Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-17
2001-09-25
Tong, Nina (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S575000, C180S272000, C434S258000, C701S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295000
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for assessing actuations of the accelerator by a vehicle driver.
RELATED TECHNOLOGY
Various methods are known which are used to evaluate the manner in which the vehicle driver actuates the accelerator, in order to differentiate between a steady driving technique and a sporty driving technique. Intermediate steps are also possible in this differentiation, right up to a continuous grading of the driving technique. Such methods are described, e.g. in the magazine
Forschung und Technik
[Research and Technology] of VW AG:
Fuzzy-Logik für Automatikgetriebe
[Fuzzy Logic for Automatic Transmissions], 1994. Such a method is furthermore described in the
Automobiltechnischen Zeitschrift
[Automobile Engineering Periodical] No. 97, 1995 by R. Rösch and G. Wagner:
Die elektronische Steuerung des automatischen Getriebes
W5A 330/580 von
Mercedes
-
Benz
[. The Electronic Control of the Automatic Transmission W5A 330/580 of Mercedes-Benz]. When working with these methods, nervous vehicle drivers might accidentally be classified as drivers having a sporty driving technique. The vehicle could then exhibit a performance which is not optimal for this driver.
German Patent Application No. 44 01 416 A1 discloses assessing a driving technique only when a significant change in velocity, which, however, must also not be too great, has occurred within a time window. In this manner, actions owing merely to nervousness of the vehicle driver can be left out of consideration in the evaluation and assessment of the driving technique. As the change in velocity must not be too great, it is furthermore taken into account that it is probably a question of a change in velocity which the vehicle driver is selecting “of his own free will,” and which was not forced upon him because of the traffic situation.
It is furthermore disclosed in German Patent Application No. 43 37 957 A1 to evaluate the frequency of a reversal in direction of the adjustment of a throttle valve, and consequently also the frequency of a reversal in direction in response to the actuation of the accelerator of a motor vehicle, in order to detect a possible nervousness of the vehicle driver.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method by which nervousness of a vehicle driver can be recognized in which method the cumulative path covered by the accelerator, in terms of amount, is evaluated within a predefined time window when the change in velocity is less than a predetermined threshold value and/or the change in the accelerator position is less than a predetermined threshold value within this time window.
Thus, while in the case of the related art, it was first possible to detect the driving technique when, on the basis of the driving situation, it could be inferred that the action of the vehicle driver was no longer founded on a nervous action, using the method of the present invention, the nervousness of the vehicle driver can be detected in advance. When working with other methods such as an intervention in an engine/transmission management of a vehicle as a function of a steady or sporty driving technique or, for instance, as a function of a spontaneous demand for a dynamic response, it is thus possible to take into consideration early on whether a nervous vehicle driver is present. The actions for the recognition of the driving technique or for the recognition of a spontaneous demand for a dynamic response can thus be appropriately classified early on.
In a further refinement, the instantaneous activity of the vehicle driver is formed from the weighted sum of the criterion used in the method and a further criterion. The further criterion is formed by evaluating how often the algebraic sign of the time derivation of the accelerator position changes, and from this instantaneous activity, the degree of activity of the vehicle driver is furthermore formed and filtered differently depending on the algebraic sign of the change in the instantaneous activity.
Thus, fast changes in the position of the accelerator can be detected particularly advantageously. On the basis of this, a classification can be made with reference to a possible presence of nervousness.
For example, this characteristic number for the degree of activity can be evaluated particularly advantageously during the adaptation of the threshold values for the recognition of a dynamic kickdown.
In yet a further refinement, the activity of the vehicle driver may be ascertained as described above, and furthermore, the driving technique is assessed as lying between steady and sporty. A nervousness of the vehicle driver is recognized when the activity is great, and the driving technique is not assessed as sporty.
In this manner, it can be particularly advantageously evaluated whether an activity of the vehicle driver is purposeful, and is also reflected in corresponding accelerations of the vehicle. This makes it possible to distinguish particularly reliably between a vehicle driver having a sporty driving technique and a nervous driver.
If this evaluation occurs, a nervousness of the vehicle driver then can be determined when the driving technique is not assessed as sporty.
Thus, a vehicle driver having a sporty driving technique is furthermore advantageously prevented from being classified as a nervous driver. This is especially advantageous when the assessment of the driving technique as steady or sporty is not effected by evaluating the actuation of the accelerator, for example, but rather by the automatically adjusting performance of the vehicle, as is described, for instance, in the German Patent 44 01 416 A1. The two criteria of the nervousness of the vehicle driver, on one hand, and the driving technique of the vehicle driver, on the other hand, are then obtained from different data (actuation of the accelerator on one hand, and attained acceleration on the other hand), so that the two criteria to be analyzed are able to be separated well. Otherwise, a recognition of nervousness may have to be forestalled when a sporty driving technique is present, it then becoming difficult, however, to classify whether the actuation of the accelerator at this point due to a sporty driving technique or to the nervousness of the vehicle driver.
A bit may be set in response to a recognized nervousness, and the bit may then be deleted when the conditions for the recognition of the nervousness no longer exist and the position of the accelerator equals 0 (zero, i.e., the accelerator pedal is in an unactuated, or rest position).
Due to this rigorous criterion for the recognition of nervousness, certain interventions in the engine/transmission management can possibly be forestalled Patent Application Nos. 197 30 906.2 and 197 29 251.8, assigned to the present assignee. Both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. The co-assigned corresponding U.S. applications, the first entitled “Method for Adjustment of a Throttle Valve” and filed on even date herewith as application Ser. No. 09/118,235 and the second entitled “Method for Recognizing a Spontaneous Demand by a Driver of a Motor Vehicle for a Dynamic Response” and filed on Jul. 9, 1998, as application No. 09/112,895 are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
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patent:
Kuhn Klaus-Peter
Strenkert Jochen
Daimler - Benz Aktiengesellschaft
Kenyon & Kenyon
Tong Nina
LandOfFree
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