Method and control unit for determining a control mode for a motor vehicle as well as motor vehicle

Abstract

Method for determining a control mode for a motor vehicle (10), wherein the motor vehicle (10) has at least one camera (15), wherein the motor vehicle (10) has several tires (11) with tire pressure sensors (12), wherein, depending on at least one image of the environment of the motor vehicle (10) captured by the at least one camera (15) and / or depending on the tire pressures of the tires (11) of the motor vehicle (10) detected by the tire pressure sensors (12), it is determined whether the motor vehicle (10) is standing or parked on a surface or is or is being lifted off the surface, wherein, depending on this, the control mode for the motor vehicle (10) is automatically determined.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method and control device for determining a control mode for a motor vehicle and to a motor vehicle.

[0002] DE 10 2012 022 587 A1 discloses a method and a control unit for controlling the function of a power steering system of a motor vehicle. When defined operating parameters are present, particularly during a maintenance operation on a lifting platform, protective measures are automatically initiated to protect the power steering components from damage. The maintenance operation on the lifting platform is detected based on the motor vehicle's air suspension system.

[0003] DE 103 56 378 A1 discloses a method for controlling the function of a driving stability program of a motor vehicle. Based on air suspension sensors, it is detected whether the motor vehicle is in contact with the ground or has lifted off the ground.

[0004] DE 10 2013 018 593 A1 discloses a motor vehicle having a camera for detecting an environment of the motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle has a plurality of tires with tire pressure sensors, and wherein, depending on the tire pressures detected by the tire pressure sensors, it is determined whether the motor vehicle is standing or being parked on a surface or whether the motor vehicle is or is being lifted off the surface.

[0005] DE 10 2022 202 621 A1 discloses a method for operating a steering system of a motor vehicle depending on whether the motor vehicle is at least partially raised.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a novel method and control device for determining a control mode for a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle with such a control device.

[0007] This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1, by a control device according to claim 9 and by a motor vehicle according to claim 11.

[0008] According to the invention, it is automatically determined at least depending on at least one image of the surroundings of the motor vehicle captured by the at least one camera whether the motor vehicle is standing or is being parked on a surface or whether the motor vehicle is or is being lifted off the surface, wherein the control mode for the motor vehicle is automatically determined depending thereon.

[0009] The present invention proposes automatically determining, at least as a function of images of the surroundings of the motor vehicle captured by at least one camera of the motor vehicle, whether the motor vehicle is standing or parked on a surface or has been or is being lifted off the surface. Depending on this, the corresponding control mode for the motor vehicle is then automatically determined. The invention makes it possible to automatically determine, in a particularly advantageous manner, whether the motor vehicle is standing on a surface or is placed on a lifting platform and has been or is being lifted off the surface. A particularly preferred embodiment is one in which the control mode for the motor vehicle is determined on the basis of the images of the surroundings of the motor vehicle captured by the at least one camera and additionally on the basis of the tire pressures detected by the tire pressure sensors.This allows a plausibility check of the variables used to determine the control mode.

[0010] Preferably, the control mode for the motor vehicle is also automatically determined based on a measured value from an acceleration sensor of the motor vehicle. Based on the measured value of the acceleration sensor, further plausibility checks of the variables used to determine the control mode can be performed.

[0011] Preferably, if it is detected that the motor vehicle is standing or parked with all tires on a surface, a drive mode is automatically determined as the control mode for the motor vehicle. If it is detected that the motor vehicle is or is being lifted off the surface with all tires, a workshop mode or lifting platform mode is automatically determined as the control mode for the motor vehicle.

[0012] When the workshop mode or lifting platform mode is determined for the motor vehicle, it may be provided that a high-voltage system of an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle is de-energized.

[0013] Furthermore, an automatic parking brake or, in vehicles with an automatic transmission, a transmission lock can be deactivated in workshop mode or lifting platform mode.

[0014] Furthermore, an air suspension can be deactivated in workshop mode or lifting platform mode.

[0015] Preferably, if it is detected that a motor vehicle is or will be lifted off the ground with only one tire, a jack mode is automatically determined as the control mode for the motor vehicle. The invention makes it possible to distinguish whether a motor vehicle is lifted off the ground with all four wheels using a lifting platform or only in the area of ​​one wheel using a jack.

