Travel mode control device and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a driving mode control device and a technology of a vehicle, which can reduce the burden of a driver and realize safe driving in an electric vehicle which reproduces the operation of the driver in a vehicle with a manual transmission in a simulation manner. A travel mode control device controls a travel mode of a vehicle provided with a drive motor, an accelerator pedal, a simulated clutch pedal, and a simulated shift lever, and one or more processors provided in the travel mode control device control the travel mode of the vehicle in an MT mode in which a shift operation and a clutch operation in the travel mode are enabled. The fatigue state of the driver is estimated on the basis of a shift operation or a clutch operation, and the control content of the MT mode is derived on the basis of the estimated fatigue state.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a travel mode control device and a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] There is known a technique of reproducing, in a simulated manner, an operation of a shift device and a clutch device in a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission that switches a gear ratio by a manual operation of a driver in a motor-driven electric vehicle.

[0003] For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an electric vehicle characterized by using an electric motor as a power device for traveling, the electric vehicle being provided with an accelerator pedal, a simulated clutch pedal, a simulated shift device, and a control device that controls a motor torque output by the electric motor, the control device being provided with a memory that stores an MT vehicle model that simulates a torque characteristic of a drive wheel torque in an MT vehicle having an internal combustion engine that controls a torque by an operation of a throttle pedal and a manual transmission that switches a gear stage by an operation of a clutch pedal and an operation of a shift device, and a processor that performs a process of accepting an operation amount of the accelerator pedal as an input of an operation amount of the throttle pedal of the MT vehicle model, accepting an operation amount of the simulated clutch pedal as an input of an operation amount of the clutch pedal of the MT vehicle model, accepting a shift position of the simulated shift device as an input of a shift position of the shift device of the MT vehicle model, calculating the drive wheel torque determined by the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, the operation amount of the simulated clutch pedal, and the shift position of the simulated shift device using the MT vehicle model, and calculating the motor torque for applying the drive wheel torque to a drive wheel of the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle being provided with a pedal reaction force adding device that generates a pedal reaction force of the simulated clutch pedal by an operation of a reaction force actuator, the control device being configured to control the pedal reaction force output by the pedal reaction force adding device in accordance with the operation amount of the simulated clutch pedal.

[0004] In addition, in Patent Literature 2, an electric vehicle is disclosed, which is characterized by using an electric motor as a power device for running, the electric vehicle being provided with: an accelerator pedal; a simulated clutch pedal; a simulated shift device; a mode selection switch that selects a control mode of the electric motor between a first mode and a second mode; and a control device that controls a motor torque output by the electric motor in accordance with the control mode selected by the mode selection switch, the control device being provided with a memory and a processor, the memory storing: an MT vehicle model that simulates a torque characteristic of a drive wheel torque in an MT vehicle having an internal combustion engine whose torque is controlled by operation of a throttle pedal and a manual transmission whose shift stage is switched by operation of a clutch pedal and operation of a shift device; and a motor torque command map that defines a relationship of the motor torque with respect to an operation amount of the accelerator pedal and a rotational speed of the electric motor, in a case where the electric motor is controlled in the first mode, the processor performs processing of: accepting the operation amount of the accelerator pedal as an input of the operation amount of the throttle pedal of the MT vehicle model; accepting an operation amount of the simulated clutch pedal as an input of the operation amount of the clutch pedal of the MT vehicle model; accepting a shift position of the simulated shift device as an input of the shift device of the MT vehicle model; calculating the drive wheel torque determined by the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, the operation amount of the simulated clutch pedal, and the shift position of the simulated shift device using the MT vehicle model; and calculating the motor torque for applying the drive wheel torque to a drive wheel of the vehicle, in a case where the electric motor is controlled in the second mode, the processor performs processing of: invalidating the operation of the simulated clutch pedal and the operation of the simulated shift device; and calculating the motor torque using the motor torque command map based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal and the rotational speed of the electric motor, in a case where either one of the shift stage of the MT vehicle model determined by the shift position is smaller than a predetermined value or a vehicle speed of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined value is established in a case where the first mode is selected by the mode selection switch, the processor controls the electric motor so as to be the motor torque in the second mode.

[0005] In addition, in Patent Literature 3, a control device of an electric vehicle is disclosed, which is characterized by having a drive power source having at least a motor, an accelerator pedal operated by a driver, and a controller that controls the drive power source, the control device of the electric vehicle controls the drive power based on an operation amount of the accelerator pedal, and further has a clutch pedal operated by the driver, and a travel information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the electric vehicle and road information of a road on which the electric vehicle travels, the controller assumes a virtual engine as the drive power source, and based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal and the operation amount of the clutch pedal, respectively estimates engine torque that the virtual engine can output and load torque applied to the virtual engine, in a case where it is determined based on the estimated engine torque and the load torque that a condition in which the virtual engine causes engine stall occurs, the controller executes simulated engine stall control that stops output of the drive power source to simulate the engine stall state, and in a case where it is determined based on the position information and the road information acquired by the travel information acquisition unit that the electric vehicle is located in a predetermined prohibited place or travels in the prohibited place, the controller prohibits execution of the simulated engine stall control.

[0006] Prior Art Documents Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP A) No. 2022-030814 Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP A) No. 2022-044955 Patent Literature 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP A) No. 2022-030474 SUMMARY

[0007] Technical Problem With the following drive mode (hereinafter referred to as "MT mode"), a driver can also obtain a driving feeling as if an MT vehicle is being operated in an electric vehicle in which the operation of a driver in a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "MT vehicle") having a manual transmission (MT) is simulated in a simulated manner. However, in the MT mode, in addition to the usual driving operation in the electric vehicle, the operation of the simulated clutch device by the driver is also increased. Therefore, the burden on the driver is greater than the usual driving operation in the electric vehicle, and measures need to be taken to achieve safe driving.

