WO2012143031A2 - Method for providing vehicle data on a vehicle internet site - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a method for providing time-dependent data about a vehicle on a virtual display area of the vehicle on a vehicle internet site provided by a server, wherein the data can be queried by a vehicle user by means of a communications terminal. The method comprises the steps of: creating a prediction function comprising at least one algorithm by means of which, on the basis of initial vehicle data (w₀) which reproduce current vehicle data at an initial time (t_o), vehicle data (w_x) can be predicted for a time (t = t_o + x); and implementing the prediction function on the server. The method further comprises receiving the initial vehicle data (w₀) through the server by means of direct or indirect data exchange with a central processing unit of the vehicle and outputting the predicted vehicle data (w_x) when queried by the vehicle user by means of the communications terminal at the time (t = t_o + x).

Description

 Method for providing vehicle data on a vehicle website

The invention relates to a method for providing time-dependent changing data of a vehicle on a virtual representative area of the vehicle on a vehicle web page.

An infotainment system in the motor vehicle is understood to mean a system of components which comprises various functions in the area of comfort or safety, in particular navigation, the telephone, but also audio and video sources and their communication-related connection and their use for other vehicle applications, for example for driver assistance systems. The head unit is a component of the

Infotainment system of a vehicle. The head unit is a central processing unit with main memory and processor as well as other components for signal processing, audio processing, MP3 decoding and graphics calculation. Data-supplying vehicle components are connected to the headunit for data exchange via a bus system. Thus, the infotainment system via the head unit allows the central control of the above-mentioned safety and comfort areas and can also display various status, vehicle and statistical information.

The infotainment system enables the information linking of the head unit with an information system external of the vehicle via the communication component of the head unit or the infotainment system as well as suitable data processing. This telematics may find application, for example, in the use of new media of consumer electronics and Internet services, such as the possibilities of remote configuration and remote information retrieval of vehicle conditions via the Internet. This remote information and remote configuration allows in particular the configuration of charging strategies, Endladezeitpunkt, etc. for electric vehicles and the remote retrieval of a current state of charge and achievable range.

Especially for electric vehicles are now operated by the vehicle manufacturer so-called vehicle homepages. The Vehicle Homepage is about a virtual representation of the vehicle on the Internet. It allows the vehicle user or holder access to vehicle data from the Internet. The vehicle data can be provided in a vehicle-registered virtual and representative password area of the vehicle on the vehicle homepage, so that only the authorized user receives access to the vehicle data. The Vehicle Homepage is operated on an Internet server and is independent of the vehicle, so even if the vehicle is switched off or if it is located in a Funkoücke reachable. The vehicle communicates with the server of the vehicle homepage by means of the communication device of the infotainment system, which may be, for example, a GSM mobile radio module installed in the vehicle.

Currently, the Vehicle Homepage can be used by the vehicle user for the remote query of the state of charge of the batteries of the electric vehicle, but also the remote configuration of the vehicle and further information query is conceivable.

Thus, the Vehicle Homepage is primarily intended for use by the vehicle user or holder outside the vehicle, for example by a home PC or a smartphone with Internet access, and is fed by data coming from the vehicle or the user configured on the Vehicle Homepage. When a vehicle user queries data of his vehicle via the vehicle homepage, this may be data that does not change, or at least not without action of the vehicle user. Examples include contract data with power generators or the vehicle identification number. In addition, there are also data that can change continuously, such as the state of charge of the battery of electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles and the achievable range.

If the vehicle user queries this time-dependent variable data via the Vehicle Hompage from the virtual representative area of his vehicle, he either receives the data that was stored on the last communication with the vehicle on the server and may not be up to date, or it will be in the moment the query by the vehicle user, the data queried again from the vehicle. In the latter case, additional communication costs are incurred on the part of the communication module installed in the vehicle. Based on this prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method by which these communication costs between the vehicle and the server can be minimized, and at the same time in the remote retrieval by the user on the Internet via a vehicle homepage reliable current vehicle data supplies.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1. Further developments of the method are set forth in the subclaims.