[0016] Preferably, the determined control mode for the motor vehicle is activated automatically. The automatic activation of a determined control mode is particularly preferred. For example, a workshop mode or lifting platform mode can be activated automatically when the motor vehicle is lifted off a surface. On the other hand, when the vehicle is parked on a surface, the drive mode can be automatically activated and thus the workshop mode or lifting platform mode can be automatically deactivated. Manual access to the motor vehicle control unit is no longer required to activate the corresponding control mode. This means that there is no risk that the workshop, for example, forgets to deactivate a workshop mode or lifting platform mode and hands the motor vehicle over to a customer with the drive mode deactivated.

[0017] Preferred developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the following description. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail, without being limited thereto, with reference to the drawings. Herein: Fig. 1 a block diagram of a motor vehicle to illustrate the invention.

[0018] Fig. Figure 1 shows a highly schematic block diagram of a motor vehicle 10. Four tires 11 of the motor vehicle 10 are shown, with each tire 11 assigned a tire pressure sensor 12. The tire pressure in the respective tire 11 can be measured using the respective tire pressure sensor 12. The tire pressure sensors 12 provide corresponding measurement signals 13 to a control unit 14 of the motor vehicle 10.

[0019] In the illustrated embodiment, the motor vehicle 10 has several cameras 15, with the aid of which images of the surroundings of the motor vehicle can be captured. Fig. 1 shows four exemplary cameras 15, wherein a first camera 15 is assigned to a front area of ​​the motor vehicle, a second camera 15 is assigned to a rear area of ​​the motor vehicle, and further cameras 15 are assigned to side mirrors 16 of the motor vehicle. Each of the cameras 15 can capture an image of the surroundings of the motor vehicle, with the respective camera 15 providing the respective image to the control unit 14 as an input variable 17.

[0020] Furthermore, Fig. 1 an acceleration sensor 18 of the motor vehicle 10. With the acceleration sensor 18 at least a vertical acceleration of the motor vehicle can be detected and a corresponding measured value 19 can be provided to the control unit 14.

[0021] In order to automatically determine a control mode for the motor vehicle 10, it is proposed according to the invention to automatically determine, at least as a function of at least one image of the surroundings of the motor vehicle 10 captured by the at least one camera 15 of the motor vehicle 10 and preferably also as a function of the tire pressures captured by the tire pressure sensors 12, whether the motor vehicle 10 is standing on a surface or is being parked on the surface, or whether the motor vehicle 10 is lifted off the surface or is being lifted off.

[0022] Depending on this, the control mode for the motor vehicle is then automatically determined in order to influence the operation of components of the motor vehicle 10 depending on the determined control mode.

[0023] Preferably, the determined control mode for the motor vehicle 10 is activated automatically. For example, the automatic activation of the control mode allows defined components of the motor vehicle to be automatically activated or deactivated. This depends on the determined and activated control mode of the motor vehicle.

[0024] If it is detected that the motor vehicle 10 is standing on a surface with all tires 11 or is parked on the surface, a driving mode for the motor vehicle is preferably automatically determined and activated as the control mode, which serves to subsequently move the motor vehicle in driving mode. If it is detected that the motor vehicle 10 is lifted off the surface with all tires 11 or is being lifted off the surface, a workshop mode or a lifting platform mode for the motor vehicle is preferably automatically determined as the control mode.

[0025] In workshop mode or lift mode, for example, a high-voltage system in an electric vehicle can be de-energized. Maintenance work can then be carried out safely.

[0026] Furthermore, an automatic parking brake can be deactivated on a vehicle in lift mode or workshop mode. On vehicles with an automatic transmission, a transmission lock can be automatically deactivated in lift mode or workshop mode.

[0027] If the motor vehicle 10 has an air suspension, the air suspension can be deactivated in workshop mode or lifting platform mode.

[0028] In drive mode, the functions or assemblies deactivated for workshop mode or lift mode are reactivated.

[0029] As already explained above, this takes place automatically, at least depending on the images of the surroundings captured by the cameras 15 and preferably also depending on the tire pressures captured by the tire pressure sensors 12.

[0030] In an advantageous development of the invention, several cameras 15 of the motor vehicle 10 capture images of the surroundings of the motor vehicle 10. These cameras 15 can, for example, provide a so-called surround-view camera system or a 360° camera system. ToF (time-of-flight) cameras can be used as cameras 15.

[0031] The control unit 14 determines for each of the cameras 15 individually, based on the images captured by the respective camera 15, whether a distance of the motor vehicle 10 to the ground changes.

[0032] Then, if the control unit 14 determines that the distance of the motor vehicle to the ground decreases simultaneously and in particular uniformly across all cameras 15 or for all cameras 15, it is concluded that the motor vehicle is parked with all tires 12 on the ground.

