Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of avoiding a vehicle to be in driving state against driver's intention in a case where a door is in open state.SOLUTION: (a) A shift control ECU 90 performs shift change control which is shift change to D range based on range change request for changing a shift range from P range to D range, (b) a door control ECU 80 performs opening control of a door 62 based on opening request for changing the door 62 from a close state to an open state and outputs a door state signal Sdr representing an opening / closing state of the door 62 to the shift control ECU 90, if the shift range is determined to be in P range based on a shift range state signal Ssft representing a shift range inputted from the shift control ECU 90, and (c) the shift control ECU 90 changes the shift range from D range to N range if it determines that state change of the door 62 from closing state to opening state occurs within a predetermined period T after range change request.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that includes a door control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the opening and closing of doors and a shift control ECU that controls switching of shift ranges, and in which data is input and output between the door control ECU and the shift control ECU. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a vehicle control device that does not execute an opening control for opening a door when the shift range is not the P range, and that prohibits and does not execute a shift change control for switching the shift range from the P range to the drive range when the shift range is the P range and the door is open. For example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-129422 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, the vehicle control device may be divided into a plurality of ECUs, and data may be input and output between the plurality of ECUs. For example, the vehicle control device may be divided into a door control ECU that controls the opening and closing of doors and a shift control ECU that controls the switching of shift ranges, and data may be input and output between the door control ECU and the shift control ECU. In such a configuration, a certain communication time is required to transmit data from one of the door control ECU and the shift control ECU to the other. Therefore, due to a communication delay, the shift change control may be executed to switch the shift range from the P range to the drive range, even though the state of the door has changed from a closed state to an open state. In this case, the vehicle may enter a running state against the driver's intention, even though the door is in an open state.

[0005] The present invention has been made against the background of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that prevents the vehicle from entering a moving state against the driver's intention when the door is in an open position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gist of the present invention is a control device for a vehicle including a door control ECU that controls opening and closing of doors and a shift control ECU that controls switching of a shift range, and data is input and output between the door control ECU and the shift control ECU, wherein (a) the shift control ECU executes shift change control to switch the shift range to the driving range for which the range switching request has been made, based on a range switching request to switch the shift range from a P range to a driving range, (b) when the door control ECU determines that the shift range is the P range based on a signal representing the shift range input from the shift control ECU, executes opening control to switch the door from the closed state to the open state based on an opening request to switch the door from a closed state to an open state, and outputs a signal representing the open / closed state of the door to the shift control ECU, and (c) when the shift control ECU determines that a state change has occurred in which the door has switched from the closed state to the open state within a predetermined period after the range switching request, switches the shift range from the driving range to a non-driving range. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the vehicle control device of the present invention, (a) the shift control ECU executes a shift change control to switch the shift range to the drive range for which the range change request has been made based on a range change request to switch the shift range from the P range to the drive range, (b) when the door control ECU determines that the shift range is the P range based on a signal representing the shift range input from the shift control ECU, it executes an opening control to switch the door from the closed state to the open state based on an opening request to switch the door from the closed state to the open state and outputs a signal representing the open / closed state of the door to the shift control ECU, and (c) when the shift control ECU determines that the state of the door has changed from the closed state to the open state within a predetermined period after the range change request, it switches the shift range from the drive range to the non-drive range. This prevents the vehicle from being in a running state against the driver's intention when the door is in an open state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle equipped with an electronic control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is also a functional block diagram showing essential parts of control functions for various controls in the vehicle. [Diagram 2] 2 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a control operation of the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is an example of a time chart when the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is executed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in the embodiments, the drawings are appropriately simplified or modified, and the dimensional ratios and shapes of the various parts are not necessarily drawn accurately. EXAMPLES

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 10 equipped with an electronic control device 70 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is also a functional block diagram showing the main parts of the control functions for various controls in the vehicle 10.

