DE102017219293B3 - Method and device for transporting a personal item by means of a community vehicle and system - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for transporting a person-related object by means of a community vehicle (1) which has a storage space (13) which can be secured separately from a vehicle interior of the community vehicle (1) and an access sensor (8) which are signal-technically coupled to one another, so that the storage space (13) by means of an identification device (11, 12) can be closed and opened, comprises providing an identification identifier by means of the identification device (11, 12) and authenticating the provided identification identifier in dependence on deposited data which are representative of a registered user. The method further comprises operating a locking mechanism for releasing or securing the storage space (13) in dependence on the authenticated identification code, so that the object can be inserted into or removed from the storage space (13).

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for transporting a personal item by means of a community vehicle, each of which allow efficient operation of motor vehicles of a fleet of vehicles and also contribute to a more environmentally friendly road transport. Moreover, the invention relates to a system with a community vehicle.

Motor vehicles typically include a lockable luggage compartment in the form of a trunk and areas in the vehicle interior that can be used to store items. However, these motor vehicles are usually assigned to one person or a small group of people and can only be used by these persons.

The DE 698 17 444 T2 discloses a motor vehicle locking device having a central electronic controller, a trunk opening device with a lock operated by a motor actuator, and a device for receiving and detecting a primary identification signal. The control is a central locking control which monitors the locking and unlocking of the vehicle. An electronic auxiliary module positioned adjacent to the lock and the motor actuator is activated by a secondary signal code. This code is received by the receiver and transmitted to the module, whereupon the actuator opens the trunk.

The WO 2014/147082 A2 discloses a method for transferring cargo from a sender to a recipient by means of a delivery agent, the sender placing the cargo in a lockable shipping container. The transport container is locked by means of an electronic lock and a first electronic signal or a first code, wherein the sealed transport container is delivered by the deliverer to the recipient. The electronic lock is opened by means of a second electronic signal or a second code, so that the receiver can remove the cargo.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method and a device for transporting a personal item by means of a community vehicle, each of which can contribute to the efficient operation of co-operative vehicles of a vehicle fleet and also enable a greener road traffic.

The object is solved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

One aspect of the invention relates to a method for transporting a personal object by means of a community vehicle, which has a separately securable from a vehicle interior of the community vehicle storage space and an access sensor, which are signal technically coupled to each other, so that the storage space can be closed and opened by means of an identification device. The method comprises providing an identification tag by means of the identification device and authenticating the provided identification tag in dependence on stored data that is representative of a registered user. The method further comprises actuating a locking mechanism for releasing or securing the storage space in dependence on the authenticated identification identifier, so that the object can be inserted into or removed from the storage space.

By means of the described method, an efficient operation of jointly usable motor vehicles of a vehicle fleet can be realized, which can also contribute to a more environmentally friendly road traffic. Such a vehicle fleet represents a plurality of motor vehicles, which are organized according to a so-called car sharing concept.

Carsharing refers in this context to the organized joint use of one or more automobiles on the basis of a framework agreement. Car sharing differs from conventional car rental companies, whereby the use of such community vehicles is usually billed via a time or kilometer tariff including energy costs or hybrid forms of such tariffs. The community vehicles of a car-sharing organization are either distributed on fixed parking lots over a city or a larger town or can be parked in public street space. A respective community vehicle can be used spontaneously or reserved in advance to secure a planned use. The used community vehicle will be returned to its original location or in an area defined by the car-sharing provider after the booked time has expired.

The community vehicle thus represents an automobile of a car-sharing vehicle fleet and is publicly available to registered users. This requires, for example, a registration in a database of the car sharing provider and In addition, a mobile identification device, which allows access to the respective community vehicles and the associated storage space. The identification device may include an identity element in the form of a personalized chip card and / or a mobile terminal, such as a smartphone with an associated software application of the car sharing provider, each containing an identification code associated with the registered user.

