JP2016221997A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle control device that can preferably perform vehicle control utilizing an acceleration sensor.SOLUTION: When a difference between a temperature in an engine room and a temperature in a vehicle interior is smaller than a threshold, a value of detected information from an acceleration sensor 22 for braking is compared with an average value of detected information from an acceleration sensor 32 for a speed-change control device and detected information from an acceleration sensor 62 for a car navigation, and according to the result of the comparison, control processing for idling stop is executed. When the difference between the temperature in the engine room and the temperature in the vehicle interior is larger than the threshold, the comparison processing for the detected information is restricted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device applied to a vehicle including an acceleration sensor.

  For example, in a vehicle having an idling stop function for automatically stopping an internal combustion engine, a gradient estimated value is calculated from a detection value of an acceleration sensor attached to the vehicle and a change amount of a vehicle speed detected by a wheel speed sensor. In some cases, it is determined whether to allow idling stop according to the estimated gradient value (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to suppress vehicle slippage due to idling stop on a steep slope while realizing improvement in fuel consumption and the like by the idling stop function.

JP 2008-138620 A

  However, if an error occurs in the detection value due to aging deterioration of the acceleration sensor or the like, there is a concern that the above-described effect of improving the fuel consumption and the effect of suppressing the vehicle sliding down cannot be exhibited well. The problem related to the error in the detection information from the acceleration sensor is a problem that occurs not only in idling stop but also in other vehicle control, and the configuration related to vehicle control using the acceleration sensor is still not improved. There is room.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device capable of suitably performing vehicle control using an acceleration sensor.

  Hereinafter, means for solving the above problems will be described.

The present invention
A vehicle control device comprising vehicle control means for executing a predetermined vehicle control process based on detection information from a first acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in a vehicle,
The detection information from the first acceleration sensor is compared with the detection information from a second acceleration sensor that is provided separately from the first acceleration sensor and is used for a control process different from the predetermined vehicle control. Diagnosing means for diagnosing the first acceleration sensor based on
Determining whether a temperature difference between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor is smaller or larger than a predetermined value; permitting the diagnosis when the temperature difference is small; and permitting determination means not permitting the diagnosis when the temperature difference is large. It is characterized by having.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to compare detection information from a plurality of acceleration sensors, and limit vehicle control processing such as control processing for idling stop according to the comparison result. It can contribute to the improvement of reliability. By realizing improved reliability in this way, the idling stop may cause the vehicle to slide down, or the idling stop will not be performed at a slope where idling can be stopped and the opportunity to improve fuel efficiency will be missed. Can be suitably suppressed.

  By using an existing acceleration sensor mounted for each purpose, the above-described reliability can be improved while suppressing the complexity of the configuration. However, with respect to the acceleration sensor, the detection information output due to the influence of temperature may be shifted. For this reason, there is a concern that if the detection information is simply compared, the benefits of reliability cannot be enjoyed well. On the other hand, if an attempt is made to use a plurality of acceleration sensors having the same temperature at the installation location, the available acceleration sensors are limited. In this regard, according to the above configuration, the temperature is grasped for each environment in which the acceleration sensor is installed, and the comparison is performed by the comparison means on the condition that the temperature difference is smaller than a predetermined value (within a predetermined range). By adopting an allowable configuration, a combination of a plurality of acceleration sensors existing in different environments is suitably realized. Thus, application of the above-described configuration to the idling stop function can be promoted by suppressing restrictions on the installation location. For the above reasons, the effect of idling stop can be suitably exhibited while suppressing the complication of the configuration.

