DE102018212971A1 - System for selecting a means of transport - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for selecting a means of transport is proposed, the system having a determination unit which is set up to determine a volume requirement of at least one piece of luggage. The system also has a processing unit which is set up to determine a required volume of a means of transport based on the determined volume requirement and to select a means of transport from a quantity of means of transport stored in a database based on the required volume.

Description

The present invention relates to a system for selecting a means of transport according to the preamble of claim 1.

Means of transport can be selected according to various criteria, such as the type and amount of luggage to be transported, the number of people to be transported or the like. Usually, however, the means of transport must be selected manually by one of the people based on these different criteria. If, for example, a group organizes a trip with several travel participants and requires a means of transport for this, it must be possible to store their luggage in addition to the people. One of the travel participants must take this into account when choosing the means of transport. With such a selection, a problem can additionally arise due to various, imprecise information about the size of luggage, if these are described by the individual travel participants. So far, there is no possibility to automatically select a suitable means of transport based on luggage.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system with which a means of transport can be selected in a simple manner based on a determination of items of luggage.

This object is achieved by a system for selecting a means of transport according to claim 1. The system has a determination unit which is set up to determine a volume requirement of at least one piece of luggage. The determination unit can determine the volume requirement of several pieces of luggage and thus a total volume requirement. Volume requirement in this context refers to the volume that is required for the accommodation by the at least one piece of luggage in the transport means.

In order to select a corresponding means of transport, a processing unit is provided which is set up to determine a required volume of a means of transport based on the determined volume requirement. The processing unit can map the volume requirement of the at least one piece of luggage to a required volume of the means of transport. The required volume of the means of transport can relate in particular to a volume of a luggage compartment, in particular a trunk.

In addition to the volume requirement of the at least one piece of luggage, the processing unit can also take into account the number of people to be transported. For example, with a large amount of luggage and only a few people to be transported, a means of transport with a smaller volume can be selected than with the same amount of luggage but more people to be transported.

Based on the required volume of the means of transport, the processing unit can then select an appropriate means of transport from a number of means of transport stored in a database. If several means of transport are available that correspond to the required volume, the processing unit can display several means of transport to the user for selection. This can be done, for example, as a display on a screen. Such a selection can be displayed in the form of text or images.

According to one embodiment, the determination unit is set up to monitor digital communication between a user with at least one other user and to filter the digital communication with regard to items of luggage. Such filtering can take place, for example, by filtering in relation to predefined keywords. The determination unit can also perform image or text recognition on the communication data in order to determine information relating to items of luggage. In particular, the determination unit can be integrated into the digital communication as a chatbot.

A chatbot is understood to mean a text-based dialog system that can communicate with one or more participants or users in human-machine communication. The chatbot is a system that responds to human text requests based on algorithms. For this, the system uses a stored database and compares the content entered in the text field with that of the database. The database can be integrated directly into the system for selecting the means of transport.

The chatbot can perform various functions beyond selecting a means of transport and can, for example, permanently follow communication between users. In particular, the determination unit can be integrated in the form of a chat bot in the communication as a communication partner.

The determination unit can also be set up to react to requests by a user and / or other devices. For example, the determination unit can ask questions about the detected information, for example the pieces of luggage, answer. In particular, if the determination unit is integrated into the digital communication as a communication partner, it can answer their questions in relation to the detected information in a dialogue with the other participants. This can be implemented particularly easily by using artificial intelligence (AI).

According to a further embodiment, the determination unit is set up to receive data from at least one user and to examine the data in relation to luggage. The determination unit can, for example, receive data directly from one or more users. In this case, the determination unit can be designed as an external device, for example as a terminal, into which data is entered by the users. It is also possible for the users to log on to a server that has the determination unit via an Internet connection and to communicate with the determination unit via the Internet connection in order to have a corresponding means of transport selected.

Alternatively, several users or travel participants can chat in a chat about a planned trip and exchange information relating to luggage. In this case, the determination unit can be configured, for example, as a chatbot that is added to such digital communication in order to monitor the communication.

Such a chatbot can also be addressed directly by one of the users in order to select an appropriate means of transport. Alternatively, the chatbot can only be designed to select a means of transport and therefore automatically suggest a corresponding means of transport after the end of the communication.

