A control method, controller, and intelligent mode switch

Abstract

This application discloses a control method, controller, and intelligent mode switch. When the vehicle is in a first driving mode, a second driving mode selected by the user can be obtained based on the mode switching switch. The first and second driving modes are two different modes selected from snow mode, sport mode, sand mode, rock mode, economy mode, mud mode, and automatic mode. When the vehicle status meets the switching conditions for the second driving mode, a mode switching command for the second driving mode is sent to the mode controller so that the mode controller can control the vehicle to switch from the first driving mode to the second driving mode. In other words, the mode switching switch can cover various driving modes. Based on the driving mode selected by the user through the mode switching switch, the vehicle can be controlled to switch modes when the vehicle meets the requirements of that driving mode. Therefore, there is no need to set a separate button for ROCK, reducing costs and improving user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicles, and in particular to a control method, controller, and intelligent mode switch. Background Technology

[0002] With the diversification of driving requirements, the number of vehicle driving modes has gradually increased. Based on terrain, vehicle driving modes can be divided into SNOW, SPORT, SAND, ROCK, ECO, MUD, and AUTO modes. Among these modes, the ROCK mode (low-speed four-wheel drive mode) has special characteristics. It requires parking and shifting to neutral (N), and it is prone to switching stuck issues. Therefore, most vehicle manufacturers have set up a separate button for switching ROCK mode to avoid the problem. This approach not only increases the cost of switching, but also poses certain difficulties for users who are not familiar with the function. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical issues, embodiments of this application provide a control method, controller, and intelligent mode switch that cover the control of all terrain models, eliminating the need for separate buttons for the ROCK, reducing costs, and improving user experience.

[0004] This application provides a control method, including:

[0005] When the vehicle is in the first driving mode, the second driving mode selected by the user is obtained based on the mode switching switch; the first driving mode and the second driving mode are two different modes from Snow mode, Sport mode, Sand mode, Rock mode, Eco mode, Mud mode and Auto mode;

[0006] When the vehicle status meets the switching conditions for the second driving mode, a mode switching command for the second driving mode is sent to the mode controller so that the mode controller controls the vehicle to switch from the first driving mode to the second driving mode.

[0007] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0008] If an indication of successful switching of the second driving mode is received from the mode controller within the first preset time period, then the second driving mode switching is determined to be successful.

[0009] If no indication of successful second driving mode switching is received from the mode controller within the first preset time period, the second driving mode switching is determined to have failed.

[0010] Optionally, when the first driving mode or the second driving mode is rock mode, the duration of the first preset time period is 14 seconds; when neither the first driving mode nor the second driving mode is rock mode, the duration of the first preset time period is 3 seconds.

[0011] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0012] Upon confirming that the second driving mode has been successfully switched, a notification will be issued indicating successful switching, and the current mode will be displayed as the second mode.

[0013] When it is determined that the second driving mode switching has failed, a switching failure reminder is issued and the current mode is displayed as the first mode.

[0014] Optionally, the mode controller includes at least one of the following: intelligent driving control unit, electronic stability control system control unit, suspension control unit, engine control unit, steering control unit, transmission control unit, and transfer case control unit.

[0015] Optionally, obtaining the user-selected second driving mode based on the mode switching switch includes:

[0016] If no indication of another driving mode is received within a second preset time period after receiving the indication of the second driving mode from the mode switch, then the second driving mode is determined to be the driving mode selected by the user.

[0017] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0018] The user-selected third driving mode is obtained based on the mode switching switch; neither the first driving mode nor the second driving mode is rock mode, and the third driving mode is one of the following different from the first driving mode and the second driving mode: snow mode, sport mode, sand mode, economy mode, mud mode and automatic mode.

[0019] A mode switching command for the third driving mode is sent to the mode controller so that the mode controller switches from the first driving mode to the third driving mode, or from the second driving mode to the third driving mode.

[0020] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0021] After ignition and power-on, retrieve the driving mode from before the power failure;

[0022] If the driving mode before the power outage was rock mode, a rock mode switching command is sent to the mode controller so that the mode controller can control the vehicle to enter rock mode.

