EP3696787A1 - Concept for providing parking spot availability information - Google Patents

Abstract

Device (101) for providing vehicle event information from at least one vehicle, comprising: means for recognizing an operating state change of the vehicle; means for determining a geographical position of the vehicle at the time of the recognized operating state change; andmeans for sending, in response to the detected operating state change, vehicle event information relating to the operating state change and / or the geographical position.

Description

Technical area

Embodiments of the present invention deal with devices, methods and computer programs for providing information on the availability of parking spaces for vehicles.

background

Inefficient parking systems are still one of the big unsolved inner city problems. IBM gives in its Report "IBM Global Parking Survey: Drivers Share Worldwide Parking Woes "For example, assume that more than 30% of traffic in a city is caused by drivers trying to park. Inefficient parking systems lead to congestion and increased emissions, they waste commuters' time, lead to productivity and economic losses and can become inefficient City services run. In his Report "The Impact of Parking Pain in the USA, UK and Germany "Inrix explains that finding parking places a significant economic burden on drivers in the US, UK and Germany who work 17, 44 and 41 hours a year, respectively, at an estimated cost of $ 72.7 billion, £ 23.3 billion and € 40, respectively Wasting 4 billion, the biggest cities and financial centers suffer the most, with drivers in New York (107 hours), London (67 hours) and Frankfurt (65 hours) spending time looking for parking.

It is therefore desirable to make the search for a parking space more efficient.

Summary

This need is met by devices, methods and computer programs according to the independent claims. Advantageous further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to a first aspect, a device for providing vehicle event information from at least one vehicle is proposed on the user or vehicle side. The device comprises a device for recognizing a change in the operating state of the vehicle, a device for determining a geographic position of the vehicle at the time of the recognized operating state change and a device for sending, in response to the recognized operating state change, vehicle event information relating to the operating state change and / or the geographic Position. By including the change in the operating state of the vehicle (for example, from switching from ignition-off to ignition-on, or vice versa), parking spaces that become free can be displayed relatively quickly and reliably, for example. The same applies, of course, to occupied parking spaces. Embodiments thus enable a very current display of available parking spaces.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for recognizing the change in operating state can be designed to measure the change in operating state of the vehicle by means of sensors. A wide variety of sensors are conceivable, such as proximity sensors (for person detection), pressure sensors (for person detection), cameras, acceleration sensors, etc. The sensors can be built into the vehicle itself or additionally or alternatively in portable devices such as smartphones.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for recognizing the change in operating state can be designed to recognize the change in operating state of the vehicle by measuring a radio beacon assigned to the vehicle. For this purpose, a device for generating the radio beacon can be provided in the vehicle. The radio beacon can, for example, be based on a WLAN or Bluetooth signal, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), with a range of approx. 10 meters.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for recognizing the change in operating state can be designed to recognize a movement of the vehicle away from a location (leaving the location) when a signal strength of the radio beacon exceeds a predetermined threshold. Accordingly, stopping of the vehicle can be recognized if the signal strength of the radio beacon falls below the predetermined threshold. For example, the signal strength of the radio beacon can be measured using a mobile radio-based device, such as a smartphone. When a user approaches the vehicle, the smartphone recognizes the (vehicle or user-specific) radio beacon. This can result in an imminent start of the vehicle and thus a parking space that has become available. When you leave the vehicle, the smartphone loses its connection to the (vehicle or user-specific) radio beacon. A parking process can then be concluded. This event information can then be transmitted, for example, to a service provider, who can then update its databases.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for recognizing the change in operating state can be coupled to the vehicle via an on-board diagnosis (OBD) interface. A wide variety of vehicle control units can be read out via the OBD or OBD2 interface, so that a start or stop process (ignition on, ignition off) can also be recognized. When a start or stop is recognized in this way, corresponding event information (change of operating state and possibly position of the vehicle) can be transmitted, for example, to a service provider, who can then update its (parking lot) databases.

