Control system, control device, control method, and non-transitory storage medium

Abstract

This disclosure provides a control system, a control device, a control method, and a non-transitory storage medium. The control method is used in a powertrain system including a clutch position sensor, a processor, and a manual transmission, comprising: shifting a gear selected by the shift lever of the manual transmission to a controlled shift gear of an automatic transmission; sending specific information capable of identifying the shifted controlled shift gear to a control device configured to coordinate with the powertrain system to control the movement of a vehicle; and when the clutch position sensor, configured to detect clutch operation, detects the clutch operation, retaining the specific information capable of identifying the controlled shift gear at the start of the clutch operation as the specific information to be sent to the control device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to control systems, control devices, control methods, and non-transitory storage media, and in particular to control systems including powertrain systems having control devices for controlling the movement of a vehicle and manual transmissions, control devices thereof, control methods in their powertrain systems, non-transitory storage media executed by their powertrain systems, and vehicles including their control devices and their powertrain systems. Background Technology

[0002] Motion managers that manage the movement of a vehicle are known (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-032894). In systems that include a motion manager, the motion manager obtains information about the controlled gear position (e.g., information indicating whether the vehicle is in drive, reverse, or neutral) from the control unit of the powertrain. Summary of the Invention

[0003] When the control unit of this powertrain system is used in a powertrain system that includes a manual transmission rather than an automatic transmission, the following can be considered. For example, when the shift lever is in a shift position such as second or third gear, information indicating that the shift gear is a drive gear is output to the motion manager as a control shift gear. For example, when the shift lever is in the shift position of R gear, information indicating that the shift gear is reverse gear is output to the motion manager as a control shift gear. For example, when the shift lever is in the neutral position, information indicating that the shift gear is neutral is output to the motion manager as a control shift gear.

[0004] In this situation, when the driver shifts the gear from second to third gear, the gear lever is in the neutral position. Therefore, information indicating the shift gear as drive, followed by neutral, and then drive is sequentially output to the motion manager as a control shift gear. The motion manager sets the braking force corresponding to the shift gear. For this reason, when the shift gears are switched in the order of drive, neutral, and drive, the braking force fluctuates, and therefore, due to fluctuations in vehicle acceleration, the vehicle cannot accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0005] This disclosure provides a control system, control device, control method, and non-transitory storage medium that enable vehicles to accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0006] The control system according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes a control device configured to control the movement of a vehicle, and a powertrain system including a manual transmission. The powertrain system includes a clutch position sensor configured to detect clutch operation, and a processor configured to control the powertrain system. The processor is configured to shift a gear selected by the gear lever of the manual transmission to a controlled shift gear of an automatic transmission. The processor is configured to send specific information capable of identifying the shifted controlled shift gear to the control device. The processor is configured to, when clutch operation is detected by the clutch position sensor, retain the specific information capable of identifying the controlled shift gear at the start of clutch operation as the specific information to be sent to the control device.

[0007] With this configuration, when the clutch is engaged, specific information about the control shift gear that identifies the gear shift at the start of operation is maintained and sent to the control unit. For this reason, even when the shift lever passes through neutral during gear shifting, specific information about the control shift gear that was shifted before the change can still be identified and sent to the control unit. Therefore, fluctuations in braking force set by the control unit can be prevented. As a result, a control system that allows for smooth acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle can be provided.

[0008] In the first embodiment, the control system can be a vehicle.

[0009] In the first embodiment, the powertrain system may further include a neutral position sensor configured to detect that the shift lever is in the neutral position. When the clutch position sensor detects clutch operation and the neutral position sensor detects that the shift lever is in the neutral position, the processor may be configured not to send specific information that identifies the neutral position as the specific information to be sent to the control device.

[0010] For this reason, even when the gear shift lever passes through the neutral position during gear changes, specific information identifying the neutral position is not sent to the control unit. Therefore, fluctuations in the braking force set by the control unit are prevented. As a result, the vehicle can accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0011] In the first embodiment, when the clutch position sensor detects the operation of the clutch and the neutral position sensor detects that the shift lever is in the neutral position, the processor may be configured to send the specific information to the control device.

[0012] With this configuration, even when the gear shift lever passes through the neutral position during gear changes, the system can still identify the specific gear position previously shifted and send this information to the control unit. Therefore, fluctuations in braking force set by the control unit can be prevented. As a result, the vehicle can accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0013] The control device according to the second aspect of this disclosure is configured to coordinate with the powertrain system to control the movement of the vehicle. The processor is configured to: perform processing based on specific information received from the powertrain system that identifies the control shift gear; and when the powertrain system includes a manual transmission, detects the operation of the clutch, and detects that the shift lever of the manual transmission is in neutral, receive from the powertrain system the specific information regarding the control shift gear of the automatic transmission that identifies the start of the clutch operation. The control shift gear is a gear selected by the shift lever.

