阅读说明：本技术 用于控制车队的领队车辆的行驶行为的方法 (Method for controlling the driving behavior of lead vehicles of a platoon ) 是由 F·黑克尔 U·古克尔 A·穆斯塔法 于 2018-12-06 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种由领队第一机动车(2)和至少一个第二机动车(4、6、8、10、12)组成的松散耦合的或待松散耦合的车队(1)的领队第一车辆(2)在所述车队(1)行驶期间的行驶行为和制动行为的方法,其中,领导所述车队(1)的第一机动车(2)和所述至少一个第二机动车(4、6、8、10、12)分别构成所述车队(1)的参与者。本发明的特征在于,在所述车队(1)的行驶开始之前,已经由所述车队(1)的每个参与者(2、4、6、8、10、12)自行求取或获得了表征相关参与者(2、4、6、8、10、12)的关于行驶开始之前的时间点存在的行驶行为和制动行为的参与者数据,并且由不同于所述领队第一机动车(2)的至少一个参与者(4、6、8、10、12)传送给领队第一机动车(2),和/或涉及至少一个参与者(4、6、8、10、12)关于所述车队(1)在外部的基础设施(X),该外部基础设置可以先前从所有参与者(2、4、6、8、10、12)得到由所有参与者(2、4、6、8、10、12)自行求取或获得的参与者数据。(The invention relates to a method for driving and braking a first vehicle (2) of a fleet of loosely coupled or to be loosely coupled vehicles (1) consisting of a first vehicle (2) and at least one second vehicle (4, 6, 8, 10, 12), wherein the first vehicle (2) and the at least one second vehicle (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) of the fleet of vehicles (1) each form a participant of the fleet of vehicles (1). The invention is characterized in that prior to the start of the driving of the vehicle platoon (1), participant data characterizing the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the relevant participant (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) existing at a point in time prior to the start of the driving of the vehicle platoon (1) are automatically ascertained or obtained by each participant (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) and are transmitted by at least one participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) different from the first motor vehicle (2) of the lead to the first motor vehicle (2) of the lead and/or an infrastructure (X) relating to the outside of the vehicle platoon (1) of at least one participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12), which can be previously derived from all participants (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) by all participants (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12), 10. 12) participant data that is self-derived or obtained.)

1. Method for controlling or regulating a driving behavior and a braking behavior of a first lead vehicle (2) of a loosely coupled or to be loosely coupled vehicle platoon (1) consisting of a first lead vehicle (2) and at least one second vehicle (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) during driving of the vehicle platoon (1), wherein

a) The first motor vehicle (2) and the at least one second motor vehicle (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) leading the vehicle platoon (1) each form a participant of the vehicle platoon (1),

b) prior to the start of a journey of the vehicle team (1), participant data characterizing the relevant participants (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) with respect to a driving behavior and a braking behavior occurring at a point in time prior to the start of the journey are already determined by themselves by each participant (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) of the vehicle team (1), and

b1) transmitting the participant data to the lead first motor vehicle (2) by at least one participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) different from the lead first motor vehicle (2), and/or

b2) Transmitting, by at least one participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12), the participant data to an infrastructure (X) external with respect to the fleet (1), and wherein

c) Thereafter, but still before the start of the driving, an internal specification is determined by the leading first motor vehicle (2) of the platoon (1) or an external specification is determined by the external infrastructure (X) for the driving and braking behavior of the leading first motor vehicle (2) during the driving, in relation to the participant data of each participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) of the platoon (1), wherein,

d) during the driving of the platoon (1), a driving behavior and a braking behavior of the lead first vehicle (2) are determined in relation to the internal predefinable or in relation to the external predefinable.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a part of the participant data is absolute participant data and/or at least a part of the participant data is relative participant data, which data are determined in relation to roads or driving routes to be driven by the platoon (1) and known before the start of driving.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the relative participant data are formed in relation to driving operating conditions which exist along a road or a driving route to be driven and which are known before the start of driving.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that said driving operating conditions comprise at least the following: the coefficient of friction and/or the inclination and/or the drop height and/or the curvature of the road or the route being traveled or to be traveled.

5. The method according to any of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the absolute participant data is fixedly predefined.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the absolute participant data are formed with respect to predefined or predetermined driving operating conditions.

7. The method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the participant data characterizing the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the relevant participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) comprise at least the following data of the relevant participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12):

a) acceleration behavior of the relevant participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12), in particular engine power, engine torque characteristic curve, current transmission ratio of the drive train, maximum possible acceleration and/or drive force, and/or

(b) Deceleration behaviour of the concerned participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12), in particular the maximum possible deceleration of the vehicle, the slip of the tyre, the value of the braking characteristic, the longitudinal and transverse stiffness of the tyre, and/or

(c) The rollover limit and/or the rollover limit of the relevant participants (4, 6, 8, 10, 12), in particular the turning limit speed, the loading distribution and/or the height of the center of gravity, and/or

(d) Data concerning the steering system of the relevant participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12), in particular the position of the wheels of the steering shaft, the steering angle of the wheels of the steering shaft and/or the steering torque consumed,

(e) the highest speed of the concerned participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12).

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the self-determination of the participant data by the participant (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) is carried out by means of sensors and/or electronic evaluation devices arranged on or in the relevant participant (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12).

9. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a direct or indirect vehicle-to-vehicle communication (14) between at least one second motor vehicle (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) and a lead first motor vehicle (2) and/or a direct or indirect vehicle-to-X communication (16) between a lead first motor vehicle (2) and the external infrastructure (X) is carried out before the start of the driving of the platoon (1).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the first participant data characterizing the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the lead first motor vehicle (2) and/or the second participant data characterizing the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the at least one second motor vehicle (4a, 4b, 4c, 6, 8) are determined by the respective motor vehicle (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) itself.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the second participant data determined by the at least one second motor vehicle (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) is transmitted to the lead first motor vehicle (2) by means of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication (14).

