JP2012101730A - Control device of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control device of a vehicle which can make a vehicle run while generating voice by alternative means, considering safety of pedestrian's etc., even when abnormality occurs in a device for outputting voice to the outside of the vehicle.SOLUTION: The control device of the vehicle includes an engine 101 and motors MG1 and MG2 as power sources. The control device of the vehicle includes: an operation condition detection means 10 to detect an operation condition of the vehicle; an approach notification sound output means 31, 32 which output approach notification sound to outside of the vehicle, according to the operation condition detected by the operation condition detection means; a notification sound output abnormality detection means 51 which detects output abnormality of the approach notification sound output means; and a drive control means 40 which performs driving to operate the engine when the notification sound output abnormality detecting means detects output abnormality of the approach notification sound output means in a condition that the approach notification sound output means should output the approach notification sound.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control apparatus including at least a motor as a power source.

  Conventionally, a hybrid vehicle including a gasoline engine and an electric motor as a power source and an electric vehicle including only an electric motor as a power source are known. In such hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles, since the motor operation sound is lower than the engine operation sound, there is a problem that pedestrians are less likely to notice the approach of the vehicle while the motor is running.

  In order to solve such a problem, a sound generation device that generates sound externally when a vehicle starts to advance or is moving forward, and a vehicle including the same are known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the automobile described in Patent Document 1, when the engine is started, the state of the speaker of the sound generator is also inspected, and if it is determined that the speaker is abnormal, the engine is not started. In addition, it is checked whether the current and voltage are within the specified range during traveling, and if not within the specified range, the engine check lamp is turned on.

JP 2004-136831 A

  However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1 described above, if an abnormality occurs in the speaker during driving of the automobile, the driver's state can be recognized by turning on the engine check lamp, but the driving can be continued. In addition, there is a problem that the pedestrian has to continue traveling in a dangerous state in which it is difficult to notice the approach of the vehicle.

  In addition, if an abnormality is detected in the speaker when the engine is started, there is no alternative means for the sound generator, so the automobile cannot be driven, and if there is a sudden need for other vehicles or moving means, There was a problem that it had to be used and moved.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a control of a vehicle that can drive a vehicle while considering the safety of a pedestrian or the like by generating a sound by an alternative means even when an abnormality occurs in a device that outputs the sound to the outside of the vehicle. An object is to provide an apparatus.

To achieve the above object, a vehicle control device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control device including an engine and a motor as power sources,
Driving state detecting means for detecting the driving state of the vehicle;
An approach notification sound output means for outputting an approach notification sound to the outside of the vehicle according to the driving state detected by the driving state detection means;
Notification sound output abnormality detection means for detecting an output abnormality of the approach notification sound output means;
Driving to drive the engine when the notification sound output abnormality detecting means detects an output abnormality of the approach notification sound output means in a state where the approach notification sound output means should output the approach notification sound. And a control means.

  Thereby, when the abnormality of the approach notification sound output means is detected, sound can be generated using the engine, and traveling can be continued while ensuring the safety to the pedestrian and the driver of the light vehicle.

A second invention is a vehicle control apparatus according to the first invention,
The abnormality of the approach notification sound output means includes a failure of a speaker, an open short of a signal line to the speaker, and a failure of a sound generation circuit.

  Thereby, it is possible to cope with abnormalities in various parts of the approach notification sound output means such as the speaker, the wiring path, the sound generation circuit, etc., and to fully detect the abnormality of the approach notification sound output means.

A third invention is a vehicle control device according to the first or second invention,
The state in which the approach notification sound output means should output the approach notification sound is a state in which the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined value and the vehicle is traveling only by a motor.

  As a result, an approach notification sound can be output when the generated sound from the power source is low due to motor running, and an approach notification can be given to the pedestrian at an appropriate timing during normal operation.

A fourth invention is a vehicle control device according to any one of the first to third inventions,
The drive control means is characterized in that, in addition to driving for operating the engine, driving for fixing noise accompanying the operation of the motor in an audible range is performed.

  Thus, by performing driving in cooperation with motor driving, it is possible to notify the pedestrian of the approach more effectively, and to ensure the safety of the pedestrian.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle control apparatus according to the fourth aspect,
The noise associated with the operation of the motor is noise generated from a motor drive circuit.