A first embodiment of the method relates to the provision of time-dependent variable vehicle data on the virtual representation area of the vehicle on the vehicle website or the vehicle homepage provided by the Internet server. The data can be queried by the vehicle user by means of a communication terminal, such as the aforementioned PCs or smartphones with Internet access. The method first comprises the creation of a prediction function, which comprises at least one algorithm. By means of the algorithm, vehicle data for a later point in time can be calculated, that is to say, predicted, based on starting vehicle data which reflects current vehicle data at an initial time. This forecasting feature is implemented on the server.

The server receives the source vehicle data by means of a direct or indirect data exchange with the central processing unit of the vehicle, the head unit. In a query by the vehicle user by means of its communication terminal at any later time, the predicted vehicle data are then output to the virtual representation area of the vehicle on the vehicle homepage. Thus, a reliable and current Fernabfragemöglichkeit this data is possible at any time by the user, where he has to bear only - usually cheap - costs for the Internet connection of his communication terminal with the server and additional costs through a mobile connection of the vehicle communication module with the server to query the current Vehicle data can be avoided.

In the vehicle, which is connected to the virtual representative area on the Vehicle Hompage, it may be a powered by electrical energy vehicle with a rechargeable battery, so an electric or hybrid vehicle in which as time-dependent variable vehicle data, in particular the current state of charge Accumulator and / or achievable range of interest. If the vehicle is connected to a charging station for charging the accumulator, relevant vehicle data can alternatively or additionally also relate to a final charging time.

 In general, the method according to the invention can be used for all vehicle data that changes with time, but a preferred variant relates to the

Prediction of state of charge, range and / or Endladezeitpunkt in a charging of the accumulator.

By now without additional mobile communication costs incurred by the vehicle cost-effective reliable remote retrieval of each current state of charge by the user this is offered an increased certainty over the range of his electrically powered vehicle. The reliable and current Fernabfragemöglichkeit this data by the inventive method increases the customer acceptance of electric vehicles and the satisfaction of the user with it.

The data exchange for the transmission of the output vehicle value to the server can take place directly, wherein the motor vehicle or the central processing unit of the vehicle communicates with the server after a mobile connection between the central processing unit via a vehicle communication device of the vehicle and the server has been established. The indirect data exchange for transmitting the output vehicle value to the server via a second server, which can communicate via a wired Internet connection to the server.

The second server may be a server of an energy supplier, from whose energy supply data the state of charge of the battery of the vehicle can be determined, or it may be a server coupled to a charging station, wherein the battery of the vehicle is charged at the charging station. Thus, in addition to the data exchange between the vehicle and server, the data exchange between the Internet server and the server of another party is also permitted in order to enable the determination of the vehicle data.

Furthermore, an embodiment of the method according to the invention comprises performing the direct data exchange between the server and the vehicle at the beginning of a charging process of the accumulator, this time representing the starting time. In the case of direct data exchange, in addition to the starting vehicle Data further operating data for a charge control of the accumulator are transmitted from the vehicle to the server, wherein the operating data in addition to the current charge state data of the accumulator may include a charging strategy and can also be used for the calculation of a predicted state of charge.

This operating data can be stored by the server and taken into account in the execution of the forecasting function. So not only the starting vehicle data but also the charging strategy go there. The algorithm of the prediction function includes the loading strategy, i. There is an algorithm for each charging strategy, whereby the charging strategy can be a linear or a non-linear charging of the accumulator.

The charging algorithm of the linear charging with a constant charge current may thus include a linear extrapolation. For a charging strategy of non-linear charging, however, the algorithm includes data about a charging current or an expected state of charge of the accumulator as a function of time in the form of parameters of a mathematical formula or a table. Hereby, the non-linear charging process can be clearly described, so that the Internet server can now calculate from these data again at any time an expected current state of charge without re-necessary communication with the vehicle.

