METHOD FOR OPERATING A VEHICLE, IN PARTICULAR A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, according to patent claim 1, a system for operating a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, according to patent claim 13 and a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, for carrying out the method according to patent claim 14.

[0002] It is known to provide a system on a vehicle that allows vehicle operation to be optimized by taking into account changes in the road gradient in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel. Driving operation is thereby optimized to reduce the vehicle's fuel consumption or energy consumption.

[0003] For example, DE 10 2010 048 323 A1 discloses an operating method for a motor vehicle in which at least one consumption-relevant road characteristic of a road on the upcoming route of the motor vehicle is first determined, and then a driving recommendation is determined based on the determined consumption-relevant road characteristic on the upcoming route of the motor vehicle. This driving recommendation can then be communicated to a driver of the vehicle. Specifically, for example, it is checked whether there is a hill on the upcoming route of the motor vehicle that the motor vehicle will drive over. If the motor vehicle is close to such a hill, a driving recommendation is issued to reduce the motor vehicle's drive power or even to coast to a stop without drive.If the vehicle has passed the hill and is on a downhill stretch, a driving recommendation to increase the driving speed is also given.

[0004] US 2016 / 018821 A1 discloses a remote control device and a remote control system using the remote control device. DE 10 2011 112990 A1 discloses an automatic driving aid for vehicles. US 4 335 429 A discloses a control unit for a motor / electric hybrid vehicle. DE 196 48 943 A1 discloses an automatic driving control unit for vehicles. DE 10 2009 033752 A1 discloses a method and a device for switching various functions. US 2015 / 375756 A1 discloses a method for determining the collision risk of vehicles. DE 10 2012 024859 B3 discloses a method for providing an operating strategy for a motor vehicle. EP 2 953 110 A1 discloses a motion control device and a motion control system.

[0005] The object of the invention is to provide a method for operating a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, and a system for operating a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, by means of which the vehicle operation can be further optimized in a simple and effective manner.

[0006] This problem is solved by the features of the independent patent claims. Preferred developments are disclosed in the subclaims.

[0007] According to claim 1, a method for operating a motor vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, is proposed, wherein the vehicle has a trip information determination device by means of which at least the current position or GPS position, in particular together with the currently set route, of the moving vehicle is continuously or continuously determined as current trip information, wherein the vehicle has a transmitting and receiving device by means of which the determined current trip information is transmitted together with vehicle information to an evaluation station. By means of a driving strategy determination device of the evaluation station, the transmitted trip information and map data stored in a memory device of the evaluation station are first recorded ordetermines whether there is a bend, in particular one with a defined curve, directly in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel. If a bend is detected by the driving strategy determination device, a driving strategy for negotiating the bend is determined by the driving strategy determination device. The determined driving strategy is transmitted from the evaluation station to the vehicle-side transmitting and receiving device and thus to the vehicle. The driving strategy determination device determines an energy-optimized driving strategy for negotiating the bend based on empirical data stored in the memory device relating to at least one passage of a bend with an identical or similar curve course by the vehicle, as well as based on the transmitted vehicle information.The driving strategy determination device uses the map data stored in the memory device to determine the curve profile of the detected curve. The determined curve profile is taken into account when determining the energy-optimized driving strategy.

[0008] In this way, vehicle operation can be further optimized, since the optimal driving strategy for negotiating an upcoming curve determined according to the invention now also allows vehicle operation to be optimized with regard to cornering. The optimal driving strategy for negotiating the upcoming curve can be determined easily and effectively (for example, via so-called "big data analyses") via the vehicle-external evaluation station, for example a cloud server, in which empirical data regarding the negotiation of the upcoming curve or a similar curve is stored. The method according to the invention is particularly effective because a single evaluation station can be used by a large number of vehicles. In this case, no or only minor modifications to the vehicles are required to optimize their cornering.The vehicles can, for example, communicate with the evaluation station via a UMTS data connection.

[0009] The term "driving through a curve" is explicitly to be understood in a broad sense here. Driving through a curve also includes approaching the curve, so that the driving strategy determination system can also determine an optimal driving strategy for approaching the curve.

