EP3183866A1

EP3183866A1 - Expansion module for a personal mobile device, communication system having an expansion module, and communication method

Info

Publication number: EP3183866A1
Application number: EP15753695.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ralph Meyfarth; Rocco Mertsching
Original assignee: Lesswire GmbH
Current assignee: Hangsheng Technology GmbH
Priority date: 2014-08-22
Filing date: 2015-08-24
Publication date: 2017-06-28
Also published as: WO2016026985A1; US20170346935A1; DE102014216795A1

Abstract

Expansion module (10) for a personal mobile device (100) having a transceiver (1) that is designed to send and receive data (D) by means of a first radio standard (F1), particularly one having real-time capability, a data interface (2) that is designed to forward data (D) that have been received from the transceiver (1) by means of the first radio standard (F1) to the personal mobile device (100) and/or to forward data (D) that have been received by the personal mobile device (100) by means of a second radio standard (F2), which is different from the first radio standard (F1), to the transceiver (1).

Description

Extension module for a personal mobile device, communication system with an extension module, as well as communication methods

The present invention relates to an extension module for a personal mobile device, for example a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet or mobile navigation device. The invention further relates to a communication system with an expansion module and a personal mobile device. The invention also relates to a method for operating an expansion module.

Known from the prior art are GPS modules that can be connected via a cable with a mobile phone. Such GPS modules have both a receiver for receiving data by means of a first radio standard (GPS L1 frequency) and a data interface which is designed to forward the data received by the receiver from the receiver to the mobile phone.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved expansion module.

The object is achieved by an expansion module with a transceiver, which is designed to transmit and receive data by means of a first, in particular real-time capable radio standard and with a data interface, which is formed by the first radio standard data received from the transceiver to the personal mobile device and data derived from the personal mobile device to the transceiver and / or is adapted to forward data received by the personal mobile device by means of a second wireless standard, which is different from the first wireless standard, to the transceiver. The invention includes the recognition that by providing the expansion module according to the invention a personal mobile device, such as a smartphone for vehicle-vehicle communication (car-to-car communication, C2C), vehicle-road communication (car-to Roadside Communication, C2R) or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (C2I) can be prepared.

In the present case, data is understood to mean, in particular, data and data records relevant in particular with respect to the aforementioned types of communication. For example, vehicle event data such as brake pedal operations, status information relating to an accident or construction site, traffic information, etc. By means of the transceiver, the expansion module can receive, for example, site information as part of a vehicle-road communication and this via the data interface to a smartphone for display and / or forwarding over Pass on mobile network. Likewise, driver inputs on the smartphone, for example with regard to an accident situation, can be forwarded to a vehicle located nearby as part of vehicle-vehicle communication. Furthermore, for example, congestion information that is loaded from the smartphone from a mobile phone network in the sense of a relay operation can be forwarded to a vehicle located nearby.

The transceiver is preferably designed to transmit and receive data by means of a real-time capable radio standard. The first radio standard may have a latency of less than 20 ms, preferably less than 10 ms, more preferably less than 5 ms. It has proven to be advantageous if the first wireless standard is a wireless standard different from Bluetooth.

The first radio standard preferably operates in a DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) frequency band in the range from 5.855 GHz to 5.925 GHz, in particular according to ETSI EN 302 571, ETSI EN 302 663 or IEEE 802.1 1 p. The second is preferred Radio standard, a mobile standard, especially GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPA or LTE.

It has proven to be advantageous to design the transceiver such that its output transmission power during operation is limited to 33 dBm (2 watts). In a preferred embodiment, the expansion module is designed as a plug-in module. Preferably, expansion module has its own housing with a mechanical interface for releasably attaching the external attachment module to the personal mobile device. It has proven to be advantageous if the data interface is at least partially guided over the mechanical interface in order to enable a simple mechanical and communicative connection of extension module and personal mobile device. A power supply of the expansion module can be guided via the mechanical interface.

In another embodiment, the expansion module is designed as a plug-in module. Expansion module preferably has a mechanical interface for releasable internal fastening of the expansion module within a housing or at least partially within a housing of a personal mobile device.

Alternatively or additionally, the expansion module may have a radio interface for communicatively connecting the expansion module to a personal mobile device. The radio interface is preferably a WLAN and / or Bluetooth-based radio interface. Thus, an expansion module no longer needs to be attached to or in a personal mobile device and can be placed in a storage compartment, for example.

