It is known that an engine management of a motor vehicle includes an auxiliary system controller. Auxiliary systems are, for example, components, such as an air-conditioner compressor, generator, fan, power-steering pump, heater, etc. For each auxiliary system the auxiliary system controller includes one or multiple switch-off conditions in whose presence the operation of the respective auxiliary system is prohibited or the respective auxiliary system is restricted in its performance. The operating conditions of the motor vehicle and of the respective auxiliary system are separately recorded for each auxiliary system. The switch-off conditions for each auxiliary system are thus specifically recorded and applied in the corresponding auxiliary system module.
The method and the device according to the present invention for operating a motor vehicle including auxiliary systems have the advantage that, in the event of the specification of at least one switch-off condition for multiple auxiliary systems, the presence of the at least one switch-off condition for the auxiliary systems is centrally checked as a function of an operating state of the motor vehicle. In this way, one switch-off condition which applies to multiple auxiliary systems needs to be centrally defined and stored only once. Therefore, the switch-off condition does not have to be defined and stored separately for each auxiliary system, thereby saving memory space and computer expenditure. Therefore, the presence of the switch-off condition is checked for centrally so that a comparatively complex check for each affected auxiliary system may be dispensed with. The central check of the switch-off conditions for multiple auxiliary systems results in increased clarity so that interactions and dependencies of the auxiliary systems may be taken into account.
It is particularly advantageous to check the presence of the at least one switch-off condition in a control center outside the auxiliary systems. Due to the control center, a higher-level unit is available which enables a coordination of the switch off of different auxiliary systems in the presence of one switch-off condition in a particularly simple manner.
A further advantage arises when the presence of the at least one switch-off condition is checked in precisely one of the auxiliary systems or in an auxiliary system module assigned to that auxiliary system. In this way, an auxiliary system may be selected for the central check for the presence of the switch-off condition so that a separate control center may be saved.
Furthermore, it is advantageous if, in the presence of the at least one switch-off condition, a switch-off signal or a performance reduction signal is centrally transmitted to the auxiliary systems to be switched off or to be reduced in their performance. In this way, the switch off or the performance reduction of the auxiliary systems in the presence of the switch-off condition may be implemented in a particularly simple and inexpensive manner.
Interactions and dependencies of the auxiliary systems may be taken into account in a simple manner due to the fact that, in the presence of the at least one switch-off condition, the auxiliary systems to be switched off or to be reduced in their performance are switched off or reduced in their performance in a coordinated manner.
A further advantage arises when the auxiliary systems are switched off or reduced in their performance in a predefined sequence. This makes it possible to implement a central coordination in a simple and effective manner.
A further advantage arises when a switch-off condition which is specific for this auxiliary system or the assigned auxiliary system module is checked in at least one of the auxiliary systems or in the auxiliary system module assigned to that auxiliary system. In this way it is possible to also take into account auxiliary system-specific switch-off conditions which do not apply to all auxiliary systems.
In
First means 35 check whether the full-load operating state of the motor vehicle is present. If this is the case, they generate a first switch-off signal A1 and convey it to central check means 25 which are also referred to below as the control center. Second means 40 check whether the acceleration operating state of the motor vehicle is present. If this is the case, they generate a second switch-off signal A2 and convey it to control center 25. Third means 45 check whether the starting state of the motor vehicle is present. If this is the case, they generate a third switch-off signal A3 and convey it to control center 25. Fourth means 50 check whether the vehicle system voltage is below the predefined threshold value. If this is the case, they generate a fourth switch-off signal A4 and convey it to control center 25. Control center 25 coordinates switch-off signals Al, A2, A3, A4 received from means 35, 40, 45, 50. These switch-off signals A1, A2, A3, A4 are signals which indicate the fulfillment of a switch-off condition which is dependent on an operating state of the motor vehicle and which is relevant for multiple auxiliary systems of the motor vehicle. These are not signals which indicate the fulfillment of a switch-off condition which depends on a particular auxiliary system itself, i.e., being specific for only the particular auxiliary system and not for other auxiliary systems. Such signals are generated by the individual auxiliary systems themselves or by corresponding auxiliary system modules which are assigned to the individual auxiliary systems and detect the operating state of the individual auxiliary systems.
