Prediction device and prediction method for at least one brake system component of a brake system of an ego vehicle

1 . A prediction device for at least one brake system component of a brake system of a vehicle, comprising:

an electronic device configured to:

enter value pairs, which are provided to the electronic device, into a coordinate system, each of the value pairs respectively having values ascertained during several driver-induced and/or autonomous braking processes of the vehicle and respectively including an ascertained input variable and a simultaneously ascertained output variable as the values, wherein the input variable reflects an actuation strength of an actuation of a brake pedal by a driver of the vehicle or an operating mode of a motorized brake pressure build-up device of the brake system, and the output variable reflects a response of the brake system to the input variable, the coordinate system having a first axis indicating the input variables and a second axis indicating the output variables and is divided into several state sectors;

ascertain a frequency distribution of the value pairs to the state sectors; and

estimate, after at least two ascertainments of frequency distributions for value pairs ascertained in different time intervals, based on an examination of the frequency distribution for last ascertained value pairs for deviations from the at least one frequency distribution for previously ascertained value pairs, whether an occurrence of at least one functional impairment on at least one brake system component of the brake system is probable during a specified prediction time interval, wherein the prediction device is configured with its own communication device or is configured to cooperate with a communication device of the vehicle equipped with the prediction device, such that, via the communication device: (i) at least one frequency distribution determined by the prediction device can be transmitted to a communication apparatus cooperating with an off-board data output system, and/or (ii) at least one comparison frequency distribution and/or at least one item of prediction information can be provided to the electronic device by the communication apparatus cooperating with the off-board data output system.

2 . The prediction device according to claim 1 , wherein, the electronic device is configured to, after ascertainment of at least one frequency distribution of value pairs ascertained on the vehicle and after provision of the at least one comparison frequency distribution, estimate, based on an examination of the at least one frequency distribution of value pairs ascertained on the vehicle, for deviations from the at least one comparison frequency distribution, whether an occurrence of at least one functional impairment on at least one brake system component of the brake system is probable at least during a specified first estimation time interval.

3 . The prediction device according to claim 1 , wherein, the electronic device is configured to, after provision of the at least one item of prediction information, estimate or read out based on the at least one item of prediction information whether an occurrence of at least one functional impairment on at least one brake system component of the brake system is probable at least during a specified second estimation time interval.

4 . The prediction device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ascertaining the frequency distribution of the value pairs to the state sectors includes a counting of load cases of the brake system of the vehicle.

5 . A data output system configured to cooperate with a first prediction device and at least one second prediction device, each prediction device of the first and second prediction devices including an electronic device configured to:

enter value pairs, which are provided to the electronic device, into a coordinate system, each of the value pairs respectively having values ascertained during several driver-induced and/or autonomous braking processes of the vehicle and respectively including an ascertained input variable and a simultaneously ascertained output variable as the values, wherein the input variable reflects an actuation strength of an actuation of a brake pedal by a driver of a vehicle or an operating mode of a motorized brake pressure build-up device of a brake system, and the output variable reflects a response of the brake system to the input variable, the coordinate system having a first axis indicating the input variables and a second axis indicating the output variables and is divided into several state sectors;

ascertain a frequency distribution of the value pairs to the state sectors; and

estimate, after at least two ascertainments of frequency distributions for value pairs ascertained in different time intervals, based on an examination of the frequency distribution for last ascertained value pairs for deviations from the at least one frequency distribution for previously ascertained value pairs, whether an occurrence of at least one functional impairment on at least one brake system component of a brake system is probable during a specified prediction time interval;

wherein each prediction device of the first and second prediction devices is configured with its own communication device or is configured to cooperate with a communication device of the vehicle equipped with the prediction device, such that, via the communication device: (i) at least one frequency distribution determined by the prediction device can be transmitted to a communication apparatus cooperating with an off-board data output system, and/or (ii) at least one comparison frequency distribution and/or at least one item of prediction information can be provided to the electronic device by the communication apparatus cooperating with the off-board data output system;

wherein the data output system is configured with its own communication apparatus or is configured to cooperate with a communication apparatus such that, via the communication apparatus of the data output system, at least one frequency distribution determined by the at least one second prediction device can be transmitted via the respective communication device of the second prediction device as at least one comparison frequency distribution to the data output system and the at least one comparison frequency distribution can be transmitted to the first prediction device via the communication device of the first prediction device.

6 . The data output system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the ascertaining the frequency distribution of the value pairs to the state sectors includes a counting of load cases of the brake system of the vehicle.

7 . A data output system configured to cooperate with a first prediction device and at least one second prediction device, each prediction device of the first and second prediction devices including an electronic device configured to:

enter value pairs, which are provided to the electronic device, into a coordinate system, each of the value pairs respectively having values ascertained during several driver-induced and/or autonomous braking processes of the vehicle and respectively including an ascertained input variable and a simultaneously ascertained output variable as the values, wherein the input variable reflects an actuation strength of an actuation of a brake pedal by a driver of a vehicle or an operating mode of a motorized brake pressure build-up device of a brake system, and the output variable reflects a response of the brake system to the input variable, the coordinate system having a first axis indicating the input variables and a second axis indicating the output variables and is divided into several state sectors;

ascertain a frequency distribution of the value pairs to the state sectors; and

estimate, after at least two ascertainments of frequency distributions for value pairs ascertained in different time intervals, based on an examination of the frequency distribution for last ascertained value pairs for deviations from the at least one frequency distribution for previously ascertained value pairs, whether an occurrence of at least one functional impairment on at least one brake system component of a brake system is probable during a specified prediction time interval;

