JP2004212140A - Vehicular fuel meter controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the indication of a remaining amount of fuel in a fuel meter 1 from being sharply fluctuated by a change in an oil level in a fuel tank accompanying the travel of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: A fuel meter controller has a switching means for selectively switching the indication processing of the remaining amount of fuel by the fuel meter 1 to high-speed indication processing having a quick response to a change in the detection signal of a remaining-amount-of-fuel sensor 4 and low-speed one having slow response. In this case, the low-speed indication processing is changed to the high-speed one when a navigation unit 6 recognizes that the current position of an own vehicle is a gas station. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fuel meter control device for a vehicle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a vehicle, for example, an automobile, a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of fuel is provided in a fuel tank, and display means (fuel meter) for displaying the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank based on the detection signal is provided. I have. However, since the liquid level of the fuel in the fuel tank fluctuates due to the running vibration of the vehicle, the longitudinal acceleration and the lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle at the time of running, the running state of the vehicle does not change even when the fuel actually increases or decreases. Accordingly, the remaining fuel amount detected by the sensor changes.
[0003]
Therefore, conventionally, the display process of the remaining fuel amount by the remaining fuel amount display means is selectively switched between a high-speed display process having high responsiveness to a change in the detection signal of the sensor and a low-speed display process having low responsiveness. Switching means is provided to switch from the low-speed display processing to the high-speed display processing when fueling to the fuel tank is detected. For example, it has been proposed that when the vehicle is stopped and the remaining fuel amount detected by the sensor increases by a predetermined value or more within a predetermined time, it is determined that refueling is performed and the low-speed display process is switched to the high-speed display process. (See Patent Document 1).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 10-170321 A [0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, although the stop state of the vehicle can be detected by a vehicle speed sensor, the vehicle speed sensor has a detection limit. Generally, when the actual vehicle speed becomes 2 km / h or less, the vehicle speed is determined to be zero, that is, the vehicle is in a stopped state. You. Therefore, when the vehicle is traveling at such an extremely low vehicle speed, if there is a change in the level of the fuel tank due to a change in the level of the fuel tank due to the overcoming of the unevenness of the road surface or the shift to the hill running, There is a risk that the high-speed display processing will be performed due to an erroneous determination of refueling.
[0006]
Therefore, the present invention determines whether or not the vehicle is in a state where the probability of refueling is high, and in such a state, the switching from the low-speed display processing to the high-speed display processing is performed. That is the task.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve such a problem, the present invention switches the low-speed display process to the high-speed display process when the vehicle is located at the fueling station.
[0008]
That is, the invention according to claim 1 includes a fuel remaining amount detecting unit that detects a fuel remaining amount in a fuel tank,
Fuel related display means for performing a display related to the fuel in the fuel tank,
The fuel-related display means is:
Fuel remaining amount display means for displaying the fuel remaining amount based on a detection signal from the fuel remaining amount detecting means,
Switching means for selectively switching the fuel remaining amount display processing by the fuel remaining amount display means to a high-speed display processing having a high response to the change of the detection signal and a low-speed display processing having a low response. In a vehicle fuel meter control device,
A map database in which the location information of the refueling stations is stored,
Current position recognizing means for recognizing the current position of the vehicle,
The switching means sets the display processing of the remaining fuel amount to the high-speed display processing when the current position recognition means recognizes that the current location of the vehicle is the refueling station.
[0009]
Accordingly, when the vehicle is located at the refueling station, the display process of the remaining fuel amount is a high-speed display process, so that the responsiveness of the display of the remaining fuel amount at the time of refueling is increased, and the refueling state can be easily confirmed. . On the other hand, if the current location of the vehicle is not a refueling station, low-speed display processing is performed, so it is erroneously determined that refueling is performed during non-refueling, such as during traveling, and the fuel display means reacts sensitively to the fuel detection means and the fuel remaining amount is erroneously displayed. Is less likely to be done.
[0010]
In a vehicle equipped with a navigation (travel route guidance) system, it is possible to recognize whether or not the vehicle is located at a refueling station using this navigation system. There is no need to provide sensors, which is advantageous in terms of cost.
[0011]
The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1,
Pressure detecting means for detecting the internal pressure of the fuel tank,
When the internal pressure of the fuel tank detected by the pressure detecting means drops below a predetermined value, the switching means sets the display processing of the remaining fuel amount to the high-speed display processing.
[0012]
That is, when the filler lid is closed in the fuel tank, the pressure is increased by the evaporated fuel, but when the filler lid is opened, the internal pressure is reduced. Therefore, in the present invention, when the internal pressure of the fuel tank falls below a predetermined value, it is determined that refueling is being performed, and the display process of the remaining fuel amount is replaced with the high-speed display process.
[0013]
Further, since the fuel tank is often provided with a sensor for detecting the internal pressure of the tank in order to detect the leakage of the fuel vapor, in this case, according to the present invention, the refueling is performed without providing a new sensor. Time can be accurately grasped, which is advantageous in increasing the responsiveness of the fuel remaining amount display only at the time of refueling, and also advantageous in terms of cost.