[0014] This configuration provides a control device that enables the vehicle to accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0015] The control method according to the third aspect of this disclosure is a control method for a powertrain system including a manual transmission. The control method includes: a processor configured to control the powertrain system switching a gear selected by the gearshift lever of the manual transmission to a controlled shift gear of an automatic transmission; and the processor sending specific information capable of identifying the switched controlled shift gear to a control device, the control device being configured to coordinate with the powertrain system to control the movement of the vehicle. The control method further includes, when a clutch position sensor configured to detect clutch operation detects clutch operation, retaining specific information capable of identifying the controlled shift gear at the start of clutch operation as the specific information to be sent to the control device.

[0016] This configuration provides a control device that enables the vehicle to accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0017] According to the fourth aspect of this disclosure, the non-transitory storage medium stores instructions that can be executed by one or more processors in the powertrain system, and cause the one or more processors to execute the control method of the third aspect.

[0018] This configuration enables the provision of a non-temporary storage medium that allows vehicles to accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0019] This configuration allows for smooth acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle.

[0020] Each of the solutions disclosed herein can provide a control system, control device, control method, and non-transitory storage medium that enables a vehicle to accelerate and decelerate smoothly. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 A diagram illustrating an example of vehicle configuration;

[0023] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating an example of how the motion manager operates;

[0024] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates a block diagram of the powertrain system in this embodiment when it includes an automatic transmission.

[0025] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates a block diagram of the powertrain system in this embodiment when it includes a manual transmission.

[0026] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the process of controlling gear shift output executed by the powertrain ECU of this embodiment; and

[0027] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a timing diagram for changing gears according to clutch operation in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0028] In the following description, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals will indicate the same components. Their names and functions will be identical, and their detailed descriptions will not be repeated.

[0029] Figure 1 A diagram illustrating an example configuration of vehicle 1. (As shown) Figure 1 As shown, vehicle 1 includes ADAS-electronic control unit (ECU) 10, brake ECU 20, actuator system 30 and central ECU 40.

[0030] Vehicle 1 can be a vehicle configured to implement the functions of the driver assistance system described below, and can be, for example, a vehicle with an engine as a drive source, a pure electric vehicle with an electric motor as a drive source, or a hybrid vehicle that has an engine and an electric motor installed thereon and uses one of them as a drive source.

[0031] ADAS-ECU 10, brake ECU 20 and central ECU 40 are computers, and each has a processor, memory and input / output interface such as a central processing unit (CPU) to execute programs.

[0032] The ADAS-ECU 10 includes a driver assistance system 100, which has driver assistance functions for assisting the driving of the vehicle 1. The driver assistance system 100 is configured to implement various functions for assisting the driving of the vehicle 1 by executing applications installed on the driver assistance system 100, including at least one of steering control, driving control, and braking control of the vehicle 1. Examples of applications installed on the driver assistance system 100 include applications implementing the functions of an automated driving system (AD), applications implementing the functions of an automatic parking system, or applications implementing the functions of an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) (hereinafter referred to as ADAS applications), etc.

[0033] Examples of ADAS applications include at least one of the following: an application that implements tracing driving (such as adaptive cruise control (ACC)) while always maintaining a distance from the vehicle in front; an application that implements an automatic speed limiter (ASL) that recognizes vehicle speed limits and maintains the upper limit of the speed of the main vehicle; an application that implements lane keeping assist (such as lane keeping assist (LKA), lane tracing assist (LTA)) that enables the vehicle to stay in the lane it is traveling in; an application that implements collision damage mitigation braking (such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), pre-crash safety (PCS)) that implements automatic braking to mitigate damage caused by a collision; and an application that implements lane departure warning (such as lane departure warning (LDW) and lane departure alert (LDA)) that warns the vehicle 1 of deviating from its lane.

[0034] Each application of the driver assistance system 100 outputs a request for a motion plan to the braking ECU 20 (more specifically, the motion manager 200). This motion plan guarantees the commercial value (functionality) of each application based on information about the vehicle's surroundings acquired (input) from multiple sensors (not shown), the driver's assistance requests, etc. Examples of multiple sensors include a vision sensor such as a forward-facing camera, radar, laser detection and ranging (LiDAR), a position detection device, etc.

