Connecting control devices and the V2X unit via WLAN or Bluetooth, and V2X unit which has update memory

• US 9,986,596 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Sthlin, Ulrich, Menzel, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US15/552,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 455418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A vehicle system including a V2X unit for operating a vehicle-to-X communication, having a communications module for wireless data transfer, and a control device for controlling a user application, having a communications module for wireless data transfer which can be coupled with the communications module of the V2X unit, wherein the V2X unit and the control unit can be activated into a data transfer mode in order to couple the communications modules of the V2X unit and of the control device with each other for a data exchange.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

a V2X unit for operating vehicle-to-X communication, having a communications module for wireless data transfer; and

a control device for executing a user application, having a communications module for wireless data transfer, which can be coupled with the communications module of the V2X unit;

wherein the V2X unit and the control device can be activated in a data transfer mode, in order to couple the communications modules for wireless data transfer of the V2X unit, and the control device, with each other for a data exchange, and

wherein the communications module of the V2X unit is configured for simultaneous operation of the V2X communication and coupling with a control device.

2. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the V2X unit and the control device are coupled by a CAN or a CAN FD interface, wherein the data transfer mode can be activated by an activation signal of the V2X unit via the interface.

3. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the data transfer mode can be activated as a function of a state of a terminal of the V2X unit.

4. The vehicle system according to claim 3, wherein in the off state of the terminal data for the V2X communication can be transferred via the control device by the communications modules.

6. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the communications module of the V2X unit and the communications module of the control device each comprise a WLAN communications chip.

7. The vehicle system according to claim 6, wherein the WLAN communications chip is configured such that it is designed to implement a number of WLAN standards.

8. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the communications module of the V2X unit and the communications module of the control device each comprise a Bluetooth communications chip.

9. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the V2X unit comprises a volatile or non-volatile memory for intermediate storage of data.

10. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the V2X unit has a storage battery for supplying the V2X unit with energy.

5. A vehicle system comprising:

a V2X unit for operating vehicle-to-X communication, having a communications module for wireless data transfer; and

a control device for executing a user application, having a communications module for wireless data transfer, which can be coupled with the communications module of the V2X unit;

wherein the V2X unit and the control device can be activated in a data transfer mode, in order to couple the communications modules for wireless data transfer of the V2X unit, and the control device, with each other for a data exchange, and

wherein the V2X unit has a plurality of communications channels for simultaneous sending and receiving of data.

11. A method for operating a vehicle system containing a V2X unit for operating vehicle-to-X communication, having a communications module for wireless data transfer, and

a control device for executing a user application, having a communications module for wireless data transfer, which can be coupled with the communications module of the V2X unit,

the method comprising:

identifying a predefined driving situation for activation of a data transfer mode in the V2X unit;

activating the data transfer mode in the V2X unit;

transmitting an activation signal to the control device for activating the data transfer mode; and

coupling the communications modules for wireless data transfer of the V2X unit and of the control device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the activation signal is transmitted via a CAN or CAN FD interface.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the data transfer mode is activated as soon as a terminal of the V2X unit adopts an open state.

14. The method according claim 11, wherein the communications modules of the V2X unit and the control device comprise a WLAN and/or a Bluetooth communications chip, and the V2X unit and the control device are coupled with each other via WLAN and/or Bluetooth.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a predefined driving situation for deactivating the data transfer mode and;

decoupling the connection between the communications modules by the V2X unit.

16. A method for storing data in a vehicle system containing a V2X unit for operating vehicle-to-X communication with a communications module for wireless data transfer and a memory for intermediate storage of data, particularly software modules and software updates, and

a control device for controlling a user application with a communications module for wireless data transfer, which can be coupled with the communications module of the V2X unit, the method comprising:

identifying a predefined driving situation for activating a data transfer mode in the V2X unit;

activating the data transfer mode in the V2X unit and activating the communications module for the connection to an external network;

searching for available external networks for establishing a connection to a server;

connecting with the network, where a network is available, or terminating the data transfer mode, if no network is available;

downloading the data from the server; and

intermediate storage of the data in the memory of the V2X unit.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method is performed in the off state of the vehicle, and wherein the V2X unit is switched off, if no network is available.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the V2X unit is switched off if the memory is full or all envisaged data have been intermediately stored.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the V2X unit, after the vehicle is switched on, checks if the memory is full.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the V2X unit makes the data available to corresponding systems, control units, sensors or modules of the vehicle.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the memory is cleared once the making available of the data has been successfully completed.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the making available of the data takes place via a CAN, CAN FD, Flexray or a low speed bus vehicle interface.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein the making available of the data takes place via a WLAN communications chip or a Bluetooth communications chip of the communications module of the V2X unit.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the making available of the data takes place following a confirmation by a driver.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the making available of the data takes place in stages, when there is insufficient memory for intermediate storage of the data.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the communications module of the V2X unit has two antennas for simultaneous operation of the V2X communication and coupling with a control device internal to the vehicle, and wherein the antennas are used one after the other or simultaneously, in order to make available the data from the memory.