[0033] If, however, the control unit 14 determines that the distance of the motor vehicle 10 to the ground increases simultaneously and in particular uniformly across all cameras 15 or for all cameras 15, it is concluded that the motor vehicle 10 is lifted off the ground with all tires 11.

[0034] This makes it easy and reliable to determine whether the motor vehicle 10 is on a lifting platform and is being raised or lowered by the lifting platform. Depending on this, the control mode for the motor vehicle 10 can then be automatically determined and activated.

[0035] Alternatively or preferably in addition to the evaluation carried out on the basis of the images captured by the cameras 15 as to whether the motor vehicle 10 is parked on the ground or lifted off the ground, it can be provided that the tire pressure of all wheels 11 determined by the tire pressure sensors 12 is evaluated.

[0036] If it is determined that the tire pressure measured by the tire pressure sensors 12 increases simultaneously and in particular uniformly on all wheels 11, it is concluded that the motor vehicle 10 is parked with all tires 11 on the ground. If, however, it is determined that the tire pressure measured by the tire pressure sensors 12 decreases simultaneously and in particular uniformly on all wheels 11, it is concluded that the motor vehicle is lifted off the ground with all tires 11.

[0037] If, in addition to the evaluation based on the images captured by the cameras 15, the determination of whether the motor vehicle 10 is parked on the ground or lifted off the ground is also based on an evaluation of the tire pressures determined by the tire pressure sensors 12, the evaluations can be checked against each other to determine the control mode even more reliably. In particular, the plausibility check can be carried out in such a way that a conclusion is only drawn about the lifting or lowering of the motor vehicle if, on the one hand, at least one camera 15 captures corresponding images and, at the same time, the tire pressure sensors 12 also measure corresponding tire pressures.

[0038] In this case, if it is determined that the distance of the motor vehicle 10 to the ground decreases simultaneously and preferably uniformly for all cameras 15, and in addition, at the same time, the tire pressure on all tires 11 increases simultaneously and preferably uniformly, it is concluded that the motor vehicle 10 is parked with all tires 11 on the ground.

[0039] Furthermore, in this case, if it is determined that the distance of the motor vehicle 10 to the ground increases simultaneously and preferably uniformly for all cameras 15, and if in addition the tire pressure on all tires 11 decreases simultaneously and preferably uniformly, it is concluded that the motor vehicle 10 is parked with all tires 11 on the ground.

[0040] In addition to the above evaluation, the measured value 19 of the acceleration sensor 18 can also be used for plausibility checks. Acceleration sensors 18 are known that determine the vertical acceleration of the motor vehicle 10. The vertical acceleration of the motor vehicle can be used to verify the plausibility of the raising or lowering of the motor vehicle, which was determined at least based on the images from the cameras 15 and preferably also based on the tire pressure of the tire pressure sensors 12.

[0041] The invention further relates to the control unit 14, which is configured to automatically execute the method described above on the control side.

[0042] The control unit 14 receives the images of the surroundings of the motor vehicle captured by the at least one camera 15 and preferably the tire pressures determined by the tire pressure sensors 12 and evaluates them for the automatic determination and automatic activation of a control mode 10 for the motor vehicle.

[0043] The control unit 14 has data interfaces via which the control unit 14 receives input signals from the cameras 15 and preferably from the tire pressure sensors 12 and, if applicable, from the acceleration sensor 18.

[0044] The evaluation of the received input signals takes place in a processor of the control unit 14. The different control modes can be stored in a memory of the control unit 14.

[0045] As already explained, the determination and, preferably, activation of a control mode occurs automatically. If one control mode is activated, another control mode is deactivated simultaneously. If the workshop mode or lift mode is automatically activated, the drive mode is automatically deactivated. If the drive mode is automatically activated, the workshop mode or lift mode is automatically deactivated.

[0046] Depending on the selected control mode, functions or components of the motor vehicle can be automatically activated or deactivated. These functions or components can be, for example, an automatic parking brake, a transmission lock in automatic transmissions, an air suspension system, a high-voltage system or the like. If, for example, a motor vehicle with an automatic transmission is in drive mode and the vehicle is turned off, the park position in the transmission is automatically engaged in drive mode. This then secures the motor vehicle in drive mode against unwanted rolling away. In order to carry out maintenance work in the workshop, it may be necessary to deactivate the parking lock. In practice and according to the state of the art, this has to be done manually up to now. The invention makes it possible to automatically switch to a workshop mode orThe vehicle can be switched to lift mode, which automatically deactivates the parking lock. The vehicle can then automatically switch back to drive mode. This eliminates the risk of forgetting to activate the parking lock.

