Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-09-25
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
C701S034000, C701S070000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295486
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A method and an arrangement for detecting a measurement quantity in a vehicle is disclosed in German patent publication 4,040,636. Here, the detection of a measurement quantity is described which is characterized by at least one extreme value which, for example, is pregiven by an end position. This extreme value changes in the course of time so that it is necessary that the extreme value track the changes in order to maintain the needed accuracy of the detection of the measurement quantity. For this reason, a storage value, which represents the extreme value, is corrected under specific conditions at least when the current measurement quantity exceeds or drops below the extreme value in that it tracks the actual measurement quantity with a delay (downward adaptation). With the actuation of the brake pedal, the stored value is changed in the opposite direction (upward adaptation). This procedure ensures that the detection of the measurement quantity retains the necessary accuracy on the basis of the current measurement quantity and the stored extreme value. This procedure has special significance in the detection of the position of an operator-controlled element actuated by the driver such as an accelerator pedal or brake pedal and/or an actuating element such as a throttle flap. It is ensured that defectively stored extreme values do not lead to a malfunction via the upward adaptation when actuating the brake. However, this is true only for the actuation of a brake pedal. This situation does not occur sufficiently often possibly during vehicle operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide measures which contribute to an improvement of the detection of the measurement quantities especially with respect to a defectively stored extreme value of the measurement quantity.
The method of the invention is for detecting a measurement quantity in a motor vehicle, the measurement quantity having an extreme value. The method includes the steps of: detecting the measurement quantity; evaluating the measurement quantity while considering the extreme value for control in combination with a vehicle; enabling an adaptation of the extreme value only under pregiven conditions which, when present, permit the measurement quantity to be unaffected by factors which make the measurement quantity incorrect; and, adapting the extreme value.
In the procedure described below, it is effectively prevented that defective extreme values are detected during the learning process of an extreme value of a measurement quantity and form the basis of the computation of the measurement quantity, that is, it is ensured that the defectively learned extreme values are corrected with sufficient rapidity. This is achieved in that the detection of the at least one extreme value of the measurement quantity is permitted only under specific conditions wherein error conditions in the region of the measurement device are virtually precluded.
When two redundant measurement devices are present, it is especially advantageous that an adaptation of at least one of the extreme values does not take place when a defect in the region of at least one measuring device is recognized. For example, such defects are recognized because of deviations in the synchronism of the two measurement signal quantities and/or steep gradients of the measurement quantity signals.
It is especially advantageous that the increased transfer resistance between track and pickup occurring because of rubbed-off material on the potentiometer track has no influence on the adaptation because the adaptation of the extreme value of the measurement quantity of a measuring device takes place at an upper limit of the extreme value range (for example the idle range) of the measurement quantity of another measuring device. Because of this procedure, the stored extreme value of a detected measurement quantity does not lie at the actual extreme value at which the rubbed-off material is formed but in a region which is still part of the extreme value range (that is, only a slight loss of accuracy occurs with the formation of the measurement quantity value) but lies outside of the wear region and is still adapted to the actual changes of the extreme value.
Overall, all significant disturbance influences on the determination of the extreme value of a measurement quantity are negligible with the procedure described hereinafter in an advantageous manner.
When executing the adaptation of the extreme value of the one measurement quantity at the upper limit of the extreme value range of the other measurement quantity, a redundant certainty of the information derived from this extreme value (for example, idle condition) is present so that this information is more precise and reliable.
A further improvement is seen in that the adaptation is executed only when the brake pedal is actuated. If this is applied also in the adaptation at the end of the extreme value range, a further improvement of the adaptation is achieved with the view of the defective adaptations caused by the transfer resistance.
It is especially advantageous when at least one of the measurement quantities for idle detection is utilized, that is, for detecting a released accelerator pedal, brake pedal or a throttle flap in idle position. In this case, the least possible lost motion is achieved in the measurement quantity even when high transfer resistances are present.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5383123 (1995-01-01), Kunz
patent: 5485417 (1996-01-01), Wolf et al.
patent: 4040636 (1992-08-01), None
Beaulieu Yonel
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Ottesen Walter
Robert & Bosch GmbH
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