Control device for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a control device for a vehicle that is able to improve cooling efficiency at the same time as properly cooling a plurality of devices, while restricting an increase in the size of a device configuration.SOLUTION: A control device 10 is cooled by a cooling circuit 21 of a vehicle 1 together with a drive train that is a cooling target portion. The control device 10 includes a first travel control unit that executes travel control for reducing a driving load of a driver and a second travel control unit that executes travel control for reducing a driving load of the driver more greatly than the first travel control unit. The control device 10 reduces output of the second travel control unit when a cooling load of the cooling target portion is equal to or greater than a predetermined load.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to enable more people to access affordable, reliable, sustainable, and advanced energy, research and development have been conducted to contribute to energy efficiency. Conventionally, a vehicle is known that includes a first cooling water passage for cooling a drive device, a second cooling water passage for cooling a charger, a switching valve for switching the flow of cooling water to the first cooling water passage or the second cooling water passage, and a control device for controlling the switching valve according to the states of the drive device and the charger (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in this technology, while suppressing the increase in the size of the device configuration, it is an issue to improve the cooling efficiency while properly cooling a plurality of devices. For example, in the case of a vehicle as described above, when selectively switching the cooling of each of a plurality of devices and not cooling the plurality of devices simultaneously, there arises a problem that the cooling operation of the entire system is restricted. Further, for example, in the case of a cooling mechanism in which cooling pipes of a plurality of devices such as an in-vehicle charger and a power conversion device for driving are connected in series to supply a cooling medium to the plurality of devices sequentially, there is a possibility that the cooling capacity is insufficient for the devices on the downstream side of the flow path of the cooling medium.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present application aims to achieve the improvement of the cooling efficiency while appropriately cooling a plurality of devices while suppressing the increase in the size of the device configuration. And, it contributes to the improvement of energy efficiency.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the related object, the present invention adopts the following aspects. (1): A vehicle control device (for example, the control device 10 in the embodiment) according to an aspect of the present invention includes a control unit (for example, the control device 10 also serves as in the embodiment) that is cooled together with a cooling target unit (for example, a drive train and a power storage device in the embodiment) by a cooling unit (for example, the cooling circuit 21 in the embodiment) of a vehicle (for example, the vehicle 1 in the embodiment). The control unit includes a first control unit (for example, the first travel control unit 10b in the embodiment) that executes a travel control for reducing the driving load of the driver, and a second control unit (for example, the second travel control unit 10c in the embodiment) that executes a travel control for reducing the driving load of the driver more than the first control unit. When the cooling load of the cooling target unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined load, the output of the second control unit is reduced.

[0007] (2): In the vehicle control device according to (1) above, when reducing the output of the second control unit, the control unit may select a first state or a second state in which the processing load is greater than the first state and the cancellation of the output reduction is faster than the first state.

[0008] (3): In the vehicle control device according to (1) or (2) above, the control unit and the cooling target unit may need to be cooled during the travel of the vehicle.

[0009] (4): In the vehicle control device according to (3) above, the control unit and the cooling target unit may be cooled in series by the cooling unit.

[0010] (5): In the vehicle control device according to the above (1) or (2), the cooling target part may be the drive train of the vehicle (for example, the drive unit 24 in the embodiment).

[0011] (6): In the vehicle control device according to the above (3), when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, when the vehicle is traveling in a traction mode, and when the vehicle is traveling uphill, the control unit may reduce the output of the second control unit in at least one of these cases.

[0012] (7): In the vehicle control device according to (6) dependent on the above (2), when the vehicle is traveling on an expressway, the control unit may reduce the output of the second control unit according to the second state.

[0013] (8): In the vehicle control device according to (6) or (7) dependent on the above (2), when the vehicle is traveling in a traction mode, the control unit may reduce the output of the second control unit according to the first state.

[0014] (9): In the vehicle control device according to (6) dependent on the above (2), when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, when the vehicle is traveling in a traction mode, or when the vehicle is traveling uphill, the control unit reduces the output of the second control unit according to the second state, and when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, when the vehicle is traveling in a traction mode, and when the vehicle is traveling uphill, the control unit may reduce the output of the second control unit according to the first state in at least a plurality of these cases.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the above (1), by providing a control unit that reduces the output of the second control unit, which has a relatively large processing load, when the cooling load of the cooling target part cooled by the cooling part common to the control unit is large, it is possible to efficiently and continuously cool the cooling target part and the control unit while suppressing the cooling part from becoming large. By maintaining the output of the first control unit, which has a relatively small processing load, it is possible to suppress an increase in the driving load on the driver.

