Method and system for transmitting at least one data element from a motor vehicle to an external computing device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system (3) for transmitting at least one data element (11) from a motor vehicle (1) to an external computing device (8). The method comprises the following steps: After the motor vehicle (1) has been turned on, the external computing device (8) provides (S2) request information (10) for the motor vehicle (1), wherein the request information (10) has a request for at least one data element (11) and is determined using a data minimization criterion (15). The at least one requested data element (11) is then captured (S3) by means of a capture device (5) of the motor vehicle (1), taking into account the request information (10) provided, and the captured at least one data element (11) is transmitted (S4) to the external computing device (8).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Method and system for transmitting at least one data element from a motor vehicle to an external computing device

[0003] The invention relates to a method and a system for transmitting at least one data element from a motor vehicle to an external computing device.

[0004] To improve map data stored in a motor vehicle and / or to optimize the functionality of a driver assistance system, such as a lane keeping assistant, data is typically collected from numerous motor vehicles during a journey of the respective motor vehicle and transmitted to an external computing device, for example, to a backend located outside the respective motor vehicle. The data from the numerous motor vehicles is referred to as swarm data. The computing device processes the received swarm data to develop vehicle functions and / or services offered in the motor vehicle. For example, an appropriate evaluation of the swarm data collected during various driving scenarios can lead to an application-specific development of the vehicle function and / or service.Typically, all swarm data is taken into account, i.e. all data provided by the vehicles in a fleet.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of providing a solution by means of which a quantity of data elements transmitted from a motor vehicle to an external computing device can be effectively controlled.

[0006] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims.

[0007] A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for transmitting at least one data element from a motor vehicle to an external computing device. The transmitted data element is, for example, position information describing a current position of the motor vehicle. The position information can be determined, for example, using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), for example with the aid of a global positioning system (GPS). Alternatively or additionally, the at least one data element can comprise sensor data from a sensor device of the motor vehicle, such as static and / or moving image data, and / or information already stored in the motor vehicle, such as a vehicle identification number. The computing device is arranged outside the motor vehicle and is thus an external computing device.The computing device is, for example, a server device and / or a backend.

[0008] The invention is based on the finding that typically all data collected by the motor vehicles of a fleet is transmitted to the external computing device for the development of a vehicle function and / or a service. Therefore, a potentially large volume of individual data elements is always collected and transmitted in the vehicles of the fleet. However, the resulting volume of data elements to be transmitted to the computing device typically leads to a significant load on a mobile network and thus ultimately to high mobile communications costs. Furthermore, the typically generated volume of data elements can lead to high processing and storage costs.

[0009] It is therefore sensible to specifically control the transmission of data elements from the motor vehicle to the computing device so that the overall quantity of transmitted data elements is regulated. For example, just enough data elements should be collected from the motor vehicle and made available to the computing device so that all functions of interest to a motor vehicle user, such as a detailed and up-to-date map from a motor vehicle navigation system and / or the functionality of a driver assistance system such as a lane departure warning system, are always available, preferably without any problems. Therefore, only actually required data elements should be transmitted to the computing device, while unnecessary data elements should preferably be deleted in the motor vehicle.In terms of data protection regulations, for example, it may be sensible to minimize the amount of data collected, so that at least in this context there is further motivation for data reduction.

[0010] The method according to the invention comprises the following steps: After the motor vehicle is switched on, the external computing device provides query information for the motor vehicle. For this purpose, the query information is determined, for example, by the computing device and transmitted to the motor vehicle. For the transmission, the computing device and / or the motor vehicle can have a respective communication interface, wherein a communication connection is preferably established and maintained between the communication interface of the computing device and the communication interface of the motor vehicle.The communication connection is preferably wireless, for example, via a wireless local area network (WLAN), a Bluetooth connection, and / or a mobile data network, for example, based on the Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), or Fifth Generation (5G) mobile communications standard. The request information is preferably transmitted immediately after the motor vehicle is switched on, for example, after a motor vehicle user presses a start button.

[0011] In this context, it can be provided that after switching on, the motor vehicle first transmits switching-on information, i.e., a signal indicating that the motor vehicle has been switched on, to the computing device, whereupon the computing device provides the request information in response to the signal received from the motor vehicle. The request information is provided, for example, by being transmitted from the computing device to the motor vehicle.

[0012] Preferably, the request information is provided immediately, i.e., directly after the motor vehicle is switched on. Preferably, the request information is provided to the computing device without prior notification of data that can be captured by the motor vehicle. This eliminates the need for the motor vehicle to first transmit position information and / or a summary or message of data elements that can be provided by the motor vehicle to the computing device, which are then taken into account by the computing device when providing the request information.

[0013] The request information comprises a request for at least one data element. The request is preferably directed to a plurality of data elements. The data element is, for example, a data packet comprising a plurality of individual data items. The plurality of individual data items can, for example, have been acquired within a predefined time interval. The data element comprises only uniform data, i.e., data of a specific type, such as, for example, position data describing a position of the motor vehicle and / or sensor data acquired by a specific sensor device. Alternatively, the data element is precisely one value or precisely one piece of information, such as, for example, coordinate information describing the position of the motor vehicle, i.e., for example, position data. Alternatively or additionally, the data element can, for example, comprise camera data acquired by a front camera of the motor vehicle within the predefined time interval.The specified time interval can, for example, comprise a complete journey and / or at least part of a journey of the motor vehicle. The query information is determined by the computing device using a data minimization criterion. The data minimization criterion is a rule and / or an algorithm that is applied to data and / or information provided on the computing device. Information includes, for example, data.

[0014] In one example, the data minimization criterion can stipulate that every second motor vehicle requests the camera data from a complete journey of the respective motor vehicle as a data element. Applying this exemplary data minimization criterion would result in every second switched-on motor vehicle being sent a request for the camera data from its front camera, whereas the remaining motor vehicles, i.e., the remaining half of the switched-on motor vehicles, are sent request information stating that no camera data from the respective motor vehicle is of interest to the computing device, i.e., that no camera data from the respective motor vehicle should be transmitted to the computing device.

