Method for carrying out settings on at least one first actuator of a motor vehicle, method for enabling settings to be changed, and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for carrying out settings on at least one first actuator (22) of a motor vehicle (2), the method comprising predefining a first setting for the at least one first actuator (22), acquiring, with the aid of a first NFT, first data that predefine a second setting, and using the acquired data in order to change the first setting into the second setting.

Description

[0001] Method for making settings on at least one first actuator of a motor vehicle, method for enabling a change of settings and motor vehicle

[0002] DESCRIPTION:

[0003] The invention relates to a method for making settings on at least one first actuator of a motor vehicle, a method for enabling a change of settings and a motor vehicle.

[0004] The ever-increasing variety of actuators in motor vehicles—in this case, primarily actuators affecting the vehicle interior—makes it possible to offer vehicle occupants a veritable world of experiences. Multiple colored lights (in the form of light-emitting diodes, LEDs), sound experiences, olfactory experiences through scenting, and haptic experiences can be combined.

[0005] Users increasingly desire to have particularly exclusive vehicle experiences.

[0006] This allows control commands to be defined for the actuators, which can be subject to an exclusive purchase. It must now be ensured that unauthorized manipulation of the vehicle does not allow those who have not acquired the right to enjoy the vehicle experience.

[0007] US 2021 / 0133713 A1 discloses a system for managing asset rights based on distributed ledger networks—for example, blockchain or DAG. In this context, a so-called non-fungible token is created, which represents the right to use the asset. A non-fungible token is also referred to in German as a "non-exchangeable token" (or also: as a non-replaceable token). The creation of a non-exchangeable token is called "minting" in English.

[0008] In the field of autonomous vehicles, it is known from DE 11 2020 003 484 T5 to store operating commands for the autonomous vehicle in a blockchain, for example so that an accelerator pedal position can be reproduced.

[0009] According to US Pat. No. 11,238,478 B2, a blockchain can also be used to update ledgers in motor vehicles. The purpose of the method described in this document is to offer products commercially to users.

[0010] The object of the invention is to show a way in which vehicle experiences can be made available to users in an authentic manner.

[0011] The object is achieved by a method for making settings on at least one first actuator of a motor vehicle according to patent claim 1, by a method for enabling the changing of settings on at least one actuator of a motor vehicle according to patent claim 11 and by a motor vehicle having the features according to patent claim 12.

[0012] The method according to the invention for making settings on at least one first actuator of a motor vehicle comprises specifying a first setting for the at least one first actuator, obtaining first data that specifies a second setting using a first NFT, and finally using the obtained data to change the first setting to the second setting. The invention thus utilizes the concept of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to ensure increased legal certainty when trading such data that specifies settings for actuators (i.e., more or less, when trading control commands).

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, the NFT itself comprises a file with control commands for the at least one first actuator. When the NFT is minted, such a file is linked to further data.

[0014] Alternatively, the NFT may contain a data path to a file with control commands for the at least one first actuator. The data path may, for example, refer to the World Wide Web, where the so-called URL number clearly indicates where the file can be found.

[0015] Alternatively, the control commands can be stored in the vehicle itself and can only be activated in the vehicle using the NFT. In the latter case, it can be assumed that there is a central server (in particular, a platform managed by the car manufacturer, for example) where the buyer / renter / other user of the vehicle can perform acquisition activities (buying, renting, etc., an NFT and the associated control commands).

[0016] A typical format for files with control commands is the .xml format, where ".xml" stands for "Extensible Markup Language." This format is generally suitable for storing almost any type of data. This data can be interpreted as a control command if it is organized in a predetermined manner. The ordering of the data can be specified in an .xsl file ("Extensible Stylesheet Language").

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second setting directly replaces the first setting. Thus, the vehicle experience can include white light predominant in the vehicle (according to the first setting), and the user, via the NFT, obtains the right to activate red lights as the second setting. (The actuator then contains the group of lights, including both the white and red ones.)

[0018] In the same way, a sound-emitting device (loudspeaker, equalizer) can in principle have a first setting which is replaced by a second setting during the process.

[0019] Alternatively, it is possible for the second setting to simply follow the first setting in time, meaning that the vehicle experience continues for a longer period of time if the user has acquired the corresponding right with the NFT, whereby the duration is preferably between 1 second and 1 minute.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment, second data is obtained using a second NFT, which specifies third settings. This can be purely complementary, but preferably the second data, together with the first data, specifies a fourth setting. Thus, if the user were to acquire only the second NFT, the third setting would be used instead of the first setting. However, since they have already acquired the first NFT, the more advantageous fourth setting is available to them. The preferred embodiments above for the second setting apply to the third and / or fourth settings (they replace the first setting or another setting, or follow the first / other setting chronologically).

[0021] In the case of lighting, for example, the second setting might use red light, the third blue light, and the fourth setting might be a violet tone created by combining red and blue light, but this happens immediately. Alternatively, the fourth setting might be green light, a combination of red and blue light. This is also possible in series: the first setting with white light might be followed by the second setting with red light and then by the third setting with blue light. Upon selecting blue light, the green light is emitted in addition to the red light as the fourth setting.

[0022] Alternatively or additionally, it is possible that a first setting is also specified for at least one second actuator, that third data is obtained using a third NFT that specifies a second setting for the at least one second actuator, and that the third data is used to change the first setting of the second actuator into a second setting.

[0023] Preferably, it is further provided that a setting for a third actuator is also changed. For example, in an action experience world, the first NFT could be the first actuators for the lighting actuators responsible for the vehicle interior, the second NFT could be the second actuators for the actuators responsible for sounds in the vehicle interior, and the third actuator could be the one that plays a theme song and / or displays a sequence of lights when the user opens the vehicle door and enters the vehicle interior.

