Method and system for performing recuperation

Abstract

A method for performing recuperation for an ego vehicle, which has at least one electrical machine and is located with at least one further road user on a route in a traffic situation, wherein a drone which has at least one camera is used, wherein the ego vehicle is accompanied on the route by the flying drone, wherein the traffic situation in which the ego vehicle is located is acquired using the at least one camera, wherein the recuperation for the ego vehicle is performed in dependence on the acquired traffic situation, wherein mechanical energy of the ego vehicle is converted into electrical energy using the at least one electrical machine during performance of the recuperation for the ego vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for performing recuperation for an ego vehicle located on a road with a plurality of third party vehicles, the method comprising: providing a drone which has at least two cameras that is configured to fly above the road in proximity to the ego vehicle; acquiring, with a first camera of the drone, traffic on the road in the front of the ego vehicle; acquiring, with a second camera of the drone, traffic on the road behind the ego vehicle; performing recuperation for the ego vehicle based on both the traffic on the road in the front of the ego vehicle and the traffic on the road behind the ego vehicle, wherein the recuperation comprises driving along a selected route on the road with forced recuperation based upon current traffic from a viewpoint of the drone and predicted traffic determined based on the current traffic.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: analyzing the traffic on the road in the front of the ego vehicle based on a third party vehicle located on the road in the front of the ego vehicle; and analyzing the traffic on the road behind the ego vehicle based on a third party vehicle located on the road behind the ego vehicle.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: determining at least one kinematic parameter of the plurality of third party vehicles on the road that are in proximity to the ego vehicle.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: performing the recuperation along a section of the road in a future travel direction of the ego vehicle, wherein a future traffic situation and/or the recuperation in dependence thereon is predicted on the basis of a traffic situation acquired by the drone.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: performing the recuperation only when there is a safety distance in a travel direction behind the ego vehicle in relation to each third party vehicle behind the ego vehicle that is in proximity to the ego vehicle.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: providing a signal to each third party vehicle in proximity to the ego vehicle which informs a driver of each third party vehicle that the recuperation is being performed for the ego vehicle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: determining at least one kinematic parameter of the plurality of third party vehicles on the road that are in proximity to the ego vehicle.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: performing the recuperation along a section of the road in a future travel direction of the ego vehicle, wherein a future traffic situation and/or the recuperation in dependence thereon is predicted on the basis of a traffic situation acquired by the drone.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: performing the recuperation only when there is a safety distance in a travel direction behind the ego vehicle in relation to each third party vehicle behind the ego vehicle that is in proximity to the ego vehicle.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: providing a signal to each third party vehicle in proximity to the ego vehicle which informs a driver of each third party vehicle that the recuperation is being performed for the ego vehicle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: performing the recuperation along a section of the road in a future travel direction of the ego vehicle, wherein a future traffic situation and/or the recuperation in dependence thereon is predicted on the basis of a traffic situation acquired by the drone.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: performing the recuperation only when there is a safety distance in a travel direction behind the ego vehicle in relation to each third party vehicle behind the ego vehicle that is in proximity to the ego vehicle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: performing the recuperation only when there is a safety distance in a travel direction behind the ego vehicle in relation to each third party vehicle behind the ego vehicle that is in proximity to the ego vehicle.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: providing a signal to each third party vehicle in proximity to the ego vehicle, which informs a driver of each third party vehicle that the recuperation is being performed for the ego vehicle.

15. A system comprising: a drone which has at least two cameras; and at least one control unit, wherein the drone is configured to fly above a road in proximity to an ego vehicle, wherein a first camera of the drone is configured to acquire traffic on the road in the front of the ego vehicle, a second camera of the drone is configured to acquire traffic on the road behind the ego vehicle, and the at least one control unit is configured to instruct the ego vehicle to perform recuperation based on both the traffic on the road in the front of the ego vehicle and the traffic on the road behind the ego vehicle, wherein the recuperation comprises driving along a selected route on the road with forced recuperation based upon current traffic from a viewpoint of the drone and predicted traffic determined based on the current traffic.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The disclosure is illustrated schematically in the set of drawings on the basis of embodiments, and will be described schematically and in detail with reference to the drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the system according to the disclosure when performing an embodiment of the method according to the disclosure for performing recuperation of an ego vehicle.

