JP2008213537A - Method and device for switching control mode for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide method and device for changing over control modes for driving a vehicle for changing over control modes automatically when a driver is replaced with another driver in the vehicle constituted to have a plurality of control modes for operating various devices of the vehicle and set any of a plurality of control modes properly by the changing-over operation. <P>SOLUTION: This method for changing over the control modes for driving the vehicle is applied to the vehicle constituted to have a plurality of control modes for operating various devices mounted in the vehicle and set any of a plurality of control modes properly by the changing-over operation. In this method, any of the control modes is changed over to the specific control mode (S12) when either or both of driver's seat belt wearing or removing operation and opening or closing operation for a door on a driver's seat side, are detected in a specific condition during running of the vehicle (S16, S17). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vehicle control mode switching method and a switching device, and more particularly to a vehicle control mode switching method and switching for returning the control mode before the change to the initial standard control mode when the driver changes during vehicle travel. Relates to the device.

In recent automobiles, for example, a plurality of control modes can be set in consideration of driving operability and riding comfort of a driver or the like regarding the state of the vehicle during traveling (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). . That is, in such an automobile, it is made to have a plurality of control modes with respect to operation control of various devices installed in the vehicle. For example, when the driver or the like switches the control mode change switch provided, the operation is performed. It is configured to be able to set an optimum control mode desirable for a person.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-164314 JP-A-4-203227

  In the automobile having the above-described configuration, one automobile may be used by different drivers. In such a case, one driver starts driving the vehicle, and in the middle of that, switches the control mode to a control mode suitable for him, and then the other driver with the engine running without turning off the ignition switch. If the driver does not switch the control mode changeover switch, the control mode is not reset and remains adjusted to the first driver. If the control mode is not reset in spite of the driver change in this way, the subsequent driver does not know the current setting state of the control mode, and the control amount may be excessive or insufficient. .

  In vehicle operation control, the behavior of a vehicle generally changes depending on the control mode, and therefore it is not desirable to run with a special control mode setting not intended by the driver. In particular, in a vehicle equipped with a control system capable of switching the control mode of the operation system, the driving operation may be difficult for a driver who is driving for the first time.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and has a plurality of control modes related to operations of various devices of a vehicle, and is configured so that any one of a plurality of control modes can be appropriately set by a switching operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a driving control mode switching method and a switching device capable of automatically switching a control mode when a driver changes in a vehicle.

  The operation control mode switching method and switching device according to the present invention are configured as follows to achieve the above object.

  The first driving control mode switching method (corresponding to claim 1) has a plurality of control modes regarding the operation of various devices mounted on the vehicle, and appropriately selects one of the plurality of control modes by a switching operation. A control mode switching method for a vehicle configured to be settable, wherein either or both of a driver's seat belt attaching / detaching operation and a driver's seat door opening / closing operation in a specific state during traveling of the vehicle This is a method of switching the control mode to a specific control mode when the detection is detected.

  In the above switching method of the driving control mode, when the driver changes during the engine operation, the control mode set in the stage before the switching is reset, and the driver feels uncomfortable even after the driver changes. It is possible to eliminate feelings.

  In the second driving control mode switching method (corresponding to claim 2), in the above method, the specific state during the traveling of the vehicle is such that the operating state of the engine is maintained after the vehicle starts traveling. In this method, the vehicle is stopped.

  In the third driving control mode switching method (corresponding to claim 3), in the above method, the specific control mode is a standard control mode set at the initial driving of the vehicle.

  The vehicle control mode switching device according to the present invention (corresponding to claim 4) has a plurality of control modes regarding the operation of various devices mounted on the vehicle, and appropriately selects one of the plurality of control modes by a switching operation. It is a device that can be set, and when one or both of the driver's seat belt attaching / detaching operation and the driver's seat door opening / closing operation is detected in a specific state during the running of the vehicle, the control mode is initialized. Control mode switching control means for switching to the standard control mode is provided.

  According to the present invention, in a vehicle having a plurality of control modes related to the operation of various devices of the vehicle and configured to appropriately set any one of the plurality of control modes by a switching operation, a driver can Even if the driver switches to another driver in the set control mode state, the control mode is automatically switched to the standard control mode or the like when the driver is switched. In some cases, it is possible to avoid feeling uncomfortable.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments (examples) of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  A vehicle control mode switching method and switching device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle control mode switching device, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a vehicle control mode switching method.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 is a control device that executes a vehicle control mode switching method, and indicates a control computer (control processing device) mounted on the vehicle.

