JP2009068587A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To offer convenience to a user, to protect a battery, and to secure safety when leaving from a vehicle, by properly warning the user and properly controlling the vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: This vehicle control device 1 has a shift position detecting means 10, an engine stopping instruction reception means 20, an information transmission means 30, a control mens 50 and a state holding means 52. The control means instructs an effect for putting a shift position in a parking position to the information transmission means to be outputted, when a predetermined warned state is not held in the state holding means, when the engine stopping instruction reception means receives engine stopping instrction by the user, when the shift position detected by the shift position detecting means is not the parking position, and outputs an instruction signal for stopping an engine when the predetermined warned state is held in the state holding means by instructing a holding means to hold the predetermined warned state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that performs vehicle control including engine stop control.

  Conventionally, an operation of turning a mechanical key connected to an ignition coil has been performed as an ignition operation for a user (driver) to instruct start and stop of an engine. The ignition coil functions as a booster that is indispensable for starting and continuing operation of the engine.

  On the other hand, in recent years, particularly in a vehicle including an electronic key system capable of wireless communication with the vehicle side, an operation such as pressing a switch electrically connected to an engine control computer is performed as an ignition operation. Along with these changes, even if the user turns off the ignition, it is possible to control the engine so that it continues ignoring this (this is a vehicle with a mechanical key turning mode). However, it is possible to perform the same control by interposing an engine control computer in the middle).

  By the way, especially in the case of a vehicle equipped with an electronic key system, if the engine is allowed to stop when the shift position is not P (parking), the user misunderstands that the vehicle power is also turned off and leaves the vehicle with the electronic key. A case is assumed. In this case, since the vehicle power supply is on (so-called accessory state), the battery may be over-discharged. Further, if the user leaves the vehicle in a state where the axle is not fixed (P), the vehicle may move due to a road gradient or the like, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of safety.

  An invention about a shift control device for solving such a problem has been disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this device, when the engine is turned off when the shift position is not P (parking), a warning is given and the ignition coil is kept energized until the shift position is changed to P (parking). The engine is not allowed to stop.

  Further, in the same invention, when an ignition-off operation is performed when the shift position is not P (parking), a warning is issued and the engine operation is continued. Thereafter, the shift position is changed to P (parking). The invention about the device which controls so that an engine cannot be stopped until it is made is indicated (for example, refer to patent documents 2).

In addition, an invention is disclosed regarding an apparatus that issues a warning when an ignition-off operation is performed when the shift position is not P (parking), and permits the engine to stop only when the parking brake is operated thereafter ( For example, see Patent Document 3).
JP 05-246266 A JP 2006-298248 A JP 2007-32819 A

  However, in the devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a warning is issued every time an engine stop instruction is issued in a state where the shift position is not P (parking), and depending on the type of warning, annoyance may be felt, It can be confusing.

  In addition, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 3, although a certain effect is recognized in terms of preventing unexpected movement of the vehicle when the user leaves the vehicle, the problem of battery overdischarge has not been solved. .

  The present invention is intended to solve such problems, and by providing appropriate warnings to the user and appropriate vehicle control, the convenience of the user and the protection of the battery and safety at the time of leaving the vehicle are ensured. It is a main object to provide a vehicle control device that can be used.

In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention provides:
Shift position detecting means for detecting a shift position, engine stop instruction receiving means capable of receiving an engine stop instruction by a user, information transmitting means for transmitting information to a user, and control means for performing vehicle control including engine stop control; And a state holding means capable of holding the control state of the control means, and a vehicle control device comprising:
The control means includes
When the engine stop instruction receiving means receives an engine stop instruction from the user when the shift position detected by the shift position detecting means is not a parking position,
When the predetermined warning state is not held in the state holding means, the information transmission means is instructed to output that the shift position should be a parking position, and the predetermined warning state is set. Instructing the holding means to hold,
When a predetermined warning state is held in the state holding means, an instruction signal for stopping the engine is output.
This is a vehicle control device.