The block diagram which shows the relationship of the main structures in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the diagnostic process performed by ECU. The timing chart which shows the mode of a temperature change. (A) The flowchart which shows an idling stop start process, (b) The flowchart which shows a gradient condition determination process. The flowchart which shows the characteristic learning process in 2nd Embodiment. The timing chart which shows switching of a comparison object.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a vehicle control device of the present invention is embodied will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, in a vehicle using an internal combustion engine as a travel drive source, the internal combustion engine is automatically stopped when a predetermined automatic stop condition is satisfied, and the internal combustion engine is operated when a predetermined automatic restart condition is satisfied. A configuration (so-called idling stop function) for automatic restart is illustrated, and the schematic configuration is shown in the block diagram of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 is provided with an engine 11 as an “internal combustion engine” and an ECU 12 as a “vehicle control means”, and drive control of the engine 11 is performed by the ECU 12. Actually, the ECU 12 includes an engine ECU, a brake ECU, a transmission ECU, and the like. In a region outside the passenger compartment in the vehicle 10 (specifically, an engine compartment), a brake unit 21 that generates a braking force when a brake operation is performed by a driver, and a gear ratio according to the vehicle speed and the rotation speed of the engine 11 And a transmission unit 31 that automatically switches between.

  A brake acceleration sensor 22 that detects vehicle acceleration in the front-rear direction is mounted on the brake unit 21, and the braking force is adjusted based on detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22. The transmission unit 31 is also equipped with a shift control acceleration sensor 32 that detects vehicle acceleration in the front-rear direction in the same manner as the brake acceleration sensor 22, and is based on detection information from the shift control acceleration sensor 32. Shift control is performed.

  The ECU 12 of the vehicle 10 is provided with an idling stop function, and the engine 11 is stopped / restarted according to the situation. Specifically, the vehicle 10 is provided with a wheel speed sensor 51 used for vehicle speed detection. The wheel speed sensor 51 and the brake acceleration sensor 22 are connected to the ECU 12, and detection information of the wheel speed sensor 51 and detection information of the brake acceleration sensor 22 are input to the ECU 12. The ECU 12 is configured to estimate the gradient of the road surface on which the vehicle 10 is stopped or traveling based on these detection information, and to determine whether or not idling can be stopped according to the estimation result. As a result, it is possible to exhibit various effects such as fuel efficiency improvement by idling stop while suppressing vehicle slippage on slopes.

  Here, in the configuration in which whether or not idling stop is possible depends on the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22, when an error due to aged deterioration occurs in the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22, It is assumed that the accuracy of estimation is reduced. This is an obstacle to exhibiting various effects such as improvement in fuel consumption due to idling stop. One of the features of the present embodiment is that an ingenuity for suppressing the occurrence of such inconvenience is made by utilizing an existing configuration or the like. Hereinafter, the structure which concerns on the said device is demonstrated.

  A car navigation system 61 is disposed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10, more specifically in the dashboard. The car navigation system 61 is equipped with a car navigation acceleration sensor 62 that detects the acceleration of the vehicle in the front-rear direction. Based on the detection information from the car navigation acceleration sensor 62, the posture of the vehicle (inclination of the road surface) is grasped. The

  Not only the brake acceleration sensor 22 but also the shift control acceleration sensor 32 and the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 are connected to the ECU 12. In the ECU 12, an error diagnosis of the brake acceleration sensor 22 is performed by comparing the detection information from the acceleration sensors 32 and 62 with the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22.

  However, because of the structure of the acceleration sensor, detection information to be output is easily affected by temperature. Specifically, the rate of change in sensitivity increases as the deviation from the temperature suitable for use increases. Therefore, in the diagnosis and the like, the temperature information at the location where each acceleration sensor 22, 32, 62 is disposed is referred to. Specifically, an engine room temperature sensor 41 provided in the engine room for measuring the temperature outside the vehicle compartment (inside the engine room), and a vehicle interior temperature sensor 71 provided on the dashboard for measuring the temperature in the vehicle compartment. The ECU 12 is connected to the ECU 12, and the ECU 12 can measure the temperature in the engine room and the temperature in the passenger compartment based on detection information from the temperature sensors 41 and 71.

  In addition, about the acceleration sensor 22 for brakes, and the acceleration sensor 32 for shift control, the distance from the engine 11 which is a heat source is ensured to some extent, and the temperature of an arrangement | positioning location is equal. The engine room temperature sensor 41 is disposed around the acceleration sensors 22 and 23, specifically, between the acceleration sensors 22 and 32, and the temperature measured by the engine room temperature sensor 41 is the acceleration sensor. The temperature is set so as to be the temperature at the locations of the arrangements 22 and 23.

