FR3122307A1 - Vehicle data communication method, device and system - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle data communication method and device (10) are provided. For this purpose, first data representative of a list of first objects are received from a remote database (101), which comprises a set of data representative of preferences of a user of the vehicle (10). Context information of a current route of the vehicle (10) is determined from second data received from at least one on-board system in the vehicle (10) and/or from at least one remote device (11). The context information comprises for example the location of at least one point of sale (12) of a second object and at least one piece of information representative of the second object. The first data is analyzed in relation to the context information for rendering a recommendation to the user if the second object corresponds to a first object in the list. Figure for abstract: Figure 1

Description

Vehicle data communication method, device and system

The invention relates to methods, devices and data communication systems for vehicles, in particular automobiles, for example autonomous. The invention also relates to a method and a device for recommending a vehicle, for example for recommending a point of interest or a route to arrive at a point of interest.

Technology background

Contemporary vehicles sometimes embed a navigation or geolocation system configured to calculate a route based on current vehicle position information and destination information.

Such a navigation system uses, for example, geolocation information provided by a satellite positioning system such as the GPS system (from the English “Global Positioning System” or in French “Système mondial de position”) or the Galileo system. This geolocation information is combined with mapping data, in particular road data, to display on a screen the layout of the route on a map obtained from the mapping data.

It is known to enrich the map displayed on the screen with points of particular interest located in the environment around the vehicle, these points of interest being for example highlighted with graphic icons determined at the location of the location of these points of interest. These points of interest correspond for example to private brands such as stores, the display of the location of these private brands being the subject of a commercial agreement between these private brands and the supplier of the road mapping data providing the maps to display on the in-vehicle screen.

One of the problems associated with such a display of points of interest is that the points of interest highlighted on a map are the same for all vehicles receiving the map data. This results in a multiplication of the information displayed on the map without this necessarily being of interest to all the users of these vehicles.

An object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

An object of the present invention is for example to improve the relevance of the information provided to a user of a vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the volume of information or data provided, for example displayed, to a user of a vehicle.

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a data communication method for a vehicle, the method being implemented by at least one processor, the method comprising the following steps:

- reception of first data representative of a list of first objects comprising at least one first object from a remote database, the remote database comprising a set of data representative of preferences of a user of the vehicle, the set of data including the first data;

- determination of information representative of a context of a current journey of the vehicle from second data received from at least one on-board system in the vehicle and/or from at least one remote device connected in communication with the vehicle via a wireless connection, the information representative of the context comprising at least one location information of at least one point of sale of a second object and at least one information representative of the second object;

- analysis of the first data in relation to the information representative of the context of the current route of the vehicle;

- rendering of at least one recommendation to the user according to a result of the analysis, the at least one recommendation informing the user of a position of a point of sale of a first corresponding object to one of the user preferences.

According to a variant, the analysis is implemented by a neural network.

According to another variant, said information representative of a context further comprises at least one of the following information:

- information representative of the position of the vehicle;

- information representative of a vehicle journey;

- time information;

- information representative of the user's timetable.

According to an additional variant, the rendering comprises a display of the position of the point of sale on a map displayed on a display screen on board the vehicle, at least one item of information representative of the first object associated with the point of sale being additionally displayed on the display screen.

According to yet another variant, the set of data representative of a user's preferences further comprises:

- data representative of routes traveled by the vehicle;

- data representative of user behavior during journeys made by the vehicle.

According to an additional variant, rendering is implemented when the result of the analysis indicates that the second object corresponds to a first object in the list.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a data communication device for a vehicle, the device comprising a memory associated with a processor configured for the implementation of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a vehicle, for example of the automotive type, comprising a device as described above according to the second aspect of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a system comprising the vehicle as described above according to the third aspect of the invention and a remote device comprising a database, the remote device being connected in communication with the vehicle according to a wireless connection.

According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a computer program which comprises instructions adapted for the execution of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention, this in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

Such a computer program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

According to a sixth aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for the execution of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention.

On the one hand, the recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may comprise a storage means, such as a ROM memory, a CD-ROM or a ROM memory of the microelectronic circuit type, or even a magnetic recording means or a hard disk.

On the other hand, this recording medium can also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or hertzian radio or by self-directed laser beam or by other ways. The computer program according to the invention can in particular be downloaded from an Internet-type network.

Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the method in question.

Brief description of figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description of the non-limiting embodiments of the invention below, with reference to the appended figures 1 to 3, in which:

schematically illustrates a communication environment of a vehicle, according to a particular embodiment of the present invention;

schematically illustrates a device for communicating data from the environment of the , according to a particular embodiment of the present invention;

illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a data communication method for a vehicle, according to a particular embodiment of the present invention.

