METHOD FOR SUPPORTING A VEHICLE

• US 20160321674A1
• Filed: 04/26/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: LUX, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 10,026,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales

Abstract

A method for assisting a vehicle which is determined to be undrivable, which includes requesting an assistance vehicle by position information of the vehicle and navigating the assistance vehicle to the vehicle by the position information. The method determines, using a cause of why the vehicle is undrivable further, whether restoring the driving capability of the vehicle requires human assistance and navigates the vehicle with the assistance vehicle in a driverless state to a location of the vehicle at least if the restoring process does not require human assistance or merely requires remote human assistance. Also disclosed is a method for assisting a vehicle which requires repair and/or maintenance, wherein the vehicle is taken in a driverless state to a repair location.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a vehicle which requires repair and/or maintenance, wherein the vehicle is taken in a driverless state to a repair location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is determined to be unusable or unable to be driven further, and wherein the vehicle is towed by an assistance vehicle in a driverless state to the repair location.

2. A method for assisting a vehicle which is determined to be unsafe or unable to be driven further, the method comprising:

requesting an assistance vehicle based on position information of the undrivable vehicle;

navigating the assistance vehicle to the undrivable vehicle based on the position information;

deciding, based on a cause of for the vehicle being undrivable, whether restoring driving capability of the undrivable vehicle requires human assistance; and

deciding to navigate with the assistance vehicle in a driverless state to a location of the undrivable vehicle at least if restoring the driving capability of the undrivable vehicle does not require human assistance or merely requires remote human assistance.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

requesting the assistance vehicle based on position information of the undrivable vehicle; and

navigating the assistance vehicle to the undrivable vehicle in a driverless state based on the position information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting whether restoring the driving capability of the undrivable vehicle does not require human assistance or merely requires remote human assistance based on a cause for why the undrivable vehicle is undrivable.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the undrivable vehicle transmitting information relating to the cause of the undrivability, wherein the detection of whether restoration of driving capability requires human assistance takes place outside the undrivable vehicle using the transmitted information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the detection of whether restoration of driving capability requires human assistance takes place in the undrivable vehicle based on the cause of the undrivability, and the request for the assistance vehicle comprises an indication that the remedying of the undrivability cause requires human assistance, and/or a negative indication that the remedying of the undrivability cause does not require human assistance or only requires remote assistance.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the assistance vehicle also navigates in a driverless state to the undrivable vehicle if the remedying of the cause requires human assistance by a person skilled in the art at the location of the undrivable vehicle, wherein the assistance vehicle also transports the person skilled in the art to the undrivable vehicle.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the requesting of the assistance vehicle is carried out automatically by the undrivable vehicle.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising performing driverless navigation of the assistance vehicle to a breakdown service location.