Vehicle control device

Abstract

Notify the situation of being in a state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed at an appropriate time. The vehicle control device of the present invention includes: a condition determination unit that determines whether a plurality of permission conditions are satisfied, the plurality of permission conditions being set to allow the switching control to the EV driving mode in which power from a rotating electric machine is used to drive in a state where the engine is stopped; a mode switching control unit that performs switching control to the EV driving mode according to the determination by the condition determination unit that the plurality of permission conditions are satisfied; and a notification control unit that compares a time measurement value related to a permission condition not determined by the condition determination unit to be satisfied among the plurality of permission conditions with a threshold value, and performs control to notify the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed according to the situation where the time measurement value exceeds the threshold value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of a vehicle control device that performs switching control of a driving mode. Background Art

[0002] There is known a vehicle that switches control during travel between an engine travel mode in which the vehicle travels using power from the engine and an EV (Electric Vehicle) travel mode in which the vehicle travels using power from a rotating electric machine (motor) with the engine stopped.

[0003] Cited document 1 describes a vehicle that, when the vehicle cannot switch from engine driving mode to EV driving mode, notifies the user of the situation by lighting a light, and also notifies the user of the reason why the switching control cannot be performed by displaying it on an MFD (Multi Function Display).

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-137543 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] However, notifying the user of the impossibility of switching from engine driving mode to EV driving mode by lighting a light or other means each time the control is no longer permitted can be annoying, especially when the switch is clearly not being performed. Furthermore, notifying the user of each reason for not switching to EV driving mode increases the amount of information and may confuse the user. On the other hand, completely omitting such notifications is inappropriate.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to notify at an appropriate timing that the state in which the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted.

[0010] Technical Solution

[0011] The vehicle control device of the present invention includes: a condition determination unit that determines whether a plurality of permission conditions are satisfied, where the plurality of permission conditions are set to permit switching control to an engine stop mode in which the engine is in a stopped state during vehicle driving; a mode switching control unit that performs switching control to the engine stop mode when the condition determination unit determines that the plurality of permission conditions are satisfied; and a notification control unit that compares a time measurement value related to a permission condition not determined to be satisfied by the condition determination unit among the plurality of permission conditions with a threshold value, and performs control to notify that the state does not permit switching control to the engine stop mode when the time measurement value exceeds the threshold value.

[0012] Thus, instead of immediately notifying the state that does not permit switching control to the engine stop mode from when the permission condition ceases to be satisfied, the notification is made after a period until the threshold value is exceeded.

[0013] The vehicle driving process mentioned here refers to the period during which the driver rides in the vehicle and operates the vehicle, for example, including the driving process of the vehicle and the temporary stop process due to traffic lights, etc.

[0014] In addition, the engine stop mode includes, for example, an EV driving mode in which power from a rotating electric machine is used for driving in a state where the engine is stopped, and an idle stop mode in which the engine of the vehicle is stopped in such a way that useless idling does not occur when waiting for a traffic light or other temporary stops.

[0015] In addition, the time measurement value refers to the measured value of the time from a certain time point when the permission condition is not determined to be satisfied. Various settings can be considered for the certain time point, for example, it can be considered to be set as the time point when each permission condition is not determined to be satisfied, or the time point when there is 1 remaining permission condition not determined to be satisfied, etc.

[0016] In the above vehicle control device, the engine stop mode can be considered to be an EV driving mode in which power from a rotating electric machine is used for driving in a state where the engine is stopped.

[0017] Thus, instead of immediately notifying the state that does not permit switching control to the EV driving mode from when the permission condition ceases to be satisfied, the notification is made after a period until the threshold value is exceeded.

[0018] In the above vehicle control device, the notification control unit can be considered to perform control to notify the permission condition not determined to be satisfied according to the situation where the time measurement value exceeds the threshold value.

[0019] Thus, the user can recognize the permission condition that causes the state not to permit switching control to the EV driving mode.

[0020] In the above vehicle control device, it is conceivable that the threshold value is set for each of the above allowable conditions.

[0021] For example, it is possible to set a threshold value that does not make the user feel bored for each allowable condition. In addition, it is possible to set the threshold value according to the period during which the state that becomes the switching control not allowing the transition to the EV driving mode is envisaged for each allowable condition. Furthermore, it is possible to set the time of the state that becomes the switching control not allowing the transition to the EV driving mode, in which a device failure detecting each allowable condition is envisaged, as the threshold value.

[0022] In the above vehicle control device, the time measurement value can be considered as a measurement value of the time when the allowable condition is not determined to be satisfied.

[0023] For example, the time measurement value is measured for each allowable condition, and based on the fact that the time measurement value of a certain allowable condition exceeds the threshold value, control is performed to notify the state of not allowing the switching control to the EV driving mode.

[0024] In the above vehicle control device, the time measurement value can be considered as a measurement value of the time starting from when the allowable condition that has not been determined to be satisfied becomes one.

[0025] Accordingly, in a state where there are a plurality of unsatisfied allowable conditions, the situation of not notifying the state of not allowing the switching control to the EV driving mode is not notified.

[0026] In the above vehicle control device, the notification control unit can be considered to perform control to notify the allowable conditions not determined to be satisfied by the condition determination unit according to a notification request operation from the user.

[0027] Accordingly, according to the notification request operation of the user, the allowable conditions not determined to be satisfied are notified before the time measurement value exceeds the threshold value.

[0028] In the above vehicle control device, the notification control unit can be considered to perform control to notify the allowable conditions not determined to be satisfied by the condition determination unit even when the time measurement value does not exceed the threshold value in the case where the notification request operation is detected.

[0029] Accordingly, even when the time measurement value does not exceed the threshold value, the notification request operation of the user is prioritized, and the allowable conditions not determined to be satisfied are notified.

[0030] In the above vehicle control device, the notification control unit can be considered to vary the threshold value according to the driving environment.

[0031] Here, the driving environment refers to the main factors inside and outside the vehicle that affect the switching control of the oncoming EV driving mode. For example, it is the main factor based on the state of the vehicle's internal equipment, the main factor based on the external environment such as road information, etc.

[0032] Technical effects

[0033] According to the present invention, it is possible to notify the user of the situation of being in a state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed at an appropriate moment. Description of the drawings

[0034] Figure 1 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 2 It is a functional block diagram showing the functional structure of the control unit according to the embodiment.

[0036] Figure 3 It is a timing chart of the notification control of the non-switchable state according to the first embodiment.

[0037] Figure 4 It is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit according to the first embodiment.

[0038] Figure 5 It is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit according to the first embodiment.

[0039] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit according to the first embodiment.

[0040] Figure 7 It is a timing chart of the notification control of the non-switchable state according to the second embodiment.

[0041] Figure 8 It is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit according to the second embodiment.

[0042] Figure 9 It is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit according to the second embodiment.

[0043] Figure 10 It is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit according to the third embodiment.

[0044] Figure 11 It is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit according to the fourth embodiment.

[0045] Figure 12 It is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit according to the fifth embodiment.

[0046] Reference signs

[0047] 4: Hybrid control unit (control unit)

[0048] 51: Condition determination unit

[0049] 52: Mode switching control unit

[0050] 53: Notification control unit

[0051] th: Allowance threshold

[0052] mt: Measurement threshold

[0053] st: Measurement start time point Detailed implementation manners

[0054] Hereinafter, the implementation manners will be described. It should be noted that for the content and structure that have been described once, the same symbols will be marked hereafter, and the description will be omitted.

[0055] <1. Structure of vehicle control system>

[0056] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle control system 1 as an implementation manner of the present invention. It should be noted that in Figure 1 only the structure of the vehicle control system 1 that mainly relates to the main part of the present invention is extracted and shown.