By means of the identity element, the community vehicle can be opened and optionally started by entering an activation code known to the registered user. A signaling connection between the identity element and a server unit of the car sharing provider is not required. When using a smartphone as a mobile identification device, a signaling connection to the server unit is useful in order to initiate the posting, release, opening and / or operation of the community vehicle by inputting predetermined information data in a software application. In this case, the provided identification device cooperates with the predeterminedly placed access sensor of the community vehicle, so that the described or other permissible functions of the community vehicle are controllable.

According to the method described, a separately securable storage space of a community vehicle is now used specifically for transporting a person-related object, such as a parcel, and can, in particular, also be independent of an operation of the community vehicle with regard to carrying out a driving cycle. The storage space of the community vehicle thus represents a securable to the outside and the vehicle interior luggage compartment, which is usable by means of the described method for transport, so that an additional transport travel of a motor vehicle can be saved, which would be provided for a separate transport of the article.

The storage space of users can be used, which are also registered for the car sharing of the provider. However, there is also the possibility of registering for the sole use of the storage space of a Community vehicle as a transport service. A corresponding registration may be provided separately to a registration for the car sharing of the provider.

The access sensor is signal technically connected to the storage space and releases it after detection of the identification device and authenticated identification code for the removal or removal of an object. Such a lockable or secure storage space also makes it possible to use trips with the community vehicle for a personal transport of goods.

According to a development, the method comprises providing and authenticating a first and a second identifier with a first and a second identification device. On the basis of the first identification code, the locking mechanism is actuated for releasing the storage space and inserting the object and then securing it in the storage space. Based on the second identification code, the locking mechanism for releasing the storage space and removing the object is operated.

In particular, a first releasing the storage space and inserting the article into the storage space and securing the storage space at a first position and second release of the storage space and removing the object from the storage space at a second position, which differs from the location of the first position , The first identification code can for example be assigned to a person who wishes to send the article, while the second person or identification code represents a recipient. For example, one person is an employee of a parcel service and the other is a private individual who wishes to receive the item, both persons or the private person and the parcel service being registered as users, using a respective storage space of a community vehicle for transporting personal belongings allowed to. In the following description, characteristics of the method or the community vehicle may also be described in the context of a transmitter and a receiver, which as registered users have a respective identification device with associated identification code.

By means of the described method, in particular a more efficient operation of car-sharing vehicles is contributed, since a respective frequently unused storage space is provided for the transport of goods. A corresponding car-sharing concept is therefore extended beyond the known booking of the community vehicle for carrying out a driving cycle and additionally offers the possibility of transporting goods or parcels. Such a transport service can be offered in addition to the well-known travel booking service or separately to this. The transport service realizable by the method In the context of a car-sharing vehicle fleet, in addition to increased comfort of the carsharing concept also contributes to a more environmentally friendly road traffic, as extra trips can be saved by companies in the CEP transport industry (courier, express, parcel transport), because this Use of a respective community vehicle can be performed, which is driven anyway for passenger transport in a corresponding target area.

In addition, the method described for the improved use of community vehicles allows the advantage that care must be taken not on work and delivery times and opening times for purchased in shops articles, as a use of a community vehicle with a secured in the storage space personal belongings at any time of day or night can be done. By means of the method, therefore, a flexible, timely and low-effort personal collection of goods is made possible and it can also be saved a motor vehicle trip, which would be recognized only for the purpose of transporting goods.

In accordance with a further development, the method comprises receiving charge data that is representative of a loading state of the storage space and providing availability data as a function of the received charge data that is representative of an availability of the storage space. According to such a further development of the method, the registered user can check the availability of a storage space of a community vehicle, in particular on the basis of an associated software application, in order to be able to plan a transport of an object in a targeted manner.