[0014]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the map database having the position information of the refueling station and the current position recognizing means of the own vehicle are provided, and it is recognized that the current position of the own vehicle is the refueling station. In this case, the display process of the fuel remaining amount by the fuel remaining amount means is made to be a high-speed display process, so that the time of refueling can be accurately grasped and the responsiveness of the fuel remaining amount display at the time of refueling can be improved. In the case of non-refueling, it is less likely that the fuel is erroneously determined to be refueling, the fuel display means reacts excessively to the fuel detecting means and the fuel remaining amount is erroneously displayed, and in a vehicle having a navigation system, a new There is no need to provide sensors, which is advantageous in terms of cost.
[0015]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a pressure detecting means for detecting an internal pressure of the fuel tank is provided, and when the internal pressure of the fuel tank falls below a predetermined value, the display processing of the remaining fuel amount is performed. High-speed display processing, when the fuel lid is opened and refueling is performed, high-speed display processing is performed. In the vehicle provided with the internal pressure sensor, there is no need to provide new sensors, which is advantageous in terms of cost.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a fuel meter control device of a vehicle (automobile). In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a fuel meter for displaying a remaining fuel amount in a fuel tank (not shown), which is provided on an instrument panel of the vehicle. An ignition switch 3, a fuel remaining amount sensor 4 for detecting a fuel remaining amount (fuel remaining amount) of a fuel tank, and a vehicle speed sensor 5 are connected to a fuel meter control circuit 2 for controlling the fuel meter 1, and an ignition signal, A fuel remaining amount detection signal and a vehicle speed signal are input.
[0018]
The fuel meter control circuit 2 is connected to the navigation unit 6 and the engine control unit 7 by a multiplex bus line 8. A pressure sensor 9 for detecting the internal pressure of the fuel tank is connected to the engine control unit 7. As a result, the fuel meter control circuit 2 receives information on the current position of the vehicle from the navigation unit 6 via the multiplex bus line 8 and a tank internal pressure signal via the engine control unit 7 and the multiplex bus line 8. It is supposed to be.
[0019]
Then, the fuel meter control circuit 2 controls the driving of the fuel meter 1 based on the signals from the above-mentioned switches and sensors. That is, when the ignition switch 3 is ON, the fuel meter control circuit 2 performs the display process of the remaining fuel amount by the fuel meter 1 as a high-speed display process having high responsiveness to a change in the detection signal of the fuel remaining amount sensor 4. Switching means for selectively switching to low-speed display processing with low responsiveness is provided, and the switching is performed based on the current position information of the own vehicle, the vehicle speed signal, and the tank internal pressure signal.
[0020]
In this case, the fuel meter 1 and the fuel meter control circuit 2 constitute fuel-related display means.
[0021]
The navigation unit 6 includes a map database storing position information of a fueling station, a current position recognizing unit for recognizing a current position of the vehicle, a route planning unit, a data processing unit, an image output unit, an audio output unit. It is equipped with.
[0022]
The map database is a database storing a wide range of road networks and other map data, and is accessible from route planning means and data processing means.
[0023]
The current position recognition means is for recognizing the current position of the own vehicle, and is configured to recognize the current position of the own vehicle by a known method using a GPS receiver, a gyro, a geomagnetic sensor, or the like. The recognized current position data of the own vehicle is output to the route planning means and the data processing means.
[0024]
The route planning means is capable of setting a travel destination by manual input, and plans a travel route from the current position of the vehicle to the travel destination using a map database. The data processing means is a device that performs data processing for the route guidance of the own vehicle based on the travel route planned by the route planning means, and sequentially performs the above-described travel route according to the current position of the own vehicle. And the above route guidance is performed. The above-mentioned travel route is presented to the driver using images and sounds using image output means and sound output means.
[0025]
Next, the switching control between the low-speed display processing and the high-speed display processing will be described in detail with reference to the flow of FIG. Note that the present embodiment is configured to be applicable to a case where the navigation unit 6 is not operated or a vehicle which does not include the navigation unit 6.
[0026]
That is, in step S1 after the start, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle includes the navigation unit 5 (or whether the navigation unit 6 is in the operating state; the same applies hereinafter). When the navigation unit 6 is provided, the process proceeds to step S2, and it is determined whether or not the current location of the vehicle is a refueling station (gas station) based on the navigation information.
[0027]
When the current location of the vehicle is not at the refueling station, the process proceeds to step S3, and when it is determined that the navigation unit 6 is not provided in step S1, the process also proceeds to step S3. In this step S3, it is determined based on the output signal of the pressure sensor 9 whether or not the internal pressure of the fuel tank has decreased below a predetermined value. The predetermined value may be set to a pressure slightly higher than the atmospheric pressure.
[0028]
When it is determined in step S3 that the internal pressure of the fuel tank has not decreased, the process proceeds to step S4, in which the fuel meter time constant is set for low speed, that is, the low speed display processing mode is set, and the driving of the fuel meter 1 is performed. Control is performed (step S5).
