Vehicle and method for controlling parking of the vehicle

Abstract

The present application relates to a vehicle and a method for controlling parking of the vehicle, in a vehicle including a shift-by-wire (SBW) transmission capable of parking in a neutral position of the transmission, the method for controlling parking of the vehicle includes: when the vehicle stops, determining whether the vehicle is in a situation requiring parking in the neutral position according to sensor information; when the controller determines that the vehicle is in a situation requiring parking in the neutral position, if the parking gear is input or the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, output first information, the first information is configured to obtain confirmation from the driver about whether the driver wants to perform parking in the neutral position; when there is an agreement input as a response to the first information, control the SBW transmission to shift to the neutral gear.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle including a shift-by-wire (SBW) transmission that enables easier parking in neutral gear, and a method for controlling the parking of the vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Traditionally, vehicle transmissions are configured so that gear changes are mechanically linked when the driver operates a gear selector (e.g., a gear lever). Recently, the application of shift-by-wire (SBW) transmissions, which change gears electronically, has been increasing. SBW transmissions do not require a mechanical link between the gear selector and the transmission; therefore, compared to mechanical transmissions, SBW transmissions have the following advantages: the gear selector can be designed more freely, there are fewer restrictions on its placement, and less space is required to achieve gear changes.

[0003] Figure 1 This illustrates various types of gear selection devices that can be applied to a typical SBW transmission.

[0004] refer to Figure 1 It can realize various types of gear selection devices, such as a button-type gear selection device 11 that includes multiple buttons corresponding to each gear, a knob-type gear selection device 12 that uses a knob, and a lever-type gear selection device 13 that is similar to the shift lever used in mechanical transmissions.

[0005] Drivers of vehicles with automatic transmissions typically place the transmission in P (Park) when parking. However, if the vehicle can be moved by external force after parking, parking is completed in N (Neutral) (for convenience, this is called "neutral parking"). In mechanical transmissions, neutral parking is achieved simply by shifting the gear lever to N after parking. However, in shift-by-wire (SBW) transmissions, for safety, P automatically engages regardless of the gear position before the ignition switch is turned off. Therefore, to enable neutral parking, the driver can perform a series of predetermined actions to maintain the N gear position even when the ignition switch is off.

[0006] This will be referenced below. Figure 2 Describe it.

[0007] Figure 2 Various types of guidance messages related to parking in neutral are shown.

[0008] refer to Figure 2 If the gear selector is Figure 1The push-button gear selector 11 shown displays a guidance message 21, "Please press and hold the N button for a long time," when the N button is operated after parking. Furthermore, if the gear selector is... Figure 1 The rotary gear selector 12 shown or Figure 1 The lever-type gear selector 13 shown outputs a guidance message 22, "Please operate the lever in N position for an extended period of time," when the knob or lever is positioned in the N position. When such operation is completed continuously, the transmission shifts to the N position and outputs information 23, "Transmission has shifted to N position."

[0009] As mentioned above, in vehicles equipped with SBW transmissions, drivers can always perform this inconvenient operation of parking in neutral, which is entirely at their own discretion. Furthermore, the method for shifting to N varies depending on the type and manufacturer of the gear selector, making it difficult to intuitively identify the procedure. Therefore, drivers may need to consult guidance information, further inconveniencing the driver.

[0010] The information contained in the background section of this invention is intended only to enhance the understanding of the overall background of the invention and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0011] Various aspects of the present invention are intended to provide a vehicle and a method for controlling the parking of the vehicle, which substantially eliminates one or more problems caused by the limitations and disadvantages of related technologies.

[0012] Various aspects of the present invention aim to provide a vehicle including a shift-by-wire (SBW) transmission that enables easier parking in neutral gear, and a method for controlling the parking of the vehicle.

[0013] Other advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will become apparent in part to those skilled in the art upon review of the following description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the textual portions of the specification and claims, and in the accompanying drawings.