[0008] According to the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, drivers in electric vehicles can experience a driving feel similar to operating the clutch pedal in a manual transmission (MT) vehicle. Furthermore, according to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 3, simulated engine stall control can be prevented from being executed at predetermined prohibited locations. However, none of the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 have considered countermeasures to reduce the burden on the driver in MT mode, leaving room for improvement.

[0009] In view of the above, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a technology that reduces the driver's burden and enables safe driving in an electric vehicle that simulates the operation of a driver in a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission.

[0010] Technical solution One embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a driving mode control device for controlling the driving mode of a vehicle. The vehicle includes a drive motor, an accelerator pedal for receiving acceleration requests from the driver, a simulated clutch pedal operated by the driver and simulating clutch operation, and a simulated gear shift lever operated by the driver and simulating gear shifting operation. The driving mode control device includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors. In the MT mode where the gear shifting operation and the clutch operation are enabled in the driving mode, the one or more processors estimate the driver's fatigue state based on the gear shifting operation or the clutch operation, and derive the control content of the MT mode based on the estimated fatigue state.

[0011] One embodiment of the vehicle disclosed herein includes: a drive motor; an accelerator pedal that receives an acceleration request from a driver; a simulated clutch pedal operated by the driver and simulating clutch operation; a simulated gear shift lever operated by the driver and simulating gear shifting operation; and the aforementioned driving mode control device.

[0012] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vehicle comprising: a drive motor; an accelerator pedal that receives an acceleration request from a driver; a simulated clutch pedal operated by the driver and simulating clutch operation; a simulated gear shift lever operated by the driver and simulating gear shifting operation; and a driving mode control device that controls the driving mode of the vehicle. The driving mode control device includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors. In a manual transmission (MT) mode where gear shifting and clutch operation are enabled, the one or more processors estimate the driver's fatigue state based on the gear shifting or clutch operation and derive the control content of the MT mode based on the estimated fatigue state.

[0013] Technical effect According to one embodiment of this disclosure, in an electric vehicle that simulates the operation of a driver in a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission, the driver's burden can be reduced and safe driving can be achieved. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a structural example of a vehicle equipped with a driving mode control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating a structural example of a driving mode control device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the output transmission rate of a simulated clutch pedal.

[0017] Figure 4 This is another example illustrating the output transmission rate of a simulated clutch pedal.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a driving mode control device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Symbol Explanation 1: Vehicle; 2: Drive motor; 15: Accelerator pedal; 16: Brake pedal; 17: Simulated clutch pedal; 18: Simulated gear shift lever; 19: Accelerator pedal sensor; 20: Brake pedal sensor; 21: Clutch pedal sensor; 22: Simulated gear shift lever sensor; 23: Reaction force actuator; 30: Driving mode control device; 31: Processing unit; 32: Storage unit; 33: Acquisition unit; 34: Fatigue estimation unit; 35: Driving control unit; 36: Suggestion unit; 37: Receiving unit. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in this specification and the accompanying drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are omitted from repeated description by using the same symbols.

[0021] (1. The overall structure of the vehicle) Reference Figure 1 An example of the overall structure of a vehicle 1 equipped with a driving mode control device 30 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0022] Vehicle 1 is configured as a front-wheel drive four-wheeled automobile that transmits the drive torque output from the drive motor 2 (described in detail later) to the left and right front wheels. It should be noted that the combination of drive wheels and the drive method are not limited. For example, vehicle 1 can be a rear-wheel drive vehicle, a four-wheel drive vehicle, or a vehicle equipped with drive motors corresponding to each wheel.

[0023] Vehicle 1 is equipped with a drive motor 2, a converter 3, a converter 4, and a drive battery 5.

[0024] The drive motor 2 outputs drive torque transmitted to the front wheels via the differential mechanism 6 and the front wheel drive shaft 7F. The drive motor 2 can be configured as a three-phase AC motor. In this case, the rotor (not shown) is rotated by a rotating magnetic field formed by supplying three-phase AC current to the stator (not shown), thus outputting drive torque. The drive motor 2 functions such that, when no three-phase AC current is supplied to the stator, the rotor receives the rotational torque transmitted from the front wheels via the front wheel drive shaft 7F and rotates, thereby generating regenerative power. The drive of the drive motor 2 is controlled by the vehicle control device 11, described later.

[0025] The converter 3 includes a conversion circuit that converts the DC power scanned from the drive battery 5 into three-phase AC power and supplies it to the stator of the drive motor 2. This conversion circuit also converts the three-phase AC power regenerated by the stator of the drive motor 2 into DC power and supplies it to the converter 4. The drive of the converter 3 is controlled by the vehicle control unit 11.

[0026] The converter 4 includes a boost circuit that boosts the voltage of the electricity generated by the drive motor 2 to the required charging voltage of the drive battery 5 and supplies it to the drive battery 5. It should be noted that the boost circuit may also have the function of boosting or bucking the output voltage of the drive battery 5 and supplying it to the converter 3. The drive of the converter 4 is controlled by the vehicle control unit 11.