[0024] The method for enabling the changing of settings on at least one actuator of a motor vehicle according to the invention comprises minting at least one NFT that links a file, in particular an .xml file, containing control commands for the at least one actuator with further data (for example, with an identifier that indicates the vehicle type for which the control commands can be used, or an identifier for a specific (hardware) feature in the motor vehicle, and the like). After minting, the at least one NFT is entered into a blockchain. Access to the NFT after acquiring the corresponding right allows access to the file containing the control commands.

[0025] The motor vehicle according to the invention comprises at least one actuator and an associated control unit, which is designed to obtain at least one file, in particular an .xml file, with control commands for the at least one actuator from an internal memory of the motor vehicle or to download it externally based on at least one data path determined by an NFT and to implement the control commands, wherein the control commands are implemented as needed, in particular immediately and / or after the occurrence of further conditions.

[0026] For use cases or application situations that may arise during the method and which are not explicitly described here, it may be provided that, in accordance with the method, an error message and / or a request to enter user feedback is issued and / or a default setting and / or a predetermined initial state is set.

[0027] The invention also includes the control device for the motor vehicle. The control device can have a data processing device or a processor device that is configured to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention. For this purpose, the processor device can have at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Furthermore, the processor device can have program code that is configured to carry out the embodiment of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor device. The program code can be stored in a data memory of the processor device. A processor circuit of the processor device can, for example, have at least one circuit board and / or at least one SoC (System on Chip).

[0028] The invention also includes further developments of the motor vehicle according to the invention that have features already described in connection with the further developments of the method according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the motor vehicle according to the invention are not described again here. The motor vehicle according to the invention is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger car or truck, or as a passenger bus or motorcycle.

[0029] As a further solution, the invention also encompasses a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer or computer network, cause the computer or computer network to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention. The storage medium can, for example, be designed at least partially as a non-volatile data memory (e.g., as a flash memory and / or as an SSD - solid state drive) and / or at least partially as a volatile data memory (e.g., as a RAM - random access memory). However, the storage medium can also be operated, for example, as a so-called app store server on the Internet. The computer or computer network can provide a processor circuit with at least one microprocessor. The instructions can be provided as binary code or assembler and / or as source code of a programming language (e.g., C).

[0030] The invention also encompasses combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also encompasses implementations that each comprise a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, unless the embodiments are described as mutually exclusive.

[0031] Embodiments of the invention are described below.

[0032] The only

[0033] The figure shows a schematic of how actuator settings are changed in a motor vehicle. The method assumes that NFTs have already been minted, for example by the vehicle manufacturer or specialized design firms. These NFTs convey the rights to provide specific experiences for the vehicle user, primarily in the vehicle interior. The invention can also be implemented with other actuators that do not directly relate to the vehicle interior.

[0034] There is a list 1 containing the hash values ​​for the NFTs. This list 1 is transmitted to the motor vehicle 2, where it is received by a component 20, which could be a central control unit. Component 20 in the motor vehicle 2 then checks the wallet linked to a user account of the owner / renter / user to determine which NFTs are in the user's possession. In the example shown in the figure, the check mark after #1 indicates that NFT 1 belongs to the user, but not NFTs 2 and 3. The owned NFTs are offered for activation in the vehicle, where corresponding groups of control commands are stored and can be unlocked, so that the experience components can be activated separately or together.

[0035] In this case, NFT 1 is initially active, so in the example case, an actuator 22 for lighting is activated. The user can additionally purchase NFT 2, as shown in the bottom right of the figure. A rule can state that this also activates NFT 3. Accordingly, in addition to actuator 22, an actuator 24 for sound is activated by NFT 2, and a display 26 is activated by NFT 3 in motor vehicle 2.

[0036] The ownership of an experience component is regularly verified before the experience is activated, so that no experience is activated that is no longer stored as an NFT in the user's wallet. The vehicle's user interface (control unit 20) notifies the user in this case. The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. The described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0037] It was demonstrated that a method for NFT-based design of an exclusive vehicle experience can be provided.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS: 1 . Method for making settings on at least one first actuator (22) of a motor vehicle (2), comprising: - specifying a first setting for the at least one first actuator (22), - using a first NFT to obtain initial data that specifies a second setting, - Use the obtained data to change the first setting to the second setting.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the NFT itself contains a file with control commands for the at least one first actuator (22).

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the NFT contains a data path to a file with control commands for the at least one first actuator (2)2.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the control commands in the motor vehicle (2) are stored by themselves and are unlocked using the NFT.

5. Method according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the file is or comprises an .xml file.

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the second setting replaces the first setting.

7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the second setting follows the first setting in time.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that second data are obtained on the basis of a second NFT, which data alone specify a third setting, and in that the second data in combination with the first data specify a fourth setting.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a first setting for at least one second actuator (24) is also specified, that third data are obtained based on a third NFT, which specify a second setting for the at least one second actuator (24), and that the third data are used to change the first setting of the second actuator (24) into a second setting.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that a setting of a third actuator (26) is additionally changed.

11. A method for enabling the changing of settings on at least one actuator (22, 24, 26) of a motor vehicle, comprising: - Minting at least one NFT that links a file, in particular an .xml file, with control commands for at least one actuator (22, 24, 26) with further data; - Entries of at least one NFT into a blockchain.

12. Motor vehicle (2) with at least one actuator (22, 24, 26) and an associated control unit (20), which is designed to retrieve at least one file, in particular an .xml file, with control commands for the at least one actuator (22, 24, 26) from an internal memory of the motor vehicle based on at least one data path determined by an NFT. or download it externally and implement the control commands as needed.

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