METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING A VEHICLE

Abstract

A method is described for operating a vehicle, including the following steps: determining a respective traction of the vehicle wheels; determining which of the respective tractions of the vehicle wheels per axle of the vehicle is the highest traction; determining which of the respective highest tractions per axle is the lowest traction; controlling a admission pressure-generating device as a function of the determined lowest traction of the respective highest tractions per axle such that the admission pressure-generating device regulates a brake pressure in a single-channel brake circuit for the vehicle wheels as a function of the determined lowest traction such that the vehicle is decelerated according to the regulated brake pressure. Also described are a corresponding device, a corresponding system, and a computer program product.

Claims

1.-8. (canceled)

9. A method for operating a vehicle, comprising: determining a respective traction of vehicle wheels of the vehicle; determining for each axle of the vehicle which of the respective tractions of the vehicle wheels has a highest traction; determining which of the respective highest tractions for each axle is a lowest traction; and controlling an admission pressure-generating device as a function of the determined lowest traction of the respective highest tractions for each axle, so that the admission pressure-generating device regulates a brake pressure in a single-channel brake circuit for the vehicle wheels as a function of the determined lowest traction, so that the vehicle is decelerated according to the regulated brake pressure.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising: determining instantaneous tractions of all the vehicle wheels and determining an instantaneous vehicle deceleration during a deceleration according to the regulated brake pressure; determining which of the instantaneous tractions is a lowest instantaneous traction if the instantaneous vehicle deceleration is greater than or equal to a predefined vehicle deceleration threshold value; and controlling the admission pressure-generating device as function of the lowest instantaneous traction so that the admission pressure-generating device regulates the brake pressure in the brake circuit as a function of the lowest instantaneous traction, so that the vehicle is further decelerated according to the regulated brake pressure.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising permitting a wheel lockup when up to one vehicle wheel per axle locks up during vehicle deceleration, so that the admission pressure-generating device is controlled independently of the wheel lockup, so that the brake pressure is regulated independently of the wheel lockup.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the determining of which of the respective highest tractions for each axle is the lowest traction is performed in that a control signal is selected from a plurality of control signals that are formed based on the respective highest tractions of each vehicle axle.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the determining of which of the respective highest tractions for each axle is the lowest traction includes: determining a respective vehicle wheel speed of the vehicle wheels; selecting a lowest vehicle wheel speed from the determined vehicle wheel speeds; and defining that the traction of the vehicle wheel having the lowest vehicle wheel speed is the lowest traction of the respective highest tractions for each axle.

14. A device for operating a vehicle, comprising: a processor; a memory; and a program stored in the memory and being configured to be executed on the processor, the program having instructions for: determining a respective traction of vehicle wheels of the vehicle; determining for each axle of the vehicle which of the respective tractions of the vehicle wheels has a highest traction; determining which of the respective highest tractions for each axle is a lowest traction; and controlling an admission pressure-generating device as a function of the determined lowest traction of the respective highest tractions for each axle, so that the admission pressure-generating device regulates a brake pressure in a single-channel brake circuit for the vehicle wheels as a function of the determined lowest traction, so that the vehicle is decelerated according to the regulated brake pressure.

15. A system for a vehicle, comprising: an admission pressure-generating device for regulating a brake pressure in a single-channel brake circuit for vehicle wheels of the vehicle; and a device for operating a vehicle, including: a processor; a memory; and a program stored in the memory and being configured to be executed on the processor, the program having instructions for: determining a respective traction of vehicle wheels of the vehicle; determining for each axle of the vehicle which of the respective tractions of the vehicle wheels has a highest traction; determining which of the respective highest tractions for each axle is a lowest traction; and controlling the admission pressure-generating device as a function of the determined lowest traction of the respective highest tractions for each axle, so that the admission pressure-generating device regulates the brake pressure in the single-channel brake circuit for the vehicle wheels as a function of the determined lowest traction, so that the vehicle is decelerated according to the regulated brake pressure.