The received data, which has information about a loading state of the storage space, can be previously detected by means of a charge state sensor and be provided in a database of the server unit for further use and queried by means of a smartphone or another mobile terminal. Such a charge state sensor is integrated, for example, as an optical sensor or weight sensor in a floor of the storage space and thus associated with the respective community vehicle, so that a development of the method may include receiving a measurement signal of the charge state sensor and determining a charge state of the storage space in response to the received measurement signal of the charge state sensor , By means of a control unit and a communication interface of the community vehicle, this data can be sent to the server unit of the car sharing provider and made available to the registered users.

Therefore, the community vehicle and the identification device are each configured according to a preferred development to signal-communicate with a server unit external to the community vehicle. The method may then include, for example, booking and personalizing the storage space by the identification device for a predetermined period of time based on communication with the community vehicle and / or server unit.

By means of the described method, a quick and uncomplicated transportability of goods within short distances can be realized, which can contribute to the fact that the recipient receives his goods flexibly and an additional effort to transport the goods or the item is kept low. In order to make this possible in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner, journeys are made by shared car-sharing vehicles and preferably organized by means of an associated app or software application of the car-sharing provider.

By way of example, a person wishing to send an item according to the described method obtains information about all community vehicles of the car-sharing vehicle fleet in his vicinity that have been released for the transport service by using such a software application. The community vehicles are each equipped with a position sensor which, for example based on GPS data, enables localization and provides this georeferenced information to the registered users of the car-sharing transport concept in the server unit.

The sender then brings the goods to be sent to one of the community vehicles, opens the storage space with his identity element or by means of the software application on his smartphone and puts the goods inside. The recipient then preferably receives a message provided by the server unit, in which community vehicle the item to be sent to it is placed and where the community vehicle is located. If the community vehicle is parked in a tolerable for the recipient proximity, the receiver can go to the community vehicle and unlock the trunk or the secure storage space with his identity element or using the app on his smartphone and remove the item shipped.

The driving with the community vehicle and the transport of an object to be shipped are separated according to such a method. Only the transmitter and the receiver have their respective ones Identification identifier access to the storage space of the community vehicle, but not to the rest of the vehicle, and would be correspondingly reversed in a driver who has booked the community vehicle to perform a driving cycle.

According to one development of the method, the community vehicle and the identification device are each set up to communicate with the server unit by signaling technology. The further developed method comprises predicting an anticipated driving cycle of the community vehicle in dependence on historical driving cycles and providing the predicted driving cycle for the identification device as well as releasing the storage space for loading the object as a function of the predicted driving cycle of the community vehicle.

According to such a preferred embodiment of the method, it is possible that the transmitter does not randomly select a community vehicle in the vicinity, which then may not come for a long time in the vicinity of the receiver, but can predict the process with respect to individual community vehicles, which with a higher probability in the right direction for the receiver. For such a forecast, data on regular trips is used.

Although the driver who books a community vehicle for performing a drive cycle may always go anywhere on a case-by-case basis, if it has been determined based on a plurality of evaluated historical drive cycles that the community vehicle has traveled with a relative regularity in the direction of the transportation destination Community vehicle are associated with a higher probability that the object to be shipped with the selection of this community vehicle is likely to arrive faster than with the selection of another community vehicle of the carsharing vehicle fleet.

For example, this relates to community vehicles that have been parked in a parking area of an airport and to which a high probability can be assigned that these community vehicles are driven to a next larger inner city. Moreover, in particular at central points in a city center, there are often several community vehicles in run-wide surroundings, which make possible a corresponding selection for transporting a person-related object. The sender can then choose the most appropriate community vehicle that has been most likely to be proposed for timely delivery.

According to a further development, the method comprises receiving travel destination data that is representative of a prospective destination of the community vehicle, and providing availability data that is representative of an availability of the storage space. The method further comprises providing availability of the community vehicle in response to the received destination data and the provided availability data.

A driver who wishes to book a community vehicle for performing a drive cycle inputs his destination in the software application and, according to the described method, is assigned a community vehicle which has loaded an item in the storage space having a similar transportation destination.