wherein each prediction device of the first and second prediction devices is configured with its own communication device or is configured to cooperate with a communication device of the vehicle equipped with the prediction device, such that, via the communication device: (i) at least one frequency distribution determined by the prediction device can be transmitted to a communication apparatus cooperating with an off-board data output system, and/or (ii) at least one comparison frequency distribution and/or at least one item of prediction information can be provided to the electronic device by the communication apparatus cooperating with the off-board data output system;

wherein the data output system is configured with its own communication apparatus or is configured to cooperate with a communication apparatus such that, via the communication apparatus of the data output system, at least one frequency distribution determined by the at least one second prediction device can be transmitted via the respective communication device of the second prediction device to the data output system as at least one comparison frequency distribution, and at least one frequency distribution determined by the first prediction device can be transmitted via the respective communication device of the first prediction device to the data output system, wherein the data output system is configured to determine, based on an examination of the at least one frequency distribution determined by the first prediction device, for deviation from the at least one comparison frequency distribution, the at least one corresponding item of prediction information, which can be transmitted to the first prediction device via the respective communication device of the first prediction device using the communication apparatus of the data output system.

8 . The data output system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the ascertaining the frequency distribution of the value pairs to the state sectors includes a counting of load cases of the brake system of the vehicle.

9 . A prediction method performed by a prediction device for at least one brake system component of a brake system of an ego vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:

ascertaining value pairs during driver-induced and/or autonomous braking processes of the ego vehicle, wherein each value pair of the ascertained value pairs respectively includes an ascertained input variable and a simultaneously ascertained output variable, wherein the input variable reflects an actuation strength of an actuation of a brake pedal by a driver of the ego vehicle or an operating mode of a motorized brake pressure build-up device of the brake system, and the output variable reflects a response of the brake system to the input variable;

entering the ascertained value pairs into a coordinate system which has a first axis indicating the input variables and a second axis indicating the output variables and is divided into several state sectors;

ascertaining a frequency distribution of the value pairs to the state sectors; and,

after at least two ascertainments of frequency distributions for value pairs ascertained in different time intervals, estimating, based on an examination of the frequency distribution for last ascertained value pairs, for deviations from the at least one frequency distribution for previously ascertained value pairs, whether an occurrence of at least one functional impairment on at least one brake system component of the brake system is probable at least during a specified prediction time interval, wherein the prediction device is configured with its own communication device or is configured to cooperate with a communication device of the ego vehicle equipped with the prediction device, such that, via the communication device: (i) at least one frequency distribution determined by the prediction device can be transmitted to a communication apparatus cooperating with an off-board data output system, and/or (ii) at least one comparison frequency distribution and/or at least one item of prediction information can be provided to the electronic device by the communication apparatus cooperating with the off-board data output system.

10 . The prediction method according to claim 9 , wherein, prior to entering the ascertained value pairs into the coordinate system, the value pairs are filter out that are ascertained: (i) at a temperature outside of a specified normal temperature range, and/or (ii) at an adjustment velocity of the brake pedal, adjusted by the driver, outside of a specified normal velocity range, and/or (iii) at an on-board power supply voltage outside of a specified normal voltage range, during a failure of a data provisioning device and/or during a fading.

11 . The prediction method according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the following is ascertained as the input variable: (i) a rod path of an input rod connected to the brake pedal, (ii) a master brake cylinder pressure in a master brake cylinder of the brake system, (iii) a motor current intensity of a motor of the motorized brake pressure build-up device, (iv) an operating voltage of the motor of the motorized brake pressure build-up device, (v) an adjustment path of at least one adjustable piston of the motorized brake pressure build-up device of the brake system, (vi) a pump rate of at least one pump used as the motorized brake pressure build-up device of the brake system, and/or wherein at least one of the following is ascertained as the output variable: (i) the master brake cylinder pressure in the master brake cylinder of the brake system, (ii) a motor torque of the motor of the motorized brake pressure build-up device, (iii) a gearbox efficiency of a gearbox of the brake system connected to the motorized brake pressure build-up device, (iv) at least one brake pressure in at least one wheel brake cylinder of the brake system, (v) a braking force produced on the vehicle using the brake system, (vi) a braking torque produced on the vehicle using the brake system, (vii) a vehicle deceleration produced on the vehicle using the brake system.

12 . The prediction method according to claim 9 , wherein, for at least one foreign vehicle, during several driver-induced and/or autonomous braking processes thereof, value pairs respectively including the ascertained input variable and the simultaneously ascertained output variable for the foreign vehicle are ascertained and entered into a coordinate system, divided into the several state sectors, with the first axis indicating the input variables and the second axis indicating the output variables, wherein, for the at least one foreign vehicle, a frequency distribution of the value pairs of the foreign vehicle to the state sectors is ascertained as at least one comparison frequency distribution, and wherein, based on an examination of at least one frequency distribution of the value pairs ascertained on the ego vehicle, for deviation from the at least one comparison frequency distribution, it is estimated whether an occurrence of at least one functional impairment on at least one brake system component of the brake system is probable at least during a specified estimation time interval.

13 . The prediction method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the ascertaining the frequency distribution of the value pairs to the state sectors includes a counting of load cases of the brake system of the ego vehicle.