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that first participant data ascertained by itself by the lead first motor vehicle (2) and second participant data ascertained by itself by the at least one second motor vehicle (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) are transmitted by the lead first motor vehicle (2) to the external infrastructure (X) or requested by the external infrastructure (X) by means of the vehicle-to-X communication (16).

13. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the lead first motor vehicle (2) interrogates or obtains first participant data and/or second participant data by means of the vehicle-to-X communication (16) from an external infrastructure (X) which has previously obtained these data by means of the vehicle-to-X communication (16) from the lead first motor vehicle (2) and/or from the at least one second participant (4, 6, 8, 10, 12).

14. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the external infrastructure (X) determines the external specification based on the first participant data and based on the second participant data.

15. The method according to claim 11 or 13, characterized in that the lead first motor vehicle (2) determines the internal predefining based on the first participant data and based on the second participant data.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method for controlling or regulating the driving behavior of a first lead vehicle of a loosely coupled or to be loosely coupled vehicle fleet consisting of a first lead vehicle and at least one second vehicle during the driving of the vehicle fleet according to the preamble of claim 1.

Background

Such a loosely coupled fleet comprises at least a first and a last vehicle, and possibly intermediate vehicles. It is therefore known to drive vehicles electronically coupled, distance-controlled and lateral-controlled, as closely as possible one after the other. In this case, the respective following vehicle is oriented in such a way that it travels optically forward. All motor vehicles are equipped with sensors for blind spot monitoring and rear area monitoring and sensors for road orientation, as well as at least means for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Such loosely coupled fleets or columns of vehicles of motor vehicles are commonly referred to in the literature as "flees".

In this case, the motor vehicle is coupled via a corresponding driver assistance system for automatic distance maintenance (also referred to as ACC system — adaptive cruise control) not mechanically but electronically. For this purpose, the real-time distance to the vehicle driving in front can be determined by sensors in the vehicle driving in the rear and adjusted to a predefined setpoint value, for example 8 meters. For example, radar sensors or lidar sensors may be used for distance measurement.

In tight fleet driving during driving in excess of about 80km/h, the air resistance of the fleet vehicles is reduced by up to 30%. In this case, a typical distance between a vehicle traveling ahead and a vehicle following behind is in the range from 8 meters to 20 meters, which contributes to a significant reduction in air resistance. The smaller the distance between the participating vehicles, the smaller the air resistance of the individual vehicle. In order to significantly reduce the air resistance, a higher demand is placed on the driving assistance system for automatic distance maintenance due to the smaller distance.

Exemplary methods for electronically coupling vehicles into a fleet of vehicles by means of driver assistance systems are described in DE 102007046765 a1 or EP 1569183 a 2.

The following requirements are particularly imposed on the control and regulation of the vehicle fleet:

the participating vehicles comply with a defined tolerance with respect to each other at a short longitudinal distance (e.g. 8 to 20 meters).

-automatic lateral lead of the following vehicle in the road of the lead vehicle as accurately as possible.

Ensuring the stability of the fleet, i.e. in particular avoiding the "accordion effect" (chain stability — queue stability), which not only leads to increased consumption, but also significantly increases the risk of collision accidents. The longitudinal and transverse leaders are in this case subject to chain stability.

Small variations in the speed of vehicles travelling in front of the fleet cannot be implemented intensively by following vehicles behind.

For a lead in the transverse direction, no cornering and thus no departure from the road are allowed in the rear following motor vehicle.

In the case of strong braking of the lead vehicle, the following vehicle has a braking reaction fast enough to avoid a rear-end collision.

Compliance with the above requirements is made difficult by the differences in technical equipment and characteristics of the vehicles participating in the fleet, such as engine power of the individual vehicles, available power of the downhill creep brakes or service brakes, vehicle configuration, loading conditions and tire characteristics.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is to develop a method of the type mentioned above such that the safety, stability and economy of a vehicle fleet consisting of loosely coupled motor vehicles are increased.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

The invention relates to a method for controlling or regulating the driving behavior or the action of a first vehicle of a lead fleet of a loosely coupled or to be loosely coupled fleet of first and at least one second vehicle during the driving of the fleet, wherein,

a) the first motor vehicle and the at least one second motor vehicle leading the vehicle fleet each form a participant of the vehicle fleet,

according to the present invention, there is provided,

b) before the start of the driving of the vehicle team, the data of the participants representing the driving behavior or action and the braking behavior or action of the relevant participants relative to the time point before the start of the driving are automatically obtained by each participant (2) of the vehicle team, and

b1) transmitting the participant data to the lead first motor vehicle (2) by at least one participant different from the lead first motor vehicle, and/or

b2) Transmitting, by at least one participant, the participant data to an infrastructure (X) external with respect to the vehicle fleet (1), and

(c) thereafter, but also before the start of the (first) driving, an internal specification is determined by the first motor vehicle of the fleet or an external specification is determined by an external base setting for the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the first vehicle of the fleet during the driving in relation to the participant data of each participant of the fleet

(d) During the driving of the platoon, a driving behavior and a braking behavior of the first vehicle of the lead are determined in relation to the internal predefinable or in relation to the external predefinable.

A fleet of vehicles to be loosely coupled is to be understood as a fleet of vehicles in which the participants are about to be coupled to each other into a loose fleet of vehicles, that is, when a decision has been made to actually allow all previously selected participants to join the fleet of vehicles.

