Method and device for detecting a rough road section

• US 6,859,703 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Baiter, Ulrich, Führer, Jochen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US10/324,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36- 38, 701 45- 48, 701 69- 75, 701 78- 80, 701 82- 84, 701 90- 91, 701/93, 701/65, 303/125, 303/132, 303/138, 303/148, 303149-150, 303166-173, 303176-178, 303182-186, 303/196, 280/5.5, 280 5501- 5502, 280 5506- 5508, 280 5512- 5515, 280 5517- 5519
• US Class Current: 701/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/047 the memory being digital
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/04 Hill descent control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/14 Rough roads, bad roads, gravel roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0891 with indication of predetermined acceleration values G01P15/135 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Abstract

A method for detecting a rough road section in a vehicle route comprises the following steps: sensing the acceleration of the vehicle with an acceleration sensor, evaluating the acceleration at several points of time, and detecting the rough road section with regard to the evaluation results. A device for detecting a rough road section in a vehicle route comprises an acceleration sensor for sensing the acceleration of a vehicle, an evaluation device for evaluating the acceleration at several points of time, and a detection device for detecting the rough road section with regard to the evaluation results. A speed control method according to the present invention comprises the following steps: detecting a rough road section, and fixing a nominal speed in response to the detection. A speed control system includes a rough road detection device and a speed controller which controls the speed of the vehicle according to the rough road detection.

Claims

1. Method for detecting a section of rough road, comprising the steps of:

sensing an acceleration of a vehicle;

evaluating the acceleration over a predetermined period of time; and

detecting a section of rough road based on said evaluating step,

wherein said evaluating step comprises determining whether the acceleration is greater than a first threshold value S1, and wherein the section of rough road is detected when a counter reaches a predetermined number of counts,

wherein the counter is reset when the acceleration drops below a second threshold value, S2, and does not exceed the first threshold value within a gate time, TZ2.

2. Method as recited in claim 1, wherein the counter continues to count when the acceleration drops below the first threshold value, S1, but exceeds a third threshold value, S3, for a gate time TZ1.

3. Method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of removing a d-c component from the acceleration to form a remaining component, and wherein the remaining component is evaluated in detecting the section of rough road.

4. Method as recited in claim 1 wherein the counter counts backwards according to one of an accelerator pedal application, an engine torque, and a brake application.

5. Method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing a nominal speed in response to detecting the section of rough road.

6. Method as recited in claim 5, wherein the nominal speed is established according one of an amount of acceleration and an amount of time that has passed since the section of rough road was detected.

7. Device for detecting a section of rough road, comprising:

an acceleration sensor for sensing an acceleration of a vehicle;

an evaluation device for evaluating the acceleration over a predetermined period of time; and

a detection device for detecting a section of rough road based on a signal from said evaluation device,

further comprising a threshold monitoring device for monitoring whether the acceleration exceeds a first threshold value, S1, and further comprising a counter for counting after the acceleration exceeds the first threshold value, S1,

a second chronometer for measuring a time interval in which the acceleration drops below a second threshold value, S2, and further comprising a reset device for resetting the counter to a start value when the acceleration stays below the first threshold value, S1, for a gate time, TZ2.

8. Device according to claim 7, further comprising a first chronometer for measuring a time interval in which the acceleration remains above a third threshold value, S3, for a gate time, TZ1, after exceeding the first threshold value, S1.

9. Device according to claim 7, further comprising a conditioning device for removing a d-c component of the acceleration sensed by the acceleration sensor.

10. Device according to claim 7, further comprising a device for sensing one of an acceleration pedal application, au engine torque, and a brake application.

11. Device according to claim 7, further comprising a speed controller for controlling a speed of the vehicle in response to detecting the section of rough road.