Patent ID: 12255957

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG.1shows a depot1which, at each of two buildings2, has a plurality of loading-and-unloading bays3, for instance ramps, skips, conveyor belts, gas pumps, silos, heaps, et cetera, for loading and unloading a vehicle5, in particular a commercial vehicle, which may be in one or more parts (with trailers). The depot1is accessible via an entrance4, for example a gate or a barrier. An incoming vehicle5, for instance a commercial vehicle5ahaving a trailer5b, can drive onto the site1aof the depot1when the entrance4is open, and move to one of the loading-and-unloading bays3in order to load on freight F to be transported and/or to offload transported freight F.

The depot1allows fully automated or semi-automated processing, relying on an automated exchange of data D with the vehicle5, that is, with the commercial vehicle5aand/or with the trailer5b, for this purpose. The automated exchange of data D can ensure both automated access to the site1aof the depot1and coordination of the vehicle5inside the depot1.

Coordination shall be understood to mean here that the vehicle5can be conducted, for example, to the correct building2and also to the relevant loading-and-unloading bay3. This can be done, for example, by defining a trajectory B for the vehicle5. In conjunction with this, vehicle control data OF for the depot1, for instance a maximum speed vMax, can also be defined. In addition, the driver can be notified of certain time schedules at the depot1. Furthermore, important information about the freight F on board or to be loaded, can be exchanged. Communication is thereby greatly simplified, because the driver does not have to get out of the vehicle5, and comprehension problems do not arise if, for instance, standardized data D is used.

To facilitate this, the vehicle5has a terminal device6assigned thereto, which is part of a telematics system TS, in particular a fleet management system (FMS). The terminal device6may be fixedly installed in the vehicle5, that is, in the commercial vehicle5aor the trailer5b, or else be in the form of a mobile terminal device6a. The mobile terminal device6amay be a mobile phone, laptop, tablet, et cetera, on which is installed the software of the fleet management system FMS as an application or program.

The terminal device6is configured to obtain via an access network7access data Z and, if applicable, also extended authentication data A from a service-provider backend8, for instance from a program or a server of a service provider. The data transfer via the access network7takes place preferably in encrypted form so that the access data Z and, if applicable, the extended authentication data A can be transferred securely.

The access network7can advantageously be wireless. The access network7may be, for example, the Internet7aand/or a mobile communications network7b. In principle, however, the access network7can also be wired at least in part. For example, the terminal device6can be connected, for instance in a workshop or at any depot, via a cable to a router, itself connected directly to the service-provider backend8or indirectly via the Internet to the service-provider backend8. A wireless access network7can preferably be provided, however, via which the access data Z and, if applicable, the extended authentication data A can be received while the vehicle5is traveling.

The terminal device6in the incoming vehicle6is also configured to connect into a stationary and local area network10, for example a WLAN network10a, of the depot1in an automated manner. To do this, the terminal device6can set up a data connection9to a central module11of the stationary local area network10. The central module11has a certain transmit and receive range12, which preferably covers some of the site1aof the depot1and also an entrance area13of the depot1. The entrance area13is the area in front of the entrance4to the depot1, which an incoming vehicle5enters before it can pass through the site Is of the depot1through the opened entrance4.

The transmit and receive range12covers, in contrast to a global area network, only a local or delimited spatial environment14, which here includes mainly the area around the depot1. Consequently, access to the stationary local area network10is also possible only inside the transmit and receive range12of the central module11and hence from a very limited number of positions.

As soon as the terminal device6enters this transmit and receive range12, the data connection9can be set up between the central module11and the terminal device6. The data connection9for exchanging data D is set up, for example, in accordance with the flow diagram inFIG.2:

In a first step ST1, which is performed in a specified situation, for example at a certain time T and/or at a certain position X of the vehicle5, the access data Z and, if applicable, the extended authentication data A is transferred via the access network7to the terminal device6of the telematics system TS or fleet management system EMS. The driver in the vehicle5can preferably be unable to read or decrypt and hence modify this access data D, which is transferred in encrypted form and generated and provided by the service-provider backend8in a previous step ST0, nor, if applicable, the extended authentication data A.

The vehicle5subsequently arrives at the depot1and enters at some point in time the entrance area13and hence also the transmit and receive range12of the stationary local area network10or of the central module11.

Thereupon, in a second step ST2(authentication), the access data Z provided in advance is used in a login procedure L to establish a data connection9between the terminal device6and the central module11.

In this process, in a first intermediate step ST2.1, it can first be ascertained from the access data Z whether a network identifier KN of the stationary local area network10is correct, where this can be done, for example, on the basis of a service set identifier SSID delivered with the access data Z.

In a second intermediate step ST2.2, a station identifier KT, which is delivered via the access data Z and can be used to identify the station or the relevant vehicle5, is entered or delivered. This is comparable to entering a user name, which in this case is created and provided by the service-provider backend8and assigned to the corresponding vehicle5.

