Method for testing a vehicle or a component of a vehicle

• US 9,454,857 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AVL List GmbH (List Privatstiftung)
• Original Assignee: AVL List GmbH (List Privatstiftung)
• Inventors: Pfister, Felix
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/402,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

For a method for testing a vehicle or components thereof which is as flexible as possible, it is proposed that a test control unit 3 generates or plays back a virtual world which contains both a virtual vehicle state and a virtual vehicle environment, and the test control unit 3 manipulates a number of sensors and/or actuators of the real vehicle 1 according to the requirements of the virtual world and, at the same time, activates a driving state actuator 2 according to the requirements of the virtual world, and the driving state actuator 2 generates the instantaneous vehicle state and the instantaneous vehicle environment in the virtual world by introducing additional forces or moments into the real vehicle 1 so that the real vehicle 1 experiences the vehicle state and the vehicle environment from the virtual world on the real test track 4.

Claims

1. A method for testing a real vehicle or a component of a real vehicle, wherein the real vehicle drives on a real test track and is associated with a driving state actuator, wherein a test control unit which is arranged on the real vehicle or on the driving state actuator generates or plays back a virtual world which contains both a virtual vehicle state and a virtual vehicle environment, and measured values of real sensors of the real vehicle are recorded and fed to the test control unit and the test control unit manipulates the measurements of a number of real sensors and/or actuators of the real vehicle according to requirements of the virtual world and, at the same time, activates the driving state actuator according to the requirements of the virtual world, and the driving state actuator generates the instantaneous vehicle state and the instantaneous vehicle environment in the virtual world by introducing additional forces or moments into the real vehicle so that the real vehicle experiences the vehicle state and the vehicle environment from the virtual world on the real test track.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle state generated by the test control unit also includes a media state of the vehicle.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the real vehicle includes a control device and the test control unit sends data to the control device, which enables the control device to determine the position of the vehicle.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control device creates a digital map preview based on the determined position and based on digital map material and makes it available to other units of the vehicle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein GPS data are emulated, which enables a control device of the vehicle to determine the position of the vehicle.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein longitudinal and/or transverse forces and/or moments are introduced into the vehicle by means of the driving state actuator.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving state actuator comprises a trailer attached to the real vehicle.