[0027] The drive battery 5 supplies power to the drive motor 2. For example, a lithium-ion battery or an all-solid-state battery with a rated voltage of about 200V to 800V is configured as a rechargeable secondary battery as the drive battery 5, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0028] Vehicle 1 also includes an electric power steering system 8, braking systems 9LF, 9RF, 9LR, and 9RR (hereinafter referred to as "braking system 9" unless otherwise specified) and a vehicle control system 11.

[0029] An electric steering system 8 is mounted on the front drive axle 7F. The electric steering system 8 includes an electric motor (not shown) and a gear mechanism (not shown), and adjusts the steering angle of the front wheels by control of the vehicle control unit 11. It should be noted that the vehicle control unit 11 controls the electric steering system 8 based on the driver's steering angle of the steering wheel (not shown). Here, if the vehicle 1 is a vehicle capable of performing automatic driving control, the vehicle control unit 11 controls the electric steering system 8 based on the driver's steering angle of the steering wheel during manual driving. On the other hand, during automatic driving, the vehicle control unit 11 controls the electric steering system 8 based on a steering angle or steering angular velocity set by a known or arbitrary method.

[0030] Braking devices 9LF, 9RF, 9LR, and 9RR apply braking force to each wheel. Braking devices 9 can be, for example, hydraulic braking devices. In this case, the hydraulic pressure supplied to each braking device 9 is regulated by controlling the drive of the hydraulic unit 10 via the vehicle control device 11. It should be noted that braking devices 9 are used in conjunction with regenerative braking based on the drive motor 2.

[0031] The vehicle control device 11 mainly includes one or more electronic control devices (ECU: Electronic Control Unit) that control the drive of the drive motor 2, the electric steering device 8, and the hydraulic unit 10.

[0032] Vehicle 1 also includes an input / output device 12. The input / output device 12 is driven by the driving mode control device 30 and communicates various information, including suggestions for the driver, through means such as voice output or text or image display. Furthermore, the input / output device 12 is driven by the driving mode control device 30 and receives the driver's response to the suggestions through means such as voice input. The input / output device 12 may also include, for example, a display, speaker, and microphone installed on the dashboard. It should be noted that the input / output device 12 may also include a HUD (Head-Up Display) that displays information on the windshield of vehicle 1.

[0033] In addition, vehicle 1 includes a vehicle speed sensor 13 for detecting vehicle speed and an acceleration sensor 14 for detecting vehicle acceleration. The detection signals from the vehicle speed sensor 13 and the acceleration sensor 14 are respectively sent to the driving mode control device 30. It should be noted that vehicle 1 may also include ambient environment sensors (not shown), such as a front-facing camera and a rear-facing camera. Furthermore, vehicle 1 may also include a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor (not shown) that receives satellite signals from positioning satellites such as GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites.

[0034] Vehicle 1 also features an accelerator pedal 15, a brake pedal 16, a simulated clutch pedal 17, and a simulated gear shift lever 18.

[0035] The accelerator pedal 15 accepts the driver's acceleration request. The accelerator pedal 15 has an accelerator pedal sensor 19 that detects the amount of pressure applied by the driver. The detection signal from the accelerator pedal sensor 19 is sent to the driving mode control device 30.

[0036] The brake pedal 16 receives a braking request from the driver. The brake pedal 16 has a brake pedal sensor 20 that detects the amount of pressure applied by the driver. The detection signal from the brake pedal sensor 20 is sent to the driving mode control device 30.

[0037] The simulated clutch pedal 17 and simulated gear shift lever 18 accept shift requests based on driver simulation. Since vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle driven by drive motor 2 and does not have an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or diesel engine as a driving force source, it does not have the clutch mechanism and shift mechanism that are usually found in MT vehicles.

[0038] The simulated clutch pedal 17 is operated by the driver and can simulate clutch operation. That is, the simulated clutch pedal 17 has a structure that simulates the clutch pedal found in a typical MT vehicle. The configuration of the simulated clutch pedal 17 is the same as that of a typical MT vehicle. The simulated clutch pedal 17 is depressed when the driver operates the simulated gear shift lever 18. The simulated clutch pedal 17 is equipped with a simulated clutch pedal sensor 21 that detects the amount of pressure applied by the driver. Furthermore, a reaction force actuator 23 is connected to the simulated clutch pedal 17. This reaction force actuator 23 is driven by the driving mode control device 30 and generates a pedal reaction force that counteracts the driver's pressure on the simulated clutch pedal 17. Details will be described later; the magnitude of the pedal reaction force is also controlled by the driving mode control device 30. It should be noted that the structure of the reaction force actuator 23 is not particularly limited and a known structure can be used. The detection signal from the simulated clutch pedal sensor 21 is sent to the driving mode control device 30.

[0039] The simulated gear shift lever 18 is operated by the driver and can simulate gear shifting. That is, the simulated gear shift lever 18 has a structure that simulates the shift lever found in typical manual transmission (MT) vehicles, such as the one used in H mode. The configuration and feel of the simulated gear shift lever 18 are the same as those of a typical MT vehicle. When the driver inputs a simulated gear shifting request for vehicle 1, the driver manually operates the simulated gear shift lever 18. The simulated gear shift lever 18 has a simulated gear shift sensor 22 that detects the gear position of the simulated gear shift lever 18. The detection signal from the simulated gear shift sensor 22 is sent to the driving mode control device 30.

