Method and information technology system for determining at least one state of a vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for determining at least one state of a vehicle (1), in which the vehicle (1) determines the state and transmits the state to a central computing unit (4) external to the vehicle (4) using a communication unit (2) within the vehicle if a wireless communication connection (3) with the central computing unit (4) external to the vehicle exists, and if the communication connection (3) is interrupted, transmits the state to a mobile terminal (5) connected to communicate with the vehicle (1), which temporarily caches the state received from the vehicle (1) and forwards it to the central computing unit (4) when the wireless communication connection (3) between the mobile terminal (5) and the central computing unit (4) becomes available. The method according to the present invention is characterized in that the vehicle (1) determines the state and subsequently transmits the state to the mobile terminal (5) only if the communication connection (3) with the central computing unit (4) is interrupted when the doors of the vehicle (1) are locked.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for determining at least one state of a vehicle as defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1, as well as to an information technology system as defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 7. [Background technology]

[0002] Digitalization is also making inroads in the automotive field. That is, vehicles are becoming increasingly networked, which makes it possible to provide new types of safety and comfort functions. Vehicles can detect, monitor, and record the status of vehicle subsystems or vehicle components, and provide this information. For this purpose, data is read from the vehicle's control device. The status can be, for example, whether the vehicle's windows are open or closed, what the tank level of the vehicle's tank is, what the charge state of the vehicle's traction battery is, whether the vehicle's doors are locked, etc.

[0003] This status information can be transmitted from the vehicle to a central location, for example to a server operated by the vehicle manufacturer. The server can then be accessed via the Internet for reading or writing, allowing not only the status to be queried but also control commands, such as closing windows or turning off parking lights, to be given remotely. To enable the vehicle to establish a data connection with the server, a communication unit is typically provided in the vehicle, which has access to the Internet and thus to the server via mobile radio.

[0004] The user can run appropriate software, also referred to as an application, on a mobile terminal such as a smartphone to interact with the server and thus with the vehicle, thereby enabling the user to query the server for status information about the vehicle via the mobile terminal and to issue the aforementioned control commands, thereby providing a comfort function that allows the user to easily check whether there are any problems with the vehicle.

[0005] Such a method is known from Patent Document 1. The transmission of status information from the vehicle to the server, and thus to the user's mobile terminal, is only possible if the vehicle's communication unit is connected to the Internet via mobile radio. When the vehicle enters a blind zone, such as a parking garage or underground parking lot, the mobile radio connection may be interrupted, making the transmission of status information impossible. In this case, accessing the vehicle status using the mobile terminal is no longer possible, or incorrect, i.e., outdated, information is displayed. To solve this problem, the method disclosed in the above-mentioned document proposes that, when the mobile radio connection is interrupted, the vehicle transmits the aforementioned status information directly to the user's mobile terminal, which then forwards the status information to the server. In this case, the mobile terminal functions as a temporary data memory and communication relay. However, at the same time, the mobile terminal may lose its mobile communication connection with the communication unit. However, when the user leaves the blind zone, for example, by walking out of the underground parking lot, the mobile terminal can quickly re-establish a mobile radio connection with the Internet, which allows the cached vehicle status information to be transmitted to the server, even though the vehicle itself is still in the blind zone. However, while the vehicle is stopped in the blind zone, the state of the vehicle may change again, a change that cannot be detected by the method disclosed in this document.

[0006] Another method and system for providing vehicle data is known from Patent Document 2. In this method, the mobile radio signal strength of a motor vehicle is monitored, and when the mobile radio connection is interrupted, it is checked whether the vehicle is parked with the mobile radio connection interrupted. If so, the location where the vehicle is parked is stored and classified as a dead spot. When the vehicle approaches this dead spot again within a specified distance during a subsequent journey, the vehicle transmits vehicle data to a server device. These data include, in particular, the vehicle's location when it approaches the dead spot within a specified distance, and, if necessary, further data such as the tank fill state, the battery charge state, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102018007437 [Patent Document 2] European Patent Application Publication No. 3128721 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The problem on which the invention is based is to further improve the method for determining at least one state of a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a method for determining at least one state of a vehicle with the features of claim 1. Advantageous configurations and developments as well as an information technology system for implementing the method emerge from the claims dependent thereon.