A method, a device and a data communication system for a vehicle will now be described in the following with reference in conjunction with FIGS. 1 to 3. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description which go follow.

schematically illustrates a communication environment for a vehicle 10, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

There illustrates a communication environment 1 for a vehicle 10.

The vehicle 10 corresponds for example to a vehicle with a combustion engine, with electric motor(s) or else a hybrid vehicle with a combustion engine and one or more electric motors. The vehicle 10 thus corresponds for example to a land vehicle, for example an automobile, a truck, a bus, a motorcycle. Finally, the vehicle 10 corresponds to an autonomous vehicle or not, that is to say a vehicle circulating according to a determined level of autonomy or under the total supervision of the driver.

The vehicle 10 advantageously carries a satellite geolocation system configured to determine the current position of the vehicle 10, the vehicle 10 carrying for this purpose a receiver of a system of the GPS or Galileo type, for example in communication with a computer of the on-board system of the vehicle 10.

The vehicle 10 also advantageously embeds a communication system configured to communicate with one or more remote devices 101, 11 via an infrastructure of a wireless communication network. The remote device 101 advantageously corresponds to a device configured to process data, for example data stored in the memory of the remote device 101 and/or data received from the vehicle 10. The remote device 101 corresponds for example to a "cloud" server 100, the remote device 101 hosting for example in memory a database comprising a set of data representative of the preferences of a user of the vehicle 10, for example the owner or the driver of the vehicle 10.

The remote device 11 corresponds for example to a mobile communication device 11 such as a smart phone (“smartphone”) or a tablet. One or more mobile applications are advantageously installed on the mobile communication device 11, this or these mobile applications collecting for example data on the user and transmitting this data or part of it to the remote device 101 and/or of the vehicle 10.

The communication system of the vehicle 10 comprises for example one or more communication antennas connected to a telematics control unit, called TCU (from the English “Telematic Control Unit”), itself connected to one or more computers of the on-board system of the vehicle 10, for example an IVI computer (from the English “In-Vehicle Infotainment” or in French “Infodivertissement on-board”), which IVI computer controls the infotainment system of the vehicle 10 and the data to be rendered in the vehicle 10 (for example by display on a display screen embedded in the vehicle 10). The antenna(s), the TCU unit and the computer(s) form, for example, a multiplexed architecture for performing various services useful for the proper operation of the vehicle and for assisting the driver and/or the passengers of the vehicle in controlling the vehicle 10, for example by displaying regulatory speed information on a display device on board the vehicle 10. The computer(s) and the unit TCU communicate and exchange data with each other via one or more computer buses , for example a communication bus of the CAN data bus type (from the English “Controller Area Network” or in French “Réseau de Contrôleurs”), CAN FD (from the English “Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate” or in French “Flexible Data Rate Controller Network”), FlexRay (according to ISO 17458 standard) or Ethernet (according to ISO/IEC 802-3 standard).

The mobile communication infrastructure allowing wireless data communication between the vehicle 10 and the remote data processing device 101 and/or the mobile communication device comprises, for example, several communication devices 110 of the relay antenna type (cellular network ) or roadside unit, called UBR. In a mode of communication using such a network architecture, the data is for example transmitted by the vehicle 10 to the remote device 101 and/or to the mobile communication device via a relay antenna 110 (the antenna 110 being for example connected to the "cloud » 100 via a wired connection).

The wireless communication system allowing the exchange of data between the vehicle 10 and the remote device 101 corresponds for example to:

- a V2I vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system, for example based on the 3GPP LTE-V or IEEE 802.11p standards of ITS G5; Or

a communication system of the cellular network type, for example a network of the LTE type (from the English “Long-Term Evolution” or in French “Long-term Evolution”), LTE-Advanced (or in French LTE-advanced) 4G or 5G LTE; Or

- A WiFi type communication system according to IEEE 802.11, for example according to IEEE 802.11n or IEEE 802.11ac.

According to a variant embodiment, the mobile communication device 11 and the vehicle exchange data according to a direct wireless connection, that is to say without going through the network infrastructure. The wireless connection is for example of the Bluetooth® or Wifi Direct® type.

