EP2350979A1

EP2350979A1 - Data transfer in a vehicle and charging said vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP2350979A1
Application number: EP09784015A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ulrich STÄHLIN; Enno Kelling
Original assignee: Continental Teves AG and Co OHG
Current assignee: Continental Teves AG and Co OHG
Priority date: 2008-10-15
Filing date: 2009-10-14
Publication date: 2011-08-03
Also published as: WO2010043659A1; US8729857B2; US20110215758A1; DE102009045711A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a data transfer, power supply and charging device, comprising a data interface that transfers energy to an energy storage medium as well as vehicle- or driver-specific data through a charging cable or electrical line. The use of a charging cable for the transfer of data to and from the vehicle is suitable for electrical and hybrid vehicles in the automotive field. In this manner, internal vehicle systems can be updated and examined. Furthermore, the data transfer, power supply and charging device can comprise a communications unit that also enables data to be received and transmitted during driving without an electrical connection having to be made.

Description

Data transmission to a vehicle and loading of the vehicle

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a data and energy transmission for vehicles via communication or power grids. In particular, the invention relates to a data transmission, supply and charging device for a vehicle, an off-board data transmission and charging station, a method for data transmission to a vehicle and for charging the vehicle, a computer program product and a computer-readable medium.

Technological background

Vehicle systems are known that provide various types of data to vehicle drivers or service personnel. If a vehicle system is to be updated, for example, to provide additional or corrected data, the required data is usually transmitted to the vehicle system via a removable medium, for example a compact optical data carrier such as a CD-ROM or DVDs. For example, a navigation system of the vehicle can use this exchangeable medium as boarding pass (digital map). However, digital cards in particular often become outdated quickly, so that a replaceable medium must be replaced with a new, updated medium if the data is to coincide with the current circumstances. Updating devices for creating and updating digital maps of a vehicle based on wireless

Data transmission, for example, in DE 10 2008 011 290 Al and DE 10 2008 012 654 Al.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to simplify the maintenance of vehicles.

This object is achieved by a data transmission, supply and charging device for a vehicle, an off-board data transmission and charging station, a method for data transmission to a vehicle and for charging the vehicle, by a computer program product and a computer-readable medium.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a data transmission, supply and charging device for a vehicle having an energy store, a control device and a data interface is provided, wherein the data interface is designed to generate vehicle-related data and at the same time charge current for the energy store of the vehicle via an electrical line (or bus) a pair of wires) of the vehicle and to transmit the data to the control device.

With this device using, for example, a charging cable, which also acts as a data transmission cable, a very simple and uncomplicated data transmission is possible. By combining a data interface and a power interface, the number of interfaces for a vehicle can be reduced. The transmission of data via electrical lines, also referred to below as powerline communication, can be carried out as follows: Data signals are modulated onto a standardized frequency (for example of 50 Hz) of a power line as high-frequency or low-frequency signals.

For example, the data transmission can be provided with carrier frequencies in the MHz range, for example between 1 and 30 MHz. With the help of this communication technology, existing lines or power lines can be used multiple times without having to use new cables. The use of the charging cable as a data communication communication channel for vehicle-related data eliminates other costly techniques and eliminates the need to attach antennas to the vehicle to support wireless technologies. This simplifies the maintenance of the vehicle systems.

With the aid of a control device such as a computing unit, the communication data received via the data interface can be converted into a prepared format, so that they are easier to understand for a vehicle driver. A prepared form would be, for example, that only the problematic values are displayed or the driver is displayed an error status, so that he is prompted to drive to the nearest service station with suitable personnel.

According to a further embodiment of the data transmission, supply and charging device, the energy store of the vehicle comprises a battery for operating an electric motor.

Vehicles that work with electric drive, such as pure electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles can be connected in this way via a charging cable to the mains, the cable can transmit data in addition to the charging current in the vehicle or out of the vehicle. In this way, during the charging time in addition a

Data transfer take place. It is assumed that the vehicles are relatively long connected to the charging cable to ensure a full charge of the battery. Due to the long loading times, even larger amounts of files can be transferred to the vehicle. By using the power line or the electrical line, the power supply during the update or updating the data is guaranteed in any case. Another advantage is that the transmission costs of the data are considered to be lower compared to wireless communication.