[0016] In the case of (2) above, the control unit can appropriately reduce the output of the second control unit according to the state of the vehicle by reducing the output of the second control unit in the first state or the second state, which differ in the magnitude of the processing load and the speed of eliminating the output reduction.

[0017] In the case of (3) above, during the running of the vehicle, the cooling target part and the control unit can be cooled simultaneously by a common cooling part.

[0018] In the case of (4) above, the cooling target part and the control unit can be cooled simultaneously in series by a common cooling part, and for example, compared with the case of cooling the cooling target part and the control unit in parallel, it is possible to suppress the complication of the configuration of the cooling part.

[0019] In the case of (5) above, during the running of the vehicle, the drive train that requires cooling and the control unit can be cooled simultaneously by a common cooling part.

[0020] In the case of (6) above, when the cooling load of the cooling target part increases as the running load of the vehicle increases, by reducing the output of the second control unit, while suppressing the cooling part from becoming large, the cooling target part and the control unit can be efficiently and continuously cooled.

[0021] In the case of (7) above, when the vehicle is running on a highway, since the operation requirement of the second control unit becomes high, by reducing the output of the second control unit in the second state rather than the first state, the driving load of the driver can be appropriately reduced.

[0022] In the case of (8) above, since the traction of the vehicle is unlikely to be released during running and the running load and the cooling load of the control unit are unlikely to decrease during running, by reducing the output of the second control unit in the first state, the control unit can be appropriately cooled.

[0023] In the case of the above (9), according to the magnitude of the driving load of the vehicle and the cooling load of the control unit, the output of the second control unit can be reduced step by step. When the cooling load of the control unit is relatively small, the speed of eliminating the output reduction can be prioritized in the second state, and when the cooling load of the control unit is relatively large, cooling can be prioritized in the first state.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, a control device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the vehicle 1 in the embodiment. The vehicle 1 of the embodiment is, for example, an electric vehicle that executes driving support and autonomous driving. The electric vehicle is an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, or the like.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes, for example, a control device (ECU) 10, a driving operator 11, a vehicle sensor 12, an object detection device 13, a positioning signal receiver 14, a storage device 15, a driving device 16, a braking device 17, and a steering device 18.

[0027] The control device 10 is a software functional unit that functions when a predetermined program is executed by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The software functional unit is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that includes a processor such as a CPU, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores data, and electronic circuits such as a timer. At least a part of the control device 10 may be an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration).

[0028] The control device 10 includes, for example, an arithmetic unit 10a, a first driving control unit 10b, and a second driving control unit 10c. The arithmetic unit 10a executes various arithmetic processes based on information obtained from, for example, a driving operator 11, a vehicle sensor 12, an object detection device 13, a positioning signal receiver 14, a storage device 15, and the like. Each of the first driving control unit 10b and the second driving control unit 10c controls a driving device 16, a braking device 17, and a steering device 18 so as to reduce the driving load of the driver when the vehicle 1 is running.

[0029] The first driving control unit 10b controls driving support operations such as cruise control, lane keeping assist, and collision damage mitigation braking, for example, with the driver as the driving subject. Cruise control is control such as constant speed driving that maintains the speed of the vehicle 1 at a constant level and following driving that maintains a constant distance between the vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle. Lane keeping assist is control that assists, for example, the vehicle 1 to travel in the center of the lane. Collision damage mitigation braking is control such as deceleration or stop by braking prior to contact with an object and control that assists an avoidance operation by steering.

[0030] The second travel control unit 10c significantly reduces the driver's driving load compared to the first travel control unit 10b. The second travel control unit 10c controls, for example, an autonomous driving operation that does not rely on the driver and is independent of the driver, so-called automatic driving, rather than taking the driver as the driving entity. For example, when each of the first travel control unit 10b and the second travel control unit 10c operates without regulation, the power consumption of the second travel control unit 10c is relatively greater than the power consumption of the first travel control unit 10b.

