CONTROL SYSTEM

Abstract

A control system (10) comprises a first control device (11) configured to detect a state of an in-vehicle device and configured to transmit information based on the state of the in-vehicle device, a second control device (12) configured to receive the information from the first control device (11) and configured to control the in-vehicle device based on the information, and a communication relay (13) configured to relay the communication of the information between the first control device (11) and the second control device (12).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system mounted in a vehicle. 2. Description of the related art

[0002] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-140268 (JP 2014-140268 A) discloses a power supply system of a vehicle including a high-voltage battery (first power storage device) that stores power for traveling and an auxiliary battery (second power storage device) that stores power for a device. In the power supply system, the power storage amount of the auxiliary battery is monitored while the vehicle is parked, and the auxiliary battery is charged with the power of the high-voltage battery when the power storage amount of the auxiliary battery decreases, thus preventing the auxiliary battery from becoming depleted. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] To properly control the auxiliary battery charging using the energy from the high-voltage battery, it is necessary to provide information about the auxiliary battery to a device responsible for charging control. The auxiliary battery information is transmitted and received directly via a line (direct connection) connecting an information acquisition device and a device responsible for battery charging control, or it is transmitted and received through communication using a communication network including both devices.

[0004] When the transmission and reception of auxiliary battery information between the device that acquires battery information and the device responsible for battery charge control is performed using the communication network, a communication relay may be inserted between the devices. The communication relay is a device that requires power for relaying. Therefore, in a configuration where the transmission of auxiliary battery information is performed via the communication relay, it is desirable to temporarily operate the communication relay to reduce power consumption as much as possible, thus preventing the battery from becoming depleted in a scene where no power generation is performed, such as while the vehicle is parked.

[0005] However, if the communication relay is intermittently operating, the auxiliary battery information will not be transmitted from the battery information acquisition device to the battery charge control device during the period when the communication relay is stopped. As a result, the battery charge control device cannot properly execute the auxiliary battery charge control.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a control system capable of achieving both temporary operation of a communication relay and appropriate control of an in-vehicle device in a configuration in which communication of information related to control of the in-vehicle device (an auxiliary battery and the like) is performed between the devices via the communication relay.

[0007] The present disclosure relates to a control system mounted in a vehicle for controlling an in-vehicle device. The control system includes a first control device, a second control device, and a communication relay. The first control device is configured to detect a state of the in-vehicle device and transmit information based on the state of the in-vehicle device. The second control device is configured to receive the information from the first control device and control the in-vehicle device based on the information. The communication relay is configured to mediate communication of the information between the first control device and the second control device. The communication relay is configured to temporarily interrupt a relay operation while the vehicle is parked and the communication relay is in operation.The second control device is configured to perform control based on the information received from the first control device via the communication relay while the vehicle is parked, and is configured to maintain control immediately before the communication relay is stopped while the vehicle is parked and the communication relay is stopped.

[0008] In the aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle interior device may be a battery, and the first control device may be configured to detect a current flowing through the battery as the state of the vehicle interior device and may be configured to transmit an integrated value of the current as the information.

[0009] In the aspect of the present disclosure, the second control device may be configured to control the battery in a direction in which the discharge state is resolved in a case where the integrated value of the current received as information indicates a state of discharge, and may be configured to control the battery in a direction in which the state of charge is resolved in a case where the integrated value of the current indicates a state of charge.

[0010] In the aspect of the present disclosure, the second control device may be configured to control the battery by controlling an indicated voltage value indicative of an output voltage of a DC-DC converter that receives power from a battery other than the battery and outputs converted power to the battery.

[0011] In the aspect of the present disclosure, the first control device and the second control device may be configured to operate, while the vehicle is parked, during a period in which the outflow of a predetermined current from the battery is detected, and the communication relay may be configured to operate, while the vehicle is parked, temporarily during the period in which the first control device and the second control device are operating.

[0012] According to the aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve both temporary operation of a communication relay and appropriate control of an in-vehicle device in a configuration in which communication of information related to control of the in-vehicle device is performed between devices via the communication relay. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like symbols designate like elements and in which: Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of a control system and its peripheral units according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and Fig. Figure 2 is a flowchart of the control system's control of the auxiliary batteries. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0014] In a case where a state of an auxiliary battery is managed while a vehicle is parked, a control system according to the present disclosure executes charge control of the auxiliary battery based on an integrated value of all currents that have flowed into and out of the auxiliary battery so far, rather than on a current flowing into and out of the auxiliary battery. As a result, charge control of the auxiliary battery can be appropriately executed based on the integrated current value even if provision (communication) of the integrated current value to a device in charge of charge control of the auxiliary battery is temporarily interrupted. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Example configuration

[0015] Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of a control system 10 and its peripheral units according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. The functional blocks shown in Figure 1 include the control system 10, a high-voltage battery 20, an auxiliary battery 30, a DC-DC converter 40, a battery sensor 50, and auxiliary equipment 60. The control system 10 includes a first control device 11, a second control device 12, and a communication relay 13.