  In the ECU 12 shown in the present embodiment, a sensor diagnosis process, an idling stop start process, and an idling stop release process are set as idling stop processes. Hereinafter, the sensor diagnosis process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The process of this flow corresponds to “diagnosis”.

  In the sensor diagnosis process, first, in step S101, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 10 is stopped. If a positive determination is made in step S101, the process proceeds to step S102. In the process of step S102, the temperature of the installation location of the acceleration sensors 22 and 32 in the engine room and the temperature of the installation location of the acceleration sensor 62 in the vehicle compartment are grasped based on the detection information from the temperature sensors 41 and 71. Then, it is determined whether or not the difference between the two temperatures is within a predetermined range (specifically, a threshold value (20 ° C.) or less).

  Here, the change in temperature difference will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG. FIG. 3 illustrates the winter season. In a state where the vehicle 10 is stopped and the ignition is OFF, there may be a certain difference between the temperature inside the vehicle compartment and the temperature outside the vehicle compartment (inside the engine compartment). After the ignition is turned on and the engine 11 is started, the temperature in the engine room rises due to the heat generated from the engine 11 and the like. Although the temperature rises when the air conditioning is turned on in the passenger compartment, the extent of the rise is smaller than the temperature rise in the engine room.

  At the timing immediately after the engine 11 is started, the temperature difference T1 between the vehicle interior and the exterior is smaller than the threshold value. In this situation, an affirmative determination is made in the process of step S102. On the other hand, at a timing when a certain period of time has elapsed from the start of the engine 11, the temperature increase of the engine 11 is suppressed by the cooling device, and the change in the temperature difference between the vehicle interior and the exterior is moderated. In this situation, a negative determination is made in step S102 when the temperature difference T2 between the vehicle interior and the exterior exceeds the threshold value.

  Even in other seasons, the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the passenger compartment changes depending on the use of engine 11 stop / start, air conditioning, etc., but the temperature difference is almost the same immediately after the ignition is turned on. It is assumed to be within 20 ° C. In consideration of such circumstances, by setting the threshold value to 20 ° C., the temperature condition in the idling stop preparation process is established immediately after the ignition is turned on. Incidentally, since the temperature is maintained at about 80 ° C. when the warm-up of the engine 11 is finished, the temperature difference from the vehicle interior is substantially larger than the threshold value, and the establishment of the temperature condition is avoided.

  Referring to FIG. 2 again, if an affirmative determination is made in step S102, the process proceeds to step S103. In step S103, detection information from the various acceleration sensors 22, 32, 62 is acquired. In subsequent step S104, a comparison process based on the acquired detection information is performed. In this comparison processing, on the condition that the detection information from the shift control acceleration sensor 32 and the detection information from the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 are the same or the difference is within a set range (small), the shift control acceleration An average value of the detection information from the sensor 32 and the detection information from the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 is calculated. Then, the calculated average value is compared with the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22.

  After executing the process of step S104, the process proceeds to step S105. In step S105, it is determined whether or not the comparison result in step S104 is within an allowable range. If a positive determination is made in step S105, the process proceeds to step S106. In step S106, detection information correction processing is performed. Specifically, when the difference between the detection information of the shift control acceleration sensor 32 and the detection information of the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 and the detection information of the brake acceleration sensor 22 is relatively large (for example, the shift control acceleration). The difference between the detection information of the sensor 32 and the detection information of the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 and the acceleration sensor 22 for braking) is set as a correction value. After the correction value is set, this correction value is added (added) when the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22 is referred to when the idling stop is determined. After executing the process of step S106, the sensor diagnosis process is terminated.

  The difference between the average value of the detection information of the shift control acceleration sensor 32 and the detection information of the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 and the detection information of the brake acceleration sensor 22 includes minute things such as noise and individual differences. The possibility cannot be denied. Therefore, in detail, when setting a correction value, whether or not there is a significant difference is determined. If there is a significant difference, the significant difference is set as a correction value. If there is no significant difference, the correction value is set. “0” is set. In other words, if there is no significant difference, the actual correction is avoided. The determination of significant difference may be configured with reference to a predetermined determination criterion (fixed value), or may be configured to refer to a determination criterion (variable value) set based on a statistical result of actual measurement data. .