[0010] Furthermore, a variety of driving strategies are conceivable for optimizing cornering. For example, if a detected upcoming curve is to be negotiated with optimal energy consumption or the lowest possible energy consumption, the driving strategy can be used to specify a reduction in vehicle speed before reaching the curve in order to reduce the lateral forces acting during cornering. A wear-optimized driving strategy can, for example, optimize the use of the vehicle's braking systems, in particular a vehicle's regenerative braking system. A safety-optimized driving strategy can, for example, optimize the vehicle's speed, deceleration, and acceleration.

[0011] In principle, a driving strategy can of course be determined for any upcoming curve and transmitted to the vehicle. However, it is preferable to determine an optimal driving strategy for negotiating the curve only for upcoming curves with a defined curve profile in order to increase the efficiency of the method according to the invention. The optimal driving strategy can, for example, be determined only for upcoming curves whose curve radius falls below a defined curve radius value, so that the driving strategy is only determined for tighter or particularly tight curves.

[0012] In a preferred method according to the invention, at least one drive component of the vehicle is controlled independently or automatically by means of a control unit of the vehicle in order to adhere to the driving strategy transmitted to the vehicle. This ensures conveniently and reliably that the vehicle is operated according to the determined driving strategy. It is preferably provided that the at least one drive component is formed by an internal combustion engine of the vehicle and / or by a vehicle transmission and / or by an electric motor of the vehicle. In this case, for example, with a driving strategy that optimizes energy consumption, the deactivation of parts of the drive train when the vehicle is braking or coasting, the operating mode of the internal combustion engine or the shifting behavior of the vehicle transmission, in particular during vehicle acceleration, can be optimized.

[0013] Alternatively or additionally, at least one braking system of the vehicle can be controlled independently or automatically by a vehicle control unit to maintain the driving strategy transmitted to the vehicle. This also ensures, conveniently and reliably, that the vehicle is operated according to the determined driving strategy. Preferably, the at least one braking system is formed by a regenerative braking system of the vehicle.

[0014] It is advantageous if the vehicle has an actuating device, in particular a button and / or a switch, that can be actuated by a driver of the vehicle, by means of which the automatic control of the at least one drive component and / or the at least one braking system can be deactivated, in particular deactivated and activated. Using such an actuating device, the driver can easily deactivate the automatic control of the at least one drive component or the at least one braking system if they do not want this or do not consider it necessary.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment, the driving strategy transmitted to the vehicle is displayed to the driver of the vehicle via a display device, in particular a screen. This allows the driver to be informed of the determined driving strategy. If necessary, the driver can also use this display to steer the vehicle to adhere to the displayed driving strategy.

[0016] The vehicle information transmitted to the evaluation station can, for example, be formed by current vehicle status data determined by a vehicle status determination device. Preferably, the vehicle status data transmitted to the evaluation station are formed by the current speed of the vehicle and / or by the currently selected gear of a vehicle transmission, by the amount of electrical energy currently stored by an energy storage device of the vehicle, and / or by the amount of fuel stored in a fuel tank of the vehicle. Using this vehicle status data, the optimal driving strategy for negotiating an upcoming curve can be effectively determined.

[0017] Preferably, during vehicle operation, the current vehicle status data determined by the status determination device, as well as the current trip information, are continuously transmitted to the evaluation station via the vehicle-side transmitting and receiving device. This ensures that the evaluation station is always informed of the current status of the vehicle. This transmission of the current trip information and the current vehicle status data can be activated automatically, for example, when the vehicle is started. Alternatively, this transmission of the current trip information and the current vehicle status data can also be activated only when the vehicle driver actuates an actuating device, in particular a button or switch.

[0018] Further preferably, the vehicle information transmitted to the evaluation station is formed by the vehicle type and / or the current load status of the vehicle and / or the vehicle's engine. This vehicle information can be used to determine an effective driving strategy for optimal cornering.

[0019] It is further advantageous if, while negotiating the detected curve, vehicle condition data is determined using a condition determination device of the vehicle. This determined vehicle condition data is then transmitted to the evaluation station via the vehicle's transmitting and receiving device and stored there as empirical data in the memory device of the evaluation station. This further increases the effectiveness of the method according to the invention, since the vehicle condition data transmitted to the evaluation station and stored there as new empirical data can be used by a vehicle to determine an optimal driving strategy for negotiating the curve when negotiating the curve again. As the amount of empirical data stored in the memory device increases, the effectiveness of determining an optimal driving strategy for negotiating the curve also increases.

