Method for operating a vehicle operating device and vehicle operating device

Abstract

The invention takes as its starting point a method for operating a vehicle operating device (10a; 10b), in particular a vehicle operating device (10a; 10b) for influencing the longitudinal and / or lateral movement of a vehicle (12a), the vehicle operating device (10a; 10b) comprising at least one manually operable operating unit (14a; 14b) for controlling a plurality of vehicle functions. It is proposed here to modify, by means of the operating unit (14a; 14b), in at least one operating state in which one of the vehicle functions is actively controlled, at least one control variable of a vehicle function that is not actively controlled, in such a way that unintended drive control and / or activation of the vehicle function that is not actively controlled is made difficult and / or prevented.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The invention starts from a method for operating a vehicle operating device according to the preamble of claim 1 and a vehicle operating device according to the preamble of claim 14.

[0002] The invention also relates to a control device comprising a computing unit for implementing such a method, and to a vehicle comprising such a vehicle operating device. [Background technology]

[0003] The prior art discloses motor vehicles equipped with vehicle operating devices for influencing the vehicle's longitudinal and / or lateral movement. As the degree of automation increases, so too does the demand for novel interior spaces and vehicle concepts. In this context, it is conceivable to control several key vehicle functions using a single, manually operable operating unit, which, on the one hand, allows for the elimination of part of the vehicle's sensor system and, on the other hand, allows for novel operating techniques. In this context, the operating unit may be configured, for example, as a joystick, as a single integrated operating unit for lateral and longitudinal guidance of the vehicle, and / or as an operating unit with several key-shaped operating elements. In this context, reference may be made, for example, to German Patent Application Publication No. 102011051488 and / or German Patent Application Publication No. 102017209745.

[0004] However, integrating multiple vehicle functions into a single operating unit can lead to undesired interactions between the individual vehicle functions because they are configured in such a way that 100 percent isolation cannot be guaranteed. For example, if a setpoint for accelerator depression is actively changed, an undesired change in the setpoint for steering may also occur at the same time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The problem of the present invention is, in particular, to provide a method for operating a vehicle operating device and a vehicle operating device having characteristics improved with respect to operability. This problem is solved by the features described in claim 1, claim 13, claim 14 and claim 16, and in contrast, preferred embodiments and developments of the present invention can be read from the dependent claims.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] Disclosure of the Invention The present invention starts from a vehicle operating device, in particular a method for operating a vehicle operating device for influencing the longitudinal and / or lateral movement of a vehicle, where the vehicle operating device includes at least one operating unit that can be manually operated by a driver, in particular for controlling a plurality of vehicle functions, particularly simultaneously and / or correlatively.

[0008] Using an operating unit, in at least one operating state in which one of the vehicle functions, in particular the first vehicle function, is actively controlled, at least one control variable of a vehicle function that is not actively controlled, in particular at least one second vehicle function different from the first vehicle function, is modified such that the unintentional drive control and / or activation of the vehicle function that is not actively controlled, which is caused and / or induced in particular by the active control of the first vehicle function, is made difficult and / or prevented. In particular, these vehicle functions are here interconnected and / or connected to each other such that, during the active control of one of the vehicle functions, in particular the unintentional drive control and / or activation of the vehicle function that is not actively controlled, which is caused and / or induced by the active control of the vehicle function, also occurs or can occur. In the case of the present invention, the control variable of the second vehicle function or the vehicle function that is not actively controlled is here in particular modified such that the control specified value required for the drive control and / or activation of the second vehicle function increases. Further, the control variable of the second vehicle function or the vehicle function that is not actively controlled is in particular modified such that the active control of the second vehicle function and / or the intentional drive control and / or activation of the second vehicle function becomes further possible. Furthermore, it is possible to actively control, in particular, a plurality of vehicle functions, in particular simultaneously, using the operating unit, and / or to modify a plurality of control variables of a plurality of vehicle functions that are not actively controlled such that the unintentional drive control and / or activation of the vehicle functions that are not actively controlled is made difficult and / or prevented. According to this embodiment, the operability of the vehicle operating device can be improved. In particular, in this context, the operating reliability can be increased because the unintentional and / or unwanted drive control and / or activation of the vehicle functions that are not actively controlled by the driver can be made difficult and / or prevented. Also, in particular, a high degree of flexibility and / or variability can be achieved, and in this case, preferably, a new interior space and / or vehicle concept can be realized.

