Method and system for on-vehicle diagnosis in a vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method (100) for on-vehicle diagnosis in a vehicle, the method comprising: a) determining (110) whether one or more permission conditions for starting the on-vehicle diagnosis are satisfied; b) when it is determined that at least one of the one or more permission conditions is not satisfied: manipulating (120) at least one vehicle function such that the at least one permission condition is satisfied; and c) starting (130) the on-vehicle diagnosis, wherein the at least one vehicle function is manipulated (120) such that a change in the driving behavior of the vehicle is below the driver's perception threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for on-board diagnostics (OBD) in a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle. The present disclosure relates in particular to improved coverage of actual driving behavior for performing on-board diagnostics of systems or subsystems in the vehicle, for example those that influence the exhaust gas. Background Art

[0002] On-board diagnostics (OBD) are used in vehicles to monitor (sub)systems and components, such as systems that influence the exhaust gases, during driving operation. On-board diagnostics can, for example, detect faults in the engine that lead to abnormal states in advance.

[0003] In the on-board diagnostics, analyses are repeatedly performed in which complex physical relationships can be represented by algorithms. Each of these analyses requires certain conditions under which it works reliably. Fixed authorization conditions can be derived from these conditions, which specify from when the analysis is permitted to start in the vehicle. The authorization conditions can be specific to the general driving behavior of the respective vehicle and / or the vehicle owner. The loading data can be determined once for each vehicle type and can no longer be changed thereafter.

[0004] Typically, the driving behavior of a vehicle owner has a Gaussian curve in terms of its frequency. If the limits for permissible on-board diagnostics are set too narrowly, only a small middle range of the driving behavior in the Gaussian curve is covered. However, some legislators require a coverage of at least 36%. Now, here there is a conflict between ensuring the physical requirements for on-board diagnostics and an appropriate coverage of driving behavior. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present disclosure is to provide an improved coverage of actual driving behavior for performing on-board diagnostics. In particular, the object of the present disclosure is to simplify the performance of on-board diagnostics and / or to enable the performance of on-board diagnostics to be performed more frequently.

[0006] This object is achieved by the technical solution of the present invention.

[0007] According to an independent aspect of the present disclosure, a method for on-board diagnosis in a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, is provided. The method comprises:

[0008] a) determining whether one or more permissive conditions for initiating on-board diagnostics are met;

[0009] b) when it is determined that at least one permission condition among the one or more permission conditions is not satisfied: operating at least one vehicle function so that the at least one permission condition is satisfied; and

[0010] c) Initiate on-board diagnostics, wherein the at least one vehicle function is manipulated such that the change in the driving behavior of the vehicle is below the driver's perception threshold.

[0011] When it is determined in step b) that all the permission conditions are met, the on-board diagnostics can be directly started.

[0012] According to the present invention, when the permission conditions can be achieved by manipulating or adjusting at least one vehicle function, for example, simply adjusting the motor state, the driving behavior of the driver is actively intervened. When the driver is driving, for example, on a highway under high load and / or high speed, the active intervention of the on-board diagnostics can perform throttling, for example, to adjust the operating point of the motor required for the permission conditions. Thus, a driver who can meet the permission conditions but cannot achieve the conditions due to his (abnormal) behavior can be made "artificially" into such a driver. Here, as long as it is required for the on-board diagnostics, the intervention can remain. Thereby, a larger range of driver behaviors can be covered. In addition, the execution of the on-board diagnostics can be made simple and / or the execution of the on-board diagnostics can be achieved more frequently.

[0013] The on-board diagnostics to be performed can be any diagnostics performed during driving. Generally, in a vehicle, in particular, a plurality of on-board diagnostics are provided, and the on-board diagnostics are performed continuously or discontinuously. The present disclosure is not limited to specific on-board diagnostics and can be used in the case of any on-board diagnostics whose permission conditions can be achieved by manipulating the at least one vehicle function.

[0014] For on-board diagnostics, it must be ensured that they can be performed during driving. For example, in components related to exhaust gas, a specific operating state must first be achieved in order to perform on-board diagnostics. To this end, the one or more permission conditions are defined, and the permission conditions state since when on-board diagnostics can be or are allowed to be initiated. A plurality of different on-board diagnostics can be performed in a vehicle, and for each of the plurality of on-board diagnostics, a separate set of permission conditions can be defined.

[0015] Within the scope of this document, considering the following licensing conditions, the at least one vehicle function, such as adjusting the motor state, can be manipulated to meet the licensing conditions. For example, on-board diagnostics can only be meaningfully performed within a specific speed range of the motor. The specific speed range can be described by corresponding licensing conditions. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, motor control can be performed such that the speed of the motor is within the specific speed range to meet the licensing conditions for on-board diagnostics. In addition, motor control can be performed during on-board diagnostics such that the speed of the motor remains within the specific speed range. The motor can be, for example, an internal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine.

