Method, computer program, device and communication interface for a communication between a robot and transportation equipment, and transport means and robot

Inventors: Timo Winkelvos (Sickte, DE); Daniel Schütz (Lehre, DE)

Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

B25J9/1679 H04L63/0442

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12667968
App. No.: 18/841,945
Granted: Jun 30, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A method, computer program, device and communication interface provide communication between a robot and transport equipment, wherein application protocols for applications compatible with the transport equipment are received by the transport equipment or the robot. If necessary, the robot is initialized by a manufacturer of the transport equipment or a service provider. Thereafter, an authentic connection is established between the robot and the transport equipment and conditions and statuses for an action to be carried out by the robot are negotiated, followed by assignment of the action to be carried out by the robot. During the processing of the action to be carried out, the robot triggers at least one action for execution by a component of the transport equipment based on an application protocol. If necessary, the statuses or sensor data can be exchanged between the transport equipment and the robot while the at least one action is performed.

Claims (34)

1 . A method for communication between a robot and transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the service includes an operation that includes at least one required action, the method comprising:

establishing a mutually authenticated connection between the robot and the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the mutually authenticated connection is established based on a public key infrastructure and mutually authenticated by certificates such that a symmetrical key specific for the action, which is to be performed by a component of the transportation equipment, is transmitted to the robot;

negotiating conditions and states for an operation to be carried out by the robot relative to the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment;

ordering the operation to be carried out by the robot relative to the transportation equipment as part of the automated service delivery to the transportation equipment; and

triggering, by the robot, the at least one action required to be performed by the component of the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the at least one action is based on an application protocol for an application that is compatible with the transportation equipment for the automated service delivery to the transportation equipment.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving wherein application protocols for applications compatible with the transportation equipment are received by the transportation equipment or the robot from a backend of a manufacturer of the transportation equipment or a service provider of the automated service delivery to the transportation equipment.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the application protocols include process operations with state conditions, state-changing actions or interactions that are part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein trust levels are specified for actions to be performed by the component of the transportation equipment including the at least one action to be performed as part of the automated service delivery to the transportation equipment.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the robot is configured to be able to abort actions to be performed by the component of the transportation equipment.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising exchanging states or sensor data between the transportation equipment and the robot.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the authenticated connection is a two-channel connection.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising initializing the robot by a manufacturer of the transportation equipment or a service provider, during which a symmetrical key for an action to be performed by a component of the transportation equipment is transmitted to the robot.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the symmetrical key is used to trigger an action defined as critical in the authenticated connection.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing a trust relationship between the transportation equipment and a plurality of robots.

11 . A non-transitory computer readable medium including a computer program with instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations of a method for communication between a robot and transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the service includes an operation that includes at least one required action, the method comprising:

negotiating conditions and states for an operation to be carried out by the robot;

ordering the operation to be carried out by the robot; and

triggering, by the robot, at least one action to be performed by a component of the transportation equipment, wherein the at least one action is based on an application protocol.

12 . A device for communication between a robot and transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the service includes an operation that includes at least one required action, the device comprising:

a connection module for establishing a mutually authenticated connection between the robot and the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the mutually authenticated connection is established based on a public key infrastructure and mutually authenticated by certificates such that a symmetrical key specific for the action, which is to be performed by a component of the transportation equipment, is transmitted to the robot;

a communication module for negotiating conditions and states for an operation to be carried out by the robot and for ordering the operation to be carried out by the robot relative to the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment; and

a control module for triggering, by the robot, at least one action to be performed by a component of the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the at least one action is based on an application protocol for an application that is compatible with the transportation equipment for the automated service delivery to the transportation equipment.

13 . A communication interface for communication between a robot and transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the communication interface is configured:

to receive application protocols for applications compatible with the transportation equipment from a backend of a manufacturer of the transportation equipment or a service provider of the automated service delivery to the transportation equipment;

to establish a mutually authenticated connection between the robot and the transportation equipment relative to the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the mutually authenticated connection is established based on a public key infrastructure and mutually authenticated by certificates such that a symmetrical key specific for the action, which is to be performed by a component of the transportation equipment, is transmitted to the robot;

to negotiate conditions and states for an operation to be carried out by the robot and to order the operation to be carried out by the robot relative to the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment; and

to trigger, by the robot, the at least one action to be performed by a component of the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the at least one action is based on an application protocol for an application that is compatible with the transportation equipment for the automated service delivery to the transportation equipment.

14 . Transportation equipment comprising the communication interface as claimed in claim 13 .

15 . A robot configured to communicate with transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the service includes an operation that includes at least one required action, the robot configured to:

establish a mutually authenticated connection between the robot and the transport transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the mutually authenticated connection is established based on a public key infrastructure and mutually authenticated by certificates such that a symmetrical key specific for the action, which is to be performed by a component of the transportation equipment, is transmitted to the robot;

negotiate conditions and states for an operation to be carried out by the robot relative to the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment;

order the operation to be carried out by the robot relative to the transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment; and

trigger, by the robot, the at least one action to be performed by a component of the transport transportation equipment as part of automated service delivery to the transportation equipment, wherein the at least one action is based on an application protocol for an application that is compatible with the transportation equipment for the automated service delivery to the transportation equipment.