[0057] The vehicle control system 1 is provided in a vehicle that is a hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle includes an engine and a rotary electric machine as power sources for driving wheels, and the vehicle control system 1 includes an engine control unit 2, a brake control unit 3, a hybrid control unit 4, a driving assistance control unit 5, and a display control unit 6 as in-vehicle control devices. Each of these control units is configured to include, for example, a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and can communicate with each other by being respectively connected via a bus wiring 7.

[0058] The communication between the control units via the bus wiring 7 is performed, for example, in a manner conforming to the CAN (Controller Area Network) communication standard. Hereinafter, the communication path based on the bus wiring 7 will be referred to as the "bus communication path".

[0059] The engine control unit 2 performs various operation controls such as fuel injection control, ignition control, and intake air volume adjustment control on the engine provided in the vehicle. Various sensors related to engine control, such as a vehicle speed sensor 10 that detects the traveling speed of the vehicle as the vehicle speed, an engine speed sensor 11 that detects the rotational speed of the engine, an accelerator opening sensor 12 that detects the depression amount of the accelerator pedal as the accelerator opening, and a throttle opening sensor 13 that detects the opening of the throttle valve as the throttle opening, are connected to the engine control unit 2. The engine control unit 2 uses the detection values obtained from these sensors during the operation control of the engine.

[0060] In addition, the engine control unit 2 sends the detection values obtained from the above various sensors to the required control units such as the hybrid control unit 4 via the bus wiring 7 as needed.

[0061] The brake control unit 3 controls various actuators provided as brake-related actuators 14 based on detection signals from predetermined sensors and / or driver operation input information, etc. As the brake-related actuators 14, various brake-related actuators such as a hydraulic control actuator for controlling the output hydraulic pressure from the brake booster to the master cylinder and / or the hydraulic pressure in the brake fluid piping are provided, for example. In addition, the brake control unit 3 also performs automatic brake control for collision avoidance, etc. according to an instruction from the driving assistance control unit 5.

[0062] The hybrid control unit 4 controls the operation of the vehicle by giving instructions to the engine control unit 2, the rotating electric machine control unit 15, and the charging control unit 16 based on the driver's operation input and / or information related to the driving environment received from the engine control unit 2, the temperature sensors 30, the 12V battery detection circuit 40, the navigation system 50, etc.

[0063] The rotating electric machine control unit 15 performs drive control on the rotating electric machine (for example, an electric generator) for vehicle travel provided in the vehicle based on an instruction from the hybrid control unit 4. The charging control unit 16 performs charging control of the high-voltage battery provided in the vehicle as the power source of the above rotating electric machine based on an instruction from the hybrid control unit 4. In this example, the charging control unit 16 performs control to charge the high-voltage battery based on the power generated by the above rotating electric machine as an electric generator through regenerative rotation.

[0064] The hybrid control unit 4 calculates a requested torque T (the torque to be output to the wheels) corresponding to the amount of acceleration operation performed by the driver based on the accelerator opening value received from the engine control unit 2, and causes the engine control unit 2 and the rotating electric machine control unit 15 to execute the operation control of the engine and the rotating electric machine for driving the vehicle with a requested driving force corresponding to the requested torque T. Further, based on the SOC (State Of Charge) of the high-voltage battery, the charge control unit 16 executes control to charge the high-voltage battery.

[0065] As driving modes of the hybrid vehicle, there are an EV driving mode and an engine driving mode, and the hybrid control unit 4 switches these driving modes according to the state of the vehicle. The EV driving mode is a mode in which the vehicle is driven using the power from the rotating electric machine with the engine stopped. In the EV driving mode, the hybrid control unit 4 calculates the torque requested for the rotating electric machine (denoted as "requested torque Tb") based on the requested torque T calculated from the accelerator opening value, and provides the information of the requested torque Tb to the rotating electric machine control unit 15 to control the operation of the rotating electric machine.

[0066] Further, in the engine driving mode, the hybrid control unit 4 calculates the torque requested for the engine (denoted as "requested torque Te") and the requested torque Tb for the rotating electric machine based on the requested torque T, and indicates the requested torque Te to the engine control unit 2 and the requested torque Tb to the rotating electric machine control unit 15 to control the operation of the engine and the operation of the rotating electric machine.

[0067] It should be noted that in the engine driving mode, the hybrid control unit 4 may also calculate the requested torque Te and indicate the requested torque Te to the engine control unit 2 to control only the engine.

[0068] A temperature sensor 30 for detecting the temperatures of the engine, the 12V battery (low-voltage battery), etc. is connected to the hybrid control unit 4, and the detection value obtained by the connected temperature sensor 30 is used to control the switching of the driving mode.

[0069] The 12V battery detection circuit 40 is a circuit for detecting the internal resistance value of the 12V battery used to start the engine. The hybrid control unit 4 obtains the information of the internal resistance value of the 12V battery via the 12V battery detection circuit 40 as information used in the switching control of the driving mode.

[0070] A 12V battery is generally a lead-acid battery that starts the engine by supplying the stored electricity to the starting device. At this time, electricity is also supplied to the fuel pump, fuel injection device, and ignition device. In addition, an alternator is installed in the engine, and the electricity generated by the alternator is stored in the 12V battery. The 12V battery is also connected to various electrical devices such as various control devices, air conditioners, and lights.

[0071] The navigation system 50 comprehensively represents the structure for navigation processing and has a microprocessor, map database, display device, input device, sound output device, etc. that perform processing such as route guidance and current location display. Regarding the structure and processing of the navigation system 50, since they are well-known, detailed description is omitted. However, in the present embodiment, the hybrid control unit 4 obtains, for example, road information from the navigation system 50 as information used in the switching control of the driving mode.

[0072] The driving assistance control unit 5 performs various driving assistance controls such as adaptive cruise control and steering assistance control. The driving assistance control unit 5 uses the detection values obtained by the vehicle external environment sensor 17 when performing these driving assistance controls. The vehicle external environment sensor 17 comprehensively represents sensors such as imaging elements that detect objects such as preceding vehicles, pedestrians, and lanes existing outside the vehicle. The driving assistance control unit 5 controls each part required for driving assistance such as the accelerator and steering wheel based on the information of the objects detected based on the detection values of the vehicle external environment sensor 17.

[0073] It should be noted that the sensors used for detecting objects are not limited to imaging elements. For example, other sensors such as millimeter-wave radars can also be used.

[0074] The display control unit 6 performs display control on various display units 18 provided in the instrument panel of the vehicle, etc. The display unit 18 can include, for example, an EV lamp 19, an MFD 20, various meters such as a speedometer and tachometer provided in the instrument panel, and other display devices for presenting information to the driver.

[0075] The display control unit 6 displays information such as the information of being in the EV driving mode and the information of being in a state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed, which is appropriately received from the hybrid control unit 4, by lighting the EV lamp 19.

[0076] For example, the display control unit 6 displays the information of being in the EV driving mode by lighting the EV lamp 19 green, and displays the information of being in a state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed by lighting the EV lamp 19 yellow.

[0077] In addition, the display control unit 6 displays information related to the reason for the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed, etc. on the MFD 20. Further, the display control unit 6 controls the display operations of the speedometer and tachometer based on the vehicle speed and engine speed values appropriately received from the engine control unit 2. It should be noted that the display control unit 6 can also cause the MFD 20 to display the above-described EV lamp 19.

