JPH10148147A - Driving force control device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the driving force characteristic from being changed against driver's will in a device for controlling driving force of a vehicle, when the driving force characteristic is changed in response to the attribution of a region where the vehicle travels. SOLUTION: A present position detecting means 2 detects the present position of a vehicle, and detects the attribution of a region where the vehicle now travels. When the regional attribution is changed, the driving force characteristic of the vehicle is changed by a driving force characteristic switching means 4, and when it is detected that an accelerator is operated, by an accelerator operated amount detecting means 5, switching the driving force characteristic is prohibited by a driving force characteristic switching prohibiting means 6. Thus, since the driving force characteristic is changed in response to the accelerator's operation, a driver can operate a vehicle by the driving force conforming to the driver's will.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling a driving force of a vehicle, and more particularly, to an apparatus for appropriately controlling the driving force of a vehicle in order to enhance the operability and drivability of the vehicle in accordance with the attributes of a running region. The present invention relates to a control device for controlling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle is provided with various driving characteristic adjusting means for matching the driving characteristics of the vehicle with the road conditions and the driving characteristics of the driver.

[0003] Such running characteristics adjusting means include a power steering system for adjusting the weight of the steering, an electronically controlled throttle for adjusting the throttle target opening with respect to the opening of the accelerator pedal, an electronically controlled transmission for controlling the shift, and traction. Traction control system that controls the rear wheel steering angle with respect to the front wheel steering angle, such as 4WS is known.
The vehicle driver selects the mode by appropriately operating the operation switch for setting the mode of each of the driving characteristic adjusting means provided in the driver's seat, manually changing the driving characteristics, and performing driving adapted to road conditions. I'm trying to do it.

However, with the recent diversification of traveling preferences and various technological innovations, the traveling characteristic adjusting means has also been diversified and the traveling characteristics to be set have been increased, and as a result, the number of operation switches for setting the traveling characteristics has also increased. I am doing it. For this reason,
The operation of all these operation switches is very complicated for the driver, and it is difficult to operate these switches while traveling. The fact is that they are not able to fully demonstrate.

[0005] In view of this, there has been proposed a driving force control device for a vehicle that obtains the state of the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling from a navigation device and automatically controls the output of the engine in accordance with the road condition (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-157556). JP-A-5-180023). In this device, for example, when the navigation device detects that the vehicle is traveling on a backstreet or a narrow bend in a residential area other than the main road, the engine output is controlled to be small according to the road conditions. Is done.
As a result, the acceleration force of the vehicle is limited, so that the driver can appropriately drive the vehicle according to road conditions other than the main road.

[0006]

However, when the area attribute where the vehicle travels is changed, for example, when the vehicle travels on a road condition such as a back road or a curved road other than the main road, the driving force characteristics are automatically changed. For example, when the driver changes the regional attribute while driving with the accelerator pedal kept constant, the driving force of the vehicle changes suddenly, and the driving speed suddenly decreases. May cause discomfort.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to provide a vehicle driving force control device capable of appropriately controlling the driving force characteristics of a vehicle in accordance with the attribute of a region in which the vehicle is traveling. It is assumed that.

[0008]

A first aspect of the present invention is a vehicle driving force control device for controlling a driving force of a vehicle, wherein a local attribute detecting means for detecting a local attribute in which the own vehicle is traveling, A driving force characteristic switching unit that switches a driving force of a vehicle based on a region attribute detected by the region attribute detecting unit; an accelerator operation amount detecting unit that detects an operation amount of an accelerator operated by a driver; A switching prohibition unit for prohibiting the driving force characteristic switching unit from switching the driving force when the operation amount detecting unit detects that the accelerator operation amount is being operated. It is.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the driving force characteristic switching means comprises gain changing means for changing a gain of a throttle valve opening with respect to an operation amount of the accelerator according to the regional attribute. Things.

[0010] The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the driving force characteristic switching means comprises pattern changing means for changing a shift pattern of the automatic transmission according to the regional attribute.

The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that the driving force characteristic switching means comprises air-fuel ratio switching means for switching a target air-fuel ratio of the engine according to the regional attribute.

