JP5325696B2 - Control device for controlling position of vehicle door mirror - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device that controls the position of a door mirror of a vehicle, and more specifically to a control device that controls the position of a door mirror in accordance with the state of a seat belt.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a door mirror device that detects an intention of getting on or getting off and automatically positions a door mirror of a vehicle at a use position or a storage position. This door mirror device detects a driver's intention to get on or get off by inserting or removing an ignition key.

Published Utility Model Sho 64-1041

  In the invention described in Patent Document 1, the door mirror is automatically used even when the driver gets on and inserts the ignition key but does not drive, that is, when the driver gets off without starting the engine after getting on. Since it is driven to the position, it takes time to return the door mirror to the retracted position again, and further, there is a problem that battery power is wasted for driving the door mirror.

  Also, when getting off the vehicle, the door mirror is driven to the retracted position after the ignition key is removed, so it is not possible to automatically store the door mirror immediately after stopping, and it is relatively long before the ignition key is removed. When time is required, there is a problem that the door mirror remains open during that time.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to improve the accuracy of position control of a door mirror by improving the conventional problem described above, increasing the detection accuracy of a driver's intention to get on or get off.

  The present invention provides a control device for controlling the position of a door mirror of a vehicle. The control device includes position detection means for detecting that the door mirror is in the retracted position or the use position, movement amount detection means for detecting the movement amount of the seat belt, and the detected position of the door mirror and the movement amount of the seat belt. And a control means for controlling the door mirror to move to the use position or the storage position.

  According to the present invention, the position of the door mirror is controlled by inferring the driver's intention to get on or off the vehicle based on the amount of movement of the seat belt that must be worn when the vehicle is running. The position of the door mirror can be controlled.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, the control means controls to open the door mirror to the use position when it is detected that the door mirror is in the retracted position and the detected amount of the seat belt is larger than a predetermined amount.

  According to this aspect of the present invention, when the amount of the seat belt pulled out is larger than a predetermined amount, the driver's intention to get on (running) is estimated and the door mirror is opened to the use position. (Running) The door mirror can be controlled to open according to the intention.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, the movement amount detection means further detects a change rate corresponding to the movement amount of the seat belt per unit time. Then, the control means detects that the door mirror is in the use position, and when the detected amount of the seat belt retracted is larger than the predetermined amount and the detected rate of change of the seat belt is larger than the predetermined value, the control means Control to close to the storage position.

  According to this aspect of the present invention, in addition to the amount of movement (winding amount) of the seat belt, the rate of change of the seat belt is also considered, and the driver's intention to get off is inferred, and the door mirror is moved to the storage position. Since the closing control is performed, the door mirror closing control can be performed more in line with the driver's intention to get off, and the accuracy of the door mirror closing control can be further improved.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, it is further provided with a state detecting means for detecting the starting state of the engine of the vehicle, and an attachment detecting means for detecting whether or not the seat belt is attached, and it is detected that the door mirror is in the use position. When the stop of the engine is detected and the absence of the seat belt is detected, the control means controls to close the door mirror to the retracted position.

  According to this aspect of the present invention, when the engine is stopped and the seat belt is removed, the driver's intention to get off is inferred, and the door mirror is controlled to close to the storage position. The door mirror closing control according to the intention can be performed, and the accuracy of the door mirror closing control can be further improved.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, when it is detected that the door mirror is in the retracted position and the start of the engine is detected, the control means controls to open the door mirror to the use position.

  According to this aspect of the present invention, the driver's intention to travel is estimated by starting the engine, and the door mirror is opened to the use position, so that the door mirror can be controlled to open more in line with the driver's intention to travel. it can.

It is a top view of the vehicle which has a door mirror. It is a block diagram which shows the structure (function) of the control apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the movement amount detection means of this invention. It is an example of the control flow of this invention. It is an example of the control flow of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state of the buckle of a seatbelt. It is a figure which shows the mode of the time change of the movement amount of a seatbelt. It is a functional block diagram of the circuit which controls starting of ECU of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a top view of a vehicle having a door mirror to which the control device of the present invention can be applied. FIG. 1 is an example, and the type and shape of the vehicle and the configuration (shape, size, mounting position, etc.) of the door mirror may be any form.

