Abstract
A method for granting an access authorization for luggage compartments of a vehicle that has at least two luggage compartments, includes booking of a luggage compartment for a journey of the vehicle. At least one of the luggage compartments of the vehicle is assigned to the passenger via a central computing unit such that the passenger receives an access authorization. A request for granting a release of the at least one luggage compartment assigned to the passenger is input into a device. The access authorization of a person inputting the request is checked via a computing unit inside of the vehicle and/or the central computing unit. If checking by the computing unit, the computing unit obtains access authorization data from the central computing unit. If the person inputting the request is authorized, the at least one luggage compartment assigned to the passenger is released.
Claims
1.-10. (canceled)
11. A method for granting an access authorization for luggage compartments (2) of a vehicle (1), wherein the vehicle (1) has at least two luggage compartments (2) spatially separated from each other and releasable and/or lockable independently of each other, comprising the steps of: booking at least one luggage compartment (2) for a journey from a starting stop to a target stop carried out by the vehicle (1) at a pre-determined time (3) by a passenger via a booking portal; assigning at least one of the luggage compartments (2) of the vehicle (1) carrying out the journey to the passenger via a central computing unit (4) outside of the vehicle (1) such that the passenger receives an access authorization for precisely this luggage compartment (2) for a duration of the journey; inputting a request for granting a release of the at least one luggage compartment (2.1) assigned to the passenger into a device for inputting operating actions (5) of the vehicle (1) or into a mobile device (6); checking the access authorization of a person inputting the request via a computing unit (7) inside of the vehicle and/or the central computing unit (4) outside of the vehicle, wherein, in a case of the checking by the computing unit (7) inside of the vehicle, the computing unit (7) receives or accesses access authorization data (8) from the central computing unit (4) outside of the vehicle before carrying out the checking; and in a case that the person inputting the request is authorized for access, releasing the at least one luggage compartment (2.1) assigned to the passenger via the computing unit (7) inside of the vehicle.
12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of: identifying the passenger by the passenger by at least one of the following methods directly at the computing unit (7) inside of the vehicle or indirectly via the central computing unit (4) outside of the vehicle before the releasing: comparing of a current GPS position (9.1) of the vehicle (1) carrying out the journey with a current GPS position (9.2) of the passenger, wherein the current GPS position (9.2) of the passenger is determined by a mobile device (6) of the passenger; inputting of an alphanumeric code into the device for inputting operating actions (5) of the vehicle (1) and/or scanning of an optoelectronic code with a scanner communicating with the computing unit (7) inside of the vehicle, wherein the alphanumeric and/or the optoelectronic code comprises an identifier (10.2) of the passenger; inputting of an alphanumeric code into the mobile device (6) of the passenger and/or scanning of an optoelectronic code with the mobile device (6) of the passenger, wherein the alphanumeric and/or optoelectronic code comprises an identifier (10.1) of the vehicle (1) carrying out the journey and/or an identifier (10.3) of the at least one luggage compartment (2.1) assigned to the passenger; and transmitting of the passenger identifier (10.2) from the mobile device (6) of the passenger to the computing unit (7) inside of the vehicle via a first interface for wireless data transmission.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein a passenger can easily locate a luggage compartment (2.1) assigned to them with assistance of augmented reality by the passenger recording the vehicle (1) with assistance of a camera of their mobile device (6), wherein the camera generates camera images, and an image region (11) of a camera image depicted on a display (12) of the mobile device (6) that corresponds to a position of the luggage compartment (2.1) assigned to them is highlighted by overlay with a virtual graphic (13).
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein an item of luggage of the passenger is measurable with assistance of the mobile device (6) of the passenger in order to determine a luggage compartment (2) having a minimum capacity suitable for receiving the item of luggage.
15. The method according to claim 11, wherein a released luggage compartment (2) locks automatically in absence of a locking request after a pre-determined period of time has passed and/or when the vehicle (1) drives away.
16. A mobile device (6) of a passenger that is configured to perform the method according to claim 11.
17. A vehicle (1), comprising: at least two luggage compartments (2) spatially separated from each other and releasable and/or lockable independently of each other; a computing unit (7) inside of the vehicle; and an interface (14) for wireless data transmission; wherein the computing unit (7) is configured to perform the method according to claim 11.
18. The vehicle (1) according to claim 17, wherein the at least two luggage compartments (2) have different respective capacities.