[0016] In Fig. In FIG. 1, a power line through which power is transmitted and received is represented by a solid line, and a signal line through which a detected value, a calculated value, a control command, and the like are transmitted is represented by a dashed line. The control system 10 of the present embodiment is mounted in a vehicle, such as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), and a battery electric vehicle (BEV).

[0017] The high-voltage battery 20 is a secondary battery configured to be charged and discharged, such as a lithium-ion battery. The high-voltage battery 20 is a battery for supplying energy to a high-voltage system that includes a so-called main engine (not shown) involved in driving the vehicle, such as a traveling electric motor. The high-voltage battery 20 is connected to the auxiliary battery 30 via the DC-DC converter 40 so that the auxiliary battery 30 can be charged.

[0018] The auxiliary battery 30 is a secondary battery configured to be charged and discharged, such as a lithium-ion battery. The auxiliary battery 30 is a battery for supplying power to an auxiliary system, including the auxiliary equipment 60. Generally, the nominal voltage of the auxiliary battery 30 is lower (e.g., 12 V) than the nominal voltage of the high-voltage battery 20. The condition of the auxiliary battery 30 is monitored by the battery sensor 50.

[0019] The DC-DC converter 40 is a converter that can convert input power into energy of a predetermined voltage and output the energy. The DC-DC converter 40 has a first end (primary side) connected to the high-voltage battery 20 and a second end (secondary side) connected to the auxiliary battery 30. The operation of the DC-DC converter 40 is controlled by the second control device 12 of the control system 10.

[0020] The battery sensor 50 is a sensor for detecting the state of the auxiliary battery 30. Examples of the state of the auxiliary battery 30 include physical quantities such as voltage, current, and temperature. The battery sensor 50 of the present embodiment detects at least one current (charging current, discharging current) flowing through the auxiliary battery 30. The state of the auxiliary battery 30 detected by the battery sensor 50 is detected by the first control device 11 of the control system 10.

[0021] The auxiliary equipment 60 includes a so-called auxiliary device (not shown), such as a unit, an electronic control unit (ECU), and a system that are not involved in the driving of the vehicle. The auxiliary equipment 60 of the present embodiment includes a tachograph in which the power consumption of the auxiliary battery 30 occurs as an event, e.g., when recording is started while the vehicle is parked.

[0022] The control system 10 includes the first control device 11, the second control device 12, and the communication relay 13, and executes control of a specific in-vehicle device. Various devices, an electronic control unit (ECU), and a vehicle-mounted system can be targeted as the specific in-vehicle device. In the present embodiment, the control system 10 will be described using a case where the specific in-vehicle device is the auxiliary battery 30 as an example.

[0023] The first control device 11 is configured to detect the current flowing through the auxiliary battery 30, which is detected by the battery sensor 50, and integrate the detected current to obtain an integrated current value. The first control device 11 is typically configured as an electronic unit (e.g., ZONE-ECU) including a processor, a memory, an input and output interface, and the like, such as a microcomputer. Current integration starts from zero (0) when the first control device 11, which is stopped (sleeping) while the vehicle is parked, starts up (wakes up), and continues until the first control device 11 is stopped again. The first control device 11 transmits its own integrated current value to the communication relay 13.The transmission is performed based on a predetermined cycle, timing, and the like during a period in which the first control device 11 is in operation.

[0024] The second control device 12 is configured to receive the integrated current value obtained by the first control device 11 from the communication relay 13 and control the operation of the DC-DC converter 40 based on the received integrated current value. The second control device 12 is typically configured as an electronic unit (e.g., HV-ECU) including a processor, a memory, an input and output interface, and the like, such as a microcomputer. When the second control device 12 cannot receive the integrated current value from the communication relay 13 (when communication is interrupted), the second control device 12 can control the operation of the DC-DC converter 40 without relying on the integrated current value.

[0025] The communication relay 13 is included in a communication network including the first control device 11 and the second control device 12, and is configured to relay the communication of information between the first control device 11 and the second control device 12 (e.g., a gateway). The information relayed by the communication relay 13 of the present embodiment is the integrated current value obtained from the first control device 11. The communication relay 13 performs an intermittent operation of repeated wakeup and sleep in a scene where the auxiliary battery 30 cannot be charged by the vehicle's power generation or power supply from an external power source, for example, when the vehicle is parked.The intermittent operation reduces the power consumption of the communication relay 13, preventing the auxiliary battery 30 from running out of power. While the communication relay 13 is stopped, the information relay operation is not performed (communication is interrupted).

