DAMAGE DETECTION AND ORIGINATOR TRACKING

Abstract

A method and a system detect damage caused to a parked vehicle and identify the originator of the damage.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method, comprising: when damage to a parked motor vehicle is detected, determining, by at least two communication modules of the motor vehicle, positions of mobile communication devices in an environment of the motor vehicle by triangulation; capturing MAC addresses of the mobile communication devices; tracking respective trajectories of the mobile communication devices; determining which mobile communication device of the mobile communication devices belongs to an originator of the damage; and making, by a camera of the parked motor vehicle, an image recording or a video recording in a direction of a current position of the mobile communication device belonging to the originator.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein when damage to the parked motor vehicle is detected, emitting, by at least one communication module of the at least two communication modules of the motor vehicle, an interference signal to switch the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle to a receiving mode and to change the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle to a search mode, as a result of which the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle become visible to the at least one communication module of the motor vehicle and are activated by the at least one communication module of the motor vehicle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least two communication modules of the motor vehicle are WLAN modules.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least two communication modules comprising four communication modules of the motor vehicle used for triangulation.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the determining which mobile communication device of the mobile communication devices belongs to an originator of the damage comprising determining the mobile communication device belonging to the originator of the damage from the positions of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle at a time at which the damage is detected and the trajectories of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the determining which mobile communication device of the mobile communication devices belongs to an originator of the damage comprising determining the mobile communication device belonging to the originator of the damage from the positions of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle at a time at which the positions of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle were first determined and their trajectories.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: separating mobile communication devices belonging to persons who are not involved in the damage from the mobile communication device belonging to the originator using zone attributes and movement profiles.

18. A motor vehicle comprising: at least one sensor to detect accidental damage to the motor vehicle; at least two communication modules comprising tracking modules, the at least two communication modules coupled to one another and configured to determine the positions of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle by triangulation and to capture changes in the determined positions to determine trajectories of the mobile communication devices; and a central module in communication with the at least two communication modules, the central module configured to: be activated by the at least one sensor to detect accidental damage and to receive data relating to the position of the detected accidental damage, receive and process data from the at least two communication modules, which data comprise MAC addresses, positions and position changes of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle, identify the mobile communication device belonging to the originator of the damage using the data relating to the position of the detected damage, the MAC addresses, positions and position changes of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle, the central module, control a camera of the motor vehicle, after identifying the mobile communication device belonging to the originator of the damage, to orient the camera to a current position of the mobile communication device belonging to the originator, and have an image or video of the originator recorded.

19. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 18, wherein the central module is configured to have at least one communication module of the at least two communication modules of the motor vehicle emit an interference signal to switch the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle to a receiving mode and to change the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle to a search mode, and configured to have the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle activated by the at least one communication module of the motor vehicle and to have the MAC addresses of the mobile communication devices determined.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least two communication modules of the motor vehicle are WLAN modules.

21. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least two communication modules of the motor vehicle are WLAN modules.

22. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the determining which mobile communication device of the mobile communication devices belongs to an originator of the damage comprising determining the mobile communication device belonging to the originator of the damage from the positions of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle at a time at which the damage is detected and the trajectories (of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle.

23. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mobile communication device of the mobile communication devices belongs to an originator of the damage comprising determining the mobile communication device belonging to the originator of the damage from the positions of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle at a time at which the damage is detected and the trajectories of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle.

24. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the determining which mobile communication device of the mobile communication devices belongs to an originator of the damage comprising determining the mobile communication device belonging to the originator of the damage from the positions of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle at a time at which the positions of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle were first determined and their trajectories.

25. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the determining which mobile communication device of the mobile communication devices belongs to an originator of the damage comprising determining the mobile communication device belonging to the originator of the damage from the positions of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle at a time at which the positions of the mobile communication devices in the environment of the motor vehicle were first determined and their trajectories.

26. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the mobile communication devices belonging to persons who are not involved in the damage from the mobile communication device belonging to the originator using zone attributes and movement profiles.

27. The method as claimed in claim 13, separating the mobile communication devices belonging to persons who are not involved in the damage from the mobile communication device belonging to the originator using zone attributes and movement profiles.

28. The method as claimed in claim 14, separating the mobile communication devices belonging to persons who are not involved in the damage from the mobile communication device belonging to the originator using zone attributes and movement profiles.

29. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least two communication modules comprising four communication modules of the motor vehicle used for triangulation.

30. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least two communication modules comprising four communication modules of the motor vehicle used for triangulation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The disclosure is schematically illustrated on the basis of embodiments in the drawings and is described further with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a motor vehicle and an illustration of the method; and

[0034] FIG. 2 shows the motor vehicle from FIG. 1 and a further illustration of the method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 10 having a central module 30 which has a bidirectional connection to four WLAN modules 31 which are arranged at the corners of the body of the motor vehicle 10. Damage 20 was caused on one side of the motor vehicle.

[0036] FIG. 1 also schematically illustrates the originator 22 of the damage 20 and a WLAN-enabled mobile communication device 21 (for example a smartphone or a tablet computer) belonging to the originator 22.

[0037] Exemplary method operations 100 and 110 are also symbolized in FIG. 1 for the purpose of illustrating the method.