[0023] If the driving mode before the power outage was not Rock Mode, a mode switching command for Automatic Mode is sent to the Mode Controller so that the Mode Controller can control the vehicle to enter Automatic Mode.

[0024] This application also provides a controller for executing the control method.

[0025] This application provides an intelligent mode switch, characterized in that it includes a mode switching switch and a controller, wherein the mode switching switch is used to obtain the driving mode selected by the user.

[0026] This application provides a control method, controller, and intelligent mode switch. When the vehicle is in a first driving mode, a second driving mode selected by the user can be obtained based on the mode switching switch. The first and second driving modes are two different modes selected from snow mode, sport mode, sand mode, rock mode, economy mode, mud mode, and automatic mode. When the vehicle status meets the switching conditions for the second driving mode, a mode switching command for the second driving mode is sent to the mode controller, so that the mode controller controls the vehicle to switch from the first driving mode to the second driving mode. In other words, in this application embodiment, the mode switching switch can cover all driving modes. Based on the driving mode selected by the user through the mode switching switch, the vehicle can be controlled to switch modes when the vehicle meets the requirements of that driving mode. Therefore, the control of the all-terrain model can be covered by the mode switching switch and control strategy, eliminating the need to set a separate button for ROCK, reducing costs, and improving the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mode switching switch provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 2 A flowchart of a control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the controller and mode controller in the embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an intelligent mode switch provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0033] Currently, vehicle driving modes can be divided into SNOW, SPORT, SAND, ROCK, ECO, MUD, and AUTO modes based on terrain. Among these modes, the ROCK mode (low-speed four-wheel drive mode) has unique characteristics. It requires parking and shifting to neutral (N), and it is prone to switching lag. Therefore, most vehicle manufacturers have set up a separate button for switching ROCK mode to avoid the problem. This approach not only increases the cost of switching the button, but also poses certain difficulties for users who are not familiar with the function.

[0034] Based on the above technical problems, this application provides a control method, controller, and intelligent mode switch. When the vehicle is in a first driving mode, a second driving mode selected by the user can be obtained based on the mode switching switch. The first and second driving modes are two different modes selected from snow mode, sport mode, sand mode, rock mode, economy mode, mud mode, and automatic mode. When the vehicle status meets the switching conditions for the second driving mode, a mode switching command for the second driving mode is sent to the mode controller so that the mode controller can control the vehicle to switch from the first driving mode to the second driving mode. In other words, in this application embodiment, the mode switching switch can cover all driving modes. Based on the driving mode selected by the user through the mode switching switch, the vehicle can be controlled to switch modes when the vehicle meets the requirements of that driving mode. Therefore, the control of the all-terrain model can be covered by the mode switching switch and control strategy, eliminating the need to set a separate button for ROCK, reducing costs, and improving the user experience.

[0035] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, details the specific implementation of a control method and related equipment provided in this application through embodiments.

[0036] refer to Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of a mode switching switch provided in an embodiment of this application. The mode switching switch may include a switch knob for receiving rotation information from the user to determine the acquisition of mode switching information. The switch knob may be located in the middle.

[0037] The mode switch also includes backlights for each driving mode, including Snow, Sport, Sand, Rock, ECO, MUD, and Auto. The backlights indicate the vehicle's driving mode status. The backlight for Auto mode can be located on top of the switch knob, while other backlights can be positioned around the switch knob.

[0038] For example, the backlight corresponding to the current driving mode can remain constantly on, while the backlights corresponding to other driving modes remain off. During the switch from the current driving mode to the target driving mode, the backlight corresponding to the current driving mode remains constantly on, while the backlight corresponding to the target driving mode can flash at a frequency of 0.5Hz. After a successful switch, the backlight corresponding to the target driving mode remains constantly on. During the power-on initialization self-test, all backlights for all driving modes remain constantly on. After the self-test is completed, the backlight corresponding to the current driving mode remains constantly on. In the event of a system malfunction, all backlights turn off.