The database hosts or stores a first set of data associated with the user, for example data corresponding to or describing a profile of the user. This first set of data includes, for example, all or part of the following data, according to all possible combinations:

- data representative of a list of first objects for which the user has shown an interest, this list being for example constructed, generated or updated according to research data on websites made by the user, in function of data exchanged via social network applications, via for example the mobile communication device 11 or any device configured to access the Internet; a first object corresponds for example to a product or service for which the user has shown an interest; the first objects are for example ordered in the list according to the number of occurrences of searches of which they have been the subject (the most searched objects being at the top of the list for example) and/or according to the search date (the last searched objects being at the top of the list for example);

- data representative of audio/video content consulted by the user, such as music, films, for example via the mobile communication device 11 or via any device configured to access audio/video content online;

- data representative of the user's hobbies and/or trips made by the user and/or destinations in which the user has expressed his interest, for example by searching the Internet;

- data representative of preferred places of purchase, corresponding for example to the stores in which the user goes most frequently;

- all data describing the tastes and habits of the user.

According to a variant embodiment, the database hosts or stores a second set of data associated with the user, for example data corresponding to or describing a driving profile of the vehicle by the user. This second set of data is for example received from the vehicle 10 and/or from the mobile communication device as the journeys made by the user with the vehicle 10 progress. This second set of data comprises for example all or part of the data following, in any possible combination:

- data representative of the routes followed by the vehicle 10 and/or of the journeys made by the vehicle 10;

- data representative of the destinations entered into the navigation system of the vehicle 10 or of the mobile communication device 11;

- time information associated with the journeys made;

- kinematic data (for example the speed) associated with the journeys made;

- data representative of places and break times;

- any data describing the behavior of the user when using the vehicle 10.

The first set of data and/or the second set of data are for example analyzed and processed by applying one or more automatic learning methods, also called machine learning methods, to the data received, for example by relying on a neural network.

Such methods make it possible in particular to classify the data received and to determine the consumption habits of the user, the tastes and preferences of the user in various fields, the behavior of the user when he travels with the vehicle 10, etc. . as data describing those preferences or habits is received.

The communication environment 1 further comprises one or more entities or infrastructures 12, for example of the commercial type, transmitting information or data via the Internet network, for example via the "cloud" 100. At least part of this information is received by the remote device 101, by the mobile communication device 11 and/or by the vehicle 10. The information or data transmitted by the business entity 12 includes for example:

- data relating to the sale of products or services (called second objects), for example a description of the second object, one or more images representing the second object, a price of the second object, information on a current promotion, etc ;

- geographical location data of the entity 12, for example the GPS coordinates.

A data communication process between the vehicle 10 and its communication environment 1 is advantageously implemented by the vehicle 10 (that is to say by one or more devices on board the vehicle 10, for example one or more computers ) and/or by a system comprising the vehicle 10 and one or more remote devices such as the device 101 and/or the mobile communication device 11 connected in communications to the vehicle 10 via one or more wireless connections.

In a first operation, the vehicle 10 receives first data representative of a list comprising one or more first objects for which the user has previously expressed an interest. This first data is advantageously received from the remote device 101, for example after transmission of a request by the vehicle 10 to the remote device 101. According to a variant embodiment, the first data is received automatically, without a request, for example at intervals regular, for example in the form of an RSS-type data stream (from English “Really Simple Syndication” or in French “syndication réel simple”). According to another example, a first version of the list is received during a first connection of the vehicle 10 to the remote device 101, the remote device 101 automatically transmitting a new version of the list or an update of the list when the list is modified in the database hosted by the remote device 101.

In a second operation, the vehicle 10 determines the context of the current journey made by the vehicle 10, the context being defined by a set of information obtained, for example, from sensors on board the vehicle 10, from on-board system(s) in the vehicle 10 and/or system(s) dismounted from the vehicle 10.

The information describing the context of the current path includes for example:

- one or more information relating to the location of one or more points of sale 12 or of marketing of second objects, such as the sign 12. This or this information is for example received from the Internet, this information being for example provided by the sign 12 or by a “cloud” server 100;

- one or more pieces of information describing each second item offered for sale by the point of sale(s) 12.

According to a variant embodiment, the information describing the context of the current path also includes one or more of the following information:

- information representative of the position of the vehicle, for example obtained from the geolocation or navigation system on board the vehicle 10, or from a geolocation or navigation system installed in the mobile communication device 11;

- information representative of a route or route followed by the vehicle, for example obtained from the geolocation or navigation system on board the vehicle 10, or from a geolocation or navigation system installed in the mobile communication device 11;

- time information, for example obtained from a vehicle clock;

- information representative of a user's schedule, for example obtained from a diary stored in the memory of the mobile communication device 11.

In a third operation, the vehicle 10 analyzes the first data in relation to the context information of the current journey. The analysis is for example implemented by a neural network implemented by one or more computers of the on-board system of the vehicle 10.

The analysis includes, for example, a comparison between the second object(s) offered for sale with the list of first objects received in the first operation.