[0010] A generalized method for determining at least one state of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle determines the state and transmits this state to a central computing unit external to the vehicle by means of a communication unit within the vehicle if a wireless communication connection with the central computing unit external to the vehicle is established, and if the communication connection is interrupted, transmits the state to a mobile terminal connected to communicate with the vehicle, the mobile terminal temporarily caching the state received from the vehicle and forwarding it to the central computing unit when a wireless communication connection between the mobile terminal and the central computing unit becomes available, which is further developed according to the invention in that the vehicle determines the state only if the communication connection with the central computing unit is interrupted when the vehicle doors are locked and then transmits the state to the mobile terminal. Using the method according to the invention, state changes that have occurred can be detected even after the communication connection between the vehicle or the communication unit and the central computing unit is interrupted and the impact of these state changes on the state of the vehicle can be taken into account.

[0011] For example, when a vehicle enters an underground parking garage, the communication connection between the vehicle and the central computing unit may be interrupted. The vehicle then transmits information that the vehicle's doors are unlocked and that the vehicle windows are down as its state. This state corresponds to the state in which the driver of the vehicle removes a parking ticket from an automatic ticket dispenser upon entering the underground parking garage. The vehicle then enters the underground parking garage and parks in a parking space. The driver's window is closed, and the doors are locked when the driver leaves the vehicle. If the vehicle's state were transmitted directly to the mobile terminal when the communication connection was interrupted and then transmitted to the central computing unit at a later time, the central computing unit would store the unrealistic states, i.e., "doors unlocked" and "windows down."

[0012] However, by transmitting the status to the mobile terminal only when the vehicle doors are locked, the actual status of the vehicle can be detected more reliably. That is, the moment when the vehicle is locked usually corresponds to the moment when the driver leaves his vehicle. After this point, no further changes in the status occur. Therefore, the actual status of the vehicle is cached in the mobile terminal in a more reliable manner and is subsequently transmitted to the central computing unit when a communication connection between the mobile terminal and the central computing unit is re-established. This prevents a warning message from being displayed on the mobile terminal when the driver leaves, for example, an underground parking lot, indicating that the driver's window is still down and the vehicle doors are not locked.

[0013] The vehicle state may take into account various characteristics of the vehicle or vehicle components, including the aforementioned door lock status, vehicle window openness, tank level, the state of charge of an electric vehicle battery, whether the vehicle headlights are on, whether the vehicle infotainment system is on, among other things, which audio source is set, which media is playing, whether the parking lights are on, the last measured tire pressure, whether a mobile terminal device is connected to the vehicle, etc. Thus, the vehicle state may represent the status of one or more vehicle subsystems, vehicle components, etc.

[0014] The wireless communication connection between the communication unit and the central computing unit can be considered, as mentioned at the beginning, as an Internet connection of the communication unit to the central computing unit via mobile radio. It is also conceivable that the communication unit is additionally or alternatively connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, for example, via a fixed Wi-Fi hotspot. Such hotspots can be installed, for example, in public parking lots or driver's private garages and can maintain the vehicle's communication connection with the central computing unit when the mobile radio connection is interrupted. On the other hand, the method according to the present invention is useful when a WLAN connection is not possible either.

[0015] The vehicle continuously determines its state, for example at predetermined intervals, and thus a state update is transmitted to the central computing unit in order to update, i.e., update, the state of the vehicle held in the central computing unit to the actual state.

[0016] The mobile terminal may be any device such as a tablet computer, a smartphone, a laptop, a wearable device, etc. However, the mobile terminal itself must be able to transmit the status received from the vehicle to a central computing unit via a wireless communication connection. Due to the mobile radio connection that is preferably available, a smartphone is therefore particularly suitable for carrying out the method.