Additionally or alternatively, the change in the operating state of the vehicle can be detected by means of an acceleration sensor, which can be permanently installed in the vehicle, or in a portable device such as a smartphone.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for recognizing the change in operating state can be designed to recognize the change in operating state by measuring an electrical voltage of an on-board voltage socket of the vehicle. The on-board voltage socket can be installed in a cigarette lighter of the vehicle, for example. When the engine is switched on or off, for example voltage peaks or dips can be observed here, on the basis of which it is then possible to deduce the change in operating state of the vehicle.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for recognizing the change in operating state can be designed to recognize the change in operating state by manual input. This can be the case, for example, when no sensors are used to detect the change in operating state. A user can then display the parking or the movement of his vehicle to or from a location by manual input, for example via his smartphone. The manually displayed change in operating status is then transmitted, if necessary together with the current position data, to a service provider who can then update its (parking lot) databases.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for sending can be designed to send vehicle event information about the type of operating state change. Not only is a general change in the operating state displayed here, but also the type of change (for example "ignition-off → ignition-on" or "ignition-on → ignition-off"). This enables a service provider to immediately conclude that a parking space is vacant or occupied.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for sending can be designed to send the vehicle event information via a cellular network. For this purpose, a mobile radio transmitter can be permanently installed in the vehicle itself, or an external transmitter, such as that of a smartphone or a mobile radio adapter, can be used. In some exemplary embodiments, a combination of sensors used in the vehicle and a smartphone, which communicate with one another via a wireless connection (e.g. Bluetooth, WLAN, etc.), is recommended. The smartphone can then forward the vehicle sensor data to a service provider via a cellular network.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device can further comprise a device for receiving and displaying a route from a current position of a vehicle to a determined free parking space in the vicinity of a destination of the vehicle, the route being based on a plurality of digital map data and vehicle event information based on vehicles. In other words, information on free parking spaces can be received from a service provider and the user can be navigated to these free parking spaces. The search for a parking space can thus be considerably simplified.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a device for providing information on free parking spaces is proposed on the service provider side. The device comprises a device for receiving vehicle event information from at least one vehicle, the vehicle event information including information about a change in operating state and / or a current geographical position of the vehicle. The device further comprises a device for determining an availability of parking spaces based on digital map data and the vehicle event information. The information about the change in operating status, possibly together with the current location of the vehicle, can quickly identify vacant or occupied parking spaces, which can improve the currency of the parking lot information compared to conventional systems.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the transmitted vehicle event information can indicate an operating state change between standstill and movement of the vehicle. This can be done, for example, using acceleration data, OBD data, on-board voltage data, etc. The vehicle event information can thus display, for example, a change in an ignition status between engine-off and engine-on, opening a driver's door, acceleration of the vehicle and / or a presence (presence / absence) of a driver. All of this allows the service provider to draw conclusions about the availability of parking spaces, which in turn can be made available to participating users with the latest information.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for receiving can be designed to receive the vehicle event data via a cellular network. Cellular networks are now available almost everywhere, so that a high level of reliability can be guaranteed.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for determining the availability of parking spaces can be designed to recognize a parking space that is becoming vacant when the vehicle event information indicates a movement of the vehicle away from a location at which the vehicle has previously been at least a predetermined one Stood for a long time. When a vehicle is parked, for example, its location and condition (parking) can be stored in the system. If the vehicle event information then indicates a change in the operating state of the vehicle from parking to driving, it is possible to immediately deduce a parking space that has become free and this can then be displayed to other users.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for determining the availability of parking spaces can be designed to identify the location as a parking space that has become free if the location emerges from the digital map data as a legal parking space. It is of course also possible that vehicles are parked illegally. Such illegal parking spaces that become available do not need to be displayed as parking spaces by the system. Typically, only legal parking spaces are of interest.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device for determining the availability of parking spaces can be designed to use probability calculation and / or artificial intelligence (AI) to predict parking spaces that will become free based on the vehicle event data. For this purpose, for example, additional known location-, person- and / or time-specific information can be incorporated. For example a certain user regularly leaves his parking lot at 7 a.m. So the probability that this parking lot will become free at 7 a.m. is quite high. This can be displayed in the system.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device can furthermore comprise a device for determining a route from a current position of a vehicle to a determined free parking space in the vicinity of a destination of the vehicle. This route can then be transmitted to the vehicle or a smartphone of the user in order to guide him to a free parking space as quickly as possible. According to one embodiment, the driver does not need to be guided to a specific parking space, but can be guided to his destination via many possible parking spaces, so that the probability of finding a parking space on this route is maximized.

