System and Method for Controlling a Stop Function or a Door Opening Function of a Vehicle

Abstract

A system controls a stop function or a door opening function of a vehicle. The system includes an actuating element which is designed to generate an actuation signal depending on an actuation by a vehicle occupant, and a control device which is designed to receive the actuation signal and, in response to receiving the actuation signal and depending on a travel velocity of the vehicle, to trigger either the stop function or the door opening function.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. A system for controlling a stop function or a door opening function of a vehicle, comprising: an actuation element designed to generate an actuation signal depending on an actuation by a vehicle occupant; and a control device which is configured to receive the actuation signal and to trigger either the stop function or the door opening function in response to the reception of the control signal and depending on a driving speed of the vehicle.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the stop function in a case of travel speeds in a first speed range and to trigger the door opening function in a case of travel speeds in a second speed range.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the stop function when the driving speed is greater than a stop request speed limit and to trigger the door opening function when the driving speed is less than a door opening speed limit.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the stop request speed limit is greater than the door opening speed limit or equal to the door opening speed limit.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the door opening function in response to the actuation signal after a first door opening speed limit has been undershot from a direction of higher driving speeds and as long as a first stop request speed limit, which is higher than the first door opening speed limit, is not exceeded thereafter.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the stop function in response to the actuation signal after the first door opening speed limit has been first undershot from the direction of higher driving speeds and the first stop request speed limit has then been exceeded.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the stop function in response to the actuation signal after a second stop request speed limit has been exceeded from the direction of lower driving speeds and as long as a second door opening speed limit, which is lower than the second stop request speed limit, is not undershot thereafter.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the door opening function in response to the actuation signal after the second stop request speed limit has been first exceeded from the direction of lower driving speeds and the second door opening speed limit has then been undershot.

20. A method for controlling a stop function or a door opening function of a vehicle, comprising: receiving, via a control device, an actuation signal that depends on an actuation by a vehicle occupant; determining, via the control device, whether a driving speed of the vehicle is within a first speed range or a second speed range; triggering, via the control device, the stop function when the driving speed is within the first speed range; and triggering, via the control device, the door opening function when the driving speed is within the second speed range.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the triggering of the stop function and/or of the door opening function is carried out according to a duration of the actuation of the actuation element.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: determining whether an actuation duration of the actuation element is greater than an actuation duration limit; and triggering the stop function when the driving speed is within the first speed range and the actuation duration is greater than the actuation duration limit.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the stop function when the driving speed is greater than a stop request speed limit and to trigger the door opening function when the driving speed is less than a door opening speed limit.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the stop request speed limit is greater than the door opening speed limit or equal to the door opening speed limit.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the door opening function in response to the actuation signal after a first door opening speed limit has been undershot from a direction of higher driving speeds and as long as a first stop request speed limit, which is higher than the first door opening speed limit, is not exceeded thereafter.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the stop function in response to the actuation signal after the first door opening speed limit has been first undershot from the direction of higher driving speeds and the first stop request speed limit has then been exceeded.

27. The method according to claim 20, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the stop function in response to the actuation signal after a second stop request speed limit has been exceeded from the direction of lower driving speeds and as long as a second door opening speed limit, which is lower than the second stop request speed limit, is not undershot thereafter.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the control device is configured to trigger the door opening function in response to the actuation signal after the second stop request speed limit has been first exceeded from the direction of lower driving speeds and the second door opening speed limit has then been undershot.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] FIG. 1 is a schematic exemplary drawing of a system for controlling a stop function or a door opening function;

[0063] FIG. 2 is a schematic exemplary drawing of a system for controlling a stop function or a door opening function;

[0064] FIG. 3 is a schematic flow chart of a method for controlling a stop function or a door opening function; and

[0065] FIG. 4 is a schematic flow chart of a method for controlling a stop function or a door opening function.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] FIG. 1 shows a schematic exemplary drawing of a system 10 for selectively controlling a stop function or a door opening function of a vehicle 1.

[0067] The system comprises an actuation element 100, which can be designed, for example, as an electrical pushbutton. In addition, the system comprises a control device 101, which is communicatively connected to the actuation element 100.