[0038] In operation 100, the damage 20 is detected by evaluating the vibration of the motor vehicle 10 that is detected by sensors which are not illustrated in FIG. 1 or evaluating the structure-borne sound signals caused by the damage event, and the central module 30 and the WLAN modules 31 connected to the latter are activated.

[0039] In operation 110, the position of a mobile communication device 21 belonging to the originator 22 is determined by triangulation using the WLAN modules 31, and the trajectory of the mobile communication device 21 or of the originator 22 is recorded. Triangulation by the two front WLAN modules 31 of the vehicle 10 is depicted in FIG. 1. However, the triangulation can also be carried out by the two WLAN modules 31 on that side of the vehicle 10 on which the damage 20 is located or by three or all four WLAN modules 31 of the vehicle 10. The more WLAN modules 31 are used in the triangulation, the higher the position determination accuracy.

[0040] In addition, the MAC address of the WLAN-enabled mobile communication device 21 belonging to the originator 22 is determined using the WLAN modules 31 and is available for further evaluation.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows the motor vehicle 10 from FIG. 1 in an alternative scenario in which, in addition to a mobile communication device 21 belonging to the originator 22 of the damage 20, a plurality of mobile communication devices 26 belonging to persons who are not involved are also situated in the environment of the motor vehicle 10. As indicated in the FIG. 2 by dashed lines, the positions of the mobile communication devices 26 are also determined by triangulation and their trajectories (symbolized by arrows in FIG. 2) are recorded, which is referred to as tracking below. FIG. 2 also illustrates positions of the mobile communication device 21 belonging to the originator 22 at two different times and the trajectory 23 of the mobile communication device 21 between the positions.

[0042] When damage 20 is detected, a time stamp also containing the location of the damage 20 (for example door on the right) is generated and the accident evaluation and tracking are activated.

[0043] WLAN-enabled mobile communication devices 21, 26 in the environment of the motor vehicle 10 are triggered by the WLAN modules 31 and are exactly assigned to a position around the motor vehicle 10 by triangulation. Optionally, communication devices 21, 26 already logged onto a WLAN are set to on-call availability by a short interference signal.

[0044] The mobile communication devices 21, 26 in the receiving radius of the WLAN modules 31 are captured and their respective MAC address is stored. The calculations from the angles and routes of the available signals of identical MAC addresses result in a unique and evaluable data set:

[0045] MAC address 1—position (X1/Y1/Z1) with respect to the vehicle (reference point 1),

[0046] MAC address 2—position (X2/Y2/Z2) with respect to the vehicle (reference point 2),

[0047] .

[0048] .

[0049] .

[0050] MAC address i—position (Xi/Yi/Zi) with respect to the vehicle (reference point i).

[0051] Repeatedly determining the positions of the mobile communication devices 21, 26 belonging to the MAC addresses 1 to i makes it possible to determine their trajectories. The trajectories represent the position of the respective mobile communication device 21, 26 on the basis of time.

[0052] The originator 22 in the environment of the motor vehicle 10 can therefore be identified from a multiplicity of MAC addresses and their position can be determined for recordings. For this purpose, the communication devices 26 belonging to persons who are not involved are separated from the communication device 21 belonging to the originator 22. Zone attributes 24, 25 and movement profiles are used for this purpose. An active damage zone 24 around the damage 20 is defined. Those communication apparatuses 26 whose initial position (reference point) is outside the active damage zone 24, that is in the irrelevant zone 25 (that is, not on the relevant vehicle side), are rejected. Those communication apparatuses 21, 26 whose initial position is inside the active damage zone 24 are classified on the basis of their movement profile. For example, persons walking past the motor vehicle 10 are rejected. The trajectory 23 of the originator 22 can be identified by typical attributes, for example remaining at the position of the damage 20, a fleeing movement, acceleration when leaving the accident location etc. The originator 22 of damage 20 will typically initially examine the damage 20 caused by them and analyze whether damage to the motor vehicle 10 is visible and will therefore remain in the immediate surroundings of the damage 20 for a certain time and will then move away. This often takes place hastily in order to avoid discovery. In contrast, persons who are not involved generally move past the motor vehicle 10 at a uniform speed.

[0053] This method makes it possible to determine and track the originator 22 of damage 20 and the MAC address of their mobile communication device 21 with a high degree of possibility. A comparison of the MAC address with the corresponding IP address can be used to determine the identity of the originator 22 and to identify the person in legal cases.

[0054] As soon as the mobile communication device 21 belonging to the originator 22 has been identified and their position has been determined, the environmental camera or a dashcam of the motor vehicle 10 can be used to make a recording of the originator 22 in a targeted and legally compliant manner without concomitantly capturing passersby who are not involved.

[0055] A description has been provided with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the claims which may include the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 358 F3d 870, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004).

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0056] 10 Parked vehicle [0057] 20 Damage [0058] 21 Mobile communication device belonging to the originator of the damage [0059] 22 Originator of the damage [0060] 23 Trajectory of the originator [0061] 24 Active damage zone [0062] 25 Irrelevant zone [0063] 26 Mobile communication device belonging to a person who is not involved [0064] 30 Central module [0065] 31 WLAN module [0066] 100 Damage detection [0067] 110 Triangulation