JP2004116324A - Vehicular control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular control device capable of knowing the operating status of each electric circuit mounted on a vehicle even in a place separated from the vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: When an user instructs a change of an operation mode by a remote control 2, a relay changeover section 1 changes a mode to the instructed operation mode, and transmits the changed operation mode to the remote control 2. The remote control 2 informs the user by displaying on a display panel 21 of the title of the changed operation mode. Thereby, even though the user is in a place separated from the vehicle, the user can know the operating status of each electric circuit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that controls start and end of power supply to various electric circuits according to an operation mode.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a wireless starting apparatus for starting an automobile engine by remote control using wireless, there is a method disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-89205.
[0003]
In this method, as shown in FIG. 6, the user presses the UP switch Z11 or the DOWN switch Z12 of the remote controller Z1 to supply power to the accessory circuit Z31, the ignition circuit Z32, and the engine start circuit Z33 to the control circuit Z2. It indicates the start and end of supply.
[0004]
Specifically, when the relay Z41 to the relay Z43 are turned off and the user presses the UP switch Z11 once, this is transmitted to the control circuit Z2 via the receiving circuit Z5. As a result, the control circuit Z2 turns on the relay Z41 and starts power supply from the battery Z6 to the accessory circuit Z31. Thereafter, when the UP switch Z11 is pressed again, the relay Z42 is also turned on, and the power supply from the battery Z6 to the ignition circuit Z32 is started. Thereafter, when the UP switch Z11 is pressed once more, the relay Z43 is turned on for the pressed time, and power is supplied from the battery Z6 to the engine start circuit Z33. When any one of the relays Z41 to Z43 is turned on and the user presses the DOWN switch Z12, each time the user presses the DOWN switch Z12, the relays Z43 to Z41 are opened in order to supply power to each circuit. finish.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the wireless starting device according to the related art, for example, when a user starts an engine of a vehicle by remote operation, the user cannot confirm whether the engine is actually started by the remote operation. Therefore, even when the user has started the engine and approaches the vehicle at the stage of using the vehicle, it may be found that the engine is still stopped.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide a vehicle control device capable of knowing the operation states of various electric circuits mounted on a vehicle even at a location away from the vehicle.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle control device according to claim 1 includes a control unit that controls start and end of power supply to various electric circuits mounted on a vehicle according to an operation mode; And a mode changing means for instructing the control means to change the operation mode by the control means, wherein the control means has a notifying means for notifying the mode changing means of the operation mode being executed, The change means has a notifying means for notifying the user of the operation mode being executed by the control means, which is notified from the notifying means.
[0008]
As described above, in the vehicle control device of the present invention, the control unit has the notifying unit that notifies the mode changing unit of the operation mode being executed, and the mode changing unit is notified by the notifying unit that the control unit executes the operation mode. There is a notifying means for notifying the user of the middle operation mode. Therefore, even when the user is away from the vehicle, the operation mode of the control unit can be confirmed by the notification unit, and the operation status of various electric circuits mounted on the vehicle can be grasped. This makes it possible to reliably start and end the power supply to the various electric circuits described above.
[0009]
It is preferable that the mode change means has a change mode designation means for instructing a change to each operation mode of the control means and corresponding to each operation mode on a one-to-one basis. By directly specifying the operation mode to be changed by the change mode specifying means, the user can easily instruct the mode change.
[0010]
According to a third aspect, the control means has a function of notifying the mode change means of a change in the operating state of the vehicle caused by changing the operation mode, and the mode change means includes Preferably, the means notifies the user of the change in the operating state of the vehicle notified from the notifying means. Thereby, the user can check even the change in the operation state of the vehicle caused by the change in the operation mode, and the usability is good.
[0011]
Preferably, the control device for a vehicle is applied to a starting device that starts or stops a power device of the vehicle wirelessly. A starting device for starting or stopping a power device of a vehicle needs to start and end power supply to a plurality of electric circuits such as an accessory circuit, an ignition circuit, and an engine start circuit. Even when the user is away from the vehicle, if the user can grasp the operation states of the various electric circuits, the user can easily and surely start or stop the power device of the vehicle.
