DE102023002976A1 - Intelligent system and method for communicating with a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for activating or deactivating a service in order to operate a functional device (10) of a motor vehicle (12); wherein the method is carried out by a accessibility system (14) and comprises the following steps: defining a accessibility model (16) for communication between a communication device (18) of the motor vehicle (12) and an electronic computing device (20) outside the motor vehicle (12) ; detecting user input (22) requesting enabling or disabling of the service to operate the functional device (10); Determine, based on the accessibility model (16), an availability of the communication device (18) of the motor vehicle (12) in order to communicate with the electronic computing device (20); and, in response to a determination that the communication device is available to communicate with the electronic computing device, transmitting one or more activation signals (48) or deactivation signals to the communication device (18) for enabling or disabling service to the functional device (10) of the motor vehicle (12) to operate, depending on an availability status (26) of the communication device (18), as determined by the accessibility model. The invention further relates to a computer program product and a accessibility system.

Description

The invention relates to the field of automobiles. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for communicating with a motor vehicle using intelligent logic. The invention also relates to a method for predicting a result of a connection request to a motor vehicle and to an accessibility model for a motor vehicle. The invention further relates to a corresponding computer program product and a corresponding intelligent accessibility system.

According to the prior art, signals, for example activation or deactivation signals, are sent to a motor vehicle without fully knowing whether the motor vehicle can be reached. This leads to a high frequency of errors due to unreachable vehicles, unsuccessful calls to the vehicle, unsuccessful communication between systems and dissatisfied customers. Therefore, there is a need to understand when the motor vehicle is reachable before sending such signals to the motor vehicle.

It is an object of the invention to provide methods, a computer program product and a system through which a more efficient way of communicating with a motor vehicle is realized.

This task is solved by methods, a computer program product and a system according to the independent claims. Advantageous forms of configurations are presented in the dependent claims.

One aspect of the invention relates to a method for enabling or disabling, in particular for activating or deactivating, a service in order to operate a functional device of a motor vehicle through a accessibility system. An accessibility model for communication between a communication device in the motor vehicle and an electronic computing device outside the motor vehicle is available. User input to enable or disable a service to operate the functional device is captured. Depending on the accessibility model and a current availability status of the communication device, signals that are necessary to activate or deactivate the user input to operate the functional device of the motor vehicle, such as. B. activation/deactivation payloads (JSON/XML), recognitions, communication stack settings, pings, etc., transmitted to the communication device. However, other information necessary to update or properly function the motor vehicle could also be transmitted to the communication device. Alternatively, the accessibility system can be triggered without explicit input from the user. For example, when there is a need to update a particular functional device of the motor vehicle due to changes in regulations in a particular country or a software module for proper functioning of a functional device, etc.

Therefore, signals are only transmitted to the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is reachable, which can be equated with successful activations or deactivations. Therefore, an intelligent accessibility system is provided, which leads to efficient activations or deactivations in the motor vehicle. The reachability system triggers vehicle communications based on vehicle events, indicating successful activation or deactivation of a service or successful connection to the vehicle.

More specifically, the user input is intended to activate or deactivate a service that may be available in the motor vehicle, for example services such as remote opening of motor vehicle doors or air conditioning of the motor vehicle. The communication between the motor vehicle and the electronic computing device is intended to enable services requested by the user.

According to one embodiment, the user input is received by the user using an application on a user device, such as. B. a smartphone or a laptop or a computer. User input may be provided by a dealership through established processes at the time of purchase of the motor vehicle or when the user is at a service center. The user input may be provided using an interface of the motor vehicle. For example, the user may have a mobile device and a corresponding application for activating/deactivating certain services for operating functional devices of the motor vehicle. The user can be outside or inside the motor vehicle. For example, the user can activate a remote door opening service, which is an example of a functional device of the motor vehicle. Another example of user input may be when there is a need to update a functional device of the motor vehicle due to changes in regulations in a particular country, which may not exist includes explicit user input from the vehicle owner.

