Patent Grant
11972683
This application claims priority to PCT Application No. PCT/EP2016/061793, having a filing date of May 25, 2016, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The tracking (tracking and tracing) of objects moving in space, for example any type of vehicles moving with respect to land, air and water (for example motor vehicles, rail vehicles, aircraft and watercraft, bicycle, etc.) and moving living things (for example human and animal), is, in addition to the guidance of said objects, a possible field of application for the use of navigation systems, for example the Global Positioning System (GPS) or GALILEO system, for assisting control or monitoring systems (for example traffic control centers during traffic control).
Accordingly, GPS-based systems having GPS receivers assigned to the moving objects and/or ground stations for receiving the satellite signals emitted by the GPS satellites orbiting the Earth are widespread. In order to determine the respective object location (position determination) by means of radiolocation, one-way distance measurements (time-synchronous measurements of the propagation times of the satellite signals each multiplied by the speed of light) are carried out by the GPS receiver during triangulation (consideration of the signals from three satellites) or quadrangulation (consideration of the signals from four satellites).
In addition to this satellite-based tracking of said moving objects, there are also terrestrial radio-based systems which could be fundamentally used to track the trail of moving objects of said type.
Such systems include “intelligent transport systems (ITS)” in which, for the purposes of traffic telematics, data based on the road traffic are captured, transmitted and processed using information and communication technologies and are used to provide information on the traffic and to organize, control and/or guide said traffic. If such data are interchanged, on the one hand, between the individual road users (for example motor vehicle drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, etc.) and, on the other hand, between the road user and the traffic infrastructure (for example array of traffic systems)—this is then also referred to as V2X (“vehicle to X”) communication—, a cooperative ITS is involved, in which a V2X communication unit is assigned to each road user and to each traffic system. This assignment is such that the V2X communication unit is arranged in the vehicle belonging to the road user as a vehicle-independent, separate “on-board unit (OBU)” in the vehicle or has already been integrated in the on-board electronics of the vehicle or, if the road user participates in the traffic as a pedestrian, is carried by the road user, for example as a PDA (personal digital assistant) device similar to a cell phone or smartphone, and the V2X communication unit is included in the traffic system as a retrofit kit or as an integral part.
The term “cooperative” is used because the ITS assists the road user with its traffic-related tasks, for example in dangerous situations in traffic and to help to avoid accidents in this case. All of this is carried out by means of mutual communication between the road users which, as a result, continuously interchange information and warnings in real time. Each road user regularly, for example approximately ten times per second, communicates its own state to all other V2X receivers. This is carried out, for example, in the form of messages (information)—also referred to as status messages (status information)—having object-identifying and vehicle-identifying information parameters, for example a (pseudonymous) identifier (ID) and a (pseudonymous) message certificate identifier (certificate ID) and having non-object-identifying and non-vehicle-identifying information parameters which indicate, for example, position, time stamp, direction of travel, speed, vehicle type, etc. This status message (status information) is transmitted by the V2X communication unit, which is used by the road user as a motor vehicle driver or cyclist or as a pedestrian, with the stated periodicity of approximately 10 times per second and can then be received both by all other road users and by the infrastructure, that is to say the traffic systems, with the aid of V2X communication units.
With the cooperative ITS configured in this manner, the trail of each road user could now be fundamentally tracked and statements relating to the local traffic flow could be obtained thereby. However, for reasons of data protection law and in order to make the persons in the vehicle or the person as a pedestrian untrackable, the state regularly transmitted with the status message (status information) is anonymized, that is to say the use of the (pseudonymous) identifier (ID) and of the (pseudonymous) message certificate identifier (certificate ID) is rendered unusable, in principle. This occurs in such a manner that the identifier (ID) and/or the certificate ID is/are changed in the interval of approximately 1 minute, for example.
As a result of the anonymization of the transmitted status messages (status information) and the irregular change of identity (for example approximately 1 minute), it is no longer reliably possible to determine traffic information at different locations along a route for tracking (cf.
