Method for operating a recuperation brake of a motor vehicle and recuperation brake

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9783064-B2
Application number	US-201314650054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Dec 7, 2012
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A method for operating a recuperation brake of a motor vehicle is disclosed. First, a future operating intensity of the recuperation brake is estimated for a section of route to be travelled on by the motor vehicle based on an input which characterizes the driving style of the section of route to be travelled on. In addition, a maximum slip-free vehicle braking power for the section of route is estimated as a function of the input. In addition, the braking power of the recuperation brake is set to a setpoint braking power which is not greater than the maximum vehicle braking power for the section of route, and finally the recuperation brake is activated on the section of route to be travelled on with the setpoint braking power. In addition, a recuperation brake for carrying out the method is described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a recuperation brake of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
estimating a future operating intensity of the recuperation brake for a section of a route ahead of the motor vehicle based on an input which that characterizes a driving style of the section of route ahead;
wherein the input comprises vehicle state information output by a vehicle traveling ahead of the motor vehicle, the information associated with operation of one or more driving safety systems of the vehicle traveling ahead;
estimating a maximum slip-free vehicle braking power for the section of route as a function of the input;
setting a braking power of the recuperation brake to a setpoint braking power that is not greater than the maximum slip-free vehicle braking power for the section of route, and
activating the recuperation brake on the section of route ahead with the setpoint braking power.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input that characterizes the driving style of the section of route ahead further comprises:
(a) vehicle state information output by the vehicle traveling ahead of the motor vehicle, the vehicle state information comprising:
information about an active operation of the driving safety system of the vehicle traveling ahead, or
information about an inclination of the vehicle traveling ahead, or
information about active operation of an ice warning system of the vehicle traveling ahead, or
information regarding a temperature outside of the vehicle, or
(b) information about a distance between the motor vehicle and the vehicle traveling ahead of the motor vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle state information is (a) transmitted directly from the vehicle traveling ahead to the motor vehicle by car-to-car or car-to-X communication using a protocol corresponding to the standard IEEE 802.11p, or (b) transmitted indirectly from the vehicle traveling ahead to a transmission entity comprising the Internet, wherein the transmission entity transmits the vehicle state information directly or indirectly to the motor vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input that characterizes the driving style of the section of route ahead further comprises at least one of:
a driver's request input relating to a time-related or route-related activation of the recuperation brake; or
navigation data of a navigation system of the motor vehicle that characterize a gradient above a predefined limit, a bend radius below a predefined limit, a degree of unevenness above a predefined limit, and/or a traffic regulation prescription for the use of traction assistance measures on the section of route ahead; or
current or general roadway state information related to coefficients of friction of the section of route ahead, current weather conditions, or current traffic conditions of the section of route ahead, which are output by a traffic service; or
vehicle state information that originates from a system or sensor of the motor vehicle; or
stored information about an operation of the recuperation brake of the motor vehicle on the section of route ahead during previous travel along this section of route, or
a combination of the inputs listed above.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, before activating, the braking power of the recuperation brake is set to the setpoint braking power by setting a braking power upper limit to the setpoint braking power, wherein when the recuperation brake is activated, it is operated in compliance with the braking power upper limit.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting comprises reducing the braking power of the recuperation brake to the setpoint braking power or to a braking power value that is lower than the setpoint braking power.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting comprises:
producing a braking value prescription which represents the setpoint braking power or a braking power value which is lower than the setpoint braking power; and
transmitting the braking value prescription to the recuperation brake or to a control device of the recuperation brake and buffering the braking value prescription, wherein before the activation or at the start of the activation of the recuperation brake the braking value prescription is retrieved.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
during the activation of the recuperation brake the motor vehicle is braked with the setpoint braking power, or
during the activation of the recuperation brake the motor vehicle is braked with a total braking power which is less than or equal to the maximum slip-free vehicle braking power, and
wherein, in addition, a friction brake is activated when the recuperation brake is activated.

9. A recuperation brake for a motor vehicle, wherein the recuperation brake comprises an electric machine and a control device connected to the electric machine, wherein
the control device has a radio interface configured to receive an input which characterizes the driving style of a section of route ahead of the motor vehicle;
wherein the input comprises vehicle state information output by a vehicle traveling ahead of the motor vehicle, the information associated with operation of one or more driving safety systems of the vehicle traveling ahead;
the control device comprises an estimating device configured to determine a maximum slip-free vehicle braking power for the section of route as a function of the input;
the control device further comprises a braking power-determining device configured to determine a setpoint braking power which is not greater than the maximum slip-free vehicle braking power for the section of route; and
the control device comprises a control output connected to the electric machine, the control device being configured to output the setpoint braking power in the form of a control signal to the electric machine.

10. The recuperation brake of claim 9 , wherein the control device comprises a radio interface that uses a car-to-car communication standard or car-to-X communication standard according to the standard IEEE 802.11p.

11. The recuperation brake of claim 9 , wherein the input that characterizes the driving style of the section of route ahead further comprises:
(a) vehicle state information output by the vehicle traveling ahead of the motor vehicle, the vehicle state information comprising:
information about an active operation of the driving safety system of the vehicle traveling ahead, or
information about an inclination of the vehicle traveling ahead, or
information about active operation of an ice warning system of the vehicle traveling ahead, or
information regarding a temperature outside of the vehicle, or
(b) information about a distance between the motor vehicle and the vehicle traveling ahead of the motor vehicle.

12. The recuperation brake of claim 10 , wherein the vehicle state information is (a) transmitted directly from the vehicle traveling ahead to the motor vehicle by car-to-car or car-to-X communication using a protocol corresponding to the standard IEEE 802.11p, or (b) transmitted indirectly from the vehicle traveling ahead to a transmission entity comprising the Internet, wherein the transmission entity transmits the vehicle state information directly or indirectly to the motor vehicle.

13. The recuperation brake of claim 9 , wherein the input that characterizes the driving style of the section of route ahead further comprises at least one of:
a driver's request input relating to a time-related or route-related activation of the recuperation brake; or
navigation data of a navigation system of the motor vehicle that characterize a gradient above a pre

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Maiterth Johannes Moritz
• Wegerer Michael

Classifications

• B60L15/2045

  for optimising the use of energy · CPC title

• B60W2556/65

  Data transmitted between vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/163

  involving continuous checking · CPC title

• B60L7/14

  for vehicles propelled by AC motors · CPC title

• B60W30/18127

  Regenerative braking · CPC title