[0078] A predetermined sensor such as an external air temperature sensor (not shown) that detects the external air temperature of the vehicle is also connected to the display control unit 6, and the display control of the display unit 18 is performed based on the detection values of the connected sensors. It should be noted that the MFD 20 is also used to display various information such as the total mileage of the vehicle, external air temperature, and instantaneous fuel consumption.

[0079] <2. Functional Structure of Hybrid Control Unit>

[0080] In the vehicle control system 1 of the embodiment, the following-described functions are added to at least one control unit connected via the bus communication path. Hereinafter, the hybrid control unit 4 is cited as an example of the control unit to which this function is added. Hereinafter, the hybrid control unit 4 is also simply referred to as the control unit 4.

[0081] Figure 2 It is a functional block diagram showing the functional structure of the control unit 4 in the embodiment. As shown in the figure, the control unit 4 includes a condition determination unit 51, a mode switching control unit 52, and a notification control unit 53.

[0082] The condition determination unit 51 determines whether a plurality of allowable conditions set to allow the switching control to the EV driving mode are satisfied. In the present embodiment, as an example, the internal resistance value of the 12V battery, the SOC value of the high-voltage battery, the slope gradient, and the vehicle speed as shown Figure 3 are set as allowable conditions. For each allowable condition, an allowable threshold th that needs to be satisfied for performing the switching control to switch to the EV driving mode is set respectively.

[0083] For example, in the allowable condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery", the internal resistance value required to start the engine is set as the allowable threshold th1.

[0084] Further, in the "SOC value of the high-voltage battery", the SOC value required to drive using the power from the rotary electric machine in a state where the engine is stopped is set as the allowable threshold th2.

[0085] Further, in the "slope gradient", the absolute value of the gradient that requires the use of power from the engine for driving is set as the allowable threshold th3.

[0086] In addition, in "vehicle speed", a value of surplus driving force obtained by subtracting the requested driving force calculated based on the accelerator opening from the maximum driving force is set as the allowable threshold th4. Hereinafter, the allowable threshold th is used as a general term for the allowable thresholds th1 to th4.

[0087] The condition determination unit 51 makes a satisfaction determination based on the comparison between the detected value for each allowable condition and the allowable threshold th set for each allowable condition.

[0088] It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the allowable threshold th3 is set as the absolute value of the slope inclination rate, but the allowable threshold th3 may also be set as the inclination rate of the uphill slope and the inclination rate of the downhill slope, respectively.

[0089] Figure 2 The mode switching control unit 52 performs switching control for switching from the engine driving mode to the EV driving mode according to the situation where the condition determination unit 51 determines that all of the plurality of allowable conditions are satisfied. In addition, if the condition determination unit 51 does not determine that any one of the plurality of allowable conditions is satisfied in the EV driving mode, the mode switching control unit 52 performs switching control for switching from the EV driving mode to the engine driving mode.

[0090] The notification control unit 53 compares the time measurement value of the allowable condition that is not determined to be satisfied with the measurement threshold mt.

[0091] Here, the time measurement value refers to the measurement value from the measurement start time point st of the time when the allowable condition is not determined to be satisfied. The measurement start time point st can be set in various ways, for example, it can be considered to set the time point when each allowable condition is not determined to be satisfied as the measurement start time point st, or to set the time point when the allowable condition that is not determined to be satisfied becomes one as the measurement start time point st, etc.

[0092] The measurement threshold mt is set for each allowable condition. In the present embodiment, "4 seconds" is set as the measurement threshold mt1 for the allowable condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery", "30 seconds" is set as the measurement threshold mt2 for the allowable condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery", "4 seconds" is set as the measurement threshold mt3 for the allowable condition "slope inclination rate", and "3600 seconds" is set as the measurement threshold mt4 for the allowable condition "vehicle speed". It should be noted that the measurement threshold mt is used as a general term for the measurement thresholds mt1 to mt4. In addition, the values of the measurement thresholds mt1 to mt4 in the present embodiment are examples, and can be arbitrarily set for each allowable condition.

[0093] The notification control unit 53 performs control to notify the situation of being in the EV driving mode. For example, the notification control unit 53 notifies by lighting the EV lamp 19 indicating being in the EV driving mode green.

[0094] In addition, the notification control unit 53 controls to notify that the state of the vehicle is in a state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted, based on the situation that the time measurement value exceeds the measurement threshold mt. At this time, the notification control unit 53 notifies the situation of the non-permissible switching state, for example, by lighting the EV lamp 19 in yellow.

[0095] Thereby, the user in the vehicle can recognize that the current driving mode is the EV driving mode and / or that the vehicle is currently in a state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted for some reason.

[0096] In addition, when the notification control unit 53 notifies the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted, it controls to notify the permission conditions that have not been determined to be satisfied. For example, the notification control unit 53 displays, via the display control unit 6, the permission conditions that have not been determined to be satisfied on the MFD 20. Thereby, the user in the vehicle can recognize the current non-permissible switching state and the permission conditions that are the cause thereof.

[0097] <3. First Embodiment>

[0098] Refer to Figures 3 to 6 The first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 3 It is a timing chart of the notification control in a state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted. In Figure 3 , it is described on the assumption that time passes in the order of time points T1, T2, T3,... and the interval from a certain time point T to the next time point T (for example, from time point T1 to time point T2) is 1 second. The same applies to the following Figure 7 .

[0099] In the first embodiment, as an example of the permission conditions for transitioning to the EV driving mode, the internal resistance value of the 12V battery, the SOC value of the high-voltage battery, the slope gradient, and the vehicle speed are set.

[0100] In Figure 3 , regarding each of these permission conditions, the condition determination state indicating whether it is satisfied is represented by the change of the H level / L level.

[0101] Regarding the permission condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery", the waveform SL1 represents satisfaction / non-satisfaction by the H level / L level. Specifically, if the internal resistance value of the 12V battery is equal to or less than the permission threshold th1, it is satisfied (H level), and if the internal resistance value of the 12V battery exceeds the permission threshold th1, it is not satisfied (L level).

[0102] Regarding the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery", waveform SL2 indicates satisfaction / non-satisfaction in H level / L level. Specifically, if the SOC value of the high-voltage battery exceeds the permission threshold th2, it is satisfied (H level); if the SOC value of the high-voltage battery is below the permission threshold th2, it is not satisfied (L level).

[0103] Regarding the permission condition "slope inclination rate", waveform SL3 indicates satisfaction / non-satisfaction in H level / L level. Specifically, if the absolute value of the slope inclination rate is below the permission threshold th3, it is satisfied (H level); if the absolute value of the slope inclination rate exceeds the permission threshold th3, it is not satisfied (L level).

[0104] Regarding the permission condition "vehicle speed", waveform SL4 indicates satisfaction / non-satisfaction in H level / L level. Specifically, if the vehicle speed is below the permission threshold th4, it is satisfied (H level); if the vehicle speed exceeds the permission threshold th4, it is not satisfied (L level).

[0105] In addition, waveform NSL indicates the period during which the control unit 4 notifies the situation that the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed in H level, and indicates the period during which the control unit 4 does not notify the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed in L level. Therefore, at the rising moment when waveform NSL becomes H level, it indicates that the control unit 4 performs the notification control of the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed.

[0106] It is assumed that the control unit 4 starts to judge the permission conditions from time point T1.

[0107] At time point T1, waveforms SL1, SL2, SL3, and SL4 are all in the L level state. That is, none of the permission conditions are satisfied. Therefore, the time measurement values are started to be measured for each permission condition. That is, the time length of the period during which the permission condition is not judged to be satisfied is measured.

[0108] Therefore, time point T1 becomes the measurement start time points st1, st2, st3, and st5 of the time measurement values for each permission condition.