[0012]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the area attribute where the vehicle is traveling is detected by the area attribute detecting means, and the accelerator operation amount is detected by the accelerator operation amount detecting means. The driving force characteristic switching means switches the driving force of the vehicle based on the detection result by the area attribute detecting means. When it is detected that the accelerator is operated, the driving force switching is performed even if the area attribute is changed. Ban. For this reason, even if the regional attribute is changed while the accelerator is kept constant and the vehicle is traveling at a constant speed, the driving force of the vehicle cannot be switched unless the accelerator operation amount is set to zero. Therefore, when the regional attribute is changed, the driver does not suddenly change the driving force during driving and suddenly changes the vehicle speed, contrary to the driver's intention, unless the accelerator operation amount is intentionally set to zero. Thus, driving can be performed without feeling uncomfortable. Conversely, when the regional attribute is changed, the driving force characteristics of the vehicle can be changed by setting the accelerator operation amount to zero, so that the driving force characteristics are switched at a timing suitable for the driver's intention. It can be performed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the gain of the throttle valve opening is changed by the gain changing means in accordance with the region attribute in which the vehicle travels, so that even if the accelerator operation amount is the same, the engine is changed in accordance with the region attribute. Can be changed, and operation can be performed according to the regional attributes. Therefore, by appropriately setting the accelerator opening according to the regional attribute, the driver can surely make the magnitude of the driving force correspond to the regional attribute without paying attention to the accelerator work. Also, when the accelerator is operated,
Since the gain of the throttle valve opening is not changed, it is possible to prevent the engine output from being changed against the driver's will, and it is possible to perform the operation without feeling uncomfortable.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the shift pattern of the automatic transmission is changed in accordance with the attribute of the area where the host vehicle travels. Therefore, even if the accelerator operation amount and the vehicle speed are the same, the gear position can be changed in accordance with the area attribute. By changing the pattern, it is possible to drive according to the attribute of the area. Therefore, depending on the accelerator operation amount and the vehicle speed as on an uphill road, even when the margin of the driving force according to the gear position becomes small, the gear position biased to the low speed side so that the driving force becomes large in advance is increased. By appropriately setting the shift pattern according to the regional attribute, such as a pattern, the driver can drive without feeling a shift problem. Further, when the accelerator is operated, the shift pattern is not changed, so that the shift is prevented from being performed against the driver's intention, and the driving can be performed without feeling uncomfortable.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the target air-fuel ratio of the engine, that is, the ratio of the fuel injection amount to the intake air amount of the engine is changed in accordance with the attribute of the region in which the vehicle travels. Even if the number is the same, the fuel consumption rate characteristic can be changed according to the regional attribute, and the operation can be performed with the fuel consumption rate according to the regional attribute. Therefore, by appropriately setting the target air-fuel ratio according to the regional attribute, the driver can drive without paying attention to the fuel consumption rate. Further, when the accelerator is operated, the target air-fuel ratio is not changed, so that the engine output is prevented from being changed against the driver's will, and the operation can be performed without feeling uncomfortable.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle driving force control device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle driving force control device according to the present embodiment includes a position information detecting unit 1 that detects position information used for obtaining a current position of the host vehicle, and a position information detection unit. Means 1
Current position detecting means 2 such as a navigation device for calculating and determining the current position of the vehicle based on the detection result of the vehicle, a local attribute storing means 3 storing in advance a local attribute relating to a local attribute in which the vehicle travels, and a local attribute storing means Driving force characteristic switching means 4 for switching the driving force characteristics of the vehicle based on the area attribute stored in the area 3 and the detection result by the current position detecting means 2; and accelerator operation amount detecting means 5 for detecting an accelerator operation amount by the driver. And a driving force characteristic switching prohibiting unit 6 for prohibiting the driving force characteristic switching unit 4 from switching the driving force characteristics when the accelerator operation amount detecting unit 5 detects that the accelerator is being operated.

That is, the vehicle driving force control device according to the present embodiment has such a configuration, and detects the current traveling position of the vehicle by the current position calculating means 2 such as a navigation device, and the CD-ROM of the navigation device. The local attribute stored in the ROM or the like is compared with the current traveling position of the vehicle, and the driving force characteristic is switched to the most suitable driving force characteristic according to the regional attribute in which the vehicle is currently traveling. At this time, when the accelerator operation amount detecting means 5 detects that the driver is operating the accelerator, the driving force characteristic switching inhibiting means 6 inhibits the driving force characteristic switching means 4 from switching the driving force characteristic. It is.

Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle to which the vehicle driving force control device according to the present embodiment is applied. The output of engine 101 is supplied to driving wheels via an automatic transmission 103 with a built-in torque converter. (Not shown).

An electronically controlled throttle valve 102, which is opened and closed by a motor or the like, is interposed in the intake passage of the engine 101. The intake air amount of the engine 101 is adjusted according to the opening of the electronically controlled throttle valve 102. Thus, the output torque of the engine 101 is controlled. The electronically controlled throttle valve 102 is operated by a control signal from a throttle control module (TCM) 51.

The TCM 51 has a power train
An opening command signal indicating the opening of the electronically controlled throttle valve 102 is transmitted from a control module (hereinafter referred to as PCM) 50, and the TCM 51 converts the opening command signal into a motor drive voltage and calculates the actual throttle valve 102.
The electronic control throttle valve 102 is feedback-controlled so that the opening of the electronic control throttle valve 102 becomes the opening obtained by the opening command signal from the PCM 50.

The PCM 50 includes an accelerator pedal opening from an accelerator pedal opening sensor 105, a brake operation signal from a brake operation switch 106, and an automatic transmission 103.
A select range signal from the range selection lever 107 is input to control the fuel supply amount to the engine 101, the ignition timing, the gear position control or the hydraulic control of the automatic transmission 103, the brake actuator 1
In step 04, hydraulic control of each wheel brake is performed.

On the other hand, above the windshield of the vehicle,
Camera 1 for capturing the situation in front of the vehicle as a video
11 are provided. The image captured by the camera 111 is input to the image processing device 53 and processed as a road condition, a vehicle condition, obstacle information, and the like in front. The processing result is transmitted to the external environment information processing module 52.

Further, a GPS antenna 113 for receiving a signal from a satellite is provided at a rear portion of the vehicle. GPS
Information obtained from the antenna 113 is input to the position information processing device 54. The position information processing device 54 is a CD-R storing map information in which geographical attributes are incorporated in advance.
A storage medium such as an OM is stored.
Based on the signal from PS antenna 113, the position where the vehicle is currently traveling is detected. Then, the detection result is transmitted to the external environment information processing module 52. Further, a signal from the position information processing device 54 is also displayed on a monitor 112 provided in the driver's seat.

The external environment information processing module 52 converts a signal representing the current vehicle environment into a PC based on the signals input from the image processing device 53 and the position information processing device 54.
Send to M50. The PCM 50 receives this signal and controls the output of the engine 101, the shift of the automatic transmission 103, and the like. Conversely, the PCM 50 transmits output torque information of the engine 101, gear position information of the automatic transmission 103, signals from the accelerator pedal opening sensor 105 and the brake operation switch 106, and the like to the external environment information processing module 52. The external environment information processing module 52 may receive this signal to increase the accuracy of determining the external environment or estimate the driver's mental state.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed in the vehicle driving force control device according to the present embodiment.

First, in step S1, the external environment information processing module 52 determines the attribute of the area where the vehicle is currently traveling.

FIG. 4 shows an external environment information processing module 52.
5 showing a region attribute determination process in FIG.
7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating images displayed on a monitor 112. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, first, at step S11
, The position coordinates C (x, y) of the vehicle on the map are detected based on the satellite reception information from the GPS antenna 113. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5A, determination on which road on the surrounding road the vehicle is located is also performed on the map.

In the next step S12, it is determined which of the pre-stored regional attributes (city area, non-city area, etc.) the position coordinates C (x, y) detected in step S11 belong to. For example, the vehicle is shown in FIG.
When the vehicle exists at the position of the coordinates C (x, y) shown in FIG. 5A, it is determined that the own vehicle belongs to the attribute A (for example, an urban area) in the attributes on the map as shown in FIG. Is done.

Then, in step S13, information relating to the attribute of the own vehicle at the current position determined in step S12 is transmitted to PCM 50, and the process ends.

Returning to FIG. 3, in the next step S2, the PCM 50 performs a regional attribute switching process. FIG.
Is a flowchart showing a region attribute switching process. The region attribute switching process according to the present embodiment is executed, for example, at a rate of one task every 10 msec. First, in step S21, the area attribute (KANKYO) where the vehicle is currently running, which is obtained in step S1, is input from the external environment information processing module 52, and the area attribute is stored in the memory R0 ( (Not shown).

