Control method, system and device for differential lock in vehicle, vehicle and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a control method, system and device for a differential lock in a vehicle, the vehicle and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of vehicle control. The method comprises the following steps of: receiving a switch activation signal from a computer to platform (CTP) (Console Touch Panel) or an information entertainment host (IHU) (Infotainment Head Unit); according to the switch activation signal, control information is generated, the control information is used for controlling the state of the differential lock, and the state of the differential lock comprises a locking state and an unlocking state; and controlling the differential lock to be in a locking state or an unlocking state according to the control information. By adopting the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the invention, the driving safety of the vehicle can be ensured after the vehicle is out of trouble.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of vehicle control technology, and in particular to a control method, system, device, vehicle and storage medium for a differential lock in a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The vehicle's drive modes include two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.

[0003] In the related art, for a four-wheel drive vehicle, after the tires of the vehicle get stuck in mud, puddles, etc., the user can manually control the differential lock to lock, so that the speeds of the left and right wheels of the vehicle are consistent, making it easier for the vehicle to get out of trouble.

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned related technologies, the driver often forgets to unlock the differential lock after the vehicle is out of trouble, which makes it easy for the vehicle to roll over when turning at high speed, affecting the safety of vehicle driving. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a control method, system, device, vehicle and storage medium for a differential lock in a vehicle, which can ensure the driving safety of the vehicle after the vehicle is out of trouble. The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are as follows:

[0006] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle is provided, the method comprising:

[0007] Receive switch activation signals from CTP (Console Touch Panel) or IHU (Infotainment Head Unit);

[0008] generating control information according to the switch activation signal, wherein the control information is used to control the state of the differential lock, wherein the state of the differential lock includes a locked state and an unlocked state;

[0009] According to the control information, the differential lock is controlled to be in the locked state or the unlocked state.

[0010] In some embodiments, the vehicle includes a relay, an electromagnetic coil and an HCU (Hybrid Control Unit), an output end of the relay is electrically connected to the electromagnetic coil, the HCU is provided with a high-side drive end and a low-side drive end, and an input end of the relay is electrically connected to the HCU;

[0011] The step of controlling the differential lock to be in the locked state according to the control information includes:

[0012] Controlling the high-side driving end and the low-side driving end to be respectively connected to the relay;

[0013] Wherein, when the high-side driving end and the low-side driving end are respectively connected to the relay, the relay is closed, the electromagnetic coil is supplied with a first current and the differential lock is attracted.

[0014] In some embodiments, generating control information according to the switch activation signal includes:

[0015] When receiving two consecutive frames of switch activation signals from the CTP or the IHU and the vehicle meets a first condition, generating first control information according to the two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, wherein the first control information is used to control the differential lock to maintain the locked state;

[0016] When two consecutive frames of switch activation signals are received from the CTP or the IHU and the vehicle meets the second condition, second control information is generated according to the two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, and the second control information is used to control the differential lock to maintain the unlocked state.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first condition includes:

[0018] The vehicle is in a high voltage ready Ptready state;

[0019] The driving mode of the vehicle is one of a snow mode, a sand mode, and an off-road mode;

[0020] The vehicle speed is less than or equal to a first threshold;

[0021] The wheel speed difference between any two wheels of the vehicle is less than or equal to a second threshold;

[0022] The rear axle torque of the vehicle is less than or equal to a third threshold;

[0023] The vehicle has a tank steering TAB function and the TAB function is in an inactive state;

[0024] The power supply voltage of the vehicle is within a first voltage range;

[0025] The differential lock is not faulty.

[0026] In some embodiments, the second condition includes at least one of the following:

[0027] The vehicle exits the Ptready state;

[0028] The CTP hard switch of the vehicle is triggered;

[0029] A switch of the IHU of the vehicle is triggered;

[0030] The vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold;

[0031] The driving mode of the vehicle is switched from one of a snow mode, a sand mode, and an off-road mode to another mode.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0033] According to the state of the differential lock, the instrument is controlled to display a first prompt message, wherein the first prompt message is used to display the state of the differential lock and the vehicle.