  This makes it possible to generate noise by fixing the carrier frequency of the inverter to a low frequency in the audible range.

A sixth invention is a vehicle control device according to any one of the first to fifth inventions,
The drive for operating the engine is not used as power for running the vehicle.

  Thus, the engine can be used only as a sound generation source, and the pedestrian can be surely recognized as approaching the vehicle.

A seventh invention is a vehicle control device according to any one of the first to sixth inventions,
When the notification sound output abnormality detection unit detects an output abnormality of the approach notification sound output unit, the notification sound output abnormality detection unit further includes a failure notification unit that notifies the driver of the failure.

  Accordingly, the driver can be informed that the traveling state in which an abnormality has occurred in the approach notification sound output means, and can be prompted to perform inspection / repair when the traveling is completed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to notify a pedestrian or the like of the approach of a vehicle even when an approach notification sound cannot be output during motor running.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an example of a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment. FIG. It is the figure which showed an example of the control flow of the control apparatus of the vehicle which concerns on Example 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control flow of a vehicle control device according to a second embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an example of a vehicle control apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the vehicle control apparatus according to the first embodiment includes a driving state detection unit 10, a power calculation unit 20, an approach notification sound output control unit 30, an amplifier 31, a speaker 32, and a drive control unit 40. , Notification sound output abnormality determination means 50, monitor circuit 51, current sensor 52, failure notification control means 60, failure notification means 61, communication interface 80, engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 100 Engine 101, motor control ECU 110, motor drive circuit 120, high-voltage power supply unit 130, first motor MG1, second motor MG2, current sensors 141, 142, and rotation angle sensors 151, 152, Is provided. The power calculation means 20, the approach notification sound output control means 30, the drive control means 40, the notification sound output abnormality determination means 50, and the failure notification control means 60 are accommodated in the microcontroller 70. Further, the microcontroller 70, the communication interface 80, the amplifier 31, the monitor circuit 51, and the current detection sensor 52 are accommodated in the hybrid control ECU 90.

  In FIG. 1, the hybrid control ECU 90 is configured to be able to communicate with an engine ECU 100 and a motor control ECU 110 via a communication interface 80. The hybrid control ECU 90 is configured to control the engine ECU 100 and the motor control ECU 110, and the hybrid control ECU 90 appropriately combines the power sources of the engine 101 and the motors MG1 and MG2 according to the power required by the driver. It is configured to output the motive power. The vehicle control apparatus according to the present embodiment is an apparatus that controls the driving and running of a hybrid vehicle including the engine 101 and motors MG1 and MG2 as power sources. The engine 101 is controlled by the engine ECU 100 and the motors MG1 and MG2. The control is performed by the motor control ECU 110, and the hybrid control ECU 90 is configured to control the entire system. Next, each component will be described.

  The driving state detection means 10 is a means for detecting the driving state of the vehicle. The driving state of the vehicle means a power state that the vehicle actually outputs in accordance with the power required by the driver. The driving state detection means 10 may be provided with various sensors depending on the application, but for example, an accelerator position sensor 11 and a vehicle speed sensor 12 may be provided. The accelerator position sensor 11 is a sensor that detects the position of the accelerator, and can thereby detect the accelerator opening. The vehicle speed sensor 12 is a sensor that detects the traveling speed of the vehicle, and can detect the traveling state of the vehicle driven according to the driver's required power. In addition, the driving state detection means 10 may use various sensors that can detect the driving state and the running state of the vehicle according to the application. For example, a shift position sensor is provided to detect the shift position. Also good. Thus, the driving state detection means 10 may include various sensors that detect the driving state or the traveling state of the vehicle according to the application.

  The power calculation means 20 is means for calculating the power required by the driver from the driving state detected by the driving state detection means 10. The requested power calculated by the power calculation means 20 is sent to the drive control means 40, and the drive distribution between the motors MG1, MG2 and the engine 101 is calculated to control the engine ECU 100 and the motor control ECU 110.