Electric vehicles require a corresponding charging infrastructure, with a charging plug with charging cable can be connected to the vehicle and the other end of the

Charging cable can be plugged into an external charging socket. Charging cable connections are suitable for home use where the electric car or plug-in hybrid can be charged via a standard 230 V socket. Depending on the application, the charging power or the charging currents can be varied. As a rule, the charging of an energy storage can be done by means of electrical line, this technique is essentially decoupled from the fast development cycles that are common in mobile communication technology. In this way, you can take advantage of the charging cable and the associated interfaces that they are independent of the rapid development in the private market. With the aid of the data transmission supply and charging device, it is possible to provide the communication interfaces required for the respective vehicle, which are the standard plug-in devices in an existing public infrastructure

Power supply networks are compatible. About the use of simultaneous power and data transmission both monitoring and communication in or out of the vehicle is possible and it can be installed, for example, billing systems that can save electrical consumption.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the data transmission, supply and charging device comprises a display device for displaying the transmitted data.

In this way, the driver can be shown vehicle-relevant data, such as the charging status of the battery or the update status of the vehicle system components to be updated. With the aid of an interactive display device, it is also possible to select individual components which are to be updated. By a selection signal sent to the data transmission, supply and charging device, a component can be selected and ready for data reception or retrieval. The display can be viewed by the vehicle driver or a trained service employee and used to evaluate the data. In this case, diagnostic data can be transmitted via the interface of the data transmission, supply and charging device that can be made available to a service worker without processing.

In suitable workshops or petrol stations, the Service personnel review the data displayed on the data transmission, supply and charging device and provide the driver with a recommendation after further analysis. In this way, for example, a gas station could offer the service to analyze such data for the driver and issue appropriate recommendations. With such a service offer, the service station or equivalent workshop with the trained personnel could expand their offer and possibly increase their turnover.

In addition to the possibility of communication via the charging cable and with the aid of powerline communication, another extra cable for the transmission of diagnostic data is also possible. Furthermore, the data could also be wirelessly via a remote diagnosis or telematics unit. So can the

Transmission of the data from the vehicle done in several ways and the driver or the respective service personnel can select the appropriate variant and least expensive option.

If the vehicle is charged via a power cable, ie a power line, the data for vehicle diagnosis can be transmitted and displayed at the beginning of the charging process. In this way, the driver knows immediately what the state of his vehicle is. The data is saved and displayed again when charging is completed or interrupted. The stored data can be retrieved at any time on request by the driver or service personnel.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the data is selected from the group consisting of vehicle diagnostic data, updates for internal vehicle systems or software, safety data, and Entertainment data.

A single line (or pair of lines), which can be connected to each vehicle component or system by a single power cable, for example, via a central control device, thus makes it possible to transmit several types of data such as vehicle diagnostics, software updates or safety data via a power line. This simplifies the system and makes it cheaper. The use of only one common line for different data saves each an interface or cable.

The provision of vehicle diagnostic data can provide optimum vehicle inspection and diagnostics. With the increase of electrical and electronic vehicle components, especially in the automotive industry, it is important to be able to easily provide the current manufacturer's hardware and software systems to the vehicle. With the help of data transmission, supply and

Loading device can be both single applications, which often come as a new development on the market and system applications that connect multiple components and modules, diagnosed and updated or updated. For example, crash sensors, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) or applications such as engine control components that perform safety functions can be read using the data interface of the data transmission, supply and charging devices. If a safety-relevant status is found during the analysis, this can be reported immediately to the driver via the display device. A possible function of the control device would be that at For example, to low oil level of the engine an immobilizer is initialized to avoid consequential damage caused by the onward journey. Service employees can be provided much more precise information in the same way than is necessary for the driver. Here, for example, the information from fault memories such as the ESP or the engine control unit or versions of software modules can be made available. Similarly, the service employee can be informed of the self-diagnosis of the vehicle, if a driver comes over because of a problem with his car or at a "gas station" already prophylactic.

Furthermore, the control device can be set so that wireless transmission of the data is possible. Here, with the aid of the control device, the updates from the external server could be downloaded only after detecting a parking mode or after switching on a parking brake.

When using a propulsion concept such as a plug-in hybrid, it is also of interest to transmit the data collected in the vehicle to the outside, e.g. adapted to the respective driving style to be able to make the optimal adjustment of the hybrid drive by software update or to allow the manufacturer further optimizations.