[0040] In addition to a simulated gear shift lever 18 operated by the driver in MT mode, vehicle 1 also has a shift switch 24 operated by the driver in AT mode. The shift switch 24 has positions including P (Park), R (Reverse), N (Neutral), and D (Drive). It should be noted that the shift switch 24 is preferred from the viewpoint of facilitating blind operation by the driver, but a conventional gear shift lever can also be used instead. Furthermore, from the same viewpoint, in AT mode, the simulated gear shift lever 18 can be stored inside the vehicle interior via control by the ECU or similar device. Additionally, in MT mode, the shift switch 24 can also be stored inside the vehicle interior via control by the ECU or similar device, or the position indicator light showing the gear position of the shift switch 24 can be turned off.

[0041] In addition, vehicle 1 may also be equipped with a body vibration generating device 25. The body vibration generating device 25 is driven by the driving mode control device 30 and can generate body vibrations simulating those of a typical manual transmission (MT) vehicle when the driver operates the simulated clutch pedal 17 or the simulated gear shift lever 18. This allows the operating feel of the simulated clutch pedal 17 or the simulated gear shift lever 18 to closely resemble that of a typical MT vehicle. The body vibration generating device 25 may also be mounted, for example, on the suspension (not shown) of vehicle 1. It should be noted that the structure of the body vibration generating device 25 is not particularly limited; for example, it can be an electric cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a pneumatic cylinder.

[0042] (2. Driving mode control device) Reference Figure 2 The driving mode control device 30 of this embodiment will be described.

[0043] (2-1. Structural Example) The driving mode control device 30 functions as a means of controlling the driving mode of vehicle 1 by executing a computer program through one or more processors such as CPUs (Central Processing Units). This computer program is used to cause the processor to perform the actions described later by the driving mode control device 30. The computer program executed by the processor can be recorded in a recording medium that functions as a storage unit (memory) 32 described later. Alternatively, the computer program can also be recorded in a recording medium built into the driving mode control device 30 or in any recording medium that can be externally mounted to the driving mode control device 30.

[0044] As a recording medium for recording computer programs, it can also be magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs and Blu-rays (registered trademarks), magneto-optical media such as optical disks, storage elements such as RAM and ROM, flash memory such as USB storage devices and SSDs, and other media capable of storing programs.

[0045] The driving mode control device 30 is connected to the vehicle control device 11, input / output device 12, vehicle speed sensor 13, and acceleration sensor 14 via a dedicated line or communication unit such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Internet). Additionally, the driving mode control device 30 is connected via a dedicated line or communication unit such as CAN or LIN to the accelerator pedal 15 and accelerator pedal sensor 19, brake pedal 16 and brake pedal sensor 20, simulated clutch pedal 17, simulated clutch pedal sensor 21 and reaction force actuator 23, simulated gear shift lever 18 and simulated gear shift lever sensor 22, shift switch 24, and vehicle body vibration generating device 25. It should be noted that some or all of the structure of the driving mode control device 30 can also be housed within the vehicle control device 11.

[0046] The driving mode control device 30 includes a processing unit 31 and a storage unit 32.

[0047] (Processing Department) The processing unit 31 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and various peripheral components. Part or all of the processing unit 31 may be composed of updatable components such as firmware, or it may be a program module or the like that executes according to instructions from the CPU.

[0048] (Storage Department) The storage unit 32 is composed of one or more storage elements such as RAM or ROM that are communicatively connected to the processing unit 31. The type and number of storage units 32 are not particularly limited. The storage unit 32 stores information such as computer programs executed by the processing unit 31, various parameters used in the arithmetic processing, detection data, and calculation results. It should be noted that an MT vehicle model simulating a typical MT vehicle (described later) is pre-stored in the storage unit 32.

[0049] (2-2. Functional composition of the processing unit) The functional configuration of the processing unit 31 of the driving mode control device 30 will be described. The processing unit 31 includes an acquisition unit 33, a fatigue estimation unit 34, a driving control unit 35, a suggestion unit 36, and a receiving unit 37. These parts are implemented by executing computer programs through one or more processors such as a CPU. However, simulation circuits may also be used to construct part or all of the acquisition unit 33, fatigue estimation unit 34, driving control unit 35, suggestion unit 36, and receiving unit 37.

[0050] (Acquisition Department) The acquisition unit 33 acquires the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal 15 by the driver based on the detection signal from the accelerator pedal sensor 19, and stores it in the storage unit 32. Additionally, the acquisition unit 33 acquires the amount of pressure applied to the brake pedal 16 by the driver based on the detection signal from the brake pedal sensor 20, and stores it in the storage unit 32. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 33 acquires the amount of pressure applied to the simulated clutch pedal 17 by the driver based on the detection signal from the simulated clutch pedal sensor 21, and stores it in the storage unit 32. Finally, the acquisition unit 33 acquires the gear position of the simulated gear shift lever 18 based on the detection signal from the simulated gear shift lever sensor 22, and stores it in the storage unit 32.

[0051] (Fatigue estimation section) The fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates the driver's fatigue state based on the driver's gear shifting or clutch operation. Specifically, if the parameter values ​​obtained based on the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal 15, the amount of pressure applied to the simulated clutch pedal 17, or the simulated gear shift lever 18 satisfy a first condition, the fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates the driver's fatigue state as a first fatigue state. Alternatively, if the parameter values ​​obtained based on the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal 15, the amount of pressure applied to the simulated clutch pedal 17, or the simulated gear shift lever 18 satisfy a second condition, the fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates the driver's fatigue state as a second fatigue state. It should be noted that the first condition is the condition used to estimate the driver's fatigue state as the first fatigue state. The second condition is the condition used to estimate the driver's fatigue state as a second fatigue state, where the driver is more fatigued than in the first fatigue state. Therefore, the first condition and the second condition are different conditions.

