Force-based determination of a target gear combination for a plurality of drive systems

1 . A method for determining a target gear combination for a vehicle having at least two drive systems, wherein each drive system drives a vehicle axle and each of the two drive systems has at least one motor and at least one transmission, wherein at least one of the transmissions has at least two gears, the method comprising:

determining the target gear combination based on (i) a route profile lying ahead of the vehicle as determined by a digital map or by a sensor system of the vehicle, (ii) a speed of at least one surrounding vehicle, (iii) an acceleration of at least one surrounding vehicle, or (iv) a distance from the at least one surrounding vehicle, wherein the surrounding vehicle is another vehicle driving ahead or behind the vehicle; and

selecting and activating the determined target gear combination for the transmissions between the drive axles and the motors.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the target gear combination is determined based on of a comparison of a longitudinal force demand with maximum total drive forces of possible gear combinations of the at least two gears of the at least two transmissions and minimum total resistance forces of the possible gear combinations of the at least two gears of the at least two transmissions,

wherein the maximum total drive forces are a sum of maximum drive forces of the possible gear combinations and the minimum total resistance forces are a sum of minimum resistance forces of the possible gear combinations.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal force demand is determined based on the route profile lying ahead; and

wherein the longitudinal force demand is determined based on the speed and the acceleration of the at least one vehicle travelling ahead or behind based on the distance from the at least one vehicle travelling ahead or behind.

4 . The method according to claim 1 wherein:

if a longitudinal force demand is greater than or equal to zero, the target gear combination is determined by a comparison of a longitudinal force demand with maximum total drive forces, and

if the longitudinal force demand is not greater than or equal to zero, the target gear combination is determined by a comparison with minimum total resistance forces.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

if no maximum total drive force of maximum total drive forces is greater than or equal to a longitudinal force demand, a gear combination which has a maximum total drive force is selected as the target gear combination; and

if no maximum total resistance force of minimum total resistance forces is less than or equal to the longitudinal force demand, a gear combination which has a minimum total resistance force is selected as the target gear combination.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein, if in a plurality of gear combinations in which in each case a same smallest possible number of gears is changed, a gear combination which has a smallest maximum total drive force of the maximum total drive forces and a greatest minimum total resistance force of the minimum total resistance forces is selected.

7 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the target gear combination is determined in such a way that a gear combination is selected in which a gear is changed in a smallest possible number of the at least two transmissions, and

wherein the target gear combination is determined in such a way that a gear is changed in at least one transmission of the at least two transmissions.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal force demand is determined from a force reserve and a force input.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the force reserve is determined from an acceleration reserve and a vehicle mass.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the acceleration reserve is determined from a force utilization and an acceleration utilization.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the acceleration reserve is determined from a characteristic map which has a value for each of the force utilization and the acceleration utilization, wherein:

if the force input is greater than or equal to zero, the value is multiplied by a maximum vehicle acceleration, and

if the force input is not greater than or equal to zero, the value is multiplied by a maximum vehicle deceleration.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein, if the force input is greater than or equal to zero, the force utilization is determined from a ratio of the force input to a maximum total drive force of an actual gear combination of the at least two transmissions, and

if the force input is not greater than or equal to zero, the force utilization is determined from a ratio of the force input to a maximum total resistance force of the actual gear combination of the at least two transmissions; and

wherein, if the force input is greater than or equal to zero, the acceleration utilization is determined from a ratio of a vehicle acceleration to the maximum vehicle acceleration, and

if the force input is not greater than or equal to zero, the acceleration utilization is determined from a ratio of a vehicle deceleration to the maximum vehicle deceleration.

13 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the acceleration reserve is determined based on the route profile lying ahead, and

wherein the acceleration reserve is determined based on the speed and the acceleration of the at least one vehicle driving ahead or behind, and based on the distance from the at least one vehicle driving ahead or behind.

14 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the force input is limited.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the limited force input is determined from a minimum of the force input and a sum of a resistance acceleration and a maximum vehicle acceleration times the vehicle mass.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, the instructions when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to execute the method according to claim 1 .

17 . A vehicle having at least two drive systems, wherein each of the two drive systems is provided for driving in each case one vehicle axle and each of the two drive systems comprises:

an electric motor and at least one transmission with in each case at least two gears, wherein the electric motor is in operative connection with the transmission; and

a controller which is configured to carry out the method according to claim 1 .