Method for adjusting a vehicle's performance data to adapt to routes to be travelled

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for adjusting the performance data of a vehicle to adapt it to the routes to be driven, in which the performance data are determined depending on the driving characteristics of a driver. In a method by which the driving behavior of the vehicle is improved depending on the driving characteristics of the driver, the performance data of the vehicle are limited situationally based on the determined driving characteristics of the driver.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for adjusting performance data of a vehicle to adapt to routes to be traveled, in which the performance data are determined depending on the driving characteristics of a driver.

[0002] High-performance vehicles driven on race tracks can overwhelm less experienced drivers and pose the risk that the driver will exceed the speed or acceleration range appropriate to his or her abilities.

[0003] DE 10 2023 000 160 A1 discloses a method for operating a plurality of assistance systems in a vehicle, in which at least one driver assistance system is activated or deactivated depending on a detected current geoposition of the vehicle. The activation or deactivation of the respective driver assistance system occurs depending on the driver's characteristics.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a method for adjusting performance data of a vehicle to adapt to routes to be traveled, with which the driving behavior of the vehicle is improved depending on the driving characteristics of the driver.

[0005] The invention is based on the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of the dependent claims. Further features, possible applications, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the explanation of exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0006] The problem is solved by the subject matter of patent claim 1.

[0007] In the method described above for adjusting a vehicle's performance data to suit the routes to be traveled, in which the performance data is determined and stored based on the driver's driving characteristics, the vehicle's performance data is limited situationally based on the determined driving characteristics. This adapts the vehicle's performance data to the difficulty level of the selected route to be traveled by the driver. The vehicle's performance data is thus automatically varied so that the driver can reliably control the vehicle under the specified conditions.

[0008] In a further embodiment, the driver's determined driving characteristics are assigned to one of several skill levels. Different limitations of the vehicle's performance data are assigned to each skill level. The performance data limitations corresponding to the selected skill level are specified for the vehicle when driving the selected route. The driver's driving behavior can be adapted to the situational road conditions, the route layout, and the current weather. The skill level can be specified automatically by the vehicle or manually by the driver.

[0009] In one embodiment, the skill level is determined based on the driver's driving ability determined during a trip and / or based on training or driver training completed by the driver and / or determined by the driver themselves. This allows the driver's skill level to be easily adapted to different route layouts, especially as the driver progresses.

[0010] In a further embodiment, the driver's driving ability is determined based on parameters corresponding to the vehicle's behavior, in particular cornering speed, sideslip angle, braking points, and / or steering angle. The measured parameters are stored and can be compared with the currently measured parameters during further driving on the selected route and used to assess the driver's ability level.

[0011] In a further embodiment, the driver's driving skills are compared with reference parameters measured by a professional driver while driving the selected route and corresponding to the highest skill level. The comparison results in the driver's driving skills being assigned to one of the skill levels. This allows the skill level to be automatically determined and categorized.

[0012] In a further embodiment, the performance data assigned to each skill level includes different limits for the vehicle's maximum power and / or maximum torque and / or maximum driving speed, which are specified for the vehicle when a skill level is selected. Specifying these maximum limits ensures that the driver, on difficult routes such as race tracks, operates within a power, torque, and speed range that corresponds to their driving ability, thereby increasing their safety.

[0013] In a further embodiment, the route to be traveled is determined automatically using a position determination or by manual input, whereby geodata associated with the vehicle's position is taken into account when selecting the driver's skill level. The vehicle's built-in navigation system can be used for route recording, allowing for easy access to frequently traveled routes, such as commuter routes. This also allows the vehicle's performance parameters to be limited depending on the route and / or current weather conditions.

[0014] Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the following description, which describes at least one exemplary embodiment in detail. Described features may form the subject matter of the invention alone or in any meaningful combination, possibly independently of the claims, and may, in particular, also be the subject matter of one or more separate applications.