Reference is made to a capture route because the vehicle FZ preferably transmits or emits an item of information IF at regular intervals of time, for example every 100 ms, via a radio signal which needs to be captured. For this purpose, the vehicle FZ has an information transmitting device ISE which is preferably in the form of the V2X communication unit and is also again integrated in the on-board electronics of the vehicle (for example if the vehicle is a “non-legacy vehicle”) or else is in the form of a vehicle-independent, separate device (for example if the vehicle is a “legacy vehicle”). This information IF contains a multiplicity of parameter data items PD belonging to information parameters according to the following table for
In the case of the information parameters and the corresponding parameter data PD, a distinction is made between
(i) information parameters and associated parameter data PD which are used to uniquely identify the information transmitting device ISE as the transmission source of the information IF and therefore ultimately also the vehicle FZ and the data values of which, as already stated above, are continuously changed at regular intervals of time (for example in the region of approximately 1 minute) for anonymization purposes—these information parameters and parameter data PD are referred to below as object-identifying information parameters and parameter data PD—and
(ii) information parameters and associated parameter data PD which are used to characterize, indicate, type, etc., but not uniquely identify, the vehicle in which the information transmitting device ISE is situated as the transmission source of the information IF and the data values of which are not changed—these information parameters and parameter data PD are referred to below as non-object-identifying information parameters and parameter data PD.
In said Table-
As soon as the vehicle FZ with the information transmitting device ISE emitting the information IF enters or drives into an information capture region IEB of an information capture device IEE in the road device SV′ or in the “roadside unit” RSU′, RSU1′, RSU2′, RSU3′, the information IF emitted by the information transmitting device ISE with the parameter data PD at the times t1, t2, t3 is captured by the information capture device IEE. The information capture region IEB reaches its maximum extent when the information IF emitted by the information transmitting device ISE can no longer be received by the information capture device IEE.
As a result of the anonymization of the transmitted information IF with the parameter data PD, which was carried out on account of the changing object-identifying parameter data PD, it is thus readily virtually impossible to track the trail of the vehicle FZ on the basis of the received parameter data PD and to make a statement on the traffic flow on the road VKS along the capture route EFS. As a result, it is not possible to determine any traffic data in the conventional sense since the identification of the vehicle fails.
Conclusion: there is currently no legal, technically sophisticated and cost-effective solution for determining long-term traffic data. There are solutions in which taxi fleets have been equipped with SMS transmitters or solutions in which trails of the hands-free devices (for example Bluetooth) in vehicles, for example, are used at different locations to determine traffic data. However, methods in which object-identifying and vehicle-identifying information, that is to say indicators of identity, are used are problematic, subject to approval or are not allowed at all in the first place for legal reasons (for example owing to protection of privacy).
An aspect relates to a method, a device and an arrangement for tracking moving objects, in which the trail of the objects can be tracked without using object-identifying information, for example GPS information relating to the object or other individual identifiers which can be used to fundamentally identify an object or when the objects continuously change their respective identity.
The idea on which embodiments of the invention is based is how—with respect to the present proposal for a method, a device and an arrangement for tracking moving objects—a statement on the successful tracking of at least one part of the object group along a tracking route is obtained on the basis of the capture of information with non-object-identifying parameter data, emitted by the moving objects, preferably at regular intervals of time, which takes place along the tracking route repeatedly, in particular at different locations at different times, by means of object-group-specific considerations of the captured parameter data, group-specific data profiles obtained from these considerations and a data profile similarity comparison and how, in this respect, an item of tracking information is generated, which is not generated if such a statement is not possible.
Quite generally, the technical teaching outlined above with respect to the tracking of moving objects can be used wherever a statement on successful or failed tracking can be made using information with data relating to a plurality of information parameters, even if they have been partially anonymized, which information is obtained repeatedly, in particular at different locations at different times. This applies, for example, to the tracking of vehicles in road traffic (keyword: traffic telematics), to the tracking of humans and animals in public space and/or in nature (keyword: monitoring of persons and animals), etc.
With respect to the application for traffic telematics (for example the tracking of vehicles in road traffic using an “intelligent transport system (ITS)”), a traffic flow over relatively long routes can consequently be determined from ITS status messages (ITS status information) obtained repeatedly, in particular at different locations at different times, even if they have been anonymized.
This involves, in particular, the fact that:
As a result of the fact that specific vehicle parameters of a vehicle group are determined and combined, it is possible to determine a so-called “group footprint” of a vehicle group driving past a “V2X roadside unit” (for example a first “roadside unit” RSU1). This “group footprint” can then be used to identify the vehicle group by further “V2X roadside units” (for example a second “roadside unit” RSU2 and/or a third “roadside unit” RSU3) downstream along the route. The more vehicles homogeneously drive together in the group, the higher the correlation at the further “V2X roadside unit” measurement points (RSU2, RSU3). This makes it possible to determine traffic variables such as journey time, traffic jam, accident, etc. If vehicles leave the group along the journey (for example overtaking, exit, etc.), the “group footprint” should always be determined as a combination of a plurality of parameters within the vehicle group. The larger the group, the easier the correlation of the different parameters at the different “V2X roadside unit” installations.