The determination unit can also permanently monitor the communication and update a selection of the means of transport at regular intervals and add the updated selection of the digital communication.

The digital communication and / or the data that can be monitored and received by the determination unit according to the previous embodiments can contain explicit information and / or implied information relating to luggage. For example, the exchanged data or the communication can contain images or photographs of items of luggage, and the determination unit can determine a volume requirement of the respective item of luggage based on such images. This determination can be made by processing the image by calculating a size of the item of luggage and thus a volume of the item of luggage from the information contained in the image. As an alternative, the determination unit can compare the image with a database in order to determine the type of the piece of luggage and to take information stored in the database in relation to the volume requirement of the piece of luggage.

The digital communication and / or the exchanged data can furthermore contain a description of a piece of luggage as implied information. These include, for example, generic terms such as trolleys, make-up cases, handbags, etc. Based on this information, the determination unit can determine a volume requirement of a respective piece of luggage using information stored in a database. Furthermore, information can be exchanged in a conversation between several users, which relates to which items of luggage the users will take with them or what content the items of luggage will have. Based on the content of such items of luggage, for example, the determination unit can also determine a volume requirement of a corresponding item of luggage.

The determination unit can also use information contained in the digital communication or the received data to determine whether certain requirements of the means of transport have to be met. For example, the determination unit can determine whether a roof rack, a possibility of loading a means of transport or a possibility of tipping over in a means of transport is required.

According to a further embodiment, the determination unit and / or the processing unit are set up to communicate with the database, the database having information regarding the volume requirement of luggage and / or the available volume of means of transport. As explained above, it may be necessary for the determination unit, but also the processing unit, to communicate with the database in order to be able to select a means of transport. Different means of transport with different volumes can be stored in the database, which the determination unit and / or the processing unit can access. In addition, luggage items and contents of luggage items that are linked to a respective volume requirement can be stored in the database.

In one embodiment, the determination unit and / or the processing unit can be set up to communicate with the database via a radio link. The A radio connection can be, for example, a mobile radio connection. Alternatively, the determination unit and / or the processing unit can also communicate with the database via a wired communication link. If the database does not already contain the necessary information, the determination unit and / or the processing unit can also be set up to determine the volume requirement of the luggage by means of an Internet search.

According to a further embodiment, the processing unit is set up to output a loading proposal for the selected means of transport. In this embodiment, the processing unit can already determine, for example when selecting the means of transport, what the optimal loading for the means of transport is. The optimal loading also includes, for example, the optimal arrangement of the items of luggage in order to optimally use the available volume of the means of transport. Furthermore, the processing unit can also inform the user as a loading suggestion whether certain items of luggage are to be loaded, whether a rear seat of the means of transport is to be folded down or whether a roof rack or the like should be used.

The means of transport can in particular be a motor vehicle. Alternatively, however, the means of transport can also be a train or a bus. For example, the processing unit can select the means of transport from different categories of means of transport. For example, the processing unit can decide whether it is necessary to use more than one means of transport, for example more than one motor vehicle, with the existing pieces of luggage and the number of people to be transported, or whether it makes sense for the desired number of people and the required volume of the pieces of luggage instead propose a motor vehicle to be transported by train.

A method for selecting a means of transport is also proposed. The method has the following steps: determining a volume requirement of at least one piece of luggage, determining a required volume of a means of transportation based on the determined volume requirement and selecting a means of transportation from a quantity of means of transportation stored in a database based on the required volume.

The embodiments and features described for the proposed device apply correspondingly to the proposed method.

Furthermore, a computer program product is proposed which has a program code which is designed to cause the method described above to be carried out on a computer.

A computer program product, such as a computer program means, for example as a storage medium, such as Memory card, USB stick, CD-ROM, DVD, or in the form of a downloadable file from a server in a network. This can be done, for example, in a wireless communication network by transmitting a corresponding file with the computer program product or the computer program means.

Further possible implementations of the invention also include combinations of features or embodiments described above or below with reference to the exemplary embodiments that are not explicitly mentioned. The person skilled in the art will also add individual aspects as improvements or additions to the respective basic form of the invention.