[0017] The method according to the present invention is not limited to parking in parking lots, underground garages, and the like. The communication connection between the communication unit and the central computing unit may be lost, for example, in any blind zone, such as a remote area where it is difficult to establish a mobile radio network. For example, the driver may park his vehicle in a parking space in a blind zone and go hiking. The driver may then climb a hill or mountain where the mobile terminal device he is carrying can once again receive radio signals. This allows the vehicle's status to be transmitted to the central computing unit reliably, even in such situations.

[0018] In an advantageous development of the method, a third party queries the central computing unit for the vehicle's status. That is, the central computing unit is configured to provide the third party with access to the information managed by the central computing unit. The vehicle's status is transmitted to the driver's mobile terminal when the vehicle doors are locked, so the mobile terminal already has up-to-date status information. However, the method according to the present invention is particularly advantageous when a third party, such as the driver's family or a service provider, wants to additionally check the vehicle's status. The vehicle may be, for example, a fleet vehicle, and the third party may be the manager of the fleet. Thus, the third party can also reliably read out the actual vehicle status. The term "third party" includes the vehicle owner or the driver himself.

[0019] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, when the central computing unit detects an interruption of the communication connection with the communication unit, the central computing unit incorporates into the vehicle state stored in the central computing unit a status indication indicating that the stored status may be erroneous, thereby more reliably preventing persons interested in the vehicle state from misinterpreting the vehicle state or assuming an erroneous state.

[0020] In order to be able to transmit the vehicle status transmitted to the mobile terminal to the central computing unit, the mobile terminal must likewise re-establish a communication connection with the central computing unit, for example by reinitializing the mobile radio connection. However, if the driver remains in the blind zone for a relatively long time, the mobile terminal cannot transmit the vehicle status to the central computing unit. If a third party obtains the vehicle status from the central computing unit during this period, the third party will read the last transmitted status, which may no longer correspond to the latest actual status. However, the central computing unit can in this case provide a corresponding status indication that informs the third party that, due to the communication connection being lost, the latest status information can no longer be received from the vehicle and therefore the presented retained status may be incorrect (the status may be out of date).

[0021] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, this status indication can be deleted when the central computing unit receives again the status from the mobile terminal, which may be transmitted from a communication unit inside the vehicle or from the mobile terminal.

[0022] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the vehicle transmits the status to the mobile terminal as a data packet, and the mobile terminal checks the data packet for completeness. For example, the data packet can have a predetermined data structure. For example, each time data is transmitted, the data packet can include the respective statuses of a predefined number of vehicle characteristics. Since the communication connection between the mobile terminal and the vehicle may be interrupted during the transmission of the data packet, it is possible that only part of the data packet can be transmitted. To identify such a case, the mobile terminal can check the data packet for completeness. For example, the mobile terminal checks whether all data packets contain information corresponding to the specified data structure. The connection of the mobile terminal to the vehicle can be established in a known manner, for example, via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, NFC, etc. In particular, if the data packet becomes very large in terms of memory size and the driver leaves the vehicle relatively quickly after locking it, there is an increased risk that not all important status-related information can be transmitted.

[0023] A two-way communication connection can be established between the mobile terminal and the vehicle, so that when a data packet is completely transmitted, the vehicle transmits corresponding information to the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal can return receipt of this information to the vehicle. Only when the vehicle and the mobile terminal mutually confirm that the data packet has been completely transmitted and completely received, does the mobile terminal output information that the data packet is complete.

[0024] Particularly preferably, the data packet comprises an information part and a useful part, the useful part containing a status and the information part describing the scope of the useful part. A data packet can also be understood as a digital message consisting of a header and a payload. The header describes the size of the data packet and, if necessary, further parameters such as the time at which the data transmission started, which status information is included as status in the useful part, i.e., whether only status updates related to door locks and headlights are included, or whether status updates related to further vehicle components are also included. The information describing the respective status then forms the useful part. This has the advantage that the data packet can have a flexible data structure.