[0009] A "vehicle operating device" in this context is understood to mean at least one part, in particular a subassembly, of a vehicle, preferably a motor vehicle. In particular, the vehicle operating device is part of the vehicle's control system and is provided for influencing and / or controlling the longitudinal and / or lateral movements of the vehicle. The vehicle operating device may also be provided for influencing and / or controlling further vehicle functions, such as, for example, a gearshift function and / or a cruise control function. For this purpose, the vehicle operating device comprises an operating unit, which is provided for controlling a plurality of, preferably mutually coupled and / or connected, vehicle functions, in particular at least two, at least three or at least four vehicle functions, and for this purpose may comprise at least one operating element, for example in the form of a joystick and / or an operating lever, and preferably a plurality of operating elements, for example in the form of joysticks, operating levers, switches and / or keys. The operating unit is preferably configured as a by-wire operating unit and is provided for providing corresponding electrical operating signals, in particular for controlling corresponding actuators of the vehicle, such as corresponding actuators of the drive system, braking system, and / or steering system, upon operation. Preferably, the operating unit is provided here for one-hand operation. Furthermore, the vehicle functions are preferably primary vehicle functions, in particular steering functions, braking functions, acceleration functions, and / or gear shifting functions. Each vehicle function may be assigned to at least one operating element of the operating unit and / or a direction of movement of the operating unit. "Actively controlling a vehicle function using an operating unit" is understood to mean, in particular, that the corresponding vehicle function is controlled and / or activated in a deliberate and / or intentional manner by deliberate and / or intentional operation and / or movement of the operating unit and / or at least one operating element of the operating unit, in particular by the driver. In particular, the level of a control setting value, in particular applied by the driver, for controlling and / or activating the vehicle function exceeds a predetermined limit value in this case.The term "vehicle function that is not actively controlled" is to be understood in particular as meaning a vehicle function that is not and should not be controlled, driven, and / or activated as desired and / or consciously by the driver at a given operating state and / or at a given point in time. In particular, the level of the control specification values that are specifically applied by the driver to drive and / or activate the vehicle function is below the specified limit value in this case. A vehicle function that is not actively controlled may here be coupled and / or connected to a vehicle function that is actively controlled such that, during the active control of the corresponding vehicle function, an undesired drive control and / or activation of the vehicle function that is not actively controlled is or can be effected by the operation and / or movement of the operating unit and / or at least one operating element of the operating unit. Furthermore, the term "control variable" is to be understood in particular as meaning a variable that is correlated with the control of the corresponding vehicle function and is configured to be adaptable such that the control specification values required for the drive control and / or activation of the vehicle function are increased in order to at least temporarily make difficult and / or prevent an unintended drive control and / or activation of the vehicle function. The term "provided" is to be understood in particular as meaning specifically programmed, designed, and / or equipped. The term "an object is provided for a specific function" is to be understood in particular as meaning that this object fulfills and / or executes this specific function in at least one application and / or operating state.

[0010] Furthermore, in order to identify an actively controlled vehicle function in an operating state, it is proposed that at least one degree of steering of the actively controlled vehicle function be identified and evaluated. In this context, the "degree of operation" is to be understood as meaning, in particular, a preferably discrete variable that correlates with the displacement and / or operating force of the operating unit and / or at least one operating element of the operating unit. This is used as a measure for the operation of the corresponding vehicle function. In particular, the degree of operation here includes more states than two states (on / off state), preferably a plurality of different states. However, alternatively or additionally, in order to identify an actively controlled vehicle function, it is also possible to determine and evaluate the operating torque, operating force, operating time, for example the driving state of the vehicle in terms of aspects of highway driving and / or parking processes, and / or at least one environmental condition of the vehicle identified from signals of the vehicle's surrounding sensor system. This makes it possible, in particular, to identify actively controlled vehicle functions particularly easily.

[0011] Moreover, it is proposed that the modification of the control variable, in particular the modification of a vehicle function that is not actively controlled, be carried out depending on the degree of operation of the actively controlled vehicle function, for example depending on the driving state of the vehicle in terms of aspects of highway driving and / or parking processes, and / or depending on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle identified from signals of the vehicle's surrounding sensor system. In this case, the modification of the control variable can also preferably be carried out depending on an operating variable of the actively controlled vehicle function, which is derived from the degree of operation of the actively controlled vehicle function, for example the operating torque, operating force, and / or operating time. Thereby, the control variable of a vehicle function that is not actively controlled can preferably be easily modified depending on the actively controlled vehicle function.

[0012] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, it is proposed that for the modification of the control variable, at least one, in particular symmetric or asymmetric, dead band is used and this dead band is added to the control variable. Preferably, the width of the dead band here depends on the degree of operation of the vehicle function actively controlled, for example on the driving state of the vehicle in terms of highway driving and / or parking process, and / or on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle determined from the signals of the vehicle's surrounding sensor system, for example. Thus, in this case, the dead band is selected and / or modified depending on the degree of operation of the vehicle function actively controlled, the driving state of the vehicle, and / or the environmental condition of the vehicle, and is added to the vehicle function not actively controlled, in particular to the corresponding control variable. Thereby, the trigger threshold for the vehicle function not actively controlled can preferably be easily adapted.

[0013] Alternatively or additionally, at least one offset is used for the modification of the control variable and this offset is added to the control variable. Preferably, the level and / or direction or polarity of the offset here depends on the degree of operation of the vehicle function actively controlled, for example on the driving state of the vehicle in terms of highway driving and / or parking process, and / or on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle determined from the signals of the vehicle's surrounding sensor system, for example. Thus, in this case, the offset is selected and / or modified depending on the degree of operation of the vehicle function actively controlled, the driving state of the vehicle, and / or the environmental condition of the vehicle, and is added to the vehicle function not actively controlled, in particular to the corresponding control variable. This embodiment enables an alternative adaptation of the control variable and / or the trigger threshold for the vehicle function not actively controlled.

[0014] Furthermore, alternatively or additionally, it is proposed that at least one correction factor is used for the correction of the control variable, and that the correction factor is added to the control variable. Preferably, the value of the correction factor here depends on the degree of operation of the vehicle function actively controlled, for example on the driving state of the vehicle in terms of aspects of highway driving and / or parking processes, and / or on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle determined from signals of, for example, the vehicle's surrounding sensor system. Thus, in this case, the correction factor is selected and / or corrected depending on the degree of operation of the vehicle function actively controlled, the driving state of the vehicle, and / or the environmental condition of the vehicle, and is added to the vehicle function not actively controlled, in particular to the corresponding control variable. Thereby, in particular, a particularly flexible and / or uniform adaptation of the control variable can be achieved.

