Method for making available at least one position information item about a parked motor vehicle and motor vehicle

• US 9,581,453 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Lacher, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pipala, Edward J
• Application Number:
  US14/910,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20160209218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

A method for making available at least one position information item about a parked motor vehicle is disclosed, wherein a detector device of the motor vehicle detects the motor vehicle driving into a multi-level parking garage, and as a result of the detection of the driving in, transmission of at least one current first position information item by the motor vehicle to a vehicle-external central data-processing device is triggered. Furthermore, in the case of reception of the first position information item by the central data-processing device of the at least one first position information item, this information item is stored by the central data processing device.

Claims

1. A method for providing at least one position information item about a parked motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle comprises a communication device and a position-determining device, the method comprising:

a1) detecting with a sensor system entry of the motor vehicle into a parking garage;

a2) determining with the position-determining device of the motor vehicle, at least one current first position information item of the motor vehicle as geo-coordinates or GPS coordinates;

b) upon detecting the entry of the motor vehicle into a parking garage, triggering transmission of the at least one current first position information item provided by the position-determining device of the motor vehicle to a vehicle-external central data processing device via the communication device of the motor vehicle; and

c) upon receipt of the at least one current first position information item by the central data processing device, storing the at least one first position information item by the central data processing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

d) outputting by the motor vehicle to a user a prompt for entering at least one second position information item.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

e) when after step d), the at least one second position information item is entered by a user, sending the at least one second position information item to the central data processing device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

f) when the central data processing device receives the at least one second position information item, storing the at least one second position information item by the central data processing facility.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

g) detecting a trigger event with a mobile communication device, and in response establishing with the mobile communication device a communication link to the central data processing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

h) checking with the mobile communication device, whether the at least one current first position information item and the at least one second position information item were stored by the central data processing device, by establishing with the mobile communication device after the trigger event the communication link to the central data processing device and querying the central data processing device, whether the at least one current first position information item and the at least one second position information item were transmitted and stored by the central data processing device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

i) when it is determined by the mobile communication device at step h) that at least the at least one second position information item was not stored by the central data processing device, outputting with the mobile communication device to the user a prompt for inputting the at least one second position information item.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

j) when after step i), the at least one second position information item is inputted by the user, transmitting with the mobile communication device the at least one second position information item to the central data processing device.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

k) when after step d), the at least one second position information item is inputted by a user, transmitting with the motor vehicle the at least one second position information item to the mobile communication device; and

l) when at step h), it is determined by the mobile communication device that at least the at least one second position information was not stored by the central data processing device, transmitting with the mobile communication device the at least a second position information item to the central data processing device.

10. A motor vehicle comprising:

a sensor system configured to detect the entry of the motor vehicle into a parking garage,

a position determination device configured to determine a current first position information item of the motor vehicle,

a detection device configured to detect an entry of the motor vehicle into a parking garage,

a communication device,

wherein the communication device is coupled with the detection device, sensor system and the position determining device and is configured to establish a communication link to a vehicle-external central data processing device, and wherein the communication device is further configured to initiate, upon detection of an entry of the motor vehicle into a parking garage, transmission of the current first position information item to the central data processing device.