Every external data transfer must protect the privacy of the driver. Therefore, it is necessary to anonymize the data or only to make it directly attributable to the vehicle, if the driver has explicitly agreed to this. The necessary procedures are well known from the information and are used for example in mobile communications. As an additional data group, update data can be made available via the data transmission, supply and charging device. Especially in the infotainment applications, such as navigation, audio system, connection of mobile devices, etc., in which frequent updates to internal vehicle systems or software are necessary, it is important that always the latest updates are available in the vehicle. In this way, the functionality of the vehicle can be optimally ensured. By using the charging cable as a transmission medium no extra communication costs are incurred and the update can be fully automatic, as long as the charging cable has been connected. Especially when updating operating software or component software, it is important to secure the data with a suitable backup mechanism so that only authenticated and approved software can be transmitted to the vehicle.

As a further group of data, the security data itself must be mentioned, which are needed, for example, to obtain a

Secure communication in vehicle-to-vehicle communication. With the help or on the basis of car-to-car communication, the vehicle driver or the corresponding computer in the vehicle can communicate with other vehicles and thus be connected to constantly updating databases. Another possible form of communication is that vehicles communicate with infrastructural facilities, such as gantries over the highways. The infrastructure units can collect data from passing vehicles and transmit traffic information to the vehicle, which can then be forwarded to the driver assistance system. For example, the wireless LAN standard can be used for this communication at close range which complements traditional communication channels such as DAB and UMTS.

However, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is to be secured, for example, by a method based on a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). For this purpose, keys and certificates are necessary, which are transmitted for the communication to the vehicles from a central data point. This could be done, for example, via the data interface of the data transmission, supply and charging device.

In this way, the driver can also find necessary information, for example, for his navigation device. Since a stationary charging station is not suitable for location-dependent information about, for example, traffic disruptions of all kinds, a wireless communication network should additionally be available.

Another group of data that is suitable for transferring power via the charging cable or powerline is

Entertainment data. In particular, since large quantities may be incurred here, a transfer method via the powerline is an advantage. Possible entertainment-relevant data would be, for example, music lists and music pieces for the in-vehicle music system. Furthermore, also on the

Data interface music pieces are sent from the vehicle to the external station. If the vehicle has a TV or video transmission device, it is also possible to transmit video or DVD data to the vehicle. It is also possible to provide games or similar entertainment applications, for example for passengers via the powerline. According to a further embodiment of the data transmission, supply and charging device, the location-related data that is transmitted relate to a predefined environment of the vehicle.

This has particular importance for data used for the navigation system. For example, routes and map data for the navigation system can only be updated within a radius of 50 km of the vehicle location. If the vehicle leaves this specified radius, the data can be made during the journey via a second further communication channel, which is wireless. In this way, the memory of the navigation system can be optimally utilized. In this case, updates that are necessary at the current location can be loaded from the server via the data interface of the data transmission, supply and charging device.

According to a further embodiment of the data transmission, supply and charging device, the data transmission, supply and charging device has a communication unit, wherein the data required during the journey can be received by the communication unit via wireless communication. In this case, the communication network is selected from the group consisting of wireless LAN, GPRS, UMTS, LTE and / or WiMAX and other common types of communication, such. Bluetooth, ZigBee, NFC, etc.

If necessary updates could not be transferred to the vehicle during the charging process, the data can be transmitted to the vehicle with the help of the further communication unit, for example via GPRS, as soon as it is available necessary is. GSM / GPRS networks enable the processing of internal vehicle data or vehicle localization via GPS. Wireless data transmission and remote inquiry of the provider connected to the charging station allow the driver to retrieve the necessary data even in remote areas, as far as the installed in the vehicle communication unit with the existing local network and can contact.

According to a further embodiment of the data transmission, supply and charging device, the security data are encryption algorithms for applications, the applications being selected from the group consisting of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure

Communication, operating software and component software.

In the case of vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, for example, it may be necessary to set a server address and data formats, with authentication or the sending of keys and certificates being necessary. A condition for

Establishing communication with other vehicles or the central server may be once defined or changing encryption to increase the safety of vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

Furthermore, security and encryption algorithms for operating software and component software are required to transfer only approved operating software to the vehicle. In this way, a suitable backup mechanism is implemented so that only authenticated and approved software is transmitted to the vehicle. The encryption is also suitable for transmission of safety-relevant data, whereby the driver does not want external access to the transmitted data possible.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the data transmission, supply and charging device has an energy store of the vehicle, which can be externally read out when the energy store is replaced.