[0015] Furthermore, alternatively or additionally, it is proposed that at least one compensation torque and / or one compensation force is used for the correction of the control variable, and that the compensation torque and / or the compensation force is preferably added to the control variable using an actuator in the form of an electric motor. In particular, the vehicle operating device here may include an actuator. This actuator may be, for example, a feedback actuator provided for providing at least a restoring torque to the operating unit, or may be a separate compensation actuator. Preferably, the level and / or direction or polarity of the compensation torque and / or the compensation force here depends on the degree of operation of the vehicle function actively controlled, for example on the driving state of the vehicle in terms of aspects of highway driving and / or parking processes, and / or on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle determined from signals of, for example, the vehicle's surrounding sensor system. Thus, in this case, the compensation torque and / or the compensation force is selected and / or corrected depending on the degree of operation of the vehicle function actively controlled, the driving state of the vehicle, and / or the environmental condition of the vehicle, and is added to the vehicle function not actively controlled, in particular to the corresponding control variable. Thereby, in particular, a particularly accurate adaptation of the control variable can be achieved by flexible drive control of the actuator.

[0016] Advantageously, further, for the modification of the control variable, it is also proposed that at least one model of an operating unit of an aspect of a software algorithm based on a preferably previously applied model be used, the model at least partially reproducing and / or simulating the physical characteristics of the operating unit. This model is determined in particular using test measurements and / or using a dedicated algorithm and can in particular be stored in the vehicle's operating memory. Further, this model can in particular correspond to a physical model of the operating unit that simulates the actual operating unit as accurately as possible. However, preferably, this model corresponds to a simplified, in particular preferably linearized, model of the operating unit. Thereby, in particular, the computational cost can be reduced and at the same time a particularly high energy efficiency can be achieved.

[0017] The operational reliability can be particularly preferably improved when the vehicle function includes a major vehicle function, in particular a steering function, a braking function, an acceleration function, and / or a transmission function. However, basically, at least one of the vehicle functions can also correspond to a multimedia function, a ventilation function, and / or a lighting function.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the operating unit is movably supported for controlling at least one first vehicle function of the vehicle functions, and has at least one key-shaped, particularly manually operable operating element, such as a key and / or a switch, for controlling at least one second vehicle function of the vehicle functions. Here, the first vehicle function of the vehicle functions can be controlled by a particularly manually performed movement of the operating unit, particularly a rotational movement, a swiveling movement, and / or a tilting movement. The second vehicle function can be controlled by an operation particularly manually performed on the operating element, particularly in the form of a push operation. Here, the operating unit and the operating element are separated from each other by using a modification of the control variable such that, in the case of the active control of the first vehicle function, the desired drive control and / or activation of the second vehicle function, particularly by an unintended operation of the operating element, is made difficult and / or prevented by the intended movement of the operating unit, and / or, in the case of the active control of the second vehicle function, the desired drive control and / or activation of the first vehicle function, particularly by an unintended movement of the operating unit, is made difficult and / or prevented by the intended operation of the operating element. Preferably, the operating unit is here movably supported about an axis oriented in the horizontal direction, particularly with respect to the vehicle and / or the driver, for controlling the first vehicle function. Particularly preferably, the operating unit in this case includes a body movably supported for controlling the first vehicle function, and an operating element for controlling the second vehicle function is arranged on the body. Preferably, a plurality of operating elements for controlling the second vehicle function may be arranged on the body. Here, these operating elements are preferably arranged such that the driver can operate these operating elements with different fingers of the same hand. Thereby, particularly in the case of a movably supported operating unit having one or more additional operating elements, the operability can be improved and the operation reliability can be advantageously increased.

[0019] According to a further embodiment, the operating unit includes a plurality of key-shaped, in particular manually operable operating elements for controlling vehicle functions, for example a plurality of keys and / or a plurality of switches, wherein at least one first vehicle function of the vehicle functions is controllable by means of an operation, in particular a push operation, which is carried out manually on the first operating element, and at least one second vehicle function of the vehicle functions is controllable by means of an operation, in particular a push operation, which is carried out manually on the second operating element, wherein the operating elements are separated from each other such that, by using the modification of the control variable, in the case of the active control of the first vehicle function, the unwanted drive control and / or activation of the second vehicle function, in particular by means of an unintended operation of the second operating element, is made difficult and / or prevented by the intended operation of the first operating unit, and / or, in the case of the active control of the second vehicle function, the unwanted drive control and / or activation of the first vehicle function, in particular by means of an unintended operation of the first operating unit, is made difficult and / or prevented by the intended operation of the second operating element. Preferably, these operating elements are arranged here such that the driver can operate these operating elements with different fingers of the same hand. Thereby, in particular in the case of an operating unit having a plurality of operating elements that can be operated by different fingers, for example, the operability is improved and the operational reliability can be advantageously increased.

[0020] According to a further embodiment, the operating unit comprises a movably supported, in particular manually operable, operating element, in particular a shift control or preferably a joystick and / or an operating lever, for controlling vehicle functions, wherein at least one first of the vehicle functions can be controlled by means of a movement of the operating element, in particular in a first direction of movement, which is performed manually, in particular a rotational movement, a swiveling movement and / or a tilting movement, and at least one second of the vehicle functions can be controlled by means of a movement of the operating element, in particular in a second direction of movement, which is performed manually, in particular a rotational movement, a swiveling movement and / or a tilting movement, which is performed manually, in particular a second direction of movement, which is different from the first direction of movement and preferably oriented perpendicularly to the first direction of movement, in particular a rotational movement, a swiveling movement and / or a tilting movement, It is proposed that the directions, in particular the first and second directions of movement, be decoupled from one another by using a correction of the control variable in such a way that, in the case of an active control of a first vehicle function, an intended movement of the operating element in the first direction of movement makes it difficult and / or impossible to unintentionally control and / or activate a second vehicle function, in particular through unintentional movement of the operating element in the second direction of movement, and / or that, in the case of an active control of a second vehicle function, an intended movement of the operating element in the second direction of movement makes it difficult and / or impossible to unintentionally control and / or activate a first vehicle function, in particular through unintentional movement of the operating element in the first direction of movement. Preferably, the operating element here for control of the vehicle functions is supported so as to be movable, in particular with respect to the vehicle and / or the driver, about a horizontally and / or vertically oriented axis. This can advantageously improve operability and operational reliability, in particular in the case of an operating unit having a single operating element that can be moved in multiple directions of movement.

