JP2016210376A - Gear change instruction device of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gear change instruction device which can perform such a down-shift instruction that an engine brake is applied at a downhill even in cruise control.SOLUTION: In a gear change instruction device of a vehicle 1 which is mounted with a manual transmission 4 by which a gear change stage can be manually changed, and comprises a constant velocity traveling control part 41 which maintains a vehicle speed which is set by a driver, and controls cruise control, the gear change instruction device comprises: a notification device 20 which notifies the change timing of the gear change stage which is formed at the manual transmission 4, and a gear change instruction part 40 which makes the notification device 20 notify the gear change timing when a preset condition is established. When the constant velocity traveling control part 41 performs the control of the cruise control, the gear change instruction part 40 changes a condition for making the notification device 20 notify the change timing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a shift instruction device for a vehicle, and more particularly to a shift instruction device for a vehicle equipped with a cruise control.

  Conventionally, GSI (gear shift indicator) that instructs the driver to shift to the appropriate gear stage and cruise control that enables constant speed driving to reduce the burden on the driver in long-distance driving are installed. A vehicle equipped with a transmission capable of arbitrarily selecting a gear position is known.

  In Patent Document 1, in such a vehicle, the minimum acceleration expected by the driver can be satisfied even in a situation where the driver depresses the accelerator pedal more than the effective throttle in order to solve the drive torque shortage on the uphill road. In the case where there is not, it has been proposed to give a downshift instruction by GSI.

JP 2009-97670 A

  However, in such a shift instruction device, a downshift instruction is not issued unless the driver has depressed the accelerator pedal more than the effective throttle and the minimum acceleration expected by the driver is not satisfied. No downshift instruction is given on the downhill during cruise control when the driver does not perform the accelerator operation.

  During cruise control or adaptive cruise control (hereinafter also referred to as “ACC”), the driver does not perform the accelerator operation, and therefore, it is difficult to notice the road gradient. For this reason, the shifting operation performed by the driver tends to be delayed from that during normal driving.

  If the speed change operation of the driver is delayed, the engine brake is not sufficiently applied on a long downhill during cruise control, the set vehicle speed is exceeded, and the driver performs the brake operation. As a result, when the cruise control function is canceled and the driver desires to continue the cruise control, the cruise control must be reset and the burden on the driver increases.

  Also, during ACC, when the engine brake is not sufficiently applied and the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in front is shortened, or the hydraulic brake is automatically applied to keep the vehicle speed at the set vehicle speed, the vapor lock phenomenon and the fade phenomenon May occur.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a shift instruction device capable of giving a downshift instruction so that an appropriate engine brake can be applied on a downhill even during cruise control.

  One aspect of the invention of a vehicle shift instruction device that solves the above-described problem is a constant-speed running in which a transmission capable of arbitrarily selecting a gear position is mounted, and the vehicle speed set by the driver is maintained and constant-speed running is controlled. A shift instruction device for a vehicle including a control unit, a shift speed determination unit that determines a currently used shift speed, a notification device that notifies a change timing of a shift speed to be formed in the transmission, and a preset A shift instructing unit that informs the notification device of the shift timing when the condition is satisfied, and the shift instructing unit changes the change timing to the notification device when the constant speed traveling control unit controls the constant speed traveling. The condition for informing is changed.

  Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to issue a downshift instruction so that the engine brake can be applied on a downhill even during cruise control.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual block diagram showing a gear shift instruction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a gear shift instruction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram showing a gear shift map at the normal time. FIG. 3 is a view showing a shift instruction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a shift map at the time of cruise control.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 equipped with a shift instruction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an internal combustion engine type engine 2, a clutch 3, a manual transmission 4, a gear mechanism 5, drive wheels 6, An ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 7 is included.

  The engine 2 is constituted by a four-cycle engine that performs a series of four strokes including an intake stroke, a compression stroke, an expansion stroke, and an exhaust stroke, and performs ignition in a combustion chamber during the compression stroke and the expansion stroke.

