CN115923815A

CN115923815A - Method, device and electronic equipment for fusing multiple vehicle quality values, vehicle and computer readable medium

Info

Publication number: CN115923815A
Application number: CN202211727638.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 代志永; 杨佳宁
Original assignee: ZF Commercial Vehicle Systems Qingdao Co Ltd
Current assignee: ZF Commercial Vehicle Systems Qingdao Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-12-27
Filing date: 2022-12-27
Publication date: 2023-04-07

Abstract

The invention discloses a method, a device and an electronic device for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values, a vehicle and a computer readable medium. The method comprises the following steps: periodically acquiring first quality values by means of a first quality acquisition module and assigning a first quality value to each first quality value; periodically acquiring second quality values by means of a second quality acquisition module operating on a different principle and assigning a second quality value to each second quality value; the associated quality value is evaluated on the basis of the respective quality value and the first and second quality values are combined to obtain the vehicle quality as a function of the evaluation result. The method can improve the reliability and robustness of obtaining the vehicle mass.

Description

Method, device and electronic equipment for fusing multiple vehicle quality values, vehicle and computer readable medium

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of vehicle control, and more particularly, to a method, an apparatus, an electronic device, a vehicle, and a computer-readable medium for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values.

Background

In vehicles, particularly commercial vehicles, the vehicle mass (i.e., the total mass) may vary greatly with its load. Obtaining vehicle mass accurately and reliably can effectively improve the performance of vehicle electronic control Systems, particularly AD (Automated Driving) or ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) Systems.

In commercial vehicles, in particular heavy-duty vehicles, mass detection modules based on special sensors can be used, wherein a plurality of sensors for detecting the vehicle mass, for example weighing sensors, pressure sensors, height sensors, etc., are arranged on the vehicle body. However, these sensors are susceptible to different interference factors, so that the quality value obtained has a quality value that depends on the interference factors.

Furthermore, a mass acquisition module based on a vehicle dynamics model can be used, wherein the vehicle mass is estimated on the basis of the vehicle longitudinal dynamics variable.

Current load-carrying vehicles are often equipped with one of the mass acquisition modules, and a single mass acquisition module is easily affected by interference factors, so that the reliability and accuracy of the acquired vehicle mass value are low.

Therefore, a method capable of improving reliability and robustness in acquiring the mass of the vehicle is required.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for fusing multiple vehicle quality values, which can improve reliability and robustness of obtaining vehicle quality.

To achieve the above object, according to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values, characterized by comprising the steps of:

periodically acquiring first quality values by means of a first quality acquisition module and assigning a first quality value to each first quality value;

periodically acquiring second quality values by means of a second quality acquisition module and assigning a second quality value to each second quality value, wherein the first quality acquisition module and the second quality acquisition module operate on different principles;

the associated quality value is evaluated on the basis of the individual quality values and the first and second quality values are combined to obtain the vehicle quality as a function of the evaluation result.

The technical advantages of the method according to the invention are: by fusing the vehicle quality values obtained based on different principles, the quality value of low quality obtained due to the influence of specific interference factors on a single type of quality obtaining module is avoided.

According to the invention, a quality value is provided for evaluating the plausibility of the quality value. The magnitude of the quality value depends on the current operating state of the quality acquisition module, and a higher quality value indicates a higher confidence level of the quality value.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the quality value to which the respective quality value belongs is evaluated as usable or unusable as a function of the respective quality value. In the simplest case, the quality values are divided into two levels: available and unavailable, wherein a quality value below a set threshold indicates that the quality value is not authentic and, thus, unavailable. Therefore, only when both quality values acquired by the two quality acquisition modules are evaluated as being usable, the two quality values are considered simultaneously for fusion.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that, when both the first and second quality values are evaluated as being available, either the average of the first and second quality values is used as vehicle quality or the quality value with the greater quality value is used as vehicle quality. Therefore, the reliability of acquiring the vehicle mass can be improved.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the quality value evaluated as being usable is further evaluated as plausible or partly plausible in dependence on the respective quality value,

-using the arithmetic mean of the first and second mass values as vehicle mass when both mass values evaluated as being available are evaluated as plausible;

-using a weighted average of the first and second quality values as the vehicle quality when only one of the two quality values evaluated as being available is evaluated as authentic, or when both quality values are evaluated as being partly authentic and the degree of deviation of the first and second quality values reaches a predetermined value, wherein the weight of each quality value depends on the respective quality value;

-when both quality values are evaluated as partly plausible and the degree of deviation of the first quality value and the second quality value does not reach a predetermined value, using that quality value with the greater quality value as the vehicle quality.

