Device and method for controlling mobility

• US 10,386,201 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Hoch, Nicklas
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US15/021,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00

Abstract

Methods and devices for controlling mobility in which a server arrangement determines the market prices for mobility resources. In devices associated with the vehicles, a route recommendation is then calculated based on market prices and a preference specified by the vehicle occupants.

Claims

1. A method for transportation vehicle route determination, comprising:

determining, in a remote server arrangement, market prices for mobility resources based on a demand for the mobility resources;

receiving, by the transportation vehicle, at least one of the market prices from the remote server arrangement;

stipulating a preference by a user of the transportation vehicle; and

determining, by the transportation vehicle, a route recommendation based on the at least one received market price and the preference in the apparatus associated with the vehicle, wherein the route recommendation is determined based on market prices for at least two different types of mobility resources selected from a group comprising traffic routes, traffic route segments, parking spaces, filling stations, and charging columns,

wherein the determining of the market prices comprises determination of area market prices by devices on a server level arranged above a bottommost server level within an area based on at least one resource selection regarding choice of route of a user received from at least one other vehicle, and determination of the market prices on the bottommost server level as local optimization based on a utilization level of the mobility resources and a cost of the mobility resources as local information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stipulation of a preference comprises an instance of weighting optimization parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information about the mobility resources by the remote server, wherein the determination of market prices comprises an instance of determination of the market prices based on the received information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an apparatus associated with the transportation vehicle for communication with the remote server is arranged in the transportation vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising an instance of reception of demand information from the apparatus associated with the transportation vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the demand information comprises information relative to a maximum accepted price.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the market prices are determined by modifying or recomputing the area market prices based on local circumstances.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the local circumstances include information obtained from transportation vehicles.

9. A server arrangement for assisting determination of route recommendations for transportation vehicles, comprising:

a communication interface for receiving information about mobility resources comprising information relative to a demand for the mobility resources and for sending market prices from mobility resources to apparatuses associated with vehicles;

a computation device for computing the market prices based on the information received by the communication interface; and

a multiplicity of devices arranged on different levels adapted to interchange information that is relevant to market prices with one another,

wherein devices on a bottommost level are set up to send market prices to apparatuses associated with transportation vehicles,

wherein devices on a further level, which is arranged above the bottommost level, are set up to receive information relative to availability of parking spaces, filling stations, and/or charging stations, and to determine area market prices based on the received information, and

wherein devices on the bottommost level receive the area market prices from devices on the further level and determine the market prices based on the area market prices and at least one resource selection of a user received from at least one transportation vehicle regarding choice of route.

10. The server arrangement of claim 9, wherein devices on an additional level arranged above the bottommost level, are set up to receive information relative to the utilization level of traffic routes and/or relative to an energy network.

11. The server arrangement of claim 9, wherein the information about mobility resources comprises information about maximum prices accepted for the mobility resources by road users.

12. The server arrangement of claim 9, wherein the at least one level includes a computation unit for computing market prices.

13. The server arrangement of claim 9, wherein the market prices are determined by modifying or recomputing area market prices based on local circumstances.

14. The server arrangement claim 13, wherein the local circumstances include information obtained from transportation vehicles.