Vehicle and method for monitoring the condition of a vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle (10a; 10b), in particular a motor vehicle, comprising a detection unit (14a; 14b) for detecting salience, in particular mechanical, tactile and / or acoustic salience, occurring within the vehicle (10a; 10b). It is proposed that the vehicle (10a; 10b) comprises an NVH unit (16a; 16b) cooperating with the detection unit (14a; 14b), the NVH unit (16a; 16b) being provided for targeted generation and / or amplification of the salience, in particular mechanical, tactile and / or acoustic salience, within the vehicle (10a; 10b) in at least one operating state, in particular in the event of at least one predetermined system anomaly, thereby enabling detection by the detection unit (14a; 14b) and / or increasing the detection probability of the detection unit (14a; 14b).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Prior art The invention relates to a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a method for monitoring the state of a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 14. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of automated driving functions and vehicles equipped with steer-by-wire steering systems, it becomes increasingly difficult for drivers and passengers to recognize system abnormalities and the salience associated with these system abnormalities. Therefore, in order to be able to realize the corresponding functions and systems, the vehicle must take over the above tasks at least partially or completely by itself.

[0003] Furthermore, methods for state monitoring in vehicles are known from the prior art, for example from DE 10 2015 122 253 A1. In these methods, acceleration measurements are continuously detected and evaluated in the area of ​​an electronically controlled power steering system during the vehicle's driving mode. However, it is difficult to reliably estimate mechanical, tactile, and / or acoustical characteristics in the vehicle, or in this case in the steering system, from the detected acceleration measurements. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102015122253 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle and a method for monitoring the state of a vehicle with improved properties, in particular with regard to the detection of system abnormalities. This object is achieved by the features of claims 1 and 14, while advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention can be seen from the dependent claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Disclosure of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, which is equipped with a detection unit for detecting saliences occurring within the vehicle, in particular mechanical, tactile and / or acoustic saliences, although the saliences may also essentially be visible saliences, for example in the form of a tilt position of the steering wheel of a steering system.

[0007] It is proposed that the vehicle includes an NVH unit cooperating with, in particular operatively connected to, the detection unit, for generating and / or amplifying a noticeable, in particular a mechanical, tactile and / or acoustic, presence in the vehicle in at least one operating state, in particular in the event of at least one predetermined system abnormality, in order to enable the detection unit to detect, in particular, a system abnormality and / or to increase the probability of the detection unit detecting, in particular, a system abnormality. A "system abnormality" in this case is to be understood to mean, in particular, a deviation from a normal operating state. This embodiment allows, in particular, to significantly improve the detection of system abnormalities, thereby increasing operational safety, in particular in automated vehicles and / or in vehicles without a direct mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steered wheels.

[0008] The essence of the present invention is therefore to intentionally generate and / or amplify for the integrated detection unit a noticeable, for example in the form of vibrations and / or tremors, in the event of a system anomaly, such as, for example, the intrusion of water into a vehicle assembly, a mechanical overload of a vehicle component, excessive wear of a vehicle component, and / or a thermal overload of a vehicle component, thereby enabling discovery generally at least when the vehicle is moving and / or increasing at least one probability of detection, whereby advantageously, existing mechanical transmission paths of the vehicle are utilized for detection by the detection unit of the generated noticeable.

[0009] For detection, the detection unit may include, for example, at least one acceleration sensor and / or at least one structure-borne noise sensor. However, instead of this, the detection unit may also include or use, for example, an existing rotor position sensor of the steering system to detect the prominence. Furthermore, the NVH unit for generating and / or amplifying the prominence ("Noise, Vibration, Harshness") may include, for example, at least one NVH amplifier element shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped or a sphere, which is preferably arranged to generate vibrations, scrapes, and / or knocks in the operating state, in particular at least when the vehicle is moving. In this connection, the NVH unit may particularly preferably be arranged in the region of a movable and / or moveable mechanical assembly of the vehicle, for example of the steering machine, and the NVH amplifier element is arranged to cooperate with the mechanical assembly to generate vibrations, scrapes, and / or knocks in the operating state. Furthermore, the NVH unit may advantageously comprise a support structure, advantageously formed integrally with the vehicle, for holding the NVH amplification elements, in particular in normal operating conditions. In this case, the support structure is advantageously configured as a carrier structure and is provided for receiving at least a portion of the gravity of the NVH amplification elements. Furthermore, the NVH unit is preferably configured passively and therefore does not have an actively controllable and / or drivable electronics assembly. "Provided" should be understood as meaning, in particular, specially designed and / or configured. "Provided" of an object for a particular function should be understood as meaning that this object realizes and / or performs this particular function, at least in a use and / or operating state.

