Method for operating electric drive of trailer vehicle for brake control device, computer program and / or computer-readable medium, brake control device, trailer vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (100) for operating an electric drive of a trailer (200b) for a brake control device (205), the trailer (200b) having a drive control device (220) for controlling the electric drive and being designed to be connected to a tractor (200a) by means of communication. A drive slip control signal (350) is received from a control device (250) on the tractor side, and a drive signal (360) is determined in dependence on the drive slip control signal (350). The drive signal (360) is output to a drive control device (220) for operating the electromotive drive.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for operating an electric drive for a trailer using a brake control device, wherein the trailer has a drive control device for managing the drive and is configured to be connected to a tractor unit via communication technology. The invention also relates to a computer program and / or a computer-readable medium, a brake control device for a trailer, and a trailer including an electric drive, a drive control device for managing the drive, and a brake control device, wherein the trailer is configured to be connected to a tractor unit via communication technology. Background Technology

[0002] Such trailers are known in the prior art. Trailers with electrically driven drive systems are a focus of technological development. Electrically driven drive systems for trailers can be used to improve the towing potential of multi-unit vehicles, especially commercial vehicles. Trailers can provide towing, for example, when multi-unit vehicles are stuck and / or traveling on slippery surfaces.

[0003] If the trailer or its electric drive operates independently of the trailer (a so-called "eTrailer-only" strategy), then the trailer itself must decide when to allow the electric drive to operate for start-up assistance purposes. Undesirable and / or incompatible drives could lead to dangerous situations, such as the folding of the vehicle assembly.

[0004] In the field of air suspension, start-up assist is existing technology. In this start-up assist function for semi-trailers, the axles in the rear section of the axle unit are lowered, while the axles in the forward section are raised. This transfers the load to the driving axle of the tractor unit and increases the trailer's towing potential.

[0005] Patent application DE 10 2023 113 656.9, which was not published on the filing date of this invention, describes a method for operating a tractor-trailer combination having a tractor and a trailer, wherein the method includes: detecting a status signal of a drive anti-slip control of the tractor; detecting the speed of the tractor-trailer combination; detecting a speed change of the trailer; and outputting an enable signal for operating the tractor-trailer, taking into account the status signal, a speed-related threshold condition, and the speed change of the trailer.

[0006] DE 10 2019 124 651 A1 discloses a starting assist device for an air-suspension tractor-trailer assembly. This starting assist device has an electronically adjustable or controllable leveling system with valve devices, sensor devices, and control devices for variably adjusting the level of the vehicle structure and the axle load acting on the axles of the tractor-trailer assembly by means of air springs and / or lifting air springs arranged between the vehicle structure and the axles, wherein the trailer has at least one driven air-suspension axle and at least one undriven air-suspension axle. Therefore, the valve devices, sensor devices, and control devices of the leveling system are mounted and / or functionally configured such that the axle load acting on the at least one driven air-suspension axle and the axle load acting on the at least one undriven air-suspension axle of the trailer can be adjusted differently by controlling at least one of the air springs to improve traction during starting.

[0007] If a vehicle combination consisting of a trailer and a tractor is located, for example, on smooth ground and / or in difficult terrain, it may be meaningful to alternatively or supplementarily utilize the traction potential of the trailer's drive axle.

[0008] If specially adapted communication can be achieved between the tractor and trailer (a so-called "integrated eTrailer variant"), then the driver and / or tractor can send appropriate requests to the trailer, for example, by assessing the position of the driving pedals. However, such an integrated eTrailer variant is not typically implemented in the tractor unit. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Therefore, the objective of this invention is to enrich and improve upon the prior art. In particular, the embodiments address the task of improving the traction potential of tractor-trailer combinations based on slip ratio.

[0010] This task is solved by the method according to claim 1 and by the subject matter according to other independent claims. The dependent claims describe improvements to the invention.

