JP2019172028A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To extend the service life of a battery by performing monitoring operation according to a residual capacity of a battery so as to secure the convenience of a user.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device 2 comprises: a communication part 4 for performing wireless communication with a portable terminal 3 carried by a user; a control part 5 for operating the communication part 4 intermittently in order to monitor the presence of the portable terminal 3; and a battery condition detection part 23 for detecting a degree of deterioration of a battery 7 when supplying power to an on-vehicle device. The control part 5 for performing monitoring operation makes the communication part 4 operate intermittently for a predetermined monitoring time period. When the monitoring operation is performed, the control part 5 checks the degree of deterioration of the battery 7 and sets the monitoring time period shorter as the degree of deterioration of the battery 7 becomes higher.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that locks and unlocks a door and starts an engine by the presence of a mobile terminal.

  In the vehicle smart entry system, if the user's portable terminal is present near the vehicle, the door can be locked and unlocked and the engine can be started without any key operation, and the convenience of the user is improved. In order to monitor the presence of the mobile terminal, the vehicle control device that controls the smart entry system turns on the communication unit that communicates with the mobile terminal at regular intervals. Radio waves are transmitted from the antenna, and the control device communicates with the mobile terminal. A monitoring operation by the control unit is performed by power from a battery that supplies power to the in-vehicle device.

  While the vehicle is stopped due to parking or the like, the monitoring operation is performed, but the dark current also increases, the battery capacity decreases, and the battery may run out. As a countermeasure against battery exhaustion, Patent Document 1 describes that the ON interval is gradually extended depending on the elapsed time from the final operation of the mobile terminal by the user. Patent Document 2 describes that the on-time when turning on at regular intervals is gradually shortened and the monitoring operation is finally stopped.

JP-A-10-336760 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-133490

  With the countermeasure described in Patent Document 1, even when the user does not use the vehicle for a long period of time, the monitoring operation of the mobile terminal is continued, so that the battery power is consumed and the battery may run out. Further, with the countermeasure described in Patent Document 2, even if the battery capacity is sufficient, the monitoring operation is stopped after a certain period of time, so that the convenience for the user is reduced. In addition, when the battery capacity is low, there is a possibility that sufficient power cannot be supplied and a monitoring operation cannot be performed suddenly.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can ensure user convenience while extending the life of a battery by performing a monitoring operation according to the battery capacity.

  The vehicle control device of the present invention includes a communication unit that wirelessly communicates with a mobile terminal possessed by a user, a control unit that intermittently operates the communication unit to monitor the presence of the mobile terminal, and power supply to the in-vehicle device. And a battery state detection unit that detects the degree of deterioration of the battery when performing. A control unit that performs a monitoring operation with power from a battery that supplies power to the in-vehicle device causes the communication unit to operate intermittently for a predetermined monitoring time. And a control part shortens monitoring time, so that the deterioration degree of a battery becomes large.

  When performing the monitoring operation, the deterioration degree of the battery is checked, and the monitoring time is changed according to the deterioration degree of the battery. When the battery capacity is sufficient, the monitoring time is lengthened. When the battery capacity is reduced and the battery is greatly deteriorated, the monitoring time is shortened.

  According to the present invention, power consumption due to the monitoring operation can be suppressed, so that the battery can be prevented from running out and the life of the battery can be extended. Moreover, the monitoring operation can be made to function to the maximum according to the degree of deterioration of the battery, so that the convenience for the user can be maintained.

The block diagram of the control apparatus for vehicles of embodiment of this invention Monitoring operation time chart Time chart when monitoring operation is stopped Diagram showing battery voltage change at starter start The figure which shows the change of the monitoring time with respect to the deterioration degree of the battery

  A vehicle control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. A vehicle that travels by the driving force of the engine 1 is equipped with a smart entry system, and the smart entry system includes a vehicle control device 2 mounted on the vehicle and a mobile terminal 3 possessed by the user. The vehicle control device 2 includes a communication unit 4 that wirelessly communicates with the mobile terminal 3, a control unit 5 that controls the operation of the communication unit 4, and an engine control unit 6 that controls driving of the engine 1. A battery 7 is mounted on the vehicle, and the battery 7 supplies electric power to in-vehicle devices including the vehicle control device 2.

