Apparatus for controlling a device of a motor vehicle, associated device and operating method

• US 10,437,245 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2015
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Altinger, Harald, Schuller, Florian, El Assaad, Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/323,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20170146993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Apparatus for controlling a device of a motor vehicle includes a communication unit configured to shift the device of the motor vehicle from an idle mode to an active mode by sending a first wireless signal. The apparatus is configured to specify a frequency and/or a channel for transmitting and/or receiving the first wireless signal in the active mode and to control the device so that the device is only shifted from the idle mode to the active mode when the first wireless signal is received at the specified frequency and/or the specified channel.

Claims

1. Apparatus for controlling devices of a plurality of motor vehicles present in a parking area, said apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to shift one or more respective devices of the plurality of motor vehicles from an idle mode to an active mode by sending one or more respective first wireless signals, and

a database containing channels used in the parking area, and

a server configured to assign one or more free channels respectively to the one or more devices of the plurality of motor vehicles,

said apparatus configured to use the assigned channels for transmitting and receiving the one or more respective first wireless signals in the active mode, the assigned channels being specified by the respective devices, and

shifting the one or more respective devices from the idle mode to the active mode only when the one or more respective first wireless signals are received at the respective assigned channels,

wherein in the active mode the apparatus autonomously drives and parks the motor vehicle using the free channels, the motor vehicle being switched to the active mode and the idle mode in response to the motor vehicle being assigned or not assigned a first channel of the one of more channels, wherein when the motor vehicle is assigned the first channel of the one or more channels, the motor vehicle in response to the assignment is switched to the active mode for automatic parking, and wherein when the motor vehicle is not assigned the first channel of the one or more channels, then the motor vehicle is maintained in the idle mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, arranged stationary outside of the motor vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication unit is configured to park one or more of the motor vehicles via one or more respective second wireless signals using the respective assigned channels.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication unit, using the assigned channels, is configured to activate one of the motor vehicle functions selected from the group consisting of heating, air conditioning and multimedia.

4. A system, comprising:

a device provided in a motor vehicle located in a parking area; and

an apparatus including a communication unit configured to shift one or more respective devices of a plurality of motor vehicles from an idle mode to an active mode by sending one or more respective first wireless signals,

a database containing channels used in the parking area, and

a server configured to assign one or more free channels respectively to the one or more devices of the plurality of motor vehicles,

said apparatus configured to use the assigned channels for transmitting and receiving the one or more respective first wireless signals in the active mode, the assigned channels being specified by the respective devices, and shifting the one or more respective devices from the idle mode to the active mode only when the one or more respective first wireless signals are received at the respective assigned channels,

wherein in the active mode the apparatus autonomously drives and parks the motor vehicle using the free channels, the motor vehicle being switched to the active mode and the idle mode in response to the motor vehicle being assigned or not assigned a first channel of the one of more channels, wherein when the motor vehicle is assigned the first channel of the one or more channels, the motor vehicle in response to the assignment is switched to the active mode for automatic parking, and wherein when the motor vehicle is not assigned the first channel of the one or more channels, then the motor vehicle is maintained in the idle mode.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a portable mobile handset configured to transmit and receive the one or more respective first wireless signals in addition to the apparatus.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more respective first wireless signals are receivable by the respective devices only at the respective assigned channels for the motor vehicles to be shifted from the idle mode to the active mode.

7. A method, comprising:

assigning respective channels for transmitting and sending one or more respective first wireless signals from an apparatus to respective devices of a plurality of motor vehicles located in a parking area, the assigned channels being specified by the respective devices,

configuring the respective devices such that the one or more respective first wireless signals are receivable by the respective devices only at the respective assigned channels; and

sending one or more first wireless signals to the respective devices, and

shifting respectively one or more motor vehicles from an idle mode into an active mode,

wherein in the active mode the apparatus autonomously drives and parks the motor vehicle using the free channels, the motor vehicle being switched to the active mode and the idle mode in response to the motor vehicle being assigned or not assigned a first channel of the one of more channels, wherein when the motor vehicle is assigned the first channel of the one or more channels, the motor vehicle in response to the assignment is switched to the active mode for automatic parking, and wherein when the motor vehicle is not assigned the first channel of the one or more channels, then the motor vehicle is maintained in the idle mode.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising allowing a portable mobile handset or the apparatus to transmit and receive the one or more respective first wireless signals.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising parking the one or more respective motor vehicles when one or more respective second wireless signals at the respective assigned channels are received by the device.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising activating one of the motor vehicle functions selected from the group consisting of heating, air conditioning and multimedia.