According to a further aspect, a system for providing information on free parking spaces is provided. The system comprises a device for recognizing a change in the operating state of the vehicle, a device for determining a geographic position of the vehicle at the time of the recognized operating state change, a device for sending, in response to the recognized operating state change, vehicle event information relating to the operating state change and / or the geographic Position, a device for receiving the vehicle event information, and a device for determining an availability of parking spaces based on digital map data and the vehicle event information.

According to yet another aspect, a method for providing vehicle event information from at least one vehicle is provided. The method includes recognizing an operating state change of the vehicle, determining a geographic position of the vehicle at the time of the recognized operating state change and sending, in response to the recognized operating state change, vehicle event information relating to the operating state change and / or the geographic position.

According to yet another aspect, a method for providing information on free parking spaces is provided. The method includes receiving vehicle event information from at least one vehicle, the vehicle event information including information about a current geographical position and / or a change in the operating state of the vehicle, and determining availability of parking spaces based on digital map data and the vehicle event information . Embodiments of the present invention can use artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to fundamentally improve the parking problem in cities. In contrast to other solutions, the exemplary embodiments do not rely on building infrastructure in the city, but rather determine free parking spaces with the help of the vehicles themselves (connected car). Embodiments of the present invention do not require any structural measures, can be used anywhere and in all vehicles and, according to current calculations, can provide 99% reliable data. As a result, the additional traffic of 30% resulting from the search for a parking space and the resulting pollutant emissions (NO, CO ₂ , fine dust, noise) can be significantly reduced. With exemplary embodiments of the present invention, no additional expenses arise for cities - neither for infrastructure procurement nor administration.

Brief description of the figure

Fig. 1

Blockdiagramme unterschiedlicher Implementierungen von fahrzeugseitigen Vorrichtungen zum Bereitstellen von Fahrzeug-Ereignisinformationen;

Fig. 2

ein Blockdiagram einer beispielhaften dienstanbieterseitigen Vorrichtung zum Bereitstellen von Informationen zu freien Parkplätzen; und

Fig. 3

ein Blockdiagram zur Erläuterung einer Applikation zur Meldung und zum Auffinden von Parkplätzen.

Some examples of devices and / or methods are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures, merely by way of example. Show it:

Fig. 1

Block diagrams of different implementations of in-vehicle devices for providing vehicle event information;

Fig. 2

a block diagram of an exemplary service provider-side device for providing information on free parking spaces; and

Fig. 3

a block diagram to explain an application for reporting and finding parking spaces.

description

Various examples will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which some examples are shown. In the figures, the strengths of lines, layers and / or areas may be exaggerated for clarity.

Accordingly, while other examples are susceptible of various modifications and alternative forms, some specific examples thereof are shown in the figures and will be described in detail below. However, this detailed description does not limit other examples to the particular forms described. Further Examples can cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that come within the scope of the disclosure. Throughout the description of the figures, the same or similar reference symbols refer to the same or similar elements which, when compared with one another, may be identical or implemented in a modified form while they provide the same or a similar function.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the elements may be connected or coupled directly, or through one or more intermediate elements. When two elements A and B are combined using an "or" it is to be understood that all possible combinations are disclosed; H. only A, only B as well as A and B, unless explicitly or implicitly defined otherwise. An alternative phrase for the same combinations is "at least one of A and B" or "A and / or B". The same applies, mutatis mutandis, to combinations of more than two elements.

The terminology used herein to describe specific examples is not intended to be limiting of additional examples. When a singular form, e.g. B. "a, an" and "der, die, das" are used and the use of only a single element is neither explicitly nor implicitly defined as mandatory, further examples can also use plural elements in order to implement the same function. When a function is described below as being implemented using multiple elements, other examples may implement the same function using a single element or a single processing entity. It is further to be understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” and / or “having” the presence of the specified features, integers, steps, operations, processes, elements, components, and / or a group thereof when used Specify but not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other characteristics, integers, steps, operations, processes, elements, components and / or a group thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) are used herein with their normal meaning in the field to which examples belong.

