A method for regulating a ground-battery clearance by an electronic computing device of an at least partly electrically operated motor vehicle

Abstract

A method, computer program, computer readable storage medium, and computer (12) configured to perform the above method, configured to increase ground-battery clearance (14) of a partly electric vehicl

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to the field of automobiles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for regulating a ground-battery clearance by an electronic computing device of an at least partly electrically operated motor vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a corresponding computer program product, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a corresponding electronic computing device. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0002] According to the state of the art as exemplified in document US 898 996 3 B1, a method may be used to protect an undercarriage mounted battery pack of an electric or hybrid vehicle from damage from an obstacle in a roadway by increasing a ride height of the vehicle when said obstacle is detected and before the vehicle passes over said obstacle. The method comprises the steps of monitoring an obstacle sensor mounted to the vehicle and outputting a control signal from said obstacle sensor when said obstacle sensor detects said obstacle in front of the vehicle. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method, a corresponding computer program product, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a corresponding electronic computing device by which motor vehicles may be driven more safely.

[0004] The object is solved by a method, a corresponding computer program product, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a corresponding electronic computing device according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are presented in the dependent claims.

[0005] One aspect of the invention relates to a method for regulating a ground-battery clearance by an electronic computing device of an at least partly electrically operated motor vehicle. At least one electric battery clearance risk indicator is obtained by a telecommunication device of the motor vehicle, wherein the obtaining depends on at least one positional datum of the motor vehicle. The ground-battery clearance of the motor vehicle is compared by the electronic computing device to a height of at least one clearance risk feature indicated by the electric battery clearance risk indicator, wherein the at least one clearance risk feature is planned to be driven over. A control signal is generated by the electronic computing device for a vertical clearance control mechanism of the motor vehicle to transition the ground-battery clearance of the motor vehicle, depending on the comparison.

[0006] The ground-battery clearance may be defined as a vertical separation between a drivable surface, with which at least one tire of the motor vehicle makes contact, and an electric battery of the motor vehicle and / or at least one directly electrically connected component. On an inclined drivable surface, the vertical separation may be considered as perpendicular to the drivable surface.

[0007] Electric batteries are extended objects. Therefore, the ground-battery clearance may be measured from the drivable surface to a point on the electric battery that is closest to the drivable surface.

[0008] Furthermore, it is known to the state of the art that electric batteries may feature high voltage cables connecting to high-voltage components. Furthermore, electric batteries used to at least partly power motor vehicles are known to the state of the art to feature battery management systems, BMSs. Therefore, the ground-battery clearance may be measured from the drivable surface to a point on a high-voltage cable or high-voltage component if the point is closer to the drivable surface than an analogous point on the electric battery.

[0009] The electronic computing device may comprise electronic means, for example, processors; circuits and especially integrated circuits; and further electronic means for performing a method. The electronic computing device may in particular be understood as a data processing device, which comprises processing circuitry. The electronic computing device may therefore process data to perform computing operations. This may also include operations to perform indexed accesses to a data structure, for example a look-up table, LUT.

[0010] In particular, the electronic computing device may include one or more computers, one or more microcontrollers, and / or one or more integrated circuits, for example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits, ASIC, one or more field-programmable gate arrays, FPGA, and / or one or more systems on a chip, SoC. The electronic computing device may also include one or more processors, for example one or more microprocessors, one or more central processing units, CPU, one or more graphics processing units, GPU, and / or one or more signal processors, in particular one or more digital signal processors, DSP. The electronic computing device may also include a physical or a virtual cluster of computers or of other said units.

[0011] An electronic computing device may also comprise one or more hardware and / or software interfaces and / or one or more memory units.

[0012] A memory unit may be implemented as a volatile data memory, for example a dynamic random access memory, DRAM, or a static random access memory, SRAM, or as a non-volatile data memory, for example a read-only memory, ROM, a programmable read-only memory, PROM, an erasable programmable read-only memory, EPROM, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, EEPROM, a flash memory or flash EEPROM, a ferroelectric random access memory, FRAM, a magnetoresistive random access memory, MRAM, or a phase-change random access memory, PCRAM.

[0013] It is known from series vehicle construction that at least one telecommunication device, such as a dedicated short-range communications device, may be installed in a motor vehicle, for example to receive traffic information. Such a device may rely on at least one radio transmitter and at least one radio receiver, such as a Wi-Fi-enabled network interface controller. The telecommunication device may be the same telecommunication device as one which, like the dedicated short-range communications device, is already installed for a different purpose.

[0014] An electric battery clearance risk pertains to a particular feature of a drivable surface, such as an object or group of objects, that presents a risk of physical damage to an undercarriage of the motor vehicle and / or to at least one component installed thereon. For example, a boulder in a road may result in undercarriage damage to a motor vehicle driving over the boulder. It is known to the state of the art that an electric battery may be affixed to an undercarriage of a motor vehicle, therefore a risk to the undercarriage may also be a risk to the electric battery.

