Vehicle control device

Abstract

The invention provides a control device for a vehicle, which can properly cool a plurality of devices and improve cooling efficiency while suppressing the device structure from becoming large. The control device is cooled by a cooling circuit of the vehicle together with a driveline as a cooling target part. A control device is provided with: a first travel control unit that executes travel control for reducing the driving load of a driver; and a second travel control unit that executes travel control in which the driver's driving load is greatly reduced compared with the first travel control unit. The control device reduces the output of the second travel control unit when the cooling load of the cooling target unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined load.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-189868 filed on November 7, 2023, and uses its contents herein. Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to a control device for a vehicle. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, research and development that contributes to energy efficiency has been conducted in order to ensure that more people can obtain reliable, sustainable, and advanced energy that is suitable for them.

[0004] A vehicle is known in the past, which includes a first cooling water circuit for cooling a drive device, a second cooling water circuit for cooling a charger, a switching valve for switching the flow of cooling water to the first cooling water circuit or the second cooling water circuit, and a control device for controlling the switching valve according to the status of the drive device and the charger (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-48758). Summary of the invention

[0005] However, in the present technology, a problem is to improve the cooling efficiency while appropriately cooling a plurality of devices, while suppressing an increase in the size of the device structure.

[0006] For example, as in the above-mentioned vehicle, when cooling of the plurality of devices is performed individually by selective switching rather than simultaneously cooling the plurality of devices, there arises a problem that the cooling operation of the entire system is restricted.

[0007] Furthermore, for example, in the case of a cooling mechanism that sequentially supplies cooling medium to multiple devices such as an onboard charger and a driving power conversion device by connecting cooling pipes of the multiple devices in series, the cooling capacity may be insufficient for devices on the downstream side of the cooling medium flow path.

[0008] The solution of the present application improves the cooling efficiency while appropriately cooling a plurality of devices while suppressing the device structure from becoming large-scale. Furthermore, the solution of the present application contributes to energy efficiency.

[0009] The present invention adopts the following scheme.

[0010] (1): One aspect of the present invention relates to a control device for a vehicle (e.g., the control device 10 in the embodiment), wherein the control device for the vehicle includes a control unit (e.g., the control unit 10 in the embodiment also serves as a control unit), the control unit is cooled by a cooling unit (e.g., the cooling circuit 21 in the embodiment) of a vehicle (e.g., the vehicle 1 in the embodiment) together with a cooling target unit (e.g., the transmission system and the power storage device in the embodiment), the control unit includes: a first control unit (e.g., the first driving control unit 10b in the embodiment), which performs driving control for reducing the driving load of the driver; and a second control unit (e.g., the second driving control unit 10c in the embodiment), which performs driving control for significantly reducing the driving load of the driver compared with the first control unit, and the control unit reduces the output of the second control unit when the cooling load of the cooling target unit is greater than a specified load.

[0011] (2): Based on the vehicle control device described in the above scheme (1), it can also be that the control unit selects the first state or the second state when reducing the output of the second control unit, and in the second state, the processing load is larger than that in the first state, and the reduction in the output is eliminated faster than in the first state.

[0012] (3): In the vehicle control device according to the above-mentioned aspect (2), the control unit and the cooling target unit may need to be cooled while the vehicle is running.

[0013] (4): In the vehicle control device according to the above-mentioned aspect (3), the control unit and the cooling target unit may be cooled in series by the cooling unit.

[0014] (5): In the vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (4), the cooling target portion may be a transmission system of the vehicle (eg, the transmission unit 24 in the embodiment).

[0015] (6): Based on the vehicle control device described in the above scheme (3), the control unit may also reduce the output of the second control unit in at least any one of a situation where the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, a situation where the vehicle is towing, and a situation where the vehicle is traveling uphill.

[0016] (7): In the vehicle control device according to the above aspect (6), the control unit may reduce an output of the second control unit in the second state when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed.

[0017] (8): In the vehicle control device according to the above-mentioned aspect (6) or (7), the control unit may reduce the output of the second control unit in the first state when the vehicle is towing.

[0018] (9): Based on the vehicle control device described in the above scheme (6), it may be that the control unit reduces the output of the second control unit through the second state when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, when the vehicle is being towed, or when the vehicle is traveling uphill, and the control unit reduces the output of the second control unit through the first state in at least any multiple of the situations of the vehicle traveling at a high speed, when the vehicle is being towed, and when the vehicle is traveling uphill.

