Means of Transport, Driver Assistance System and Method for Handling a Breakdown Situation

Abstract

A vehicle, a driver assistance system and a method for handling a breakdown situation of the vehicle are provided. The driver assistance system includes a high-voltage (HV) on-board electrical system and a low-voltage (LV) on-board electrical system. The method includes automatically detecting a breakdown of the vehicle, automatically determining that there is no energy conversion from the HV on-board electrical system into the LV on-board electrical system, automatically determining a charging status of an energy store of the LV on-board electrical system, automatically determining a criticality of a vehicle situation, and, according to the above-mentioned information, automatically deciding whether, and if so which, measures are to be taken or proposed for the protection of the vehicle and/or occupants of the vehicle.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. A method for handling a breakdown situation of a vehicle having a high-voltage onboard network and a low-voltage onboard network, the method comprising: automatically determining the breakdown of the vehicle; automatically determining that an energy conversion from the high-voltage onboard network into the low-voltage onboard network does not take place; automatically determining a state of charge of an energy storage device of the low-voltage onboard network; automatically determining a criticality of a vehicle situation; and automatically deciding, based on the state of charge and the criticality, whether measures are to be taken or proposed for protection of the vehicle and/or occupants of the vehicle and, in a case in which the measures are to be taken or proposed, deciding which of the measures to take or propose.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the high-voltage onboard network has a voltage of at least 400 V and the low-voltage onboard network has a voltage of 12 V to 48 V.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the high-voltage onboard network has a voltage of at least 800 V.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle can no longer, or can no longer safely, participate in road traffic due to the breakdown, but an airbag or an automatic speech connection has not yet been triggered and a traction machine is no longer operable.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the low-voltage onboard network is powered by means of the energy storage device, which has a capacity of 10 Ah to 50 Ah.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the criticality of the vehicle situation is determined by a sensor for satellite-based location in conjunction with a digital roadmap.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the breakdown is characterized by one or more of the following: a fault in a travel-relevant or drive-relevant system of the vehicle, a tire defect, a failure of a fuel supply or a traction energy supply, a fault in the cooling system, a fault in the connection system, including a short circuit or a line interruption, and a software fault.

19. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: determining a reduction of the state of charge and/or an increase of the criticality and, in response thereto, deciding that the measures are to be taken for protection of the vehicle and/or the occupants.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the measures comprise one or more of the following: outputting a message to a user of the vehicle, switching off a first group of electrical consumers, switching off the first group and a further group of the electrical consumers, initiating or offering of placement of an emergency call, and switching off a predefined area of exterior lights of the vehicle.

21. A driver assistance system comprising: a data input; and an evaluation unit; wherein the evaluation unit is configured, based on the data input, to: automatically determine a breakdown of the vehicle, automatically determine that an energy conversion from a high-voltage onboard network into a low-voltage onboard network does not take place, automatically determine a state of charge of an energy storage device of the low-voltage onboard network, automatically determine a criticality of a vehicle situation, and automatically decide, based on the state of charge and the criticality, whether measures are to be taken or proposed for protection of the vehicle and/or occupants of the vehicle and, in a case in which the measures are to be taken or proposed, decide which of the measures to take or propose.

22. The driver assistance system according to claim 21, wherein the high-voltage onboard network has a voltage of at least 400 V and the low-voltage onboard network has a voltage of 12 V to 48 V.

23. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the high-voltage onboard network has a voltage of at least 800 V.

24. The driver assistance system according to claim 21, wherein the vehicle can no longer, or can no longer safely, participate in road traffic due to the breakdown, but an airbag or an automatic speech connection has not yet been triggered and a traction machine is no longer operable.

25. The driver assistance system according to claim 21, wherein the low-voltage onboard network is powered by means of the energy storage device, which has a capacity of 10 Ah to 50 Ah.

26. The driver assistance system according to claim 21, wherein the criticality of the vehicle situation is determined by a sensor for satellite-based location in conjunction with a digital roadmap.

27. The driver assistance system according to claim 21, wherein the breakdown is characterized by one or more of the following: a fault in a travel-relevant or drive-relevant system of the vehicle, a tire defect, a failure of a fuel supply or a traction energy supply, a fault in the cooling system, a fault in the connection system, including a short circuit or a line interruption, and a software fault.

28. The driver assistance system according to claim 21, wherein the evaluation unit is further configured to determine a reduction of the state of charge and/or an increase of the criticality and, in response thereto, decide that the measures are to be taken for protection of the vehicle and/or the occupants.

29. The driver assistance system according to claim 21, wherein the measures comprise one or more of the following: outputting a message to a user of the vehicle, switching off a first group of electrical consumers, switching off the first group and a further group of the electrical consumers, initiating or offering of placement of an emergency call, and switching off a predefined area of exterior lights of the vehicle.