Depending on the magnitude of the quality value, the quality value is divided into three levels: untrusted, partially trusted and trusted. By "both quality values are evaluated as authentic" it is meant that both quality values are considered accurate and both quality values should be considered equally when calculating the vehicle mass. By "only one of the two quality values is evaluated as authentic" it is meant that one of the quality values is deemed accurate and the other quality value is deemed less accurate, and that relatively accurate quality value should be considered more in calculating the vehicle mass. "both quality values are evaluated as partially plausible and the degree of deviation of the first quality value and the second quality value reaches a predetermined value" means that both quality values are considered to be less accurate and differ significantly, and that the quality value which is relatively accurate should be considered more heavily when calculating the vehicle mass, similar to the former case. "both quality values are evaluated as partially reliable and the degree of deviation of the first quality value from the second quality value does not reach a predetermined value" means that both quality values are considered to be less accurate and differ less, which one of the quality values does not greatly affect the reliability of the calculation result, and preferably the one with the larger quality value is used. In this way, when the quality values are more finely divided, the reliability of obtaining the vehicle quality can be further improved.

In the aforementioned preferred embodiment, when calculating the weighted average of the first quality value and the second quality value, P/(P + Q) is taken as the weight of the first quality value and Q/(P + Q) is taken as the weight of the second quality value, where P is the first quality value and Q is the second quality value. Thus, the fusion calculation of the quality value is performed more accurately.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the first quality value is set as a function of the interference factors each time the first quality value is acquired, and the second quality value is set as a function of the interference factors each time the second quality value is acquired. For example, the disturbance factors affecting the quality value include accuracy of the sensor, whether the sensor is operating normally, noise of a measured signal, gradient information of the vehicle, and a driving dynamic parameter of the vehicle. The setting of the quality value reflects the confidence level of the quality value obtained each time more accurately, since the influence of the operating state of each quality obtaining module and/or the surrounding environment on the obtaining is taken into account.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the first mass value is obtained in a first mass acquisition module using measured values of a sensor for detecting the mass of the vehicle, and the second mass value is estimated in a second mass acquisition module using a model of the longitudinal dynamics of the vehicle. Thus, the different operating principles of the two mass acquisition modules improve the reliability of acquiring the mass of the vehicle. For example, the first mass value is obtained from the measured values of a load cell of the vehicle, and the second mass value is obtained indirectly by means of model evaluation based on the vehicle CAN bus data.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that, when one of the quality values is evaluated as being unusable and the other quality value is evaluated as being usable, that quality value which is evaluated as being usable is used as vehicle quality. Thereby, the reliability of obtaining the vehicle mass is further improved, since the use of an untrusted mass value is excluded.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values, characterized by comprising:

a first quality acquisition module for periodically acquiring first quality values and assigning a first quality value to each first quality value;

a second quality acquisition module for periodically acquiring second quality values and assigning a second quality value to each second quality value, wherein the first quality acquisition module and the second quality acquisition module operate on different principles;

and the fusion module is used for evaluating the quality value to which the quality value belongs according to each quality value and fusing the first quality value and the second quality value according to the evaluation result to obtain the vehicle quality.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the first mass acquisition module is configured to acquire the first mass value using measured values of a sensor for acquiring a mass of the vehicle, and the second mass acquisition module is configured to estimate the second mass value using a longitudinal dynamics model of the vehicle.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values, characterized by comprising:

one or more processors;

a storage device to store one or more programs,

when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement a method for fusing multiple vehicle quality values in accordance with the present invention.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided, characterized by comprising an apparatus or an electronic device for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values according to the present invention.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a computer-readable medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, which program, when being executed by a processor, carries out the method according to the invention for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values.

The advantages or benefits described in connection with the method for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values according to the invention also apply to the device and the electronic device for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values according to the invention and to the computer-readable medium according to the invention.

Further effects of the above-mentioned non-conventional alternatives will be described below in connection with the embodiments.