[0109] At time point T2, as shown in waveforms SL1, SL2, and SL4, it is assumed that the permission conditions of "internal resistance value of the 12V battery", "SOC value of the high-voltage battery", and "vehicle speed" are not satisfied. However, the respective time measurement values do not reach the measurement thresholds mt (mt1, mt2, mt4). Therefore, it does not become the moment to notify non-permission to switch (refer to waveform NSL).

[0110] At time point T3, as shown by waveforms SL1 and SL2, the allowable conditions for "the internal resistance value of the 12V battery" and "the SOC value of the high-voltage battery" are not satisfied. However, the respective time measurement values do not reach the measurement thresholds mt (mt1, mt2). Therefore, it does not become the time to notify non-allowable switching.

[0111] At time point T4, as shown by waveform SL1, the allowable condition for "the internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is not satisfied. However, the time measurement value does not reach the measurement threshold mt1. Therefore, it does not become the time to notify non-allowable switching.

[0112] It should be noted that, as shown by waveform SL3, the allowable condition for "the slope rate of the ramp" becomes not satisfied. Therefore, for "the slope rate of the ramp", time measurement starts from the measurement start time point st4.

[0113] At time point T5, as shown by waveform SL1, the allowable condition for "the internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is not satisfied. And at this time, the time measurement value reaches the measurement threshold mt1 (for example, 4 seconds). Therefore, as shown by waveform NSL, it becomes the time to notify non-allowable switching, and the control unit 4 performs notification control in a state of not allowing switching to the EV driving mode.

[0114] That is, the control unit 4 performs time measurement for each of the multiple allowable conditions starting from when they become not satisfied, and based on the situation that the time measurement value reaches the measurement threshold mt set for each allowable condition, performs notification control in a state of not allowing switching to the EV driving mode.

[0115] Refer to Figures 4 to 6 A processing example for the control unit 4 to execute the above control is described. For the flags F1 to F4 that appear in the following description, the flag F is used as a general term.

[0116] The flag F is a flag set for each allowable condition, and when each flag F becomes ON, it indicates that the corresponding allowable condition is determined by the control unit 4 to be satisfied. It is assumed that the control unit 4 manages the satisfied / non-satisfied state of each allowable condition described in Figure 3 by using the flag F.

[0117] When all the flags F of the allowable conditions become ON, the control unit 4 performs switching control for switching from the engine driving mode to the EV driving mode.

[0118] On the other hand, the flag F being OFF is used to manage the state where the corresponding allowable condition is not determined to be satisfied. When any one of the flags F is OFF, the control unit 4 becomes in a non-allowable switching state where it cannot perform switching control for switching from the engine driving mode to the EV driving mode.

[0119] In step S101, the control unit 4 determines whether the driving mode of the vehicle is the engine driving mode. When the driving mode of the vehicle is not the engine driving mode, the control unit 4 repeatedly performs the process of step S101 until the driving mode of the vehicle becomes the engine driving mode. In step S101, when the driving mode of the vehicle is the engine driving mode, it proceeds from Figure 4 step S101 to step S102 and subsequent steps.

[0120] When in the engine driving mode, in step S102, the control unit 4 determines whether the allowable condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is below the allowable threshold th1.

[0121] If it is determined that the allowable condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" exceeds the allowable threshold th1, that is, the allowable condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is not satisfied, the control unit 4 sets the flag F1 to OFF in step S103. Thus, the state where the management allowable condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is not determined to be satisfied is managed.

[0122] Then, in step S104, the control unit 4 branches the process according to whether the timer TC1 has started timing.

[0123] When the timing has not started, the control unit 4 advances the process to step S105, and after starting the timing of the timer TC1, advances the process to step S110. Through the timer TC1, the time length of the period during which the allowable condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is not determined to be satisfied (the period during which the flag F1 is OFF) is measured.

[0124] It should be noted that when the timing of the timer TC1 has already started, the control unit 4 advances the process from step S104 to step S110.

[0125] When it is determined in step S102 that the internal resistance value of the 12V battery is below the allowable threshold th1, the control unit 4 advances the process to step S106 and resets the timer TC1. That is, according to the condition being satisfied, the measurement of the period during which the allowable condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is not determined to be satisfied is reset.

[0126] Then, in step S107, the control unit 4 sets the flag F1 to ON. Thus, the situation where the management is in the state where the allowable condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is determined to be satisfied by the control unit 4 is managed.

[0127] It should be noted that when entering step S106 when the timer TC1 is already in the reset state, the control unit 4 only needs to maintain the reset state as it is.

[0128] In addition, in this case, since the flag F1 has already been set to ON, it is only necessary to maintain the ON state of the flag F1 in step S107.

[0129] Subsequent to the above processing regarding the permission condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery", the control unit 4 determines in step S110 whether the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is equal to or less than the permission threshold th2.

[0130] If it is determined that the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is equal to or less than the permission threshold th2, that is, the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is not satisfied, the control unit 4 sets the flag F2 to OFF in step S111. Thereby, the state where the management permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is not determined to be satisfied by the control unit 4 is managed.

[0131] Then, the control unit 4 branches the processing in step S112 according to whether the timer TC2 has started timing.

[0132] In the case where the timing has not started, the control unit 4 advances the processing to step S113, and after starting the timing of the timer TC2, advances the processing to step S120. By the timer TC2, the time length of the period during which the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is not determined to be satisfied (the period during which the flag F2 is in the OFF state) is measured.

[0133] It should be noted that in the case where the timing of the timer TC2 has already started, the control unit 4 advances the processing from step S112 to step S120.

[0134] In the case where it is determined in step S110 that the SOC value of the high-voltage battery exceeds the permission threshold th2, the control unit 4 advances the processing to step S114 and resets the timer TC2. That is, according to the condition being satisfied, the measurement of the period during which the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is not determined to be satisfied is reset.

[0135] Then, the control unit 4 sets the flag F2 to ON in step S115. Thereby, the case where the management is in a state where the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is determined to be satisfied by the control unit 4 is managed.

[0136] It should be noted that in the case where the timer TC2 is already in the reset state when entering step S114, the control unit 4 only needs to maintain the reset state as it is.

[0137] In addition, in this case, since the flag F2 has already been set to ON, it is only necessary to maintain the ON state of the flag F2 in step S115.

[0138] Continuing with the above processing regarding the enabling condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery", the control unit 4 Figure 5 in step S120 determines whether the absolute value of the enabling condition "gradient of the slope" is below the enabling threshold th3.

[0139] If it is determined that the absolute value of the enabling condition "gradient of the slope" exceeds the enabling threshold th3, that is, the enabling condition "gradient of the slope" is not satisfied, the control unit 4 sets the flag F3 to OFF in step S121. Thus, the state where the enabling condition "gradient of the slope" is not determined to be satisfied by the control unit 4 is managed.

[0140] Then, the control unit 4 branches the processing in step S122 according to whether the timer TC3 has started timing.

[0141] In the case where the timing has not started, the control unit 4 advances the processing to step S123 and, after starting the timing of the timer TC3, advances the processing to step S130. The timer TC3 measures the length of time during which the enabling condition "gradient of the slope" is not determined to be satisfied (the period during which the flag F3 is OFF).

[0142] It should be noted that in the case where the timing of the timer TC3 has already started, the control unit 4 advances the processing from step S122 to step S130.

[0143] In the case where it is determined in step S120 that the absolute value of the gradient of the slope is below the enabling threshold th3, the control unit 4 advances the processing to step S124 and resets the timer TC3. That is, according to the condition being satisfied, the measurement of the period during which the enabling condition "gradient of the slope" is not determined to be satisfied is reset.