[0035] A forward-facing camera, for example, is positioned on the back of a rearview mirror in the vehicle compartment and is used to capture images of the area in front of the vehicle. Radar is a distance measuring device that shines short-wavelength radio waves onto an object, detects the radio waves returning from the object, and measures the distance or direction to the object. LiDAR is a distance measuring device that shines a laser beam (such as infrared light) in pulses onto an object and measures the distance based on the time until the laser beam is reflected by the object and returns. For example, a position detection device consists of a Global Positioning System (GPS) that uses information received from multiple satellites orbiting the Earth to detect the position of vehicle 1.

[0036] Each application acquires information about the vehicle's surroundings from the combined detection results of one or more sensors as identification sensor information, and obtains driver assistance requests through a user interface such as a switch (not shown). For example, each application can identify other vehicles, obstacles, or people in the vicinity of the vehicle by using artificial intelligence (AI) or image processing processors to process images or videos of the vehicle's vicinity acquired by multiple sensors.

[0037] In addition, for example, the motion plan includes requirements for longitudinal acceleration / deceleration generated in vehicle 1, requirements for steering angle of vehicle 1, requirements for keeping vehicle 1 stationary, etc.

[0038] Examples of requirements for longitudinal acceleration / deceleration generated in vehicle 1 include operational requirements for powertrain 302 or braking system 304.

[0039] Examples of requirements for keeping vehicle 1 stopped include requirements for allowing and disallowing the operation of at least one of the electric parking brake and parking locking mechanism (both not shown).

[0040] An electric parking brake, for example, limits the rotation of the wheels of vehicle 1 by operating an actuator. The electric parking brake can be configured to limit wheel rotation, for example, by operating an actuator to operate a parking brake for a portion of a plurality of wheels disposed on vehicle 1. Optionally, the electric parking brake can limit wheel rotation by adjusting the hydraulic pressure (hereinafter sometimes referred to as brake hydraulic pressure) supplied to the braking device 304 by operating an actuator for the parking brake, thereby braking a rotating wheel or keeping the wheel stationary.

[0041] The parking lock mechanism restricts the rotation of the transmission output shaft by operating an actuator. For example, the parking lock mechanism is adapted to a protrusion at the end of the parking lock lever, the position of which is adjusted by the actuator to the teeth of a gear (locking gear) that is connected to a rotating element in the transmission of vehicle 1. In this way, the rotation of the transmission output shaft is restricted, and the rotation of the drive wheels is also restricted.

[0042] The applications installed on the driver assistance system 100 are not limited to those mentioned above. Applications that implement other functions can be added, or existing applications can be omitted, and in particular, there is no limit to the number of applications installed.

[0043] Furthermore, this embodiment describes a scenario where the ADAS-ECU 10 includes a driver assistance system 100 composed of multiple applications; however, for example, an ECU can be configured for each application. For instance, the driver assistance system 100 may consist of the following ECUs: an ECU with an application that implements the functions of an autonomous driving system, an ECU with an application that implements the functions of an automatic parking system installed thereon, and an ECU with an ADAS application installed thereon.

[0044] The braking ECU 20 includes a motion manager 200. In this embodiment, a hardware configuration including a motion manager 200 is described as an example; however, the motion manager 200 may be a separate ECU from the braking ECU 20, or it may be included in other ECUs different from the braking ECU 20. The braking ECU 20 is configured to communicate with each of the ADAS-ECU 10, the various ECUs included in the actuator system 30, and the central ECU 40.

[0045] The motion manager 200 requests motion from the actuator system 30 to the vehicle 1 according to a motion plan set in at least one application of the driver assistance system 100. The detailed configuration of the motion manager 200 will be described below.

[0046] The actuator system 30 is configured to fulfill the motion requirements for the vehicle 1 output from the motion manager 200. The actuator system 30 includes a plurality of actuators. Figure 1 An example of an actuator system 30 is shown, including, for example, a powertrain system 302, a braking system 304, and a steering system 306 as actuators. The number of actuators serving as the desired destination of the motion manager 200 is not limited to the three described above, but can be four or more, or two or fewer.

[0047] The powertrain system 302 includes a powertrain capable of generating driving force on the drive wheels of the vehicle 1, and an ECU (not shown) for controlling the operation of the powertrain system. The powertrain system includes, for example, at least one of the following: an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline or diesel engine; a transmission including a gearbox, differential, etc.; an electric generator as a drive source; a power accumulation device for accumulating the power supplied to the electric generator; a power conversion device for converting power between the electric generator and the power accumulation device; and a power source such as a fuel cell. The ECU controlling the operation of the powertrain system executes control of the corresponding devices to fulfill the motion requirements of the motion manager 200 for the corresponding devices in the powertrain system 302.

