CN107215330B - Mobile user terminal devices, technical devices and methods for supporting users during remote control thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A technical device, a propulsion device, a mobile user terminal device and a method for supporting a user when remotely controlling a technical device are presented. The method comprises the following steps: -receiving in the mobile user terminal device (20) a message (2) concerning a remote control requirement of the technical device (10, 30), -authorizing the user (3) to remote control the technical device (10, 30) by means of the message (2), and in response thereto: unlocking the user terminal device (20), and/or starting an application for remote control of the technical device (10, 30) on the mobile user terminal device (20).

Description

Mobile user terminal devices, technical devices and methods for supporting users during remote control thereof

Technical field

The invention relates to a technical device, a mobile user terminal device and a method for supporting a user when remote controlling a technical device. The invention relates in particular to conveniently empowering users to remotely control technical devices via wireless communication terminal devices.

Background technique

A large number of remotely controllable technical devices are known in the prior art. An example of this is the development of the "Internet of Things", according to which, for example, household appliances can be controlled via the Internet and thus via wireless user terminal devices, or status indications can be issued. Furthermore, propulsion devices are known which can be remotely controlled and/or monitored in particular for carrying out parking/unparking operations. The ubiquity of smartphones and tablets as examples of wireless communication terminal devices has led, due to cost reasons, to arrange for the inherently existing hardware of the wireless communication device to communicate with the technical device through software units instead of a dedicated remote control. This arrangement is usually carried out via so-called applications ("Apps"), which can, for example, be loaded directly onto the wireless communication device and installed there. In order to prevent unauthorized access to the wireless communication device, the wireless communication device is in a so-called "locked state", which can be changed from the locked state to the unlocked state by locking the screen. Typically, the locked state is also a state that reduces energy consumption in order to extend the standby time of the device. After the device is unlocked, the corresponding application must usually be launched through user interaction. Sometimes this call-up of the application is also simplified by a symbol on the lock screen or combined with the unlocking process.

DE 10 2012 007 986 A1 discloses a remote control of a vehicle by means of a portable communication device, which is used as a driver's blind braking device (Totmann-Schalter) and additionally for acoustic and/or tactile output by the vehicle. Information signal to support user remote control. In order to arrange the communication device to be used to remotely control the car, an application or program is installed on the device.

Contents of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a more attractive design of a remote control device using a wireless communication terminal device as a technical device.

According to the invention, the above-identified tasks are solved by a method for supporting the user when remote controlling a technical device. For example, the technical device can be a propulsion device (e.g. a car, a transport vehicle, a truck, a motorcycle, an aircraft and/or a ship), a household appliance (e.g. a washing machine, a washer-dryer, a dishwasher, a coffee machine, etc.) or medical technology device and/or beauty device. The fact that the technical device can be controlled remotely via the mobile user terminal device leads according to the invention to the receipt of a message on the mobile user terminal device regarding a request for remote control of the technical device. For example, the message can be sent wirelessly by the technical device (directly, ie for example via Bluetooth or WLAN and/or the Internet) to the mobile user terminal device (eg a smartphone). The message contains the identification of the user authorized to perform remote control. In other words, the message authorizes the user to control the technical device remotely. In response to this, the user terminal device is automatically unlocked, that is, converted from a locked state to an unlocked state. Alternatively or additionally, an application installed on the mobile user terminal device for remote control of the technical device is automatically started. The latter can be done independently of unlocking the user terminal. Thus, these steps, which are usually performed by hand for preparing the remote control of the technical device via the user's terminal device, are performed in advance according to the invention, so that in the ideal case the user can take out the unlocked device from his pocket and perform the required The user terminal device of the application and can directly start remote control of the technical device.

This increases the user acceptability of the user terminal device for remote control by means of an application installed for this purpose.

The dependent claims illustrate preferred developments of the invention.

Sometimes it can be assumed that a user or all users no longer control the technical device or have left the propulsion device as a technical device. This can be recognized, for example, by seat occupancy/lockout recognition and used as a trigger for sending information to the mobile user terminal device.

Preferably, the user can be identified by technical means, for example by the car key currently used in conjunction with the car (as an example of technical means), and/or by a camera for facial recognition, and/or by his fingerprint. It is also possible to predefine one or more authorized users, which is advantageous in particular when the technical installation is located in an access-protected area (for example, a private residence). In the last case, the authorized user group can be defined in the mobile user terminal device of the user group in a data memory assigned to the technical device, in particular contained within the technical device. Depending on the identity, the user's identifier is inserted into the message used for authorization. For example, the identifier may include a phone number, name, social security number, MAC-address, IP-address, etc.