[0068] The control device 101 can comprise, for example, one or more processors and any associated memory devices. The control device 101 can in principle also be a distributed control device 101, which comprises, for example, a plurality of control units, as explained below with reference to FIG. 2.

[0069] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary and schematic view of a system 10, which is arranged in a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is shown in a plan view. The actuation element 100 is arranged on an inside of a vehicle door. The example here shows only one actuation element 100. However, it is understood that additional vehicle doors, in particular every vehicle door, may also be provided with such actuation elements.

[0070] In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2, the actuation element 100 is also communicatively connected to a control device 101. The control device 101 comprises a door control unit 1011, a vehicle-body control unit 1012, and an automated driving control unit (AD control unit) 1013. The above-mentioned control units 1011, 1012, 1013 and the actuation element 100 are communicatively connected to one another, for example via a databus system of the vehicle 1.

[0071] The following text explains the operation of the system 10 in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2, at the same time also making reference to the method steps 21, 22, 23, 24a, 24b, 25, which are schematically illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0072] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary and schematic method sequence according to one embodiment, and FIG. 4 illustrates an extension of the method sequence according to FIG. 3 with optional additional method steps.

[0073] Firstly, in a step 21 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the control device 101 receives an actuation signal as a result of the actuation of the actuation element 100 by an occupant of the vehicle.

[0074] For example, referring to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2, the door control unit 1011 can receive the actuation signal. The door control unit is preferably configured to generate a logical operating state based on the actuation signal (e.g. “1” for actuation, i.e. the door button 100 is pressed, or “0” for no actuation). An initial logical evaluation of the actuation signal can therefore be carried out directly in the vehicle door.

[0075] This is illustrated in the left-hand column of the tables 1 and 2 shown below, which illustrate two examples of alternative processing sequences for logical states in the context of the method involving the door control unit (Door-CU) 1011, the vehicle-body control unit (VB-CU) 1012 and the automatic driving control unit (AD-CU) 1013.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 State processing by door CU, VB-CU and AD-CU VB-CU Door-CU sends VB-CU VB-CU has generates AD-CU status of door generates status of status of performs button status of V-threshold emergency emergency (1 = pressed) long press (V > 4 km/h) stop stop 0 0 0 0 0 1 (<x sec.) 0 0 0 0 1 (>x sec) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 (<x sec) 0 1 0 0 1 (>x sec.) 1 1 1 emergency stop

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 State processing by door-CU and AD-CU AD-CU Door-CU sends AD-CU AD-CU has generates AD-CU status of door generates status of status of performs button status of V-threshold emergency emergency (1 = pressed) long press (V > 4 km/h) stop stop 0 0 0 0 0 1 (<x sec.) 0 0 0 0 1 (>x sec.) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 (<x sec.) 0 1 0 0 1 (>x sec.) 1 1 1 emergency stop

[0076] The logical actuation state of the actuation element 100 generated by the door control unit 1011 can then be made available for further processing to other components of the control device 101, such as the vehicle body control unit 1012 (see Table 1) and/or directly to the AD control unit 1013 (see Table 2).

[0077] In a further step 22, shown schematically in FIGS. 3 and 4, the control device 101 determines whether the driving speed of the vehicle 1 is in a first speed range or in a second speed range.

[0078] For example, the first speed range can include speeds (in particular all speeds) greater than a predefined stop request speed limit, and the second speed range can include speeds (in particular all speeds) less than a predefined door opening speed limit.

[0079] The stop request speed limit and the door opening speed limit are preferably each located in the range of a walking pace, in particular a slow walking pace.

[0080] In the present exemplary embodiment, the stop request speed limit is equal to the door opening speed limit and is 4 km/h.

[0081] In other embodiments, the stop request speed limit can be greater than the door opening speed limit.

[0082] In addition, a hysteresis can be optionally implemented, in the sense that the relevant stop request limit or door opening limit depends on past events, in particular on whether the relevant limit is approached from higher or lower driving speeds. These variants have already been explained above.

[0083] However, the present exemplary embodiment assumes a single fixed speed limit of 4 km/h.