In this way can be dispensed with a charging cable for data transmission and energy transfer, since in this case the emptied battery is replaced with a fully charged. In this approach, to provide the electric drive with new energy, it is useful to save vehicle-related data in the battery. After the exchange of

Battery is then allowed to briefly read the used battery and display and evaluate this data. The new battery can already contain new software updates on the internal memory and can thus be transferred to the vehicle. In doing so, the updates may include updates to the operating software or component software, while ensuring through appropriate safeguards that only authenticated and approved software is transmitted to the vehicle. In addition, it must be ensured that the data on the old battery is protected against unauthorized access and e.g. be automatically deleted after a specified time after removal from the vehicle.

Furthermore, an off-board data transmission and

Charging station for transmitting data to a vehicle via an electrical line and simultaneously charging an energy storage device of the vehicle via the electrical line ready.

In this case, the vehicle external data transmission and the charge can each be done by means of a separate cable. However, a combination cable as with the powerline technology is advantageous in order to save a cable and interfaces or plugs. The external data transfer and charging station may include, for example, a server. In this case, the server is connected to a provider who can provide the update data that is needed. In this way, the most current update is always on the server and can be transferred to the vehicle as soon as the vehicle is to be loaded. The provider may also be used to wirelessly transmit un-posted updates to the vehicle later during the journey if the appropriate communication unit is installed in the vehicle. The external data transfer and charging station is further adapted to convert the data to a format suitable for transmission via a powerline.

According to another embodiment of the data transmission and charging station, the station comprises a server in a home or company network.

The choice of a home or company network is useful because the vehicle will usually be stationed very often in the vicinity of these networks. During parking or longer parking times, the charging process can be used to transfer updates to the vehicle or to download vehicle data.

As in a company several vehicles to the power grid connect it, it is necessary here that the vehicle logs on once in the network so that the company server knows which update for which vehicle must be kept. The updates vary according to vehicle type or desired boundary conditions specifically set in eg navigation systems. If several vehicles use the server in a home network, a one-time login is also necessary here, after which this information is stored in the data transfer and charging station and a renewed logon in the network is no longer necessary.

Furthermore, it is also possible that these updates can be made via wireless LAN, if the company or private car has no electric drive or the battery storage is already fully charged. In the home or company server, the update data can be buffered in this way. Using a home or company server as a buffer for the update can significantly reduce communication costs and ensure that the updates are applied to the vehicle. If a vehicle is started, it can check whether it is in the local radio network, such as wireless LAN, and thus can download any necessary updates via the server. Since the range of a wireless LAN is limited, data that is not during the Abstellbzw. Starting time of the vehicle could be charged, over the provider by means of another wireless technology with a longer range, the u.U. is charged, transferred.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, a method for data transmission to a vehicle and charging of the vehicle is specified, comprising the following steps: Connecting an electrical line to a data interface for data transmission and for charging an energy storage device of the vehicle. Starting the charging process of the energy storage and simultaneously transmitting vehicle-related data via the electrical line to a control device and storing the transmitted data on a storage element of the vehicle.

This method is suitable for plug-in hybrid vehicles or pure electric vehicles that have an energy storage or a battery for an electric drive. In pure electric vehicles, it is necessary that the energy storage is charged regularly. This usually takes several hours. By means of said method, this charging time can be exploited to over the electrical line or

Powerline not only power or energy, but also to transfer data. In this way, cables can be saved as well as interfaces of the electrically driven vehicle.

The interface for data transmission and simultaneous

Loading can be initiated at the beginning of the data transfer process. In this case, data can first be downloaded from the vehicle to check the status of the various vehicle systems. Thereupon a comparison with the data can take place on the server, and if this adjustment results in necessary updates of the data, these can be transmitted to the vehicle via the data network or the power line. The data is converted into a compatible format for Powerline communication and then modulated by a specific frequency as a signal to the standard frequency of the power line.

The data transferred from the server via the powerline can be stored in a control device of the data transmission, supply and charging device of the vehicle are received and converted there again to a format that is suitable for the in-vehicle systems. Furthermore, the transmitted data is stored and can the driver

Desire to be displayed. In this case, the data can be pre-sorted, so that only relevant safety data are reported to the driver. In another mode, it is possible for the service personnel to view the unsorted data in order to make a detailed diagnosis of all the collected data. The data can be stored, for example, on the internal on-board computer.

