Driver Assistance System with Increased Reliability and Availability

• US 20160214595A1
• Filed: 09/09/2014
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Baehrle-Miller, Frank, Blattert, Dieter, Putzer, Tobias
• Granted Patent: US 10,576,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/221 Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/402 Back-up
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00

Abstract

The method according to the disclosure for operating a motor vehicle, in which at least one autonomous or partially autonomous motor vehicle operating mode can be activated and the motor vehicle has a service brake and a parking brake, wherein in response to a detected operative condition of the motor vehicle the parking brake is shifted from an inoperative condition to a predefined operative condition, the predefined operative condition of the parking brake being determined by the fact that the parking brake produces no braking effect or a markedly lesser braking effect in comparison with the fully activated condition.

Claims

1. A method for operating a motor vehicle having a service break and a parking break and being configured with at least one of an autonomous operating mode and a partially autonomous operating mode that can be activated, the method comprising:

detecting an operative state of the motor vehicle; and

shifting, in response to the detected operative state of the motor vehicle the parking brake from a rest state into a predetermined operative state, the parking brake being configured to, in the predetermined operative state, produce at least one of (i) no braking effect and (ii) a significantly lower braking effect compared to a full activation of the parking break.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, the detecting of the operative state including detecting at least one of the following as the operative state of the motor vehicle:

activation of the at least one of the autonomous operating mode and the partially autonomous operating mode;

a standstill of the motor vehicle;

a deceleration of the motor vehicle;

an inclination of the motor vehicle;

at least one of (i) at least one fault and (ii) unavailability of the at least one of the autonomous operating mode and partially autonomous operating mode; and

at least one result of a test, the test being a cyclical test of components and operative states of the vehicle that are necessary for the at least one of the autonomous operating mode and partially autonomous operating mode.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, while in the predetermined operative state of the parking brake, at least one of:

minimizing at least one of an air gap and and/or a free travel of the parking compared to the rest state;

setting at least one of a predetermined air gap and a free travel of the parking brake; and

applying a predetermined braking effect with the parking brake such that at least one of;

a position of the parking brake is set such that at least one of a partially laden and fully laden motor vehicle is held on an incline; and

a position of the parking brake is set such that at least one of a partially laden and fully laden motor vehicle is braked.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining the predetermined operative state of the parking brake based on any existing wear of at least one of the service brake and the parking brake.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, while the parking brake is shifted from the rest state into the predetermined operative state;

setting the predetermined operative state of the parking brake using at least one of;

a travel characteristic that is determined by controlling the parking brake over a defined travel starting from the rest state in the direction of the predetermined operative state of the parking brake;

a current characteristic that is determined by actuating the parking brake using an electric motor that is controlled up to at least one of (i) a maximum current level and (ii) a defined increase of a current level of the electric motor; and

a force characteristic that is determined by controlling the parking brake up to a defined maximum clamping force, which is determined using a force estimator.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, while in the predetermined operative state of the parking brake:

shifting, in a first step, the parking brake in an application direction into a first position; and

shifting, in a second step, the parking brake in a release direction into a second position,

wherein a greater braking effect that is caused by the parking brake occurs in the first position than in the second position.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, while in the predetermined operative state of the parking brake:

actuating the parking break so that a braking effect is such that at least one of;

a holding of a motor vehicle on an incline is caused;

a movement of the motor vehicle is braked; and

a movement of the motor vehicle opposite to a desired drive direction is prevented.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically adapting the predetermined operative state of the parking brake to a reaction of the motor vehicle to the parking brake being in the predetermined operative state of the parking brake.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, while in a further operative state of the parking brake:

in the event of at least one of a malfunction and unavailability of at least one of the service brake and components of a service brake system operating the parking brake to at least partly takes over a function of the service brake during the at least one of the autonomous operating mode and partially autonomous operating mode in order to at least partly carry out the activated at least one of the autonomous operating mode and partially autonomous operating mode.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising, in the event of at least one of a malfunction and the unavailability of at least one of the service brake and components of the service brake system, at least one of:

reducing a drive torque of a vehicle engine in a first step and resetting the drive torque of the vehicle engine in a further step; and

adapting a drive torque of the vehicle engine depending on a slope direction of a parking maneuver, the adapting being such that the drive torque is partly reduced in a case of the slope direction having a positive gradient (uphill) and the drive torque is completely reduced in a case of the slope direction having a negative gradient (downhill).

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the autonomous operating mode and partially autonomous operating mode of the motor vehicle is configured as at least one of a “

parking aid” and

as an “

adaptive cruise control”

.

12. An apparatus for the operation of a motor vehicle having a service break and a parking break and being configured with at least one of an autonomous operating mode and a partially autonomous operating mode that can be activated, the apparatus comprising:

a first device configured to shift the parking brake from a rest state into a predetermined operative state in response to a detected operative state of the motor vehicle, the parking brake being configured to, in the predetermined operative state, produce a significantly lower braking effect compared to a full activation of the parking break.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

a second device configured dynamically adapt the predetermined operative state of the parking brake to a reaction of the motor vehicle to the parking brake being in the predetermined operative state of the parking brake.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

a second device configured to, while in the predetermined operative state of the parking brake;

shift the parking brake in an application direction into a first position in a first step; and

shift the parking brake in a release direction into a second position in a second step,

wherein a greater braking effect that is caused by the parking brake occurs in the first position than in the second position.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a third device configured to determine position and the second position by analyzing a clamping force that is caused by a parking brake that is actuated by an electric motor, the clamping force being determined based on a current level of the electric motor.