[0025] In this case, the status information can be included in the data package in a differential update manner, i.e., the vehicle status change characteristics are included in the data packet only for those characteristics for which a status change has been confirmed since the last transmission, thereby reducing the memory size of the data package.

[0026] In another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the mobile terminal outputs a warning indication if it determines that the data packet transmission was incomplete. This provides the driver with proof that the data transmission was successful. For example, if the data transmission failed because the driver left the vehicle too early or too quickly, the driver can move with the mobile terminal back into the vehicle's radio range. This ensures that the vehicle status is transmitted to the mobile terminal and subsequently to the central computing unit with even greater reliability. The mobile terminal can output visual, acoustic, and tactile information as the warning indication. For example, if the driver locks the vehicle and then leaves the vehicle, and the status data transmission to the mobile terminal is incomplete, an alarm sounds and the mobile terminal vibrates. Thus, the driver can see the warning indication even if the mobile terminal is in his pocket. The driver then picks up the mobile terminal and reads the warning message displayed on the mobile terminal's display, which requests the driver to completely terminate the data transmission.

[0027] According to the invention, an information technology system including a vehicle, a central computing unit, and a mobile terminal is provided, the vehicle, the central computing unit, and the mobile terminal being configured to implement the method described above. The vehicle may be any road vehicle, such as a car, a truck, a transporter, a bus, etc. The vehicle may also be a rail vehicle, a watercraft, or an aircraft. To determine whether the vehicle is parked, the door locking status is monitored. The vehicle therefore has lockable doors. Door locking can be achieved, for example, by means of a radio key or by means of the mobile terminal. For this purpose, the mobile terminal and the vehicle can be configured accordingly. Such a function is also called "Keyless Go".

[0028] The central computing unit may be, for example, a cloud server, also referred to as a backend, and is preferably operated by the vehicle manufacturer.

[0029] Each hardware component, i.e., a corresponding computing unit within the vehicle, such as an on-board central computer, a control device of a vehicle subsystem, or the aforementioned communication unit itself, as well as the central computing unit and the mobile terminal, executes a computer program product, which implements the steps of the method according to the invention, which is performed by the respective hardware component. The respective computer program product is stored in the respective hardware component on a computer-readable storage medium. Accordingly, the respective storage medium and the respective computer program product are likewise part of the invention.

[0030] Further advantageous configurations of the method according to the invention for determining at least one state of a vehicle will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments which are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle entering an underground parking garage. [Figure 2] 1 shows a flow chart of a method according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] 1 shows a vehicle 1 entering an underground car park 6. The vehicle 1 has a comfort function that allows the driver 7 to query the status of the vehicle 1 from outside the vehicle 1 via a mobile terminal device 5 that he carries. The status of the vehicle 1 may be characteristics of vehicle components or vehicle subsystems and / or vehicle functions, including for example the ignition status, the lock status of the vehicle doors, the opening degree of the windows, which lighting devices of the vehicle 1 are activated, etc.

[0033] To provide this functionality, a computing unit 8 inside the vehicle reads information from various control devices 9 via a data bus and transmits it to a central computing unit 4 via a communication unit 2. Typically, the communication unit 2 is connected via mobile radio to a mobile radio network base station 10, which itself communicates with the central computing unit 4 via the Internet 11. This provides a wireless communication connection 3.

[0034] A mobile terminal 5 is likewise connected to the central computing unit 4 by means of a mobile radio wireless communication connection 3 via the Internet 11 and is therefore able to intercept data relating to the vehicle 1 .

[0035] When the vehicle 1 enters the aforementioned underground car park 6, it enters the blind zone 12. After that, the state information detected by the vehicle 1 can no longer be transmitted to the central computing unit 4 via mobile radio. If the driver 7 then attempts to inquire about the state of the vehicle 1 while outside the underground car park 6, the central computing unit 4 will inquire about the last transmitted state. This state corresponds to the state indicated by the dashed line when the vehicle 1 enters the underground car park 6, with the wireless communication connection 3 cut off, and therefore represents, for example, a state in which the doors of the vehicle 1 are unlocked and the driver's window is down.