[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for operating an electric drive for a trailer using a brake control device, wherein the trailer has a drive control device for managing the drive and is configured to connect to a tractor unit via communication technology. According to the method, a drive anti-slip control signal is received from a control device on the tractor unit side, and a drive signal is determined based on the drive anti-slip control signal. The drive signal is then output to the drive control device to operate the drive.

[0012] The trailer can determine when driving for starting assistance is meaningful and safe based on communication between the tractor and trailer using drive anti-slip control signals. Here, the communication can be standard communication: according to ISO 11992-1:2019-05, "Road vehicles – Exchange of digital information by electrical connection between tractor and trailer – Part 1: Bit transmission layer and protection layer," published in May 2019, the state of drive anti-slip control is transmitted from the tractor to the trailer and can be evaluated by the brake control device on the trailer side. Here, according to ISO 11992, for example, the connection between the brake control device on the tractor side and the brake control device on the trailer can exist, particularly as a point-to-point connection. The connection can be implemented directly or indirectly through a gateway.

[0013] It is recognized that a drive traction control signal may indicate that, although the tractor is pulling, the traction potential of the multi-section vehicle is insufficient to move it. In this situation, support can be provided by a trailer. For this purpose, the trailer receives the drive traction control signal, which determines the drive signal: if the tractor's drive traction control is, for example, enabled, the brake control unit can transmit the drive signal to the electric drive unit, which thus controls or drives the drivable axle.

[0014] Furthermore, it is recognized that the status of the tractor's anti-slip control system must be included in the standard communication according to ISO 11992, specifically in the EBS11 message. Therefore, the anti-slip control signal can be read and further processed by the brake control unit in accordance with the standard to manage the electric drive. The anti-slip control signal sends the following signal to the trailer: the tractor's traction is insufficient. The tractor is therefore "pulling" the trailer by definition, but the traction is insufficient to keep the trailer in motion and / or maintain motion. Because movement of the trailer is effectively prevented in this situation, the method can be implemented without safety risks.

[0015] Optionally, the drive signal includes a torque requirement. It is already recognized that the brake control unit can determine whether and / or how to drive according to the drive anti-slip control signal, and thus transmit the torque requirement to the drive control unit. The drive control unit then implements the torque requirement. A relatively simple drive control unit can be used here.

[0016] Optionally, the drive signal includes slip ratio information corresponding to the drive anti-slip control signal, used to determine the torque requirement by the drive control device. It is understood that the brake control device can optionally transmit the drive anti-slip control signal as slip ratio information without modification to the drive control device, and the drive control device determines whether and / or how to drive, and thus determines the torque requirement from the slip ratio information. Here, functions reflecting the characteristics of an electrically driven drive, such as absolute and / or temperature-induced torque and / or power limits, can be considered implemented in the drive control device.

[0017] Optionally, the method includes: determining the service brake state, and the determination and / or output of the drive signal depending on the service brake state. It is recognized here that the operation of the service brake may conflict with drive through the driver. Therefore, the service brake state can affect the drive signal. For example, if the service brake state indicates braking, then a drive signal may not be required. The service brake state here could be the state of the trailer's service brake.

[0018] Optionally, the method includes detecting a disable signal from the control device on the tractor side, and the determination and / or output of the drive signal depends on the disable signal. It is recognized here that driving without a drive anti-slip control signal can be unsafe: if the anti-slip control signal from the tractor is disabled, then the drive torque should be reduced and / or the electric drive should be disabled.

[0019] Optionally, the determination and / or output of the drive signal depends on the trailer speed and / or the cornering signal. Based on the trailer speed, the drive can be used as a starting assist function, for example, by limiting the drive from a standstill, above which a speed threshold is introduced, thus excluding the drive as a starting assist function. The cornering signal identifies whether the trailer and / or the tractor-trailer combination is traveling in a curve. Here, the cornering signal can be used to avoid an undesirable increase in the turning angle, i.e., the angle between the tractor and the trailer.