[0047] In a further embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the control unit 14 automatically determines, at least on the basis of the input signals provided by the cameras 15 and preferably also on the basis of the input signals provided by the tire pressure sensors 12, whether the motor vehicle is or will be lifted off the ground with only one tire 11, or simultaneously with all tires 11. If the control unit 14 determines that the motor vehicle is lifted off the ground with only one tire 11, a jack mode for the motor vehicle 10 can be automatically determined and activated as the control mode.

[0048] The control unit 14 can be configured to automatically activate at least one camera 15 depending on a driving speed and / or a steering angle, for example, when entering a workshop. Furthermore, the control unit 14 can be configured to automatically activate at least one camera 15 depending on signals from distance sensors of the motor vehicle 10.

Claims

[1] Method for determining a control mode for a motor vehicle (10), wherein the motor vehicle (10) has at least one camera (15) for detecting an environment of the motor vehicle (10), wherein the motor vehicle (10) has a plurality of tires (11) with tire pressure sensors (12), wherein, at least as a function of at least one image of the surroundings of the motor vehicle (10) captured by the at least one camera (15), it is automatically determined whether the motor vehicle (10) is standing or being parked on a surface or whether the motor vehicle (10) is or will be lifted off the surface, wherein the control mode for the motor vehicle (10) is automatically determined as a function thereof. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the determined control mode for the motor vehicle (10) is automatically activated. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that then, if at least depending on the images of the at least one camera (15) and it is detected that the motor vehicle (10) is standing with all tires (11) on the ground or is parked on the ground, a driving mode for the motor vehicle is automatically determined as the control mode, then, if at least depending on the images of the at least one camera (15) and it is recognized that the motor vehicle with all tires (11) is or will be lifted off the ground, a workshop mode or lifting platform mode for the motor vehicle (10) is automatically determined as the control mode. [4] Method according to claim 3, characterized by , that images of the surroundings of the motor vehicle (10) are captured by several cameras (15) of the motor vehicle, for each camera (15) it is determined on the basis of the images captured by the respective camera (15) whether a distance of the motor vehicle (10) to the ground changes, if it is determined that the distance of the motor vehicle (10) to the ground decreases simultaneously and preferably uniformly for all cameras (15), it is concluded that the motor vehicle (10) is parked with all tires (11) on the ground, then, if it is determined that for all cameras (15) the distance of the motor vehicle (10) to the ground increases simultaneously and preferably uniformly, it is concluded that the motor vehicle (10) is lifted off the ground with all tires (11). [5] Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized bythat the automatic determination of whether the motor vehicle (10) is standing or being parked on a surface or whether the motor vehicle (10) is or will be lifted off the surface, and also the automatic determination of the control mode for the motor vehicle (10) is additionally carried out depending on the tire pressures of the tires (11) of the motor vehicle (10) detected by the tire pressure sensors (12). [6] Method according to claim 5, characterized by , that if it is determined that the distance of the motor vehicle (10) to the ground decreases simultaneously and preferably uniformly for all cameras (15), and in addition, at the same time, the tire pressure on all tires (11) increases simultaneously and preferably uniformly, it is concluded that the motor vehicle (10) is parked with all tires (11) on the ground, if it is determined that the distance of the motor vehicle (10) to the ground increases simultaneously and preferably uniformly for all cameras (15), and in addition, at the same time, the tire pressure on all tires (11) decreases simultaneously and preferably uniformly, it is concluded that the motor vehicle (10) is parked with all tires (11) on the ground. [7] Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that when it is detected that the motor vehicle (10) is or will be lifted off the ground with only one tire (11), a jack mode for the motor vehicle is automatically determined as the control mode. [8] Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the control mode for the motor vehicle (10) is also determined depending on a measured value of an acceleration sensor (18) of the motor vehicle. [9] Control unit (14) of a motor vehicle, which is designed to carry out the method according to one of claims 1 to 8. [10] Control device according to claim 9, characterized by that it receives the images of the surroundings of the motor vehicle (10) captured by the at least one camera (15) and the tire pressures determined by the tire pressure sensors (12) and automatically evaluates them to determine a control mode. [11] Motor vehicle, with at least one camera (15) for detecting an environment of the motor vehicle (10), with multiple tires (11) with tire pressure sensors (12), with a control device (14) according to claim 9 or 10.

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