[0144] Then, the control unit 4 sets the flag F3 to ON in step S125. Thus, the case where the enabling condition "gradient of the slope" is determined to be satisfied by the control unit 4 is managed.

[0145] It should be noted that in the case where the timer TC3 is already in the reset state when entering step S124, the control unit 4 can simply maintain the reset state as it is.

[0146] In addition, in this case, since the flag F3 has already been set to ON, it is only necessary to maintain the ON state of the flag F3 in step S125.

[0147] Continuing with the above processing regarding the enabling condition "gradient of the slope", the control unit 4 determines in step S130 whether the enabling condition "vehicle speed" is below the enabling threshold th4.

[0148] When the allowable condition "vehicle speed" exceeds the allowable threshold th4, that is, if it is determined that the allowable condition "vehicle speed" is not satisfied, the control unit 4 sets the flag F4 to off in step S131. Thus, the state where the allowable condition "vehicle speed" is not determined to be satisfied by the control unit 4 is managed.

[0149] Then, in step S132, the control unit 4 branches the process according to whether the timer TC4 has started timing.

[0150] In the case where the timing has not started, the control unit 4 advances the process to step S133, and after starting the timing of the timer TC4, advances the process to Figure 6 step S140. Through the timer TC4, the time length of the period during which the allowable condition "vehicle speed" is not determined to be satisfied (the period during which the flag F4 is off) is measured.

[0151] It should be noted that in the case where the timing of the timer TC4 has already started, the control unit 4 advances the process from step S132 to Figure 6 step S140.

[0152] In the case where it is determined in step S130 that the vehicle speed is below the allowable threshold th4, the control unit 4 advances the process to step S134 and resets the timer TC4. That is, according to the condition being satisfied, the measurement of the period during which the allowable condition "vehicle speed" is not determined to be satisfied is reset.

[0153] Then, in step S135, the control unit 4 sets the flag F4 to on. Thus, the case where the allowable condition "vehicle speed" is determined to be satisfied by the control unit 4 is managed. After that, the control unit 4 advances the process to Figure 6 step S140.

[0154] It should be noted that in the case where the timer TC4 has already been in the reset state when entering step S134, the control unit 4 only needs to maintain the reset state as it is.

[0155] In addition, in this case, since the flag F4 has already been set to on, in step S135, only the on state of the flag F4 needs to be maintained.

[0156] Following the above processing regarding the allowable condition "vehicle speed", the control unit 4 advances the process to Figure 6 step S140, and determines whether any of the timers TC (TC1, TC2, TC3, TC4) being measured has exceeded the measurement threshold mt (mt1, mt2, mt3, mt4) set for each allowable condition.

[0157] When a certain timer TC exceeds the measurement threshold mt, the control unit 4 performs notification control in a state where switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed in step S141. At this time, the control unit 4 displays the allowable conditions for the timer TC to exceed the measurement threshold mt on, for example, the MFD 20. Thus, the allowable conditions are not immediately notified when not satisfied, but are notified after a predetermined period has elapsed while the unsatisfied state continues. After that, the control unit 4 returns to Figure 4 step S101 of

[0158] If the measurement of any timer TC has not started in step S140, or if any timer TC is below each measurement threshold mt, the control unit 4 proceeds to step S142.

[0159] In step S142, the control unit 4 determines whether a notification request operation from the user is detected. A notification request operation from the user refers to an operation such as pressing a button provided in the vehicle.

[0160] If a notification request operation is detected, the control unit 4 performs notification control for the flag F being off, that is, the unsatisfied allowable conditions, in step S141. Thus, even before a predetermined period until the notification of the unsatisfied allowable conditions elapses (that is, even when the time measurement value of the unsatisfied allowable conditions does not exceed the set measurement threshold mt), the unsatisfied allowable conditions are notified when the user specifically requests.

[0161] After the processing in step S141, the control unit 4 returns to Figure 4 step S101 of. It should be noted that the control unit 4 may not perform the processing in step S142.

[0162] If a notification request operation is not detected in step S142, the control unit 4 proceeds to step S143 and determines whether all flags F (flags F1 to F4) are on.

[0163] If all flags F are on, the control unit 4 determines that all allowable conditions are satisfied and proceeds to step S144 to perform switching control from the engine driving mode to the EV driving mode. After that, the control unit 4 returns to Figure 4 step S101 of

[0164] In addition, in step S143, if not all flags F are on, that is, if there are unsatisfied allowable conditions, the control unit 4 returns from step S143 to Figure 4 step S101 of

[0165] The control unit 4 repeatedly performs the above processing during vehicle travel. The first embodiment is implemented by the processing of the control unit 4 described above.

[0166] It should be noted that the measurement threshold mt of each allowable condition in the present embodiment can be set in various ways according to various factors. For example, if the set measurement threshold mt is too short, every time the allowable condition is not determined to be satisfied, it is notified that the vehicle is in a state where the switching control to the EV travel mode is not allowed, which may annoy the user in the vehicle. Therefore, it is desirable to set the measurement threshold mt to a certain period length that is not considered too short.

[0167] In addition, in a situation where the user in the vehicle can easily anticipate the state where the switching control to the EV travel mode is not allowed, if the situation where the switching is not allowed is frequently notified, it may sometimes annoy the user. Therefore, for the allowable condition assuming such a situation, it is possible to consider setting the measurement threshold mt longer.

[0168] For example, during driving on a highway, long-term high-speed driving is assumed, and it is assumed that the allowable condition of "vehicle speed" will not be satisfied for a long time. Therefore, for the allowable condition "vehicle speed", a relatively long measurement threshold mt of "3600 seconds" is set as the measurement threshold mt4.

[0169] In addition, in the case where there is a situation where the state of not allowing the switching control to the EV travel mode is not released even after a predetermined time, a condition for detecting a device failure of the allowable condition is assumed. In this case, it is possible to consider setting the time when such a failure is assumed as the measurement threshold mt.

[0170] For example, the allowable condition of "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" usually becomes below the allowable threshold th1 in about 4 seconds. Therefore, if "4 seconds" is set as the measurement threshold mt1, in the case where the internal resistance value does not become below the allowable threshold th1 (exceeds the allowable threshold th1) even after "4 seconds", it can be inferred that the 12V battery has failed.

[0171] <4. Second Embodiment>

[0172] Refer to Figures 7 to 9 The second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is an example in which the measurement of the time measurement value is started with the remaining number of unsatisfied allowable conditions being 1 as the measurement start time point st.

[0173] Figure 7 Similar to Figure 3 the change in the satisfaction / non-satisfaction of each allowable condition is also represented, and it is the same example as up to time point T5 Figure 3 the same.

[0174] InFigure 7 At time point T5, the waveform SL1 is in the L-level state. In contrast, the remaining waveforms SL2, SL3, and SL4 are all in the H-level state. That is, it is in a state where only one permission condition is not satisfied. In this way, at the moment when there is one remaining non-satisfied permission condition, the time measurement value of the non-satisfied permission condition starts to be measured.

[0175] Therefore, time point T5 becomes the measurement start time point st6 of the time measurement value for the permission condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery".

[0176] And at time point T9, as shown by the waveform SL1, the permission condition of "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is not satisfied. At this time, the time measurement value reaches the measurement threshold mt1 (for example, 4 seconds). Therefore, as shown by the waveform NSL, it becomes the moment when the switching notification is not allowed, and the control unit 4 performs the notification control in the state of not allowing the switching control to the EV driving mode.