A loosely coupled platoon is understood as a platoon in which the participants have been electronically coupled to each other, so that a decision has been made about the coupling of these participants in the platoon.

The participant data characterizing the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the relevant participants are understood to be all those data which can influence the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the relevant participants of the fleet, for example the driving power of the driving machine, the maximum applicable acceleration, the maximum applicable braking or deceleration of the service brake device, the weight, the load, the center of gravity level, the braking slip behavior and the driving slip behavior of the relevant participants.

The participant data which characterize the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the relevant participant which are present in relation to the point in time before the start of the driving means participant data which are already present or are present in the relevant participant before the start of the driving of the participant. Such "historical" participant data with respect to the beginning of a (first) run of the platoon allows for an inference of the (future) running behavior and braking behavior of the relevant participant during the run of the platoon and is therefore relevant for determining an internal or external pre-setting.

For example, friction-based service brakes of the participants of the platoon have a high wear before the start of the driving of the platoon, which means that the maximum applicable deceleration of the relevant participant at the time of braking is small. These participant data of the relevant participants have the following consequences in the internal or external predefined aspects: these consequences are determined by the lead first vehicle or by an external infrastructure in controlling or regulating the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the lead first vehicle during the driving of the fleet. For example, within a predefined category, internal or external, the maximum speed of the lead first vehicle during travel of the platoon may be limited and the distance d between the participants of the platoon may be increased.

The term "obtaining or ascertaining the participant data by the participant itself" is to be understood to mean that the relevant participant itself has the corresponding sensor device and possibly also its own electronic evaluation device, in order to be able to sense at least part of the participant data characterizing its driving behavior and braking behavior by itself and possibly to evaluate it analytically and possibly also to store it in a vehicle-mounted storage medium.

However, the expression "obtaining or ascertaining the participant data by the participant itself" is also to be understood to mean that the relevant participant himself reads the participant data or a part of the participant data previously stored there from the on-board storage medium of the relevant participant. For example, it is conceivable in this respect that at least a part of the participant data is read into the storage medium by plant personnel who have waited for the relevant participant by the plant.

An external infrastructure is to be understood here as meaning a mobile or fixed unit or structure which is arranged on the one hand outside or outside the vehicle fleet and on the other hand has the authority to determine the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the loosely coupled vehicle fleet during driving in relation to the external specification determined by the external infrastructure. Such an external infrastructure may be, in particular, a national, public or regional administrative organ. The communication between the motor vehicle and such an infrastructure is via so-called vehicle-to-X communication.

In this case, the participant data which characterize the current driving behavior and the braking behavior of the relevant participant or which are present at least one past point in time can be requested by the relevant participant via the external infrastructure, for example by means of vehicle-to-X communication, and then be obtained by the external infrastructure via the relevant participant, and stored, for example, in a storage medium of the external infrastructure. This may be done in particular already at a point in time at which the relevant participant is only a potential future participant of the fleet that is still to be formed at any time in the future. As a result of the storage of the participant data characterizing the relevant participants, these can be recalled at any time, in particular via (future) lead first motor vehicles of any vehicle fleet still to be formed or already formed.

The term "predefined" in the context of the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the first motor vehicle of the lead during the driving of the vehicle fleet is to be understood as meaning a predefined condition by means of which the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the first motor vehicle of the lead can be automatically influenced, changed or limited.

For example, the braking specification can consist in: the leader first motor vehicle is braked with a maximum deceleration which corresponds at most to the smallest maximum applicable acceleration and deceleration of all the maximum applicable accelerations and decelerations of all the participants in order to prevent a participant following the participant applying this smallest maximum deceleration from hitting this participant too closely in the case of braking, i.e. when the leader first motor vehicle has to be braked.

For example, the acceleration can be predefined in that the first motor vehicle in the fleet accelerates with a maximum acceleration which corresponds at most to the smallest maximum applicable acceleration of all the maximum applicable accelerations of all the participants, in order to prevent the fleet from pulling apart too far in the case of an acceleration, that is to say when the first motor vehicle in the fleet accelerates.

Furthermore, the speed for driving on curves can be predefined, for example, in that the driving speed of the first motor vehicle in the leader is limited to a maximum driving speed which corresponds to a limit speed at which the most tumbling or tipping participant has not yet tumbled or tipped.

Of course, the "weakest" participant with "worst" participant data about driving behavior and braking, among all participants of the platoon, may also be the lead first motor vehicle.

In particular, the internal and/or external specification is preferably determined by the lead first motor vehicle or by the external infrastructure after the formation of the vehicle fleet from all the participants but before the start of the common driving of the vehicle fleet. Alternatively, if all participants have already reported in the lead first motor vehicle or in an external structure a vehicle group participating in the planning, but in some cases the participation has not yet been allowed, internal and/or external presettings may also have been determined before the vehicle group is formed.

The method according to the invention therefore increases the safety and the economy of the operation of a fleet of loosely coupled motor vehicles or motor vehicles to be coupled, since the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the first motor vehicle of the lead are aligned with the "weakest" participants of the fleet with respect to driving behavior and braking behavior.

The first aspect of the invention can be advantageously extended and improved by the measures listed in the dependent claims.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method, at least a part of the participant data can be absolute participant data and/or at least a part of the participant data can be relative participant data, which are determined in relation to a road or a driving route to be traveled by the vehicle platoon and known before the start of the driving.

The relative participant data can be configured in particular in relation to the driving operating conditions, which are present along the road or the driving route to be traveled and known before the start of the driving.

