Method for operating a motor vehicle during and/or following a collision

• US 9,352,709 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Brenneis, Oliver, Freyer, Jrn, Hantschke, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, GARRETT F
• Application Number:
  US14/390,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20150094901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2028/006 disconnecting the electric power supply, e.g. the vehicle battery
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01252 Devices other than bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0295 Inhibiting action of specific actuators or systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/029 Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles

Abstract

A method for operating a motor vehicle (1), particularly the supply of power to a motor vehicle (1), during and/or in the time period following a collision, wherein the motor vehicle (1) is at least partially deenergized, wherein the supply of electrical power of a vehicle system (9) is determined and switched during and/or following the collision based on at least one criterion (15).

Claims

1. A method for supplying power to a motor vehicle having a plurality of vehicle systems, while operating the motor vehicle, during a collision or during a period of time following the collision, or both, comprising at least partially deenergizing the motor vehicle by:

dividing, based on at least one criterion, the plurality of vehicle systems into at least three classes of vehicle systems,

determining a supply of power to a particular vehicle system at least partially as a function of a class membership of the vehicle systems,

determining a supply of power to the particular vehicle system during the collision or during the period of time following the collision, or both,

deenergizing the vehicle systems based on the at least one criterion, with a first class of vehicle systems being deenergized immediately during or following the collision and with second class of vehicle systems being independently deenergized only after a safety action has been performed, and

when an availability criterion for available data indicates that one or more of the vehicle systems belonging to at least one of the first and second class or data from the vehicle systems belonging to the first or second class are not available, deenergizing a third class of vehicle systems that depends from the vehicle systems of the first or second class or the data from the vehicle systems of the first or second class.

2. The method of claim 1, and further bringing the motor vehicle into at least one predefined safety state as a result of the performed safety action.

3. The method of claim 1, and further deenergizing a vehicle system that has not been deenergized due to the availability criterion when at least one additional criterion selected from criteria describing performing a safety action, non-availability of safety actions enhancing the safety of the motor vehicle and expiration of a certain period of time is satisfied.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the available data comprise environmental data of a model environment determined prior to the collision.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising

performing a diagnostic process of at least a portion of the vehicle systems of the motor vehicle, and

deenergizing a vehicle system as a result of the diagnostic process when the vehicle system is not available.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion comprises a prioritization, the method further comprising, depending on the available supply of power, deenergizing a vehicle system having higher priority later than a vehicle systems having lower priority.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining at least one ideal action plan realizing an action of at least one of the plurality of vehicle systems for enhancing safety, and

depending on results from a diagnosis of the at least one vehicle system affected by the action plan, determining a realizable action plan with at least one remaining action of the at least one vehicle system, wherein the at least one criterion comprises a presence of an action associated with the at least one vehicle system in the realizable action plan.

8. The method of claim 1, and further completely deenergizing the motor vehicle when a battery management system evaluating the at least one criterion is not available.

9. The method of claim 1, and further outputting a warning signal addressed to emergency personnel when at least one vehicle system is not deenergized.

10. A motor vehicle, comprising a plurality of vehicle systems divided into at least three classes of vehicle systems based on at least one criterion and at least one control device configured to supply power to the motor vehicle while operating the motor vehicle, during a collision or during a period of time following the collision, or both, wherein the at least one control device is further configured to at least partially deenergize the motor vehicle by

determining a supply of power to a particular vehicle system at least partially as a function of a class membership of the vehicle systems and determining a supply of power to a particular vehicle system during the collision or following the collision, or both,

deenergizing the vehicle systems based on the at least one criterion, with a first class of vehicle systems being deenergized immediately during or following the collision and with second class of vehicle systems being independently deenergized only after a safety action has been performed, and

when an availability criterion indicates that one or more of the vehicle systems belonging to at least one of the first and second class or data from the vehicle systems belonging to the first or second class are not available, deenergizing a third class of vehicle systems that depends from the vehicle systems of the first or second class or the data from the vehicle systems of the first or second class.