Managing the operation of a motor vehicle's radio frequency communication system based on vehicle occupancy

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the operation of a radio frequency signal communication device (2) in a motor vehicle (1), the radio frequency signal communication device establishing a wireless communication network in the vehicle's passenger compartment by means of at least two antennas (3, 4), each antenna being coupled to a phase shifter (5, 6) to direct a transmitted signal. The invention also relates to a computer system (100) implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a system (100). Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Management of the operation of a radio frequency signal communication device in a motor vehicle based on vehicle occupancy. Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication devices for motor vehicles. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing the operation of a radio frequency signal communication device in a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a system implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle comprising such a system. The invention is applicable to motor vehicles such as motor land vehicles, particularly cars. Prior art

[0002] Some modern motor vehicles are equipped with a radio frequency communication device, most often a Wi-Fi access point, to allow vehicle occupants to connect their communicating devices and thus benefit from better bandwidth and improved quality of service. To this end, the vehicle's radio frequency communication device generally broadcasts a wireless communication network within the vehicle's passenger compartment using an antenna, thereby enabling all vehicle occupants to connect to the network.However, this method generates electromagnetic radiation within the passenger compartment, and as we now know, this can have significant consequences for the health of its occupants. This is why some laws strictly regulate the conditions under which people can be exposed to such radiation. Furthermore, this method also results in relatively high energy consumption, which can, in some cases, lead to waste, for example, if no connected devices are plugged into the grid. In an electric vehicle in particular, any unnecessary energy consumption reduces the vehicle's range and / or comfort. Summary of the invention.

[0003] The invention aims to overcome these drawbacks. In particular, it aims to provide a solution to avoid the potential energy waste caused by providing a wireless communication network in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle using an access point. The invention also aims to provide means of minimizing the exposure of vehicle occupants. The invention aims to maximize vehicle range and comfort while protecting the health of occupants. This technology is designed to protect against electromagnetic radiation generated by the transmission of a wireless communication network within the vehicle's interior.

[0004] In order to achieve these goals, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method for managing, by means of a computer system embedded in a motor vehicle, the operation of a radio frequency communication device of the vehicle, the radio frequency communication device establishing a wireless communication network in the vehicle's passenger compartment by means of at least two antennas, each antenna being coupled to a phase shifter to direct a transmitted signal, the method comprising the steps of: i. determine data characterizing the connected occupancy of the vehicle; and ii. manage the communication network coverage based on the data determined during step i).

[0005] According to one variant, step ii) may include a step of restricting the coverage of the communication network to at least one area of ​​the vehicle's passenger compartment in which there is an occupant and a communicating device connected to the communication network.

[0006] According to another variant, the restriction can be achieved by interacting with at least one phase shifter.

[0007] According to yet another variant, the said data characterizing the connected occupancy of the vehicle can be determined by interacting with the communication device by radio frequency signals.

[0008] According to yet another variant, said data characterizing the connected occupancy of the vehicle can be determined by interacting with a vehicle interior monitoring device, said device comprising a camera, a first sensor integrated into a seat and / or a second sensor integrated into a seat belt.

[0009] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a system for managing the operation of a radio frequency signal communication device of a motor vehicle, the radio frequency signal communication device establishing a wireless communication network in the passenger compartment of the vehicle by means of at least two antennas, each of the antennas being coupled to a phase shifter to direct an emitted signal, the system comprising at least one information processing unit, including at least one processor, and a data storage medium configured to implement a method as described above.

[0010] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for the execution of the steps of a process as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a medium usable in a computer on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0012] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a radio frequency signal communication device establishing a wireless communication network in the vehicle's passenger compartment and a system as described above, the radio frequency signal communication device comprising at least two antennas, each of the antennas being coupled to a phase shifter to direct an emitted signal.

[0013] According to one variant, the antennas can be spaced at a distance of between five and seven centimeters. Brief description of the figures

[0014] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from an examination of the detailed description below, and the accompanying figures, in which:

[0015] [Fig-1] is a diagram of a motor vehicle according to the invention;

[0016] [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention; and

[0017] [Fig.3] is a flowchart of the steps of a process according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0018] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. This vehicle is equipped with a radio frequency signal communication device 2, which conventionally broadcasts a wireless communication network within the vehicle's passenger compartment, for example, a Wi-Fi network. Conventionally, the radio frequency signal communication device 2 also communicates with a public wireless communication network (3G / 4G / 5G) and / or a satellite communication system by means of a wired communication network and at least one antenna of the vehicle 1.

