Method for operating an accelerator pedal unit for motor vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9182774-B2
Application number	US-201113877353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2011
Priority date	Oct 6, 2010
Publication date	Nov 10, 2015
Grant date	Nov 10, 2015

Abstract

A method for operating an accelerator pedal unit for motor vehicles, wherein a change in position of the pedal plate, which is brought about by a corresponding activation force, with respect to the starting position of said pedal plate counter to a restoring force of a pedal restoring spring brings about an increase in the driving force of the drive motor of the motor vehicle, and when the activation force diminishes the restoring force of the pedal restoring spring moves the pedal plate back in the direction of its starting position, wherein an electromechanical actuator which can be actuated externally is arranged in such a way that an additional restoring force acting on the pedal plate can be set.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating an accelerator pedal unit for motor vehicles, wherein a change in position of a pedal plate, which is brought about by a corresponding activation force, with respect to the starting position of said pedal plate counter to a restoring force (F res ) of a pedal restoring spring brings about an increase in the driving force of the drive motor of the motor vehicle, and when the activation force diminishes the restoring force of the pedal restoring spring moves the pedal plate back in the direction of its starting position, wherein an electromechanical actuator which can be actuated externally is arranged in such a way that an additional restoring force (F add ) acting on the pedal plate can be set, wherein a calibration process is carried out, with the result that a linear relationship is implemented between the setpoint current request (I setp ) to the electromechanical actuator and the additional restoring force (F add ) over the entire pedal stroke (S).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the calibration process is carried out in such a way that a constant force value of the additional restoring force (F add-setp ) is generated for a predetermined setpoint current request (I setp ) at each angular position (a) of the electromechanical actuator.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the calibration process is carried out using a characteristic diagram.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the angular position (α) of the electromechanical actuator and a setpoint current request (I setp ) are fed to the characteristic diagram from a control unit.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the angular position (α) of the electromechanical actuator is limited before the value of the angular position (α) is fed to the characteristic diagram.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the output value (K out ) from the characteristic diagram is subsequently multiplied by the setpoint current request (I setp ) in order to obtain a corrected setpoint current request (I corr ).

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the corrected setpoint current request (I corr ) is fed to a further characteristic curve.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a correction factor is added to the corrected setpoint current request (I corr ).

9. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the characteristic diagram is embodied as a matrix which is determined on the basis of empirically acquired data or on the basis of a model calculation of the accelerator pedal unit.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a force measuring pickup is arranged on the tread area of the pedal plate in order to measure the additional restoring force (F add ) generated by the electromechanical actuator.

Assignees

• Drews Frank
• Habel Peter
• Leone Carmelo
• Conti Temic Microelectronic

Inventors

• Drews Frank
• Habel Peter
• Leone Carmelo

Classifications

• G05G1/44 Primary

  pivoting · CPC title

• G05G1/38

  comprising means to continuously detect pedal position · CPC title

• G05G5/03

  Means for enhancing the operator's awareness of arrival of the controlling member at a command or datum position; Providing feel, e.g. means for creating a counterforce (arrangements for indicating the position of the controlling member G05G1/015) · CPC title

• Y02T10/84

  Data processing systems or methods, management, administration · CPC title

• B60K26/021 Primary

  with means for providing feel, e.g. by changing pedal force characteristics · CPC title