[0052] The first condition may include one or more of the following conditions: The number of times the simulated engine stall occurs is above the threshold A1; The number of shift errors occurring with the simulated gear shift lever 18 exceeds the threshold B1; The number of times the simulated clutch pedal 17 is under-depressed exceeds the threshold C1; and The number of times that vehicle 1 experiences rapid acceleration exceeding the reference acceleration is above the threshold D1.

[0053] Here, the acceleration of vehicle 1 can be obtained from acceleration sensor 14. In addition, the reference acceleration can be preset considering legal speed, etc., or it can be dynamically set according to the vehicle speed range to which vehicle 1's speed belongs, as obtained from vehicle speed sensor 13. It should be noted that thresholds A1, B1, C1, and D1 can also be appropriately set according to the type of each parameter and stored in the storage unit 32 in advance.

[0054] The second condition may include one or more of the following conditions: The number of times the simulated engine stall occurs is above the threshold A2; The number of shift errors occurring with the simulated gear shift lever 18 exceeds the threshold B2; and The number of times the simulated clutch pedal 17 is under-pressed is above the threshold C2.

[0055] It should be noted that the thresholds A2, B2, and C2 can also be appropriately set according to the type of each parameter and stored in advance in the storage unit 32.

[0056] A value greater than threshold A1 is set as threshold A2. Similarly, a value greater than threshold B1 is set as threshold B2. Furthermore, a value greater than threshold C1 is set as threshold C2. It should be noted that, as will be described in detail later, a judgment related to the second condition is performed when the first condition is met. Moreover, when the first condition is met, the output transmission rate to the drive motor 2 is set to a value lower than the reference transmission rate. Therefore, even if the driver roughly operates the simulated clutch pedal 17, the vehicle 1 will not accelerate rapidly. Therefore, the second condition may differ from the first condition and may not include conditions related to rapid acceleration.

[0057] The fatigue estimation unit 34 can also estimate that a simulated engine stall has occurred when the driving control unit 35 simulates an engine stall state based on the amount of pressure applied to the simulated clutch pedal 17 and the gear position of the simulated gear shift lever 18. Alternatively, the fatigue estimation unit 34 can estimate that a shifting error has occurred if the gear position detected by the simulated gear shift lever sensor 22 is inappropriate. It should be noted that an inappropriate gear position refers to a gear different from the appropriate gear determined by the driving control unit 35 based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, which would not result in a simulated engine stall. Furthermore, the fatigue estimation unit 34 can estimate that under-pressure of the simulated clutch pedal 17 has occurred if the amount of pressure applied to the simulated clutch pedal 17 is less than the reference amount. Additionally, the fatigue estimation unit 34 can estimate that rapid acceleration has occurred if the rate of change of the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal 15 is greater than the reference rate of change.

[0058] (Driving control unit: AT mode) In AT mode, where driver-operated gear shifting and clutch operation are disabled, the driving control unit 35 performs the following control. It should be noted that, in addition to the driving mode switching performed by the driving control unit 35 described later, the driving mode can also be switched by the driver operating a switching switch (not shown) provided on the vehicle 1.

[0059] The driving control unit 35 outputs the drive torque determined by the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal 15 by the driver. Furthermore, the driving control unit 35 outputs the motor torque to be applied to the drive wheels of the vehicle 1 based on the output drive torque. Additionally, the driving control unit 35 sends a control signal based on the output motor torque to the converter 3 via the vehicle control device 11. It should be noted that the converter 3 controls the drive torque of the drive motor 2 based on the control signal received from the vehicle control device 11.

[0060] (Driving Control Unit: MT Mode) In MT mode, where the driver's gear shifting and clutch operations are enabled in driving mode, the driving control unit 35 performs the following controls.

[0061] The driving control unit 35 receives the amount of pressure applied by the driver to the accelerator pedal 15 as the amount of pressure applied to control the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine in a typical MT vehicle. Additionally, the driving control unit 35 receives the amount of pressure applied by the driver to the simulated clutch pedal 17 as the amount of pressure applied to the clutch pedal to actuate the clutch in a typical MT vehicle. Furthermore, the driving control unit 35 receives the driver's operation of the simulated gear shift lever 18 as the operation of the gear shift lever to switch gears in a typical MT vehicle. The driving control unit 35 uses an MT vehicle model that simulates a typical MT vehicle to derive the drive torque determined by the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal 15, the amount of pressure applied to the simulated clutch pedal 17, and the gear position of the simulated gear shift lever 18. This MT vehicle model can be a known model disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-043344, etc., and is pre-stored in the storage unit 32 as described above. Furthermore, the driving control unit 35 derives the motor torque applied to the drive wheels of the vehicle 1 based on the derived drive torque. Furthermore, the driving control unit 35 sends a control signal based on the derived motor torque to the converter 3 via the vehicle control device 11. It should be noted that the converter 3 controls the drive torque of the drive motor 2 based on the control signal received from the vehicle control device 11.

[0062] Therefore, when the driver changes gears or starts the vehicle 1, in addition to simulating the operation of the clutch pedal 17, they can also experience the same sensation as a normal MT vehicle, such as changing gears based on the operation of the simulated shift lever 18 and adjusting vehicle speed based on the operation of the accelerator pedal 15. It should be noted that if inappropriate operation of the simulated clutch pedal 17 or simulated shift lever 18 is detected by the driver, the driving control unit 35 executes control to stop the output of the drive motor 2 based on the MT vehicle model, thereby reproducing the simulated engine stall state.