  In addition to the control of the communication unit 4, the control unit 5 controls door locking / unlocking and door opening / closing. A lock device 10 for switching between locking and unlocking of the door is provided, and the control unit 5 operates the locking device 10 to lock or unlock the door. The lock device 10 includes a lock actuator that switches between locking and unlocking the door. When the lock switch 11 is provided on the door handle and the lock switch 11 is operated, the control unit 5 operates the lock actuator to lock or unlock the door.

  A door opening / closing device 12 that automatically opens and closes the rear seat door is provided, and the control unit 5 operates the door opening / closing device 12 to open and close the rear seat door. The door opening / closing device 12 has a motor that slides the door. When the opening / closing switch 13 is provided on the door and the opening / closing switch 13 is operated, the control unit 5 operates the motor. The door slides and the door is opened and closed. Thus, the control unit 5 functions as a body control unit. The engine control unit 6 starts or stops the engine 1 by operating the start button 14.

  The portable terminal 3 includes a communication unit 20 that performs wireless communication, an operation switch 21 that locks, unlocks, and opens and closes the door, and a terminal control unit 22 that controls the terminal itself. The communication unit 20 performs bidirectional communication with the communication unit 4 of the vehicle control device 2 through the antenna. As the operation switch 21, a lock switch, an unlock switch, and a door opening / closing switch are provided.

  The communication unit 4 of the vehicle control device 2 transmits and receives wireless signals through an antenna and wirelessly communicates with the mobile terminal 3. The communication unit 4 is disposed on the front and rear sides of the vehicle, and is also disposed on the left and right door mirrors and the back door. When the mobile terminal 3 is present in the vehicle or in a communicable area set outside the vehicle, the communication unit 4 can communicate with the mobile terminal 3.

  The portable terminal 3 has a unique ID. The ID of the portable terminal 3 is registered in the control unit 5 and stored in the memory. When the mobile terminal 3 is in the vehicle or in a communicable area outside the vehicle, the mobile terminal 3 transmits a response signal including an ID in response to a request signal from the control unit 5. When receiving the response signal through the communication unit 4, the control unit 5 authenticates the mobile terminal 3. That is, the received ID is checked against the registered ID, and if the IDs match, the presence of the authenticated mobile terminal 3 is confirmed.

  When the mobile terminal 3 is authenticated, various operations can be performed via the mobile terminal 3. When the operation switch 21 of the mobile terminal 3 is operated, the mobile terminal 3 transmits a command signal. When receiving the command signal, the control unit 5 outputs the command signal to the lock device 10 or the door opening / closing device 12. The locking device 10 or the door opening / closing device 12 receives a command signal and performs a predetermined operation.

  When the user holding the mobile terminal 3 operates the lock switch 11 or the opening / closing switch 13, the control unit 5 operates the locking device 10 or the door opening / closing device 12. Doors are locked and unlocked, and doors are opened and closed. When the control unit 5 confirms the presence of the authenticated mobile terminal 3, the control unit 5 outputs a permission signal to the engine control unit 6. The engine control unit 6 that has received the permission signal starts the engine 1 when the start button 14 is operated.

  Here, the control unit 5 performs a monitoring operation for intermittently operating the communication unit 4 in order to monitor the presence of the mobile terminal 3. As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the user who owns the mobile terminal 3 leaves the vehicle, the control unit 5 cannot communicate with the mobile terminal 3. When the control unit 5 detects that communication with the mobile terminal 3 is no longer possible, the control unit 5 starts a monitoring operation.