[0034] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a control system for a differential lock in a vehicle is provided, the system comprising: a differential lock, a hybrid vehicle controller HCU, a CTP and an infotainment host IHU, wherein a communication connection exists between the HCU and the CTP, and a communication connection exists between the HCU and the IHU; wherein:

[0035] The CTP or the IHU is used to send a switch activation signal to the HCU;

[0036] The HCU is used to generate control information according to the switch activation signal, and the control information is used to control the state of the differential lock, and the state of the differential lock includes a locked state and an unlocked state; according to the control information, the differential lock is controlled to be in the locked state or the unlocked state.

[0037] In some embodiments, the control system of the differential lock includes: an electronic differential lock (including an electromagnetic coil), a differential lock control circuit, an HCU controller, a CTP hard switch, an IHU soft switch, and an ICM instrument.

[0038] There is a communication connection between the HCU and the CTP, and there is a communication connection between the HCU and the IHU; wherein:

[0039] The CTP or the IHU is used to send a switch activation signal to the HCU;

[0040] The HCU is used to control the differential lock switch strategy, including: receiving the switch activation signal sent from the CTP or IHU, determining the differential lock opening or closing conditions, executing the control of the differential lock circuit on and off, and transmitting the differential lock status to the instrument;

[0041] The differential lock control circuit is used to turn on the differential lock electromagnetic coil according to the HCU control signal and transmit the circuit conduction signal to the HCU;

[0042] The ICM instrument is used to receive the differential lock status sent by the HCU and display the corresponding indicator light and prompt information; wherein:

[0043] The indicator light includes five states: the indicator light corresponding to the unlocked state is off, the indicator light corresponding to the locked state is always green, the indicator light corresponding to the condition not met state flashes yellow, the indicator light corresponding to the high-speed alarm state flashes green, the indicator light corresponding to the disconnected stuck fault state is always yellow, and the indicator light corresponding to the closed stuck state is always red.

[0044] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a control device for a differential lock in a vehicle is provided, the device comprising:

[0045] A signal receiving module, used for receiving a switch activation signal from the CTP or IHU;

[0046] An information generating module, configured to generate control information according to the switch activation signal, wherein the control information is used to control the state of the differential lock, wherein the state of the differential lock includes a locked state and an unlocked state;

[0047] The differential lock control module is used to control the differential lock to be in the locked state or the unlocked state according to the control information.

[0048] In some embodiments, the vehicle includes a relay, an electromagnetic coil and an HCU, an output end of the relay is electrically connected to the electromagnetic coil, the HCU is provided with a high-side driving end and a low-side driving end, and an input end of the relay is electrically connected to the HCU;

[0049] The differential lock control module is used to:

[0050] Controlling the high-side driving end and the low-side driving end to be respectively connected to the relay;

[0051] Wherein, when the high-side driving end and the low-side driving end are respectively connected to the relay, the relay is closed, the electromagnetic coil is supplied with a first current and the differential lock is attracted.

[0052] In some embodiments, the information generation module is used to:

[0053] When receiving two consecutive frames of switch activation signals from the CTP or the IHU and the vehicle meets a first condition, generating first control information according to the two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, wherein the first control information is used to control the differential lock to maintain the locked state;

[0054] When two consecutive frames of switch activation signals are received from the CTP or the IHU and the vehicle meets the second condition, second control information is generated according to the two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, and the second control information is used to control the differential lock to maintain the unlocked state.

[0055] In some embodiments, the first condition includes:

[0056] The vehicle is in a high voltage ready Ptready state;

[0057] The driving mode of the vehicle is one of a snow mode, a sand mode, and an off-road mode;

[0058] The vehicle speed is less than or equal to a first threshold;

[0059] The wheel speed difference between any two wheels of the vehicle is less than or equal to a second threshold;

[0060] The rear axle torque of the vehicle is less than or equal to a third threshold;

[0061] The vehicle has a tank steering TAB function and the TAB function is in an inactive state;

[0062] The power supply voltage of the vehicle is within a first voltage range;

[0063] The differential lock is not faulty.

[0064] In some embodiments, the second condition includes at least one of the following:

[0065] The vehicle exits the Ptready state;

[0066] The CTP hard switch of the vehicle is triggered;

[0067] A switch of the IHU of the vehicle is triggered;

[0068] The vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold;

[0069] The driving mode of the vehicle is switched from one of a snow mode, a sand mode, and an off-road mode to another mode.

[0070] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0071] The information display module is used to control the instrument to display first prompt information according to the state of the differential lock, and the first prompt information is used to show the state of the differential lock and the vehicle.

