Electronically actuated drive train in a motor vehicle and an associated operating method

• US 6,895,320 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Bauer, Wolf-Dietrich, Mayer, Christian Michael, Spiegelberg, Gernot, Schwarzhaupt, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US10/209,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20030033069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/54, 701/65, 701/81, 701/123, 701/207, 701/200, 477/110, 477/121
• US Class Current: 701/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2220/02 Driver type; Driving style; Driver adaptive features
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0063 Manual parameter input, manual setting means, manual initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/41 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators

Abstract

A method for operating an electronically actuated drive train in a motor vehicle includes the steps of determining drive control signals for actuating a drive unit and gearbox control signals for actuating a manual gearbox from a power request of the driver of the vehicle, providing a predefined or predefinable driving style which can be selected from a range from minimum energy or fuel consumption up to maximum power output, taking the driving style into account in the determination of the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals, taking the local position of the motor vehicle into account in the determination of the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronically actuated drive train in a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

determining drive control signals for actuating a drive unit and gearbox control signals for actuating a manual gearbox from a power request of the driver of the vehicle,

providing a predefined or predefinable driving style which is used to determine the control signals and can be selected from a range from minimum energy or fuel consumption up to maximum power output, wherein the predefined driving style is defined at the outset of vehicle travel and is not adapted to the driving style of the driver while the driver is driving,

taking the predefined driving style into account in the determination of the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals,

taking the local position of the motor vehicle into account in the determination of the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, in order to take into account the local position of the motor vehicle, taking at least one of the following steps:

displacing a gear-changing time,

smoothing the power request,

at least partially ignoring the power request, and

even when there is a constant power request, changing the power of the drive unit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of taking the local position of the motor vehicle into account includes taking only the local current surroundings of the motor vehicle into account.

4. A method for operating an electronically actuated drive train in a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

determining drive control signals for actuating a drive unit and gearbox control signals for actuating a manual gearbox from a power request of the driver of the vehicle,

providing a predefined or predefinable driving style which can be selected from a range from minimum energy or fuel consumption up to maximum power output,

taking the driving style into account in the determination of the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals,

taking the local position of the motor vehicle into account in the determination of the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals, and

wherein the step of taking the local position of the motor vehicle into account includes taking the local position of the motor vehicle into account in conjunction with three-dimensional maps of the current surroundings of the vehicle, including road gradient, in the sense of a predictive driving style in the determination of the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising determining characteristic road properties, used in the determination of the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals, from the three-dimensional maps.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising taking at least one of the following road properties into account in the determination of the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals:

a distance from a change in the road gradient,

a distance from a change in the direction of the road,

a distance from one of a stopping point, destination or intermediate destination, and

a distance from a change in a permitted speed.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising, in order to take into account the local position of the motor vehicle, taking at least one of the following steps:

displacing a gear-changing time,

smoothing the power request,

at least partially ignoring the power request, and

even when there is a constant power request, changing the power of the drive unit.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising, in order to take into account the local position of the motor vehicle, taking at least one of the following steps:

displacing a gear-changing time,

smoothing the power request,

at least partially ignoring the power request, and

even when there is a constant power request, changing the power of the drive unit.

9. The method according to claim 4, further comprising, in order to take into account the local position of the motor vehicle, taking at least one of the following steps:

displacing a gear-changing time,

smoothing the power request,

at least partially ignoring the power request, and

even when there is a constant power request, changing the power of the drive unit.

10. The method according to claim 4, further comprising, in order to take into account the local position of the motor vehicle, taking at least one of the following steps:

displacing a gear-changing time,

smoothing the power request,

at least partially ignoring the power request, and

even when there is a constant power request, changing the power of the drive unit.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of taking the local position of the motor vehicle into account includes taking only the local current surroundings of the motor vehicle into account.

12. An electronically actuated drive train in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a manual gearbox which can be actuated by gearbox control signals,

a drive unit which can be actuated by drive control signals,

a power request input device which can be activated by the driver of the vehicle and which generates power request signals,

a position-detection device which determines the local position of the motor vehicle,

a driving style input device which predefines or can predefine a driving style which is used to determine the control signals and can be selected from a range from minimum energy or fuel consumption up to maximum power output, wherein the predefined driving style is defined at the outset of vehicle travel and is not adapted to the driving style of the driver while the driver is driving, and

a central processing unit which receives the power request signals, the predefined driving style and the vehicle position, determines the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals, and actuates the manual gearbox and the drive unit.

13. The drive train according to claim 12, wherein the central processing unit determines the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals based on only the local current surroundings of the motor vehicle.

14. An electronically actuated drive train in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a manual gearbox which can be actuated by gearbox control signals,

a drive unit which can be actuated by drive control signals,

a power request input device which can be activated by the driver of the vehicle and which generates power request signals,

a position-detection device which determines the local position of the motor vehicle,

a driving style input device which predefines or can predefine a driving style which can be selected from a range from minimum energy or fuel consumption up to maximum power output,

a central processing unit which receives the power request signals, the driving style and the vehicle position, determines the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals, and actuates the manual gearbox and the drive unit, and

wherein a data memory is provided in which three-dimensional maps of the surroundings of the vehicle, including road gradient, are stored, the central processing unit determining the current surroundings of the vehicle using the vehicle position and taking into account the surroundings in the determination of the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals in the sense of a predictive driving style.

15. The drive train according to claim 14, wherein the central processing unit determines the drive control signals and the gearbox control signals based on only the local current surroundings of the motor vehicle.