[0011] The vehicle 10 is a vehicle 10 in which passengers other than the driver get on and off, such as a microbus. The vehicle 10 is equipped with an engine 12 that is a power source for traveling. The engine 12 is a well-known internal combustion engine. The vehicle 10 is equipped with an engine connecting shaft 30, a torque converter 18, an input shaft 32 that is an input rotating member of the automatic transmission 20, the automatic transmission 20, an output shaft 34 that is an output rotating member of the automatic transmission 20, etc. in a case 16 in a power transmission path PT between the engine 12 and a pair of driving wheels 14, in that order from the engine 12 side, and also with a differential 22 connected to the output shaft 34, a pair of axles 36 connected to the differential 22, etc., all of which are well-known configurations. The case 16 is a non-rotating member attached to the vehicle body. The vehicle 10 is also equipped with a hydraulic control circuit 38, a shift operation device 40, an indicator 50, a door opening and closing mechanism 60, and an electronic control device 70.

[0012] The automatic transmission 20 is a well-known automatic transmission, such as a planetary gear type or a constant meshing parallel shaft type. An output shaft 34 of the automatic transmission 20 is provided with a parking lock mechanism 24, which is a well-known configuration that mechanically stops the rotation of the output shaft 34 connected to the pair of drive wheels 14. The parking lock mechanism 24 is switched between a locked state and an unlocked state by an electric actuator.

[0013] The hydraulic control circuit 38 uses the hydraulic oil discharged by the oil pump as the source pressure and supplies regulated hydraulic pressure to, for example, an actuator that performs engagement / disengagement control of the lock-up clutch LU of the torque converter 18 and an actuator that performs gear shift control of the automatic transmission 20.

[0014] The shift operation device 40 is an operation device for selecting one of a plurality of shift ranges. That is, the shift operation device 40 is an operation device that is manually operated to receive a request to switch the shift range. The shift operation device 40 is disposed, for example, near the driver's seat, and has an operator that is selectively operated by the driver to a plurality of operation positions corresponding to the plurality of shift ranges. The shift range indicates a power transmission state from the engine 12, which is a power source for traveling, to a pair of drive wheels 14, and includes, for example, an R range, an N range, a D range, a P range, etc., which will be described later.

[0015] The shift operation device 40 employs a so-called shift-by-wire system. The shift operation device 40 includes, for example, a shift lever 42 and a P switch 46. The shift lever 42 and the P switch 46 are both momentary type operators that are returned to their original positions (initial positions) when no external force is applied. In other words, the shift lever 42 and the P switch 46 are operators that are returned to their initial positions when not operated by the driver (in other words, automatic return type operators that automatically return to their initial positions when the operating force is released).

[0016] The operating positions of the shift lever 42 are, for example, "H position", "R position", "N position", "D position", and "B position". The "H position" is the initial position (home position) of the shift lever 42. Even if the shift lever 42 is operated to an operating position other than the "H position", if the driver releases the shift lever 42 (i.e., if the external force acting on the shift lever 42 is no longer applied), the shift lever 42 is returned to the "H position" by a mechanical mechanism such as a spring. The "R position" is an operating position that selects the R range that allows the vehicle 10 to travel backward. The "N position" is an operating position that selects the N range, which is a neutral state in which power transmission from the engine 12 to the pair of drive wheels 14 is cut off. For example, in the N range, the automatic transmission 20 is in a neutral state. The "D position" is an operating position that selects the D range that allows the vehicle 10 to travel forward. The "B position" is an operating position for selecting a decelerated forward driving state in which engine braking using the engine 12 is more likely to be applied (i.e., a state in which the engine braking effect is stronger) when a power transmission path PT for forward driving is formed by operating to the "D position".

[0017] The P switch 46 is, for example, a momentary push button switch, and when pressed by the driver, a neutral state is set in which power transmission from the engine 12 to the pair of drive wheels 14 is cut off, and a P range is selected in which the pair of drive wheels 14 are mechanically fixed so as not to rotate. When the P switch 46 is not pressed, the P switch 46 is set to its initial position (home position), and even if the P switch 46 is pressed, if the driver releases the P switch 46, the P switch 46 is returned to the initial position by a mechanical mechanism such as a spring. The P range and N range are non-drive ranges, and the R range and D range are drive ranges.

[0018] Corresponding to the shift ranges P, R, N, and D, the automatic transmission 20 is controlled to each of the P range, in which the power transmission state is neutral and the output shaft 34 connected to the pair of drive wheels 14 is mechanically fixed so as not to rotate, the R range, in which the power transmission state enables reverse driving, the N range, in which the power transmission state is neutral, and the D range, in which the power transmission state enables forward driving.