[0048] The braking system 304 includes, for example, multiple braking devices disposed on each wheel of the vehicle 1. These braking devices include, for example, hydraulic brakes, such as disc brakes that use hydraulic pressure to generate braking force or holding force. As a braking device, an electric generator connected to the wheels and generating regenerative torque may also be included, for example. The braking operation of the vehicle 1 using multiple braking devices is controlled by the braking ECU 20. Separately from the motion manager 200, for example, a processor (not shown) for controlling the braking system 304 is disposed in the braking ECU 20.

[0049] The steering system 306 includes, for example, a steering device capable of changing the steering angle of the steering wheels (e.g., the front wheels) of the vehicle 1, and an ECU (both not shown) for controlling the operation of the steering device. The steering device includes, for example, steering wheels that change the steering angle according to the amount of operation, and an electric power steering (EPS) whose steering angle can be adjusted by an actuator separately from the operation of the steering wheels. The ECU for controlling the operation of the steering device controls the operation of the EPS actuator.

[0050] The central ECU 40 includes a memory 42 capable of updating its stored contents. The central ECU 40 is configured to communicate, for example, with the brake ECU 20, and is also configured to communicate with a device (not shown, e.g., a server) outside the vehicle 1 via a communication module (not shown). When receiving update information from the server outside the vehicle 1, the central ECU 40 uses the received update information to update the information stored in the memory 42. Predetermined information is stored in the memory 42. This predetermined information includes, for example, information read from various ECUs when the vehicle 1's system is started.

[0051] In this embodiment, it is described that when the vehicle 1 system starts, the central ECU 40 reads predetermined information from various ECUs, but it may have functions such as relaying communication between various ECUs (gateway function).

[0052] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 2 A detailed example of how to operate the Motion Manager 200. Figure 2 A diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the motion manager 200.

[0053] Figure 2 The driver assistance system 100 is shown as an example application including, for example, AEB 102, PCS 104, ACC 106, and ASL 108. A request for a motion plan set in at least one of the multiple applications is sent from the driver assistance system 100 to the motion manager 200 as a request signal PLN1.

[0054] The required signal PLN1 may include, for example, information about a target acceleration set as part of a motion plan in ACC 106, AEB 102, PCS 104, or ASL 108. In addition to the acceleration value used to drive or brake vehicle 1, the target acceleration also includes an acceleration value used to keep vehicle 1 stationary.

[0055] The motion manager 200 sets the required motion for the vehicle 1 based on the motion plan included in the received request signal PLN1, and requests the actuator system 30 to perform the set motion. In other words, the motion manager 200 sends an operation request for the powertrain system 302 to the actuator system 30 as a request signal ACL1. The motion manager 200 sends an operation request for the braking system 304 to the actuator system 30 as a request signal BRK1. Furthermore, the motion manager 200 sends an operation request for the steering system 306 to the actuator system 30 as a request signal STR1.

[0056] The requirement signal ACL1 may include information about the required value of the drive torque or drive force, or information about the adjustment method (e.g., whether to choose between a maximum or minimum value, or to change the value in steps or gradually).

[0057] The requirement signal BRK1 may include information such as the required value of the braking torque, the method of adjustment (e.g., whether the value is changed step by step or gradually), or the timing of braking (whether it is executed immediately).

[0058] The required signal STR1 may include, for example, information about the target steering angle, information about whether the target steering angle is valid, or information about the upper and lower limits of the auxiliary torque for steering wheel operation.

[0059] The actuators that have received corresponding request signals from the plurality of actuators constituting the actuator system 30 are controlled to perform the operational requirements included in the request signals.

[0060] The following section will describe an example of configuring the motion manager 200. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the motion manager 200 includes a receiving unit 202, a mediating unit 204, a calculation unit 206, and an allocation unit 208.

[0061] The receiving unit 202 receives motion plan requests from one or more applications of the driver assistance system 100. Details of the motion plan in this embodiment will be described below.

[0062] The mediation unit 204 mediates requests for motion plans received from various applications via the receiving unit 202. An example of this mediation process may be selecting a motion plan from multiple motion plans based on a predetermined selection criterion. Alternatively, another example of the mediation process may be setting a new motion plan based on a previous motion plan. The mediation unit 204 may also add predetermined information received from the actuator system 30 and mediate requests for motion plans. Furthermore, the mediation unit 204 may determine whether to temporarily prioritize the motion of vehicle 1 requested based on driver and vehicle states compared to the motion of vehicle 1 corresponding to the motion plan determined based on the mediation result.

[0063] The calculation unit 206 calculates the motion requirements based on the adjustment results of the motion plan in the adjustment unit 204 and the motion of the vehicle 1 determined based on the adjustment results. Motion includes physical quantities that control at least one actuator in the actuator system 30 and are different from the physical quantities required for the motion plan. For example, when the requirement for the motion plan (first requirement) is a longitudinal acceleration value, the calculation unit 206 calculates the motion requirement (second requirement) as the value obtained by converting the acceleration into driving force or driving torque. For example, when a target acceleration for maintaining a stopped state is selected as the adjustment result, the calculation unit 206 calculates the required driving force corresponding to the target acceleration.

