Shift change control device for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a shift change control device for a vehicle, which prevents driving force loosing or immobilization of the vehicle even if a driver accidentally touches a shift operation switch while the vehicle is traveling off-road or when the vehicle is in an inclined state.SOLUTION: When a shift request determination unit 146 for a non-driving range determines that a request for a shift to a non-driving range is issued by operation of a shift operation switch 122 in an off-road travelling mode, a shift request rejection unit 150 rejects the request for the shift to the non-driving range. This prevents occurrence of driving force loosing or immobilization of the vehicle even if a driver accidentally touches the shift operation switch 122 while the vehicle is traveling off-road or when the vehicle is in an inclined state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shift switching control device for a vehicle in which a shift actuator changes a shift range in accordance with a shift range request based on a shift operation. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, a vehicle is provided with a so-called SBW type shift switching mechanism that switches between driving ranges such as drive (D) range and reverse (R) range, and non-driving ranges such as neutral (N) range and parking (P) range, as a shift range that is switched by a shift actuator in response to a shift request based on the operation of a shift operation switch. For example, a vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 is such a device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2008-095889 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The vehicle is further provided with a drive mode switching device which, when the off-road driving mode selection switch is operated for driving on off-road surfaces such as unpaved roads, sandy roads, or muddy roads, selects a drive mode that optimally controls the vehicle's driving force and braking force in accordance with the environment.

[0005] When driving at low speed on an off-road surface with a complex shape, the driver operates the off-road driving mode selection switch or the park switch, but since the vehicle tilts and sways during off-road driving and the driver operates the switch while his / her posture is unstable, there have been cases where the driver touches the shift operation switch or the park switch by mistake and switches the vehicle from the drive range to the non-drive range. When the range is switched from the drive range to the non-drive range by mistake, there are problems in that the vehicle loses driving force against the intention or the vehicle becomes immobilized.

[0006] The present invention has been made against the background of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a vehicle shift switching control device that prevents the vehicle from losing driving force or becoming immobile even if the driver accidentally touches the shift operation switch or park switch when the vehicle is traveling off-road or when the vehicle is in an inclined state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The gist of the present invention is a shift switching control device for a vehicle including: (a) a shift switching mechanism in which a shift actuator switches between a drive range and a non-drive range in accordance with a shift request based on operation of a shift operation switch; and a drive mode switching unit that switches the vehicle to an off-road driving mode when an off-road driving mode selection switch is operated; (b) a shift request to the non-drive range determination unit that determines whether a shift request to the non-drive range has been issued by operation of the shift operation switch when the vehicle is in an off-road driving state or the vehicle is in an inclined state; and (c) a shift request rejection unit that rejects the shift request to the drive mode switching unit when the shift request determination unit determines that a shift request to the non-drive range has been issued by operation of the shift operation switch when the vehicle is in an off-road driving state or the vehicle is in an inclined state. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when the shift request determination unit determines that a request to shift to the non-driving range is issued by operating the shift operation switch when the vehicle is traveling off-road or the vehicle is tilted, the shift request rejection unit rejects the shift request to the drive mode switching unit. This prevents loss of driving force or immobilization of the vehicle even if the driver accidentally touches the shift operation switch while the vehicle is traveling off-road or tilted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a shift switching control device for a vehicle having a shift-by-wire (SBW) system according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is also a block diagram illustrating a main part of a control system provided in the vehicle to control shift range switching, etc. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the shift control mechanism of FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a main part of the control operation of the electronic control device of FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a main part of another control operation example of the electronic control device of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following embodiments, the drawings are appropriately simplified or modified, and the dimensional ratios and shapes of the various parts are not necessarily drawn accurately. EXAMPLES

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a drive system 10 of a hybrid drive vehicle to which the present invention is applied, and is also a diagram illustrating the main parts of a control function and control system for shift switching control in the drive system 10. In Fig. 1, the drive system 10 is equipped with an engine 12, a TM rotary machine MGM, and a TF rotary machine MGF that function as power sources. The drive system 10 is equipped with a pair of left and right front wheels 14, a pair of left and right rear wheels 16, and a power transmission device 18 that transmits power from the engine 12 and the like to the front wheels 14 and the rear wheels 16, respectively. The engine 12, the TM rotary machine MGM, and the TF rotary machine MGF are the power sources of the vehicle.