[0020] Optionally, the method includes: determining and outputting an activation signal for the lifting axle used to operate the trailer, taking into account the drive anti-slip control signal. It is understood that the lifting axle can be manipulated in addition to traction control. The lifting axle can be the axle of the trailer and / or the tractor unit. Multiple lifting axles can also be activated. Optionally, to determine the activation signal, the speed of the tractor-trailer combination and / or the speed change of the trailer are detected. Activating the lifting axle to raise it, for example, to provide start-up assistance, is optionally suitable not only for the drive anti-slip control signal but also for a drive anti-slip control signal combined with speed and speed changes. Therefore, the number of times the lifting axle is activated can be significantly reduced, especially avoiding activation in potentially unnecessary situations. This allows for improvements in automatic lifting axle functionality. The function of controlling the lifting axle via the drive anti-slip control signal is not limited to start-up assistance but can also include other functions for improving maneuverability and / or deloading the drive axle in partially loaded areas.

[0021] Optionally, the drive signal defines the drive mode for operating the drive unit, wherein, depending on the drive mode, driving is performed below a speed threshold, driving is performed with increased torque, driving is performed with increased slip ratio, and driving is permitted by the traction of the tractor and / or influences the shifting strategy. It is recognized here that the drive unit's operation can be influenced in such a way that additional possibilities or a range of drive modes are provided.

[0022] According to another aspect of the invention, a computer program and / or a computer-readable medium are provided. The computer program and / or computer-readable medium include instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described herein and / or the steps of the methods described herein. The computer program and / or computer-readable medium may include instructions to perform the method steps, which are optionally described, to achieve the corresponding technical effects.

[0023] According to another aspect of the invention, a brake control device for a trailer is provided, wherein the brake control device is configured to perform the above-described method and / or method steps. The brake control device may be configured to perform the method steps described as optional and / or implement optional features of the method in order to achieve the corresponding technical effects.

[0024] According to another aspect of the invention, a trailer is provided, comprising an electric drive, a drive control device for controlling the drive, and the aforementioned brake control device, wherein the trailer is configured to be connected to a tractor unit via communication technology. Optionally, the trailer and / or the brake control device have one or more of the features described above as optional, in order to achieve the relevant technical effects. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Further advantages and features of the present invention, as well as its technical effects, become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description of the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings. Herein, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a tractor-trailer combination having a trailer according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the process of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 3 A further schematic diagram illustrating the flow of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; and Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a computer program and / or computer-readable medium according to one aspect of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a tractor-trailer assembly 200 having a trailer 200b according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0027] The tractor-trailer combination 200 is a commercial vehicle and a land vehicle. The tractor-trailer combination 200 includes a tractor 200a and a trailer 200b. The tractor 200a and trailer 200b are both land vehicles. The trailer 200b is connected to the tractor 200a, enabling the tractor 200a to pull, brake, and / or more generally move the trailer 200b.

[0028] The tractor-trailer combination 200 has multiple axles 202. Here, the tractor 200a has axles 202, and the trailer 200b also has axles 202. At least one axle 205 of the tractor 200a is a tractor-side drive axle 201. To enable driving and / or braking of the wheels (not shown) of the tractor-side drive axle 201, the tractor 200a has an electrically driven actuator (not shown). To operate the tractor-side drive axle 201, the tractor 200a has a tractor-side control device 250 configured to perform drive anti-slip control.

[0029] The tractor-side control device 250 is configured to manage the operation of one or more wheels of the drive axle 201 on the tractor side. For this purpose, the tractor-side control device 250 is configured to detect and process information related to driving dynamics. Specifically, the tractor-side control device 250 is configured to detect and / or obtain wheel speed and vehicle speed in order to determine the slip ratio. The tractor-side control device 250 is configured to manage the operation of one or more wheels of the drive axle 201 on the tractor side according to the slip ratio.

