Method and device for managing the operation of a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the operation of a motor vehicle (1) equipped with an automatic gearbox (2) and an electric handbrake (3), said method being implemented by a computer device (100) on board the vehicle. The invention also relates to a device (100) implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a device. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Method and device for managing the operation of a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of computer and electronic systems on board motor vehicles for managing their operation. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing the operation of a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake, which is implemented by a computer device on board the vehicle. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle which has such a device on board. The invention applies to motor vehicles such as land motor vehicles, in particular cars. State of the prior art

[0002] Most modern motor vehicles are equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake. For some of these vehicles, when the driver parks the vehicle and engages the gearbox in park or simply switches off the vehicle's ignition, the electric handbrake and the gearbox's park finger are engaged simultaneously. However, when the driver then removes his foot from the brake pedal, the vehicle may move slightly, particularly when the vehicle is parked on a hill.However, this movement causes compression on the suspension of the vehicle's powertrain and, subsequently, when the driver wishes to leave the parking space and to do so disengages the parking position of the gearbox, a shock and / or an unpleasant noise may occur which is due to the release of this compression which was previously generated. This shock and / or this unpleasant noise harms the comfort of the vehicle and causes a defect in terms of perceived quality. And, to date, no known vehicle has appropriate means to avoid these inconveniences. Summary of the invention.

[0003] The invention aims to remedy this problem. In particular, it aims to provide a solution for, in a vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric brake, preventing an impact and / or unpleasant noise from occurring in the situation described above. In this way, the invention aims to improve the comfort and quality of motor vehicles equipped with a gearbox. automatic and an electric handbrake.

[0004] In order to achieve these objectives, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method for managing the operation of a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake, said method being implemented by a computer device on board the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: i. determine at least whether the vehicle's ignition has been switched off or whether the gearbox has been required to be put into park; and, where this is established to be the case, ii. cause the electric handbrake to be applied and the gearbox to be put into neutral; then, when it is established that no pressure is being applied to a vehicle brake pedal, iii. cause, after a time interval of a pre-established duration, the movement of a parking finger of said gearbox into the parking position.

[0005] According to a variant, the pre-established duration can be between 50ms and 500ms.

[0006] According to another variant, step i) may consist of determining whether the vehicle's ignition has been switched off or whether the engagement of a parking position of the gearbox has been required and whether the vehicle is parked on a slope whose inclination is greater than a pre-established threshold value.

[0007] According to another variant, step ii) can be carried out by interacting with a sensor configured to detect a press made on the brake pedal.

[0008] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for managing the operation of a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake, the device comprising at least one information processing unit, comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium, which are configured to implement a method as described above.

[0009] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a medium usable in a computer on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0011] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle which has a device as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0012] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended figures, in which:

[0013] [Fig.l] is a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle according to the invention;

[0014] [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention; and

[0015] [Fig.3] is a flowchart of the steps of a method according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0016] [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. This comprises an automatic gearbox 2, which comprises a parking finger which moves when the parking position of the gearbox 2 is engaged, and this conventionally occurs in response to a request to engage this position which the driver specifies by means of a lever or any other equivalent control member. It also comprises an electric handbrake 3, an ignition contact 4 as well as a sensor 5 or any other equivalent means configured to detect a press made on the brake pedal of the vehicle 1.

[0017] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 according to the invention advantageously incorporates a device 100 for managing the operation of a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake within the meaning of the present invention, as described below, which implements a method for managing the operation of a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake within the meaning of the present invention, as described below.

[0018] When implementing the method, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether a situation in which the ignition contact 4 of the vehicle 1 is off or whether the engagement of the parking position of the gearbox 2 is required by the driver. And, when such a situation occurs, instead of engaging the parking position of the gearbox 2, which induces the movement of the parking finger thereof, and, simultaneously, the application of the electric handbrake 3, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds in a first step by causing the engagement of a neutral position of the gearbox 2 and the simultaneous application of the electric handbrake 3. Then, it is only when the driver removes his foot from the brake pedal that the device 100 according to the invention then causes, after a short period of time (e.g. between 50 and 500 ms), the movement of the parking finger of the gearbox 2.As will be seen below, this is how the device 100 according to the invention makes it possible to avoid the inconveniences mentioned in the preamble and thus contributes to an improvement in the comfort and quality of motor vehicles equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake.

[0019] The device 100 for managing the operation of a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake according to the invention is illustrated in [Fig. 2]. It is essentially a computer device, which comprises at least one information processing unit 101, comprising one or several processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which comprises program code instructions for the execution of the steps of the method according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data.