As long as the technical device includes a microphone, sound analysis and/or acoustic input of a predefined identifier ("password") can be used to authorize the user, as well as unlock the user terminal device or launch applications. For example, suitable voice commands may include a sequence of numbers entered in order to unlock the mobile user terminal device and/or the name of the open application.

In the case of a propulsion device as a technical device, a message can be sent to the mobile user terminal device in response to the recognition of an imminent parking procedure. For example, an imminent parking maneuver can be detected in response to a user input by means of a technical device, or in response to an automated identification of a parking space.

Especially for situations where the required remote control can be performed by more than one user, a large amount of information can be sent and received by multiple mobile user terminal devices (eg, smartphones, tablets). In other words, a plurality of mobile user terminal devices assigned to the technical device or its authorized users are unlocked in response to the reception of the first, second or every other message in order to enable convenient remote control of the technical device. However, in order to ensure that only one user performs the obligatory remote control steps and can therefore be understood to be responsible for the remote control process, authorization to remotely control the technical device by means of the second user terminal device can be denied in response to the user input performed first. In other words, the first device used by the user for remote control can be enabled so that other user terminal devices are automatically blocked immediately and/or the applications required for remote control are protected from additional access. In this regard, the first user terminal device used by the user can send a message to the technical device which has sent the message for unlocking or starting the application, in order to cause the technical device to immediately block the remaining users. terminal device. Alternatively or additionally, as the first user terminal device used for remote control, the remaining user terminal devices can be blocked, bypassing the technical device, or the application calling the technical device can be protected from other users. access. In this way, exclusive access to the technical device is guaranteed by means of the remote control device used as the first.

Alternatively or additionally, the users or user terminals assigned to the technical installation can be hierarchically divided, so that the highest user or the highest mobile user terminal in the hierarchy can always carry out mandatory controls. For example, such a level may also be flexibly changed in response to a user identified in the surrounding environment of the technical device. In other words, a user who is in the immediate surroundings of a technical device has access to a higher authorization level than a user who is essentially authorized to control the remote control but is not currently present.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a technical device, in particular a propulsion device and/or a household appliance (e.g. washing machine, dishwasher, washer-dryer, coffee machine, etc.), is proposed, which technical device includes an analysis unit (e.g. , electronic control device, microprocessor, programmable processor, etc.), sending and receiving unit and identification device. The evaluation unit is designed to identify a request for remote control of the technical device via the mobile user terminal device. This requirement may be determined, for example, by user input or based on the operating conditions of the technical device. The transmitting and receiving unit is set up to send a message to the mobile user terminal device, the message containing information about the remote control requirements of the technical device to authorize the user to control the technical device in order to unlock the user terminal device and alternatively or additionally to An application for remote control of the technical device is launched on the mobile user terminal device. The transmission can take place directly and alternatively or additionally via relays in land mobile communication networks and/or via relays in the Internet. The identification device of the technical installation may comprise a data memory in which the mobile user terminal assigned to the technical installation is identified. Alternatively or additionally, a user may be identified by querying an identifier known or available only to the user. In particular, biometric data can be used to authorize users. This could be done, for example, with the help of iris scanning, fingerprint scanning, voice analysis or other suitable aids. If the user is unambiguously identified, the user terminal device currently assigned to the user and suitable for remote control of the technical device can be read out from the data storage (local or Internet-based) in order to receive a message for authorizing the user.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a mobile user terminal device (such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, etc.) is proposed. The mobile user terminal device includes an analysis unit (such as a programmable processor), a sending and receiving unit, and a Software in the data memory for executing instructions for remote control of technical equipment by means of an application program. The transmitter-receiver unit is set up to receive messages containing information authorizing the user to control the technical device remotely. Authorization of the mobile user terminal or of the user's remote control technology is therefore carried out by means of this message. The evaluation unit is configured to check the user's authorization to remotely control the technical device by means of the user terminal on the basis of the authorization information contained in the message. The fact that the message has been sent to the mobile user terminal device and that the technical device is known as the sender of the message can already be sufficient for authorization according to the invention. In response to a successful authorization or current authorization, the user terminal device is unlocked according to the invention and, alternatively or additionally, an application for remote control of the technical device is launched on the mobile user terminal device. This startup can be understood in particular as the display of a graphical user interface (English GUI) which is not displayed or is not fully displayed before the application is started. In other words, components of the application may already be running in the background of the mobile user terminal device, and further preparations for remote control of the technical device are automatically made in response to the receipt of the message and the authorization of the user.