Drawings

The drawings are included to provide a better understanding of the invention and are not to be construed as unduly limiting the invention. Wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the major modules of an apparatus for fusing vehicle quality values acquired by two mass acquisition modules according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a fusion strategy applied in a fusion module of the apparatus according to the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a main flow of a method for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values according to the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a computer system suitable for use in implementing a terminal device or server of an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various details of embodiments of the invention are included to assist understanding, and which are to be considered as merely exemplary. Accordingly, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted in the following description for clarity and conciseness.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the main modules of an apparatus 100 for fusing vehicle quality values acquired by two mass acquisition modules according to the present invention. The device 100 is used for example in commercial vehicles, in particular in load-carrying vehicles. The apparatus 100 illustratively comprises two quality acquisition modules, i.e. quality acquisition modules MAS1, MAS2, operating independently of each other, and a fusion module FUS.

The MASs acquisition module MAS1 includes N (N is a natural number) load cells LCS 1, LCS2, \8230;, LCS N, a preprocessing unit 111, a MASs calculation unit 112, and a MASs attachment unit 113.

The mass in the vertical direction is obtained by means of the measurement values of the weighing sensors LCS 1, LCS2, \8230;, LCS N. During each sampling period, the respective load cell LCS 1, LCS2, \8230 \ 8230 @, LCS N gives an output signal, e.g. an output voltage. The load cell is merely exemplary and the MASs acquisition module MAS1 may also include other types of sensors that acquire the MASs of the vehicle, such as pressure sensors, height sensors, etc.

In order to eliminate measurement errors and disturbances, the output voltage is preprocessed in a preprocessing unit 111, which includes low-pass filtering and elimination of measurement data that is clearly anomalous.

In the mass calculation unit 112, the vehicle mass value LCM is obtained by multiplying each preprocessed output voltage by the respective conversion coefficient and adding them.

At the same time, in the quality assignment unit 113, a quality value P is assigned to the quality value LCM. The quality value P ranges from 0 to 1, and its magnitude depends on the current interference factor, wherein a larger quality value P indicates a higher reliability. For example, when the vehicle is on a slope, the quality value P is set at 0.4 to 0.8 depending on the gradient; when the weighing sensors LCS 1, LCS2, \8230;, LCS N do not work properly, the quality value P is set between 0.2 and 0.6 depending on the number of sensors that do not work properly; when there is a deflection of the load cell, the quality value P is set at 0.5 to 0.8 depending on the degree of deflection; when the load cells LCS 1, LCS2, \8230;, LCS N are operating normally and stably, the quality value P is set to 1, i.e. the best quality. When there are a plurality of interference factors, i.e. a plurality of quality values P, it is advantageous to select the one with the smallest value (i.e. the one that is relatively less reliable) as the quality value P of the quality value LCM.

Optionally but not shown, a condition checking unit is provided after the preprocessing unit 111, which checks the operating state of the load cells LCS 1, LCS2, 8230 \8230;, LCS N. If most of the load cells, or even all of them, are in an abnormal operating state, the condition checking unit does not transmit the output data of the preprocessing unit 111 to the mass calculating unit 112 and the mass attachment unit 113.

The quality acquisition module MAS2 includes a data acquisition unit, a preprocessing unit 121, a quality estimation unit 122, and a quality attachment unit 123.

The data acquisition unit acquires dynamic state parameters of the vehicle, such as vehicle speed, engine driving torque, steering state, braking state and the like, through the CAN bus.

In order to eliminate measurement errors and disturbances, the output voltage is preprocessed in a preprocessing unit 121, which includes low-pass filtering and elimination of measurement data that is clearly anomalous.

In the mass estimation unit 122, the vehicle mass value DEM is estimated based on the longitudinal dynamics model. The basic idea of the estimation method is that: the mass of the vehicle is estimated on the basis of data of two adjacent moments, preferably two moments before and during the gear shift are selected, because the resistance of the vehicle remains almost constant during this period. The latter moment is preferably a traction-free phase in which the clutch is completely disengaged during a shift, wherein no engine traction is applied to the wheels. For example, patent document CN105209309B discloses such a method of estimating the vehicle mass.

At the same time, a quality value Q is associated with the quality value DEM in the quality association unit 123. The quality value Q ranges from 0 to 1, and its magnitude depends on the current interference factor, wherein a larger quality value Q indicates a higher reliability. Illustratively, when the CAN bus signal is too noisy to be preprocessed, the quality value Q is set at 0.6 to 0.8 depending on the degree of noise; when the gradient changes before and during shifting of the vehicle, the quality value Q is set at 0.5 to 0.9 depending on the degree of gradient change; when a low torque is output before the vehicle is shifted, the quality value Q is set at 0.4 to 0.8 depending on the magnitude of the torque output; when there is no adverse factor affecting the estimated quality value DEM and a high quality signal is obtained after the preprocessing, the quality value Q is set to 1, i.e., the best quality. When there are a plurality of interference factors, i.e. a plurality of quality values Q, it is advantageous to select the one with the smallest value, i.e. the one that is relatively less reliable, as the quality value Q of the quality value DEM.