This makes it possible to capture traffic data from vehicles with changing identities (pseudonyms) along a relatively long route. This capture was previously not possible (using conventional methods) on account of the changing identity. Instead, the traffic data could be captured only in the region of an individual roadside unit.
Advantageous developments of the technical teaching respectively stated in the independent patent claims are claimed in the patent claims respectively dependent thereon.
In the case of the V2X-specific ITS status messages (ITS status information), the following vehicle-specific, vehicle-characteristic message parameters can be used, for example, in a “cooperative awareness message <CAM>” as claimed in claims 7 and 16:
In addition, it is possible for vehicles to transmit further optional data elements in the status message which are used to identify a vehicle group.
Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:
Proceeding from the ITS scenario illustrated in
In this expanded cooperative scenario, three vehicles—a first vehicle FZ1, a second vehicle FZ2 and a third vehicle FZ3—which are all trucks, for example, according to
The first tracking route SVS1 is also, at the same time, a capture route because each vehicle FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 in the convoy preferably transmits or emits an item of information IFFZ1, IFFZ2, IFFZ3 corresponding to the vehicle at regular intervals of time, for example every 100 ms, via a radio signal which needs to be captured. For this purpose, each vehicle FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 has an information transmitting device ISEFZ1, ISEFZ2, ISEFZ3 corresponding to the vehicle which is preferably in the form of the V2X communication unit and is also again integrated in the on-board electronics of the vehicle (for example if the vehicle is a “non-legacy vehicle”) or else is in the form of a vehicle-independent separate device (for example if the vehicle is a “legacy vehicle”). Each item of information of this information IFFZ1, IFFZ2, IFFZ3 corresponding to the vehicle contains a multiplicity of parameter data PDFZ1, PDFZ2, PDFZ3 which accordingly correspond to the vehicle and belong to information parameters according to the following tables for
Table-1-
In the case of the information parameters contained in the tables and the parameter data PDFZ1, PDFZ2, PDFZ3 corresponding to the vehicle, a distinction is again made between
(i) information parameters and associated parameter data PDFZ1, PDFZ2, PDFZ3 which are used to uniquely identify the respective information transmitting device ISEFZ1, ISEFZ2, ISEFZ3 corresponding to the vehicle as the transmission source of the information IFFZ1, IFFZ2, IFFZ3 and therefore ultimately also the respective vehicle FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 and the data values of which, as already stated above, are continuously changed at regular intervals of time (for example in the region of approximately 1 minute) for anonymization purposes—these information parameters and parameter data PDFZ1, PDFZ2, PDFZ3 are referred to below as object-identifying information parameters and parameter data PDFZ1, PDFZ2, PDFZ3—and
(ii) information parameters and associated parameter data PDFZ1, PDFZ2, PDFZ3 which are used to characterize, indicate, type, etc., but not uniquely identify, the respective vehicle FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 in which the information transmitting device ISEFZ1, ISEFZ2, ISEFZ3 corresponding to the vehicle is situated as the transmission source of the information IFFZ1, IFFZ2, IFFZ3 and the data values of which are not changed—these information parameters and parameter data PDFZ1, PDFZ2, PDFZ3 are referred to below as non-object-identifying information parameters and parameter data PDFZ1, PDFZ2, PDFZ3
In said tables, Table-1-
The number of information parameters (both with respect to the object-identifying parameters and with respect to the non-object-identifying parameters) respectively contained in the table is fundamentally open and can be increased or decreased in an arbitrary manner as required. In the present case, the parameters decisive for the exemplary embodiment are stated.
The meaning of these stated parameters and their data values are generally known and therefore do not require any further explanation at this point. When selecting the parameters, it should be taken into account (criteria catalog) that, for example, preferably
If the vehicles FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 in the convoy having the information transmitting devices ISEFZ1, ISEFZ2, ISEFZ3 corresponding to the vehicle and emitting the information IFFZ1, IFFZ2, IFFZ3 corresponding to the vehicle are in a first information capture region IEB1 of a first information capture device IEE1 of the modified first “roadside unit” RSU1, information IFFZ1,t1, IFFZ2,t1, IFFZ3,t1 emitted by the information transmitting devices ISEFZ1, ISEFZ2, ISEFZ3 of the vehicles FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 at the time t1 is captured by the first information capture device IEE1 with parameter data PDFZ1,t1, PDFZ2,t1, PDFZ3,t1. In a similar manner to the information capture region IEB in
In order to be able to now track at least one vehicle in the vehicle convoy FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 in the expanded cooperative ITS scenario, in contrast to the cooperative ITS scenario explained above on the basis of
In the present case, at the time t1 according to
For the further performance of the tracking, the first information capture device IEE1 is now designed, preferably using generally conventional data processing means (for example a hardware unit based on a microprocessor and a memory component and program modules which can be operated and executed as software on the hardware unit), in such a manner that a data profile DPGR1 specific to the first group, in particular a group footprint or a group stamp of the vehicle group, is generated from the captured first parameter data PD1.