[0010] According to a first application case, it is proposed that the operating state is a state in which water has entered at least one vehicle assembly and / or a state in which humidity in at least one vehicle assembly exceeds a limit value. The vehicle assembly may, for example, be configured as a steering assembly, in particular as a servo motor, a servo gearbox, a steering control device and / or a steering sensor. However, instead of this, the vehicle assembly may also be configured as a drive assembly and / or a brake assembly, etc. This advantageously allows a system anomaly in the form of water entering the vehicle assembly to be identified.

[0011] It is further proposed that the NVH unit includes at least one support structure and at least one NVH amplification element connected to the support structure. Advantageously, the support structure and / or the NVH amplification element are at least partially water-soluble and / or water-displaceable in the first application case. In particular, in this case, at least the connection region between the support structure and the NVH amplification element and / or the bonding region of the NVH amplification element to the support structure consist of a water-soluble and / or water-displaceable material, and the connection region and / or the bonding region are configured to at least partially dissolve and / or change, i.e., for example swell, in particular in operating conditions in which water has entered the vehicle assembly and / or in which the humidity in the vehicle assembly exceeds a threshold value, and more particularly, to at least partially or completely separate the NVH amplification element from the support structure. Particularly preferably, the support structure and / or the NVH amplification element, or the connection region and / or the bonding region, can consist at least partially of water-soluble urea and / or plastic, for example PVOH (polyvinyl alcohol). As already mentioned above, the NVH amplification element is in this case preferably detachably connected to the support structure and is provided to be detached from the support structure in an operating state to generate vibrations, scrapes and / or knocks in the vehicle assembly. Particularly preferably, the NVH unit is further arranged in the region of a movable and / or mobile mechanical assembly of the vehicle, the NVH amplification element being provided to cooperate with the mechanical assembly in an operating state to generate vibrations, scrapes and / or knocks. This makes it possible to trigger a simple and fast reaction for generating and / or amplifying mechanical, tactile and / or acoustical noticeable effects, in particular in operating states in which water has entered at least one vehicle assembly and / or in which the humidity in at least one vehicle assembly exceeds a limit value.

[0012] In the first application case, the detection unit and the NVH unit may be arranged in the same spatial region of the vehicle. However, it is preferably proposed that the detection unit and the NVH unit are arranged in spatially separated regions of the vehicle, which are particularly advantageously sealed from one another, in particular fluid-tight. The detection unit may in this case be integrated, for example, in a control device of the vehicle, for example in the form of a steering control device, while the NVH unit may be arranged inside a vehicle assembly, preferably in the region of a mechanical assembly. By separating the detection unit and the NVH unit, a particularly high operational reliability can be achieved.

[0013] According to a second application example, it is proposed that the operating state is a state in which the mechanical load of at least one vehicle component exceeds a further limit value. The vehicle component may be configured, for example, as a steering component, in particular as part of a servo motor, as part of a servo gearbox, as part of a steering control device and / or as part of a steering sensor. This advantageously makes it possible to identify a system abnormality in the form of a mechanical overload of the vehicle component.

[0014] It is further proposed that the NVH unit in the second application case comprises at least one support structure and at least one NVH amplification element connected to and / or arranged on the support structure, which may in this case be connected to the support structure, for example, via a movably supported sliding element.