[0026] In the present embodiment, an interval of the intermittent operation performed by the communication relay 13 is set shorter than an interval of an intermittent operation performed by the first control device 11 and the second control device 12. That is, the communication relay 13 performs the intermittent operation at least once during a period in which the first control device 11 and the second control device 12 are operating. steering

[0027] Hereinafter, the control performed by the control system 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 2 described in more detail. Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the auxiliary battery control executed by the control system 10.

[0028] The Fig.The auxiliary battery control illustrated in Figure 2 is initiated when a predetermined event occurs that consumes the energy of the auxiliary battery 30, for example, when the vehicle is parked, and continues until the event ends. The event may be a discharge state in which a current equal to or greater than a predetermined value flows from the auxiliary battery 30, and may be illustrated by a scene in which the tachograph included in the auxiliary equipment 60 begins recording. In response to the occurrence of the event, the first control device 11, the second control device 12, and the communication relay 13 are each activated (awakened). Step S201

[0029] The second control device 12 of the control system 10 sets a specified voltage value indicative of an output voltage of the DC-DC converter 40 to a predetermined initial value. When the initial value is set by the second control device 12 to the specified voltage value of the DC-DC converter 40, the process proceeds to step S202. Step S202

[0030] The first control device 11 of the control system 10 begins integrating the current of the auxiliary battery 30 detected by the battery sensor 50 to obtain an integrated current value and transmits the integrated current value to the communication relay 13. The first control device 11 calculates the integrated current value by considering the charging current flowing into the auxiliary battery 30 as a positive sign and the discharging current flowing out of the auxiliary battery 30 as a negative sign. When the first control device 11 calculates the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30 and transmits the integrated current value to the communication relay 13, the process proceeds to step S203. Step S203

[0031] The second control device 12 of the control system 10 determines whether or not the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30 has been received from the communication relay 13. This determination is made to determine whether the communication relay 13 is in an operating state where communication is possible or in a stopped state where communication is not possible. When the second control device 12 receives the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30, the second control device 12 determines that the communication relay 13 is in the operating state (step S203, YES), and the process proceeds to step S204. On the other hand, when the second control device 12 does not receive (cannot receive) the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30, the second control device 12 determines that the communication relay 13 is in the stopped state (step S203, NO), and the process proceeds to step S207. Step S204

[0032] The second control device 12 of the control system 10 determines whether the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30 received from the communication relay 13 is less than zero (0) or not. This determination is made to determine whether the auxiliary battery 30 is in a discharge state where an outflow current is greater than an inflow current, or in a charge state where the outflow current is smaller than the inflow current. As described above, the current of the auxiliary battery 30 is expressed with a sign, so that the charge and discharge state of the auxiliary battery 30 can be detected depending on which side the integrated current value is on with respect to zero (0). If the second control device 12 determines that the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30 is less than zero (0) (step S204, YES), the process proceeds to step S205.On the other hand, when the second control device 12 determines that the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30 is equal to or greater than zero (0) (step S204, NO), the process proceeds to step S206. Step S205

[0033] The second control device 12 of the control system 10 increases the specified voltage value of the DC-DC converter 40 assuming that the auxiliary battery 30 is in the discharge state (setting update). An increase amount of the specified voltage value can optionally be set based on a capacity of the auxiliary battery 30, a current charging state, or the like. An appropriate value is set so that the state of the auxiliary battery 30 changes in a direction that resolves the discharge state within a range where no overvoltage occurs in the auxiliary battery 30. When the specified voltage value of the DC-DC converter 40 is increased by the second control device 12, the process proceeds to step S208. Level S206

[0034] The second controller 12 of the control system 10 lowers the specified voltage value of the DC-DC converter 40 assuming that the auxiliary battery 30 is in the state of charge (setting update). An amount to lower the specified voltage value can optionally be set based on a capacity of the auxiliary battery 30, a current charging state, or the like. An appropriate value is set so that charging of the auxiliary battery 30 from the high-voltage battery 20 is stopped and the state of the auxiliary battery 30 changes in a direction to resolve the state of charge. When the specified voltage value of the DC-DC converter 40 is lowered by the second controller 12, the process proceeds to step S208. Level S207

[0035] Since the second control device 12 of the control system 10 does not have the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30 and does not know the current state of the auxiliary battery 30, the second control device 12 maintains the specified voltage value of the DC-DC converter 40 at the current value (maintenance setting). That is, when the communication relay 13 is temporarily stopped (sleeping) and communication is interrupted, the second control device 12 controls the auxiliary battery 30 using the specified voltage value set based on the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30 received immediately before the communication relay 13 is stopped. If the specified voltage value of the DC-DC converter 40 is maintained by the second control device 12, the process proceeds to step S208. Level S208

[0036] The second control device 12 of the control system 10 controls the auxiliary battery 30 based on the set specified voltage value. Control is performed until the specified voltage value is reset in any one of steps S205 to S207. If the second control device 12 performs control of the auxiliary battery 30 based on the specified voltage value, the process proceeds to step S203.