In another embodiment, the electronic computing device is a central electronic computing device or a backend server or a private, public or hybrid cloud or an application or service hosted by any of the above. The user input may, for example, be transmitted from a mobile device to a customer management system on an electronic computing device. Alternatively, the user input may be transmitted from a backend service to a customer management system on the electronic computing device. After determining whether an update is necessary, the update signals may be transmitted from the customer management system to an activator on the electronic computing device that includes a reachability model. According to an availability status of the motor vehicle, signals that are necessary to activate a service intended by the user input to operate a functional device of the motor vehicle are then transmitted from the activator to a communication device of the motor vehicle. The communication device of the motor vehicle then sends an activation status indicating whether the activation of the service was successful or not to a status matching device on the electronic computing device. The status matching device communicates with the customer management system to verify the activation or deactivation status with the user input.

In another embodiment, signals that are necessary to activate or deactivate the user input to operate the functional device of the motor vehicle are only transmitted to the communication device if the communication device is available at least according to the accessibility model.

Therefore, a high frequency of errors due to unreachable vehicles, wasted calls to the motor vehicle, and wasted communication between systems and a dissatisfied user is avoided.

In another embodiment, the availability status of the communication device is predicted depending on vehicle events, such as: B. Vehicle registration signals indicating that a telematics control unit (TCU) is online and currently communicating, vehicle GPS signals to determine whether a vehicle is in a cellular/non-cellular position, signals/outputs from other services that provide an online status, license creation information, signals from the vehicle or components on the vehicle itself, such as: B. the degree of the rear axle steering sensor, which indicates an online status, vehicle characteristics such as. For example, a type of telematics control unit (TCU), a type of head unit (HU), a status of the functional device, etc. Therefore, the intelligent reachability system consumes signals and events from other available services and normalizes these signals into a common data schema . This data is used to inform, calculate and predict the availability status of the motor vehicle based on vehicle events. There is no limitation or scope to the events or combinations of events that may be used.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for defining a reachability model and a computer-implemented program product for predicting the availability status of a communication device of a motor vehicle by an electronic computing device. Vehicle events from a variety of motor vehicles regarding vehicle characteristics, such as: Other information, such as door lock status, vehicle position (GPS), TCU/HU type or status, TCU/HU connection status, ignition status, mobile network operator (MNO) signal strength, etc., can be collected. A machine learning algorithm of the electronic computing device will ingest vehicle characteristics data, analyze historical data, identify conditions during which a vehicle may typically be available for activation or deactivation of a service, and predict the availability status of a communication device of a motor vehicle. The reachability model is defined using the prediction provided by machine learning algorithm for each service.

In another embodiment, the data from the plurality of motor vehicles is selected for use by the intelligent accessibility model from a plurality of data indicating events of the motor vehicle. Data that is determined not to be relevant to predicting the availability status of the communication device cannot be used. Therefore, an efficient way to define the reachability model is presented.

In another embodiment, the reachability model is additionally defined by using a statistical probability model of the electronic computing device. Therefore, an efficient accessibility model is generated by the electronic computing device.

More precisely, the procedures are computer-implemented procedures. Therefore, a further aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product comprising program code means for carrying out a method according to the first aspect and/or according to the second aspect of the invention. A further aspect of the invention therefore relates to a computer-readable storage medium for carrying out a method according to the first aspect of the invention and/or the second aspect of the invention.

The invention further relates to a accessibility system for operating a functional device of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one electronic computing device, wherein the accessibility system is configured to carry out a method according to the first aspect of the invention and/or the second aspect of the invention.

The electronic computing device therefore includes means, for example processors or integrated circuits, for carrying out the methods.

Advantageous configuration forms of the methods are to be viewed as advantageous configuration forms of the computer program product and the accessibility system. The accessibility system therefore includes means for carrying out the procedures.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention come from the following description of preferred embodiments and the drawings. The features and combinations of features that were previously mentioned in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features that are mentioned in the following description of the figures and/or shown in the figures alone, can be used not only in the combination specified in each case, but also in Any other combination can be used or taken alone without departing from the scope of the invention.