[0015] An electric battery clearance risk indicator is a vehicle-to-everything, V2X, message, electronically transmitted to a motor vehicle, containing information about an electric battery clearance risk and at least one feature with which the electric battery clearance risk is associated. The message may conform to at least one information transfer standard, for example cooperative intelligent transport systems standards, C-ITS standards.

[0016] Examples of information that an electric battery clearance risk indicator may contain include a basic description of the at least one feature; a greatest vertical extent of the at least one feature; a total number of reported incidents of motor vehicle damage attributed to the electric battery clearance risk; a date and / or time associated with at least one reported incident; a travel recommendation; a safety advisory; probe vehicle data, PVD, in a section of the road surrounding the at least one clearance risk feature; and at least one physical location of the at least one feature, for example a set of GPS coordinates. If the electric battery clearance risk is associated with an extended feature such as an elevated ridge of a road, the electric battery clearance risk indicator may, for instance, provide GPS coordinates of endpoints of an affected section of a road.

[0017] A positional datum may be procured, for example, via a global navigation satellite system, a GNSS; a dead-reckoning routine that uses an angle of the motor vehicle as well as a speed of the motor vehicle to compute a position based on a last-known position; or an onboard navigational computer of a motor vehicle, for example by accessing a current planned route stored therein. As orientations, linear and angular speeds, and linear and angular accelerations of the motor vehicle may be used to determine different positions occupied by the motor vehicle over time, speeds and orientations may be considered positional data.

[0018] The at least one positional datum may influence the obtaining of the electronic battery clearance risk indicator by filtering available electric battery clearance risk indicators according to spatial proximity of respective clearance risk features to the motor vehicle. For instance, if an onboard navigation system has been programmed with a route heading east for 1 km from a current position of the motor vehicle, regions west of the motor vehicle may be classified as irrelevant. The electronic computing device may then ignore electronic battery clearance risk indicators associated with clearance risk features in irrelevant regions.

[0019] A height of a clearance risk feature may not necessarily be explicitly contained in a respective electric battery clearance risk indicator. If a feature height is not explicitly given, the electronic computing device may calculate, for instance, a predicted feature height, based on a respective electric battery clearance risk indicator, to which to compare the ground-battery clearance. For example, an electric battery clearance risk indicator may specify that its respective clearance risk feature is a brick located in a road. The electronic computing device may then take into account standardized brick dimensions, depending on a country within which the motor vehicle is driving, to predict a height of the brick.

[0020] Alternatively, the electronic computing device may automatically assume a worst-case scenario and maximize the ground-battery clearance.

[0021] A vertical clearance control mechanism may be, for example, a height adjustable suspension system such as a hydropneumatic suspension, an air suspension, or an active hydraulic suspension.

[0022] Furthermore, as part of the comparison, the electronic computing device may predict that the motor vehicle is unable to traverse the clearance risk feature, for instance if the height of the clearance risk feature exceeds the greatest ground-battery clearance achievable by the vertical clearance control mechanism. In this case, the electronic computing device may issue, for example, a warning instead of a control signal.

[0023] By increasing the ground-battery clearance in anticipation of a clearance risk feature to be driven over, the feature may be safely driven over. In this way, the motor vehicle may be driven more safely. Therefore, the object of the present invention is fulfilled.

[0024] According to an embodiment, a warning is displayed by the electronic computing device via a display device of the motor vehicle, depending at least on the at least one electric battery clearance risk indicator.

[0025] This display device may be, for example, a display device installed in motor vehicles, as known from series vehicle construction, to communicate global positioning system information and / or to provide an interface for music selection.

[0026] According to another embodiment, a warning is provided by the electronic computing device via an audio device of the motor vehicle, depending at least on the at least one electric battery clearance risk indicator.

[0027] This audio device may be, for example, speakers installed in motor vehicles, as known from series vehicle construction, as a playback device for signals such as from a radio receiver, Bluetooth-capable device, or device connected by phone jack.

[0028] According to another embodiment, the method comprises the additional step of proposing and / or executing a modification to a current planned route of the motor vehicle by the electronic computing device, depending at least on the at least one electric battery clearance risk indicator.

[0029] For example, the electronic computing device may automatically respond to an electric battery clearance risk predicted by the electronic computing device, via the comparison, not to permit safe traversal. In this example, the electronic computing device may suggest that the driver perform a pair of turns so as to use an alternative road adjacent to an initially intended road, wherein the alternative road lacks an electric battery clearance risk.

[0030] According to another embodiment, a timing associated with controlling the vertical clearance control mechanism by the control signal is determined by the electronic computing device depending on a current speed of the motor vehicle.

[0031] According to another embodiment, at least one sensor datum is captured by a sensor of the motor vehicle and used in the comparison by the electronic computing device.

