JP2024067284A - On-vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To correctly perform evaluation of respective parts of a vehicle in a maintenance mode in a comparatively short time.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle control device 1 includes: a first determination section S1 for determining whether a maintenance mode is selected; a first processing section S2 for instantaneously updating a storage value Tm of outer air temperature inside a storage section 11 into a detection value T by an outer air temperature sensor 4 when the first determination section S1 determines in the affirmative; a second determination section S3 for determining whether an ignition switch 3 is turned on within a predetermined time after turning off the ignition switch 3 when the first determination section S1 determines in the negative; a second processing section S2 for instantaneously updating the storage value Tm in the storage section 11 into the detection value T by the outer air temperature sensor 4 when the second determination section S3 determines in the negative; and a third processing section S4 for holding the storage value Tm in the storage section 11 when the second determination section S3 determines in the affirmative.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle control device.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes an outside air temperature detection device for an automobile that "determines an appropriate outside air temperature, and detects an outside air temperature appropriate to the actual situation even if the actual outside air temperature rises while the engine is stopped, and controls the air conditioning to reflect the rise in the outside air temperature."

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-038925

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 does not provide any insight into the technical idea of including the evaluation conditions for each part of the vehicle when the maintenance mode is executed by the vehicle-mounted control device.

In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an on-board control device that can accurately evaluate each part of a vehicle in a relatively short time in maintenance mode.

The present invention is an in-vehicle control device that evaluates each part of a vehicle and has a memory unit that stores a detection value by an outside air temperature sensor mounted on the vehicle, and is characterized by comprising: a first judgment unit that judges whether a maintenance mode is selected; a first processing unit that, if the first judgment unit judges positive, immediately updates the stored value of the outside air temperature in the memory unit to the detected value by the outside air temperature sensor; a second judgment unit that, if the first judgment unit judges negative, judges whether the ignition switch is turned on within a predetermined time after the ignition switch is turned off; a second processing unit that, if the second judgment unit judges negative, immediately updates the stored value in the memory unit to the detected value by the outside air temperature sensor; and a third processing unit that, if the second judgment unit judges positive, holds the stored value in the memory unit.

In general, when a vehicle is used in a market environment, the value detected by the outside air temperature sensor is easily affected by the above-mentioned disturbances (radiant heat from the engine and auxiliary equipment, exhaust from other vehicles located in front of the vehicle, temperature, wind, sunlight, etc.).

In a normal mode in which the vehicle is used in such a market environment, for example, if the ignition switch is turned on within a predetermined time after the ignition switch is turned off, that is, in a situation in which it is assumed that the temperature inside the engine compartment of the vehicle is higher than the ambient temperature outside the vehicle due to radiant heat from the engine and auxiliary equipment, the detection value by the ambient temperature sensor becomes susceptible to the influence of the disturbance. In such a situation susceptible to the influence of disturbance, it is preferable to execute correction control such as maintaining the stored value of the ambient temperature in the memory unit without immediately updating it to the detection value by the ambient temperature sensor, in order to ignore the detection value of the ambient temperature sensor which is affected by the disturbance.

Incidentally, the maintenance mode (also known as chassis dynamometer mode) is performed by placing the vehicle in a location where environmental conditions can be adjusted, such as a maintenance shop or laboratory. Therefore, when the maintenance mode is performed, the detection value by the outside air temperature sensor is not affected by the disturbance, so it can be said that there is no need to perform the correction control described above.

According to the above configuration, when the maintenance mode is selected, even if the ignition switch is turned on within a predetermined time after it is turned off, the correction control is not executed, so that when the maintenance mode starts, the latest detection value by the outside air temperature sensor can be immediately used as an evaluation parameter.

In this way, the correction control is not executed while the maintenance mode is in progress, eliminating the need to wait for a predetermined time to elapse after the ignition switch is turned off before turning the ignition switch on.

The present invention provides an on-board control device that can accurately evaluate each part of a vehicle in a relatively short time.

