DE102022207723A1 - Method for assisting a driver in performing a driving maneuver with a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for supporting a driver when performing a driving maneuver with a vehicle, in particular an eBike, the vehicle comprising a drive unit and a sensor unit, the sensor unit having at least one gyroscope and/or an acceleration sensor and the method comprising the following steps includes:
- Detecting the execution of a driving maneuver based on signals from the sensor unit based on a change in an upright angle of the vehicle in the direction of a target angle, and
- Adjusting, in particular reducing, a drive support of the drive unit when a driving maneuver is detected depending on the erection angle and the target angle and / or depending on a profile of a pedaling torque provided by the driver, filtered with a low-pass filter.

Description

The invention relates to a method for supporting a driver when performing a driving maneuver with a vehicle, in particular an eBike.

The invention further relates to a vehicle, in particular an eBike, for supporting a driver when performing a driving maneuver.

Although generally applicable to vehicles, the present invention is explained using eBikes.

State of the art

Some drivers of vehicles such as bicycles, motorcycles or eBikes perform driving maneuvers on their vehicles. A well-known driving maneuver is the so-called “wheelie”, in which the vehicle is balanced on the rear wheel while driving.

In order to be able to perform a wheelie for a longer period of time, a driver must continuously provide drive torque. In eBikes, this drive torque is provided by the rider's pedaling force as well as an assist torque by a drive unit. Since the assist torque is usually dependent on the rider's pedaling force, any fluctuations in the rider's pedaling force that may occur during a skill maneuver are amplified. In addition, driving maneuvers are difficult to perform, so beginners in particular have difficulty doing them.

From the DE 10 2012 009 203 A1 A vehicle with a front and a rear wheel is known in which a driver can set an acceleration requirement so that the bicycle rides on the rear wheel. A target angle of the vehicle to the ground - i.e. the pitch angle - can be regulated by the vehicle. The acceleration requirement is set by a throttle grip. The regulation allows a driver to ride permanently on the rear wheel without having to maintain balance.

Disclosure of the invention

• - Erkennen der Durchführung eines Fahrkunstmanövers ausgehend von Signalen der Sensoreinheit anhand einer Veränderung eines Aufrichtwinkels des Fahrzeugs in Richtung eines Zielwinkels; und
• - Anpassen, insbesondere Verringern, einer Antriebsunterstützung der Antriebseinheit bei Erkennen eines Fahrkunstmanövers abhängig von dem Aufrichtwinkel und dem Zielwinkel und/oder abhängig von einem mit einem Tiefpassfilter gefilterten Verlauf eines von dem Fahrer bereitgestellten Tretdrehmoments.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for supporting a driver in performing a driving maneuver with a vehicle, in particular an eBike, wherein the vehicle comprises a drive unit and a sensor unit, the sensor unit having at least one gyroscope and/or an acceleration sensor and wherein the method comprises the following steps:

• - Detecting the execution of a driving maneuver based on signals from the sensor unit based on a change in an upright angle of the vehicle in the direction of a target angle; and
• - Adjusting, in particular reducing, a drive support of the drive unit when a driving maneuver is detected depending on the erection angle and the target angle and / or depending on a profile of a pedaling torque provided by the driver, filtered with a low-pass filter.

• - eine Erkennungseinrichtung, ausgebildet zum Erkennen der Durchführung eines Fahrkunstmanövers ausgehend von Signalen der Sensoreinheit anhand einer Veränderung eines Aufrichtwinkels des Fahrzeugs in Richtung eines Zielwinkels; und
• - eine Anpasseinrichtung, ausgebildet zum Anpassen, insbesondere Verringern, einer Antriebsunterstützung der Antriebseinheit bei Erkennen eines Fahrkunstmanövers abhängig von dem Aufrichtwinkel und dem Zielwinkel und/oder abhängig von einem mit einem Tiefpassfilter gefilterten Verlauf eines von dem Fahrer bereitgestellten Tretdrehmoments.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a vehicle, in particular an eBike, for supporting a driver when performing a driving maneuver, comprising a sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit has at least one gyroscope and/or an acceleration sensor, a drive unit and:

• - a detection device, designed to detect the execution of a driving maneuver based on signals from the sensor unit based on a change in an upright angle of the vehicle in the direction of a target angle; and
• - an adapting device, designed for adapting, in particular reducing, a drive support of the drive unit when detecting a driving maneuver depending on the righting angle and the target angle and / or depending on a profile of a pedaling torque provided by the driver, filtered with a low-pass filter.