[0019] According to the above-mentioned solution (1), the control unit is provided with a control unit that reduces the output of the second control unit with a relatively large processing load when the cooling load of the cooling target unit cooled by the cooling unit shared with the control unit is large, thereby preventing the cooling unit from becoming large and continuing to cool the cooling target unit and the control unit efficiently. By maintaining the output of the first control unit with a relatively small processing load, the increase in the driving load of the driver can be suppressed.

[0020] In the case of the above aspect (2), the control unit reduces the output of the second control unit in the first state or the second state in which the magnitude of the processing load and the speed of elimination of the output reduction are different, thereby being able to appropriately reduce the output of the second control unit according to the state of the vehicle.

[0021] In the case of the above-mentioned aspect (3), the cooling target portion and the control portion can be cooled simultaneously by the common cooling portion while the vehicle is running.

[0022] In the case of the above aspect (4), the cooling target unit and the control unit can be simultaneously cooled in series by the common cooling unit, and the structure of the cooling unit can be suppressed from becoming complicated compared to the case where the cooling target unit and the control unit are cooled in parallel.

[0023] In the case of the above-mentioned aspect (5), the powertrain and the control unit that need to be cooled while the vehicle is running can be cooled simultaneously by the common cooling unit.

[0024] In the above aspect (6), when the cooling load of the cooling target unit increases with the increase in the running load of the vehicle, the output of the second control unit is reduced, thereby suppressing the cooling unit from becoming larger and continuing to cool the cooling target unit and the control unit efficiently.

[0025] In the case of the above aspect (7), when the vehicle is traveling on a highway, the operation requirement of the second control unit becomes high. Therefore, the output of the second control unit is reduced in the second state compared with the first state, thereby appropriately reducing the driving load on the driver.

[0026] In the case of the above-mentioned solution (8), the possibility of the vehicle's traction being released during driving is low, and the driving load and the cooling load of the control unit are low during driving. Therefore, by reducing the output of the second control unit in the first state, the control unit can be appropriately cooled.

[0027] In the case of the above-mentioned scheme (9), the output of the second control unit can be reduced in stages, etc., depending on the size of the vehicle's running load and the cooling load of the control unit. When the cooling load of the control unit is relatively small, the second state can be used to prioritize the elimination of the output reduction, and when the cooling load of the control unit is relatively large, the first state can be used to prioritize cooling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a vehicle in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 It is a block diagram of a temperature control system for a vehicle in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device of the vehicle including the temperature control system in the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the vehicle 1 according to the embodiment.

[0033] The vehicle 1 of the embodiment is, for example, an electric vehicle that performs driving support and autonomous driving. The electric vehicle is an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and the like.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 1 includes, for example, a control device (ECU) 10 , a driving operating element 11 , a vehicle sensor 12 , an object detection device 13 , a positioning signal receiver 14 , a storage device 15 , a driving device 16 , a braking device 17 , and a steering device 18 .

[0035] The control device 10 is, for example, a software function unit that performs functions by executing a predetermined program by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The software function unit is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) having an electronic circuit such as a processor such as a CPU, a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing programs, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing data, and a timer. At least a part of the control device 10 may also be an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration).

[0036] The control device 10 includes, for example, a calculation unit 10a, a first travel control unit 10b, and a second travel control unit 10c.

[0037] The calculation unit 10 a executes various calculation processes based on information acquired from, for example, the driving operating element 11 , the vehicle sensor 12 , the object detection device 13 , the positioning signal receiver 14 , the storage device 15 , and the like.

[0038] The first travel control unit 10 b and the second travel control unit 10 c respectively control the driving device 16 , the braking device 17 , and the steering device 18 so as to reduce the driving load on the driver when the vehicle 1 is traveling.

[0039] The first driving control unit 10b controls driving support actions such as cruise control, lane keeping assist, and collision damage reduction braking, for example, with the driver as the driving subject. Cruise control is, for example, control such as constant speed driving to maintain a constant speed of the vehicle 1 and following driving to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle. Lane keeping assist is, for example, control to support the vehicle 1 to drive in the center of the lane. Collision damage reduction braking is, for example, control to support deceleration or stopping by braking before contact with an object, and control to perform an evasive action by steering.