[0177] That is, in the second embodiment, at the time point (measurement start time point st6) when there is one remaining non-satisfied permission condition, the control unit 4 measures the time for the non-satisfied permission condition, and based on the situation where the time measurement value exceeds the measurement threshold mt set for the non-satisfied permission condition, it performs the notification control in the state of not allowing the switching control to the EV driving mode.

[0178] Refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 A processing example for the control unit 4 to execute the above control will be described.

[0179] When the control unit 4 is in the engine driving mode, it proceeds from Figure 8 step S201 to step S202 and subsequent steps.

[0180] When in the engine driving mode, the control unit 4 determines in step S202 whether the permission condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is below the permission threshold th1.

[0181] If it is determined that the permission condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" exceeds the permission threshold th1, that is, the permission condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is not satisfied, the control unit 4 turns off the flag F1 in step S203. Thus, the state where the management permission condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is not determined to be satisfied is managed. Then, the control unit 4 advances the process from step S203 to step S205.

[0182] When the permission condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" is determined to be satisfied as being below the permission threshold th1 in step S202, the control unit 4 advances the process to step S204 and turns on the flag F1.

[0183] It should be noted that when the flag F1 has been set to ON, in step S204, it is only necessary to maintain the flag F1 in the ON state.

[0184] Subsequent to the above processing regarding the permission condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery", the control unit 4 determines in step S205 whether the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is equal to or less than the permission threshold th2.

[0185] If it is determined that the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is equal to or less than the permission threshold th2, that is, the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is not satisfied, the control unit 4 sets the flag F2 to OFF in step S206. Thereby, the state where the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" has not been determined to be satisfied is managed.

[0186] Then, the control unit 4 advances the processing from step S206 to step S208.

[0187] When it is determined in step S205 that the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery" is greater than the permission threshold th2, the control unit 4 advances the processing to step S207 and sets the flag F2 to ON.

[0188] It should be noted that when the flag F2 has been set to ON, in step S207, it is only necessary to maintain the flag F2 in the ON state.

[0189] Subsequent to the above processing regarding the permission condition "SOC value of the high-voltage battery", the control unit 4 determines in step S208 whether the absolute value of the permission condition "slope inclination rate" is equal to or less than the permission threshold th3.

[0190] If it is determined that the absolute value of the permission condition "slope inclination rate" exceeds the permission threshold th3, that is, the permission condition "slope inclination rate" is not satisfied, the control unit 4 sets the flag F3 to OFF in step S209. Thereby, the state where the permission condition "slope inclination rate" has not been determined to be satisfied is managed. Then, the control unit 4 advances the processing from step S209 to step S211.

[0191] When it is determined in step S208 that the absolute value of the permission condition "slope inclination rate" is equal to or less than the permission threshold th3, the control unit 4 advances the processing to step S210 and sets the flag F3 to ON.

[0192] It should be noted that when the flag F3 has been set to ON, in step S210, it is only necessary to maintain the flag F3 in the ON state.

[0193] Subsequent to the above processing regarding the permission condition "gradient of the slope", in step S211, the control unit 4 determines whether the permission condition "vehicle speed" is equal to or lower than the permission threshold th4.

[0194] If it is determined that the permission condition "vehicle speed" exceeds the permission threshold th4, that is, the permission condition "vehicle speed" is not satisfied, the control unit 4 sets the flag F4 to OFF in step S212. Thus, the state where the permission condition "vehicle speed" has not been determined to be satisfied is managed. Then, the control unit 4 advances the process from step S212 to Figure 9 step S220.

[0195] When it is determined in step S211 that the permission condition "vehicle speed" is equal to or lower than the permission threshold th4, the control unit 4 advances the process to step S213 and sets the flag F4 to ON.

[0196] It should be noted that when the flag F4 has already been set to ON, in step S213, it is only necessary to maintain the ON state of the flag F4.

[0197] Subsequent to the above processing regarding the permission condition "vehicle speed", in step S220, the control unit 4 determines whether all the flags F (flags F1 to F4) are ON, that is, whether all the permission conditions are satisfied.

[0198] When all the flags F are ON, the control unit 4 determines that all the permission conditions are satisfied and advances the process to step S221 to perform switching control from the engine driving mode to the EV driving mode. Then, the control unit 4 returns to Figure 8 step S201.

[0199] On the other hand, in step S220, when not all the flags F are ON, that is, when there is a permission condition that is not satisfied, the control unit 4 advances the process from step S220 to step S223.

[0200] In step S223, the control unit 4 determines whether only one of the permission conditions has the flag F set to OFF. When only one of the permission conditions has the flag F set to OFF, in step S224, the control unit 4 branches the process according to whether the timer TC has started timing for the permission condition with the flag F set to OFF.

[0201] When the timing has not started, the control unit 4 advances the process to step S225, starts the timing of the timer TC, and then advances the process to step S226. Thus, the time length of the period during which the remaining one permission condition has not been determined to be satisfied (the period during which the flag F is OFF) is measured.

[0202] It should be noted that when the timing of the timer TC has started, the control unit 4 advances the process from step S224 to step S226.

[0203] In step S226, the control unit 4 determines whether the measuring timer TC has exceeded the measurement threshold mt set for the permission condition.

[0204] When the timer TC exceeds the measurement threshold mt, the control unit 4 performs notification control in a state where switching control to the non-permitted EV driving mode is in effect in step S227. After that, the control unit 4 returns to Figure 8 step S201.

[0205] When the timer TC is below the measurement threshold mt, the control unit 4 returns the process to Figure 8 step S201 and continues to measure the timer TC.

[0206] On the other hand, in step S223, when the flag F for only one of the permission conditions is off, that is, when the flags F for multiple permission conditions are off, the control unit 4 advances the process to step S228.

[0207] In step S228, the control unit 4 branches the process according to whether the timing of the timer TC has started for any of the permission conditions for which the flag F is off.

[0208] When the timing of the timer TC has started, the control unit 4 enters step S229 from step S228 and resets the timer TC. That is, according to the presence of multiple non-satisfied permission conditions, the measurement during the period when the permission condition is not determined to be satisfied is reset.

[0209] It should be noted that when entering step S229 with all the timers TC for the permission conditions in the reset state, the control unit 4 only needs to maintain the reset state as it is.

[0210] After the above processing, the control unit 4 returns to Figure 8 step S201, and thereafter repeatedly executes the same processing during vehicle driving. The second embodiment is implemented by the above processing of the control unit 4.

[0211] <5. Third Embodiment>

[0212] The third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The third embodiment is an example in which the value of the measurement threshold mt1 of the "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" as a permission condition is changed according to the temperature of the 12V battery.

[0213] This situation is particularly useful in cases where the measurement threshold mt is set in such a way that the time when the internal resistance value of the 12V battery is not determined to satisfy the allowable condition exceeds the measurement threshold mt, enabling a failure of the 12V battery to be envisioned.

[0214] When the temperature of the 12V battery is low, even when no failure has occurred, the time until the internal resistance value of the 12V battery reaches below the allowable threshold th1 sometimes becomes longer than the time when the internal resistance value of the 12V battery reaches below the allowable threshold th1 at normal temperature. Therefore, by varying the value of the measurement threshold mt1 according to the temperature of the 12V battery, it is possible to perform a measurement that reflects the state of the 12V battery.

[0215] Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is conceivable that the control unit 4 sets a variation threshold N1 for the temperature value of the 12V battery, and when the temperature is lower than the variation threshold N1, switches the measurement threshold mt1 to a second value longer than the first value.

[0216] Refer to Figure 10 , and describe the processing performed by the control unit 4 in the third embodiment.

