METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MULTI-ZONE PERSONALIZATION

Abstract

A method for adjusting apparatuses of a vehicle including multiple zones having adjustable apparatuses in the vehicle interior. A setting of the apparatuses that is individually customized to a respective person is stored in a respective user account associated with a mobile terminal of the respective person. The respective setting is controlled by way of a control unit in accordance with the respective user account. Each zone is assigned a vehicle exterior area that is monitored by a vehicle authorization unit. The vehicle authorization unit authenticates the respective person, on the person's coming into the vehicle exterior area of the respective zone, by way of the mobile terminal in his possession, and provides the control unit with the associated user account. The control unit responds to a first person's coming into the exterior area of the respective zone by adjusting the apparatuses of the respective zone in the vehicle interior.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting apparatuses of a vehicle (10), wherein the vehicle (10) comprises multiple zones (11, 12, 13, 14), each having at least one adjustable apparatus, in a vehicle interior, wherein a setting of the at least one apparatus is individually customized to a respective person (31, 32, 33, 34) and is stored in a respective user account associated with a mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44) of the respective person (31, 32, 33, 34), wherein the respective setting of the at least one apparatus in a respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14) is controlled by way of a control unit in accordance with the respective user account, wherein each zone (11, 12, 13, 14) is assigned a vehicle exterior area (21, 22, 23, 24) that is adjacent to the respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14) and is monitored by a vehicle authorization unit, wherein the respective person (31, 32, 33, 34), on coming into the vehicle exterior area (21, 22, 23, 24) of the respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14), is authenticated to the vehicle authorization unit by way of the mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44) in his possession, and the vehicle authorization unit provides the control unit with the user account associated with the respective mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44) for this respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14), wherein the control unit responds to a first person's (31) coming into the vehicle exterior area (21) of the respective zone (11) by adjusting the at least one apparatus of the respective zone (11) in the vehicle interior in accordance with the user account associated with the mobile terminal (41) of the first person (31), and the first person (31) gains entry (51) to this respective zone (11), wherein this setting is passed on to the respective setting of the at least one apparatus in all other zones (12, 13, 14), and wherein, when a respective further person (32, 33, 34) comes into the vehicle exterior area (22, 23, 24) of a respective other zone (12, 13, 14) of the vehicle (10) with the mobile terminal (42, 43, 44) that authenticates the respective further person, the setting of the at least one apparatus that is stored in the user account associated with this mobile terminal (42, 43, 44) is implemented in this respective other zone (12, 13, 14).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44) is a smartphone, a radio key, a radio entry card, or a wearable.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one individually adjustable apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a seat, air conditioning, fragrancing, loudspeaker, interior lighting, and an audio and/or video entertainment system.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first person (31), after entering (51) the vehicle (10), activates or deactivates a respective user account of a respective further person (32, 33, 34).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an anticipatory vehicle preparation involves stipulating, in a file that is retrievable by the control unit, on the basis of the first person (31), who has gained entry (51) to a zone (11), which user account of a further person (32, 33, 34) is used to adjust the at least one apparatus in another zone (12, 13, 14), even before the further person (32, 33, 34) approaches with his mobile terminal (42, 43, 44), and making the adjustment in accordance with this file.

6. A system for adjusting apparatuses of a vehicle (10), comprising a vehicle (10), a control unit, multiple proximity sensors, multiple mobile terminals (41, 42, 43, 44), each associated with a respective person (31, 32, 33, 34), a vehicle authorization unit and multiple zones (11, 12, 13, 14), each having at least one adjustable apparatus, in a vehicle interior, wherein a setting of the at least one apparatus that is individually customized to a respective person (31, 32, 33, 34) is stored in a respective user account associated with the mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44) of the respective person (31, 32, 33, 34), wherein the control unit is configured to control the respective setting of the at least one apparatus in the respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14) in accordance with the respective user account, wherein each zone (11, 12, 13, 14) is assigned a vehicle exterior area (21, 22, 23, 24) that is adjacent to the respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14) and is monitored by the vehicle authorization unit by way of the proximity sensors, wherein the vehicle authorization unit is configured to authenticate the respective person (31, 32, 33, 34), on said person's coming into the vehicle exterior area (21, 22, 23, 24) of the respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14), by way of the mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44) in his possession, and to provide the control unit with the user account associated with the respective mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44) for the respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14), wherein the control unit is configured to respond to a first person's (31) coming into the vehicle exterior area (21) of the respective zone (11) by adjusting the at least one apparatus of the respective zone (11) in the vehicle interior in accordance with the user account associated with the mobile terminal (41) of the first person (31), passing on this setting to the respective setting of the at least one apparatus in all other zones (12, 13, 14), and, when a respective further person (32, 33, 34) comes into the vehicle exterior area (22, 23, 24) of a respective other zone (12, 13, 14) of the vehicle (10) with the mobile terminal (42, 43, 44) that authenticates the respective further person (32, 33, 34), implementing the setting of the at least one apparatus that is stored in the user account associated with this mobile terminal (42, 43, 44) of the further person (32, 33, 34) in this respective other zone (12, 13, 14).