[0019] The indicator 50 is provided in a position that is easily visible to the driver, and indicates the selected shift range (including the P range). The indicator 50 may, for example, indicate the actual power transmission state of the automatic transmission 20. In the shift operation device 40 of this embodiment, the shift lever 42 and the P switch 46 are returned to their initial positions when the external force acting thereon is removed, so the driver cannot recognize the selected shift range by simply looking at the shift lever 42 and the P switch 46. Therefore, it is useful to provide such an indicator 50.

[0020] The door opening / closing mechanism 60 includes a door 62, a door switch 64, and a door opening / closing motor 66. The door 62 is a door provided on the vehicle 10, for example, a door mainly for passengers to get in and out of the vehicle, and is, for example, a well-known sliding door provided on the side of the vehicle body. The door 62 corresponds to the "door" in the present invention. The door switch 64 is a switch that requests opening and closing of the door 62, and is provided on the door 62, for example. The door opening / closing motor 66 is a motor that slides the door 62 to switch the door 62 from one of an open state and a closed state to the other. For example, when the door switch 64 is operated by the passenger to make an opening request to switch the door 62 from a closed state to an open state, the door opening / closing motor 66 executes an opening control to switch the door 62 from a closed state to an open state. For example, when the door switch 64 is operated by the passenger to make a closing request to switch the door 62 from an open state to a closed state, the door opening / closing motor 66 executes a closing control to switch the door 62 from an open state to a closed state.

[0021] The electronic control device 70 includes a plurality of ECUs that function as control devices for controlling each part of the vehicle 10. The electronic control device 70 includes a door control ECU 80 and a shift control ECU 90. The door control ECU 80 is an ECU that controls the opening and closing of the door 62. The shift control ECU 90 is an ECU that controls the switching of the shift range. The electronic control device 70 corresponds to the "control device" in the present invention. For example, the door control ECU 80 and the shift control ECU 90 in the electronic control device 70 are each connected to a network that communicates using a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication circuit. This allows the door control ECU 80 and the shift control ECU 90 to input and output data to and from each other. The door control ECU 80 and the shift control ECU 90 are configured to include a so-called microcomputer equipped with, for example, a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, an input / output interface, and the like, and the CPU executes various controls of the vehicle 10 by performing signal processing according to a program previously stored in the ROM while utilizing the temporary storage function of the RAM.

[0022] The shift control ECU 90 receives various signals (e.g., a lever position signal Slev, a P switch signal Spsw, etc.) based on detection values ​​from various sensors (e.g., the lever position sensor 44, the P switch 46, etc.). The shift control ECU 90 receives data from the door control ECU 80 (e.g., a door state signal Sdr indicating the actual open / closed state of the door 62 determined by the door control ECU 80 as described later). The shift control ECU 90 outputs various command signals (e.g., an engine control signal Se for controlling the engine 12, a shift control signal Sat for controlling the shifting of the automatic transmission 20 via the hydraulic control circuit 38 and an LU control signal Slu for controlling the connection and disconnection of the lock-up clutch LU, an operation control signal Splk for switching the operation state (locked state, released state) of the parking lock mechanism 24, a shift range display signal Sindi for displaying the current shift range, etc.) to each device (e.g., the engine 12, the hydraulic control circuit 38, the parking lock mechanism 24, the indicator 50, etc.) provided in the vehicle 10.

[0023] The door control ECU 80 receives various signals (e.g., an opening / closing request signal Sdsw requesting opening / closing of the door 62, and an opening / closing state signal Sdsts indicating whether the door 62 is actually open or closed) based on detection values ​​from various sensors (e.g., the door switch 64, the door opening / closing state sensor 68, etc.). The door control ECU 80 receives data from the shift control ECU 90 (e.g., a shift range state signal Ssft indicating the actual shift range determined by the shift control ECU 90 as described later, and a contemporaneous determination signal Ssame indicating that switching of the shift range and a state change in the door 62 have occurred at the same time). The door control ECU 80 outputs various command signals (e.g., a door opening / closing control signal Sdmv for controlling the opening / closing of the door 62) to devices (e.g., the door opening / closing motor 66, etc.) provided in the vehicle 10.

[0024] The door control ECU 80 functionally includes an opening / closing request determination unit 80a, a shift range determination unit 80b, a door opening / closing control unit 80c, and an opening / closing state determination unit 80d.

