SE540905C2

SE540905C2 - An arrangement and a method for avoiding driving away of a vehicle connected to an electrical cable

Info

Publication number: SE540905C2
Application number: SE1650357A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Gunnar Ledfelt; Robert Jadeborg
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab
Priority date: 2016-03-17
Filing date: 2016-03-17
Publication date: 2018-12-18
Also published as: SE1650357A1; DE102017001580A1

Abstract

An arrangement for avoiding that a still standing wheeled motor vehicle (1) is driven away while connected to a cable (2) from an external source (3) of electric energy has a device (6) configured to detect an establishment of a connection of electric equipment of the vehicle to said source and send information thereabout to a control unit (9). A member (11) is configured to sense at least one action of a driver of the vehicle necessary to carry out for driving away and send information thereabout to the control unit. The control unit comprises a memory function (10) and is configured to control a warning member (12) to provide a warning to the driver upon receipt of information of occurrence of a said action under the condition that information about the occurrence of an establishment of a said connection has been received from the device (6) since the vehicle has come to still standing.

Description

An arrangement and a method for avoiding driving away of a vehicle connected to an electrical cable TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an arrangement for avoiding that a still standing wheeled motor vehicle is driven away while connected to a cable from an external source of electric energy, said arrangement comprising: • a device configured to detect an establishment of a connection of electric equipment of said vehicle to an external source of electric energy by a cable, • a member configured to provide a warning to a driver of the vehicle that a said connection has been established, and • a control unit configured to control said warning member based upon information from said device, as well as a method according to the preamble of the appended independent method claim.

The invention is directed to such arrangements and methods for all types of wheeled motor vehicles, although it is particularly directed to heavy motor vehicles, such as trucks and buses, and especially motor vehicles driven to move only by a combustion engine. The invention will for that sake hereinafter mainly be discussed for heavy trucks and buses driven only by a combustion engine so as to illuminate the invention but accordingly not restrict the invention thereto.

Said external source of electric energy is then mostly provided by the regular electricity network, which in most countries provides an alternating voltage of 230 V, but this voltage level is another in some countries and may have any conceivable value. A said cable may be connected to an electric socket of the vehicle (a heavy vehicle has mostly two such electric sockets) for supplying electric energy to for instance engine heaters, cab heaters or battery chargers when the vehicle is standing still.

Would then such a cable from the external source of electric energy, for instance connecting the vehicle to a building installation, be forgotten and still be connected to the vehicle when the driver of the vehicle drives away, cable damages, vehicle damages, building installation damages or hazardous situations may occur. Thus, such a situation is to be avoided and this is the reason for providing a vehicle with an arrangement of the type defined in the introduction.

BACKGROUND ART An arrangement of the type defined in the introduction is known through for example FR 2 967 122 and is arranged in a hybrid vehicle and has a sensor configured to sense a connection of the electric system of the vehicle to a source of electric energy so as to immobilize the wheels of the vehicle when such a connection is sensed. Would however a said cable be connected to the vehicle but the feeding of electric energy to the vehicle has been stopped by for instance a timer function the immobilizer would not prevent the driver from driving away. Furthermore, this arrangement and also other known arrangements of this type have a rather complicated construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement and a method of the type defined in the introduction being improved in at least some aspect with respect to such arrangements and methods already known.

This object is with respect to the arrangement obtained by providing such an arrangement with the features listed in the characterizing part of appended patent claim 1.

By sensing at least one action of a driver of the vehicle necessary to carry out for driving away and providing the control unit with a memory function so as to provide a warning to the driver upon receipt of information of occurrence of a said action under the condition that information about the occurrence of an establishment of a connection of electric equipment of the vehicle to an external source of electric energy by a cable has been received since the vehicle has come to still standing, it is by simple means ensured that the driver will not drive away while having the vehicle still connected to a said cable. Thus, the driver will get the warning exactly when it is really important to be warned and not before, so that the driver may forget it, and the provision of the warning is not dependent upon any actual connection of electric equipment of the vehicle to said external source, but it will be sent out even if feeding of electric energy from a said source has been stopped, for instance through a timer function or triggering of a fuse. Accordingly, the driver may not acknowledge receipt of any warning signal and then have time to forget it before driving away.

According to an embodiment of the invention said device is connected to an electric conductor of the vehicle to be connected to said external source of electric energy when connecting the latter to the vehicle, and the device is connected to the control unit by a part galvanically separated from said electric conductor and has means configured to detect connection of electric energy to said electric conductor. Detecting a said establishment of a connection of electric equipment of the vehicle to an external source of electric energy by a cable will by this be reliably obtained by simple means without interfering with the feeding of electric energy to said equipment.

