METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE DRIVING STABILITY

• US 20140222272A1
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Raste, Thomas, Lauer, Peter, Rieth, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,409,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/16 Curve braking control, e.g. turn control within ABS control algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/12 Friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for improving the driving stability of a motor vehicle in which driver-independent braking interventions are triggered if a critical driving situation is to be expected on the basis of route information and instantaneous position data of the motor vehicle, and to a corresponding system. According to the invention, the driver predefines, via a human/machine interface, information about the maximum coefficient of friction to be utilized, which is used as the basis for the prediction of a critical driving situation.

Claims

1. A method for improving the driving stability of a motor vehicle in which driver-independent braking interventions are triggered if a critical driving situation is to be expected on the basis of route information and instantaneous position data of the motor vehicle, wherein the driver predefines, via a human/machine interface, information about the maximum coefficient of friction to be utilized, which information is used as the basis for the prediction of a critical driving situation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a coefficient of friction which is required for safely driving along a predetermined route is determined for a predefined distance on the basis of one or more instantaneous driving state variables, including the instantaneous velocity, the route information and the instantaneous position data of the motor vehicle, taking into account the minimum bend radius which occurs in the predefined distance and the instantaneous velocity, wherein the predefined distance over which the coefficient of friction which is required for safely driving along the predetermined route is selected as a function of the instantaneous velocity.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the driver is informed about the coefficient of friction which is required to safely drive along the predetermined route, in particular by a visual display, which additionally makes available information about a weather situation in which a corresponding coefficient of friction is to be expected.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver is informed haptically and/or visually, by an accelerator pedal having active restoring forces, if a reduction in the velocity should take place in order to avoid critical driving situations, in order to ensure reliable driving along the predetermined route.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, a limiting speed for safely driving along the predetermined route is determined for a predefined distance on the basis of the information relating to the maximum coefficient of friction to be utilized, the route information and the instantaneous position data of the motor vehicle, taking into account the minimum bend radius occurring in the predefined distance, wherein the predefined distance over which the coefficient of friction which is required to safely drive along the predetermined route is determined is selected as a function of the instantaneous velocity.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the instantaneous velocity is added to the limiting speed in that braking interventions take place at two or more wheels of the motor vehicle and/or the drive torque is reduced.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the applied braking forces are selected as a function of the difference between the instantaneous velocity and the limiting speed and/or the distance from the point on the route with a minimum bend radius.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the applied braking forces are limited and/or the change in the drive torque with respect to the accelerator position is limited, in such a way that the longitudinal deceleration of the vehicle does not exceed a predetermined deceleration threshold value.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information which is predefined by the driver and which relates to the maximum coefficient of friction to be utilized is modified on the basis of one or more further independent variables such as the data of a rain sensor and/or current weather information and/or the plausibility of said information is checked, wherein, a minimum is formed between two independent values.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a braking intervention does not take place until the presence of a bend has been confirmed by a steering movement of the driver and/or the setting of a flashing indicator light and/or on the basis of information of a surroundings sensor system, comprising one or more cameras.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle has means for controlling the distance from a vehicle traveling ahead and/or means for triggering an emergency braking operation when obstacles are detected on the roadway, wherein the means comprise an electronic control unit which is connected to the surroundings sensor system, and the setpoint value of the distance controlling device and/or the minimum distance, the undershooting of which triggers emergency braking, are/is selected and/or modified as a function of the information which is predefined by the driver and relates to the maximum coefficient of friction to be utilized.

12. A system for regulating the driving stability of a motor vehicle, having means for the driver-independent building up of braking forces at one or more wheels of the motor vehicle, means for sensing information about the instantaneous driving state, including a yaw rate sensor and/or steering angle sensor and/or lateral acceleration sensor and/or wheel rotational speed sensors, means for determining the current vehicle position, comprising a GPS receiver, and means for making available route information, comprising a navigation system with digital map data, wherein a human/machine interface for inputting information on the maximum coefficient of friction to be utilized, in particular a switch and preferably an electronic control device which carries out a method as claimed in claim 1.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising means for haptically and/or visually informing the driver about a critical situation to be expected, including an accelerator pedal having active restoring forces, and means for estimating a coefficient of friction which is required to safely drive along a predefined route.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising means for regulating the distance from vehicles traveling ahead and/or means for regulating the vehicle speed, wherein the one or more means comprise an electronic control device which is connected to a surroundings sensor system including one or more cameras.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising means for modifying the chassis, including active shock absorbers and/or active roll stabilizers and/or a superimposition steering system at the front axle and/or a rear-axle steering system.

16. Use of a system according to at least claim 12, in a motor vehicle which is at least temporarily driven by one or more electric motors.