Longitudinal dynamic control device for motor vehicles

• US 7,469,179 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Faller, Rainer, Thissen, Sonja
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/729,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle

Abstract

A longitudinal dynamics management device for vehicles is provided, the device having at least one first function unit which performs predetermined driving functions by output of a longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value, and a second function unit which is independent of the first function unit. The safety functions of the second function unit are performed independently of internal operands of the first function unit. The safety functions include acceleration monitoring and/or monitoring of jolts. With acceleration monitoring, a check is performed to ascertain whether the actual vehicle acceleration and/or the expected acceleration resulting from the setpoint value is independent of a setpoint vehicle acceleration, within an acceleration range regarded as controllable by the driver. With jolt monitoring, a check is performed to ascertain whether the change in actual vehicle acceleration and/or the expected change in vehicle acceleration is within a range regarded as controllable by the driver.

Claims

1. A longitudinal dynamics management device for motor vehicles, comprising:

at least one first function unit with which predetermined driving functions are performed by output of a longitudinal dynamics management output signal; and

a second function unit with which safety functions are performed, said second function unit being independent of the first function unit,

wherein safety functions pertaining to driving functions performed by the second function unit are performed independently of internal operands of the first function unit, and

wherein the second function unit performs the safety functions as a function of at least one of the output signal of the first function unit in the form of a longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value, and at least one input signal that reflects an actual vehicle response generated by the output signal of the first function unit.

2. The longitudinal dynamics management device of claim 1, wherein the second function unit performs as a safety function an acceleration monitoring associated with at least one of assessment of controllability of an actual vehicle acceleration, and assessment of controllability of a vehicle acceleration to be expected on the basis of the longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value.

3. The longitudinal dynamics management device of claim 2, wherein the second function unit detects the actual vehicle acceleration as an input signal reflecting the actual vehicle response, and the acceleration monitoring with regard to the controllability of the actual vehicle acceleration is performed independently of a setpoint acceleration.

4. The longitudinal dynamics management device of claim 2, wherein the second function unit detects the longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value as an input signal and performs the acceleration monitoring with regard to the controllability of the vehicle acceleration to be expected on the basis of the longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value.

5. The longitudinal dynamics management device of claim 2, wherein the second function unit outputs a shutdown signal to prevent the implementation of the longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value currently output when at least one of the actual vehicle acceleration and the vehicle acceleration to be expected on the basis of the longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value is outside of a predetermined acceleration range regarded as being controllable by the driver which is stored in the second function unit.

6. The longitudinal dynamics management device of claim 1, wherein the second function unit performs as a safety function a monitoring of jolts associated with at least one of an assessment of controllability of an actual change in vehicle acceleration, and an assessment of controllability of an expected change in vehicle acceleration on the basis of the longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value.

7. The longitudinal dynamics management device of claim 6, wherein the second function unit detects an actual vehicle acceleration as an input signal and performs the monitoring of jolts with regard to the controllability of the actual change in vehicle acceleration independently of a setpoint acceleration.

8. The longitudinal dynamics management device of claim 6, wherein the second function unit detects the longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value output by the first function unit as an input signal and performs the monitoring of jolts in the form of a setpoint value gradient monitoring with regard to the controllability of the change in vehicle acceleration to be expected on the basis of the longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value.

9. The longitudinal dynamics management device of claim 6, wherein the second function unit outputs a shutdown signal to prevent the implementation of the currently output longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value when the gradient of the actual vehicle acceleration is greater than a predetermined acceleration gradient threshold value.

10. The longitudinal dynamics management device of claim 6, wherein the second function unit outputs a shutdown signal to prevent the implementation of the longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value currently being output when the gradient of the longitudinal dynamics management setpoint value is greater than a predetermined setpoint threshold value.