Control method and device for vehicle gear

Abstract

This application relates to the field of vehicle control technology, and in particular to a method and apparatus for controlling vehicle gear shifting. The method includes: in response to the vehicle being in a starting and driving state, acquiring the driver's door state and the driver's seatbelt state; determining the driver's current state based on the driver's door state and the driver's seatbelt state; and controlling the vehicle's gear shifting based on the current state. This method can effectively prevent collisions and vehicle rollover accidents caused by the vehicle being unattended after the driver exits the vehicle, improving the safety of the vehicle during low-speed start-up scenarios.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle control technology, and in particular to a method and device for controlling vehicle gears. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of automotive technology, more and more vehicles are equipped with EPB electronic parking brake and crawl function. When the vehicle is switched from P gear to D / R driving gear, EPB can be released automatically, and the crawl function can be used to complete low-speed start, which effectively improves the convenience of operation.

[0003] However, existing vehicle control strategies still have safety flaws: when the vehicle is in D / R gear and EPB is automatically released, if the driver leaves the driver's seat while the vehicle is crawling at low speed, the vehicle will continue to crawl at low speed. The driver cannot intervene in the vehicle's status in time when not in the vehicle, which can easily lead to safety accidents such as collisions and rolling away, posing a significant safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method and device for controlling vehicle gears, which can effectively prevent collisions and rollover accidents caused by the vehicle being unattended after the driver gets off, and improve the safety of the vehicle in low-speed starting scenarios.

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides a method for controlling vehicle gears, comprising the following steps: in response to the vehicle being in a starting driving state, acquiring the driver's door state and the driver's seat belt state of the vehicle; determining the driver's current state based on the driver's door state and the driver's seat belt state; and controlling the vehicle gears based on the current state.

[0006] Through the aforementioned technical means, the driver's door status and seat belt status are obtained in real time in response to the vehicle's starting and driving state. This comprehensive assessment determines the driver's current state and implements gear control based on the driver's status. It can accurately identify the risk of the driver leaving the vehicle during starting and creeping conditions, and promptly cut off the vehicle's power output through gear intervention. This effectively avoids collisions caused by the vehicle creeping without a driver. At the same time, relying on the joint judgment of dual signals reduces the risk of misjudgment caused by a single sensor signal. Under the premise of ensuring vehicle driving safety, it does not interfere with the vehicle's gear operation when the driver is in the seat, thus balancing vehicle safety performance and normal driving experience.

[0007] In one embodiment of this application, the current state includes an off-vehicle state; determining the driver's current state based on the driver's door state and the driver's seatbelt state includes: in response to the driver's door state being an open door state and the driver's seatbelt state being an unfastened seatbelt state, determining that the driver is in the off-vehicle state.

[0008] Through the above-mentioned technical means, the embodiments of this application can determine that the driver is out of the vehicle by combining two conditions: the driver's door is open and the driver's seat belt is not fastened. Only when both conditions are met will the driver be identified as having left the vehicle. This avoids the problem of misidentification caused by relying on a single signal. It can accurately capture the risk scenario of the driver getting out of the vehicle when the vehicle is starting and creeping, and provide a reliable judgment basis for subsequent gear intervention and protection control. This facilitates timely safety protection measures and reduces the risk of collision accidents caused by the vehicle creeping without a driver after the driver leaves the vehicle.

[0009] In one embodiment of this application, the gear is controlled in the following way: in response to the off-vehicle state, the vehicle speed is obtained and it is determined whether the vehicle speed is less than a preset threshold; if the vehicle speed is less than the preset threshold, the vehicle protection mode is triggered, the vehicle is controlled to switch to D gear, and the vehicle's EPB clamp is controlled to tighten.

[0010] Through the above-mentioned technical means, the embodiments of this application can further introduce vehicle speed conditions for constraint after recognizing the driver's departure state. The protection mode is only triggered when the vehicle speed is less than a preset threshold in low-speed creeping conditions, and protective actions such as switching to P gear and EPB clamping are performed. This can lock the vehicle in time in low-speed departure scenarios to avoid collision accidents caused by unattended vehicle creeping; it can also avoid the risk of transmission damage caused by forcibly switching to P gear at high vehicle speeds, taking into account both driving safety and component reliability, and improving the safety and rationality of the protection control logic.

[0011] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes: after the vehicle protection mode is triggered, if it is detected that the driver's seat belt is fastened again and the driver's door is closed, then responding to the driver's gear shift request, the method controls the vehicle to exit P gear according to the gear shift request.

[0012] Through the above-mentioned technical means, the embodiments of this application can respond to the driver's shift request and control the vehicle to exit P gear only after the vehicle protection mode is triggered and the driver's seat belt is fastened again and the driver's door is closed. This can double-confirm that the driver has returned to the driver's seat and meets the safe riding conditions before releasing the parking protection restriction. This can restore the normal shifting operation of the vehicle after the driver is back in position, ensuring the convenience of vehicle use, and can also prevent the vehicle from exiting P gear prematurely when the safety conditions are not met, thus preventing the risk of unattended crawling again. This achieves a safe reset of the protection mode, taking into account both driving safety and user operation experience.

[0013] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes: when at least one of the driver's door status signal, the driver's seat belt status signal, and the vehicle speed signal is detected to be faulty, controlling the vehicle to maintain the current gear state and prohibiting the triggering of the vehicle protection mode.

[0014] Through the above-mentioned technical means, the embodiments of this application can control the vehicle to maintain the current gear state and prohibit the triggering of the vehicle protection mode when at least one of the driver's door status signal, driver's seat belt status signal, and vehicle speed signal fails. This can effectively avoid the controller obtaining incorrect status information due to sensor, wiring, or communication link abnormalities, prevent unexpected gear switching and power cut-off caused by false triggering of the protection mode, and avoid driving hazards caused by false intervention. The off-vehicle identification and protection logic is only allowed to be executed when all three signals are valid and reliable, which improves the fault tolerance and robustness of the entire off-vehicle protection control logic. While ensuring the safety protection capability under normal working conditions, it also takes into account the vehicle driving stability under abnormal signal conditions.

[0015] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes: while controlling the vehicle to switch to D gear and controlling the vehicle's EPB clamp to engage, controlling the vehicle's instrument panel to output a warning signal.

[0016] Through the aforementioned technical means, the embodiments of this application can simultaneously control the instrument to output alarm signals while performing gear shifting and EPB clamping hardware protection actions. This allows the driver and surrounding personnel to intuitively receive feedback on the vehicle's triggered protection mode status through visualization and hearing, enabling them to promptly understand the reason for the vehicle's off-vehicle parking protection and the current vehicle status. This facilitates personnel's awareness of the vehicle's protection actions, avoiding secondary risks caused by accidental disarming of protection without their knowledge. It achieves mutual coordination between mechanical hardware protection and human-machine alarm prompts, further enhancing the comprehensiveness of vehicle protection in scenarios where the driver is away from the vehicle.

[0017] In one embodiment of this application, it further includes: if it is detected that the vehicle's gear has been switched from P to D and the vehicle's EPB is in a released state, it is determined that the vehicle is in a starting driving state.

[0018] Through the above-mentioned technical means, the embodiments of this application can determine the vehicle's starting and driving state by jointly determining two conditions: shifting from P to D and EPB being in the released state. This accurately locks the risky working condition where EPB is released after PD shifting and the vehicle has creeping ability. The driver leaving the vehicle recognition and subsequent protection logic are only activated under this specific working condition, avoiding invalid execution of protection judgments under irrelevant working conditions such as parking and reversing, reducing the controller's computing power consumption, preventing the protection logic from being mistakenly activated under non-target working conditions, and improving the accuracy of the triggering conditions of the entire control logic.

[0019] A second aspect of this application provides a vehicle gear control device, comprising: an acquisition module for acquiring the driver's door status and the driver's seat belt status in response to the vehicle being in a starting driving state; a determination module for determining the current state of the driver based on the driver's door status and the driver's seat belt status; and a control module for controlling the vehicle gear based on the current state.

