Adaptation of a Propulsion Profile of a Motor Vehicle Driven by an Electric Motor

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for determining a propulsion profile to be applied during the operation of an electric drive motor of a motor vehicle driven by an electric motor, wherein in each case a manifestation to be applied of one or more propulsion parameters can be saved in the propulsion profile for different propulsion actuator presets by a vehicle user, and the device is designed to determine the propulsion profile to be applied with the aid of at least one propulsion curve which in each case assigns different manifestations of the propulsion parameter or parameters to different propulsion actuator presets.

Claims

1. A device for determining a propulsion profile to be applied during the operation of an electric drive motor of a motor vehicle driven by an electric motor, wherein in each case a manifestation to be applied of one or more propulsion parameters can be saved in the propulsion profile for different propulsion actuator presets of the vehicle user, in particular pedal positions or durations of a pedal position, wherein the device comprises: a controller configured to: determine the propulsion profile to be applied with the aid of at least one propulsion curve, which in each case assigns different manifestations of the propulsion parameter or parameters to different propulsion actuator presets; and record a user input of the vehicle user to configure one or more propulsion curves, in order to determine the propulsion profile to be applied.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the propulsion parameter is a longitudinal speed and/or a longitudinal acceleration of the motor vehicle.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the propulsion actuator preset is determined depending on a pedal position.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the propulsion actuator preset is determined depending on a duration since another previous, in particular the last, change to the propulsion actuator preset.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the propulsion curve reproduces a desired relationship between the pedal position and the longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the propulsion curve reproduces a desired relationship between a duration passed since the last change to the pedal position and the longitudinal speed of the vehicle.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the propulsion profile determines the manifestations to be used of the propulsion parameters with the aid of a plurality of propulsion curves, wherein the different propulsion curves represent different propulsion actuator presets, including pedal positions, and specify the propulsion parameter depending on a duration of the respective propulsion preset since a last change to the propulsion actuator preset.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the propulsion curve has a plurality of control points which each represent a combination of a propulsion actuator preset with a manifestation of a propulsion parameter and which can be modified by the vehicle user by choosing a different manifestation of the propulsion parameter.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a display-and-input unit having a touch and/or gesture-sensitive screen for displaying, selecting and/or configuring one or more propulsion curves.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the display-and-input unit is configured to display a propulsion profile and/or at least one propulsion curve, and/or to record, as a user input to configure the propulsion curve, a finger and/or gesture based pulling of a control point of the propulsion curve toward a different manifestation of the propulsion parameter of the propulsion curve.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the display-and-input unit is designed for real-time display of the modified manifestation of the propulsion parameter.

12. A motor vehicle driven by an electric motor, comprising: the device of claim 1; an electric drive motor; and a control unit connected to the device for information exchange, wherein the control unit is configured to: adapt and/or modify the propulsion profile to be applied for the drive motor depending on the user input of the vehicle user, and control the drive motor accordingly.

13. A method for determining a propulsion profile for a drive motor of a motor vehicle driven by an electric motor, the method comprising: displaying a preset propulsion profile depending on at least one propulsion parameter; inputting at least one modified manifestation of the propulsion parameter to at least one propulsion actuator preset; and adapting the propulsion profile to the modified manifestation or manifestations of the propulsion parameter or parameters in the propulsion profile.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the modified propulsion profile is displayed essentially at the same time as the input.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a motor vehicle driven by an electric motor and having a device according to at least embodiment;

[0041] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the device from FIG. 1;

[0042] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a user input by pulling in accordance with at least one embodiment;

[0043] FIG. 4 illustrates exemplary propulsion curves in accordance with at least one embodiment;

[0044] FIG. 5 illustrates further exemplary propulsion curves in accordance with at least one embodiment;

[0045] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the generation of an exemplary propulsion profile in accordance with at least one embodiment;

[0046] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a further option for a user input to modify the propulsion curve in accordance with at least one embodiment;

[0047] FIG. 8 schematically illustrates an exemplary connection diagram of an exemplary device according to at least one embodiment; and

[0048] FIG. 9 schematically illustrates exemplary speed curves in accordance with at least one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] A motor vehicle 1 driven by an electric motor is illustrated in FIG. 1, having an electric drive motor 2 and a device 10 for determining a propulsion profile 12 to be applied during operation of the electric drive motor.