[0020] Preferably, these vehicle status data are formed by the speed curve of the vehicle during cornering and / or the at least one selected gear of a vehicle transmission during cornering and / or by the acceleration curve (positive and negative acceleration) of the vehicle during cornering and / or by the energy consumption of the vehicle, in particular by the fuel consumption of the vehicle, during cornering. These vehicle status data represent particularly valuable or useful empirical data for determining an optimal driving strategy for cornering.

[0021] The driving strategy determination device determines the curve path of the detected curve, particularly based on the map data stored in the memory device. This determined curve path is then taken into account when determining the optimal driving strategy. This allows the driving strategy for negotiating the upcoming curve to be determined simply and effectively.

[0022] Additionally, if the memory of the evaluation station already contains empirical data from at least one passage through the recorded curve with a vehicle, especially a similar vehicle, this stored empirical data can be taken into account when determining the optimal driving strategy. This allows the curve profile of the recorded curve to be taken into account particularly easily and with particularly little effort when determining the optimal driving strategy for negotiating the curve.

[0023] To achieve the above-mentioned object, a system for carrying out a method according to one of claims 1 to 12 is further claimed.

[0024] The advantages resulting from the system according to the invention are identical to the already appreciated advantages of the method according to the invention, so that they are not repeated here.

[0025] Furthermore, a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, is also claimed by implementing the method according to the invention. The resulting advantages are also identical to the already acknowledged advantages of the method according to the invention and will not be repeated here.

[0026] The invention and its advantageous embodiments and / or further developments as well as their advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings merely by way of example.

[0027] They show: Figure 1 shows a schematic representation explaining the process according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic representation showing the structure of a system according to the invention; and Figure 3 shows a flow chart explaining the process according to the invention.

[0028] In Figure 1a vehicle 3 traveling on a roadway 1 is shown in three driving situations 5, 7, 9. In a first driving situation 5, the vehicle 1 is, viewed in the direction of travel, immediately before a bend 11 of the roadway 1. In a second driving situation 7, which occurs later in time, the vehicle 1 is in the middle of the bend 11, so that the bend 11 is being negotiated by the vehicle 1 here. In a third driving situation 9, which occurs even later in time, the vehicle 1 has negotiated the bend 11, so that the bend 11 is located behind the vehicle 1 in the direction of travel. The vehicle 1 is formed here, for example, by a train combination comprising a towing vehicle 13 and a trailer 15 coupled to the towing vehicle 13.

[0029] As in Figure 1As further shown, the vehicle 1 is connected for data transmission to a schematically indicated evaluation station 17. This evaluation station 17 can be formed, for example, by a cloud server. The vehicle 1 and the evaluation station 17 together form a system 19 ( Fig. 2 ) to operate the vehicle 1. The structure of this system 19 is described below using Figure 2 explained in more detail:

[0030] As in Figure 2As indicated schematically, the vehicle 1 has a trip information determination device 25, by means of which the current position and the current route of the vehicle 1 are continuously or continuously redetermined as trip information. In addition, the vehicle 1 also has a state determination device 27, by means of which the current state of the vehicle is also continuously or continuously redetermined. Specifically, the current speed of the vehicle 1, the currently selected gear of a vehicle transmission and the amount of fuel stored in a fuel tank of the vehicle 1 are continuously determined by means of the state determination device 27. The determination of the current trip information and the current vehicle state data can be activated automatically, for example, when the vehicle 1 is started.

[0031] Furthermore, the trip information determination device 25 and the status determination device 27 of the vehicle 1 are connected for data transmission to a transmitting and receiving device 29 of the vehicle. By means of the transmitting and receiving device 29, the current trip information determined by the trip information determination device 25 and the current vehicle status data determined by the status determination device 27 are continuously or continuously transmitted to a transmitting and receiving device 31 of the evaluation station 17, which is connected for data transmission to the vehicle-side transmitting and receiving device 29. This transmission of the current trip information and the current vehicle status data to the evaluation station 17 can be activated, for example, when a driver of the vehicle 1 activates a speed control system or cruise control of the vehicle 1.

[0032] In addition, vehicle information stored in a control unit 33 of the vehicle 1 is also transmitted to the evaluation station 17 via the vehicle-side transmitting and receiving device 29. This vehicle information stored in the control unit 33 is formed, for example, by the vehicle type, the current load state of the vehicle 1, and the engine of the vehicle 1. This vehicle information can also be transmitted to the evaluation station 17 when a cruise control system of the vehicle 1 is activated.