[0025] The opening / closing request determining unit 80a determines whether or not a request to open the door 62 has been made.

[0026] The shift range determination unit 80b determines the actual shift range based on the shift range state signal Ssft input from the shift control ECU 90. Note that the determination of the actual shift range is made with a delay of a predetermined communication time required for data transmission from the shift control ECU 90 to the door control ECU 80.

[0027] When the opening / closing request determination unit 80a determines that there has been a request to open the door 62 and the shift range determination unit 80b determines that the actual shift range is the P range, the door opening / closing control unit 80c executes opening control of the door 62. When the opening / closing request determination unit 80a determines that there has been a request to open the door 62 and the shift range determination unit 80b determines that the actual shift range is other than the P range, the door opening / closing control unit 80c does not execute opening control of the door 62. When the opening / closing request determination unit 80a determines that there has been a request to close the door 62, the door opening / closing control unit 80c executes closing control to switch the door 62 from an open state to a closed state.

[0028] The open / close state determination unit 80d determines whether the door 62 is actually closed or open. The door control ECU 80 outputs a door state signal Sdr to the shift control ECU 90. The door state signal Sdr is a signal that indicates the actual open / close state of the door 62.

[0029] The shift control ECU 90 functionally comprises a switching operation determination unit 90a, a door state determination unit 90b, a synchronization determination unit 90c, an engine control unit 90d, a lockup control unit 90e, a transmission control unit 90f, and a notification control unit 90g.

[0030] The switching operation determination unit 90a determines whether a range switching request for switching the shift range has been issued using the shift lever 42. For example, a range switching request from the P range to the D range is determined based on whether the shift lever 42 has been operated from the "H position" to the "D position." The "D range" to which the P range is switched corresponds to the "drive range" in the present invention.

[0031] The door state determination unit 90b determines the actual open / closed state of the door 62 based on the door state signal Sdr input from the door control ECU 80. The door state determination unit 90b also determines whether or not there has been an actual state change in the door 62 from a closed state to an open state (hereinafter simply referred to as a "state change") based on the door state signal Sdr input from the door control ECU 80. Note that the determination of the actual open / closed state of the door 62 and the determination of the state change in the door 62 are each made with a delay of a predetermined communication time required for transmitting data from the door control ECU 80 to the shift control ECU 90.

[0032] The simultaneous determination unit 90c determines whether or not the door state determination unit 90b has determined that a state change has occurred in the door 62 within a predetermined period T [ms] from the time when it has been determined that a range switching request from the P range to the D range has been operated by the shift lever 42. A case where a state change has occurred in the door 62 within the predetermined period T is synonymous with a case where the switching of the shift range and the state change in the door 62 have occurred at the same time. The predetermined period T is a period that has been experimentally or design-wise determined in advance as a necessary and sufficient communication time for data transmission from one of the door control ECU 80 and the shift control ECU 90 to the other. For example, the predetermined period T is a fixed period Tc [ms] that has been determined in advance based on the condition that data transmission from one of the door control ECU 80 and the shift control ECU 90 to the other is the slowest. The condition that data transmission is the slowest is, for example, a condition in which the amount of communication is assumed to be the largest and data transmission is assumed to be the slowest due to the communication load.

[0033] The engine control unit 90d controls the engine torque Te [Nm] so as to realize a drive demand for the vehicle 10. The drive demand is calculated, for example, by applying the accelerator opening θacc and the vehicle speed V [km / h] to a drive demand map. The drive demand map is a relationship for calculating the drive demand, which is obtained and stored in advance experimentally or by design.

[0034] The lockup control unit 90e controls the engagement and disengagement of the lockup clutch LU of the torque converter 18. The lockup control unit 90e controls the lockup clutch LU to be in a released state when the vehicle speed is relatively low, such as when the vehicle is starting, and controls the lockup clutch LU to be in an engaged state when the vehicle speed is relatively high.

[0035] The transmission control unit 90f judges whether or not to shift the automatic transmission 20 by using, for example, a shift map, and executes shift control as necessary. The shift map is a predetermined relationship having a shift line for judging whether or not to shift the automatic transmission 20 on a two-dimensional coordinate system having, for example, the accelerator opening θacc and the vehicle speed V as variables.

