Method for controlling an actuator

• US 9,902,228 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2014
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Ghrle, Christoph, Schindler, Andreas, Unger, Andreas, Sawodny, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US15/036,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20160263959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 701 50, 701 70, 701301, 701448, 701468, 280 6157, 28012416, 280124157, 180 6551, 180 685, 414809, 345173
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/82 Ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/821 Uneven, rough road sensing affecting vehicle body vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/14 Photo or light sensitive means, e.g. Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/174 Radar
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/176 Radio or audio sensitive means, e.g. Ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/21 Laser
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/02 Retarders, delaying means, dead zones, threshold values, cut-off frequency, timer interruption
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/60 Signal noise suppression; Electronic filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/70 Estimating or calculating vehicle parameters or state variables

Abstract

A method for controlling at least one actuator of a chassis of a motor vehicle, which travels over a subsurface is disclosed, wherein a height profile of the subsurface is detected, wherein it is analyzed for a section of the subsurface whether the height profile along said section has a value which deviates from a threshold value by a specified tolerance value, and wherein a regulating variable for activating the actuator is adjusted in consideration of the identified unevenness when the motor vehicle travels over the identified unevenness.

Claims

1. A method for controlling at least one actuator of a chassis of a motor vehicle, which drives on a surface, comprising:

detecting a height profile of the surface;

describing a shape of the height profile along a section of the height profile with a function which depends from at least one parameter and which, for a point of the surface, defines a dependency of the height profile from a position of the point along the section;

identifying the section as an unevenness of the surface when a value of a change of the function in dependence of the position of the point along the section deviates from a predetermined threshold value for the change of the function by a predetermined tolerance value; and

setting a manipulated variable for impinging the at least one actuator by taking the unevenness into account, when the vehicle drives over an identified unevenness,

wherein a first local derivative of the function in horizontal direction along the section is used as change of the function,

wherein the function describes an actual geometry of the height profile, said method further comprising comparing the actual geometry with a target geometry provided for the height profile, wherein the section is identified as unevenness of the surface when the actual geometry deviates from a threshold value predetermined for the target geometry by a tolerance value predetermined for the target geometry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein values of the height profile for the surface are determined with a sensor for detecting an environment of the motor vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising filtering the determined values along the section.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a second local derivative of the function in horizontal direction along the section is used as change of the function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a shape of the actual geometry and a shape of the target geometry are defined by the function for describing the height profile along the section, and wherein for describing the actual geometry the at least one parameter has an actual value and for describing the target geometry the at least one parameter has a target value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a start and an end for the unevenness in horizontal direction along the section.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the target geometry as a template for the actual geometry.

8. A system for controlling at least one actuator of a chassis of a motor vehicle, which drives on a surface, said system comprising:

at least one sensor for detecting an environment of the motor vehicle and configured to detect a height profile of the surface; and

a data processing device, configured

to describe a shape of the height profile along a section with a function which depends from at least one parameter which, for a point of the surface, defines a dependency of the height profile from a position of the point along the section and which describes an actual geometry of the of the height profile,

to identify the section as an unevenness of the surface when a value of a change of the function in dependence of the position of the point along the section deviates from a predetermined threshold value for the change of the function by a predetermined tolerance value;

to set a manipulated variable for impinging the at least one actuator by taking the unevenness into account, when the vehicle drives over an identified unevenness, and

to compare the actual geometry with a target geometry provided for the height profile, wherein the section is identified as unevenness of the surface when the actual geometry deviates from a threshold value predetermined for the target geometry by a tolerance value predetermined for the target geometry.

9. The system of claim 8, said system being arranged in the motor vehicle.