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44) is a smartphone, a radio key, a radio entry card, or a wearable.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one individually adjustable apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a seat, air conditioning, fragrancing, loudspeaker, interior lighting, and an audio and/or video entertainment system.

9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first person (31), after entering (51) the vehicle (10), activates or deactivates a respective user account of a respective further person (32, 33, 34).

10. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein an anticipatory vehicle preparation involves stipulating, in a file that is retrievable by the control unit, on the basis of the first person (31), who has gained entry (51) to a zone (11), which user account of a further person (12, 13, 14) is used to adjust the at least one apparatus in another zone (12, 13, 14), even before the further person (32, 33, 34) approaches with his mobile terminal (42, 43, 44), the control unit being configured to make the adjustment in accordance with the file.

11. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium that stores a program code that is executable on at least one computing unit of a vehicle (10), wherein the program code, on execution on the at least one computing unit, causes the at least one computing unit to perform at least one of the following steps: storing a setting of at least one apparatus that is individually customized to a respective person (31, 32, 33, 34) in a respective user account associated with a mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44) of the respective person (31, 32, 33, 34), wherein the respective user account is retrievable from a storage unit that is communicatively connected to the at least one computing unit and wherein the at least one apparatus is arranged in a respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14) of a vehicle interior area that is split into multiple zones (11, 12, 13, 14), monitoring a respective vehicle exterior area (21, 22, 23, 24) that is adjacent to the respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14) by means of proximity sensors, receiving authentication data of the mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44) associated with a respective person (31, 32, 33, 34) when the respective person (31, 32, 33, 34) comes into the respective vehicle exterior area (21, 22, 23, 24) that is adjacent to the respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14), authenticating the authentication data on the basis of the respective user account associated with the respective mobile terminal (41, 42, 43, 44), adjusting at least one apparatus in the respective zone (11, 12, 13, 14) in accordance with the respective user account, passing-on the setting in accordance with the user account of a first person (31) to the respective setting of the at least one apparatus in all other zones (12, 13, 14) after said person has entered a first zone (11), and, when a respective further person (32, 33, 34) comes into the vehicle exterior area (22, 23, 24) of a respective other zone (12, 13, 14) of the vehicle (10) with the mobile terminal (42, 43, 44) that authenticates the respective further person (32, 33, 34), implementing the setting of the at least one apparatus that is stored in the user account associated with this mobile terminal (42, 43, 44) of the further person (32, 33, 34) in this respective other zone (12, 13, 14).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The figures are described coherently and comprehensively; identical reference signs are assigned to identical components.

[0035] FIG. 1 schematically shows a first person entering a vehicle in an embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention.

[0036] FIG. 2 schematically shows a second person entering the vehicle in the embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention.

[0037] FIG. 3 schematically shows a third person entering the vehicle in the embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention.

[0038] FIG. 4 schematically shows a fourth person entering the vehicle in the embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] FIG. 1 schematically shows a first person 31 entering a vehicle 10 in an embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention. A vehicle 10 comprises a total of four zones 11, 12, 13, 14 in an interior, including an anterior driver's side (DS) as the first zone 11, a posterior driver's side (PDS) as the second zone 12, an anterior front-seat passenger's side (FS) as the third zone 13 and a posterior front-seat passenger's side (PFS) as the fourth zone 14. In the vehicle surroundings, four vehicle exterior areas 21, 22, 23, 24 are adjacent to the respective zones 11, 12, 13, 14. Each of the four zones 11, 12, 13, 14 comprises at least one respective adjustable apparatus, for example air conditioning controlled by means of a control unit (not shown) and considered by way of illustration below. A vehicle authorization unit (not shown) has respective user accounts available for, by way of example, four persons, said user accounts containing settings, made or defined by the respective persons, for an air conditioning (for example temperature, fan strength, etc.) that said persons prefer. In illustration 100, the first person 31 comes into the first vehicle exterior area 21. The person 31 is authenticated by the vehicle authorization unit by way of a mobile terminal 41 associated with said person, which is a radio key, for example, said vehicle authorization unit providing the control unit with a user account associated with the person 31, or with his mobile terminal 41, and notifying the control unit that entry 51 is taking place in the first zone 11 of the vehicle interior. The control unit thus adjusts the at least one apparatus in this first zone 11 in accordance with the user account associated with the mobile terminal 41. In illustration 101, the first person 31 is in the first zone 11 and the setting from zone 11 has been passed on to all further zones 12, 13, 14, i.e. the at least one apparatus situated in each of these further zones 12, 13, 14, here the air conditioning, has been provided with the setting in the same way as the at least one apparatus in the first zone 11 (horizontal hatching in all zones 11, 12, 13, 14). The process shown is consistent with a use case in which a chauffeur puts a service vehicle into operation, for example.