For example, the running operation conditions may include at least the following: the coefficient of friction and/or the inclination and/or the drop height and/or the curvature of the road or route traveled or to be traveled over.

The driving operating conditions that exist along the road or driving route to be traveled by the fleet of vehicles may be ascertained, for example, by GPS on the first vehicle, or may also originate from an external infrastructure that communicates these driving operating conditions to the lead first vehicle, for example, via vehicle-to-X communication.

Thus, if a steep gradient of the road or travel route to be traveled by the vehicle fleet is sought or known prior to the start of the journey, for example by means of a GPS in the first motor vehicle of the fleet, and if the maximum drive power of the motor vehicle is comparatively low in at least one participant of the vehicle fleet at the same time, the travel speed of the first motor vehicle, for example when it travels through a gradient, can be predefined in accordance with the interior of the first motor vehicle of the fleet to avoid the vehicle fleet being pulled away. The driving power of at least one participant is therefore too low to be able to drive through the gradient at a certain speed in relation to the gradient of the road, so that the participant data of the at least one participant is relative participant data relating to the driving route or road to be driven through. In contrast, when driving in a plane, the driving power of at least one participant is sufficient to enable the fleet to travel at a certain minimum driving speed without pulling the distance apart.

With regard to the relative participant data, it is also conceivable, for example, that the coefficient of friction of the road of the route to be traveled by the fleet is relatively low due to rain, snow or ice and therefore the participant can quickly assume an unstable driving situation without driving dynamics control or without functional driving dynamics control. For example, the information about the local low friction coefficient of the roads of the driving route to be traveled by the platoon may originate from an external infrastructure, for example, and may in turn be transmitted from the external infrastructure to the lead first motor vehicle, for example, via a vehicle-to-X communication. As an external or internal specification, for example, the maximum speed of the first motor vehicle in the convoy when driving through a slippery tunnel can be reduced.

According to another example of relative participant data, the external infrastructure may transmit the current large curvature or very small curve radius of the curve of the road or driving route to be driven by the platoon to the lead first motor vehicle by means of vehicle-to-X communication, and at the same time a relatively high level of center of gravity is present in at least one of the participants of the platoon, so that for example as a pre-set transmitted from the external infrastructure to the outside of the lead first motor vehicle, for example by means of vehicle-to-X communication, the speed of the lead first motor vehicle when driving through the curve is reduced in order to avoid a rollover of the participant with a high center of gravity when driving through the curve.

Alternatively or additionally, however, absolute participant data may also be predefined, which are formed, for example, in relation to predefined or predetermined driving operating conditions. For example, the predefined or predetermined driving operating condition can be defined by a driving operating condition range in which the motor vehicle is normally operated or is to be operated when the motor vehicle is driving over a driving route or road to be traveled over.

According to one embodiment, the participant data characterizing the current or present driving and braking behavior of the relevant participant at least one past point in time can comprise at least the following data of the relevant participant:

a) acceleration behavior of the relevant participant, in particular engine power, engine torque characteristic curve, existing transmission ratio of the drive train, maximum possible acceleration and/or drive force, and/or

(b) Deceleration behavior of the relevant participant, in particular the maximum possible deceleration, the tire slip, the braking characteristic value, the longitudinal stiffness and the transverse stiffness of the tire, and/or

(c) Rollover limit and/or rollover limit of the relevant participants, in particular turning limit speed, loading distribution and/or height of center of gravity, and/or

(d) Data relating to the steering system of the relevant participant, in particular the wheel position of the steering shaft, the steering angle of the wheels of the steering shaft and/or the steering torque applied or consumed,

(e) the highest speed of the relevant participant.

In particular, the participant data are preferably determined automatically by the motor vehicle or by the participants by means of sensors and/or electronic evaluation devices arranged on or in the respective motor vehicle/participant.

For example, a brake lining wear sensor can be provided which generates a signal corresponding to the current wear of the brake lining of the service brake of the relevant participant. Thus, for example, in a participant, the vehicle-mounted sensor device, in particular the brake lining wear sensor device, should determine that the wear of the brake linings of the friction brake system of the participant is at a high level, and an external specification may exist for limiting or reducing the maximum speed of the vehicle fleet during driving relative to the maximum speed of the brake linings with no or little wear.

In connection with pressure medium-operated service braking devices, if the brake pressure generated, for example, during braking before the start of driving in relation to the fleet is sensed by at least one pressure sensor and stored in the storage medium, the service braking device of the participant in relation to the pressure signal of the at least one pressure sensor used for generating the participant data can also be taken into account.

In general, any type of sensor is conceivable, which is suitable for sensing performance data or status data of at least one component of the participant, which are associated with the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the relevant participant.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the participant data can be stored in the onboard data memory of the relevant participant before the start of the journey or can be transmitted to an external data memory of the infrastructure outside the participant by means of vehicle-to-X communication and stored there. In the respective memory, therefore, for example, "historical" type participant data and in particular wear data of the service brake device of the participant are recorded. The participant data can be read from the data memory and transmitted to the first motor vehicle in the lead by means of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication in order to determine an internal specification on the basis of the participant data.

The classification of the driving behavior and braking behavior expected by the relevant participants in the fleet during driving can also be based on the participant data of the participants.

As mentioned above, before the (first) driving of the platoon is started, a direct or indirect vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the respective second motor vehicle and the lead first motor vehicle and/or a direct or indirect vehicle-to-X communication between the lead first motor vehicle and the external infrastructure may be performed or carried out.

For example, before the start of driving, first participant data which characterize the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the first motor vehicle in the lead and/or second participant data which characterize the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the at least one second motor vehicle can be determined by the respective motor vehicle itself.