[0021] According to a further aspect of the present invention, in particular an aspect that can be realized by itself or preferably realized in addition to the above-mentioned aspects of the present invention, preferably in combination with at least some parts, preferably at least one main part, and preferably all parts of the above-mentioned aspects, a method for operating a vehicle operating device, in particular the above-mentioned vehicle operating device, is proposed, wherein the vehicle operating device includes at least one manually operable operating unit for controlling multiple vehicle functions, and wherein, in at least one further operating state in which multiple vehicle functions, such as a steering function and an acceleration function, are actively controlled, in particular simultaneously, using the operating unit, the relative influences of the actively controlled vehicle functions are sequentially modified, in particular by a relative adaptation of the respective control variables. The adaptation of the control variables can be performed in this case similarly to the above-mentioned method. Preferably, the modification of the relative influences is performed here depending on the degree of operation of the respective actively controlled vehicle functions. In particular, a first control variable of a first actively controlled vehicle function is modified depending on the degree of operation of a second actively controlled vehicle function, depending on the vehicle's operating state, and / or depending on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle, and a second control variable of a second actively controlled vehicle function is modified depending on the degree of operation of the first actively controlled vehicle function, depending on the vehicle's operating state, and / or depending on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle. Particularly preferably, at least one dead band, preferably with a variable width, an offset, preferably with a variable level and / or direction, a correction factor, preferably with a variable value, and / or a compensation torque and / or compensation force, preferably with a variable level and / or direction, can be used to modify the first control variable and / or the second control variable, and these can be applied to the corresponding control variable. Furthermore, at least one model of the operating unit, in particular the model already described above, can be used to modify the first control variable and / or the second control variable. This advantageously reduces and / or prevents the correlated effects of actively controlled vehicle functions.

[0022] Furthermore, a control device is proposed which comprises a computing unit provided for implementing a method for operating a vehicle operating device. The "computing unit" should be understood to mean, in particular, an electrical and / or electronic unit having an information input unit, an information processing unit and an information output unit. Preferably, the computing unit further has at least one processor, at least one operating memory, at least one input and / or output means, at least one operating program, at least one control routine, at least one calculation routine, at least one evaluation routine and / or at least one adaptation routine. Thus, the computing unit is provided, in particular, in the operating state, to modify control variables of vehicle functions that are not actively controlled such that and / or are prevented from making unintentional drive control and / or activation of the vehicle functions that are not actively controlled difficult. Moreover, the computing unit may be provided to identify vehicle functions that are actively controlled. Thereby, in particular, the above-described advantages can be achieved, and here, at least one operability of the vehicle operating device can be improved.

[0023] Furthermore, there is proposed a vehicle operating device, in particular a vehicle operating device for influencing the longitudinal and / or transverse movement of a vehicle, which in particular comprises at least one operating unit which is manually operable by a driver for simultaneously and / or correlatively controlling a plurality of vehicle functions. The vehicle operating device comprises an adaptation unit which, in at least one operating state in which one of the vehicle functions is actively controlled using the operating unit, corrects at least one control variable of a vehicle function which is not actively controlled so as to make unintentional drive control and / or activation of the vehicle function which is not actively controlled difficult and / or to prevent it. This adaptation unit may be mechanically configured for this purpose and may comprise at least one gear element and / or at least one elastic spring element in the form of, for example, a compression spring. However, preferably, the adaptation unit is at least partially electrically and / or electronically configured and comprises at least one computing unit provided for implementing a method for operating the vehicle operating device. Thus, the computing unit is in particular provided, in the operating state, for correcting at least one control variable of a vehicle function which is not actively controlled so as to make unintentional drive control and / or activation of the vehicle function which is not actively controlled difficult and / or to prevent it. Furthermore, the computing unit may be provided for identifying the vehicle function which is actively controlled. Preferably, the adaptation unit is here integrated into the control device of the vehicle or the vehicle operating device or is configured as the control device of the vehicle or the vehicle operating device. Thereby, in particular, the advantages already mentioned above can be achieved, and here at least one operability of the vehicle operating device can be improved.

[0024] The method for operating the vehicle operating device and the vehicle operating device herein should not be limited to the above-mentioned uses and embodiments. In particular, the method for operating the vehicle operating device and the vehicle operating device herein may have a number different from the number of individual elements, components and units listed herein in order to satisfy the functional configurations described herein.

[0025] Further advantages will become apparent from the following description of the drawings. These drawings show two embodiments of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with an exemplary vehicle operation device. [Diagram 2] It is a detailed diagram of the vehicle operation device. [Diagram 3] It is an exemplary flowchart with the main method steps of a method for operating a vehicle operation device. [Figure 4] It is a detailed diagram of a further embodiment of a further vehicle operation device.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] Description of Embodiments FIG. 1 schematically shows a vehicle 12a configured exemplarily as a passenger car.