[0072] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a vehicle is provided, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and the computer program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement a control method for a differential lock in the above-mentioned vehicle.

[0073] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-mentioned method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle.

[0074] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is provided, which is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-mentioned method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle.

[0075] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0076] The vehicle determines whether to lock or unlock the differential lock based on the switch activation signal of the CTP or IHU, and automatically controls the locking and unlocking of the differential lock, thereby realizing automatic control of the differential lock based on actual conditions, thereby avoiding driving accidents caused by the driver forgetting to unlock the differential lock, and ensuring the driving safety of the vehicle after the vehicle is out of trouble.

[0077] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0079] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0081] Figure 3 It is a block diagram of a control device for a differential lock in a vehicle provided by one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0083] The driving mode of a four-wheel vehicle (such as a car) refers to the layout of the engine and the number and position of the drive wheels. According to the number of drive wheels, it can be divided into two categories: two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. Generally, a vehicle has two rows of wheels, front and rear. The wheels that are directly driven by the engine to push (or pull) the car forward are the drive wheels.

[0084] A two-wheel drive (abbreviated as 2WD) vehicle may slip on snow or slippery roads even on good roads, and is more likely to swing its tail when starting and accelerating.

[0085] Four-wheel drive, which can be referred to as four-wheel drive for short, means that both the front and rear wheels of the vehicle have power, and the engine output torque can be distributed to the front and rear four wheels in different proportions according to the different road conditions to improve the vehicle's driving ability. Four-wheel drive can be represented by 4X4 or 4WD. The four-wheel drive system has better engine driving force application efficiency than two-wheel drive, and can achieve better tire traction and steering force, and better driving stability.

[0086] The differential lock can lock the differential when the vehicle is in trouble and one wheel is slipping, so that the wheel speeds of the left and right wheels are consistent, and the torque can be more conveniently transferred from the slipping end to the other end, thereby achieving escape. When the driver uses the differential lock function to escape, but forgets to unlock the differential lock, when driving at high speed and turning, the vehicle is prone to rollover due to the lack of wheel speed difference between the left and right wheels, thereby endangering the safety of the driver and passengers on the vehicle. In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle. The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to four-wheel drive vehicles, such as PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) four-wheel drive hybrid vehicles with a rear axle differential lock configuration.

[0087] In some embodiments, the control method of the differential lock in a vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application is applied to a control system of the differential lock in a vehicle. In some embodiments, the system includes an HCU, a CTP and an IHU, and there is a communication connection between the HCU and the CTP, and there is a communication connection between the HCU and the IHU.

[0088] In some embodiments, the HCU is used to receive the vehicle power gear signal, vehicle speed signal, left and right rear wheel speed signal, driving mode signal, power supply voltage signal and differential lock switch signal, so as to determine the differential lock opening conditions, state jump, lighting strategy, fault diagnosis and downgrade strategy, etc.

[0089] In some embodiments, the IHU may also be referred to as a large cockpit screen, that is, a human-computer interaction screen at the front end of the interior space of the vehicle. The IHU is used to send a differential lock soft switch request to the HCU, and receive a differential lock status signal fed back by the HCU for status display.

[0090] In some embodiments, CTP may also be referred to as a differential lock hardware switch. CTP is used to send a differential lock hard switch request to the HCU, receive a differential lock status signal fed back by the HCU, and control a corresponding indicator light according to the differential lock status signal.

[0091] In some embodiments, the system further includes a relay, a differential lock solenoid, and a freewheeling diode.

[0092] In some embodiments, the relay is directly connected to the HCU port using a hard wire to receive the HCU voltage signal for implementing the control of the differential lock hardware.

[0093] In some embodiments, the differential lock electromagnetic coil is a direct control unit of the differential lock hardware connector. After the relay is closed, the power is turned on, and the electromagnetic coil generates magnetic force to attract the differential lock terminals, thereby achieving differential lock locking.

[0094] In some embodiments, a freewheeling diode is used to guide the residual current in the electromagnetic coil to the ground terminal when the relay is disconnected, thereby protecting the controller port.

[0095] In some embodiments, the system further includes an ICM (Instrument Cluster Module). In some embodiments, the ICM may also be referred to as a cockpit instrument, and the ICM is used to receive a differential lock status signal sent by the HCU, thereby performing corresponding lighting operations on the instrument and popping up a corresponding prompt window according to each status value.