[0015] In a further method step, the at least one requested data element is captured by a capture device of the motor vehicle, taking into account the provided request information. The capture device of the motor vehicle is preferably a sensor device of the motor vehicle. At least one requested data element is actually captured by the motor vehicle. Depending on the request encompassed by the request information, the motor vehicle, for example, specifically captures the at least one requested data element. Preferably, the motor vehicle already generally captures the at least one data element for its own use, for example, for a function of a driver assistance system of the motor vehicle.For example, it can be provided that the motor vehicle, independent of the provided request information, captures camera data using the front camera as a capture device and evaluates it internally within the vehicle, for example, using a control device and / or an evaluation device of the vehicle. Even if the request information does not request camera data from the vehicle, the vehicle still captures the camera data and stores it, for example, at least temporarily internally in a storage device of the vehicle and / or evaluates it using the control device and / or the evaluation device.However, it is provided according to the invention that if the provided request information requests a specific data element, such as temperature data from an outside temperature measuring device of the motor vehicle and / or further sensor data detected by means of, for example, the sensor device of the motor vehicle, such as sensor data from a radar device, a lidar device (lidar for light detection and ranging or light imaging, detection and ranging) and / or an infrared sensor, the corresponding data are always actually detected by the corresponding detection device of the motor vehicle.

[0016] In a further method step, the captured at least one data element is transmitted to the external computing device. The data elements requested according to the request signal, with at least one data element preferably being requested, are therefore actually sent to the computing device, preferably via the communication connection between the communication interface of the motor vehicle and the communication interface of the computing device. The captured data element can, for example, initially be stored in the memory device of the motor vehicle and transmitted to the computing device at a later time as a collected data packet containing the data elements captured in a time interval.

[0017] By applying the data minimization criterion, the method according to the invention ensures that not all data elements captured by the motor vehicle are actually transmitted to the computing device. This is because the computing device can inform the motor vehicle, using the request information, promptly after the motor vehicle is switched on, which at least one data element is actually desired by the external computing device, whereupon only the desired, i.e., the requested, data element is actually transmitted. This significantly reduces the amount of data transmitted from individual vehicles in the vehicle fleet to the external computing device, thereby reducing mobile communications, processing, and storage costs.Particularly preferably, a blanket assessment can be performed, according to which, for example, only data from every second, third, or fourth motor vehicle that is currently connected is requested. This makes it possible to easily achieve the desired minimization of the transmission of data elements from a respective motor vehicle in a vehicle fleet to the external computing device. The method is preferably applied to multiple motor vehicles, in particular all motor vehicles in the vehicle fleet.

[0018] An advantageous embodiment provides that the motor vehicle transmits position information describing a current position of the motor vehicle to the external computing device. The data minimization criterion is applied to the determined position information. This procedure is based on the knowledge that the transmission of data elements to the computing device in the motor vehicle has generally been activated to date. However, a chain of several consecutively acquired position information items, composed of several position information items that were each acquired once per second over a period of, for example, five minutes, is typically first transmitted to the computing device. The computing device then determines whether and, if so, which at least one data element from this motor vehicle is of interest and / or required.If at least one data element should be transmitted from the motor vehicle to the computing device, this is communicated to the motor vehicle, for example by means of the provided request information, so that the motor vehicle then transmits the corresponding data element to the computing device.

[0019] Preferably, the position information is transmitted to the computing device for the first time immediately after power-on. The position information can be determined, for example, using the vehicle's navigation system based on the global navigation satellite system. The current position of the vehicle is provided, for example, based on coordinates, i.e., based on the coordinate information. Transmission to the external computing device preferably takes place via the communication connection already described.

[0020] Preferably, the position information of the motor vehicle is transmitted to the computing device continuously after the motor vehicle is switched on, i.e., repeatedly at predetermined time intervals. Ultimately, the computing device thus has a chain of position information available. For example, it can be provided that for the first five minutes after the motor vehicle is switched on, one piece of position information is transmitted to the computing device every second in a common data packet or as individual data elements. The computing device thus has information about where the motor vehicle is starting from and, for example, in which direction it is moving, at least during the first few minutes of its journey after switching on.Preferably, during the entire journey of the motor vehicle, at least one item of position information describing a current position of the motor vehicle, preferably a plurality of such items of position information acquired one after the other, can be transmitted to the computing device at least at predetermined time intervals. This ensures that the computing device can, for example, determine the area in which the motor vehicle is currently located or at least was located when the motor vehicle was switched on, so that, for example, it can be estimated whether or not camera data from the motor vehicle is required to improve, for example, a map of the area. The position of the motor vehicle can therefore be taken into account when applying the data minimization criterion, so that, for example, individual motor vehicles can be selected based on location to determine a certain data element.Compared to the previously described blanket selection of, for example, every second vehicle in the fleet, the data minimization criterion can therefore be specified more precisely, as it is location-dependent. This ultimately enables a precise and sensible minimization of the transmission of at least one data element from the vehicle to the computing device.

[0021] A further embodiment provides that the data minimization criterion is applied to vehicle model information and / or delivery information. The vehicle model information describes a vehicle model of the motor vehicle, and the delivery area information describes a delivery area of ​​the motor vehicle. Preferably, the data minimization criterion is applied to the position information and / or the vehicle model information and / or the delivery area information. Preferably, the aforementioned information is transmitted to the external computing device directly after the motor vehicle is switched on, so that it is available for the described determination of the request information using the data minimization criterion.