[0020] In one embodiment of this application, the current state includes an off-vehicle state; the determining module includes: a first response unit, configured to determine that the driver is in the off-vehicle state in response to the driver's door being in an open state and the driver's seatbelt being in a seatbelt-unfastened state.

[0021] In one embodiment of this application, the control module includes: a second response unit, configured to, in response to the vehicle departure state, acquire the vehicle speed and determine whether the vehicle speed is less than a preset threshold; and a control unit, configured to, if the vehicle speed is less than the preset threshold, trigger a vehicle protection mode, control the vehicle to switch to D gear, and control the vehicle's EPB clamping.

[0022] In one embodiment of this application, it further includes: a first detection module, which, after the vehicle protection mode is triggered, if it is detected that the driver's seat belt is fastened again and the driver's door is closed, responds to the driver's shift request and controls the vehicle to exit P gear according to the shift request.

[0023] In one embodiment of this application, it further includes: a second detection module, used to control the vehicle to maintain the current gear state and prevent the vehicle protection mode from being triggered when at least one of the driver's door status signal, the driver's seat belt status signal, and the vehicle speed signal is detected to have failed.

[0024] In one embodiment of this application, the device is further configured to: control the vehicle to switch to D gear and control the vehicle's EPB clamping while simultaneously controlling the vehicle's instrument panel to output an alarm signal.

[0025] In one embodiment of this application, the device is further configured to: if it is detected that the vehicle's gear has been switched from P to D and the vehicle's EPB is in a released state, determine that the vehicle is in a starting driving state.

[0026] A third aspect of this application provides an electronic device, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the vehicle gear control method as described in the above embodiments.

[0027] A fourth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the vehicle gear control method described above.

[0028] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a vehicle gear control method according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a logic architecture diagram of vehicle gear control according to a specific embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle gear control device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0031] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrates a vehicle gear control method and apparatus according to embodiments of this application. Addressing the issue mentioned in the background section that if the driver leaves the driver's seat while the vehicle is in a low-speed crawling state, the vehicle will continue to crawl at a low speed. Since the driver is not in the vehicle, they cannot intervene in the vehicle's status in a timely manner, which can easily lead to collisions, rollovers, and other safety accidents, posing a significant safety hazard. This application provides a vehicle gear control method.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle gear control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the method for controlling the vehicle's gears includes the following steps: In step S101, in response to the vehicle being in a starting driving state, the status of the driver's door and the driver's seat belt are obtained.

[0034] When the vehicle starts, if the driver shifts from P to D and the EPB is automatically released, and the driver suddenly gets out of the vehicle, the vehicle will activate the crawl function and start moving automatically, which may pose a collision risk and lead to an accident.

[0035] Therefore, the first step is to determine whether the driver is in the vehicle. This can be done by checking the driver's seatbelt buckle status and the driver's door open / close signal. If both the driver's seatbelt is not fastened and the driver's door is not closed, the driver is considered to be out of the vehicle, which means that the driver is leaving the vehicle.

[0036] In other embodiments of this application, the vehicle's TCU (Transmission Control Unit, Powertrain Controller) can analyze the vehicle's CAN (Controller Area Network) bus signals in real time. If it detects that the vehicle's gear has shifted from P to D and the vehicle's EPB (Electronic Parking Brake), commonly known as the electronic handbrake, is in a released state, the powertrain creep function is activated, power is output, and it is determined that the vehicle is in a starting state. Then, it can further respond to the trigger signal acquisition, parse the driver's door opening / closing status and driver's seatbelt buckle status information from the BCM (Body Control Module) periodic messages, and cache the above status information for use in the subsequent driver exit risk assessment stage.

[0037] The status of the driver's side door and the driver's side seatbelt can be represented as follows: Driver's door status: LHFdoorSts=0x0:Close, the car door is closed; LHFdoorSts=0x1: Open, the car door is open; Driver's seatbelt status: LHFSeatBeltSW=0x0: Not Active, seatbelt not fastened; LHFSeatBeltSW=0x1:Active, seatbelt is fastened.

[0038] In other implementations of this application, the acquisition of the driver's seatbelt buckle status and the driver's door opening / closing signal (driver's door status) can also be achieved in the following ways: A Hall effect position sensor is installed on the driver's side door, and the Hall effect sensor is electrically connected to the BCM. When the driver's side door is fully closed, the door lock enters the secondary locking position, and the Hall effect sensor outputs a low-level valid signal. The BCM receives this signal and interprets it to determine that the driver's side door is closed. When the driver's side door is open or the door lock is only in the primary half-lock position, the Hall effect sensor outputs a high-level signal, and the BCM interprets it to determine that the driver's side door is not closed. The BCM periodically reads the output level of the Hall effect sensor to obtain the real-time status of the driver's side door.

[0039] A microswitch is integrated inside the driver's seatbelt buckle, and this microswitch is connected to the signal acquisition port of the BCM (Body Controller). When the seatbelt plug is inserted into the buckle and locked in place, the microswitch contacts close, the acquisition port is at a conducting level, and the BCM determines that the driver's seatbelt is fastened. When the seatbelt plug is pulled out of the buckle, the microswitch contacts open, the acquisition port is at a disconnected level, and the BCM determines that the driver's seatbelt is not fastened. The BCM synchronously acquires this microswitch signal to obtain the real-time status of the driver's seatbelt.

[0040] By acquiring the driver's door status and driver's seat belt status in response to the vehicle starting and driving, the system can comprehensively identify whether the driver has left the vehicle based on the two types of sensor signals. It can promptly detect scenarios where the driver has not closed the door or fastened the seat belt, providing a reliable input basis for subsequent vehicle safety intervention and control. This effectively identifies the risk of the driver accidentally leaving the vehicle during the starting phase, prevents the vehicle from creeping in an unattended state, reduces the probability of collisions caused by the vehicle's autonomous coasting, and improves driving safety during vehicle starting conditions.

[0041] In step S102, the driver's current state is determined based on the driver's door state and the driver's seat belt state.

[0042] In one embodiment of this application, the current state includes an off-vehicle state; determining the driver's current state based on the driver's door state and the driver's seat belt state includes: in response to the driver's door state being an open door state and the driver's seat belt state being an unfastened seat belt state, determining that the driver is in an off-vehicle state.

[0043] Specifically, after receiving the driver's door status and driver's seat belt status signals (information) output in step S101, the vehicle TCU can further perform logical judgment: if LHFdoorSts=0x1 (driver's door open) and LHFSeatBeltSW=0x0 (driver's seat belt not fastened) are satisfied at the same time, it can be determined that the driver's current state is off the vehicle; as long as the driver's door is closed or the driver's seat belt is fastened, it is determined that the driver is currently in the driver's seat and the subsequent automatic shift to P gear protection process is not entered.

[0044] The driver's current status can also be determined in the following ways: After the vehicle enters the starting and driving state, the vehicle controller acquires the driver's door status signal and the driver's seat belt status signal, and determines the driver's current state based on these two signals. The driver's current state includes at least the state of being out of the vehicle. The Body Controller (BCM) collects the driver's door lock sensor signal to obtain the driver's door status and the driver's seat belt buckle microswitch signal to obtain the driver's seat belt status. When the BCM detects that the driver's door is open and the driver's seat belt is unfastened, both conditions are met, and the driver is determined to be out of the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle shifts from P to D and the EPB is automatically released, the vehicle enters a creeping starting and driving condition. The BCM detects that the driver's door is open and the driver's seat belt buckle microswitch is off, indicating that the seat belt is unfastened. At this time, the controller determines that the driver is out of the vehicle and can trigger safety protection strategies, such as limiting creep torque output and requesting ESP to apply braking to prevent a collision caused by unattended creeping.