[0028] The vehicle 12a includes a drive system 34a known per se. This drive system 34a includes, for example, a vehicle drive unit (not shown) configured as a drive motor and a vehicle transmission (not shown) having a plurality of gear stages that interacts with the drive motor and is configured exemplarily as an automatic transmission. The drive system 34a is provided to provide a drive function for moving the vehicle 12a in the longitudinal direction. However, basically, the drive system may not have a vehicle transmission.

[0029] Furthermore, the vehicle 12a includes a braking system 36a known per se. This braking system 36a includes a brake unit (not shown) configured particularly as a service brake. The braking system 36a is provided to provide a braking function for braking the vehicle 12a in the longitudinal direction.

[0030] Furthermore, the vehicle 12a is equipped with a steering system 38a known per se. This steering system 38a is provided to provide a steering function for steering or moving the vehicle 12a laterally. Furthermore, in the present case, the steering system 38a is configured as a steer-by-wire steering system, so that in at least one operating state, the steering command values are transferred exclusively electrically to the vehicle wheels. However, in principle, the steering system can also be configured as a conventional steering system with mechanical control and electrical steering assistance in the form of power steering.

[0031] Furthermore, the vehicle 12a includes a vehicle operation device 10a. The vehicle operation device 10a has an electrical connection with the drive system 34a and is provided for driving control of the drive system 34a. The vehicle operation device 10a also has an electrical connection with the braking system 36a and is provided for driving control of the braking system 36a. The vehicle operation device 10a also has an electrical connection with the steering system 38a and is provided for driving control of the steering system 38a. According to the present invention, the vehicle operation device 10a is configured as a by-wire operation device and is provided for controlling the longitudinal and lateral movement of the vehicle 12a and the gearshift function. However, alternatively, the vehicle operation device may be provided solely for controlling the longitudinal or lateral movement of the vehicle. It is also conceivable to omit control of the gearshift function or to control additional vehicle functions, such as a cruise control function, using the vehicle operation device.

[0032] The vehicle 12a further includes a control device 28a. The control device 28a is configured as a central vehicle control device. The control device 28a has electrical connections with the vehicle operation device 10a. The control device 28a further has electrical connections with the drive system 34a and the braking system 36a, thereby coupling the vehicle operation device 10a to the drive system 34a and the braking system 36a. The control device 28a also has electrical connections with the steering system 38a, thereby coupling the vehicle operation device 10a to the steering system 38a. The control device 28a is provided to drive and control the drive system 34a, the braking system 36a, and the steering system 38a depending on at least one signal from the vehicle operation device 10a.

[0033] For this purpose, the control device 28a includes a calculation unit 30a. This calculation unit 30a includes at least one processor (not shown), for example in the form of a microprocessor, and at least one operating memory (not shown). The calculation unit 30a also includes at least one operating program stored in the operating memory, which has at least one control routine, at least one calculation routine, at least one evaluation routine, and at least one adaptation routine. However, alternatively, the control device can be different from the central vehicle control device. In this case, the control device can be, for example, part of the drive system, part of the braking system, part of the steering system, or part of the vehicle operating device.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows in detail a purely exemplary embodiment of the vehicle operating device 10a. In the case of the present invention, this vehicle operating device 10a has a single manually operable operating unit 14a, which is provided for the control of lateral vehicle guidance, longitudinal vehicle guidance, and gear shifting. The operating unit 14a is arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 12a and is permanently connected to the vehicle 12a. The operating unit 14a is configured as a by-wire operating unit. Further, in the present invention, the operating unit 14a is configured as an integrated operating component, and in particular, corresponds to the operating unit disclosed in German Patent Application Publication No. 102017209745. However, alternatively, the vehicle operating device may include something different from the integrated operating component, for example, a plurality of separate operating units. In that case, the first operating unit is provided for lateral vehicle guidance, and the second operating unit is provided for longitudinal vehicle guidance.

[0035] The operating unit 14a includes an at least substantially spherical body 40a and a plurality of separately formed operating elements 18a, 20a arranged on the surface of the body 40a and operable by the driver. The body 40a is movably supported and can rotate and / or pivot about a horizontally oriented axis 42a, particularly with respect to the vehicle 12a and / or the driver. In FIG. 2, this axis 42a is vertically oriented for purely illustrative reasons. Using the movement of the operating unit 14a, particularly the body 40a, about the axis 42a, a first vehicle function, in the form of a steering function, can be controlled in the present invention. The operating elements 18a, 20a are key-shaped and, in the present invention, are illustratively formed as switch surfaces and / or key buttons. The operating elements 18a, 20a are arranged in this manner so that the driver can operate them with different fingers of the same hand. The first of the operating elements 18a, 20a, 18a, is assigned to the drive system 34a. In the present invention, a second vehicle function, in the form of an acceleration function, can be controlled by operating the first operating element 18a, in particular by pushing. The second operating element 20a of the operating elements 18a, 20a is assigned to the braking system 36a. A third vehicle function, in the form of a braking function, can be controlled by operating the second operating element 20a, in particular by pushing. Alternatively or additionally, the vehicle operating device can include an operating element configured as a joystick and / or a control lever. Furthermore, the operating unit can include exactly one operating element. This operating element can be provided, for example, for controlling the drive and braking functions depending on the applied pressure. The operating unit can also include more than two operating elements. In that case, a third operating element can be provided, for example, for controlling a gearshift function or a multimedia function.