  On the input side of the control device 11 are an ignition switch (IG) 12, a driver seat seat belt attachment / detachment detection switch 13, a driver seat door open / close detection switch 14, a vehicle speed sensor 15, an accelerator operation state detection switch 16, and a vehicle behavior sensor 17. A control mode changeover switch 18 is provided. An on / off operation signal output from each of the switches 12, 13, 14, 16, 18 or a detection signal output from each of the sensors 15, 17 is input to the input unit of the control device 11. The control mode changeover switch 18 has a configuration in which any one of several control modes including the standard control mode can be appropriately selected based on the operation of the driver or the like. In the state before starting the vehicle travel where the ignition switch 12 is OFF, the control mode changeover switch 18 is set to the standard control mode.

  Further, on the output side of the control device 11, a plurality of various devices 21 mounted on the vehicle are provided. The operating state of each of the plurality of devices 21 determines the driving state of the vehicle, and gives driving operability and riding comfort to the driver who drives the vehicle. The control device 11 is configured to be able to set operating states of a plurality of devices based on the control mode determined there. The driver can set the driving operability and the riding comfort to be optimum for him / her by operating the control mode switch 18.

  In the control device 11, data 32 for setting each of various control modes and a program 33 for executing the vehicle control mode switching method according to the present embodiment are stored in a memory 31 provided therein, and A data area 34 for storing the input detection data and the like is provided.

  Next, the vehicle control mode switching method will be described with reference to FIG. This vehicle control mode switching method is implemented by executing the program 33 by a computer (CPU).

  In the vehicular control mode switching method shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2, a certain driver (referred to as “driver A”) starts driving the vehicle, and the driver A changes the control mode state to the standard control mode M1. Control mode switching method when the vehicle is switched to the control mode M2 and then the vehicle is stopped without turning off the ignition switch and the vehicle is switched to another driver (referred to as "driver B") to continue driving the vehicle. An example of control is shown.

  In the first step S11, the state of the ignition switch (IG) 12 is determined, and when the ignition switch 12 is turned on, an initial setting step S12 is executed. At this time, the ignition switch 12 is turned on by the first driver A who runs the vehicle. Driver A sits in the driver's seat of the vehicle, closes the driver's seat side door, puts the driver's seat belt device on his body, turns on the ignition switch 12, starts the engine, and runs the vehicle. To start. In the initial setting step S12, a specific control mode, that is, the standard control mode M1 is automatically set. When the engine is started and the vehicle is driven, the driver A may operate the control mode switch 18 in accordance with his / her preference. In the next determination step S13, it is determined whether or not the control mode changeover switch 18 has been switched (ON). If NO in determination step S13, the process returns to step S12, and the control mode is maintained in the standard control mode M1. When the driver A operates the control changeover switch 18 to switch to the control mode M2, for example, the determination in the determination step S13 is YES. In this case, the process proceeds to the next determination step S14.

  In determination step S14, when an instruction to switch the control mode from M1 to M2 is issued, it is determined whether or not a condition for switching the control mode is satisfied. The determination condition for switching the control mode is whether or not all the conditions of “below the specified vehicle speed”, “straightly traveling”, and “accelerator is OFF (OFF)” are satisfied. If NO in determination step S14, the process returns to step S12. If all the conditions are satisfied in determination step S14, the answer is YES. When YES is determined in determination step S14, the control mode is switched and control mode M2 is set in next processing step S15.

  Thereafter, based on the driving operation by the driver A, the vehicle travels in the set control mode M2.

  If driving by only the driver A continues and the ignition switch 12 is finally turned off by the driver A, the setting state of the control mode of the vehicle is canceled and the next ignition switch 12 is turned on. Then, the standard control mode M1 is initially set.

  Further, it is assumed that the vehicle stops while the ignition switch 12 is not turned off during the traveling, and the driver B may drive instead of the driver A. In this case, the driver A leaves the driver's seat and the driver B sits in the driver's seat while the engine is operating and is in a stopped state. For this reason, at the time of driver change, either or both of the operation of removing and installing the driver seat belt in the driver seat and the operation of opening and closing the driver seat door inevitably occur. On the other hand, when both the driver seat belt attaching / detaching operation at the driver seat and the opening / closing operation of the driver seat door are not detected, it means that the driver remains A.

  After processing step S15, when the driver remains in A, the control mode is maintained in the switched control mode M2, and when the driver switches from A to B, the control mode state is changed from the control mode M2 to the standard control. Control is performed so that the mode can be switched to the mode M1.

