METHOD AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A VEHICLE DEVICE

Abstract

A method for controlling a vehicle device (10) configured to cool of a vehicle unit (20) includes reading in temperature information which is functionally related to an operation of the vehicle unit (20) and determining a temperature gradient. The method also includes checking whether the information read in exceeds a threshold value for the information read in, checking whether the temperature gradient determined exceeds a threshold value, and emitting a signal for the control of the vehicle device (10) as a function of check results of the checking steps, in order to bring about the cooling of the vehicle unit (20) by the vehicle device (10). In addition, a control unit (100) for carrying out the method and a vehicle (200) with a control unit (100) of that type.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A method for controlling a vehicle device (10) configured to bring about the cooling of a vehicle unit (20), the method comprising: reading-in (S1) information about a temperature (T) which is in functional relationship (4) with an operation of the vehicle unit (20); determining (S2) a gradient (G) of the temperature (T); checking (P2) whether the gradient (G) exceeds a threshold value (W2); and emitting (S3) a signal for controlling the vehicle device (10) as a function of a check result (E2) of checking (P2) whether the gradient (G) exceeds the threshold value (W2), in order to bring about the cooling of the vehicle unit (20) by the vehicle device (10).

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising: checking (P1) whether the information about the temperature exceeds a threshold value (W1); wherein emitting the signal (S3) is carried out as a function of a check result (E1) of checking (P1) whether the temperature exceeds the threshold value (W1).

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein emitting (S3) the signal includes maintaining the temperature (T) below a critical temperature value (K) for the temperature (T) of the vehicle unit (20).

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein checking whether the gradient (G) exceeds the threshold value (W2) and/or checking whether the information about the temperature exceeds the threshold value (W1) is performed in stages; and emitting (S3) the signal is performed as a function of a currently exceeded staged threshold value.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle device (10) comprises a cooling device (12) for cooling the vehicle unit (20), and emitting (S3) the signal for controlling the cooling device (12) is emitted in order to bring about the cooling of the vehicle unit (20) by means of the cooling device (12).

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle device (10) comprises a vehicle drive mechanism (14), and emitting (S3) the signal for controlling the vehicle drive mechanism (14) is emitted in order to bring about the cooling of the vehicle unit (20) by means of the vehicle drive mechanism (14).

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle unit (20) comprises at least one vehicle component (21) of a vehicle drivetrain.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle unit (20) comprises at least one vehicle component (21) of a vehicle energy source.

20. The method according to claim 12, comprising: filtering the gradient (G), wherein checking (P2) whether the gradient (G) exceeds a threshold value is carried out on the basis of a filtered temperature gradient (G).

21. A control unit (100) for controlling a vehicle device (10) configured to bring about the cooling of a vehicle unit (20), the control unit comprising: an interface (101) for reading in information about a temperature (T) which is in functional relationship (4) with an operation of the vehicle component (21); and a computing system (110) which is designed to determine a temperature gradient (G) on the basis of the information read in, wherein the computing system (110) is configured to check whether the temperature gradient (G) exceeds a threshold value (W2) for the temperature gradient (G); an interface (102) for emitting a signal for the control of the vehicle device (10) as a function of a check result (E2) of checking whether the temperature gradient exceeds the threshold value, in order to bring about the cooling of the vehicle unit (20).

22. A vehicle (200) comprising a vehicle device (10) configured to bring about the cooling of a vehicle unit (20), wherein the vehicle (200) comprises the control unit (100) for controlling the vehicle device (10) in accordance with claim 21.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] FIG. 1: shows schematically a control unit for controlling a vehicle device and a vehicle according to a particular embodiment of the invention.

[0026] FIG. 2: shows diagrams illustrating the variation of a temperature and a temperature gradient, in order to explain the invention.

[0027] FIG. 3: shows a flow chart of a method for controlling a vehicle device, according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0028] FIG. 1 shows schematically a vehicle 200. The vehicle 200 comprises a control unit 100 and a vehicle device 10. The control unit 100 is designed to control the vehicle device 10. In an embodiment, the vehicle device 10 comprises a cooling device 12. Alternatively, or in addition to the cooling device 12, in another embodiment the vehicle 10 comprises a vehicle drive mechanism 14. The vehicle 200 also comprises a vehicle unit 20 which has at least one vehicle component 21. The vehicle device 10 can be controlled by the control unit 100 and is designed to bring about the cooling of a vehicle unit 20. In an embodiment, as a vehicle component 21 the vehicle unit 20 comprises a vehicle transmission in a drivetrain of the vehicle 200 (not shown in the figures). In another embodiment, as a vehicle component 21 the vehicle unit 20 comprises an energy source, for example a battery in the drivetrain of the vehicle 200.