1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an on-vehicle control device according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the vehicle control device.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

One embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle-mounted control device 1 evaluates the performance and degree of deterioration of each part of the vehicle by using the vehicle in a place where environmental conditions can be adjusted, such as a maintenance shop or a laboratory.

This vehicle-mounted control device 1 is not shown in detail, but is a commonly known ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and includes a central processing unit (CPU), a non-volatile storage device (Read Only Memory: ROM), a temporary storage device (Random Access Memory: RAM), etc.

The ROM stores various control programs and maps that are referenced when executing the various control programs. The CPU executes calculations based on the various control programs and maps stored in the ROM. The RAM is a rewritable memory that stores the results of calculations by the CPU and data input from each sensor.

An area is reserved in the memory for storing the value of the outside air temperature (detected value T) detected by the outside air temperature sensor 4 mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, the memory corresponds to the storage unit 11 described in the claims.

The vehicle control device 1 is connected to an information input unit 2, an ignition switch (IGS) 3 equipped in the vehicle, an outside air temperature sensor 4, and the like via an input/output interface (not shown).

Although not shown in detail, the information input unit 2 includes at least a selection unit for selecting a maintenance mode, and a start command unit for starting execution of the maintenance mode.

The ignition switch 3 selects on or off and inputs an on or off signal to the vehicle control device 1.

The outside air temperature sensor 4 measures the outside air temperature around the vehicle and inputs the detected outside air temperature value T to the vehicle control device 1. Although not shown, this outside air temperature sensor 4 is installed, for example, at the front of the vehicle, specifically inside the front grille, that is, near the engine compartment.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explaining the control operation by the vehicle control device 1.

When entering this flowchart, step S1 determines whether maintenance mode has been selected.

If the result of step S1 is positive, the correction-free control of step S2 is executed. In step S2, the stored value Tm of the outside air temperature in the memory unit 11 is immediately updated to the detected value T by the outside air temperature sensor 4. After execution of step S2, the process proceeds to step S5 described below.

On the other hand, if the result of step S1 is negative, the process proceeds to step S3, where it is determined whether the ignition switch 3 has been turned on within a predetermined time (e.g., 50 to 120 minutes, preferably 60 minutes) since the ignition switch 3 was turned off.

In other words, in step S3, it is checked whether the temperature inside the engine compartment (not shown) mounted on the vehicle, i.e., the temperature near the outside air temperature sensor 4, is higher than the outside air temperature outside the vehicle.

In general, when the temperature inside the engine compartment is equivalent to the outside air temperature outside the vehicle, the reliability of the detection value T by the outside air temperature sensor 4 can be said to be high. On the other hand, when the temperature inside the engine compartment is higher than the outside air temperature outside the vehicle, the detection value T by the outside air temperature sensor 4 deviates from the outside air temperature outside the vehicle, and the reliability of the detection value T can be said to be low.

If the result of step S3 is negative, the correction-free control of step S2 is executed. In step S2, the stored value Tm of the outside air temperature in the memory unit 11 is immediately updated to the value T detected by the outside air temperature sensor 4.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S3 is positive, the correction control in step S4 is executed. In this step S4, taking into consideration that the outside air temperature sensor 4 is in a situation where it is easily affected by the disturbance, the stored value Tm of the outside air temperature in the memory unit 11 is not immediately updated to the detected value T by the outside air temperature sensor 4 and is maintained. After execution of this step S4, the process proceeds to the following step S5.

In general, in vehicle air conditioning control, a target air conditioning temperature is set using parameters such as the required temperature, outside air temperature, and vehicle interior temperature. For this reason, in a situation in which the value T detected by the outside air temperature sensor 4 rises or falls above or below the actual outside air temperature in a short period of time, if the stored value Tm in the memory unit 11 is updated to the value T detected by the outside air temperature sensor 4 one by one, the target air conditioning temperature must be changed frequently, resulting in hunting in the air conditioning control operation. This is undesirable both when the vehicle is actually in use and when it is being evaluated. In order to avoid such problems, the correction control is executed.

Next, in step S5, it is determined whether the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed (e.g., 0 to 40 km/h, preferably 30 km/h).