According to another embodiment of the invention said means of the device comprises a relay configured to close a switch of said part upon a connection of said electric conductor to an external source of electric energy. This constitutes one simple and reliable way of obtaining detection of an establishment of said connection.

According to another embodiment of the invention said means of the device comprises a primary winding of a transformer connected to said electric conductor of the vehicle and the secondary winding of the transformer belongs to said part and is configured to send information about an establishment of a connection of the electric conductor to an external source of electric energy to the control unit. This constitutes another simple and reliable way of obtaining detection of an establishment of said connection.

According to another embodiment of the invention said means of the device comprises an optical transmitter connected to said electric conductor and configured to send an optical signal to an optical receiver of said part upon establishment of a connection of an external source of electric energy to said electric conductor of the vehicle. This constitutes a further simple and reliable way of obtaining detection of an establishment of said connection.

According to another embodiment of the invention the arrangement further comprises an apparatus configured to immobilize the vehicle, and the control unit is configured to control said apparatus to immobilize the vehicle upon receipt of information about the occurrence of an establishment of a connection of an external source of electric energy from said device since the vehicle has come to still standing. Such an immobilizing apparatus ensures that the driver may not drive away would the driver against every expectation really try to drive away after having received a said warning and not acknowledged the receipt thereof.

According to another embodiment of the invention said sensing member is configured to sense a said action in the form of a release of a handbrake of the vehicle. This is one suitable way of sensing an action necessary to carry out for driving away.

According to another embodiment of the invention the arrangement is configured to be arranged in a vehicle having a manual gearbox, and the sensing member is configured to sense a said action in the form of actuating the clutch of the vehicle, which constitutes another suitable action to be sensed by a said sensing member.

According to another embodiment of the invention the arrangement is configured to be arranged in a vehicle having an automatic gearbox, and the sensing member is configured to sense a said action in the form of an intended change of gear of the vehicle.

The control unit of the arrangement is preferably an electronic control unit controlling electric functions of the vehicle, but a separate control unit used only for this arrangement may of course also be provided.

The object of the invention is with respect to the method obtained by providing a method according to the appended independent method claim. The advantages thereof appear clearly from the above discussion of the arrangement according to the invention and the different embodiments thereof.

The invention also relates to a computer program according to claim 12, a computer program product according to claim 13, an electronic control unit according to claim 14 and a wheeled motor vehicle according to claim 15.

Further advantageous features as well as advantages of the present invention appear from the description following below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a specific description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

In the drawings: Fig 1 is a schematic view illustrating an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig 2 is a schematic view illustrating a design of the detecting device of the arrangement shown in Fig 1, Fig 3 and 4 are schematic views of detecting devices of arrangements according to two further embodiments of the invention, Fig 5 is a flow chart illustrating the steps carried out in a method according to an embodiment of the invention, and Fig 6 is a schematic view illustrating an electronic control unit for implementing a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Fig 1 illustrates very schematically an arrangement for avoiding that at still standing wheeled motor vehicle 1 is driven away while connected to a cable 2 from an external source of electric energy in the form of a 230 V supply network 3. It is shown how the vehicle is provided with a socket 4 for plugging in said cable and connecting it to an electric conductor 5 of the vehicle for feeding electric energy therethrough to electric equipment 26 of the vehicle.

The arrangement has a device configured to detect an establishment of a connection of the electric equipment 26 of the vehicle to an external source of electric energy by a cable 2 and the device has means in the form of a relay 7 configured to detect connection of electric energy to the electric conductor 5 by closing a switch 8 upon establishment of a said connection. Said switch 8 constitutes a part of the device 6 being galvanically separated from the electric conductor, and this part is connected to a control unit 9 and will upon closing of said switch 8 send information about establishment of a said connection to this control unit. The control unit 9 has a memory 10 configured to store this information for later use.

The arrangement has a member 11 configured to sense at least one action of a driver of the vehicle necessary to carry out for driving away and send information thereabout to the control unit 9. The member 11 may for instance sense a release of a handbrake of the vehicle. However, start of an engine of the vehicle is not such an action, since the engine may run all the time when the vehicle is standing still.