[0029] The vehicle device 10, with the vehicle unit 20, is connected to a cooling system 2 in order to bring about cooling of the vehicle unit 20 directly. In an embodiment the cooling system 2 has a coolant flow for cooling the vehicle unit 20, which contains a coolant for cooling the vehicle unit 20. The cooling device 12 actuates the cooling system 2 for cooling the vehicle unit 20. Alternatively, or in addition to the cooling system 2, the vehicle device 10 is connected with the vehicle unit 20 by way of a functional relationship 4 in order to bring about cooling of the vehicle unit 20 indirectly. According to an embodiment the functional relationship 4 involves an energy flow for supplying the vehicle unit 20 with energy. The vehicle drive mechanism 14 provides the energy which is transferred to the vehicle unit 20 by way of the energy flow. The vehicle drive mechanism 14 reduces the energy supplied and the energy transferred by the energy flow to the vehicle unit 20, in order to reduce the thermal loading of the vehicle unit 20 and thereby to cool it.

[0030] By way of an interface 101 the control unit 100 accesses a temperature model 30, which provides a temperature of the vehicle unit 20 to be cooled. In an embodiment, the said temperature is an operating temperature of the vehicle component 21. In an embodiment the operating temperature is determined on the basis of a temperature of the coolant, the coolant temperature being determined by a temperature sensor (not shown in the figures). According to a further embodiment the temperature model 30 is stored in the control unit 100.

[0031] In FIG. 2, a first diagram shows the time variation of the temperature T. During the operation of the vehicle unit 20 the temperature T increases and exceeds a threshold value W1 for the temperature T. The threshold value W1 is stored in the control unit 100. The control unit 100 checks whether the temperature T is higher than the threshold value W1 and establishes, as a result of the check, that the temperature T has exceeded the threshold value W1. The threshold value W1 is a temperature value which is lower than a critical temperature K, at which the vehicle unit 20 reaches a condition critical for its operation. In the said operationally critical condition the vehicle unit 20 has to be cooled in order to avoid damage to the vehicle unit 20 caused by overheating. On the basis of the threshold value W1 the result E1 of the check is noted by the control unit 100 before the operationally critical condition is reached.

[0032] A second diagram in FIG. 2 shows the time variation V of a temperature gradient G, which is determined by the control unit 100 from the time variation V of the temperature T. During the operation of the vehicle unit 20 the temperature gradient G increases and exceeds a threshold value W2 for the temperature gradient G. If the control unit 100 has determined that the check result E1 exists, the control unit 100 checks whether the temperature gradient G exceeds the threshold value W2 and establishes as a further check result E2 that the temperature gradient G has exceeded the threshold value W2. On the basis of the threshold value W2 the further check result E2 is also determined by the control unit 100 before the operationally critical condition is reached. If both check results E1 and E2 confirm the stated condition, the control unit 100 actuates the vehicle device 10 in order to bring about the cooling of the vehicle unit 20.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of process steps in the form of a sequence diagram. By virtue of the process steps a method for controlling the vehicle device 10 for bringing about the cooling of the vehicle unit 20 is implemented. The process steps are carried out by the control unit 100, which controls the vehicle device 10 so as to cool the vehicle unit 20 in such manner that the temperature T does not exceed the critical temperature value K. According to an embodiment, the control unit 100 is designed to control the vehicle device 10 in such manner that the temperature T does not exceed the critical temperature value K.

[0034] In a step S1, by way of the interface 101 the control unit 100 reads out the model data from the temperature model 30 that pictures the temperature T and determines the temperature T. The control unit 100 comprises a computing system 110 which determines the temperature T. In an optional checking step P1 the computing system 110 checks whether the temperature T exceeds a threshold value W1 for the temperature T. If T exceeds W1, then the computing system 110 confirms the check result E1. In a further step S2 the computing system 110 determines the temperature gradient G from the time variation V of the temperature T. In a checking step P2 the computing system 110 checks whether the temperature gradient G exceeds the threshold value W2 for the temperature gradient G. If the temperature gradient G exceeds the said threshold value W2, the computing system 110 confirms the further check result E2.

[0035] In a further step S3, the control unit 100 emits a signal for controlling the vehicle device 10 in order to bring about the cooling of the vehicle component 21. The control unit 100 emits the signal if the further check result E2 is confirmed. In an embodiment, the control unit 100 emits the signal when both of the check results E1 and E2 are confirmed. If the vehicle device 10 comprises the cooling device 12 which activates the cooling system 2 in order to cool the vehicle unit 20, the signal to actuate the cooling device 12 is emitted, for example in order to increase a cooling volume of the coolant. If the vehicle device 10 comprises the vehicle drive mechanism 14 that supplies the energy which is transferred to the vehicle unit 20 by way of the energy flow, then the signal for actuating the vehicle drive mechanism 14 is emitted, for example in order to limit the energy flow.

INDEXES

[0036] 2 Cooling system [0037] 4 Functional relationship [0038] 10 Vehicle device [0039] 12 Cooling device [0040] 14 Vehicle drive mechanism [0041] 20 Vehicle unit [0042] 21 Vehicle component [0043] 30 Temperature model [0044] 100 Control unit [0045] 110 Computing system [0046] 200 Vehicle [0047] E1 Check result [0048] E2 Check result [0049] G Temperature gradient [0050] K Critical temperature value [0051] P1 Check of the read-in information [0052] P2 Check of the temperature gradient [0053] S1 Read-in of the information [0054] S2 Determination of the temperature gradient [0055] S3 Emission of the signal [0056] T Temperature [0057] V Time variation [0058] W1 Threshold value [0059] W2 Threshold value