[0045] By combining the driver's door status and driver's seat belt status to determine the driver's current status, the system can identify the driver as being out of the vehicle only when both conditions are met: the driver's door is open and the driver's seat belt is not fastened. This effectively reduces the identification bias caused by misjudgment from a single sensor, accurately captures the scenario of the driver leaving the vehicle during vehicle start-up, provides a reliable basis for subsequent vehicle safety intervention and gear control, and identifies the risk of unmanned crawling in advance, thus ensuring driving safety.

[0046] In step S103, the vehicle's gear is controlled based on the current state.

[0047] In one embodiment of this application, the vehicle's gear can be controlled in the following way: in response to the vehicle leaving the vehicle, the vehicle speed is obtained and it is determined whether the vehicle speed is less than a preset threshold; if the vehicle speed is less than the preset threshold, the vehicle protection mode is triggered, the vehicle is controlled to switch to D gear, and the vehicle's EPB clamp is controlled to tighten.

[0048] Specifically, in step S102, the vehicle TCU determines that the driver is out of the vehicle and then reads the real-time vehicle speed signal VehicleSpeed ​​from the bus. It compares the real-time speed with a preset threshold (in this embodiment, the preset threshold can be set to 3 km / h). For example, if the current actual vehicle speed is 1.2 km / h, which is less than the preset threshold of 3 km / h, the vehicle protection mode is triggered. In this mode, the TCU can send a target gear request TargetGear=0x1 to the vehicle, requesting the gear to be switched to P gear. The vehicle actuator switches the actual gear ActualGear from 0x4 (D gear) to 0x1 (P gear). After receiving the parking command corresponding to P gear, the EPB controller drives the caliper to clamp, and feeds back the EPB status EPB_ActrSt=0x1, completing the parking protection, thereby preventing the vehicle from continuing to drive using the creep function and causing a collision risk.

[0049] If the detected vehicle speed is greater than or equal to 3 km / h, the vehicle protection mode will not be triggered, and the current D gear driving state will be maintained to avoid forcibly shifting to P gear under high-speed conditions, which could cause damage to the transmission hardware.

[0050] In the embodiments of this application, the various types of signals are represented as follows: Actual gear position signal: ActualGear: 0x0: No Request; 0x1: Gear P, P gear; 0x2: Gear R, R gear; 0x3: gear N, N gear; 0x4: Gear D, D mode; Target gear signal: TargetGear: 0x0: No Request; 0x1: Gear P, P gear; 0x2: Gear R, R gear; 0x3: gear N, N gear; 0x4: Gear D, D mode; EPB status signals: EPB_ActrSt: 0x1: Applied, EPB clamped; 0x2: Released, EPB released.

[0051] In other implementations, after determining the driver's current state based on the driver's door status and driver's seatbelt status, the vehicle controller performs vehicle gear control based on this current state. When it is determined that the driver is out of the vehicle, the vehicle controller sends a gear control command to the automatic transmission control unit (TCU), controlling the transmission to shift from the current D gear to N gear, cutting off power transmission; simultaneously, it activates the EPB actuator to apply the parking brake. For example, when the vehicle is shifted from P gear to D gear and the EPB is released to enter the starting creep mode, the BCM detects that the driver's door is open and the driver's seatbelt is not fastened, determining that the driver is out of the vehicle. The vehicle controller immediately sends a downshift command to the TCU, and the TCU responds by shifting the transmission from D gear to N gear, interrupting the drive torque output, and cooperating with the EPB parking lock to stop the vehicle, preventing the vehicle from continuing to creep forward after the driver leaves the vehicle, eliminating the risk of a collision; if it is determined that the driver is not out of the vehicle, the current gear remains unchanged, and the vehicle continues to drive normally in D gear.

[0052] The vehicle's gears are controlled based on the driver's current status. When the driver is determined to be out of the vehicle, the transmission is promptly disengaged from D gear to cut off power transmission and suppress vehicle creep from the power end, thus preventing the vehicle from driving on its own after the driver leaves the vehicle and causing a collision. When the driver is in the vehicle, the original gear is maintained so as not to interfere with the normal starting and driving of the vehicle, thus balancing driving safety and smooth driving operation.

[0053] To clearly illustrate the above embodiment, in some embodiments of this application, the vehicle gear control method further includes: after the vehicle protection mode is triggered, if it is detected that the driver's seat belt is re-fastened and the driver's door is closed, then responding to the driver's gear shift request, controlling the vehicle to exit P gear according to the gear shift request.

[0054] Specifically, when the vehicle has completed the protection mode, the gear is in P and the EPB is in the clamped parking state, the powertrain controller TCU continuously monitors the driver's door status signal LHFdoorSts and the driver's seat belt status signal LHFSeatBeltSW on the vehicle's CAN bus. When LHFdoorSts=0x0 (driver's door closed) and LHFSeatBeltSW=0x1 (driver's seat belt fastened again) are detected simultaneously, it is determined that the driver has returned to the driver's seat, meeting the prerequisite for releasing the protection. At this time, the TCU can further monitor the driver's gear shifting operation request. If it receives a gear shifting request from the driver from P to D or R, it responds to the gear shifting request and outputs the corresponding target gear command TargetGear, controlling the vehicle to exit P and switch to the power gear requested by the driver. At the same time, the EPB performs a release action synchronously according to the gear command, and the vehicle resumes normal starting and creeping functions.

[0055] As a counterexample, if only the driver's door is closed but the driver's seatbelt is still not fastened; or if only the seatbelt is fastened but the driver's door is still open, and the two conditions are not met simultaneously, even if the driver operates the gear shift lever to issue a gear shift request, the TCU will still keep the vehicle in the P gear parking state, will not respond to the gear shift exit request, and will continue to maintain the protection logic to prevent the vehicle from creeping out unexpectedly.

[0056] As another possible approach: After the vehicle protection mode is triggered and the corresponding safety protection actions are completed, the vehicle controller continuously collects and monitors the driver's side door status signal and the driver's side seat belt buckle status signal periodically to continuously verify the safety status of the driver's area. When the vehicle controller detects that the microswitch inside the driver's side seat belt buckle is closed, indicating that the driver's side seat belt plug has been re-inserted into the buckle and reliably engaged, and the driver's side seat belt has been re-fastened, and at the same time the Hall position sensor of the driver's side door lock assembly detects that the door lock has entered the secondary locking position, indicating that the driver's side door is fully closed, only when both of the above conditions are met will the vehicle controller allow the response to the driver's gear shift request, and control the vehicle to exit P gear according to the gear shift request, thereby releasing the gear shift restriction imposed by the protection mode.

[0057] Here's a specific application scenario: When the vehicle is in a creeping start-up state after shifting from P to D and the EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) is released, the controller detects that the driver's side door is open and the driver's seatbelt is not fastened, determining that the driver is out of the vehicle. It then triggers the vehicle protection mode, performing a protection operation of shifting to N (Neutral) and engaging the EPB parking brake, completing the protection mode triggering process. Subsequently, the driver returns to the driver's seat, closes the driver's side door, and fastens the seatbelt. The BCM (Body Control Module) collects the door lock secondary locking signal and the seatbelt buckle closure signal and sends both sets of status signals to the vehicle controller. At this time, the driver operates the gear shift lever, requesting to shift the vehicle from P to D. The vehicle controller verifies that all safety conditions—driver's side door closed and driver's seatbelt fastened—are met, responds to the shift request, sends a control command to the TCU (Transmission Control Unit), and controls the transmission to disengage from P. The vehicle resumes normal shifting and creeping start-up capabilities, and the driver can operate the vehicle normally.

[0058] If, during the verification process, the driver's door is not closed or the driver's seatbelt is not fastened, and either safety condition is not met, even if the vehicle controller receives the driver's gear shift request, the vehicle controller will refuse to execute the operation of exiting P gear, maintain the P gear locked state, continue to maintain the safety protection limit, and prevent the vehicle from exiting P gear and causing unexpected creeping when the driver is not in position.