[0096] The technical solution of the present application is introduced and explained below through several embodiments.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 1 , which shows a flow chart of a control method of a differential lock in a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, the method is mainly applied to the HCU introduced above as an example. The method may include at least one of the following steps (110-130).

[0098] Step 110, receiving a switch activation signal from the CTP or IHU.

[0099] In some embodiments, in some embodiments, the CTP or IHU can be used as a differential lock hardware switch to send a hard switch request to the HCU. In some embodiments, the hard switch request carries a switch activation signal. In some embodiments, the switch activation signal can be used to indicate unlocking the differential lock.

[0100] In some embodiments, automatic unlocking of the differential lock may be achieved by receiving a switch activation signal from the CTP to unlock the differential lock.

[0101] In some embodiments, since the cockpit large screen of the IHU is controlled by the driver, manual unlocking of the differential lock can be achieved by receiving a switch activation signal from the IHU to unlock the differential lock.

[0102] In some embodiments, if the hard switch request carries a switch closing signal, the hard switch request is used to indicate locking the differential lock.

[0103] In some embodiments, the CTP or IHU may be configured to receive a differential lock status signal fed back by the HCU and indicate it through a corresponding indicator light.

[0104] Step 120 : Generate control information according to the switch activation signal, where the control information is used to control the state of the differential lock, where the state of the differential lock includes a locked state and an unlocked state.

[0105] In some embodiments, if the received switch activation signal meets the conditions, the HCU generates corresponding control information.

[0106] Step 130: Control the differential lock to be in a locked state or an unlocked state according to the control information.

[0107] In the embodiment of the present application, the control system of the differential lock is used to realize the normal locking and unlocking functions of the differential lock, and ensure that the vehicle can get out of trouble when locked. In addition, the control system of the differential lock ensures that the vehicle can be driven normally and safely after getting out of trouble (considering that the inner and outer wheel speeds are locked and rollover is likely to occur, and high-speed and large-angle turns cannot be performed after the differential lock is locked).

[0108] In some embodiments, if the control information is to control the differential lock to unlock, the control relay is turned on; if the control information is to control the differential lock to lock, the control relay is turned on.

[0109] To sum up, in the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, the vehicle determines the locking and unlocking of the differential lock according to the switch activation signal of the CTP or IHU, and automatically controls the locking and unlocking of the differential lock, thereby realizing automatic control of the differential lock according to actual conditions, thereby avoiding driving accidents caused by the driver forgetting to unlock the differential lock, thereby ensuring the driving safety of the vehicle after the vehicle is out of trouble.

[0110] In some possible implementations, the vehicle includes a relay, an electromagnetic coil and an HCU, there is an electrical connection between the output end of the relay and the electromagnetic coil, the HCU is provided with a high-side drive (High Speed ​​Data, high-speed data transmission connector) end and a low-side drive (Low Speed ​​Data, low-speed data transmission connector) end, and the input end of the relay is electrically connected to the HCU; according to the control information, the differential lock is controlled to be in a locked state, including: controlling the high-side drive end and the low-side drive end to be respectively connected to the relay; wherein, when the high-side drive end and the low-side drive end are respectively connected to the relay, the relay is closed, the electromagnetic coil is passed with a first current and the differential lock is attracted.

[0111] In some embodiments, the relay input terminal is connected to the HCU via a hard line, and the HCU obtains the closing status of the signal relay through the hard line to determine the locking / unlocking status of the differential lock.

[0112] In some embodiments, the HCU is provided with two ports (high-side drive and low-side drive) to control the relay to be attracted, the high-side drive is connected to the positive pole of the internal power supply of the HCU, and the low-side drive is connected to the internal ground of the HCU. The HCU realizes relay control by controlling the conduction of the high-side drive and the low-side drive. The normal unlocking state is that the high-side drive is turned on and the low-side drive is turned off, and the locking state is that the high-side drive is turned on and the low-side drive is turned on. In this embodiment, when one end is adhered and causes a short circuit, the other end can be disconnected in time to ensure that the differential lock is in an unlocked state to improve driving safety.