Control center 25 may also be implemented in an engine management of the motor vehicle in the form of software and/or hardware. Control center 25 coordinates the switch off or performance reduction of multiple auxiliary systems of the motor vehicle when at least one switch-off signal A1, A2, A3, A4 is present. This coordination may mean, for example, that the individual auxiliary systems are switched off or reduced in their performance in a different chronological sequence as a function of triggering switch-off signal(s) A1, A2, A3, A4. Coordination essentially means in this example to form a sequence for the switch off or performance reduction of the auxiliary systems and to indicate for each auxiliary system how significantly its performance should be reduced and, in the extreme case, whether the auxiliary system should be switched off. For this purpose, control center 25 generates suitable switch-off signals or performance reduction signals AN1, AN2, AN3, AN4, AN5 for individual auxiliary systems 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 according to
Based on means 35, 40, 45, 50, it is thus checked at a central point of device 30 whether one or multiple switch-off conditions exist which, dependent on an operating state of the motor vehicle, are relevant for multiple auxiliary systems. The presence of this at least one switch-off condition is thus checked outside auxiliary systems 1, 5, 10, 15, 20. As described, the check is performed in means 35, 40, 45, 50 centrally for all auxiliary systems 1, 5, 10, 15, 20. In addition, the presence of the at least one switch-off condition is checked in control center 25 on the basis of switch-off signals A1, A2, A3, A4. Alternatively it may be provided that the check on the presence of the at least one switch-off condition takes place in precisely one of auxiliary systems 1, 5, 10,15, 20 or in a module assigned to that auxiliary system, whereby the function of control center 25 or means 35, 40, 45, 50 is shifted to this auxiliary system or the assigned module. Control center 25 is not needed in this case.
If the at least one switch-off condition is present, one or multiple switch off or performance reduction signals are transmitted centrally, i.e., from control center 25 or from the analyzing auxiliary system or auxiliary system module, to those auxiliary systems 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 whose performance should be reduced or switched off when the at least one switch-off condition is present. According to the example in
As described, this coordination may mean that auxiliary systems 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 to be switched off or reduced in their performance are switched off or reduced in their performance in a predefined sequence. The predefined sequence may be suitably selected as a function of the respectively present switch-off condition or switch-off conditions.
As described, it may additionally be provided that a switch-off condition which is specific only for this auxiliary system, but not for the other auxiliary systems, is checked in at least one of auxiliary systems 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 or in a module assigned to this auxiliary system. As a result, switch-off conditions are also taken into account which do not depend on the operating state of the motor vehicle and are not relevant for multiple auxiliary systems, but rather relate specifically to only a single auxiliary system and its operating state.
Device 30 according to
A specific example of a sequence of the method according to the present invention is subsequently given based on the sequence diagram in
At program point 105, control center 25 determines a switch off or performance reduction strategy of auxiliary systems 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, which is predefined for the event that a vehicle system voltage is below the predefined threshold value and which may be stored in control center 25 or in a memory assigned to control center 25. This switch off or performance reduction strategy is subsequently implemented. This means in the present case, for example, that at a program point 110 a switch-off signal AN1 is initially transmitted to generator 1, whereby generator 1 is switched off. At a program point 115, a performance reduction signal AN2 is subsequently transmitted to heater 5 via which the performance of heater 5 is reduced to a first predefined value. At a program point 120, a switch-off signal AN3 is subsequently transmitted to air-conditioner compressor 10, whereby air-conditioner compressor 10 is switched off. At a program point 125, a performance reduction signal AN4 is subsequently transmitted to fan 15 via which the performance of fan 15 is reduced to a second predefined value. At a program point 130, a switch-off signal AN5 is subsequently transmitted to power-steering pump 20, whereby power-steering pump 20 is switched off.
The program is subsequently exited. The sequence diagram in
The predefined switch off or performance reduction strategy of auxiliary systems 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 thus makes it possible to individually configure the response of each auxiliary system in the presence of the corresponding switch-off condition, in the above-described example on the basis of the extent of the performance reduction for the particular auxiliary system, and to simultaneously adjust the response of the rest of the affected auxiliary systems in a suitable manner, in the above-described example by establishing a certain sequence of the switch off or performance reduction of the individual auxiliary systems.
In the exemplary embodiment according to
Furthermore, the described switch-off coordination of the auxiliary systems may be refined in such a way that different switch-off sequences, switch-off periods and/or performance reduction degrees are predefined for a repeated switch off of the auxiliary systems in order to prevent, for example, that one auxiliary system is permanently switched on and off in the repeated presence of the corresponding switch-off condition.
In the case of air-conditioner compressor 10, the air-conditioner compressor pressure should be noted as an example of an auxiliary system-specific switch-off condition. If the air-conditioner compressor pressure exceeds a predefined threshold value, air-conditioner compressor 10 is switched off because of a burst hazard. This switch-off condition is checked in air-conditioner compressor 10 itself or in a module assigned to air-conditioner compressor 10, with the aid of a pressure sensor, for example. The mentioned switch-off condition is only relevant for air-conditioner compressor 10 and not for the rest of the auxiliary systems.
On omission of the centrally or specifically checked switch-off conditions, the affected auxiliary systems may be appropriately switched on again, i.e., also in any predefined sequence and in any predefined performance degree.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102004019774.1 | Apr 2004 | DE | national |