System for use in a motor vehicle, and method for examining goods

• US 9,129,235 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Ruehl, Hans-Wilhelm, Felten, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US13/063,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20110257878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,191 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/426, 701/447, 701/411, 701/412, 701/423, 705/26.1, 705/27.1, 705/26.7, 705/14.49, 705/21, 705/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system for use in a motor vehicle wherein a navigation system and a control unit. The control unit is designed such that, using a list of goods stored in the control unit, a route of stops for purchasing the goods which can be depicted by the navigation system is produced. Furthermore, a near-field receiver and/or near-field transponder for detecting goods is present in the motor vehicle and can be or is connected to the control unit such that an additional list having detected goods can be transmitted to the control unit and the stored list can be updated by the additional list. A dynamic examination and possibly a dynamic adaptation of the route for purchasing the various goods depicted in the navigation system are thus possible.

Claims

1. A system for use in a motor vehicle comprising:

a navigation system;

a control unit configured such that a list of goods stored in the control unit is used to generate a route of stops for the purchase of the goods, the route being displayed by the navigation system;

at least one of a near-field receiver and a near-field transponder connectable to the control unit and configured to detect goods present in the motor vehicle, wherein a further list is generated that includes the detected goods present in the motor vehicle,

wherein the further list is transmitted to the control unit and the stored list is updated to remove from the stored list the detected goods.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the near-field receiver and the near-field transponder is arranged in the motor vehicle.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises at least one of an onboard computer and a portable communications unit.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one of the near-field receiver and the near-field transponder is fixed in the motor vehicle.

5. A method for monitoring goods with a system comprising:

a navigation system;

a control unit configured such that a list of goods stored in the control unit is used to generate a route of stops for the purchase of the goods, the route displayable by the navigation system;

at least one of a near-field receiver and a near-field transponder connectable to the control unit and configured to detect goods present in the motor vehicle, the method comprising;

transmitting the list of goods to be purchased to the control unit;

generating the route that is adapted to the list of goods to be purchased;

displaying the route that provides at least one stop for the purchase of the goods to be purchased by the navigation system;

comparing the goods purchased at the at least one stop determined by the at least one of the near-field receiver and the near-field transponder with the list of goods to be purchased by the control unit and updating the list of goods to be purchased by removing the detected goods from the list of goods to be purchased.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control unit comprises a database of the goods and respective stops associated with the goods, at which respective stops the goods are purchased,

wherein the associated stops are ascertained using a learning algorithm based at least in part on previous lists of goods to be purchased and stops where the goods on the previous lists were purchased.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control unit comprises a database of the goods and preferred substitution products, and the goods to be purchased in the list that are not detected by the at least one of the near-field receiver and the near-field transponder after the comparison can be partially replaced by the preferred substitution goods and the generated route can be adapted to the substitution goods.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control unit comprises a further database of the goods and preferred substitution products, and the goods to be purchased in the list that are not detected by the at least one of the near-field receiver and the near-field transponder after the comparison can be partially replaced by the preferred substitution goods and the generated route can be adapted to the substitution goods.