One of the advantages achieved with this is that the driving maneuver can be automatically recognized by the vehicle, so that it can adapt the drive support depending on the driving maneuver. In particular, the fluctuating pedaling torques that occur during a driving maneuver can be compensated for. Another advantage is that the vehicle can actively support the driver in the driving maneuver, so that the driver can carry out the driving maneuver more easily.

A straightening angle in the sense of the present invention is in particular the angle between a straight line through the centers of the wheels of the vehicle and the plane of a surface. The righting angle therefore corresponds to the angle between the vehicle and the ground during the driving maneuver. In particular, the elevation angle can correspond to the pitch angle of the vehicle.

A target angle in the sense of the present invention is in particular the angle at which the vehicle and the driver are in balance when the vehicle is only moved on the rear wheel. In particular, the center of gravity of the vehicle with driver is vertically above the rear wheel as long as the vehicle is held at the target angle and is not accelerated.

In other words, the vehicle first recognizes whether a driving maneuver, in particular a wheelie, is being performed by the driver. For this purpose, the vehicle has a gyroscope and/or an acceleration sensor, which can be used to detect whether the vehicle is standing up and the upright angle of the vehicle is moving in the direction of the target angle. In particular, a sudden, impulsive change in the vehicle's upright angle can be an indicator of a driving skill maneuver. The drive support of the drive unit is then adjusted. For example, the drive torque of the drive unit can be reduced the closer the vertical angle of the vehicle approaches the target angle, i.e. the closer the vehicle approaches the equilibrium state. This gives the driver more control over the vehicle when performing a driving maneuver. It is also conceivable that the drive support is no longer determined directly proportional to the rider's pedaling torque, but rather the progression of the pedaling torque is filtered through a low-pass filter and/or an already existing low-pass filter is adjusted with regard to its filter properties, for example by increasing the filter constant. This means that the driver's jerky pedaling movements are not amplified, but rather dampened. In addition, fluctuations in the erection angle, which are caused, for example, by the driver's inexperience, can be compensated for by the drive unit.

Further features, advantages and further embodiments of the invention are described below or become apparent thereby.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the recognition of the performance of the driving maneuver is based on an impulse on a handlebar of the vehicle, an increased pedaling force, an incline, a manual action by a user, a speed of a front wheel and / or a drive torque in the front wheel. By means of the indicators mentioned, which indicate that a driver is performing or wants to perform a driving maneuver, a driving maneuver can be reliably recognized. For example, as a rider begins their riding maneuver, they may push on the handlebars while simultaneously applying a strong force to the pedals before jerking the handlebars upwards. This can therefore be used to recognize a budding driving skill maneuver. It is also conceivable that the driver first activates an actuating element of the vehicle and thus signals to the vehicle that he is going to perform a driving maneuver. Furthermore, the front wheel of the vehicle is not on the ground during a wheelie, for example, so that a sudden change in speed and/or a moment of resistance or drive torque in the front wheel can be an indicator of such a driving maneuver.

According to a further advantageous development of the invention, the target angle is a predetermined angle that is stored in the vehicle, and/or the target angle is estimated based on system performance, speed, rotation rate and/or acceleration. The advantage of this is that the target angle can be easily determined.

According to a further advantageous development of the invention, adjusting the drive support includes deactivating the drive support if the erection angle is greater than the target angle. If the driver leans too far back, i.e. the erection angle is greater than the target angle, there is a risk of the driver tipping over backwards. This risk can be reduced by deactivating the drive support so that the resulting reduced drive torque pushes the driver forward. This reduces the risk of a fall.

According to a further advantageous development of the invention, adjusting the drive support includes automatically releasing a brake. If only a positive drive torque is provided by the drive support, a user cannot set a negative drive torque, for example to reduce the erection angle. Therefore, a driver can continuously apply a brake when performing a driving maneuver in order to be able to simulate a negative drive torque. The brake can be automatically released by the vehicle to generate positive drive torque. In this way, the drive torque can be increased quickly.

According to a further advantageous development of the invention, a maximum drive torque is smaller than a maximum braking torque of the vehicle. The maximum drive torque is the sum of the pedaling torque generated by the driver and the assist torque generated by the drive unit. If the maximum drive torque is less than the maximum braking torque, the driver can end the driving maneuver at any time. One advantage of this is that safety is increased when performing the driving maneuver.