[0059] This method, after the vehicle protection mode is triggered, simultaneously verifies the driver's side door being closed and the driver's side seatbelt being fastened to double-confirm that the driver has returned to the driver's seat and meets the safe seating conditions. Only under these conditions will it respond to the driver's gear shift request and control the vehicle to exit P gear. On the one hand, it can normally release the safety protection restrictions and restore the vehicle's gear shifting function after the driver returns to their seat, ensuring the ease of normal vehicle operation. On the other hand, it can avoid the risk of the vehicle responding to the gear shift request and exiting P gear when the safety conditions in the driver's area are not met, thus preventing the safety hazards caused by premature release of the protection mode. It achieves a reliable reset of the safety protection logic, balancing vehicle safety performance and user experience.

[0060] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this application, the above control method may further include: when at least one of the signals of driver's door status, driver's seat belt status, and vehicle speed is detected to have failed, controlling the vehicle to maintain the current gear status and prohibiting the triggering of the vehicle protection mode.

[0061] Specifically, the vehicle's gear control method also includes fault-tolerant processing steps: the powertrain controller (TCU) diagnoses the validity of the driver's door status signal (LHFdoorSts), the driver's seatbelt status signal (LHFSeatBeltSW), and the vehicle speed signal (VehicleSpeed) from the vehicle's CAN bus. The TCU identifies signal failures, including message timeouts, signal values ​​exceeding the valid enumeration range, and DTC diagnostic codes. If any of the three signals fails, the TCU will no longer determine the driver's off-vehicle status, directly blocking the vehicle's protection mode trigger path, maintaining the current gear position, and will not perform automatic shifting from D to P or EPB clamping protection actions.

[0062] Example operating condition: If the vehicle speed sensor message is lost or the signal fails, even if the driver's side door is simultaneously detected as open and the driver's seatbelt is not fastened, meeting the aforementioned off-vehicle determination conditions, the TCU will not trigger the vehicle protection mode. It will maintain the vehicle in its original gear position to prevent accidental forced shifting to P gear due to abnormal sensor signals, thus preventing damage to the transmission from impacts during driving. Once all three signals are restored to valid status, the TCU can resume executing the entire off-vehicle risk identification and gear protection logic.

[0063] As another possible approach, during the execution of the aforementioned vehicle gear control method, the vehicle controller continuously performs fault diagnosis on the driver's door status signal, driver's seat belt status signal, and vehicle speed signal, and monitors the effectiveness of the three signals in real time. When the vehicle controller diagnoses and identifies a fault in at least one of the driver's door status, driver's seat belt status, or vehicle speed signals, the vehicle controller controls the vehicle to maintain the current gear position and prohibits the triggering of the aforementioned vehicle protection mode.

[0064] Example Scenario: The vehicle is in a creeping start-up phase, and the vehicle controller is determining whether the driver is off the vehicle based on the driver's side door status and driver's side seatbelt status. At this time, a short circuit occurs in the driver's side door lock Hall sensor circuit, causing the driver's side door status signal to fail, and the controller cannot obtain accurate driver's side door opening / closing information. The vehicle controller's fault diagnosis module identifies this signal fault and immediately executes the corresponding fault-tolerant control strategy: maintaining the current gear position of the transmission, ceasing the driver off-vehicle status determination logic, and prohibiting the triggering of the protection mode, thus preventing actions such as shifting to neutral (N) or engaging the EPB (Electronic Power Brake). Similarly, if a short circuit in the seatbelt buckle microswitch causes the seatbelt status signal to fail, or if a wheel speed sensor malfunctions causing the vehicle speed signal to be lost, the same fault-tolerant logic is executed if any one of the three signals is diagnosed as faulty: maintaining the current gear position and disabling the protection mode trigger conditions. Only when all three signals—driver's side door status, driver's side seatbelt status, and vehicle speed—are fault-free and valid will the controller allow normal execution of the driver off-vehicle recognition logic and trigger the vehicle protection mode when the off-vehicle determination conditions are met.

[0065] This solution maintains the current gear and prohibits triggering the vehicle protection mode when at least one of the signals for driver's door status, driver's seat belt status, or vehicle speed fails. This avoids the controller obtaining incorrect driver status information due to sensor or signal line abnormalities, prevents the protection mode from being triggered erroneously due to false signal alarms, and avoids unexpected gear shifting and braking interventions, thus avoiding the risk of loss of driving control caused by unexpected power cut-offs during driving. The protection mode judgment is only activated when all relevant signals are valid and reliable, improving the fault tolerance and robustness of the entire vehicle safety control logic, and taking into account both vehicle driving stability and the reliability of the protection strategy under fault conditions.

[0066] The diagnosis of faults can be achieved through the following technical means: For the driver's door status signal: The Body Control Module (BCM) periodically acquires the level signal from the driver's side door lock Hall sensor and sends the signal to the vehicle controller. The fault diagnosis module monitors for sensor power supply faults, open circuits, short circuits to power supply, and short circuits to ground. When an open circuit occurs, the controller cannot receive the normal high / low level switching signal, and the signal remains fixed at an invalid level for an extended period. When the sensor circuit is short-circuited to power supply or to ground, the signal is clamped at a constant high or low level and cannot change with the actual opening and closing state of the door. If the signal remains locked at an abnormal level without reasonable change within a preset diagnostic time window (e.g., 200ms), the driver's side door status signal is determined to be faulty.

[0067] For the driver's seatbelt status signal: The BCM (Body Control Module) acquires the switching signal output from the seatbelt buckle microswitch and forwards it to the vehicle controller. The fault diagnosis module detects open circuits, short circuits to power, and short circuits to ground in the microswitch circuit. Under normal operating conditions, the insertion and removal of the seatbelt will correspondingly generate a level switch; if the circuit is open or short-circuited, the signal will remain at a fixed level and will not change with the insertion and removal of the seatbelt. If the signal does not transition normally within a preset time (e.g., 200ms) and does not conform to the signal change pattern of normal seatbelt use, the driver's seatbelt status signal is determined to be faulty.

[0068] Regarding vehicle speed signals: The vehicle controller receives wheel speed signals from the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) to interpret the vehicle speed. The fault diagnosis module verifies the validity of the wheel speed signals, including signal loss, signals exceeding the acceptable range, and abnormal signal jumps. For example, if a communication message times out and no vehicle speed data is received, it is determined to be a signal loss; if the vehicle speed continuously exceeds a threshold when stationary, or if the vehicle speed momentarily jumps to a value far exceeding the vehicle's physical limits while in motion, the vehicle speed signal is determined to be abnormal. If the vehicle speed signal verification fails within a consecutive preset diagnostic cycle, the vehicle speed signal is determined to be faulty and invalid.

[0069] If the fault diagnosis module determines that at least one of the three signals—driver's door status, driver's seatbelt status, and vehicle speed—is faulty, the vehicle controller will execute a fault-tolerant strategy, maintaining the vehicle in the current gear position and prohibiting the triggering of the vehicle protection mode. It will then cease executing driver exit determination and subsequent protective actions such as downshifting and braking. Only when all three signals are diagnosed as fault-free and valid will the controller allow the normal execution of the driver exit status recognition logic, triggering the vehicle protection mode when the exit determination conditions are met.

[0070] By performing fault diagnosis on the driver's door status signal, driver's seat belt status signal, and vehicle speed signal, respectively checking for short circuits, open circuits, signal timeouts, and numerical reasonableness, abnormal failures of sensors, circuits, or communication links can be identified in a timely manner. Protection mode triggering is disabled when at least one signal fails, preventing false alarms due to erroneous sensor signals and avoiding unexpected gear shifts and power cuts caused by erroneous protection mode triggering. This improves the fault tolerance and robustness of the vehicle control logic. Furthermore, protection judgment is only activated when all signals are valid, ensuring that the protection strategy is executed only with reliable data source support, balancing vehicle stability under fault conditions with safety protection capabilities under normal conditions.

[0071] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the above control method may further include: while controlling the vehicle to switch to D gear and controlling the vehicle's EPB clamp to engage, controlling the vehicle's instrument panel to output a warning signal.

