DE102014206168A1 - Method for the automatic activation and / or deactivation of a sailing function of a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

In the method according to the invention, the automatic activation (14) of the sailing function takes place in a first range of HMI signals, while the sailing function is deactivated (19) in a second range of HMI signals. If the HMI signals represent a signal of a position of the accelerator pedal, the sailing phase can be overruled by the driver by pressing the accelerator pedal, the override takes place only from a predetermined position of the accelerator pedal and not immediately upon actuation of the accelerator pedal. This can result in far more driving situations than in conventional methods in which the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle can be switched off to save fuel.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for the automatic activation and / or deactivation of a sailing function of a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a computer program that performs each step of the inventive method when it runs on a computing device, as well as a machine-readable storage medium saving this computer program. Furthermore, the invention relates to an electronic control device which is set up to carry out the method according to the invention.

State of the art

From the prior art, for example, a sailing function using a start / stop system is known in which an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle is switched off in a coasting phase in front of a red traffic light system shortly before the standstill. In addition, sailing is known in hybrid vehicles. Here, the internal combustion engine of the hybrid vehicle is switched off or disconnected in a withdrawal of an accelerator pedal of the hybrid vehicle and in the presence of sailing conditions enabling the vehicle, so that the hybrid vehicle driven by the electric motor drives purely electric. This is usually done while rolling the hybrid vehicle at a constant speed. Finally, sailing on vehicles with a dual-clutch transmission is also known. In this case, it is also disengaged automatically when the accelerator pedal is returned.

Disclosure of the invention

In the method according to the invention, an automatic activation of the sailing function takes place in a first range of HMI ("Human Machine Interface") signals. On the other hand, it is deactivated in a second area of the HMI signals. Here, the present invention under Human Machine Interface (HMI) means the following: An HMI provides an interface between a driver of the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle. It therefore allows interaction between the driver of the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle. Such an interface is in particular an accelerator pedal, brake pedal, clutch pedal or steering wheel of a motor vehicle. In the case of a pedal, the HMI signals are, for example, signals representing a pedal position, an angle, the speed of the pedal operation - that is, whether the pedal is operated quickly or less quickly.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the HMI signals are formed by an accelerator pedal signal. In this case, the first and second ranges of HMI signals are characterized by signals reflecting different pedal positions. If the position of the accelerator pedal exceeds a predetermined threshold, the automatic activation of the sail function does not take place. The sailing is done so only under certain conditions. The sailing phase can be overruled by the driver so to speak, with the over-tuning takes place only from a predetermined threshold of the position of the accelerator pedal and not immediately upon actuation of the accelerator pedal. This can result in far more driving situations in which the internal combustion engine is switched off than in conventional methods in which the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle is already started again to save fuel when the accelerator pedal is actuated.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, an audible indication is generated in the first area of the HMI signals in which the automatic activation of the sailing function takes place. This signals that the motor vehicle is now starting to sail.

In addition or as an alternative to the acoustic indication, it may also be provided to generate a visual indication in the first area of the HMI signals in which the automatic activation of the sailing function takes place.

In the first area of the HMI signals, in which the automatic activation of the sailing function takes place, an active internal combustion engine is preferably played via active sound design. This gives vehicle occupants in the motor vehicle during sailing the impression of a running internal combustion engine.

In one embodiment, it is provided to indicate fuel saved by the automatically activated sailing function. This further increases the acceptance of sailing.

The ambient conditions characterizing signals are preferably by means of Car-2 Infrastructure communication and / or car-2-car communication and / or at least one radar system of the motor vehicle and / or at least one video system of the motor vehicle and / or by determined at least one navigation system.

Preferably not only a position determined by means of the at least one navigation system and / or the direction of movement and / or the speed of the motor vehicle are taken into account, but signals characterizing ambient conditions are also information signals from traffic management systems and / or Information signals from preceding vehicles and / or information signals of the at least one in-vehicle radar system and / or information signals of the at least one in-vehicle video system in the activation and / or deactivation of the sail function taken into account. As a result, the activation and / or deactivation of the sailing can be adapted to current circumstances.