[0016] However, the licensing conditions are not limited to speed and can relate to any system or subsystem of the vehicle and especially to systems or subsystems that affect exhaust gases. The licensing conditions can relate, for example, to temperature (such as exhaust gas temperature, coolant temperature, etc.), pressure (such as system air pressure, exhaust gas pressure, etc.), and operating points (such as speed, torque, etc.), but are not limited thereto. The licensing conditions are selected and determined in a suitable manner according to the on-board diagnostics to be performed.

[0017] According to the present disclosure, at least one suitable vehicle function is manipulated so that the at least one licensing condition for the on-board diagnostics to be performed can be met by its adjustment. The at least one vehicle function can relate to the system of the vehicle that affects exhaust gases and especially to the motor of the vehicle. The motor can be, for example, an internal combustion engine, but is not limited thereto. For example, by adjusting the motor state (such as speed, torque, supercharger speed, traction force, thrust, etc.), the licensing conditions necessary for the execution of on-board diagnostics can be achieved.

[0018] Preferably, manipulating the at least one vehicle function includes adjusting or regulating at least one operating point of the vehicle motor such that the at least one licensing condition is met. The at least one operating point can, for example, include or relate to the speed and / or torque and / or accelerator pedal position of the motor. For example, the corresponding licensing conditions for the on-board diagnostics to be performed can be met by adjusting the speed and / or load of the motor.

[0019] Preferably, manipulating the at least one vehicle function includes: receiving input data indicating the accelerator pedal position or the driver's manipulation of the accelerator pedal, and processing the input data for motor control such that the at least one licensing condition is met based on the motor control. For example, the accelerator pedal position can be interpreted on the software side such that the at least one licensing condition is met.

[0020] In some embodiments, processing input data for motor control may include, for example, compensating for a driver's acceleration pedal manipulation that exceeds a threshold. In particular, excessive and / or unnecessary manipulation of the acceleration pedal can be compensated on the software side. For example, a driver's "jerking" of the acceleration pedal, which has little or no effect on the actual driving behavior of the vehicle (such as actual acceleration), can be compensated. To this end, for example, motor control can be performed such that the rotational speed of the motor does not increase excessively despite the "jerking" of the acceleration pedal. In particular, the actual rotational speed or the setpoint for the rotational speed output by the motor control system can be suitable for performing on-vehicle diagnostics and can meet the corresponding permission conditions despite the driver's "jerking" of the acceleration pedal.

[0021] Preferably, the method further includes ending the on-vehicle diagnostics and ending the control of the at least one vehicle function after the on-vehicle diagnostics are fully executed, such that the at least one permission condition is met. In other words, the driving behavior can be actively intervened as long as it is necessary for the execution of the on-vehicle diagnostics.

[0022] Preferably, the control of the at least one vehicle function is performed to meet the at least one permission condition such that the change in the driving behavior of the vehicle is below the driver's perception threshold. For example, a driver's "jerking" of the acceleration pedal can be compensated as long as it has little or no effect on the actual acceleration of the vehicle.

[0023] According to another independent aspect, a software (SW) program is described. The SW program can be configured to be implemented on one or more processors and thereby to implement the method for on-vehicle diagnostics in a vehicle described in this document.

[0024] According to another independent aspect, a storage medium is described. The storage medium can include the following SW program, which is configured to be implemented on one or more processors and thereby to implement the method for on-vehicle diagnostics in a vehicle described in this document.

[0025] According to another independent aspect, a system for on-vehicle diagnostics in a vehicle is described. The system includes one or more processors, which are configured to thereby implement the method for on-vehicle diagnostics in a vehicle described in this document.

[0026] Preferably, the system includes a storage medium having the SW program.

[0027] According to another independent aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is described, which includes the on-board diagnostic system described in this document. The term "vehicle" includes cars, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, etc., which are used for transporting people, goods, etc. In particular, the term includes motor vehicles for transporting people. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings and described in more detail below. The drawings are as follows:

[0029] Figure 1 A flowchart showing a method for on-board diagnosis in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, unless otherwise noted, the same reference numerals are used for the same and identically acting elements.

[0031] Figure 1 A flowchart showing a method 100 for on-board diagnosis in a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] The method 100 includes, in block 110, determining whether one or more enabling conditions for starting the on-board diagnosis are met. When it is determined in block 110 that all the enabling conditions for starting the on-board diagnosis are met, the on-board diagnosis is started in block 130.

[0033] However, when it is determined in block 110 that at least one of the enabling conditions necessary for starting the on-board diagnosis is not met, in block 120, at least one vehicle function is manipulated such that the at least one enabling condition is met. When the at least one enabling condition is met by manipulating or adjusting the at least one vehicle function, the on-board diagnosis can be started in block 130.

[0034] The method 100 further includes ending the manipulation of the at least one vehicle function after the on-board diagnosis is fully executed such that the at least one enabling condition is met. In other words, the driving behavior can be actively intervened as long as it is necessary for the execution of the on-board diagnosis.

[0035] In some embodiments, the at least one vehicle function is manipulated to meet the at least one enabling condition such that the change in the driving behavior of the vehicle is below the driver's perception threshold. Thus, the negative impact of the on-board diagnosis on the driver's experience can be prevented.