[0072] Specifically, when the vehicle protection mode is triggered, the powertrain controller (TCU) sends a target gear request, controlling the vehicle to shift from D to P gear and outputting a command to the EPB to perform the parking brake action. Simultaneously, the TCU sends an alarm trigger command to the body control module (BCM), which then drives the instrument cluster to output an alarm signal. This alarm signal can include at least one of the following: an instrument cluster pop-up window, a red warning icon, or a buzzer alarm. For example, the instrument cluster pop-up window displays the text "Driver detected leaving the vehicle, automatic parking activated," while simultaneously illuminating the parking warning icon and continuously beeping for 3-5 seconds. This informs the occupants that the vehicle has triggered automatic parking protection, alerting the driver to the change in vehicle status and preventing confusion regarding the sudden parking.

[0073] Furthermore, the alarm signal has synchronous termination logic: when the driver's door is detected to be closed and the driver's seat belt is fastened again, and the driver performs a gear shift operation to exit P gear, the instrument panel automatically clears the alarm pop-up and warning icon, the beeping alarm stops, and the instrument panel returns to normal display status.

[0074] Example operating condition: When the vehicle is crawling at 1.5km / h, it is determined that the driver may have left the vehicle, and the protection mode is triggered. The vehicle automatically switches from D gear to P gear and EPB clamps. At the same time, a text warning pops up on the instrument panel, accompanied by a buzzer, to remind the driver that the vehicle has been automatically parked. After the driver returns to the vehicle, closes the driver's door, fastens the seat belt, and performs the gear shift operation to exit P gear, the instrument warning will automatically disappear.

[0075] In another embodiment of this application, during the execution of the driver exit safety protection control logic, when the vehicle controller determines that the driver is in an exited state based on the dual conditions of the driver's side door being open and the driver's side seatbelt being unfastened, it simultaneously controls the vehicle's gear to switch from the current driving gear (D) to a safe gear and controls the electronic parking brake (EPB) to perform the clamping action. Simultaneously, it controls the vehicle's instrument panel to output a corresponding alarm signal, achieving coordinated control of mechanical braking protection and audible and visual alarms. Specifically, when the vehicle is in a creeping start-up state with the P gear shifted to D and the EPB automatically released, the vehicle controller collects the driver's side door sensor signal and the driver's side seatbelt buckle signal in real time. Upon detecting that the driver's side door is fully open and the driver's side seatbelt is unfastened, it immediately determines that the driver has left the driver's seat, posing a safety risk of unattended vehicle creeping. At this time, the vehicle controller simultaneously outputs multiple control commands. On one hand, it sends a gear shift command to the transmission TCU, promptly shifting the vehicle from D to N or P to cut off power transmission and prevent continuous creeping. On the other hand, it sends a clamping command to the EPB control system, controlling the electronic parking brake to perform a clamping action, locking and fixing the wheels, mechanically stabilizing the vehicle's posture and preventing it from rolling or sliding. Simultaneously, the vehicle controller sends an alarm trigger signal to the vehicle's instrument control system, driving the instrument to activate a multi-level alarm notification mechanism. This may include illuminating the red fault warning indicator light on the instrument panel, displaying the text message "Driver has left the vehicle, parking protection has been activated," and simultaneously matching a continuous buzzer or voice announcement of the alarm content, comprehensively alerting surrounding personnel and the driver subsequently taking over the vehicle that the vehicle has triggered a safety protection mode due to the detection of driver absence. This linkage control logic is executed synchronously throughout the entire process, with no delay or sequential deviation between gear shifting, EPB clamping, and instrument alarm actions, ensuring real-time matching between safety protection actions and alarm notifications.

[0076] This solution simultaneously triggers instrument panel warning signals while performing hardware safety actions such as gear shifting and EPB parking brake clamping, achieving an organic combination of mechanical safety protection and visual and audible warning prompts. It not only fundamentally avoids the risk of collisions caused by unmanned crawling through hardware braking and gear-breaking force control, but also provides intuitive feedback on the vehicle's protection status through instrument panel audio-visual and text prompts. This allows the driver and surrounding personnel to quickly understand the reason for the vehicle's safety protection being triggered and the current vehicle status, preventing secondary risks caused by accidental deactivation of the protection mode. This significantly improves the comprehensiveness and safety of safety protection during vehicle start-up and departure scenarios.

[0077] To further illustrate the gear control method of this application, for example: like Figure 2As shown, after the vehicle is powered on and started, the EPB is in the parking clamp state, and the control flow starts from the beginning node. First, a pre-shift judgment is executed: it checks whether the driver's side door is closed and whether the driver's seatbelt is fastened. If the driver's side door is not closed, the "Shift to D - EPB not released" action is executed, requiring the driver to manually release the EPB by pressing the brake. Similarly, if the driver's seatbelt is not fastened, the "Shift to D - EPB not released" action is executed, requiring the driver to manually release the EPB by pressing the brake. When the driver's side door is closed and the driver's seatbelt is fastened, the "Shift to D - EPB release" action is allowed, and the vehicle enters the creep start state.

[0078] After the driver is engaged (D) and EPB is released, the TCU continuously monitors the driver's side door status, driver's seatbelt status, and vehicle speed signal. If the driver's side door is detected to be closed again, the driver is engaged (D) and EPB is released, maintaining normal driving. If the driver's seatbelt is detected to be fastened again, the driver is engaged (D) and EPB is released, maintaining normal driving. If the driver's side door is detected to be open and the driver's seatbelt is not fastened, the TCU further checks if the vehicle speed is less than 3 km / h. If the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to 3 km / h, the protection logic is not triggered, and the driver remains engaged (D) and EPB is released. If the vehicle speed is less than 3 km / h, the protection logic is triggered, the TCU automatically shifts from D to P, and then performs automatic parking (P) EPB. Simultaneously, an instrument panel warning may be triggered to remind the occupants that the vehicle has been automatically parked.

[0079] After completing the P-gear EPB automatic parking, the process returns to the starting node to continuously monitor the vehicle status. Only when the driver's door is subsequently detected to be closed, the driver's seat belt is re-fastened, and a shift request from the driver is received will it be allowed to exit P-gear and resume normal shifting operations.

[0080] Furthermore, in some other embodiments of this application, driver false departure filtering logic may be added.

[0081] Specifically, this embodiment can reuse the driver's seat pressure sensor already installed in the vehicle. This sensor is located inside the driver's seat cushion and is used to detect whether there is a human body load above the seat, without adding additional hardware costs. Based on the original dual-condition judgment of "driver's door status + driver's seat belt status", the driver's seat pressure signal is introduced as a secondary discrimination condition to distinguish between "real driver leaving the vehicle" and "false driver leaving the vehicle".

[0082] This implementation method can be applied to passenger vehicles equipped with a TCU powertrain controller, BCM body controller, ESP, EPB, and driver's seat pressure sensor; the vehicle's CAN bus enables signal interaction between the controllers. Upon vehicle power-on, the controller completes a self-test. The driver shifts the gear from P to D, ActualGear=0x4 (D gear), EPB automatically releases (EPB_ActrSt=0x2 (Released), and the vehicle enters a creep start condition. The current vehicle speed is 1.5 km / h, and the speed signal, driver's door signal, and seatbelt signal are all diagnosed as valid and fault-free.

[0083] Scenario 1: Pseudo-leaving-the-vehicle scenario, the driver is inside the vehicle and the door is open for ventilation.

[0084] When the driver sits in the driver's seat and unfastens the driver's seatbelt, LHFSeatBeltSW=0x0 (seatbelt not fastened). When the driver's door is opened, LHFdoorSts=0x1 (door open). At this time, the driver's seat pressure sensor collects a seat load of 62kg, which is greater than the threshold of 15kg. For three consecutive CAN cycles, the door, seatbelt, and seat pressure signal status remain stable.