  According to this aspect of the present invention, when the engine stop instruction receiving unit receives an engine stop instruction from the user when the shift position is not a parking position, a predetermined warning state is held in the state holding unit. Whether or not the engine stop instruction is issued is determined depending on whether or not it is, and different controls are performed. That is, when the first engine stop instruction has not been issued yet, a warning is output and a predetermined warning state is held in the state holding unit. On the other hand, in the case of a second engine stop instruction for which a warning output has already been made, the engine is stopped according to the driver's instruction.

  As a result, if the driver notices that the shift position needs to be set to the parking position by a warning for the first engine stop instruction, the engine stop instruction is issued again after changing the shift position to the parking position. Since this is assumed to be performed, the control smoothly proceeds to normal parking control. This warning is also effective when the same operation mistake is made in the future.

  On the other hand, when the driver gives a second engine stop instruction without noticing that the shift position needs to be set to the parking position by a warning for the first engine stop instruction, control is performed to stop the engine. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the warning from being given many times and the driver from feeling troublesome or causing confusion. This is because, for example, when driving the vehicle for the first time, depending on the type of warning, there may be a situation where the user does not understand the warning content immediately and repeatedly performs the push operation.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the predetermined warning state held by the state holding unit may be reset at the timing of engine stop.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the predetermined warning state held by the state holding unit may be reset after a predetermined time has elapsed from the timing when the predetermined warning state is held.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the control means maintains the state when the engine stop instruction receiving means receives an engine stop instruction from the user when the shift position detected by the shift position detecting means is not a parking position. When the predetermined warning state is held in the means, an instruction signal for stopping the engine is output and the shift position detected by the shift position detection means is changed to the parking position. Further, it may be a means for performing control to keep the vehicle power supply on. This increases the possibility that the driver will notice that the vehicle power is not turned off due to the light emission state of the instrument panel or the like. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent overdischarge of the battery and unexpected movement of the vehicle due to the driver leaving the vehicle with the vehicle power on.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle control device capable of providing a user's convenience and ensuring battery protection and safety when leaving a vehicle by performing appropriate warnings and appropriate vehicle control for the user. can do.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle control apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of a vehicle control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle control apparatus 1 includes a shift position switch 10, an engine switch 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a smart entry system 40, and an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50 as main components. . In addition, the arrow in a figure shows the flow of the information communication in a vehicle performed using appropriate communication protocols, such as CAN (Controller Area Network), BEAN, AVC-LAN, and FlexRay.

  The shift position switch 10 is cable-connected to the shift lever 12. The shift lever 12 is, for example, any one of parking P (parking) that prohibits rotation of the drive system, reverse R (reverse), N (neutral) that separates the drive system and the axle, and forward D (drive). The position can be selected by the driver (see FIG. 2). When D (drive) is selected, it may be possible to instruct a speed increase or deceleration by a sequential operation. The shift position switch 10 detects the position of the shift lever 12 and converts it into an electrical signal, which is output to the engine ECU 50.

  The engine switch 20 is disposed at an arbitrary position that can be easily operated by the driver. The engine switch 20 outputs a predetermined electrical signal to the engine ECU 50 every time the driver performs a push operation. In the vehicle to which the present embodiment is applied, the push operation of the engine switch 20 means an engine start instruction if the engine 60 is stopped, and an engine stop instruction if the engine 60 is in operation.

  The HMI 30 is a device for providing information to the driver, and is, for example, a display device, a light emitting device (such as a lamp built in the engine switch 20), a speaker, a buzzer, or the like. When a display device is used, it may be arranged in a combination meter, or a display device constituting a navigation device may be shared. The operation control of the HMI 30 is performed by the engine ECU 50.

  The smart entry system 40 includes a smart key 42 owned by each driver registered on the vehicle side, a detection device 44 for detecting a personal ID stored in the smart key by wireless communication, a verification ECU 46 for verifying the personal ID, and the like. Prepare. The smart key 42 emits a weak radio wave (response signal) in response to a request signal sent from a detection device on the vehicle side. When the smart key 42 is attached to the user and approaches the vehicle, the detection device 44 receives the smart key response signal, and the verification ECU 46 decodes the response signal (including the personal ID unique to the smart key). Entered. The verification ECU 46 determines whether or not the personal ID transmitted from the detection device matches that registered in advance on the vehicle side, and transmits an engine start permission signal to the engine ECU 50 if they match. The engine start permission input from the smart entry system 40 is reset when the vehicle power is turned off.

