IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,537,122
Granted Patent B2
US 11,537,122 · App. 16/999,510 · Granted Dec 27, 2022

Method for controlling a motor vehicle remotely

Inventor: Stefan Nordbruch (Leonberg, DE)
Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
G05D1/0022B60W30/08G05D1/0016G05D1/0214H04L9/0643H04W4/44G05D2201/0213H04L9/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,537,122
App. No.
16/999,510
Granted
Dec 27, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for controlling a motor vehicle remotely. The method includes: receiving safety condition signals, which represent at least one safety condition that must be satisfied, so that the motor vehicle may be controlled remotely; checking if the at least one safety condition is satisfied; generating remote control signals for controlling the motor vehicle remotely, based on a result of the check as to whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied; and outputting the remote control signals generated. A device, a computer program and a machine-readable storage medium, are also described.

Claims (41)

1. A method for controlling a motor vehicle remotely, comprising the following steps:

receiving safety condition signals, which represent at least one safety condition that must be satisfied, so that the motor vehicle may be controlled remotely;

checking whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied;

generating remote control signals for controlling the motor vehicle remotely, based on a result of the check as to whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied; and

outputting the generated remote control signals,

wherein after the outputting of the remote control signals, remote control of the motor vehicle is tested based on the output remote control signals in order to detect a fault, and wherein, in response to the detection of a fault, the remote control is interrupted, or emergency remote control signals for controlling the motor vehicle remotely in an emergency are generated and output,

wherein emergency plan signals are received, which represent an emergency plan specific to the detected fault, and the emergency remote control signals are generated based on the specific emergency plan,

wherein it is additionally tested, at regular intervals, if the emergency plan signals were received and/or if the emergency remote control signals were generated, wherein if the emergency plan signals were not received or if the emergency remote control signals were not generated, a reactionary action is carried out.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one safety condition includes at least one of the following safety conditions: (i) presence of a predetermined safety integrity level or automotive safety integrity level of at least the motor vehicle and an infrastructure including a communication path and/or communications components, for controlling a motor vehicle remotely, (ii) presence of a maximum latency time of a communication between the motor vehicle and a remote control device for controlling the motor vehicle remotely based on the remote control signals, (iii) presence of a predetermined computer protection level of a device for executing the method steps, (iv) presence of predetermined components and/or algorithms and/or communication options, which are used for executing the method steps, (v) presence of redundancy and/or diversity in predetermined components and/or algorithms and/or communication options, which are used for executing the method steps, (vi) presence of predetermined availability information, which indicates an availability of predetermined components and/or algorithms and/or communication options, (vii) presence of predetermined quality criteria of the predetermined components and/or algorithms and/or communication options, (viii) presence of a plan, which includes measures for reducing faults and/or measures in response to failures of predetermined components and/or algorithms and/or communication options and/or measures for incorrect analyses and/or measures in response to incorrect interpretations; presence of one or more fallback scenarios, (ix) presence of a predetermined function, (x) presence of a predetermined traffic situation, (xi) presence of predetermined weather, (xii) presence of a maximum possible time for a specific performance or execution of one method step or a plurality of method steps, (xiii) presence of a test result, that elements or functions, which are used for executing the method, are presently functioning correctly.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the remote control signals are generated only when the at least one safety condition is satisfied.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the check as to whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied, is carried out prior to and/or after and/or during one or more predetermined method steps.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the testing of the remote control includes the check as to whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied, and wherein the fault is determined when it is determined that the at least one safety condition is not satisfied.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the testing of the remote control includes a check as to whether a result to be achieved by the remote control is achieved, and wherein a fault is determined when a result of the check as to whether the result to be achieved by the remote control is achieved which indicates that the result to be achieved by the remote control has not been achieved.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein further remote control signals for controlling the motor vehicle remotely based on the result to be achieved are generated and outputted in order to achieve the result, and wherein the motor vehicle is controlled remotely based on the further remote control signals.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the check as to whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied, includes a check as to whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied at a predetermined time.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the following steps:

receiving situation signals which represent a situation in which the motor vehicle finds itself;

receiving table signals which represent a table that affixes predetermined situations to predetermined requirements for controlling a motor vehicle remotely; and

assigning the situation in which the motor vehicle finds itself to one of the predetermined situation;

wherein the remote control signals are generated based on the requirement for controlling a motor vehicle remotely corresponding to the one predefined situation.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more method steps are executed inside the motor vehicle, and/or the one or more of the method steps are executed outside of the motor vehicle in an infrastructure.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein one or more of the method steps are executed outside of the motor vehicle in a cloud infrastructure.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method steps are documented in a blockchain.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

testing whether an entity made up of the motor vehicle and infrastructure involved in the method, including communication between the infrastructure and the motor vehicle, is secure.

14. A device for controlling a motor vehicle remotely, the device comprising a processor, wherein the processor is programmed to:

receive safety condition signals, which represent at least one safety condition that must be satisfied, so that the motor vehicle may be controlled remotely;

check whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied;

generate remote control signals for controlling the motor vehicle remotely, based on a result of the check as to whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied; and

output the generated remote control signals,

wherein after the outputting of the remote control signals, remote control of the motor vehicle is tested based on the output remote control signals in order to detect a fault, and wherein, in response to the detection of a fault, the remote control is interrupted, or emergency remote control signals for controlling the motor vehicle remotely in an emergency are generated and output,

wherein emergency plan signals are received, which represent an emergency plan specific to the detected fault, and the emergency remote control signals are generated based on the specific emergency plan,

wherein it is additionally tested, at regular intervals, if the emergency plan signals were received and/or if the emergency remote control signals were generated, wherein if the emergency plan signals were not received or if the emergency remote control signals were not generated, a reactionary action is carried out.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for controlling a motor vehicle remotely, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:

receiving safety condition signals, which represent at least one safety condition that must be satisfied, so that the motor vehicle may be controlled remotely;

checking whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied;

generating remote control signals for controlling the motor vehicle remotely, based on a result of the check as to whether the at least one safety condition is satisfied; and

outputting the generated remote control signals,

wherein after the outputting of the remote control signals, remote control of the motor vehicle is tested based on the output remote control signals in order to detect a fault, and wherein, in response to the detection of a fault, the remote control is interrupted, or emergency remote control signals for controlling the motor vehicle remotely in an emergency are generated and output,

wherein emergency plan signals are received, which represent an emergency plan specific to the detected fault, and the emergency remote control signals are generated based on the specific emergency plan,

wherein it is additionally tested, at regular intervals, if the emergency plan signals were received and/or if the emergency remote control signals were generated, wherein if the emergency plan signals were not received or if the emergency remote control signals were not generated, a reactionary action is carried out.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2021
From: NORDBRUCH, STEFAN
To: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
Reel/Frame 055497/0788 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 102019214461.6 · Sep 23, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210089024A1 · Mar 25, 2021