  In FIG. 1A, door mirrors 12 are provided on doors 11 on both sides of the vehicle 10. FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of the door mirror 12. The door mirror 12 includes a drive unit 13. The drive unit 13 is connected to a battery power source (VB) 14 and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as “ECU”) 15 provided in the vehicle 10. The ECU 15 is a computer including a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory. The ECU 15 performs various controls in response to signals such as a crank angle signal (CRK signal) used for obtaining the rotational speed of the engine 16 and the like. The drive unit 13 includes a motor (not shown) and the like, and rotates the door mirror 12 between the storage position A and the use position B under the control of the ECU 15.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control device that controls the position of the door mirror of the vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The position detection means 17 is built in the drive unit 13 in the door mirror 12 and detects that the door mirror 13 is at the storage position A or the use position B. The movement amount detection means 18 is provided in the winder 18 of the seat belt 20, and detects the movement amount of the seat belt 20, that is, the withdrawal amount (m) or the winding amount (m). The control means 15 is the ECU 15 of FIG. 1 in the present embodiment, and the door mirror 12 moves to the use position B or the storage position A according to the detected position of the door mirror 12 and the amount of movement of the seat belt 20. The drive unit 13 in the door mirror 12 is controlled.

  The position detection means 17 includes a contact sensor (switch) in the drive unit 13 and a sensor that detects the position (rotation angle) of a gear (not shown), and when the door mirror 13 reaches the storage position A or the use position B. A signal is sent to the control means 15.

  The movement amount detection means 18 is installed in the winder 19 as one sensor unit, for example. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the sensor unit. The sensor unit includes a magnetic disk 21 and two Hall elements (IC) 22 and 23. On the outer peripheral portion of the magnetic disk 21, N poles and S poles are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction. The magnetic disk 21 rotates around the central axis CT in accordance with the movement (drawing or winding) of the seat belt.

  When the magnetic disk 21 rotates, the Hall elements 22 and 23 output an A-phase pulse S1 and a B-phase pulse S2. Waveforms 24 and 25 are output examples of pulses S1 and S2. One cycle of the pulses S1 and S2 corresponds to an output when one set of the N pole and the S pole on the outer peripheral portion of the magnetic disk 21 crosses in front of the Hall element 22 or 23. Since the Hall elements 22 and 23 are placed at a predetermined distance, a phase difference ΔF is generated between the pulses 24 and 25. In FIG. 3, the phase of the pulse S2 is delayed, but when the rotation direction of the magnetic disk 21 is reversed, the phase of the pulse S1 is delayed. Since the rotation direction of the magnetic disk 21 corresponds to the moving direction of the seat belt, it is detected whether the phase of the pulses S1 and S2 is delayed or not, so that the seat belt is pulled out. It can be judged whether it is. Further, the movement amount (m) of the seat belt is correlated with the rotation amount of the magnetic disk 21 and the rotation amount of the magnetic disk 21 is correlated with the lengths (number of pulses) of the pulses 24 and 25. By counting the number of pulses, the movement amount (m) of the seat belt can be calculated. That is, 1 pulse = belt length ΔL (m) is established.

  Next, the operation of the control means 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a control flow when the door mirror 12 is opened to the use position B. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a control flow when the door mirror 12 is closed to the storage position A. FIG. 4 and 5 are executed at predetermined time intervals by the CPU built in the control means (ECU) 15.

  In step S10 of FIG. 4, it is determined whether the door mirror 12 is in the storage position A. The determination is made based on a signal sent from the position detection means 17 (FIG. 2) to the control means (ECU) 15. When the door mirror 12 is in the storage position A, the process proceeds to the next step S11. If the door mirror 12 is not in the storage position A, the control process ends (30). In step S11, it is determined whether an ignition key (IG key) is inserted and turned on. The determination is made based on a signal sent to a control means (ECU) 15 from a sensor circuit (not shown) that outputs a signal in response to ON or OFF of the IG key. This determination is made to see whether the door mirror 12 can be driven by the battery power source 14 (FIG. 1). If the IG key is ON, the process proceeds to the next step S12. If the IG key is OFF, the control process ends (30).

