Assistance system, vehicle and procedure

Abstract

The invention relates to an assistance system (100) for a vehicle, comprising at least one sensor (102) for acquiring road data, an analysis module (104) configured to analyze the acquired road data and determine an adapted vehicle speed, a speed control module (106) configured to set the adapted vehicle speed at a drive unit (108), and an evaluation module (110) configured to evaluate the vertical dynamics of the vehicle oriented vertically with respect to the direction of travel and to provide the evaluated vertical dynamics data to the analysis module (104) for further processing, wherein the analysis module (104) comprises an image-based trained first artificial neural network and uses it to determine the adapted vehicle speed.and the evaluation module (110) comprises a learning or trained second artificial neural network and uses it for evaluating the vertical dynamics of the vehicle. The invention also relates to a vehicle with such an assistance system (100) and a method for adjusting the vehicle speed.

Description

The invention relates to a vehicle assistance system for adapting the vehicle speed to the road surface conditions and increasing vertical comfort. The invention also relates to a method for adapting the vehicle speed and a vehicle with a corresponding assistance system. Cruise control is an essential feature of modern vehicles and has evolved significantly over the years. Originally designed to maintain a constant vehicle speed, cruise control has developed into a complex system that enhances both comfort and safety. Modern vehicles are equipped with adaptive cruise control, which not only regulates the vehicle's speed but also maintains a safe distance from the vehicle ahead (e.g., Adaptive Cruise Control, ACC). The benefits of cruise control are particularly noticeable on highways and well-developed roads. To improve vertical comfort in vehicles, several well-known systems actively intervene to minimize vertical movements and thus enhance ride comfort.There is an adaptive damper control to adjust the damper stiffness, an active suspension to actively control the spring forces, and an active roll stabilization to minimize the lateral tilt of the vehicle. While these established systems offer increased comfort, they also come with higher costs, greater complexity, and potential losses in robustness and reliability. Adaptive damping systems, active suspensions, and roll stabilization systems are expensive to develop, manufacture, and maintain. They require specialized sensors, control units, and high-quality mechanical components. This results in particularly high production costs, which directly impact the vehicle's price. And although conventional cruise control systems efficiently manage vehicle speed and distance to the vehicle ahead, they have the disadvantage of not taking road conditions into account when setting the speed. Therefore, the cruise control maintains the set speed constantly under clear conditions, regardless of the road surface.On poor or uneven roads, this leads to a significant loss of ride comfort without the use of the well-known, sophisticated systems for actively improving vertical comfort. The driver must actively intervene and manually adjust the speed setting. Particularly on frequently changing road surfaces, many manual adjustments are required. German patent application DE 102 58 167 B4 discloses a method for an adaptive cruise control system for cornering. German patent application DE 10 2008 052 995 A1 describes a method for data processing for use in controlled chassis systems. German patent application DE 10 2005 207 655 A1 describes an assistance system that is connected to a navigation system and thus accesses information regarding the road's elevation profile. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an assistance system for a vehicle in which the speed controller takes road data into account for adjusting the vehicle speed. Furthermore, it is an object to provide a corresponding method for adjusting the vehicle speed and a vehicle with a corresponding assistance system. The problem is solved by an assistance system with the features of claim 1, by a vehicle with the features of claim 8, and by a method with the features of claim 9. Advantageous embodiments with expedient further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. The assistance system according to the invention for a vehicle comprises at least one sensor for acquiring road data, an analysis module configured to analyze the acquired road data and determine an adapted vehicle speed therefrom, a speed control module configured to set the adapted vehicle speed at a drive unit, and an evaluation module configured to evaluate the vertical dynamics of the vehicle oriented vertically with respect to the direction of travel and to provide the evaluated vertical dynamics data to the analysis module for further processing, wherein the analysis module comprises an image-based trained first artificial neural network and uses it for determining the adapted vehicle speed, and wherein the evaluation module comprises a learning or trained second artificial neural network and uses it for evaluating the vertical dynamics of the vehicle.This allows the cruise control module to adjust the vehicle speed based on the road surface conditions. Furthermore, the assistance system learns with each speed adjustment using a learning artificial neural network. For example, if the acceleration perpendicular to the road surface (vertical acceleration or body acceleration) is still too high despite a reduction in speed due to a pothole, the system learns that a lower speed is needed for the next similar pothole. This results in a significant increase in comfort and optimized vehicle speed in a simple manner. Preferably, at least one additional sensor is provided for recording vehicle weight data, and the analysis module is configured to determine the adjusted vehicle speed based on this data. This allows the assistance system to adapt to different vehicle load conditions, further improving safety and comfort. The vehicle weight data can be recorded, for example, via sensors in air suspension systems or the suspension itself and transmitted to the analysis module. In one embodiment of the invention, the analysis module is configured to query the driver's comfort settings via an on-board computer and / or an infotainment system and to take these settings into account when determining the adjusted vehicle speed. This means the assistance system inherently considers the driver's preferences, further improving comfort. For example, the driver can adjust their comfort settings via the vehicle's on-board computer and / or infotainment system so that these settings are considered when adjusting the vehicle speed. To do this, the driver can, for example, select different modes and / or define a tolerance range for adjusting the vehicle speed. In one embodiment of the invention, the analysis module is configured to determine the urgency of adjusting the vehicle speed based on the analyzed road data. This further improves safety. For example, if the assistance system detects a very large pothole, the urgency of reducing the vehicle speed is rated highly and prioritized. It is advantageously provided that an additional sensor for detecting the vehicle's surroundings is present, with the analysis module configured to consider the acquired data regarding the vehicle's environment when determining the appropriate vehicle speed. This allows road traffic to be taken into account when adjusting the vehicle speed, thereby improving safety. In particular, monitoring rear traffic is crucial when reducing vehicle speed to prevent rear-end collisions. In one embodiment of the invention, the evaluation module is configured to evaluate driver input and provide the evaluated driver data to the analysis module for further processing. This allows the assistance system to learn in an optimized manner, as it analyzes the driver's input in addition to