[0015] It is further conceivable to interconnect the NVH amplification element and the support structure in such a way that, when the mechanical load exceeds a further limit value, plastic deformation of the support structure and / or of the NVH amplification element occurs, preferably of the connection region between the support structure and the NVH amplification element and / or of the joining region of the NVH amplification element to the support structure. However, according to a preferred embodiment, the NVH amplification element is connected to the support structure in this case via a target breaking point. Preferably, the target breaking point is configured in such a way that, in an operating state in which the mechanical load of the vehicle component exceeds the further limit value, this target breaking point breaks, in particular so that the NVH amplification element is at least partially or completely separated from the support structure. As already mentioned above, the NVH amplification element is preferably separably connected to the support structure and is provided to be separated from the support structure in an operating state to generate shudders, scratches and / or knocks. Particularly preferably, the NVH unit is further arranged in the region of a movable and / or mobile mechanical assembly of the vehicle, and the NVH amplification element is provided for cooperating with the mechanical assembly to generate vibrations, scrapes and / or knocks in operating conditions, thereby allowing to trigger a simple and fast reaction for generating and / or amplifying mechanical, tactile and / or acoustical noticeable effects, in particular in operating conditions where mechanical overload of the vehicle components occurs.

[0016] Furthermore, in the second application case, the detection unit and the NVH unit may be arranged in spatially separated regions of the vehicle. However, it is preferably proposed that the detection unit and the NVH unit are arranged in the same spatial region of the vehicle in this case. The detection unit and the NVH unit may advantageously be arranged in the region of a vehicle component and / or in the region of a mechanical assembly. This allows for particularly simple detection of mechanical, tactile and / or acoustical noticeability. Furthermore, excessive disturbance to the driver and / or passengers can be prevented, since in this case fewer mechanical, tactile and / or acoustical noticeability is generated.

[0017] Furthermore, a method for monitoring the state of a vehicle is proposed, in which saliences occurring in the vehicle, in particular mechanical, tactile and / or acoustic saliences, are detected by a detection unit, and in at least one operating state, in particular in the event of the occurrence of at least one predetermined system abnormality, the saliences in the vehicle, in particular mechanical, tactile and / or acoustic saliences, are generated and / or amplified in a targeted manner by an NVH unit, in order to enable detection by the detection unit and / or to increase the probability of detection by the detection unit. This makes it possible, in particular, to achieve the advantages already mentioned above. In particular, the detection of system abnormalities can be significantly improved, which in turn increases operational safety, in particular in automated vehicles and / or in vehicles without a direct mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steered wheels.

[0018] The vehicle and the method for monitoring the state of the vehicle should not be limited to the applications and embodiments described above, in particular the vehicle and the method for monitoring the state of the vehicle may have a different number of individual elements, components and units than those described herein in order to realize the functional scheme described herein.

[0019] Further advantages can be seen from the following description of the drawings, in which two embodiments of the invention are shown. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle with a steering system and an exemplary vehicle assembly in the form of a steering assembly. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a detailed view showing the detection unit and the NVH unit of the vehicle. [Figure 3] 1 is an exemplary flow chart with main method steps of a method for monitoring the state of a vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 shows a further embodiment of the detection unit and the NVH unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Description of the Examples 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 10a, illustratively configured as an automobile, including a plurality of wheels (not shown) and a steering system 12a. The steering system 12a, in this example, may be configured as a conventional mechanical steering system or as a steer-by-wire steering system. In either case, the steering system 12a has an operative connection with the wheels and is provided to influence the direction of travel of the vehicle 10a.

[0022] Furthermore, the vehicle 10a includes a detection unit 14a (see in particular FIG. 2 ). In this embodiment, the detection unit 14a is integrated into the control device 30a of the vehicle 10a, in this case in particular in the steering control device of the steering system 12a. The detection unit 14a is provided for detecting mechanical, tactile, and / or acoustical characteristics occurring in the vehicle 10a, in particular of the steering system 12a. For this purpose, the detection unit 14a comprises at least one acceleration sensor 32a. In this case, the acceleration sensor 32a may be arranged, for example, on a printed circuit board of the control device 30a. In principle, the detection unit may also comprise several acceleration sensors. Furthermore, the detection unit may comprise other or different types of sensors, such as, for example, at least one structure-borne sound sensor, at least one microphone, and / or at least one rotor attitude sensor. In the latter case, distance signals, speed signals, acceleration signals, and / or jerk signals are taken into account as detection signals in this case. Additionally, the detection unit may be incorporated into other vehicle assemblies different from the control unit.