The information signals of traffic management systems, which are taken into account when activating the sailing function, are particularly preferably signals from yellow and / or red traffic lights and / or speed limits. The information signals from preceding vehicles and / or the information signals of the at least one in-vehicle radar system and / or the information signals of the at least one in-vehicle video system and / or the at least one navigation system in the activation of the signals of the sailing function are, for example yellow and / or red traffic lights characterizing signals. In addition, a congestion, a breakdown, a specific traffic situation such as a construction site or the like, a delaying motor vehicle in front and / or stagnant traffic can also trigger such information signals. In addition, according to an embodiment of the method for deactivating the sailing function, information about the topography of a terrain around the motor vehicle can also be taken into account.

The vehicle-specific signals when deactivating the sailing function are preferably the weight of the motor vehicle, which is decisive for the rolling resistance, and / or the wind speed and the wind direction, which are decisive for the air resistance. The consideration of these information signals during activation and / or deactivation significantly increases the fuel savings for sailing.

The computer program according to the invention makes it possible to implement the method according to the invention in an existing electronic control unit, without having to make any structural changes thereto. For this purpose, it carries out each step of the method according to the invention, in particular if it runs on an electronic computing device or electronic control unit. The machine-readable storage medium according to the invention stores the computer program according to the invention. By loading the computer program according to the invention onto an electronic control unit, the electronic control unit according to the invention is obtained, which is set up to (de) activate a sailing function of a motor vehicle by means of the method according to the invention.

Short description of the drawing

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and explained in more detail in the following description.

The figure shows a flowchart according to an embodiment of the invention.

Embodiments of the invention

An embodiment of the invention will be described below. According to the method of the invention, a sailing function of a motor vehicle is activated or deactivated. A function for automatically activating and / or deactivating the sailing function is used depending on ambient conditions characterizing signals and / or vehicle-specific signals and HMI signals of the motor vehicle. According to this embodiment, the HMI signal of the motor vehicle is a signal which reflects the position of the accelerator pedal. In this case, in a first region of the HMI signal, if the accelerator pedal is thus pressed to a predetermined threshold, the sail function is automatically activated. In a second range of the HMI signal, when the accelerator pedal is depressed beyond the predetermined threshold, the sailing function is not activated. This means that a driver of the motor vehicle can override the sailing function in this area.

In the figure, a flowchart of the inventive method is shown schematically. After a step 10 , the start, takes place in one step 11 the query to the driver of the motor vehicle, if he agrees with an automatic activation of sailing phases. If this is not the case, before step 11 jumps back. However, if this is the case, it will be in one step 12 queried whether the activation of the sailing phase due to given environmental conditions is possible.

The ambient conditions characterizing signals are by means of Car-2 Infrastructure communication and / or car-2-car communication and / or by means of a navigation system and / or by using one or more radar systems of the motor vehicle and / or at least one video system of the motor vehicle determined. Signals characterizing ambient conditions are taken into account by means of the navigation system determined position and / or movement direction and / or speed of the motor vehicle. In addition, information signals from traffic control systems and / or information signals from preceding vehicles and / or information signals of the at least one in-vehicle radar system and / or information signals of the at least one in-vehicle video system are included in the activation and / or deactivation of the sailing function. In this case, the information signals of traffic control systems when activating the sailing function are signals from yellow and / or red traffic lights and / or speed limits. In addition, the information signals of vehicles driving in front and / or the information signals of in-vehicle radar systems and / or the information signals of in-vehicle video systems are triggered indirectly or directly by yellow and / or red traffic lights when activating the sailing function. In addition, these information signals can also be triggered by a traffic jam, a breakdown, a special traffic situation such as a construction site or the like, a delaying motor vehicle driving ahead and / or faltering traffic.

