METHOD OF OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE, SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for operating a motor vehicle. A deviation of a current driving position of a driver of the motor vehicle from an expected reference driving position of the driver is determined, and the motor vehicle is controlled depending on the determined deviation.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for operating a motor vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: determining a deviation of a current driving position of a driver of the motor vehicle from an expected reference driving position of the driver; and controlling the motor vehicle as a function of the determined deviation.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein a drive device of the motor vehicle, and/or a brake device of the motor vehicle, and/or a display device of the motor vehicle, and/or a communication module of the motor vehicle, is controlled as a function of the determined deviation.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the current driving position is determined by determining a current position of a user device assigned to the driver.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein, based on determining that the current driving position in a forward travel direction of the motor vehicle is behind the reference driving position, a drive device of the motor vehicle is controlled in such a way that a drive torque provided by the drive device is reduced or limited.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein, based on determining that the current driving position in a forward travel direction of the motor vehicle is ahead of the reference driving position, a braking device of the motor vehicle is controlled in such a way that a braking torque provided by the braking device is reduced or limited.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein a cornering technique currently used by the driver is determined as a function of the deviation and a lean angle of the motor vehicle, and the motor vehicle is controlled as a function of the determined cornering technique.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein at least one assistance system of the motor vehicle is selectively enabled or disabled as a function of the determined cornering technique.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein a display device of the motor vehicle and/or a communication module of the motor vehicle, is controlled in such a way that the display device and/or the communication module provide the driver with information relating to the determined cornering technique.

24. A system with a motor vehicle, comprising: at least one vehicle communication arrangement arranged on the motor vehicle; at least one user device that can be operated separately from the motor vehicle and is assigned to a driver of the motor vehicle; an evaluation device; wherein the vehicle communication arrangement configured to receive signals transmitted by the user device, and the evaluation device is configured to, depending on the received signals, determine a deviation of a current driving position of the driver from an expected reference driving position of the driver.

25. The system according to claim 24, further comprising: a control device configured to control the motor vehicle, the control device being configured to control the motor vehicle as a function of the determined deviation.

26. The system according to claim 24, further comprising: at least one further vehicle communication arrangement, wherein the vehicle communication arrangement and the further vehicle communication arrangement are arranged spaced apart from each other on the motor vehicle.

27. The system according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the at least one communication arrangement is configured as a Bluetooth low energy module (BLE module), and/or at least one of the at least one vehicle communication arrangement is configured as an ultra-wideband module (UWB module).

28. The system according to claim 24, wherein the user device is a smartphone or as a smartwatch.

29. The system according to claim 24, wherein the user device is integrated into a garment for the driver.

30. The system according to claim 29, further comprising: at least one further user device, wherein the user device and the further user device are integrated into respective different sleeves of the garment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a system for operating a motor vehicle, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a method of operating the motor vehicle, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a system 1. The system 1 features a motor vehicle 2. In the present case, the motor vehicle 2 is a motorcycle 2. According to another exemplary embodiment, the motor vehicle 2 is, for example, a quad bike, a snowmobile, or a jet ski.

[0024] The system 1 features a first vehicle communication means (i.e., arrangement) 3 arranged on the motor vehicle 2. The system 1 further features a second vehicle communication means 4 arranged at a distance from the first vehicle communication means 3 on the motor vehicle 2. In the present case, the first vehicle communication means 3 is arranged in the region of a front end 5 of the motor vehicle 2. The second vehicle communication means (i.e., arrangement) 4 is arranged in the region of a rear end 6 of the motor vehicle 2.

[0025] The vehicle communication means 3 and 4 are configured, for example, as a BLE module or a UWB module. According to a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, one of the vehicle communication means 3 and 4 is configured as a BLE module and the other of the vehicle communication means 3 or 4 is designed as a UWB module.

[0026] The system 1 also features an evaluation device 13. The evaluation device 13 is connected to the vehicle communication means 3 and 4 by means of communication technology.

[0027] The system 1 also features a control device 7. The control device 7 is configured to control one or more elements of the motor vehicle 2. For example, the control device 7 is configured to control a drive device, a brake device, a display device, and/or a communication module of the motor vehicle 2. The communication module is, for example, one of the vehicle communication means 3 and 4.

[0028] The system 1 further features at least one user device 8, which can be handled separately from the motor vehicle 2 and is associated with a driver 9 of the motor vehicle 2. In the present case, a single user device 8 is present, which is integrated into a driving suit 10 of the driver 9 in the area of the driver's back 9. According to another exemplary embodiment, the user device 8 is configured as a smartphone or a smartwatch, for example.

[0029] The user device 8 is configured to emit signals. The vehicle communication means 3 and 4 are configured to receive signals transmitted by the user device 8.

[0030] The evaluation device 13 is configured to determine a deviation of a current driving position of the driver 9 from an expected reference driving position PR e f as a function of the signals received by the vehicle communication means 3 and 4. Because the user device 8 is integrated into the driving suit 10 of the driver 9 in the area of the back of the driver 9, the position of the user device 8 relative to the back of the driver 9 is at least substantially constant during a journey of the driver 9 with the motor vehicle 2. Accordingly, the current position of the user device 8 corresponds at least substantially to the current driving position of the driver's back 9 due to its placement. According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the current position of the user device 8 corresponds to the reference driving position PR e f. Thus, the position of the driver 9 on the motor vehicle 2 corresponds to the expected position.

[0031] The control device 7 is configured to control the motor vehicle 2 as a function of the determined deviation. This is explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2. This figure shows a method of operating the motor vehicle 2 using a flowchart.