[0085] The TCU receives three sets of signals. Although the original exit criteria of the driver's door being open and the seatbelt not being fastened are met, the driver's seat load is ≥15kg, indicating a false exit condition where the driver has not left the vehicle. Therefore, the protection mode is disabled, the automatic shift from D to P is not executed, and the EPB clamping command is not output. The vehicle remains in D gear, the creep torque is output normally, and the vehicle maintains low-speed creeping. Simultaneously, the TCU sends a general reminder warning command to the instrument controller; the instrument screen displays the text message: "Driver's door is open, please close the driver's door," and the instrument buzzer sounds intermittently at a low frequency, without triggering the emergency red warning, only reminding the driver that the door is open. After the driver closes the door or fastens the seatbelt, the instrument display message disappears automatically, and the vehicle resumes normal operation.

[0086] Scenario 2: Real-world vehicle exit scenario, where the driver completely exits the vehicle.

[0087] Under the same operating conditions, with D gear and EPB released, the vehicle speed is 1.5 km / h; the driver unbuckles the seatbelt (LHFSeatBeltSW=0x0), opens the driver's door (LHFdoorSts=0x1), and then completely leaves the driver's seat; the driver's seat pressure sensor detects that the load has dropped to 8 kg, which is less than the 15 kg threshold; the CAN signal remains stable for three consecutive cycles, and there are no faults in the door, seatbelt, and vehicle speed signals.

[0088] The TCU determines that the driver has left the vehicle, meeting all protection trigger conditions. The TCU triggers the vehicle protection mode, sets TargetGear to 0x1 (P gear), and controls the transmission to switch from D gear to P gear. Upon receiving the P gear request, the EPB controller executes caliper clamping, and EPB_ActrSt returns 0x1 (Applied). Simultaneously, the instrument panel triggers a high-risk emergency alarm, illuminating a red warning light, sounding a rapid beep, and displaying a pop-up message: "Driver has left the vehicle, and the vehicle has automatically entered P gear parking protection," locking the vehicle and preventing it from moving unattended.

[0089] Scenario 3: The seat pressure sensor malfunctions, triggering a degradation logic.

[0090] In D-mode crawl mode, if the driver's door is open and the seatbelt is not fastened, the driver's seat pressure sensor circuit will be open, causing the TCU diagnostics to fail in recognizing the seat pressure signal. This solution automatically bypasses the false exit filtering logic, no longer referencing the seat pressure signal, and reverts to the basic solution, determining exit solely based on the driver's door being open, seatbelt not being fastened, and vehicle speed <3km / h. If all other conditions are met, the system will normally trigger P-mode shifting and EPB clamping protection, ensuring that the safety protection function will not fail due to seat sensor damage.

[0091] By adding the driver's seat pressure signal as a secondary screening condition, it is possible to effectively distinguish between the actual driver leaving the vehicle and the false driver leaving the vehicle. This avoids the protection strategy being falsely triggered when the driver is still in the vehicle and only opens the door for ventilation or leans out to observe, prevents the transmission from unexpectedly shifting to P gear and causing shock, avoids unexpected interruption of creeping driving, and greatly improves the user experience.

[0092] The existing seat pressure sensors in the vehicle can be reused without adding any new hardware components. The identification is achieved solely through software logic, resulting in low hardware costs and easy vehicle deployment.

[0093] A sensor failure degradation strategy is set up so that when the seat pressure sensor fails, the filtering logic is directly blocked and the original dual-signal judgment logic is reverted to. This will not cause the vehicle off-vehicle protection function to fail, thus balancing the prevention of false triggering and functional safety.

[0094] Furthermore, in some other embodiments of this application, a slope condition compensation and protection mechanism may be added. This implementation method can be applied to passenger vehicles equipped with a TCU powertrain controller, BCM body controller, ESP stability control system, and EPB electronic parking brake system. Signals from each controller interact via the CAN bus. After the vehicle completes its power-on self-test, the driver shifts from P to D gear, ActualGear=0x4 (D gear), and the EPB automatically releases (EPB_ActrSt=0x2 (Released), initiating the vehicle's crawl start-up mode. The driver's door signal, seatbelt signal, and vehicle speed signal are all diagnosed as valid and fault-free.

[0095] Implementation Scenario 1: Downhill ramp operation.

[0096] The vehicle is traveling downhill. ESP analysis shows a longitudinal slope of SlopeAngle = -4.5°, and the absolute value of the slope, |SlopeAngle| = 4.5° ≥ 3°, indicating a slope condition. The driver unbuckles the driver's seatbelt (LHFSeatBeltSW=0x0), opens the driver's door (LHFdoorSts=0x1), and then exits the vehicle. Due to the downhill gravity, the vehicle's creeping speed increases to 3.8 km / h.

[0097] According to the basic scheme, the speed condition for triggering protection is VehicleSpeed ​​< 3km / h. If the current speed is 3.8km / h > 3km / h, the protection logic will not be activated, and the vehicle will continue to slide downwards, posing a collision risk.

[0098] After adopting this extended solution, the vehicle is identified as being on a slope. The speed trigger threshold is relaxed to 5 km / h. The current vehicle speed is 3.8 km / h < 5 km / h, which meets all protection trigger conditions. The first-level protection waiting window is directly canceled, and no pre-warning waiting is performed. The TCU immediately issues a gear control command, TargetGear=0x1, and the transmission directly switches from D to P gear. At the same time, a clamping request is sent to the EPB. The EPB caliper performs the clamping action and feeds back EPB_ActrSt=0x1 (Applied). Simultaneously, the instrument panel illuminates a red emergency warning light, sounds a rapid beep, and a pop-up window displays the text "Driver off the vehicle detected, P gear parking protection has been activated for slope conditions," achieving mechanical wheel locking and preventing the vehicle from rolling downhill.

[0099] If the EPB clamping attempt fails on the first attempt, the TCU will send the clamping request again, with a maximum of 3 retries. If the EPB still reports that the clamping has not been completed after 3 retries, the instrument panel will display an EPB fault alarm, indicating "EPB parking failed, please take immediate action".

[0100] Implementation Scenario 2: Flat road conditions, retaining the gradient protection window period.

[0101] The vehicle is on a level road with a slope |SlopeAngle| = 1.2° < 3°, which is considered a flat road condition. The driver is in Drive (D) and creeping at a speed of 1.6 km / h. The driver opens the driver's side door and unfastens the seatbelt, indicating a risk of the driver leaving the vehicle. At this point, the flat road gradient protection logic is executed: first, level one protection is triggered, setting the creep torque to zero and issuing a low-frequency warning on the instrument panel; an 800ms waiting window is established; if the driver returns to the vehicle and closes the door within the window, the protection is deactivated, and creep torque is restored; if the driver is still not in position after 800ms, level two protection is activated, switching to Park (P) and engaging EPB (Electronic Power Brake).

[0102] Scenario 3: If the ramp gradient signal fails, execute the downgrade rollback logic.

[0103] The vehicle is on a downhill slope with a 5° gradient. The driver opens the driver's side door and unbuckles the seatbelt, and the vehicle speed is 2.7 km / h. At this moment, the ESP slope signal message is lost, and the TCU diagnoses a slope signal fault. The slope compensation logic is directly bypassed, the system reverts to the basic scheme, and the protection trigger threshold is restored to a speed < 3 km / h. The current vehicle speed of 2.7 km / h meets the condition, and the vehicle directly executes the Park (P) gear shift and EPB clamping protection; the protection function will not malfunction due to the slope signal failure.

[0104] Scenario 4: When the vehicle speed exceeds 5km / h on a slope, only a warning is issued and the vehicle is forced into Park (P) gear.

[0105] The vehicle is on a downhill slope with an incline of -4°. The driver leaves the vehicle, and the vehicle's coasting speed reaches 5.6 km / h, exceeding the 5 km / h upper limit for slope conditions. At this point, the TCU (Transmission Control Unit) prohibits forced shifting to Park (P) gear, only driving the instrument panel to output an audible and visual warning to remind the driver of the risk of leaving the vehicle and to prevent damage to the transmission from high-speed shifting into Park.

