System and method for vehicle component behavior assessment

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for evaluating the behavior of a vehicle component, and in particular to such a device and a method for evaluating the behavior of a vehicle component that varies as a result of wear. The task of the invention is to overcome the disadvantages inherent in the prior art and to provide a teaching which enables automated operation of a motor vehicle having vehicle component behavior that changes as a result of wear. The invention relates to a method for evaluating the behavior of a vehicle component, comprising the following steps: emitting a control signal to a vehicle component by means of a control unit of a motor vehicle, detecting a response of the motor vehicle to the control signal, ascertaining a behavior of the vehicle component, classifying the behavior of the vehicle component, and adapting an actuation of the vehicle component by means of the control unit. This is achieved such that the control process is adapted to the changed vehicle component behavior.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention application with application number 202080092574.X, application date December 29, 2020, and invention name “System and method for vehicle component behavior evaluation”. Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to a device and a method for evaluating the behavior of a vehicle component and in particular to such a device and such a method for evaluating the behavior of a vehicle component which changes due to wear. Background Art

[0003] Vehicle components can be subject to changes due to wear during medium to long term operation. This results in a generally non-constant vehicle behavior. Thus, for example, wear of the brake pads can increase the air gap between the brake disc and the brake pad and thus lead to a prolonged dead time, i.e. a prolonged duration from the issuance of the brake signal until the brake takes effect. Likewise, for example, wear of the brake discs can reduce the overall braking power or wear of the drive system can reduce the drive power.

[0004] During manual driving operation, the human driver, in his task as vehicle driver, will compensate for these unknown behaviors and adapt his vehicle driving behavior to the current vehicle state.

[0005] In contrast, in assisted driving operation, the control unit is often specifically adapted to the specific characteristics of the target system and thus to the specific behavior of the vehicle components. If the behavior or the state of the vehicle components changes, the system cannot react to this or reacts only to a limited extent.

[0006] Until now, for example, the influence of individual components in a vehicle has not been taken into account or has only been taken into account to a limited extent when evaluating the behavior of the vehicles in a convoy, and the focus has instead been on the overall vehicle behavior. The focus of the present application extends the evaluation of vehicle convoys to also individual systems and components. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a teaching which makes it possible to enable automated operation of motor vehicles having vehicle components whose behavior changes due to wear.

[0008] This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and a system according to claim 4. Advantageous developments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0009] The present invention discloses a method for evaluating the behavior of a vehicle component of a steering system and / or a drive system of a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:

[0010] During driving of the motor vehicle, a control signal is sent by a controller of the motor vehicle to a vehicle component of a steering system and / or a drive system of the vehicle, wherein the control signal is a steering intervention signal for the steering system or a drive signal for the drive system.

[0011] detecting a reaction of the motor vehicle to the control signal during driving of the motor vehicle by means of an acceleration sensor, an inclination sensor and / or a rotation sensor in order to detect a reaction to a lateral acceleration, a rotation or inclination about a vertical axis due to a steering intervention or a reaction to a positive longitudinal acceleration due to a drive intervention,

[0012] By means of the detected reaction of the motor vehicle, a change in the dead-time behavior of the drive system and / or steering system of the vehicle and a change in the steering power or drive power of the vehicle over time during the driving of the motor vehicle are determined by means of a statistical algorithm,

[0013] Based on an artificial intelligence algorithm, the changes in the ineffective time behavior of the vehicle's drive system and / or steering system and the changes in the vehicle's steering power or drive power are classified,

[0014] The control unit adapts the drive system and / or steering system of the motor vehicle to the change in the dead time behavior of the drive system and / or steering system of the vehicle and to the change in the steering power or driving power of the vehicle.

[0015] Furthermore, it is disclosed that the detecting step, the ascertaining step and the classifying step are performed by a controller.

[0016] Furthermore, it is disclosed that the reaction detected is an acceleration detection, a rotation detection or an inclination detection, and the control signal is a steering intervention signal for a steering system, a braking signal for a braking system or a drive signal for a drive system.

[0017] It is further disclosed that the method further comprises the following steps: transmitting the detected reaction information of the motor vehicle to an external information system having a processing unit via a data transmission network, wherein the ascertaining step and the classification step are performed by the processing unit, and the information about the classified vehicle component behavior is transmitted to the control unit via the data transmission network.

[0018] Furthermore, it is disclosed that the vehicle component behavior is dead time, braking power, steering power or drive power.

[0019] Furthermore, a system for evaluating the behavior of a vehicle component is disclosed, the system comprising a motor vehicle having a controller having at least one sensor for detecting the behavior of the motor vehicle, and at least one controlled vehicle component, wherein the system is configured to perform a method according to any of the previously disclosed method aspects.

[0020] Furthermore, it is disclosed that the at least one controlled vehicle component is a steering system, a braking system or a drive system.