Then, in a third intermediate step ST2.3, an authentication code AC (cf. password) delivered via the access data Z is entered or delivered. This is created and assigned to the station identifier KT in advance by the service-provider backend8on an individual basis. The terminal device6or the vehicle5authenticates itself with the stationary local area network10via the authentication code AC.

In a further, optional fourth intermediate step ST2.4, depending on the security requirement of the stationary local area network10, the extended authentication data A delivered in advance can also be used. This may be, for example, an authentication token AT or an access profile containing additional authentication conditions AB. For example, an authentication validity AG can be specified thereby, that is, over what time period the vehicle5or the terminal device6can authenticate itself via the authentication token AT in the stationary local area network10. If the authentication taken AT has expired, a subsequent authentication procedure P1will fail or an existing data connection is suspended. In addition, an authentication frequency AH can also be specified, via which it can be specified that the authentication token AT can be used only for one login procedure L.

Via this access data Z and optionally the extended authentication data A, the stationary local area network10can identify and authenticate the vehicle5in an authentication procedure P1in a subsequent third step ST3. Thus the access data Z created individually for the particular vehicle5is used to check the authenticity of the vehicle5or of the terminal device6, and relating thereto, whether the vehicle5is entitled to drive around the depot1.

In a fourth step ST4, after successful authentication of the vehicle5or of the terminal device6, an authorization procedure P2takes place. In this procedure, the vehicle5is allowed access both to the stationary local area network10and to the depot1. This can preferably be manifested by the entrance4to the depot1being opened automatically. In addition, data D for coordination and communication can be exchanged via the then formed data connection9.

In an optional intermediate step ST4.1, for example loading information IB and/or unloading information1E can be exchanged via the data connection9. This indicates what freight F the vehicle5has loaded and what freight F is meant to be loaded onto the vehicle5respectively.

This can be used as part of the authorization procedure P2to allow access to individual loading-and-unloading bays3for loading or unloading. For example, loading-and-unloading bay gates15can be opened manually or in an automated manner on the relevant loading-and-unloading bays3for which permission has been granted on the basis of the information1B,1E. Hence the driver of the vehicle5is given access only to the loading-and-unloading bays3assigned to him on the basis of his order.

The particular vehicle5(station) can thus use the access data Z and, if applicable, the extended authentication data A to log into the stationary local area network10systematically and in a fully automated procedure by the relevant exchange of data, and after the identification, authentication and authorization in the stationary local area network10automatically gains access with the accordingly specified permissions.

With the successful conclusion of the authentication and authorization procedures P1, P2, optionally a series of further functions can be implemented simultaneously by an automated exchange of data D via the then verified data connection9.

On the basis of the loading information and unloading information IB, IE, the central module11can transfer (ST5), for example, driving information IF and/or bay information IS and/or vehicle control data DF to the terminal device6via the data connection9. The driving information IF indicates how the vehicle5has to move after driving onto the site1aof the depot1in order to get to the correspondingly assigned loading-and-unloading bay3. This can be notified to the driver via the terminal device6, for instance in the form of navigation instructions and/or a trajectory B. In addition, via the bay information IS, instructions relating to the bay location, for instance a bay location number denoting the assigned loading-and-unloading bay3, can be transferred, something that can also be visually displayed on the terminal device6. The vehicle control data DF can additionally contain, for example, a maximum speed vMax to be observed at the depot1.

As a result of the transfer of the various data D, that is, the access data Z, the extended authentication data A, the driving information IF, the bay information IS, the unloading information1E, the loading information1B, et cetera, via the data connection9made to the central module11, communication and coordination can take place independently of language and above all in a fully automated manner. The driver can hence understand and receive via his terminal device6all the instructions that are provided in the stationary local area network10or via the central module11. At the same time, the identification, authentication and authorization in the stationary local area network10can take place without the driver being involved, thereby significantly increasing the degree of automation. It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCES (PART OF THE DESCRIPTION)

1depot1asite2building3loading-and-unloading bay4entrance5vehicle5acommercial vehicle5btrailer6terminal device6amobile terminal device7access network7aInternet7bmobile communications connection8service-provider backend9data connection10stationary local area network10aWLAN network11central module12transmit and receive range13entrance area14environment15loading-and-unloading bay gate20data transfer systemA extended authentication dataAB authentication conditionsAC authentication codeAG authentication validityAH authentication frequencyAT authentication tokenB trajectoryD dataDF vehicle control dataF freightFMS fleet management systemIB loading informationIE unloading informationIF driving informationIS bay information.KN network identifierKT station identifierL login procedureP1authentication procedureP2authorization procedureSSID service set identifierT timeTS telematics systemvMax maximum speedX positionaccess dataST0, ST1, ST2, ST2.1, ST2.2, ST2.3, ST2.4, ST3, ST4, ST4.1, ST5steps of the method