By means of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication, second participant data determined by the at least one second motor vehicle itself can be transmitted to the lead first motor vehicle.

The first participant data determined by the lead first motor vehicle itself and the second participant data determined by the at least one second motor vehicle itself can also be transmitted from the lead first motor vehicle to an external infrastructure or requested by an external infrastructure setting by means of a vehicle-to-X communication.

According to one embodiment, the first motor vehicle of the convoy can request or obtain first participant data and/or second participant data from the external infrastructure by means of the vehicle-to-X communication, which participant data have been previously obtained from the first motor vehicle of the convoy and/or from at least one second participant or motor vehicle by the external infrastructure by means of the vehicle-to-X communication.

The external infrastructure may also determine an external specification based on the first participant data and based on the second participant data.

Alternatively or additionally, the leader first motor vehicle may determine an internal specification based on the first participant data and based on the second participant data.

The inventive concept therefore relates to a method for longitudinal or lateral control/adjustment of a platoon in order to control/adjust the distance between the individual participants and to keep it as stable as possible.

The driving behavior and the braking behavior of a loosely coupled fleet of vehicles and thus the internal and/or external presettings are determined differently, for example, with respect to three driving and braking situations:

A) the lead first vehicle is braked at a small deceleration (deceleration e.g. less than normal steady running)<3m/s²)。

B) The first vehicle of the leading team braking at a high deceleration (deceleration e.g. deceleration)>3m/s²) The driving dynamics stabilization intervention is carried out by the ABS, ASR and/or ESP in at least one participant.

C) The first motor vehicle is subjected to intensive braking (emergency braking) by the lead, including driving dynamics stabilization interventions by the ABS, ASR and/or ESP in at least one participant.

Normal steady running:

in normal stationary driving according to the letter a) described above, the participants of the platoon drive one after the other at relatively small distances. In order to maintain this driving situation, only a slight adaptation of the braking and a moderate change of the driving direction are required. All the participants following the first motor vehicle in the lead have the necessary engine power in order to be able to drive with their current load even on a slope at the predetermined speed of the first motor vehicle in the lead. All participants also have, for example, downhill creep brakes in order to be able to drive at the speed of the lead first motor vehicle also on a downhill slope. The service brakes (friction brakes) should be used only for a short time in order to avoid overheating and the resulting brake failure. The coefficient of friction of the road is sufficiently high that driver assistance systems such as ABS and/or ESP do not have to intervene. The first motor vehicle of the lead team should be aware of the available power and possible limits of the other following participants in order to select a suitable driving speed of the fleet.

For example, the speed of the fleet is bounded, for example, as described above, on the one hand by the engine power in combination with the corresponding loading and, on the other hand, also by the turning limit speed based on the level of the center of gravity of the "weakest" participant in this respect. In the case of a participant whose engine power is too low, the distance between the participant and the participant driving in front of the participant increases strongly. On the other hand, if the first motor vehicle in the lead travels faster than the permitted turning limit speed of one of the other participants, the driving dynamics control (ESP or rollover stabilization program) installed on the relevant participant, for example, brakes the relevant participant by braking intervention to the turning limit speed applicable to this participant. The fleet can therefore pull the relevant participants apart, too, and in addition ESP braking interventions can be carried out with great difficulty, so that the relevant participants have problems in complying with the predefined distances relative to the relevant participants.

The speed of the first lead vehicle of the platoon is thus determined, for example, as an internal specification, for example, in relation to the rollover or rollover behavior of the rear following participant, which in this respect is the "weakest" participant of the platoon. The rollover or rollover characteristics of the participants in turn depend on vehicle mass, loading distribution, and turning limit speed.

Preferably, the electronic brake control of the preferably electric or electropneumatic service brake device of the participants of the vehicle fleet determines, for example, a rollover characteristic and/or a rollover characteristic of the respective participant for each participant and informs the "control entity" of the vehicle fleet in the form of a lead first motor vehicle and/or in the form of an external structure, so that the lead first motor vehicle can determine or predetermine an internal specification and/or the external structure can determine or predetermine an external specification.

Driving with stable intervention (ABS, ESP):

in such a driving operation according to the above-mentioned letter B), a stabilization intervention by the driving dynamics control system (ABS, ESP) occurs as a function of the situation.

The driving and braking behavior of a loosely coupled platoon and thus the control/regulation strategy during such driving may consist in having the platoon pulled apart by a distance to increase the distance d between the participants and thereby reduce the risk of rear-end collisions. The distance d between the two participants is therefore increased in the case of B) relative to the distance in the case of normal, steady driving according to the letter a).

Braking by the leading first vehicle (emergency braking) is intensive:

in this case according to the letter C) above, an obstacle suddenly appears in front of the first vehicle in the lead, which obstacle forces the driver or the autopilot of this vehicle to actually make an emergency braking with the greatest possible deceleration.

But creates a dilemma. I.e. it is possible in practice to brake in the leading first motor vehicle with the maximum available deceleration there in order to keep the risk of collision with an obstacle or the collision speed as low as possible. In order that the following participants do not collide with one another, but can only brake with a maximum deceleration of the participant that brakes "weakest", which is considered to be smaller in contrast to this. This results in the lead first motor vehicle braking at a smaller, i.e., relatively smaller, maximum deceleration rate of the "weakest" participant on the basis of an internal specification determined by the "weakest" participant in terms of braking. Therefore, the collision risk or the collision speed with the obstacle may increase.

This dilemma can be avoided according to the invention by adjusting or controlling/regulating the speed of the lead first motor vehicle, for example by means of a defined internal and/or external presetting, such that no collision or only a low collision speed occurs even when the lead first motor vehicle is subjected to the above-described emergency braking with a relatively low deceleration, which is aligned with the "weakest" participant.