[0039] refer to Figure 2 The diagram shown is a flowchart of a control method provided in an embodiment of this application, applied to a controller. The controller can be a vehicle body controller or a separate controller. The method may include the following steps:

[0040] S101, when the vehicle is in the first driving mode, obtain the second driving mode selected by the user based on the mode switching switch.

[0041] In this embodiment, the driving mode can be switched while the vehicle is in the first driving mode. Specifically, a second driving mode selected by the user can be obtained so that the vehicle can switch from the first driving mode to the second driving mode. That is, the first driving mode is the current driving mode, and the second driving mode is the target driving mode to be switched to. The first and second driving modes are two different modes selected from Snow Mode, Sport Mode, Sand Mode, Rock Mode, Eco Mode, Mud Mode, and Auto Mode. Auto Mode or Snow Mode represents the vehicle's normal state, Sand Mode or Mud Mode represents the vehicle's off-road state, and Rock Mode represents the vehicle's extreme off-road state.

[0042] The mode switching switch may include a switch knob for receiving rotation information from the user to determine the mode switching information; the mode switching switch may also include backlights corresponding to each driving mode to display the current driving mode.

[0043] The second driving mode selected by the user is obtained based on the mode switch. Specifically, after receiving the indication information for the second driving mode from the mode switch, if no indication information for other driving modes is received within a second preset time period, then the second driving mode is determined to be the user-selected driving mode. This is because the user may accidentally operate the switch or manipulate the knob. Therefore, if other driving mode indication information is received within a short period after receiving the indication information from the mode switch, the indication information for one driving mode is ignored. The duration of the second preset time period can be 200ms, thus filtering the user's selection operation.

[0044] The vehicle's primary driving mode can be either the initial driving mode after ignition and power-on, or the driving mode after a driving mode switch.

[0045] In this embodiment, the current driving mode can be stored when the vehicle is turned off. After ignition and power-on, the driving mode before the power failure is retrieved, and the initial driving mode is determined based on the driving mode before the power failure. Specifically, if the driving mode before the power failure was Rock Mode, a switch to Rock Mode can be performed. This function design can avoid users having to repeatedly switch modes due to sudden power failures or forced restarts during actual off-road driving, thereby improving user experience and meeting actual driving needs. If the driving mode before the power failure was a mode other than Rock Mode, a switch to Automatic Mode can be performed.

[0046] S102, when the vehicle status meets the switching conditions for the second driving mode, sends a mode switching command for the second driving mode to the mode controller.

[0047] In this embodiment of the application, when the controller obtains the second driving mode selected by the user, it can determine whether the vehicle status meets the switching conditions of the second driving mode. For example, when at least one of the first driving mode and the second driving mode is ROCK mode, the switching conditions include parking and shifting to N gear, etc. When the second driving mode is an off-road mode such as SAND mode, the switching conditions include speed below 80km / h, etc.

[0048] When the vehicle status does not meet the switching conditions for the second driving mode, the controller can generate a reminder signal to remind the user to complete the relevant switching operation to meet the switching conditions for the second driving mode.

[0049] When the vehicle's condition meets the switching conditions for the second driving mode, the controller can send a mode switching command for the second driving mode to the mode controller, so that the mode controller can control the vehicle to switch from the first driving mode to the second driving mode. (Reference) Figure 3The diagram shown illustrates the controller and mode controller in this embodiment. The mode controller includes at least one of the following: an intelligent driving control unit, an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) control unit, a suspension control unit, an engine control unit, a steering control unit, a transmission control unit, and a transfer case control unit. The controller and mode controller can be connected via LIN or a CAN bus for communication. The gateway can convert between LIN and CAN communication. The controller can send a mode switching command for the second driving mode to the mode controller via the CAN bus.

