WO2011043715A1

WO2011043715A1 - Transfer of tachograph related information

Info

Publication number: WO2011043715A1
Application number: PCT/SE2010/051017
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christer Thorén; Patrik Nilsson; Mathias Björkman
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab
Priority date: 2009-10-06
Filing date: 2010-09-22
Publication date: 2011-04-14
Also published as: EP2486549A1; SE534787C2; EP2486549A4; CN102576474A; EP2486549B1; BR112012004449A2; IN2012DN01595A; RU2495495C1; SE0950733A1

Abstract

An improved method and system for establishing a connection between a vehicle and a data base is disclosed. The connection is to be used for transfer of tachograph related information. According to the present invention, the connection is established by utilizing a vehicle identity information for determining a user account in a tachograph service entity to be used for transfer of connection establishment information, wherein the user account is accessible by a remote user entity. Then, at least the connection establishment information is made available on the user account. Further, after the connection has been established, the transfer of the tachograph related information is transferred to a data base via the tachograph service entity.

Description

TRANSFER OF TACHOGRAPH RELATED INFORMATION Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a method for establishing a connection between a vehicle and a data base, as defined in the preamble of claim 1. The present invention also relates to a system for establishing a connection between a vehicle and a data base, as defined in the preamble of claim 14. The present invention also relates to a computer program and a computer program product implementing the method of the present invention.

Related art and background of the invention

In vehicles, such as trucks, cars, busses, tractors, and the like, there is a demand for keeping track of how the vehicles have been driven over time. For example, there are regulations regulating the amount of time a driver is allowed to drive his vehicle and the amount of time the driver should rest. These regulations are mainly safety related, since they prevent drivers to drive too long hours, such that they become a traffic safety hazard. Also, such regulations prevent companies to force their drivers to drive too many hours in a row in order to speed up deliveries and cut costs. To be able to confirm that such regulations are followed, a device, which records vehicle movements, need to be included in the vehicles.

Traditionally, analogue tachographs have been used for keeping track of the vehicle movements. A tachograph is a device combining the functions of a speedometer and a clock, generally recording the speed of the vehicle over time. Analogue mechanical tachographs record the speed of the vehicle in every moment on a round piece of paper, which turns one full rotation in 24 hours. The speed is recorded by marking a distance from a rotation axis of the paper, where the distance is related to the speed of the vehicle. Analogue tachographs have a problem in that they easily can be tampered with. Digital tachographs (DTCOs) have also been introduced, which are much more difficult to tamper with. Since year 2006, digital tachographs are mandatory in commercial vehicles in most European countries. Also, it is mandatory to store the data being recorded by the digital tachographs in a safe place. The truck owner must also be able to retrieve and provide this stored data within a reasonable time duration to the authorities if they require access to this data. Figure 1 schematically shows a prior art system 100 for transfer of data being recorded by a digital tachograph (DTCO) 110, also called Vehicle Unit (VU), in a vehicle 101 to a database 150 external from the vehicle 101. According to this system 100, the DTCO 110 has a card reader 111, in which e.g. the driver card can be inserted, and records data when a driver card is inserted into a card reader 111 of the DTCO. Thus, the driver card has normally been inserted when driving is performed, and data being recorded by the DTCO is then stored both in the DTCO and on the driver card. After the data has been recorded, the data stored in the VU 110 is to be transferred to a read-out unit 120 being connectable to the DTCO 110. To be able to transfer this data, a company card should be inserted into the card reader 111 of the VU and the read-out unit 120 is connected to the VU. The data is then transferred to the read- out unit 120 and is stored there.

Then, the read-out unit 120 is disconnected from the DTCO 110 and is physically brought to a location 102 being external from the vehicle 101. The physical movement of the read-out unit 120 is here illustrated by the arrow 160, and is normally performed manually, such that a person disconnects the read-out unit 120 from the DTCO 110, and transports it to the external location 102. At the external location 102, the read-out unit 120 is connected to a stationary computer 130, which is connected to a DTCO service entity 140. The DTCO service entity 140 is connected to the database 150. The data can hereby be stored in the database 150 and can later be retrieved from the database 150 if requested by the authorities.

The data being stored on the driver card is normally transferred by physically bringing the driver card to the external location 102, inserting the driver card in a card reader 131, and storing the data in the data base 150. Thus, the data on the driver card is normally not transferred when the driver card is still in the card reader 111 of the DTCO. However, the data on the driver card can be transferred to the data base in other ways as well.