[0063] Thus, the driving control unit 35 can export the control content for MT mode. The following control examples can be provided as MT mode control content: Determine the output of the drive motor 2 corresponding to the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal 15; Determine the output transmission rate to the drive motor 2 corresponding to the amount of pressure applied to the simulated clutch pedal 17; The output characteristics of the drive motor 2, which corresponds to the gear position of the simulated gear shift lever 18, are changed; and Determine the pedal reaction force of the simulated clutch pedal 17.

[0064] It should be noted that the output transmission rate and the pedal reaction force can be appropriately set as initial values ​​according to the driver's preferences, or they can be pre-stored in the storage unit 32. In this embodiment, it is important that the driving control unit 35 imposes the following restrictions on the control content of the MT mode based on the driver's fatigue state estimated by the fatigue estimation unit 34.

[0065] Specifically, when the fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates that the driver's fatigue state is the first fatigue state, the driving control unit 35 can derive control content that sets the output transmission rate of the drive motor 2, determined based on the amount of pressure applied to the simulated clutch pedal 17, to a value lower than the reference transmission rate as the control content for MT mode.

[0066] Reference Figure 3 The following describes the case where the connection between the simulated engine and the simulated transmission mechanism of the MT vehicle model is disconnected when the simulated clutch pedal 17 is depressed to 100%. The output transmission rate relative to the release ratio of the simulated clutch pedal 17 normally has the characteristics shown by the solid line. In contrast, under the first fatigue state, it may also have the characteristics shown by the dashed line, which indicates downshifting relative to the solid line, throughout the entire region of the release ratio.

[0067] Reference Figure 4 In the case where vehicle 1 is a vehicle in which the connection between the simulated engine and the simulated transmission mechanism of the MT vehicle model is cut off when the simulated clutch pedal 17 is depressed to 0%, the output transmission rate relative to the release ratio of the simulated clutch pedal 17 normally has the characteristics shown by the solid line. In contrast, in the first fatigue state, it may also have the characteristics shown by the dashed line, which indicates downshifting relative to the solid line, over the entire area of ​​the release ratio.

[0068] Alternatively, in an additional or alternative manner, if the fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates that the driver's fatigue state is the first fatigue state, the driving control unit 35 may derive control content that sets the pedal reaction force of the simulated clutch pedal 17 to a value lower than the reference reaction force as the control content for MT mode.

[0069] Alternatively, in an additional or alternative manner, if the fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates the driver's fatigue state as the first fatigue state, the driving control unit 35 can derive control content for maintaining vehicle 1 inertial driving in the event of a driver's misoperation of the simulated gear shift lever 18, as the control content for the MT mode. Here, "inertial driving" refers to setting vehicle 1 to a so-called creeping state. Therefore, even if a driver misoperates the simulated gear shift lever 18, the impact on the vehicle body from actions before regenerative braking or simulated engine stall can be suppressed. Furthermore, examples of "misoperation" include, for instance, shifting from 5th gear to 2nd gear or from 2nd gear to 5th gear, but it is not limited to these.

[0070] Alternatively, if the fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates that the driver's fatigue state is a second fatigue state that is different from the first fatigue state, the driving control unit 35 may execute control to switch the MT mode to the AT mode.

[0071] (Advice Department) Return to Figure 2 The suggestion unit 36, by controlling the drive of the input / output device 12, performs processing for the output results of the driver suggestion driving control unit 35, etc. It should be noted that this suggestion can be performed via voice output, image display, or text display.

[0072] (Acceptance Department) The receiving unit 37 processes the driver's response to the suggestion made by the suggestion unit 36 ​​by controlling the drive of the input / output device 12. It should be noted that this response can be performed via voice input or the like.

[0073] (2-3. Example of operation of driving mode control device) Reference Figure 5 The operation example of the driving mode control device 30 in this embodiment will be explained according to the flowchart.

[0074] In step S10, the driving control unit 35 determines whether the MT mode is enabled. If the MT mode is enabled (step S10: Yes), the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if the MT mode is not enabled (step S10: No), the process ends.

[0075] In step S11, the driving control unit 35 sets the first control content as the control content for MT mode. In this example, the first control content includes setting the output transmission rate to the drive motor 2 and the pedal reaction force of the simulated clutch pedal 17 to initial values ​​preset according to the driver's preferences. Thus, with an output transmission rate and pedal reaction force corresponding to their preferences, the driver can obtain a driving experience similar to that of a normal MT vehicle. Afterwards, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0076] In step S12, the suggestion unit 36 ​​performs a process of suggesting to the driver whether to use control content corresponding to the driver's fatigue state as the control content for MT mode. If there is a response from the driver indicating that the control content corresponding to the fatigue state is permitted (step S12: Yes), the process proceeds to step S13. If there is a response from the driver indicating that the control content corresponding to the fatigue state is not permitted (step S12: No), the process ends.

[0077] It should be noted that, instead of step S12, the process can be terminated when a so-called motion mode is in operation, such as when the upper limit of the acceleration of the vehicle 1 is set higher than usual and the output characteristics of the drive motor 2 are steeper than usual.

[0078] In step S13, the fatigue estimation unit 34 determines whether the parameter values ​​obtained based on the amount of accelerator pedal 15 being pressed, the amount of simulated clutch pedal 17 being pressed, or the operation of simulated gear shift lever 18 meet a first condition, which is a condition used to estimate the driver's fatigue state as a first fatigue state.