  Next, the idling stop start process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In the idling stop start process, it is first determined in step S201 whether or not the engine has already been automatically stopped. If a negative determination is made in step S201, the process proceeds to step S202. In step S202, it is determined whether various preconditions for idling stop are satisfied.

  If an affirmative determination is made in step S201 and a negative determination is made in step S202, the idling stop start process is terminated as it is. If an affirmative determination is made in step S202, the engine stop signal output process is executed in step S203, and then the idling stop start process is terminated. By outputting the engine stop signal, the idling stop is continued until the engine drive signal is output in the subsequent idling stop canceling process.

  As various preconditions for idling stop, vehicle speed conditions, brake conditions, gradient conditions, and the like are provided. Hereinafter, the determination process (gradient condition determination process) related to the gradient condition will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In the gradient condition determination process, first, detection information is acquired from the brake acceleration sensor 22 in step S301. In subsequent step S302, correction processing of the detection information acquired in step S301 is executed. Specifically, the correction value set in step S106 is read and the detection information is corrected. If the brake acceleration sensor 22 has deteriorated over time, a corresponding error may occur between the other acceleration sensors 32 and 62. Therefore, this error is complemented by performing this correction process.

  After executing the correction process in step S302, the process proceeds to step S303. In the process of step S303 (corresponding to “gradient estimated value calculating means”), the road surface gradient calculation process is executed with reference to the detection information corrected in step S302 and the detection information from the wheel speed sensor 51. . By correcting the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22 that is the basis for calculating the road surface gradient as described above, it is possible to expect improvement in the calculation accuracy of the road surface gradient.

  After executing the process of step S303, the process proceeds to step S304, and it is determined whether or not the idling stop permission gradient condition is satisfied based on the calculation result in step S303 (corresponding to “gradient estimated value”). Specifically, the reference road surface gradient is set based on the limit angle at which the vehicle slips down, and the calculated reference road surface gradient is compared with the calculated estimated road surface gradient. When the estimated road surface gradient is larger than the reference road surface gradient, the idling stop permission condition is not satisfied, and the gradient condition determination process is terminated as it is. When the estimated road surface gradient is smaller than the reference road surface gradient, the idling stop permission condition is satisfied, and in step S305, the idling stop permission signal of the gradient condition is output and the present gradient condition determination process is terminated. In the process of step S202, it is determined whether or not the gradient condition is satisfied based on the presence / absence of the permission signal.

  In the present embodiment, for example, the process of step S203 corresponds to a “predetermined vehicle control process”.

  According to the first embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects are obtained.

  (1) An error diagnosis of the brake acceleration sensor is performed based on the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22 and the detection information from the other acceleration sensors 32 and 62, and an idling stop process is performed according to the diagnosis result. By partially limiting the above, it is possible to prevent the idling stop from being performed well due to an error of the brake acceleration sensor 22. In other words, by appropriately performing the idling stop, the idling stop may cause the vehicle 10 to slide down, or the idling stop may not be performed at a gradient at which the idling stop can be performed, and an opportunity for improving fuel efficiency may be missed. Can be suppressed.

  (2) If there is an error in the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22 due to deterioration over time, the error is supplemented based on the detection information from the other acceleration sensors 32 and 62. Thereby, the reliability (accuracy) improvement in road surface gradient calculation is realized.

  (3) By using the existing acceleration sensors 22, 32, 62 provided for each purpose in the vehicle 10, it is possible to prevent the configuration from becoming complicated in order to improve the reliability. However, since the installed environments are different in each of the acceleration sensors 22, 32, 62, detection information may be shifted due to the influence (temperature difference) due to the environment. Therefore, by measuring the temperature for each environment where the acceleration sensors 22, 32, and 62 are installed, the error diagnosis and the setting of the correction value are performed on the condition that the temperature difference is within a predetermined range. The combined use of a plurality of acceleration sensors 22, 32, 62 existing in different environments is suitably realized. Moreover, application of the technical idea shown in the present embodiment to the idling stop function can be promoted by suppressing restrictions on the installation location.