[0050] Upon receiving a mode switching command for the second driving mode, the mode controller can switch modes according to its internally set mapping relationship and return the switching result to the controller afterward. In other words, the mode controller is the component used for switching modes. After a mode switching command is sent to the mode controller, the mode switching process begins, such as controlling the engine and transmission. Furthermore, after the vehicle is ignited and powered on, switching the vehicle to Rock Mode or Auto Mode can also be achieved by the controller sending a mode switching command to the mode controller, which then switches modes accordingly.

[0051] In this embodiment of the application, after sending the mode switching command for the second driving mode, the mode switching process can also be tracked. For example, the mode switching process can be tracked by monitoring the bus signal in real time. If a successful switching indication is obtained from the mode controller, it means that the mode switching is successful. Generally speaking, the mode switching duration is short. If a successful switching indication is not obtained from the mode controller for a long time, it means that the second driving mode switching has failed.

[0052] Therefore, after sending the mode switching command for the second driving mode, a timer can be started. If an indication of successful second driving mode switching is received from the mode controller within the first preset time period, the second driving mode switching is considered successful. If no indication of successful second driving mode switching is received from the mode controller within the first preset time period, the second driving mode switching is considered unsuccessful. However, switching into or out of ROCK mode may encounter gear engagement issues, resulting in a longer switching time. Therefore, when the first or second driving mode is ROCK mode, a longer first preset time can be set, such as 14 seconds. This can also reduce the switching timeout issue caused by switching across ROCK modes. When the first and second driving modes are other than ROCK mode, a shorter first preset time can be set, such as 3 seconds.

[0053] When the switch to the second driving mode is successful, the controller can issue a success notification and display that the current mode is the second mode. When the switch to the second driving mode fails, the controller can issue a failure notification and display that the current mode is the first mode. Of course, a switching notification can also be issued during the switching process. Successful, failed, and in-process switching notifications can be displayed via backlighting, a display panel, or voice commands; examples will not be provided here.

[0054] In this embodiment of the application, if one of the first driving mode and the second driving mode is ROCK mode, or if the vehicle state meets the switching conditions for ROCK, then during the switching to the second driving mode, if other driving modes selected by the user are obtained based on the mode switching switch, the switching to the second driving mode needs to be completed before the switching to other driving modes is executed.

[0055] If the first and second driving modes are modes other than Rock mode, and the third driving mode is one of the following different from the first and second driving modes: Snow mode, Sport mode, Sand mode, Eco mode, Mud mode, and Auto mode, then the second driving mode has not been switched. At this time, the user-selected third driving mode can be obtained based on the mode switch, and the switching of the second driving mode can be interrupted and the mode can be switched according to the third driving mode. Specifically, a mode switching command for the third driving mode can be issued to the mode controller. At this time, the second driving mode may have been switched completely or may not have been switched. The mode controller can then control the vehicle to switch from the first driving mode to the third driving mode, or from the second driving mode to the third driving mode.

[0056] In this embodiment, the controller can also monitor the fault status of the mode controller in the system in real time via the CAN bus. If any node sends a fault signal during vehicle operation, the controller can identify the fault level based on the internally stored fault codes and store the record. If the fault is a Level I fault, the controller sends a request to the instrument panel to illuminate the fault light. Other faults that do not affect system functions will not be alerted. When a fault occurs, the system enters a fault mode but still maintains normal response and periodically monitors the bus signal. The system automatically recovers after the child node fault is cleared.

[0057] This application provides a control method in which, when the vehicle is in a first driving mode, a second driving mode selected by the user can be obtained based on a mode switch. The first and second driving modes are two different modes selected from snow mode, sport mode, sand mode, rock mode, economy mode, mud mode, and automatic mode. When the vehicle status meets the switching conditions for the second driving mode, a mode switching command for the second driving mode is sent to the mode controller so that the mode controller can control the vehicle to switch from the first driving mode to the second driving mode. In other words, in this application embodiment, the mode switch can cover all driving modes. Based on the driving mode selected by the user through the mode switch, the vehicle can be controlled to switch modes when the vehicle meets the requirements of that driving mode. Therefore, the control of the all-terrain model can be covered by the mode switch and the control strategy, eliminating the need to set a separate button for ROCK, reducing costs and improving the user experience.