[0022] Depending on the current position and / or the vehicle model and / or the delivery market, the computing device determines whether the at least one data element and / or several data elements are required by the motor vehicle and should therefore be transmitted to the computing device or not. This also makes it possible to switch the data transmission from a specific motor vehicle on or off in a binary manner, for example by only requesting data from every second motor vehicle. However, the selection of the motor vehicle that transmits the data element can be additionally specified, for example by taking the vehicle model into account. This approach is based on the idea that different vehicle models typically have different generations and / or specifications of individual recording devices.For example, a camera system of an inexpensive small car may have a different detection quality and / or a different detection range than, for example, the camera system of a premium vehicle. If, for example, numerous small cars, which have, for example, inferior camera systems compared to the premium vehicles, are currently connected, while only a few premium vehicles are currently connected, the number of small cars that transmit camera data as a data element can be reduced, while, for example, all premium vehicles request the camera data from the front camera as a data element.Based on the vehicle model and in particular the total number of motor vehicles of a specific vehicle model, it can be decided by applying the data minimization criterion whether or not at least one data element should actually be transmitted from a specific motor vehicle.

[0023] For example, by providing appropriate request information, it can be prevented that the motor vehicle continuously transmits its position information to the computing device, since, for example, at least a portion of small cars can be excluded from any further transmission of data elements by providing the appropriate request information after the motor vehicle is switched on. This eliminates the need to decide individually for each motor vehicle, for example based on location after evaluating the position information, whether at least one data element is requested from this motor vehicle. Instead, a general decision regarding the data element transmission from this motor vehicle can be made based, for example, on the vehicle model information.

[0024] The delivery market can be identified, for example, based on a vehicle identification number that may also be transmitted to the computing device. The size of a vehicle fleet in a specific delivery area, for example, a country, state, and / or region, can then be taken into account, so that based on this information, a decision can be made as to whether or not data elements from the vehicle are required at all.For example, in an area with only a few vehicles from a vehicle manufacturer delivered there, a larger proportion of the vehicle manufacturer's vehicle fleet can be selected for transmitting data elements, whereas in an area to which numerous vehicles from a particular vehicle manufacturer have been delivered, a stricter requirement for data minimization can be stipulated, so that, for example, only every second vehicle in that area needs to transmit the data element. For example, a table can be stored in the computing device which generally specifies which data element should be transmitted to the computing device for which delivery areas and which data element, for example, is not required from the delivery area. The information regarding the delivery area can be verified using the position information that is also transmitted preferentially.This ensures that the motor vehicle intended for a specific delivery area is actually located in the delivery area, or at least was actually located there after being switched on. Alternatively or in addition to the vehicle identification number, the delivery market can be included in the connection information that the motor vehicle transmits to the computing device after being switched on to request the request information. In this case, the motor vehicle transmits, for example, its current position, its delivery area, and / or its vehicle model with the connection information.

[0025] According to one exemplary embodiment, it is provided that the external computing device continuously checks the transmitted position information, taking into account the data minimization criterion, to determine whether the request for the request information takes into account a need for data elements. The need preferably exists at a current point in time. The need to be considered is therefore a current need. Thus, even after the motor vehicle has been switched on and the request information has been provided, it is still determined whether the at least one data element should still be requested by the motor vehicle or whether the at least one data element should no longer be requested by the motor vehicle.For this purpose, the need for data elements is taken into account, i.e., for example, by evaluating the continuously acquired position information, it is determined whether the motor vehicle has moved into an area for which a specific data element is required. For example, it may be the case that the motor vehicle is on a road that was only recently completed, meaning that a large amount of camera data is still required for this road so that it can be displayed completely and reliably on the map. In this case, even if the motor vehicle is a small car with a suboptimally designed camera system, it may be sensible to at least temporarily activate the transmission of camera data as at least one data element from the motor vehicle to the external computing device.Such a revision of the originally provided query information can be detected by applying the data minimization criterion to the determined position information.

[0026] If the need is not met by the request contained in the request information, corrected request information adapted to the need is provided to the motor vehicle by the computing device. Thus, a type of update, i.e., a correction of the request information, can be transmitted to the motor vehicle, with the corrected request information replacing or overwriting the request information already provided in the motor vehicle. Thus, the transmission of at least one data element from the motor vehicle to the computing device can be reactivated or deactivated continuously during the time the motor vehicle is switched on and preferably moving.Ultimately, a deactivation of a transmission of at least one data element from the motor vehicle to the external computing device, if this has been done by the corresponding request information, can be revoked while the motor vehicle is moving, whereby the actual need for data elements can actually be requested in a particularly dynamic and therefore sensible way from motor vehicles that are already moving and are therefore already on the move and switched on.

[0027] Particularly preferably, one embodiment provides that, when applying the data minimization criterion, a check is performed to determine whether an initial acquisition of the at least one data element is incomplete for an area in which the motor vehicle is located and / or whether the at least one data element for the area was determined at a time prior to a previous time limit. The area in which the motor vehicle is located is, for example, a sub-area of ​​the map stored in the navigation system of the motor vehicle and / or in the computing device. Using the position information, the motor vehicle can be located in the area.

[0028] This approach is based on the knowledge that up to now the motor vehicle has been designed to use the recording device, such as the front camera, to record a lane marking, for example, and also to provide its respective position information, for example in the form of a chain of individual position data. From the camera data from multiple journeys on a specific route, map data can be provided for a map on which the route is plotted. For an initial recording of the route, for example, ten journeys per lane on a road along the route are required. After this initial recording, however, only isolated data from the route is required, for example to detect a change caused by temporary construction work. Only in the event of such a change should at least a section of the route be re-recorded for the map.If, for example, there is a high traffic density of motor vehicles in a vehicle fleet, whereby the vehicle fleet is made up of vehicles from a specific vehicle manufacturer, the initial recording is typically carried out within a short period of time, after which only a few further recordings of this route are required per day in order to be able to detect any changes to the route promptly.

[0029] The initial capture of at least one data element is incomplete, for example, if fewer than ten data elements from different motor vehicles and / or different journeys of the same motor vehicle are available. Alternatively or additionally, it can be taken into account when the at least one data element for the area was last transmitted. If this point in time lies too far in the past, for example if it was already two months ago, this is assessed in such a way that the last data capture of the data element or the last transmission of the data element for this area lies too far in the past, so that it lies before the time limit. The time limit is, for example, one day, two days, three days, or one week.Alternatively, the time limit can be 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 9 hours, or 12 hours. Alternatively, the time limit can be any value between the specified values.