In contrast to the available solutions, according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, parking spaces can be recognized according to the premise "If a vehicle leaves a location after a certain parking time, this means with a high probability one parking space free ". In order to recognize that a vehicle is leaving a location, commercially available position trackers (e.g. GPS trackers) or radio beacons can be used in conjunction with smartphones. Position trackers can either be permanently integrated in the vehicle or loosely coupled, be it through a plug connection with an OBD2 interface, via a cigarette lighter or another power source in the vehicle. The position trackers can provide GPS (Global Positioning System) / GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) coordinates of the vehicle , as well as an event as to whether the vehicle was started. The generated data can be transmitted via an Internet connection and a mobile data network. For this purpose, a Bluetooth, WLAN or SIM can be installed in the position tracker, which either transfers the GPS data directly a mobile transmission technology such as 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, UMTS, GSM, GPRS or 5G transmits, or the data using of a smartphone. In a further implementation, the GPS / GNSS data can be generated directly with the aid of a smartphone, whereby the smartphone with a beacon in the vehicle can detect a transmission event via Bluetooth Light (BLE) and the GPS / GNSS data can then be transmitted directly via the mobile data network . The GPS / GNSS data can be sent to a central management system. A software program on a server can analyze the data and, taking into account other parameters, determine whether a vehicle has left a parking space. Such parameters can be, for example, GPS coordinate comparisons with maps with detailed geographic information on parking lots or non-parking lots. Drivers looking for a parking space can, for example, request free parking spaces via an application that can be provided either on smartphones or via permanently integrated vehicle navigation systems. A driver looking for a parking space can send a request in the form of a geographical destination to the central management system via the application. This can analyze all available parking spaces and all parking spaces that are likely to become vacant in the vicinity of the destination and then guide the driver looking for a parking space to the destination in such a way that the probability of finding a parking space is maximized. The management system can use heuristics or other artificial intelligence algorithms that calculate probabilities for free parking spaces based on pattern recognition and statistics and guide the driver accordingly. The more vehicles use the system, the better the results for a successful parking space search.

Fig. 1 FIG. 11 shows a block diagram which schematically shows different implementations of devices 101 on the vehicle for providing vehicle event information from at least one vehicle.

The devices 101 are also referred to below as data sources. Different data sources 101 can be used for the transmission of event data via a mobile data network to a central management system 106. Event data can e.g. Be location data, for example given as longitude and latitude, as well as other events such as the current operating status, e.g. Ignition status, of the vehicle (on or off), vehicle is moving, driver in vehicle, etc. or a combination of events. Among other things, four different exemplary implementations of the vehicle-side data sources 101 are described.

A data source location tracker with integrated SIM 102 can be, among other things, a commercial GPS tracker, which can be permanently integrated in the vehicle or loosely in the vehicle, for example connected via an OBD interface, USB interface, cigarette lighter or other voltage source. This tracker 102 has a SIM card with which the event data can be transmitted to the management system 106 via a mobile data network 108.

An alternative data source location tracker with smartphone 103, in contrast to location tracker 102 with integrated SIM, uses an external smartphone to transmit event data to the mobile data network 108. An application 107 installed on the smartphone can be used to establish a transmission path between the smartphone and the vehicle's location tracker, for example by WLAN or Bluetooth. The location tracker thus sends the event data to the smartphone, which then sends the data to the management system 106 via the mobile data network 108.

In the case of an alternative data source beacon with smartphone 104, in contrast to the location trackers 102, 103, the location data can be generated directly in the smartphone. A beacon located in the vehicle can send a location signal via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) that can be received by the smartphone located in the vehicle, for example. An application 107 installed on the smartphone can recognize that the smartphone is in the vehicle and send the location data and any additional event data received from the beacon, such as acceleration data, to the management system 106 via the mobile data network 108. An advantage of the data source beacon with smartphone 104 compared to the data source smartphone 105 is a simpler and clearer determination that the data source is actually located in the vehicle. In addition, acceleration sensors can be built into the beacon, which make it easier to determine whether the vehicle is starting to move or not and thus also provides important event data.

With the alternative data source smartphone 105, the location data can be generated directly in the smartphone. An application 107 installed on the smartphone 105 can recognize that the smartphone is in the vehicle (e.g. by manual input) and send the location data to the management system 106 via the mobile data network 108.

All exemplary embodiments of the devices or data sources 101 thus have means for detecting a change in the operating state of the vehicle, means for determining a geographical position of the vehicle at the time of the detected operating state change and means for sending, in response to the detected operating state change, vehicle event information relating to the Operating status change and / or the geographical position.