Next, in step S22, it is determined whether or not the area attribute information stored in step S21 is the same as the area attribute information stored in the previous processing. When step S22 is denied, it is determined that the regional attribute has been changed, and the process proceeds to step S23. When step S22 is affirmed, the regional attribute has not been changed, and the process proceeds to step S25.

In step S23, it is determined based on a signal from the accelerator pedal opening sensor 105 whether or not the accelerator operation amount is zero. If the accelerator operation amount is zero, the process proceeds to step S25 assuming that the regional attribute may be newly set. Conversely, if the accelerator operation amount is not zero, the process proceeds to step S24, where the region attribute stored in the previous process is maintained and stored in the memory R0. In step S25, the local attribute information stored in the memory R0 is stored in the driving force characteristic change memory KANKYOT in the PCM 50, and the process ends.

Returning to FIG. 3, in the next step S3, the vehicle is driven by the driving force characteristics according to the regional attribute information stored in the memory KANKYOT.

As described above, in this embodiment, even if the regional attribute is changed in step S22, when the accelerator is operated in step S23,
The regional attribute in the previous process is maintained, and the vehicle is driven by the driving force corresponding to the regional attribute stored in the previous process without changing the regional attribute.
Therefore, when the driver changes the regional attributes,
The driving force characteristics of the vehicle are not changed unless the accelerator operation amount is intentionally set to zero, so that the driving force does not suddenly change during driving and the vehicle speed suddenly changes, contrary to the driver's will, Driving can be performed without discomfort. Conversely, when the regional attribute is changed, the driving force characteristics of the vehicle can be changed by setting the accelerator operation amount to zero, so that the driving force characteristics are switched at a timing suitable for the driver's intention. It can be performed.

Hereinafter, a specific example of the driving force characteristic change performed in step S3 will be described.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing performed in the first example of the driving force characteristic change. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, when the regional attribute is changed and the accelerator is operated, for example, the background is changed. Will be implemented. In the first example, the gain of the opening degree of the throttle valve is adjusted in accordance with the regional attribute.

That is, in the first example, in step S31, the magnification TVOG of the throttle valve opening signal with respect to the signal of the accelerator pedal opening sensor 105 in accordance with the regional attribute information stored in the memory KANKYOT.
To change. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the attribute A corresponds to the city area, the ratio TVO of the throttle opening to the accelerator opening is larger than the attribute B corresponding to the area other than the city area.
By setting G, the sensitivity of the engine output torque during city driving is increased. As a result, a high-response driving with high output can be performed when driving in an urban area. Therefore, even in an urban area where it is often necessary to avoid obstacles due to sudden jumping from a side road or to require engine braking, sufficient driving can be performed. By driving comfortably with the driving force and the braking force, the emergency avoidance performance of the vehicle can be improved.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing performed in the second example of the driving force characteristic change. Similar to the first example, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, the region attribute is changed and the accelerator is operated. For example, when it is in the background. In the second example, the shift pattern of the automatic transmission 103 is changed according to the area attribute.

That is, in the second example, in step S 32, the automatic transmission 10 based on the relationship between the vehicle speed and the signal of the accelerator pedal opening sensor 105 according to the regional attribute information stored in the memory KANKYOT described above.
Change the shift pattern of No. 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the attribute C corresponds to a hill area, a lower gear is selected even at the same vehicle speed and the same accelerator opening than when the attribute A corresponds to an urban area. By setting the shift pattern, the marginal driving force for each gear is larger in the case of the attribute C than in the case of the attribute A, and the shift pattern is suitable for traveling on an uphill or downhill.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing performed in the third example of changing the driving force characteristics.
In the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 as in the second example, the process is performed, for example, in the background when the regional attribute is changed and the accelerator is operated. In the third example, the target air-fuel ratio of the engine is switched according to the area attribute.

That is, in the third example, step S
At 33, the target air-fuel ratio at the time of combustion in the engine 101 is changed in accordance with the regional attribute information stored in the memory KANKYOT. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, by changing the target air-fuel ratio so that the region in which the lean burn occurs in the attribute B corresponding to the area other than the city area is wider than the attribute A corresponding to the city area, the same operating state is obtained. Also, when traveling outside the city, the vehicle can travel with a low fuel consumption rate.

Hereinafter, the effects of the first to third examples will be described.