[0030] The tractor-mounted control unit 250 is configured to transmit a drive anti-slip control signal 350 to the trailer 200b when intervention is initiated via drive anti-slip control. For this purpose, the trailer 200b has a brake control unit 205. The tractor-mounted control unit 250 and the brake control unit 205 are interconnected via communication technology, for example, by means of a connection according to ISO 11992. The brake control unit 205 is configured to receive and process the drive anti-slip control signal 350 and optional additional messages via the communication technology connection.

[0031] Trailer 200b has a trailer-side drive axle 203, a drive unit 215 for driving the trailer-side drive axle 203, and a drive control unit 220 for controlling the drive unit 215. Here, the drive unit 215 is, for example, an electric drive unit, which can drive trailer 200b by converting electrical energy into mechanical or rotational energy of one or more wheels of the trailer-side drive axle 203.

[0032] Trailer 200b has a lift axle 210 (in Figure 1 (Shown only schematically) that the axle 202 is configured as a lift axle 210. The lift axle 210 is configured to selectively deload and / or raise one or more wheels of the axle 202 configured as a lift axle 210 from the road surface, and to load and / or lower one or more wheels onto the road surface. Raising and / or loading, and lowering and / or deloading, are referred to as lift axle functions. To perform such lift axle functions, the lift axle 210 can be operated electrically and / or pneumatically. In addition, the trailer 200b has one or more non-drive axles 206 (not labeled), i.e., axles 202, on which no driving torque is transmitted and / or can be transmitted via the drive 215.

[0033] Trailer 200b or brake control device 205 are configured to respectively perform in Figure 2 and Figure 3 Method 100 is described in the text. Therefore, the operation of drive 215 can be controlled. The operation reference for drive 215 is provided. Figure 2 and Figure 3 Described.

[0034] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the flow of method 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. According to... Figure 2 Method 100 is a method for operating an electrically driven drive 215 using a brake control device 205 for a trailer 200b, wherein the trailer 200b has a drive control device 220 for controlling the drive 215 and is configured to connect to the tractor 200a via communication technology. This trailer 200b is referenced... Figure 1 Described. Figure 2refer to Figure 1 Described.

[0035] according to Figure 2 Method 100 includes receiving a drive anti-slip control signal 350 from a control device 250 on the tractor side. Here, the brake control device 205 receives the drive anti-slip control signal 350 from the control device 250 on the tractor side. The drive anti-slip control signal 350 is configured to indicate the activation of drive anti-slip control.

[0036] Method 100 includes: detecting 115 a disable signal 330 from the control device 250 on the tractor side (see...) Figure 1 The disable signal 330 is configured to indicate the disabling of the anti-slip control. The disable signal 330 is a dedicated signal describing the disabling of the anti-slip control. Alternatively, the disable signal 330 may be optional if the anti-slip control signal 350 is transmitted during anti-slip control intervention and disappears when the anti-slip control is disabled. The disappearance of the anti-slip control signal 350 can indicate the disabling of the anti-slip control. The disable signal 330 and the anti-slip control signal 350 can be transmitted via the same connection.

[0037] Method 100 includes: determining the service brake status 370. The brake control device 205 can query the service brake status 370. The service brake status 370 indicates the operating condition of the trailer-side service brake (not shown), i.e., whether and / or how the service brake is operated to brake the trailer 200b. The service brake can be triggered here by the driver of the tractor-trailer combination 200 and / or by automated driving functions. Alternatively or additionally, the service brake status 370 can be queried via a vehicle bus (e.g., a CAN bus).

[0038] Method 100 includes determining a drive signal 360 based on a drive anti-slip control signal 350. Here, the drive signal 360 is determined or established if the drive anti-slip control signal 350 is received and / or indicates intervention via drive anti-slip control. Otherwise, if the drive anti-slip control signal 350 is not received and / or indicates no intervention via drive anti-slip control, then the drive signal 360 is unnecessary.

[0039] Method 100 includes determining an activation signal 320 for the lift axle 210 of the trailer 200b, taking into account the drive anti-skid control signal 350. Here, the lift axle 210 can be activated or manipulated to increase the traction potential of the drive axle 203 on the trailer side. For this purpose, the lift axle 210 can be raised and / or lowered.

