DE102018000837A1 - Method and device for generating an anonymized vehicle identification number - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for generating an anonymized vehicle identification number (aVIN) of a motor vehicle of a vehicle manufacturer and a vehicle model of this vehicle manufacturer on the basis of the actual vehicle identification number (VIN), wherein those identifying the vehicle manufacturer and the vehicle model of the VIN as an aVIN site 1-8 (52), characterized in that the further aVIN sites are determined on the basis of a global navigation satellite system (GPS) of certain vehicle position data of the vehicle as well as time stamp data (46, 48, 50, 54). This makes it possible to provide an aVIN which determines the motor vehicle completely autonomously on the basis of data known only there and stores it internally, without it being possible for third parties from this aVIN to identify the specific vehicle.

Description

The invention relates to a method for generating an anonymized vehicle identification number (aVIN) of a motor vehicle of a vehicle manufacturer and a vehicle model of this vehicle manufacturer on the basis of the actual vehicle identification number (VIN), wherein those identifying the vehicle manufacturer and the vehicle model of the VIN as aVIN point 1-8 be taken over, and an apparatus for carrying out the method.

From the US 2014/0195100 A1 For example, such a method is known in which an anonymized vehicle identification number (aVIN) is determined by a motor vehicle in which those digits of the check digit and those of the individual vehicle that identify the individual vehicle are replaced by a character such as "Q". In this way, an aVIN is provided, by means of which sufficiently anonymized vehicle data are sent, so that only the manufacturer and the vehicle type can be identified.

The fact is that the identical aVIN exists multiple times, namely that every vehicle of the same vehicle type has and uses the same aVIN.

On this basis, the object of the invention is to provide a method and a device for generating an aVIN, which is sufficiently unique.

The invention results from the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of the dependent claims. Other features, applications and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, as well as the explanation of embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated in the figures.

The object is achieved with regard to the method in that the further aVIN sites are determined on the basis of global vehicle navigation system (GPS) specific vehicle position data of the vehicle as well as time stamp data.

This makes it possible to provide an aVIN which determines the motor vehicle completely autonomously on the basis of data known only there and stores it internally, without it being possible for third parties from this aVIN to identify the specific vehicle.

It is virtually impossible that when generating the aVIN two vehicles of the same manufacturer type with respect to the position and the aVIN determination time point with the available accuracy of 8 digits with the characters from the allowable drawing space get the same aVIN. For the VIN - and thus also for the aVIN - the 33 characters 0,1-9 and AZ are available omitting the 3 letters I, O, Q. So at 8 digits there are 33 ⁸ , ie more than 10 ¹² possibilities.

It is important that only the motor vehicle itself knows its aVIN, which is preferably determined once during initial commissioning under GPS access and then permanently stored in the vehicle. Outside the vehicle, therefore, the actual identity of the vehicle is not known and thus only an anonymous identification of the vehicle is possible.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, position data records are provided by production plants of the vehicle manufacturer. By means of the GPS provided position data of the motor vehicle is determined in an aVIN determination time whether the motor vehicle has a smaller distance to one of the production plants than a distance limit - for example 10km - and if so, a stored characteristic value of the relevant production plant is written to the aVIN site 11 , In addition, this design makes it possible to determine the production plant of the vehicle without external intervention in the determination of the aVIN and to store it in the location 11 provided in accordance with VIN. However, this reduces the data space for the arbitrary number by one digit. Since the first commissioning of a newly manufactured vehicle takes place on the site of the production plant, the characteristic value of the production plant can be reliably stored in this way.

According to an alternative advantageous development of the invention, a parameter is determined at the aVIN location 11 on the basis of the vehicle position data in the aVIN determination time. This may be the case if the o.g. Distance limit is exceeded and thus an unambiguous assignment to a production plant is not possible or if such an identification of the production plant is not desired.

mit Latitüde, Meridian in Millibogensekunden
M = 33 - [Anzahl von Produktionswerk-Datensätzen] The determination of the characteristic value preferably takes place according to the following formula: $$\begin{array}{l}\text{Position of the position of the permissible characters in}33-\text{character}-\text{room}=((\text{Latitüde}+\text{me}-\\ \text{ridian})/{10}^6)\text{modulo}\left(\text{M}\right).\end{array}$$

with latitude, meridian in millibose seconds
M = 33 - [number of production plant records]

Example:

• Position of the motor vehicle in the aVIN determination time:
• Latitude: 49.9880205 ° N = 179956874 millibose seconds
• Meridian: 8.4007172 ° E = 30242582 milli-arc seconds
• M = 23 (i.e., 10 position records of 10 production plants are stored)
• Position of the position = ((179956874 + 30242582) / 10 ⁶ ) modulo (23) = 3
• 3 corresponds to the character "C"