The non-linear, intelligent charging, also called "smart charging", enables a comfortable charging of the accumulator, whereby an automatic exchange of information takes place between the vehicle and the charging station during the charging process Head unit of the vehicle and an electronics of the charging station with all the relevant information, such as the identification data of the power contract, replaced with the power supply.This in addition to the power connection, a communication channel between the charging station and the vehicle provided by the operating data, or the charging strategy and the power billing This communication channel can be realized, for example, via an internet connection via the charging cable. To implement the intelligent charging, a vehicle has a charging control unit which, on the one hand, communicates with the protocol destation and on the other hand allows the connection to the existing vehicle network. The "smart charging" also offers the possibility of determining the state of charge of the vehicle through the indirect exchange of data via the communication of the server with that of the energy supplier.Alternatively, the communication costs are significantly lower than the mobile communication costs between the vehicle and the server the server of the power supplier and the internet server providing the vehicle homepage communicate via the wired internet, so that the state of charge of the battery can be inexpensively retrieved from the power supplier or any other location such as the charging station itself and not from the vehicle can then from the data of the energy supplier in turn at any time with the inventive method calculate the expected current state of charge, without a re-communication with the vehicle or the server of the energy supplier is necessary.

The inventive method is shown in a flowchart in its simplest form in the single figure.

Generalized, it serves to provide time dependent variable data of a vehicle on a virtual representative area of the vehicle on a vehicle web page provided by a server. The data can be queried by a vehicle user through a communication terminal. FIG. 1 shows the method steps:

- Creating a prediction function, which comprises one (or more) algorithm (algorithms), by means of which vehicle data (w _x ) for a time point (t = to + x) are predictable, followed by

 - Implement the forecasting function on the server, and the

Receiving the starting vehicle data (w ₀ ) by the server by means of direct or indirect data exchange with a central processing unit of the vehicle, so that finally the

- Output of the predicted vehicle data (w _x ) in a query by the vehicle user by means of the communication terminal at the time (t = to + x) is possible. Thus, for example, a reliable current state of charge value W _x at any subsequent time t = to + x can be predetermined by the method according to the invention with the state of charge value W ₀ obtained at the time of departure t.

The algorithm makes it possible to calculate the charge state value w _x as a function of time with the output charge state value w ₀ . Thus, in the case of the linear loading may be k ^"t + w ₀ act with the constant charging current as a constant factor k is a linear extrapolation of w _x (t) =. Thus, the charging takes place at a normal, a so-called non-intelligent charging station, usually linearly with a constant charging current, so that the expected state of charge of the accumulator, which was calculated by means of the linear extrapolation, can be provided by the Internet server on the Vehicle Homepage. The Internet server can thus answer a query for the current state of charge without re-communication with the vehicle and thus without renewed communication costs.

In the present description, although frequently referred to the state of charge, described method steps and features also apply to other vehicle data, such as the range mentioned above or the Endladezeitpunkt. Depending on the state of charge dependent variables such as the range can be calculated directly from the state of charge.

Furthermore, the method according to the invention can additionally comprise implementing the prediction function on the central processing unit of the vehicle and / or the second server. In this case, the prediction function with the starting vehicle data is regularly carried out by the head unit or the second server at predetermined time intervals, thus obtaining predicted vehicle data at the predetermined points in time. These predicted vehicle data are then compared with the actual vehicle data acquired at the predetermined time. If a deviation between the predicted vehicle data and the actual vehicle data is detected, a notification is sent to the server about the deviation with correction data that includes the deviation.

In this embodiment of the method according to the invention, for example, an agreement can exist between the vehicle and the Internet server, at which times which accumulator state is expected. If now for unexpected reasons As stated above, as a result of the greater deviation of the real data from the expected data, the vehicle may issue a notification to the Internet server to correct the data. Reasons for deviations may be: malfunction when charging, for example, the plug has been removed, or the batteries overheat, limitations of the energy supplier due to an overload of the power grid, higher or lower costs of charging and associated delaying or bringing forward the charging process, etc.

To detect the deviation, the difference between the actual vehicle data and the predicted vehicle data is formed, wherein the deviation to be corrected is detected when an amount of the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold value. To calculate the difference, the actual state of charge and the predicted state of charge, the actual end-of-charge time and the predicted end-time of charge can be used, whereby the end-time of charging can indicate a time at which a defined accumulator charge, typically 100%, is to be reached, or actual range and predicted range.

