Device for controlling a drive-energy system of a hybrid or electric vehicle, hybrid or electric vehicle, and method for controlling a drive-energy system of a hybrid or electric vehicle

Abstract

A device for controlling a drive energy system of a hybrid or electric vehicle, a hybrid or electric vehicle having the same and a method for controlling a drive energy system of a hybrid or electric vehicle and noise emission control of a drive energy system of the hybrid or electric vehicle are provided.

Claims

1. A device for controlling a drive-energy system of a hybrid or electric vehicle, comprising: a detection device configured to determine a position of at least one person relative to the hybrid or electric vehicle; and a control device configured to control at least one component of the hybrid or electric vehicle, the control device being configured to adjust a noise emission of the at least one component based on the determined position of the at least one person.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to adjust the noise emission of the at least one component during a rapid-charging process for charging a drive-energy storage device of the drive-energy system.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to reduce the noise emission of the at least one component when the detection device determines that the at least one person is staying in an interior space of the vehicle.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to reduce the noise emission of the at least one component when the detection device determines that the at least one person is staying outside the hybrid or electric vehicle and within a predetermined distance or ambient region from the hybrid or electric vehicle.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device is configured to determine that the at least one person is moving away from the hybrid or electric vehicle when the at least one person stays at least one of in the passenger compartment of the hybrid or electric vehicle and within a predetermined distance from the hybrid or electric vehicle for less than a first predetermined period, wherein the detection device is configured to determine that the at least one person is remaining with the hybrid or electric vehicle at least for a certain time when the at least one person stays at least one of in the passenger compartment of the hybrid or electric vehicle and within the predetermined distance from the hybrid or electric vehicle for longer than a second predetermined period, and wherein the detection device is configured to determine that the at least one person is remaining permanently with the hybrid or electric vehicle when the at least one person stays at least one of in the passenger compartment of the hybrid or electric vehicle and within the predetermined distance from the hybrid or electric vehicle for longer than a third predetermined period, which is longer than the second predetermined period.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the control device is configured to reduce the noise emission of the at least one component when the detection device determines that the at least one person is remaining with the hybrid or electric vehicle, and wherein the control device is configured not to limit the noise emission of the at least one component at least temporarily when the detection device determines that the at least one person is remaining permanently with the hybrid or electric vehicle.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device is configured to determine the position of the at least one person based on one or more of the following: a position of a car key; a position of a mobile terminal of the at least one person; a distance of the at least one person from the hybrid or electric vehicle; a position of the hybrid or electric vehicle; and a state of the central locking system of the hybrid or electric vehicle.

8. A hybrid or electric vehicle, including: the device according to claim 1; and the drive-energy system.

9. The hybrid or electric vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the at least one component of the hybrid or electric vehicle is selected from a group consisting of a refrigerant compressor and a fan.

10. A method for controlling a drive-energy system of a hybrid or electric vehicle, comprising: determining a position of at least one person relative to the hybrid or electric vehicle; and controlling at least one component of the hybrid or electric vehicle in such a manner that a noise emission of the at least one component is adjusted based on the position of the at least one person.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are represented in the figures and will be described in more detail in the following. Shown are:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically, a hybrid or electric vehicle with a device for controlling a drive-energy system according to embodiments of the present disclosure,

(3) FIG. 2 a hybrid or electric vehicle according to embodiments of the present disclosure, and

(4) FIG. 3 a flowchart of a method for controlling a drive-energy system of a hybrid or electric vehicle according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(5) Unless otherwise noted, identical reference symbols will be used in the following for identical and identically-acting elements.

(6) FIG. 1 shows schematically a hybrid or electric vehicle 1 with a device 100 for controlling a drive-energy system 10 of the vehicle, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

(7) The hybrid or electric vehicle 1 includes the device 100, for controlling the drive-energy system 10, and the drive-energy system 10. The at least one component 12 may have been selected from the group that comprises a refrigerant compressor and a fan of the drive-energy system 10. The drive-energy system 10 may further include the drive-energy storage device 14 such as, for instance, a high-voltage storage device. The drive-energy storage device 14 can be cooled by the at least one component 12, for instance during a charging process.

(8) The device 100 comprises a detection device 110, which has been set up to determine a position of at least one person relative to the hybrid or electric vehicle 1, and a control device 120, which has been set up to control the at least one component 12. The control device 120 has further been set up in order to adjust a noise emission of the at least one component 12 on the basis of the determined position of the at least one person. The device 100 can limit the noise emission or the loudness of the at least one component 12 in a manner depending on the position of the at least one person—such as the driver, for instance—as a result of which driver comfort can be enhanced.