The extended use of shared carsharing vehicles according to one of the methods described has the effect that a recipient temporally and spatially flexibly gets to the object sent to him and he does not have to pick it up, for example, in a shop in which the item for collection by the recipient was deposited.

By means of the method, a timely delivery of an item to the recipient is possible and the recipient can pick up the item from the stowage space of the community vehicle at any convenient time of day, as the community vehicle is usually located in a locally defined car-sharing area and the recipient has access to the storage space and the object deposited therein at all times. In this case, a ride is used with the community vehicle, which would have done anyway a driver and this is not affected by the inserted object in his ride.

If a driver requires the trunk or storage space of the community vehicle for his own use, he may, according to a software application for car-sharing operation, select a community vehicle having empty storage space based on, for example, a determined state of charge and / or availability data provided. He can then deliberately not provide this storage space for a transport of a personal object, so that he can use it himself.

According to a development, the method can subsequently be used to insert the article into the storage space on the basis of the first Identification identifier and previously for removing the object from the storage space include operating the community vehicle in an automated driving operation and thus performing an automated driving cycle starting from a first position to a second position that differs from the location of the first position.

Autonomous driving of the community vehicle can thus be included in the method, so that, for example, in urgent cases in which an article is to be transported in a particularly timely manner and no driver is likely to undertake a driving cycle in the direction of the transport destination, the community vehicle with the object placed in the storage space Even without a driver can drive to a predetermined destination. The community vehicle must be capable of fully autonomous driving in such a case.

In this way, a spatially and temporally particularly flexible transport of a personal item by means of an autonomous community vehicle is possible because no human driver is needed. If a suitable community vehicle is available, a registered user can decide whether he wants to use a transport variant with a driver or with an autonomous community vehicle.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a device for transporting a personal item by means of a community vehicle, which is adapted to perform one of the methods described above. Such a device is realized, in particular, as a server unit or backend and designed for receiving, processing and sending data which are determined or evaluated in connection with the method. The device is in signal technical contact with a respective control or communication unit of a plurality of community vehicles, which forms a motor vehicle fleet for registered users.

If applicable, features and features previously described in the context of an embodiment of the method of transporting a personal item by means of a community vehicle are also disclosed for the apparatus and vice versa.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a system which comprises an identification device for providing an identification code and a community vehicle, which has a securable storage space with an access sensor, which can be closed and opened by means of the identification device. The system further comprises an embodiment of the prior apparatus for transporting a personal item by means of a community vehicle, which is adapted to communicate signaling with the identification device and / or the community vehicle.

Also, as the system includes an embodiment of the apparatus described above, as well as a community vehicle and an identification device, features and features previously described in connection with an embodiment of the method or apparatus for transporting a personal item by a community vehicle are also contemplated disclosed for the system and vice versa.

• 1 ein schematisches Ausführungsbeispiel eines Gemeinschaftsfahrzeugs zum Transport eines personenbezogenen Gegenstandes,
• 2 ein schematisches Ablaufdiagramm für Verfahren zum Transport eines personenbezogenen Gegenstandes mittels eines Gemeinschaftsfahrzeugs.

Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the schematic drawings. Show it:

• 1 a schematic embodiment of a community vehicle for transporting a personal item,
• 2 a schematic flow diagram of methods for transporting a personal item by means of a community vehicle.

1 illustrates an embodiment of a community vehicle 1 , which allows a transport of a personal object. For this purpose, the community vehicle 1 one of a vehicle interior of the community vehicle 1 separately secure storage space 13 and an access sensor 8th on, which are signal-technically coupled with each other. By means of an identification device 11 . 12 is the storage space 13 Lockable and openable by an identification code by means of the identification device 11 . 12 at the access sensor 8th is provided and the provided identification identifier is authenticated in dependence on stored data which are representative of a registered user.