The expansion module can have an antenna connection for connecting an external antenna which is suitable for transmitting data by means of the first radio standard. If an external antenna is arranged, for example, outside the passenger compartment, a shielding effect by the passenger compartment is avoided.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the expansion module has an on-board voltage connection, for example an on-board voltage connection for a rated voltage of 12 volts. Alternatively or additionally, the on-board voltage connection can be designed for connection to a 24 volt and / or 48 volt vehicle electrical system. Thus, the expansion module can be used in various automobiles. It has proven to be advantageous if expansion module is designed to provide a charging current for an associated personal mobile device. Alternatively or additionally, the expansion module may be configured to be powered by an associated personal mobile device. In a further refinement, in order in particular to upgrade older mobile devices for vehicle-vehicle communication, the expansion module has a GPS module.

The expansion module preferably has a communicative connection to the vehicle electrical system, in particular to the vehicle bus. It has proven advantageous if the expansion module has an interface to the vehicle bus by e.g. has a connection for an OBD connector and in particular is designed to communicate with an OBD system of a motor vehicle. Communication can take place via CAN bus, Flexray or K line. In this way, for example, a sudden emergency operation of a vehicle as part of a vehicle-vehicle communication to adjacent vehicles reported and so the traffic safety can be increased. Advantageously, the expansion module can have a memory unit in which one or more vehicle manufacturer-specific CAN communication matrices are stored. Thus, other vehicle data, such as a brake pedal operation as part of a vehicle-vehicle communication to adjacent vehicles can be reported. In a further embodiment, in order to uniquely identify a vehicle in which the expansion module is operated, the expansion module has a memory unit in which an expansion module ID is stored.

The expansion module can be designed such that it can be connected to a personal mobile device via Bluetooth. In this case, the expansion module can communicate via two different wireless standards. On the one hand by means of the first radio standard with another vehicle in the context of a vehicle-vehicle communication, on the other hand by means of Bluetooth with the personal mobile device.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the expansion module is designed to establish a direct communicative connection with one or more further expansion modules via the first radio standard. In this way, for example, a real-time ad hoc network can be built between vehicles become. Preferably, the extension module is to act as an exchange between at least two other extension modules. In this way, a first and second expansion module, which are so far apart from each other that they can no longer communicate with one another directly over the first wireless standard, can be connected via a third expansion module, which is in communicative range to both the first and the second expansion module. communicate as an exchange.

With regard to the communication system, the object is achieved by a previously described expansion module and a personal mobile device to which the expansion module is assigned. Preferably, the communication system is configured according to the above-described embodiments with respect to the expansion module.

With respect to the method, the object is achieved by the method steps of receiving data by the transceiver via a first, in particular real-time capable radio standard and forwarding the data received via the first radio standard data via the data interface to the personal mobile device.

Preferably, in a further, in particular downstream, step, the data transmitted via the first radio standard and forwarded to the personal mobile device is transmitted by the personal mobile device via a second radio standard, wherein the first radio standard and the second radio standard are different from one another.

In a preferred embodiment, the method provides for receiving data via the second radio standard by the personal mobile radio device. The data received via the second wireless standard from the personal mobile device may be forwarded to the transceiver through the data interface. It has proven to be advantageous to transmit the data obtained by the data interface by means of the first radio standard by the transceiver, wherein the first radio standard and the second radio standard are different from each other.

In a preferred embodiment, in a further step, the data received via the first radio standard and forwarded to the personal mobile device are transmitted by the extension module connected to the personal mobile device to another extension module via the first radio standard. The method according to the invention can comprise method steps which correspond to the device features explained with respect to the expansion module - and vice versa. Thus, for example, if the expansion module is designed to have a data interface configured to forward data received by the personal mobile device to the transceiver using a second wireless standard other than the first wireless standard, then so is the Method step discloses forwarding data received by the personal mobile device to the transceiver using a second wireless standard other than the first wireless standard. This also applies to the radio standards disclosed above.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described below with reference to the drawings. Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments and from the drawings; These show in: Fig. 1a) a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of an expansion module;

Fig. 1 b) is a schematic representation of another preferred embodiment of an expansion module;

2 is a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of two methods for operating a communication system from an expansion module and a personal mobile device.