[0079] In this example, the first condition includes: condition (i) the number of times the simulated engine stall occurs is greater than or equal to threshold A1; condition (ii) the number of times the simulated gear shifting error of the gear shift lever 18 occurs is greater than or equal to threshold B1; condition (iii) the number of times the simulated clutch pedal 17 is under-depressed is greater than or equal to threshold C1; and condition (iv) the number of times the vehicle 1 accelerates rapidly is greater than or equal to threshold D1. The fatigue estimation unit 34 can execute the judgments related to conditions (i) to (iv) in parallel, or it can execute the judgments related to conditions (i) to (iv) in any order. It should be noted that before the processing in step S13, the fatigue estimation unit 34 initializes the occurrence counts of each of conditions (i) to (iv) to "0". Here, in this disclosure, the first condition does not need to include all of conditions (i) to (iv), but only needs to include one or more of conditions (i) to (iv).

[0080] If the first condition is met (step S13: Yes), the fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates the driver's fatigue state as the first fatigue state, and the process proceeds to step S14. On the other hand, if the first condition is not met (step S13: No), the process returns to step S13.

[0081] In step S14, the driving control unit 35 derives a second control content as the control content for the MT mode. In this example, the second control content includes setting the output transmission rate to the drive motor 2, determined based on the amount of pressure applied to the simulated clutch pedal 17, to a value lower than the reference transmission rate. Additionally, the second control content includes setting the pedal reaction force of the simulated clutch pedal 17 to a value lower than the reference reaction force. Furthermore, the second control content includes allowing the vehicle 1 to continue moving inertia if a driver misoperation of the simulated gear shift lever 18 is detected. However, the second control content does not need to include all three of the above control contents; including one or more of these control contents is sufficient. Afterward, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0082] Here, in step S14, the driving control unit 35 preferably performs the following control: the control of setting the output transmission rate to a value lower than the reference transmission rate is limited to a predetermined time from when the driver starts operating the simulated clutch pedal 17, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, the output transmission rate is restored to the reference transmission rate. This is because if the output transmission rate remains lower than the reference value, it is insufficient to achieve the output required for driving on highways or uphill. Specifically, the driving control unit 35 may also calculate the output transmission rate using the following formula (1), thereby performing the control of gradually restoring the output transmission rate to the reference transmission rate as time passes from when the simulated clutch pedal 17 is started. It should be noted that the “set value” in formula (1) refers to the output transmission rate when the simulated clutch pedal 17 is started, and is set to be lower than the reference transmission rate. In addition, the “elapsed time” in formula (1) refers to the elapsed time calculated from when the simulated clutch pedal 17 is started. In addition, the “predetermined time” in formula (1) is exemplified as a few seconds to tens of seconds, but this disclosure is not limited to this and can be set appropriately.

[0083]

Mathematical Formula 1

[0084] In step S16, the driving control unit 35 performs control according to the second control content. Specifically, the driving control unit 35 derives the motor torque according to the second control content using the method described above, and sends a control signal based on the derived motor torque to the converter 3. Thereby, the converter 3 controls the drive torque of the drive motor 2 based on the control signal received from the driving control unit 35. Afterward, the process proceeds to step S17.

[0085] In step S17, the fatigue estimation unit 34 determines whether the parameter values ​​obtained based on the amount of accelerator pedal 15 being pressed, the amount of simulated clutch pedal 17 being pressed, or the operation of simulated gear shift lever 18 meet the second condition. This second condition is used to estimate the driver's fatigue state as a second fatigue state that is more fatigued than the first fatigue state.

[0086] In this example, the second condition includes: condition (v) the number of times the simulated engine stall state occurs is greater than or equal to threshold A2; condition (vi) the number of times the simulated shifting error of the gear shift lever 18 occurs is greater than or equal to threshold B2; and condition (vii) the number of times the simulated clutch pedal 17 is under-depressed is greater than or equal to threshold C2. The fatigue estimation unit 34 can execute the judgments related to conditions (v) to (vii) in parallel, or it can execute the judgments related to conditions (v) to (vii) in any order. It should be noted that before the processing in step S17, the fatigue estimation unit 34 initializes the occurrence counts of each of conditions (v) to (vii) to "0". Here, in this disclosure, the second condition does not need to include all of conditions (v) to (vii), only one or more of conditions (v) to (vii) are required.

[0087] If the second condition is satisfied (step S17: Yes), the fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates the driver's fatigue state as a second fatigue state, which is more fatigued than the first fatigue state, and proceeds to step S18. On the other hand, if the second condition is not satisfied (step S17: No), the process returns to step S17.

[0088] In step S18, the driving control unit 35 derives a third control content as the control content for the MT mode. In this example, the third control content includes switching the MT mode to the AT mode. That is, the driver is in a second fatigue state, which has accumulated more fatigue than the first fatigue state, so from a safety point of view, the MT mode is forcibly turned off. After this, the process proceeds to step S19.

[0089] In step S19, the driving control unit 35 executes control according to the third control content. Specifically, the driving control unit 35 invalidates the shifting and clutch operations performed by the driver according to the third control content, derives the motor torque using the control method described above in AT mode, and sends a control signal based on the derived motor torque to the converter 3. The converter 3 then controls the drive torque of the drive motor 2 based on the control signal received from the driving control unit 35. After this, the process ends.

[0090] It should be noted that it is preferable to execute the processing after step S13 of the various processes included in this action example at a time when a predetermined time has elapsed since the driver started driving. This predetermined time can be appropriately set taking into account factors such as the accumulation of fatigue caused by driving.

