EP2220631B1 - Vehicle emergency call system for transmitting additional or modified data - Google Patents

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to the emergency call and safety technology for vehicles. In particular, the invention relates to an emergency call device for a vehicle for issuing an emergency call, an emergency call system, the use of an emergency call device in a vehicle, a method, a computer program product, and a computer-readable medium.

Technological background

Normally, in the case of an automated emergency call (eCall), a single set of data is transmitted at the beginning of the emergency call and then switched to the voice mode, in which the emergency call is then completed. For example, if a vehicle occupant leaves the vehicle during the distress call, this generally remains hidden from the operator of the emergency call center.

The document EP1280120 discloses a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved emergency call for a vehicle which is particularly adapted to changing conditions. It is an emergency call device for a vehicle for setting off an emergency call, an emergency call system, a use, a method, a computer program product and a computer-readable medium according to the features of the independent claims specified. Further developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

The described embodiments relate equally to the emergency call device, the emergency call system, the use, the method, the

Computer program product and the computer readable medium. According to one embodiment of the invention, an emergency call device according to claim 1 is provided. For example, the record may be requested by the operator of the external receiving device. Also, the Generation of the data set are triggered internally by the vehicle electronics, when the vehicle sensor detects a corresponding event. If, for example, an occupant leaves the vehicle, this is registered by the vehicle sensor system, which then generates a corresponding data record and sends it to the external receiver.

In other words, the classical dichotomy of an automated emergency call (first the digital data transmission and then the opening of the voice channel for the communication between the occupant and the operator) is canceled. Rather, measurement data and the like can be sent at any time, if necessary.

So if the operator finds that he still needs additional data, he can simply request it. Thus, it is z. For example, it may not require that all data be sent prior to the start of voice communication. An external operator of an emergency call center thus has the possibility to request new data from the vehicle at any time during the call.

In this way, specific measurement data of the vehicle sensor system can be requested.

So the operator has z. B. during the voice connection the ability to create a key input of his computer or mobile phone, the sound sequence (for example, as with a remote control on an answering machine or automated hotlines) and in this way to request data again. These data are then sent by the vehicle and then switched back to the voice mode.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the emergency call device has a detection unit for detecting measured values, wherein the specific event is the exceeding of a predetermined threshold value of a detected measured value.

Thus, it is possible for the vehicle to re-transmit the data record on its own if data from an original transmitted data record (transmitted, for example, in the form of a data packet) has changed significantly. Also, such a transfer can be made if certain data have not yet been transmitted and have exceeded a certain threshold.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the transmission of the data record takes place via a voice channel. For example, the communication link between the communication unit and the external receiving device is a narrowband communication link. In this way, inexpensive, narrow-band receiving devices can be used.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the control unit for generating the data record in the form of speech information has a speech synthesizer which is designed to convert data by means of speech synthesis.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the communication unit and the control unit are designed to selectively transmit the data in textual form or as already converted data in response to a request from the recipient.

The receiver can therefore decide whether he wants to have the data transmitted as audio data or video data or in textual form, eg. B. as SMS. It is also possible that the receiver selects, for example, that transmits the location of the vehicle in textual form whereas other information should be transmitted as language.

The term media conversion generally refers to the transfer, conversion or conversion of a file from one file format to another. This applies to the transfer of data between different media and file systems as well as for the transfer of data from one storage medium to another.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the transmission of the data record during the emergency call takes place in the form of a three-party conference, wherein the first participant of the three-party conference is an occupant of the vehicle, wherein the second participant of the three-party conference is an operator of the receiving device and wherein the third participant of the three-party conference is the control unit is.

By using a media conversion in the form of "text-to-speech", ie the conversion of the data into voice information, and by the implementation of a three-way conference circuit, both the operator and the vehicle occupants can check the data transmitted by the communication unit , If it is a faulty measurement, this may be expressed by a vehicle occupant to the operator.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the emergency call is transmitted from the beginning via the voice channel, so that the operator can already speak to the occupants of the vehicle at the beginning of the emergency call.

In this way, an exchange between the rescue center and inmates can take place from the beginning, without first transmitting measurement data.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the emergency call device also has an output unit, wherein the control unit is designed to transmit an output signal to the output unit in order to visually or acoustically signal to the occupants of the vehicle that the data record is transmitted to the receiving device.

In this way, the vehicle occupants can recognize when the record is being transmitted so that, for example, they are not surprised if no feedback from the operator occurs at that time. The acoustic signals of the vehicle occupants made during the data transmission can be buffered in-vehicle in order to be transmitted at a later point in time.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the receiving device is a mobile terminal. The automated emergency call can therefore from a Variety of mobile receivers are received, which then possibly forward the emergency call to other mobile receiver or to a central office.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the communication unit 122 is a permanently installed NAD (Network Access Device).