  (4) One of the plurality of acceleration sensors is assumed to be the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 disposed in a different environment (vehicle interior) from the other acceleration sensors. By including a sensor that exists at a position where the environmental change is gentle compared to the outside of the passenger compartment, a configuration that easily reflects the influence of aging deterioration on error diagnosis and correction value setting is realized. In particular, the distance from the engine 11 serving as a heat source includes the brake acceleration sensor 22 and the shift control acceleration sensor 32 disposed outside the vehicle compartment (inside the engine compartment), and the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 disposed in the vehicle interior. The car navigation acceleration sensor 62 far from the engine 11 is suppressed from being deteriorated by the influence of heat. It is technically meaningful to use acceleration sensors with different distances from the heat source in this way.

  (5) The influence of the heat of the engine 11 differs depending on the distance from the engine 11 as a heat source. In view of this, the temperature of the installation location of the brake acceleration sensor 22 and the shift control acceleration sensor 32 having the same distance from the engine 11 is measured by the engine room temperature sensor 41 as described above. The configuration is prevented from becoming complicated due to the realization of improvement in reliability.

<Second Embodiment>
The acceleration sensor has a configuration in which the sensitivity of the detection information changes depending on the temperature, and in consideration of the range where the measurement error is substantially small (in the present embodiment, for example, −10 ° C. to 90 ° C.). ° C) is set. If the difference between the temperature in the engine room and the temperature in the passenger compartment increases after a certain period of time has elapsed since the engine 11 started, the measurement error inevitably increases. In consideration of such circumstances, in the first embodiment, error diagnosis and correction value setting timing are practically limited immediately after the engine 11 is started. On the other hand, one of the features of the present embodiment is that the restriction on error diagnosis and correction value setting timing is relaxed to increase the chance of error diagnosis and the like. . Hereinafter, the characteristic configuration of the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

  Due to the characteristics of the acceleration sensor, the rate of increase in measurement error increases as the temperature approaches the upper limit / lower limit of the operating temperature range. Therefore, the ECU 12 executes a characteristic learning process for learning the temperature characteristics related to the acceleration sensors 22, 32, and 62. Hereinafter, the characteristic learning process (corresponding to “learning means”) will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the characteristic learning process, first, in step S401, it is determined whether or not it is during the learning allowable period. The learning allowable period is set to be a period in which the influence of aging deterioration can be ignored, for example, the traveling distance of the vehicle 10 is within a predetermined distance from the new time.

  If an affirmative determination is made in step S401, the process proceeds to step S402. In step S402, it is determined whether or not the difference between the temperature in the engine room and the temperature in the passenger compartment is equal to or less than a threshold value (hereinafter, first threshold value: 20 ° C.). If a negative determination is made in step S401, or if an affirmative determination is made in step S402, the characteristic learning process ends. If a negative determination is made in step S402, the process proceeds to step S403 to execute the characteristic information update process. Specifically, the ECU 12 is provided with a storage area for storing information relating to temperature characteristics, and the information stored in the storage area is updated.

  Specifically, at the current temperature of the brake acceleration sensor 22 (temperature in the engine room), the difference between the detection information of the brake acceleration sensor 22 and the car navigation acceleration sensor 62, the engine room temperature sensor 41, and the vehicle The difference between the detection information of the indoor temperature sensor 71 is calculated, and the correspondence relationship between the information (learned value) related to the difference and the two parameters of the current temperature difference and the temperature in the engine room is stored. When information corresponding to the same temperature condition is already stored, the learning value is corrected (updated) in consideration of this additional information.

  The stored information may be information relating to the difference between the average value of the shift control acceleration sensor 32 and the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 and the brake acceleration sensor 22.

  Next, the flow of error diagnosis and the like in this embodiment will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG.

  In a state where the vehicle 10 is stopped and the ignition is OFF, there may be a certain difference between the temperature inside the vehicle compartment and the temperature outside the vehicle compartment (inside the engine compartment). After the ignition is turned on and the engine 11 is started, the temperature in the engine room rises due to the heat generated from the engine 11 and the like. When the air conditioning is turned on indoors, the temperature in the passenger compartment increases, but the increase is smaller than the increase in temperature in the engine room.