[0036] Furthermore, the vehicle operating device 10a includes an actuator 16a in the present invention. The actuator 16a is mechanically coupled to the operating unit 14a. The actuator 16a is exemplarily configured as a feedback actuator and is provided for capturing, in particular directly, signals, forces, and / or torques from the operating unit 14a and / or transmitting them, in particular directly, to the operating unit 14a. In the present invention, the actuator 16a is provided for generating a restoring torque at least to the operating unit 14a. For this purpose, the actuator 16a includes at least one electric motor (not shown). However, alternatively, the actuator can be different from the feedback actuator. Furthermore, it is basically also possible to omit the actuator.

[0037] The integration of multiple vehicle functions into a single operating unit can lead to undesired interactions between the individual vehicle functions because they are configured in a way that does not guarantee 100% decoupling. For example, actively changing the control defaults for the drive system 34a can also result in undesired changes to the control defaults for the steering system 38a.

[0038] Therefore, an exemplary method for operating a vehicle control device 10a to enhance operability and operational reliability is described below. For this purpose, the vehicle control device 10a includes an adaptation unit 32a, which in the present invention is configured electrically and / or electronically and corresponds to the control device 28a. The adaptation unit 32a is provided to provide a software-based algorithm for implementing the method. Therefore, in the present invention, a computing unit 30a is provided to execute the method and, for this purpose, contains, in particular, a computer program with corresponding program code means. However, it is alternatively possible to configure the adaptation unit separately from the control device and, for example, to have a dedicated computing unit for implementing the method. Furthermore, it is also conceivable in principle for the adaptation unit to be configured mechanically, for example, using elastic spring elements.

[0039] In the present invention, in at least one operating state in which one of the vehicle functions, i.e., in particular one of the steering, acceleration, and / or braking functions, is actively controlled using the operating unit 14a, at least one control variable of the vehicle function that is not actively controlled is modified in such a way that unintentional control of and / or activation of the vehicle function that is not actively controlled is made difficult and / or prevented, whereas here the control variable of the vehicle function that is not actively controlled is modified in such a way that active control of this vehicle function and / or intentional control of and / or activation of this vehicle function remains possible.

[0040] In order to identify an actively controlled vehicle function, here, at least one degree of actuation of the actively controlled vehicle function is identified and evaluated, in particular at least one degree of actuation of the operating unit 14a, the first operating element 18a and / or the second operating element 20a. Basically, in order to identify an actively controlled vehicle function, of course, it is also possible to determine and evaluate other operating variables such as, for example, operating torque, operating force, and / or operating time, or further variables such as, for example, the driving state of the vehicle and / or the environmental conditions of the vehicle.

[0041] Furthermore, the modification of the control variables of the non-actively controlled vehicle functions is carried out depending on the degree of actuation of the actively controlled vehicle functions, depending on the driving state of the vehicle 12a, and / or depending on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle 12a. Preferably, here, a model of the operating unit 14a is used which at least partially reproduces and / or simulates the physical characteristics of the operating unit 14a.

[0042] There are a plurality of means for modifying the control variables, and these means can be applied individually or combined with each other.

[0043] According to the invention, for modifying the control variables, for example, in particular symmetric or asymmetric dead zones can be used, which are added to the control variables, where the width of the dead zone varies depending on the degree of actuation of the actively controlled vehicle function, depending on the driving state of the vehicle 12a, and / or depending on the environmental conditions of the vehicle 12a. Thereby, the trigger thresholds for the non-actively controlled vehicle functions can preferably be easily adapted.

[0044] Furthermore, an offset can be used to modify the control variable, and the offset is added to the control variable, where the level and / or direction or polarity of the offset vary depending on the degree of operation of the actively controlled vehicle function, depending on the driving state of the vehicle 12a, and / or depending on the environmental conditions of the vehicle 12a. Thereby, the trigger threshold for the vehicle function that is not actively controlled can also be suitably adapted accordingly.

[0045] Moreover, a correction factor can be used to modify the control variable, and the correction factor is added to the control variable, where the value of the correction factor varies depending on the degree of operation of the actively controlled vehicle function, depending on the driving state of the vehicle 12a, and / or depending on the environmental conditions of the vehicle 12a. Thereby, a particularly flexible and / or uniform adaptation of the control variable can be achieved.

[0046] Furthermore, a compensation torque and / or a compensation force can also be used to modify the control variable, and the compensation torque and / or the compensation force are applied to the control variable using the actuator 16a, where the level and / or direction or polarity of the compensation torque and / or the compensation force vary depending on the degree of operation of the actively controlled vehicle function, depending on the driving state of the vehicle 12a, and / or depending on the environmental conditions of the vehicle 12a. Thereby, a particularly accurate adaptation of the control variable can be achieved by the flexible drive control of the actuator 16a.

[0047] Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, for example, operating unit 14a and first operating element 18a are decoupled from each other by using a modification of the first control variable such that, in the case of active control of a first vehicle function, i.e., a steering function, an intended movement of operating unit 14a makes it difficult and / or prevents unwanted control and / or activation of a second vehicle function, i.e., an acceleration function. Also, operating unit 14a and second operating element 20a are decoupled from each other by using a modification of the second control variable such that, in the case of active control of the first vehicle function, i.e., a steering function, an intended movement of operating unit 14a makes it difficult and / or prevents unwanted control and / or activation of a third vehicle function, i.e., a braking function.

[0048] Furthermore, by using the third control variable and / or modifying the second control variable, the operating elements 18a, 20a can also be decoupled from one another in such a way that, in the case of active control of the second vehicle function, i.e., the acceleration function, an intended operation of the first operating element 18a makes it difficult and / or prevents an unwanted drive control and / or activation of the third vehicle function, i.e., the braking function. Similarly, by using the fourth control variable and / or modifying the first control variable, the operating elements 18a, 20a can also be decoupled from one another in such a way that, in the case of active control of the third vehicle function, i.e., the braking function, an intended operation of the second operating element 20a makes it difficult and / or prevents an unwanted drive control and / or activation of the second vehicle function, i.e., the acceleration function.