Preferably, the invention simplifies remote parking of the propulsion device by means of a smartphone. The driver drives through a parking space or parks the car in front of his garage and operates a button in the car that initiates the remote-parking process ("Remote-Parking" in English). The driver can then exit the car and allow the car to park via an app on his smartphone. Currently, drivers must exit their vehicle before unlocking their smartphone and manually launching the app. The idea is to simplify this process by launching the application from the car. After getting out of the car, the user found the application already launched on his smartphone. This makes the operation extremely comfortable. Naturally, the remote control according to the invention can prepare other operating states of the propulsion device or other technical devices. thus improving comfort and user acceptability.

Description of the drawings

Subsequently, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the attached picture:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a situation in which a technical device is to be remotely controlled according to the invention; and

Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of one embodiment of a method for supporting a user when remote controlling a technical device according to the invention.

Detailed ways

FIG. 1 shows a car 10 as an embodiment of a technical device configured according to the invention, which a user 3 wants to park remotely in a parking space between two foreign cars 11 . The parking space is identified by means of a verbal command, which is received by the microphone 12 as user interface and forwarded to the electronic control device 6 as an analysis unit for analysis. The voice of user 3 has been used in electronic control device 6 to identify user 3 . The interior camera 4 additionally records the face of the user 3 and thus enables facial recognition in the electronic control device 6 to additionally identify the user. Furthermore, the ignition switch 9 reads out the user characteristics of the radio key 8 that the user 3 usually carries with him. User 3 has a smartphone 20 in his pocket that is displayed magnified outside the car 10 . In order to remotely monitor the parking process, the electronic control device 6 sends the first message 2 to the smartphone 20 of the user 3 by means of the antenna 7, and sends the second message 5 to the smartphone 21 of the user's wife 3a. She is in the laundry room in the house, where the user's wife loads a washing machine 30 as a second example of the technical device according to the invention. Since user 3 is in the car 10 , user 3 is ranked higher than his wife 3 a in terms of authorization for monitoring the parking process. The spatial absence of his wife 3a can even be used to completely prohibit the remote control of the car 10 by her wife 3a, since she cannot carry out the required monitoring of the parking process anyway. The receipt of message 2 on the smartphone 20 of user 3 leads to the unlocking of the screen and the display of the graphical user interface with the image 10' of the car 10 and the driver's blind braking device 13, as long as the remote parking process should continue for the user Just keep pressing the driver's blind brake. As a result, the user 3 only needs to take out the smartphone from his pocket and press the driver's blind brake 13 to authorize the automatic parking process. In the prior art, prior unlocking of the smartphone is required (for example, pressing a hardware button/home button, unlocking gestures by means of the touch screen and calling up the application), for which it is estimated that it may generally take several seconds.

Concerning the washing machine 30 , which also has an electronic control device 6 as an analysis unit, an antenna 7 as a transceiver unit and a data memory 14 as an identification device, the fact that the user 3, wife 3a, is present in space, or that Mrs. 3a's smartphone 21 is present will support, The remote control of the washing machine 30 can be carried out in particular by the wife 3 a and only additionally by the user 3 . In order to save time after loading the washing machine 30, a message according to the invention (not shown) can be sent from the washing machine 30 to the smartphone 21 of the user 3, wife 3a, in response to the closing of the door, by means of which the smartphone 21 is unlocked. And the application assigned to the washing machine 30 can be started. In this way, Mrs. 3a can make the required settings for future washing processes, for example while on her way up the basement stairs, thereby saving time.

Figure 2 shows a flow chart illustrating the steps of one embodiment of a method according to the invention for supporting a user when remote controlling a technical device. In step 100 user input is received via the technical device. In step 200 the user is identified by the technical device. This can be done, for example, based on a propulsion device interior space camera and/or based on a radio key assigned to the user. In step 300 an identifier used to authorize the user is inserted into this information. Synonymous with the user identifier is the technical device identifier whose elements are all permitted as users of the mobile user terminal device, provided that the technical device has a closed user scope. The message is sent to the mobile user terminal device in step 400. This can take place, for example, with the aid of the Internet ("Internet of Things"). In step 500, a message based on a remote control request of the technical device is received in the mobile user terminal device. This does not exclude the reception of the second message in a second mobile user terminal assigned to the user and the receipt of a further message for a corresponding purpose in another user terminal assigned to the user. In step 600, the user is authorized by means of this message to control the technical device remotely. In response to this, in step 700, the user terminal device is unlocked, the operation/user interface of the user terminal device is thereby released, and in step 800, an application for remote control of the technical device is launched on the mobile user terminal device . Finally, in step 900, instructions for operating functions of the technical device are sent to the technical device through the mobile user terminal device by means of the application program. Compared with the prior art, the remote control of the technical device by means of the mobile user terminal device is simplified in that unlocking steps to be performed by the user and manual activation of the application for remote control are eliminated.