When the server receives the notification of the deviation, it performs a correction of the predicted vehicle data and / or the algorithm of the prediction function by means of the correction data.

Thus, in order to minimize the communication cost between the vehicle and the Internet server while improving the data-up-to-date of the vehicle data provided in the virtual representative area of the vehicle on the vehicle-side, the prediction function is implemented with the algorithm based on once at the initial time to obtained current data and the expected change of these data as a function of time, an estimate of the data created for the future.

Claims

claims A method of providing time-dependent variable data of a vehicle on a virtual representative area of the vehicle on a vehicle web page provided by a server, wherein the data is retrievable by a vehicle user through a communication terminal,  comprising the steps: - Creating a prediction function that includes at least one algorithm by means of which, starting from the vehicle data (w ₀ ), the current vehicle data at an output time (to) play, vehicle data (w _x ) for a time (t = to + x) can be predicted , and  - Implement the forecasting function on the server, Obtaining the source vehicle data (w ₀ ) by the server by means of direct or indirect data exchange with a central processing unit of the vehicle, - Output the predicted vehicle data (w _x ) in a query by the vehicle user by means of the communication terminal at the time (t = to + x). 2. The method according to claim 1,  in which  the vehicle is a powered by electric energy vehicle with a rechargeable battery, and  the vehicle data include a state of charge of the accumulator and / or an achievable range and / or a final charge time. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,  in which the direct data exchange for the transmission of the output vehicle value (w ₀ ) to the server with the motor vehicle takes place and the establishment of a mobile radio connection between a central processing unit of the vehicle via a communication device of the vehicle and the server comprises, and the indirect data exchange for transmitting the output vehicle value (w ₀ ) to the server with a second server and the establishment of a wired Internet connection between the second server and the server comprises. 4. The method according to claim 3,  in which  the second server  - Is a server of an energy supplier, from the energy supply data, the state of charge of the battery of the vehicle can be determined, or  - Is coupled to a charging station with which the battery of the vehicle is charged. 5. The method according to at least one of claims 2 to 4,  comprising the steps:  Performing the direct data exchanges between the server and the vehicle at the initial time (to), which is a time of commencement of a charging operation of the accumulator, and transmitting operation data for a charge control of the accumulator from the vehicle to the server, wherein the Operating data current charge state data of the accumulator as the output vehicle data (w ₀ ) and a charging strategy include. 6. The method according to claim 5,  comprising the steps: Storing the operating data by the server and considering the charging strategy in the execution of the prediction function with the source vehicle data (w ₀ ), wherein the algorithm of the prediction function comprises the charging strategy and the charging strategy is a linear or a non-linear charging of the accumulator. 7. The method according to claim 6,  in which  the algorithm for the charging strategy of the linear charging with a constant charging current comprises a linear extrapolation, and the algorithm for the charging strategy of the non-linear charging data on a charging current or an expected state of charge of the accumulator in dependent of time in the form of parameters of a mathematical formula or a table. 8. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 7,  comprising the steps:  Implementing the prediction function on the central processing unit of the vehicle and / or the second server, performing the prediction function on the central processing unit and / or the second server on a regular basis at predetermined times with the starting vehicle data (w ₀ ) obtained at the time of departure (to) and calculating the predicted vehicle data (w _x ) at the predetermined times; Comparing the predicted vehicle data (w _x ) with actual vehicle data obtained at the predetermined times, and upon detection of a deviation between the predicted vehicle data (w _x ) and the actual vehicle data to be corrected, sending a notification to the server of the deviation with correction data comprising the deviation. 9. The method according to claim 8,  comprising the step: - forming a difference between the actual vehicle data and the predicted vehicle data (w _x ), wherein a deviation to be corrected is detected when an amount of the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold value. 10. The method according to claim 8 or 9,  comprising the step: upon receipt of the notification, correct the predicted vehicle data (w _x ) and / or the algorithm of the prediction function by the server by means of the correction data.