[0058] This application also provides a controller for executing the control methods of the foregoing embodiments. Specifically, the controller may include a processor and a memory, the memory for storing a computer program, and the processor for executing the computer program. When the computer program is executed, it may incorporate the control methods provided in the foregoing embodiments.

[0059] This application also provides an intelligent mode switch, see reference. Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of an intelligent mode switch provided in an embodiment of this application. The intelligent mode switch may include a mode switching switch 120 and a controller 110. The mode switching switch 120 is used to obtain the driving mode selected by the user, and the controller 110 is used to execute the aforementioned control method. Since the controller 110 is only used for simple signaling reception and transmission, its performance requirements are not high. The intelligent mode switch may be called an integrated intelligent terrain mode switch (IITMS).

[0060] As can be seen from the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that all or part of the steps in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus a general-purpose hardware platform. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a storage medium, such as a read-only memory (ROM) / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., including several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network communication device such as a router) to execute the methods described in various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments of this application.

[0061] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on its differences from other embodiments. In particular, the device embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments. The device and system embodiments described above are merely illustrative. Modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. Components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort.

[0062] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A control method, characterized in that, include: When the vehicle is in the first driving mode, the second driving mode selected by the user is obtained based on the mode switching switch; the first driving mode and the second driving mode are two different modes from Snow mode, Sport mode, Sand mode, Rock mode, Eco mode, Mud mode and Auto mode; When the vehicle status meets the switching conditions for the second driving mode, a mode switching command for the second driving mode is sent to the mode controller so that the mode controller controls the vehicle to switch from the first driving mode to the second driving mode; when the first driving mode or the second driving mode is rock mode, the switching conditions include parking and shifting to neutral (N). The process of obtaining the user-selected second driving mode based on the mode switching switch includes: If no indication of another driving mode is obtained within a second preset time period after receiving the indication information of the second driving mode from the mode switch, then the second driving mode is determined to be the driving mode selected by the user. The method further includes: The user-selected third driving mode is obtained based on the mode switching switch; neither the first driving mode nor the second driving mode is rock mode, and the third driving mode is one of the following different from the first driving mode and the second driving mode: snow mode, sport mode, sand mode, economy mode, mud mode and automatic mode. A mode switching command for the third driving mode is sent to the mode controller so that the mode controller switches from the first driving mode to the third driving mode, or from the second driving mode to the third driving mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: If an indication of successful switching of the second driving mode is received from the mode controller within the first preset time period, then the second driving mode switching is determined to be successful. If no indication of successful second driving mode switching is received from the mode controller within the first preset time period, the second driving mode switching is determined to have failed.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When either the first driving mode or the second driving mode is rock mode, the duration of the first preset time period is 14 seconds. When neither the first driving mode nor the second driving mode is rock mode, the duration of the first preset time period is 3 seconds.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: Upon confirming that the second driving mode has been successfully switched, a notification will be issued indicating successful switching, and the current mode will be displayed as the second mode. When it is determined that the second driving mode switching has failed, a switching failure reminder is issued and the current mode is displayed as the first mode.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The mode controller includes at least one of the following: intelligent driving control unit, electronic stability control system control unit, suspension control unit, engine control unit, steering control unit, transmission control unit, and transfer case control unit.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Also includes: After ignition and power-on, retrieve the driving mode from before the power failure; If the driving mode before the power outage was rock mode, a rock mode switching command is sent to the mode controller so that the mode controller can control the vehicle to enter rock mode. If the driving mode before the power outage was not Rock Mode, a mode switching command for Automatic Mode is sent to the mode controller so that the mode controller can control the vehicle to enter Automatic Mode.

7. A controller, characterized in that, Used to perform the control method according to any one of claims 1-6.

8. A smart mode switch, characterized in that, It includes a mode switch and a controller as described in claim 7, wherein the mode switch is used to acquire a driving mode selected by the user.

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