  Further, when it is determined from the result calculated by the power calculation means 20 that the sound should be output from the speaker 32, the approach notification sound output control means 30 performs control to output the sound from the speaker 32. Here, the state in which sound should be output from the speaker 32 means, for example, a state in which the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined value and the vehicle is traveling only with a motor. Generally, the power distribution between the engine 101 and the motors MG1 and MG2 in the hybrid vehicle is driven with priority given to the motors MG1 and MG2 at low speed, and the engine 101 is driven at a predetermined vehicle speed or higher so that the vehicle speed is increased. Drive control is performed to increase the power distribution of the engine 101 as the time goes. Therefore, when the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the motor traveling is often performed. For example, when the traveling speed of the vehicle is 20 km / h, the traveling may be performed only by the motor. Many. Therefore, when the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined value and the throttle opening is small or the shift position is low, it is possible to detect that the vehicle is running on the motor. it can. When the vehicle is traveling only with a motor, the operation sound is small compared to the operation sound of the engine 101, and thus it is often difficult for a pedestrian to notice even if the vehicle approaches.

  Therefore, in such a case, the approach notification sound output control means 30 performs control to output sound from the speaker 32. Specifically, the approach notification sound output control means 30 outputs a sound output command signal to the amplifier 31, the amplifier 31 having a sound generation circuit generates a sound signal, and outputs sound from the speaker 32. With this voice notification, the pedestrian can recognize the approach of the vehicle and can secure the safety of the pedestrian. In addition, it is preferable that the audio | voice output from the speaker 32 is an audio | voice which makes a pedestrian associate the approach of a vehicle, for example, the audio | voice similar to the operation sound of an engine may be output. The amplifier 31 and the speaker 32 constitute the approach notification sound output means 31 and 32.

  The drive control means 40 determines the drive ratio between the engine 101 and the motors MG1 and MG2, instructs the engine ECU 100 and the motor control ECU 110 to output specific driving force according to the drive ratio, and the engine 100 and the motors MG1 and MG2. Means for controlling each driving force. Further, in the vehicle control apparatus according to the present embodiment, the drive control unit 40 further performs drive control for operating the engine 101 when an abnormality occurs in the approach notification sound output units 31 and 32, and further if necessary. Drive control is performed to generate noise associated with the operation of the motors MG1 and MG2. Here, the noise accompanying the operation of the motors MG1 and MG2 includes noise generated from the motor driving circuit 120 in addition to noise generated from the motors MG1 and MG2 itself. For example, when the noise drive circuit 120 includes a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control circuit for the motors MG1 and MG2, noise is generated from the motor drive circuit 120 by fixing the carrier frequency to an audible range. Can be made. Thus, the drive control means 40 according to the present embodiment also performs drive control for using the power source as the sound generation source in addition to the normal hybrid control.

  The current sensor 52 is a means for detecting an audio signal output from the amplifier 31 to the speaker 32 by current. The monitor circuit 51 is a means for monitoring whether there is an abnormality in the approach notification sound output means 31, 32 from the audio signal current detected by the current sensor 52, and detecting an output abnormality of the approach notification sound. is there. That is, the monitor circuit 51 functions as a notification sound output abnormality detection unit that detects an output abnormality of the approach notification sound output units 31 and 32. The current sensor 52 and the monitor circuit 51 can detect a failure of the speaker 31, a short circuit or disconnection between the speaker 31 and the amplifier 32, a failure of a sound generation circuit in the amplifier 31, and the like.

  The notification sound output abnormality determination unit 50 is a unit that determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the approach notification sound output units 31 and 32 based on the monitoring result from the monitor circuit 51. If the sound signal is not normally detected from the monitor circuit 51 when the approach notification sound output control means 30 performs the approach notification sound output control, an output abnormality has occurred in the amplifier 31 or the speaker 32. . That is, the notification sound output abnormality determination means 50 collates the monitoring result from the monitor circuit 51 with the control state of the approach notification sound output control means 30, and whether there is an abnormality in the approach notification sound output means 31, 32. Determine whether or not.

  The failure notification control means 60 is a means for performing control for notifying the driver of an abnormality in the approach notification sound output means 31 and 32. The failure notification control means 60 operates the failure notification means 61 when the notification sound output abnormality determination means 50 determines that an output abnormality of the approach notification sound has occurred, and an approach notification sound output abnormality occurs to the driver. Control to notify that you are doing.