The prior art system 100 has a number of drawbacks, e.g. the need for manually performed connection of the read-out unit 120 to the DTCO 110, the manually performed physical movement of the read-out unit 120, and the manually performed connection of the read-out unit 120 to the stationary computer 130. All of these manually performed actions are time consuming, and are therefore also expensive. Also, the company card has to be put into the card reader 111 of the VU 110 when data stored in the VU is to be read out. These manually performed actions and physical location requirements of the company card result in an inflexible system with a delay in storing of data, since the vehicles, or at least the read-out unit, physically have to be brought to the external location 102, and the company card has to be put into the DTCO 110 in order to store the data, which can take a while if a vehicle is on a long trip, far away from the external location 102.

Aim and most important features of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a system for establishing a connection between a vehicle and a data base, wherein said connection is to be used for transfer of tachograph related information, that solves the above stated problem.

The present invention aims to provide a more flexible establishment of the connection and a more flexible transfer of tachograph related information than the transfer known in the background art. The object is achieved by the above mentioned method for establishing a connection between a vehicle and a data base according to the characterizing portion of claim 1.

The object is also achieved by the above mentioned system for establishing a connection between a vehicle and a data base according to the characterizing portion of claim 14.

The object is also achieved by the above mentioned computer program and computer program product.

The establishment of a connection between a vehicle and a data base according to the present invention is characterized in that a vehicle identity information is used for determining a user account in a tachograph service entity, which is to be used for the transfer of connection establishment information. The determined user account should be accessible by a remote user entity. Since at least the connection establishment information is then made available on said user account, the connection can be established and the transfer of tachograph related information to the data base from the vehicle can be achieved. By the present invention, a totally flexible establishment of a connection for tachograph related information transfer is achieved, since the remote user entity can be located anywhere where there is an available Internet access. Thus, by the present invention, an exchange of connection establishment information between a vehicle and a remote user entity, and therefore also between the DTCO and a company card being inserted in the remote user entity, can be performed regardless of where the remote user entity is located and regardless of where the vehicle is located, as long as the vehicle is within coverage of a wireless communication system providing a wireless connection, and the remote user entity has access to the Internet. Also, the solution according to the present invention is very easy to expand, since there is essentially no limitation of how many vehicles or company cards that can be handled by the system according to the solution.

Further, a company owner can, if requested, essentially without delay, provide up to date tachograph related information for a vehicle to the authorities, even if the vehicle is very far away from the remote user entity, which is of course very time saving and appreciated by the authorities.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tachograph service entity receives a vehicle identity information being associated with the vehicle together with at least one first message including connection establishment information. The tachograph service entity then provides the at least one first message and the vehicle identity information to the determined user account. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remote user entity periodically accesses that user account, and if at least one first message and the vehicle identity information are present in that user account, the remote user entity retrieves them. Hereby, the at least one first message and the vehicle identity information are published on the user account, i.e. they are not sent to the remote user entity by the tachograph service entity. The system therefore does not have to know the location of or the address to the remote user entity in order to transfer the tachograph related information to it, which reduces the complexity of the system dramatically.

Detailed exemplary embodiments and advantages of the transfer of the tachograph related information according to the invention will now be described with reference to the appended drawings illustrating some preferred embodiments.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 shows a prior art system.

Fig. 2 shows a system according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a flow chart diagram of the method of the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

Figure 2 shows a system 200 according to the present invention for transfer of tachograph related information from a vehicle 201 to a data base 250. In the system 200, a DTCO 210 records tachograph data when a driver card is inserted into its card reader 211. The tachograph data is provided to a communicator entity 220, via a communication line 212. The communication line 212 can have a standardized interface, and can include essentially any cable connection, wireless connection or bus connection, such a CAN-buss (Controller Area Network bus), a MOST-buss (Media Orientated Systems Transport bus), or the like. The communicator entity 220 is, via antennas 221 and 241, in wireless connection 222 with a tachograph service entity 240. The tachograph service entity 240 is connected to a database 250 arranged for storing tachograph related information. The wireless connection 222 can utilize essentially any wireless communication technique being able to transfer the tachograph data, such as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), 3GPP (3 rd Generation Partnership Project), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or the like.

The system 200 also includes a remote user entity 260, which comprises a processing unit 261, such as a Personal Computer (PC), and a card reader 262. The card reader 262 can be included in the processing unit 261, or can be external from the processing unit 261, and is arranged to receive a company card 263. The remote user entity 260 is connected to the tachograph service entity 240 via an Internet connection 264, which can be a wire line connection or a wireless Internet connection. The present invention establishes a connection between the DTCO 210 in the vehicle 201 and the data base 250, such that tachograph related information can be transferred between them in a secure and safe way. Generally, only the DTCO owner, or at least a person having a company card, should be able to unlock the DTCO 210 and retrieve tachograph related information from the DTCO 210. Thus, when a company card 263 is inserted in the card reader 262 in the remote user entity 260, the tachograph related information in the DTCO should be accessible and be possible to store in the data base 250.