[0012]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
(1st Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0013]
The relay switching unit 1 includes a transmission / reception circuit 11 and an ECU 12.
[0014]
The transmission / reception circuit 11, which is a notification unit, receives the operation mode to be changed, which is designated by the user using the remote controller 2, and outputs the operation mode to the ECU 12. Further, the operation mode of the ECU 12 is transmitted to the remote controller 2 as the operation mode of the relay switching unit 1.
[0015]
The ECU 12 is a control ECU, receives the operation mode received by the transmission / reception circuit 11, and changes the operation mode by controlling ON / OFF of the relays 31 to 33 according to the operation mode. The operation mode is a combination of ON and OFF of the relays 31 to 33, and changing the operation mode means changing ON / OFF of each relay.
[0016]
There are four operation modes: ACC mode, IG mode, START mode, and OFF mode. The ACC mode is a mode in which only the relay 31 is turned on and the relays 32 and 33 are turned off, that is, only the accessory circuit 41 is supplied with power. The IG mode is a mode in which power is supplied to the ignition circuit 42 in addition to the accessory circuit 41 described above.
[0017]
The START mode is a mode for supplying power to the engine start circuit 43 in addition to the accessory circuit 41 and the ignition circuit 42 described above. The power supply to the engine start circuit 43 is performed a predetermined number of times. However, when an engine start signal is output from an engine control ECU (not shown), that is, when the engine is started, the power supply to the engine start circuit 43 is immediately terminated. Further, even if power is supplied to the engine start circuit 43 a predetermined number of times, if the engine start signal is not output from the engine control ECU (not shown), that is, if the engine has not been started, the engine cannot be started. This is notified to the user, and the process ends. That is, the START mode is a mode in which, when the engine starts, the mode automatically shifts to the IG mode, and when the engine does not start, the mode automatically shifts to the OFF mode.
[0018]
The remote controller 2 has a communication function, and includes a display panel 21 and a mode change key.
[0019]
The display panel 21 serving as the notification means is, for example, a small liquid crystal display, and displays the name of the operation mode being executed by the relay switching unit 1 and the like received by the communication circuit (not shown) and notifies the user. As means for notifying the user of the name of the operation mode, for example, a sound may be notified by a speaker or the like.
[0020]
The mode change key, which is a change mode designating means, is composed of four types, an ACC key 22, an IG key 23, a START key 24, and an OFF key 25, and each key corresponds to each operation mode of the relay switching unit 1. The ACC key 22 is a key for instructing to change the operation mode of the relay switching unit 1 to the ACC mode. Similarly, the IG key 23 is a key for instructing to change the operation mode of the relay switching unit 1 to the IG mode, the START key 24 to the START mode, and the OFF key 25 to the OFF mode. By preparing the mode change key corresponding to each operation mode to be changed in this way, the user can easily give a mode change instruction.
[0021]
As a means for instructing the change of the operation mode of the relay switching unit 1, for example, a dial-type switch may be used, or the above-described keys may be displayed on a touch panel integrated with the display panel 21 and touched. May be performed.
[0022]
The battery 5 supplies electric power to each electric device mounted on the vehicle. In particular, in this embodiment, when each of the relays 31 to 33 is turned on, power is supplied to the accessory circuit 41, the ignition circuit 42, and the engine start circuit 43. Regarding power supply to each electric circuit, power may be supplied by, for example, a fuel cell or the like.
[0023]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart relating to a process in which the vehicle control device of the first embodiment changes the mode to the operation mode instructed by the user to change. The process of this flowchart is executed every time the user presses the mode change key of the remote controller 2.
[0024]
In step 201, it is determined whether or not the START key 24 has been pressed. If it is determined that the START key 24 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step 202. Otherwise, go to step 210. In step 202, the fact that the operation mode has been changed to the START mode is displayed on the display panel 21 to notify the user.