[0113] In some embodiments, the control information is generated according to the switch activation signal, including:

[0114] When two consecutive frames of switch activation signals are received from CTP or IHU and the vehicle meets the first condition, first control information is generated based on the two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, and the first control information is used to control the differential lock to remain in a locked state; when two consecutive frames of switch activation signals are received from CTP or IHU and the vehicle meets the second condition, second control information is generated based on the two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, and the second control information is used to control the differential lock to remain in an unlocked state.

[0115] In some embodiments, the HCU receives a CTP hard switch signal or an IHU soft switch signal (the HCU will respond only after receiving two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, and will not respond the next time within 2 seconds).

[0116] In some embodiments, the first condition includes:

[0117] The vehicle is in the high voltage ready Ptready state;

[0118] The vehicle's driving mode is one of snow mode, sand mode, and off-road mode;

[0119] The speed of the vehicle is less than or equal to a first threshold;

[0120] The wheel speed difference between any two wheels of the vehicle is less than or equal to a second threshold;

[0121] The rear axle torque of the vehicle is less than or equal to a third threshold;

[0122] The vehicle has the tank steering TAB function and the TAB function is inactive;

[0123] The power supply voltage of the vehicle is within a first voltage range;

[0124] The differential lock is faultless.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first threshold may be 4 km / h, the second threshold may be 7 km / h, the third threshold may be 1350 N.m, and the first voltage range may be 10.6V-12V. That is, the first condition includes at least one of the following: (1) the vehicle is in PTReady state; (2) the driving mode is in snow / sand / off-road mode; (3) the vehicle speed is lower than 4 km / h and the wheel speed difference is less than 7 km / h; (4) the rear axle torque is within 1350 N.m. If this condition is not met, the HCU must actively control the rear axle wheel end torque to be within 1350 N.m; (5) the TAB function is not activated (if any); (6) the power supply voltage is within the range of 10.6V-12V; (7) the differential lock is unlocked and has no faults.

[0126] In some embodiments, if the first condition is met, the HCU controls the high-side drive end and the low-side drive end to be turned on, at which time the relay is closed, and KL30 electricity is passed into the electromagnetic coil to generate magnetic force to attract the differential lock.

[0127] In some embodiments, the second condition includes at least one of the following:

[0128] The vehicle exits the Ptready state;

[0129] The vehicle's CTP hard switch is triggered;

[0130] The switch of the vehicle's IHU is triggered;

[0131] The speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold;

[0132] The driving mode of the vehicle is switched from one of the snow mode, sand mode, and off-road mode to another mode.

[0133] In some embodiments, the fourth threshold may be 30 km / h.

[0134] In some embodiments, after the overspeed unlocking is triggered, when the vehicle speed drops below 30 km / h again, the differential lock will not automatically lock again.

[0135] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned first threshold, second threshold, third threshold, fourth threshold, and first voltage range may also have other values, which can be specifically set by relevant technical personnel according to actual conditions, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0136] In some embodiments, the differential lock fault determination condition includes at least one of the following: the HCU determines whether the differential lock has been locked by reading back the signal of the relay input terminal, and compares the read-back signal with the request value to determine whether it has entered a fault state. The following are the fault state determination conditions: (1) Lock failure, request to lock and read back to unlock; (2) Unlock failure, request to unlock and read back to lock; (3) Unexpected lock, unlock state read back to unexpected lock; (4) Unexpected unlock, lock state gray to unexpected unlock.

[0137] In some embodiments, the system downgrades when a fault occurs: mainly for locking stuck, that is, being in a locked state and unable to unlock. When a differential lock is detected to be stuck, the HCU sends a disconnect request for the high-side drive and low-side drive ends, and controls the vehicle speed to be below 30km / h. The differential lock switch request of the CTP and IHU will no longer be responded to in this driving cycle.

[0138] In some embodiments, the method further includes: controlling the instrument to display a first prompt message according to the state of the differential lock, wherein the first prompt message is used to display the state of the differential lock and the vehicle.

[0139] In some embodiments, the cockpit instrument has a differential lock status indicator light, which displays the differential lock and vehicle status sent by the HCU, including: (1) when the differential lock is in a locked state and the vehicle speed is less than 20 km / h, the indicator light is always green; (2) when the differential lock is in a locked state and the vehicle speed is between 20 and 30 km / h, the indicator light flashes green; (3) when the differential lock is in an unlocked state, the indicator light goes out; (4) when the differential lock is in an unlocked state and the locking conditions are not met, the CTP switch or the large When the screen is switched on and off, the indicator light on the instrument panel flashes yellow for 5 seconds and a pop-up window pops up with the reminder text "Conditions not met, unable to lock, please park"; (5) When the differential lock is in the disconnected stuck fault state, the indicator light is always yellow and the reminder text "Differential lock failed to lock, please contact 4S store"; (6) When the differential lock is in the locked stuck fault state, the indicator light is always red and the reminder text "Differential lock failed to unlock, speed limit, please contact 4S store"; (7) When the differential lock is in the unlocking / locking process, the indicator light flashes green.