Optionally, a condition checking unit 124 is provided after the preprocessing unit 121, which checks: whether the current dynamics of the vehicle meet the conditions that enable estimation of the mass using a longitudinal dynamics based model, e.g. the vehicle already has a certain speed, is not braking, is not turning, etc. Only if these conditions are met, i.e. the check passes, the output data of the preprocessing unit 121 are passed to the quality estimation unit 122 and the quality attachment unit 123.

The fusion module FUS comprises an evaluation unit 101 and a calculation unit 102. In the fusion module FUS, the quality values LCM and DEM are fused to obtain the vehicle quality depending on the evaluation results of the quality values P and Q.

According to the invention, the following fusion parameters are provided, the technical meaning of which is as follows:

threshold P _ up: if the quality value P ≧ P _ up, the quality value LCM is deemed authentic, exemplary setting P _ up =0.75;

threshold value P _ low: if the quality value P ≦ P _ low, the quality value LCM is considered untrusted, exemplary setting P _ low =0.3;

threshold Q _ up: if the quality value Q ≧ Q _ up, the quality value DEM is considered trustworthy, exemplary setting Q _ up =0.85;

threshold Q _ low: if Q ≦ Q _ low, the quality value DEM is considered untrusted, exemplary setting Q _ low =0.4;

degree of deviation

The larger div represents the larger the difference between the quality values P and Q;

deviation degree threshold div _ thd: if div ≧ div _ thd, the quality values P and Q are considered not to be close, exemplary setting div _ thd =0.4.

In the evaluation unit 101, the quality values P and Q are each evaluated as one of the following three levels:

credible: p _ up ≦ P ≦ 1, meaning that the quality value LCM is accurate and will be used in the vehicle mass calculation; q _ up ≦ Q ≦ 1, meaning that the quality value DEM is accurate and will be used in the vehicle mass calculation;

partially trusted: p _ low < P _ up, meaning that the quality value LCM is less accurate and may be considered and/or used in the vehicle mass calculation; q _ low < Q _ up, meaning that the quality value DEM is less accurate and may be considered and/or used in the vehicle mass calculation;

not to be trusted: p ≦ 0 ≦ P _ low, meaning that the quality value LCM is inaccurate and will not be used in the vehicle mass calculation; when Q is 0 ≦ Q _ low, it means that the quality value DEM is inaccurate and will not be used in the vehicle mass calculation.

In the calculation unit 102, the quality value Q is first evaluated and subsequently the quality value P is evaluated, the quality value LCM and the quality value DEM being fused as follows depending on the evaluation result:

in the case where Q is 0 ≦ Q _ low, i.e., the quality value DEM is not trusted,

-if P _ low < P ≦ 1, i.e. the quality value LCM is authentic or partly authentic, using only the quality value LCM as vehicle mass,

-if 0 ≦ P _ low, i.e. the quality value LCM is not trusted, then the vehicle mass is not calculated.

In case Q _ up ≦ Q ≦ 1, i.e. the quality value DEM is authentic,

-if P _ up ≦ P ≦ 1, i.e. the quality value LCM is authentic, using the arithmetic mean of the quality values LCM and DEM as vehicle mass,

if P _ low<P<P _ up, i.e. the quality value LCM is partly authentic, a weighted average of the quality values LCM and DEM is used

As the mass of the vehicle,

if 0 ≦ P _ low, i.e. the quality value LCM is not authentic, then only the quality value DEM is used as vehicle mass.

In case Q _ low < Q _ up, i.e. the quality value DEM is partly authentic,

-if P _ up ≦ P ≦ 1, i.e. the quality value LCM is authentic, then use the weighted average of the quality values LCM and DEM

As the mass of the vehicle,

-if P _ low < P _ up, i.e. the quality value LCM is partly authentic, calculating the degree of deviation div of the quality values P and Q,

if div _ thd is less than or equal to div is less than or equal to 1, i.e. the quality values P and Q are not close,then use the weighted average of the quality values LCM and DEM

As the vehicle mass, if div is greater than or equal to 0<div _ thd, i.e., quality values P and Q are close, let the quality value with the greater quality value be the vehicle quality,

The fusion strategy applied in the fusion module FUS of the device 100 according to the embodiment of fig. 1 is illustrated in fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of a main flow of a method for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values, comprising the following steps:

step S301: first quality values are periodically acquired by a first quality acquisition module and a first quality value is associated with each first quality value.