[0040] The second travel control unit 10c reduces the driving load of the driver relatively more significantly than the first travel control unit 10b. The second travel control unit 10c controls driving actions that are not dependent on the driver's autonomy, so-called automatic driving, without the driver being the driving subject, for example.

[0041] For example, when the first travel control unit 10b and the second travel control unit 10c are respectively operated without restriction, the power consumption of the second travel control unit 10c is relatively larger than the power consumption of the first travel control unit 10b.

[0042] The driving operating element 11 is, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel, etc. The driving operating element 11 is, for example, provided with a sensor for detecting the operation amount or the presence or absence of the operation of each operating element. Each sensor is, for example, an accelerator position sensor, a brake sensor, and a steering sensor.

[0043] The accelerator position sensor detects, for example, an accelerator operation, which is an accelerator position that changes in accordance with an operation of an accelerator pedal (accelerator operating member) by a driver of the vehicle 1 , and outputs a detection signal of the accelerator operation.

[0044] The brake sensor is, for example, a hydraulic pressure sensor or a stroke sensor, etc. The brake sensor detects a brake operation such as operation of a brake pedal (brake operating member) by the driver of the vehicle 1 or a hydraulic pressure caused by the operation of the brake pedal, and outputs a detection signal of the brake operation.

[0045] The steering sensor is, for example, a torque sensor and a steering angle (rotation angle) sensor, etc. The steering sensor detects a steering operation such as torque and steering angle caused by the driver of the vehicle 1 operating the steering wheel (steering operating member) and outputs a detection signal of the steering operation.

[0046] The vehicle sensor 12 is, for example, a sensor for detecting a state quantity related to the speed of the vehicle 1, such as a wheel speed sensor or a rotation speed sensor, and a sensor for detecting the inertial motion of the vehicle 1, such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The inertial motion of the vehicle 1 is, for example, acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor and angular velocity detected by a gyro sensor.

[0047] The object detection device 13 includes, for example, a sonar, a radar device, a detector, and a camera. The detector is, for example, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The sonar, radar device, or detector radiates ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, or light to the outside world around the vehicle 1, and detects reflection or scattering based on an object, thereby detecting the distance to the object or the position of the object.

[0048] The camera is, for example, a digital camera including a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), etc. The camera outputs image data obtained by photographing the outside of the vehicle 1 in, for example, a visible light region and an infrared region.

[0049] The positioning signal receiver 14 includes an antenna for a satellite positioning system (GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System) such as GPS (Global Positioning System), and outputs information such as the position and posture of the vehicle 1 based on predetermined information obtained from positioning signals received by the antenna or predetermined calculations based on the positioning signals.

[0050] The storage device 15 stores map information, for example. The map information includes information on road shapes based on nodes and links, information on road shapes such as the number of lanes, curvature, width, and slope, and information on road structures such as type, position, direction, and size.

[0051] The drive device 16 includes, for example, a power source, a power transmission mechanism, and a power controller. The power source is, for example, an electric motor or an internal combustion engine that outputs the power for driving the vehicle 1. The power transmission mechanism is, for example, a transmission that transmits the power of the power source to the drive wheels. The power controller is, for example, a power converter that controls the power exchange between the power source and the electric motor. The drive device 16 controls the power for driving the vehicle 1, for example, based on the driver's operation of the accelerator operating member or a signal input from the control device 10.

[0052] The brake device 17 includes, for example, a brake mechanism such as a hydraulic disc brake or a drum brake, and an electric motor. The brake device 17 controls the electric motor according to, for example, the operation of the brake operating member by the driver or a signal input from the control device 10, and outputs a braking torque to each wheel according to the hydraulic pressure generated by the electric motor.

[0053] The steering device 18 includes, for example, a steering mechanism such as a rack-and-pinion mechanism and an electric motor. The steering device 18 controls the electric motor in response to, for example, a driver's operation of a steering operating element or a signal input from the control device 10 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0054] Figure 2 It is a configuration diagram of the temperature control system 20 of the vehicle 1 in the embodiment.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, the temperature control system 20 includes, for example, a cooling circuit 21 , a radiator (RAD) 22 , a pump 23 , and a drive unit (DU) 24 .

[0056] The cooling circuit 21 is, for example, a cooling circuit of a drive train system.

[0057] The radiator 22 radiates heat by exchanging heat between a heat medium such as a coolant liquid or so-called cooling water that flows through the cooling circuit 21 and the surrounding air or a coolant.