The novel features and characteristics of the disclosure are set out in the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles disclosed. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to refer to like features and components. Some embodiments of the system and/or methods according to embodiments of the subject matter will now be described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• 1 ein schematisches Blockdiagramm gemäß einer Ausführungsform des Verfahrens; und
• 2 ein weiteres schematisches Blockdiagramm gemäß einer Ausführungsform des Verfahrens.

The drawings show in:

• 1 a schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of the method; and
• 2 a further schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of the method.

In the figures, the same elements or elements having the same function are indicated by the same reference symbols.

As used herein, the word “exemplary” is intended to mean “serving as an example, case or illustration.” Any embodiment or implementation of the subject matter described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily intended to be preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that this is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the scope of the disclosure.

The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a structure, apparatus, or method that includes a list of components or steps, not just those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or associated with such structure or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or device preceded by "comprises" or "include" does not exclude or exclude, without further limitation, the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.

In the following detailed description of the embodiment of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and in which a specific embodiment in which the disclosure may be practiced is shown by way of illustration. This embodiment is described in sufficient detail ben to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is understood that other embodiments may be used and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description should therefore not be construed as limiting.

1 shows a schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of a method. Shows in more detail 1 a method for activating or deactivating a service in order to operate a functional device 10 of a motor vehicle 12 through a accessibility system 14. A reachability model 16 is present in an activator 44 for communication between a communication device 18 of the motor vehicle 12 and an electronic computing device 20 outside the motor vehicle 12. A user input 22 from a user 24 is captured to activate or deactivate a service to operate the functional device 10 on a customer management system 42. User input 22 may also be provided to the customer management system 42 from a backend service 54 when an update to the functional device 10 of the motor vehicle 12 is required for non-end-user related reasons. Based on the user input 22, the customer management system 42 determines whether an update of the functional device 10 of the motor vehicle is required and generates an update signal 32 that is provided to the activator 44. Depending on the accessibility model 16, a current availability status 26 of the communication device 18 is determined. An activation or deactivation signal 48, which is necessary to activate or deactivate the service for operating the functional device 10 of the motor vehicle 12, is transmitted to the communication device 18. The communication device 18 of the motor vehicle provides an activation status 30 for a status matching device 46, which indicates successful activation or deactivation of the service. The status matching device 46 sends an acknowledgment 50 to the customer management system 42. The customer management system 42 sends an acknowledgment 52 to the user 24 or to the backend service 54 from which the user input 22 was initiated.

According to 1 The user input 22 may be provided by a mobile device 28, for example a cell phone, of the user 24, and/or the user input 22 may be captured by any means external to the motor vehicle 12, such as. B. at a car dealership or service center. Alternatively, the user input 22 may be provided by a backend service 54 when an update to the functional device 10 of the motor vehicle 12 is required for non-end-user related reasons. Alternatively, the user input 22 may be provided using an interface of the motor vehicle 12.

Furthermore shows 1 that the electronic computing device 20 may be configured as a central electronic computing device and/or as a backend server or a private, public or hybrid cloud or an application or service hosted by any of the above.

The activation or deactivation signals 48 are only transmitted to the communication device 18 if the communication device 18 can be reached at least according to the accessibility model 16.

Furthermore, the availability status 26 of the communication device 18 is predicted depending on vehicle events of the motor vehicle 12, such as. B. a current position of the motor vehicle 12 and / or a signal strength between the electronic computing device 20 and the communication device 18 and / or other parameters or combinations of such parameters.

Shows in more detail 1 that the accessibility system 14, which may be called an intelligent accessibility system, uses machine learning algorithms during vehicle events to analyze and determine the availability status 26 of the communication device 18. The accessibility system 14 triggers vehicle communications based on those vehicle events that indicate successful activation or deactivation of a service or that indicate that the motor vehicle's communication device is online. The availability status 26 may also be shared with other electronic computing devices that need to know the availability status of the vehicle.