[0020] Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention is integrated into an independent computer and it interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired communication network of the vehicle (e.g. CAN, Ethernet, MOST, etc.) - shown in the figure by the arrows - with the automatic gearbox 2, with the electric handbrake 3, with the ignition contact 4 and with the sensor 5. Alternatively, the device 100 according to the invention is partially or fully part of the automatic gearbox 2. Thus, the device 100 according to the invention can therefore, in particular, determine whether the ignition contact 4 of the vehicle 1 has been switched off or whether the engagement of a parking position of the gearbox 2 has been required. It can also cause the application of the electric handbrake 3 and the engagement of a neutral position of the gearbox 2.It can finally establish whether the brake pedal of vehicle 1 is pressed and cause the parking finger of gearbox 2 to move to the parking position.

[0021] According to the invention, all the elements described above combine to enable the implementation of a method for managing the operation of a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake, as described below in connection with [Fig.3].

[0022] [Fig. 3] illustrates by means of a flowchart the steps of the method according to the invention.

[0023] According to a first step 301 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether the ignition contact 4 of the vehicle 1 has been switched off or whether the engagement of a parking position of the gearbox 2 has been required. To do this, it interacts directly with the ignition contact 4 and with the gearbox 2. According to a variant, the device 100 according to the invention also determines whether the vehicle is parked on a slope whose inclination is greater than a pre-established threshold value (eg 2%). This advantageously avoids implementing the following steps of the method in a situation where this is not necessarily necessary. And when it establishes, as the case may be, that one of these situations occurs, the device 100 according to the invention then proceeds by implementing the following step of the method according to the invention described below.

[0024] According to a second step 302 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes the electric handbrake 3 to be applied and the gearbox 2 to be engaged in a neutral position. Thus, instead of proceeding in a conventional manner, that is to say by immediately engaging the parking position of the gearbox gears 2, which then causes the parking finger of the latter to move, while simultaneously applying the electric handbrake 3, the device 100 according to the invention on the contrary implements this second step 302 of the method in which it is first the neutral position of the gearbox 2 which is engaged. Then, as soon as it establishes that no pressure on the brake pedal of the vehicle 1 is made - it is indeed generally necessary to press the brake pedal to be able to modify the position of an automatic gearbox of a motor vehicle - the device 100 according to the invention proceeds by carrying out the following step of the method according to the invention described below.

[0025] According to a third step 303 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes the parking finger of said gearbox 2 to move into the parking position. Thus, it is only at this stage that the parking finger of the gearbox moves into the parking position. And, due to the previous step of the method in which the gearbox remained in the neutral position for a certain time, a slight movement of the vehicle 1 which potentially occurred when the driver removed his foot from the brake pedal did not generate any compression on the suspension of the powertrain. And this is why no shock or unpleasant noise occurs when the vehicle 1 then leaves its parking position.

[0026] Consequently, thanks to the method and the device according to the invention described above, a solution is provided for, in a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake, preventing the occurrence of a shock and / or an unpleasant noise when the vehicle leaves its parking space. By this means, the invention improves the comfort and the qualitative rendering of motor vehicles equipped with an automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for managing the operation of a motor vehicle (1) equipped with an automatic gearbox (2) and an electric handbrake (3), said method being implemented by a computer device (100) on board the vehicle, characterized in that said method comprises the steps of: i. determining at least whether the ignition switch (4) of the vehicle (1) has been switched off or whether the engagement of a parking position of the gearbox (2) has been requested; and, when it is established that this is the case, ii. causing the application of the electric handbrake (3) and the engagement of a neutral position of the gearbox (2); then, when it is established that no pressure on a brake pedal of the vehicle (1) is made, iii. causing, after a time interval of a pre-established duration, the movement into the parking position of a parking finger of said gearbox (2).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pre-established duration is between 50ms and 500ms.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step ii) is carried out by interacting with a sensor configured to detect a press made on the brake pedal.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step i) consists of determining whether the ignition contact (4) of the vehicle (1) has been switched off or whether the engagement of a parking position of the gearbox (2) has been required and whether the vehicle (1) is parked on a slope whose inclination is greater than a pre-established threshold value.

5. Device (100) for managing the operation of a motor vehicle (1) equipped with an automatic gearbox (2) and an electric handbrake (3), characterized in that said device comprises an information processing unit, with one or more processors, and a data storage medium, which are configured to implement a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. Computer program comprising code instructions

7.

8. program for executing the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 when said program is executed by at least one processor. Computer-readable medium, characterized in that a program according to claim 6 is recorded therein. Motor vehicle (1), characterized in that said vehicle carries a device (100) according to claim 5.

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