According to another embodiment of the manufacturing process is of the vehicle external

Data transfer and charging station checked before the data transmission, if an update of the data is necessary. Furthermore, in the case of incomplete data transmission, forwarding from the external data transmission and charging station to the provider will take place in order to be able to make the data available to the vehicle while driving over at least one wireless communication network of the vehicle. Furthermore, the stored data can be displayed to the user.

In this way, the data to be transmitted can be reduced and only selected data deemed necessary to be transmitted to the vehicle. Furthermore, it is ensured that in the case of an incomplete data transmission, the provider is informed in order to be able to subsequently transmit the remaining data that has not yet been downloaded via wireless communication to the vehicle during the journey. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the data transmission, supply and charging device is used in a vehicle.

These may be watercraft, rail vehicles, aircraft or motor vehicles. Particularly in the automotive sector, where electro-powered vehicles or hybrid solutions are expected to increase, the use of data transmission,

Supply and Charger a simple and independent of fast development cycles of communication technology solution to transfer data and energy simultaneously.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a program element which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform a method of transmitting data to a vehicle and charging an energy storage of the vehicle.

Furthermore, according to a further embodiment of the invention, a computer-readable medium is indicated on which the program element is stored, which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the method steps described above.

It should also be noted that the above features and method steps can also be combined. The combination of the above process steps or features may result in interactive effects and effects that go beyond the individual effects of the respective features, although not explicitly described in detail. In the following, exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the figures.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle system having a plurality of components, in particular a communication unit for the wireless transmission of data.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a data transmission, supply and charging device for a motor vehicle via an electrical line.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle with two data interfaces for data reception from a home or office network.

4 shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of

System components of a motor vehicle 101 having a central processing unit 120, the memory elements required for their operation and a further memory 124 to store data. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit or CPU 120 is connected to a communication unit 180. The communication unit comprises a transmitting and receiving unit, such as an antenna, to wirelessly over a radio link, the data, for example, from a to receive another vehicle 102. The vehicle 102 in turn has a communication unit 181 compatible with the communication unit 180. In order to be able to establish a communication between the vehicle 101 and 102, for example, a communication network, such as a mobile radio network, can be used, or a direct vehicle-to-vehicle communication can take place, for example according to the standard of the C2C-CC or the ETSI ,

The data for the data transfer are from a

System center 190, for example, from a suitable provider in a company 195, provided by a suitable server. In this way, for example, current versions of navigation maps can be transmitted to the vehicle and then transmitted via the computing unit 120 to the navigation system 121.

For data transmission between two cars in traffic, for example, it is important to be able to transmit vehicle sensor data such as speed or the status of the hazard warning lights over the communications network in order to detect a stagnant car prematurely. In order to enable vehicle-to-vehicle communication, it is further necessary to transmit keys and certificates to the vehicles from the central location 190 prior to the communication setup. The central office 190 may, after a secure login to the system, provide each individual vehicle with an individual update, if needed.

Further components of the vehicle overall system are, for example, control systems 123, such as, for example, the control of the engine. Other components to one To provide interface to the driver, the input unit 125 and the display unit 126. It is also possible to transmit the relevant data to the driver with the help of a speaker. Furthermore, the input unit 125 and 126 can be combined, for example, if it is a touch screen. Other systems or components not yet mentioned can be connected to the central processing unit (CPU) 120, such as the control of the lighting system, the control of the windows or sunroof with anti-trap protection and crash sensors , electronic stability program or distance sensors. Error and warning messages such as "Cooling water level too low and calculation of the cooling water consumption during the last drive" can then be displayed to the driver

Way possible leaks or other malfunction of the vehicle can be reliably detected and possibly visited a service point.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a

Data transmission, supply and charging device 200 for a vehicle. The vehicle 240 may be either a hybrid plug-in vehicle or a pure electric vehicle powered by an electric drive and associated energy storage 230. The data transmission, supply and

Charger 200 includes a data interface 211. The data interface 211 is connected to a control unit 210. The control unit 210 is connected to the energy unit 230 of the motor vehicle, for example a battery, by means of the connection line 213. The connecting line 212 in turn connects the vehicle component system or the on-board computer 220 as a central unit of all vehicle systems. The various components connected to the system 220 can be connected, have already been shown in Fig. 1 using the reference numeral 120.