the vehicle's vertical dynamics. The focus here is primarily on the driver's interventions during and after the vehicle speed has been adjusted by the assistance system. For example, pressing the brake or accelerator pedal. In this way, the assistance system learns how the driver reacts to specific situations and can adjust the vehicle speed accordingly the next time. Preferably, profiles can be created and selected for each driver in the vehicle, so that the assistance system learns each driver's preferences. Preferably, the speed control module is implemented in a control unit, which also includes the analysis module. This allows the assistance system to be easily integrated into existing systems. A vehicle according to the invention comprises an assistance system according to the invention. The advantages, advantageous configurations and effects mentioned above in connection with the assistance system also apply to the vehicle according to the invention. The inventive method for adjusting the vehicle speed of a vehicle comprises the following steps: - Acquiring road data; - Analyzing the road data using an analysis module comprising a trained first artificial neural network; - Determining an adjusted vehicle speed taking into account the analyzed road data using the analysis module; - Transmitting the determined adjusted vehicle speed to a speed control module; - Setting the adjusted vehicle speed on a drive unit; - Evaluating the vertical dynamics of the vehicle oriented vertically with respect to the direction of travel using an evaluation module comprising a learning or trained second artificial neural network; - Transmitting the data evaluated by the evaluation module to the analysis module for optimizing the next adjustment of the vehicle speed. The advantages, advantageous designs and effects mentioned above in connection with the assistance system and the vehicle also apply to the method according to the invention. Preferably, vehicle weight data is also recorded, and the analysis module is also configured to determine the appropriate vehicle speed from this data. This allows the method to also capture different vehicle load conditions, further improving safety and comfort. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as those subsequently mentioned in the figure description and / or shown in the figure alone, can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, embodiments that are not explicitly shown or explained in the figure, but which can be derived and generated from the explained embodiments by separate combinations of features, are also to be considered as encompassed and disclosed by the invention. Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the claims, the following description of preferred embodiments, and the drawing. Figure 1 shows a simplified schematic representation of an assistance system according to the invention. Fig. 1 shows an assistance system 100 for a vehicle, comprising an analysis module 104, a speed control module 106, and an evaluation module 110. The assistance system 100 is designed to adjust the vehicle speed of a vehicle (not shown) based on the road surface conditions. The analysis module 104 is configured to receive data from sensors 102 and an on-board computer 112 and / or an infotainment system. A first sensor 102 is, for example, a front camera that continuously records the road surface. A second sensor 102 records data regarding the vehicle's weight, thus enabling the vehicle's load status to be detected. This can be achieved, for example, via sensors 102 in the vehicle's suspension and / or spring system. The sensors 102 are connected to the analysis module 104 via signal transmission, allowing the recorded road and vehicle weight data to be sent to and received by the analysis module 104. The same applies to the on-board computer 112. In the illustrated embodiment, the driver can adjust their comfort settings via an on-board computer 112. It is also possible to adjust these settings via an infotainment system. The higher the comfort level is set, the more vertical accelerations are negated by the assistance system 100. In this case, vertical accelerations are accelerations of the vehicle that are oriented perpendicular to the road surface, so-called body accelerations. The driver can, for example, set a tolerance range within which the assistance system 100 can operate. The analysis module 104 includes a first trained and / or training image-based artificial neural network that analyzes the received data and determines an adapted vehicle speed based on the driver's comfort setting. In step S1, the analysis module 104 categorizes and analyzes the road surface data, i.e., image data of the road surface. In step S2, the vehicle weight data, i.e., the load status and the driver's comfort settings, are analyzed and taken into account. In step S3, the analysis module 104 determines an adapted vehicle speed within a tolerance range that depends on the driver's comfort setting. In step S4, the analysis module 104 analyzes the adjusted vehicle speed, the road surface, and the current vehicle speed, and performs an assessment of the urgency of adjusting the vehicle speed. Analysis module 104 thus determines whether the adjustment of the vehicle speed is time-critical and must be carried out particularly quickly. This urgency assessment is queried in step S5. If the urgency is rated as time-critical, i.e., high, a rapid adjustment of the vehicle speed is required. For this purpose, the vehicle's surroundings are detected via another sensor 102, and this data is sent to the analysis module 104. This can be implemented, for example, using a reversing camera to detect traffic approaching from behind. The analysis module 104 is also configured to analyze the environmental data and, for example, prevent a rapid adjustment of the vehicle speed in the event of a hazard from traffic approaching from behind. If, for example, the traffic approaching from behind allows for a rapid reduction in vehicle speed, this is specified in step S7. If the urgency has been assessed as not time-critical, a convenient adjustment of the speed is specified in step S8. The specification for adjusting the vehicle speed is transmitted from the analysis module 104 to the speed control module 106, the speed control module 106 being designed to set a specified determined vehicle speed at a drive unit 108 of the vehicle. The speed control module 106 is further connected to an evaluation module 110, which comprises a trained and / or learning second artificial neural network. The evaluation module 110 is configured to evaluate the vehicle's vertical dynamics, oriented with respect to the direction of travel, in step L1 and to provide the evaluated vertical dynamics data to the analysis module 104 for further processing. In other words, the evaluation module 110 analyzes the vehicle's vertical acceleration, thus detecting, for example, whether the adjusted vehicle speed was too high and resulted in high vertical accelerations. Furthermore, the evaluation module 110 is designed to evaluate driver input and provide the evaluated driver data to the analysis module 104 for further processing. The evaluation module 110 recognizes whether the driver intends to brake or accelerate after the vehicle speed has been adjusted, thus learning the driver's preferences. The evaluation module 110 analyzes the driver data and the recorded vertical dynamics of the vehicle and determines whether the vehicle speed needs to be adjusted for future events. The assistance system 100 thus learns with each adjustment of the vehicle speed. For this purpose, the evaluation module 110 is connected to the analysis module 104 via a signal connection, in order to send the data regarding the improved vehicle speed adjustment to the analysis module 104. REFERENCE MARK LIST: 100 Assistance system 102 System 104 Analysis module 106 Cruise control module 108 Drive unit 110 Evaluation module 112 On-board computer QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature DE 102 58 167 B4