[0032] In particular, the method is a computer-implemented method. Therefore, another aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product containing computer-readable instructions for performing a method according to the preceding aspect.

[0033] A further aspect of the invention relates to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising at least a computer program product according to the preceding aspect.

[0034] A still further aspect of the invention relates to an electronic computing device of an at least partly electrically operated motor vehicle, wherein the electronic computing device is configured for performing a method according to the preceding aspect. In particular, the method is performed by the electronic computing device.

[0035] Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least an electronic computing device according to the preceding aspect. The motor vehicle may be configured as an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle or a fully electrically operated motor vehicle.

[0036] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention derive from the following description of preferred embodiments as well as from the drawings. The features and feature combinations previously mentioned in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned in the following description of the figures and / or shown in the figures alone can be employed not only in the respectively indicated combination but also in any other combination or taken alone without leaving the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The novel features and characteristics of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and / or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0038] The drawings show in:

[0039] Fig. 1 two schematic side views of a motor vehicle comprising an electronic computing device according to several embodiments of the method.

[0040] Fig. 2 a schematic flowchart according to several embodiments of the method.

[0041] In the figures, the same elements or elements having the same function are indicated by the same reference signs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0043] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.

[0044] The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion so that a setup, device or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus preceded by “comprises” or “comprise” does not or do not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.

[0045] In the following detailed description of the example embodiments of the disclosure, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form parts hereof and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0046] Fig. 1 shows two schematic side views of a motor vehicle 10 comprising an electronic computing device 12 according to several embodiments of the method. The two subfigures show two ground-battery clearance 14 configurations of the motor vehicle 10. Fig. 1a shows the motor vehicle 10 configured for a fuel-efficient ground-battery clearance 14. Fig. 1 b shows the motor vehicle 10 configured for a raised ground-battery clearance 14.

[0047] An electric battery clearance risk indicator server 16 transmits an electric battery clearance risk indicator 18 to the motor vehicle 10 via a telecommunication device 20 of the motor vehicle 10. In this example, information contained within the server 16 may be maintained by a governmental department, such as a traffic control department, associated with the country in which the motor vehicle 10 is driving. However, the server 16 may also be, for example, crowdsourced with contributions from motor vehicles encountering clearance risk features.

[0048] A navigation system 22 aboard the motor vehicle 10 provides at least one positional datum 24, in this example a current route, to the electronic computing device 12.

[0049] The electric battery clearance risk indicator 18 describes a clearance risk feature 26 presenting an electric battery clearance risk. In this example, the clearance risk feature 26, shown in Fig. 1b, is a speed bump. The electric battery clearance risk indicator 18 includes GPS (Global Positioning System) or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) coordinates of a location of the clearance risk feature 26. With the GPS coordinates as well as the at least one positional datum 24, the electronic computing device 12 may ascertain that, according to a current route of the motor vehicle 10, the clearance risk feature 26 is planned to be driven over. Therefore, the electronic computing device 12 proceeds to compare a ground-battery clearance 14 of the motor vehicle 10 to a height of the clearance risk feature 26.

[0050] According to an embodiment, at least one sensor datum 28 is captured by a sensor 30 of the motor vehicle 10 and used to compare the ground-battery clearance 14 to the height of the clearance risk feature 26. In this example, the electric battery clearance risk indicator 18 does not include the height of the clearance risk feature 26, so the electronic computing device 12 proceeds to estimate the height of the clearance risk feature 26 based on the at least one sensor datum 28. Furthermore, in this example, the sensor 30 is a camera and the at least one sensor datum 28 is an optical image of the clearance risk feature 26.

[0051] According to an embodiment, a warning 32 concerning the at least one electric battery clearance risk indicator 18 is displayed to a display device 34 of the motor vehicle 10. In this example, the display device 34 is an LED screen of the motor vehicle 10 and the warning 32 includes a recommendation to decrease a velocity of the motor vehicle 10.

[0052] According to another embodiment, the warning 32 is displayed to an audio device 36 of the motor vehicle 10. In this example, the audio device 36 is a speaker of the motor vehicle 10.

[0053] The electronic computing device 12 may generate a control signal 38 for a vertical clearance control mechanism 40 of the motor vehicle 10 such that the vertical clearance control mechanism 40 adjusts the ground-battery clearance 14 of the motor vehicle 10. In this example, the adjustment is based on the height of the clearance risk feature 26 as estimated by the electronic computing device 12 using the at least one sensor datum 28. Furthermore, in this example, the vertical clearance control mechanism 40 is an air suspension system.

[0054] Fig. 1b shows the motor vehicle 10 at an increased ground-battery clearance 14 intended to preserve the electric battery 42 mounted on the undercarriage 44 of the motor vehicle 10 from the clearance risk feature 26.