Alternatively, difference values of latitude and meridian may also be used, for example the difference values to a location, for example Paris.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the character of the same location of the VIN is written to the aVIN location 10. Thus, the aVIN also contains the correct model or year of manufacture at the VIN site 10. Alternatively, the indicator of the current year ("Y" for 2018) can be entered here.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, a time value calculated from the aVIN determination time is written to the aVIN points 12-16. Preferably, the time value is the amount of a time difference between the aVIN determination time and a reference time determined from the time difference between the aVIN determination time and a reference time. The reference time may be in particular the beginning of the year, so that the time value is in particular the number of seconds past since the beginning of the year. For a year has about 32 * 10 ⁶ seconds while the number space of 33 ^{5 is} greater than 39 * 10 ⁶ .

Alternatively, as is often the case, the number range 0-9 can be used for the five aVIN digits 12-16, then 10 ⁵ numbers are available. If the aVIN point 10 is also used, in which then can not stand the year of manufacture, it would be 10 ⁶ numbers. If the aVIN digit 9 is still used, in which a check digit is normally stored, another power of ten is available.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, a code letter, in particular [A], is written to the aVIN site 17 in order to indicate to the recipient that it is not a (real) VIN but an aVIN. Typically, only digits are placed at VIN locations 12-16, and the presence of a letter at that location may serve as an indicator of aVIN presence.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the time at which a GPS signal of sufficient accuracy is obtained after initial activation of the vehicle is used as the aVIN determination time. an accuracy that exceeds an accuracy threshold. This is usually the case after a few seconds and determination of a sufficient number of GPS satellites.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the particular aVIN is permanently stored in a read-only memory and used for all subsequent communication in which the identity of the vehicle is not revealed and thus the real VIN may not be used. Thus, the data transmitted by the vehicle via the aVIN can be clearly assigned to a specific vehicle only without having further information about this vehicle.

In one training, the aVIN once created is used indefinitely. Alternatively, it is also possible to redefine the aVIN by intervening, for example, the driver or a licensed workshop, for example, if an identity determination was made possible by matching the aVIN with the VIN. In such a case, according to one embodiment, when the aVIN is redetermined, only the aVIN locations 12-16 can be overwritten so that the aVIN location 11 identifying the production location remains unchanged.

It is also possible to enable a driver-authorized vehicle identification by means of the aVIN. For example, if, due to the data transmitted by aVIN to a data evaluation point-typically a department of the vehicle manufacturer-a need for action arises for the vehicle owner, for example, to visit a repair shop (eg to renew worn brakes), this is initially lack of vehicle identification not possible. The driver can not be identified individually. However, in such a case, it is possible for the data evaluation point to send a message with this aVIN to all vehicles indicating the need for action. Each vehicle automatically checks for this message if its own aVIN is affected and then ignores the message except for the one vehicle with exactly that aVIN. Its driver can then be sent the appropriate message. In turn, a feedback signal can then be transmitted to the data evaluation point by means of the aVIN that the message was received and signaled to the driver.

The object is further achieved by a device for carrying out the above-mentioned method, comprising a GPS data input to which data of a GPS receiver unit abut, a production plant data record store with position data records of production plants of the vehicle manufacturer, a central calculation unit, an aVIN Memory and an aVIN data output. In one embodiment, the device is designed as a separate subunit, which is connected by means of a bus system with the central on-board computer or this is designed as a program part of the onboard computer.

Further advantages, features and details will become apparent from the following description in which - where appropriate, with reference to the drawings - at least one embodiment is described in detail. The same, similar and / or functionally identical parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

• 1: ein Blockschaltbild einer Vorrichtung gemäß der Erfindung
• 2: ein Flussdiagramm der Bestimmung der aVIN.

Show it:

• 1 : a block diagram of a device according to the invention
• 2 : a flowchart of the determination of the aVIN.

In 1 is a device 10 for performing the method for determining the aVIN shown as a block diagram. This essentially comprises a production plant storage unit 12 , which contains the GPS position data sets of all production plants of the vehicle manufacturer, a central processing unit 14 and an aVIN memory 16 in which the particular aVIN value is permanently stored.