  In the next determination step S16, it is determined whether or not the seat belt has been detached and attached by the driver's seat belt device when the vehicle is stopped (vehicle speed is 0). “When the vehicle is stopped” is determined by a detection signal of the vehicle speed sensor 15, and “Removal of seat belt” is determined by a detection signal related to the on / off operation of the driver seat belt belt attachment / detachment detection switch 13. If YES in determination step S16, it is determined that the driver has changed, and the process proceeds to step S12, and the initial standard control mode M1 is set again. That is, the state of the control mode is switched from the control M2 to the standard control mode M1. If NO in the determination step S16, it is assumed that there is substantially no driver change, and the control mode is maintained at M2, and the process proceeds to the next determination step S17.

  In the next determination step S17, it is determined whether or not the driver's seat door has been opened and closed while the vehicle is stopped. “Opening / closing of the driver's seat door” is determined by a detection signal from the driver's seat door opening / closing detection switch 14. If YES in determination step S17, it is determined that the driver has been changed, and the process proceeds to step S12, where the initial standard control mode M1 is set again. If NO in determination step S17, it is assumed that there is substantially no driver change, and the control mode is maintained at M2, and the process proceeds to the next determination step S18.

  When it is determined that one of the seat belt attaching / detaching operation at the driver's seat and the opening / closing operation of the driver's seat door is detected based on the two determination steps S16 and S17, the control mode is the control mode M2. To a specific standard control mode M1.

  In the final determination step S18, it is determined whether or not the ignition switch (IG) 12 is turned off when the vehicle is stopped. When the ignition switch (IG) 12 is turned off (OFF), the control flow ends. When the ignition switch 12 is not turned off, the process returns to step S15, and the control mode M2 is maintained. After that, when the vehicle is stopped, a process of monitoring whether or not “seating and removing the seat belt” or “opening and closing of the driver's seat door” occurs is continued.

  In the above-described embodiment, an existing seat belt warning signal or door opening warning signal can be used as a detection signal for attaching / detaching a seat belt in the seat belt device or a detection signal for opening / closing the door. For this reason, there is an advantage that an additional amount is small in terms of cost.

  Next, a second embodiment of the vehicle control mode switching method will be described with reference to FIG. This vehicle control mode switching method is also implemented by executing the program 33 by a computer (CPU) as in the case of the first embodiment. In FIG. 3, step elements that are substantially the same as the step elements described in FIG. 2 are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  The vehicle control mode switching method according to this embodiment is characterized in the determination step S21, and the other steps are the same as those described in FIG. According to this vehicle control mode switching method, in the determination step S21, only when the vehicle is stopped and “detachment of the sieve belt” is detected and “opening / closing of the driver's seat door” is detected, the standard control mode is selected. Switching to M1 is performed. That is, in the vehicle control mode switching method according to the second embodiment, when it is determined that both the seat belt detachment operation and the driver door opening / closing operation at the driver's seat are detected, the control mode is changed from the control mode M2. The mode is switched to the standard control mode M1. The conditions for judging driver changes are strict.

  The configurations described in the above embodiments are merely shown schematically to the extent that the present invention can be understood and implemented. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and can be variously modified without departing from the scope of the technical idea shown in the claims.

  The present invention is used to set an appropriate control mode when the driver changes in a vehicle that can switch the control mode for each driver.

It is a block block diagram which shows the basic composition of the control mode switching apparatus for vehicles which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows 1st Embodiment of the control mode switching method for vehicles which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows 2nd Embodiment of the control mode switching method for vehicles which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Control apparatus 12 Ignition switch 13 Seatbelt attachment / detachment detection switch for driver's seats 14 Door opening / closing detection switch for driver's seats 15 Vehicle speed sensor 18 Control mode switch

Claims (4)

A vehicle control mode switching method configured to have a plurality of control modes related to the operation of various devices mounted on a vehicle and to be able to set any of the plurality of control modes as appropriate by a switching operation.
The control mode is switched to the specific control mode when one or both of the driver seat belt attaching / detaching operation and the driver's seat door opening / closing operation is detected in a specific state during the traveling of the vehicle. A vehicle control mode switching method characterized by the above.   2. The vehicle control according to claim 1, wherein the specific state during the traveling of the vehicle is a state in which the vehicle is stopped while an operating state of an engine is maintained after the vehicle starts traveling. Mode switching method.   The vehicle control mode switching method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the specific control mode is a standard control mode set at the initial driving of the vehicle. In a vehicle control mode switching device that has a plurality of control modes with respect to the operation of various devices mounted on a vehicle and can appropriately set any of the plurality of control modes by a switching operation.
The control mode is changed to an initial standard control mode when one or both of a driver seat belt attaching / detaching operation and a driver's seat door opening / closing operation are detected in a specific state during the traveling of the vehicle. A vehicle control mode switching device comprising control mode switching control means for switching.

Images