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the emergency call is an automated emergency call.

A user input to stop the emergency call is not required, but possible.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the use of an emergency call device described above in a vehicle is specified.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, an emergency call system is provided, which has an emergency call device described above and a receiving device for receiving the emergency call and for requesting data from the emergency call device.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method for issuing an emergency call from a vehicle to a receiving device is specified, in which the emergency call is transmitted to the receiving device, the emergency call being at least partially via a voice channel is transmitted, and in which a record is generated upon the occurrence of a particular event, which is then transmitted during the emergency call.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer program product which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the method steps described above.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program product which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the steps described above.

The wireless transmission or the wireless reception (ie the communication between the communication unit and the external receiving device) via GSM, UMTS, LTE, WLAN (eg 802.11p) or via WiMax. It is also possible to use other transmission protocols.

The vehicle is, for example, a motor vehicle, such as a car, bus or truck, or else a rail vehicle, a ship, an aircraft, such as a helicopter or airplane, or, for example, a bicycle.

Furthermore, it should be noted that in the context of the present invention GPS is representative of all global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such. GPS, Galileo, GLONASS (Russia), Compass (China), IRNSS (India), ..., as well as for other positioning systems that provide an absolute position, such as, e.g. Positioning based on WLAN.

A basic consideration of the invention is that the operator has the opportunity to request data again during the voice connection. These data are then automatically sent by the vehicle. There is also the possibility that the vehicle itself initiates the renewed data transmission. The data transmission takes place either via the voice channel, after a text-to-speech conversion, or via another channel, whereupon subsequently switched back to the voice mode.

Furthermore, the provision of a tripartite conference between vehicle occupants, operator and control unit is possible.

• Fig. 1 zeigt eine schematische Darstellung einer Notrufeinrichtung gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung.
• Fig. 2 zeigt eine schematische Darstellung des Notrufsystems gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung.
• Fig. 3 zeigt ein Flussdiagramm eines Verfahrens gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung.

In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the figures.

• Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of an emergency call device according to an embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of the emergency call system according to an embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 3 shows a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

The illustrations in the figures are schematic and not to scale.

In the following description of the figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar elements.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of components of an emergency call device 100, which is installed for example in a vehicle. The emergency call device 100 has a control unit 140 and a communication unit 122 with an antenna 123. Furthermore, a detection device 119 is provided.

The data to be transmitted, which is transmitted to the communication unit 122 by the control unit 140, which is embodied, for example, in the form of a CPU, can be encrypted via an encryption device 121 become. Likewise, the received data transmitted from the communication unit 122 to the control unit 140 may be decrypted by the encryption unit 121.

In this way, the risk of abuse can be reduced.

The communication unit 122 can be used as a mobile handset or as a permanently installed Network Access Device (NAD), e.g. via Bluetooth (when using the mobile device) or by cable (when using the NAD).

An input unit 126 is connected to the control unit 140. By means of the input unit 126, various settings of the communication device and possibly also of a navigation unit 120 associated therewith can be made.

Furthermore, an optical output unit in the form of a monitor 128 is provided, on which, for example, route guidance information can be output. In addition, the route guidance information may also be output via the acoustic output unit 127. The output via the acoustic output unit 127 has the advantage that the driver is less distracted from the current traffic situation.

During the data connection for the transmission of the (additional) data from the communication unit 122 to the external receiver, the vehicle occupants can be signaled by optical signal or by synthetic speech output that the data is being transmitted. Also for this purpose, the monitor 128 and the acoustic output unit 127 are provided.

In a memory element 124, which is connected to the control unit 140 or integrated in the control unit 140, digital map data (eg as navigation map data) are stored in the form of data records. For example, additional information about traffic restrictions, infrastructure facilities and the like are also stored in the memory element 124 and assigned to the data records.

Furthermore, a driver assistance system 125 may be provided, which is supplied with the digital map data or other information.

To determine the current vehicle position, the emergency call device 100 has a navigation unit 120 with a satellite navigation receiver (positioning unit) 106, which is designed to receive positioning signals from, for example, Galileo satellites or GPS satellites. Of course, the positioning unit 106 may be implemented for other satellite navigation systems.

The positioning unit 106 is connected to the control unit 140. Also, the navigation unit 120 is connected to the control unit 140. Furthermore, there is a direct connection between the navigation unit 120 and the positioning unit 106. Thus, the GPS signals can be transmitted directly to the CPU 140.

Since the positioning signals are not always receivable, for example, in the inner city area, the detection unit 119 of the emergency call device 100 for performing a dead reckoning also a direction sensor 107, a Wegstreckensensor 108, a steering wheel angle sensor 109, a spring travel sensor 102, an ESP sensor 103 and possibly an optical Detector 104, for example in the form of a camera on. A beam sensor 105 (radar or lidar sensor) may also be provided. Furthermore, the detection unit 119 has a speedometer 101, a temperature meter 110 and one or more sensors 111 for detecting a seat occupancy.