  The engine ECU 50 is, for example, a computer unit in which a ROM, a RAM, and the like are connected to each other via a bus with a CPU as a center. Storage medium, I / O port, timer and the like. The ROM stores programs and data executed by the CPU. The engine ECU 50 is provided in the engine 60 based on sensor output values input from in-vehicle sensors such as an accelerator opening sensor, a throttle position sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, an outside air temperature sensor, and a brake pedaling amount sensor in addition to the shift position switch 10. Control of the throttle motor and igniter, and further control of the starter motor and transmission attached to the engine 60 are performed in a unified manner.

  In principle, the engine ECU 50 drives the starter motor to drive the engine when the engine switch 20 is pushed between the time when the engine start permission signal is input from the smart entry system 40 and the time when the vehicle power is turned off. 60 is started. Further, when the engine switch 20 is pushed during the operation of the engine 60, the power supply ECU 70 is instructed to stop the energization of the igniter to stop the engine 60 and to turn off the vehicle power. It is noted that control such as avoiding stop of engine 60 may be performed during traveling by referring to a vehicle speed signal from a vehicle speed sensor.

[problem]
By the way, if the stop of the engine 60 is permitted when the shift position is not P (parking), it is assumed that the user misunderstands that the vehicle power is also turned off and leaves the vehicle with the smart key 42. In this case, since the vehicle power supply is on (so-called accessory state), the battery may be over-discharged. Further, if the user leaves the vehicle in a state where the axle is not fixed (P), the vehicle may move due to a road gradient or the like, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of safety.

  On the other hand, when the engine switch 20 is pushed when the shift position is not P (parking), a warning is issued by the HMI 30 and the operation of the engine 60 is continued (ignoring the instruction to stop the engine 60). Can be considered. However, if a warning is issued each time the push operation is performed, it may be annoying or confusing depending on the mode of the warning.

[Characteristic control contents]
Therefore, the engine ECU 50 according to the present embodiment performs characteristic control described below. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of characteristic processing executed by the engine ECU 50 of this embodiment. This flow is repeatedly executed until the vehicle power source is turned off by the power supply ECU 70 after the engine 60 is started (or while the vehicle is stopped).

  First, the engine ECU 50 waits until a signal indicating that a push operation has been performed is input from the engine switch 20 (S100).

  When a signal is input from the engine switch 20, a signal input most recently from the shift position switch 10 is referred to (stored in a RAM or the like in advance), and whether or not the shift position is P (parking). Is determined (S102).

  When the shift position is P (parking), control for stopping the engine 60 is performed, and the power supply ECU 70 is instructed to turn off the vehicle power (S104), and one routine of this flow is finished.

  On the other hand, when a signal indicating that a push operation has been performed is input from the engine switch 20 and the shift position is not P (parking), that is, when the shift position is not P (parking), an engine stop instruction is received from the driver. In this case, it is determined whether the value of the internal counter 52 is 0 or 1 (S106).

  If the value of the internal counter 52 is 0, the HMI 30 is instructed to output a warning that the shift position should be P (parking), and the value of the internal counter 52 is incremented by 1 (S108). Here, as the content of the warning using the HMI 30, a message such as “Please shift to P (parking) and then turn off the engine” is output on the display device (sound output of the same content may be used) Immediately after the switch 20 is operated, a buzzer can be sounded, or a light emitter inside the engine switch 20 can be blinked.

  On the other hand, when the value of the internal counter 52 is 1, control for stopping the engine 60 is performed, and the value of the internal counter 52 is reset (value is set to zero) (S110). Then, after waiting for the driver to set the shift position to P (parking), the power ECU 70 is instructed to turn off the vehicle power (S112, 114).

  With this control, when the engine switch 20 is pushed in a state where the shift position is P (parking), normal parking control is performed in which the engine 60 is stopped and the vehicle power is turned off.