[0030] If the initial acquisition is incomplete and / or the time lies before the time limit, there is a need for at least one data element. This then results in adapted, corrected request information being provided which includes the actual, preferably current, need for the at least one data element. In response, the motor vehicle is informed that it should acquire the at least one data element for the area in which it is currently located for the computing device and transmit it to the latter. In other words, based on the position information, the computing device uses a map stored in the computing device to determine the area in which the motor vehicle is located and checks which data elements are already available for this area.In general, assignment to the area is complex and computationally intensive, as position information is often subject to fluctuations, for example due to atmospheric disturbances, and can therefore falsely indicate a current position of the vehicle next to the road. For this reason, it is suitable to consider the area as a whole without taking into account the actual, concrete current position information. This can reduce the influence of such fluctuations in the position information on the selection of vehicles to which the data minimization criterion is applied. In the computing device, a check is carried out for the area and thus for an individual segment of the map to determine whether the initial acquisition has been completed for this area and when the computing device last registered the transmission of a respective data element from this area.From this, it can be deduced whether the data element from this area is required by the motor vehicle or not. These calculation steps, as well as the transmission of the corrected request information, occur relatively quickly, so that the motor vehicle can be informed in good time before, for example, the recorded camera data or other data elements are automatically deleted that, based on the corrected request information, the transmission of the corresponding data element to the external computing device has been requested. This actually results in the transmission of at least one recorded data element, which is to be provided in accordance with the corrected request information adapted to the requirements. The deletion of the data elements stored in the memory device of the motor vehicle can, for example, occur automatically every three to ten minutes.

[0031] If, for example, the motor vehicle is in an area with a newly completed road, the initial recording may not yet be complete and, for this reason alone, there may be a need for camera data, for example, for this area. Alternatively or additionally, the motor vehicle may be driving in a remote area where, for example, no camera data has been made available to the computing device for two days because, for example, no vehicle in the fleet has been driving there during this time. This time of the last transmission of the data element in the form of camera data may therefore, for example, be before the time limit of, for example, one day, so that the time of the last recording of the data element and its transmission to the external computing device is before the time limit.In these examples, corrected query information would always be provided, so that upon provision of the corrected query information, the corresponding at least one data element is transmitted from the motor vehicle to the computing device—in this example, camera data at least for the journey through the preferably spatially limited area. This procedure can alternatively be referred to as map matching. This ultimately makes it particularly useful to meet a need for a specific data element from the computing device, since the corrected query information can be determined and provided.

[0032] An additional exemplary embodiment provides that a number of motor vehicles for which the at least one data element is to be transmitted is specified in the data minimization criterion for an area in which the motor vehicle is located and / or a sub-area of ​​the area in which the motor vehicle is located, as well as for a time interval. Alternatively, a proportion of motor vehicles for which the at least one data element is to be transmitted can be specified in the data minimization criterion for the area and / or the sub-area as well as for the time interval. The area and / or the sub-area can, for example, be determined based on a map. For this purpose, a region described by the map can, for example, be divided into individual tiles. Such a tile can, for example, have a size of one kilometer by one kilometer.Alternatively or additionally, an area or a sub-area of ​​a town may be provided which, for example, has the shape of a square, a rectangle or a polygon and, due to its affiliation with a town, municipality and / or village, is identifiable and summarized as an individual area or sub-area of ​​the corresponding town, municipality and / or village.

[0033] For the area and / or the sub-area, for example, it can be permanently stored in the data minimization criterion that a certain number of motor vehicles is specified for a certain time interval of, for example, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours or 1 day, for which at least one data element is to be transmitted. The number can, for example, comprise 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 100 or more than 100 motor vehicles. The number can take on any value between the stated numbers. Alternatively, a percentage of motor vehicles can be determined for which at least one data element is to be transmitted. The percentage can be 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent, 15 percent, 20 percent, 25 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent or 50 percent.Alternatively, the proportion can be greater than 50 percent, preferably between 50 and 100 percent, 60 and 90 percent, or 70 and 80 percent. Alternatively, the proportion can be less than 1 percent, for example between 0.1 and 0.9 percent, preferably between 0.2 and 0.8 percent, 0.3 and 0.7 percent, or 0.4 and 0.6 percent. The proportion can preferably take any value between the stated proportions and / or within the stated proportion ranges. A proportional limitation is therefore possible so that, for example, 20 percent of the connected motor vehicles transmit a certain data element and the rest of the connected motor vehicles do not. In other words, a percentage of motor vehicles can be provided for which at least one recorded data element is to be discarded because they lie outside the specified proportion of motor vehicles.

[0034] The area and / or sub-area can be specified particularly simply, for example, by determining a tile number for a current position of the motor vehicle from a longitudinal and a lateral coordinate of the position. The tile number can be calculated by the computing device, for example, by dividing the difference between the corresponding coordinate and a specified offset by a specified constant, with the number resulting from this calculation being designated as the tile number.For example, it can be provided that for a city that is known to have numerous motor vehicles from a certain vehicle fleet, a smaller proportion of motor vehicles and a smaller number of motor vehicles are specified than, for example, for a city that is known to have a certain vehicle manufacturer only a small market share there and therefore generally fewer vehicles from the vehicle manufacturer's vehicle fleet are available there. Therefore, for example, the proportion of motor vehicles for which a certain data element is requested should be large there relative to the city with numerous vehicles in the vehicle fleet. In this way, a current data requirement for the data element, i.e. the demand, can be queried in a particularly simple manner.