[0064] The allocation unit 208 performs allocation processing to distribute the motion requirements calculated by the calculation unit 206 to at least one actuator of the actuator system 30. For example, when acceleration of the vehicle 1 is required, the allocation unit 208 allocates the motion requirements only to the powertrain system 302. Optionally, when deceleration of the vehicle 1 is required, the allocation unit 208 allocates the motion requirements to both the powertrain system 302 and the braking system 304 to achieve the target deceleration.

[0065] For example, when the target acceleration for maintaining a stopped state is selected as the stopping result, the distribution unit 208 determines the holding force (e.g., brake hydraulic pressure) corresponding to the calculated driving force. In this case, the distribution unit 208 outputs the determined holding force as a motion requirement to the braking system 304.

[0066] Information regarding the status of the powertrain 302 is sent as signal ACL2 from the powertrain 302 of the actuator system 30 to the motion manager 200. Examples of information regarding the status of the powertrain 302 include information about accelerator pedal operation, information about the actual drive torque or actual drive force of the powertrain 302, actual gear shift information, information about the upper and lower limits of drive torque, information about the upper and lower limits of drive force, or information about the reliability of the powertrain 302.

[0067] Information regarding the status of the braking system 304 is sent as signal BRK2 from the braking system 304 of the actuator system 30 to the motion manager 200. Examples of information regarding the status of the braking system 304 include information about the operation of the brake pedal, information about the braking torque requested by the driver, information about the required value of the braking torque after stopping, information about the actual braking torque after stopping, information about the holding force after stopping, or information about the reliability of the braking system 304.

[0068] Information regarding the state of the steering system 306 is sent as signal STR2 from the steering system 306 of the actuator system 30 to the motion manager 200. Examples of information regarding the state of the steering system 306 include information about the reliability of the steering system 306, information about whether the driver is holding the steering wheel, information about the torque used to operate the steering wheel, or information about the steering wheel's rotation angle.

[0069] In addition to the aforementioned power transmission system 302, braking system 304, and steering system 306, the actuator system 30 also includes a sensor group 308.

[0070] Sensor group 308 includes multiple sensors for detecting the behavior of vehicle 1. Sensor group 308 includes, for example, a longitudinal G-sensor for detecting vehicle acceleration in the longitudinal direction, a lateral G-sensor for detecting vehicle acceleration in the lateral direction, wheel speed sensors mounted on each wheel for detecting wheel speed, and a yaw rate sensor for detecting the angular velocity of the rotation angle (yaw angle) of vehicle 1 in the yaw direction. Sensor group 308 sends information including the detection results from multiple sensors as a signal VSS2 to motion manager 200. In other words, signal VSS2 includes, for example, the detection values ​​from the longitudinal G-sensor, the lateral G-sensor, the wheel speed sensors of each wheel, the yaw rate sensor, and information about the reliability of each sensor.

[0071] Upon receiving various signals from the actuator system 30, the motion manager 200 sends predetermined information as signal PLN2 to the driver assistance system 100.

[0072] The configuration of the device installed on vehicle 1 and the configuration of motion manager 200 described above are examples, and can be appropriately added, replaced, changed, or omitted. Furthermore, the function of each device can be appropriately performed by integrated devices or multiple devices.

[0073] In a vehicle 1 with such a configuration, the motion manager 200 obtains information about the controlled gear position (e.g., information indicating whether the vehicle is in drive, reverse or neutral) from the processor of the powertrain 302.

[0074] When the processor of the powertrain system 302 is used in a powertrain system that includes a manual transmission instead of an automatic transmission, the following can be considered. For example, when the shift lever is in a shift position such as second or third gear, information indicating that the shift gear is a drive gear is output to the motion manager as a control shift gear. When the shift lever is in the reverse (R) shift position, information indicating that the shift gear is reverse is output to the motion manager as a control shift gear. When the shift lever is in the neutral position, information indicating that the shift gear is neutral is output to the motion manager as a control shift gear.

[0075] In this situation, when the driver shifts the gear from second to third gear, the gear shift lever is in the neutral position. Therefore, information indicating the shift gear as drive, neutral, and drive is sequentially output to the motion manager 200 as a control shift gear. The motion manager 200 sets the braking force corresponding to the shift gear. For this reason, when the shift gear is switched in the order of drive, neutral, and drive, the braking force fluctuates, and therefore, due to the fluctuation in the acceleration of vehicle 1, the vehicle cannot accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0076] Therefore, the processor of the powertrain 302 will switch the gear selected by the shift lever of the manual transmission to the control shift gear of the automatic transmission, send specific information that can identify the switched control shift gear to the motion manager 200, and when the clutch position sensor detects the operation of the clutch, it will retain the specific information that can identify the control shift gear at the start of the clutch operation as specific information to be sent to the motion manager.

