Device for inclination determination and arrangemet for the setting of a driver command

• US 20040030528A1
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voith Turbo GmbH & Company KG (Voith GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Voith Turbo GmbH & Company KG (Voith GmbH)
• Inventors: Bürk, Richard, Dietzel, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 7,092,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/154
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/663 Road slope
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/62 Atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/008 by using thermal pick-up

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for the determination of the inclination of the roadway in a vehicle, with an arrangement (4), for at least the indirect determination of parameters, which at least indirectly characterise the inclination of the-roadway. Said arrangement (4), for the at least indirect determination of parameters which at least indirectly characterise the inclination of the roadway, forms a construction unit (5) with a device (1) which may be operated by the driver for setting a driver command which alters or sets the driving state of a gearbox unit.

Claims

1. An arrangement (26) for sensing the inclination of the roadway in a vehicle;

1.1 having a device (4;

4.2) for at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly characterizes the inclination of the roadway;

1.2 the device (4;

4.2) for at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly characterizes the inclination of the roadway forms one structural unit (5) with a device (1;

1.2) which can be operated by the driver and has the purpose of predefining a driver'"'"'s request for setting or changing a driving state of a transmission unit.

2. The arrangement (26) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the device (4;

4.2) for at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly characterizes the inclination of the roadway and the device (1;

1.2) for predefining a driver'"'"'s request for setting or changing a driving state of a transmission unit are connected to one another by flanges in the region of their housings (6, 7).

3. The arrangement (26) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the device (4;

4.2) for at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly characterizes the inclination of the roadway is at least partially integrated into the device (1;

1.2) for predefining a driver'"'"'s request for setting or changing a driving state of a transmission unit.

4. The arrangement (26) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the device (4;

4.2) for at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly characterizes the inclination of the roadway comprises at least one pressure sensor.

5. The arrangement (26) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the device format least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly characterizes the inclination of the roadway comprises at least one temperature sensor.

6. The arrangement (26) as claimed in claim 5, characterized by the following features:

6.1 the device (4), a sensor unit with comprises at least two temperature sensors and one heating element, which are arranged in a hermetically sealed housing;

6.2 the two temperature sensors are connected to form a bridge,

6.3 having the device for conditioning the temperature signals and making a functional assignment to the inclination

7. The arrangement (26) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that silicon webs which are each assigned a resistance measuring device function as temperature sensors.

8. The arrangement (26) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by the following features:

8.1 having a calculation device (18), comprising at least one input, and a multiplicity of inputs (20, 13) in the case of power or data transmission;

8.2 the input or the inputs (20, 13) are connected to the device (4;

4.2) for at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly characterizes the inclination of the roadway;

8.3 the input or the inputs (20, 13) are connected to a device for sensing at least one variable which at least indirectly characterizes the route traveled;

8.4 the calculation device (18) comprises a calculation unit (23) for determining the geodetic altitude from a pressure value;

8.5 having a further calculation unit (24) for determining the difference between two geodetic altitudes determined with respect to two reference events, and the length of the section of roadway;

8.6 having a further third calculation unit (25) for determining the inclination α

of the roadway from the tangent of the quotient formed from the difference in altitudes and the route traveled for the two reference events;

8.7 the calculation device (18) comprises at least one output (5) which is used to output a signal which characterizes the inclination a of the roadway;

8.8 the third calculation unit (25) is connected to the output (21) of the calculation device (18).

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the individual calculation units—

first calculation unit (23), second calculation unit (24) and third calculation unit (25) are formed by a single structural unit and this forms the calculation device (18).

10. The arrangement (26) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the individual calculation units—

first calculation unit (23), second calculation unit (24) and third calculation unit (25) are integrated into different control devices which are coupled to one another and arranged spatially remote from one another.

11. A device (1;

1.2) for predefining a driver'"'"'s request for setting or changing a driving state by actuating actuator elements, in particular switching elements of a transmission unit

11.1 having at least one actuation element (2;

2.2;

2.1-2.N;

2.21-2.2N);

11.2 having means (3;

3.2) for generating at least one signal from the physical variable which describes the actuation of the actuation element;

11.3 having a device (4;

4.2) for at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly characterizes the inclination of the roadway.

12. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the device (4;

4.2) for at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly describes the inclination of the roadway comprises at least one sensor (8;

8.2).

13. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the sensor (8;

8.2) is a pressure sensor (9;

9.2).

14. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the device (1;

1.2) for predefining a driver'"'"'s request and the device for (4;

4.2) at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly describes the inclination of the roadway are connected to one another by flanges in the region of their housings (6, 7).

15. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the device (4;

4.2) for at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly describes the inclination of the roadway is integrated into the device (1;

1.2) at least partially for predefining a driver'"'"'s request.

16. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 11 to 15, characterized by the following features;

16.1 having at least one computer (10) for the sensor-specific conditioning of the sensed data;

16.2 the computer (10) is coupled to the device (4;

4.2) for sensing the variable which at least indirectly describes the inclination of the roadway and/or to the means (3;

3.2) for generating at least one signal from the variables which characterize the actuation of the actuation element (2;

2.2;

2.1-2.N;

2.21-2.2N).

17. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the computer (10) is arranged on the housing (6) of the device (1;

1.2).

18. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the computer (10) is integrated into the housing (6) of the device (1;

1.2).

19. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that the computer (10) is formed by a control device (15) or integrated into it.

20. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that the control device (10) has a calculation device (18;

18.1, 18.2), comprising

20.1 at least one input (20, 13);

20.2 the input or the inputs (20, 13) are connected to the device (4;

4.2) for at least indirectly sensing a variable which at least indirectly characterizes the inclination of the roadway;

20.3 the calculation device (18;

18.1, 18.2) comprises a calculation unit (23) for determining the geodetic altitude from a variable, in the form of a pressure value, which at least indirectly characterizes the inclination of the roadway.

21. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that the calculation device (18) of the control device (15) has a further calculation unit (24) for determining the difference between two geodetic altitudes (h₁, h₂) which are determined at two predefinable reference events.

22. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 20 or 21, characterized by the following features;

22.1 the input or one of the inputs (20, 13) of the calculation device (18) are connected to a device (22) for sensing at least one variable which at least indirectly characterizes the route traveled;

22.2 having a calculation unit for determining the length of the section of roadway.

23. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that the calculation unit is formed by the first calculation unit (23) and/or the second calculation unit (24).

24. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 20 to 23, characterized in that a third calculation unit (25) is provided for determining the inclination N of the roadway from the tangent of the quotient formed from the difference in altitudes and the route traveled for both reference events.

25. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 20 to 24, characterized by the following features;

25.1 the control device (15) is connected to the means (3;

3.2) for generating at least one signal from the variables which characterize the actuation of the actuation element (2;

2.2;

2.1-2.N;

2.21-2.2N);

25.2 the control device (15) is connected to devices for sensing vehicle-specific variables for actuating the trans-mission unit.

26. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 20 to 25, characterized in that the control device (15) is formed by a component control device or a device for actuating [lacuna] transmission unit.

27. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 11 to 26, characterized in that it is embodied as a pushbutton key switch.

28. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 27, characterized in that the pushbutton key switch is embodied as a pressure switching device.

29. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 27, characterized in that the pushbutton key switch is embodied as a toggle switching device.

30. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 11 to 26, characterized in that it is embodied as a manually operated lever.

31. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 11 to 30, characterized by the following features;

31.1 the device (4) comprises a sensor unit at least two temperature sensors and to a heating element which are arranged in a hermetically sealed housing;

31.2 the two temperature sensors are connected to form a bridge,

31.3 the sensor unit includes a device for conditioning the signals of the temperature sensors.

32. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 31, characterized by the following features;

32.1 having at least one computer (10) for the sensor-specific conditioning of the sensed data;

32.2 the computer (10) is coupled to the device (4;

4.2) for sensing the variable which at least indirectly describes the inclination of the roadway and/or to the means (3;

3.2) for generating at least one signal from the variables which characterize the actuation of the actuation element (2;

2.2;

2.1-2N;

2.21-2.2N).

33. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 32, characterized in that the computer (10) is arranged on the housing (6) of the device (1;

1.2).

34. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in claim 32, characterized in that the computer (10) is integrated into the housing (6) of the device (1;

1.2).

35. The device (1;

1.2) as claimed in one of claims 32 to 34, characterized in that the computer (10) is formed by a control device (15) or is integrated into it.