The control unit 9, which here is an electronic control unit controlling electric functions of the vehicle, is configured to control a member 12 to provide a warning to a driver of the vehicle upon receipt of information of occurrence of a said action from the sensing member 11 under the condition that information about the occurrence of an establishment of a said connection has been received from the device 6 since the vehicle has come to still standing. It is shown that the arrangement also comprises an apparatus 13 configured to immobilize the vehicle, and the control unit 9 is configured to control this apparatus to immobilize the vehicle upon receipt of information about the occurrence of an establishment of a connection of an external source from said device since the vehicle has come to still standing. This means that if the driver tries to drive away after having connected the vehicle to a said external source of electric energy since the vehicle has come to still standing a warning signal will be emitted and the driver may then acknowledge the receipt of this warning signal for erasing the memory 10 and switching off the warning signal and the immobilizing apparatus before driving away. Thus, the driver will then consider the situation, i.e. if a said cable has to be disconnected from the vehicle before driving away, and will then decide how to proceed. It is stressed that the arrangement has not to be provided with a said immobilizing apparatus, although this is advantageous since it necessitates that the driver acknowledge receipt of the warning signal before being able to drive away.

Fig 2 illustrates schematically how the device 6 of an arrangement according to the invention may be built in into a T-piece 14, which is a connector with the shape of a T may be comfortably interconnected between two portions 15, 16 of a said electric conductor 5. Such a T-piece may easily be added to an electric system, such as a 230 V system, already present in the vehicle without any modifications of the existing cabling 5 and without influencing the socket 4. Also the cable 2 may then be any conceivable normal such cable, since the socket 4 has not to be modified.

Fig 3 illustrates schematically an alternative to realise the device 6 of the arrangement, and said means of the device comprises here a primary winding 20 of a transformer 21 to be connected to a said electric conductor 5 of the vehicle and a secondary winding 22 to be connected to a said control unit 9 through a rectifier 23 for sending information about an establishment of a connection of the electric conductor to an external source of electric energy to this control unit.

Fig 4 illustrates how said device may comprise means in the form of an optical transmitter 30, such as a light emitting diode, and configured to send an optical signal to an optical receiver 31 upon establishment of a connection of an external source of electric energy to the electric conductor 5 of the vehicle.

Fig 5 illustrates a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention carried out for avoiding that a still standing wheeled motor vehicle is driven away while connected to a cable from an external source of electric energy. The method includes a step S1 of detecting an establishment of a connection of electric equipment of the vehicle to an external source of electric energy by a cable when this occurs. In a step S2 it is sensed whether an action necessary to carry out for driving away occurs, and if such an action is sensed it is continued with a step S3 of asking whether the step S1 has been carried out successfully since the vehicle has come to still standing. If the answer to this question is “No” the driver may simply drive away, but if the answer to this question is “Yes” a warning signal will be emitted in a step S4 and the driver will then have to acknowledge this warning signal in a step S5 for switching it off and may then drive away with this warning signal, such as an audio and/or visual signal, switched off. The driver will of course before carrying out step S5 check whether a cable is still connected to the vehicle or not.

Computer program code for implementing a method according to the invention is with advantage included in a computer program which can be read into the internal memory of a computer, e.g. the internal memory of an electronic control unit of a motor vehicle. Such a computer program is with advantage provided via a computer program product comprising a data storage medium which can be read by a computer and which has the computer program stored on it. Said data storage medium is for example an optical data storage medium in the form of a CD ROM disc, a DVD disc etc., a magnetic data storage medium in the form of a hard disc, a diskette, a cassette tape etc., or a flash memory or a memory of the ROM, PROM, EPROM or EEPROM type. Fig. 6 illustrates very schematically an electronic control unit 9 comprising an execution means 40, e.g. a central processor unit (CPU), for execution of computer software. The execution means 40 communicates with a memory 41, e.g. of the RAM type, via a data bus 42. The control unit 9 comprises also a non-transitory data storage medium 43, e.g. in the form of a flash memory or a memory of the ROM, PROM, EPROM or EEPROM type. The execution means 40 communicates with the data storage medium 43 via the data bus 42. A computer program comprising computer program code for implementing a method according to the invention, e.g. in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5, is stored on the data storage medium 43.

The invention is of course in no way restricted to the embodiments described above, since many possibilities for modifications thereof are likely to be obvious to one skilled in the art without having to deviate from the scope of invention defined in the appended claims.

Said cable from an external source of electric energy may be a cable constantly connected to an electric conductor of the vehicle and used to connect the electric conductor to said source by plugging in in an external socket.