This data profile DPGR1 specific to the first group is then forwarded in the modified first “roadside unit” RSU1 from the first information capture device IEE1 to a first communication interface KSS1 which is connected to the first information capture device IEE1 and provides the data profile DPGR1 specific to the first group and received from the first information capture device IEE1 for data evaluation based on a similarity comparison of data profiles. How, when and where this data profile similarity comparison takes place is explained further below in connection with the description of
In the interim, while the first data profile is generated and forwarded as described, the vehicle convoy moves further along the first tracking route SVS1 on the road or the freeway VKS. Since the vehicles FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 in the convoy are moving at a comparable speed and if one of the vehicles does not leave the road or the freeway VKS—for example for a stop at a gas station or a rest area or else to continue the journey on another road—or one of the vehicles does not inevitably leave the convoy as a result of a vehicle defect, for example engine damage, and does not drive at the edge of the road (on the shoulder in the case of the freeway) and stop, it can be assumed that the vehicle convoy is also still moving together on the road or the freeway VKS along the first tracking route SVS1.
In the expanded cooperative ITS scenario illustrated in
If the convoy with the vehicles FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 now approaches the second “roadside unit” RSU2 and all vehicles (owing to the comparable speed) having the information transmitting device ISEFZ1, ISEFZ2, ISEFZ3 corresponding to the vehicle and emitting the information IFFZ1, IFFZ2, IFFZ3 corresponding to the vehicle are finally in a second information capture region IEB2 of a second information capture device IEE2 of the second “roadside unit” RSU2, information IFFZ1,t2, IFFZ1,t2, IFFZ3,t2 emitted by the information transmitting devices ISEFZ1, ISEFZ2, ISEFZ3 of the vehicles FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 at the time t2 is captured by the second information capture device IEE2 with parameter data PDFZ1,t2, PDFZ2,t2, PDFZ3,t2. The “roadside units” RSU1, RSU2 with the two information capture regions IEB1, IEB2 are arranged in a manner separated from one another by an arbitrarily selectable distance. In a similar manner to the information capture region IEB in
Like the first information capture device IEE1, the second information capture device IEE2 captures second information IF2 with second parameter data PD2 from the maximum quantity of information predefined at the time t2 by the information IFFZ1,t2, IFFZ2,t2, IFFZ3,t2 with the parameter data PDFZ1,t2, PDFZ2,t2, PDFZ3,t2 from a second group GR2 of the vehicles FZ1, FZ2, FZ3, which again comprises at least one vehicle, but preferably again a plurality of vehicles with the proviso “The greater the number of groups, the easier the correlation of the different parameter data from the information capture region”, at regular intervals of time or for a calculated time window—for example by means of the calculation according to the formula s=v*t (distance equals speed times time), where s=distance between RSU1 and RSU2 and v=speed of the vehicle convoy according to the tables (cf. Table-1-
In the present case, at the time t2 according to
During the further performance of the tracking, the second information capture device IEE2—like the first information capture device IEE1—is designed, preferably again using generally conventional data processing means (for example a hardware unit based on a microprocessor and a memory component and program modules which can be operated and executed as software on the hardware unit), in such a manner that a data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group, in particular a group footprint or a group stamp of the vehicle group, is generated from the captured second parameter data PD2.
This data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group is then forwarded in the modified second “roadside unit” RSU2 from the second information capture device IEE2 to a second communication interface KSS2 which is connected to the second information capture device IEE2 and provides the data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group and received from the second information capture device IEE2 for data evaluation based on a similarity comparison of data profiles.
Two comparable variables, the two data profiles DPGR1, DPGR2, are now available for this data profile similarity comparison. The first data profile DPGR1 is thus supplied by the first communication interface KSS1 in the first “roadside unit” RSU1, and the second data profile DPGR2 is supplied by the second communication interface KSS2 in the second “roadside unit” RSU2, to a central unit in the form of an evaluation device AWE. The communication interfaces KSS1, KSS2 are connected to the evaluation device AWE for this purpose, wherein the connection may be wireless or wired, for example.