(3) The figures are described coherently and comprehensively; the same components are assigned the same reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle designed or to be referred to as an ego vehicle 2, a motor vehicle or automobile here, which has a control unit 4, an antenna 6, and at least one camera 8 for acquiring traffic or a traffic situation in a travel direction of the ego vehicle 2 in front of the ego vehicle 2 and/or behind the ego vehicle 2. It is provided here that the ego vehicle 2 is controlled and/or steered by a driver 10. The ego vehicle 2 moves here during travel along or on a route 12, which is defined by a roadway and/or road, in its travel direction. Moreover, FIG. 1 shows a drone 14 and thus an unmanned aircraft (unpiloted air vehicle, UAV) 14, wherein this drone 14 has a camera system having multiple cameras 16, 18 and an antenna 20. It is provided here that the drone 14 and its cameras 16, 18 as well as the at least one camera 8 of the ego vehicle 2 and its control unit 4 are also designed as components of the embodiment of the system 22 according to the disclosure and are used or employed to perform the embodiment of the method according to the disclosure.

(5) Several third-party vehicles 24, 26 are also located on the road 12 traveled by the ego vehicle 2 as further vehicles, motor vehicles here, which form further road users of the traffic and/or a traffic situation, in which the ego vehicle 2 is located on and/or along the route 12. It is provided here that a first third-party vehicle 24 is located on and/or along the route 12 behind the ego vehicle 2 in relation to the travel direction of the ego vehicle 2 and thus follows it, wherein this first third-party vehicle 24 is located on a section of the route 12 which has already been traveled by the ego vehicle 2. A second third-party vehicle 26 drives ahead of the ego vehicle 2 on and/or along the route 12 and is accordingly located on a section of the route 12 which is still to be traveled or will be traveled in future by the ego vehicle 2.

(6) In the embodiment of the method, the driving ego vehicle 2 is accompanied by the flying drone 14. It is provided here that the drone 14 is located at a height above the route 12 or roadway, wherein the height is indicated here by a vertically oriented double arrow 28. In addition, the drone 14 is located here at a distance, indicated by a horizontal double arrow 30, with respect to the travel direction of the ego vehicle 2 behind this ego vehicle 2 and flies behind it. However, it is also possible that the drone 14 flies directly over or above the ego vehicle 2 and does not have a horizontally oriented distance or offset to the ego vehicle 2 in this respect. However, it is also conceivable that the drone 14 flies ahead of the ego vehicle 2 and is thus located in a vertically oriented distance in front of the ego vehicle 2 with respect to the travel direction thereof.

(7) In the embodiment of the method, the traffic or the traffic situation in which the ego vehicle 2 is located at a moment is acquired and/or recorded using the cameras 16, 18 of the drone 14. In this case, a first camera 16 of the drone 14 is oriented at the moment in the travel direction of the ego vehicle 2, wherein the second third-party vehicle 26, which drives ahead of the ego vehicle 2, is acquired using this first camera 16, wherein the traffic or the traffic situation in the travel direction in front of the ego vehicle 2 is also acquired using the first camera 16. Correspondingly, the first third-party vehicle 24 following the ego vehicle 2 is acquired or recorded using a second camera 18, which is oriented at the moment against the travel direction of the ego vehicle 2, and the traffic or the traffic situation in the travel direction of the ego vehicle 2 behind the ego vehicle 2 is thus also acquired.