The motor vehicle 240 can be used to charge its battery 230 to an electrical terminal 261 by means of a suitable

Charging cable 250 can be connected. For this purpose, the data and energy interface 211 is connected to a suitable connector 215 of the charging cable 250 and plugged the connector 251 of the charging cable to a suitable power connector 261. This power connection point

261 is connected to a power grid via the line 260 and thus can power the motor vehicle 240 to charge the energy storage 230.

The controller 210 may retrieve the data from the

Convert powerline format and forward to the CPU 120, for example. The controller may further forward the received frequencies to the appropriate receivers so that the energy storage 230 is powered only as long as the battery 230 is not full.

Furthermore, a server 270 is connected to the connector 261, which has a computing unit to convert data signals 271 to powerline communication compatible data 275. Furthermore, this server is also designed to reconvert the data downloaded via the electrical line 250 from the vehicle 275 to a data format 271 suitable for the arithmetic unit. The data can be transmitted by modulating, for example, a higher frequency to the standard frequency of 50 Hz of the power line. The server 270 may in turn have a connection to a provider for data required by that provider, such as updates to vehicle systems to be able to download. The location of this

Power connection point 261 may be, for example, the household of the driver 295 or his workplace or even a public electric filling station, which provides the service of charging with simultaneous data transmission available.

When the electric or hybrid vehicle 240 is connected to the power cord 260 with the cable 250, data exchange can be in both directions, that is, it can be used for downloading or uploading. In this case, entertainment data or pieces of music can be downloaded, or updates of the navigation system, which relate in particular to the surrounding area, for example within a radius of 100 km of the current location. Is the

Charging station to a service unit, such as a gas station with workshop, connected, suitable skilled workers can also use the data transmission to diagnose the driver read the data and make any recommendations for immediate repairs. In this embodiment of the invention, no antennas need to be mounted on the vehicle since the vehicles can exchange their data via the charging cable 250. Since loading can sometimes take a long time, even larger amounts of data can be transmitted to the vehicle. It is also possible

Connected to the Internet to allow e-mails and attachments to be downloaded so that the driver can access the latest news on his on-board computer.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a further embodiment of the data transmission, supply and charging device 300. In this case, the motor vehicle 340 both has an electric drive and a communication unit 380 for wireless data transmission. The wireless data transmission 308, for example, by means of radio, represented by the arrow 308 occur. The wireless connection or wireless LAN communication can be made with various local servers 390, 391. Here, a home network in a household 395 with a server 390 and a corporate network with a server 391 stationed in the office building 394 are shown. The server unit may receive data from outside via either a wireless communication 393 or via another network, such as a wired Internet connection.

Before 340 data can be sent or received from a vehicle, a registration in the respective network is necessary. Once the driver has registered his vehicle 340 once in the respective network, home or company network, then the required data can be transmitted to the vehicle. The communication unit 380 can then forward the data to the central processing unit of the vehicle 320, which has an interface 321 to transmit data to the vehicle. Further, the computing unit 320 has an interface 322 for receiving data from the vehicle. Various systems may be connected to receive from the vehicle, for example, necessary updates via the interface 341. The respective vehicle systems which are to be checked or monitored or even receive only further data volumes, such as the internal vehicle music systems, each have an interface for receiving 341 or for sending 342.

When the vehicle is stopped at a charging station, the battery 330 can be connected via the interface 311 via the corresponding battery Control device 310 are loaded. If the visited charging station is remote from the respective home or company network and set up as a service station, the simultaneous data transmission by means of the power cable can also be used. Service staff of such a equipped

Tankstellenladestation can create in this way for a charge vehicle diagnoses. In this case, the control device 310 serves to convert the data received via a powerline to formats that can be made available to the in-vehicle systems.

4 shows a schematic flowchart of the method steps for a method for data transmission and charging for a vehicle. The first method step 401 comprises connecting an electrical line to a data interface for data transmission and for charging an energy store of the vehicle. The electrical line may be a charging cable over which data can be transmitted by modulating a higher frequency. In the first method step 401, the status of the vehicle should be transmitted to the external charging and data station in order to know the current status of the in-vehicle systems.