If one or more second objects match one or more first objects in the list, the process proceeds to the fourth operation. Otherwise, the process ends with the third operation.

According to a variant embodiment, the analysis further comprises a comparison between the location of the point of sale 12 offering a second object corresponding to a first object from the list with a current location of the vehicle 10. Such a comparison makes it possible, for example, to determine a route for the vehicle to travel to the outlet 12 and the time required to travel this route.

The duration of the route thus determined is for example compared with information on the context of the current route, for example the user's diary, to verify that the user has time to go to the point of sale 12. If it is concluded that the user actually has time to go to the point of sale 12, then the process moves on to the fourth operation. Otherwise, the process ends with the third operation.

In a fourth operation, depending on the result of the analysis implemented in the third operation, one or more recommendations are sent to the user to alert him to the possibility of joining a point of sale offering for sale an object corresponding to one of its objects of interest.

Such a recommendation is advantageously generated by the computer in charge of the navigation system on board the vehicle or by the IVI computer in charge of the infotainment system of the vehicle.

The rendering corresponds for example to the rendering of a voice message by one or more loudspeakers of the vehicle 10 and/or by the loudspeaker of the mobile communication device 11 when the latter is on board the vehicle 10 and connected to the latter. . Such a message includes, for example, a short description making it possible to identify the object identified as potentially of interest to the user, as well as information on the location of the point of sale 12.

According to another example, the rendering corresponds to a display of graphic content on a screen on board the vehicle and/or on the screen of the mobile communication device 11 when the latter is on board the vehicle 10 and connected to the latter. . According to this example, an image of the identified object is for example displayed at the location of the point of sale on a map of the navigation system displayed on the on-board screen. According to a variant embodiment, one or more additional information (also called metadata) is also displayed in addition to the image, this additional information comprising for example information on the price, on a current promotion, on details of the product , etc.

Such a process thus makes it possible to personalize the content delivered in the vehicle 10 to the preferences or centers of interest of the user.

If the process has been described taking as an example the offer for sale of an object, the process applies in the same way to any recommendation, for example a recommendation to visit a place of culture, to stop in a place offering a point of view or an activity corresponding to the user's hobby.

schematically illustrates a device 2 configured to communicate data in the environment 1, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The device 2 corresponds for example to a device on board the vehicle 10, for example a computer. According to another example, the device 2 corresponds to a calculation or data processing device, for example the remote device 101 and/or the mobile communication device 11.

The device 2 is for example configured for the implementation of the operations described with regard to the and/or the steps of the process described with regard to the . Examples of such a device 2 include, but are not limited to, on-board electronic equipment such as a vehicle's on-board computer, an electronic computer such as an ECU ("Electronic Control Unit"), a telematics control unit, known as a TCU (Telematic Control Unit), a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop computer, a server, or a combination of several of the devices listed above. The elements of device 2, individually or in combination, can be integrated in a single integrated circuit, in several integrated circuits, and/or in discrete components. The device 2 can be made in the form of electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules or else a combination of electronic circuits and software modules.

The device 2 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 20 configured to execute instructions for carrying out the steps of the method and/or for executing the instructions of the software or software embedded in the device 2. The processor 20 can include integrated memory, an input/output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. The device 2 further comprises at least one memory 21 corresponding for example to a volatile and/or non-volatile memory and/or comprises a memory storage device which can comprise volatile and/or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic or optical disk.

The computer code of the on-board software or software comprising the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is for example stored on the memory 21.

According to various particular embodiments, the device 2 is coupled in communication with other similar devices or systems and/or with communication devices, for example a TCU (from the English “Telematic Control Unit” or in French “Unité Telematics Control"), for example via a communication bus or through dedicated input/output ports.

According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 2 comprises a block 22 of interface elements for communicating with external devices, for example a remote server or the “cloud”, a TCU unit. Block 22 interface elements include one or more of the following interfaces:

- RF radio frequency interface, for example of the Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi® type, LTE (from English "Long-Term Evolution" or in French "Evolution à long terme"), LTE-Advanced (or in French LTE-advanced );

- USB interface (from the English "Universal Serial Bus" or "Universal Serial Bus" in French);

- HDMI interface (from the English “High Definition Multimedia Interface”, or “Interface Multimedia Haute Definition” in French);

- LIN interface (from English “Local Interconnect Network”, or in French “Réseau interconnecté local”).

Data are for example loaded to the device 2 via the interface of block 22 using a Wi-Fi® network such as according to IEEE 802.11, an ITS G5 network based on IEEE 802.11p or a mobile network such as a 4G network (or LTE Advanced according to 3GPP release 10 – version 10) or 5G, in particular an LTE-V2X network.