19. The vehicle (1) according to claim 17, wherein at least one luggage compartment (2) of the at least two luggage compartments (2) has a status display (15) for visualizing a released or locked status.
20. The vehicle (1) according to claim 17, wherein the vehicle is a high-floor bus.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a vehicle according to the invention in the form of a high-floor bus;
[0037] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a communication path for passing on a release request to a computing unit inside the vehicle;
[0038] FIG. 3 shows an alternative schematic diagram of a communication path for passing on the release request to the computing unit inside the vehicle;
[0039] FIG. 4 shows a schematic depiction of an augmented reality-based support for locating a luggage compartment assigned to a passenger;
[0040] FIG. 5 shows a process diagram of a method according to the invention for releasing the luggage compartment assigned to the passenger; and
[0041] FIG. 6 shows a process diagram of an alternative method according to the invention for releasing the luggage compartment assigned to the passenger.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1 according to the invention, here in the form of a high-floor bus, from one side. The high-floor bus comprises a plurality of luggage compartments 2 spatially separated from one another and able to be locked and released separately. The luggage compartments 2 can have a different capacity and shape, whereby passengers' items of luggage of different sizes can be transported by the high-floor bus in a particularly space-efficient manner. To lock or release the luggage compartments 2, the luggage compartments are locked with a locking mechanism of any kind. For example, an opening of a luggage compartment 2 is locked with a foldable or pivotable flap, which is fixed in a locked position by a magnetic lock, for example.
[0043] To release a luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to a passenger, a passenger can initiate a release request to release the luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to them via their mobile device 6 depicted in FIG. 2, here in the form of a smartphone. According to a first communication path, the release request is transferred from the mobile device 6 directly via a first or second 14 interface for wireless data transmission to a computing unit 7 inside the vehicle. This release request comprises at least one identifier of the passenger 10.2, for example a username or a customer number. To inform the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle of whether a passenger behind the passenger identifier 10.2 can access the luggage compartment 2.1 they have requested, the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle requests access authorization data 8 from a central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle. In addition to a passenger identifier 10.2, the access authorization data 8 also comprises a time 3 at which the passenger undertakes a journey with the vehicle 1, and an identifier 10.1 of the vehicle 1 and/or an identifier 10.3 of a luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to the passenger. By comparing these three identifiers 10.1 and/or 10.3, 3 and 10.3 via the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle, the computing unit is in the position to decide whether or not the passenger may receive access to the luggage compartment 2.1 they have requested to open. The access authorization data 8 can be requested from the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle after the release request is received from the computing device 7 inside the vehicle or be transferred to the computing device 7 inside the vehicle, or the computing device 7 inside the vehicle can request the access authorization data 8 before the journey is carried out at or before the time 3, and thus before the release request is received. This is indicated in FIG. 2 by a dashed border of the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle. The access authorization data 8 can generally only comprise the access authorization data of the passenger making the release request, or the access authorization data 8 can comprise the access authorization data of all the passengers carrying out the journey with the vehicle 1 at the time 3.
[0044] FIG. 3 shows an alternative communication path for passing on the release request to the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle, in which checking whether the passenger has access to the luggage compartment 2.1 they have requested is carried out by the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle. For this purpose, the release request transmitted from the mobile device 6 of the passenger is sent directly to the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle, which checks whether the passenger has access to the luggage compartment 2.1 they have requested, and in the case that the passenger has access, a command to release the corresponding luggage compartment 2.1 is transmitted to the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle via the second interface for wireless data transmission 14. To input the release request into the mobile device 6 of the passenger, an application equipped for this purpose is executed on the mobile device 6. For example, a slider 16 is depicted on the display 12 of the mobile device 6, which can be slid from a position on the left to a position on the right, whereupon the release request is transmitted by the mobile device 6 after the slider is slid to the position on the right. The release request can thus be sent particularly aesthetically and comfortably. Generally, an operating element depicted in any way on the display 12 can be used to release or lock the luggage compartment.