[0004] DE 10 2008 052 995 A1

[0004] DE 10 2005 207 655 A1

[0004]

Claims

Assistance system (100) for a vehicle, comprising at least one sensor (102) for recording road data, comprising an analysis module (104) configured to analyze the recorded road data and determine an adapted vehicle speed, comprising a speed control module (106) configured to set the adapted vehicle speed at a drive unit (108), and comprising an evaluation module (110) configured to evaluate the vertical dynamics of the vehicle oriented vertically with respect to the direction of travel and to provide the evaluated vertical dynamics data to the analysis module (104) for further processing, characterized in that the analysis module (104) comprises an image-based trained first artificial neural network and uses it to determine the adapted vehicle speed.and that the evaluation module (110) includes a learning or trained second artificial neural network and uses it for evaluating the vertical dynamics of the vehicle. Assistance system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one further sensor (102) is available for recording vehicle weight data, wherein the analysis module (104) is configured to also determine the adapted vehicle speed from the recorded vehicle weight data. Assistance system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the analysis module (104) is configured to query a comfort setting of the driver via an on-board computer (112) and / or via an infotainment system and to take it into account when determining the adapted vehicle speed. Assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the analysis module (104) is configured to determine the urgency of adjusting the vehicle speed on the basis of the analyzed road data. Assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a further sensor (102) is provided for detecting the environment of the vehicle, wherein the analysis module (104) is configured to take into account the detected data relating to the environment of the vehicle when determining the adapted vehicle speed. Assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the evaluation module (110) is configured to evaluate inputs from the driver and to provide the evaluated driver data to the analysis module (104) for further processing. Assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the speed control module (106) is implemented in a control unit, wherein the control unit also includes the analysis module (104). Vehicle with an assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 7. A method for adjusting the vehicle speed of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: - Acquiring road data - Analyzing the road data using an analysis module (104), comprising a trained first artificial neural network - Determining an adjusted vehicle speed taking into account the analyzed road data using the analysis module (104) - Transmitting the determined adjusted vehicle speed to a speed control module (106) - Setting the adjusted vehicle speed on a drive unit (108) - Evaluating the vertical dynamics of the vehicle oriented with respect to the direction of travel using an evaluation module (110), which comprises a learning or trained second artificial neural network - Transmitting the data evaluated by the evaluation module (110) to the analysis module (104) to optimize the next adjustment of the vehicle speed Method according to claim 9, characterized in that vehicle weight data are also recorded and the analysis module (104) is also configured to determine the adapted vehicle speed from the recorded vehicle weight data.

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