(9) The device 100 preferentially includes at least one noise-level sensor for measuring a loudness or a noise-level. The at least one noise-level sensor may be a microphone. The at least one noise-level sensor can output the measured values to the control device 110, the control device 110 being able to adjust, and in particular to reduce, the noise emission of the at least one component 12 on the basis of the received measured values.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a hybrid or electric vehicle 1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

(11) The device of the present disclosure may have been set up in order to determine whether the at least one person is staying inside or outside the hybrid or electric vehicle 1. For instance, the control device can reduce the noise emission of the at least one component if the detection device determines that the at least one person is staying in an interior space of the vehicle. The control device can typically adjust the noise emission of the at least one component in such a manner that the noise-level in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, caused by the at least one component, does not exceed a limiting decibel value. The limiting decibel value may be, for instance, 90 dB, 80 dB, 70 dB, 60 dB or 50 dB.

(12) Additionally or alternatively, the control device can adjust, and in particular reduce, the noise emission of the at least one component if the detection device determines that the at least one person is staying outside the hybrid or electric vehicle and within a predetermined distance from the hybrid or electric vehicle 1. The predetermined distance has been represented in FIG. 2 as a radius R around the hybrid or electric vehicle 1. The radius R may define an ambient region 200 of the hybrid or electric vehicle 1.

(13) The control device can typically adjust the noise emission of the at least one component in such a manner that the noise-level in the ambient region 200, caused by the at least one component, does not exceed a limiting decibel value. The limiting decibel value may be, for instance, 90 dB, 80 dB, 70 dB, 60 dB or 50 dB.

(14) In some embodiments, the detection device may have been set up in order to determine that the at least one person is moving away from the hybrid or electric vehicle if the at least one person stays in the passenger compartment of the hybrid or electric vehicle and/or within the ambient region 200 of the hybrid or electric vehicle 1 for less than a first predetermined period. Additionally or alternatively, the detection device may have been set up in order to determine that the at least one person is remaining with the hybrid or electric vehicle or in the vicinity of the hybrid or electric vehicle if the at least one person stays in the passenger compartment of the hybrid or electric vehicle and/or within the ambient region of the hybrid or electric vehicle 1 for longer than a second predetermined period. The length of stay of the at least one person in the passenger compartment and/or in the ambient region 200 can be measured, for instance by means of a timer.

(15) The control device has typically been set up in order to reduce the noise emission of the at least one component if the detection device determines that the at least one person is remaining with the hybrid or electric vehicle or in the vicinity of the hybrid or electric vehicle (for example, in the ambient region 200). However, if the at least one person moves away from the hybrid or electric vehicle or out of the ambient region 200, no reduction of the noise emission can take place. For instance, in such a case the power of the refrigerant compressor and/or of the fan, and hence the noise emission, can even be increased, in order to conclude the charging process more quickly.

(16) The detection device has preferentially been set up in order to determine the position of the at least one person on the basis of one or more aspects—such as, for instance, on the basis of a position of a car key; and/or a position of a mobile terminal of the at least one person, in particular a smartphone; and/or a distance of the at least one person from the hybrid or electric vehicle 1; and/or a position of the hybrid or electric vehicle 1; and/or a vehicle state, in particular a state of a central locking system of the hybrid or electric vehicle 1.

(17) In some embodiments, the aforementioned aspects can be used individually or in combination in order to determine whether the at least one person is staying within the ambient region 200 or not. For instance, by searching for the key and/or for the mobile terminal it can be ascertained whether the driver is staying in the ambient region 200 and/or whether the driver is moving out of the ambient region 200.

(18) The mobile terminal may have been communicatively connected to the hybrid or electric vehicle 1 and in particular to the detection device. The mobile terminal can communicate with the hybrid or electric vehicle 1 directly in wireless or wire-bound manner, or indirectly in wireless manner via a server link (for example, the cloud). The term “mobile terminal” implies, in particular, smartphones, but also other mobile phones or cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet PCs and also all electronic devices that are equipped with a technology for loading and executing apps.

(19) FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method 300 for controlling a drive-energy system of a hybrid or electric vehicle according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 300 can be executed by the device for controlling a drive-energy system of a hybrid or electric vehicle according to the present disclosure.

(20) The method 300 comprises a determination, in block 310, of a position of at least one person relative to the hybrid or electric vehicle and a control, in block 320, of at least one component of the hybrid or electric vehicle in such a manner that a noise emission of the at least one component is adjusted, and in particular reduced, on the basis of the determined position of the at least one person. For instance, in the case where the driver stays in the passenger compartment and/or in the neighborhood outside the vehicle the loudness of the at least one component can be limited. Additionally or alternatively, in the case where the driver stays sufficiently far away from the vehicle the loudness of the at least one component cannot be limited.

(21) In accordance with the invention, the noise emission or the loudness of the at least one component is adjusted in a manner depending on the position of the at least one person. In particular, the loudness in the course of charging can be limited in a manner depending on the position of the driver outside the vehicle. By this means, the occurrence of an unpleasantly noisy vehicle during charging can be avoided. The driver profits from a short charging-time, for instance by virtue of a high activation of the fan, and at the same time experiences a quiet, unobtrusive vehicle when he/she is within earshot. As a result, driver comfort during the charging process can be enhanced.