If the activation of the sailing phase is not possible due to these environmental conditions, before step 12 back and it is waited until the appropriate environmental conditions are met. If this is the case, in one step 13 queried whether the activation of the sailing phase can take place due to the position of the accelerator pedal. If the activation of the sailing function is not possible, becomes step 12 returned. Otherwise, in one step 14 the sailing phase activated. In the following step 15 the driver is visually and / or acoustically informed about the activation of the sailing phase and in one step 16 Active Sound design simulates a noise from an internal combustion engine. It also shows the fuel saved by the automatically activated sailing functions.

In one step 17 is queried whether a deactivation of the sailing phase in the current position of the accelerator pedal is necessary, so whether the driver of the motor vehicle overrides the sailing function. If this is the case, the sailing phase becomes one step 19 disabled. If not, it will be in one step 18 queried whether a deactivation of the sailing phase under current environmental conditions is necessary. If this is the case, the sailing phase will be in step 19 disabled.

To deactivate the sailing function, signals are also used which characterize the topography of a terrain around the motor vehicle. In this case, for example, the navigation system of the motor vehicle or the traffic control system serves as an information source of the signals. Furthermore, the vehicle-specific signals in the deactivation of the sail function, the weight of the motor vehicle, so as to take into account the rolling resistance. In addition, these signals may also represent wind speed and wind direction to account for air resistance.

If a deactivation of the sailing phase under current environmental conditions is not necessary, then again to step 17 jumped. From step 19 the deactivation of the sailing phase, the inventive method returns to step 12 so that it is again queried whether an activation of a new sailing phase due to environmental conditions is possible.

Claims (12)

Automatic activation procedure ( 14 ) and / or deactivation ( 19 ) a sailing function of a motor vehicle, wherein the automatic activation ( 14 ) and / or deactivation ( 19 ) the sailing function is / are carried out depending on ambient conditions characterizing signals and / or vehicle-specific signals and HMI signals of the motor vehicle, characterized in that the automatic activation ( 14 ) of the sailing function takes place in a first area of the HMI signals and does not take place in a second area of the HMI signals. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the HMI signals are the position of an accelerator pedal characterizing signals and that the second area in which the automatic activation ( 14 ) of the sailing function is not performed, is specified by the fact that the position of the accelerator pedal characterizing signals exceed a predetermined threshold. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that in the first range of HMI signals in which the automatic activation ( 14 ) of the sailing function, an acoustic and / or visual indication ( 15 ) is produced. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the first range of HMI signals in which the automatic activation ( 14 ) of the sailing function, by means of active sound design ( 16 ) a running internal combustion engine is played. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that is indicated by the automatically activated sail functions saved fuel. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the ambient conditions characterizing signals by means of Car-2 Infrastructure communication and / or car-2-car communication and / or by at least one radar system of the motor vehicle and / or be determined by at least one video system of the motor vehicle and / or by at least one navigation system. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that as ambient conditions characterizing signals a position and / or direction of movement and / or speed of the motor vehicle and / or information signals of traffic control systems and / or information signals from preceding vehicles during the activation ( 14 ) and / or deactivation of the sailing function. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for activation and / or deactivation ( 14 . 19 ) of the sail function signals are used which characterize the topography of a terrain around the motor vehicle. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for deactivation ( 19 ) of the sailing function signals about the weight of the motor vehicle for the rolling resistance and / or the wind speed and the wind direction for the air resistance can be used. A computer program adapted to perform each step of the method of any one of claims 1 to 9. Machine-readable storage medium on which a computer program according to claim 10 is stored. Electronic control unit, which is set up, a sailing function of a motor vehicle, wherein the automatic activation ( 14 ) and / or deactivation ( 19 ) of the sailing function depending on ambient conditions characterizing signals and / or vehicle-specific signals and HMI signals of the motor vehicle, automatically by a method according to one of claims 1 to 9 to (de) activate.

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