In order to unlock the DTCO 210, such that the tachograph related information becomes accessible for the DTCO owner, and to be able to establish a connection between the DTCO 210 and the database 250, connection establishment information has to be exchanged between the DTCO and the company card 263 in the remote user entity 260. The connection establishment information can include essentially any type of information being useful for unlocking the DTCO, such as one or more identification parameters, one or more handshake parameters, one or more signaling keys, or the like.

In order to overcome the drawbacks of the inflexible prior art systems, the remote user entity 260 of the system of the present invention should be able to have a flexible location.

However, the exchange of the connection establishment information between the DTCO in the vehicle 201 and the remote user entity 260 can be very complicated, especially if the vehicle 201 is not aware of the exact location of the remote user entity 260, and thus of the exact location of the company card 263.

Therefore, according to the method of the present invention, a vehicle identity information is used for determining a user account in the tachograph service entity 240. This user account is accessible by the remote user entity 260. Thus, based on the vehicle identity information, a user account in the tachograph service entity 240 is chosen. Then, the connection

establishment information is made available on this chosen account, which is accessible by the remote user entity 260. Thereby, connection establishment information including information needed for unlocking the DTCO 210 becomes accessible for the remote user entity 260, and exchange of connection establishment information between the DTCO 210 in the vehicle 201 and the company card 263 in the remote user entity 260 is possible. The connection between the DTCO 210 and the data base 250 can then be set up by this exchange of connection establishment information.

The solution according to the present invention has an advantage in that it offers total flexibility for the location of the remote user entity 260. The DTCO 210, and also the tachograph service entity 240, do not have to know where the remote user entity 260 is physically located in order to exchange connection establishment information between the DTCO 210 in the vehicle 201 and the remote user identity 260 in order to establish a connection between the vehicle 201 and the data base 250. Thus, a company owner, or a person having a company card, can, essentially anywhere in the world, retrieve connection establishment information, which makes it possible to establish the connection between the DTCO 210 in a vehicle being located essentially anywhere in the world and the data base 250. The tachograph related information being stored in the database 250 will thus be up to date and can also be accessible anywhere if requested e.g. by the authorities.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle identity information includes a vehicle identification number (VIN). This VIN can be based on information being provided via the wireless connection 222, or can be based on parameters being related to the wireless connection 222 itself, such as a telephone number or the like being used by the communicator entity 220 when establishing the wireless connection 222. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tachograph service entity 240 determines the user account to be used for the connection establishment information exchange by determining a company being associated with the vehicle identity information, and then subsequently determining a user account being associated with the determined company. The tachograph service entity 240 here includes two tables. One of these tables includes relationships between at least one vehicle identity information (1- 10) and at least one company (A-C). A schematic example of such a table illustrated by Table 1 below. VIN Company

1 A

2 A

3 A

4 B

5 B

6 B

7 B

8 B

9 C

10 C

Table 1

The other one of these two tables includes relationships between at least one company (A-C) and at least one user account (UA 1 - UA 3). A schematic example of such a table is illustrated by Table 2 below. By utilizing these two tables, the user account to be used for exchange of connection establishment information can easily be determined by the tachograph service entity 240.

Table 2

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the tachograph service entity 240 determines the user account to be used by directly determining a user account being associated with said vehicle identity information. The tachograph service entity 240 here includes one table, which lowers the implementation complexity. The table includes relationships between at least one vehicle identity information (1-10) and at least one user account (UA 1 - UA 10). A schematic example of such a table is illustrated by Table 3 below. VIN User Account

1 UA 1

2 UA 2

3 UA 2

4 UA 4

5 UA 5

6 UA 6

7 UA 7

8 UA 8

9 UA 9

10 UA 10

Table 3

As is clear for a skilled person, these tables can be designed in a large number of ways, and the above disclosed tables are only examples of such designs. Also, the determination of the user account to be used can be performed in a number of ways, utilizing a number of different tables of information. For example, a table can also be used, which includes relationships between at lease one vehicle identification number (VIN) and at least one telephone number being used by the communicator entity 220 when establishing the wireless connection 222. Hereby, the VIN can be retrieved, which can be used for determining a company and/or a user account by the use of one or more of the above disclosed tables.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tachograph service entity 240 receives, from the vehicle 201, a vehicle identity information being associated with the vehicle 201 together with at least one first message including connection establishment information. The tachograph service entity 240 then provides the at least one first message and the vehicle identity information to the user account being determined by utilizing the vehicle identity information.