  The failure notification means 61 is a means for notifying the driver in the vehicle of the occurrence of an approach notification sound output abnormality, and includes, for example, a display means 63 such as a speaker 61 and a display provided in the vehicle. As long as the failure notification means 61 is a means capable of notifying the driver, various means may be used.

  Note that the failure notification control means 60 and the failure notification means 61 are not necessarily provided, and may be provided as necessary.

  The communication interface unit 80 is a unit that communicates with the engine ECU 100 and the motor control ECU 110, and the communication itself may be performed by wired communication or wireless communication. Further, the engine ECU 100 and the motor control ECU 110 may be configured to communicate with an ECU that performs other control.

  The hybrid control ECU 90 is composed of elements constituting an electronic circuit such as a microcontroller 70, a communication interface unit 80, an amplifier 31, a monitor circuit 51, and a current sensor 52. Thereby, the calculation control process regarding hybrid control is performed.

  The engine control ECU is control means for controlling the output of the engine 101 in accordance with the engine output request value from the hybrid control ECU 90. The engine 101 is a power source that uses an internal combustion engine driven by gasoline, and generates an engine sound by operation.

  The motor control ECU 110 sends a three-phase drive signal while monitoring the states of the current sensors 141 and 142 and the rotation angle sensors 151 and 152 according to the output request value from the hybrid control ECU 90, and the first motor MG1 and the second motor. Control means for controlling the output of MG2. As for the three-phase drive signal, a PWM signal is sent to each of the first motor MG1 and the second motor MG2, and a total of two channels of three-phase drive signals are output. The carrier frequency of the three-phase drive signal (PWM) is variable (for example, an audible range of 10 Hz to 1 kHz) depending on the running state. The motor control ECU 110 also performs such variable control of the carrier frequency.

  The first motor MG1 generates power based on the engine output and functions as a generator. The second motor MG2 serves to assist the engine output transmitted to the wheels and increase the driving force. Further, when the engine is stopped, an EV (Electric Vehicle) driving mode is set. That is, the first motor MG1 functions as a generator, and the second motor MG2 functions as a power source.

  The motor drive circuit 120 is a circuit for driving the first motor MG1 and the second motor MG2. The motor drive circuit 120 functions as an inverter that converts a direct current from the high-voltage power supply unit 130 into an alternating current for driving the first motor MG1 and the second motor MG2. Further, the motor drive circuit 120 uses the alternating current generated by the second motor MG2 during regeneration and the alternating current generated by the first motor MG1 by the engine output for direct current charging for the high-voltage power supply unit 130. It also has a function as a converter for converting to.

  The motor drive circuit 120 includes a control circuit unit 121 and a drive element unit 122. The drive element unit 122 includes an IGBT (Insulation Gate Bipolar Transistor) as a drive element, and constitutes an inverter. The control circuit unit 121 is configured as a control circuit that drives a drive element, and controls the IGBT element based on a given carrier frequency and duty in accordance with a three-phase PWM drive signal output from the motor control ECU 110.

  The high-voltage power supply unit 130 is a power supply that supplies a direct-current high-voltage current for driving the first motor MG1 and the second motor MG2, and includes a hybrid vehicle battery and a boost converter.

  The current sensors 141 and 142 send analog signal voltages proportional to the current values respectively supplied to the first motor MG1 and the second motor MG2 to the motor control ECU 90.

  The rotation angle sensors 151 and 152 are connected to the rotation shafts of the first motor MG1 and the second motor MG2, and are configured to output signals (sine wave and cosine wave) that are electrically 90 degrees out of phase. It is a rotation angle detection sensor.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control flow of the vehicle control apparatus according to the first embodiment. In addition, the same reference number is attached | subjected to the component demonstrated until now, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In step 100, it is determined whether or not a condition for outputting an approach notification sound from the speaker 32 is satisfied. Specifically, the driving state detecting means 10 having the slot position sensor 11, the vehicle speed sensor 12, and the like detect the driving state such as the slot opening degree and the traveling speed of the vehicle. Then, it is determined from the detected driving state whether or not a condition for outputting an approach notification sound is satisfied. Various conditions for outputting the approach notification sound may be determined according to the application, but may be conditions such as a vehicle speed of 20 km / h or less, for example. The condition for outputting the approach notification sound often coincides with the EV traveling condition for traveling with only the motor. The approach notification sound output control means 30 determines whether or not the approach notification sound output condition is satisfied. At that time, the approach notification sound output control unit 30 may refer to the power calculated by the power calculation unit 20 as necessary.