  In step S12, it is determined whether the engine 16 has been started. The determination is made based on the rotational speed (rpm) calculated from the crank angle signal (CRK signal) sent from the engine 16 to the control means (ECU) 15. When the engine 16 has been started, control for opening the door mirror 12 is performed in the next step S14. The control means (ECU) 15 issues a control signal to the drive unit 13 in the door mirror 12 to rotate the door mirror 12 from the storage position A to the use position B. Thus, when the engine 16 is started, it can be determined that the driver's intention to get on (running) is high, so the door mirror 12 is immediately opened to the use position B. Conversely, if the engine 16 has not been started, it cannot be said that the driver is willing to board (run), so the door mirror 12 is not immediately opened to the use position B, and the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S13, it is determined whether the amount (m) of the seat belt 20 to be pulled out is greater than a predetermined amount (m). Even if the engine is not started, if the seat belt 20 is pulled out longer than the predetermined length, it can be inferred that the driver is willing to travel with the seat belt tightened. To be done. The pull-out amount (m) of the seat belt 20 is calculated by counting the number of pulses 24 and 25 as already described with reference to FIG. The pulse count is based on the count (length) when the seat belt 20 is completely wound (stored) on the winder 19 or pulled out from the winder 19 and mounted. Perform as (zero). The number of pulses is stored once in the memory of the ECU 15 at the time of calculation, and is called from the memory and used in this step.

  If the seat belt pull-out amount (m) is larger than the predetermined amount (m), the door mirror 12 is controlled to be opened in step S14. When the seat belt pull-out amount (m) is equal to or less than the predetermined amount (m), the control process ends (30). This is because it can be inferred that the driver does not intend to board (run). Finally, in step S16, the power supply to the ECU 15 is stopped to stop the control.

  In step S20 of FIG. 5, it is determined whether the door mirror 12 is in the use position B. The determination is made based on a signal sent from the position detection means 17 (FIG. 2) to the control means (ECU) 15. When the door mirror 12 is at the use position B, the process proceeds to the next step S21. If the door mirror 12 is not in the use position B, the control process ends (32). In step S21, it is determined whether the engine 16 is stopped. The determination is made based on the rotational speed (rpm) calculated from the crank angle signal (CRK signal) sent from the engine 16 to the control means (ECU) 15. When the engine 16 is stopped, it is determined in the next step S22 whether the seat belt buckle is not worn.

  FIG. 6 is a view showing a state of the buckle of the seat belt. (A) is a state where the buckle 34 is not attached to the attachment part 36, and (b) is a state where the buckle 34 is inserted into the opening 38 of the attachment part 36 and attached to the attachment part 36. A buckle switch 39 is built in the mounting part 36, detects the mounting state (mounted or not mounted) of the buckle 34, and sends a signal (Low, High) to the control means 15. Thus, in step S22 of FIG. 5, since the ECU 15 is in the sleep state by stopping the engine, the ECU 15 does not make the determination, but the buckle switch 39 corresponds to the mounting state (mounted or not mounted) of the buckle 34. Sending signals (Low, High) is the actual determination content. The detection signal of the buckle switch 39 is used to start the ECU 15 in step S25, specifically, in a circuit 50 of FIG.

  If the seat belt buckle is not worn, the process proceeds to step S25. If the seat belt buckle is worn, the control process ends (33). This is because it can be assumed that the driver does not intend to get off.

  If the engine 16 is not stopped in step S21, it is determined in step S23 whether the seat belt 20 winding amount (m) is larger than a predetermined amount (m). In this step, if the seat belt 20 is wound longer than the predetermined length with the engine started, it can be inferred that the driver intends to remove the seat belt and get off the vehicle. To do. The winding amount (m) of the seat belt 20 is calculated by counting the number of pulses of the signal waveforms 24 and 25 in FIG. 3, as in step S13 in FIG. The count reference (zero) is also the same as in step S13 of FIG. If the seat belt retracting amount (m) is smaller than the predetermined amount (m), the control process ends (32). This is because it can be assumed that the driver does not intend to get off.

  When the seat belt retracting amount (m) is larger than the predetermined amount (m), the rate of change (m / s) of the seat belt retracting amount (m) is further determined from the predetermined rate (m / s) in step S24. Determine if it is larger. This determination is made when the seat belt retracting speed is slow, or when the retracting is stopped intermittently, the engine has not stopped, so the intention to start running again with the seat belt tightened again. This is to confirm the presence or absence of the intention.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a change in the number of pulses of the signals S1 and S2 in FIG. 3 in the case of the withdrawal (attachment) and the winding (storage) of the seat belt. FIG. 7A shows a case where the seat belt is normally worn and stored. As the seat belt is pulled out, the number of pulses changes as shown by the line illustrated by reference numeral 40. Conversely, as the seat belt is rewound, the number of pulses changes as shown by a line illustrated by reference numeral 41. In either case, there is a high possibility that the seat belt is worn or stored within a certain predetermined time (s). That is, there is a high possibility that the rate of change (m / s) in pulling out or winding up the seat belt is greater than a predetermined value (m / s).