[0055] Fig. 2 shows a schematic flowchart according to several embodiments of the method.

[0056] In a first step S1 of the method, the at least one electric battery clearance risk indicator 18 is obtained by the telecommunication device 20. The obtaining depends on the at least one positional datum 24.

[0057] In a first part S2A of a second step of the method, it is determined whether the at least one clearance risk feature 26 is planned to be driven over based on the positional datum 24, and if it is planned to be driven over, the ground-battery clearance 14 is compared by the electronic computing device 12 to the height of the at least one clearance risk feature 26.

[0058] According to an embodiment, in a second part S2B of a second step of the method, a timing associated with controlling the vertical clearance control mechanism 40 by the control signal 38 is determined by the electronic computing device 12 depending on a current speed of the motor vehicle 10.

[0059] According to an embodiment, in a third part S2C of a second step of the method, a modification to the current planned route of the motor vehicle 10 is proposed and / or executed by the electronic computing device 12, depending at least on the at least one electric battery clearance risk indicator 18. In this example, the electronic computing device 12 proposes a pair of turns intended to bypass the clearance risk feature 26. A driver of the motor vehicle 10 can approve or dismiss the proposal. If the driver approves the proposal, the bypass route is guided. If the driver of the motor vehicle 10 dismisses the proposal, the method proceeds to a third step S3 of the method.

[0060] In the third step S3, the control signal 38 is generated by the electronic computing device 12 for the vertical clearance control mechanism 40 to transition the ground-battery clearance 14 of the motor vehicle 10, depending on the comparison. In this example, because the driver has decided to proceed along the same current route as originally intended, the control signal 38 executes an adjustment of the ground-battery clearance 14 before approaching the clearance risk feature 26. The execution can be performed at the timing determined in the second part S2B of the second step of the method.

[0061] In this flowchart, one-directional arrows have been included. However, individual steps may be repeated. For example, the electronic computing device 12 may repeat step S1, even as the electronic computing device 12 progresses to step S3. This repetition may be executed in order to check for available updates to the electric battery clearance risk indicator 18 that may have been added to the server 16. For instance, if a respective electric battery clearance risk corresponds to a volatile situation, additional information on the electric battery clearance risk may have been added to the server 16 since the electric battery clearance risk indicator 18 was received by the electronic computing device 12 for a first time.

[0062] As another example, if the navigation system 22 is programmed with a route traveling in a direction opposite to that of a previously programmed route, the electronic computing device 12 may reconsider an electric battery clearance risk indicator 18 that had previously been filtered out because that electric battery clearance risk indicator 18 was classified as not affecting the previously programmed route. Reference Signs motor vehicle electronic computing device ground-battery clearance server electric battery clearance risk indicator telecommunication device navigation system positional datum clearance risk feature sensor datum sensor warning display device audio device control signal vertical clearance control mechanism electric battery undercarriage S1-S3 steps of the method

Claims

1. A method for regulating a ground-battery clearance (14) by an electronic computing device (12) of an at least partly electrically operated motor vehicle (10), comprising the steps of:- obtaining, by a telecommunication device (20) of the motor vehicle (10), at least one electric battery clearance risk indicator (18), wherein the obtaining depends on at least one positional datum (24) of the motor vehicle (10); (S1)-comparing, by the electronic computing device (12), aground-battery clearance (14) of the motor vehicle (10) to a height of at least one clearance risk feature (26) indicated by the electric battery clearance risk indicator (18), wherein the at least one clearance risk feature (26) is planned to be driven over; (S2A) and- generating a control signal (38) by the electronic computing device (12) for a vertical clearance control mechanism (40) of the motor vehicle (10) to transition the ground-battery clearance (14) of the motor vehicle (10), depending on thecomparison. (S3)2. The method according to claim 1, whereina warning (32) is displayed by the electronic computing device (12) via a display device (34) of the motor vehicle (10), depending at least on the at least one electric battery clearance risk indicator (18).

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, whereina warning (32) is provided by the electronic computing device (12) via an audio device (36) of the motor vehicle (10), depending at least on the at least one electric battery clearance risk indicator (18).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the additional step ofproposing and / or executing a modification to a current planned route of the motor vehicle (10) by the electronic computing device (12), depending at least on the at least one electric battery clearance risk indicator (18). (S2C)5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, whereina timing associated with controlling the vertical clearance control mechanism (40) by the control signal (38) is determined by the electronic computing device (12) depending on a current speed of the motor vehicle (10). (S2B)6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, whereinat least one sensor datum (28) is captured by a sensor (30) of the motor vehicle (10) and used in the comparison by the electronic computing device (12).

7. A computer program product containing computer-readable instructions for performing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising the computer program product according to claim 7.

9. An electronic computing device (12) of an at least partly electrically operated motor vehicle (10), wherein the electronic computing device (12) is configured for performing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.15

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