METHOD AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING AN ACTIVE ACCELERATOR

Abstract

A method for controlling a device, in which a control command for controlling the device is produced via a force controller that is actuated by a user. A control unit of the device controls at least one actuator in such a way that the at least one actuator provides the user, at a predetermined path point of the force controller, with a feedback message about at least one state of the device at the force controller. The control unit further controls the at least one actuator in such a way that, in case of a change in the predetermined path point of the force controller to a changed path point lying in the direction of deflection of the force controller in front of the predetermined path point, the at least one actuator shifts the force controller to a desired path point.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A method for controlling a device, comprising: a control command for controlling the device is produced via a force controller that is actuated by the user, wherein a control unit of the device controls at least one actuator in such a way that, at a predetermined path point of the force controller, the at least one actuator provides the user, at the force controller, with a feedback message about at least one state of the device, and wherein the control unit further controls the at least one actuator in such a way that, in case of a change in the predetermined path point of the force controller to a changed path point lying in the direction of deflection of the force controller in front of the predetermined path point, the at least one actuator shifts the force controller to a desired path point, which lies in the direction of deflection of the force controller in front of the changed path point, so that, for a shift of the force controller in the direction of deflection, the user is provided at the changed path point with the feedback message about the at least one state when the force controller reaches the changed path point on its path in the direction of deflection.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the force controller is shifted together with a foot of the user during the shift to the desired path point.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one state is chosen from one or a combination of the following list of states: critical power query, switching on of a drive assembly, or exceeding of a predetermined speed.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein a function for providing the feedback message to the user at the changed path point is activated only after the force controller has been shifted to the desired point.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the force controller is shifted to the desired path point by a movement function, which actuates the at least one actuator in such a way that the movement of the force controller to the desired path point is not noticed by the user.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the movement function is a ramp function.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the movement function actuates the actuator in such a way that the force controller is shifted in stages to the desired path point.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the feedback message to the user is chosen from the following list of feedback messages: vibrational pattern, changed pressure point, or changed pressure resistance.

23. A control device for a device, comprising: a force controller, a control unit, and at least one actuator, wherein the control unit is configured for the purpose of providing the user, at a predetermined path point of the force controller, with a feedback message about at least one state of the device at the force controller by the at least one actuator, and wherein the control unit is further configured for the purpose of actuating the at least one actuator, in such a way that, in case of a change in the predetermined path point to a changed path point lying in the direction of deflection of the force controller in front of the predetermined path point, the force controller is shifted to a desired path point by the at least one actuator, said desired path point lying in the direction of deflection of the force controller in front of the changed path point, so that, for a shift of the force controller in the direction of deflection, the user is provided, at the changed path point, with the feedback message about the at least one state for the case when the force controller has reached the changed path point on its path in the direction of deflection.

24. The control device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one actuator is a linear solenoid.

25. The control device according to claim 23, wherein the device is a device taken from the following list of devices: vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, transport means, and tool, as well as any other technical device having a plurality of operating states.

26. The control device according to claim 23, wherein the force controller is a pedal.

Description

[0031] The invention is illustrated schematically in the drawings on the basis of one embodiment and is described schematically and in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a shifting of a force controller from a predetermined path point to a desired path point in accordance with a possible embodiment of the presented method.

[0033] FIG. 2a shows a curve of a force applied by an actuator for shifting a force controller in accordance with a possible embodiment of the presented method.

[0034] FIG. 2b shows a movement curve of a force controller as well as of a foot of a user arranged on the force controller while the actuator acts on the force controller with a force in accordance with FIG. 2a.

[0035] Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a diagram 1 in which, on the abscissa 2, a path is plotted in [cm] and, on the ordinate, 4 a force axis is plotted in [N] . A curve 3 shows a force expenditure that a driver has to impose during a movement of an accelerator pedal of a vehicle along a track of movement, which leads from a rest position 5 to a full-load or kickdown position 7, in which a final gear stage is engaged. The reaching of the full-load position is fed back to the driver via a kickdown point 9.

[0036] In order to give the driver a feedback message about an operating state of the vehicle at which an internal combustion engine of the vehicle is to be switched on additionally to an electric drive, it is provided that an actuator counteracts the accelerator pedal on its path along the curve 3, at or just in front of a path point 11, with a force that defines a pressure point, such as is indicated by a curve 15. The force applied by the actuator brings about a pressure that counteracts a force applied by the driver for shifting the accelerator pedal along the curve 3, so that the driver is aware of the path point 11 and can decide whether to pass said point with the accelerator pedal and to switch on the internal combustion engine or whether to move the accelerator pedal solely up to the pressure point at or just in front of the path point 11 and to drive solely by means of the electric drive.

[0037] During operation of the vehicle, it can transpire that, for example, a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle changes in such a way that the internal combustion engine must be switched on already for an operating state of the vehicle for which a power requirement is called upon that corresponds to a position of the accelerator pedal that lies in front of the path point 11 at, for example, a changed path point 11. Accordingly, it is necessary that the point at which the driver is provided by means of the actuator with the pressure point for providing a feedback message about the switching on of the internal combustion engine also changes or that the pressure point is shifted, as indicated by a shifted curve 15. Otherwise, the switching on of the internal combustion engine would no longer coincide with the provided pressure point and the driver would have no control over the switching on of the internal combustion engine.

[0038] For example, for the case when the driver holds the accelerator pedal just in front of the path point 11 in order to prevent any switching on of the internal combustion engine and when the operating state of the vehicle requires a shift of the pressure point from the path point 11 to the changed path point 11, the pressure point or the path point for activation of the internal combustion engine would have shifted all the way under the foot of the driver and the internal combustion engine would have been switched on without the will of the driver. In order to prevent such a scenario, it is provided in accordance with the invention that, during a shift of the pressure point, the accelerator pedal is also shifted, so that the pressure point for the feedback message to the driver about the switching on of the internal combustion engine lies on or just in front of the changed path point 11.

[0039] Illustrated in FIG. 2a in a diagram 20 is a force curve 21 of an actuator for shifting the accelerator pedal from the path point 11 to the path point 11 in accordance with FIG. 1, in which, in the axes, the force in [N] is plotted on the ordinate 24 and the time in [s] is plotted on the abscissa 22. In FIG. 2b, a movement curve of the accelerator pedal from the path point 11 to the path point 11 is illustrated as a function of the force curve plotted in FIG. 2a.

[0040] For shifting of the accelerator pedal from the path point 11 to the path point 11, an actuator, such as, for example, a linear solenoid, is supplied with current until the accelerator pedal has shifted from the path point 11 to the path point 11. It is hereby provided that the actuator is supplied with current in accordance with a movement function, which brings it about that the driver does not notice the shifting operation of the accelerator pedal. The force curve 21, illustrated in FIG. 2a, shows how the force applied by the actuator is slowly increased until it just exceeds a force applied by the user for holding the accelerator pedal at its current position, so that the accelerator pedal is moved beyond the path point 11. Once the accelerator pedal is in movement, the force level of the actuator remains constant until the accelerator pedal has arrived at the changed path point 11, in accordance with the curve 23 illustrated in FIG. 2b.

[0041] Illustrated in FIG. 2b is a diagram 25 in which, on the ordinate 28, a path is plotted in [cm] and, on the abscissa 29, a time axis is plotted in [s]. A foot of the device resting on the accelerator pedal is accordingly shifted along with the accelerator pedal, as indicated by a curve 27. This means that also the foot of the driver is shifted from the path point 11 to the path point 11 and the driver is afforded the possibility of approaching the changed pressure point with the accelerator pedal.