[0140] In the above implementation, the HCU makes locking and unlocking judgments on the differential lock according to the switch activation signal of the CTP / IHU, the power gear signal, the ESP vehicle speed signal, and the ESP left rear and right rear wheel speed signals, and completes the differential lock locking process by effectively controlling the closing of the electromagnetic coil through a low level.

[0141] Please refer to Figure 2 , which shows a control system of a differential lock in a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the system 200 includes: a differential lock, a hybrid vehicle controller HCU, a CTP and an IHU, a communication connection between the HCU and the CTP, and a communication connection between the HCU and the IHU; wherein:

[0142] The CTP or IHU is used to send a switch activation signal to the HCU;

[0143] The HCU is used to generate control information according to the switch activation signal, and the control information is used to control the state of the differential lock, which includes a locked state and an unlocked state; according to the control information, the differential lock is controlled to be in a locked state or an unlocked state.

[0144] In some embodiments, the differential lock control system includes: an electronic differential lock (including an electromagnetic coil), a differential lock control circuit, an HCU controller, a CTP hard switch, an IHU soft switch, and an ICM instrument.

[0145] In some embodiments, there is a communication connection between the HCU and the CTP, and there is a communication connection between the HCU and the IHU. The CTP or IHU is used to send a switch activation signal to the HCU; the HCU is used to control the differential lock switch strategy, including: receiving the switch activation signal sent from the CTP or IHU, determining the differential lock opening or closing conditions, executing the control of the differential lock circuit on and off, and transmitting the differential lock state to the instrument.

[0146] In some embodiments, the differential lock control circuit is used to turn on the differential lock electromagnetic coil according to the HCU control signal and transmit the circuit conduction signal to the HCU.

[0147] In some embodiments, the ICM instrument is used to receive the differential lock status sent by the HCU and display the corresponding indicator light and prompt information. Among them, the indicator light includes five states: the unlocked state corresponds to the indicator light off, the locked state corresponds to the indicator light green, the unsatisfied state corresponds to the indicator light yellow flashing, the high-speed alarm state corresponds to the indicator light green flashing, the disconnected stuck fault state corresponds to the indicator light yellow solid, and the closed stuck state corresponds to the indicator light red solid.

[0148] In the embodiment of the present application, the safety mechanism of the differential lock control method includes at least one of the following:

[0149] 1. The driver needs to actively click the switch to lock the car. There is no automatic locking function.

[0150] 2. When the driver clicks the switch button, the IHU or CTP will send three frames of activation signals. The HCU needs to receive two consecutive frames of activation signals to determine that the driver is operating the switch to ensure non-interference false triggering.

[0151] 3. The differential lock can only be locked if all the locking conditions are met, and only one of the unlocking conditions needs to be met. The differential lock will be automatically unlocked when the vehicle speed reaches a certain threshold.

[0152] 4. The HCU hardware controls the differential lock to engage through a double-contact switch (high-side drive and low-side drive) to prevent single-point control from being unable to unlock due to a short circuit, affecting driving safety.

[0153] 5. HCU is equipped with a readback signal to monitor the circuit conduction status and indirectly monitor the actual status of the differential lock. When the differential lock is stuck in the locked state, HCU controls the speed limit of the vehicle to ensure driving safety.

[0154] 6. A freewheeling diode is provided in the circuit, and the readback signal is directly connected to the HCU. When the relay is disconnected, the residual current in the differential lock electromagnetic coil will generate a reverse electromotive force, causing damage to the HCU readback terminal. The residual current is directed to the ground terminal through the freewheeling diode to solve the problem.