Even though aspects and advantageous embodiments according to the invention have been described in detail by means of the embodiments explained in connection with the drawings, it will be possible for a person skilled in the art to modify and combine features of the embodiments shown without departing from the scope of the invention. , the protection scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

List of reference signs

2 messages

3 users

Mrs. 3a User

4 interior space cameras

5 second news

6 electronic control device

7 antennas

8 radio keys

9 ignition switch

10 cars

10′ image of car

11 Exotic cars

12 microphones

13 Driving a blind brake device

14 data memory

20,21 Smartphone

30 washing machines

100-900 Method steps

Claims (9)

1. Method for supporting a user (3) when remotely controlling a technical device (10, 30), comprising the steps of:

● -receiving (500) a message (2) concerning a remote control requirement of the technical device (10, 30) from the technical device (10, 30) in a first mobile user terminal device (20), the transmission of the message (2) being possible under the relay of a land mobile communication network and/or under the relay of the internet;

● Authorizing (600) a user (3) to remotely control said technical means (10, 30) in accordance with said message (2), and in response thereto,

● Unlocking (700) a first mobile user terminal device (20), and/or

● Starting (800) an application on a first mobile user terminal device (20) for remote control of the technical device (10, 30),

wherein the technical device (10, 30) is a propulsion device, and wherein the method further comprises:

● -identifying (200) said user (3) by said technical means (10, 30) and based on identity

● An identifier for an authorised user (3) is inserted (300) into the message (2),

● Receiving a second message (5) in a second mobile user terminal device (21) concerning a remote control request of the technical device (10, 30),

● User input is received at a first mobile user terminal device (20) and in response thereto,

authorization of the remote control technology device (10, 30) by means of the second mobile user terminal device (21) is denied.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying is performed by means of:

● An interior camera (4), and/or

● Fingerprint reader, and/or

● And (5) sound analysis.

3. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the message (2) is sent to the first mobile user terminal device (20) in response to an impending parking procedure.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising

● -receiving (100) user input by the technical means (10, 30) and in response thereto

● -transmitting (400) said message (2) to the first mobile user terminal device (20).

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising

● -transmitting (900) by the first mobile user terminal device (20) instructions for operating the functions of the technical device (10, 30) by means of the application program.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second mobile user terminal devices (20, 21) are smartphones and/or tablet computers of users (3, 3 a).

7. A technical device comprises

● An analysis unit (6),

● Transmitting/receiving unit (7)

● Identification means (4), wherein

● The analysis unit (6) is designed to recognize a request for remote control of the technical device (10, 30) by the first mobile user terminal device (20),

● The transmitting and receiving unit (7) is designed to transmit a message (2) to the first mobile user terminal device (20) and to transmit a second message (5) to the second mobile user terminal device (21), the message (2) and the second message (5) comprising information about a remote control requirement of the technical device (10, 30) to authorize the user (3) to remotely control the technical device (10, 30),

for unlocking the first and second mobile user terminal devices (20, 21), and/or

For starting an application for remote control of a technical device (10, 30) on a first and a second mobile user terminal device (20, 21),

wherein the technical means (10, 30) identifies (200) the user (3) and inserts (300) an identifier for authorizing the user (3) into the message (2) in dependence on the identity, wherein the sending of the message (2) can take place under the relay of a land mobile communication network and/or under the relay of the internet, and wherein the technical means (10, 30) refuses to remotely control the authorization of the technical means (10, 30) by means of the second mobile user terminal means (21) in response to receiving a user input on the first mobile user terminal means (20).

8. The technical device of claim 7, wherein the technical device is a propulsion device.

9. A mobile user terminal device includes

● An analysis unit (6),

● A transmitting/receiving unit (7), and

● Software for executing instructions for remote control of a technical device (10, 30) by means of an application program, wherein

● The transmitting and receiving unit (7) is set up for receiving a message comprising information of an authorized user (3) for remotely controlling a technical device (10, 30), wherein the technical device (10, 30) identifies (200) the user (3) and inserts (300) an identifier for the authorized user (3) into the message according to the identity, and wherein the transmission of the message can take place under the relay of a land mobile communication network and/or under the relay of the internet, and

● The analysis unit (6) is designed to check the authorization of the user (3) by means of the mobile user terminal device to remotely control the technical device (10, 30) on the basis of the authorization information and to respond to the current authorization,

unlocking the mobile user terminal device, and/or

Starting an application for remote control of a technical device (10, 30) on a mobile user terminal device,

wherein in response to receiving a user input at the first mobile user terminal device, authorization of the remote control technology device (10, 30) by means of the second mobile user terminal device is denied.