[0012] In the drive system 10, an engine control device 20 including a throttle actuator, a fuel injection device, an ignition device, etc. is controlled by an electronic control device 130 described later, whereby an engine torque Te which is an output torque of the engine 12 is controlled.

[0013] The TM rotating machine MGM and the TF rotating machine MGF are each a so-called motor generator. The TM rotating machine MGM and the TF rotating machine MGF are each connected to a battery 24 provided in the vehicle drive device 10 via an inverter 22 provided in the vehicle drive device 10. The TM rotating machine MGM and the TF rotating machine MGF have the inverter 22 controlled by an electronic control device 130 described later, whereby the MGM torque Tmgm which is the output torque of the TM rotating machine MGM and the MGF torque Tmgf which is the output torque of the TF rotating machine MGF are controlled.

[0014] The power transmission device 18 includes a hybrid transmission 26 having a power distribution device and an automatic transmission, a transfer 28, a front propeller shaft 30, a rear propeller shaft 32, a front differential 34, a rear differential 36, a pair of left and right front drive shafts 38, and a pair of left and right rear drive shafts 40.

[0015] 2 is a perspective view showing a shift control mechanism using a shift-by-wire (SBW) system including a shift range switching mechanism 58 for switching the shift range of the automatic transmission in the hybrid transmission 26 and a parking lock device 56 for fixing the output shaft of the automatic transmission so that it cannot rotate. The shift range switching mechanism 58 includes an electric shift actuator 66 that is operated based on an electric signal (operation signal) Psh output in response to a shift operation of the shift operation switch 122 shown in FIG. 1, a manual shaft 68 connected to the output shaft of the shift actuator 66 via, for example, a reduction gear, and a plate-shaped detent plate 70 that is fixed to the manual shaft 68 and can be rotated to either a driving position (D range, R range, N range) or a non-driving position (P range) according to each shift range.

[0016] 2, the manual shaft 68 and the detent plate 70 are fixed so as to be unable to rotate relative to each other. The shift actuator 66 is formed of, for example, a step motor. The actuation position of the shift actuator 66, i.e., the rotation angle of the rotor of the shift actuator 66, is detected by a rotary encoder 72.

[0017] The detent plate 70 is positioned at either a preset running position or a non-running position according to the cam surface shape of its outer peripheral edge. A cam surface recess 78 for positioning the detent plate 70 at either the running position or the non-running position is formed on the outer peripheral edge located above the detent plate 70. An engagement roller 88 rotatably supported on the tip end of a detent spring 86, the base end of which is fixed, is pressed against the cam surface recess 78.

[0018] As a result, the engagement roller 88 falls into either the recess for the D, N, R positions or the recess for the P position, which are formed as multiple cam surface recesses 78, thereby positioning the detent plate 70 at a rotational position of either the running position or the non-running position, and is positioned at one of the rotational positions previously set depending on each shift position.

[0019] The parking lock device 56 is configured to include a parking gear 48 connected to an output shaft (not shown) of the hybrid transmission 26 shown in FIG. 1, a parking lock pole 90 having a claw portion 91 that meshes with the parking gear 48 by being rotated about a single axis and fixes the output shaft so that it cannot rotate, a parking rod 94 that is inserted into a tapered member 92 that engages with the parking lock pole 90 and supports the tapered member 92 at one end, and a spring 96 that urges the tapered member 92 toward its smaller diameter side.

[0020] The other end of the parking rod 94 is connected to the lower end of the detent plate 70, and the taper member 92 can be moved to the smaller diameter side or larger diameter side of the taper member 92 by rotating the detent plate 70.

[0021] The vehicle drive device 10 includes an electronic control device 130 as a controller including a control device that controls the engine 12, the TM rotary machine MGM, the TF rotary machine MGF, the transfer 28, etc. The electronic control device 130 includes computers for engine control, gear change control, shift switching control, etc.

[0022] The electronic control device 130 is supplied with various signals (e.g., engine rotation speed sensor 110, turbine rotation speed sensor 112, AT output rotation speed sensor 114, accelerator opening sensor 116, throttle valve opening sensor 118, acceleration sensor 120, etc.) based on detection values ​​from various sensors provided in the vehicle drive device 10 (e.g., engine rotation speed sensor 110, turbine rotation speed sensor 112, AT output rotation speed sensor 114, accelerator opening sensor 116, throttle valve opening sensor 118, acceleration sensor 120, etc.) (e.g., engine rotation speed Ne, AT input rotation speed Ni, AT output rotation speed No corresponding to vehicle speed V, accelerator opening θacc which is the driver's accelerator operation amount indicating the magnitude of the driver's acceleration operation, throttle valve opening θth which is the opening of the electronic throttle valve, longitudinal acceleration Gx and lateral acceleration Gy of the vehicle 8, etc.).