The mobile data network 108 can be any common mobile data network such as GPRS, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE and other mobile data networks.

The management system 106 is used to provide information on free parking spaces and comprises means for receiving vehicle event information from at least one vehicle, the vehicle event information including information about a change in operating state and / or a current geographical position of the vehicle. Means are also provided for determining the availability of parking spaces based on digital map data and the vehicle event information. The management system 106 can e.g. be a software program 201 located on one or more servers, which calculates the determination of free parking spaces 202, the prediction of free parking spaces 203, the determination of an optimal parking space search route with the highest possible probability of getting a parking space in the vicinity of the destination determined by the driver 100 and to the Application 107 transfers. The driver 100 can be a person or a machine, such as is present in autonomous vehicles.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic block diagram which describes the function of the management system 106. The exemplary management system 106 here comprises a software program 201 which can provide the functions of determining free parking spaces 202, predicting free parking spaces 203 and establishing an optimal route for the parking space search 204.

The function determination of free parking spaces 202 can determine whether a parking space is free by using event data from data source 101, which indicate a current or anticipated movement of a vehicle, to determine the current position of a parking space. Such an event can include an ignition event (engine on), the movement of the vehicle measured by an acceleration sensor, the presence of the driver in the vehicle, etc. The data source 101 only needs to send the event data to the function 202 via the management system 106 in this case.

One aspect of determining a free parking space is the direct communication of the anticipated movement of the vehicle in order to communicate the free parking space to those looking for a parking space. A GPS sensor located in the vehicle is only suitable for this if it is already "warm", i.e. no startup time required. As a rule, GPS sensors need at least 35 seconds from the "cold" start to locate enough satellites and provide useful data. When vehicles are parked, the GPS sensor is usually "cold" before the vehicle is started. However, in order to enable seamless communication of vacant parking spaces, solutions are described here that enable seamless communication of vacant parking spaces. The following process can therefore be used to generate the parking space data. We differentiate between parking and leaving the parking lot.

The parking process can be recognized by the described data sources 101 as follows:
In the case of the location tracker data source with integrated SIM 102 and the location tracker data source with smartphone 103, the parking process can be recognized by the vehicle recognizing a stop event (eg ignition off) from the operating state "On" to "Off". This is a function that can be implemented with OBD2 trackers, permanently installed GPS trackers, permanently installed diagnostic units or trackers connected via cigarette lighter or other voltage sources. As soon as the data source 102 determines that the ignition has been switched off, the data source can send the GPS location coordinates of the parking lot determined at this point in time to the tracker database 205 of the management system 106 via the mobile data network 108.

The data source beacon with smartphone 104 can use the following process for recognizing the parking process: The beacon can send a location signal via BLE, which can be received on the user's smartphone via the application 107 provided. Since the beacon can be permanently installed in the vehicle, e.g. glued or screwed, When the location signal is registered, the application 107 knows that the smartphone with the application 107 is either in the immediate vicinity or in the vehicle (existing connection between the beacon and the smartphone when the signal is strong enough). If a driver leaves the vehicle with his smartphone, the connection between beacon and smartphone is broken (signal becomes too weak). As a result, the application 107 can determine that the driver has left the vehicle and the vehicle is now in the parked state. The smartphone can then send the GPS location coordinates of the parking lot to the tracker database 205 of the management system 106 via the mobile data network 108.

The data source smartphone 105 cannot recognize the parking process itself with sufficient certainty. The user of the application 107 on the smartphone can announce the parking process here via a (manual) interaction with the application. The smartphone can then send the current GPS location coordinates of the parking lot to the tracker database 205 of the management system 106 via the mobile data network 107.

In order to determine that a parking space is becoming free (leaving the parking space), the data sources 101 described by way of example can follow the following process:
With the location tracker data source with integrated SIM 102 and the location tracker data source with smartphone 103, the vacancy of the parking space can be recognized by the fact that the vehicle recognizes the start event (e.g. ignition on) from operating status "off" to "on". This is a function that can be implemented with OBD2 trackers, permanently installed GPS trackers, permanently installed diagnostic units or trackers via cigarette lighters. As soon as the data source 102 determines that the ignition has been switched on, the data source can send a “parking space becoming free” event to the management system 106. The software program 201 can then determine the last stored parking space for this data source in the tracker database 205. The determined GPS location data correspond to the parking space that has become free. If the data sources 102 and 103 also have an optional acceleration sensor, the events "ignition on" and "vehicle is moving" together can be a further event for the vacancy of a parking space, since it can also be determined here that the vehicle is moving.