[0036] When the shift operation determination unit 90a determines that a range switching request from P range to D range has been made with the shift lever 42, the transmission control unit 90f switches the automatic transmission 20 to the D range for which the range switching request has been made. However, when the contemporaneous determination unit 90c determines that a state change has occurred at the door 62 within the predetermined period T, the transmission control unit 90f switches the shift range from the D range to the N range by placing the automatic transmission 20 in neutral. This "N range" to which the shift is made corresponds to the "non-driving range" in the present invention. When the contemporaneous determination unit 90c determines that a state change has occurred at the door 62 after the predetermined period T has elapsed, the transmission control unit 90f maintains the automatic transmission 20 in the D range for which the range switching request has been made.

[0037] When the contemporaneous determination unit 90c determines that a state change has occurred in the door 62 within the predetermined period T, the shift control ECU 90 outputs a contemporaneous determination signal Ssame to the door control ECU 80. When the door control ECU 80 receives the contemporaneous determination signal Ssame from the shift control ECU 90, the door opening / closing control unit 80c stops, i.e., interrupts, the opening control of the door 62.

[0038] If the contemporaneous determination unit 90c determines that a state change has occurred in the door 62 within the specified period T, the notification control unit 90g outputs an alarm sound from a buzzer (not shown) to inform the driver that the shift range is being switched from D range to N range.

[0039] Fig. 2 is an example of a flowchart illustrating the control operation of the electronic control device 70 shown in Fig. 1. The flowchart in Fig. 2 is repeatedly executed when the shift range is the P range. The flowchart in Fig. 2 shows an example of the case where the shift lever 42 is operated from the "H position" to the "D position" when the shift range is the P range.

[0040] First, in step S10 (hereinafter, "step" will be omitted), which corresponds to the function of the switching operation determination unit 90a, it is determined whether or not the shift lever 42 has been operated from the "H position" to the "D position". If the determination in S10 is YES, in S20, which corresponds to the function of the door state determination unit 90b, it is determined whether or not the actual open / close state of the door 62 is in the closed state. If the determination in S20 is YES, in S30, which corresponds to the function of the transmission control unit 90f, the automatic transmission 20 is switched from the P range to the D range. After the execution of S30, in S40, which corresponds to the function of the simultaneous determination unit 90c, it is determined whether or not a state change has occurred in the door 62 within a predetermined period T, that is, it is determined whether or not the switching of the shift range and the state change in the door 62 have occurred at the same time.

[0041] If the determination in S40 is YES, in S50, which corresponds to the function of the transmission control unit 90f, the automatic transmission 20 is switched from the D range to the N range. After execution of S50, in S60, which corresponds to the function of the notification control unit 90g, an alarm sound is output from the buzzer. After execution of S60, in S70, which corresponds to the function of the door opening / closing control unit 80c, the opening control of the door 62 is stopped.

[0042] If the determination in S40 is NO, the automatic transmission 20 is maintained in the D range in S80, which corresponds to the function of the transmission control unit 90f.

[0043] The process returns in all cases: if the determination in S10 is NO, if the determination in S20 is NO, after S70 is executed, and after S80 is executed.

[0044] FIG. 3 is an example of a time chart when the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is executed. In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis is time t [ms]. FIG. 3 shows an example of a time chart (solid line) in which the switching of the shift range and the state change in the door 62 occur at the same time, and an example of a time chart (dash line) in which they do not occur at the same time. The shift range state signal Ssft, the door state signal Sdr, the simultaneous determination signal Ssame, the N switching request signal Snreq, and the buzzer request signal Sbreq shown in FIG. 3 are each signals in the shift control ECU 90. That is, the shift range state signal Ssft, the simultaneous determination signal Ssame, the N switching request signal Snreq, and the buzzer request signal Sbreq are signals determined or output in the shift control ECU 90, and the door state signal Sdr is a signal input from the door control ECU 80 to the shift control ECU 90 and has a delay due to communication.

[0045] First, an example of a time chart (solid line) in which the switching of the shift range and the state change of the door 62 occur at the same time will be described.