[0077] Accordingly, when the clutch is operated, specific information regarding the control shift gear position that identifies the gear change at the start of the operation is retained and sent to the motion manager 200. For this reason, even when the gear shift lever passes through the neutral position during gear shifting, specific information regarding the control shift gear position that was previously shifted is still sent to the motion manager 200. Therefore, fluctuations in braking force set by the motion manager 200 can be prevented. As a result, the vehicle 1 can accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0078] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the powertrain system 302 of this embodiment when it includes an automatic transmission. (Refer to...) Figure 3 The powertrain system 302 includes a powertrain control microcontroller unit (MCU) 321 and a powertrain ECU 322. The powertrain control microcontroller unit 321 controls the operation of the automatic transmission and acquires signals from various sensors attached to the automatic transmission. The powertrain ECU 322 and the powertrain control MCU 321 cooperate to control the entire powertrain system 302.

[0079] When the powertrain system 302 includes an automatic transmission, the powertrain control MCU 321 sends a control shift signal to the powertrain ECU 322, indicating which shift gear the automatic transmission is controlled to.

[0080] The powertrain ECU 322 sends control shift position information, indicating the shift position indicated by the control shift position signal received from the powertrain control MCU 321, to the motion manager 200 via the vehicle network. The motion manager 200 sends control signals based on the shift position indicated by the received control shift position information to the actuator system 30 (e.g., powertrain system 302 and braking system 304).

[0081] Therefore, although the powertrain ECU 322 was initially designed for automatic transmissions, it is conceivable that it could also be used for manual transmissions.

[0082] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the powertrain system 302 of this embodiment when it includes a manual transmission. (Refer to...) Figure 4 In addition to the powertrain ECU 322, the powertrain system 302 also includes a neutral position sensor 323 for detecting that the shift lever is in neutral, a reverse (R) position sensor 324 for detecting that the shift lever is in the reverse (R) position, and a clutch position sensor 325 for detecting whether the clutch pedal is operated.

[0083] The powertrain ECU 322 receives the neutral SW signal from the neutral position sensor 323, the R position signal from the R position sensor 324, and the clutch SW signal from the clutch position sensor 325, and sends the gear shift information to the motion manager 200 based on these signals.

[0084] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the process of controlling gear shift output executed by the powertrain ECU 322 in this embodiment is provided. (Refer to...) Figure 5 The gear shift output control is processed by the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 from a higher level and invoked and executed according to each predetermined control cycle.

[0085] First, the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 determines whether it has received an indication that the gear shift lever is in neutral, any forward gear, or reverse (R) position. Figure 6 The signal of any one of the multiple positions indicated by R (step S101).

[0086] Figure 6This is a diagram illustrating an example of a timing diagram for changing gears according to the clutch operation in this embodiment. (Refer to...) Figure 6 Neutral position refers to any position other than the first through sixth forward gear shift positions and the reverse gear shift position (R position). For example, this is shown... Figure 6 The middle diagram of the three shift positions shows the shift position.

[0087] In the example Figure 6 In the diagrams showing the three shift positions, the left diagram shows the shift position for the second forward gear, while the right diagram shows the shift position for the third forward gear.

[0088] When the system detects that the shift lever is in any of the multiple positions ("Yes" in step S101), the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 sends control shift gear information indicating "Undefined" to the motion manager 200 (step S102).

[0089] When it is determined that no indication is received that the shift lever is in any of the multiple positions ("No" in step S101) or after step S102, the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 uses the clutch SW signal from the clutch position sensor 325 to determine whether the clutch is being operated (step S111). When the clutch SW signal indicates that the clutch pedal is being operated, it is determined that the clutch is being operated.

[0090] When it is determined that the clutch is being operated ("Yes" in step S111), the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 uses the neutral position sensor 323 to determine whether the shift lever is in the neutral position (step S112). When the neutral position sensor 323 indicates that the shift lever is in the neutral position, it is determined that the shift lever is in the neutral position.

[0091] When it is determined that the shift lever is in neutral (Yes in step S112), the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 determines that the clutch is being operated, and after determining that the shift lever is in neutral, determines whether it is the first control cycle (step S113). When it is determined to be the first control cycle (Yes in step S113), the output value of the control shift gear indicated by the previous control shift gear information sent to the motion manager 200 is stored as a hold value in the memory of the powertrain ECU 322 (step S114).

