JP2013072529A - Linear solenoid module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow function diagnosis and fail safe to be surely performed when a linear solenoid control circuit, specifically, a driver circuit, is integrated with a linear solenoid.SOLUTION: The linear solenoid module includes a linear solenoid valve, a driver circuit for controlling the driving of the linear solenoid valve, a microcomputer for controlling the driver circuit, an interface circuit for receiving a command value from the outside, a temperature detection circuit for detecting the temperature of the solenoid valve, and a current detection circuit for detecting current flowing through the linear solenoid valve.

Description

  The present invention relates to a basic configuration of a linear solenoid module used in an automatic transmission for a vehicle, a function diagnosis method using the linear solenoid module, and a quality control method.

  In recent years, as a configuration of a linear solenoid module for controlling an automatic transmission for a vehicle, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of linear solenoids 52 as inductive loads are incorporated in a hydraulic control device 51 of the transmission. The drive is controlled by an electronic control unit (ATCU) 55. The electronic control unit 55 receives various sensor signals, outputs various control signals, and further executes a transmission control process including a solenoid control process for the linear solenoid 52, and outputs from the microcomputer 54. There is a configuration including a drive control circuit to which a solenoid control command to be input is input and a drive control device 53 in which the drive circuit is integrated (Patent Document 1).

  In another configuration, as shown in FIG. 6, a linear solenoid 2 composed of a bobbin, a coil, and a plunger in the case body 1, and a linear composed of, for example, a semiconductor chip that drives and controls the linear solenoid 2. There has also been proposed a configuration in which the solenoid control circuit 3 is integrated to reduce the calculation load of an electronic control unit (ATCU) for a vehicle transmission (Patent Document 2).

JP 07-77271 A JP 2010-242806 A

However, in the configuration proposed in Patent Document 2, a linear solenoid control circuit, specifically a driver circuit, is integrated with the linear solenoid. However, the function of the linear solenoid is diagnosed despite the addition of a semiconductor. Absent. Until now, since no electronic component has been mounted on the linear solenoid, there is no need for functional diagnosis, but there is a mode in which a failure occurs due to a failure of the electronic component by mounting the electronic component. If the output of the linear solenoid is fixed at a high level or fixed at a low level and cannot be shifted, or if the transmission is locked during traveling, the desired driving state may not necessarily be achieved. Therefore, functional diagnosis and introduction of fail-safe are indispensable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to reliably perform a function diagnosis and fail-safe when a linear solenoid control circuit, specifically, a driver circuit is integrated with a linear solenoid.

  The above-described objects include a linear solenoid valve, a driver circuit that controls driving of the linear solenoid valve, a microcomputer that controls the driver circuit, an interface circuit that receives an external command value, and a temperature detection circuit that detects the temperature of the solenoid valve. And a current detection circuit that detects a current flowing through the linear solenoid valve.

According to the present invention, by mounting a microcomputer on the linear solenoid module, it is possible to perform a function diagnosis of the solenoid valve and a mutual diagnosis not only with the linear solenoid module but also with an external electronic control device. It can respond to various international standards.
Even when it is desired to change the linear solenoid drive control, it is possible to easily change the control by rewriting the control program written in the microcomputer mounted on the linear solenoid module.

The block diagram of the linear solenoid module with a microcomputer which shows embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing of a linear solenoid characteristic data reading system and a writing system. Explanatory drawing of the system which calculates the deviation memorize | stored in the flash memory in a microcomputer. Explanatory drawing of the method of a deterioration diagnosis process of a linear solenoid. The related figure of the electronic control apparatus of the automatic transmission for vehicles of a conventional system, and a solenoid module. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a linear solenoid module for removing a linear solenoid control circuit portion from the electronic control device of the conventional automatic transmission for a vehicle shown in FIG. 5 and mounting this portion on the linear solenoid.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of the internal configuration of the linear solenoid module of claim 1.