The signals of the GPS receiver 106 and the remaining sensors are processed in the control unit 140. The vehicle position determined from these signals is matched to the road maps via map matching. The route guidance or position information obtained in this way is finally output via the monitor 128. Farther This information can be transmitted to the external receiver during the emergency call.

The communication unit 122 may receive an external trigger signal in the form of a request from the external receiving device, which is then passed to the CPU 140. Furthermore, the detection unit 119 can detect measurement data, which are then likewise transferred to the CPU 140. The CPU then analyzes this measurement data and compares it with specified threshold values. If such a threshold is exceeded or the CPU receives a trigger signal from the external receiving device, it generates a corresponding record, which is then automatically transmitted during the emergency call.

Such additional or additional data requirements may be useful, for example, if the car continues to move after the first transmission of the data, eg. B. due to a slope and the operator would like to get a new position information. Another example is that the operator wants to know the temperature to determine if it is burning in or around the vehicle. Another example is that the operator wants to know the current seat occupancy in the vehicle to determine if people have gotten out of the vehicle or are newly entering the vehicle (eg helper).

• Das Fahrzeug hat sich nach dem ursprünglichen Absetzen der Position weiter bewegt.
• Die Temperatur in oder um das Fahrzeug herum ist, beispielsweise durch ein Feuer, über einen bestimmten Grenzwert gestiegen. Oder aber die Temperatur ist, beispielsweise bedingt durch starke Kälte in der Unfallregion, unter einen gewissen Grenzwert gefallen.
• Die Sitzbelegung hat sich geändert. Das kann auf das Entfernen eines Fahrzeuginsassen oder das Eintreffen eines Helfers schließen lassen.
• Das Einsetzen von Regen, erkannt durch einen Regensensor oder beispielsweise die Kamera 104.
• Die Batteriespannung unterschreitet einen Schwellwert, wodurch die Gefahr besteht, dass das Bordnetz in naher Zukunft nicht mehr genügend elektrische Energie bereitstellen kann, so dass die Kommunikationsverbindung zusammenbrechen könnte.

It is also possible for the vehicle to switch over again to data transmission on its own if data from the last data packet sent has changed significantly or data that has not yet been transmitted has exceeded a limit value. Causes can be:

• The vehicle has continued to move after the position has been set originally.
• The temperature in or around the vehicle has increased above a certain threshold, for example due to a fire. Or the temperature has dropped below a certain limit, for example because of severe cold in the accident region.
• Seat occupancy has changed. This may indicate the removal of a vehicle occupant or the arrival of a helper.
• The onset of rain, detected by a rain sensor or, for example, the camera 104.
• The battery voltage falls below a threshold, which means there is a risk that the electrical system will not be able to provide enough electrical energy in the near future, so that the communication link could collapse.

In all cases, the transmission of the (additional) data can also be effected by means of text-to-speech in order to: be more independent of the performance of the emergency center or a mobile receiving device.

Subsequent or additional data transmission makes it possible to react flexibly to changing conditions. If text-to-speech is used, this function is independent of the performance of the emergency call center and only a normal telephone connection on the part of the emergency call center is required.

Furthermore, the provision of a three-way conference circuit can take place. If, for example, the operator subsequently requests data, these are transmitted in speech mode (text-to-speech). However, these data are transmitted not only to the operator, but also to the vehicle occupants, as in a three-way conference, with the computer (CPU 140) being the third party.

This allows the vehicle occupants to notice and then correct system errors. So z. For example, if the positioning is not correct (for example, the system suspects that the car is on a bridge, in fact the car is under the bridge). Furthermore, the number of vehicle occupants could be incorrectly reproduced.

According to the invention, further inquiries are made possible by an operator to query from a Rescue coordination center without being able to answer the involvement of the vehicle occupants.

By the subsequent request of the data by the operator (or by the subsequent transmission of the data by an in-vehicle trigger mechanism using the detection unit) is also ensured that can be spoken to the vehicle occupants immediately (and not only after the transmission of data) and although the data can be received in time in the receiving device.

The invention may also be used in addition to in-band transmission, e.g. available from the company Airbiquity, may be used to review or re-request the data if it is suspected that changes in the data have occurred. In-band transmission or in-band modem is a technique similar to the old modem over the telephone line. Thus, data is modulated in the voice channel (the voice channel is not usable for voice during data transmission).

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of an emergency call system, which has an accident vehicle 205 with an emergency call device 100, a center 200, a mobile receiving device 208 for example, a rescue helper and another vehicle 206 with a second emergency call device 100.

The center 200 comprises a communication unit 201 with an antenna 204, a central server 202 and a data memory 203.