[0106] The adaptive relaxation of the protection trigger speed threshold for slope conditions addresses the defect of the protection logic not being triggered when the vehicle rolls downhill due to a fixed speed threshold of 3 km / h. In slope scenarios, safety protection can be intervened earlier, effectively suppressing vehicle rollover and significantly improving vehicle safety during creeping departure from the vehicle on slopes.

[0107] In slope conditions, the gradient protection waiting window is eliminated. After identifying the risk, the highest level of forced parking protection is directly implemented, eliminating the hidden danger of the vehicle rolling away due to gravity on the slope during the window period. In flat road conditions, the gradient protection waiting window is still retained, giving the driver a brief opportunity to make corrections, while taking into account the operational comfort in flat road scenarios.

[0108] An EPB clamping retry mechanism is set up to retry multiple times when the parking brake fails to clamp, further ensuring the reliability of parking brake on slopes; when clamping fails continuously, a fault alarm is output to alert the user of the risk.

[0109] When the slope sensor signal fails, the automatic bypass slope compensation logic reverts to the original basic scheme, which will not cause the overall protection function to fail, thus balancing functional enhancement and system robustness.

[0110] By reusing the longitudinal slope signal already present in the ESP, no new hardware sensors are needed. The slope compensation strategy can be implemented through software logic optimization alone, resulting in low hardware modification costs and easy vehicle deployment.

[0111] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application may also include a maintenance and rescue bypass unlocking mechanism in protection mode.

[0112] This implementation method can be applied to passenger vehicles equipped with a TCU powertrain controller, BCM body controller, ESP, EPB, and transmission emergency unlock button. Signals from each controller interact via the CAN bus. When the vehicle is in Drive (D) creep mode, if the system detects that the driver's door is open, the seatbelt is not fastened, the seat load is less than 15kg, and the vehicle speed is 2.2km / h, all protection trigger conditions are met. The vehicle triggers the driver exit protection mode (Protect_Mode_Flag=1). The TCU controls the transmission to switch from Drive (D) to Park (P), the EPB engages the parking brake, an emergency exit protection warning pops up on the instrument panel, the wheels are locked, and the vehicle is stationary and cannot move. At this time, the driver is outside the vehicle and cannot return to the driver's seat to close the door or fasten the seatbelt; the normal reset conditions cannot be met, and the vehicle is locked.

[0113] Scenario 1: Rescue personnel perform emergency bypass unlocking and towing rescue.

[0114] When rescuers arrived at the scene, they needed to tow the disabled vehicle to a repair shop.

[0115] The rescue personnel turned the vehicle to the ON position and powered it on. Ign_Sts=ON, the vehicle remained in protection mode Protect_Mode_Flag=1, and the P position was still locked and the EPB clamp was engaged. The rescuers pressed the brake pedal hard, and the brake pedal opening reached 75%, which is greater than the calibrated threshold of 70%. Rescuers should continuously press and hold the emergency unlock hardware button for the gearbox shift for 2.8 seconds, which is longer than the 2.5-second time threshold. The TCU simultaneously verifies that the vehicle is powered on, the brake pedal is fully depressed, and the emergency button is pressed for the required duration; all conditions are met. The temporary bypass flag Bypass_Flag is set to 1, temporarily releasing the P-gear lock restriction for this off-vehicle protection. The TCU allows the transmission to shift from P to N; the rescue personnel shift to N, releasing the P-gear mechanical lock, thus meeting the towing conditions. At the same time, a bright warning message continuously pops up on the instrument panel: "Off-vehicle protection mode temporary bypass, only for maintenance and rescue; protection will resume after the vehicle is powered back on," and a buzzer sounds intermittently, continuously reminding the rescue personnel that the current safety protection is temporarily disabled.

[0116] Important Constraint: At this point, the vehicle is only temporarily bypassed and the protection lock is engaged; the Protect_Mode_Flag protection flag is not cleared. If the brake pedal is released directly at this time, the vehicle can still shift gears, but the instrument panel warning will not disappear. After the towing operation is completed, the maintenance personnel will power off the entire vehicle and then power it back on. The TCU will automatically set Bypass_Flag to 0, the temporary bypass flag will be completely cleared, and the driver off-vehicle protection logic will be fully restored and effective. If the driver leaves the vehicle again in the future, the automatic shift to P gear + EPB clamping protection will still be triggered normally.

[0117] Scenario 2: If not all unlocking conditions are met, bypass unlocking will be refused.

[0118] The vehicle is also in the protective lock (P) position: Scenario 2-1: The vehicle is in ACC mode but not powered on; the maintenance personnel press and hold the emergency button while pressing the brake; because the power-on conditions are not met, the TCU refuses to perform bypass unlocking, and the vehicle remains locked in P mode.

[0119] Scenario 2-2: The vehicle is powered on, but the brake pedal is not pressed. The emergency unlock button is pressed and held. Due to insufficient brake pedal depth, bypass unlocking is ineffective, and the vehicle remains locked in P gear.

[0120] Scenario 2-3: The vehicle is powered on and the brake pedal is pressed, but the emergency button is only pressed briefly for 0.5 seconds, which does not reach the 2.5-second long press duration; the conditions are not met, and unlocking is refused.

[0121] If any of the above conditions are missing, bypass unlocking will not be triggered, thus preventing accidental bypassing of security protection.

[0122] Implementation Scenario 3: Normal reset takes precedence over bypass unlocking.

[0123] After the vehicle triggers the off-vehicle protection lock in P gear, the driver returns to the vehicle, closes the driver's side door, and fastens the driver's seatbelt. At this time, the system detects that the normal reset conditions are met, directly clears the Protect_Mode_Flag protection flag, and exits the protection mode directly without needing to operate the emergency unlock button. The vehicle resumes normal gear shifting; the bypass unlock logic is not activated.

[0124] Scenario 4: The vehicle does not trigger the protection mode, and the emergency button is ineffective.

[0125] The vehicle is driving normally and the off-vehicle protection is not triggered (Protect_Mode_Flag=0). No matter how the maintenance personnel press the brake pedal or press and hold the emergency unlock button, the TCU will not activate the bypass unlock or disable the driver off-vehicle protection logic, thus ensuring daily driving safety.

[0126] Implementation Scenario 5: Emergency unlock button signal failure, bypass logic shielding.

[0127] The vehicle triggered the off-vehicle protection lock in P gear, but the transmission emergency unlock button circuit was open, and the TCU diagnostic button signal was faulty; even if the repair personnel pressed the brake and held down the button, they could not trigger the bypass unlock mechanism and could only rely on normal reset conditions to release the protection.

[0128] This embodiment adds a maintenance and rescue bypass unlocking mechanism to the original vehicle off-vehicle protection lock logic, which solves the dilemma that the driver cannot return to the vehicle after the vehicle is locked in P position and the vehicle cannot be towed or moved, thus improving the convenience of vehicle maintenance and rescue in accident and breakdown scenarios.

[0129] The emergency bypass unlock setting requires three simultaneous verification conditions: the vehicle is powered on, the brake pedal is pressed deeply, and the emergency unlock button is pressed and held. These multiple conditions mutually constrain each other, greatly reducing the probability of accidentally triggering the bypass unlock during daily use and preventing the protection function from being arbitrarily bypassed.

[0130] Bypass unlocking is only temporarily effective for this incident. The bypass mark will be automatically cleared when the vehicle is powered back on, restoring the complete off-vehicle protection logic. It will not permanently disable the safety protection, thus safeguarding the bottom line of driving safety. At the same time, during the bypass period, the instrument panel will continuously issue an audible and visual warning to remind maintenance personnel that the protection is in a temporarily disabled state and to remind operators to operate with caution.

[0131] Emergency bypass unlocking is only activated when the vehicle has already triggered the off-vehicle protection mode; under normal vehicle operating conditions, even if the emergency button is pressed, bypass protection will not be activated, thus preventing the failure of daily driving safety protection.