30. A vehicle comprising a driver assistance system according to claim 21.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a breakdown situation of a means of transport designed according to the invention having an exemplary embodiment of a driver assistance system designed according to the invention;

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of consumer groups which can be switched off automatically separately and in particular staggered over time according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a flow chart illustrating steps of an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention for handling a breakdown situation of a means of transport; and

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a low-voltage onboard network having a plurality of consumers that can be switched off separately.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a situation of a passenger vehicle in the form of an electrically drivable means of transport 10 on the shoulder of a freeway 20. The means of transport 10 has a flat tire, because of which a user 7 carries a warning triangle upstream or counter to the direction of travel to protect the breakdown location. A high-voltage energy storage device 5, which usually supplies a traction machine 4 with electrical energy, is in principle still ready for use. A DC/DC converter 21 is also in principle still available to convert the electrical energy present in the high voltage onboard network 1 to a voltage level of a low-voltage onboard network 2. However, a line interruption 22 has ensured that the energy stored in the energy storage device 3 of the low-voltage onboard network 2 is no longer available for a sufficiently long time for the operation of the exterior lights 23. A child 26 remaining in the means of transport 10 therefore cannot enjoy a climate control of the interior of the means of transport 10 for much longer. Therefore, an antenna 6 is caused as a sensor by the data output 8 of an electronic control unit 9 to inform a transmission mast 19 that the means of transport 10 urgently requires aid by a breakdown service at the current position (determined by means of a geostationary satellite 18). A closest location of an automobile club can be informed about the status and the criticality of the situation of the means of transport 10 via the transmission mast 19, for example, conveyed by Internet and aid can thus arrive in a timely manner before further comfort devices of the means of transport 10 decrease the protection of its occupants.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of electrical low-voltage consumers 11, which are divided into groups 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. The groups 12 to 17 are assigned to different priority classes and can be prioritized differently in dependence on a current situation of exterior temperature, ambient light intensity, or the means of transport. For example, in cool exterior temperatures, a climate control of the means of transport can be completely unimportant, while a heating function is very significant for the safety of the occupants of the means of transport. On the other hand, in daylight exterior lights can be significantly less relevant for protecting a means of transport than at night. Therefore, a sequence of switching off the groups 12 to 17 can be varied due to the circumstances in dependence on the above- mentioned circumstances.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows steps of an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention for handling a breakdown situation of a means of transport. In step 100, a breakdown of the means of transport is automatically determined. For this purpose, an electronic control unit of the means of transport can question or deny the driving readiness thereof. In step 200, it is then automatically determined that an energy conversion of energy stored in the HV onboard network into low-voltage energy cannot take place. For example, an energy converter (such as a DC/DC converter) can be defective. In step 300, a state of charge of an energy storage device of the low-voltage onboard network is automatically determined. This can comprise, for example, a measurement of a voltage of the energy storage device. In step 400, a criticality of a vehicle situation is then automatically determined and it is automatically decided in dependence on all above-mentioned information in step 500 whether and if yes which measures are to be taken or automatically proposed to a user for protection of the means of transport and/or occupants. In other words, it is decided which electrical consumers are to be switched off or used further in consideration of a current breakdown situation for protection of the means of transport or its occupants. A message is therefore output in step 600 to a user of the means of transport that in step 700 a first group of electrical consumers will be switched off, in step 800 (after passage of a predefined duration) a further group of electrical consumers will also be switched off, in step 900 an emergency call placement will be automatically initiated, and in step 1000 a predefined area of exterior lights of the means of transport will finally be switched off. This can be those areas of the exterior lights which face away from the closest approaching traffic. For example, it can be determined by means of a reversing camera and/or front camera from which direction the vehicles driving past closest to the stationary ego means of transport, and only the areas of the exterior lights facing toward these vehicles can continue to be operated continuously, while all other electrical consumers are switched off.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary schematic diagram of a low-voltage onboard network 2 in an exemplary embodiment according to the invention of a means of transport. A low-voltage battery 3 supplies a battery management control unit 24, which supplies a busbar with 12 V DC voltage. Electrical consumers 11, which are organized into groups 12, 13, 14, are connected to the busbar. Moreover, an external start support point 25 and the low-voltage-side input of a voltage converter 21 are connected to the busbar. Via switches, the battery management control unit 24 can switch off the electrical consumers 12, 13, 14 separately and as needed to preserve the energetic resources of the low-voltage battery 3.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0028] 1 high-voltage onboard network [0029] 2 low-voltage onboard network [0030] 3 electrical energy storage device [0031] 4 traction machine [0032] 5 traction energy storage device [0033] 6 antenna [0034] 7 user [0035] 8 data output [0036] 9 electronic control unit [0037] 10 means of transport [0038] 11 electrical consumer [0039] 12 to 17 groups of electrical consumers [0040] 18 satellite [0041] 19 transmission mast [0042] 20 freeway [0043] 21 energy converter [0044] 22 line interruption [0045] 23 exterior lights [0046] 24 battery management control unit [0047] 25 external start support point [0048] 26 small child [0049] 100 to 1000 method steps [0050] S switch