Method and apparatus for operating a vehicle

• US 8,280,587 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Abele, Andreas, Fiedler, Jens, Kretschmann, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Almatrahi, Faris
• Application Number:
  US12/376,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/04 Vehicle reference speed; Vehicle body speed
• 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

Abstract

In a method for operating a vehicle (1) having a plurality of wheels (3) and wheel sensors (5) which are associated with said wheels and whose measurement signals are representative of angular speeds of the respective wheels (3), respective scaling values (SV1, SV2, SH1, SH2) are adapted when a predefined condition is met, the condition depending on the yaw rate (GR) of the vehicle and/or on the steering angle (LW) of the front/rear wheels.

Claims

1. A method for operating a vehicle having a plurality of wheels and wheel sensors which are associated with said wheels and whose measurement signals are representative of angular speeds of the respective wheels, the method comprising:

registering respective characteristic values for the angular speed of the respective wheel depending on the respective measurement signals,

transforming the characteristic values in a common reference coordinates system of the vehicle depending on at least one of steering angle or yaw rate,

determining a common reference value depending on the transformed characteristic values,

determining respective intermediate scaling values depending on the respective ratio of the transformed characteristic values and the reference value,

adapting respective scaling values depending on the intermediate scaling values when a predefined condition, which is dependent upon at least one of the yaw rate and upon the steering angle, is met.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the respective scaling values, depending on the respective intermediate scaling values, are subject to greater adaptation at the time of a vehicle start-up than after a predefined period following the vehicle start-up.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the transformed characteristic values for the angular speed of the respective wheel are low-pass filtered and the common reference value is determined depending on the low-pass filtered, transformed characteristic values.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the common reference values are low-pass filtered and respective intermediate scaling values are determined depending on the respective ratio of the transformed characteristic values for the angular speed of the respective wheel and of the low-pass filtered reference value.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the common reference values are low-pass filtered and respective intermediate scaling values are determined depending on the respective ratio of the low-pass filtered, transformed characteristic values and of the low-pass filtered reference value.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the reference coordinates system of the vehicle is a barycentric coordinates system of the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the predefined condition is met when the yaw rate of the vehicle is lower than a predefined first threshold value.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the predefined conditions are met when the steering angle of the vehicle is lower than a predefined second threshold value.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein

a scaled wheel speed is determined depending on the respective scaling value and on the assigned characteristic value for the angular speed of the respective wheel.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein,

depending on the respective scaling values, it is ascertained whether at least one of the wheels is a spare wheel.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein,

depending on the respective scaling values, it is determined whether at least one of the wheels has lost pressure.

12. An apparatus for operating a vehicle having a plurality of wheels and wheel sensors which are associated with said wheels and whose measurement signals are representative of angular speeds of the respective wheels, said apparatus being operable

to register respective characteristic values for the angular speed of the respective wheel depending on the respective measurement signals,

to transform the characteristic values into a common reference coordinates system of the vehicle depending on at least one of steering angle or yaw rate,

to determine a common reference value depending on the transformed characteristic values,

to determine respective intermediate scaling values depending on the respective ratio of the transformed characteristic values and of the reference value, and

to adapt respective scaling values depending on the intermediate scaling values when a predefined condition is met, said condition being dependent upon the yaw rate and/or the steering angle LW.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the respective scaling values, depending on the respective intermediate scaling values, are subject to greater adaptation at the time of a vehicle start-up than after a predefined period following the vehicle start-up.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the transformed characteristic values for the angular speed of the respective wheel are low-pass filtered and the common reference value is determined depending on the low-pass filtered, transformed characteristic values.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the common reference values are low-pass filtered and respective intermediate scaling values are determined depending on the respective ratio of the transformed characteristic values for the angular speed of the respective wheel and of the low-pass filtered reference value.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the common reference values are low-pass filtered and respective intermediate scaling values are determined depending on the respective ratio of the low-pass filtered, transformed characteristic values and of the low-pass filtered reference value.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the reference coordinates system of the vehicle is a barycentric coordinates system of the vehicle.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the predefined condition is met when the yaw rate of the vehicle is lower than a predefined first threshold value.

19. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the predefined conditions are met when the steering angle of the vehicle is lower than a predefined second threshold value.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a scaled wheel speed is determined depending on the respective scaling value and on the assigned characteristic value for the angular speed of the respective wheel.