[0023] Furthermore, the vehicle 10a includes an NVH unit 16a (see in particular FIG. 2 ). The NVH unit 16a is integrated into a vehicle assembly 18a of the vehicle 10a, in this case in particular in the form of a steering assembly, in particular in the form of a servo gearbox. The NVH unit 16a is arranged in this case in the region of a movable and / or moveable mechanical assembly 24a of the vehicle 10a, in this example in particular in the region of the steering machine. Thus, in this case, the NVH unit 16a and the detection unit 14a are arranged in spatially separated regions of the vehicle 10a. Furthermore, the NVH unit 16a is constructed purely passively and therefore does not have any actively controllable and / or drivable electronic assemblies or the like. The NVH unit 16a is operatively connected to the detection unit 14a. The NVH unit 16a is provided to generate and / or amplify in a targeted manner a mechanical, tactile and / or acoustical salience within the vehicle 10a in at least one operating state, in particular in the event of at least one predetermined system anomaly, such as, for example, ingress of water into the vehicle assembly 18a, a mechanical overload of a vehicle component, and / or a thermal overload of a vehicle component, thereby enabling detection by the detection unit 14a and / or increasing the probability of detection by the detection unit 14a. However, in principle the salience may also be a visible salience, for example in the form of a tilt position of the steering wheel of the steering system.

[0024] For this purpose, the NVH unit 16a includes at least one NVH amplification element 22a. The NVH amplification element 22a is arranged in the vicinity of the mechanical assembly 24a. In this embodiment, the NVH amplification element 22a is arranged directly above the mechanical assembly 24a in particular in the direction of gravity. However, the NVH amplification element may alternatively be operatively connected to a spring element or may be arranged in another region of the mechanical assembly. The NVH amplification element 22a is further configured as a rectangular parallelepiped and is adapted to cooperate with the mechanical assembly 24a in an operating state to generate vibrations, scrapes, and / or knocks.

[0025] The NVH unit 16a further includes a support structure 20a connected to the NVH amplification element 22a and the vehicle 10a for holding the NVH amplification element 22a under normal operating conditions. The support structure 20a is configured as a carrier structure and is provided to receive at least a portion of the gravity of the NVH amplification element 22a.

[0026] According to a first application case, the operating condition may here be a condition in which water has entered the vehicle assembly 18a and / or a condition in which the humidity in the vehicle assembly 18a exceeds a threshold value.

[0027] To detect and / or monitor such system anomalies, the support structure 20a is configured to be water-soluble and / or water-dispersible, and therefore consists of a water-soluble and / or water-dispersible material, such as PVOH. In this embodiment, the support structure 20a is configured to at least partially dissolve and / or change, i.e., expand, under operating conditions where water has entered the vehicle assembly 18a and / or where the humidity within the vehicle assembly 18a exceeds a threshold value. More specifically, the NVH amplification element 22a is configured to separate from the support structure 20a and fall or be transported into the mechanical assembly 24a, generating vibrations, scratches, and / or knocks within the vehicle assembly 18a. In this embodiment, the mechanical assembly 24a of the vehicle 10a, and thus the existing mechanical transmission path, is utilized in order to detect the generated salience via the detection unit 14a. However, in principle, the NVH amplification element can also be configured to be at least partially water-soluble and / or water-dispersible. Furthermore, the use of water-soluble urea, etc., is conceivable. Additionally, the NVH unit may be used separately from the mechanical assembly, such that only the NVH amplification element may be used to generate shudder, scrape, and / or knock.

[0028] 3 shows an exemplary flow chart with the main method steps of a method for monitoring the state of a vehicle 10a. In this embodiment, in particular in this case a computing unit (not shown) of the control device 30a may be provided for carrying out the method and may for this purpose comprise in particular a computer program with corresponding program code means.