The stored data represent, for example, a registered user group of a car sharing provider and are in a data memory of a control unit 3 of the Community vehicle 1 deposited and / or are based on a signaling communication by means of a communication interface 5 from a database of an external server unit 7 received or queried. The communication interface 5 is signaling with the control unit 3 of the Community vehicle 1 coupled and set up bidirectionally with the to the community vehicle 1 external server unit 7 to communicate and Send data to and receive data from them.

After a successful authentication of the provided identification identifier, a locking mechanism for releasing or securing the storage space 13 be performed so that an object in the storage space 13 can be inserted or removed from this.

By means of such a community vehicle 1 and a corresponding method for transporting a personal item by means of the community vehicle 1 is an efficient operation of co-operable vehicles of a vehicle fleet feasible, which can also contribute to a greener road traffic. Such a vehicle fleet represents a plurality of motor vehicles, which are organized according to a so-called car sharing concept.

The identification device 11 . 12 can be an identity element 12 in the form of a personalized chip card and / or a mobile terminal 12 , such as a smartphone with an associated software application of the car sharing provider, each containing an identification code associated with the registered user.

By means of the identity element 12 can the community vehicle 1 opened and optionally started by entering a the registered user known activation code. When using a smartphone 11 As a mobile identification device, for example by means of a provided app, a signaling connection to the server unit 7 set up to book, unlock, open and / or operate the community vehicle by entering predetermined information data in such a software application 1 initiate. In this case, the provided identification device acts 11 with the preset access sensor 8th of the Community vehicle 1 together so that the described or other permissible functions of the community vehicle 1 are controllable.

The community vehicle 1 also has a state of charge sensor 9 on which the storage space 13 is assigned and signaling with the control unit 3 of the Community vehicle 1 is coupled and what statements about a state of charge of the storage space 13 allows. Such a state of charge sensor 9 is for example as an optical sensor or weight sensor in a floor of the storage space 13 integrated and thus the respective community vehicle 1 assigned.

Based on the measurement signals of the state of charge sensor 9 can be a charge state of the storage space 13 be determined and by means of the control unit 3 and the communication interface 5 of the Community vehicle 1 to the server unit 7 of the car sharing provider and made available to the registered users. Using a smartphone 11 or another mobile terminal, a respective state of charge of a storage space 13 in a respective community vehicle 1 be queried so that a transport of a personal item in a community vehicle 1 can be planned comfortably.

2 illustrates a flowchart for a method of transporting a personal item by means of the community vehicle 1 in which in one step S1 an identification identifier by means of the identification device 11 . 12 provided.

In a further step S3 the provided identifier is authenticated in dependence on deposited data representative of a registered user.

In a further step S5 becomes a locking mechanism for releasing or securing the storage space 13 operated in response to the authenticated identification identifier, so that an object in the storage space 13 can be inserted or removed from this.

In a further step S7 can detect a state of charge of the respective storage space 13 and generating an associated measurement signal by means of a respective charge state sensor 9 be performed. Preference is given to such availability data, which is representative of the availability of the storage space 13 are, by means of the control unit 3 and the communication interface 5 to the server unit 7 to make this information available to other registered users so they can view available storage space based on availability data 13 of community vehicles 1 is possible.

Such availability data may also advance to the step S1 be received and evaluated to a desired storage space 13 to book specifically for a required storage.

In addition, a registered user who has the storage space 13 of the Community vehicle 1 to use for transporting goods, when booking the storage space 13 which community vehicle will be displayed 1 the car-sharing vehicle fleet is driven with a certain frequency in a direction that corresponds to a direction to the transport destination, so that the user specifically a community vehicle 1 which allows a likely timely transport of the item.

In addition, a driver who is a community vehicle 1 to book for performing a drive cycle, after entering a destination a community vehicle 1 be proposed, which is an object in the storage space 13 which is to be transported in a direction that coincides with the destination in predetermined tolerances.