[0031] The driving operator 11 is, for example, an operator such as an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and a steering wheel. The driving operator 11 includes, for example, sensors that detect the operation amount or presence / absence of operation of each operator. Each sensor is, for example, an accelerator position sensor, a brake sensor, and a steering sensor. The accelerator position sensor detects, for example, an accelerator operation such as an accelerator position that changes in response to the operation of the accelerator pedal (accelerator operator) by the driver of the vehicle 1, and outputs a detection signal of the accelerator operation. The brake sensor is, for example, a hydraulic sensor or a stroke sensor. The brake sensor detects, for example, a brake operation such as the operation of the brake pedal (brake operator) by the driver of the vehicle 1 or the hydraulic pressure caused by the operation of the brake pedal, and outputs a detection signal of the brake operation. The steering sensor is, for example, a torque sensor and a steering angle (rotation angle) sensor. The steering sensor detects, for example, a steering operation such as torque and steering angle caused by the operation of the steering wheel (steering operator) by the driver of the vehicle 1, and outputs a detection signal of the steering operation.

[0032] The vehicle sensor 12 is, for example, a sensor that detects a state quantity related to the speed of the vehicle 1 such as a wheel speed sensor or a rotation speed sensor, and a sensor that detects the inertial motion of the vehicle 1 such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The inertial motion of the vehicle 1 is, for example, the acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor and the angular velocity detected by a gyro sensor.

[0033] The object detection device 13 includes, for example, a sonar, a radar device, a finder, and a camera. The finder is, for example, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The sonar, the radar device, or the finder detects the distance to an object or the position of the object, etc. by radiating ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, or light to the outside world around the vehicle 1 and detecting the reflection or scattering by the object. The camera is, for example, a digital camera including a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera outputs image data obtained by imaging the outside world of the vehicle 1 in, for example, the visible light region and the infrared region.

[0034] The positioning signal receiver 14 includes, for example, an antenna for a satellite positioning system (GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System) such as GPS (Global Positioning System). The positioning signal receiver 14 outputs information such as the position and attitude of the vehicle 1 based on, for example, predetermined information obtained from the positioning signal received by the antenna or a predetermined calculation based on the positioning signal. The storage device 15 stores, for example, map information. The map information includes, for example, information on the road shape by nodes and links, information on the road shape such as the number of lanes, curvature, width, and gradient, and information on road structures such as type, position, orientation, and size.

[0035] The drive device 16 includes, for example, a power source, a power transmission mechanism, a power controller, etc. The power source is, for example, an electric motor, an internal combustion engine, etc. that output the driving power of the vehicle 1. The power transmission mechanism is, for example, a transmission that transmits the power of the power source to the drive wheels. The power controller is, for example, a power converter that controls the power transfer between the power source and the electric motor. The drive device 16 controls the driving power of the vehicle 1 according to, for example, the operation of the accelerator operator by the driver or a signal input from the control device 10.

[0036] The brake device 17 includes, for example, a braking mechanism such as a hydraulic disk brake or drum brake using hydraulic pressure, etc., and an electric motor. The brake device 17 controls the electric motor according to, for example, the operation of the brake operator by the driver or a signal input from the control device 10, and outputs a braking torque to each wheel by the hydraulic pressure generated by the electric motor.

[0037] The steering device 18 includes, for example, a steering mechanism such as a rack and pinion mechanism, etc., and an electric motor. The steering device 18 controls the electric motor according to, for example, the operation of the steering operator by the driver or a signal input from the control device 10, and changes the direction of the steered wheels.

[0038] Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of the temperature control system 20 of the vehicle 1 in the embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the temperature control system 20 includes, for example, a cooling circuit 21, a radiator (RAD) 22, a pump 23, and a drive unit (DU) 24.

[0039] The cooling circuit 21 is, for example, a cooling circuit of the drive train system. The radiator 22 dissipates heat from a heat medium flowing inside the cooling circuit 21, for example, so-called cooling water such as coolant liquid, by heat exchange with the surrounding air or coolant, etc. The pump 23 is, for example, an electric water pump, etc. The pump 23 sends out the heat medium to the cooling circuit 21. For example, the control device 10 and the drive unit 24 that constitutes the drive train are arranged in the cooling circuit 21 as the cooling target part of the vehicle 1. The drive unit 24 is arranged, for example, on the downstream side of the control device 10 in the cooling circuit 21. The drive unit 24 includes, for example, a rotating electric machine that transmits and receives torque between the left and right wheels, a differential mechanism that connects the rotating electric machine and the left and right wheels, and a power controller such as an inverter and a converter that controls the power transmission and reception to and from the rotating electric machine.