By this embodiment of the invention, the connection establishment information and the vehicle identity information originating from the vehicle 201 are made available on the chosen user account of the tachograph service entity, irrespectively of the location of the vehicle. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remote user entity 260 periodically accesses the user account, which is determined to be used for the transfer of the connection establishment information. Periodically here means that the user account is accessed at suitable intervals, where the intervals can have equal, different, or varying time durations. If at least one first message and the vehicle identity information are present in that user account, the remote user entity 260 retrieves the at least one first message and the vehicle identity information from that user account. Thus, the at least one first message and the vehicle identity information are here not pushed to the remote user entity 260. Instead, they are only made available, i.e. are only published, on the user account. It is then up to the remote user entity 260 to access the user account and retrieve the at least on first message and the vehicle identity information. This has an advantage in that the system does not have to know where the remote user entity 260 is physically located or imaginary located, e.g. at which IP address, since it does not have to transmit the at least one first message and the vehicle identity information to that location or IP address. The only setting up that has to be made is that the remote user entity 260 should be set to find the right user account to access, i.e. the remote user entity 260 must be able to find the user account being chosen to be used for transfer of the connection establishment information. To set this up in the remote user entity is very easily and cost effectively achieved, and after that the remote user entity 260 can be connected to the Internet essentially anywhere and is able to retrieve the tachograph related information.

Also, since the at least one first message and the vehicle identity information are only made available, i.e. published, on the user account, the system and the method for establishing the connection for transfer of tachograph related information between the vehicle 201 and the database 250 is very robust, since the at least one first message and the vehicle identity information are stored, i.e. buffered, on that user account until the remote user entity 260 retrieves them. Thus, if e.g. the PC 261 of the remote user entity is turned off, or crashes, or if the Internet connection 264 is down, the at least one first message and the vehicle identity information will be stored on the user account for the PC 261 to retrieve once the PC 261 is turned on again or once the Internet connection 264 works again. According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the least one first message and the vehicle identity information have been retrieved by the remote user entity 260, the remote user entity 260 returns at least one second message and the vehicle identification information to the user account in the tachograph service entity 240 being used for exchange of the connection establishment information. This at least one second message includes information being used for unlocking the DTCO, such as one or more identification parameters, one or more handshake parameters, one or more signaling keys, or the like. Thus, the exchange of connection establishment information between the DTCO 210 and the company card 263 has now been set up.

Thus, the at least one first message and the at least second message include one or more signalling keys or the like, that are exchanged between the DTCO 210 and the remote user entity 260. This exchange results in that the DTCO 210 is unlocked and in than the connection between the DTCO 210 in the vehicle 201 and the data base 250 is established. When the connection has been established, the tachograph related information is transferred from the

DTCO 210 to the data base 250, and is stored in the data base 250. Thus, once the connection establishment information has been exchanged between the DTCO 210 and the remote user entity 260, i.e. once the DTCO has been unlocked, the tachograph related information is stored in the data base 250 by a transfer of the tachograph related information via the wireless connection 222 and the tachograph service entity 240 to the data base 250.

Since the vehicle identity information is returned from the remote user entity 260 and provided to the user account, the tachograph service entity 240 is made aware of that an exchange of connection establishment information between that specific vehicle and that specific remote user entity 260 is performed. The tachograph service entity then knows that it should keep on providing connection establishment information intended for that remote user entity on the user account until the connection between the DTCO 210 and the data base 250 has been established. Hereby, more than one company cards 263 can be connected to the PC 261. These company cards may be associated with different companies and/or with different vehicles. Also, more that one remote user entity 260 may be used in the system. Thus, since the connection establishment information is only made available on the user account, i.e. is not transmitted, and since the vehicle identity information is also utilized and included in information transfer both to and from the remote user entity, full flexibility is achieved by this embodiment of the invention. When the at least one second message and the vehicle identity information are provided to the user account, the tachograph service entity 240 provides the at least one second message and the vehicle identification information from the user account to the DTCO 210 in the vehicle 201, whereby the exchange of the connection establishment information is achieved. Figure 3 shows a flow chart diagram for the method of the present invention. In the first step after starting the method, a vehicle identity information is utilized for determining the user account in a tachograph service entity 240 to be used for transfer of connection establishment information. As was stated above, this user account should be accessible by a the remote user entity 260. In a second step of the method, at least the connection establishment information is made available on the user account having been determined to be used for performing the establishment of the connection between the DTCO 210 in the vehicle 201 to the data base 250.

