Method and system for adaptively controlling distance and speed and for stopping a motor vehicle, and a motor vehicle which works with same

• US 9,358,962 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Zambou, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/236,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 701/96
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/30 Mode switching, e.g. changing from one cruise control mode to another
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/17 with provision for special action when the preceding vehicle comes to a halt, e.g. stop and go

Abstract

A method for stopping a motor vehicle, having an electronic environmental control device for evaluating the data of one or more environmental sensors, and an electronic braking control device for actuating a braking system, these exchanging information and/or instructions via a data bus. The method comprises: acquiring a distance to a vehicle travelling ahead; determining the motor vehicle travel speed; controlling the distance to the obstacle using the environmental control device if the travel speed exceeds a transfer threshold value; and stopping the motor vehicle using the braking control device if the travel speed is less than or equal to said transfer threshold value. Depending on the acquired distance, the environmental control device determines a target path for the braking control device at the end of which the motor vehicle should be stationary. The invention also relates to an electronic control device for a braking system, and a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for stopping a motor vehicle that includes a surroundings control unit and a brake control unit, the method comprising:

measuring, by the surroundings control unit including one or more surrounding sensors, a separation distance to an obstruction, in particular to a vehicle traveling ahead,

determining, by the surroundings control unit, a traveling speed of the motor vehicle,

regulating, by the surroundings control unit, the separation distance to the obstruction when the traveling speed exceeds a handover threshold value, and

stopping the motor vehicle, by the brake control unit when the traveling speed is less than or equal to the handover threshold value,

wherein, as a function of the measured separation distance, the surroundings control unit predefines for the brake control unit a target distance the motor vehicle travels at the end of which the vehicle should be stationary, and

wherein the brake control unit adjusts the speed of the motor vehicle as a function of a traveling distance covered by the motor vehicle in order to stop the motor vehicle at the predefined target distance.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake control unit, during the stopping process, regulates the deceleration and/or the traveling speed of the vehicle as a function of the traveling distance covered.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the brake control unit is connected to at least one wheel rotational speed sensor, and in that, as a measure of the traveling distance covered, pulse-like signals from the at least one wheel rotational speed sensor are counted.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the relationship between deceleration and/or traveling speed and the traveling distance covered is regulated on the basis of a predefined mathematical function, in particular a third-order to eighth-order polynomial.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predefined mathematical function is selected as a function of the traveling speed and a predefined target distance at the time of the handover from the first control unit to the second control unit.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predefined mathematical function is selected such that the relationship 2v²+3xa≧

0 between traveling speed v and traveling distance covered x is satisfied, wherein a represents the deceleration, that is to say the change in the vehicle speed with respect to time.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein during the stopping of the motor vehicle by means of the brake control unit, a measurement of the separation distance to the obstruction is performed by the surroundings control unit, in particular at predefined time intervals, wherein the predefined target distance is adapted as a function of the measured separation distance.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the stopping process is terminated if a restart of the vehicle traveling ahead is identified, in particular if the separation distance has increased by more than a predefined minimum separation distance in a time interval, and in that, in this case, separation-distance regulation is performed by the surroundings control unit.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle has a hydraulic service brake system and an electrically actuable parking brake system, and in that a handover from the service brake system to the parking brake system is performed if predefined conditions are met, in particular if a predefined stoppage duration is exceeded.

10. An electronic control unit of a brake system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an interface to a vehicle data bus, an interface to at least one wheel rotational speed sensor, and

means for driver-independent activation of at least one brake actuator, including;

one or more surrounding sensors, for measuring a separation distance to an obstruction, in particular to a vehicle traveling ahead,

a stopping distance regulator which, when the traveling speed is less than or equal to a handover threshold value, adjusts the deceleration and/or the speed of the motor vehicle as a function of the traveling distance covered by the motor vehicle in order to stop the motor vehicle at a predefined target distance the motor vehicle travels at the end of which the motor vehicle should be stationary.

11. The electronic control unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the stopping distance regulator comprises a pilot controller and a main regulator, wherein at least one parameter of the stopping distance regulator is predefined as a function of the present speed of the vehicle and the predefined target distance.

12. The electronic control unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one parameter is predefined on the basis of a predefined mathematical function that describes the target relationship between deceleration and/or vehicle speed and the traveling distance covered.

13. A motor vehicle, comprising an electronic brake control unit as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a hydraulic and/or electromechanical brake system which is connected to the brake control unit and which permits a build-up of braking force independently of a driver, and comprising an electronic surroundings control unit which is equipped with at least one forward-facing surroundings sensor, wherein the brake control unit and the surroundings control unit are connected to one another via a vehicle data bus and carry out a method for stopping a motor vehicle which has an electronic surroundings control unit for evaluating the data from one or more surroundings sensors and which has an electronic brake control unit for activating a brake system, which electronics surroundings control unit and electronic brake control unit exchange information and/or commands via a data connection, in particular a vehicle data bus.

14. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the brake control unit is connected to at least one rotation-direction-detecting wheel rotational speed sensor which is assigned in particular to a non-driven wheel.

15. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 14, further comprising an electronic parking control unit which is equipped in each case with at least one forward-facing and at least one rearward-facing surroundings sensor, wherein the parking control unit is connected to the brake control unit and preferably to the surroundings control unit via a vehicle data bus, and wherein the parking control unit and/or the surroundings control unit can predefine for the brake control unit a target distance for the stopping of the vehicle.