By means of the described method for transporting a personal item by means of a community vehicle 1 For example, efficient operation of co-operative cars of a car-sharing vehicle fleet can be facilitated and, in addition, a more environmentally friendly road traffic can be saved because separate journeys of motor vehicles for transporting goods can be saved due to the described method.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Community vehicle

3

Control unit of the community vehicle

5

Communication interface of the community vehicle

7

server unit

8th

access sensor

9

Charge level sensor

11

mobile device / smartphone

12

identity element

13

Storage space of the community vehicle

S (i)

respective step of a method for the reconstruction of a construction site for a motor vehicle

Claims (9)

Method for transporting a person-related object by means of a community vehicle (1) which has a storage space (13) which can be secured separately from a vehicle interior of the community vehicle (1) and an access sensor (8), which are signal-technically coupled to one another, so that the storage space (13) is secured by means of an identification device (11, 12) is closable and openable, comprising: Providing an identification code by means of the identification device (11, 12), Authenticating the provided identifier according to deposited data representative of a registered user, Actuating a locking mechanism for releasing or securing the storage space (13) as a function of the authenticated identification code, so that the object can be inserted into or removed from the storage space (13), Receiving charge data representative of a state of charge of the storage space (13), Providing availability data as a function of the received charging data, which are representative of an availability of the storage space (13), and - Providing an identification identifier by means of the identification device (11, 12) in dependence of the availability data provided, wherein the storage space (13) of the community vehicle (1) is associated with a charge state sensor (9), and the receiving of charge data representative of a state of charge of the storage space (13), includes: - Receiving a measurement signal of the state of charge sensor (9), which is representative of a state of charge of the storage space (13), and determining a state of charge of the storage space (13) in response to the received measurement signal of the state of charge sensor (9). Method according to Claim 1 comprising: - providing a first identification identifier by means of a first identification device (11, 12), - authenticating the provided first identification identifier in dependence on stored data representative of a registered user, - actuating the locking mechanism for releasing the storage space (13) in FIG Dependency of the authenticated first identifier, so that the object in the storage space (13) can be inserted, - actuating the locking mechanism for securing the storage space (13) and the inserted object, - providing a second identification identifier by means of a second identification device (11, 12), - Authenticating the provided second identification identifier in dependence on deposited data representative of a registered user, - actuating the locking mechanism for releasing the storage space (13) in dependence on the authenticated two th identification identifier, so that the object from the storage space (13) can be removed. Method according to Claim 2 in which releasing the storage space (13) for inserting the object based on the first identification code at a first position and releasing the storage space (13) for extracting the object based on the second identification code is performed at a second position which is location-related different from the first position. Method according to Claim 2 or 3 subsequent to inserting the article into the storage space (13) based on the first identification and previously removing the article from the storage space (13): operating the community vehicle (1) in an automated driving mode and thus performing an automated driving cycle from a first position to a second position that is location-different from the first position. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the community vehicle (1) and the identification device (11) are each adapted to signal communicate with a server unit (7) external to the community vehicle (1), comprising: - predicting a prospective driving cycle of the community vehicle (1) in dependence on historical driving cycles, - providing the predicted driving cycle for the identification device (11), and - releasing the storage space (13) for loading the object as a function of the predicted driving cycle of the community vehicle (1). Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5 comprising: - receiving destination data representative of a prospective destination of the community vehicle (1), - providing availability data representative of availability of the storage space (13), and - providing availability of the community vehicle (1) as a function from the received destination data and the provided availability data. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 6 in which the identification device comprises a mobile terminal (11) and / or a badge element (12). Apparatus for transporting a personal item by means of a community vehicle (1) adapted to carry out a method according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 perform. System arranged to carry out a method according to one of Claims 1 to 7 comprising: - an identification device (11, 12) for providing an identification code, - a community vehicle (1) having a storage space (13) which is separately securable from a vehicle interior of the community vehicle (1) and to which an access sensor (8) is associated the by means of the identification device (11, 12) is closable and openable, and - a device according to Claim 8 , which is set up to signal-technically communicate with the identification device (11, 12) and / or the community vehicle (1).

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