Thus, internal and/or external presets are preferably already determined before the start of the first run of the platoon, which is an active control/regulation of the driving behavior of the first motor vehicle in the lead. Thus, the internal and/or external predefined preferences have been determined before the first co-driving of the vehicle fleet and are determined during the first co-driving or during the following driving

Reaction to component failure:

during fleet operation, failures or faults in participant components may occur that affect both driving and braking behavior. Thus, the longitudinal guidance and the transverse guidance of the platoon can be taken over by redundant actuators and sensors.

From the useful power of the redundant actuators and sensors, a risk assessment can be carried out: with the redundant device it is possible to continue driving for a long time and when it is necessary to stop the participant in connection with the failure or malfunction by taking "minimum risk manoeuvres" in order to create a safe driving situation.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are described in detail in the following description. Shown in the drawings are:

fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a fleet of motor vehicles loosely coupled to each other;

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the fleet of FIG. 1;

fig. 3A schematic side view of the platoon of fig. 1, in which a first embodiment of the method according to the invention is used;

fig. 3B is a schematic side view of the platoon of fig. 1, in which a second embodiment form of the method according to the invention is used.

Fig. 3C is a schematic side view of the platoon of fig. 1, in which a third embodiment form of the method according to the invention is used. .

Fig. 4 is a flow chart of another preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a vehicle fleet 1 of vehicles loosely coupled to each other according to a preferred embodiment. The vehicle fleet 1 comprises a lead vehicle 2 as the foremost vehicle and further vehicles, a second vehicle 4, a third vehicle 6, a fourth vehicle 8 and a fifth vehicle 12 as well as a sixth, rearmost vehicle 12. Instead of the six vehicles shown, the vehicle fleet 1 may also comprise more or fewer vehicles. Fig. 2 shows a side view of the platoon 1 when driving along a left-hand bend of a route travelled by the platoon. The six motor vehicles 2 to 12 each represent a participant of the fleet 10. It is assumed here that the platoon 10 is formed, that is to say that: the vehicles 2 to 12 agree with each other about the fleet 1 that can be formed from all of them.

In the exemplary embodiment, the motor vehicles 2 to 12 are heavy commercial vehicles, each having a drive machine which can be electrically controlled and is embodied here, for example, as an internal combustion engine, an electrically controllable electro-pneumatic service brake device, an electrically controllable electro-pneumatic parking brake device and an electrically controllable steering device.

The motor vehicles or participants 2 to 12 of the platoon 1 can exchange data via vehicle-to-vehicle communication means on board. In the present case, the on-board vehicle-to-vehicle communication device is a wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communication device, wherein each of the motor vehicles 2 to 12 is equipped with a transmitting device and a receiving device. Alternatively, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device may also be embodied as a laser transmitting and receiving device or an infrared transmitting and receiving device. In fig. 2 and in fig. 3A and 3B, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication based on the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device is represented by arrow 14.

In addition, wireless vehicle-to-infrastructure communication devices can also be provided, which are installed, for example, in each of the motor vehicles or the participants 2 to 12 and also comprise a transmitting device and a receiving device. Each of the motor vehicles 2 to 12, and in particular the lead vehicle 2, can thereby communicate with an external, mobile or fixed infrastructure X. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the infrastructure X by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device of the lead vehicle 2 is symbolized by an arrow 16 in fig. 3B and 3C, respectively.

Each of the six motor vehicles 2 to 12 is equipped with a known vehicle following control device which adjusts the longitudinal distance of the motor vehicles 2 to 12 to a specific value d and enables the motor vehicles 4 to 12 to follow the lead vehicle 2 at a distance d from each other. For this purpose, corresponding sensor devices are installed in the motor vehicles 2 to 12, which sensor devices generate, for example, distance data and speed data, which are exchanged via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication 14. Furthermore, each of the motor vehicles 2 to 12 is equipped with an electronic control unit, in which a control and regulation program for the vehicle tracking regulation is executed.

Thus, for each motor vehicle 2 to 12, the vehicle following control device comprises the transmitting and receiving device of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device, the sensor device, the electronic control unit and at least one electrically controllable drive machine, an electrically controllable service brake device and an electrically controllable steering device as actuators.

Based on the distance and speed data received from the electronic control unit of the vehicle tracking control, the electric steering, the electropneumatic brake and the electrically controllable drive machine are automatically electrically actuated in each of the motor vehicles 2 to 12 integrated into the fleet 1 by means of an electric control signal in the context of the vehicle tracking control in order to follow the target trajectory predefined by the lead vehicle 2 at equal intervals, in this case, for example, along a left-hand curve (see fig. 2).

For example, each of the six motor vehicles 2 to 12, as a participant in the vehicle fleet 1, is also equipped with a sensor device which senses participant data of the motor vehicle which characterize its driving behavior and braking behavior and reads it into, for example, an on-board data memory. For example, the participant data characterizing the driving behavior and the braking behavior comprise at least the following data:

a) acceleration behavior of the motor vehicle or of the participants 2 to 12 in question, in particular the engine power, the engine torque characteristic curve, the available transmission ratio of the drive train, the maximum possible acceleration and/or drive force, and/or

b) Deceleration behavior of the motor vehicle or of the participants 2 to 12, in particular the maximum possible deceleration, the slip of the tire, the brake characteristic value, the longitudinal stiffness and the transverse stiffness of the tire, and/or

c) Rollover limit and/or rollover limit of the relevant motor vehicle or participant 2 to 12, in particular cornering limit speed, loading distribution and/or height of center of gravity, and/or

d) Data relating to the steering system of the relevant motor vehicle or participant 2 to 12, in particular the position of the wheels of the steering shaft, the steering angle of the wheels of the steering shaft and/or the applied steering torque,

e) maximum speed of the relevant participant or participants 2 to 12.