[0092] When it is determined that it is not the first control cycle ("No" in step S113) or after step S114, the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 changes to the N (neutral) gear as the control shift gear, and sends the control shift gear information of the gear stored in the memory and indicating the hold value to the motion manager 200 (step S115).

[0093] When it is determined that the clutch is not being operated (No in step S111), the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 uses the neutral SW signal from the neutral position sensor 323 to determine whether the shift lever is in the neutral position (step S112).

[0094] When it is determined that the gear shift lever is in the neutral position ("Yes" in step S121), the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 sends the control shift gear information indicating that the N gear is the control shift gear to the motion manager 200 (step S122).

[0095] When it is determined that the gear shift lever is not in neutral ("No" in step S112 or step S121) or after step S115 or step S122, the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 determines whether the gear shift lever is in any of the forward gears (step S123).

[0096] When it is determined that the shift lever is in any of the forward shift positions ("Yes" in step S123), the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 sends the control shift position information indicating that the D gear is the control shift position to the motion manager 200 (step S124).

[0097] When it is determined that the shift lever is not in any of the forward gear shift positions ("No" in step S123) or after step S124, the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 determines whether the shift lever is in the reverse gear R position (by...). Figure 6 (The location indicated by "R") (step S125).

[0098] When it is determined that the shift lever is in the R position (Yes in step S125), the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 sends the control shift gear information indicating that the R gear position is the control shift gear to the motion manager 200 (step S126).

[0099] When it is determined that the shift lever is not in the R position ("No" in step S125) or after step S126, the CPU of the powertrain ECU 322 causes the process to be executed to return to a higher-level process that is the caller for controlling the shift gear output process.

[0100] Refer again Figure 6 This timing diagram shows the shift lever moving from the second forward gear shift position shown in the left diagram of the diagram showing three shift positions, through the neutral position shown in the middle diagram, and to the third forward gear shift position shown in the right diagram.

[0101] Before time t1, the gear shift position is second forward and the clutch pedal is not being engaged. Therefore, Figure 5 The determination in steps S111 and S121 is "no", the determination in S123 is "yes", and in step S124, the control shift gear information indicating that the D gear corresponding to the second forward gear is the control shift gear is sent to the motion manager 200.

[0102] Between time t1 and time t2, the gear shift position is the second forward gear and the clutch pedal is being operated. Therefore, the determination in step S111 is "yes", the determination in S112 is "no", the determination in step S123 is "yes", and in step S124, the control shift gear information indicating D gear as the control shift gear is sent to the motion manager 200.

[0103] Between time t2 and time t3, the shift position is neutral, and the clutch pedal is being operated. Therefore, the determination in steps S111 and S112 is "yes," and in step S115, control shift position information indicating the hold value of the shift gear is sent to the motion manager 200. Here, after the clutch is operated to the neutral position, in the first control cycle, in step S114, the D gear position corresponding to the second forward gear, which is the previous output value, is stored as the hold value.

[0104] At time t3 and thereafter, the shift position is third forward gear and the clutch pedal is not being operated. Therefore, the determination in steps S111 and S121 is "no", the determination in S123 is "yes", and in step S124, control shift gear information indicating that the D gear corresponding to the third forward gear is the control shift gear is sent to the motion manager 200.

[0105] Variation Example

[0106] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, a powertrain ECU 322 for an automatic transmission is used. However, the powertrain ECU is not limited to this, and a powertrain ECU for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) transmission that continuously changes the drive distribution between the engine and the electric generator via a planetary gear mechanism or the like can be used, or a powertrain ECU for a continuously variable transmission (CVT) can be used.

[0107] In the above embodiment, the control device for controlling the movement of vehicle 1 is used as the motion manager 200 of the braking ECU 20. However, the control device is not limited to this and can be other control devices, such as the CPU of other ECUs.

[0108] The above embodiments can be regarded as a disclosure of the powertrain system 302, a disclosure of a control device (such as a motion manager 200 that cooperates with the powertrain system 302 to control the movement of the vehicle), a disclosure of a control system or vehicle 1 including the control device and the powertrain system 302, a disclosure of a control method in the powertrain system 302, and a disclosure of a control program executed in the powertrain system 302.

[0109] Summarize

[0110] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the control system includes a motion manager 200 that controls the movement of vehicle 1 and a powertrain 302 that includes a manual transmission. Figure 4 As shown, the powertrain 302 includes a clutch position sensor 325 for detecting clutch operation, and a powertrain ECU 322 for controlling the powertrain 302. Figure 5 As shown, the powertrain ECU 322 switches the gear selected by the manual transmission shift lever to the control shift gear of the automatic transmission (e.g., steps S115, S122, S124, and S126), sends specific information that can identify the switched control shift gear to the motion manager 200 (e.g., steps S115, S122, S124, and S126), and when the clutch position sensor detects the clutch operation, it retains the specific information that can identify the control shift gear at the start of the clutch operation as the specific information to be sent to the motion manager 200 (e.g., step S114).