[0037] In step S204, it is determined that the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30 is compared with zero (0) to perform control aimed at maintaining the current state of the energy storage amount of the auxiliary battery 30. However, in a case where the energy storage amount of the auxiliary battery 30 is to be increased with respect to the current state, it only needs to be determined that the integrated current value of the auxiliary battery 30 is compared with a charging amount (Ah) set as a target. Action and effect

[0038] As described above, the control system 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes the first control device 11 configured to detect the current flowing through the auxiliary battery 30 and integrate the detected current to obtain an integrated current value. The first control device 11 transmits information about the integrated current value to the second control device 12, which controls the auxiliary battery 30. Then, the second control device 12 controls the auxiliary battery 30 through new control based on the integrated current value when the integrated current value can be received from the first control device 11, and controls the auxiliary battery 30 through immediately preceding control when the integrated current value cannot be received from the first control device 11.

[0039] With such a configuration and control, even in a case where the communication relay 13 that relays communication through intermittent operation is arranged between the first control device 11 and the second control device 12, the movement of the auxiliary battery 30 while the relay operation of the communication relay 13 is stopped can be estimated from the integrated current value after the relay resumes. This makes it possible to perform appropriate battery control depending on the state (discharge state, charge state) of the auxiliary battery 30.

[0040] Furthermore, with such a device and control, the communication relay 13 can be operated intermittently, so that the power consumption of the communication relay 13 can be reduced. Therefore, in a situation where the auxiliary battery 30 cannot be charged by the vehicle's power generation or the power supply from the external power supply device, for example, when the vehicle is parked, the auxiliary battery 30 can be prevented from being depleted due to long-term operation of a device that consumes a large amount of power.

[0041] The in-vehicle device to be controlled by the control system 10 according to the present embodiment is not limited to the auxiliary battery 30 described above. Any in-vehicle device controlled based on the information transmitted from the first control device 11 to the second control device 12 via the communication relay 13 may be subject to control.

[0042] An embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, but the present disclosure may be understood not only as a control system, but also as a method executed by the control system, a program for the method, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing the program, a vehicle including the control system, or the like.

[0043] The control system of the present disclosure can be applied to a vehicle or the like having a configuration in which communication of information from a device of a transmission source to a device of a reception destination is performed via a relay. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2014-140268

[0002] JP 2014-140268 A

[0002]

Claims

A control system (10) mounted in a vehicle for controlling a vehicle interior device, the control system (10) comprising: a first control device (11) configured to detect a state of the vehicle interior device and configured to transmit information based on the state of the vehicle interior device; a second control device (12) configured to receive the information from the first control device (11) and configured to control the vehicle interior device based on the information; and a communication relay (13) configured to relay the communication of the information between the first control device (11) and the second control device (12), the communication relay (13) being configured to temporarily stop a relay operation while the vehicle is parked;andthe second control device (12) is configured to perform, while the vehicle is parked and the communication relay (13) is in operation, control based on the information received from the first control device (11) via the communication relay (13), and is configured to maintain, while the vehicle is parked and the communication relay (13) is stopped, the control performed immediately before the communication relay (13) is stopped.; The control system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle interior device is a battery (20, 30); and the first control device (11) is configured to detect a current flowing through the battery (20, 30) as the state of the vehicle interior device, and is configured to transmit an integrated current value as the information. The control system (10) according to claim 2, wherein the second control device (12) is configured to control the battery (20, 30) in a direction to release the discharge state when the integrated value of the current received as the information indicates a state of discharge, and is configured to control the battery (20, 30) in a direction to release the state of charge when the integrated value of the current indicates a state of charge. The control system (10) of claim 3, wherein the second control device (12) is configured to control the battery (20, 30) by controlling an indicated voltage value indicative of an output voltage of a DC-DC converter (40) that receives power from a battery other than the battery (20, 30) and outputs converted power to the battery (20, 30). The control system (10) according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: the first control device (11) and the second control device (12) are arranged to operate, while the vehicle is parked, during a period in which a drain of a predetermined current from the battery (20, 30) is detected; and the communication relay (13) is arranged to operate temporarily, while the vehicle is parked, while the first control device (11) and the second control device (12) are operating.

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