[0049] Furthermore, it can be assumed that in at least one further operating state in which a plurality of vehicle functions, for example the steering function and the acceleration function, are actively controlled, in particular simultaneously, the correlative influence of the actively controlled vehicle functions is successively corrected by the correlative adaptation of the respective control variables. Additionally, in this context, the adjustment of the individual corrections for each control variable can be carried out, for example, using corresponding calculation rules. The adaptation of the control variables can, in this case, be carried out analogously to the method described above, that is to say using corresponding deadbands with variable widths, corresponding offsets with variable levels and / or directions, corresponding correction factors with variable values, and / or corresponding compensation torques or corresponding compensation forces with variable levels and / or directions.

[0050] In this context, in particular, it must also be taken into account that, for example, the ring finger and the middle finger of the same hand generally cannot be moved completely independently of each other, and that the rotation of the forearm can basically lead to slight movements of the individual fingers. Therefore, according to the method and the embodiment of the vehicle operating device 10a, it is possible, for example, to prevent braking simultaneously by the steering movement during acceleration when exiting a curve or being steered simultaneously during acceleration. Therefore, preferably, it is possible to compensate for the unwanted influence of the steering function by the acceleration function and / or the braking function and vice versa.

[0051] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary flowchart with the main method steps of a method for operating the vehicle operating device 10a.

[0052] In a first method step 50a, the vehicle functions actively controlled using the operating unit 14a are identified. For this purpose, for example, the degree of operation of the actively controlled vehicle functions, that is to say, in particular, the degree of operation of the operating unit 14a, the first operating element 18a, and / or the second operating element 20a can be determined and evaluated. If the level of the control setpoint values applied by the driver, in particular for the drive control and / or activation of the vehicle functions, exceeds a predefined limit value, the active drive control of the vehicle functions is taken as the starting point.

[0053] In a second method step 52a, at least one control variable of a vehicle function that is not actively controlled using the operating unit 14a, preferably of all vehicle functions that are not actively controlled using the operating unit 14a, is modified to make it more difficult and / or prevent unintended control and / or activation of the non-actively controlled vehicle function or functions. For this purpose, a dead band, an offset, a correction factor, a compensation torque, and / or a compensation force can be applied to the control variable, for example, taking into account the degree of operation of the actively controlled vehicle function, the driving state of the vehicle 12a, and / or at least one environmental condition of the vehicle 12a.

[0054] A method for operating a vehicle operating device 10a is described here only by way of example, with the aid of the exemplary flow chart of Figure 3. In particular, individual method steps can be varied or additional method steps can be added.

[0055] A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 4. The following description and drawings will be limited to the differences between the embodiments, and in this case, for components with the same designations, in particular components with the same reference numbers, reference can be made in principle to the drawings and / or descriptions of other embodiments, in particular the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3. To distinguish between these embodiments, the reference numbers of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 are followed by the letter a. In the embodiment of Figure 4, the letter a is replaced by the letter b.

[0056] The further embodiment of FIG. 4 differs from the previous embodiment at least substantially in the embodiment of the operating unit 14b of the vehicle operating device 10b.

[0057] In this case, the operating unit 14b includes a single operating element 22b with an elongated body. This operating element 22b is configured in the present invention as a joystick and / or an operating lever. The operating element 22b is movably supported and tiltable and / or swivellable in multiple directions of movement 24b, 26b. By moving the operating element 22b in a first direction of movement 24b, in the present invention, a first vehicle function, in the form of a steering function, can be controlled. Furthermore, by moving the operating element 22b in a second direction of movement 26b, which is oriented perpendicular to the first direction of movement 24b, at least one second vehicle function, in the form of an acceleration function and / or a braking function, can be controlled. In principle, the operating element in this case could be tiltable and / or swivellable in only one direction of movement or about only one axis and could also include additional key-shaped operating elements, for example for an acceleration function or a braking function.

[0058] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the directions of movement 24b, 26b are decoupled from one another by using a modification of the control variable such that, in the case of active control of a first vehicle function, i.e., a steering function, an intended movement of the operating element 22b in the first direction of movement 24b makes it difficult and / or prevents an undesired control and / or activation of a second vehicle function, i.e., an acceleration function and / or a braking function, due to an unintended movement of the operating element 22b in the second direction of movement 26b.Further, the directions of movement 24b, 26b are decoupled from one another by using a further modification of the control variable such that, in the case of active control of a second vehicle function, i.e., an acceleration function and / or a braking function, an intended movement of the operating element 22b in the second direction of movement 26b makes it difficult and / or prevents an undesired control and / or activation of the first vehicle function, i.e., a steering function, due to an unintended movement of the operating element 22b in the first direction of movement 24b.

[0059] Alternatively, the vehicle operating device may in this case also comprise at least one key-shaped operating element or a plurality of key-shaped operating elements, which may be provided, for example, for controlling gearshift functions or multimedia functions.