An expansion module 10 for a personal mobile device 100 in Fig. 1a) comprises a transceiver 1 which is disposed within a housing of the expansion module. The transceiver 1 is designed to transmit and receive data by means of a first real-time radio standard F1, which in the present case is an introduction standard according to ETSI EN 302 571. The expansion module 10 further has a data interface 2, which is configured to forward data received by the transceiver 1 via the first radio standard F1 to the personal mobile device 100. The data interface 2 is likewise designed to forward data originating from the personal mobile radio device 100, that is to say for example a user input of a driver with respect to an accident, to the transceiver 1. Furthermore, it is provided that the data interface 2 data D, by the personal mobile device 100 by means of a second radio standard F2, in this case the UMTS standard, which is different from the first radio standard F1, received to the transceiver 1 forward.

The expansion module 10 is presently designed as a plug-in module. For this purpose, the expansion module 10 has a mechanical interface 7, which is designed to be detachably attached to a corresponding mechanical interface 7 'of the personal mobile device 100, which in the present case is a mobile phone.

In the present case, the data interface 2 is routed out of the housing of the expansion module 10 via the mechanical interface 7, so that when the expansion module 10 is connected to the personal mobile device 100 both a mechanical and a communicative connection is established between the expansion module 10 and the personal mobile device 100.

It is also possible that the connection between the expansion module 10 and the personal mobile device 100 via a radio interface, for. B. WLAN or Bluetooth is pronounced.

As can further be seen from FIG. 1 a), the expansion module 10 has an antenna connection 5, which in the present case is designed to connect an external antenna 20. The external antenna 20 is adapted to transmit data over the first radio standard F1. Furthermore, the expansion module 10 has an on-board voltage connection 4, which in the present case is designed as a motor vehicle plug for a 12 V vehicle electrical system. Both the expansion module 10 and the personal mobile device 100, when connected to the expansion module 10, are supplied with power via this on-board voltage connection 4.

In Fig. 1a), the expansion module 10 and the personal mobile device 100 are shown in a typical presently schematically illustrated car-to-car configuration. The personal mobile device 100 is in a communicative connection with a mobile broadcasting tower 200. This is represented by the radiated waves of a second radio standard F2, which in the present case is UMTS. The communicative connection via the second radio standard F2 is presently not real-time capable, ie the information to be transmitted between the mobile radio transmitter branch 200 and the personal mobile radio device 100 is subject to a certain latency period. Via the detour of the expansion module 10, the personal mobile device 100 is now enabled to communicate using a first, real-time radio standard F1. As shown in FIG. 1 a), a communicative radio connection is established between expansion module 10 and a vehicle 300, which in the present case is an ambulance.

In the present case, the vehicle 300 is within a radius of less than 1,000 m to the expansion module 10. The vehicle 300 transmits a data record containing both position data and status data of the vehicle 300 via the communicative radio link of the first radio standard F1 in real time to the expansion module 10. The status data is preferably standardized CAM / DEMN messages according to the ETSI ITS G5 standard and / or standardized WSMP messages according to the IEEE 1609.3 standard. On the one hand, the data to be transmitted are now displayed on a display of the personal mobile radio device 100. Furthermore, the data originating from the vehicle 300 are transmitted via the mobile device 100 itself, by means of the second radio standard F2 to the mobile radio mast 200 and from there to a traffic server. Via the traffic server and the mobile mast 200, in turn, vehicles which are located at a greater range, for example 20 km behind the ambulance, can be informed about their position and status.

An expansion module 10 for a personal mobile device 100 in FIG. 1 b) corresponds to that described with reference to FIG. 1 a), with the difference that a connection between the expansion module 10 and the personal mobile device 100 takes place via a radio interface 8, in the present case as Bluetooth Interface is pronounced. The personal mobile device 100 has a corresponding Bluetooth interface 8 '.

With reference to FIG. 2, preferred embodiments of second communication methods will now be described in more detail.