[0035] It is particularly preferably provided that the area or sub-area is determined only using the position information determined first in time. In order to be able to determine particularly quickly and easily whether a specific data element should be transmitted by the motor vehicle, it is possible, for example, to only take into account in which area and / or sub-area, i.e., for example, in which tile, a first point of the transmitted chain of position information is located, i.e., according to a position information transmitted first. From this information alone, it can already be determined whether the data element should be transmitted by the motor vehicle or not, since it can already be recognized, for example, whether the motor vehicle is located in the area and / or sub-area with a high density of fleet vehicles or not. This allows the corrected query information to be provided in a particularly computationally efficient manner.The area and / or sub-area can preferably be fixed, for example by being stored in the map that is stored in the computing device. Based on the position information transmitted first or, if applicable, several pieces of position information transmitted continuously, it is possible to determine in which area and / or sub-area the motor vehicle is located. This is relatively easy to calculate because it is only checked whether the motor vehicle is located within the specified area and / or sub-area for at least part of the route it has traveled. However, this requires distinguishing between numerous different areas and / or sub-areas, which are preferably differentiated from one another in a finely granular manner, which ultimately makes the design of the map particularly complex.In addition, the number of motor vehicles or the proportion of motor vehicles from which at least one data element is to be transmitted must be specified, particularly for each area and / or sub-area. This should preferably be done dynamically, i.e., time-dependently. Since this is relatively complex, the distribution into individual tiles, which depends purely on the longitudinal and lateral coordinates, as described above, is preferred.

[0036] According to an additional embodiment, a driving speed of the motor vehicle is transmitted. By evaluating the transmitted driving speed, a road category of a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling at the driving speed is determined.

[0037] This approach is based on the realization that the total length of a route traveled on different road categories is approximately the same, meaning that approximately the same total distance is traveled by motor vehicles on expressways, country roads, and inner-city streets. However, the actual total length of roads in each category varies considerably. For example, of the entire road network in the Federal Republic of Germany, only about 2 percent are expressways, 30 percent are country roads, and 68 percent are inner-city streets.This results in varying levels of data element coverage depending on the road category. For example, high coverage is often achieved on expressways, whereas in residential areas, i.e., inner-city roads, motor vehicles are rarely used, meaning that significantly fewer data elements are available to the computing device overall for such a road compared to a busy expressway. For this reason, the road category is determined and subsequently taken into account. The road category can be determined, for example, by specifying a speed limit. If necessary, several such speed limits can be provided for several different road categories.For example, two different speed limits can be used to distinguish between an urban road and a rural road, and between a rural road and an expressway. For example, at a speed of 50 km / h, such a limit can be established between an urban road in a residential area and, for example, a rural road. For speeds above 100 km / h, the expressway can be assumed to be the road category on which the motor vehicle is traveling.

[0038] The data minimization criterion now checks whether at least one data element is required for the determined road category. It therefore checks whether, for example, camera data is currently required as a data element by a motor vehicle traveling on the expressway. If sufficient data elements are already provided for the expressway, because numerous other motor vehicles are already traveling on the expressway and, for example, transmit the at least one data element to the computing device based on their request information, the information can now be transmitted to the motor vehicle based on the speed analysis that no data element, for example, no camera data, is required from it. For this purpose, the motor vehicle can be provided with appropriately corrected request information, for example.However, if the vehicle is located on an inner-city road, even if the request information initially transmitted indicates that no camera data is required, the need for camera data can be subsequently identified using the corrected request information provided. This is always the case, for example, if the detected road category indicates that the computing device is undersupplied with the corresponding data elements.

[0039] The determined driving speed can be an average, a maximum and / or a minimum speed at which the motor vehicle travels on the road in a predetermined time interval. For this purpose, for example, speed data averaged over several minutes can be evaluated. Alternatively, a speed at the beginning of the motor vehicle's journey can be taken into account. For this purpose, for example, after the motor vehicle has been switched on, for example within the first five minutes of the motor vehicle's journey, the driving speed of the motor vehicle can be determined and then corresponding request information or corresponding corrected request information can be provided for the current journey of the motor vehicle. The driving speed is determined, for example, using a corresponding detection device of the motor vehicle.A road category-dependent need for at least one data element can therefore be taken into account easily and quickly.

[0040] Alternatively or additionally, a road category can be stored in the map itself, so that based on the position information of the motor vehicle, it is possible to deduce which road category the motor vehicle is currently on. In this case, a predictive road category can also be determined because, for example, based on a navigation system in which an activated route to a specific destination is stored, it can be deduced which road category the motor vehicle is likely to travel on in the future during its journey to the destination. Predictive route data from the navigation system can therefore be used, and can be used to check, using the data minimization criterion, whether there is a current or future need for at least one data element for the determined road category.In the future, it is meant that the motor vehicle is not yet on the corresponding road of the road category, but is expected to drive on a corresponding road soon and therefore in the near future, so that appropriately corrected request information can be provided in advance.

[0041] Furthermore, one embodiment provides that, when applying the data minimization criterion, a check is carried out to determine whether a weather assessment value is less than a weather assessment threshold. The weather assessment value describes a weather condition in the surroundings of the motor vehicle. The weather assessment value therefore includes information such as whether, for example, the sun is currently shining or raining. The weather assessment value can further describe whether the motor vehicle is currently driving in the dark, i.e., whether it is currently night. For this purpose, the position of the sun, rain, spray stirred up by vehicles traveling ahead, snow, fog, and / or wind speed can be detected, for example, using a corresponding detection device of the motor vehicle.These weather conditions are first evaluated, for example, by applying the data minimization criterion, so that a specific weather assessment value is assigned to the current environmental conditions of the motor vehicle. If the determined weather assessment value is lower than the weather assessment threshold, there is a need for at least one data element. This procedure is based on the knowledge that the quality of the at least one recorded data element can be partially weather-dependent. For example, the quality of lane markings in a vehicle lane on a road recorded by the front camera is lower in rainy weather or at night than in sunshine. It may be the case, for example, that a data element recorded in rainy weather or at night cannot be used at all to optimize a specific function of a driver assistance system.Given the large number of vehicles potentially capable of transmitting the corresponding data element, it should be ensured that only those data elements actually recorded under suitable weather conditions are transmitted. Data elements recorded under adverse weather conditions should therefore only be stored and transmitted to the external computing device if, for example, no other data is available. This can be specified particularly easily and quickly using the specified weather assessment threshold.