Optionally, a load cell is provided in the first mass acquisition module, in particular, by means of a measured value of a sensor for acquiring the vehicle mass in the first mass acquisition module. Alternatively, the first quality value is set depending on the interference factor each time the first quality value is acquired.

Step S302: the second quality values are periodically acquired by a second quality acquisition module and a second quality value is associated with each second quality value, wherein the first quality acquisition module and the second quality acquisition module operate on different principles. Since the two quality acquisition modules operate independently, step S301 and step S302 may be performed in parallel, thereby enabling acquisition of quality values at the same time on different principles.

Optionally, the second mass value is estimated in a second mass acquisition module by means of a vehicle longitudinal dynamics model. Alternatively, the second quality value is set depending on the interference factor each time the second quality value is acquired.

Step S303: the respective quality value is evaluated as a function of the respective quality value and the first and second quality values are combined as a function of the evaluation result to obtain the vehicle quality.

Optionally, the quality values to which they belong are evaluated as available or unavailable according to the respective quality values.

Alternatively, when both the first and second quality values are evaluated as being available, either the average of the first and second quality values is used as the vehicle quality or the quality value having the larger quality value is used as the vehicle quality.

Alternatively, when one of the quality values is evaluated as unavailable and the other quality value is evaluated as available, the quality value evaluated as available is used as the vehicle quality.

Optionally, the quality values evaluated as usable are further evaluated as plausible or partly plausible in dependence on the respective quality value. In other words, the quality values are divided into three levels of unavailability, partial credibility, and credibility. On the basis, the first quality value and the second quality value are fused to obtain the vehicle quality, and the method comprises the following steps:

-using the arithmetic mean of the first and second mass values as the vehicle mass when both mass values evaluated as being available are evaluated as authentic;

-using a weighted average of the first and second quality values as vehicle quality when only one of the two quality values evaluated as available is evaluated as authentic, or when both quality values are evaluated as partially authentic and the degree of deviation of the first and second quality values reaches a predetermined value, wherein the weight of the respective quality value depends on the respective quality value, in particular P/(P + Q) as the weight of the first quality value and Q/(P + Q) as the weight of the second quality value, wherein P is the first quality value and Q is the second quality value;

In the light of the above-described exemplary embodiments, the device according to the invention can also be extended to the fusion of vehicle quality values acquired by three mass acquisition modules.

Alternatively, a third quality detection module is provided, which operates on the same principle as the first quality detection module, for example, and detects the third quality value as a redundancy of the first quality value. When the first quality value is evaluated as unavailable and the third quality value is evaluated as available, or when the first quality value is evaluated as partially trustworthy and the third quality value is evaluated as trustworthy, the first quality value may be replaced by the third quality value, and the quality value fusion may be performed in accordance with the teachings of the previous embodiments. Thereby further improving the confidence of the quality value fusion.

Optionally, the operating principle of the third mass obtaining module is different from the operating principle of both the first and second mass obtaining modules, thereby obtaining a completely independent third mass value. The quality value with which both quality values are higher is preferably selected, and the quality value fusion can be performed with reference to the teachings of the previous embodiments. Thereby further improving the confidence of the quality value fusion.

The device according to the invention can also be extended to merge vehicle quality values obtained by more than three mass acquisition modules. It is easily conceivable to select two quality values, the highest and the second highest, and still make reference to the teachings of the previous embodiments for quality value fusion.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a block diagram of a computer system 400 suitable for use with a terminal device implementing an embodiment of the invention is shown. The terminal device shown in fig. 4 is only an example, and should not bring any limitation to the functions and the scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 4, the computer system 400 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 401 that can perform various appropriate actions and processes in accordance with a program stored in a Read Only Memory (ROM) 402 or a program loaded from a storage section 408 into a Random Access Memory (RAM) 403. In the RAM 403, various programs and data necessary for the operation of the system 400 are also stored. The CPU 401, ROM 402, and RAM 403 are connected to each other via a bus 404. An input/output (I/O) interface 405 is also connected to bus 404.