Further advantages and advantageous embodiments are specified in the description, the drawings and the claims. In particular, the combinations of the features specified in the description and in the drawings are purely exemplary, so that the features can also be present individually or in a different combination.

The invention is to be described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. The exemplary embodiments and the combinations shown in the exemplary embodiments are purely exemplary and are not intended to define the scope of the invention. This is defined solely by the pending claims.

• 1: ein schematisches Blockdiagramm eines Systems zum Auswählen eines Transportmittels.

It shows:

• 1 : a schematic block diagram of a system for selecting a means of transport.

In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are identified with the same reference symbols.

1 shows a system 1 to select a means of transport.

The system 1 has a determination unit 2 and a processing unit 4 on. The system 1 or parts of the system 1 can be integrated on a mobile device, for example. This can be done, among other things, in the form of an application that is stored on such a device.

In order to select a means of transport, the determination unit determines 2 first a volume requirement of one or more pieces of luggage. The determination unit can do this 2 Data from at least one user 6 . 8th receive. This data can be examined for information related to luggage.

The destination unit 2 can also be a digital communication between two or more users 6 . 8th monitor and filter this communication for baggage information. The digital communication and / or the received data can contain both explicit information and implicit information relating to luggage.

Implicit information can be understood to mean, for example, the contents of pieces of luggage through which the determination unit 2 can calculate the volume requirement of an associated piece of luggage. An explicit piece of information can be, for example, an image of a piece of luggage, a description of a piece of luggage or even exact dimensions of a piece of luggage.

The processing unit can then 4 use the determined volume requirement to determine a required volume of a means of transport based on this. The means of transport can in particular be a motor vehicle.

In addition to the volume of luggage, the processing unit can 4 also take into account the number of people to be transported. Once the processing unit 4 Once the required volume of transportation has been determined, it can be a transportation from an amount in a database 10 Select saved modes of transport based on the required volume.

In the database 10 Different means of transport can be stored with their respective volumes. In addition, in the database 10 luggage with their respective volumes or sizes can also be stored. Can the destination unit 2 the determination unit can not determine the volume of the luggage 2 also be able to do an internet search and access other databases.

Although the database 10 is shown as an external device, the database 10 also in the system 1 be directly integrated. Furthermore, the database 10 be split, part of the database 10 in the system 1 is integrated and part of the database 10 external to the system 1 is arranged.

In addition to a selection of the means of transport, the processing unit 4 be set up to display to the user a loading proposal for the selected means of transport. Here, the processing unit 4 arrange the known pieces of luggage optimally or can indicate to the user that a possibly existing through-loading possibility should be used.

The proposed system makes it possible to easily select a means of transport in order to transport a certain amount of luggage. For this purpose, a volume requirement of one or more pieces of luggage is automatically determined.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

system

2

determining unit

4

processing unit

6, 8

user

10

Database

Claims (10)

System (1) for selecting a means of transport, the system (1) having a determination unit (2) which is set up to determine a volume requirement of at least one piece of luggage, characterized by a processing unit (4) which is set up to to determine the required volume of a means of transport based on the determined volume requirement, and to select a means of transport from a quantity of means of transport stored in a database (10) based on the required volume. System according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the determination unit (2) is set up to monitor digital communication of at least one user (6) with at least one further user (8) and to filter the digital communication with regard to items of luggage, in particular the determination unit (2 ) is integrated as a chatbot in digital communication. System according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the determination unit (2) is set up to receive data from at least one user (6, 8) and to examine the data in relation to luggage. System according to Claim 2 or 3 , characterized in that the digital communication and / or the data contain explicit information and / or implicit information relating to luggage. System according to Claim 4 , characterized in that the information includes an image of a piece of luggage. System according to Claim 4 or 5 , characterized in that the information contains a description of a piece of luggage. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the determination unit (2) and / or the processing unit (4) are set up to communicate with the database (10), the database (10) information relating to the volume requirements of luggage and / or the available volume of means of transport. System according to Claim 7 , characterized in that the determination unit (2) and / or the processing unit (4) are set up to communicate with the database (10) via a radio link. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the processing unit (4) is set up to output a loading proposal for the selected means of transport. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means of transport is a motor vehicle.

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