[0042] Alternatively or additionally, traffic density can be taken into account. High traffic density may limit the detection range of the vehicle's detection device, such as the front camera.

[0043] In addition to or alternatively to the weather assessment value, a traffic assessment value can be determined which describes a traffic density and thus a traffic volume in the vicinity of the motor vehicle. If the traffic assessment value is less than a traffic assessment threshold, at least one data element is required. A maximum traffic density is preferably defined as the traffic assessment threshold, beyond which it can be assumed that the corresponding data element was possibly recorded with errors due to the high traffic density, so that it is not requested by the computing device. The traffic density describes a number of motor vehicles, vehicles and / or people in the vicinity of the motor vehicle, for example in the detection range of the detection device, in the form of a number of these road users per area.

[0044] The respective evaluation value, i.e., the weather evaluation value and / or the traffic evaluation value, can be included, for example, in the connection information and / or subsequently transmitted to the computing device together, for example, with the position information. For this purpose, the corresponding evaluation value is evaluated, for example, by the control device or the evaluation device of the motor vehicle. For this purpose, a corresponding evaluation rule is stored in the motor vehicle, which is applied internally to the corresponding sensor data from sensor devices or recording devices of the motor vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, a time of day can be stored in the computing device, for example, so that it can distinguish between day and night.Alternatively or additionally, the computing device can access information from a weather service and / or information on traffic density, which is provided to the computing device, for example, so that the computing device can draw conclusions about how the weather assessment value or the traffic assessment value is to be assessed based solely on the transmitted position information.

[0045] It can further be provided that, depending on the type of data element, the resolution of the data elements, i.e., the frequency of transmission of the data element to the external computing device, can be individually controlled. This is the case, for example, for a data element with a reduced map reference, such as temperature data. Temperature data typically changes only slowly over time during a motor vehicle journey, so it is sufficient, for example, if temperature data is transmitted to the computing device as a data element every five or ten minutes. The temperature distribution can be determined based on data elements that are determined and transmitted with low resolution.Furthermore, assigning the temperature recording position to a road category or even to an area and / or sub-area is not necessary, as temperature data often has general effects, for example, on the functionality of a driver assistance system, but no influence on map optimization. For example, temperature information is only useful if special optimizations are required for driving in rain or driving in potentially slippery conditions, and thus at temperatures below 4 degrees Celsius. Therefore, for such data elements, a blanket query can be included in the query information, which, compared to other data elements, requires only a reduced resolution and thus less frequent data transmission.

[0046] It is intended that the individual embodiments described can be combined with each other as desired with regard to the design of the data minimization criterion and can complement each other. For example, the area can be selected roughly, for example, by assigning it to a map tile, whereby a limitation of the vehicle fleet or the described speed-dependent survey, which allows inferences to be drawn about the road category, is applied only for certain such map tiles, i.e., only for a specific area and / or sub-area.

[0047] A further aspect of the invention relates to a system for transmitting at least one data element from a motor vehicle to an external computing device. The system comprises at least one motor vehicle and the external computing device. The system is designed to carry out the method according to the invention. The advantageous embodiments described in connection with the method according to the invention, as well as combinations of the described embodiments, apply analogously to the subject matter of the system according to the invention.

[0048] The computing device comprises a processor device configured to carry out corresponding steps of the method according to the invention and / or of an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention and / or of a combination of exemplary embodiments of the method according to the invention. For this purpose, the processor device may comprise at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller. Furthermore, the processor device may comprise program code configured to carry out the corresponding steps of the method according to the invention and / or of the exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention and / or of the combination of exemplary embodiments of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor device. The program code may be stored in a data memory of the processor device.

[0049] The invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments.

[0050] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below. Shown are:

[0051] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a motor vehicle on a road; and

[0052] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a signal flow graph of a method for transmitting at least one data element from a motor vehicle to an external computing device.

[0053] The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments, the described components each represent individual, independently considered features of the invention, which also further develop the invention independently of one another and are thus also to be considered as components of the invention, either individually or in a combination other than that shown. Furthermore, the described exemplary embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0054] In the figures, functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0055] Fig. 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 that is currently driving on a road 2. The motor vehicle 1 is included in a system 3. There is a construction site on the road 2, and a construction site barrier 4 is arranged in a right-hand lane of the road 2 as seen in the direction of travel. The construction site barrier 4 therefore closes off this right-hand lane to traffic and thus to the motor vehicle 1. The motor vehicle 1 drives past the construction site barrier 4 on the left as seen in the direction of travel. The road 2 has already been recorded by numerous motor vehicles 1, for example by means of a camera device on the motor vehicles 1. Currently, the road 2 has changed, however, because the construction site barrier 4 is at least temporarily located on the road 2. Therefore, camera data describing, for example, the road 2 should be recorded again from the motor vehicle 1.For this purpose, the motor vehicle 1 has a detection device 5, which is implemented, for example, in the form of a front camera, a rear camera, and two side cameras. The motor vehicle 1 thus has a camera device referred to as the detection device 5. Alternatively or additionally, the detection device 5 can be a temperature measuring device, a radar device, a LIDAR device (Lidar for light detection and ranging or light imaging, detection and ranging), an infrared sensor, a speed measuring device, a rain sensor, and / or another type of sensor device of the motor vehicle 1.

[0056] The motor vehicle 1 has a communication interface 6 and a control unit 7. The control unit 7 is designed to determine whether a specific data element 11, which was detected by the detection device 5, can be provided via the communication interface 6.

[0057] Fig. 1 also shows a computing device 8, which is also included in the system 3. The computing device 8 is, for example, a server device. The computing device 8 is an external device that is not included in the motor vehicle 1. The computing device 8 is designed to carry out a method and / or an algorithm. The computing device 8 also has the communication interface 6. A communication connection 9 is established between the communication interface 6 of the motor vehicle 1 and the communication interface 6 of the computing device 8. Information and / or data can be exchanged between the motor vehicle 1 and the computing device 8 via the communication connection 9. Here, the at least one data element 11 is transmitted from the motor vehicle 1 to the computing device 8 via the communication connection 9.The computing device 8 transmits a query information item 10 to the motor vehicle 1 via the communication connection 9. The communication connection 9 is preferably wireless, for example via a wireless local area network (WLAN), a Bluetooth connection, and / or a mobile data network, for example based on the Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), or Fifth Generation (5G) mobile communications standard.