In general, when driving at low speeds, the wind tends to stagnate inside the engine compartment, making the outside air temperature sensor 4 susceptible to disturbances (particularly radiant heat from the engine and auxiliary machinery, exhaust from other vehicles located in front of the vehicle, etc.).

On the other hand, when driving at high speeds, the wind passes smoothly through the engine compartment, so the outside air temperature sensor 4 is relatively less susceptible to disturbances (particularly radiant heat from the engine and auxiliary machinery, exhaust from other vehicles in front of the vehicle, etc.).

However, for example, the temperature inside a tunnel may be higher than the temperature outside the tunnel (the actual outside air temperature). Therefore, even when driving at high speed, the detection value T by the outside air temperature sensor 4 may deviate from the temperature outside the tunnel while driving inside the tunnel.

In other words, in step S5, it is checked whether the driving conditions are such that the outside air temperature sensor 4 is susceptible to disturbances.

If the result of step S5 is negative, i.e., when the vehicle is traveling at low speed, the correction control of step S6 is executed.

In step S6, taking into consideration that the driving conditions are such that the outside air temperature sensor 4 is susceptible to the above-mentioned disturbances, the stored value Tm of the outside air temperature in the memory unit 11 is maintained without immediately being updated to the value T detected by the outside air temperature sensor 4. After executing step S6, the process returns.

On the other hand, if the answer is yes in step S5, that is, considering that the detected value T by the outside air temperature sensor 4 may temporarily fluctuate even when driving at high speeds, smoothing control is executed in step S7.

In this step S7, taking into consideration that the detected value T by the outside air temperature sensor 4 may deviate from the stored value Tm of the outside air temperature in the memory unit 11, the stored value Tm is not immediately updated to the detected value T by the outside air temperature sensor 4, but is updated one minute after the detection point by adding a predetermined value (e.g., 0.1 to 0.6°C, preferably 0.5°C) to the stored value Tm. After executing this step S7, the process returns.

The relationship between each step of the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 and the components of the claims will be explained below. In FIG. 2, step S1 corresponds to the first determination unit, step S2 corresponds to the first and second processing units, step S3 corresponds to the second determination unit, and step S4 corresponds to the third processing unit.

As described above, when the maintenance mode is selected, the vehicle control device 1 of the embodiment to which the present invention is applied immediately updates the stored value Tm in the memory unit 11 to the detected value T by the outside air temperature sensor 4.

As a result, when the maintenance mode is selected, even if the ignition switch 3 is turned on within a predetermined time after it is turned off, the correction control is not executed, so that when the maintenance mode starts, the latest detection value T from the outside air temperature sensor 4 can be immediately used as an evaluation parameter.

In this way, the correction control is not executed while the maintenance mode is in progress, eliminating the need to wait a predetermined time after the ignition switch 3 is turned off before turning the ignition switch 3 on.

Therefore, according to the in-vehicle control device 1 of the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, it becomes possible to accurately evaluate the performance and degree of deterioration of each part of the vehicle in the maintenance mode in a relatively short time.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment, but may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims and equivalents thereto.

For example, in the above embodiment, steps S5 to S7 in FIG. 2 can be omitted, and such an embodiment is also included in the present invention.

The present invention can be suitably used in vehicle control devices.

1. Vehicle control device
11 Memory section 2 Information input section 3 Ignition switch 4 Outside air temperature sensor

Claims (1)

An in-vehicle control device that evaluates each part of a vehicle and has a memory unit that stores a detection value obtained by an outside air temperature sensor mounted on the vehicle,
a first determination unit that determines whether or not a maintenance mode is selected;
a first processing unit that immediately updates a stored value of the outside air temperature in the storage unit to a value detected by the outside air temperature sensor when the first determination unit makes an affirmative determination;
a second determination unit that determines whether or not the ignition switch is turned on within a predetermined time after the ignition switch is turned off when the first determination unit makes a negative determination;
a second processing unit that immediately updates the stored value in the storage unit to a value detected by the outside air temperature sensor when the second determination unit makes a negative determination;
a third processing unit that holds the stored value in the storage unit when the second determination unit makes a positive determination.

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