Method for operating a vehicle during coasting

• US 9,052,713 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Schulz, Udo, Bartsch, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US13/932,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20140012478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 701/93, 701/25, 701/96, 701/41, 701/71, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/439, 340/441, 180/170, 348/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/60 Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect

Abstract

A method for controlling a vehicle, including determining a speed curve on a coasting route, in order to let the vehicle on the coasting route coast from an actual speed to a setpoint speed, detecting an additional vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind on the coasting route, and raising the speed of the vehicle compared to the determined speed behavior on the coasting route, in order to produce a predetermined threshold distance from the additional vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor, a speed versus time curve from an actual speed to a setpoint speed for a speed behavior of the vehicle on traveling on a coasting route, wherein the coasting route is a route throughout which fuel consumption is not used for the traveling of the vehicle;

determining, by the processor, that an additional vehicle is approaching the vehicle from behind on the coasting route;

raising, by the processor, a speed of the vehicle on the coasting route to produce a predetermined threshold distance from the additional vehicle, wherein the raised speed of the vehicle is greater than a speed that corresponds to the speed behavior of the determined speed versus time curve;

determining a minimum braking distance to a position at which the setpoint speed is supposed to be reached; and

ending the raising of the speed of the vehicle if the minimum braking distance to the position at which the setpoint speed is to be reached, has been reached.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the raising includes raising the speed of the vehicle on the coasting route if a certain switch on the vehicle is activated.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

ending the raising of the speed of the vehicle if the vehicle falls below a predetermined safety distance from a preceding vehicle.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

ending the raising of the speed of the vehicle if an admissible maximum speed has been reached.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the admissible maximum speed is a function of an admissible cornering speed.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

ending the raising of the speed of the vehicle if a passing process of the additional vehicle approaching from behind has been detected.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

indicating a necessary braking process if the minimum braking distance to the position, at which the setpoint speed is to be reached, has been reached.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle is on the coasting route, no braking intervention is performed for operation of the vehicle.

9. A control device to control a vehicle, the control device comprising:

a processor with which the control device is configured to;

determine a speed versus time curve from an actual speed to a setpoint speed for a speed behavior of the vehicle on traveling on a coasting route, wherein the coasting route is a route throughout which fuel consumption is not used for the traveling of the vehicle;

determine that an additional vehicle is approaching the vehicle from behind on the coasting route;

raise a speed of the vehicle on the coasting route to produce a predetermined threshold distance from the additional vehicle, wherein the raised speed of the vehicle is greater than a speed that corresponds to the speed behavior of the determined speed versus time curve;

determine a minimum braking distance to a position at which the setpoint speed is supposed to be reached; and

end the raising of the speed of the vehicle if the minimum braking distance to the position at which the setpoint speed is to be reached, has been reached.

10. The control device as recited in claim 9, wherein the raising of the speed includes raising the speed of the vehicle on the coasting route if a certain switch on the vehicle is activated.

11. The control device as recited in claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to end the raising of the speed of the vehicle if the vehicle falls below a predetermined safety distance from a preceding vehicle.

12. The control device as recited in claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to end the raising of the speed of the vehicle if an admissible maximum speed has been reached.

13. The control device as recited in claim 12, wherein the admissible maximum speed is a function of an admissible cornering speed.

14. The control device as recited in claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to end the raising of the speed of the vehicle of the vehicle if a passing process of the additional vehicle approaching from behind has been detected.

15. The control device as recited in claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to provide an indication of a necessary braking process if the minimum braking distance to the position, at which the setpoint speed is to be reached, has been reached.

16. The control device as recited in claim 9, wherein, when the vehicle is on the coasting route, no braking intervention is performed for operation of the vehicle.