[0058] Fig. 2 outlines a method for transmitting the at least one data element 11 from the motor vehicle 1 to the external computing device 8. In a first method step S1, position information 12 and / or vehicle model information 13 and / or delivery area information 14 is transmitted from the motor vehicle 1 to the computing device 8 via the communication connection 9. The position information 12 describes a current position of the motor vehicle 1. The position information 12 can be recorded and transmitted once, for example, after the motor vehicle 1 has been switched on. Alternatively or additionally, it can be determined continuously at predetermined time intervals after the motor vehicle 1 has been switched on and transmitted to the external computing device 8.The vehicle model information 13 describes a vehicle model of the motor vehicle 1 and the delivery area information 14 describes a delivery area of ​​the motor vehicle 1.

[0059] In a method step S2, the request information 10 is determined and provided. This always occurs after the motor vehicle 1 is switched on. The request information 10 comprises a request for at least one data element 11. The provided request information 10 is preferably transmitted from the computing device 8 to the motor vehicle 1 via the communication connection 9. The request information 10 is determined by applying a data minimization criterion 15. The data minimization criterion 15 is applied to the position information 12 and / or the vehicle model information 13 and / or the delivery area information 14. The data minimization criterion 15 here comprises, for example, a general statement that includes whether a specific data element 11 that can be provided by the motor vehicle 1 is required by the external computing device 8 or not.For example, it can be generally provided that camera data is required as data element 11 for a specific area in which the motor vehicle 1 is located according to the position information 12. Based on the vehicle model information 13, for example, a quality of the expected data element 11 can be inferred. For example, it is known what type of camera device as the detection device 5 a specific vehicle model typically has. Depending on this, a need 17 for data elements 11 of a specific quality can be generally controlled using the request information 10. From the delivery area information 14, it can be inferred whether the motor vehicle 1 is likely to be located in an area in which numerous motor vehicles 1 from a specific manufacturer and thus a specific vehicle fleet, each of which can transmit data elements 11 to the computing device 8, are to be expected.Here too, for example, for a country and / or a territory with numerous motor vehicles 1 in the manufacturer's vehicle fleet, a smaller proportion 22 of motor vehicles 1 transmitted to the data element 11 may be appropriate than could be the case, for example, in a country and / or a territory with fewer delivered motor vehicles 1 in the vehicle fleet.

[0060] In a method step S3, the at least one requested data element 11 can actually be captured by the capture device 5 of the motor vehicle 1. In this case, the provided request information 10 is taken into account, i.e., whether a specific data element 11 is being requested by the computing device 8 or not is taken into account. This preferably occurs without influencing a usual function of the capture device 5. The method should therefore have no influence on captures of a specific data element 11 required, for example, by the motor vehicle 1 itself. Capture of the at least one requested data element 11 is understood here to mean the capture and at least temporary storage of this data element 11 with a view to transmission to the external computing device 8.

[0061] In a subsequent method step S4, the at least one recorded data element 11 is transmitted via the communication connection 9 to the computing device 8.

[0062] Within the scope of applying the data minimization criterion 15 in method step S2, however, a method step S5 can be carried out repeatedly while the motor vehicle 1 is traveling, in which step an actual requirement 17 for at least one data element 11 is determined. In method step S5, corrected request information 10' is determined and ultimately provided to the motor vehicle 1 via the communication connection 9. In this case, the data minimization criterion 15 can be continuously applied to the preferably continuously recorded and provided position information 12. In this case, it can be checked whether the request for the request information 10 takes the requirement 17 for the data element 11 into account or whether it should be corrected accordingly in order to correspond to the requirement 17. If the requirement 17 is not taken into account, the corrected request information 10' adapted to the requirement 17 can be provided.

[0063] In method step S5, the data minimization criterion 15 checks, for example, whether an initial capture 18 of the at least one data element 11 is incomplete for an area in which the motor vehicle 1 is located, such as the area surrounding road 2, and / or whether the at least one data element 11 was determined for the area at a time 19 that lies before a predetermined time limit 20. If this is the case, there is, for example, a current need 17 for the at least one data element 11. In the case shown in Fig. 1, a deviation from the camera data determined during the initial capture 18 of road 2 can be determined, for example due to the construction site, i.e. due to the construction site barrier 4, so that, for example, a new initial capture 18 of road 2 with the construction site existing there is required.In this case, for example, the request information 10, which actually does not require any camera data as data elements 11 of the motor vehicle 1, because, for example, the camera device, i.e. the detection device 5 of the motor vehicle 1, does not meet the requirements for data quality, can be corrected to a request for camera data by means of, for example, the corrected request information 10', since new data relating, for example, to the arrangement and design of the construction site barrier 4 for the road 2 are certainly required by the computing device 8, for example to optimize a warning message of a navigation system.

[0064] Furthermore, the data minimization criterion 15 can specify a number 21 of motor vehicles 1 or a proportion 22 of motor vehicles 1 from which at least one data element 11 is to be transmitted for an area in which the motor vehicle 1 is located and / or a sub-area of ​​this area, as well as for a time interval. Thus, fixed limit values ​​and information can be specified regarding how many motor vehicles 1 or what percentage of, for example, currently driving motor vehicles 1 from a specific area and / or sub-area should transmit a specific data element 11. These are stored in the data minimization criterion 15. To determine the area and / or sub-area, the continuously transmitted position information 12 can be used, for example.However, it is alternatively possible that only on the basis of the position information 12 transmitted first, which was preferably transmitted directly after the motor vehicle 1 was switched on, the area and / or the sub-area can be deduced and the corresponding need 17 is then recognized or not recognized.

