Device and method for detecting driving data of a motor vehicle comprising and electronically controllable drive train

• US 6,906,623 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2001
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Bauer, Wolf-Dietrich, Mayer, Christian, Schwarzhaupt, Andreas, Spiegelberg, Gernot
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/380,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 340/436, 340/438, 340/439, 340/440, 340/441, 180/271, 701/29, 701/35
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A method and apparatus for registering travel data of a motor vehicle with an electronically actuated drive train, utilizing a sensor device for determining actual vehicle data which relates to the travel dynamics, a time-registration device for generating time data, a position-determining device for determining position data of a motor vehicle, and a storage device for at least temporarily storing the actual vehicle, time and position data. The storage device is coupled to operator control elements for the driver-end generation of activation signals for influencing the drive train, and an actuation device for the activation-signal-dependent generation of actuation signals for the drive train. The storage device is designed to store at least temporarily the activation signals and the actuation signals.

Claims

1. Apparatus for registering travel data of a motor vehicle having an electronically actuated drive train, said apparatus comprising:

operator control elements for generating activation signals to control the drive train, said activation signals representing a control operation which is performed by a driver of the motor vehicle;

an actuation device for activation-signal-dependent generation of actuation signals for the drive train, the actuation signals representing conversion of the activation signals by the actuation device;

a sensor device for determining actual vehicle data regarding vehicle dynamics, the actual vehicle data representing travel dynamics which have actually been carried out by the drive train;

a time-registering device for generating time data;

a position-determining device for determining position data of the motor vehicle; and

a storage device for at least temporarily storing the activation signals, the actuation signals, the actual vehicle data and the time and position data;

wherein the activation signals, the actuation signals and the actual vehicle data form a data train for mapping an action chain which results from the control operation performed by the driver of the motor vehicle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage device is:

connected to a sensor-based assistance device for generating intervention signals for electronically influencing the actuation device of the drive train; and

designed to store at least temporarily the intervention signals.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the assistance device interacts with a navigation device; and

the intervention signals can be determined by means of position and/or direction presettings of the navigation device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle-internal transmitter device for communicating with a vehicle-external receiver device to transfer at least one of the actual vehicle data, the time data, the position data, the activation signals, the actuation signals and/or the intervention signals.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the activation signals that are generated by the operator control elements comprise at least speed signals and position and travel direction signals that are input by the driver.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the intervention signals generated by the assistance device comprise at least speed signals and position and travel direction signals that are preset by the assistance device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuation signals comprise at least set point speed signals and set point position and travel direction signals that are generated by the control device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actual vehicle data determined by the sensor device comprises at least actual speed signals and actual position and travel direction signals.

9. A method for registering travel data of a motor vehicle with an electronically actuated drive train, said method comprising:

a driver of the motor vehicle presetting operator control inputs;

generating activation signals corresponding to the operator control inputs;

converting the activation signals into actuation signals for the drive train as a function of a drivers'"'"' request, actual vehicle data relating to vehicle travel dynamics and position data;

storing at least temporarily the activation signals, the actuation signals, the actual vehicle data and/or the position data; and

forming a data train which is composed of activation signals, actuation signals and actual vehicle data for mapping an action chain which results from a control operation performed by the driver of the motor vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

sensing surroundings related to travel conditions of the motor vehicle, including events on the road;

generating travel-situation-dependent intervention signals for triggering travel actions in response to the travel conditions;

converting the intervention signals into corresponding actuation signals for the drive train; and

storing the intervention signals, at least temporarily.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the driver-generated activation signals, the intervention signals, the actuation signals for the drive train, the actual vehicle data and the position data is transferred to a vehicle-external function unit (26) for further data processing.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein activation signals comprise at least speed signals and position and travel direction signals which are input by the driver and can be stored as a first movement vector.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the intervention signals comprise at least speed signals and position and travel direction signals which are adapted to the travel situation and can be stored as a second movement vector.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the intervention signals comprise position signals and direction signals or navigation signals.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the actuation signals comprise at least set point speed signals and set point position and travel direction signals which are converted from the activation signals, and can be stored as a set point movement vector.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the actual vehicle data comprise at least an actual speed signal and actual position and travel direction signals, and can be stored as an actual movement vector.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein the stored data are read out upon occurrence of an accident.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

activation signals comprise at least speed signals and position and travel direction signals which are input by the driver and can be stored as a first movement vector;

the intervention signals comprise at least speed signals and position and travel direction signals which are adapted to the travel situation and can be stored as a second movement vector;

the first movement vector, the second movement vector, the set point movement vector and/or the actual movement vector are transmitted to a vehicle-external function unit for further data processing.

19. A method for analyzing fault modes in a vehicle having an electronically actuated drive train, operator control elements for receiving operator control inputs for generating activation signals for influencing the vehicle drive train, and an actuation device for generating actuation signals-responsive to the activation signals, for controlling operation of the drive train, said method comprising:

storing signals generated by said operator control elements and provided to said actuation device;

storing actuation signals generated by said actuation device and provided to the drive train;

sensing and storing actual travel data concerning actual dynamic vehicle operating parameters; and

upon occurrence of an accident, determining a cause of said accident based on said stored information.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein:

the vehicle further includes a sensor-based driver assistance device that generates intervention signals for influencing the actuation device; and

the intervention signals are also stored, and are analyzed with the stored signals generated by said operator control elements, actuation signals and actual travel data, to determine the cause of the accident.