Method of operating a motor vehicle driven electrically at least temporarily on a roadway, control unit for a motor vehicle, and corresponding motor vehicle

• US 10,053,096 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Schunk, Karin, Ullrich, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/428,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20170225682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/38 with automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/38 for collecting current from conductor rails B60L5/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/00 Power supply lines for contact with collector on vehicle collectors therefor B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/346 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/508 specific to vehicles driving in fleets or convoys
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0025 specially adapted for specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

In a method of operating a motor vehicle driven electrically, at least temporarily, on a roadway, the motor vehicle is moved fully autonomously by a control unit in response to a command for automatic operating mode. After a charging arm of the motor vehicle has been extended, a lateral control of the motor vehicle is executed to bring the extended charging arm into electric contact with a charging line arranged at or on the roadway. As a result, electric energy provided from the charging line to the charging arm is used for charging an energy accumulator of the motor vehicle and/or operating a drive device of the motor vehicle for moving the motor vehicle. A longitudinal control of the motor vehicle is executed to thereby maintain a predefined longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle until a distance of the motor vehicle reaches a predefined minimum distance to a leading vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of operating a motor vehicle driven electrically at least temporarily on a roadway, said method comprising:

moving the motor vehicle fully autonomously in response to a command for automatic operating mode;

executing a lateral control of the motor vehicle to electrically contact an extended charging arm with a charging line arranged at or on the roadway to generate electric energy for charging an energy accumulator of the motor vehicle and/or operating a drive device of the motor vehicle for moving the motor vehicle;

executing a longitudinal control of the motor vehicle to thereby maintain a predefined longitudinal speed until a distance of the motor vehicle reaches a predefined minimum distance to a leading vehicle; and

adjusting the longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle to a first default speed after issuance of the command for automatic operating mode, and adjusting the longitudinal speed to a second default value once the charging line has been contacted by the charging arm,

wherein the second default value is greater than the first default speed and the second default value is set to a first value in response to no leading vehicle being detected, and the second default value is set to a larger second default value in response to a leading vehicle being detected, the larger second default value being greater than a current speed of the leading vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching to a convoy operating mode, when the motor vehicle has reached the minimum distance to the leading vehicle, and adjusting the longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle to match a speed of the leading vehicle to thereby maintain the minimum distance.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising selecting a motor vehicle of a plurality of motor vehicles in the convoy operating mode as guidance vehicle, and positioning the guidance vehicle as lead vehicle in a travel direction through lateral control and/or longitudinal control.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing the longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle relative to the leading vehicle in response to an indication of a further motor vehicle to merge so as to increase the distance to the leading vehicle and thereby provide space for the further motor vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle relative to a trailing vehicle in response to an indication of a further motor vehicle to merge so as to increase a distance to the trailing vehicle and thereby provide space for the further motor vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing the longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle relative to the leading vehicle in response to an indication by the leading vehicle for a lane change so as to increase the distance to the leading vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle relative to a trailing vehicle in response to an indication of the trailing vehicle for a lane change so as to increase the distance to the trailing vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a lane change signal to the leading vehicle in response to an indication by the motor vehicle for a lane change.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a lane change signal to a trailing vehicle in response to an indication by the motor vehicle for a lane change.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the distance from the motor vehicle to the leading vehicle in response to an indication by the motor vehicle for a lane change.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a distance of the motor vehicle to an upcoming road junction, when the motor vehicle operates in automatic operating mode, and triggering a warning signal to a driver of the motor vehicle, when the distance to the road junction falls below a predefined distance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the distance of the motor vehicle to the upcoming road junction is monitored by a navigation system or determined on information derived from the charging line.

13. A control unit for operating a motor vehicle driven electrically at least temporarily on a roadway, said control unit configured to

move the motor vehicle fully autonomously in response to a command for automatic operating mode;

execute a lateral control of the motor vehicle to electrically contact an extended charging arm with a charging line arranged at or on the roadway to generate electric energy for charging an energy accumulator of the motor vehicle and/or operating a drive device of the motor vehicle for moving the motor vehicle; and

execute a longitudinal control of the motor vehicle to thereby maintain a predefined longitudinal speed until a distance of the motor vehicle reaches a predefined minimum distance to a leading vehicle,

adjust the longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle to a first default speed after issuance of the command for automatic operating mode, and adjust the longitudinal speed to a second default value once the charging line has been contacted by the charging arm,

wherein the second default value is greater than the first default speed and the second default value is set to a first value in response to no leading vehicle being detected, and the second default value is set to a larger second default value in response to a leading vehicle being detected, the larger second default value being greater than a current speed of the leading vehicle.

14. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a drive device configured to move the motor vehicle electrically at least temporarily on a roadway; and

a control unit configured to

operate the motor vehicle fully autonomously in response to a command for automatic operating mode;

execute a lateral control of the motor vehicle to electrically contact an extended charging arm with a charging line arranged at or on the roadway to generate electric energy for charging an energy accumulator of the motor vehicle and/or operating the drive device for moving the motor vehicle; and

execute a longitudinal control of the motor vehicle to thereby maintain a predefined longitudinal speed until a distance of the motor vehicle reaches a predefined minimum distance to a leading vehicle,

adjust the longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle to a first default speed after issuance of the command for automatic operating mode, and adjust the longitudinal speed to a second default value once the charging line has been contacted by the charging arm,

wherein the second default value is greater than the first default speed and the second default value is set to a first value in response to no leading vehicle being detected, and the second default value is set to a larger second default value in response to a leading vehicle being detected, the larger second default value being greater than a current speed of the leading vehicle.