[0029]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that the current location of the vehicle is a fueling station, and if it is determined in step S3 that the internal pressure of the fuel tank has decreased to a predetermined value or less, the process proceeds to step S6, and the vehicle speed is increased. It is determined based on the output signal of the sensor 5 whether or not the own vehicle is stopped. If the vehicle is stopped, the process proceeds to step S7, in which the fuel meter time constant is set for high speed, that is, the high-speed display processing mode is set, and drive control of the fuel meter 1 is performed (step S5).
[0030]
If it is determined in step S6 that the vehicle is not stopped, the flow advances to step S4 to set the low-speed display processing mode.
[0031]
Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, when the current location of the vehicle is a fueling station or when the internal pressure of the fuel tank is reduced to a predetermined value or less, the fuel meter 1 is operated on a condition that the vehicle is stopped. Since the display processing of the quantity is in the high-speed display processing mode, the responsivity of the fuel meter 1 to the fuel remaining amount sensor 4 is reliably increased at the time of refueling. Therefore, it is advantageous for the driver to check the refueling state.
[0032]
On the other hand, even when the current location of the vehicle is a refueling station or when the internal pressure of the fuel tank is reduced to a predetermined value or less, the vehicle enters the low-speed display processing mode if the vehicle is traveling. Therefore, even if the liquid level of the fuel tank changes, the fuel display of the fuel meter 1 does not greatly change, and erroneous recognition of the remaining fuel amount can be avoided.
[0033]
FIG. 3 shows a control flow of another embodiment relating to the above switching.
[0034]
That is, if it is determined in step S2 that the current location of the vehicle is not a refueling station, the process proceeds to step S4 so as to be in the low-speed display processing mode, and if it is determined in step S2 that the current location of the vehicle is a refueling station. Proceeds to step S3 to determine whether or not the internal pressure of the fuel tank has decreased to a predetermined value or less. When the internal pressure of the fuel tank has decreased to a predetermined value or less, the operation proceeds to step S6. The other steps are the same as the control flow of FIG. Note that the process proceeds to step S3 when "No" is determined in step S1, which is the same as the control flow in FIG.
[0035]
Therefore, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, when the navigation unit 6 is provided, the current location of the vehicle is a fueling station, the internal pressure of the fuel tank is reduced to a predetermined value or less, and the vehicle is stopped. The high-speed display processing mode is set only when the three conditions are satisfied. Therefore, the high-speed display processing mode can be set by more accurately grasping the refueling time, and the driver can easily grasp the refueling state.
[0036]
On the other hand, when any of the above three conditions is not satisfied, that is, when the current location of the vehicle is not a refueling station, when the internal pressure of the fuel tank has not dropped below a predetermined value (when the filler lid has not been opened), Alternatively, when the vehicle is traveling, the low-speed display processing mode is set. Therefore, the high-speed display processing mode is avoided when the fuel is not refueled, and the fuel level display of the fuel meter 1 is changed due to a change in the liquid level of the fuel tank during traveling. It can be prevented from fluctuating and confusing.
[0037]
In the case of a vehicle not provided with the navigation unit 6, the high-speed display processing mode is set only when the two conditions that the internal pressure of the fuel tank drops below a predetermined value and the vehicle is stopped are satisfied. When either of the above conditions is not satisfied, that is, when the internal pressure of the fuel tank has not dropped below a predetermined value (when the filler lid has not been opened), or when the vehicle is running, the low-speed display processing mode is set.
[0038]
In the above embodiment, the high-speed display processing mode is set when the condition that the vehicle is stopped is satisfied. However, the condition that the vehicle is stopped may be removed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle fuel meter control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing switching control between low-speed display processing and high-speed display processing of the control device.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing switching control between low-speed display processing and high-speed display processing according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 fuel meter (remaining fuel display means)
2 Fuel meter control circuit having switching means 4 Fuel remaining amount sensor (fuel remaining amount detecting means)
6 A navigation unit equipped with a map database and a vehicle current position recognizing means 9 A pressure sensor (pressure detecting means) for detecting the internal pressure of the fuel tank

Claims (2)

Fuel remaining amount detecting means for detecting the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank;
Fuel related display means for performing a display related to the fuel in the fuel tank,
The fuel-related display means is:
Fuel remaining amount display means for displaying the fuel remaining amount based on a detection signal from the fuel remaining amount detecting means,
Switching means for selectively switching the fuel remaining amount display processing by the fuel remaining amount display means to a high-speed display processing having a high response to the change of the detection signal and a low-speed display processing having a low response. In a vehicle fuel meter control device,
A map database that stores refueling station location information,
Current position recognizing means for recognizing the current position of the vehicle,
The fuel switch for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the current position recognition unit recognizes that the current position of the vehicle is the refueling station, the switching unit sets the display process of the remaining fuel amount to the high-speed display process. Meter control device. In claim 1,
Pressure detecting means for detecting the internal pressure of the fuel tank,
The fuel switch for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the internal pressure of the fuel tank detected by the pressure detecting means falls below a predetermined value, the switching means sets the fuel remaining amount display processing to the high-speed display processing. Meter control device.

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