[0040] Hereinafter, the control operation executed by the control device 10 of the vehicle 1 including the temperature control system 20 in the embodiment will be described. The control device 10 regulates the output of the second travel control unit 10c according to the cooling load of the cooling target in the vehicle 1. For example, when the cooling load of a cooling target other than the control device 10 becomes a predetermined load or more, the control device 10 regulates the output of the second travel control unit 10c. The cooling target other than the control device 10 is, for example, the drive train of the vehicle 1.

[0041] When the control device 10 regulates the output of the second travel control unit 10c, for example, it controls to the first state or the second state according to the running state of the vehicle 1. Each of the first state and the second state is, for example, a state in which the power consumption of the second travel control unit 10c is reduced. The first state is, for example, a stop state due to power off (no power supply), that is, a so-called shutdown state. The second state is a state in which the processing load is larger than that of the first state and the elimination of the output reduction is faster than that of the first state. The second state is, for example, a standby, rest, or operation suppression state after startup by power on (with power supply), that is, a so-called power save state.

[0042] The control device 10 reduces the power consumption of the second travel control unit 10c, for example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed of a predetermined speed or more on a highway or the like, when the vehicle 1 is in a towing operation, or when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill. For example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, the control device 10 reduces the output of the second travel control unit 10c in the second state. For example, when the vehicle 1 is in tow, the control device 10 reduces the output of the second travel control unit 10c in the first state. For example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed above a predetermined speed, when the vehicle 1 is in tow, or when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill, the control device 10 reduces the power consumption of the second travel control unit 10c in the second state. For example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed above a predetermined speed, when the vehicle 1 is in tow, and when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill, the control device 10 reduces the power consumption of the second travel control unit 10c in the first state in at least one of these cases.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 10 of the vehicle 1 including the temperature control system 10 in the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, first, the control device 10 acquires the traveling state of the vehicle 1 (step S01). The control device 10 acquires the traveling state of the vehicle 1 based on, for example, information obtained from the driving operator 11, the vehicle sensor 12, the object detection device 13, the positioning signal receiver 14, the storage device 15, etc., and information obtained from various arithmetic processes of the arithmetic unit 10a. The traveling state of the vehicle 1 is, for example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed above a predetermined speed on a highway or the like, when the vehicle 1 is in tow, or when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill.

[0044] Next, the control device 10 acquires the cooling load of the drive train of the vehicle 1 (step S02). Next, the control device 10 determines whether or not the cooling load of the drive train of the vehicle 1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined load (step S03). If this determination result is "NO", the control device 10 proceeds to the end of the process. On the other hand, if this determination result is "YES", the control device 10 proceeds to step S04.

[0045] Next, the control device 10 determines whether the running state of the vehicle 1 corresponds to the case where the second running control unit 10c is controlled to the first state (step S04). If this determination result is "NO", the control device 10 advances the process to step S06. On the other hand, if this determination result is "YES", the control device 10 advances the process to step S05. Next, the control device 10 controls the second running control unit 10c to the first state (step S05). Then, the control device 10 advances the process to the end. Also, the control device 10 controls the second running control unit 10c to the second state (step S06). Then, the control device 10 advances the process to the end.

[0046] As described above, according to the control device 10 of the vehicle 1 including the temperature control system 20 in the embodiment, when the cooling load of the cooling target part cooled by the cooling circuit 21 common to the control device 10 is large, the output of the second running control unit 10c with a relatively large processing load is reduced. Thereby, while suppressing the cooling circuit 21 from becoming large, the cooling target part and the control device 10 can be efficiently and continuously cooled. By maintaining the output of the first running control unit 10b with a relatively small processing load, an increase in the driving load on the driver can be suppressed. By continuously maintaining driving support operations such as following running, lane keeping, and avoidance support by the first running control unit 10b, the running safety of the vehicle 1 can be appropriately ensured.