The following components are connected to the I/O interface 405: an input section 406 including a keyboard, a mouse, and the like; an output section 407 including a display device such as a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and the like, and a speaker; a storage section 408 including a hard disk and the like; and a communication section 409 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, a modem, or the like. The communication section 409 performs communication processing via a network such as the internet. A driver 410 is also connected to the I/O interface 405 as needed. A removable medium 411 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like is mounted on the drive 410 as necessary, so that a computer program read out therefrom is mounted into the storage section 408 as necessary.

In particular, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts may be implemented as computer software programs. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure include a computer program product comprising a computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising program code for performing the method illustrated by the flow chart. In such an embodiment, the computer program may be downloaded and installed from a network through the communication section 409, and/or installed from the removable medium 411. The computer program performs the above-described functions defined in the system of the present invention when executed by a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 401.

It should be noted that the computer readable medium shown in the present invention can be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium or any combination of the two. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of the computer readable storage medium may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the present invention, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In the present invention, however, a computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated data signal may take many forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may also be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to: wireless, wire, fiber optic cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The modules described in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by software or hardware. The described modules may also be provided in a processor, which may be described as: a processor includes a first quality acquisition module, a second quality acquisition module, and a fusion module. Where the names of these modules do not in some cases constitute a limitation of the module itself, for example, the first quality acquisition module may also be described as "first acquisition module".

As another aspect, the present invention also provides a computer-readable medium that may be contained in the apparatus described in the above embodiments; or may be separate and not incorporated into the device. The computer readable medium carries one or more programs which, when executed by a device, cause the device to comprise: periodically acquiring first quality values by means of a first quality acquisition module and assigning a first quality value to each first quality value; periodically acquiring second quality values by means of a second quality acquisition module and assigning a second quality value to each second quality value, wherein the first quality acquisition module and the second quality acquisition module operate on different principles; the associated quality value is evaluated on the basis of the individual quality values and the first and second quality values are combined to obtain the vehicle quality as a function of the evaluation result.

The above-described embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can occur, depending on design requirements and other factors. Any modification, equivalent replacement, and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values, comprising the steps of:

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the quality value to which each quality value belongs is evaluated as usable or unusable depending on the respective quality value.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that when both the first and the second quality values are evaluated as available, the average of the first and the second quality values is used as the vehicle quality.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that when both the first and the second quality value are evaluated as available, that quality value with the greater quality value is used as the vehicle mass.

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first quality value is set in dependence on the interference factor each time a first quality value is acquired, and the second quality value is set in dependence on the interference factor each time a second quality value is acquired.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first mass value is obtained in a first mass obtaining module by means of measured values of a sensor for obtaining the mass of the vehicle, and the second mass value is estimated in a second mass obtaining module by means of a vehicle longitudinal dynamics model.

7. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that when one of the quality values is evaluated as unavailable and the other quality value is evaluated as available, that quality value evaluated as available is used as vehicle quality.

8. A method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the quality values assessed as being available are further assessed as plausible or partly plausible in dependence on the respective quality value,

-when both quality values are evaluated as partly authentic and the degree of deviation of the first quality value and the second quality value does not reach a predetermined value, using that quality value with the greater quality value as the vehicle quality.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that in calculating the weighted average of the first quality value and the second quality value, P/(P + Q) is taken as a weight for the first quality value and Q/(P + Q) is taken as a weight for the second quality value, where P is the first quality value and Q is the second quality value.

10. An apparatus for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values, comprising:

a second quality detection module for periodically detecting second quality values and assigning a second quality value to each second quality value, wherein the first quality detection module and the second quality detection module operate on different principles;

and the fusion module is used for evaluating the quality value of each quality according to the quality and fusing the first quality value and the second quality value according to the evaluation result to obtain the vehicle quality.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the first mass acquisition module is arranged to acquire the first mass value by means of measurements of a sensor for acquiring the vehicle mass, and the second mass acquisition module is arranged to estimate the second mass value by means of a vehicle longitudinal dynamics model.

12. An electronic device for fusing a plurality of vehicle quality values, comprising:

one or more processors;

a storage device for storing one or more programs,

when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement the method of any one of claims 1-6.

13. A vehicle comprising an arrangement according to claim 10 or 11 or comprising an electronic device according to claim 12.

14. A computer-readable medium, on which a computer program is stored which, when being executed by a processor, carries out the method according to any one of claims 1-9.