  In the figure, 1 is a linear solenoid module. In the linear solenoid module 1, a linear solenoid valve 2 and a linear solenoid control circuit 3 configured to drive and control the linear solenoid valve 2, such as a bare chip, are integrated.

  The linear solenoid control circuit 3 includes a solenoid drive circuit 4, a microcomputer 5, a regulator 6, an interface circuit 7 for a control area network, a current detection resistor 8, a current detection circuit 9, and a temperature sensor 10.

  The interface circuit 7 performs data communication with an external electronic control unit for vehicle automatic transmission (hereinafter referred to as ATCU), receives a current command value Isol for the linear solenoid valve 2, and receives this current. The command value Isol is transmitted to the microcomputer 5, and question data and answer data are transmitted / received between the microcomputer 5 and the ATCU in order to perform functional abnormality diagnosis. Here, the electronic control device that communicates with the outside applies not only to the ATCU but also to all electronic control devices that are connected via a control area network (for example, CAN communication).

  Further, the microcomputer 5 has a ROM and a RAM, and the ROM can store characteristic data for correcting a control program and machine error variation of the linear solenoid. The interface circuit is also described by taking CAN as an example, but it is not necessary to limit to this as long as communication is possible.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of a linear solenoid characteristic data reading method of claim 3.

  First, the barcode printed on the linear solenoid module 21 is read by the barcode reader of the production facility 22. Based on the information obtained from the bar code, the production facility 22 accesses the database 23 in which the characteristic data of each solenoid is stored, and downloads the characteristic data of the corresponding linear solenoid module. The production facility 22 uses the writing device 24 to write the characteristic data downloaded from the database into the flash memory of the microcomputer built in the linear solenoid module.

  Here, the format of the barcode is not particularly limited, and it is sufficient that the database can be accurately accessed with the information obtained from the barcode. In addition, the writing device is not particularly limited as long as it can accurately write to the flash memory of the microcomputer.

  An example of the deterioration diagnosis process of the linear solenoid according to claim 4 and claim 5 is shown.

  FIG. 3 shows a flowchart for calculating the deviation stored in the flash memory in the microcomputer.

  First, when it is determined that the external power supply activation signal (hereinafter referred to as IGNSW) has become LOW level, the IGNSW off experience flag fIGNFIRST is referred to (S301), and if the IGNSW is already experienced (fIGNFRST = 1). The process directly proceeds to the next process (S302).

  If the IGNSW is not yet turned off (fIGNFIRST = 0), that is, if the IGNSW is turned off for the first time, the IGNSW off experience flag fIGNFIRST is set to “1”, and the process proceeds to the next process (S303). .

  Next, in a state where the IGNSW is OFF, that is, during the self-shut process, a current instruction is given to each solenoid valve (S304), and a deviation Idec between the current instruction value Isol and the monitor current value Imon obtained from the current detection circuit is calculated (S305). ), This deviation Idec is stored in the flash memory in the microcomputer, and the power supply of the microcomputer is cut off (S306).

  FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a linear solenoid deterioration diagnosis process during normal control after the first time.

  During normal control, when a current instruction is given to each solenoid (S311), a deviation Idecn between the current instruction value Isoln and the monitor current value Imonn obtained from the current detection circuit is calculated (S312).

  Next, the deviation Idecn is compared with the standard deviation Idec stored in the flash memory in the microcomputer (S313), and when the deviation deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold value Vdec, the solenoid module deteriorates. (S314). If the deviation deviation is larger than a predetermined threshold value Vdec, it is determined that the solenoid module has deteriorated (S314). If the deviation is smaller than the predetermined threshold value Vdec, it is determined that the solenoid module is normal (S315).

  Here, the diagnosis timing of the diagnosis does not necessarily need to be performed every time the current instruction is given, and may be performed every time the IGNSW is turned off, for example.

  The configuration of the present invention and the diagnosis have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment and can be applied in various fields.