These participant data are read into the data memory of the relevant motor vehicle or participant 2 to 12, for example continuously or at time intervals, wherein updated values are always present.

Within the scope of the present invention, a method for controlling or regulating the driving behavior of a lead vehicle 2 is proposed, in which method, prior to the start of driving of the platoon 1, participant data characterizing the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the relevant participant 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 present relative to a point in time 30 prior to the start of driving have been ascertained by each participant 2 to 12 of the platoon 1 and participant data of at least one participant 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, which is not a lead vehicle 2, is transmitted to the lead vehicle 2 and/or the participant data of at least one participant 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 is transmitted to an external infrastructure X relative to the platoon 1.

During the driving of the vehicle platoon (first time and, if necessary, also during at least one of the other driving), the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the lead first vehicle are determined in relation to an internal specification determined before the (first) driving by the lead vehicle of the vehicle platoon 1 and/or in relation to an external specification determined before the (first) driving by the external infrastructure X, wherein the internal specification and/or the external specification are determined in relation to the participant data of each participant 4 to 12 of the vehicle platoon 1.

In the embodiment of fig. 3A, before the first travel of the fleet 1 is started, the participant data is determined in each case, for example, for each participant, i.e., for each of the 5 motor vehicles 4 to 12 following the lead vehicle 2, and is transmitted by vehicle-to-vehicle communication 14 either directly or indirectly to the lead vehicle 2, and then, for example, from the sixth motor vehicle 12 to the fifth motor vehicle 10 located in front of the sixth motor vehicle, and from there again to the fourth motor vehicle 8 located in front of the sixth motor vehicle, and so on and stored, for example, in an electronic service brake controller of an electrically controllable service brake of the lead vehicle 2, and evaluated in an evaluation manner if necessary. The lead vehicle 2 also finds its participant data itself and stores it, for example, in its electronic brake controller. Preferably, internal presets are also determined in the electronic driving brake controller of the lead vehicle 2, and the driving behavior and the braking behavior of the lead vehicle 2 are controlled/regulated during the driving of the platoon 1 according to these internal presets.

Thus, the internal predefining has been determined prior to the first driving of the vehicle platoon 1 in relation to the participant data of each motor vehicle or participant 2 to 12 of the vehicle platoon 1, which also includes the lead vehicle 2 itself

The effective power and the possible limits of the other motor vehicles or participants 4 to 12 with respect to the driving behavior and the braking behavior are therefore already known by the lead vehicle 2 before the first driving by means of the participant data of each of the other motor vehicles or participants 4 to 12 transmitted by means of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication 14. Furthermore, the leader vehicle 2 already knows the "own" participant data of the leader vehicle before the first driving of the platoon 1, since these are sensed on the leader vehicle 2.

For example, the fleet 1 has an internally predefined determination of the suitable choice of the driving speed during the first driving. The speed of the platoon 1 is here limited, for example, in relation to the respective engine power of all the participants 2 to 12 on the one hand, and in relation to the respective load of all the participants 2 to 12, and also, for example, in relation to the level of the center of gravity of the "weakest" participant 2 to 12 of the platoon 1 in relation to the parameters mentioned. For example, if the engine power of the motor vehicle or of one of the participants 2 to 12 is too low, the distance d between this participant and the participant driving in front of it increases strongly, in particular on a slope. On the other hand, if the lead vehicle 2 is faster than the permissible turning limit speed of the other motor vehicles or of at least one of the participants 4 to 12, the driving dynamics control, for example ESP (electronic stability program) or RSP (rolling stability program), installed on the relevant participant 4 to 12 is decelerated to the prescribed turning limit speed for this participant by the braking intervention of the relevant participant 4 to 12. The fleet 1 can therefore also be separated by a distance due to at least one of the vehicles or participants 4 to 12 involved in the ESP braking intervention, which can additionally also be carried out very expensively, so that the following vehicle or participant has a problem in respect of complying with the predefined distance with respect to the vehicle or participant involved in the ESP braking intervention or the RSP braking intervention.

Thus, for example, the speed of the lead vehicle 2 of the vehicle platoon 1 during driving is determined to be predefined internally in relation to the rollover or rollover behavior of all vehicles or participants 2 to 12, which in this respect are the "weakest" participants of the vehicle platoon 1, i.e., which are the most susceptible to rollover or rollover among all participants 2 to 14. The rollover behavior or rollover behavior of the participants 2 to 14 is in turn dependent on the vehicle mass, the loading distribution and the turning limit speed, among other things. The "weakest" participant can of course also be the lead vehicle 2 itself.

Fig. 3B shows another embodiment according to the present method. In this case, as in the embodiment of the method according to fig. 3A, the participant data of the participants 4 to 12 who are not the lead vehicle 2 are first transmitted to the lead vehicle 2 by means of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication 14 before the start of the first journey of the fleet 1 and are stored there, for example, temporarily in a storage medium. As also in the embodiment of fig. 3A, the lead vehicle 2 senses its "own" participant data and stores these before the first trip.

The participant data of all participants 2 to 12, i.e. also the participant data of the lead vehicle 2, are transmitted by the lead vehicle 2 via a vehicle-to-X communication 16 to an external infrastructure X, which determines an external specification prior to driving on the basis of or in relation to the participant data of all participants 2 to 12 of the platoon 1 and transmits the external specification to the lead vehicle 2 by means of the vehicle-to-X communication 16, which in turn converts the external specification, for example, into the form of a speed limit during driving of the platoon 1 along the left curve of fig. 2.