Claims

A method for operating a vehicle operating device (10a; 10b) for influencing the longitudinal and / or transverse movement of a vehicle (12a), wherein the vehicle operating device (10a; 10b) includes at least one manually operable operating unit (14a; 14b) for controlling a plurality of vehicle functions. In the method, in at least one operating state in which one of the vehicle functions is actively controlled using the operating unit (14a; 14b), at least one control variable of the vehicle functions that are not actively controlled is modified so as to make it difficult and / or prevent the unintended drive control and / or activation of the vehicle functions that are not actively controlled, for the modification of the control variable, at least one asymmetric dead zone is used, the dead zone is added to the control variable, and the width of the dead zone varies depending on the degree of operation of the vehicle function that is actively controlled, depending on the driving state of the vehicle (12a), and / or depending on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle (12a). A method characterized by this.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in order to identify the vehicle function that is actively controlled, at least one degree of operation of the vehicle function that is actively controlled is identified and evaluated.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modification of the control variable is performed depending on the degree of operation of the vehicle function that is actively controlled, depending on the driving state of the vehicle (12a), and / or depending on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle (12a).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein for the modification of the control variable, at least one offset is used, the offset is added to the control variable, and the level and / or direction of the offset vary depending on the degree of operation of the vehicle function that is actively controlled, depending on the driving state of the vehicle (12a), and / or depending on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle (12a).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein for the modification of the control variable, at least one correction factor is used, the correction factor is added to the control variable, and the value of the correction factor varies depending on the degree of operation of the vehicle function that is actively controlled, depending on the driving state of the vehicle (12a), and / or depending on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle (12a).

6. For the correction of the control variable, at least one compensating torque and / or one compensating force is used, the compensating torque and / or compensating force is applied to the control variable by means of an actuator (16a), and the level and / or direction of the compensating torque and / or compensating force varies depending on the degree of operation of the actively controlled vehicle function, depending on the driving state of the vehicle (12a), and / or depending on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle (12a), according to the method of claim 1.

7. For the correction of the control variable, at least one model of the operating unit (14a; 14b) is used, the model at least partially reproducing and / or simulating the physical characteristics of the operating unit (14a; 14b), according to the method of claim 1.

8. The vehicle function includes at least one of a steering function, a braking function, an acceleration function, and / or a transmission function, according to the method of claim 1.

9. The operating unit (14a) is movably supported for the control of at least one first vehicle function and has at least one key-shaped operating element (18a, 20a) for the control of at least one second vehicle function. The first vehicle function of the vehicle function can be controlled using the movement of the operating unit (14a), and the second vehicle function can be controlled using the operation of the operating element (18a, 20a). The operating unit (14a) and the operating element (18a, 20a) are decoupled from each other such that, in the case of the active control of the first vehicle function, the desired movement of the operating unit (14a) makes it difficult and / or prevents the undesired drive control and / or activation of the second vehicle function, and / or, in the case of the active control of the second vehicle function, the desired operation of the operating element (18a, 20a) makes it difficult and / or prevents the undesired drive control and / or activation of the first vehicle function, according to the method of claim 1.

10. The operation unit (14a) includes a plurality of key-shaped operation elements (18a, 20a) for controlling the vehicle functions. The at least one first vehicle function can be controlled by operating the first operation element (18a), and the at least one second vehicle function can be controlled by operating the second operation element (20a). The operation elements (18a, 20a) are mutually separated by using the modification of the control variable such that, in the case of the active control of the first vehicle function, the intended operation of the first operation element (18a) makes it difficult and / or prevents the unwanted drive control and / or activation of the second vehicle function, and / or, in the case of the active control of the second vehicle function, the intended operation of the second operation element (20a) makes it difficult and / or prevents the unwanted drive control and / or activation of the first vehicle function. The method according to claim 1.

11. The operation unit (14b) includes an operation element (22b) movably supported for controlling the vehicle functions. At least one first vehicle function can be controlled by the movement of the operation element (22b) in a first movement direction (24b), and at least one second vehicle function can be controlled by the movement of the operation element (22b) in a second movement direction (26b). The movement directions (24b, 26b) are mutually separated by using the modification of the control variable such that, in the case of the active control of the first vehicle function, the intended movement of the operation element (22b) in the first movement direction (24b) makes it difficult and / or prevents the unwanted drive control and / or activation of the second vehicle function, and / or, in the case of the active control of the second vehicle function, the intended movement of the operation element (22b) in the second movement direction (26b) makes it difficult and / or prevents the unwanted drive control and / or activation of the first vehicle function. The method according to claim 1.

12. In at least one further operating state in which the plurality of vehicle functions are actively controlled using the operation unit (14a; 14b), the correlated influence of the actively controlled vehicle functions is sequentially modified. The method according to claim 1.

13. A control device (28a) comprising a computing unit (30a) for implementing the method according to claim 1.

14. A vehicle operating device (10a; 10b) for influencing the longitudinal and / or lateral movement of a vehicle (12a), In a vehicle operating device (10a; 10b) comprising at least one manually operable operating unit (14a; 14b) for controlling a plurality of vehicle functions, The vehicle operating device (10a; 10b) comprises an adaptation unit (32a), The adaptation unit (32a) is configured to modify at least one control variable of a vehicle function that is not actively controlled in at least one operating state in which one of the vehicle functions is actively controlled using the operating unit (14a; 14b), so as to make it difficult and / or prevent the unintentional drive control and / or startup of the vehicle function that is not actively controlled. For the modification of the control variable, at least one asymmetric dead band is used, the dead band is added to the control variable, and the width of the dead band varies depending on the degree of operation of the vehicle function that is actively controlled, depending on the driving state of the vehicle (12a), and / or depending on at least one environmental condition of the vehicle (12a). A vehicle operating device (10a; 10b), characterized in that.

15. The vehicle operating device (10a; 10b) according to claim 14, wherein the adaptation unit (32a) includes a computing unit (30a) for implementing the method according to claim 1.

16. A vehicle (12a) comprising at least one vehicle operating device (10a; 10b) according to claim 14.

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