Fig. 2a) shows first schematically a personal mobile device 100, which is connected to an expansion module 10. Furthermore, FIG. 2 a) shows a mobile radio mast 200 and a vehicle 300. The arrow labeled D here shows the route of vehicle data of the vehicle 300 in the described method. Against a first step S1, data D is received by the transceiver, not shown, of the expansion module 10 via a first real-time capable radio standard F1. In a second step S2, the data received via the first radio standard are forwarded to the personal mobile device 100 via the data interface. In a third Step S3, the data received via the first radio standard F1 and forwarded to the personal mobile device 100 are transmitted by the personal mobile device 100 via a second radio standard F2. In the present case, the first radio standard F1 is a different radio standard than the second radio standard F2. More specifically, the first radio standard F1 is a real-time radio standard according to ETSI EN 302 571 and / or IEEE802.1 1 p, whereas the second radio standard is a non-real-time radio standard, in this case UMTS.

FIG. 2 a) accordingly shows the situation that information from a vehicle 300 via the extension module 10 and the personal mobile device 100 is introduced into a mobile radio network via a mobile radio mast 200.

Fig. 2b) also shows these just described components extension module 10, personal mobile device 100 and mobile tower 200 and vehicle 300. In Fig. 2b) is now shown as a record D, via a mobile mast 200 from the personal mobile device 100 via the second wireless standard F2 is received is forwarded to a vehicle 300.

In a first step S4, data about the second wireless standard is received by the personal mobile device 100. In the present case, these are data relating to a construction site in the context of a vehicle infrastructure communication, namely at a greater distance along the route. In a further step S5, the data received via the second radio standard F2 from the personal mobile radio device 100 are forwarded to the transceiver, not shown, through the data interface in order to be forwarded in real time to the vehicle 300 in a step S6 by means of the first radio standard F1 , As in the example described with reference to Fig. 2a), the first radio standard F1 and the second radio standard F2 are different from each other.

Claims

claims

1. expansion module (10) for a personal mobile device (100) with

a transceiver (1) which is designed to transmit and receive data (D) by means of a first radio standard (F1), the first radio standard (F1) having real-time capability,

- A data interface (2), which is formed, data (D) received by the first radio standard (F1) from the transceiver (1) to the personal mobile device (100) and from the personal mobile device (100) derived data to the transceiver (1) forward

and

- is adapted to forward data (D) received by the personal mobile device (100) by means of a second radio standard (F2) other than the first radio standard (F1) to the transceiver (1), the second one Radio standard (F2) is a mobile radio standard.

2. Expansion module according to claim 1, characterized in that the first radio standard (F1) is a radio standard according to ETSI EN 302 571, ETSI EN 302 663 or IEEE 802.1 1 p.

3. Expansion module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion module (10) is designed as a plug-in module or plug-in module.

4. Expansion module according to one of the preceding claims, character- ized in that the expansion module (10) has an antenna connection (5) for

Connection of an external antenna (20) which is adapted to transmit data (D) by means of the first radio standard (F1).

5. Expansion module according to one of the preceding claims, character- ized in that the expansion module (10) an on-board voltage connection

(4).

6. Expansion module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion module (10) has a GPS module.

7. Expansion module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion module (10) has a communicative connection to a vehicle electrical system.

8 expansion module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion module (10) has a connection for an OBD connector.

9. Expansion module according to one of the preceding claims, character- ized in that the expansion module (10) has a memory unit in which an expansion module ID is stored.

10. Expansion module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion module (10) with a personal mobile device (100) via Bluetooth is connectable.

1 1. A communication system (1 10) from an expansion module (10) according to one of the preceding claims and a personal mobile device (100).

12. A communication method for operating an expansion module according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or a communication system according to claim 1 1 with the steps:

Receiving (S1) data by the transceiver via a first radio standard, the first radio standard (F1) having real-time capability,

Forwarding (S2) the data received via the first radio standard to the personal mobile device via the data interface,

Transmitting (S3) the data received via the first radio standard and forwarded to the personal mobile device by the personal mobile device via a second radio standard, wherein the first radio standard and the second radio standard are different from each other and the second radio standard is a mobile radio standard.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

Receiving (S4) data on the second radio standard by the personal mobile radio device, - forwarding (S5) the data received via the second radio standard from the personal mobile device to the transceiver through the data interface,

- transmitting (S6) the data obtained by the data interface by means of the first radio standard by the transceiver, wherein the first radio standard and the second radio standard are different from each other.