[0025]
In step 203, the engine start counter inside the ECU 12 is reset. The engine start counter is a counter that counts the number of times power has been supplied to the engine start circuit 43 to start the engine. In step 204, the power supply to the engine start circuit 43 is started by turning on the relay 33. In step 205, the value of the engine start counter is incremented by one. In step 206, the relay 33 is turned off after a lapse of a predetermined time, and the power supply to the engine start circuit 43 is stopped.
[0026]
In step 207, it is determined whether or not an engine start signal has been received from an engine control ECU (not shown). If an engine start signal has been received, the process proceeds to step 211. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 208, where it is determined whether the value of the engine start counter is equal to a predetermined value K. If the value of the engine start counter is equal to the predetermined value K, it is determined that the engine has not started even if power is supplied to the engine start circuit 43 a predetermined number of times, and the routine proceeds to step 209. Then, a message that the operation mode has been automatically changed to the OFF mode is displayed on the display panel 21 to notify the user, and the process ends. On the other hand, if the value of the engine start counter is smaller than K, the processing of steps 204 to 208 is repeated.
[0027]
On the other hand, in step 210, it is determined whether or not the IG key 23 has been pressed. If it is determined that the IG key 23 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step 211. Otherwise, go to step 212. In step 211, the operation mode is changed to the IG mode by turning on the relay 32, and power supply to the ignition circuit 42 is started. Then, the fact that the operation mode has been changed to the IG mode is displayed on the display panel 21 to notify the user.
[0028]
In step 212, it is determined whether the ACC key 22 has been pressed. If it is determined that the ACC key 22 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step 213. Otherwise, go to step 215. In step 213, the fact that the operation mode is changed to the ACC mode is displayed on the display panel 21 to notify the user. In step 214, the operation mode is changed to the ACC mode by turning on the relay 31. As a result, power supply to the accessory circuit 41 is started.
[0029]
In step 215, since the operated mode change key is not any of the START key 24, the IG key 23, and the ACC key 22, it is considered that the OFF key 21 has been pressed, and all the relays 31 to 33 are turned off. To OFF mode. Thus, power supply to all of the engine start circuit 43, the ignition circuit 42, and the accessory circuit 41 is stopped. Then, the fact that the operation mode has been changed to the OFF mode is displayed on the display panel 21 to notify the user.
[0030]
As described above, in the vehicular control device of the present embodiment, the relay switching unit 1 transmits the operation mode being executed to the remote controller 2 by the transmission / reception circuit 11. The remote controller 2 displays the operation mode being executed by the relay switching unit 1 on the display panel 21 to notify the user. Accordingly, even when the user is away from the vehicle, the user can grasp the operation status of the engine start circuit 43, the ignition circuit 42, and the accessory circuit 41, and the remote controller 2 supplies power to each of the above-described electric circuits. Start and end can be performed reliably.
[0031]
Next, FIGS. 3A to 3C show specific examples when the vehicle control device of the first embodiment changes the mode to the operation mode instructed by the user. Here, it is assumed that when the operation mode of relay switching unit 1 is the OFF mode, the user presses START key 24 of remote controller 2 to instruct the change of the operation mode.
[0032]
FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating a display state of the remote controller 2 before the user instructs to change the operation mode. Since the operation mode of the relay switching unit 1 before the change is the OFF mode, “the current operation mode is the OFF mode” is displayed on the display panel 21. FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating a display state of the remote controller 2 immediately after the user presses the START key 24 of the remote controller 2. Since the operation mode of the relay switching unit 1 has been changed to the START mode, the display panel 21 displays "the current operation mode is the START mode".
[0033]
FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating a display state of the remote controller 2 when the engine is started and the change of the operation mode is completed. After the engine is started, the START mode automatically shifts to the IG mode. Therefore, the display panel 21 displays “the current operation mode is the IG mode”. On the other hand, when the engine has not been started, the START mode automatically shifts to the OFF mode, and thus returns to the display state of FIG.
