METHOD FOR OPERATING A DRIVER ASSISTANCE DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE AND CORRESPONDING DRIVER ASSISTANCE DEVICE

Abstract

A method for operating a driver assistance device for a motor vehicle. A drive potential is respectively determined from all driven wheels of at least one axis of the motor vehicle. The drive potentials are compared and a braking device with a specific wheel braking force is controlled for braking the wheel having a lower drive potential.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for operating a driver assistance device for a vehicle, comprising: determining a drive potential of all driven wheels of at least one axle of the vehicle which are operatively connected to one another via a differential and are jointly drivable; comparing the drive potentials; and triggering a braking device having a wheel braking force to brake the wheel having a lower drive potential, wherein the drive potential is defined from a spring deflection of each respective wheel, or from ascertaining a vertical wheel force associated with each of the wheels and determing the drive potential of the respective wheel from the vertical wheel force.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the wheel braking force is determined from a difference between the drive potentials of the wheels.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the braking device is only triggered to brake the wheel having the lower drive potential if at least one vehicle state variable query returns a positive result.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the vehicle state variable query checks at least one of: whether a vehicle speed is lower than a speed limit value, whether a vehicle inclination is greater than an inclination limit value, whether a steering angle is within a defined steering angle range, and whether there is an off-road mode.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein a traction control system triggers the braking device using a drive slip braking force to brake at least one of the wheels if a wheel slip of the wheel exceeds a defined slip limit, the defined wheel braking force being used to pre-control the traction control system.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein a service brake is used as the braking device.

17. A driver assistance device for a vehicle, comprising: means for ascertaining a drive potential of all driven wheels of at least one axle of the vehicle which are operatively connected to one another via a differential and are jointly drivable; means for comparing the drive potentials; and means for triggering a braking device having a wheel braking force to brake the wheel having a lower drive potential, wherein the drive potential is defined from a spring deflection of each respective wheel, from ascertaining a vertical wheel force associated with each of the wheels and determing the drive potential of the respective wheel from the vertical wheel force.

Description

[0028] The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing, without any limitation of the invention. Shown are:

[0029] FIG. 1 a schematic depiction of a vehicle having a traction control system, and

[0030] FIG. 2 the already known vehicle having the traction control device, as well as a traction optimization.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of a vehicle 1. This vehicle has a first axle 2, for example a front axle, having wheels 3 and 4. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 has a second axle 5, for example a rear axle, having wheels 6 and 7. The wheels 3 and 4 of the first axle 2 are operatively connected to one another via an axle differential 8. Analogously, the wheels 6 and 7 of the second axle 5 are operatively connected to one another via an axle differential 9. For example, the axle differential 8 has output shafts 10 and 11 and the axle differential 9 has output shafts 12 and 13. Wheel 3 is connected to output shaft 10, wheel 4 is connected to output shaft 1, wheel 6 is connected to output shaft 12 and wheel 7 is connected to output shaft 13, preferably rigidly and/or permanently.

[0032] In addition to the output shafts 10, 11, 12 and 13, the axle differentials 8 and 9 have input shafts 14 and 15. These input shafts serve as the output shafts of a center differential 16 or are connected to this. Drive torque from a drive unit can be supplied to the axle differentials 8 and 9 via the center differential 16. For example, the axle differential 9 is a regulated axle differential. Likewise, the center differential 16 can be designed as a controllable center differential. By contrast, the axle differential 8 is preferably an unregulated or non-switchable axle differential.

[0033] In this case the vehicle 1 is, for example, positioned on a surface in such a way that the wheels 3 and 7 are only loaded with low vertical wheel force, such that they are decompressed. By contrast, the wheels 4 and 6 are loaded with a higher vertical wheel force such that they are compressed further than the wheels 3 and 7. The vehicle 1 has a traction control system that triggers a braking device (not shown here) to brake at least one of the wheels 3, 4, 6 and 7 if a slip of the wheel 3, 4, 6 or 7 exceeds a defined slip limit. Because the wheels 4 and 6 are more heavily loaded than the wheels 3 and 7, it is desirable for a larger portion of the drive torque to be supplied to the former in order to improve the traction of the vehicle 1.

[0034] However, it becomes clear that a certain level of slip (indicated by the arrows 17) must initially occur at the second axle 5, or the wheels 6 and 7, so that the first axle 2 can be supplied with a larger proportion of the drive torque. Furthermore, there must be major slip (indicated by the arrow 18) on the wheel 3 that is more lightly loaded so that the wheel 4 that is more heavily loaded is supplied with a sufficient proportion of the drive torque. In the situation of the vehicle 1 illustrated by FIG. 1, it may be the case that a forward movement of the vehicle 1 can be achieved solely using the traction control system, but only if there is very significant slip at the wheels 3, 6 and 7.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows the vehicle 1, which is already known, such that reference is made to the preceding in this respect. Here it is now provided that a drive potential of all driven wheels 3 and 4 of the first axle 2 is initially determined by means of a driver assistance device (not shown in detail). These determined drive potentials are compared to one another, after which the braking device is triggered using a defined wheel braking force to brake the wheel 3 or 4 having the lower drive potential.

[0036] This means that the wheel 3 that is more lightly loaded is already braked before there is actually any slip. This allows for comparatively lower slip (indicated by the arrow 19) to be achieved for all four wheels 3, 4, 6 and 7, the drive torque acting on the supporting surface of the vehicle 1 being identical to the case outlined above on the basis of FIG. 1. Therefore, the disadvantages associated with a large slip of the wheels 3, 4, 6 and 7 (for example the wheels 3, 4, 6 and 7 digging in, the ground being smoothed and stability disadvantages) which can arise due to instability in the second axle 5 (caused by the large slip), for example, are avoided.