(8) Images of the traffic or traffic situation recorded or acquired by the cameras 16, 18 of the drone 14 are provided here to the control unit 4 via radio 32 or via electromagnetic waves, wherein signals provided for this purpose, which comprise the images and corresponding data or information on the traffic, are transmitted from the antenna 20 of the drone 14 to the antenna 6 of the ego vehicle 2. The images, data, and information on the traffic or traffic situation acquired at the moment by the cameras 16, 18 of the drone 14 are processed by the control unit 4 of the ego vehicle 2, wherein a future development of the traffic or the traffic situation, in which the ego vehicle 2 is located, is forecast or predicted on the basis thereof by the control unit 4. In this case, a recuperation is effectuated and/or controlled by the control unit 4 using such a forecast or prognosis or prediction about the future traffic situation in front of the ego vehicle 2 and behind the ego vehicle 2 for the ego vehicle 2, in which it is provided that the electrical machine (not shown in greater detail) of the ego vehicle 2 is operated as a generator, wherein mechanical energy of the ego vehicle 2 is converted by the electrical machine into electrical energy and stored in an electrical energy storage unit (not shown in greater detail) of the ego vehicle 2, for example a battery. It is to be taken into consideration here that the ego vehicle 2 is braked and thus negatively accelerated during such a recuperation, whereby its velocity is reduced. The recuperation is performed, for example planned, effectuated, and/or initiated, in consideration of the traffic situation acquired at the moment and the future traffic situation derived or predicted therefrom.

(9) It is taken into consideration in the design of the method in this case that the ego vehicle 2 does not come into conflict during the recuperation with other road users, i.e. other third-party vehicles 24, 26. In this case, the recuperation is only performed at a future time starting from the moment at which the traffic situation is acquired by the cameras 16, 18 of the drone 14 if there is a sufficient safety distance behind the ego vehicle 2 to an third-party vehicle 24, 26 with respect to the travel direction of the ego vehicle 2.

(10) The ego vehicle 2, which is driven or propelled by the electrical machine, can also be designed or referred to as an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle. The ego vehicle 2 is accompanied here along the predefined route 12 by the flying drone 14 at a specific definable distance and a specific definable height, wherein the drone 14 has a better overview of the traffic situation presently prevailing at the moment or a corresponding traffic situation due to its relative spatial arrangement in relation to the ego vehicle 2. In the method, with the aid of the data, images, and information recorded and processed in real time on the current traffic situation, for example, a current traffic density is also acquired. In consideration of the traffic situation acquired in this way on the basis of the data recorded and processed in real time and also in consideration of navigation data which are acquired by a navigation device (not shown in greater detail) of the ego vehicle 2 with respect to the route 12, a better forecast for reasonably carrying out the recuperation is provided, for example in the form of a forced recuperation and thus a coasting phase of the ego vehicle actively shifted or shiftable for this purpose.

(11) It is additionally possible in this case that further data on the traffic situation are provided from the perspective of the ego vehicle 2 using the at least one camera 8 of the ego vehicle 2, which is designed or is to be referred to as a front camera and/or reversing camera, which are also taken into consideration in the predictive performance of the recuperation. It is possible in the scope of the method to acquire the traffic situation or road traffic in which the ego vehicle 2 is located. It is possible here, inter alia, for the drone 14 to recognize in advance using the cameras 16, 18 that recuperation can be performed and/or initiated prematurely without further road users, third-party vehicles 24, 26 here, in the surroundings of the ego vehicle being obstructed by the ego vehicle during performance of the recuperation. Therefore, for example taking into consideration the safety distance, a following third-party vehicle 24 being obstructed and/or decelerated during the recuperation of the ego vehicle 2, for example, is avoided. If an obstruction of third-party vehicles 24, 26 can be ruled out during the recuperation to be performed, the recuperation is effectuated and performed by the control unit 4 automatically or in an automated manner and/or with the consent of the driver 10.

(12) Furthermore, it is possible that the ego vehicle 2 and/or the drone 14 provides a signal, having information that the recuperation is being performed or is to be performed for the ego vehicle 2, to the at least one further road user, i.e., the third-party vehicles 24, 26, in particular the following third-party vehicle 24 via electromagnetic waves, for example while performing a vehicle-to-vehicle or car-to-car communication. A driver of the respective third-party vehicle 24, 26 can thus prepare for the ego vehicle 2 to reduce its velocity due to the recuperation to be performed.