(2nd Embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart relating to a process in which the vehicle control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention performs a mode change to an operation mode instructed to be changed by a user. As shown in FIG. 4, in the flowchart of the present embodiment, in the flowchart of FIG. 2 in the first embodiment, a step of notifying the user of the start of the engine, and a step of notifying the user that the engine cannot be started. Is different. In other words, all the processes other than Steps 408 and 410 are the same as the processes in the flowchart of FIG. 2 in the first embodiment described above, and a description thereof will be omitted. Note that the process of this flowchart is executed every time the user presses the mode change key of the remote controller 2 as in the case of the first embodiment.
[0034]
In step 408, the fact that the engine has started is displayed on the display panel 21 to notify the user. The ECU 12 of the present embodiment outputs to the remote controller 2 via the transmission / reception circuit 11 a change in the operation state of the vehicle caused by the change in the operation mode, for example, starting or stopping the engine. By displaying this on the display panel 21, the user can specifically grasp the change in the operation state of the vehicle, and the usability is improved.
[0035]
In step 410, the fact that the engine cannot be started is displayed on the display panel 21 to notify the user.
[0036]
Next, specific examples when the vehicle control device of the second embodiment changes the mode to the operation mode instructed by the user are shown in FIGS. Here, as in the case of the first embodiment, it is assumed that when the operation mode of the relay switching unit 1 is the OFF mode, the user presses the START key 24 of the remote controller 2 to instruct the change of the operation mode. I do.
[0037]
FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a display state of the remote controller 2 immediately after the user presses the START key 24 of the remote controller 2. FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a display state of the remote controller 2 immediately after the engine is started. In order to notify the user that the engine has started, the display panel 21 displays "the engine has started" in addition to "the current operation mode is the START mode".
[0038]
On the other hand, FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a display state of the remote controller 2 when the engine has not been started. If the engine has not been started, the START mode automatically shifts to the OFF mode, so that "the current operation mode is the OFF mode" is displayed on the display panel 21 and "Start the engine is started." Not possible "is displayed.
[0039]
As described above, the vehicle control device of the present invention is easily applied to the starting device that wirelessly starts or stops the power device of the vehicle even when the user is away from the vehicle. And it can be started or stopped reliably. Of course, it is needless to say that a user may be present near the vehicle.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart relating to a process in which the vehicle control device of the first embodiment changes a mode to an operation mode instructed by a user to change.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example when the vehicle control device of the first embodiment changes a mode to an operation mode instructed by a user.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a vehicle control device according to a second embodiment changes a mode to an operation mode instructed to be changed by a user.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a specific example when the vehicle control device of the second embodiment changes a mode to an operation mode instructed by a user.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a wireless starting device for starting an automobile engine wirelessly according to the related art.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Relay switching machine, 11 ... Transceiving circuit, 12 ... ECU, 2 ... Remote control, 21 ... Display panel, 22 ... ACC key, 23 ... IG key, 24 ... START key, 25 ... OFF key

Claims (4)

Control means for controlling start and end of power supply to various electric circuits mounted on the vehicle according to the operation mode, and mode change means for wirelessly instructing the control means to change the operation mode A control device for a vehicle,
The control unit has a notification unit that notifies the operation mode being executed to the mode change unit,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the mode changing unit includes a notifying unit that notifies a user of an operation mode that is being executed by the control unit, which is notified from the notifying unit. 2. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mode changing unit includes a change mode designating unit corresponding to each of the operation modes on a one-to-one basis, instructing a change to each operation mode of the control unit. . The control unit has a function of notifying the mode change unit of the change in the operation state of the vehicle caused by changing the operation mode by the notification unit,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the mode changing unit notifies the user of a change in the operating state of the vehicle notified from the notifying unit by the notifying unit. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vehicle control device is applied to a starting device that starts or stops a power device of the vehicle wirelessly.

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