[0155] 7. The instrument corresponds to the vehicle and differential lock status, and reminds the driver through indicator lights and prompts, including:

[0156] (1) The indicator light corresponding to the unlocked state goes out;

[0157] (2) The indicator light corresponding to the locking status is always green;

[0158] (3) If the condition is not met, the corresponding indicator light flashes yellow and a prompt message "Differential lock failed, condition not met, please park" is played or displayed;

[0159] (4) The indicator light corresponding to the high-speed alarm status flashes green;

[0160] (5) The indicator light corresponding to the disconnection stuck fault state is always on in yellow, and the prompt message "Differential lock failed, please contact 4S store" is played or displayed;

[0161] (6) The indicator light corresponding to the closed stuck state is always red, and the text message "Differential lock unlocking failed, speed limit has been reached, please contact 4S dealer" is displayed.

[0162] To sum up, in the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, the vehicle determines the locking and unlocking of the differential lock according to the switch activation signal of the CTP or IHU, and automatically controls the locking and unlocking of the differential lock, thereby realizing automatic control of the differential lock according to actual conditions, thereby avoiding driving accidents caused by the driver forgetting to unlock the differential lock, and improving the safety of vehicle driving.

[0163] The following is an embodiment of the device of the present application, which can be used to execute the embodiment of the method of the present application. For details not disclosed in the embodiment of the device of the present application, please refer to the embodiment of the method of the present application.

[0164] Please refer to Figure 3 , which shows a block diagram of a control device for a differential lock in a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application. The device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned control method example of a differential lock in a vehicle, and the function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The device can be the HCU introduced above, or it can be set on the HCU. The device 300 can include: a signal receiving module 310, an information generating module 320 and a differential lock control module 330.

[0165] The signal receiving module 310 is used to receive a switch activation signal from the CTP or IHU.

[0166] The information generating module 320 is used to generate control information according to the switch activation signal, and the control information is used to control the state of the differential lock, and the state of the differential lock includes a locked state and an unlocked state.

[0167] The differential lock control module 330 is used to control the differential lock to be in the locked state or the unlocked state according to the control information.

[0168] In some embodiments, the vehicle includes a relay, an electromagnetic coil and an HCU, an output end of the relay is electrically connected to the electromagnetic coil, the HCU is provided with a high-side driving end and a low-side driving end, and an input end of the relay is electrically connected to the HCU;

[0169] The differential lock control module 330 is used to:

[0170] Controlling the high-side driving end and the low-side driving end to be respectively connected to the relay;

[0171] Wherein, when the high-side driving end and the low-side driving end are respectively connected to the relay, the relay is closed, the electromagnetic coil is supplied with a first current and the differential lock is attracted.

[0172] In some embodiments, the information generation module 320 is used to:

[0173] When receiving two consecutive frames of switch activation signals from the CTP or the IHU and the vehicle meets a first condition, generating first control information according to the two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, wherein the first control information is used to control the differential lock to maintain the locked state;

[0174] When two consecutive frames of switch activation signals are received from the CTP or the IHU and the vehicle meets the second condition, second control information is generated according to the two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, and the second control information is used to control the differential lock to maintain the unlocked state.

[0175] In some embodiments, the first condition includes:

[0176] The vehicle is in a high voltage ready Ptready state;

[0177] The driving mode of the vehicle is one of a snow mode, a sand mode, and an off-road mode;

[0178] The vehicle speed is less than or equal to a first threshold;

[0179] The wheel speed difference between any two wheels of the vehicle is less than or equal to a second threshold;

[0180] The rear axle torque of the vehicle is less than or equal to a third threshold;

[0181] The vehicle has a tank steering TAB function and the TAB function is in an inactive state;

[0182] The power supply voltage of the vehicle is within a first voltage range;

[0183] The differential lock is not faulty.

[0184] In some embodiments, the second condition includes at least one of the following:

[0185] The vehicle exits the Ptready state;

[0186] The CTP hard switch of the vehicle is triggered;

[0187] A switch of the IHU of the vehicle is triggered;

[0188] The vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold;

[0189] The driving mode of the vehicle is switched from one of a snow mode, a sand mode, and an off-road mode to another mode.

[0190] In some embodiments, the device further includes: an information display module.

[0191] The information display module is used to control the instrument to display first prompt information according to the state of the differential lock, and the first prompt information is used to show the state of the differential lock and the vehicle.