“An intended change of gear” for a vehicle with an automatic gearbox does here not only include the case of moving the gear changer to “Drive” or “Reverse” but also starting the vehicle standing still with the gear changer already in the position “Drive” or “Reverse”.

Claims

1. An arrangement for avoiding that a still standing wheeled motor vehicle is driven away while connected to a cable (2) from an external source (3) of electric energy, said arrangement comprising: • a device (6) configured to detect an establishment of a connection of electric equipment of said vehicle to an external source of electric energy by a cable, • a member (12) configured to provide a warning to a driver of the vehicle that a said connection has been established, • a control unit (9) configured to control said warning member based upon information from said device, and • a member (11) configured to sense at least one action of a said driver of the vehicle necessary to carry out for driving away and send information thereabout to said control unit (9), characterized in that that the control unit comprises a memory function (10) and is configured to control said warning member to provide a warning to the driver upon receipt of information of occurrence of a said action from the sensing member (11) under the condition that information about the occurrence of an establishment of a said connection has been received from said device (6) since the vehicle has come to still standing, and that said device (6) is built in into a T-piece (14) in the form of a connector with the shape of a T and which connector is connectable between two portions (15, 16) of an electric conductor (5) of the vehicle for feeding electric energy therethrough to said electric equipment (26) of the vehicle.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said device (6) is connected to an electric conductor (5) of the vehicle to be connected to said external source (3) of electric energy when connecting the latter to the vehicle, and that the device is connected to the control unit by a part (8, 22, 31) galvanically separated from said electric conductor (5) and has means (7, 20, 30) configured to detect connection of electric energy to said electric conductor.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that said means of the device comprises a relay (7) configured to close a switch (8) of said part upon a connection of said electric conductor (5) to an external source (3) of electric energy.

4. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that said means of the device comprises a primary winding (20) of a transformer (21) connected to said electric conductor (5) of the vehicle and the secondary winding (22) of the transformer belongs to said part and is configured to send information about an establishment of a connection of the electric conductor to an external source (3) of electric energy to the control unit (9).

5. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that said means of the device comprises an optical transmitter (30) connected to said electric conductor and configured to send an optical signal to an optical receiver (31) of said part upon establishment of a connection of an external source (3) of electric energy to said electric conductor (5) of the vehicle.

6. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises an apparatus (13) configured to immobilize the vehicle, and that the control unit (9) is configured to control said apparatus to immobilize the vehicle upon receipt of information about the occurrence of an establishment of a connection of an external source (3) of electric energy from said device (6) since the vehicle has come to still standing.

7. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said sensing member (11 ) is configured to sense a said action in the form of a release of a handbrake of the vehicle.

8. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is configured to be arranged in a vehicle having a manual gearbox, and that the sensing member (1 1) is configured to sense a said action in the form of actuating the clutch of the vehicle.

9. An arrangement according to any of claims 1-7, characterized in that it is configured to be arranged in a vehicle having an automatic gearbox, and that the sensing member (11) is configured to sense a said action in the form of an intended change of gear of the vehicle.

10. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said control unit (9) is an electronic control unit controlling electric functions of the vehicle.

11. A method for avoiding that a still standing wheeled motor vehicle is driven away while connected to a cable from an external source of electric energy comprising the steps of • detecting an establishment of a connection of electric equipment of said vehicle to an external source (3) of electric energy by a cable (2), • providing a warning to a driver of the vehicle that a said connection has been established, and • sensing at least one action of a said driver of the vehicle necessary to carry out for driving away, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of • memorising each detection of an establishment of a connection of electric equipment of said vehicle to an external source (3) of electric energy by a said cable (2), and • providing a said warning to a driver of the vehicle when a said action is sensed under the condition that occurrence of an establishment of a said connection has been detected since the vehicle has come to still standing.

12. A computer program comprising a computer program code for causing a computer to implement a method according to claim 11 when the computer program is executed in the computer.

13. A computer program product comprising a data storage medium which can be read by a computer and on which the program code of a computer program according to claim 12 is stored.

14. An electronic control unit comprising an execution means (40), a memory (10) connected to the execution means and a data storage medium (43) which is connected to the execution means (40) and on which the computer program code of a computer program according to claim 12 is stored.

15. A wheeled motor vehicle, in particular a heavy wheeled motor vehicle (1) , such as a truck or a lorry or a bus, especially a motor vehicle driven solely by a combustion engine, characterized in that it is provided with an arrangement according to any of claims 1-10 or an electronic control unit (9) according to claim 14.