Remote control of a motor vehicle during a parked phase

• US 9,975,504 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Dalke, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Merlino, David P.
• Application Number:
  US15/303,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20170129425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

The invention relates to a control unit for a motor vehicle, wherein the control unit is configured to switch off, upon reception of an ignition-off signal transmitted in the motor vehicle for initiating a parked phase, a main module provided for operation with ignition switched on. It is the object of the invention to provide a remote service with low latency during the parked phase. For this purpose, in the control unit, a mobile radio module is provided, which is configured so that it remains logged into a mobile radio network with the main module switched off. An auxiliary processor device is configured to reserve an Internet address on an address server of the Internet via the mobile radio module, and to store the Internet address on a control server of the Internet, which is configured for the remote control of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A control unit for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a main module configured to be powered on when an ignition of the motor vehicle is powered on;

a radio transceiver configured to remain logged into a mobile radio network when the main module is powered off; and

an auxiliary processor configured to;

receive, using the radio transceiver, an Internet address from an address server connected to the Internet;

transmit, using the radio transceiver, the Internet address to a control server connected to the Internet, wherein the control server is configured to store the Internet address for remote control of the motor vehicle;

receive, using the radio transceiver, a wake-up command from the control server based on the Internet address;

power on the main module based on the wake-up command, wherein the powering on the main module comprises;

activating a power supply via a wake-up line, wherein the activating the power supply comprises connecting a power supply line to an on-board electrical network that supplies power to the main module; and

wherein the control unit is configured to;

power off the main module in response to receiving an ignition-off signal, wherein the ignition-off signal is generated in response to initiating a parked phase for the motor vehicle.

2. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the control server generates an Internet Protocol (IP) socket based on the Internet address.

3. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary processor is configured to receive, via an Internet connection established between the radio transceiver and the control server, control data transmitted by the control server without having been requested by the auxiliary processor.

4. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit, as a gateway, communication data between the control server and a communication bus of the motor vehicle.

5. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary processor is configured to:

receive update data from the control server; and

update operating software of the main module based on the update data.

6. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to start an additional control unit of the motor vehicle using a communication bus based on a start command from the control server.

7. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to program a parking heater of the motor vehicle based on configuration data from the control server.

8. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to unlock a central locking system of the motor vehicle based on an unlocking command from the control server.

9. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the control unit is an infotainment system.

10. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the radio transceiver comprises a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) transceiver, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) transceiver, or a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) transceiver.

11. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary processor is further configured to:

receive the wake-up command from the control server based on a PUSH command.

12. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary processor is further configured to:

receive control data from the control server based on a PUSH command, wherein the control data comprises configuration data, update data, communication data, a start command, or an unlocking command.

13. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the radio transceiver is further configured to:

receive a Short Message Service (SMS) command via the mobile radio network when the main module is powered off.

14. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary processor is further configured to:

receive, using the radio transceiver, the Internet address from the address server connected to the Internet via the mobile radio network;

transmit, using the radio transceiver, the Internet address to the control server connected to the Internet via the mobile radio network; and

receive, using the radio transceiver, the wake-up command from the control server via the mobile radio network based on the Internet address.

15. A method for remote control of a motor vehicle during a parked phase of the motor vehicle, the method comprising:

switching off an ignition of the motor vehicle;

powering off a main module of a control device of the motor vehicle based on the switching off the ignition of the motor vehicle;

maintaining a network connection between a radio transceiver of the control device and a mobile radio network;

receiving, using the radio transceiver, an Internet address from an address server connected to the Internet via the mobile radio network;

transmitting, using the radio transceiver, the Internet address to a control server connected to the Internet via the mobile radio network, wherein the control server is configured to store the Internet address for remote control of the motor vehicle;

receiving, using the radio transceiver, a wake-up command from the control server;

powering on the main module based on the wake-up command, wherein the powering on the main module comprises;

activating a power supply of the control unit via a wake-up line, wherein the activating the power supply comprises connecting a power supply line to an on-board electrical network that supplies power to the main module.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the control server generates a status display that can be retrieved via the Internet, wherein the status display indicates whether the motor vehicle is currently providing the Internet address.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, via an Internet connection established between the radio transceiver and the control server, control data transmitted by the control server without having been requested.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving update data from the control server; and

updating operating software of the main module based on the update data.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the receiving the wake-up command further comprises:

receiving the wake-up command from the control server based on a PUSH command.

20. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving control data from the control server based on a PUSH command, wherein the control data comprises configuration data, update data, communication data, a start command, or an unlocking command.

21. A motor vehicle comprising:

a control unit, the control unit comprising;

a main module configured to be powered on when an ignition of the motor vehicle is powered on;

a radio transceiver configured to remain logged into a mobile radio network when the main module is powered off; and

an auxiliary processor configured to;

receive, using the radio transceiver, an Internet address from an address server connected to the Internet via the mobile radio network;

transmit, using the radio transceiver, the Internet address to a control server connected to the Internet via the mobile radio network, wherein the control server is configured to store the Internet address for remote control of the motor vehicle;

receive, using the radio transceiver, a wake-up command from the control server;

power on the main module based on the wake-up command, wherein the powering on the main module comprises;

activating a power supply via a wake-up line, wherein the activating the power supply comprises connecting a power supply line to an on-board electrical network that supplies power to the main module; and

wherein the control unit is configured to;

power off the main module in response to receiving an ignition-off signal, wherein the ignition-off signal is generated in response to initiating a parked phase for the motor vehicle.