According to a further advantageous development of the invention, after recognizing that the driving maneuver has been carried out, the front wheel is set in rotation using a hub motor. This increases the maneuverability of the driving maneuver when turning, in particular turning the handlebars, through an angular momentum or the Coriolis force.

According to a further advantageous development of the invention, the driving maneuver is evaluated based on the duration of the driving maneuver, the distance covered by the driving maneuver, the course of the righting angle, and / or the course of a lateral tilt angle. The lateral tilt angle is in particular the angle between the vehicle and the plane of the ground perpendicular to the direction of travel, i.e. in particular the inclined position of the vehicle when driving. One advantage of this is that the driver can be supported by the vehicle during driving maneuvers. In addition, relevant data about the driving maneuver can be communicated to the driver, for example for learning purposes.

According to a further advantageous development of the invention, information about the driving maneuver is displayed on a display device and/or in an acoustic manner. This can advantageously show the driver, for example, how long he has been performing the driving maneuver, how “cleanly” or correctly the driving maneuver is being carried out, or how small the deviation of the erection angle from the target angle is. Possible improvements can also be suggested.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the display of information includes a warning about the vehicle tipping sideways. The sensor unit can detect that the driver could potentially fall over or tip over to the side. In this case, the vehicle can issue a warning to the driver, for example asking the driver to shift their weight to one side.

Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated description of the figures.

It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combination specified in each case, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Preferred versions and embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description.

• 1 Schritte eines Verfahrens gemäß einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung, und
• 2 ein Fahrzeug gemäß einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung.

It shows in schematic form

• 1 Steps of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and
• 2 a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 shows steps of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In a first step S1, the execution of a driving maneuver is recognized based on signals from a sensor unit based on a change in the upright angle of the vehicle in the direction of a target angle. The sensor unit can include at least a gyroscope and an acceleration sensor. The sensor signals can be used to determine whether the upright angle of the vehicle changes. When the righting angle approaches the target angle - i.e. the balance angle in a driving maneuver such as a "wheelie", driving on the rear wheel - this is an indicator that the driver is currently performing a driving maneuver. In particular, if the angle changes suddenly and/or impulsively, the driver will most likely ride on the rear wheel.

At the target angle, the vehicle and the driver are in an unstable balance. The vehicle is therefore not accelerated by the earth's gravity. This can also be detected by the sensor unit. The target angle can either be stored in the vehicle or estimated based on parameters such as speed, drive power, acceleration and/or rotation rate.

In addition, other indicators can be used to detect whether the driver is riding on the rear wheel. For example, to perform the driving maneuver, the driver will often press hard on the pedals and at the same time pull up on the handlebars. While driving on the rear wheel, the front wheel is in the air, so that no frictional forces act on the front wheel. This can be detected, for example, based on a sudden drop in a moment of resistance in the front wheel or the speed of the front wheel. In addition, a driving maneuver is usually carried out on one level leads. If the sensor unit detects that the vehicle is on a slope, it is unlikely that the driver would want to perform a driving maneuver.

As soon as the driving maneuver is recognized, in a second step S2, drive support of the drive unit is adjusted, in particular reduced, when a driving maneuver is detected, depending on the righting angle and the target angle and / or depending on a profile of a pedaling torque provided by the driver filtered with a low-pass filter. In order to support the driver in the driving maneuver, the drive unit can actively change the drive torque. For example, the drive support can be reduced the closer the driver drives the vehicle to the target angle. This gives the driver greater control over the vehicle. In addition, a driver often pedals with great force during a skill maneuver. This would lead to a high level of drive support on an eBike and could potentially irritate the rider.

The driver can also be supported in the driving maneuvers through the drive support. As long as the righting angle of the vehicle is less than the target angle, the drive support can provide a drive torque that increases the righting angle of the vehicle. In this way, the driver can perform the driving maneuver more easily. In particular, the vehicle can actively control pitching movements - i.e. changes in the upright angle - in order to enable constant driving at the target angle.

In addition, a low-pass filter with a high filter constant can be used to dampen and/or smooth the drive torque so that the driver can drive more smoothly.

The drive support is so low that the driver can end the driving maneuver at any time by applying the brake.

While driving on the rear wheel, the vehicle can indicate the duration of the driving maneuver, for example by means of an acoustic signal. Further data about the driving maneuver, for example the smoothness, the distance traveled or the necessary drive support, can also be displayed. In particular, tips for improving driving maneuvers can also be presented. For example, if the driver threatens to tip over sideways, the vehicle can detect this via the sensor unit and make a suggestion to turn the handlebars or shift the weight.