[0014] To achieve these objectives and other advantages, according to the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a method for controlling parking of a vehicle including a shift-by-wire (SBW) transmission includes: when the vehicle is stopped, determining, based on sensor information, whether the vehicle is in a condition requiring neutral parking; when the controller determines that the vehicle is in a condition requiring neutral parking, outputting first information if a parking gear is input or the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off, the first information being configured to obtain confirmation from the driver regarding whether the driver wants to perform neutral parking; and when there is an input of consent as a response to the first information, controlling the SBW transmission to shift to neutral.

[0015] In another aspect of the invention, the vehicle includes: a shift-by-wire (SBW) transmission, at least one sensor, an input / output unit, and a controller, the controller being configured to: when the vehicle is stopped, determine whether the vehicle is in a state requiring neutral parking based on sensor information provided by the at least one sensor; when the controller determines that the vehicle is in a state requiring neutral parking, if a parking gear position is input or the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off, output first information through the input / output unit, the first information being configured to obtain confirmation from the driver regarding whether the driver wants to perform neutral parking; and when there is an input of agreement in response to the first information, control the SBW transmission to shift to neutral.

[0016] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the invention are merely exemplary and explanatory, and are intended to provide further explanation of the claimed invention.

[0017] The methods and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages that will be apparent from the accompanying drawings incorporated herein and the following detailed description, or will be set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings incorporated herein and the following detailed description, which together serve to explain the particular principles of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating, by way of example, various types of gear selection devices that can be applied to a general SBW transmission;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the various types of guidance messages related to parking in neutral.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is an illustrative diagram illustrating, by way of example, various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a situation where neutral parking is required;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for controlling the parking of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating various types of boot messages provided during various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale, but are merely appropriately simplified depictions to illustrate the various features of the basic principles of the invention. Specific design features of the invention disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the specific environment in which they are intended to be applied and used.

[0025] In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals throughout the various figures denote the same or equivalent parts of the invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments thereof, but also various alternative, modified, equivalent, or other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0027] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein, and various modifications can be made. In the drawings, for clarity of description, descriptions of elements unrelated to the invention have been omitted, and the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements even when depicting the same or similar elements in different drawings.

[0028] In the following description of the embodiments, it will be understood that when a component “comprises” an element, the component may further include other elements, and the presence of such other elements is not excluded unless otherwise stated. Furthermore, in the following description of the embodiments, components indicated by the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0029] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention propose a method in which, when a vehicle including a shift-by-wire (SBW) transmission identifies a situation requiring neutral parking, it is determined whether the driver wants to perform neutral parking, and when it is determined that the driver wants to perform neutral parking, the transmission is kept in N gear when the vehicle is parked.

[0030] First, refer to Figure 3 The vehicle configuration is described according to an exemplary embodiment of the method for controlling the parking of a vehicle.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] refer to Figure 3 According to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a vehicle 100 may include a sensor unit 110, a parking control unit 120, a transmission control unit 131, a gear selection device 132, a transmission 133, and an input / output unit 140.

[0033] Figure 3 The various components shown are related to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and in actual vehicle implementations, some components may be omitted or a greater number of components may be provided.

[0034] Although the sensor unit 110 according to this exemplary embodiment includes at least one camera 111 configured to capture images of the vehicle’s surroundings and a plurality of ultrasonic sensors 112 and radar 113 configured to measure distances to obstacles around the vehicle, these elements are exemplary and the sensor unit 110 may include any type of sensor capable of detecting the situation around the vehicle, and is not limited thereto.

[0035] The parking control unit 120 may include a parking determinant 121 and a neutral parking controller 122.

[0036] The parking determinant 121 can activate at least a portion of the sensor unit 110 by determining, based on various information, whether parking is in progress or is expected to be performed. For example, the parking determinant 121 can activate at least a portion of the sensor unit 110 when the transmission 133 is in drive (D) or reverse (R) gear and the vehicle speed is equal to or below a predetermined speed. Furthermore, the parking determinant 121 can activate at least a portion of the sensor unit 110 when, for example, the navigation system detects that the vehicle's current location is approaching its destination or entering a parking lot, or when the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal is lost around a building (e.g., the vehicle enters an underground parking garage). Additionally, the parking determinant 121 can determine whether parking is in progress or is expected to be performed when the driver inputs an operation to activate at least some of the cameras 111 (e.g., when the around view monitor is activated).