[0029] In method step 40a, a predetermined system malfunction occurs, such as, for example, water intrusion into vehicle assembly 18a, mechanical overload of a vehicle component, excessive wear of a vehicle component, and / or thermal overload of a vehicle component, where the system malfunction is, for example, water intrusion into vehicle assembly 18a.

[0030] In method step 42a, in particular, the water-soluble and / or water-variable support structure 20a is at least partially dissolved and / or at least partially transformed, more particularly such that the NVH amplification element 22a is separated from the support structure 20a and falls into the mechanical assembly 24a.

[0031] In method step 44a, the NVH amplification element 22a cooperates with a movable and / or mobile mechanical assembly 24a to generate mechanical, tactile and / or acoustical signatures within the vehicle 10a, at least when the vehicle 10a is moving, in this embodiment particularly in the form of continuous vibrations, scrapes and / or knocks within the vehicle assembly 18a, which in this connection is used as a transmission path for conducting the mechanical, tactile and / or acoustical signatures to the detection unit 14a.

[0032] Then, in method step 46a, the detection of mechanical, tactile and / or acoustic saliences and thus the detection of system anomalies by the detection unit 14a is performed.

[0033] Then, in a final method step 48a, an error can be estimated and a corresponding reaction can be triggered, such as for example the generation of a warning message and / or degraded operation of the vehicle 10a.

[0034] 3 is merely an exemplary illustration of a method for monitoring the state of a vehicle 10a, and in particular individual method steps may be modified or additional method steps may be added.

[0035] A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 4. The following description and drawings are substantially limited to the differences between the embodiments, and reference can be made in principle to the drawings and / or descriptions of the other embodiments in Figures 1 to 3, particularly for similarly illustrated components, and in particular for components with the same reference numerals. To distinguish between the embodiments, the letter a is placed after the reference numerals of the embodiments in Figures 1 to 3. In the embodiment of Figure 4, the letter a is replaced by the letter b.

[0036] The further embodiment of Figure 4 differs from the preceding embodiment at least substantially in terms of the system anomalies to be detected and therefore in terms of the construction of the NVH unit 16b of the vehicle 10b.

[0037] In the present application, the operating state is a state in which the mechanical load of at least one vehicle component 26b exceeds a further limit value, which in this case may occur, for example, as a result of driving over a pothole and / or a so-called curb strike.

[0038] In this case, the NVH unit 16b again includes a support structure 20b and at least one NVH amplification element 22b connected to and / or arranged on the support structure 20b. However, in this embodiment, the NVH amplification element 22b is connected to the support structure 20b via a target breaking point 28b. The target breaking point 28b is configured so that, in an operating state in which the mechanical load of the vehicle component 26b exceeds a further limit value, the target breaking point 28b breaks, separating the NVH amplification element 22b from the support structure 20b. The NVH amplification element 22b generates vibrations, scrapes, and / or knocks in an operating state and, for this purpose, is provided to cooperate with a movable and / or mobile mechanical assembly 24b. The mechanical, tactile, and / or acoustical noticeable effects thus generated can then be detected by a corresponding detection unit 14b.

[0039] However, the NVH amplification element may alternatively be connected to the support structure via a movably mounted sliding element in this case.Furthermore, it is conceivable to interconnect the NVH amplification element and the support structure in such a way that, when the mechanical load exceeds a further limiting value, a plastic deformation of the support structure and / or of the NVH amplification element occurs, preferably of the connection region between the support structure and the NVH amplification element and / or of the joining region of the NVH amplification element to the support structure.

[0040] Furthermore, the detection unit 14b and the NVH unit 16b are arranged in this case in the same spatial region of the vehicle 10b. In this embodiment, the detection unit 14b, the NVH unit 16b, the vehicle component 26b and the mechanical assembly 24b are arranged in the same vehicle assembly 18b, in particular in a common accommodation region of the vehicle assembly 18b. However, it is also conceivable that the detection units, the NVH units, the vehicle components and / or the mechanical modules are arranged in spatially separated regions of the vehicle.