FIGS. 13 to 15 are time lapse diagrams showing the effects obtained by the first to third examples in comparison with the conventional example. First, in the first example, as shown in FIG. 13, in the conventional example, when the regional attribute is changed, the throttle opening is changed (for example, increased) regardless of the accelerator operation. Therefore, even though the accelerator operation amount is not changed, if the throttle opening is changed, the acceleration G of the vehicle is greatly changed contrary to the driver's will, and a feeling of strangeness at the time of driving occurs. On the other hand, in the first example, since the change in the accelerator opening is prohibited until the accelerator operation amount becomes zero, the acceleration of the vehicle is changed in accordance with the accelerator operation, thereby meeting the driver's intention. Driving without discomfort can be performed.

In the second example, as shown in FIG. 14, in the conventional example, when the area attribute is changed, the shift pattern is changed regardless of the accelerator operation. Is shifting (for example, downshifting)
Is done. For this reason, even though the accelerator operation amount has not been changed, the gears are shifted, so that the acceleration G of the vehicle is changed against the driver's will and a sense of discomfort during driving occurs. On the other hand, in the second example, since the change of the shift pattern is prohibited until the accelerator operation amount becomes zero, the acceleration of the vehicle is changed according to the accelerator operation, and thereby, the uncomfortable feeling adapted to the driver's intention is achieved. Can be operated without any problems.

Further, in the third example, as shown in FIG. 15, in the prior art, when the regional attribute is changed, the target air-fuel ratio is changed regardless of the accelerator operation. The driving force is changed (for example, reduced). For this reason, even though the accelerator operation amount is not changed, the driving force is changed, so that the acceleration G of the vehicle is changed contrary to the driver's intention, and a feeling of strangeness at the time of driving occurs. On the other hand, in the third example, since the change of the target air-fuel ratio is prohibited until the accelerator operation amount becomes zero, the acceleration of the vehicle is changed in accordance with the accelerator operation, and thereby the driver's intention is met. Driving without discomfort can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle to which the vehicle driving force control device according to the embodiment is applied;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing performed in the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a region attribute determination process.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a map displayed on a monitor.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a region attribute switching process.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a driving force characteristic changing process (part 1).

FIG. 8 is a graph showing a relationship between an accelerator opening and a throttle opening;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a driving force characteristic changing process (part 2);

FIG. 10 is a graph showing a shift pattern in a relationship between a vehicle speed and an accelerator pedal opening.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a driving force characteristic changing process (part 3).

FIG. 12 is a graph showing a relationship between an engine speed and an engine load.

FIG. 13 is a time lapse diagram showing the effect of the first example.

FIG. 14 is a time lapse diagram showing the effect of the second example.

FIG. 15 is a time lapse diagram showing the effect of the third example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Position information detecting means 2 Current position detecting means 3 Regional attribute storage means 4 Driving force characteristic switching means 5 Accelerator operation amount detecting means 6 Driving force characteristic switching inhibiting means 50 PCM 51 TCM 52 External environment information processing module 54 Position information processing device 101 engine 102 electronically controlled throttle valve 103 automatic transmission

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification symbol FI G01C 21/00 G01C 21/00 A // G08G 1/0969 G08G 1/0969 F16H 59:66

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle driving force control device for controlling a driving force of a vehicle, comprising: a region attribute detecting means for detecting a region attribute in which the own vehicle is traveling; and a region attribute detected by the region attribute detecting device. Driving force characteristic switching means for switching the driving force of the vehicle, an accelerator operation amount detecting means for detecting an operation amount of an accelerator operated by a driver, and an operation of the accelerator operation amount by the accelerator operation amount detecting means. A switching prohibition unit for prohibiting the switching of the driving force by the driving force characteristic switching unit when it is detected that the driving force is switched. 2. The driving force characteristic switching means according to claim 1, wherein said driving force characteristic switching means comprises gain changing means for changing a gain of a throttle valve opening with respect to an operation amount of said accelerator according to said regional attribute. Vehicle driving force control device. 3. The vehicle driving force control device according to claim 1, wherein said driving force characteristic switching means comprises a pattern changing means for changing a shift pattern of the automatic transmission according to the regional attribute. 4. The vehicle driving force control device according to claim 1, wherein said driving force characteristic switching means comprises air-fuel ratio switching means for switching a target air-fuel ratio of an engine according to said regional attribute.