[0058] The pump 23 is, for example, an electric water pump, etc. The pump 23 sends the heat medium to the cooling circuit 21 .

[0059] For example, the control device 10 and the transmission unit 24 constituting the transmission system are arranged in the cooling circuit 21 as cooling target parts of the vehicle 1 .

[0060] The transmission unit 24 is, for example, disposed on the downstream side of the control device 10 in the cooling circuit 21. The transmission unit 24 includes, for example, a rotating electric machine that transfers torque between the left and right wheels, a differential mechanism that connects the rotating electric machine to the left and right wheels, and a power controller such as an inverter and a converter that controls power transfer to and from the rotating electric machine.

[0061] Hereinafter, a control operation executed by the control device 10 of the vehicle 1 including the temperature control system 20 in the embodiment will be described.

[0062] The control device 10 limits the output of the second travel control unit 10c according to the cooling load of the cooling object in the vehicle 1. The control device 10 limits the output of the second travel control unit 10c, for example, when the cooling load of the cooling object other than the control device 10 becomes greater than a predetermined load. The cooling object other than the control device 10 is, for example, the powertrain of the vehicle 1.

[0063] When limiting the output of the second travel control unit 10 c , the control device 10 controls the vehicle 1 to the first state or the second state, for example, according to the travel state of the vehicle 1 .

[0064] The first state and the second state are each a state in which the power consumption of the second travel control unit 10c is reduced, for example.

[0065] The first state is, for example, a stopped state in which the power is turned off (no power is supplied), a so-called shutdown state.

[0066] The second state is a state in which the processing load is greater than that of the first state, and the reduction in output is eliminated faster than that of the first state. The second state is, for example, a standby, sleep, or action suppression state after the startup is completed based on power on (power is supplied), a so-called power saving state.

[0067] The control device 10 reduces the power consumption of the second travel control unit 10c in at least any one of the following situations: when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a predetermined speed or higher on a highway, when the vehicle 1 is towing, and when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill.

[0068] For example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, the control device 10 reduces the output of the second travel control unit 10 c in the second state.

[0069] For example, when the vehicle 1 is towing-running, the control device 10 reduces the output of the second running control unit 10 c in the first state.

[0070] For example, the control device 10 reduces the power consumption of the second travel control unit 10 c in the second state when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a predetermined speed or higher, when the vehicle 1 is towing, or when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill.

[0071] For example, the control device 10 reduces the power consumption of the second travel control unit 10c in the first state in at least any of the following situations: when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed of more than a predetermined speed, when the vehicle 1 is towing, and when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill.

[0072] Figure 3 1 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 10 of the vehicle 1 including the temperature control system 10 according to the embodiment.

[0073] like Figure 3 As shown, first, the control device 10 obtains the driving state of the vehicle 1 (step S01). The control device 10 obtains the driving state of the vehicle 1 based on information obtained from the driving operation element 11, the vehicle sensor 12, the object detection device 13, the positioning signal receiver 14, and the storage device 15, and information obtained by various calculations of the calculation unit 10a. The driving state of the vehicle 1 is, for example, a case where the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed of more than a predetermined speed on a highway, a case where the vehicle 1 is towing, a case where the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill, etc.

[0074] Next, the control device 10 obtains the cooling load of the powertrain of the vehicle 1 (step S02 ).

[0075] Next, the control device 10 determines whether the cooling load of the powertrain of the vehicle 1 is equal to or larger than a predetermined load (step S03 ).

[0076] If the determination result is "NO", the control device 10 advances the process to the end.

[0077] On the other hand, when the determination result is “YES”, the control device 10 advances the process to step S04 .

[0078] Next, the control device 10 determines whether the travel state of the vehicle 1 corresponds to a case where the second travel control unit 10 c is controlled to the first state (step S04 ).

[0079] When the determination result is "NO", the control device 10 advances the process to step S06.

[0080] On the other hand, when the determination result is “YES”, the control device 10 advances the process to step S05 .

[0081] Next, the control device 10 controls the second travel control unit 10 c to the first state (step S05 ). Then, the control device 10 advances the process to the end.

[0082] In addition, the control device 10 controls the second travel control unit 10 c to the second state (step S06 ). Then, the control device 10 advances the process to the end.