[0033] As from Figure 2As can be seen further, the evaluation station 17 has a driving strategy determination device 35 which is connected to the transmitting and receiving device 31 for data transmission. This driving strategy determination device 35 is also connected to a memory device 37 of the evaluation station 17 in which map data or road data are stored. Based on the driving information of the vehicle 1 transmitted to the evaluation station 17 and based on the road data stored in the memory device 37, the driving strategy determination device 35 continuously or continuously determines whether there is a bend with a defined curve course directly in front of the vehicle 1 in the direction of travel. If such a bend is determined ordetected, the driving strategy determination device 35 determines an optimal, in particular an energy-consumption-optimized, driving strategy for driving through the curve on the basis of experience data stored in the memory device 37 for at least one passage through a curve with an identical or a similar curve course with a vehicle, preferably with the same or a similar vehicle, as well as on the basis of the transmitted vehicle information of the vehicle 1.

[0034] The determined driving strategy is then transmitted to the transmitting and receiving device 29 and thus to the vehicle 1 by means of the transmitting and receiving device 31 of the evaluation station 17 before driving through the curve. Figure 1 This transmission of the optimal driving strategy takes place in the first driving situation 5 of vehicle 1 before curve 11, based on the road course shown.

[0035] According to Figure 2The determined driving strategy is then forwarded by the vehicle-side transmitting and receiving device 29 to the control unit 33 of the vehicle 1. By means of the control unit 33, an internal combustion engine 39 of the vehicle 1, a transmission 41 of the vehicle 1 and a recuperation braking system 43 of the vehicle 1 are then automatically controlled in such a way that the vehicle 1 adheres as closely as possible to the determined optimal driving strategy for negotiating the curve 11. Optionally, the control unit 33 can also control a screen 45 of the vehicle 1, indicated by dashed lines, so that the determined driving strategy is displayed to a driver of the vehicle 1 on the screen 45.

[0036] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 here also has, by way of example, an actuating device 46 which can be actuated by the driver of the vehicle 1, for example a button and / or a switch, by means of which the automatic control of the internal combustion engine 39, the transmission 41 and the recuperation braking system 43 of the vehicle 1 can be deactivated and activated.

[0037] After negotiating the curve, vehicle condition data determined during the curve negotiation by means of the condition determination device 27 are also transmitted to the evaluation station 17 by means of the vehicle-side transmitting and receiving device 29. These vehicle condition data are formed here, for example, by the speed profile of the vehicle 1 during the curve negotiation, by the at least one selected gear of the vehicle transmission 41 during the curve negotiation, by the acceleration profile of the vehicle 1 during the curve negotiation and by the fuel consumption of the vehicle 1 during the curve negotiation.

[0038] The vehicle status data determined during cornering are then forwarded to the storage device 37 of the evaluation station 17, which is connected to the transmitting and receiving device 31 for data transmission, and stored there as empirical data. Figure 1The vehicle status data determined during cornering are transmitted from the vehicle 1 to the evaluation station 17 in the third driving situation 9 of the vehicle.

[0039] In Figure 3a flow chart is shown which provides a summary of the method according to the invention: After the vehicle's cruise control is activated, the current travel information, the current vehicle status data as vehicle information and the vehicle information stored in the control unit 33 are transmitted from the vehicle 1 to the evaluation station 17. By means of the driving strategy determination device 35 of the evaluation station 17, it is then continuously determined according to the decision diamond 47 whether there is a bend with a defined curve course in front of the vehicle 1 in the direction of travel. If there is such a bend in front of the vehicle 1, an optimal driving strategy for driving through this bend is determined. This driving strategy is then transmitted from the evaluation station 17 to the vehicle 1 before driving through the bend.Subsequently, vehicle components—here, the internal combustion engine 39, the vehicle transmission 41, and the regenerative braking system 43 of vehicle 1—are controlled by control unit 33 to maintain the determined driving strategy. After negotiating the curve, the vehicle status data determined during the curve negotiation are then transmitted to the evaluation station 17 and stored there as empirical data. List of reference symbols

[0040] 1Vehicle 3Roadway 5First driving situation 7Second driving situation 9Third driving situation 11Curve 13Towing vehicle 15Trailer 17Evaluation station 19System 25Driving information determination device 27Status determination device 29Transmitting and receiving device 31Transmitting and receiving device 33Control unit 35Driving strategy determination device 37Storage device 39Internal combustion engine 41Transmission 43Regenerative braking system 45Screen 46Actuating device 47Decision diamond