[0217] First, in step S301, the control unit 4 acquires the temperature information of the 12V battery from the temperature sensor 30 shown in Figure 1 . And in step S302, the control unit 4 determines whether the temperature of the 12V battery is equal to or higher than the variation threshold N1 based on the acquired temperature information.

[0218] When the temperature of the 12V battery is equal to or higher than the variation threshold N1, the control unit 4 sets the measurement threshold mt1 to the first value in step S303 and advances the processing to step S301.

[0219] In addition, when the temperature of the 12V battery is less than the variation threshold N1, the control unit 4 switches the measurement threshold mt1 to a second value longer than the first value in step S304 and advances the processing to step S301.

[0220] By repeatedly executing the above processing of the control unit 4, the value of the measurement threshold mt1 varies according to the temperature of the 12V battery. This measurement threshold mt1 can be used in step S140 of the above Figure 6 or step S226 of Figure 9 .

[0221] <6. Fourth Embodiment>

[0222] Describe the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is an example in which the value of the measurement threshold mt4 for the allowable condition "vehicle speed" is set according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle during driving.

[0223] For example, during driving on a highway, etc., it is conceivable that the vehicle travels at a relatively high speed for a long time. In such a case, it can be considered that the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed continues for a long time.

[0224] In such a situation, the user who is driving can also easily predict the situation where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed. Therefore, notifying the non-switching state at too short intervals may instead cause annoyance.

[0225] Therefore, the vehicle speed assumed during driving on a highway, etc. is set as the variation threshold N2. When the vehicle speed as an allowable condition is equal to or higher than the variation threshold N2, the control unit 4 sets the measurement threshold mt4 to a second value longer than the first value.

[0226] Refer to Figure 11 , and the processing performed by the control unit 4 in the fourth embodiment will be described.

[0227] First, in step S401, the control unit 4 acquires vehicle speed information from the engine control unit 2. And in step S402, the control unit 4 determines whether the vehicle speed of the vehicle during driving is equal to or higher than the variation threshold N2 based on the acquired vehicle speed information.

[0228] When the vehicle speed is less than the variation threshold N2, the control unit 4 sets the measurement threshold mt4 to the first value in step S403 and makes the process proceed to step S401.

[0229] In addition, when the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the variation threshold N2, the control unit 4 sets the measurement threshold mt4 to a second value longer than the first value in step S404 and makes the process proceed to step S401.

[0230] By repeatedly executing the above processing of the control unit 4, the value of the measurement threshold mt4 is set according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle during riding. In the above Figure 6 step S140 or Figure 9 step S226 of

[0231] <7. Fifth Embodiment>

[0232] The fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The fifth embodiment is an example of setting the value of the measurement threshold mt4 of the allowable condition "vehicle speed" according to the driving environment of the vehicle during riding.

[0233] For example, when the vehicle is traveling on a highway, it is conceivable that the vehicle travels at a relatively high speed for a long time, and it can be considered that the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed continues for a long time. Therefore, when the control unit 4 determines that the driving environment is a highway, the measurement threshold mt4 is set to a second value that is longer than the first value.

[0234] Refer to Figure 12 , and the processing performed by the control unit 4 in the fifth embodiment will be described.

[0235] First, in step S501, the control unit 4 obtains road information from the navigation system 50. Further, in step S502, the control unit 4 determines whether the vehicle during driving is traveling on a highway based on the obtained road information.

[0236] When it is determined that the vehicle is not traveling on a highway, in step S503, the control unit 4 sets the measurement threshold mt4 to the first value and advances the processing to step S501.

[0237] On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on a highway, in step S504, the control unit 4 sets the measurement threshold mt4 to a second value that is longer than the first value and advances the processing to step S501.

[0238] By repeatedly executing the above processing of the control unit 4, the value of the measurement threshold mt4 varies according to the vehicle speed. In the above Figure 6 step S140 or Figure 9 step S226, this measurement threshold mt4 can be used.

[0239] It should be noted that various other examples can also be considered for the driving environment of the vehicle. For example, by obtaining information related to the inclination of the vehicle or road information such as mountain roads from the navigation system 50, it is possible to vary the measurement threshold mt3 of the allowable condition "the inclination rate of the slope" according to the external environment during driving.

[0240] In addition, in the above embodiment, as an example, the measurement threshold mt is defined in two levels, namely the first value and the second value, but the measurement threshold mt can also be set to three or more levels according to each condition.

[0241] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example in which the control unit 4 sets the value of the measurement threshold mt according to the driving environment of the vehicle has been described, but the control unit 4 can also change the allowable threshold th according to the driving environment of the vehicle.

[0242] For example, the control unit 4 can determine whether the road during driving is uphill or downhill based on information related to the driving environment such as the inclination of the vehicle obtained, and change the allowable threshold th3 of the allowable condition "slope inclination rate" according to the determination result. In this example, the allowable threshold th3 is set to the value of the inclination rate of uphill or downhill, rather than the absolute value.

[0243] At this time, the control unit 4 can set the allowable threshold th3 to 10% when it is determined to be uphill, and determine that the allowable condition "slope inclination rate" is not satisfied when the slope inclination rate is 10% or more, and determine that the allowable condition "slope inclination rate" is satisfied when the slope inclination rate is less than 10%.

[0244] In addition, the control unit 4 can set the allowable threshold th3 to -5% when it is determined to be downhill, and determine that the allowable condition "slope inclination rate" is not satisfied when the slope inclination rate is less than -5%, and determine that the allowable condition "slope inclination rate" is satisfied when the slope inclination rate is -5% or more.

[0245] <8. Summary and Variation Examples>

[0246] The vehicle control device of the embodiment includes: a condition determination unit 51, a mode switching control unit 52, and a notification control unit 53 (refer to Figure 2 , Figures 4 to 6 ), where the condition determination unit 51 determines whether a plurality of allowable conditions are satisfied, and the plurality of allowable conditions are set to allow switching control to an EV driving mode in which power from a rotating electric machine is used to drive in a state where the engine is stopped. The mode switching control unit 52 performs switching control to the EV driving mode according to the situation that the condition determination unit 51 determines that the plurality of allowable conditions are satisfied. The notification control unit 53 compares the time measurement value related to the allowable condition not determined to be satisfied by the condition determination unit 51 among the plurality of allowable conditions with the measurement threshold mt, and performs control to notify the state where switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed according to the situation that the time measurement value exceeds the measurement threshold mt.

[0247] Thus, instead of immediately notifying the state where switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed from when the allowable condition becomes not satisfied, the notification is performed after the period until the measurement threshold mt is exceeded. Therefore, it is possible to notify the user of the situation where switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed at an appropriate time. That is, by not notifying every time the state where switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed occurs, it is possible to eliminate the annoyance caused by frequent notifications and provide a comfortable driving environment for the user.

[0248] In the vehicle control device according to the embodiment, the notification control unit 53 controls to notify that the permission condition is not determined to be satisfied based on the fact that the time measurement value exceeds the measurement threshold mt (refer to Figure 6 S141).

[0249] Accordingly, the user can confirm the permission condition that is the reason for being in the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted. This is particularly useful when determining the cause of a failure in the case where the switching control to the EV driving mode cannot be performed due to a vehicle failure.

[0250] In the vehicle control device according to the embodiment, a measurement threshold mt is set for each permission condition (refer to Figure 3 ).

[0251] For example, a measurement threshold mt that does not annoy the user can be set for each permission condition. In addition, the measurement threshold mt can be set according to the duration of the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted envisaged for each permission condition. In addition, the elapsed time when an abnormality of each permission condition is envisaged can be set as the measurement threshold mt.