The present invention can be implemented by the use of one or more processing units, where each one of these one or more processing units can be of essentially any type of processor, such as a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or the like. Such a processing unit is connected to a memory entity, storing program code, results from the calculations of the processing units, and the like. Thus, one or more of the DTCO 210, the communicator entity 220, the tachograph service entity 240, and the remote user entity 260 can include such a processing unit for implementing the method of the invention.

Further, the method of the present invention can implemented by the use of a computer program, having code means, which when run in a computer causes the computer to execute the steps of the method. The computer program is included in a computer readable medium of a computer program product. The computer readable medium may consist of essentially any memory, such as a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable PROM), a Flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM), or a hard disk drive.

A system 200 according to the present invention includes a tachograph service entity 240, which includes a number of user accounts. The tachograph service entity 240 is arranged to utilize a vehicle identity information for determining a user account to be used for transfer of connection establishment information. Also, the system 200 is arranged for making at least the connection establishment information available on that user account. The user account is accessible by the remote user entity 260. According to an embodiment of the invention, the tachograph service entity of the system 200 includes at least one of Table 1, Table 2, and Table 3 above.

The system 200 of the present invention can be arranged to perform all the steps of the above described methods of the invention. Also, as is obvious for a skilled person, a number of other implementations, modifications, variations and/or additions can be made to the above described exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such other implementations, modifications, variations and/or additions which fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. Method for establishing a connection between a vehicle (201) and a data base (250), wherein said connection is to be used for transfer of tachograph related information,

characterized by the steps of:

- utilizing a vehicle identity information for determining a user account in a tachograph service entity (240) to be used for transfer of connection establishment information, wherein said user account is accessible by a remote user entity (260), and

- making at least said connection establishment information available on said user account.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, said tachograph service entity (240) performs the steps of:

- receiving said vehicle identity information being associated with said vehicle, and at least one first message including connection establishment information;

- providing said at least one first message and said vehicle identity information to said user account.

3. Method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said remote user entity (260) performs the step of:

- periodically accessing said user account; and

- retrieving, if said at least one first message and said vehicle identity information are present in said user account, said at least one first message and said vehicle identity information from said user account.

4. Method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, if said at least one first message and said vehicle identity information have been retrieved, said remote user entity (260) performs the step of:

- providing said vehicle identification information and at least one second message including connection establishment information to said user account in said tachograph service entity (240).

5. Method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said tachograph service entity (240) performs the step of: - providing said at least one second message and said vehicle identification information from said user account to said vehicle (201).

6. Method as claimed in anyone of claims 1-5, wherein said tachograph service entity (240) determines said user account by performing any determination in the group of:

- determining a company being associated with said vehicle identity information and subsequently determining a user account being associated with the determined company; and

- determining a user account being associated with said vehicle identity information.

7. Method as claimed in anyone of claims 1-6, wherein said at least one first message and said vehicle identity information are provided to said tachograph service entity (240) by said vehicle (201).

8. Method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said vehicle identity information includes a vehicle identification number (VIN).

9. Method as claimed in anyone of claims 7-8, wherein said tachograph service entity (240) communicates with said vehicle (201) by utilizing a wireless communication interface (222).

10. Method as claimed in anyone of claims 1-9, wherein said remote entity (260) provides at least one first message to a company card (263).

11. Method as claimed in anyone of claims 1- 10, wherein, when said connection has been established, said tachograph related information is transferred to a database via said tachograph service entity (240).

12. Computer program, characterized in code means, which when run in a computer causes the computer to execute the method according to any of the claims 1- 11.

13. Computer program product including a computer readable medium and a computer program according to claim 12, wherein said computer program is included in the computer readable medium.

14. System (200) for establishing a connection between a vehicle (201) and a data base (250), wherein said connection is to be used for transfer of tachograph related information, characterized in that said system (200) includes

- a tachograph service entity (240), including a number of user accounts, wherein said tachograph service entity (240) is arranged to utilize a vehicle identity information for determining a user account to be used for transfer of connection establishment information, said user account being accessible by a remote user entity (260), wherein

- said system is arranged for making at least said connection establishment information available on said user account.

15. System (200) according to claim 14, wherein said tachograph service entity (240) includes at least one of the tables in the group including:

- a table including relationships between at least one vehicle identity information and at least one company;

- a table including relationships between at least one company and at least one user account; and

- a table including relationships between at least one vehicle identity information and at least one user account.