[0019] According to the invention, the radio frequency signal communication device 2 of the vehicle 1 comprises at least two antennas 3, 4, each coupled to a phase shifter 5, 6 in order to direct a transmitted signal. Preferably, particularly when the radio frequency signal communication device is a Wi-Fi access point, the antennas are spaced between 5 and 7 centimeters apart, preferably 6.25 cm. Furthermore, the radio frequency signal communication device 2 is advantageously configured to be able to determine the location of communicating devices that are connected to the communication network. wireless that it establishes, for example by applying a method based on the angle of arrival (in English, Angle Of Arrival or AoA), on the time of flight (in English, Time Of Flight or TOF) or on the received signal strength indicator (in English, Received Signal Strength Indicator, or RSSI).

[0020] The vehicle 1 according to the invention also carries a vehicle interior monitoring system 7, which includes a camera 8, at least one first sensor integrated into a seat 9 and / or at least one second sensor 10 integrated into a seat belt. In a conventional manner, the vehicle interior monitoring system 7 is thus able to determine the location of the occupants of vehicle 1 within the passenger compartment.

[0021] Advantageously, the vehicle 1 according to the invention further incorporates a system 100 for managing the operation of a radio frequency signal communication device of a motor vehicle, as described below, which implements a method for managing the operation of a radio frequency signal communication device of a motor vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as briefly summarized below and described in detail below.

[0022] During vehicle operation, the system 100 according to the invention continuously determines data characterizing the connected occupancy of the vehicle 1. In other words, it determines where the vehicle occupants and the communicating devices that are connected to the wireless communication network broadcast by the radio frequency signal communication device 2 are located. Then, the system 100 according to the invention manages the coverage of the communication network according to this data that it has determined, preferably by restricting the coverage to one or more areas of the passenger compartment in which there is an occupant and a communicating device connected to the communication network.Thus, vehicle occupants who are not carrying a communicating device connected to the wireless communication network are not (or less) exposed to the electromagnetic radiation generated by the radio frequency signal communication device 2, and the energy consumed to enable connectivity for vehicle occupants is also minimized.

[0023] Figure 2 schematically illustrates the system 100 for managing the operation of a radio frequency signal communication device for a motor vehicle as defined in the present invention. It is essentially a computer device, comprising at least one information processing unit 101, including one or more processors, and a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded, in particular, a program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of the process according to the invention described below. after, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data.

[0024] Preferably, the system 100 according to the invention is hosted on an independent computer and interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired vehicle communication network (e.g., CAN, Ethernet, MOST) - represented in [Fig. 1] by the arrows - with the radio frequency signal communication device 2 and with the vehicle's interior monitoring equipment 7. As a result, the system 100 according to the invention can, in particular, determine data characterizing the connected occupancy of the vehicle, and it can also manage the coverage of a wireless communication network established by the radio frequency signal communication device 2.

[0025] According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the implementation of a method for managing the operation of a radio frequency signal communication device of a motor vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as described below in relation to [Fig.3].

[0026] Figure 3 illustrates, by means of a flowchart, the steps of the process according to the invention.

[0027] According to a first step 301 of the method according to the invention, the system 100 according to the invention determines data characterizing the connected occupancy of the vehicle. To do this, it interacts, on the one hand, with the radio frequency signal communication device 2 and, on the other hand, with the vehicle's interior monitoring equipment 7. Indeed, as already mentioned above, the radio frequency signal communication device 2 is configured to determine in a conventional manner the location of communicating devices that are connected to the wireless communication network that it broadcasts, in particular by using the various antennas it includes to implement a location method based on the angle of arrival (AoA), the time of flight (TOF) or the strength of the received signal (RSSI).Thus, the system 100 according to the invention first queries the radio frequency signal communication device 2 to obtain data characterizing the location of one or more communicating devices connected to the wireless communication network. It then interacts with the vehicle's interior monitoring equipment 7 to determine the location of the vehicle's occupants, which is determined by the vehicle's interior monitoring equipment 7 using data generated by the camera 8, the first sensor 9, and / or the second sensor 10. Based on this information, the system 100 according to the invention can thus determine any areas of the passenger compartment where one or more occupants are located who are not carrying a connected communicating device. to the wireless communication network broadcast by the radio frequency signal communication device 2. Thus, at the end of this first step of the process, the system 100 according to the invention has determined one or more areas of the vehicle's interior for which it is useless and harmful to propagate the wireless communication network broadcast by the radio frequency signal communication device 2.