2 shows a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In 2 a vehicle 1 is shown, here in the form of an eBike, which is driven by a driver 2. The driver 2 rides on the rear wheel 3, so that the front wheel 4 hangs in the air. The vehicle has a drive unit 5, a detection device 6 and an adaptation device 7. Since the driver 2 rides on the rear wheel 3, the elevation angle 8 is greater than 0 degrees. In order to optimally carry out the driving maneuver, the driver tries to keep the vehicle at a target angle 9.

The detection device 6 is designed to detect the execution of a driving maneuver based on signals from a sensor unit 10 based on a change in a righting angle 8 of the vehicle in the direction of the target angle 9. The sensor unit 10 can, for example, include a gyroscope and / or an acceleration sensor (not shown). In particular, the sensor unit 10 can be part of the detection device 6.

The adapting device 7 is designed to adapt, in particular reduce, a drive support of the drive unit 5 when a driving maneuver is detected depending on the righting angle 8 and the target angle 9 and / or depending on a profile of a pedaling torque provided by the driver 2, filtered with a low-pass filter.

While driving on the rear wheel 3, the drive support is regulated by the drive unit 5 so that the vehicle 1 is as close as possible to the target angle 9. For this purpose, the drive support can be lower, the more similar the erection angle 8 is to the target angle 9. If the erection angle 8 becomes larger than the target angle 9, the drive support is deactivated.

In addition, the driver 2 can continuously actuate a brake 11 during the driving maneuver in order to counteract a negative righting moment of the drive unit 5. The brake 11 can also be activated or released automatically by the vehicle 1. For example, the vehicle 1 can release the brake 11 actuated by the driver 2 in order to generate additional drive torque, or actuate the brake in order to reduce the righting angle 8.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102012009203 A1 [0006]

Claims (11)

Method for supporting a driver (2) when performing a driving maneuver with a vehicle (1), in particular an eBike, wherein the vehicle (1) comprises a drive unit (5) and a sensor unit (10), wherein the sensor unit (10) has at least one Has a gyroscope and/or an acceleration sensor and wherein the method comprises the following steps: - Detecting the execution of a driving maneuver based on signals from the sensor unit (10) based on a change in an upright angle (8) of the vehicle (1) in the direction of a target angle (9), and - Adjusting, in particular reducing, a drive support of the drive unit (5) when a driving maneuver is detected depending on the righting angle (8) and the target angle (9) and/or depending on a profile of a pedaling torque provided by the driver (2) filtered with a low-pass filter . Procedure according to Claim 1 , wherein the recognition of the performance of the driving maneuver is based on an impulse on the handlebars, an increased pedaling force, an incline, a manual action of a user, a speed of a front wheel and / or a drive torque in the front wheel. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 2 , wherein the target angle (9) is a predetermined angle that is stored in the vehicle (1) and/or is estimated based on system performance, speed, rotation rate and/or acceleration. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , wherein adjusting the drive support includes deactivating the drive support when the erection angle (8) is greater than the target angle (9). Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 4 , wherein adjusting the drive support includes automatically releasing a brake 11. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 5 , wherein a maximum drive torque is smaller than a maximum braking torque of the vehicle (1). Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 6 , whereby after recognizing that the driving maneuver has been carried out, the front wheel is set in rotation using a hub motor. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 7 , wherein the driving maneuver is evaluated based on the duration of the driving maneuver, the distance covered by the driving maneuver, the course of the righting angle (8), and / or the course of a lateral tilt angle. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 8th , wherein information about the driving maneuver is displayed on a display device and / or in an acoustic manner. Procedure according to Claim 9 , wherein the display of information includes a warning about the vehicle (1) tipping sideways. Single-track vehicle (1), in particular an eBike, for supporting a driver (2) when performing a driving maneuver, comprising a sensor unit (10), the sensor unit (10) having at least one gyroscope and/or an acceleration sensor, a drive unit (5) and : - a detection device, designed to detect the execution of a driving maneuver based on signals from the sensor unit (10) based on a change in an upright angle (8) of the vehicle (1) in the direction of a target angle (9), and - an adapting device, designed for adapting, in particular reducing, a drive support of the drive unit (5) when a driving maneuver is detected depending on the erection angle (8) and the target angle and/or depending on a course of one of the driver (2) filtered with a low-pass filter. pedaling torque provided.

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