[0050] A control unit 4 of the motor vehicle, in this case an engine control device, is connected to the device 10 for the purpose of information exchange and is designed to modify a propulsion profile 12 to be applied depending on a user input E of a vehicle user N, in this case by means of a finger of a hand, and to control the drive motor in a correspondingly adapted fashion depending on a propulsion actuator preset, wherein the preset is here effected by means of a gas pedal 6.

[0051] For this purpose, the device 10 has a display and input unit 8 with a touch- and/or gesture-sensitive screen 9 (also referred to as a touchscreen) for displaying and modifying one or more propulsion profiles 12 which is illustrated schematically in FIG. 2.

[0052] In order to modify a propulsion profile 12, the display and input unit 8 is designed to display at least one propulsion curve 14 of the propulsion profile and to record, as a user input E1 to E2 (by means of a finger of the hand N1 to N2) for configuring the propulsion curve 14, a finger- and/or gesture-based pulling of a control point P of the propulsion curve 14 toward a different manifestation of the propulsion parameter K of the propulsion curve 14.

[0053] For a user input by such pulling, a finger is, for example, placed on the touchscreen 9 at a control point P3 of the propulsion curve 14 (user input E1). Then, maintaining contact, the finger is moved in a positive or negative Y direction (=ordinate) of the propulsion curve as far as the intended target point of the modification in the control point P3 (see dashed line from P3 to P′3). There, the finger is removed from the touchscreen (user input E2) and the new control point P′ is thus specified. These relationships are illustrated in particular in FIG. 3.

[0054] The correspondingly modified propulsion curve 14′ is displayed immediately on the touchscreen 9 when the modification is complete, i.e. in real time; according to a development of the embodiment, so is the modification itself, for example a temporary simultaneous display of the previous propulsion curve 14 compared with the modified propulsion curve 14′.

[0055] The propulsion profile 12′ modified by means of the modified propulsion curve 14 can be controlled by means of the control unit 4 either automatically immediately or after confirmation/selection by the vehicle user such that the power development of the drive motor 2 takes place according to the modified preset from the modified propulsion profile 12′.

[0056] A manifestation of a propulsion parameter K to be applied, here the longitudinal speed of the vehicle v, can in each case be stored in the propulsion profile for different propulsion actuator presets A of the vehicle user, here pedal deflections x or different durations t of a determined pedal deflection x.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows three different propulsion curves 14 which specify the longitudinal speed of the vehicle v depending on a pedal deflection x (also referred to synonymously as the pedal position), i.e. take the form of speed curves.

[0058] In the speed curve, a certain speed value v therefore results which is dependent on the position of the gas pedal.

[0059] FIGS. 4a, 4b, and 4c show different examples of speed curves which could be selected by the customer as a basis for manually adapting the propulsion profile.

[0060] For example, the speed curve 14 in FIG. 4c shows an exponential course. The speed is relatively low when there is low and medium pressure on the gas pedal. Only in the case of firmer pressure on the gas pedal (in the last quarter here) does the speed increase very sharply such that high speeds are achieved only when there is firm pressure on the pedal.

[0061] The speed curve 14 in FIG. 4b, in contrast, shows a sinusoidal curve in which the greatest change in speed per change in the pedal position is provided in the middle deflection range of the pedal. Gentle moving away can thus be combined with a rapid development of speed.

[0062] The speed curve 14 in FIG. 4a shows a linear course which can correspond to the expectations of an average vehicle user.

[0063] FIG. 5 shows three different propulsion curves 114 which the longitudinal speed of the vehicle v determines depending on a duration since a previous, here the last, change in the pedal deflection. These propulsion curves describe a development of speed over time, and accordingly the propulsion parameter under consideration here is a longitudinal acceleration a of the motor vehicle, and can therefore be referred to as an acceleration curve, in particular to differentiate it from a speed curve.

[0064] The modification of the speed v depending on time (therefore, the “acceleration curve”) can therefore also be specified for an unmodified position of the gas pedal (as the propulsion actuator) such that a certain speed value (for example, 50% of the target speed) is reached more or less quickly depending on the shape of the acceleration curve.

[0065] A linear development (114 in FIG. 5a), a sinusoidal development (114b in FIG. 5b), and a logarithmic development (114c in FIG. 5c) of an acceleration curve 114 are illustrated in FIG. 5, partially analogous to the speed curves 14 from FIG. 4. The logarithmic development reproduces a propulsion development which is initially very quick.