[0046] Before time t1, the vehicle 10 is stopped, the shift range status signal Ssft is in the "P range", the door status signal Sdr is in the "closed state", the count value CNT by the contemporaneous judgment counter is the initial value "zero", the contemporaneous judgment signal Ssame is "none", the N switch request signal Snreq requesting a switch to N range based on the contemporaneous judgment signal Ssame is "none", and the buzzer request signal Sbreq requesting the output of an alarm sound by the buzzer is "none".

[0047] At time t1, the shift lever 42 is operated by the driver from the "H position" to the "D position". Thereby, the switching control from the locked state to the released state of the parking lock mechanism 24 is started. When the switching control of the parking lock mechanism 24 to the released state ends, the shift range state signal Ssft changes to "D range". Note that during the switching control of the parking lock mechanism 24 from the locked state to the released state, the shift range state signal Ssft is set to "indeterminate".

[0048] Counting of the count value CNT starts from time t1. When time t2 (>t1) is exceeded, the count value CNT exceeds a predetermined determination value CNT_jdg. The predetermined determination value CNT_jdg is a count value determined in advance so that the period between time t2 and time t1 is a fixed period Tc.

[0049] At time tDop1 (t1 < tDop1 ≤ t2) within the fixed period Tc, the door state signal Sdr changes from the closed state to the open state. Due to this change, the simultaneous period determination signal Ssame outputs a determination signal of "yes". When the count value CNT at time tDop1 when the door state signal Sdr changes from the closed state to the open state is equal to or less than the predetermined determination value CNT_jdg, it is determined that the door state signal Sdr has changed from the closed state to the open state within the fixed period Tc. When the simultaneous period determination signal Ssame outputs a determination signal of "yes", the N shift request signal Snreq outputs a request signal of "yes", and accordingly, the automatic transmission 20 is set to the N range and the shift range state signal Ssft is switched to "N range". Also, when the simultaneous period determination signal Ssame outputs a determination signal of "yes", the buzzer request signal Sbreq outputs a request signal of "yes", and accordingly, an alarm sound is output from the buzzer.

[0050] Next, a time chart example (dashed line) in which the switching of the shift range and the state change at the door 62 do not occur simultaneously will be described. In this time chart example, only the parts different from the time chart example in which the switching of the shift range and the state change at the door 62 occur simultaneously will be described.

[0051] In this example of the time chart, at time tDop2 (t2 < tDop2) after a certain period Tc has elapsed, the door state signal Sdr changes from the closed state to the open state. In this change, since the count value CNT at the time tDop2 when the door state signal Sdr changes from the closed state to the open state exceeds a predetermined determination value CNT_jdg, it is determined that the door state signal Sdr has changed from the closed state to the open state after a certain period Tc has elapsed. Since this is a state change in door 62 after a certain period Tc has elapsed, the simultaneous determination signal Ssame maintains "no", and the N shift request signal Snreq and the buzzer request signal Sbreq also maintain "no". In response to the N shift request signal Snreq and the buzzer request signal Sbreq being maintained as "no", the D range of the automatic transmission 20 is maintained and the "D range" of the shift range state signal Ssft is maintained.

[0052] According to this embodiment, (a) the shift control ECU 90 executes shift change control to switch the shift range to the D range for which the range change request has been made, based on a range change request to switch the shift range from the P range to the D range; (b) when the door control ECU 80 determines that the shift range is the P range based on the shift range state signal Ssft representing the shift range input from the shift control ECU 90, the door control ECU 80 executes opening control of door 62 based on an opening request to switch door 62 from the closed state to the open state, and outputs a door state signal Sdr representing the open / closed state of door 62 to the shift control ECU 90; (c) when the shift control ECU 90 determines that there has been a state change in door 62 within a predetermined period T after the range change request, the shift control ECU 90 switches the shift range from the D range to the N range. Thereby, when door 62 is in the open state, it is suppressed that the vehicle 10 enters the running state contrary to the driver's intention.

[0053] According to this embodiment, (a) the door control ECU 80 does not execute the opening control when it is determined that the shift range is the D range based on the shift range state signal Ssft, and (b) the shift control ECU 90 maintains the shift range in the D range for which the range switching request has been made when it is determined that a state change has occurred in the door 62 after the lapse of a predetermined period T after the range switching request. After the lapse of the predetermined period T after the range switching request, the door control ECU 80 does not execute the opening control, so that the door 62 is prohibited from being opened. Therefore, the case in which the shift control ECU 90 determines that a state change has occurred in the door 62 after the lapse of the predetermined period T after the range switching request is considered to be a case of erroneous determination due to noise or the like, and therefore excessive suppression of the running state of the vehicle 10 is restricted.