[0065] The data minimization criterion 15 can also check whether there is currently a need 17 for at least one data element 11 for a determined road category 24. For this purpose, a driving speed 23 of the motor vehicle 1 is determined and evaluated in such a way that the road category 24 of the road 2 on which the motor vehicle 1 is traveling at the driving speed 23 is determined. Here, for example, in the case of the two-lane road 2, there may be an expressway on which the motor vehicle 1 typically travels at a speed of over 100 kilometers per hour, so that the road category 24, expressway, can be inferred from an evaluation of the average, maximum, or minimum driving speed 23 traveled before the area of ​​the construction site.Since different numbers of motor vehicles 1 typically travel on roads 2 of different road categories 24, a preference for transmitted data elements 11 from motor vehicles 1 traveling within an urban area compared to motor vehicles 1 traveling on a highway can be specified depending on the road category 24, for example. This allows a sensible limitation of the number of motor vehicles 1 that transmit the at least one data element 11 to the computing device 8 to be implemented particularly easily and without complex evaluations.

[0066] Applying the data minimization criterion 15 can include checking a weather assessment value 25. The weather assessment value 25 describes a weather condition in the surroundings of the motor vehicle 1, for example, whether it is currently raining, nighttime, or whether the sun is particularly bright. If the determined weather assessment value 25 is less than a weather assessment threshold value 26, there may, for example, currently be a need 17 for the at least one data element 11, which may be, for example, the camera data and / or a temperature measurement. This can, for example, generally determine that no camera data from nighttime journeys are transmitted to the computing device 8.Alternatively or in addition to the weather rating value 25, a traffic rating value describing a traffic density in the surroundings of the motor vehicle 1 can be determined, and it can be checked whether this is less than a traffic rating threshold (not outlined here). If the traffic rating value is less than the traffic rating threshold, there is a current need 17 for at least one data element 11.

[0067] Alternatively or additionally, the evaluations in process step S5 can already be taken into account when determining the query information 10 (not outlined here).

[0068] Overall, the examples demonstrate a minimization of the transmission of at least one data element 11 from the motor vehicle 1 to the external computing device 8 and thus a minimization of data extraction from motor vehicles 1. Overall, not only is the actual data collection minimized, but ultimately a compromise is achieved between required storage resources and transmission resources, as well as evaluation resources, and optimal data collection itself.

[0069] List of reference symbols

[0070] Motor vehicle

[0071] Street

[0072] system

[0073] Construction site barrier

[0074] Recording device

[0075] Communication interface

[0076] Control unit

[0077] computing device

[0078] Communication connection, 10' request information

[0079] Data element

[0080] Position information

[0081] Vehicle model information

[0082] Delivery area information

[0083] Data minimization criterion

[0084] Requirement

[0085] Initial recording

[0086] time

[0087] Time limit

[0088] Number

[0089] Portion

[0090] Driving speed

[0091] Road category

[0092] Weather rating value

[0093] Weather assessment limit up to S5 procedural steps

Claims

Claims: Method for transmitting at least one data element (11) from a motor vehicle (1) to an external computing device (8), wherein the method comprises the following steps: after switching on the motor vehicle (1), providing (S2) a query information (10) for the motor vehicle (1) by the external computing device (8), wherein the query information (10) comprises a query for at least one data element (11) and is determined by applying a data minimization criterion (15); Capture (S3) of at least one requested data element (11) by means of a capture device (5) of the motor vehicle (1 ) taking into account the provided request information (10); Transmitting (S4) the captured at least one data element (11) to the external computing device (8). Method according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle (1) transmits (S1) position information (12) describing a current position of the motor vehicle (1) to the external computing device (8), and the data minimization criterion (15) is applied to the transmitted position information (12). Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the data minimization criterion (15) is applied to vehicle model information (13) describing a vehicle model of the motor vehicle (1) and / or delivery area information (14) describing a delivery area of ​​the motor vehicle (1).Method according to claim 2 or claim 3 in its references to claim 2, wherein the external computing device (8) continuously checks, using the data minimization criterion (15) on the transmitted position information (12), whether the request for the request information (10) takes into account a requirement (17) for data elements (11), and, if the requirement (17) is not taken into account by the request, a corrected request information (10') adapted to the requirement (17) is provided (S5). Method according to claim 4, wherein when applying the data minimization criterion (15) it is checked whether for an area in which the motor vehicle (1) is located an initial acquisition (18) of the at least one data element (11) is incomplete and / or whether the at least one data element (11) for the area was determined at a time (19) that is before a predetermined time limit (20), and, if the initial acquisition (18) is incomplete and / or the time (19) is before the time limit (20), the need (17) for the at least one data element (11) exists. Method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein in the data minimization criterion (15) for an area in which the motor vehicle (1 ) is located and / or a sub-area of ​​the area and for a time interval a number (21 ) of motor vehicles (1) or a proportion (22) of motor vehicles (1) is specified, of which at least one data element (11) is to be transmitted.A method according to claim 6, wherein the area and / or sub-area is determined solely on the basis of the position information (12) transmitted first. A method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein a driving speed (23) of the motor vehicle (1) is determined and, by evaluating the determined driving speed (23), a road category (24) of a road (2) on which the motor vehicle (1) travels at the driving speed (23) is determined, and the data minimization criterion (15) checks whether the need (17) for the at least one data element (11) exists for the determined road category (24).A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, when applying the data minimization criterion (15), it is checked whether a weather rating value (25) describing a weather condition in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (1) is less than a weather rating limit value (26), and, if the weather rating value (25) is less than the weather rating limit value (26), whether the need (17) for the at least one data element (11) exists; and / or whether a traffic rating value describing a traffic density in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (1) is less than a traffic rating limit value, and, if the traffic rating value is less than the The traffic assessment limit is the requirement (17) for which at least one data element (11) exists. System (3) for transmitting at least one data element (11) from a motor vehicle (1) to an external computing device (8), wherein the system (3) comprises the motor vehicle (1) and the external computing device (8) and is configured to perform a method according to one of the preceding claims.

Images