Motor Vehicle Having an Electronically Controllable Parking Lock and Having an Electronically Controllable Parking Brake

Abstract

A motor vehicle has an electronically controllable parking lock and an electronically controllable parking brake, which can be controlled individually or in combination. A device having an electronic control unit and a central operating element associated with the parking lock and the parking brake is provided. When the motor vehicle is at a standstill and the central operating element is actuated, the parking lock and the parking brake can be controlled in a specific type of parking-lock and/or parking-brake activation. In a first specific type, during a first actuation of the central operating element, at least the parking brake is automatically activated first. If the central operating element is then re-actuated within a predefined time window, or if the central operating element remains actuated for a predefined minimum time period, the driver is offered at least one possibility of manually selecting a specific type of parking-lock and/or parking-brake activation.

Claims

1.-7. (canceled)

8. A motor vehicle comprising: an electronically controllable parking lock and an electronically controllable parking brake, wherein the parking lock and the parking brake are controlled individually or in combination; and a device comprising at least one electronic control unit and a central control element associated with both the parking lock and the parking brake, wherein the device is configured such that when the central control element is operated with the motor vehicle at a standstill, the parking lock and the parking brake are able to be activated individually or in combination as a particular type of at least one of a parking lock activation or a parking brake activation, wherein, for a first operation of the central control element, initially at least the parking brake is activated, and wherein, for a second operation of the central control element within a predetermined comparatively short time window, or for the first operation of the central control element for a predetermined minimum duration, the driver is offered at least one option for manually selecting a specified type of at least one of a parking lock activation or a parking brake activation.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein an offer of manual selection of at least one of a certain parking lock activation type or a certain parking brake activation type is prevented if at least one defined condition is detected which indicates an increased risk of rolling away or collision.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein deactivation of the parking brake with previous activation of the parking lock is selectable as a manual selection option.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein setting at least one of a parking lock activation type or a parking brake activation type at a defined location is selectable as a manual selection option.

12. A motor vehicle comprising: an electronically controllable parking lock and an electronically controllable parking brake, wherein the parking lock and the parking brake are controllable individually or in combination, a device comprising at least one control unit and a central control element associated with both the parking lock and the parking brake, wherein the device is configured such that when the central control element is operated with the motor vehicle at a standstill, the parking lock and the parking brake are able to be activated individually or in combination, wherein, for a first operation of the central control element upon detection of a defined location, at least one of a parking lock activation type or a parking brake activation type specified for the defined location is activated, and wherein at least the parking brake is activated.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the parking brake is activated first.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the parking lock is activated first.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sketch of connected components of the electronically controlled automatic transmission and the parking brake.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a possible embodiment of the central control element in combination with the operation of an automatic transmission and a display of the activation status in the case of “park vehicle safely”.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] According to FIG. 1, an automatic transmission 14 is provided in a vehicle, which is not shown in detail here, which is controlled by an electronic control unit 10 according to predetermined signals transmitted via a data bus 20 and according to a predetermined transmission algorithm. The automatic transmission 14 comprises an electronically controllable parking lock 19, which can be controlled by way of the control unit 10 depending on its input signals.

[0045] Furthermore, an electromechanical parking brake (“EPB”) 16 is provided, which is controlled by a brake control unit 12.

[0046] As represented with the data bus line 30, the transmission control unit 10 and the brake control unit 12 are connected to each other.

[0047] The at least one control unit of the device according to embodiments of the invention, which is designed such that on operating a central control element 18, both the parking lock 19 and the parking brake 16 can be activated, can be integrated either in the transmission control unit 10 or in the brake control unit 12, or as here, in both control units as interacting (partial) control units 22a and 22b. The only signal information of the central control element 18 assigned to both the parking lock 19 and the parking brake 16 is passed here, for example, to the brake control unit 12 and optionally to the transmission control unit 10. If the signal information of the central control element 18 is “switch on”, the parking lock 19 and/or the parking brake 16 is/are activated according to the following rules according to embodiments of the invention by way of the transmission control unit 10, the connecting line 30 and the brake unit 12 in the presence of defined conditions:

[0048] As a first specific parking lock and/or parking brake activation type, for a first operation of the central control element 18 at least the parking brake 16 is initially activated. After that, the driver is offered: [0049] for a second operation of the central control element 18 within a predetermined comparatively short time window, or [0050] for a first operation of the central control element 18 for a predetermined minimum duration, [0051] for example via a display control unit 23, at least one option M1 and/or M2 for manually selecting a certain (possibly different) parking lock and/or parking brake activation type to activate the “P” function for “park vehicle safely”.

[0052] The activation status of the “P” function for “Park vehicle safely” can be displayed in a display of the display control element 23 or in a display 24 next to the central control element 18, see here the button in the center console according to FIG. 2.

[0053] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the offer of manual selection of a particular parking lock and/or parking brake activation type can be prevented if at least one defined condition is detected, which indicates an increased risk of rolling away or collision. One such condition may be, for example, a low outside temperature T and/or a road gradient N and/or a trailer operation A and/or a short distance D to an obstacle. A low outside temperature can be detected if a detected outside temperature T is lower than a predetermined threshold indicating reduced road friction. However, a low outside temperature can also be detected in the broadest sense if the presence of a certain place O (also in the form of a cold country) is detected. A short distance D can be detected by the usual PDC sensors. However, a short distance can also be assumed to be location-based if the vehicle is in a duplex garage, on a ferry or in another loading situation, for example. For the detection of road gradient N, inclination sensors in vehicles are already known. Trailer operation A can be detected for example by evaluating the trailer plug signals or the position of the trailer coupling.

[0054] In particular, a manual selection option M1 may be the deactivation of the parking brake 16 with previous activation of the parking lock 19.

[0055] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a manual selection option M2 may be the setting of a parking lock and/or parking brake activation type at a defined location O, wherein even for a first operation of the central control element 18 in recognition of a defined location O, a parking lock and/or parking brake activation type specified for this location can be activated, in which at least the parking brake 16 is activated, not necessarily first. For example, when recognizing the home address or another recurring location O only the activation of the parking lock 19 could always be a location-dependent parking lock and/or parking brake activation type, in particular if the control unit 22 (22a and/or 22b) has learned that only the parking lock 19 has always previously been manually selected when in this particular location O.

[0056] The location-dependent parking lock and/or parking brake activation type can thus either be activated automatically for the first operation of the central control element 18 or can be offered as a manual selection M2 after a first operation of the central control element 18, i.e. [0057] for a second operation of the central control element 18 within a predetermined comparatively short time window, or [0058] for a first operation of the central control element 18 for a predetermined minimum duration.

[0059] With embodiments of the aforementioned invention, a high level of vehicle safety and individual parking functionality are ensured in a simple and cost-effective manner.