[0132] When the emergency unlocking related sensor / button signal fails, the bypass unlocking logic is directly blocked and the original protection reset logic is returned. The bypass mechanism will not introduce new security vulnerabilities, and the system is highly robust. The solution reuses the vehicle's existing transmission emergency unlocking button and brake pedal signal, without adding new hardware. It is implemented only by software logic, resulting in low hardware costs.

[0133] The vehicle gear control method proposed in this application can utilize the existing sensors and controller hardware of the vehicle to identify suspected driver exit conditions through multiple signals. Under low-speed crawling conditions, it can automatically switch from D gear to P gear and link with EPB parking, effectively solving the collision risk caused by the vehicle crawling after the driver gets out. At the same time, it sets a vehicle speed threshold to avoid damage to the transmission due to high-speed misoperation, and combines it with a signal fault tolerance mechanism to prevent sensor malfunctions from triggering protection. After the protection is triggered, it has reasonable reset conditions and is equipped with instrument alarm prompts. It ensures driving safety while taking into account the practicality of vehicle operation. The modification cost is low and it is easy to mass-produce the vehicle.

[0134] Next, refer to the appendix. Figure 3 This application describes a vehicle gear control device according to an embodiment.

[0135] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of a vehicle gear control device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0136] like Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle gear control device 10 includes: an acquisition module 100, a determination module 200, and a control module 300.

[0137] The acquisition module 100 is used to acquire the status of the driver's door and the driver's seat belt in response to the vehicle being in a starting driving state.

[0138] The determination module 200 is used to determine the current state of the driver based on the state of the driver's door and the state of the driver's seat belt.

[0139] The control module 300 is used to control the vehicle's gear position based on the current state.

[0140] In one embodiment of this application, the current state includes an off-vehicle state; the determination module 200 includes: a first response unit, configured to determine that the driver is in an off-vehicle state in response to the driver's door being in an open state and the driver's seatbelt being in a seatbelt-unfastened state.

[0141] In one embodiment of this application, the control module 300 includes: a second response unit, configured to, in response to the vehicle leaving state, acquire the vehicle speed and determine whether the vehicle speed is less than a preset threshold; and a control unit, configured to, if the vehicle speed is less than the preset threshold, trigger a vehicle protection mode, control the vehicle to switch to D gear, and control the vehicle's EPB clamping.

[0142] In one embodiment of this application, the vehicle gear control device 10 further includes: a first detection module, which, after the vehicle protection mode is triggered, if it is detected that the driver's seat belt is fastened again and the driver's door is closed, responds to the driver's gear shift request and controls the vehicle to exit P gear according to the gear shift request.

[0143] In one embodiment of this application, it further includes: a second detection module, used to control the vehicle to maintain the current gear state and prevent the vehicle protection mode from being triggered when at least one of the driver's door status signal, driver's seat belt status signal, and vehicle speed signal is detected to have failed.

[0144] In one embodiment of this application, the vehicle gear control device 10 is further configured to: control the vehicle to switch to D gear and control the vehicle's EPB clamping while controlling the vehicle's instrument panel to output an alarm signal.

[0145] In one embodiment of this application, the vehicle gear control device 10 is further configured to: if it is detected that the vehicle gear has been switched from P to D and the vehicle's EPB is in a released state, determine that the vehicle is in a starting driving state.

[0146] It should be noted that the explanation of the above-described embodiment of the vehicle gear control method also applies to the vehicle gear control device of this embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0147] The vehicle gear control device proposed in this application can utilize the existing sensors and controller hardware of the vehicle to identify suspected driver exit conditions through multiple signals. Under low-speed creeping conditions, it can automatically switch from D gear to P gear and link with EPB parking, effectively solving the collision risk caused by the vehicle creeping after the driver gets out of the vehicle. At the same time, it sets a vehicle speed threshold to avoid damage to the transmission due to high-speed misoperation, and is equipped with a signal fault tolerance mechanism to prevent sensor malfunctions from triggering protection. After the protection is triggered, it has reasonable reset conditions and is equipped with instrument warning prompts. It ensures driving safety while taking into account the practicality of vehicle operation. The modification cost is low and it is easy to mass-produce the vehicle.

[0148] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. The electronic device may include: The memory 401, the processor 402, and the computer program stored on the memory 401 and capable of running on the processor 402.

[0149] When the processor 402 executes the program, it implements the vehicle gear control method provided in the above embodiments.

[0150] Furthermore, electronic devices also include: Communication interface 403 is used for communication between memory 401 and processor 402.

[0151] The memory 401 is used to store computer programs that can run on the processor 402.

[0152] Memory 401 may include high-speed RAM memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device.

[0153] If the memory 401, processor 402, and communication interface 403 are implemented independently, then the communication interface 403, memory 401, and processor 402 can be interconnected via a bus to complete communication between them. The bus can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized into address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 4 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0154] Optionally, in a specific implementation, if the memory 401, processor 402, and communication interface 403 are integrated on a single chip, then the memory 401, processor 402, and communication interface 403 can communicate with each other through an internal interface.

[0155] Processor 402 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application.

[0156] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described vehicle gear control method.

[0157] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0158] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "N" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0159] Any process or method described in the flowchart or otherwise herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or N executable instructions for implementing custom logic functions or processes, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of this application includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved, as should be understood by those skilled in the art to which embodiments of this application pertain.

[0160] The logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a processor-included system, or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device). For the purposes of this specification, "computer-readable medium" can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit programs for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable media include: an electrical connection having one or more wires (electronic device), a portable computer disk drive (magnetic device), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable and editable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable optical disc read-only memory (CDROM). Alternatively, the computer-readable medium may be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, since the program can be obtained electronically by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, interpreting, or otherwise processing as necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

[0161] It should be understood that the various parts of this application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, the N steps or methods can be implemented using software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. If implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or more of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0162] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the methods in the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, the program includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0163] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into a module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0164] The storage medium mentioned above can be a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk, etc. Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling vehicle gears, characterized in that, include: In response to the vehicle being in a starting and driving state, the status of the driver's door and the driver's seat belt of the vehicle are obtained; The driver's current state is determined based on the driver's door status and the driver's seatbelt status; Based on the current state, the gear position of the vehicle is controlled.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The current state includes the exit from vehicle state; determining the driver's current state based on the driver's door state and the driver's seatbelt state includes: In response to the driver's door being in an open state and the driver's seatbelt being in an unfastened state, it is determined that the driver is in the state of being out of the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gear position is controlled in the following ways: In response to the vehicle departure state, the vehicle speed is obtained, and it is determined whether the vehicle speed is less than a preset threshold. If the vehicle speed is less than the preset threshold, the vehicle protection mode is triggered, the vehicle is switched to D gear, and the vehicle's EPB clamp is engaged.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: After the vehicle protection mode is triggered, if it is detected that the driver's seat belt is fastened again and the driver's door is closed, the driver's shift request is responded to, and the vehicle is controlled to exit P gear according to the shift request.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: When at least one of the signals of the driver's door status, the driver's seat belt status, and the vehicle speed is detected to be faulty, the vehicle is controlled to maintain the current gear state and the vehicle protection mode is prohibited from being triggered.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: While controlling the vehicle to switch to D gear and controlling the vehicle's EPB clamp, the instrument panel of the vehicle is controlled to output a warning signal.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: If the vehicle's gear is detected to have shifted from P to D and the vehicle's EPB is in the released state, it is determined that the vehicle is in the starting and driving state.

8. A vehicle gear control device, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module is used to acquire the driver's door status and driver's seat belt status in response to the vehicle being in a starting driving state; The determination module is used to determine the current state of the driver based on the state of the driver's door and the state of the driver's seat belt; The control module is used to control the gear position of the vehicle based on the current state.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the processor executing the program to implement the vehicle gear control method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

10. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, The program is executed by the processor to implement the vehicle gear control method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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