[0032] In a first step S1, the user device 8 transmits signals receivable by the vehicle communication means 3 and 4. If the vehicle communication means 3 and 4 are configured as BLE modules, the user device 8 transmits Bluetooth signals. If the vehicle communication means 3 and 4 are configured as UWB modules, the user equipment 8 transmits ultra-wideband signals. If one of the vehicle communication means is configured as a BLE module and the other is a UWB module, the user device 8 transmits both Bluetooth signals and ultra-wideband signals.

[0033] In a second step S2, the transmitted signals are received by the vehicle communication means 3 and 4 and provided to the evaluation device 13. For this purpose, the vehicle communication means 3 and 4 are connected to the evaluation device 13 by wireless or wired communication.

[0034] In a third step S3, the evaluation device 13 determines the current position of the user device 8 and thus the current driving position of the back of the driver 9. For example, the evaluation device 13 determines the current driving position as a function of the travel times of the received signals. According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, there are two vehicle communication means 3 and 4. In this respect, determining the current position of the user device 8 is not unambiguous. The propagation time of the signal before reception by the first vehicle communication means 3 corresponds to a distance r1 between the user device 8 and the first vehicle communication means 3. In this respect, the current position of the user device 8 is on an outer surface of a sphere K1, wherein the center of the sphere K1 is the first vehicle communication means 3, and wherein the radius of the sphere K1 is the distance r1. The propagation time of the signal before reception by the second vehicle communication means 4 corresponds to a distance r2 between the user device 8 and the second vehicle communication means 4. In this respect, the current position of the user device 8 is on an outer surface of a sphere K2, wherein the center of the sphere K2 is the second vehicle communication means 4, and wherein the radius of the sphere K2 is the distance r2. Accordingly, an intersection circle describing various possible positions is obtained as the current driving position. This intersection circle is oriented at least substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle 2 and perpendicular to the forward travel direction 12, respectively, due to the arrangement of the vehicle communication means 3 and 4.

[0035] In a fourth step S4, the evaluation device 13 determines a deviation of the current driving position determined in step S3 from the expected reference driving position P.sub.Ref. The reference driving position P.sub.Ref is the driving position that the driver 9 or the relevant body part of the driver 9 usually assumes when driving the motor vehicle 2. In the present case, the evaluation device 13 determines as a deviation a distance of the current driving position from the reference driving position PR e f in the direction of the longitudinal axis. Because the aforementioned intersection circle is oriented at least substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the determined deviation is unambiguous.

[0036] If the deviation falls below a predefined threshold value, reference is made to a fifth step S5. In the fifth step S5, the motor vehicle 2 is then operated in a standard mode. This is the case, for example, with the current driving position according to FIG. 1. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the current driving position corresponds to the reference driving position P.sub.Ref.

[0037] However, if the deviation exceeds the threshold value, reference is made to a sixth step S6. In the sixth step S6, the motor vehicle 2 is then controlled or operated as a function of the determined deviation.

[0038] If the evaluation device 13 determines, for example, on the basis of the determined deviation that the current driving position in the forward travel direction 12 of the motor vehicle 2 is behind the reference driving position P Ref by more than the threshold value, the control device 7 controls the drive device of the motor vehicle 2 in step S6 in such a way that a drive torque provided by the drive device is reduced or limited.

[0039] Increasing the drive torque or maintaining an already high drive torque could otherwise cause the driver 9 to lose his balance.

[0040] However, if the evaluation device 13 determines on the basis of the deviation that the current driving position in the forward driving direction of the motor vehicle 2 is ahead of the reference driving position PR e f by more than the threshold value, the control device 7 controls the braking device of the motor vehicle 2 in step S6 in such a way that a braking torque provided by the braking device is reduced or limited. Otherwise, the driver 9 could lose his balance by increasing the braking torque or maintaining an already high braking torque.

[0041] According to another exemplary embodiment of the system 1, the vehicle communication means 3 and 4 are arranged at respective different ends of a steering handle of the motor vehicle 2.

[0042] With such an arrangement, a distance in the transverse axis direction of the motor vehicle 2 can be uniquely determined as a deviation. In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, a cornering technique currently used by the driver 9 can be determined as a function of an oblique angular position of the motor vehicle 2 on the one hand and the deviation, i.e., the distance in the transverse axis direction, on the other hand.

[0043] If the evaluation device 13 determines on the basis of the deviation and the oblique angle position that the driver 9 is currently using the hanging off cornering technique, assistance systems of the motor vehicle 2 are disabled by the control device 7 in step S6.

[0044] According to another exemplary embodiment, the system 1 features two user devices, wherein a first of the user devices is integrated into a first sleeve of the driving suit 10, and wherein a second of the user devices is integrated into a second sleeve of the driving suit 10. Also in this embodiment, the vehicle communication means 3 and 4 are preferably arranged at the ends of the steering handle.

[0045] In such an embodiment of the system 1, it can be determined, for example, whether the driver 9 grips the steering handle with both hands while driving. For this purpose, a current driving position is determined for each of the user devices and compared with a respective reference driving position. Preferably, one of the vehicle communication means 3 and 4 is associated with one of the user devices and the reference travel position for this user device corresponds to the position of this vehicle communication means 3 or 4. The other of the vehicle communication means 3 and 4 is then associated with the other of the user devices, and the reference driving position for that user device corresponds to the position of the other vehicle communication means 3 or 4.

[0046] If it is determined on the basis of the detected deviations that the driver has only one hand or no hand on the steering handle, the control device 7 controls the drive device in step S6 in such a way that the drive torque provided is reduced or limited. In addition, the control device 7 controls the braking device in such a way that the braking torque provided is reduced or limited.