[0040] FIG. 2 schematically shows a second person 32 entering the vehicle 10 in the embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention. In this case, the second person 32 comes into the second vehicle exterior area 22 in illustration 200. The person 32 is authenticated by the vehicle authorization unit by way of a mobile terminal 42 associated with said person, said vehicle authorization unit providing the control unit with a user account associated with the person 32, or with his mobile terminal 42, and notifying the control unit that entry 52 is taking place in the second zone 12 of the vehicle interior. The control unit thus adjusts the at least one apparatus in this second zone 12 in accordance with the user account associated with the mobile terminal 42. In illustration 201, the second person 32 is in the second zone 12. However, the setting made in the second zone 12 is not passed on to unoccupied zones 13, 14 (only the second zone shows diagonal hatching, while all other zones 11, 13, 14 continue to have horizontal hatching). According to the use case begun in FIG. 1, the chauffeur (first person 31) has picked up his boss (second person 32), who sits behind him on the posterior driver's side (PDS).

[0041] FIG. 3 schematically shows a third person 33 entering the vehicle 10 in the embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention. In this case, the third person 33 comes into the third vehicle exterior area 23 in illustration 300. The person 33 is authenticated by the vehicle authorization unit by way of a mobile terminal 43 associated with said person, said vehicle authorization unit providing the control unit with a user account associated with the person 33, or with his mobile terminal 43, and notifying the control unit that entry 53 is taking place in the third zone 13 of the vehicle interior. In illustration 301, the third person 33 is in the third zone 13. The control unit has adjusted the at least one apparatus in this third zone 13 in accordance with the user account associated with the mobile terminal 43 (third zone 13 shows vertical hatching). According to the use case related in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the chauffeur (first person 31), after having picked up his boss (second person 32), has picked up a further passenger (third person 33), who sits beside him on the anterior front-seat passenger's side (FS).

[0042] FIG. 4 schematically shows a fourth person 34 entering the vehicle 10 in the embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention. In this case, the fourth person 34 comes into the fourth vehicle exterior area 24 in illustration 400. The person 34 is authenticated by the vehicle authorization unit by way of a mobile terminal 44 associated with said person, said vehicle authorization unit providing the control unit with a user account associated with the person 34, or with his mobile terminal 44, and notifying the control unit that entry 54 is taking place in the fourth zone 14 of the vehicle interior. In illustration 401, the fourth person 34 is in the fourth zone 14. The control unit has adjusted the at least one apparatus in this fourth zone 14 in accordance with the user account associated with the mobile terminal 44 (fourth zone 14 shows checked pattern). According to the use case related in FIGS. 1 to 3, the chauffeur (first person 31), after having picked up his boss (second person 32) and then a further passenger (third person 33), has finally received a last passenger (fourth person 34), who has taken a seat on the posterior front-seat passenger's side (PFS). There is thus now a respective individual setting for the air conditioning in each of the four zones 11, 12, 13, 14, depending on the passenger situated therein.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0043] 10 vehicle

[0044] 11 first zone (DS)

[0045] 12 second zone (PDS)

[0046] 13 third zone (FS)

[0047] 14 fourth zone (PFS)

[0048] 21 first vehicle exterior area

[0049] 22 second vehicle exterior area

[0050] 23 third vehicle exterior area

[0051] 24 fourth vehicle exterior area

[0052] 31 first person

[0053] 32 second person

[0054] 33 third person

[0055] 34 fourth person

[0056] 41 first mobile terminal

[0057] 42 second mobile terminal

[0058] 43 third mobile terminal

[0059] 44 fourth mobile terminal

[0060] 51 first entry

[0061] 52 second entry

[0062] 53 third entry

[0063] 54 fourth entry

[0064] 100 the first person coming into first vehicle exterior area

[0065] 101 first person in first zone

[0066] 200 the second person coming into second vehicle exterior area

[0067] 201 second person in second zone

[0068] 300 the third person coming into third vehicle exterior area

[0069] 301 third person in third zone

[0070] 400 the fourth person coming into fourth vehicle exterior area

[0071] 401 fourth person in fourth zone