16. A computer program product having instructions that are configured to be executed on a processor and that when executed on the processor causes the processor to perform a method for operating a vehicle, the method comprising: determining a respective traction of vehicle wheels of the vehicle; determining for each axle of the vehicle which of the respective tractions of the vehicle wheels has a highest traction; determining which of the respective highest tractions for each axle is a lowest traction; and controlling an admission pressure-generating device as a function of the determined lowest traction of the respective highest tractions for each axle, so that the admission pressure-generating device regulates a brake pressure in a single-channel brake circuit for the vehicle wheels as a function of the determined lowest traction, so that the vehicle is decelerated according to the regulated brake pressure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of a method for operating a vehicle.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a device for operating a vehicle.

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a system for a vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of a method for operating a vehicle.

[0051] A respective traction of the vehicle wheels is determined according to a step 101. A step 103 determines per axle of the vehicle which of the respective tractions of the vehicle wheels is the highest traction. In a step 105 it is determined which of the respective highest tractions for each axle is the lowest traction. In a step 107 an admission pressure-generating device is controlled as a function of the determined lowest traction of the respective highest tractions for each axle, so that according to a step 109 the admission pressure-generating device regulates a brake pressure in a single-channel brake circuit for the vehicle wheels as function of the determined lowest traction such that in a step 111 the vehicle is decelerated according to the regulated brake pressure.

[0052] The pressure that is regulated in the single-channel brake circuit using the admission pressure-generating device is thus preferably modulated such that a suitable compromise is attained with respect to brake performance, stability, and steerability of the vehicle on all driving surfaces, including their transitions. It is in particular provided that the admission pressure-generating device is a brake booster, especially an electromechanical brake booster, for instance an iBooster. The present invention is distinguished in particular in that only the admission pressure-generating device, as the only hardware, and wheel speed information of two vehicle wheels on one axle or of all four vehicle wheels, or optionally also a mean axle speed, are needed for the algorithm according to the present invention, that is, the method steps according to the present invention. It is therefore advantageously not necessary to control additional controllers individually by wheel or individually by brake circuit. Nevertheless, there is still support for a requirement for a possible safe braking operation, especially during autonomous/automated driving, by using the hardware redundancy for actively generating brake pressure, for instance on the one hand with the iBooster and preferably on the other hand with ESP hydraulics.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows a device 201 for operating a vehicle (not shown).

[0054] Device 201 includes processor 203. Device 201 furthermore includes a memory 205. A program 207 is stored in memory 205. Program 207 is configured to be executed on processor 203, program 207 having instructions for: [0055] Determining a particular traction of the vehicle wheels; [0056] Determining for each axle of the vehicle which of the respective tractions of the vehicle wheels is highest; [0057] Determining which of the respective highest tractions for each axle is the lowest traction; [0058] Controlling an admission pressure-generating device as a function of the determined lowest traction of the respective highest tractions for each axle, so that [0059] The admission pressure-generating device is able to regulate a brake pressure in a single-channel brake circuit for the vehicle wheels as a function of the determined lowest traction, so that [0060] The vehicle is able be decelerated according to the regulated brake pressure.

[0061] In further specific embodiments (not shown), program 207 includes instructions for performing the steps of the method for operating a vehicle in accordance with at least one of the specific embodiments described herein.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a system 301 for a vehicle (not shown).

[0063] System 301 includes device 201 according to FIG. 2 and a admission pressure-generating device 303. Admission pressure-generating device 303 is designed to regulate a brake pressure in a single-channel brake circuit for the vehicle wheels of the vehicle.

[0064] In a specific embodiment (not shown), system 301 includes wheel speed sensors, which are connected to device 201. This means that the wheel speed signals of the wheel speed sensors are able to be provided to device 201. In particular, the respective tractions are then determined based on the wheel speed signals.

[0065] In summary, therefore, the present invention includes in particular the idea of performing a single-channel admission pressure variation in the brake circuit for all vehicle wheels using a admission pressure-generating device, in particular using a brake booster. The present invention provides that the Select High principle is first applied per axle for controlling the admission pressure-generating device, the control between the two Select High results being determined via a Select Low arbitration.