[0040] Method 100 includes: outputting a drive signal 360 130 to a drive control device 220 to operate the drive 215. The drive signal 360 includes a torque requirement 362 (see...). Figure 1 Here, the electric drive 215 can directly achieve the torque requirement 362. Additionally or alternatively, the drive signal 360 includes slip ratio information 361 corresponding to the drive anti-slip control signal 350 (see...). Figure 1 This is used to determine the torque requirement 362 via the drive control device 220. Here, the drive control device 220 can determine the torque requirement 362 according to the slip ratio information 361, and optionally process information related to the drive 215.

[0041] The determination 120 and / or output 130 of the drive signal 360 depends on the service brake state 370. Here, if the service brake state 370 indicates that no braking or maneuvering is being performed by the service brake, then the drive signal 360 is determined or established and / or output. Otherwise, if the service brake state 370 indicates that braking or maneuvering is being performed by the service brake, then the drive signal 360 is determined and / or output.

[0042] The determination 120 and / or output 130 of the drive signal 360 depends on the disable signal 330. Here, if the brake control device 205 receives the disable signal 330; in other words, if the anti-slip control is disabled, the determination 120 and / or output 130 of the drive signal 360 may not be performed.

[0043] The determination 120 and / or output 130 of the drive signal 360 depends on the speed 310 and / or the curve signal 315 of the trailer 200c. For this purpose, the speed 310 and / or the curve signal 315 can be received by the tractor 200a via CAN messages and / or obtained by the wheel speed sensors, respectively.

[0044] Drive signal 360 defines a drive mode 365 for operating drive 215. Here, according to drive mode 365, driving is performed below a speed threshold, i.e., especially during start-up. Alternatively or supplementarily, driving is performed with increased torque to improve support of tractor 200a via trailer 200b. Alternatively or supplementarily, driving is performed with increased slip ratio. Alternatively or supplementarily, driving allows for pushing and / or influencing the shifting strategy via tractor 200a.

[0045] Method 100 includes: outputting an enable signal 320 (135) to operate the lift axle 210. If drive anti-slip control is enabled, the speed of the tractor-trailer combination 200 is detected and compared with a speed-related threshold condition. The threshold condition includes a threshold speed. If the speed is less than the threshold speed and / or the speed change of the trailer 200b is negative, then the enable signal 320 (135) is output. In other words, for example, start-up assist is enabled at low speeds and / or when stationary to operate the lift axle 210. The threshold speed here could be, for example, 10 km / h.

[0046] Figure 3 A further schematic diagram of the flow of method 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 describe.

[0047] according to Figure 3 The slip ratio of the drive axle 201 on the tractor side is identified. For example, the control device 250 on the tractor side for the electronic braking system (EBS) thus sends a drive anti-slip control signal 350 (ASR state) to the brake control device 205 (EBS system of trailer 200b).

[0048] The brake control device 205 receives, for example via an ISO 11992 interface, a drive anti-skid control signal 350 from the control device 250 on the tractor side.

[0049] The drive signal 360 is determined 120 based on the drive anti-skid control signal 350. Here, the determination 119 of the service brake state 370 and the determination 120 of the drive signal 360 depend on the service brake state 370. In other words, it checks whether the service brake of the trailer 200b is activated.

[0050] The brake control unit 205 sends a drive request to the drive control unit 220. Therefore, a drive signal 360 is output 130 from the brake control unit 205 to the drive control unit 220. Consequently, the drive control unit 220 sends a torque request 362 to the drive 215, which implements the torque corresponding to the torque request 362.

[0051] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a computer program and / or computer-readable medium 400 according to one aspect of the present invention is shown. The computer program and / or computer-readable medium 400 includes instructions (not shown) that, when executed by a brake control device 205, cause the brake control device to perform actions according to... Figure 2 and / or Figure 3 Method 100 and / or the steps of Method 100.