[0021] Furthermore, it is disclosed that the at least one sensor is an acceleration sensor, a rotation sensor or an inclination sensor.

[0022] Furthermore, it is disclosed that the system further comprises an external information system having a data processing unit and a data network interface of the controller, via which a communication connection with the external information system having the processing unit can be established.

[0023] The object of the invention is to analyze the initially unknown behavior of one or more systems and individual components in a vehicle or a vehicle train and to evaluate the behavior and state of said one or more systems and individual components. This can be done by passively monitoring or actively responding to input variables in the system or component and detecting vehicle reactions, for example via sensors or output variables made available on a data link.

[0024] With the aid of the evaluated states and the evaluated behaviors, control algorithms can be optimized once or continuously in order to take into account, for example, the dead time behavior of the brake system, the drive system and / or the steering system.

[0025] With the aid of the evaluated states and the evaluated behaviors, an evaluation can be made regarding wear phenomena and / or faulty functionality, for example by braking the vehicle to a lower degree while external influences remain constant. Based on this evaluation, information, indications, warnings and alarms can be generated, which are further processed in the vehicle itself or in an external information system.

[0026] With the aid of the evaluated states and the evaluated behaviors, it is possible, for example, to generate indications about favorable or unfavorable vehicle configurations by long-term observation. With the aid of external information systems that can be connected via the Internet, it is possible, for example, to compare different vehicle configurations and thereby generate indications for future developments. For example, steering systems and brake systems from different manufacturers interact with one another and have a significant influence on the longitudinal and transverse guidance behavior of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a vehicle component behavior evaluation system according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following reference Figure 1 A first embodiment of the vehicle component behavior evaluation system according to the present invention is described.

[0030] The motor vehicle 2, for example a truck, is equipped with an electronic control unit 4 (ECU) and vehicle components such as a steering system 6, a brake system 8 and a drive system 10. The electronic control unit 4 is connected to the steering system 6, the brake system 8 and the drive system 10 via one or more data connections 12. In this embodiment, the data connection 12 is realized via a CAN bus.

[0031] The controller 4 has sensors, such as one or more acceleration sensors 41, rotation sensors 42 and inclination sensors 43, with which the longitudinal and transverse accelerations of the motor vehicle 2 can be detected, with which the rotation of the motor vehicle 1 about a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis or a vertical axis can be detected, and with which the inclination of the motor vehicle can be detected. The steering system 6, the brake system 8 and the drive system 10 can be controlled via the data connection 12, for example, a brake signal can be transmitted to the brake system 8. Alternatively, the controller 4 receives data from external sensors connected via data lines.

[0032] If the control unit 4 now outputs a control signal to a vehicle component, i.e., for example, a steering signal to the steering system 6, a braking signal to the braking system 8, or a power change signal to the drive system 10, the control unit detects the reaction of the motor vehicle 1 by means of its sensors 41, 42, 43, such as a lateral acceleration, a rotation or tilting about a vertical axis due to a steering intervention, a negative longitudinal acceleration due to a braking intervention, or a positive longitudinal acceleration due to a drive intervention. The control unit 4 can determine the behavior of the vehicle components from these, such as the inactivity time of the vehicle components (i.e., the duration from the issuance of the control signal to the activation of the vehicle component), the braking power, or the drive power. This determination is performed each time a control signal is issued, so that, for example, a change in the behavior of the vehicle components over time can be detected by means of a statistical algorithm, and the behavior of the vehicle components can be evaluated and classified, for example, by means of an algorithm based on artificial intelligence.

[0033] Changes in the behavior of vehicle components due to wear generally have an impact on the control quality of, for example, an automated or autonomous control of a motor vehicle. By detecting changes in the behavior of vehicle components, the actuation of the vehicle components can be adapted to the changes and the control quality can thus be improved, which can be reflected in increased safety and increased comfort.

[0034] In a variant of the first embodiment, the controller 4 has a data network interface 44, in particular a data wide area network interface, such as a GSM module, a UMTS module or an LTE module. Through the data wide area network interface 44, it is possible to connect to a telematics system 16 having a data processing unit 18 through a data wide area network 14, such as the Internet. The control signal sent by the controller 4 is transmitted to the telematics system 16 together with the detected sensor information through the data wide area network, and the data processing unit 18 replaces the controller 4 for detection, analysis, evaluation and classification. Then, the evaluated and classified data is transmitted back to the controller through the data communication network 14, and the control of the vehicle components is matched correspondingly to the classification by the controller. By transferring the detection, analysis, evaluation and classification from the controller 4 to the data processing device 18, the controller can be exempted from the burden of intensive calculation, and can be configured accordingly with a scale having lower computing power, or can avoid overload.

[0035] This embodiment is merely an exemplary configuration of the present invention as defined by the claims, and does not constitute a limitation on the present invention defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that configurations different from this embodiment are possible within the scope of protection of the claims.