  At the timing immediately after the engine 11 is started, the temperature difference T1 between the vehicle interior and the exterior is smaller than the first threshold value (20 ° C.). In this situation, the detection information of each acceleration sensor 22, 32, 62 is directly compared, and the flow of various controls related to idling stop is the same as in the first embodiment.

  In the above embodiment, the temperature difference being equal to or smaller than the first threshold is an execution condition related to various processes related to idling stop, whereas in this embodiment, the temperature difference is equal to the second threshold (for example, 80 ° C) or less is an execution condition. After the engine 11 is started, the temperature difference between the vehicle interior and the exterior increases due to the heat from the engine 11. When the temperature difference TX reaches the first threshold (20 ° C.), the comparison target is changed to the detection information from the acceleration sensor 22 added with the learning value and the average value of the acceleration sensors 32 and 62. It will be. Also, when the correction value is determined, the detection information from the acceleration sensor 22 added with the learning value and the average value of the acceleration sensors 32 and 62 are referred to.

  According to the second embodiment described in detail above, it is possible to preferably improve the accuracy of the gradient estimation with reference to the detection information of the acceleration sensor even after the warming up of the engine 11 is completed. Further, it is advantageous in that the idling stop function can be suitably used even when the operation is finished and the operation is resumed under the condition that the engine 11 is warm.

  In addition, by performing learning at a time when aged deterioration has not occurred or is little, it is possible to make a comparison in consideration of the difference in temperature characteristics between the acceleration sensors. By performing such a comparison, the correlation between the comparison result and the aging deterioration becomes strong, and for example, it is possible to appropriately detect the deterioration of the acceleration sensor.

<Other embodiments>
(1) In each of the above embodiments, the error diagnosis and the setting of the correction value are performed based on the detection information from the three acceleration sensors 22, 32, 62 provided outside and inside the vehicle interior. The environment in which the sensor is disposed is arbitrary, and it is not always necessary to use an acceleration sensor disposed outside and inside the vehicle interior.

  About two acceleration sensors 22 and 32 arrange | positioned outside a vehicle interior, it replaces with what is arrange | positioned in an engine room, and what is arrange | positioned in places other than engine rooms, such as the lower surface of a vehicle, may also be employ | adopted. Is possible.

  As the acceleration sensor 62 disposed in the vehicle interior, a sensor disposed under the seat or in the trunk room may be employed instead of the dashboard.

  (2) In each of the above embodiments, three acceleration sensors are used in combination. However, the number of acceleration sensors used for error diagnosis and setting of correction values may be two. There may be four or more.

  However, when three or more acceleration sensors are used, for example, it is possible to specify an acceleration sensor in which an error has occurred due to the majority of detection information, but when there are two acceleration sensors, any acceleration sensor It is difficult to specify whether or not there is an error. In such a configuration, by using a configuration in which the gradient estimation result becomes larger, it is possible to suitably suppress the sliding down. Although it is difficult to identify the target, it is technically significant to use a plurality of acceleration sensors in combination in view of whether or not an error has occurred.

  (3) In the above embodiments, when there is a difference in the detection information from the acceleration sensors 22, 32, 62, based on the detection information from the shift control acceleration sensor 32 and the car navigation acceleration sensor 62. Although the correction value of the brake acceleration sensor 22 is set, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this.

  For example, when the detection value from the brake acceleration sensor 22 is greatly deviated with respect to both detection information from the shift control acceleration sensor 32 and the car navigation acceleration sensor 62, the road surface is determined by the gradient calculation process shown in step S303. When estimating the gradient, the detection information from the shift control acceleration sensor 32 and the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 may be used instead of the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22.

  (4) In each of the embodiments described above, the precondition of the sensor diagnosis process (specifically, error diagnosis and setting of correction values) is that the vehicle 10 is “stopped”, but the present invention is not limited to this. . When the vehicle 10 is in a situation where it can be determined that acceleration in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction has not occurred, the sensor diagnosis process may be allowed. For example, the vehicle is moving straight without driving force and braking force (specifically, the shift position is neutral, the brake operation is not performed, and the steering operation is not performed). It can be determined that no acceleration occurs in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and the sensor diagnosis process can be allowed.