  In step 100, if the approach notification sound output condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step 110. If the approach notification sound output condition is not satisfied, the processing flow is ended.

  In step 110, it is determined whether an approach notification sound output abnormality has occurred. As described in FIG. 1, the signal line of the speaker 32 is constantly monitored by the monitor circuit 51. When the notification sound output abnormality determination unit 50 determines that an output abnormality of the approach notification sound output from the speaker 32 has occurred based on the monitoring result of the monitor circuit 51, the process proceeds to step 120. At that time, the approach notification sound output abnormality determination unit 50 may refer to the output state of the approach notification sound output control unit 30. On the other hand, when it is determined that an output abnormality of the approach notification sound has not occurred, the control flow ends.

  In step 120, the drive control means 40 outputs an instruction for forcibly starting the engine 101. The instruction signal output by the drive control unit 40 is transmitted to the engine ECU 100 via the communication interface unit 80, and the engine ECU 100 starts the engine 101. With this process, as an alternative means that the approach notification sound cannot be output from the speaker 32, it is possible to notify the pedestrian or the like of the approach of the vehicle using the sound of the engine body.

  Further, in step 120, failure notification to the driver may be performed as necessary. The failure notification control unit 60 may perform the failure notification by operating the failure notification unit 61 such as the speaker 62 or the display unit 63. As a result, the driver can recognize that the engine 101 has started because an abnormality has occurred in the approach notification sound output means 31, 32 including the speaker 32, and take measures such as early repair later. It can be taken.

  In step 120, the control flow ends.

  As described above, according to the vehicle control apparatus according to the first embodiment, an abnormality has occurred in the approach notification sound output means 31 and 32, and the vehicle is supposed to travel while outputting the approach notification sound. However, when the notification sound output abnormality occurs and the approach notification sound cannot be output, the engine sound can notify the pedestrian of the approach of the vehicle, and the safety of the pedestrian or the like can be ensured.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control flow of the vehicle control apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the vehicle control apparatus according to the second embodiment, the system configuration may be exactly the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the overall configuration diagram is omitted. In addition, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 3, in step 200, it is determined whether a condition for outputting an approach notification sound from the speaker 32 is satisfied. The determination method is the same as the method described in step 100 of FIG. If the condition for outputting the approach notification sound from the speaker 32 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step 210. If the condition for outputting the approach notification sound is not satisfied, the control flow ends.

  In step 210, it is determined whether or not the approach notification sound output means 31, 32 including the speaker 32 is normally outputting the approach notification sound. Note that the determination method is the same as that of step 110 in FIG. When it is determined that the approach notification sound is normally output, the control flow ends. On the other hand, if an output abnormality has occurred in the approach notification sound output means 31, 32, the process proceeds to step 220.

  In step 220, the drive control means 40 sends to the motor control means ECU 110 an instruction to drive the engine to start the engine while driving to fix the carrier frequencies of the first motor MG1 and the second motor MG2 to the low frequency side. Drive control is performed. The carrier frequency is fixed to, for example, an audible range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, more preferably an audible range of 10 Hz to 1 kHz, and may be fixed to a value of 1 kHz, for example. If it does so, a noise will generate | occur | produce from the drive element part 122 comprised as an inverter, and it will become possible to notify a pedestrian etc. of approach of a vehicle by the noise of an inverter. In general, the carrier frequency for PWM control of the inverter is set to a high frequency region that is out of the audible range, and is configured to prevent noise generation, so the carrier frequency is set to the audible region in the low frequency region. By moving to, noise can be intentionally generated. Further, similarly to the first embodiment, the engine 101 is also operated to generate noise by the engine sound, and drive control for notifying a pedestrian or the like of the approach of the vehicle is performed. As a result, a louder volume can be generated by the noise of the driving element unit 122 generated by driving the motors MG1 and MG2 and the noise of the engine sound, and a pedestrian or the like can effectively notify the approach of the vehicle. Can do.