The data source beacon with smartphone 104 can use the following process to identify a parking space that is becoming free: The beacon can send a location signal via BLE, which can be received via the application 107 provided. Since the Beacon can be permanently installed in the vehicle, for example glued or screwed, the application 107 knows when registering the location signal that the smartphone is either in the immediate vicinity or in the vehicle. When a driver approaches or enters the vehicle with his smartphone, the connection between the beacon and smartphone is established. As a result, the application 107 can determine that the driver is about to leave a parking space and can send the corresponding event to the management system 106. The software program 201 can then determine the last stored parking space for this data source in the tracker database 205. The determined GPS location data correspond to the parking space that has become free. If the data source 104 also has an acceleration sensor, the events “beacon located” and “vehicle is moving” together can be a further event for the vacancy of a parking space.

The data source smartphone 105 requires the input by the user of the application 107 in order to recognize a parking space that is becoming free. The user of the application 107 can announce the free parking space here via an interaction with the application 107. This sends the event to the management system 106. The software program 201 then determines the last stored parking space for this data source in the tracker database 205. The GPS location data determined correspond to the parking space that has become free.

In the implementations described, the time delay between the parking space becoming free and the detection of the parking space becoming free can be reduced to almost zero. The data source 101 sends the event data via the management system 106 to the function 202 only in the case of the above-described events. The function 202 takes into account that the vehicle is "parked", ie the vehicle has been at the same location for more than X minutes, with X is a period of time, adequately referred to as parking, changes to "leaves parking lot". When the function 202 receives a qualifying event that the vehicle is about to generate a free parking space, the function can determine the last stored location of the vehicle in the tracker database 205 and, in one implementation of the invention, compare this with the parking database 206 to check whether the location of the vehicle is a parking space. In another implementation, the function can already check the usability of the parking space when the vehicle is parked, which is sent by the data source 101 and accordingly mark the parking space as usable in the tracker database 205.

The function forecasting free parking spaces 203 can determine a future point in time and location of free parking spaces by calculating a probable point in time for the parking spaces stored in the tracker database 205 to become free with the aid of probability calculations and statistics, heuristics or other artificial intelligence mechanisms. The function 203 can use probability calculation or statistics to refine the accuracy of its predictions. The more parking events of a data source are recorded, the more accurate the prediction accuracy for the vacancy of parking spaces associated with this data source can be. In each parking process, the data source 101 can send the parking position and, in the same way, the data source 101 can send the respective event to the management system 106 and the software program 201 every time the car park is left. The function 203 can thus refine its prediction, taking into account the time and the location data of the parking lot and the respective events. The function 203 can determine predictions for the vacancy of parking spaces by vehicles with individual data sources, e.g. Driver X leaves his parking lot between 7:00 and 7:10 every working day. Furthermore, the function 203 can bundle the forecast in relation to a geography, for example streets, in order to predict the probability that parking spaces will become free in this street at time X.

In another implementation, the function 203 can use heuristics or other artificial intelligence mechanisms to enable the prediction of parking spaces.

The function determining an optimal route for searching for a parking space 204 can define an optimal route for searching for a parking space for a driver based on his destination. The software program 201 can use both real existing parking spaces that were determined in the function of determining free parking spaces 202 and parking spaces that were determined on the basis of the prediction of free parking spaces 203 function. The function 204 can, based on the destination, the real existing free parking spaces, the predicted free parking spaces and other external influences, such as obstacles based on traffic data, such as traffic jams, construction sites, accidents, etc. or parking lot restrictions, such as resident parking spaces, time-limited parking spaces, Disabled parking spaces etc. calculate an optimal route for the search for a parking space, which determines the route with the highest probability of finding a parking space with the available data. The function 204 can also take into account any restrictions that the driver can define in the application 107, for example the maximum distance from the parking lot to the destination, the maximum time to the destination, etc. The resulting route can be made available to the driver using the application 107. Function 204 can continue with the calculation take into account all optimal parking searches requested by drivers at the moment and optimize the routes based on all requests. The route can change dynamically in the course of the search for a parking space due to new information and the changed result can then be sent from the management system 106 to the requesting application 107.