  According to the present invention, not only the solenoid drive circuit but also the microcomputer is mounted on the solenoid module, so that even if the control method of the linear solenoid is changed, the control program is provided on the linear solenoid side, so that it can be flexibly dealt with. In addition, the presence of a microcomputer enables mutual diagnosis with an external electronic control device, and can meet international standards such as functional safety.

  Further, since the linear solenoid control program and the drive circuit can be separated from the existing ATCU, the calculation load on the ATCU side can be reduced, and the cost and size can be reduced.

S301 Reference to IGNSW OFF experience flag S302 Setting of IGNSW OFF experience flag S303 Current instruction to each solenoid valve S304 Calculation of deviation Idec S305 Storage of deviation Idec to flash memory S311 Determination of presence / absence of current instruction to each solenoid during normal control S312 Deviation Idecn calculation S313 Comparison with standard deviation Idec S314 Deterioration diagnosis NG determination S315 Deterioration diagnosis OK determination

Claims (9)

A linear solenoid valve;
A driver circuit for driving and controlling the linear solenoid valve;
A microcomputer for controlling the driver circuit;
An interface circuit for receiving command values from the outside;
A temperature detection circuit for detecting the temperature of the solenoid valve;
A linear solenoid module, comprising: a current detection circuit that detects a current flowing through the linear solenoid valve.   2. The microcomputer according to claim 1, wherein a control program for outputting a control signal to the driver circuit, a program for storing characteristic data of the solenoid valve, and a function diagnosis are installed. Linear solenoid module. The characteristic data is managed uniformly for each solenoid valve, and the characteristic data is read by reading a barcode printed on the solenoid valve body at the time of shipment from the factory.
The linear solenoid module according to claim 1, wherein the linear solenoid module is downloaded from a database in which the characteristic data is stored and stored in a flash memory of the microcomputer.   The microcomputer provides a current instruction to the solenoid valve only until the external power supply activation signal changes from the active level to the inactive level for the first time external activation signal and the microcomputer power is shut off, 2. The linear solenoid module according to claim 1, wherein a deviation of an output from the current detection circuit or a monitor current is calculated and stored in a flash memory area in the microcomputer.   The microcomputer is in the normal control after the external activation signal changes from the active level to the inactive level for the first time or until the external activation signal changes from the active level to the inactive level and the microcomputer power is cut off. , Calculating the deviation between the command current and the output from the current detection circuit or the monitor current, comparing it with the deviation stored in advance in the flash memory area of the microcomputer, and determining whether the deviation has changed 4. The linear solenoid module according to claim 3, wherein   The microcomputer receives question data from the vehicle electronic control device by CAN communication with the vehicle electronic control device other than the linear solenoid module, and the microcomputer calculates answer data based on the question data. The microcomputer transmits response data to the vehicle electronic control device by CAN communication, and the vehicle electronic control device compares the response data with an expected response data value to detect a CPU function abnormality. The linear solenoid module according to claim 1.   The linear solenoid module performs CPU function abnormality diagnosis on the lower linear solenoid module in addition to the vehicle electronic control device according to claim 6, and thereafter, sequentially executes the CPU on the lower linear solenoid module. 7. The linear solenoid module according to claim 1, wherein a functional abnormality diagnosis is performed.   When the microcomputer determines that the output from the current detection circuit after the current F / B or the monitor current is greatly deviated from the characteristic data stored in advance in the flash memory at the time of current instruction, the ATF deteriorates. The linear solenoid module according to claim 1, wherein the linear solenoid module is determined to be.   The microcomputer stores hydraulic characteristic data of the vehicle automatic transmission stored in the flash memory as preliminary data in a flash memory in the electronic control unit of the vehicle automatic transmission, and the linear solenoid module is stored in the flash memory. 2. The linear solenoid module according to claim 1, wherein, when the replacement is performed, preliminary data in a flash memory in the electronic control unit of the vehicle automatic transmission is downloaded and stored in its own flash memory. .