[0041] Further error operating conditions are also contemplated, such as excessive temperature loads of vehicle components, where the operating condition may be a condition in which the temperature load of at least one vehicle component exceeds a threshold value or exceeds the threshold value for a predetermined period of time, and in this case too, the NVH amplifying element may be decoupled from the support structure when the threshold value is exceeded in order to generate a corresponding mechanical, tactile and / or acoustical noticeable effect.

Claims

1. A vehicle (10a; 10b), in particular a steering system (12a), comprising a detection unit (14a; 14b) for detecting saliencies, in particular mechanical, tactile and / or acoustic saliencies, occurring within the vehicle (10a; 10b), an NVH unit (16a; 16b) cooperating with the detection unit (14a; 14b); the NVH unit (16a; 16b) is provided to generate and / or amplify a noticeable, in particular a mechanical, tactile and / or acoustic noticeable, in the vehicle (10a; 10b) in at least one operating state, in particular in the event of at least one predetermined system malfunction, in order to enable detection by the detection unit (14a; 14b) and / or to increase the detection probability of the detection unit (14a; 14b), A vehicle (10a; 10b) characterized in that

2. the operating condition is a condition in which water has entered the at least one vehicle assembly (18a) and / or a condition in which humidity within the at least one vehicle assembly (18a) exceeds a threshold value; 2. A vehicle (10a) according to claim 1.

3. The NVH unit (16a) includes at least one support structure (20a) and at least one NVH amplification element (22a) connected to the support structure (20a); The support structure (20a) and / or the NVH amplification element (22a) are configured to be at least partially water-soluble and / or water-dispersible. A vehicle (10a) according to claim 2.

4. the support structure (20a) and / or the NVH amplification element (22a) are at least partially made of water-soluble urea and / or plastic; A vehicle (10a) according to claim 3.

5. the NVH amplification element (22a) is detachably connected to the support structure (20a) and is configured to be detached from the support structure (20a) in the operating state to generate vibrations, scratches, and / or knocks within the vehicle assembly (18a); A vehicle (10a) according to claim 3 or 4.

6. the NVH unit (16a) is located in the area of ​​a movable and / or mobile mechanical assembly (24a); the NVH amplification element (22a) is provided to cooperate with the mechanical assembly (24a) to generate the vibration, the scrape, and / or the knock during the operating condition; A vehicle (10a) according to claim 5.

7. The detection unit (14a) and the NVH unit (16a) are arranged in regions of the vehicle (10a) that are spatially separated from each other. A vehicle (10a) according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

8. the operating state is a state in which a mechanical load of at least one vehicle component (26b) exceeds a further limit value; A vehicle (10b) according to claim 1.

9. The NVH unit (16b) includes at least one support structure (20b) and at least one NVH amplification element (22b) coupled to and / or disposed on the support structure (20b). A vehicle (10b) according to claim 8.

10. The NVH amplification element (22b) is connected to the support structure (20b) via a targeted break point (28b). A vehicle (10b) according to claim 9.

11. the NVH amplification element (22b) is detachably connected to the support structure (20b) and is configured to be detached from the support structure (20b) in the operating state to generate vibration, scratching, and / or knocking. A vehicle (10b) according to claim 9 or 10.

12. the NVH unit (16b) is located in the area of ​​a movable and / or mobile mechanical assembly (24b); the NVH amplification element (22b) is provided to cooperate with the mechanical assembly (24b) to generate the vibration, the scrape, and / or the knock during the operating condition; A vehicle (10b) according to claim 11.

13. The detection unit (14b) and the NVH unit (16b) are arranged in the same spatial region of the vehicle (10b). A vehicle (10b) according to any one of claims 8 to 12.

14. A method for monitoring the state of a vehicle (10a; 10b), in particular according to any one of claims 1 to 13, in which saliences occurring in the vehicle (10a; 10b) are detected by a detection unit (14a; 14b), In at least one operating state, and in particular in the event of at least one predetermined system anomaly, a conspicuousness within the vehicle (10a; 10b) is generated and / or amplified in a targeted manner, thereby enabling detection by the detection unit (14a; 14b) and / or increasing the probability of detection by the detection unit (14a; 14b). A method characterized by:

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