Method and device for anticipatory or predictive economical running of a motor vehicle including a determination of a route and a probable driving time and time of arrival

• US 10,239,533 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Tudosie, Cosmin
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Edwin A
• Application Number:
  US15/027,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20160244062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/1809 Without torque flow between driveshaft and engine, e.g. with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0064 using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit, e.g. remote keypad or mobile phone
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/087 where the control system corrects or modifies a request from the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 : Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 : employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 : Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 : where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 : where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A method for anticipatory or predictive operation of a motor vehicle having a drive control system by which drive-relevant components of the drive-train are adjusted, and a detection system by which a travel route and anticipated driving time to a specified destination as well as the current position of the vehicle are determined. By way of the detection system and based on topographical information, a driving resistance profile of the route is prepared, to parameterize the drive control system such that the route is driven in a specifiable manner. If a need arises during the journey, a nominal arrival time or a travel route is specified or modified and, in accordance with the specified or changed nominal arrival time or route, the drive control system is dynamically re-parameterized so that the vehicle reaches its destination at the time concerned with regard to an efficient mode of operation.

Claims

1. A method for anticipatory or predictive operation of a motor vehicle having a drive-train control system and a drive-train having drive-relevant components, and at least one detection system, the method comprising:

determining, with the detection system, a travel route and an anticipated driving time along the travel route between a starting point and a destination as well as a current position of the vehicle,

preparing, with the detection system, a driving resistance profile of the travel route based on topographical information of the travel route,

parameterizing the drive-train control system based on the driving resistance profile such that the drive relevant components of the drive-train are controlled by the drive-train control system such that the travel route is covered in a specifiable manner,

either specifying or modifying, with the drive-train control system, either a nominal arrival time or the travel route while traveling along the travel route, and

in accordance with the specified or the modified nominal arrival time or the travel route, dynamically re-parameterizing the drive-train control system such that the drive-relevant components of the drive-train are controlled by the drive-train control system so that the vehicle reaches the destination at the specified or the modified nominal arrival time while driving in a specified mode of operation.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

manually entering, via either a remote input device or a connected telematic device, the nominal arrival time in the drive-train control system by either a driver or an authorized outside user,

calculating, with the drive-train control system, an average speed for a road segment ahead of the vehicle with reference to the current position and the nominal arrival time,

calculating, with the drive-train control system, a speed range for traveling the road segment, and the speed range being limited by:

a maximum permitted and a maximum possible travel speed for downhill rolling operation during which a force flow in the drive-train is interrupted, and

a minimum permitted and a minimum possible uphill speed, and

re-parameterizing the drive-train control system such that, with the drive-relevant components of the drive-train being controlled by the drive-train control system with regard to a necessary average speed and based on the speed range, the vehicle drives the road segment in the specified mode of operation.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising re-parameterizing the drive-train control system such that controllers of the drive-relevant components at least one of:

act upon a drive motor of the vehicle to change at least one of a rotational speed control and a torque control,

act upon a brake mechanism to change either brake actuation or braking action,

act upon a vehicle transmission to change a transmission gear ratio, and

act upon a clutch to actuate the clutch in either a disengaging direction or an engaging direction.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising dividing, with the detection system, the travel route into road segments and determining, for each of the road segments, a driving resistance profile, and carrying out either the parameterizing or the re-parameterizing of the drive-train control system for each of the road segments.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising preparing, with the detection system, the driving resistance profile for the travel route based on at least one of air resistance, rolling resistance, a resistance to acceleration and a gradient resistance.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, with the detection system, the travel route taking into account vehicle dimensions and vehicle mass.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, with the detection system, the travel route taking into account environmental zones, travel route segments subject to toll charges, restrictions relating to transport of hazardous goods categories, road categories and road width dimensions.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, with the detection system, the travel route taking into account at least one of a current traffic-situation and current meteorological warnings.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting at least the topographical information to the detection system by way of a standardized interface and collecting the topographical information with at least one of driving resistance information, vehicle-related information and travel route road segment information, via a telematic device, and re-parameterizing the drive-train control system based on at least one of the topographical information, the driving resistance information, the vehicle-related information and the travel route road segment information.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling, with the drive-train control system, the drive-relevant components of the drive-train to drive the motor vehicle in the specified mode of operation in which fuel consumption is minimized and the motor vehicle arrives at the arrival destination at the nominal time of arrival.

11. A device for anticipatory and predictive operation of a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

a drive-train control system having controllers that are connected to drive-relevant components of the drive-train which are adjustable by the drive-train control system,

at least one detection system having a navigation system and a telematic device by which a travel route and an anticipated driving time, between a starting point and a destination, and a current position of the vehicle are determinable, the detection system preparing a driving resistance profile for the travel route based on topographical information from the navigation system, the drive-train control system being parameterized based on the driving resistance profile such that the drive-relevant components of the drive-train are controlled by the drive-train control system such that the travel route is covered in a specifiable manner, and

the drive-train control system being designed for at least one of manual input and telematic input and processing of either a nominal arrival time or a variation of the travel route, and as a result of the nominal arrival time or the variation of the travel route, the drive-train control system is automatically re-parameterized such that control of the drive-relevant components by the drive-train control system is adjusted.

12. A method for either anticipatory or predictive operation of a motor vehicle having a drive-train control system, which controls drive-relevant components of the drive-train, and at least one detection system, the method comprising:

receiving, into the detection system, vehicle driving resistance information, and receiving topographical information from a navigation system;

determining, with the detection system, a travel route and an anticipated driving time between a starting point and an arrival destination as well as an anticipated arrival time;

preparing, with the detection system, a driving resistance profile of the travel route based on the vehicle driving resistance information and the topographical information;

controlling operation of the drive-relevant components of the drive-train with the drive-train control system by parameterizing the drive-train control system based on the driving resistance profile, such that the motor vehicle drives the travel route in a specifiable manner;

either specifying or modifying, either a nominal time of arrival at the destination or the travel route, while the motor vehicle is driving along the travel route; and

dynamically modifying operation of the drive-relevant components of the drive-train with the drive-train control system by re-parameterizing the drive-train control system based on either the nominal time of arrival or the travel route, such that the motor vehicle arrives at the arrival destination at the nominal time of arrival while driving the motor vehicle in the specifiable manner.