[0084] In Tables 1 and 2, this predefined speed value of 4 km/h is referred to as the “V-threshold”. The third column in the table shows the result of the evaluation with respect to the driving speed (step 22): if the driving speed is greater than 4 km/h, a logical state “1” is generated by the vehicle body CU 1012 (see Table 1) or alternatively by the AD-CU 1013 (see Table 2); otherwise, a logical state “0” is generated.

[0085] If the evaluation in step 22 returns that the driving speed is not greater than 4 km/h, the control device 101 triggers the door opening function (see step 24b in FIGS. 3 and 4). The vehicle door is then unlocked electrically so that it can be opened under mechanical pressure.

[0086] An appropriate Check Control message (CCM), including a gong, can be optionally triggered to inform the vehicle occupant.

[0087] However, if the evaluation in step 22 has returned that the driving speed is greater than 4 km/h, the control device 101 triggers the stop function (step 24a in FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0088] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the triggering (step 24a) of the stop function can optionally be preceded by an additional step 23, in which the control device 101 determines whether an actuation duration of the actuation element 101 is greater than a predetermined actuation duration limit (hereafter also referred to as the “long-press time”).

[0089] If the evaluation in step 23 returns that the actuation duration is shorter than the long-press time, the method ends at this point (see step 25 in FIG. 4), i.e. the stop function (step 24a) is not triggered in this case.

[0090] Such an intermediate step 23 is also provided for the exemplary logical state processing in accordance with Tables 1 and 2 (see columns 1 and 2 in both).

[0091] The actuation duration limit which defines a long press can be, for example, 750 ms. This means that a long press is present when the control is pressed to the switching point, held down for at least 750 ms (long-press time) and then released or held down for longer.

[0092] The triggering of the stop function according to step 24a occurs preferably after the long-press time has elapsed and is not triggered earlier, say by releasing the actuation element 101.

[0093] According to one embodiment variant, it can also be provided that the actuation duration limit is variably adjustable by means of an appropriate system configuration, e.g. in the range from 0 to 3 s.

[0094] It may also be optionally provided that in the event of a long press, an additional display is provided via display means available in the vehicle, such as touch screens (tablets), in order to provide a plausibility check of the actuation process and its consequences for the vehicle occupant. The display is preferably only provided at travel speeds greater than 4 km/h, i.e. if the condition related to the driving speed for triggering the stop function is also fulfilled.

[0095] In Tables 1 and 2, the actuation duration limit is given as “x sec.” as an example. In this case, the information as to whether the actuation duration is greater than (possibly also greater than or equal to) or less than (possibly less than or equal to) the value of “x sec.”, i.e. whether or not a long press has been performed, can be included, e.g. as an additional specification, in the logical state which is transferred from the door-CU 1011 to the vehicle-body CU 1012 or to the AD-CU 1013.

[0096] The vehicle-body CU 1012 or the AD-CU 1013 then receive or generate a corresponding logical state (“1” in case of a long press and “0” if not a long press), as shown in the second column of Tables 1 and 2.

[0097] To trigger the stop function, the vehicle-body CU 1012 or the AD-CU 1013 generates a corresponding logical state “1” (e.g. an emergency stop state). This is shown in the fourth columns of Tables 1 and 2, where a “1” is entered if the long-press and driving speed conditions are met and a “0” if this is not the case.

[0098] In the embodiment described in Table 1, the vehicle body CU 1012, based on the logical actuation state provided by the door-CU 1011, carries out the additional steps 22, 23 and 24a or 24b respectively, as described above.

[0099] For example, step 24a comprises generating an emergency stop state (state “1” in the fourth column of Table 1), which is then received by the AD-CU 1013. The AD-CU then implements the stop function as indicated in the fifth column of Table 1 (“Emergency stop”).

[0100] In contrast, in the alternative embodiment as shown in Table 2, the AD-CU 1013 is configured, based on the actuation state provided by the door-CU 1011 (optionally via the vehicle-body CU 1012), to carry out steps 22, 23 and 24a itself and then, if necessary, to control an automatic emergency stop of the vehicle 1.