[0047] The control device 10 reduces the output of the second running control unit 10c according to the first state or the second state in which the processing load and the speed of canceling the output reduction are different, so that the output of the second running control unit 10c can be appropriately reduced according to the state of the vehicle 1. During the running of the vehicle 1, the drive train and the control device 10 that require cooling can be simultaneously cooled by the common cooling circuit 21, and the drive train and the control device 10 are cooled in series at the same time, so that the configuration of the cooling circuit 21 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0048] As the driving load of the vehicle 1 increases, when the cooling load of the drive train increases, by reducing the output of the second driving control unit 10c, while suppressing the enlargement of the cooling circuit 21, the drive train and the control device 10 can be efficiently and continuously cooled.

[0049] When the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, since the operation requirement of the second driving control unit 10c becomes high, by reducing the output of the second driving control unit 10c in the second state rather than the first state, the driving load on the driver can be appropriately reduced. The traction of the vehicle 1 is unlikely to be released during travel, and the driving load and the cooling load of the control device 10 are unlikely to decrease during travel. Therefore, by reducing the output of the second driving control unit 10c in the first state, the control device 10 can be appropriately cooled.

[0050] Among the cases where the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed of a predetermined speed or more, the vehicle 1 is traveling in a traction mode, and the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill, by selecting the second state or the first state according to any one or a plurality of them, according to the driving load of the vehicle 1 and the magnitude of the cooling load of the control device 10, the output of the second driving control unit 10c can be reduced stepwise. When the cooling load of the control device 10 is relatively small, the priority can be given to the speed of canceling the output reduction in the second state, and when the cooling load of the control device 10 is relatively large, the cooling can be prioritized in the first state.

[0051] (Modification example) Hereinafter, a modification example of the embodiment will be described. For the same parts as those in the above-described embodiment, the same reference numerals will be given and the description will be omitted or simplified. In the above-described embodiment, the control device 10 is assumed to select the second state when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, but it is not limited thereto. For example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, the control device 10 may select the first state according to the magnitude of the driving load and the processing load while giving priority to the selection of the second state. In the above-described embodiment, when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill, the control device 10 may switch the selection between the first state and the second state according to the magnitude of the inclination angle.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, the cooling target part of the vehicle 1 is the drive train, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the cooling target part of the vehicle 1 may be at least any one of the drive train and a power storage device such as a battery mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0053] The embodiments of the present invention are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0054] 1... Vehicle, 10... Control device (control unit), 10a... Arithmetic unit, 10b... First travel control unit (first control unit), 10c... Second travel control unit (second control unit), 11... Driving operator, 12... Vehicle sensor, 13... Object detection device, 14... Positioning signal receiver, 15... Storage device, 16... Driving device, 17... Brake device, 18... Steering device, 21... Cooling circuit (cooling part), 22... Radiator, 24... Drive unit (drive train).

Claims

1. a control unit that is cooled together with a cooling target by a cooling unit of a vehicle; The control unit is A first control unit that executes driving control to reduce a driving load on a driver; A second control unit that executes a driving control to reduce a driving load on a driver more than the first control unit, When a cooling load of the cooling target is equal to or greater than a predetermined load, an output of the second control unit is reduced. Vehicle control device.

2. The control unit is When reducing the output of the second control unit, First state or A second state in which the processing load is larger than that of the first state and in which the reduction in the output is resolved more quickly than in the first state is selected. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit and the cooling target unit need to be cooled while the vehicle is traveling. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control unit and the cooling target unit are cooled in series by the cooling unit. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

5. The cooling target is a drive train of the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The control unit is The output of the second control unit is reduced in at least one of the cases where the vehicle is traveling at high speed, where the vehicle is towing, and where the vehicle is traveling uphill. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

7. The control unit is When the vehicle is traveling on a highway, the output of the second control unit is reduced in the second state. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 dependent on claim 2.

8. The control unit is When the vehicle is towing, the output of the second control unit is reduced according to the first state. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 or 7 dependent on claim 2.

9. The control unit is reducing an output of the second control unit in the second state when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, when the vehicle is being towed, or when the vehicle is traveling uphill; The output of the second control unit is reduced in the first state in at least one of a case where the vehicle is traveling at high speed, a case where the vehicle is towing, and a case where the vehicle is traveling uphill. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 dependent on claim 2.

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