In order to perform the data profile similarity comparison, the evaluation device AWE is now designed, preferably using generally conventional means for the data-processing-based comparison of two variables (for example a hardware unit based on a microprocessor and a memory component and program modules which can be operated and executed as software on the hardware unit), in such a manner that the data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group and provided by the second communication device KSS2 is compared with the data profile DPGR1 specific to the first group and provided by the first communication device KSS1 using parameter data, in particular from a combination of the parameter data PD1, PD2 within the groups GR1, GR2.
If the data profile similarity comparison carried out in the evaluation device AWE reveals that the correlation between the first parameter data PD1 and the second parameter data PD2 is so great that the parameter data PD1, PD2 at least partially correspond, a statement can be made on the successful tracking of the vehicles FZ1, FZ2, FZ3 captured in the first group GR1 along the first tracking route SVS1 between the two information capture regions IEB1, IEB2. In this case, the evaluation device AWE produces or generates an item of tracking information SVI and forwards this information to a central monitoring entity ZÜS which is preferably in the form of a traffic control center and to which the evaluation device AWE is connected, for example in a wireless or wired manner. Otherwise, if the correspondence between the parameter data PD1, PD2 is not so great, such a statement is not possible and the tracking information SVI is not generated.
The tracking information SVI can preferably be used in the traffic control center or the central monitoring entity ZÜS to broadcast traffic messages or can be used for cooperative ITS traffic systems or traffic telematics systems.
Proceeding from the ITS scenario illustrated in
In contrast to the scenario according to
The second tracking route SVS2 is also, at the same time, a capture route because each vehicle FZ4 . . . FZ10 in the three vehicle convoys preferably transmits or emits an item of information IFFZ4 . . . IFFZ10 corresponding to the vehicle at regular intervals of time, for example every 100 ms, via a radio signal which needs to be captured. For this purpose, each vehicle FZ4 . . . FZ10 has an information transmitting device ISEFZ4 . . . ISEFZ10 corresponding to the vehicle which is preferably in the form of the V2X communication unit and is also again integrated in the on-board electronics of the vehicle (for example if the vehicle is a “non-legacy vehicle”) or else is in the form of a vehicle-independent separate device (for example if the vehicle is a “legacy vehicle”). Each item of information of this information IFFZ4 . . . IFFZ10 corresponding to the vehicle contains a multiplicity of parameter data PDFZ4 . . . PDFZ10 which accordingly correspond to the vehicle and belong to information parameters according to the following tables for
Table-1-
In the case of the information parameters contained in the tables and the parameter data PDFZ4 . . . PDFZ10 corresponding to the vehicle, a distinction is again made between
(i) information parameters and associated parameter data PDFZ4 . . . PDFZ10 which are used to uniquely identify the respective information transmitting device ISEFZ4 . . . ISEFZ10 corresponding to the vehicle as the transmission source of the information IFFZ4 . . . IFFZ10 and therefore ultimately also the respective vehicle FZ4 . . . FZ10 and the data values of which, as already stated above, are continuously changed at regular intervals of time (for example in the region of approximately 1 minute) for anonymization purposes—these information parameters and parameter data PDFZ4 . . . PDFZ10 are referred to below as object-identifying information parameters and parameter data PDFZ4 . . . PDFZ10—and
(ii) information parameters and associated parameter data PDFZ4 . . . PDFZ10 which are used to characterize, indicate, type, etc., but not uniquely identify, the respective vehicle FZ4 . . . FZ10 in which the information transmitting device ISEFZ4 . . . ISEFZ10 corresponding to the vehicle is situated as the transmission source of the information IFFZ4 . . . IFFZ10 and the data values of which are not changed—these information parameters and parameter data PDFZ4 . . . PDFZ10 are referred to below as non-object-identifying information parameters and parameter data PDFZ4 . . . PDFZ10.