Fig. 3 FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram describing the function of application 107.

The application 107 can be a software program which can be located, for example, on a smartphone or an infotainment device built into the vehicle or in the control software of autonomous vehicles. The application 107 can be a map service which, for example, can function similarly to Google Maps or Apple Maps. In one possible implementation of the invention, the driver can enter his destination address and either request a parking space by entering it, or the application 107 can automatically request parking spaces from the management system 106. In a further implementation, the application 107 can use probability calculations, heuristics or other artificial intelligence mechanisms to learn the likely destination of the driver, for example the way home from the place of work to the place of residence, and start the search for a parking space for the assumed destination automatically without input by the driver 100. The application 107 can receive an optimal route for the search for a parking space in the vicinity of the destination from the determination of an optimal route function for the parking space search 204 of the management system 106. The application 107 can use a guidance algorithm to guide the driver 100 along the best route for finding a parking space, the guidance algorithm being able to use all available data from the management system 106 in order to achieve the greatest possible probability of finding a parking space. A possible guiding algorithm can be the Traveling Sales Man algorithm, which uses heuristics or other artificial intelligence mechanisms to use the shortest or fastest route, taking into account a large number of destinations (in our case, parking lots). The driver 100 can further define restrictions regarding his search for a parking space in the application 107. Such restrictions can include the maximum distance of the parking space from the destination, the minimum parking time, special parking space rights such as residents' parking spaces, disabled parking spaces, parking spaces for electric vehicles, etc. Since the application 107 knows where the vehicle is at all times, further functions, such as the search for the last parking position (Find My Car), accident detection via acceleration sensor and notification of an accident contact, SOS function, etc. can be offered.

The aspects and features that are described together with one or more of the previously detailed examples and figures can also be combined with one or more of the other examples in order to replace an identical feature of the other example or to add the feature in the other example to introduce.

Examples can furthermore be or relate to a computer program with a program code for executing one or more of the above methods when the computer program is executed on a computer or processor. Steps, operations or processes of various methods described above can be carried out by programmed computers or processors. Examples can also include program storage devices, e.g. Digital data storage media that are machine, processor, or computer readable and encode machine, processor, or computer executable programs of instructions. The instructions perform or cause some or all of the steps in the procedures described above. The program storage devices may e.g. B. digital storage, magnetic storage media such as magnetic disks and tapes, hard disk drives or optically readable digital data storage media or be. Further examples can also include computers, processors or control units which are programmed to carry out the steps of the method described above, or (field) programmable logic arrays ((F) PLAs = (field) programmable logic arrays) or (field) programmable ones Gate Arrays ((F) PGA = (Field) Programmable Gate Arrays) that are programmed to perform the steps of the procedures described above.

The description and drawings only represent the principles of the disclosure. Furthermore, all examples listed here are expressly intended to serve only illustrative purposes in order to support the reader in understanding the principles of the disclosure and the concepts contributed by the inventor (s) for the further development of the technology. All statements herein about principles, aspects, and examples of the disclosure as well as specific examples of the same include their equivalents.

A function block referred to as "means for ..." performing a particular function may refer to a circuit that is designed to perform a particular function. Thus, a "means for something" can be implemented as a "means designed for or suitable for something", e.g. B. a component or a circuit designed for or suitable for the respective task.

Functions of various elements shown in the figures including each function block referred to as "means", "means for providing a signal", "means for generating a signal", etc. may be in the form of dedicated hardware, e.g. B "a signal provider", "a signal processing unit", "a processor", "a controller" etc. as well as being implemented as hardware capable of executing software in connection with associated software. When provided by a processor, the functions can be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some or all of which can be shared. However, the term "processor" or "controller" is by no means limited to hardware that is exclusively capable of executing software, but can include digital signal processor hardware (DSP hardware; DSP = digital signal processor), network processor, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC = application Specific Integrated Circuit), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Read Only Memory (ROM) for storing software, Random Access Memory (RAM), and non-volatile storage device (storage). Other hardware, conventional and / or custom, can also be included.

