Method for the remote control of a motor vehicle by means of a mobile controller, and remote control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11415982-B2
Application number	US-201716332528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2017
Priority date	Sep 14, 2016
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A method for the remote control of at least one function of a motor vehicle by means of a mobile controller involves a remote control command transmitted to the motor vehicle and executed by the motor vehicle if an approval has been issued. The method provides a remote control system that has a particularly high level of reliability, which is achieved by detecting an image of the motor vehicle by an optical detection device in the mobile controller is transmitted to the motor vehicle, and the approval is then issued by a checking device in the motor vehicle if the motor vehicle has been identified in the transmitted image by the checking device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for remotely controlling at least one function of a motor vehicle by a mobile controller, the method comprising:
receiving, by the motor vehicle from the mobile controller, a remote-control command for a movement, maneuver, or driving maneuver of the motor vehicle;
receiving, by the motor vehicle from the mobile controller, a captured image of an exterior of the motor vehicle;
determining, by the motor vehicle, whether the exterior of the motor vehicle appears in the captured image;
determining, by the motor vehicle, whether or not the remote-control command is plausible depending upon whether or not the movement, maneuver, or driving maneuver of the motor vehicle would result in a collision with an object or obstacle surrounding the motor vehicle;
approving execution of the remote-control command if it is determined that the exterior of the vehicle appears in the captured image and the movement, maneuver, or driving maneuver of the motor vehicle being plausible;
executing, by the motor vehicle, the remote-control command responsive to the approval.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the captured image is part of a video of the motor vehicle, and
the approval is continuously granted and the remote-control command is executed so long as the motor vehicle is continuously identified in the video by the motor vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the captured image is part of a video of the motor vehicle, and
the movement, maneuver, or driving maneuver of the motor vehicle is interrupted or canceled when the motor vehicle is no longer identified in the video.

4. A remote-control system, comprising:
a motor vehicle; and
a mobile controller,
wherein the mobile controller is configured to
send a remote-control command to the motor vehicle,
capture an image of the motor vehicle, and
transmit the captured image of the motor vehicle to the motor vehicle, and

wherein the motor vehicle is configured to
determine whether the motor vehicle appears in the captured image,
approve execution of the remote-control command responsive to the determination that the motor vehicle appears in the captured image, and
execute the remote-control command responsive to the approval,

wherein the mobile controller is configured to display the captured image and an indication of whether or not the vehicle has been determined to appear in the captured image.

5. The remote-control system of claim 4 , wherein the captured image of the motor vehicle includes an exterior of the motor vehicle.

6. The remote-control system of claim 5 , wherein the remote control command is for a movement, maneuver, or driving maneuver of the motor vehicle.

7. The remote-control system of claim 6 , wherein
the captured image is part of a video of the motor vehicle that is recorded by an optical detection device of the mobile controller,
the video is transmitted to the motor vehicle, and
the movement, maneuver, or driving maneuver of the motor vehicle is interrupted or canceled when the motor vehicle is no longer identified in the video.

8. The remote-control system of claim 4 , wherein the motor vehicle is configured to conduct a plausibility test of the remote-control command, wherein the approval is granted only if the remote-control command has been evaluated as plausible, wherein the remote-control command is evaluated as plausible if the movement, maneuver, or driving maneuver of the motor vehicle would not result in a collision with an object or obstacle surrounding the motor vehicle.

9. A method for remotely controlling at least one function of a motor vehicle by a mobile controller, the method comprising:
sending, by the mobile controller to the motor vehicle, a remote-control command;
capturing, by the mobile controller, an image of the motor vehicle;
transmitting, by the mobile controller to the motor vehicle, the captured image of the motor vehicle;
determining, by the motor vehicle, whether the motor vehicle appears in the captured image;
approving execution of the remote-control command responsive to the determination that the motor vehicle appears in the captured image; and
executing, by the motor vehicle, the remote-control command responsive to the approval,
wherein the captured image is displayed on the mobile controller and the mobile controller displays whether or not the vehicle has been determined to appear in the captured image.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein
the captured image is part of a video of the motor vehicle that is recorded by an optical detection device of the mobile controller,
the video is transmitted to the motor vehicle, and
the approval is continuously granted so long as the motor vehicle is continuously identified in the video by the motor vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein, responsive to detection of a communication problem between the mobile controller and the motor vehicle, the execution of the remote-control command is canceled by the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle is shifted into a state in which the motor vehicle is secured against unintended movements.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
conducting, by the motor vehicle, a plausibility test of the remote-control command, wherein the approval is granted only if the remote-control command has been evaluated as plausible.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
conducting, by the mobile controller, a plausibility test of the remote-control command; and
sending, by the mobile controller to the vehicle, a result of said plausibility test, wherein the approval granted if the remote-control command has been evaluated as plausible by the mobile controller.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the captured image of the motor vehicle includes an exterior of the motor vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the remote control command is for a movement, maneuver, or driving maneuver of the motor vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein
the captured image is part of a video of the motor vehicle that is recorded by an optical detection device of the mobile controller,
the video is transmitted to the motor vehicle, and
the movement, maneuver, or driving maneuver of the motor vehicle is interrupted or canceled when the motor vehicle is no longer identified in the video.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
conducting, by the motor vehicle, a plausibility test of the remote-control command, wherein the approval is granted only if the remote-control command has been evaluated as plausible, wherein the remote-control command is evaluated as plausible if the movement, maneuver, or driving maneuver of the motor vehicle would not lead to a collision with an object or obstacle surrounding the motor vehicle.

Assignees

• Daimler Ag
• Mercedes Benz Group Ag

Inventors

• Hug Tobias

Classifications

• G08C17/00 Primary

  Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link · CPC title

• G08C2201/93

  Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop · CPC title

• G06V20/10

  Terrestrial scenes (scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59) · CPC title

• G05D1/0016

  characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0022

  characterised by the communication link (data switching networks in general H04L12/00) · CPC title