[0192] To sum up, in the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, the vehicle determines the locking and unlocking of the differential lock according to the switch activation signal of the CTP or IHU, and automatically controls the locking and unlocking of the differential lock, thereby realizing automatic control of the differential lock according to actual conditions, thereby avoiding driving accidents caused by the driver forgetting to unlock the differential lock, thereby ensuring the driving safety of the vehicle after the vehicle is out of trouble.

[0193] It should be noted that the device provided in the above embodiment, when implementing its functions, is only illustrated by the division of the above functional modules. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device is divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. In addition, the device and method embodiments provided in the above embodiment belong to the same concept, and the specific implementation process is detailed in the method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0194] In some embodiments, a vehicle is further provided, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and the computer program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the control method of the differential lock in the above-mentioned vehicle.

[0195] In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium is further provided, wherein a computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-mentioned method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle.

[0196] In some embodiments, a computer program product is also provided, and the computer program product is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-mentioned method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle.

[0197] It should be understood that the "plurality" mentioned in this article refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0198] The above description is only an exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle, characterized in that: The method comprises: Receive switch activation signals from the instrument panel touch panel CTP or infotainment host IHU; generating control information according to the switch activation signal, wherein the control information is used to control the state of the differential lock, wherein the state of the differential lock includes a locked state and an unlocked state; According to the control information, the differential lock is controlled to be in the locked state or the unlocked state.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The vehicle comprises a relay, an electromagnetic coil and a hybrid vehicle controller HCU, an output end of the relay is electrically connected to the electromagnetic coil, the HCU is provided with a high-side drive end and a low-side drive end, and an input end of the relay is electrically connected to the HCU; The step of controlling the differential lock to be in the locked state according to the control information includes: Controlling the high-side driving end and the low-side driving end to be respectively connected to the relay; Wherein, when the high-side driving end and the low-side driving end are respectively connected to the relay, the relay is closed, the electromagnetic coil is supplied with a first current and the differential lock is attracted.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of generating control information according to the switch activation signal comprises: When receiving two consecutive frames of switch activation signals from the CTP or the IHU and the vehicle meets a first condition, generating first control information according to the two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, wherein the first control information is used to control the differential lock to maintain the locked state; When two consecutive frames of switch activation signals are received from the CTP or the IHU and the vehicle meets the second condition, second control information is generated according to the two consecutive frames of switch activation signals, and the second control information is used to control the differential lock to maintain the unlocked state.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first condition includes: The vehicle is in a high voltage ready Ptready state; The driving mode of the vehicle is one of a snow mode, a sand mode, and an off-road mode; The vehicle speed is less than or equal to a first threshold; The wheel speed difference between any two wheels of the vehicle is less than or equal to a second threshold; The rear axle torque of the vehicle is less than or equal to a third threshold; The vehicle has a tank steering TAB function and the TAB function is in an inactive state; The power supply voltage of the vehicle is within a first voltage range; The differential lock is not faulty.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second condition includes at least one of the following: The vehicle exits the Ptready state; The CTP hard switch of the vehicle is triggered; A switch of the IHU of the vehicle is triggered; The vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold; The driving mode of the vehicle is switched from one of a snow mode, a sand mode, and an off-road mode to another mode.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: According to the state of the differential lock, the instrument is controlled to display a first prompt message, wherein the first prompt message is used to display the state of the differential lock and the vehicle.

7. A control system for a differential lock in a vehicle, characterized in that: The system includes: a differential lock, a hybrid vehicle controller HCU, a dashboard touch panel CTP and an infotainment host IHU, wherein there is a communication connection between the HCU and the CTP, and there is a communication connection between the HCU and the IHU; wherein: The CTP or the IHU is used to send a switch activation signal to the HCU; The HCU is used to generate control information according to the switch activation signal, and the control information is used to control the state of the differential lock, and the state of the differential lock includes a locked state and an unlocked state; according to the control information, the differential lock is controlled to be in the locked state or the unlocked state.

8. A control device for a differential lock in a vehicle, characterized in that: The device comprises: A signal receiving module, used to receive a switch activation signal from the instrument panel touch panel CTP or the infotainment host IHU; An information generating module, configured to generate control information according to the switch activation signal, wherein the control information is used to control the state of the differential lock, wherein the state of the differential lock includes a locked state and an unlocked state; The differential lock control module is used to control the differential lock to be in the locked state or the unlocked state according to the control information.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises a processor and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and the computer program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the method for controlling a differential lock in a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images