The central processing unit 14 includes a VIN data input 18 via which the actual VIN of the vehicle is provided, a GPS data input 20 via which standardized GPS data sets are provided by a GPS receiver unit. The GPS data sets contain, in addition to the latitude and meridian data of the current position, further information such as, in particular, a high-precision time specification and the number of GPS satellites used for the position determination, from which the positional accuracy can be derived. Furthermore, still a Reseteingang 22 be present, by means of which a recalculation of the aVIN can be made possible, for example, if due to incidents a data-linkage of the aVIN with the VIN takes place and thus the anonymity is removed. The aVIN memory 16 is with an aVIN output 24 provided that the aVIN can be read on demand by the on-board computer or other units.

In 2 a flowchart of the determination of the aVIN is shown, which of the central processing unit 14 is performed.

In step 40 it is checked if in aVIN memory 18 an aVIN is already stored. If this is not the case, in step 42 checked if at the GPS data input 20 a GPS signal of sufficient accuracy is present. This is typically done by checking the information contained in the GPS signal about the satellites used to determine the position and assuming sufficient accuracy when a minimum number of satellites, for example 5, is reached.

If this is the case, in step 44 Checks whether the current vehicle position is less than a distance limit to one of the in the production plant storage unit 12 stored position data of the production plants. The removal limit is also in the production plant storage unit 12 stored. So all records are gone through in succession. If the distance limit, for example 10 km, is exceeded, this indicates that the vehicle is in the area of this production plant and thus - since a vehicle is commissioned after completion in the production plant for the first time - it is clear that this production plant is the one that the vehicle has made. In this case, in step 46 a tag associated with the record that identifies the production plant and in the aVIN location 11 stored.

If no production plant is closer than the distance limit from the current vehicle location, in step 48 from the GPS data set according to a calculation rule, in particular the above-mentioned calculation formula, a sign for the aVIN site 11 calculated.

Subsequently, in step 50 based on the time information contained in the GPS dataset into the aVIN sites 12 to 16 a value calculated from this. This value can be in the decimal system or another number system, especially with the base 33 to be determined.

In step 52 will be out of the via the VIN data input 18 available VIN data, the VIN locations 1 to 8th and possibly still 10 written to the appropriate places of the aVIN. Further, in this step, at the aVIN site 17 still a mark are written, which identifies an aVIN opposite a VIN.

In step 54 a check digit is calculated from the data provided in accordance with the VIN convention and written to the aVIN point 9.

In step 56 finally, the aVIN becomes the aVIN memory 16 written, where it remains permanently stored.

Although the invention has been further illustrated and explained in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exists. It is also to be understood that exemplified embodiments are really only examples that are not to be construed in any way as limiting the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention. Rather, the foregoing description and description of the figures enable one skilled in the art to practice the exemplary embodiments, and those skilled in the art, having the benefit of the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example, to the function or arrangement of individual elements recited in an exemplary embodiment, without Protection area defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

device

12

Production plant storage unit

14

central processing unit

16

Avin memory

18

VIN data input

20

GPS data input

22

reset input

24

Avin output

40-56

steps

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 2014/0195100 A1 [0002]

Claims (9)

A method for generating an anonymized vehicle identification number (aVIN) of a motor vehicle of a vehicle manufacturer and a vehicle model of this vehicle manufacturer on the basis of the actual vehicle identification number (VIN), wherein those identifying the vehicle manufacturer and the vehicle model of the VIN as an aVIN point 1-8 are taken (52 ), characterized in that the further aVIN locations are determined on the basis of vehicle position data of the vehicle determined by means of a global navigation satellite system (GPS) as well as time stamp data (46, 48, 50, 54). Method according to Claim 1 characterized in that position data sets are provided by production plants of the vehicle manufacturer and determined by means of the GPS provided position data of the motor vehicle at an aVIN determination time (44), if the motor vehicle has a smaller distance to one of the production plants than a distance limit value, and if so a stored Characteristic value of the relevant production plant is written to the aVIN site 11 (46). Method according to Claim 1 or 2 characterized in that a characteristic value is determined at the aVIN location 11 on the basis of the vehicle position data in the aVIN determination time (48). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sign of the same location of the VIN is written to the aVIN location 10 (54). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a time value calculated from the aVIN determination time is written to the aVIN locations 12-16 (50). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a code letter, in particular [A], is written to the aVIN point 17 (52). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the time is used as the aVIN determination time point in which after initial activation of the vehicle, a GPS signal of sufficient accuracy is obtained. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the particular aVIN is permanently stored in a read-only memory (16) (56). Device (10) for carrying out the method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a GPS data input (20), a production plant data record memory (12) with position data sets of production plants of the vehicle manufacturer, a central calculation unit (14), an aVIN memory (16) and an aVIN data output (24).

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