Claims

1. Method for operating a vehicle, wherein the vehicle (1) has a trip information determination device (25) that is used to continuously determine at least the current position of the moving vehicle (1) as current trip information, wherein the vehicle (1) has a transmitting and receiving device (29) that is used to transmit the determined current trip information, together with vehicle information, to an evaluation station (17), wherein a driving strategy determination device (35) of the evaluation station (17) is initially used to detect whether there is a bend (11) ahead of the vehicle (1) in the direction of travel on the basis of the transmitted trip information and on the basis of map data stored in a storage device (37) of the evaluation station, wherein, if a bend (11) is detected by means of the driving strategy determination device (35), the driving strategy determination device (35) is used to determine a driving strategy for driving through the bend (11), and wherein the determined driving strategy is transmitted from the evaluation station (17) to the on-board transmitting and receiving device (29) and therefore to the vehicle (1), characterized in that the driving strategy determination device (35) determines an energy-consumption-optimum driving strategy for driving through the bend on the basis of experience data, stored in the storage device (37), for at least driving through a bend with an identical or similar bend profile with the vehicle (1) and on the basis of the transmitted vehicle information, and in that the driving strategy determination device (35) is used to determine the bend profile of the detected bend (11) on the basis of the map data stored in the storage device (37), and in that the determined bend profile is taken into account when determining the energy-consumption-optimum driving strategy.

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that, in order to comply with the driving strategy transmitted to the vehicle (1), at least one drive component of the vehicle (1) is automatically controlled by means of a control unit (33) of the vehicle (1), wherein provision is preferably made for the at least one drive component to be formed by an internal combustion engine (39) of the vehicle (1) and / or by a vehicle transmission (41) and / or by an electric machine of the vehicle (1).

3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in order to comply with the driving strategy transmitted to the vehicle (1), at least one braking system of the vehicle (1) is automatically controlled by means of a control unit (33) of the vehicle (1), wherein provision is preferably made for the at least one braking system to be formed by a regenerative braking system (43) of the vehicle (1).

4. Method according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the vehicle (1) has an actuation device (46), in particular a button and / or a switch, that can be actuated by a driver of the vehicle and can be used to deactivate, in particular deactivate and activate, the automatic control of the at least one drive component and / or of the at least one braking system.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the driving strategy transmitted to the vehicle (1) is displayed to a driver of the vehicle (1) by means of a display device (45), in particular with a screen.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vehicle information transmitted to the evaluation station (17) is formed by current vehicle state data that are determined by means of a state determination device (27) of the vehicle.

7. Method according to Claim 6, characterized in that the transmitted current vehicle state data are formed by the current speed of the vehicle (1) and / or the currently selected gear of a vehicle transmission (41) and / or by the amount of electrical energy currently stored by means of an energy storage device of the vehicle (1) and / or by the amount of fuel stored in a fuel tank of the vehicle (1).

8. Method according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, during vehicle operation, the determined current vehicle state data are continuously transmitted to the evaluation station (17) by means of the on-board transmitting and receiving device (29).

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vehicle information transmitted to the evaluation station (17) is formed by the type of vehicle and / or by the current loading state of the vehicle (1) and / or by the motorization of the vehicle (1).

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, while driving through the detected bend (11), current vehicle state data are determined by means of a state determination device (27) of the vehicle (1), and in that the determined vehicle state data are transmitted by means of the transmitting and receiving device (29) to the evaluation station (17) and are stored there as experience data in the storage device (37) of the evaluation station (17).

11. Method according to Claim 10, characterized in that the vehicle state data are formed by the speed profile of the vehicle (1) and / or by the at least one selected gear of a vehicle transmission (41) and / or by the acceleration profile of the vehicle (1) and / or by the energy consumption of the vehicle (1), in particular by the fuel consumption of the vehicle (1), when driving through the bend.

12. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, if the storage device (37) of the evaluation station (17) already stores experience data relating to at least a drive through the detected bend (11) with a similar vehicle, these stored experience data are taken into account when determining the optimum driving strategy.

13. System for carrying out a method according to one of the preceding claims.

14. Vehicle, in particular commercial vehicle, for carrying out a method according to one of Claims 1 to 12.