In said tables, Table-1-
The number of information parameters (both with respect to the object-identifying parameters and with respect to the non-object-identifying parameters) respectively contained in the table is fundamentally open and can be increased or decreased in an arbitrary manner again as required. In the present case, the parameters decisive for the exemplary embodiment are stated. The meaning of these stated parameters and their data values are again generally known and therefore do not require any further explanation at this point. When selecting the parameters, it should again be taken into account (criteria catalog) that, for example, preferably
If the vehicles FZ4, FZ5, FZ6, FZ7 in the first vehicle convoy having the information transmitting devices ISEFZ4, ISEFZ5, ISEFZ6, ISEFZ7 corresponding to the vehicle and emitting the information IFFZ4, IFFZ5, IFFZ6, IFFZ7 corresponding to the vehicle are in the first information capture region IEB1 of the first information capture device IEE1 of the modified first “roadside unit” RSU1, information IFFZ4,t1, IFFZ5,t1, IFFZ6,t1, IFFZ7,t1 emitted by the information transmitting devices ISEFZ4, ISEFZ5, ISEFZ6, ISEFZ7 of the vehicles FZ4, FZ5, FZ6, FZ7 at the time t1 is captured by the first information capture device IEE1 with parameter data PDFZ4,t1, PDFZ5,t1, PDFZ6,t1, PDFZ7,t1. In a similar manner to the information capture region IEB in
In order to also be able to now again track at least one vehicle in the first vehicle convoy FZ4, FZ5, FZ6, FZ7 in the second expanded cooperative ITS scenario, in contrast to the cooperative ITS scenario explained above on the basis of
In the present case, at the time t1 according to
For the further performance of the tracking, the first information capture device IEE1 is now again designed, preferably using generally conventional data processing means (for example a hardware unit based on a microprocessor and a memory component and program modules which can be operated and executed as software on the hardware unit), in such a manner that the data profile DPGR1 specific to the first group, in particular the group footprint or the group stamp of the vehicle group, is again generated from the captured first parameter data PD1.
This data profile DPGR1 specific to the first group is then again forwarded in the modified first “roadside unit” RSU1 from the first information capture device IEE1 to the first communication interface KSS1 which is connected to the first information capture device IEE1 and provides the data profile DPGR1 specific to the first group and received from the first information capture device IEE1 for data evaluation based on a similarity comparison of data profiles. How, when and where this data profile similarity comparison takes place is explained further below in connection with the description of
In the interim, while the first data profile is generated and forwarded as described, the first vehicle convoy FZ4, FZ5, FZ6, FZ7 moves further along the second tracking route SVS2 on the road or the freeway VKS. Since the vehicles FZ4, FZ5, FZ6, FZ7 in the convoy are moving at a different speed, however, the first vehicle convoy will come apart along the second tracking route SVS2 and will be reduced to the vehicles at a comparable speed. These are the vehicles FZ6, FZ7 which, as a sub-convoy of the first vehicle convoy, form the first group GR1. It can therefore be assumed that, if one of these vehicles does not leave the road or the freeway VKS—for example for a stop at a gas station or a rest area or else to continue the journey on another road—or one of the vehicles does not inevitably leave the convoy as a result of a vehicle defect, for example engine damage, and does not drive at the edge of the road (on the shoulder in the case of the freeway) and stop, the vehicle sub-convoy is also still moving together on the road or the freeway VKS along the second tracking route SVS2.
In the second expanded cooperative ITS scenario illustrated in
If the sub-convoy with the vehicles FZ6, FZ7 now approaches the second “roadside unit” RSU2 and if, in addition to the two vehicles FZ6, FZ7 mentioned, also the vehicle FZ8 having the information transmitting devices ISEFZ6, ISEFZ7, ISEFZ8 corresponding to the vehicle and emitting the information IFFZ6, IFFZ7, IFFZ5 corresponding to the vehicle are finally in the second information capture region IEB2 of the second information capture device IEE2 of the second “roadside unit” RSU2 for the second vehicle convoy, information IFFZ6,t2, IFFZ7,t2, IFFZ8,t2 emitted by the information transmitting devices ISEFZ6, ISEFZ7, ISEFZ8 of the vehicles FZ6, FZ7, FZ8 at the time t2 is captured by the second information capture device IEE2 with parameter data PDFZ6,t2, PDFZ7,t2, PDFZ8,t2. The “roadside units” RSU1, RSU2 with the two information capture regions IEB1, IEB2 are again arranged in a manner separated from one another by an arbitrarily selectable distance. In a similar manner to the information capture region IEB in
Like the first information capture device IEE1, the second information capture device IEE2 again captures second information IF2 with second parameter data PD2 from the maximum quantity of information predefined at the time t2 by the information IFFZ6,t2, IFFZ7,t2, IFFZ8,t2 with the parameter data PDFZ6,t2, PDFZ7,t2, PDFZ8,t2 from a second group GR2 of the vehicles FZ6, FZ7 in the second vehicle convoy FZ6, FZ7, FZ8, which again comprises at least one vehicle, but preferably again a plurality of vehicles with the proviso “The greater the number of groups, the easier the correlation of the different parameter data from the information capture region”, at regular intervals of time or for a calculated time window—for example by means of the calculation according to the formula s=v*t (distance equals speed times time), where s=distance between RSU1 and RSU2 and v=speed of the vehicle convoy according to the tables (cf. Table-1-
In the present case, at the time t2 according to
During the further performance of the tracking, the second information capture device IEE2—like the first information capture device IEE1—is again designed, preferably again using generally conventional data processing means (for example a hardware unit based on a microprocessor and a memory component and program modules which can be operated and executed as software on the hardware unit), in such a manner that the data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group, in particular the group footprint or the group stamp of the vehicle group, is generated from the captured second parameter data PD2.