  The clutch 3 is provided between the engine 2 and the manual transmission 4 and changes the torque transmitted from the engine 2 to the manual transmission 4. Specifically, the clutch 3 interrupts transmission of the rotation output from the engine 2 to the manual transmission 4 and transmission of rotation from the engine 2 to the manual transmission 4 according to the operation amount of the clutch pedal 12. The degree of transmission of rotation from the engine 2 to the manual transmission 4 is changed between the shut-off state. When the clutch pedal 12 is not depressed, the clutch 3 is in a transmission state, and when the clutch pedal 12 is depressed, the clutch 3 is in a disconnected state.

  The manual transmission 4 is provided in a power transmission path from the engine 2 to the drive wheels 6. The manual transmission 4 can form any one speed among a plurality of speeds. Specifically, the manual transmission 4 selects a gear to be formed according to the operation of the shift lever 16 by the driver.

  The gear mechanism 5 includes a differential gear and a drive shaft (not shown), and transmits power to the drive wheels 6.

  The ECU 7 is a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory for storing various backup data, an input port, and an output port. It is composed of units.

  A program for causing the computer unit to function as the ECU 7 is stored in the ROM of the ECU 7 together with various constants, various maps, and the like. That is, in the ECU 7, when the CPU executes a program stored in the ROM using the RAM as a work area, the computer unit functions as the ECU 7 in the present embodiment.

  The input port of the ECU 7 includes an engine speed sensor 10 that detects the engine speed of the engine 2, a vehicle speed sensor 11 that detects the vehicle speed, a clutch position sensor 13 that detects the amount of operation of the clutch pedal 12, and an accelerator pedal 14. Various sensors including an accelerator opening sensor 15 for detecting the operation amount (hereinafter also referred to as “accelerator opening”) are connected.

  An output port of the ECU 7 includes a notification device 20 provided on an instrument panel or the like, a throttle valve 30 that adjusts the intake air amount of the engine 2, and an injector 31 that injects fuel into the combustion chamber of the engine 2. Various control objects including it are connected.

  The ECU 7 is configured to control various control objects based on information obtained from various sensors. For example, the ECU 7 obtains an output torque required for the engine 2 based on the accelerator opening detected by the accelerator opening sensor 15 and opens the throttle valve 30 so that the engine 2 outputs the output torque (hereinafter, “ The fuel injection amount by the injector 31 is also controlled.

  Further, the ECU 7 determines the gear stage currently formed by the manual transmission 4 based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 11 and the engine speed of the engine 2 detected by the engine speed sensor 10. The determination unit 42 is configured.

  In the present embodiment, a shift map as shown in FIG. 2 is stored in the ROM of the ECU 7. The shift map represents shift stages corresponding to the vehicle speed and the throttle opening. In FIG. 2, the solid line indicated by “1⇒2” is from the first speed to the second speed, the solid line indicated by “2 → 3” is from the second speed to the third speed, and the solid line indicated by “3 → 4” is from the third speed. A solid line indicated by “4 => 5” in the fourth speed is a shift line indicating the timing of shifting up from the fourth speed to the fifth speed (hereinafter also referred to as “shift-up shift line”). In FIG. 2, the dotted line indicated by “2⇒1” changes from the 2nd speed to the 1st speed, the dotted line indicated by “3⇒2” changes from the 3rd speed to the 2nd speed, and the dotted line indicated by “4⇒3” starts from the 4th speed. A dotted line indicated by “5⇒4” in the third speed is a shift line indicating the timing of shifting down from the fifth speed to the fourth speed (hereinafter also referred to as “shift down shift line”).

  The ECU 7 refers to the shift map shown in FIG. 2, and when the intersection corresponding to the vehicle speed and the throttle opening crosses the shift line from the intersection at the previous reference, the ECU 7 forms the shift stage to be formed in the manual transmission 4. The shift instruction unit 40 is configured to notify the notification device 20 of the change timing as a shift instruction. The notification device 20 includes, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) provided on an instrument panel and an LED drive circuit. The gear change instruction unit 40 instructs the notification device 20 to, for example, “upshift instruction display” for instructing the driver to upshift, “stay instruction display” for instructing the driver to maintain the gear position, and downshifting to the driver. A “downshift instruction display” for instructing, a “gear position display” for notifying the driver of the current gear position, and the like are displayed.