[0054] According to this embodiment, the predetermined period T is a fixed period Tc that is determined in advance based on the condition that allows the slowest data transmission from one of the door control ECU 80 and the shift control ECU 90 to the other. By setting the predetermined period T to the fixed period Tc, data transmission between the door control ECU 80 and the shift control ECU 90 is ensured, and the complexity of control is reduced, as compared to, for example, a case in which the predetermined period T is changed depending on the communication load state.

[0055] According to this embodiment, when the shift control ECU 90 determines that a state change has occurred in the door 62 within the predetermined period T and has switched the shift range from D range to N range, it notifies the driver with an alarm sound from a buzzer that the shift range has been switched from D range to N range. This prompts the driver to perform an operation to avoid simultaneous occurrence of switching of the shift range and a state change in the door 62.

[0056] It should be noted that the above is an embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0057] In the above embodiment, when the shift control ECU 90 executes the shift change control to switch the shift range to D range based on a range switching request to switch from P range to D range, if it is determined that a state change has occurred at the door 62 within a predetermined period T after the range switching request, the shift control ECU 90 switches the shift range from D range to N range. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the present invention can also be applied to an embodiment in which the shift control ECU 90 executes the shift change control to switch the shift range to R range based on a range switching request to switch from P range to R range, if it is determined that a state change has occurred at the door 62 within a predetermined period T after the range switching request, the shift range is switched from R range to N range. In this embodiment, the R range corresponds to the "driving range" in the present invention.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the shift control ECU 90 switches the shift range from the D range to the N range when it determines that a state change has occurred at the door 62 within the predetermined period T after the range switching request, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the shift control ECU 90 may switch to the P range instead of the N range. In this embodiment, the P range corresponds to the "non-drive range" in the present invention.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the power source for running is the engine 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the power source for running may be an electric motor.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the shift range is switched to the non-drive range (N range, P range) by cutting off the power transmission path PT in the automatic transmission 20 and setting the neutral state, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the vehicle 10 is provided with a starting clutch instead of the torque converter 18 in the vehicle configuration of the above-described embodiment, the switching to the non-drive range may be performed by cutting off the power transmission path PT and setting the neutral state by setting the starting clutch to a released state (=disconnected state).

[0061] In the above embodiment, the notification control unit 90g notifies the driver by outputting an alarm sound from a buzzer, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the notification may be made to the driver by an auditory notification device such as a buzzer, or by a visual notification device such as a display or an alarm lamp. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10: vehicle, 62: door, 70: electronic control device (control device), 80: door control ECU, 90: shift control ECU, T: predetermined period

Claims

1. A vehicle control device including a door control ECU that controls opening and closing of doors and a shift control ECU that controls switching of a shift range, and data is input and output between the door control ECU and the shift control ECU, the shift control ECU executes a shift change control for switching the shift range to the driving range for which a range switching request has been made based on a range switching request for switching the shift range from a P range to a driving range, when the door control ECU determines that the shift range is the P range based on a signal representing the shift range input from the shift control ECU, the door control ECU executes an opening control for switching the door from a closed state to an open state based on an opening request for switching the door from a closed state to an open state, and outputs a signal representing an open / closed state of the door to the shift control ECU; When the shift control ECU determines that a state change has occurred in which the door has been switched from the closed state to the open state within a predetermined period after the range switching request, the shift control ECU switches the shift range from the drive range to the non-drive range. A vehicle control device comprising:

2. When the door control ECU determines that the shift range is the drive range based on the signal representing the shift range, the door control ECU does not execute the opening control. When the shift control ECU determines that the state change has occurred at the door after the predetermined period of time has elapsed after the range change request, the shift range is maintained at the drive range for which the range change request has been made.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

3. The predetermined period is a fixed period that is determined in advance based on a condition that the data is transmitted from one of the door control ECU and the shift control ECU to the other at the slowest rate.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the shift control ECU determines that the state change has occurred at the door within the predetermined period and has switched the shift range from the drive range to the non-drive range, the shift control ECU notifies a driver that the shift range has been switched from the drive range to the non-drive range.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

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