Method for locating a marking unit using at least one base unit, as well as a system with the marking unit and at least one base unit, as well as a marking unit and base unit for the system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11096013-B2
Application number	US-201816754942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2018
Priority date	Oct 9, 2017
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for locating a marking unit of an object by means of at least one base unit, wherein during at least one predetermined transmission time, the marking unit emits a transmission telegram and operates a reception apparatus in order to receive a response telegram from one of the at least one base units as a response to the relevant transmission telegram. The invention provides for the marking unit to define the at least one transmission time in a synchronous mode by means of a predetermined transmission plan assigned to the at least one base unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for locating a marking unit of an object using at least one base unit; wherein
during at least one predetermined transmission time, the marking unit emits a transmission telegram and operates a reception apparatus in order to receive a response telegram from one of the at least one base unit as a response to the relevant transmission telegram;
the marking unit defines the at least one transmission time in a synchronous mode using a predetermined transmission plan assigned to the at least one base unit;
in the synchronous mode, the marking unit ascertains its current movement profile using a movement sensor to ascertain the transmission plan; and wherein
depending on the ascertained current movement profile, estimates, using a usage model, which of the at least one base unit should currently be located within the transmission range; and depending on the estimated base unit, selects the transmission plan assigned to the estimated base unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marking unit operates the reception apparatus in synchronous mode only in conjunction with emitting the at least one transmission telegram.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the event that a transmission telegram or a predetermined number of sequential transmission telegrams remain unanswered, and/or in the event that the usage model signals that the current movement profile cannot be assigned, the marking unit switches from synchronous mode to a search mode in which the marking unit emits transmission telegrams at a higher transmission rate in comparison to synchronous mode, and/or in which the marking unit additionally also operates the reception apparatus independent from emitting the transmission telegrams in order to receive predetermined search telegrams.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein in the event that a transmission telegram is answered by a response telegram, the marking unit saves an ID of the responding base unit contained in the response telegram as the actual, current base unit located within the transmission range, and/or
uses a transmission plan for the base unit actually located within the transmission range to ascertain at least one additional transmission time.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein in the event that the estimated and the actual base unit differ, the usage model is adapted using a predetermined learning algorithm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a hidden Markov model is operated as the usage model.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein in order to form the usage model, the marking unit is operated in a learning mode in which the marking unit ascertains movement profiles of the at least one base unit using one or more of the movement sensor and/or a movement sensor of a mobile terminal, and undertakes an assignment in the usage model of each of the movement profiles to the particular base unit to which the particular movement profile belongs.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each transmission telegram is emitted as a broadcast message.

9. A marking unit for marking an object, wherein
the marking unit has a transmission apparatus for transmitting transmission telegrams and
a reception apparatus for receiving response telegrams and search telegrams, wherein
a control apparatus of the marking unit is configured to perform the method of claim 1 .

10. The marking unit of claim 9 , wherein the marking unit has a movement sensor and a receiver for a position signal of a GNSS is not comprised.

11. A base unit for communicating with a marking unit of claim 9 , wherein
the base unit has a communication apparatus for receiving at least one transmission telegram from the marking unit, and for emitting a response telegram with an ID of the base unit, and wherein
the base unit is configured to determine if the at least one transmission telegram has arrived according to a predetermined transmission plan, and if a transmission telegram anticipated according to the transmission plan, or a predetermined number of sequential transmission telegrams anticipated according to the transmission plan, are missing, to initiate a predetermined search action.

12. The base unit of claim 11 , wherein
the search action includes one or more of the base unit signaling at least one predetermined other base unit and
at least one predetermined outside unit to send, within its particular transmission range, a search telegram to the marking unit.

13. The base unit of claim 11 , wherein the base unit is configured to signal to at least one predetermined receiver that the marking unit is at the base unit in the event that a transmission telegram arrives from the marking unit.

14. A system with at least one marking unit according to claim 9 and at least one base unit, wherein the base unit is configured for communicating with the marking unit, wherein
the base unit has a communication apparatus for receiving at least one transmission telegram from the marking unit, and for emitting a response telegram with an ID of the base unit, and wherein
the base unit is configured to determine if the at least one transmission telegram has arrived according to a predetermined transmission plan, and if a transmission telegram anticipated according to the transmission plan, or a predetermined number of sequential transmission telegrams anticipated according to the transmission plan, are missing, to initiate a predetermined search action.

15. The method of claim 3 ,
wherein in the event that a transmission telegram is answered by a response telegram, the marking unit saves an ID of the responding base unit contained in the response telegram as the actual, current base unit located within the transmission range, and/or
uses a transmission plan for the base unit actually located within the transmission range to ascertain at least one additional transmission time.

16. The method of claim 3 , wherein a hidden Markov model is operated as the usage model.

17. The method of claim 4 , wherein a hidden Markov model is operated as the usage model.

18. The method of claim 5 , wherein a hidden Markov model is operated as the usage model.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Ette Bernd
• Wintsche Volker

Classifications

• G01S5/0295

  Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals · CPC title

• G01S5/017

  Detecting state or type of motion · CPC title

• H04L67/52

  specially adapted for the location of the user terminal · CPC title

• H04W4/029 Primary

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• G06F21/88

  Detecting or preventing theft or loss · CPC title