  On the other hand, when the engine switch 20 is pushed in a state where the shift position is not P (parking), the value of the internal counter 52 is referred to determine the number of push operations, and different controls are performed. Is done. That is, in the case of the first push operation for which warning output has not yet been made, a warning is output and the internal counter 52 holds that the warning has been completed by increasing the value of the internal counter 52.

  Then, in the case of the second push operation for which a warning output has already been made, the engine 60 is stopped according to the driver's instruction. However, the vehicle power is not turned off until the shift position is subsequently changed to P (parking).

  As a result, if the driver notices that the shift position needs to be set to P (parking) by a warning by the first push operation, the push operation is performed again after changing the shift position to P (parking). Therefore, it is possible to smoothly shift to normal parking control (the flow of S100 → 102 → 106 → 108 → 100 → 102 → 104 in FIG. 3). This warning is also effective when the same operation mistake is made in the future.

  On the other hand, if the driver performs the second push operation without noticing that the shift position needs to be set to P (parking) due to the warning by the first push operation, the vehicle power supply is kept on. However, the engine 60 is stopped (the flow of S100 → 102 → 106 → 108 → 100 → 102 → 106 → 110 in FIG. 3). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the warning from being given many times and the driver from feeling troublesome or causing confusion. This is because, for example, when driving the vehicle for the first time, depending on the type of warning, there may be a situation where the user does not understand the warning content immediately and repeatedly performs the push operation.

  Note that after the engine 60 is stopped by the second push operation, the vehicle power is turned on depending on the light emission state of the instrument panel, etc., by keeping the vehicle power on until the shift position is changed to P (parking). The driver is more likely to notice that it is not turned off. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent overdischarge of the battery and unexpected movement of the vehicle due to the driver leaving the vehicle with the vehicle power on.

  According to the vehicle control apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the user (driver) is appropriately warned and appropriate vehicle control is performed, so that the convenience of the user is ensured and the battery is protected and the vehicle is safe when leaving the vehicle. can do.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. And substitutions can be added.

  For example, the value of the internal counter 52 may be reset even after a lapse of a predetermined time from the timing increased by 1 in S108 of FIG.

  Further, the engine switch 20 may be a GUI (Graphical User Interface) switch provided on the touch panel (in this case, “touch operation” instead of “push operation”), and any other mode such as a rotary switch. An engine stop instruction means may be provided.

  The present invention can be used in the automobile manufacturing industry, the automobile parts manufacturing industry, and the like.

It is a figure showing an example of the whole composition of control device for vehicles 1 concerning one example of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of a shift lever 12 It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the characteristic process which engine ECU50 of a present Example performs.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control apparatus for vehicles 10 Shift position switch 12 Shift lever 20 Engine switch 30 HMI
40 Smart entry system 50 Engine ECU
52 Internal counter 60 Engine 70 Power supply ECU

Claims (4)

Shift position detecting means for detecting a shift position, engine stop instruction receiving means capable of receiving an engine stop instruction by a user, information transmitting means for transmitting information to a user, and control means for performing vehicle control including engine stop control; And a state holding means capable of holding the control state of the control means, and a vehicle control device comprising:
The control means includes
When the engine stop instruction receiving means receives an engine stop instruction from the user when the shift position detected by the shift position detecting means is not a parking position,
When the predetermined warning state is not held in the state holding means, the information transmission means is instructed to output that the shift position should be a parking position, and the predetermined warning state is set. Instructing the holding means to hold,
When a predetermined warning state is held in the state holding means, an instruction signal for stopping the engine is output.
A vehicle control device.   The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined warning state held by the state holding unit is reset at an engine stop timing.   3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined warning state held by the state holding unit is reset after a predetermined time elapses from a timing at which the predetermined warning state is held. When the engine stop instruction receiving means receives an engine stop instruction from a user when the shift position detected by the shift position detecting means is not a parking position, the control means sends a predetermined warning to the state holding means. If the completed state is maintained,
A means for outputting an instruction signal for stopping the engine and for controlling to keep the vehicle power on until the shift position detected by the shift position detecting means is changed to a parking position. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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