an immobilization of said at least one vehicle for a period less than a threshold value; - an inactive state corresponding to an immobilization of said at least one vehicle for a period greater than said threshold value.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle is: - in the active state when the speed of said vehicle is non-zero, said speed being determined from the second data or from said representative location information, or when the speed of said vehicle determined from said representative location information is zero and the second data are non-zero; - in the inactive state when the second data are zero for a duration greater than said threshold value, or when the speed of said vehicle determined from said representative location information is zero and the second data are zero for a duration greater than said threshold value.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein said first data comprise information representative of the intensity of the signals exchanged with each access point (111 to 113) of said at least a part of the plurality of access points.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising a step of determining an activity rate of said at least one vehicle (11) from said state representative of the activity of said at least one vehicle over a determined time period.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a step of generating a map representing the duration and location of the inactive state of said at least one vehicle (11).

6. Device (2) for determining a state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle moving within a covered area, said covered area comprising a plurality of access points, said at least one vehicle comprising a mobile device configured to communicate with said plurality of access points according to a wireless communication protocol, said device comprising a memory (21) associated with at least one processor (20) configured to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. System for determining a state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle moving within a covered area, said system comprising a mobile device (12) associated with said at least one vehicle (11), a plurality of access points (101 to 115) arranged spatially in said covered area and a device (100) for determining a state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle according to claim 6, said mobile device being configured to communicate with said plurality of access points according to a first wireless communication protocol, said mobile device being configured to communicate with said device for determining a state representative of the activity of at least one vehicle according to a second wireless communication protocol.

8. Product computer program comprising instructions adapted for carrying out the steps of the process according to any one of claims 1 to 5, when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.