The accessibility system 14 may use the activation status 30 of the motor vehicle 12 as one of the vehicle events to determine the availability status 26 of the motor vehicle 12.

For example, a user 24 may want to activate a service to operate a functional device, for example doors of a motor vehicle 12. User input 22 from the user 24 is captured to activate the service to operate doors on a customer management system 42. Based on the user input 22, the customer management determines ment system 42 determines whether an update of the functional device 10 of the motor vehicle is required and generates an update signal 32 that can be provided to the activator 44. Depending on the accessibility model 16, a current availability status 26 of the communication device 18 is determined and activation signals 48, which are necessary to provide the service for operating the doors of the motor vehicle 12, are transmitted to the communication device 18. The communication device 18 of the motor vehicle provides an activation status 30 for a status matching device 46, which indicates successful activation of the service. The status matching device 46 sends an acknowledgment 50 to the customer management system 42. The customer management system 42 sends an acknowledgment 52 to the user 24 who may have initiated the user input 22.

2 shows another schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of the invention. Shows in more detail 2 a method for defining the accessibility model 16 for the availability status 26 of the communication device 18 of the motor vehicle 12. A collection of vehicle events 34 of a plurality of motor vehicles 36 regarding an availability status 26 of each of the motor vehicles is carried out. Defining the accessibility model 16 by analyzing the vehicle events 34 with respect to the availability status 26 by using a machine learning algorithm 38 of the activator 44 on the electronic computing device 20 is performed. The electronic computing device 20 includes a further communication device 40, with the plurality of motor vehicles 36 sending the vehicle events 34 to this communication device 40. Furthermore, the accessibility model 16 may additionally be defined by using a statistical probability model.

More specifically, the accessibility model 16 consumes vehicle events 34 from other services and normalizes these signals into a common data schema. Machine learning algorithms 38, such as B. Statistical probability models can be used to inform, calculate and predict the availability status 26 of each of the motor vehicles 36 based on event type, vehicle location, signal strength or others. There is no limitation or scope to the vehicle events 34 that may be consumed. Therefore, any vehicle event 34 may qualify as an event in the system that is relevant to determining the availability status 26 of the motor vehicle. Vehicle events may include, but are not limited to, an active Internet connection, driving at high speeds on a major highway, or doors on the motor vehicle 12 being locked, or historical activation data. By using the vehicle events 34, the accessibility model 16 determines which vehicle event may represent a successful activation by calculating the probability of success. Therefore, the accessibility model 16 can increase the probability of communication with the motor vehicles 36.

Vehicle events 34 from motor vehicles 36 consist of all events that may have been received for each vehicle each day around the world. These vehicle events include, but are not limited to, data from a variety of motor vehicles regarding vehicle characteristics such as: B. Door lock status, vehicle position (GPS), telematics control unit (TCU) status, TCU/main unit (HU) connection status, ignition status, mobile network operator (MNO) signal strength or others. Activation or deactivation signals 48 sent to the motor vehicles 36 may consist of activation payloads, deactivation payloads, recognition, communication stack settings, pings, other information necessary to update or properly function the motor vehicle, or others .

The machine learning algorithm 38 takes multiple inputs, such as: B. that the service is activated or deactivated, vehicle events such as: B. TCU type, vehicle position, and any vehicle event indicating a successful connection with the motor vehicles 36 to determine the probability of success. The calculated probability can be used to trigger service activations.

The communication between the electronic computing device 20 and the communication device 40 takes place via MaTT (Fastpath) HTTPS connections or SMS connections or equivalent services. The motor vehicles 36 communicate with the electronic computing device 20 via an infrastructure gateway and an event-based communication model. The accessibility system 14 sends signals to the motor vehicles 36 to activate or deactivate services. The communication method to be used in each activation is defined when a connection request is sent to the communication device 18 of the motor vehicle 36.