[0036] The method according to the invention prevents such false status notifications from being displayed to the driver 7, which could cause him anxiety. For this reason, according to the invention, when the vehicle 1 receives a lock command after stopping, the status is checked again, determined, and transmitted directly to the mobile terminal 5. The mobile terminal 5 is used as a temporary memory, since when leaving the vehicle 1, the mobile terminal 5 is also located in the blind zone 12 and therefore communication between the central processing unit 4 and the mobile terminal 5 is also likely to be impossible. When the driver 7 locks the vehicle 1, he is outside the vehicle 1, as indicated by the dashed line, and therefore no further status changes need to be considered.

[0037] As indicated by the solid line, when the driver 7 leaves the underground car park 6, the mobile terminal 5 re-establishes the wireless communication connection 3 with the central computing unit 4 and thereby transmits the state information received and temporarily stored from the vehicle 1 to the central computing unit 4. It is thus ensured that the actual state of the vehicle 1 is retained in the central computing unit 4.

[0038] 2 illustrates the sequence by means of a flow chart: In method step 201, the vehicle 1 continuously determines its state.

[0039] In method step 202, the communication unit 2 determines that the wireless communication connection 3 with the central processing unit 4 has been lost.

[0040] In method step 203, the vehicle 1 then monitors the door lock status. This monitoring can be performed by one of the illustrated hardware components, i.e. by the communication unit 2, by a computing unit 8 inside the vehicle, or by any control device 9. When the vehicle 1 receives a door lock command, the vehicle status is again detected and transmitted to the mobile terminal 5 in method step 204.

[0041] In method step 205 , the mobile terminal 5 checks whether a wireless communication connection 3 with the central computing unit 4 can be established.

[0042] If a wireless communication connection can be established, in method step 206 the mobile terminal 5 transfers the status acquired from the vehicle 1 to the central computing unit 4, where the status can be provided again via the mobile terminal 5 to a third party or the driver 7 accordingly.

Claims

1. A method for determining at least one state of a vehicle (1), comprising: The vehicle (1) determines the status and, if a wireless communication connection (3) with a central computing unit (4) external to the vehicle exists, transmits the status to the central computing unit (4) external to the vehicle using a communication unit (2) within the vehicle, and, if the communication connection (3) is interrupted, transmits the status to a mobile terminal (5) connected to communicate with the vehicle (1), which temporarily caches the status received from the vehicle (1) and forwards it to the central computing unit (4) when the wireless communication connection (3) between the mobile terminal (5) and the central computing unit (4) becomes available, The vehicle (1) determines the state only if the communication connection (3) with the central computing unit (4) is interrupted when the doors of the vehicle (1) are locked and transmits the state to the mobile terminal device (5).

2. a third party queries the central computing unit (4) about the state of the vehicle (1), The method of claim 1.

3. When the central computing unit (4) detects an interruption of the communication connection (3) with the communication unit (2), the central computing unit (4) incorporates into the state of the vehicle (1) held in the central computing unit (4) a status indication indicating that the held state may be erroneous.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the central computing unit (4) receives a status again from the communication unit (2) or the mobile terminal (5), the central computing unit (4) erases the status indication. The method of claim 3.

5. the vehicle (1) transmits the status to the mobile terminal (5) as a data packet, the mobile terminal (5) checking the data packet for integrity, 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the data packet includes an information portion and a valid portion, the valid portion including the status, and the information portion describing the range of the valid portion. The method of claim 5.

7. If the mobile terminal (5) determines that the transmission of the data packet is incomplete, the mobile terminal (5) outputs a warning indication.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6.

8. In an information technology system (1) comprising a vehicle (1), a central computing unit (4) and a mobile terminal (5), 8. An information technology system, characterized in that the vehicle (1), the central computing unit (4) and the mobile terminal (5) are configured to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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