[0083] As described above, according to the control device 10 of the vehicle 1 having the temperature control system 20 in the embodiment, when the cooling load of the cooling target part cooled by the cooling circuit 21 shared with the control device 10 is large, the output of the second driving control unit 10c with a relatively large processing load is reduced. As a result, it is possible to suppress the cooling circuit 21 from becoming large while continuing to cool the cooling target part and the control device 10 efficiently. By maintaining the output of the first driving control unit 10b with a relatively small processing load, it is possible to suppress the increase in the driving load of the driver. By continuously maintaining the driving support actions such as following driving, lane keeping and avoidance support performed by the first driving control unit 10b, the driving safety of the vehicle 1 can be properly ensured.

[0084] The control device 10 reduces the output of the second travel control unit 10 c in the first state or the second state in which the magnitude of the processing load and the speed of elimination of the output reduction are different, thereby being able to appropriately reduce the output of the second travel control unit 10 c according to the state of the vehicle 1 .

[0085] The powertrain and the control device 10 that need to be cooled while the vehicle 1 is traveling can be cooled simultaneously by the common cooling circuit 21 . Since the powertrain and the control device 10 are cooled simultaneously in series, the structure of the cooling circuit 21 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0086] When the cooling load of the powertrain increases as the running load of the vehicle 1 increases, the output of the second running control unit 10 c is reduced, thereby suppressing the enlargement of the cooling circuit 21 while efficiently cooling the powertrain and the control device 10 .

[0087] When the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, the operation requirement of the second travel control unit 10c becomes high. Therefore, by reducing the output of the second travel control unit 10c in the second state compared with the first state, the driving load on the driver can be appropriately reduced.

[0088] The traction of the vehicle 1 is less likely to be released during travel, and the travel load and the cooling load of the control device 10 are less likely to decrease during travel. Therefore, by reducing the output of the second travel control unit 10c in the first state, the control device 10 can be appropriately cooled.

[0089] The second state or the first state is selected according to any one or more of the situations in which the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed of more than a predetermined speed, in which the vehicle 1 is towing, and in which the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill, so that the output of the second travel control unit 10c can be reduced in stages or the like according to the magnitude of the travel load of the vehicle 1 and the cooling load of the control device 10. When the cooling load of the control device 10 is relatively small, the second state can be used to prioritize the elimination of the output reduction, and when the cooling load of the control device 10 is relatively large, the first state can be used to prioritize cooling.

[0090] (Variation)

[0091] Hereinafter, a modification of the embodiment will be described. It should be noted that the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

[0092] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the control device 10 selects the second state when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the control device 10 may select the first state according to the magnitude of the driving load and the processing load while giving priority to the second state when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway.

[0093] In the above-described embodiment, the control device 10 may switch the selection between the first state and the second state according to the magnitude of the inclination angle when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the cooling target of the vehicle 1 is the powertrain, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the cooling target of the vehicle 1 may be at least one of the powertrain and a power storage device such as a battery mounted on the vehicle 1 .

[0095] The embodiments of the present invention are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the invention and its equivalent scope as they are included in the scope and purpose of the invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, wherein: The vehicle control device includes a control unit, and the control unit is cooled by a cooling unit of the vehicle together with a cooling target unit. The control unit comprises: a first control unit that performs travel control for reducing a driving load on a driver; as well as a second control unit that performs travel control that significantly reduces the driving load on the driver compared to the first control unit, The control unit reduces the output of the second control unit when the cooling load of the cooling target unit is equal to or larger than a predetermined load.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit selects the first state or the second state when reducing the output of the second control unit, In the second state, the processing load is larger than in the first state, and the reduction in the output is eliminated faster than in the first state.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein: The control unit and the cooling target unit need to be cooled during the running of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit and the cooling target unit are cooled in series by the cooling unit.

5. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The cooling target portion is a powertrain of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit reduces the output of the second control unit in at least any one of a case where the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, a case where the vehicle is being towed, and a case where the vehicle is traveling uphill.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein: The control unit reduces the output of the second control unit in the second state when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The control unit reduces the output of the second control unit in the first state when the vehicle is towing.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein: When the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, when the vehicle is towing, or when the vehicle is traveling uphill, the control unit reduces the output of the second control unit in the second state. The control unit reduces the output of the second control unit in the first state in at least any one of a case where the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, a case where the vehicle is towing, and a case where the vehicle is traveling uphill.

Images