[0252] Therefore, it is possible to notify the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted at an appropriate timing according to the nature of each permission condition. In addition, by setting different measurement thresholds mt for each permission condition, the amount of information per notification that the permission condition is not determined to be satisfied can be reduced. As a result, the display area of the MFD20 or the like can be ensured, and an easy-to-view display that does not cause confusion to the user can be performed.

[0253] In the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment, the time measurement value is a measurement value of the time when the permission condition is not determined to be satisfied (refer to Figure 6 S140).

[0254] For example, the time measurement value is measured for each permission condition, and based on the fact that the time measurement value of a certain permission condition exceeds the measurement threshold mt, control is performed to notify the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted. Accordingly, it is possible to notify the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted at an appropriate timing according to the nature of each permission condition.

[0255] In the vehicle control device according to the second embodiment, the time measurement value is a measurement value of the time counted from when the number of permission conditions that have not been determined to be satisfied becomes 1 (refer to Figure 9 S223, S226).

[0256] Accordingly, in a state where there are a plurality of unsatisfied permission conditions, the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not permitted is not notified.

[0257] Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of information each time when notifying the allowable conditions that are not determined to be satisfied. Thus, it is possible to ensure the display area such as that of the MFD20 and perform an easily viewable display that does not cause user confusion.

[0258] In the vehicle control device of the first embodiment, the notification control unit 53 performs control to notify the allowable conditions that are not determined to be satisfied by the condition determination unit according to a notification request operation from the user (refer to Figure 6 S141, S142).

[0259] Thereby, according to the notification request operation of the user, even if the time measurement value does not exceed the measurement threshold mt, the allowable conditions that are not determined to be satisfied are notified. Therefore, the user can confirm at any time the reason for the state where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not allowed. This is particularly useful when determining the cause of a failure in the case where the switching control to the EV driving mode is not performed due to a vehicle failure.

[0260] The control unit 4 causes the MFD20 to display the unsatisfied allowable conditions, for example. At this time, various display forms of the allowable conditions displayed on the MFD20 can be considered. For example, all the allowable conditions in which the flag F is off can be displayed, or only a part of the allowable conditions in which the flag F is off can be displayed. In addition, the allowable condition with the longest elapsed time (timer TC) during which the flag F is off can be displayed.

[0261] In the vehicle control devices of the third to fifth embodiments, the notification control unit 53 changes the measurement threshold mt according to the driving environment (refer to Figures 10 to 12 ).

[0262] Here, the driving environment refers to the main factors inside and outside the vehicle that affect the switching control to the EV driving mode, such as the main factors based on the state of the vehicle's internal equipment and the main factors based on external environments such as road information.

[0263] For example, by changing the measurement threshold mt1 of the allowable condition "internal resistance value of the 12V battery" according to the temperature of the 12V battery, it is possible to set the measurement threshold mt1 envisioned according to the environment in which the vehicle is located. This is particularly useful when setting the measurement threshold mt in such a way that a failure is envisioned when it exceeds the measurement threshold mt.

[0264] In addition, by making the measurement threshold mt4 of the allowable condition "vehicle speed" vary according to the vehicle speed, it is possible to prevent notification of the non-permissible switching state at too short intervals and provide a comfortable driving environment for the user. In addition, by making the value of the measurement threshold mt of the allowable condition vary according to the driving environment of the vehicle during driving, it is also possible to prevent frequent notification of the non-permissible switching state and provide a comfortable driving environment for the user.

[0265] In addition, it is also possible to make the value of the measurement threshold mt of the allowable condition vary according to whether a malfunction lamp that lights up to notify that some malfunction has occurred in the vehicle is lit or not. For example, when the vehicle control device detects some malfunction, it can perform the lighting control of the malfunction lamp and set the value of the measurement threshold mt to a long time that the time measurement value generally does not exceed.

[0266] The user during driving can recognize the state of not transferring to the EV driving mode by confirming the lighting of the malfunction lamp. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the situation of notifying the non-permissible switching state even when the situation of not transferring to the EV driving mode is clear.

[0267] It should be noted that when the vehicle control device detects some malfunction, it can also control without changing the value of the measurement threshold mt while performing the lighting control of the malfunction lamp so as not to notify the non-permissible switching state.

[0268] In the present embodiment, as an example, the internal resistance value of the 12V battery, the SOC value of the high-voltage battery, the slope, and the vehicle speed are set as the allowable conditions, but various conditions can be set as the allowable conditions according to the vehicle specifications. For example, it is conceivable to set the gear position information indicating various states of the shift lever such as D (forward) and P (parking) as the allowable condition.

[0269] At this time, the hybrid control unit 4 determines that it is satisfied according to the gear position at which the switching control to the EV driving mode can be performed.

[0270] In addition, in the present embodiment, as an example of the engine stop mode described in the claims of the present application, an example of the EV driving mode in which the vehicle travels using the power from the rotating electric machine in a state where the engine is stopped is described, but the engine stop mode may be any mode in which the engine is stopped during the driving of the vehicle, and various other examples can also be considered.

[0271] For example, as the engine stop mode, a mode capable of performing idle stop (hereinafter, referred to as the idle stop mode) can also be applied. This idle stop stops the vehicle's engine in such a way that useless idling is not performed when waiting for a traffic signal or other temporary stops.

[0272] In this case, a plurality of allowable conditions required for switching to the idling stop mode are set, and the vehicle control device compares a time measurement value related to an allowable condition that is not determined to be satisfied among the set plurality of allowable conditions with a threshold value, and notifies a state in which switching control to the idling stop mode is not allowed based on the time measurement value exceeding the threshold value.

[0273] In addition, the vehicle control device performs switching control for switching to the idling stop mode based on a determination that all the allowable conditions are satisfied.

[0274] It should be noted that the effects described in the present disclosure are merely examples and are not limited thereto. Other effects may also be achieved, or only a part of the effects described in the present disclosure may be achieved.

[0275] Furthermore, the description of the embodiments described in the present disclosure is only an example, and the present technology is not limited to the above embodiments. Therefore, even outside the above embodiments, various changes can of course be made according to design and the like as long as the technical idea of the present technology is not departed from.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, characterized in that, Comprising: A condition determination unit that determines whether a plurality of allowable conditions are satisfied, where the plurality of allowable conditions are set to allow switching control to an engine stop mode in which the engine is in a stopped state during vehicle driving; A mode switching control unit that, based on the determination by the condition determination unit that the plurality of allowable conditions are satisfied, performs switching control to the engine stop mode; And A notification control unit that compares a time measurement value related to an allowable condition not determined to be satisfied by the condition determination unit among the plurality of allowable conditions with a threshold value, and based on the time measurement value exceeding the threshold value, performs control to notify that it is in a state where switching control to the engine stop mode is not allowed, The notification control unit, when detecting the notification request operation, performs control to notify the allowable condition not determined to be satisfied by the condition determination unit even if the time measurement value does not exceed the threshold value.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that The engine stop mode is an EV driving mode in which power from a rotating electric machine is used for driving while the engine is in a stopped state.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that The notification control unit performs control to notify the allowable condition not determined to be satisfied based on the time measurement value exceeding the threshold value.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, characterized in that The notification control unit performs control to notify the allowable condition not determined to be satisfied based on the time measurement value exceeding the threshold value.

5. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The threshold value is set for each of the allowable conditions.

6. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The time measurement value is a measurement value of the time when the allowable condition is not determined to be satisfied.

7. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The time measurement value is a measurement value of the time counted from when the allowable condition not determined to be satisfied becomes one.

8. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The notification control unit varies the threshold value according to the driving environment.

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