This data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group is then again forwarded in the modified second “roadside unit” RSU2 from the second information capture device IEE2 to the second communication interface KSS2 which is connected to the second information capture device IEE2 and provides the data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group and received from the second information capture device IEE2 for data evaluation based on a similarity comparison of data profiles.
With respect to the expanded cooperative ITS scenario, illustrated in
If the sub-convoy having the vehicles FZ6, FZ7 now approaches the third “roadside unit” RSU3 and if, in addition to these two vehicles FZ6, FZ7, also the vehicles FZ9, FZ10 having the information transmitting devices ISEFZ6, ISEFZ7, ISEFZ9, ISEFZ10 corresponding to the vehicle and emitting the information IFFZ6, IFFZ7, IFFZ9, IFFZ10 corresponding to the vehicle are finally in a third information capture region IEB3 of a third information capture device IEE3 of the third “roadside unit” RSU3 for the third vehicle convoy, information IFFZ6,t3, IFFZ7,t3, IFFZ9,t3, IFFZ10,t3 emitted by the information transmitting devices ISEFZ6, ISEFZ7, ISEFZ9, ISEFZ10 of the vehicles FZ6, FZ7, FZ9, FZ10 at the time t3 is captured by the third information capture device IEE3 with parameter data PDFZ6,t3, PDFZ7,t3, PDFZ9,t3, PDFZ10,t3.
Since the vehicle tracking is based on a similarity comparison and the data captured at two measurement points are always compared with one another for this purpose, the third information capture region IEB3 with the third information capture device IEE3 with respect to this comparison is a further second information capture region IEB2 with a further second information capture device IEE2 which captures further second information IF2 with further second parameter data PD2 for a further second group GR2 of vehicles. Against this background, the following statements which relate to the capture of information at the third time t3 should be categorized.
The “roadside units” RSU1, RSU2, RSU3 with the respective two information capture regions IEB1, IEB2 are again arranged in a manner separated from one another by an arbitrarily selectable distance. In a similar manner to the information capture region IEB in
Like the first information capture device IEE1 and the second information capture device IEE2, the further second information capture device IEE2 again captures further second information IF2 with further second parameter data PD2 from the maximum quantity of information predefined at the time t3 by the information IFFZ6,t3, IFFZ7,t3, IFFZ10,t3, IFFZ9,t3 with the parameter data PDFZ6,t3, PDFZ7,t3, PDFZ9,t3, PDFZ10,t3 from a further second group GR2 of the vehicles FZ6, FZ7 in the third vehicle convoy FZ6, FZ7, FZ9, FZ10, which again comprises at least one vehicle, but preferably again a plurality of vehicles with the proviso “The greater the number of groups, the easier the correlation of the different parameter data from the information capture region”, at regular intervals of time or for a calculated time window—for example by means of the calculation according to the formula s=v*t (distance equals speed times time), where s=distance between RSU1 and RSU2 and v=speed of the vehicle convoy according to the tables (cf. Table-1-
In the present case, at the time t3 according to
During the further performance of the tracking, the further second information capture device IEE2—like the first information capture device IEE1 and the second information capture device IEE2—is also again designed, preferably again using generally conventional data processing means (for example a hardware unit based on a microprocessor and a memory component and program modules which can be operated and executed as software on the hardware unit), in such a manner that the further data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group, in particular the group footprint or the group stamp of the vehicle group, is generated from the captured further second parameter data PD2.
This further data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group is then again forwarded in the modified third “roadside unit” RSU3 from the further second information capture device IEE2 to a third communication interface KSS3 which, by definition, is a further second communication interface KSS2 which is connected to the further second information capture device IEE2 and provides the further data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group and received from the further second information capture device IEE2 for data evaluation based on a similarity comparison of data profiles.
Before it is now stated what happens then with the two data profiles DPGR2, DPGR1, it is noted at this point that, as an alternative to the second information capture region IEB2 described above at the time t2, the further second information capture region IEB3 at the time t3, with the modifications described above, can be used to generate the data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group.