[0052] These instructions can exist as program code in any code or language, especially code applicable to controlling motor vehicles. The computer program and / or computer-readable medium 400 can be or include any digital data storage device, such as a USB stick, hard drive, CD-ROM, SD card, or SSD card. The computer program does not necessarily need to be stored on such computer-readable storage media, but can also be invoked via the Internet or other means.

[0053] List of reference numerals (part of the instruction manual)

[0054] 100 methods

[0055] 105 Identify slip ratio

[0056] 110 received

[0057] 115 Inspection

[0058] 119 Determine the status of the service brakes

[0059] 120 Determine the drive signal

[0060] 125 Confirm Enable Signal

[0061] 130 Output drive signal

[0062] 135 Output Enable Signal

[0063] 200 tractor-trailer combination, multi-section vehicle

[0064] 200a tractor

[0065] 200b trailer

[0066] 201 Drive axle on the tractor side

[0067] 202 Axle

[0068] 203 Drive axle on the trailer side

[0069] 205 Brake control device

[0070] 210 Lifting Bridge

[0071] 215 drive

[0072] 220 Drive Control Unit

[0073] 250 Control device on the side of the tractor

[0074] 310 speed

[0075] 315 Curve Signal

[0076] 320 Enable Signal

[0077] 330 Disable signal

[0078] 350 Drive Anti-Slip Control Signal

[0079] 360 drive signal

[0080] 361 Slip Ratio Information

[0081] 362 Torque Requirement

[0082] 365 Drive Mode

[0083] 370 Service Brake Status

[0084] 400 Computer programs and / or computer-readable media

Claims

1. A method (100) for a brake control device (205) for operating an electric drive (215) of a trailer (200b), wherein, The trailer (200b) has a drive control device (220) for controlling the drive unit (215) and is configured to connect with the tractor (200a) via communication technology, and the method (100) includes: - Receive (110) drive anti-skid control signal (350) from the control device (250) on the tractor side; - The drive signal (360) is determined (120) based on the drive anti-slip control signal (350); and - Output the drive signal (360) (130) to the drive control device (220) to run the drive (215).

2. The method (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The drive signal (360) includes a torque requirement (362).

3. The method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The drive signal (360) includes slip ratio information (361) corresponding to the drive anti-slip control signal (350) for determining torque requirements (362) by the drive control device (220).

4. The method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The method (100) includes determining (119) the service brake state (370), and wherein the determination (120) and / or output (130) of the drive signal (360) depends on the service brake state (370).

5. The method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The method (100) includes detecting (115) a disable signal (330) from a control device (250) on the tractor side, and the determination (120) and / or output (130) of the drive signal (360) depends on the disable signal (330).

6. The method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The determination (120) and / or output (130) of the drive signal (360) depends on the speed (310) of the trailer (200c) and / or the curve signal (315).

7. The method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The method (100) includes: - Determine (125) an activation signal (320) for operating the lifting axle (210) of the trailer (200b) in consideration of the drive anti-slip control signal (350); and - Output (135) the enable signal (320).

8. The method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The drive signal (360) defines a drive mode (365) for operating the driver (215), wherein, according to the drive mode (365), the drive is performed below a speed threshold, the drive is performed with increased torque, the drive is performed with increased slip ratio, and the drive is permitted by the traction vehicle (200a) and / or influences the shifting strategy.

9. A computer program and / or a computer-readable medium (400), the computer program and / or computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a brake control device (205), cause the brake control device to perform the method (100) and / or the steps of the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. Brake control device (205) for trailer (200b), wherein, The brake control device (205) is configured to perform the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and / or the steps of the method (100).

11. A trailer (200b), said trailer comprising an electric drive unit (215), a drive control unit (220) for controlling said drive unit (215), and a brake control unit (205) according to claim 10, wherein, The trailer (200b) is configured to connect with the tractor (200a) via communication technology.

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