According to another particular embodiment, the device 2 comprises a communication interface 23 which makes it possible to establish communication with other devices (such as other computers of the on-board system or other servers) via a communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds for example to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and/or data via the communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds for example to a CAN-type wired network ( from the English "Controller Area Network" or in French "Réseau de Contrôleurs"), CAN FD (from the English "Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate" or in French "Réseau de Contrôleurs à Flow de Data Flexible"), FlexRay (standardized by ISO 17458) or Ethernet (standardized by ISO/IEC 802-3).

According to an additional particular embodiment, the device 2 can provide output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen, one or more loudspeakers and/or other peripherals (projection system ) via respectively suitable output interfaces. According to a variant, one or the other of the external devices is integrated into the device 2. The display screen corresponds for example to a screen, touchscreen or not.

illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a data communication method for a vehicle, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The method is for example implemented by a device on board the vehicle 10 or by the device 2 of the .

In a first step 31, the vehicle (or one or more computers of the vehicle) receives first data representative of a list of first objects from a remote database, the list comprising at least one first object. The remote database advantageously comprises a set of data representative of preferences of a user of the vehicle, the set of data comprising the first data.

In a second step 32, the vehicle (or one or more computers of the vehicle) determines information representative of a context of a current journey of the vehicle from second data received from at least one on-board system in the vehicle and/ or at least one remote device connected in communication with the vehicle via a wireless connection. The information representative of the context comprises at least one location information of at least one point of sale of a second object as well as at least one information representative of the second object.

In a third step 33, the vehicle (or one or more computers of the vehicle) analyzes first data in relation to the information representative of the context of the current journey of the vehicle.

In a fourth step 34, the vehicle (or one or more computers of the vehicle) renders at least one recommendation intended for the user according to a result of the analysis of the third step 33. The at least one at least one recommendation informs the user of a position of a point of sale of a first object corresponding to one of the user's preferences.

According to a variant embodiment, the variants and examples of the operations described in relation to the apply to the process steps of the .

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but extends to an object recommendation method which would include secondary steps without departing from the scope of the present invention. The same would apply to a device configured for the implementation of such a method.

The invention also relates to a vehicle, for example an automobile or more generally an autonomous land motor vehicle, comprising the device 2 of the .

The invention also relates to a system comprising the device 2 of the (or a set of devices 2) on board a vehicle and a remote data processing device, for example the remote device 101, the device(s) 2 being connected in wireless communication with the remote data processing device .

Claims (10)

A method of communicating data for a vehicle (10), said method being implemented by at least one processor, said method comprising the following steps:
- reception (31) of first data representative of a list of first objects comprising at least one first object from a remote database (101), said remote database (101) comprising a set of data representative of preferences of a user of said vehicle (10), said data set including said first data;
- determination (32) of information representative of a context of a current journey of said vehicle (10) from second data received from at least one on-board system in said vehicle (10) and/or from at least one remote device (11) connected in communication with said vehicle (10) via a wireless connection, said information representative of the context comprising at least information on the location of at least one point of sale (12) of a second object and at least one piece of information representative of said second object;
- analysis (33) of said first data in relation to said information representative of the context of the current route of the vehicle (10);
- rendering (34) of at least one recommendation to said user according to a result of said analysis, said at least one recommendation informing the user of a position of a point of sale of a first corresponding object to one of said user's preferences. A method according to claim 1, wherein said analysis is implemented by a neural network. Method according to claim 1 or 2, for which said information representative of a context further comprises at least one of the following information:
- information representative of the position of said vehicle (10);
- information representative of a journey of said vehicle (10);
- time information (10);
- information representative of a timetable of said user. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, for which the said report comprises a display of the said position of the point of sale on a map displayed on a display screen on board the said vehicle (10), at least one item of information representative of the said first object associated with said point of sale (12) being further displayed on said display screen. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, for which said set of data representative of a user's preferences further comprises:
- data representative of routes traveled by said vehicle (10);
- data representative of a behavior of said user during said journeys traveled by said vehicle (10). Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5, for which said rendering is implemented when the result of said analysis indicates that said second object corresponds to a first object of said list. Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to any one of the preceding claims, when these instructions are executed by a processor. Data communication device (2) for a vehicle, said device (2) comprising a memory (21) associated with at least one processor (20) configured for the implementation of the steps of the method according to any one of Claims 1 to 6. Vehicle (10) comprising the device (2) according to claim 8. A system comprising the vehicle according to claim 9 and a remote device (101) comprising a database, the remote device being linked in communication with said vehicle via a wireless connection.