For example, a block diagram may represent a high level circuit diagram that implements the principles of the disclosure. Similarly, a flowchart, sequence diagram, state transition diagram, pseudocode, and the like may represent various processes, operations, or steps, for example, essentially represented in computer readable medium and so performed by a computer or processor, whether or not such Computer or processor is shown explicitly. Methods disclosed in the description or in the claims can be implemented by a device having means for performing each of the respective steps of these methods.

It is to be understood that the disclosure of multiple steps, processes, operations, or functions disclosed in the specification or claims should not be construed as being in order, unless explicitly or implicitly otherwise, e.g. B. for technical reasons is given. Therefore, the disclosure of several steps or functions does not limit them to a specific order, unless these steps or functions are not interchangeable for technical reasons. Further, in some examples, a single step, function, process, or operation may include and / or include multiple sub-steps, functions, processes, or operations be broken into them. Such sub-steps can be included and part of the disclosure of this single step, unless they are explicitly excluded.

Furthermore, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, where each claim can stand on its own as a separate example. While each claim may stand on its own as a separate example, it should be noted that although a dependent claim in the claims may refer to a particular combination with one or more other claims, other examples also combine the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are explicitly suggested here unless it is indicated that a particular combination is not intended. Furthermore, it is intended to include features of a claim for any other independent claim, even if that claim is not made directly dependent on the independent claim.

Claims (15)

Apparatus (101) for providing vehicle event information from at least one vehicle, comprising: a device for recognizing a change in the operating state of the vehicle; a device for determining a geographical position of the vehicle at the time of the detected change in operating state; and a device for sending, in response to the detected operating state change, vehicle event information relating to the operating state change and / or the geographical position. The device (101) according to claim 1, wherein the device for recognizing the change in operating state is designed to measure the change in operating state of the vehicle by means of sensors. The device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device for recognizing the change in operating state is designed to recognize the change in operating state by measuring a radio beacon assigned to the vehicle. The device (101) according to claim 3, wherein the device for recognizing the change in operating state is designed to recognize a movement of the vehicle away from a location when a signal strength of the radio beacon exceeds a predetermined threshold and / or to recognize a stop of the vehicle when the signal strength of the radio beacon falls below the predetermined threshold. The device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device for recognizing the change in operating state is coupled to the vehicle via an on-board diagnosis, OBD, interface and / or has an acceleration sensor. The device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device for recognizing the change in operating state is designed to recognize the change in operating state by measuring an electrical voltage of an on-board power socket. The device (101) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device for recognizing the change in operating state is designed to recognize the change in operating state by manual input. The device (101) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device for sending is designed to send vehicle event information about the type of operating state change. The device (101) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for sending is designed to send the vehicle event information via a cellular network (108). The apparatus (101) of any preceding claim, further comprising
a device for receiving and displaying a route from a current position of a vehicle to a determined free parking space in the vicinity of a destination of the vehicle, the route being based on digital map data and vehicle event information from a plurality of vehicles. A device (106; 201) for providing information on free parking spaces, comprising: a device for receiving vehicle event information from at least one vehicle, the vehicle event information including information about a change in operating state and / or a current geographical position of the vehicle; and means (202; 203) for determining availability of parking spaces based on digital map data and the vehicle event information. The device (106; 201) according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle event information indicates an operating state change between standstill and movement of the vehicle, in particular a change in an ignition status between engine-off and engine-on, opening a driver's door, acceleration of the vehicle and / or a presence of a driver. The device (106; 201) according to Claim 11 or 12, wherein the device (202; 203) for determining the availability of parking spaces is designed to recognize a parking space that is becoming vacant when the vehicle event information indicates movement of the vehicle can be closed away from a location at which the vehicle was previously parked for at least a predetermined period of time and / or wherein the device (202; 203) for determining the availability of parking spaces is designed to mark the location as a parking space that has become vacant, if the Location emerges from digital map data as a possible parking space. The device (106; 201) according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the device (202; 203) for determining the availability of parking spaces is designed to predict parking spaces that will become free by means of probability calculation and / or artificial intelligence algorithms based on the vehicle event data . The apparatus (106; 201) according to any one of claims 11 to 14, further comprising: a device for determining a route from a current position of a vehicle to a determined free parking space in the vicinity of a destination of the vehicle; and a device for transmitting the determined route to the vehicle.

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