[0028] Next, according to a second step 302 of the method according to the invention, the system 100 according to the invention manages the coverage of the wireless communication network based on the data determined during the previous step. In other words, the system 100 according to the invention uses the connected occupancy of the vehicle 1 to manage accordingly the coverage of the communication network that is broadcast by the radio frequency signal communication device 2. Preferably, it proceeds by restricting the coverage of the communication network to one or more zones in which there is an occupant and a communicating device connected to the communication network established by the radio frequency signal communication device 2.In other words, the area(s) of the passenger compartment where an occupant is located who is not carrying a communicating device connected to the wireless communication network are not covered by the wireless communication network. To implement this step, the system 100 according to the invention interacts with at least one of the phase shifters 5, 6. Indeed, the phase shifters 5, 6, which are coupled to each of the antennas 3, 4, advantageously allow the direction of the emitted signals. For example, in advanced Wi-Fi networks, such as those using the 802.1lin, 802.1lac, and 802.11ax standards, beamforming is a common technique. This technique uses phase shifters to direct the signal in specific directions. By adjusting the phase of the signals emitted by different antennas in an antenna array, the signal can be strengthened in one direction and weakened in others.Thus, the system 100 according to the invention manages the coverage of the wireless communication network established by the radio frequency signal communication device 2 by restricting it to only those areas in which there is an occupant and a communicating device connected to the wireless communication network.

[0029] Thus, thanks to the method and system according to the invention described above, a solution exists to avoid the potential energy waste induced by providing a wireless communication network in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle by means of an access point. The method and system according to the invention also make it possible to minimize the exposure of the occupants of a motor vehicle to the electromagnetic radiation generated by the broadcasting of a wireless communication network in the passenger compartment. Thus, the method and system according to the invention contribute to maximizing the autonomy and comfort of vehicles while preserving the health of their occupants.

Claims

Demands

1. A method for managing, by means of a computer system (100) embedded in a motor vehicle (1), the operation of a radio frequency signal communication device (2) of the vehicle, the radio frequency signal communication device establishing a wireless communication network in the passenger compartment of the vehicle by means of at least two antennas (3, 4), each of the antennas being coupled to a phase shifter (5, 6) to direct a transmitted signal, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: i. determining data characterizing the connected occupancy of the vehicle; and ii. managing the coverage of the communication network according to the data determined during step i).

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that step ii) comprises a step of restricting the coverage of the communication network to at least one area of ​​the vehicle's interior in which there is an occupant and a communicating device connected to the communication network.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the restriction is achieved by interacting with at least one phase shifter (5, 6).

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said data characterizing the connected occupancy of the vehicle are determined by interacting with the radio frequency signal communication device (2).

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said data characterizing the connected occupancy of the vehicle are determined by interacting with a vehicle interior monitoring device (7), said device comprising a camera (8), a first sensor (9) integrated into a seat and / or a second sensor (10) integrated into a seat belt.

6. A system (100) for managing the operation of a radio frequency signal communication device (2) in a motor vehicle (1), the radio frequency signal communication device establishing a wireless communication network in the vehicle's passenger compartment by means of at least two antennas (3, 4), each antenna being coupled to a phase shifter (5, 6) to direct a transmitted signal, characterized in that the system comprises at least one information processing unit (101), comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium (102) configured to implement a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. Computer program comprising program code instructions for carrying out the steps of a process according to any one of claims 1-5 when said program is executed by at least one processor.

8. A medium usable in a computer, characterized in that a program according to claim 7 is stored thereon.

9. Motor vehicle (1) comprising a radio frequency signal communication device (2) establishing a wireless communication network in the vehicle's passenger compartment, characterized in that the vehicle (1) comprises a system (100) according to claim 6 and the radio frequency signal communication device comprises at least two antennas (3,4), each of the antennas being coupled to a phase shifter (5,6) to direct an emitted signal.

10. Vehicle (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the antennas are spaced at a distance of between five and seven centimeters.

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