In the embodiment of fig. 3C of the method, it is assumed that all participants 2 to 12 of the vehicle platoon 1 have been allowed to participate in the vehicle platoon 1 and that the external base setting X is identified as a participant of the vehicle platoon 1. In this case, the participant data of all participants 2 to 14 can be stored as "historical" participant data already in the storage medium of the external structure X, for example.

In this case, for example, the maximum applicable acceleration and deceleration is taken into account by each of the motor vehicles or the participants 2 to 12 as a parameter relevant for the braking behavior of the respective participant 2 to 12. The participant data is transmitted here, for example, already in time via the vehicle-to-X communication 16 to the external infrastructure X before the vehicle fleet 1 is allowed/formed and in particular before the first driving of the vehicle fleet 1 begins. Such a transmission of participant data from the participants 2 to 12 of the (future) vehicle team 1 to the external infrastructure X can take place, for example, at certain time intervals via the vehicle-to-X communication 16, so that the participant data of a plurality of potential participants participating in the vehicle team 1 are present in the storage medium of the external infrastructure and can be retrieved from the storage medium and evaluated analytically.

The external infrastructure X then transmits the participant data of all participants 2 to 12 of the platoon 1, here in particular the maximum deceleration capacity of each participant 2 to 12, and the maximum deceleration capacity of the lead vehicle 2 to the lead vehicle 2, preferably before the start of the first co-trip of the platoon 1. The lead vehicle 2 determines an internal specification on the basis of the transmitted participant data of all participants 2 to 12, for example with regard to the maximum speed of the first common travel of the lead vehicle 2 for the vehicle fleet 1. This highest speed of the lead vehicle 2 is derived, for example, from the maximum deceleration capacity of all participants 2 to 12 of the participant who provides the worst or worst value in this respect.

Of course, alternatively, the external infrastructure X itself can also determine the external specification, for example, with regard to the speed of the lead vehicle 2 in the first common driving category of the vehicle fleet 1, on the basis of the transmitted participant data of all participants 2 to 12.

It is therefore particularly preferred that the internal and/or external specification is determined after the formation of the vehicle platoon 1 from all the participants 2 to 12 but also before the start of the first joint travel of the vehicle platoon 1, i.e. actively by the lead vehicle 2 or by the external infrastructure X. Thus, internal and/or external presets are preferably determined before the first co-driving of the vehicle fleet 1 and implemented or applied during the co-driving of the vehicle fleet 1.

Any combination of the embodiments of the method, which are symbolically shown in fig. 3A, 3B and 3C and which were explained above, is also possible within the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, the participant data can be transmitted to the lead vehicle 2 only from one or more vehicles, but not from all vehicles of the fleet, by means of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication 14 according to fig. 3A or according to fig. 3B, wherein the participant data of the sixth and fifth vehicles 10 and 12 and the participant data of the remaining vehicles of the fleet, in this case the participant data of the first, second and third vehicles 2, 4, 6, for example, are transmitted from these vehicles directly by means of the vehicle-to-X communication 16 to the external entity X and are communicated there with the lead vehicle 2, wherein the lead vehicle 2 determines the internal predefining solely by means of all the participant data provided to it. Alternatively, the external infrastructure can already determine the external specification on the basis of the participant data directly obtained by the sixth and fifth motor vehicles 10 and 12 and the lead vehicle additionally determines the internal specification on the basis of the participant data of the first, second and third motor vehicles 2, 4, 6, the first motor vehicle being the lead vehicle itself.

Additionally, the method according to the invention can also be configured reactively or reactively. A flow chart of this embodiment of the method is shown in fig. 4.

In step 100, the available power of the "weakest" participant in the vehicle fleet 1 is determined, wherein, for example, a minimum value of the maximum achievable deceleration and/or a minimum value of the maximum achievable acceleration is determined from the participant data of all participants 2 to 12, respectively.

In step 200, the deceleration of the lead vehicle 2 is limited to a legal admissible limit, for example to a maximum of 5m/s²。

In step 300, the vehicle fleet 1 is checked in the order from the last vehicle or participant 12 up to the lead vehicle 2: which actual deceleration is reached by each motor vehicle 2 to 12 or by each participant in the braking. Then, the deceleration of the lead vehicle 2 is matched accordingly.

In step 400, the deceleration is preliminarily adapted, if necessary, by adapting the distance d. For example, the greater the real-time distance d at the moment of braking, the greater the deceleration difference that can be tolerated between these participants. These parameters are used for the following purposes:

-adapting the braking behaviour and the acceleration behaviour of the participant to keep the distance d constant with respect to the corresponding preceding vehicle.

Determining the distance d to be set in relation to the respective preceding vehicle or participant.

According to a further embodiment, the internal and/or external presettings are only taken into account as starting values at the start of a journey of the vehicle fleet 1, since these internal and/or external presettings have a relatively low reliability on account of their being based on the first participant data previously ascertained or obtained by the motor vehicle itself.

During driving, second participant data corresponding to the first participant data can then be determined and compared with the first participant data, internal and/or external presets are determined before the start of driving on the basis of the first participant data and compared in order to verify the plausibility of the first participant data by means of the second participant data.

List of reference numerals

1 fleet of vehicles

2 leading vehicle, first vehicle

4 second motor vehicle

6 third motor vehicle

8 fourth motor vehicle

10 fifth Motor vehicle

12 sixth motor vehicle

14 vehicle-to-vehicle communication

16 vehicle-to-X communication

X external infrastructure