[0037] When the parking determinant 121 determines that parking is in progress or is expected to be performed, the neutral parking controller 122 can obtain various sensing information from the activated sensor unit 110 until parking is completed, and determine whether the vehicle is in a situation requiring neutral parking. The following will refer to... Figure 4 A detailed description of the determination method for the neutral parking controller 122 is provided. When it is determined that the vehicle needs to be parked in neutral, if the driver selects the parking (P) gear via the gear selector 132 or turns off the ignition switch, the neutral parking controller 122 can confirm whether the driver wants to perform neutral parking via the input / output unit 140. Based on the confirmation result, it can request the transmission control unit 131 to keep the transmission in neutral (N) or parking (P) gear, and can notify the driver of the control result via the input / output unit 140.

[0038] According to the implementation scheme, the parking determinant 121 can be omitted, and the neutral parking controller 122 can be implemented to determine whether parking is completed (e.g., whether the vehicle speed remains at 0 for a specific time or whether the N or P gear is input through the gear selection device 132), and when parking is determined to be completed, at least a portion of the sensor unit 110 is activated at the corresponding time point to determine whether neutral parking is required.

[0039] The transmission control unit (TCU) 131 can electrically control the gears of the transmission 133 according to user commands input through the transmission gear selection device 132 or vehicle conditions (e.g., requests from the neutral parking controller 122).

[0040] The input / output unit 140 may include at least one driver command input unit and at least one output unit. For example, the driver command input unit may include at least one of a touchscreen, buttons, knobs, or gear lever, and the output unit may include at least one of a display, speaker, or warning light, but is not limited thereto. For example, the input / output unit 140 may include a speaker and a display of the instrument cluster as output units, and may include steering wheel buttons as input units.

[0041] Here, the term "unit" or "control unit" included in names such as Parking Control Unit 120 and Transmission Control Unit (TCU) 131 is used broadly to refer to controllers configured to control specific functions of the vehicle, rather than general functional units. For example, each control unit may include a communication device configured to communicate with other controllers or sensors to control related functions, a memory configured to store operating system or logic commands and input and output information, and one or more processors configured to perform determinations, calculations, etc., required to perform control-related functions.

[0042] Figure 4 This is an illustrative diagram illustrating, by way of example, a situation where the vehicle needs to be parked in neutral according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 4 This illustrates a scenario where a vehicle 100 enters a parking lot, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, with vehicles 420 and 430 already parked within parking lines 410 in the parking lot.

[0044] Situations requiring neutral parking may include situations where, when surrounding vehicles 420 and 430 are parked side-by-side along a direction 440, vehicle 100 is parked close to the surrounding vehicles 420 and 430, such that the longitudinal direction of vehicle 100 is substantially parallel to direction 440 (i.e., parallel parking). However, this situation is merely exemplary, and the invention is not limited thereto. For example, situations requiring neutral parking may include situations where vehicle 100 is parked outside the parking line 410, thereby blocking the exit direction of surrounding vehicles 420 and 430 parked inside the parking line 410; or situations requiring neutral parking may include situations where, regardless of the surrounding vehicles 420 and 430, vehicle 100 is parked with its longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the parking line 410 for a specified length or more.

[0045] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for controlling the parking of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating various types of boot messages provided during various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0046] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 When the parking determinant 121 of the parking control unit 120 determines that parking is in progress or is expected to be performed ("Yes" in S501), the neutral parking controller 122 can detect the surrounding environment by acquiring various sensing information from the activated sensor unit 110 until parking is completed (i.e., the vehicle stops) (S502), and can determine whether the vehicle is in a situation where neutral parking is required (S503).

[0047] The methods for determining whether a vehicle needs to be parked in neutral are the same as those mentioned above. Figure 4 The description is the same as the previous one, therefore, its description will be omitted.

