Method and device for operating a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle or utility vehicle

• US 8,880,313 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAN Truck & Bus AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: MAN Truck & Bus AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Drner, Karlheinz, Zimmermann, Andreas, Heyes, Daniel, Huber, Martin, Drimml, Peter, Michel, Britta
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US13/272,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20120095645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/48, 701/123, 701/408, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/196 acting within the driveline, e.g. retarders
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18136 Engine braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/186 excessive wear or burn out of friction elements, e.g. clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A method operates a vehicle having an acquisition device for acquiring defined route section data of an upcoming route section to be passed through via the vehicle, in particular a utility vehicle. Accordingly, the route section data, which are acquired by the acquisition device are evaluated in an evaluation device with respect to the wear reduction potential of a vehicle-side wearing part for the upcoming route section to be passed through such that, to reduce and/or optimize the wear of the wearing part. An actuating parameter, in particular an actuating time and/or an actuating duration, is predetermined for the wearing part in the upcoming route section to be passed through. An auxiliary device which supports the wearing part in its action is activated in the upcoming route section to be passed through in accordance with at least one predefined auxiliary device parameter.

Claims

1. A method for operating a vehicle having an acquisition device for acquiring defined route section data of an upcoming route section to be passed through by the vehicle, which comprises the steps of:

evaluating the defined route section data acquired by the acquisition device, of the upcoming route section to be passed through, in an evaluation device with respect to a wear reduction potential of at least one vehicle-side wearing brake for the upcoming route section to be passed through;

predetermining at least one actuating parameter for the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake in the upcoming route section to be passed through to reduce or optimize wear of the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake; and

with the evaluation device, activating at least one auxiliary device, which supports the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake in its action, in the upcoming route section to be passed through in accordance with at least one predefined auxiliary device parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

acquiring at least one of topography data, current traffic situation data, regulation data, data on equipment which influences traffic flow, roadway composition data or road condition data by means of the acquisition device as the defined route section data of the upcoming route section to be passed through; and

supplying the data to the evaluation device to optimize the wear reduction potential of the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein for the wear reduction potential or wear optimization of the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake, performing the further steps of:

ascertaining driving parameters including the at least one actuating parameter for the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake and the at least one predefined auxiliary device parameter on a basis of an optimum mode of driving for the upcoming route section to be passed through;

storing the driving parameters which define the optimum mode of driving in the evaluation device; and

retrieving or ascertaining the driving parameters on a basis of the defined route section data, which are acquired by means of the acquisition device, of the upcoming route section to be passed through.

4. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises performing at least one of:

predefining the optimum mode of driving to a driver as an optional desired mode of driving;

displaying the optimum mode of the driving to the driver as the optional desired mode of driving;

or

predefining the optimum mode for the driver by an automatic system intervention.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

reducing a wear of the vehicle-side wearing brake in dependence on a brake deceleration ascertained for the upcoming route section to be passed through in that, in the upcoming route section to be passed through, at least one secondary assembly which causes vehicle deceleration is at least temporarily activated as the auxiliary device to increase a drag torque of a vehicle drive engine.

6. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises selecting the at least one secondary assembly from the group consisting of an air compressor, a fan of an air conditioner, and a chargeable energy store coupled to a drivetrain of the vehicle such that, when the secondary assembly is switched in, a part of an existing vehicle drive energy is used to actuate the secondary assembly and a vehicle deceleration is thus achieved.

7. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises selecting the secondary assembly from the group consisting of a wear-free vehicle-side brake device, a retarder and an engine brake device.

8. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises starting automatically an evaluation of the wear reduction potential for a defined upcoming route section to be passed through.

9. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises activating the at least one predefined auxiliary device for a case in which the wear reduction potential, which has reached or exceeded a predefined threshold value, is ascertained during the evaluation of an upcoming route section to be passed through.

10. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises selecting the at least one actuating parameter from the group consisting of an actuating time and an actuating duration.

11. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises:

selecting the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake from the group consisting of a main brake and a retarder; and

increasing the drag torque by engaging a lower gear step.

12. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises starting an evaluation of the wear reduction potential for a defined upcoming route section to be passed through automatically, in dependence on the data, acquired by the acquisition device, of the upcoming route section to be passed through.

13. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises starting an evaluation of the wear reduction potential for a defined upcoming route section to be passed through when a driver signals a deceleration intent.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary device that is activated by the evaluation device is selected from the group consisting of a wear-free vehicle-side brake device and a retarder.

14. A device for operating a vehicle, the device comprising:

an acquisition device for acquiring defined route section data of an upcoming route section to be passed through; and

an evaluation device, by means of which a wear reduction potential of at least one vehicle-side wearing brake is evaluated in dependence on the defined route section data acquired.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein the evaluation device is configured to activate an auxiliary device which supports the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake in its action, in the upcoming route section to be passed through in accordance with at least one predefined auxiliary device parameter;

and the auxiliary device is selected from the group consisting of a wear-free vehicle-side brake device and a retarder.

15. A device for operating a vehicle, the device comprising:

an acquisition device;

an evaluation device; and

the device programmed to;

evaluate a defined route section data acquired by said acquisition device, of an upcoming route section to be passed through, in said evaluation device with respect to a wear reduction potential of at least one vehicle-side wearing brake for the upcoming route section to be passed through;

predetermine at least one actuating parameter for the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake in the upcoming route section to be passed through to reduce or optimize wear of the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake; and

activating at least one auxiliary device, which supports the at least one vehicle-side wearing brake in its action, in the upcoming route section to be passed through in accordance with at least one predefined auxiliary device parameter.

18. The device according to claim 15, wherein the auxiliary device is selected from the group consisting of a wear-free vehicle-side brake device and a retarder.