[0015] An embodiment of the method according to the invention will be explained below.

[0016] To fully exploit the performance capabilities of a high-performance passenger car, the vehicle manufacturer provides race tracks on which this can be done. To analyze driver behavior, it is compared with objective criteria. These objective criteria are based on the driving characteristics recorded by a professional racing driver during a reference lap or generated as a result of a simulation. This data is stored either in a cloud storage system external to the vehicle or in the vehicle's data storage.

[0017] The stored reference data is compared with measured driving characteristics of the data representing the driver currently driving the vehicle. The comparison can be measured relatively or absolutely, taking into account parameters such as time, speed, G-force, and the like. All measurable driver inputs and the resulting vehicle behavior are taken into account.

[0018] The following attributes can be used to evaluate driver characteristics: -Corner speed A high cornering speed implies a high level of driving skill, -Time required to complete a section of the race track It is assessed whether the required time is above or below the reference time -lap time This evaluates whether the required lap time is above or below the reference lap time. -The way in which the accelerator or brake pedal is operated by the driver. A high gradient of the accelerator or brake pedal is considered professional driving, while a low gradient is associated with a novice driver. -Driver's steering behavior This involves evaluating whether the driver has a calm or nervous steering behavior. Smooth steering behavior represents professionalism. -Detection of spinning wheels of the vehicle while driving -When does the driver accelerate again after braking or negotiating a curve, and does the vehicle utilize the maximum curvature of its current position on the track? An ideal line is recorded in the vehicle for analysis. -Detection of oversteer and understeer Understeer damages the tires and slows you down. Slight oversteer can be beneficial. -Reaction time How long is the driver's reaction time to execute driving instructions or recommendations from a driver assistance system? For example, the time it takes the driver to release the accelerator pedal after the driving instruction can be measured. -Does the driver reach the reference maximum speed?

[0019] All listed attributes are analyzed and summarized in a combined skill level, which, for example, comprises five levels. Level 1 corresponds to a beginner, while Level 5 corresponds to a racer.

[0020] Each skill level (1 to 5) is assigned a limit on the power the vehicle can deliver, a limit on the torque it can deliver, and a limit on the maximum speed it can achieve. Depending on the skill level (1 to 5), the driver is recommended a strategy. The strategy differs for each racetrack.

[0021] The driver is prompted to choose a strategy. As the skill level increases, the restrictions are reduced by releasing more power, permitting higher speed, or increasing ESP off availability. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2023 000 160 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Method for adjusting the performance data of a vehicle to adapt to the routes to be travelled, in which the performance data are determined depending on the driving characteristics of a driver, characterized by that the performance data of the vehicle are limited situationally based on the determined driving characteristics. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the determined driving characteristics of the driver are assigned to one of several skill levels, with different limitations of the vehicle's performance data being assigned to the individual skill levels, with the limitations of the performance data corresponding to the selected skill level being specified for the vehicle when driving on the selected route. [3] Method according to claim 2, characterized bythat the skill level is determined depending on the driver’s driving skills ascertained during a journey and / or depending on the training or driving instruction completed by the driver and / or by the driver himself. [4] Method according to claim 3, characterized by that the driver's driving skills are determined on the basis of parameters corresponding to the vehicle's behaviour, in particular cornering speed, sideslip angle, braking points and / or steering angle. [5] Method according to claim 4, characterized by that the driver's driving skills are compared with reference parameters which were measured by a professional driver when driving the selected route and which correspond to the highest skill level, whereby the result of the comparison is that the driver's driving skills are assigned to one of the skill levels. [6] Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the performance data associated with each capability level includes the limits for a maximum power of the vehicle and / or a maximum torque and / or a maximum driving speed of the vehicle, which are set when a capability level is selected in the vehicle. [7] Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the route to be travelled is determined automatically by means of a position determination or by manual input, whereby geodata associated with the vehicle position is taken into account when selecting the driver's skill level.