[0036] Therefore, in this embodiment, the controller is provided with sensors 41, 42, 43. Alternatively, the sensors 41, 42, 43 can also be connected to the controller via the data connection 12 and can be read. Alternatively, the sensors can also be arranged in vehicle components such as the steering system 6, the brake system 8 or the drive system 10 and can be read by the controller 4.

[0037] The exemplary embodiment relates to a motor vehicle 2. Alternatively, the system can detect, evaluate and classify component behaviors of vehicle components in a vehicle train.

[0038] In this embodiment, the detection, analysis and classification are performed when each control signal is issued by the controller. Alternatively, the detection, analysis and classification can be performed at longer intervals, such as when each 100th control signal is issued, or at fixed time intervals, such as once an hour, or when a control signal meets a specific judgment criterion, such as when the control process exceeds a specific significance.

[0039] In this exemplary embodiment, the controller 4 has a data network interface 44. Alternatively, the data network interface 44 can be part of a vehicle component such as the steering system 6, the brake system 8 or the drive system 10, or part of another controller connected to the controller 4 via the data connection 12.

[0040] In this embodiment, a specific data connection is mentioned, such as a CAN bus or a GSM connection, a UMTS connection or a LTE connection. Any other technology that a person skilled in the art considers suitable may also be used.

[0041] In this specification, the terms "and", "or" and "either...or..." are used as conjunctions in the sense of logical conjunction ("and" in mathematics), as conjunctions in the sense of logical disjunction ("or" in mathematics, also usually "and / or"), and as conjunctions in the sense of logical exclusion ("xor" in mathematics).

[0042] The method steps given in the description or in the claims are intended only to list the necessary method steps. The method steps given imply an order only in the case where this order is explicitly given or is derived as necessary for a person skilled in the art. In particular, this listing is not intended to be an exhaustive enumeration.

[0043] Reference Mark List

[0044] 2Motor vehicles and trucks

[0045] 4 Electronic controller

[0046] 5. Steering system

[0047] 8Brake system

[0048] 10. Drive system

[0049] 12 Data Connection

[0050] 14 Data WAN

[0051] 16 Telematics System

[0052] 18 Data processing device

[0053] 41 Acceleration sensor

[0054] 42 Rotation Sensor

[0055] 43 Tilt sensor

[0056] 44 Data WAN interface

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the behavior of a vehicle component of a steering system and / or a drive system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: During driving of the motor vehicle, a control signal is sent to a vehicle component of a steering system and / or a drive system of the vehicle by a controller (4) of the motor vehicle (2), wherein the control signal is a steering intervention signal for the steering system (6) or a drive signal for the drive system (10). The reaction of the motor vehicle (2) to the control signal is detected by means of acceleration sensors, inclination sensors and / or rotation sensors during driving of the motor vehicle in order to detect a reaction to a lateral acceleration, a rotation or inclination about a vertical axis due to a steering intervention, or a reaction to a positive longitudinal acceleration due to a drive intervention, By means of the detected reaction of the motor vehicle, a change in the dead-time behavior of the drive system and / or steering system of the vehicle and a change in the steering power or drive power of the vehicle over time during the driving of the motor vehicle are determined by means of a statistical algorithm, Based on an artificial intelligence algorithm, the changes in the ineffective time behavior of the vehicle's drive system and / or steering system and the changes in the vehicle's steering power or drive power are classified, The control unit (4) adapts the actuation of the drive system and / or steering system of the motor vehicle to changes in the dead time behavior of the drive system and / or steering system of the vehicle and changes in the steering power or driving power of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The detection step, the determination step and the classification step are performed by the controller (4).

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the following steps: The detected reaction information of the motor vehicle is transmitted to an external information system (16) having a processing unit (18) via a data transmission network (14), wherein: The obtaining step and the classifying step are performed by the processing unit (18), and Information about the classified behavior of vehicle components is transmitted to the control unit (4) via the data transmission network (14).

4. A system for evaluating the behavior of components of a steering system and / or a drive system of a vehicle, the system comprising: Controller (4), at least one sensor (41, 42, 43) for detecting the behavior of the motor vehicle, the at least one sensor being an acceleration sensor (41), a rotation sensor (42) or an inclination sensor (43), and in, The system is configured to carry out a method according to any of the preceding method claims.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein: The at least one sensor (41, 42, 43) is provided by the control unit (4) or the at least one controlled vehicle component (6, 8, 10) and is either a separate component or a component of another component which is connected to the control unit (4) via a data connection (12).

6. The system according to claim 4, further comprising: an external information system (16) having a data processing unit (18), and A data network interface (44) via which a communication connection can be established with the external information system (16) having the processing unit (18).

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein: The data network interface (44) is provided by the control unit (4) either as a separate component or as a component of another component which is connected to the control unit (4) via a data connection (12).

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