  FIG. 7B shows an example in the case where the seat belt is not retracted and remounted. As illustrated by the line 42, the seat belt which has been rewound at one end is pulled out halfway and finally attached again. In this case, since the number of pulses changes randomly according to a human operation, the possibility that the seat belt is worn or stored within a predetermined time (s) is low. That is, there is a high possibility that the rate of change (m / s) of the seat belt winding does not become larger than the predetermined rate (m / s). Accordingly, by determining whether the rate of change (m / s) in the seat belt retracting amount (m) is greater than the predetermined rate (m / s), the driver's intention to get on (run) or get off the vehicle is inferred. be able to.

  Returning to FIG. 5, when the rate of change (m / s) in the seat belt retracting amount (m) is greater than the predetermined rate in step S24, the process proceeds to the next step S27. When the rate of change (m / s) in the seat belt retracting amount (m) is equal to or less than the predetermined rate, the control process ends (32). This is because it can be assumed that the driver does not intend to get off. In step S25, the control device (ECU) 15 is activated. Since the engine 16 is stopped, electric power is not supplied to the ECU 15 and is in a sleep state. Therefore, the battery power supply 14 is supplied to the ECU 15 to be activated.

  FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the circuit 50 that controls the activation of the ECU 15. The circuit 50 may be provided either inside or outside the ECU 15. The switch 52 receives a signal (High) indicating that the buckle SW 39 is off (non-attached) and is turned on (conducted), and supplies the current from the battery power supply (VB) 14 to the circuit 50 to activate the circuit 50. The VB detection unit 53 monitors the potential by the battery power supply (VB) 14. The timer 54 turns on the power SW 55 for a predetermined time. When the power SW 55 is turned on, battery power is supplied to the power IC 56. By driving the power supply IC 56, the CPU (ECU) 15 is supplied with electric power and started. The self-holding unit 57 holds the ON state of the power supply SW 55 for a time specified by the timer 54. In this way, the circuit 50 starts driving itself with the buckle SW 39 being turned off (non-attached) as a trigger to activate the CPU.

  The activated CPU performs control to close the door mirror 12 in step S26 of FIG. The CPU issues a control signal to the drive unit 13 in the door mirror 12 to rotate the door mirror 12 from the use position B to the storage position A. In the next step S27, it is determined whether the door mirror 12 is in the storage position A. The determination is made based on a signal sent from the position detection means 16 (FIG. 2) to the control means (ECU) 15. When the door mirror 12 is in the storage position A, in the next step S28, the power supply to the ECU 15 is stopped and the control is stopped. If the door mirror 12 is not in the storage position A, the storage operation in step S26 is repeated (34).

  The above-described embodiment is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. Various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The present invention is basically applicable to any vehicle having a door mirror and a seat belt.

12 door mirrors, 13 door mirror drive units,
17 position detection part, 18 movement amount detection means,
19 Winding device, 20 Seat belt, 21 Magnetic disk, 22 Hall element,
34 buckle, 36 buckle compartment,
38 opening, 39 wearing switch

Claims (4)

A control device for controlling the position of a vehicle door mirror,
Position detecting means for detecting that the door mirror is in the storage position or the use position;
A movement amount detecting means for detecting a movement amount of the seat belt and a rate of change corresponding to the movement amount of the seat belt per unit time ;
According to the detected position of the door mirror and the amount of movement of the seat belt, the door mirror is controlled to move to the use position or the storage position, and it is detected that the door mirror is in the use position, and the detected seat Control means for controlling the door mirror to close to a retracted position when the belt winding amount is larger than a predetermined amount and the detected rate of change of the seat belt is larger than a predetermined value;
A control device comprising:   2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein when the door mirror is detected to be in the retracted position and the detected amount of the seat belt is larger than a predetermined amount, the control unit controls the door mirror to open to a use position. Control device. Furthermore, it comprises a state detection means for detecting the start state of the engine of the vehicle, and a mounting detection means for detecting whether or not the seat belt is mounted,
The control means controls to close the door mirror to a retracted position when it is detected that the door mirror is in the use position, the stop of the engine is detected, and the absence of the seat belt is detected. Item 2. The control device according to Item 1. If the door mirror is detected to be in the retracted position, and the start of the engine is detected, the control unit controls to open the door mirror to the use position, the control device according to claim 1 or 3.

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