  (5) In each of the above embodiments, if there is an error between the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22 and the detection information from the shift control acceleration sensor 32 and the car navigation acceleration sensor 62, the error is detected. Although the correction value is set so as to be complemented, an upper limit may be provided for this correction value. In addition, the upper limit of the correction value is not necessarily a fixed type, and may be configured to be changed according to the situation by a temperature characteristic map or the like.

  (6) In each of the above embodiments, the temperature at the location where the brake acceleration sensor 22 is disposed and the location where the acceleration sensor 32 for shift control is disposed by the engine room temperature sensor 41 which measures the temperature in the engine room. Although the temperature is collectively measured, temperature sensors may be provided individually corresponding to the acceleration sensors 22 and 32.

  Moreover, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which the temperature is estimated based on other vehicle information instead of directly measuring the temperature at the location where the acceleration sensor is installed.

  (7) In each of the above embodiments, the detection information from the brake acceleration sensor 22 using the average value calculated from the detection information from the shift control acceleration sensor 32 and the detection information from the car navigation acceleration sensor 62 However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is possible to set the maximum or minimum detection information from a plurality of acceleration sensors other than the brake acceleration sensor 22 as a comparison target.

  (7) In each of the above embodiments, the detection information is acquired from the accelerometers attached to the various units mounted on the vehicle 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is good also as a structure which acquires detection information from the acceleration sensor incorporated in portable terminals, such as portable navigation and a smart phone.

  In this case, in order to suppress the variation in the installation position and the installation direction of the mobile terminal in the vehicle 10, the mobile terminal is provided on the condition that the mobile terminal is provided and the mobile terminal is arranged in a predetermined direction in the mobile terminal storage. The detection information from the built-in acceleration sensor may be used.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle, 12 ... ECU, 22 ... Brake acceleration sensor, 62 ... Car navigation acceleration sensor.

Claims (9)

A vehicle control device comprising vehicle control means (12) for executing predetermined vehicle control processing based on detection information from a first acceleration sensor (22) for detecting acceleration in the vehicle (10),
The detection information from the first acceleration sensor is compared with detection information from a second acceleration sensor (62) that is provided separately from the first acceleration sensor and used for control processing different from the predetermined vehicle control. Diagnosing means for diagnosing the first acceleration sensor based on the comparison;
Determining whether a temperature difference between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor is smaller or larger than a predetermined value; permitting the diagnosis when the temperature difference is small; and permitting determination means not permitting the diagnosis when larger. A vehicle control device comprising the vehicle control device. The second acceleration sensor comprises two or more acceleration sensors,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnosis unit is configured to perform the diagnosis with reference to detection information from the plurality of second acceleration sensors. A gradient estimated value calculating means for calculating a gradient estimated value based on detection information from the first acceleration sensor;
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle control means is control means for performing idling stop control for automatically stopping the internal combustion engine based on the estimated gradient value. Comprising stop determination means for determining whether or not the vehicle is stopped;
4. The diagnosis unit according to claim 1, wherein the diagnosis unit is configured to perform the diagnosis on the condition that the vehicle is determined to be stopped by the stop determination unit. The vehicle control apparatus as described in any one.   The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor are disposed in places where environmental temperatures are different.   The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor are arranged such that distances from a heat source mounted on the vehicle are different.   6. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein one of the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor is disposed in a vehicle interior, and the other is disposed outside the vehicle interior. Within the temperature range of the first acceleration sensor under the traveling state of the vehicle, the temperature difference between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor, and detection information from the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor Correspondence information corresponding to the difference between
The diagnosis means is configured to perform the diagnosis using the correspondence information when a temperature difference between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor is larger than a reference value. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.   When the temperature of the first acceleration sensor is within the temperature range, the correspondence information is stored according to the temperature of the first acceleration sensor, and the correspondence information already stored based on the newly grasped correspondence information The vehicle control device according to claim 8, further comprising an updating unit that updates the vehicle.

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