[0091] (Effect) As described above, the driving mode control device 30 of this embodiment controls the driving mode of a vehicle 1, which includes: a drive motor 2; an accelerator pedal 15 that accepts the driver's acceleration request; a simulated clutch pedal 17 operated by the driver and simulating clutch operation; and a simulated gear shift lever 18 operated by the driver and simulating gear shifting operation. Furthermore, in the MT mode where gear shifting and clutch operation are effectively implemented, the processing unit 31 of the driving mode control device 30 estimates the driver's fatigue state based on the gear shifting or clutch operation. Then, based on the estimated fatigue state, the processing unit 31 of the driving mode control device 30 derives the control content for the MT mode.

[0092] According to this configuration, the driving mode of vehicle 1 can be controlled based on the fatigue state of the driver of vehicle 1. In particular, based on the simulated operation of the clutch pedal 17, etc., potential fatigue states that are difficult to detect in known driver monitoring systems can be detected, such as when the driver is conscious but not drowsy, but is experiencing accumulated physical fatigue. Therefore, in an electric vehicle that simulates the operation of a driver in a manual transmission vehicle, the driver's burden can be reduced, and safe driving can be achieved.

[0093] As a variation, in steps S13 and S17, the fatigue estimation unit 34 can also estimate the driver's fatigue state based on a comparison between the number of simulated engine stall occurrences during the first period from when the driver begins driving and the number of simulated engine stall occurrences during the second period after the first period has elapsed. Specifically, if the number of simulated engine stall occurrences during the second period exceeds the number of simulated engine stall occurrences during the first period by a predetermined first difference, the fatigue estimation unit 34 can estimate the driver's fatigue state as a first fatigue state. Furthermore, if the number of simulated engine stall occurrences during the second period exceeds the number of simulated engine stall occurrences during the first period by a predetermined second difference, the fatigue estimation unit 34 can estimate the driver's fatigue state as a second fatigue state. Here, the second difference is a value larger than the first difference. Thus, it is possible to distinguish between simulated engine stall occurrences caused by insufficient driver skill and simulated engine stall occurrences caused by driver fatigue. It should be noted that the first and second periods can be appropriately set taking into account factors such as driver fatigue caused by driving.

[0094] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this disclosure is not limited to these examples. Those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains will recognize that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical concept described in the claims, and will understand that these modifications or alterations also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be reconfigured in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided.

[0095] In addition to being applicable to the vehicle 1 described above, the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to vehicles equipped with a known or arbitrary transmission mechanism that can be electrically controlled.

[0096] Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein can also be implemented as a vehicle 1 equipped with the driving mode control device 30 described in the above embodiments, a driving mode control method executed by the driving mode control device 30, a computer program that enables the computer to function as the driving mode control device 30, and a non-transitory tangible recording medium that records the computer program.

Claims

1. A driving mode control device, characterized in that, Control the vehicle's driving mode. The vehicle is equipped with a drive motor, an accelerator pedal that accepts the driver's acceleration request, a simulated clutch pedal operated by the driver and simulating clutch operation, and a simulated gear shift lever operated by the driver and simulating gear shifting operation. The driving mode control device includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors. In the MT mode where the shifting and clutch operations are enabled in the driving mode, the one or more processors estimate the driver's fatigue state based on the shifting or clutch operations, and derive the control content of the MT mode based on the estimated fatigue state.

2. The driving mode control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the MT mode, If the parameter values ​​obtained based on the accelerator pedal input, the simulated clutch pedal input, or the simulated gear shift lever operation satisfy the first condition. The one or more processors derive one or more of the following control contents as the control contents for the MT mode: The output transmission rate to the drive motor, determined based on the amount of pressure applied to the simulated clutch pedal, is set to a value lower than the reference transmission rate. The pedal reaction force of the simulated clutch pedal is set to a value lower than the reference reaction force; as well as If the driver is detected to have misoperated the simulated gear shift lever, the vehicle will continue to move due to inertia. The first condition is a condition used to presume the fatigue state to be a first fatigue state.

3. The driving mode control device according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the MT mode, If the parameter value satisfies the second condition, The one or more processors perform control to switch the MT mode to an AT mode in which the gear shifting and clutch operations are disabled. The second condition is used to presume that the fatigue state is a second fatigue state in which the driver is more fatigued than the first fatigue state.

4. The driving mode control device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The parameter value is one or more of the following parameter values: The number of times the simulated engine stall occurred; The number of shifting errors occurring with the simulated gear shift lever; The number of times the simulated clutch pedal is under-pressed; and The number of times the vehicle's acceleration exceeds the reference acceleration.

5. A vehicle, characterized in that, have: Drive motor; The accelerator pedal receives the driver's request to accelerate; A simulated clutch pedal, operated by the driver, simulates clutch operation; A simulated gear shift lever, operated by the driver, simulates gear changing operations; as well as The driving mode control device according to claim 1.

6. A vehicle, characterized in that, have: Drive motor; The accelerator pedal receives the driver's request to accelerate; A simulated clutch pedal, operated by the driver, simulates clutch operation; A simulated gear shift lever, operated by the driver, simulates gear changing operations; as well as The driving mode control device controls the driving mode of the vehicle. The driving mode control device includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors. In the MT mode where the shifting and clutch operations are enabled in the driving mode, the one or more processors estimate the driver's fatigue state based on the shifting or clutch operations, and derive the control content of the MT mode based on the estimated fatigue state.

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