  The shift instruction unit 40 displays an upshift instruction display on the notification device 20 when the intersection corresponding to the vehicle speed and the throttle opening amount extends from the left region to the right region of the shift up shift line with the shift up shift line as a boundary. Display. Further, when the intersection corresponding to the vehicle speed and the throttle opening crosses the shift down shift line from the right region to the left region with the shift down shift line as a boundary, the shift instruction unit 40 instructs the notification device 20 to downshift. Display the display.

  For example, when the cruise control switch provided on the instrument panel is turned on, the ECU 7 opens the throttle so that the vehicle 1 performs a constant speed traveling while maintaining a predetermined vehicle speed set in advance. A constant speed traveling control unit 41 is configured to control the speed and the fuel injection amount. The constant speed traveling control unit 41 obtains a torque value required for the engine 2 to make the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 a predetermined vehicle speed, for example, from the difference between the predetermined vehicle speed and the current vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, and from the torque value The throttle opening and the fuel injection amount are obtained, and the throttle valve 30 and the injector 31 are controlled to control cruise control that causes the vehicle 1 to travel at a constant speed at a predetermined vehicle speed.

  When the cruise control switch is turned on and the constant speed traveling control unit 41 starts the control of the constant speed traveling, the gear shifting instruction unit 40 issues a gear shifting instruction according to the shift map of FIG. 3 instead of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the shift map at the time of cruise control is such that a downshift instruction is displayed at a speed faster than normal in a region where the load on the engine 2 is small, for example, a region where the throttle opening is 10% or less. It has become. In particular, the downshift line from the 5th speed to the 4th speed and the 4th speed to the 3rd speed is displayed at a higher speed than the upshift line. That is, when the vehicle speed increases on a downhill at the 4th or 5th gear stage mainly used during cruise control, the throttle opening decreases to 10% or less and the load on the engine 2 decreases. A downshift instruction is displayed, and a downshift instruction can be given so that engine braking can be applied on a downhill.

  Note that the shift map shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and a value corresponding to the vehicle 1 is obtained through experiments or the like and stored in the ROM of the ECU 7. The shift map at the time of cruise control is a setting that can issue a shift instruction to a gear stage that can maintain the speed with a low load on the engine 2 at a vehicle speed that can be set by the cruise control in a region where the load on the engine 2 is small. It is good to do.

  In the shift map of FIG. 3, the vehicle speed relative to the throttle opening is higher than that in the normal time in both the upshift line and the downshift line in a region where the load on the engine 2 is high, for example, a region where the throttle opening is 90% or more. The upshift instruction display is not performed until the speed is increased and the speed is further increased, and the downshift instruction display is performed from a higher speed.

  Further, in the shift map of FIG. 3, in a region where the load on the engine 2 is high, for example, a region where the throttle opening is 90% or more, the shift-up shift line from the 4th speed to the 5th speed and the 5th speed to the 4th speed. The distance of the downshift line and the distance of the upshift line from the 3rd to 4th speed and the downshift line from the 4th to the 3rd speed are close. In the case of an uphill where the vehicle speed drops even when the load on the engine 2 is increased, a downshift instruction that allows acceleration can be performed. For this reason, the vehicle speed can be maintained or accelerated while satisfying the torque required by the constant speed traveling control unit 41 during uphill or when accelerating to a high set vehicle speed.

  In the present embodiment, the load of the engine 2 is obtained from the throttle opening, but may be obtained from the required torque value obtained by the constant speed traveling control unit 41. Alternatively, it may be obtained from the difference between the accelerator opening and the cruise control set vehicle speed and the actual vehicle speed.

  In the present embodiment, the vehicle equipped with the manual transmission 4 is shown. However, the present invention may be applied to cruise control in the manual mode of the automatic transmission.

  In the present embodiment, the gear position determination unit 42 determines the gear position based on the vehicle speed and the engine speed. However, the gear position may be determined by a shift position sensor that detects the position of the shift lever 16. .