[0023] The front panel of the vehicle is provided with an automatic return type shift operation switch 122 that returns to a neutral position when the driver's operation is released, and a park switch 126. The electronic control device 130 is supplied with a shift operation switch position signal Psh from a shift sensor 124, which is a position sensor for detecting the operation position of the shift operation switch 122, a park switch signal Pon that indicates the switch operation of the park switch 126 for switching the shift range of the transmission 26 from the non-P range to the P range, a rotation amount signal Ro that indicates the rotation amount of the shift actuator 66 (FIG. 2) of the parking lock device 56 for activating or releasing the parking lock, etc.

[0024] The front panel of the vehicle 10 is provided with a multi-information display (user interface display) 132, an off-road driving mode selection switch 134 for selecting one of a plurality of driving modes such as unpaved roads, sandy roads, and muddy roads displayed on the multi-information display 132, and a multi-terrain select switch 136. When the multi-terrain select switch 136 is operated, the driving force and braking force are optimally controlled according to the environment so that the driving force can be utilized to the maximum in order to enhance off-road running performance.

[0025] The electronic control unit 130 functionally comprises a hybrid control unit 140, a drive control unit 142, and a shift control unit 144. The shift control unit 144 has a shift request determination unit 146 for a non-drive range, an off-road mode determination unit 148, a shift request rejection unit 150, and a vehicle inclination state determination unit 152 in an off-road environment.

[0026] The electronic control unit 130 determines whether to shift the transmission 26 based on the actual vehicle speed and required output from a pre-stored AT gear shift map, and outputs a shift command signal to a hydraulic control circuit (not shown) to execute shift control of the transmission 26 so as to obtain the determined gear.

[0027] The hybrid control unit 140 includes a function as an engine control means, i.e., an engine control unit, that controls the operation of the engine 12, and a function as a rotating machine control unit that controls the operation of the TM rotating machine MGM and the TF rotating machine MGF via the inverter 22, and executes hybrid drive control by the engine 12, the TM rotating machine MGM, and the TF rotating machine MGF, etc., using these control functions.

[0028] The drive control unit 142 includes a drive mode switching unit that switches the drive mode in response to a shift request, and selects one of a plurality of off-road driving modes, such as unpaved roads, sandy roads, and muddy roads, in response to operation of the off-road driving mode selection switch 134. When the multi-terrain select switch 136 is operated, the drive control unit 142 optimally controls the drive force and braking force according to the environment so as to make maximum use of the drive force during low-speed driving in order to improve off-road driving performance.

[0029] The shift control unit 144 establishes one of the following shift ranges in response to a shift request based on the operating position of the shift operation switch 122 and the operation of the park switch 126: the parking range (P range), the reverse range (R range), the neutral range (N range), and the drive range (D range).

[0030] A non-drive range shift request determination unit 146 determines whether or not there is a request to shift from a drive range (R range, D range) to a non-drive range (P range, N range) based on the operation position of the shift operation switch 122. An off-road mode determination unit 148 determines whether or not any of a plurality of off-road driving modes such as unpaved roads, sandy roads, and muddy roads has been selected in response to the operation of the off-road driving mode selection switch 134.

[0031] When there is a request to shift from a driving range (R range, D range, B range) to a non-driving range (P range, N range) while the vehicle is traveling off-road or in an inclined state, the shift request rejection unit 150 rejects (invalidates) the shift request, prohibits switching to the non-driving range, and notifies the user using, for example, the multi-information display 132.