[0048] When it is determined that the vehicle is in a situation where it needs to be parked in neutral ("Yes" in S503), the neutral parking controller 122 checks whether there is an input for the P gear (S504).

[0049] When the transmission shifts to P (Yes in S504), the input / output unit 140 can output a message asking the driver whether to engage neutral parking (e.g., Figure 6 (Message 610 in S506). When the driver inputs a command indicating agreement to park in neutral ("Yes" in S508), the neutral parking controller 122 can request the transmission control unit 131 to shift to N gear, and can output a message via the input / output unit 140 that the N gear position will be maintained even after the ignition switch is turned off (e.g., ...). Figure 6 (Message 630)(S510)

[0050] When the driver does not input the P gear position via the gear selector 132 ("No" in S504) and turn off the ignition switch ("Yes" in S505), the neutral parking controller 122 can output a message asking the driver whether to perform neutral parking via the input / output unit 140 (S507). When the driver inputs a command indicating agreement to neutral parking ("Yes" in S509), the neutral parking controller 122 can request the transmission control unit 131 to shift to N gear, and can output a message that the transmission has shifted to N gear via the input / output unit 140 (e.g., Figure 6 Information 620)(S511).

[0051] On the other hand, when the driver inputs a command indicating disagreement with neutral parking ("No" in S509), the neutral parking controller 122 can request the transmission control unit 131 to shift to P gear, and can output a message that the transmission has shifted to P gear through the input / output unit 140 (S512).

[0052] In addition, although Figure 5 An exemplary embodiment involving the parking determinant 121 is shown, but in another exemplary embodiment of the invention, operations S501 and S502 can be replaced by operations that sense the surrounding environment by sensing information from the sensor unit 110 when the vehicle is stopped.

[0053] According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle determines that a neutral parking situation is required and inquires with the driver whether to perform neutral parking, thus allowing the vehicle to be parked in N gear more easily with a single operation. Furthermore, in conventional vehicles including shift-by-wire transmissions, when the ignition switch is turned off while the transmission is in N gear, the transmission automatically shifts to P gear; therefore, the transmission can be operated to perform neutral parking after the ignition switch is turned off. However, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle can be parked in N gear without turning off the ignition switch.

[0054] This invention can be implemented as computer-readable code in a computer-readable recording medium that records a program. Such a computer-readable recording medium can include all types of recording media that store data readable by a computer system. For example, a computer-readable recording medium can include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), a silicon disk drive (SDD), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc.

[0055] As is evident from the above description, vehicles including a shift-by-wire (SBW) transmission according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can identify situations requiring neutral parking and enable the driver to conveniently choose whether to perform neutral parking.

[0056] Therefore, drivers can easily put the vehicle in neutral without having to learn how to operate the transmission to do so.

[0057] For ease of interpretation and precise definition of the appended claims, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “outer,” “above,” “below,” “upward,” “downward,” “front,” “back,” “inner side,” “outer side,” “inward,” “outer,” “internal,” “external,” “inner,” “external,” “forward,” and “backward” are used with reference to the positions of these features shown in the accompanying drawings to describe features of the exemplary embodiments. It will be further understood that the term “connection” or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections between the two.