[0111] Accordingly, when the clutch is being operated, specific information about the control shift gear position that can identify the gear shift at the start of the operation is maintained and sent to the motion manager 200. For this reason, even when the gear shift lever passes through the neutral position during gear shifting, specific information about the control shift gear position that could identify the gear shift before the shift is also sent to the motion manager 200. Therefore, fluctuations in the braking force set by the motion manager 200 can be prevented. As a result, the vehicle 1 can accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0112] like Figure 5As shown, the powertrain 302 may also include a neutral position sensor 323 that detects the shift lever being in the neutral position. When the clutch position sensor 325 detects clutch operation and the neutral position sensor 323 detects the shift lever being in the neutral position, the powertrain ECU 322 does not send specific information that identifies the neutral position as specific information to be sent to the motion manager 200 (e.g., step S115).

[0113] Therefore, even when the gear shift lever passes through the neutral position during gear shifting, specific information identifying the neutral position is not sent to the motion manager 200. This prevents fluctuations in the braking force set by the motion manager 200. As a result, the vehicle 1 can accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0114] like Figure 5 As shown, when the clutch position sensor 325 detects clutch operation and the neutral position sensor 323 detects that the shift lever is in the neutral position, the powertrain ECU 322 sends specific information to the motion manager 200 (e.g., step S115).

[0115] Therefore, even when the gear shift lever passes through the neutral position during gear shifting, specific information about the gear shift position before the shift is detected will be sent to the motion manager 200. This prevents fluctuations in the braking force set by the motion manager 200. As a result, the vehicle 1 can accelerate and decelerate smoothly.

[0116] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered exemplary rather than limiting in all respects. The scope of the invention is not shown by the foregoing description of the embodiments, but by the claims, and is intended to include all variations equivalent in meaning and scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control system, characterized in that... include: A control device configured to control the movement of a vehicle; as well as The powertrain system includes a manual transmission, in which The powertrain system includes a clutch position sensor and a processor. The clutch position sensor is configured to detect clutch operation, and the processor is configured to control the powertrain system. The processor is configured as follows: The gear selected by the shift lever of the manual transmission is switched to the control shift gear of the automatic transmission. Specific information that can identify the shift gear after the control change is sent to the control device, and When the clutch position sensor detects clutch operation, specific information that identifies the control shift gear at the start of clutch operation is retained as specific information to be sent to the control device, wherein... The powertrain system also includes a neutral position sensor, configured to detect that the gear shift lever is in the neutral position; and The processor is configured such that when the clutch position sensor detects the operation of the clutch and the neutral position sensor detects that the shift lever is in the neutral position, it does not send specific information that can identify the neutral position as the specific information to be sent to the control device.

2. The control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system is a vehicle.

3. The control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processor is configured to send the specific information to the control device when the clutch position sensor detects the operation of the clutch and the neutral position sensor detects that the shift lever is in the neutral position.

4. A control device configured to coordinate with a powertrain system to control the motion of a vehicle, the control device being characterized by comprising: The processor is configured as follows: Processing is performed based on specific information received from the powertrain system that identifies and controls the gear shift position; and When the powertrain includes a manual transmission, and the clutch operation is detected, and the shift lever of the manual transmission is detected to be in neutral, specific information is received from the powertrain that identifies the control shift gear of the automatic transmission at the start of the clutch operation, wherein... The gear shift position is selected from the gear selected by the gear shift lever.

5. A control method for a powertrain system including a clutch position sensor, a processor, and a manual transmission, the control method being characterized by comprising: The processor, configured to control the powertrain, will switch the gear selected by the shift lever of the manual transmission to the control shift gear of the automatic transmission; The processor sends specific information that can identify the converted control shift gear to the control device, which is configured to coordinate with the powertrain system to control the movement of the vehicle. as well as When the clutch position sensor, configured to detect clutch operation, detects clutch operation, specific information enabling the identification of the control shift gear at the start of clutch operation is retained as specific information to be sent to the control device, wherein... The powertrain system also includes a neutral position sensor, configured to detect that the gear shift lever is in the neutral position; and The control method includes, when the clutch position sensor detects the operation of the clutch and the neutral position sensor detects that the gear shift lever is in the neutral position, the processor does not send specific information that can identify the neutral position as the specific information to be sent to the control device.

6. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors in the powertrain system according to claim 5, and causing the one or more processors to perform the control method according to claim 5.

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