The machine learning algorithm 38 may be able to calculate and determine which vehicle events 34 are affected by the motor vehicle gen 36 lead to a connection success per service. The accessibility model 16 may be capable of creating a accessibility map for use by the electronic computing device 20 to know the availability status 26 of each motor vehicle 12. The reachability model 16 may also share trigger messages generated for each connection request via a pub/sub model to be consumed by other services that want to connect to the motor vehicles 36. A scheme may be illustrated to cache, monitor, and understand which motor vehicles 36 require activations or deactivations.

The accessibility system 14 may maintain a record of activation for each vehicle identification number (VIN) to use as a source of truth in the event of an error in the status matching device 46.

Reference symbol list

10

functional device

12

motor vehicle

14

Accessibility system

16

Accessibility model

18

Communication device

20

electronic computing device

22

User input

24

user

26

Availability status

28

Mobile device

30

Activation status

32

Update signals

34

Vehicle events

36

Variety of motor vehicles

38

Machine learning algorithm

40

another communication device

42

Customer management system

44

Activator

46

Status matching device

48

Activation/deactivation signals

50

recognition

52

Confirmation

54

Backend service

Claims (10)

Method for activating or deactivating a service in order to operate a functional device (10) of a motor vehicle (12), the method being carried out by a accessibility system (14) and comprising the following steps: - Defining an accessibility model (16) for communication between a communication device (18) of the motor vehicle (12) and an electronic computing device (20) outside the motor vehicle (12); - Detecting user input (22) that requests enabling or disabling of the service in order to operate the functional device (10); - Determine, based on the accessibility model (16), an availability of the communication device (18) of the motor vehicle (12) in order to communicate with the electronic computing device (20); and - in response to a determination that the communication device is available to communicate with the electronic computing device, transmitting one or more activation signals (48) or deactivation signals to the communication device (18) for enabling or disabling the service to the functional device ( 10) to operate the motor vehicle (12), depending on an availability status (26) of the communication device (18), as determined by the accessibility model. Procedure according to Claim 1 , wherein the user input (22) is detected by a mobile device (28) of a user (24) and/or the user input (22) is detected by the motor vehicle (12) and/or is detected outside the motor vehicle (12). Procedure according to Claim 1 or 2 , wherein the electronic computing device (20) is a central electronic computing device (20) and / or the electronic computing device (20) is a backend server and / or the electronic computing device (20) is a private, public or hybrid cloud and / or the electronic computing device (20) is a service. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , wherein the one or more activation signals (48) or deactivation signals are only transmitted to the communication device (18) if the communication device (18) can be reached by the electronic computing device at least according to the accessibility model (16). Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 4 , wherein the availability status (26) of the communication device (18) is predicted depending on one or more vehicle events of the motor vehicle (12). Method for defining an accessibility model (16) for an availability status (26) of a communication device (18) of a motor vehicle (12) by an electronic computing device (20), comprising the following steps: - Collecting vehicle events (34) from a plurality of motor vehicles (36); - Analyzing vehicle events (34); and - Defining the accessibility model (16) for use by the electronic computing device (20) in order to connect to the communication device (18) of a motor vehicle (12). Procedure according to Claim 6 , wherein the vehicle events (34) are selected from a plurality of vehicle events of the motor vehicles (36) that indicate successful activation or deactivation of a service. Procedure according to Claim 6 or 7 , wherein the accessibility model (16) is defined by using a statistical probability model of the electronic computing device (20). Computer program product comprising program code means for carrying out a method according to one of Claims 1 until 5 and/or one of the Claims 6 until 8th . Reachability system (14) for operating a functional device (10) of a motor vehicle (12), comprising at least one electronic computing device (20), wherein the reachability system (14) is configured to carry out a method according to one of Claims 1 until 5 and/or one of the Claims 6 until 8th .

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