METHOD FOR A DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR MAINTAINING AN OPERATING STATE OF A FIRST AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR A DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR MANAGING A PLURALITY OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

• US 20180082494A1
• Filed: 09/18/2017
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: RECH, Bernd, GLSER, Stefan, ENGEL, Monique, GNTHER, Hendrik-Jrn, BUBURUZAN, Teodor, KLEINAU, Sandra, LEHMANN, Bernd, HARTOG, Johannes
• Granted Patent: US 10,607,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/00 Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles cleaning in general B08B; cleaning peculiar to waterborne vessels B63B57/00, B63B59/00; ground equipment for cleaning aircraft B64F5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• 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: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method for a data processing installation for obtaining an operating state of a first autonomous vehicle. The method includes determining a current state of the first autonomous vehicle from a received measurement value of a sensor of a second vehicle. When the current state of the first autonomous vehicle deviates from a setpoint state, the method includes sending a first message to the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the first message contains a command to travel autonomously to a service location. Alternatively, the method includes sending a second message to a person responsible for the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the second message includes information about the deviation of the current state of the first autonomous vehicle from the setpoint state. Alternatively, the method includes sending a third message to service personnel, wherein the third message contains an instruction for the service personnel to set the vehicle to the setpoint state.

Claims

1. A method for a central data processing installation for obtaining an operating state of a first autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a current state of the first autonomous vehicle from a received measurement value of a sensor of a second vehicle; and

in response to the current state of the first autonomous vehicle deviating from a setpoint state, sending a first message to the first autonomous vehicle,

wherein the first message contains a command to travel autonomously to a service location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement value of the sensor of the second vehicle is a recording from a camera.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the current state of the first autonomous vehicle is further based on a measurement value of a sensor of a third vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a service time based on a planned future use of the first autonomous vehicle, and wherein the first message comprises information about the service time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service location is a service station, and the method further comprises selecting the service station from a plurality of service stations based on a position of the first autonomous vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the method further comprising:

determining a journey trajectory for the second autonomous vehicle based on a position of the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the position of the first autonomous vehicle relative to the journey trajectory satisfies a prescribed quality criterion; and

sending a fourth message to the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the fourth message contains information about the journey trajectory and a command to travel along the journey trajectory and in the process to send recorded measurement values of the sensor to the data processing installation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the method further comprising:

determining a journey route for the second autonomous vehicle based on a position of the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the journey route leads past the position of the first autonomous vehicle; and

sending a fifth message to the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the fifth message contains information about the journey route and a command to travel autonomously along the journey route and a command to send measurement values of the sensor recorded within a prescribed radius around the position of the first autonomous vehicle to the data processing installation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a journey route for the first autonomous vehicle based on a position of the second vehicle, wherein the journey route leads past the position of the second vehicle;

sending a sixth message to the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the sixth message contains information about the journey route and a command to travel autonomously along the journey route; and

sending a seventh message to the second vehicle, when the first autonomous vehicle is traveling along the journey route within a prescribed radius around the position of the second vehicle, wherein the seventh message contains a command to send recorded measurement values of the sensor to the data processing installation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a received measurement value of the sensor of the second vehicle to the first autonomous vehicle.

10. A method for a data processing installation for managing a plurality of autonomous vehicles, the method comprising:

receiving information about a deviation of a current vehicle state from a setpoint state for at least a portion of the plurality of autonomous vehicles;

determining a handling order in a service station based on at least one selection criterion and the information about the deviations of the current vehicle states from the setpoint state; and

sending a message to at least one of the plurality of autonomous vehicles, wherein the message comprises information about the handling order by the service station.