Method for determining an actual mass of a vehicle, control system implementing such a method, and vehicle comprising such a control system

1 . A method for determining an actual mass of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a reference relationship of a deceleration of the vehicle having a known mass with respect to a brake demand;

executing braking with a predetermined brake demand;

detecting an actual deceleration of the vehicle when using the predetermined brake demand;

determining an actual relationship of the actual deceleration of the vehicle with respect to the predetermined brake demand;

determining the actual mass of the vehicle by correlating the actual relationship and the reference relationship; and

controlling the vehicle using the determined actual mass;

wherein the known mass is a maximum permissible mass of the vehicle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference relationship is determined by performing the following:

determining a reference mass of the vehicle;

executing a reference braking of the vehicle with a predetermined brake demand;

detecting a deceleration of the vehicle having the reference mass depending on the predetermined brake demand; and

determining the reference relationship by correlating the deceleration of the vehicle and the predetermined brake demand.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference relationship of the deceleration of the vehicle is determined based on an official minimum requirement for a relationship of the deceleration of the vehicle and the brake demand.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the brake demand is defined by a brake actuation force of a brake of the vehicle.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the brake demand is defined by a pressure of an operating fluid actuating on a brake actuator of a brake of the vehicle.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the pressure is an output pressure of a trailer control module.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the brake demand is defined by an operating current of an electric brake actuator of a brake of the vehicle.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the operating current is based on an electrical brake demand or an electrical trailer brake demand sent by a towing vehicle.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the actual deceleration of the vehicle is detected by means of a wheel-based vehicle speed signal.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling includes controlling, using the determined actual mass, at least one of the following:

an engine of the vehicle,

braking of the vehicle,

vehicle stability of the vehicle, or

a suspension of the vehicle.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the controlling includes controlling, using the determined actual mass, the engine of the vehicle.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the controlling includes controlling, using the determined actual mass, the braking of the vehicle.

13 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the controlling includes controlling, using the determined actual mass, the vehicle stability of the vehicle.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the controlling includes controlling, using the determined actual mass, the suspension of the vehicle.

15 . A method for determining an actual mass of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a reference relationship of a deceleration of the vehicle having a known mass with respect to a brake demand;

executing braking with a predetermined brake demand;

detecting an actual deceleration of the vehicle when using the predetermined brake demand;

determining an actual relationship of the actual deceleration of the vehicle with respect to the predetermined brake demand;

determining the actual mass of the vehicle by correlating the actual relationship and the reference relationship; and

controlling the vehicle using the determined actual mass;

wherein a range of the brake demand is determined such that the reference relationship and the actual relationship are respectively linear and expressed by a slope of a straight line in a diagram having an abscissa indicating the brake demand and an ordinate indicating the deceleration, and wherein the actual mass is calculated based on the reference mass, a slope of a straight line expressing the reference relationship, and a slope of a straight line expressing the actual relationship.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the range of the brake demand is defined such that no blocking of wheels of the vehicle occurs.

17 . A control system for determining an actual mass of a vehicle, comprising:

a control apparatus configured to perform the following:

determining a reference relationship of a deceleration of the vehicle having a known mass with respect to a brake demand;

executing braking with a predetermined brake demand;

detecting an actual deceleration of the vehicle when using the predetermined brake demand;

determining an actual relationship of the actual deceleration of the vehicle with respect to the predetermined brake demand;

determining the actual mass of the vehicle by correlating the actual relationship and the reference relationship; and

controlling the vehicle using the determined actual mass;

wherein the known mass is a maximum permissible mass of the vehicle.

18 . The control system of claim 17 , wherein the control system includes an acceleration sensor configured to detect an acceleration in direction of travel of the vehicle.

19 . A vehicle, comprising:

a control system for determining an actual mass of a vehicle, wherein the control system is configured to perform the following:

determining a reference relationship of a deceleration of the vehicle having a known mass with respect to a brake demand;

executing braking with a predetermined brake demand;

detecting an actual deceleration of the vehicle when using the predetermined brake demand;

determining an actual relationship of the actual deceleration of the vehicle with respect to the predetermined brake demand;

determining the actual mass of the vehicle by correlating the actual relationship and the reference relationship; and

controlling the vehicle using the determined actual mass;

wherein the known mass is a maximum permissible mass of the vehicle.