[0066] As can be seen in FIG. 6, according to an exemplary embodiment, speed curves 14 according to FIG. 4 and acceleration curves 114 according to FIG. 5 can be combined in a propulsion profile 12 to form a curve combination [114.sub.x=25, 114.sub.x=50, 114.sub.x=75, 114.sub.x=100] in order to determine a propulsion profile 12.

[0067] The propulsion profile 12 then determines the manifestations of the propulsion parameter v to be applied with the aid of a plurality of propulsion curves 114.sub.x=25, 114.sub.x=50, 114.sub.x=75, 114.sub.x=100, wherein the different propulsion curves 114.sub.x=25, 114.sub.x=50, 114.sub.x=75, 114.sub.x=100 each represent a different pedal position (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) and the speed v in each propulsion curve 114.sub.x=25, 114.sub.x=50, 114.sub.x=75, 114.sub.x=100 is determined depending on a duration t since the last change in the pedal position.

[0068] In this case of the combined propulsion curves, on the one hand, a target speed can be specified by the vehicle user depending on the position of the gas pedal and these are combined with a selected or programmable acceleration curve in order to achieve the respective target speed (at the specified position of the gas pedal).

[0069] The following applies as a whole for this exemplary embodiment: either different speeds (cf FIGS. 2 to 4) or different acceleration curves (cf FIG. 5) or a combination thereof (cf FIG. 6—acceleration curve C) can be offered to the vehicle user for them to select and as a starting point for a personalized configuration.

[0070] The speed and/or acceleration curve selected by the vehicle user is fed into a motor control system (including PWD or decoder). When the gas pedal is pressed, the drive motor is controlled such that the selected speed and/or acceleration curve is implemented.

[0071] Different vehicle users can, depending on their preference/taste, thus own or use an e-vehicle which moves away gently or powerfully. In addition to the propulsion adaptation, the sound S of the car, i.e. of the drive corresponding to the selected propulsion characteristic, can also vary depending on the selected acceleration curve 114. This type of combination of propulsion curves to form a propulsion profile is illustrated in a simplified and schematic fashion in FIG. 6.

[0072] As described with regard to FIGS. 2 and 3, the vehicle user is given the option of setting their own speed curve 14′ and/or acceleration curve 114′ themselves at a plurality of control points P.

[0073] The vehicle user here has the option of setting given values for, for example, six points P1 to P6 of the acceleration or speed curve. FIG. 3 here shows how a modification of the speed curve 14′ can be made by the customer.

[0074] Another option of a user input to modify the propulsion curve is illustrated in FIG. 7. The UI (user interface) here presents a 6-point curve on the left-hand side and values are input on the right-hand side.

[0075] FIG. 8 shows a schematic connection diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a device 10.

[0076] Threshold values, i.e. defined ranges for the input of values, which can be used by the vehicle user when programming the speed and acceleration curve are saved in the CPU or the memory. The purpose of these is to prevent (portions of) propulsion curves being programmed which are too extreme/dangerous (for example, too high acceleration within a short period of time).

[0077] In the exemplary embodiment, the vehicle user is given the option of programming and successively saving a plurality of speed curves 14 and/or acceleration curves 114.

[0078] FIG. 9 shows exemplary speed curves 14 adapted in a personalized fashion, wherein curve A describes a defensive propulsion characteristic and curve B an offensive one.

[0079] Use can be made with the invention of the whole spectrum of possible acceleration curves. The curve (shapes) can have an emotional character and delight the vehicle user.

[0080] The invention offers a fun interactive option with the vehicle—the vehicle user can try out different speed and acceleration curves. Technology-minded vehicle users will especially enjoy this.

[0081] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0082] 1 motor vehicle [0083] 2 drive motor [0084] 4 control unit [0085] 6 propulsion actuator, here gas pedal [0086] 8 display and input unit [0087] 9 touch- and/or gesture-sensitive screen [0088] 10 device [0089] 12 propulsion profile [0090] 14 propulsion curve (speed curve) [0091] 114 propulsion curve (acceleration curve) [0092] A propulsion actuator preset [0093] a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle [0094] E user input [0095] K propulsion parameter [0096] M motor control signals [0097] N (hand of the) vehicle user [0098] P control points of the propulsion curve [0099] S sound signals [0100] T duration since last change in the pedal deflection [0101] v longitudinal speed of the vehicle [0102] x pedal deflection (or pedal position or pedal pressure)