  As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the manual transmission 4 that can manually change the gear position is mounted, and the vehicle includes the constant speed traveling control unit 41 that maintains the vehicle speed set by the driver and controls the cruise control. 1 is a shift instruction device that notifies a change timing of a shift speed formed in the manual transmission 4, and a shift instruction unit that notifies the notification device 20 of the shift timing when a preset condition is satisfied. 40, the shift instruction unit 40 changes the condition for causing the notification device 20 to notify the change timing when the constant speed traveling control unit 41 is controlling the cruise control.

  As a result, when the constant speed traveling control unit 41 is controlling cruise control, the shift timing is notified under the conditions for cruise control. For this reason, even during cruise control, it is possible to give a downshift instruction so that engine braking can be applied on a downhill.

  In addition, when the constant speed traveling control unit 41 is performing cruise control control, the shift instruction unit 40 is brought down to the notification device 20 when the load of the engine 2 becomes smaller than the predetermined load at a predetermined vehicle speed. A shift instruction is notified.

  Thereby, when the constant speed traveling control unit 41 is performing the cruise control, the downshift instruction is notified when the load on the engine 2 is reduced on a downhill or the like. For this reason, even during cruise control, it is possible to give a downshift instruction so that engine braking can be applied on a downhill.

  In addition, when the constant speed traveling control unit 41 is controlling cruise control, the shift instruction unit 40 is lowered to the notification device 20 when the load of the engine 2 becomes larger than the predetermined load at a predetermined vehicle speed. A shift instruction is notified.

  As a result, when the constant speed traveling control unit 41 is performing cruise control control, a downshift instruction is given when the load on the engine 2 becomes large and torque is required, such as when accelerating to an uphill or high set vehicle speed. Is notified. For this reason, even during cruise control, the vehicle speed can be maintained or accelerated while satisfying the torque required by the constant speed traveling control unit 41.

  In another embodiment, during cruise control in the manual mode of the automatic transmission, for example, the throttle opening degree of 30 in the shift map of FIG. 2 or FIG. The shift map in which the shift-up shift line from the 3rd speed to the 4th speed and the 4th speed to the 5th speed is set on the higher speed side is used in the region of% or more.

During cruise control in the manual mode of the automatic transmission, kickdown occurs during climbing. When kicking down, the following problems may occur:
1) Kick-down occurs again when the driver performs a shift-up operation after automatically switching to the low-speed gear.
2) The driver feels uncomfortable due to insufficient driving force.
3) When the driver does not follow the upshift display, the accelerator opening required from the cruise control control device increases, and the upshift instruction display hunts.

  By switching to the shift map as described above during cruise control, a shift instruction that solves such a problem can be issued.

  While embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be included in the following claims.

1 Vehicle 2 Engine 4 Manual Transmission 7 ECU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Vehicle speed sensor 20 Notification apparatus 30 Throttle valve 40 Shift instruction | indication part 41 Constant speed travel control part 42 Shift stage determination part

Claims (3)

A shift instruction device for a vehicle equipped with a constant speed traveling control unit that is equipped with a transmission that can optionally select a shift stage, maintains a vehicle speed set by a driver, and controls constant speed traveling,
A shift speed determination unit that determines a currently used shift speed;
An informing device for informing a change timing of a shift stage to be formed in the transmission;
A shift instruction unit that causes the notification device to notify the change timing when a preset condition is satisfied,
The shift instruction unit is a vehicle shift instruction device for changing a condition for causing the notification device to notify the change timing when the constant speed traveling control unit is controlling constant speed traveling.   When the constant speed traveling control unit is controlling the constant speed traveling, the shift instruction unit instructs the notification device to downshift when the engine load becomes smaller than the predetermined load at a predetermined vehicle speed. The shift instruction device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:   The shift instruction unit notifies the notification device of a downshift instruction to a shift stage capable of maintaining the vehicle speed set by the driver when the constant speed traveling control unit is controlling constant speed traveling. The vehicle shift instruction device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

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