  In the monitoring operation, the communication unit 4 operates at regular intervals to detect a mobile terminal 3 that can communicate. When the mobile terminal 3 is detected, it is checked whether the mobile terminal 3 is authenticated. That is, the control unit 5 enters a sleep state when the mobile terminal 3 cannot be authenticated. When the preset off time has elapsed, the control unit 5 is activated to operate the communication unit 4. The communication unit 4 transmits a request signal. The control unit 5 waits for a response from the mobile terminal 3. When there is no response and a predetermined time elapses after the request signal is transmitted, the control unit 5 enters a sleep state. Thereafter, when the off time has elapsed, the control unit 5 is activated again and a request signal is transmitted. When there is a response signal from the mobile terminal 3, the control unit 5 receives the response signal through the communication unit 4 and authenticates the mobile terminal 3. When the mobile terminal 3 is authenticated, the control unit 5 determines that the authenticated mobile terminal 3 exists and performs communication with the mobile terminal 3.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 5 operates the communication unit 4 for the determined monitoring time. The monitoring time is counted down from when communication with the mobile terminal 3 becomes impossible. The control unit 5 stops the monitoring operation when the mobile terminal 3 cannot be authenticated and the monitoring time elapses. Thereafter, the control unit 5 enters a sleep state. Thereby, the fall of the battery capacity by dark current can be suppressed.

  By the way, the battery deteriorates due to the frequency of use and the environment, and the battery capacity decreases. The monitoring operation is limited so that the deterioration of the battery can be suppressed. That is, the monitoring time is changed according to the degree of battery deterioration. The monitoring time is shortened as the degree of deterioration of the battery increases. For this purpose, a battery state detection unit 23 for detecting the degree of deterioration of the battery is provided, and the control unit 5 determines the monitoring time based on the detected degree of deterioration.

  The battery state detection unit 23 detects the battery state by measuring the battery voltage. The control unit 5 determines the degree of deterioration based on the detected battery state. The timing for detecting the battery state is when the engine 1 is started. As shown in FIG. 4, the battery voltage drops when the starter is started. The battery state detection unit 23 detects the lowest voltage (VLo) due to this voltage drop when starting the starter, and outputs it to the control unit 5. The control unit 5 stores the input minimum voltage in a memory. The lower the minimum voltage, the greater the degree of deterioration of the battery 7.

  The monitoring time is changed every time the monitoring operation is started. When starting the monitoring operation, the control unit 5 reads the lowest voltage when the engine 1 is last started stored in the memory, and determines the monitoring time based on the lowest voltage. As shown in FIG. 5, the monitoring time for the minimum voltage is set in advance. For example, when the battery 7 is at the lowest voltage (10 V) when it is new, the monitoring time is 5 days. When the intermediate voltage is the lowest voltage (8.5 V), the monitoring time is 2.5 days. At the time of the lowest voltage (7V) at the time of deterioration, it is set as 0 day. That is, no monitoring operation is performed.

  If the monitoring time remains long even though the battery 7 is deteriorated, the power of the battery 7 is consumed during the monitoring time, and power supply to the in-vehicle device that performs the monitoring operation cannot be sufficiently performed. Since the increase in dark current during the monitoring operation can be suppressed by shortening the monitoring time according to the deterioration of the battery 7, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the battery capacity. Therefore, even if the battery 7 is deteriorated, it is possible to supply a minimum amount of power and prevent the engine 1 from starting. Moreover, even when the vehicle is not used for a long period of time, if the battery capacity is sufficient, the monitoring operation is continued, so the smart entry system functions and can automatically open and close the door. Will not be damaged.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, many corrections and changes can be added to the said embodiment within the scope of the present invention. The mobile terminal 3 may be a communicable and portable communication device such as a smartphone or a tablet. The degree of deterioration of the battery may be detected by the charging current and discharging current of the battery 7. Moreover, you may detect by a charging rate (SOC), discharge performance (SOF), and remaining capacity (SOH).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Engine 2 Control apparatus for vehicles 3 Portable terminal 4 Communication part 5 Control part 7 Battery 10 Locking device 12 Door open / close device 23 Battery state detection part

Claims (1)

A communication unit that wirelessly communicates with a mobile terminal possessed by a user, and a control unit that intermittently operates the communication unit to monitor the presence of the mobile terminal, and operates with power from a battery that supplies power to the in-vehicle device The control unit is a vehicle control device that intermittently operates the communication unit for a determined monitoring time, and includes a battery state detection unit that detects a degree of deterioration of the battery when power is supplied to the in-vehicle device, The control unit for a vehicle, wherein the monitoring time is shortened as the degree of deterioration of the battery increases.

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