[0036] The driving behavior can be, for example, accelerating the vehicle. When the driver moves quickly or presses the accelerator pedal hard, for example, the actual acceleration of the vehicle due to inertia can have little or only a small effect. Nevertheless, the rotational speed of the motor can change strongly for a short time. Now, such a change in rotational speed can be avoided by motor control even when the driver "presses hard", so that the licensing conditions regarding the motor rotational speed can be met and on-board diagnostics can be carried out.

[0037] According to the present disclosure, at least one suitable vehicle function is actively controlled so that at least one licensing condition for the on-board diagnostics to be carried out can be met by its adjustment. The at least one vehicle function can relate to a system of the vehicle that affects the exhaust gas and in particular to the motor of the vehicle. The motor can be, for example, an internal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine.

[0038] However, the present disclosure is not limited to vehicles with internal combustion engines and can be used in on-board diagnostics in vehicles with electric motors. In particular, the vehicle can be a vehicle with only an internal combustion engine, a pure electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0039] In some embodiments, controlling the at least one vehicle function includes: adjusting or regulating at least one operating point of the motor of the vehicle such that the at least one licensing condition is met. The at least one operating point can, for example, include the rotational speed and / or torque of the motor or be the rotational speed and / or torque of the motor. For example, the corresponding licensing conditions for the on-board diagnostics to be carried out can be met by adjusting the rotational speed and / or load of the motor.

[0040] In some embodiments, controlling the at least one vehicle function includes: receiving input data indicating the position of the accelerator pedal or the driver's manipulation of the accelerator pedal, and processing the input data for motor control such that the at least one licensing condition is met based on the motor control. For example, the interpretation of the accelerator pedal position can be carried out on the software side such that the at least one licensing condition is met during the process of motor control.

[0041] Generally, processing the input data for motor control can, for example, include compensating for the driver's accelerator pedal manipulation that exceeds a threshold. In particular, excessive and / or unnecessary manipulation of the accelerator pedal can be compensated or "balanced" on the software side.

[0042] For example, it is possible to compensate for rapid and repeated manipulations of the accelerator pedal by the driver, i.e., "jerking". For this purpose, for example, motor control can be carried out such that, despite the "jerking" of the accelerator pedal, the rotational speed of the motor does not increase excessively. In particular, despite the "jerking" of the accelerator pedal by the driver, the actual rotational speed or the setpoint value for the rotational speed output by the motor control system can also be suitable for performing on-board diagnostics and meeting the corresponding permission conditions. This can be done in particular such that there is no or only a small impact on the actual driving behavior of the vehicle, such as actual acceleration.

[0043] According to the invention, when it is possible to achieve the permission conditions by manipulating or adjusting at least one vehicle function, for example, simply adjusting the motor state, the driving behavior of the driver is actively intervened. When the driver is driving, for example, on a highway under high load and / or high rotational speed, active intervention through on-board diagnostics can be carried out for moderation, in order to adjust, for example, the operating point of the motor necessary for the permission conditions. Thus, a driver who can meet the permission conditions but cannot achieve the conditions due to his (abnormal) behavior can be made "artificially" into such a driver. Here, as long as it is necessary for on-board diagnostics, the intervention can remain present. Thereby, a wider range of driver behaviors can be covered. In addition, the execution of on-board diagnostics can be made simpler and / or the execution of on-board diagnostics can be achieved more frequently.

Claims

1. Method (100) for on-vehicle diagnosis in a vehicle, the method comprising: a) determining (110) whether one or more permission conditions for starting the on-vehicle diagnosis are satisfied; b) when it is determined that at least one of the one or more permission conditions is not satisfied: manipulating (120) at least one vehicle function such that the at least one permission condition is satisfied; and c) starting (130) the on-vehicle diagnosis, wherein, manipulating (120) the at least one vehicle function such that the change in the driving behavior of the vehicle is below the driver's perception threshold, wherein manipulating (120) the at least one vehicle function comprises: receiving input data indicating the driver's manipulation of the accelerator pedal; and processing the input data for motor control such that the at least one permission condition is satisfied based on the motor control, wherein processing the input data for motor control comprises: compensating for the driver's accelerator pedal manipulation exceeding a threshold.

2. The method (100) according to claim 1, wherein, manipulating (120) the at least one vehicle function comprises: adjusting at least one operating point of the motor of the vehicle such that the at least one permission condition is satisfied.

3. The method (100) according to claim 2, wherein, the at least one operating point includes the rotational speed and / or torque of the motor.

4. The method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the method further comprises: d) ending the manipulation of the at least one vehicle function such that the at least one permission condition is satisfied after performing the on-vehicle diagnosis.

5. A storage medium comprising software configured to be implemented on one or more processors and thereby implement the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A system for on-vehicle diagnosis in a vehicle, the system comprising one or more processors configured to implement the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The system according to claim 6, the system comprising the storage medium according to claim 5.

8. A vehicle comprising the system according to claim 6 or 7.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein, the vehicle is a motor vehicle.

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