[0032] A vehicle inclination state determination unit 152 determines that the vehicle is in an inclined state when the longitudinal acceleration Gx and lateral acceleration Gy of the vehicle obtained from the acceleration sensor 120 become equal to or greater than a predetermined value set in advance. When the vehicle inclination state determination unit 152 determines that the vehicle is in an inclined state, even if a shift request to the non-driving range is made by the shift request determination unit 146, the shift request rejection unit 150 rejects (invalidates) the shift request, and switching to the non-driving range is prohibited.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the main part of the control operation of the electronic control unit 130. In step S1 (hereinafter, the step will be omitted) of FIG. 3, the occurrence of a shift request from the driving range (R range, D range, B range) to the non-driving range (P range, N range) is read. Next, in S2 corresponding to the off-road mode determination unit 148, it is determined whether the driving mode of the vehicle is the off-road driving mode. If the determination in S2 is positive, the shift request is rejected (invalidated) in S3 corresponding to the shift request rejection unit 150, and the rejection of the shift request is notified in S4, for example, by the multi-information display 132. However, if the determination in S2 is negative, the shift request from the driving range to the non-driving range is accepted in S5.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the main part of another example of the control operation of the electronic control device 130. In S11 of FIG. 4, the occurrence of a request to shift from the driving range (R range, D range, B range) to the non-driving range (P range, N range) is read, and in S12, the inclination state of the vehicle is acquired. Next, in S13 corresponding to the vehicle inclination state determination unit 152, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is inclined. If the determination in S13 is positive, the request to shift from the driving range to the non-driving range is rejected (invalidated) in S14, and the rejection of the shift request is notified, for example, by the multi-information display 132 in S15. However, if the determination in S13 is negative, the request to shift from the driving range to the non-driving range is accepted in S16.

[0035] As described above, according to the electronic control device 130 of this embodiment, when the non-driving range shift request determination unit 146 determines that a request to shift to the non-driving range has been issued by operating the shift operation switch 122 during off-road driving, the shift request rejection unit 150 rejects the request to shift to the non-driving range. This prevents loss of driving force or immobilization of the vehicle even if the driver mistakenly touches the shift operation switch 122 or the park switch 126.

[0036] It should be noted that the above is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention can be embodied in various modified forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0037] For example, the vehicle in the above-described embodiment was a hybrid vehicle equipped with the engine 12, the TM rotary machine MGM, and the TF rotary machine MGF as driving force sources, but the vehicle may be an electric vehicle using only the engine 12 as a driving force source, or may be an electric vehicle using only the TF rotary machine MGF as a driving force source.

[0038] Furthermore, the speed changer in the transmission 26 may be any of a stepped transmission, a belt-type continuously variable transmission, an electric continuously variable transmission, and the like.

[0039] It should be noted that the above is merely one embodiment, and the present invention can be embodied in various modified and improved forms based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10: drive unit, 12: engine, 14: front wheels, 16: rear wheels, 18: power transmission unit, 20: engine control unit, 22: inverter, 24: battery, 26: transmission, 28: transfer, 30: front propeller shaft, 32: rear propeller shaft, 34: front differential, 36: rear differential, 38: front drive shaft, 40: rear drive shaft, 48: parking gear, 50: manual valve, 56: parking lock device, 58: shift range switching mechanism, 66: shift actuator, 68: manual shaft, 70: detent plate, 72: rotary encoder, 78: cam surface recess, 86: detent spring, 88: engagement roller, 90: parking lock pole, 91: claw portion , 92: tapered member, 94: parking rod, 96: spring, 110: engine rotation speed sensor, 112: turbine rotation speed sensor, 114: AT output rotation speed sensor, 116: accelerator opening sensor, 118: throttle valve opening sensor, 120: acceleration sensor, 122: shift operation switch, 124: shift sensor, 126: park switch, 130: electronic control unit, 132: multi-information display, 134: off-road driving mode selection switch, 136: multi-terrain select switch, 140: hybrid control unit, 142: drive control unit, 144: shift control unit, 146: shift request determination unit for non-driving range, 148: off-road mode determination unit, 150: shift request rejection unit, 152: vehicle inclination state determination unit in off-road environment

Claims

[Claim 1] A shift switching control device for a vehicle including a shift switching mechanism in which a shift actuator switches between a drive range and a non-drive range in accordance with a shift range request based on an operation of a shift operation switch, and a drive mode switching unit that switches the vehicle to an off-road driving mode when an off-road driving mode selection switch is operated, a shift request determination unit for determining whether or not a request for shifting to a non-driving range has been issued by operation of the shift operation switch when the vehicle is in the off-road driving mode or in a vehicle tilt state; a shift request rejection unit that rejects the request to shift to the non-driving range made to the drive mode switching unit when the shift request determination unit determines that a request to shift to the non-driving range has been made by operating the shift operation switch while the vehicle is in an off-road driving mode or in a vehicle tilt state. A shift switching control device for a vehicle.

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