After the charging cable has been connected, the charging process of the energy store can begin as the following method step 402 and a simultaneous transfer of driver or vehicle-related data to the control device takes place. If, for example, data from the external charging station is required on request, such as downloading a particular music file, transferring the data to the vehicle may begin immediately with the connection of the cable. The driver can initiate the transmission of selected files via a suitable display and input unit. In method step 403, it can be checked by the vehicle-external data transmission and charging station before a data transmission to the vehicle whether an updating of the data is necessary. In this case, a transmission of the vehicle data to the external data transmission station is first necessary in order to match the vehicle status with the data status of the data transmission station. Thus, a reduction of the amount of data to be transmitted can take place. If, for example, the navigation system requires only a current map within a radius of 50 km from the charging location, this selection can be transmitted to the vehicle.

If the charging process is terminated prematurely or the charging time is not sufficient to completely transfer all data, it can be ensured in step 404 that in case of incomplete data transfer from the external data transfer and charging station to the provider to at least a wireless communication unit to provide the data in the vehicle.

Furthermore, in a method step 405, the data that has been transferred to the vehicle is stored in a memory element of the vehicle. This memory element may be located, for example, in a vehicle computing unit or CPU or in the control device. In the last step 406, the stored data can be displayed to the user. This can be done while driving or during the parked state of the vehicle.

It should be noted that the term "comprising" further Elements or procedural steps are not excluded, just as the term "a" and "an" does not preclude several elements and steps. The reference numerals used are for convenience of reference only and are not to be considered as limiting, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims.

Claims

Claims:

A vehicle data transmission, supply and charging device (200) comprising: an energy store (230); a control device (210); and a data interface (211) adapted to receive vehicle-related data (271) and at the same time charging current for the energy storage device (230) of the vehicle via an electrical line (250) and to transmit the data to the control device.

The data transfer, supply and charging device (200) of claim 1, wherein the energy storage (230) of the vehicle comprises a battery for operating an electric motor.

A data transfer, supply and charging apparatus (200) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, comprising a display device (126) for displaying the transmitted data.

The data transmission, supply and charging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the data (271) is selected from the group consisting of:

Vehicle diagnostic data;

Updates to internal vehicle systems or software;

Safety data; and entertainment data.

5. Data transmission, supply and charging device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein location-related data is transmitted only when the data relates to a predefined environment of the vehicle (101, 240, 340).

The data transmission, supply and charging apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a communication unit (380), wherein data required during the travel is received from the communication unit (380) through a wireless communication network (308, 393) are receivable, the

Communication network (308, 393) is selected from the group comprising:

WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS; GPRS; UMTS; LTE; Bluetooth; ZigBee; EDGE; NFC; and WiMax.

The data transfer, supply and charging apparatus of any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the security data comprises encryption algorithms for applications, the applications being selected from the group consisting of:

Vehicle (101) -to-vehicle (102) communication; Vehicle-to-infrastructure communication; Operating software; and component software.

8. Data transmission, supply and charging device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the energy storage of the vehicle has a data memory (310) which can be externally read when replacing the energy storage.

A vehicle external data transmission and charging station (270) for transmitting data to a vehicle and simultaneously charging an energy storage device (230) of the vehicle via an electrical line (250).

The off-board data transmission and charging station of claim 9, wherein the station comprises a server in a home (390) or corporate network (391).

11. A method of data transmission to a vehicle and of charging an energy storage device (230) of the vehicle, comprising the following steps:

Connecting an electrical line (250) to a data interface (211) for transmitting data and for charging an energy store (230) of the vehicle;

Commencing the charging process of the energy store and simultaneously transmitting driver or vehicle-related data (271) via the electrical line (250) to a control device (210) of the vehicle; and

Storing the transmitted data on a storage element of the vehicle (220).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein from the vehicle external data transmission and

Charging station is checked before the data transmission, whether a

Updating the data is necessary; whereby with incomplete data transmission a

Forwarding from the external data transfer and charging station to the provider to provide the data to the vehicle while traveling over at least one wireless communication network (308); and wherein the stored data can be displayed to the user.

13. Use of a data transmission, supply and charging device according to one of claims 1 to 9 in one

Vehicle.

14. A program element that, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform a method according to claim 11.

15. Computer-readable medium on which the program element according to claim 14 is stored.