[0058] The foregoing description of specific exemplary embodiments of the invention is for illustrative and descriptive purposes. The foregoing is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and it will be apparent that various modifications and alterations can be made based on the foregoing teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described to explain the specific principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to implement and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the invention, as well as their various alternatives and modifications. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the parking of a vehicle including a shift-by-wire transmission, the method comprising: When the vehicle stops, the controller determines whether the vehicle needs to be parked in neutral based on sensor information, wherein the sensor information includes information about the vehicle's surrounding environment. When the controller determines that the vehicle needs to be parked in neutral, if the parking gear is input or the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off, the controller outputs first information, which is configured to obtain confirmation from the driver whether the driver wants to perform neutral parking. When there is an agreement input as a response to the first information, the controller controls the shift-by-wire transmission to shift to neutral. If the parking gear is entered, the first information is output and there is a consent input, the second information is output through the controller. The second information is configured to indicate that the neutral gear is maintained even after the ignition switch is turned off.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: If the ignition switch is turned off without any input to the parking position and a first message is output, and a consent input is present, the controller outputs a third message, which is configured to instruct the shift-by-wire transmission to shift to neutral.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: If the ignition switch is turned off without any input to the parking gear position, and there is a different input as a response to the first information, the controller will control the drive-by-wire transmission to shift to the parking gear position.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: When there is a conflicting input, the input / output unit outputs information indicating that the transmission has shifted to the parking gear.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The need to park in neutral includes at least one of the following situations: the vehicle is parked close to surrounding vehicles parked side by side in one direction, such that the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is parallel to said one direction; The vehicle is parked outside the parking line, thus blocking the exit direction of surrounding vehicles parked inside the parking line; or the vehicle is parked with its longitudinal direction parallel to the parking line for a predetermined length or more.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Before determining whether the vehicle needs to be parked in neutral. The controller determines whether the vehicle is currently parked or is expected to be parked. When it is determined that parking is in progress or is expected to be performed, at least one sensor configured to provide sensor information is activated via the controller.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, When determining whether a vehicle is parking or is expected to park, the controller determines that parking is in progress or is expected to be performed when the current gear of the shift-by-wire transmission is a drive or reverse gear and the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed, when the navigation system detects that the vehicle's current location is approaching its destination or entering a parking lot, when the GPS signal is lost, or when a command configured to activate the at least one sensor is input.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The at least one sensor includes at least one ultrasonic sensor, camera, or radar.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for performing the method according to claim 1.

10. A vehicle comprising: Drive-by-wire transmission; At least one sensor; Input / output unit; as well as A controller, electrically connected to the shift-by-wire transmission, the at least one sensor, and an input / output unit, is configured to: when the vehicle is stopped, determine whether the vehicle is in a neutral parking position based on sensor information provided by the at least one sensor; when the controller determines that the vehicle is in a neutral parking position, if a parking gear is input or the vehicle's ignition switch is off, output first information through the input / output unit, the first information being configured to obtain confirmation from the driver regarding whether the driver wants to perform neutral parking; and when a consent input is received in response to the first information, control the shift-by-wire transmission to shift to neutral, wherein the sensor information includes information about the vehicle's surrounding environment. The controller is further configured to: output first information when the parking gear is input and if there is a corresponding input, output second information through the input / output unit, wherein the second information is configured to indicate that the neutral gear is maintained even after the ignition switch is turned off.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein, The controller is configured to output first information when the ignition switch is turned off without any parking gear input, and if there is a corresponding input, output third information through the input / output unit. The third information is configured to instruct the shift-by-wire transmission to shift to neutral.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein, The controller is configured to output a first message when the ignition switch is turned off without any input to the parking gear position, and if there is a different input as a response to the first message, control the drive-by-wire transmission to shift to the parking gear position.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The controller is configured to output information that the transmission has shifted to the parking gear via the input / output unit when there is a conflicting input.

14. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein, The need to park in neutral includes at least one of the following situations: the vehicle is parked close to surrounding vehicles parked side by side in one direction, such that the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is parallel to said one direction; The vehicle is parked outside the parking line, thus blocking the exit direction of surrounding vehicles parked inside the parking line; or the vehicle is parked with its longitudinal direction parallel to the parking line for a predetermined length or more.

15. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein, The controller is configured to: determine whether the vehicle is currently parking or is expected to perform parking; and activate at least one sensor when it is determined that parking is currently in progress or is expected to be performed.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein, The controller is configured to determine that parking is in progress or is expected to be performed when the current gear of the steerable transmission is a drive or reverse gear and the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed, when the navigation system detects that the vehicle's current position is approaching the vehicle's destination or entering a parking lot, when the GPS signal is lost, or when a command configured to activate the at least one sensor is input.

17. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein, The at least one sensor includes at least one ultrasonic sensor, a camera, and a radar.

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