[0045] Alternatively or in addition, the release request can also be transmitted by operating a device comprised by the vehicle 1 for inputting operating actions 5. This device can be designed in many ways. For example, the device can be a scanner for scanning optoelectronic codes, a keypad for inputting an alphanumeric code or an NFC sensor for sending and receiving NFC signals. The release request can also be transmitted to the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle by a passenger holding their mobile device 6 over a device for inputting operating actions 5 in the form of an NFC sensor. The passenger can thus additionally identify themselves, and confirm that they are in an immediate environment of the vehicle 1, whereby the luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to them can be released particularly reliably and securely. To display a status, for example a locked or released status, at least one luggage compartment 2 can have a status display 15 for visualising the status. The display can be an LED for example, which is switched off in a locked status and which is lit up in a released status.
[0046] FIG. 4 shows a view from above of a display 12 of the mobile device 6, wherein a passenger uses their mobile device 6 to quickly and reliably locate a luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to them with the assistance of augmented reality. The passenger holds their mobile device 6 such that a camera comprised by the mobile device 6 records the vehicle 1, whereby the app executed on the mobile device 6 locates the luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to the passenger, and at least one image region 11 of the display 12 corresponding to the luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to the passenger is at least partially overlaid with a graphic 13 for better identification in order to show the passenger the position in which the luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to them is located. The graphic 13 can be designed in any way. For example, it can be a colored surface that is rectangular, circular or any other shape. In particular, a colour, contrast, brightness and/or transparency of the graphic 13 can be designed such that a passenger can easily recognize a luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to them. The graphic 13 on the display 12 of the mobile device 6 can have a surface completely received by the luggage compartment 2.1 or only partially overlay the luggage compartment 2.1 The graphic 13 can additionally at least partially comprise numbers and/or text.
[0047] In the process diagram depicted in FIG. 5, in step 501, a passenger books a luggage compartment 2 for a journey carried out by at least one vehicle 1 at a particular time 3. A change of vehicle 1 can also be made during the journey from a starting stop to a target stop. With the assistance of the method according to the invention, a respective luggage compartment 2 of the vehicles 1 used by the passenger for the journey is booked. A luggage compartment is thus provided for the passenger particularly comfortably even when changing. During the booking, access authorization data 8 is deposited in the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle, which data comprises a passenger identifier 10.2, the time 3 at which the journey is carried out and an identifier 10.1 of the at least one vehicle 1 with which the journey is carried out and/or an identifier 10.3 of the luggage compartment 2.1 reserved by the passenger. In step 502, the passenger inputs a release request to release the luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to them. In accordance with a first path 510, this request can be transmitted directly to the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle, which then communicates with the central computing unit 4 inside the vehicle to view the access authorization data 8, so that the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle can decide whether or not the passenger should receive access to the requested luggage compartment 2.1. In accordance with a second, alternative communication path 520, the release request can additionally or alternatively also be transmitted to the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle, whereupon this central computing unit carries out the access authorization check and, in the case of a positive result, gives a confirmation of the release of the luggage compartment 2.1 to the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle. In step 503, the luggage compartment 2.1 is finally released.
[0048] As additional security, to ensure that the passenger is in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle 1, an additional identification feature or validation feature can be transmitted to the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle and/or the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle. This is depicted in FIG. 6. FIG. 6a) shows an additional identification feature in the form of vehicle GPS coordinates 9.1 and passenger GPS coordinates 9.2, which are sent from the mobile device 6 of the passenger or the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle to the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle.
[0049] FIG. 6b) shows the additional identification feature in the form of an additional passenger identifier 10.2, which is transmitted from the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle to the passenger after the luggage compartment 2.1 is booked, and is then transmitted by the passenger to the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle, for example by scanning an optoelectronic code with a scanner communicating with the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle, or by reading an NFC signal transmitted from a mobile device 6, which is then sent to the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle to be checked.
[0050] As FIG. 6c) shows, the additional passenger identifier 10.2 can also have been transmitted to the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle before the journey begins, and thus before the release request was received (dashed line). This increases reliability of the method according to the invention for releasing luggage compartments 2.1 in a region with limited radio reception.
[0051] In accordance with FIG. 6d), the computing unit 7 inside the vehicle transmits an additional identifier 10.1 and/or 10.3 characterising the vehicle 1 and/or the luggage compartment 2.1 assigned to the passenger to the mobile device 6 of the passenger, for example by the passenger scanning an optoelectronic code, for example a QR code, arranged on an outside of a luggage compartment 2. The mobile device 6 of the passenger then transmits the additional identifier 10.1 and/or 10.3 to the central computing unit 4 outside the vehicle, which then carries out the check of the access authorization.