In addition, it is also possible (in a modification of the previous description in which the first information capture region IEB1 is present at the time t1 and the second information capture region IEB2 is present at the time t2) for the first information capture region IEB1 to be used at the time t2 to generate the data profile DPGR1 specific to the first group and for the second information capture region IEB2 to be used at the time t3 to generate the data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group with the corresponding modifications resulting from
Irrespective of what is captured at what time, there are now two comparable variables, the two data profiles DPGR1, DPGR2, for the data profile similarity comparison discussed. If this data profile similarity comparison is now intended to be carried out in a decentralized manner, that is to say locally, in contrast to the situation according to
One option is for the first data profile DPGR1 to be transmitted, via the first communication interface KSS1 in the first “roadside unit” RSU1, to the second communication interface KSS2 in the second “roadside unit” RSU2 or to the further second communication interface KSS2 in the third “roadside unit” RSU3 by means of a wireless or wired connection, for example, and for the second communication interface KSS2 in the second “roadside unit” RSU2 to then supply the two data profiles DPGR1, DPGR2 to the evaluation device AWE in the second “roadside unit” RSU2 for the data profile similarity comparison to be carried out or else for the further second communication interface KSS2 in the third “roadside unit” RSU3 to then supply the two data profiles DPGR1, DPGR2 to the evaluation device AWE in the third “roadside unit” RSU3 for the data profile similarity comparison to be carried out.
The other option is for the second data profile DPGR2 to be transmitted, via the second communication interface KSS2 in the second “roadside unit” RSU2, or else for the further second data profile DPGR2 to be transmitted, via the further second communication interface KSS2 in the third “roadside unit” RSU3, to the first communication interface KSS1 in the first “roadside unit” RSU1 in each case via a wireless or wired connection, for example, and for the first communication interface KSS1 to then supply the two data profiles DPGR1, DPGR2 to the evaluation device AWE in the first “roadside unit” RSU1 for the data profile similarity comparison to be carried out.
Irrespective of which option ultimately takes effect, the evaluation device AWE is again designed, preferably again using generally conventional means for the data-processing-based comparison of two variables (for example a hardware unit based on a microprocessor and a memory component and program modules which can be operated and executed as software on the hardware unit), for carrying out the data profile similarity comparison in such a manner that the provided data profile DPGR2 specific to the second group is compared with the provided data profile DPGR1 specific to the first group using parameter data, in particular from a combination of the parameter data PD1, PD2 within the groups GR1, GR2.
On the basis of the expanded cooperative ITS scenario for tracking according to
With respect to the first “roadside unit” with the first information capture region IEB1RSU1, the vehicles FZ5, FZ6, FZ8, FZ9 belong to the first group GR1 at an nth time tn, the vehicles FZ2, FZ4, FZ5, FZ6, FZ7 belong to the first group GR1 at an (n+1)th time tn+1, and the vehicles FZ1, FZ2, FZ3, FZ4 belong to the first group GR1 at an (n+2)th time tn+2.
With respect to the second “roadside unit” with the second information capture region IEB2RSU2, the vehicles FZ6, FZ7, FZ8 belong to the second group GR2 at an mth time tm, and the vehicles FZ2, FZ4, FZ5, FZ7 belong to the second group GR2 at an (m+1)th time tm+1.
If the correlation check between the first group GR1 and the second group GR2 is now carried out at the respective times, the following correlation values KW result:
GR1(tn)=FZ5, FZ6, FZ8, FZ9
with}→KW=50%
GR2(tm)=FZ6, FZ7, FZ8
GR1(tn)=FZ5, FZ6, FZ8, FZ9
with}→KW=25%
GR2(tm+1)=FZ2, FZ4, FZ5, FZ7
GR1(tn+1)=FZ2, FZ4, FZ5, FZ6, FZ7
with}→KW=40%
GR2(tm)=FZ6, FZ7, FZ8
GR1(tn+1)=FZ2, FZ4, FZ5, FZ6, FZ7
with}→KW=80%
GR2(tm+1)=FZ2, FZ4, FZ5, FZ7
GR1(tn+2)=FZ1, FZ2, FZ3, FZ4
with}→KW=0%
GR2(tm)=FZ6, FZ7, FZ8
GR1(tn+2)=FZ1, FZ2, FZ3, FZ4
with}→KW=50%
GR2(tm+1)=FZ2, FZ4, FZ5, FZ7
Although the invention has been illustrated and described in greater detail with reference to the preferred exemplary embodiment, the invention is not limited to the examples disclosed, and further variations can be inferred by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.
For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2016/061793 | 5/25/2016 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2017/202461 | 11/30/2017 | WO | A |
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