The mobile receiving device 208 is, for example, a mobile phone or a PDA. Also, the receiving device may be another emergency call device 100 installed in a second vehicle 206.

All data is transmitted via the radio transmission link 207.

The center 200 is a rescue control center, which can perform the rescue line fully automatically.

Fig. 3 shows a flowchart of a method in which an emergency call is placed in step 301. During the conversation between vehicle occupants and an operator of a rescue center, data is subsequently transferred from the vehicle to an external receiving device in step 302. The data transmission is triggered by the operator, for example, similar to an automated hotline or the remote control of an answering machine. Also, the subsequent data transmission can be initiated by the vehicle itself, because corresponding original data have changed significantly or because a threshold of not yet transmitted data has been exceeded.

After the data transmission, the emergency call device automatically switches to voice transmission again. Acoustic signals from the vehicle occupants detected during the subsequent data transmission have been recorded and can now be sent (step 303).

In addition, it should be noted that "comprising" and "having" does not exclude other elements or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.

Claims (19)

1. Emergency call device for a vehicle for transmitting an emergency call, the emergency call device comprising:

   a communication unit (122) for transmitting the emergency call to a receiving device outside the vehicle, the emergency call being transmitted at least partially via a voice channel;

   a control unit (140) for controlling the communication unit (122);

   the control unit (140) being constructed, on occurrence of a certain event, to generate a data record which thereupon is transmitted during the emergency call,

   characterized
   in that the certain event is a data request from the receiving device (122) outside the vehicle to the control unit (140) during the transmission of the emergency call and the data request is based on a predetermined tone sequence.
2. Emergency call device according to Claim 1,
   the certain event being a data request from the receiving device to the control unit (140) during the transmission of the emergency call.
3. Emergency call device according to Claim 2,
   the data request being based on a predetermined tone sequence.
4. Emergency call device according to Claim 1, furthermore comprising:

   a detection unit (119) for detecting measurement values; the certain event being the transgression of a predetermined threshold value of a detected measurement value.
5. Emergency call device according to one of the preceding claims,
   the data record being transmitted via a voice channel.
6. Emergency call device according to Claim 5,
   the control unit (140), for the purpose of generating the data record in the form of voice information, having a speech synthesizer which is constructed for converting data by means of speech synthesis.
7. Emergency call device according to one of Claims 5 or 6, the data record being transmitted during the emergency call in the form of a three-party call;
   the first party of the three-party call being an occupant of the vehicle;
   the second party of the three-party call being an operator of the receiving device; and
   the third party of the three-party call being the control unit (140).
8. Emergency call device according to Claim 7,
   the emergency call being transmitted from the beginning via the voice channel so that the operator can speak to the occupants of the vehicle already at the beginning of the emergency call.
9. Emergency call device according to one of the preceding claims, furthermore comprising:

   an output unit (127, 128);

   the control unit (140) being constructed for transmitting an output signal to the output unit (127, 128) in order to signal visually or audibly to the occupants of the vehicle that the data record is being transmitted to the receiving device.
10. Emergency call device according to one of the preceding claims,
    the receiving device being a mobile terminal.
11. Emergency call device according to one of the preceding claims,
    the communication unit being a permanently installed network access device.
12. Emergency call device according to one of the preceding claims,
    the emergency call being an automated emergency call.
13. Emergency call system comprising:

    an emergency call device (100) according to one of the preceding claims; and

    a receiving device (200, 206, 208) for receiving the emergency call and for requesting data from the emergency call device (100) .
14. Use of an emergency call device (100) according to one of Claims 1 to 12 in a vehicle.
15. Method for transmitting an emergency call from a vehicle to a with the emergency call device according to Claim 1, the method comprising the steps:

    transmitting the emergency call to the receiving device, the emergency call being transmitted at least partially via a voice channel;

    generating a data record on the occurrence of a certain event, which thereupon is transmitted during the emergency call,

    during the transmission of the emergency call at least partially via a voice channel, an operator again requesting a data record, the data being transmitted automatically from the vehicle to the receiving device, the transmission taking place either via the voice channel after a text-to-speech conversion or via another channel, whereupon the system subsequently switches back into voice mode, and the vehicle itself initiating the retransmission of data.
16. Method according to Claim 15,
    the certain event being a data request from the receiving device to the control unit (140) during the transmission of the emergency call, or a transgression of a predetermined threshold value of a measurement value detected in the vehicle.
17. Method according to Claim 15 or 16,
    the data record being transmitted during the emergency call in the form of a three-party call;
    the first party of the three-party call being an occupant of the vehicle;
    the second party of the three-party call being an operator of the receiving device; and
    the third party of the three-party call being the control unit (140) .
18. Computer program product which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to carry out the steps according to Claim 15.
19. Computer-readable medium on which a computer program product is stored which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to carry out the steps according to Claim 15.

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