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DE-102024132898-A1 - Methods for localizing mobile electronic devices in the interior of a vehicle and system

DE102024132898A1DE 102024132898 A1DE102024132898 A1DE 102024132898A1DE-102024132898-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for locating objects in the interior of a vehicle (3). According to the invention, a Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) located in the interior (2) of the vehicle (3) is detected by at least one sensor unit (4) arranged in the vehicle. If the detection of a Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) by the at least one sensor unit (4) is interrupted, the position of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) in the interior (2) of the vehicle (3) is determined by means of a multi-channel distance measurement between the at least one sensor unit (4) and the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3).

Inventors

  • Elin Eriksson
  • Walter Bronzi

Assignees

  • BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241111

Claims (11)

  1. Method for localizing mobile electronic devices (3) in the interior (2) of a vehicle (1), characterized in that a respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) located in the interior (2) of the vehicle (3) is detected by at least one sensor unit (4) arranged in the vehicle, and that if the detection of a respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) by the at least one sensor unit (4) is interrupted, the position of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) in the interior (2) of the vehicle (3) is determined by means of a multi-channel distance measurement between the at least one sensor unit (4) and the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3).
  2. Procedure according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the position of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) at the time of interruption of the detection by the at least one sensor unit (4) is used as the starting position (8) for determining the further position of the Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3).
  3. Procedure according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that , to determine the position of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (4) from the starting position (8), a continuation of the trajectory (10) of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) extending to the starting position (8) is carried out.
  4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that , to determine the position of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (4) from the starting position (8), the most probable movement pattern (11) of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) from the starting position (8) is used.
  5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that , in the event of an interruption of the detection of a respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) by the at least one sensor unit (4), a warning message is issued in the vehicle (1).
  6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the event of an interruption of the detection of a respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) by the at least one sensor unit (4), a position indication for the determined position of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) in the interior (2) of the vehicle (1) is output.
  7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the respective sensor unit (4) is integrated in a control unit arranged in the interior (2) of the vehicle (1) or is integrated into an interior trim part (12) of the vehicle (1) or is arranged on an interior trim part.
  8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) located in the interior (2) of the vehicle (1) is detected by at least one optical sensor unit (4) arranged in the vehicle (1).
  9. Method according to one of the preceding claims for locating Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic devices (3) that have fallen from a storage location (9) in the interior (2) of the vehicle (1).
  10. Procedure according to Claim 9 , characterized in that , after the localization of a Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) that has fallen from a storage location (9) in the interior (2) of the vehicle (1), the vehicle occupants (5) are warned of an action taking place in the interior (2) of the vehicle (1) that impairs the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3).
  11. System comprising a Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) located in the interior (2) of a vehicle (1) and a vehicle (1), wherein the Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device (3) and the vehicle (1) are configured to perform the steps of a method according to one of the preceding claims.

Description

The invention relates to a method for localizing mobile electronic devices in the interior of a vehicle and a system. Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic devices, also known as Bluetooth-enabled portable electronic devices or smart devices, such as mobile phones, smartphones, smart glasses, headphones, netbooks, notebooks, or tablet PCs, are increasingly used in a wide variety of forms. These Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic devices are often carried by their users in vehicles, usually placed in a suitable storage location inside the vehicle. However, during the journey, a Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device may unintentionally move from its storage location and then travel uncontrollably within the vehicle. This can occur, for example, when the vehicle travels over an uneven road surface, hits a pothole, curves, brakes sharply, or accelerates rapidly. This topic has been discussed in the DE 10 2018 007 870 A1 A method for locking a mobile device in a moving vehicle is known. For this purpose, the position of the mobile device within the vehicle interior is monitored during the journey. To prevent unauthorized use of the mobile device in a moving vehicle, the device is locked if it moves outside a fixed position within the vehicle interior. The object of the invention is to provide a method for localizing mobile electronic devices in the interior of a vehicle, in which localization of the respective mobile electronic device in the interior of the vehicle is made possible in a simple and reliable manner even under unfavorable conditions and difficult circumstances. This problem is solved according to the invention by a method for localizing mobile electronic devices in the interior of a vehicle with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent patent claims and the description. In the inventive method for localizing mobile electronic devices or Bluetooth-enabled portable electronic devices in the interior of a vehicle, each Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device located in the vehicle's interior is detected by at least one sensor unit arranged in the vehicle. If the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device can no longer be detected by the at least one sensor unit, i.e., if the detection of a respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device by the at least one sensor unit is interrupted, the position of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device in the vehicle's interior is determined using multi-channel distance measurement between the at least one sensor unit and the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device. Using this multi-channel distance measurement, known as Channel Sounding, Bluetooth Channel Sounding, or High Accuracy Distance Measurement (HADM), the distance between two Bluetooth-enabled devices can be determined. That is, by using phase-based ranging (PBR) on multiple channels, the distance, in particular between two mobile electronic devices connected via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), can be measured precisely. In particular, in the aforementioned exceptional case where the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device is no longer detectable or possible by the at least one sensor unit, a phase-based distance measurement is then carried out between the at least one sensor unit and the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the position of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device at the time the detection by the at least one sensor unit is interrupted is used as the starting position for determining the subsequent position of the Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device, i.e., as the starting position for the further localization of the Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device. In particular, the distance between the starting position and the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device is thus determined according to the invention by means of Bluetooth channel sounding. Specifically, communication takes place between the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device and the at least one sensor unit for the continuous transmission of data using Bluetooth technology, preferably Bluetooth Low Energy technology. (BLE) and in particular via Bluetooth Channel Sounding. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the position of each Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device is determined from its initial position by continuing the trajectory of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device that led to the initial position. That is, the path of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device from its initial position is thus determined by continuing its previous movement pattern. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the most probable movement pattern of the respective Bluetooth-enabled mobile electronic device, determined by machine learning f