Safety system for a motor vehicle

• US 6,038,503 A
• Filed: 06/18/1997
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Schnek, Jurgen, Wolf, Hans-Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US08/877,858
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 701/34, 701/45, 701/63, 701/70, 701/101, 477/105, 477/106, 477/107, 477/110, 477/120, 477/174, 477/200, 123/349, 123/370
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

The invention relates to a safety system for a motor vehicle having an internal-combustion engine. Independent quantities are used for engine control and for monitoring the engine control. Control of the internal-combustion engine is performed, for example, by way of an operating parameter characterizing the engine load, while monitoring of the engine control is performed by means of the output torque. Preferably, monitoring of the engine control is integrated into a traction control system, in which case desired and actual values for a quantity characterizing the vehicle propulsion, such as the output torque, are transmitted by the engine control to the monitoring system and are compared there for recognizing a fault. If a fault is recognized in the traction control system, a signal is transmitted back to the engine control unit, to influence the engine control.

Claims

1. Safety system for a motor vehicle having an internal-combustion engine, comprising:

a sensor for measuring accelerator pedal position;

a sensor for determining at least one operating parameter indicative of an operating condition of the internal-combustion engine;

a sensor for measuring at least one quantity indicative of vehicle propulsion;

a first analyzing device for

determining a desired vehicle propulsion value and a desired value for the at least one operating parameter based on the accelerator pedal position, which characterizes the operating condition of the internal-combustion engine;

determining an actual vehicle propulsion value based on the at least one quantity characterizing the vehicle propulsion; and

adjusting the at least one operating parameter indicative of operating condition of the internal-combustion engine to adapt it to the determined desired value; and

a second analyzing device for continuously comparing the desired vehicle propulsion value and the actual vehicle propulsion value provided by the first analyzing device, and recognizing a fault when the actual propulsion value deviates from the desired propulsion value.

2. Safety system according to claim 1, wherein a deviation is recognized when a difference value between the desired vehicle propulsion value and the actual vehicle propulsion value exceeds a preset threshold value for a preset time period.

3. Safety system according to claim 1, wherein when a fault is recognized, in the second analyzing device, a corrected vehicle propulsion value is determined based on the difference value and is transmitted to the first analyzing device, with increased priority relative to the desired propulsion value.

4. Safety system according to claim 3, wherein when a fault is recognized, the second analyzing device transmits a signal for reducing the actual vehicle propulsion value to an ignition adjustment 15 in the first analyzing device.

5. Safety system according to claim 4, wherein when, despite an ignition intervention, the actual vehicle propulsion value exceeds the desired vehicle propulsion value, the second analyzing device transmits a fuel switch-off signal to a fuel distribution device 16 in the first analyzing device.

6. Safety system according to claim 1, wherein when a deviation is recognized, a fault signal is generated and indicated to the driver.

7. Safety system according to claim 1, wherein when a deviation is recognized, a fault signal is generated and stored in a memory.

8. Safety system according to claim 1, wherein the second analyzing device is a traction control system.

9. Safety system according to claim 1, wherein:

in addition to accelerator pedal position, an operating parameter characterizing the engine load and an operating parameter characterizing the output torque of the internal-combustion engine are detected;

in the first analyzing device, a torque desired by the driver on the basis of the accelerator pedal position, an output torque on the basis of the operating parameter and a desired load value on the basis of the torque desired by the driver are determined, and an actual load value is adjusted to a desired load value by influencing an operating parameter influencing the engine load; and

in the second analysis device, actual and desired torques are compared, and a fault is recognized if the actual output torque deviates from the desired torque.