SPEED CONTROL OF A MOTOR VEHICLE
A method for controlling a motor vehicle ( 100 ) including the steps of: identifying a route segment ( 305 ) to be covered; detecting a driver's wish that indicates a desired average speed ( 310 ) while traveling along the route segment ( 305 ); determining a speed variation curve ( 215 ) for the route segment ( 305 ) as a function of the driver's wish in such manner that the average speed ( 310 ) corresponds at least to the driver's wish and an energy consumption of the motor vehicle ( 100 ) for covering the route segment ( 305 ) is minimized as much as possible; and controlling the speed ( 310 ) of the motor vehicle ( 100 ) along the route segment ( 305 ) on the basis of the speed variation curve ( 215 ) determined.
1 - 10 . (canceled)
11 . A method of controlling a motor vehicle ( 100 ), the method comprising:
identifying a route segment ( 305 ) to be covered;
detecting a driver's wish that indicates a desired average speed ( 310 ) while traveling along the route segment ( 305 );
determining a speed variation curve ( 215 ) for the route segment ( 305 ) as a function of the driver's wish in such manner that the average speed ( 310 ) corresponds at least to the driver's wish and an energy consumption ( 315 ) of the motor vehicle ( 100 ), for covering the route segment ( 305 ), is minimized as much as possible, and
controlling the speed ( 310 ) of the motor vehicle ( 100 ) while covering the route segment ( 305 ) on a basis of the speed variation curve ( 215 ) determined.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising detecting a further driver's wish, and determining the speed variation curve ( 215 ) as a function of the further driver's wish either in favor of a higher average speed ( 310 ) or in favor of minimized energy consumption ( 315 ).
13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein a specific energy consumption ( 205 ) of a drive-train ( 105 ) of the motor vehicle ( 100 ) depends on an acceleration and a speed ( 310 ) of the motor vehicle ( 100 ), and the energy consumption ( 315 ) is minimized in that an acceleration is selectively used to bring the motor vehicle ( 100 ) to a speed ( 310 ) at which the specific energy consumption ( 205 ) is reduced.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein an additional energy consumption ( 315 ) caused by the acceleration is set against the reduced energy consumption ( 315 ) at the higher speed ( 310 ), as a function of a distance that can be covered at the higher speed ( 310 ).
15 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein a specific energy consumption ( 205 ) of a drive-train ( 105 ) of the motor vehicle ( 100 ) depends on a speed ( 310 ) and a gradient of the route segment ( 305 ), and the energy consumption ( 315 ) is minimized in that the gradient is covered as far as possible at a speed ( 310 ) at which the specific energy consumption ( 205 ) is reduced.
16 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising identifying a subsequent route segment ( 305 ), wherein the speed variation ( 215 ) along the route segment ( 305 ) and the speed variation ( 215 ) along the subsequent route segment ( 305 ) are determined together in such manner that a sum of the energy consumptions on the two route segments ( 305 ) is minimized as much as possible.
17 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein a drive-train ( 105 ) of the motor vehicle ( 100 ) includes a change-speed transmission with a plurality of gear steps, such that a specific energy consumption ( 205 ) of the drive-train ( 105 ) depends on a change of an engaged gear step and on an engaged gear step, and the energy consumption ( 315 ) is minimized in that a gear step is selectively changed in order to bring the drive-train ( 105 ) to an engaged gear step in which the specific energy consumption ( 205 ) is lower.
18 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising determining, based on the speed-related driver's wish, an upper limit and a lower limit for the average speed ( 310 ) of the motor vehicle ( 100 ), and determining the speed variation curve ( 215 ) in such manner that the speed ( 310 ), so far as possible, always remains between the upper limit and the lower limit.
19 . A computer program product with program code means for carrying out the method according to claim 11 , when the computer program product is run on a processing device or stored on a computer-readable data carrier.
20 . A device comprising:
an input device ( 135 ) for detecting a driver's wish that indicates a desired average speed ( 310 ) while traveling along a route segment ( 305 ) to be covered;
a processing device ( 125 ) for determining a speed variation curve ( 215 ) in accordance with a method according to claim 11 ; and
a control unit ( 130 ) for controlling the speed ( 310 ) of the motor vehicle ( 100 ) along the route segment ( 305 ) on the basis of the speed variation curve ( 215 ) determined.