  In step 220, the failure notification control means 60 may operate the failure notification means 61 to notify the driver at the same time as necessary, as in the case of the first embodiment. In addition, the control flow ends when step 220 ends.

  In FIG. 3, an example in which the drive element unit 122 and the engine 101 are driven simultaneously to generate noises of both has been described. However, the drive timings of both may be different. For example, when the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined speed Vm, only the motors MG1 and MG2 are driven. When the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed Vm, drive control is performed so that both the motors MG1 and MG2 and the engine 101 are driven. The control means 40 may perform this.

  Thus, in the vehicle control apparatus according to the second embodiment, cooperative driving is performed by both drive control for generating engine sound and drive control for generating noise sound from the inverter. Such driving can increase the volume of sound generated outside the vehicle and can generate different types of sound, effectively informing the pedestrian of the approach of the vehicle.

  In the case of such cooperative control, the driving of the engine 101 may not be used as driving power. This is because it is essentially a travel region during motor travel, and it is not necessary to drive the engine 101 to be involved in travel power. In general, the operating sound of the engine 101 is louder than the noise generated from the inverter, and the pedestrian is easy to recognize. Therefore, the noise shown in the second embodiment is generated for the motors MG1 and MG2. In addition, the engine 101 can be driven as a simple sound generation source, and can be used so as to supplement the sound generated by driving the motors MG1 and MG2.

  As described above, the drive control by the engine 101 and the drive control by the motors MG1 and MG2 can be performed in various cooperative control patterns depending on the application. As a result, the vehicle can be driven while sufficiently ensuring the safety of the walking vehicle even if an abnormality has occurred in the approach notification sound output means 31 and 32 while responding to various situations.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Can be added.

  The present invention can be used for a hybrid vehicle using an electric motor and an engine as a power source.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Driving | running state detection means 11 Accelerator position sensor 12 Vehicle speed sensor 20 Power calculation means 30 Approach notification sound output control means 31 Amplifier 32, 62 Speaker 40, 41 Drive control means 50 Notification sound output abnormality determination means 51 Monitor circuit 52 Current sensor 60 Failure Notification control means 61 Failure notification means 62 Display means 70, 71 Microcontroller 80 Communication interface means 90 Hybrid control ECU
91 Electric vehicle control ECU
100 engine ECU
101 Engine 110 Motor control ECU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 120 Motor drive circuit 121 Control circuit 122 Drive element part 130 High voltage power supply part 141, 142 Current sensor 151, 152 Rotation angle sensor MG1, MG2 Motor

Claims (7)

A vehicle control device including an engine and a motor as power sources,
Driving state detecting means for detecting the driving state of the vehicle;
An approach notification sound output means for outputting an approach notification sound to the outside of the vehicle according to the driving state detected by the driving state detection means;
Notification sound output abnormality detection means for detecting an output abnormality of the approach notification sound output means;
Driving to drive the engine when the notification sound output abnormality detecting means detects an output abnormality of the approach notification sound output means in a state where the approach notification sound output means should output the approach notification sound. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit.   The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality of the approach notification sound output means includes a failure of a speaker, an open short of a signal line to the speaker, and a failure of a sound generation circuit.   The state in which the approach notification sound output means should output the approach notification sound is a state in which the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined value and the vehicle is traveling only by a motor. Item 3. The vehicle control device according to Item 1 or 2.   The said drive control means performs the drive which fixes the noise accompanying the action | operation of the said motor to an audible range in addition to the drive which operates the said engine. Vehicle control device.   The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein the noise accompanying the operation of the motor is noise generated from a motor drive circuit.   The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the drive for operating the engine is not used as power for driving the vehicle.   7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a failure notification unit that notifies a driver of a failure when the notification sound output abnormality detection unit detects an output abnormality of the approach notification sound output unit. The vehicle control device described in 1.

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