Vehicle control method, vehicle control device and electric vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control method and a vehicle control device which support safe driving of a driver while giving actual driving feeling by output when a pseudo engine sound is output into an interior of a vehicle which can be driven by an electric motor.SOLUTION: A method includes: step S11 of acquiring information BEV on an electric vehicle; step S12 of generating pseudo engine sound (engine sound data EGS) to be output from an interior speaker of the electric vehicle based on the information; step S13 of generating an adjustment command MDF based on a time zone to which the current time belongs and adjusting sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound; and step S14 of outputting the sound from the interior speaker. When the current time belongs to a nighttime time zone, adjustment is performed to reduce the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound more than when the current time belongs to a daytime time zone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique applied to an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power device for running. [Background technology]

[0002] JP 2011-215437 A discloses a sound control device mounted on a vehicle that can run on an electric motor. This sound control device calculates the engine speed of a virtual engine based on vehicle travel information and simulation results of the operation of components of the virtual engine vehicle. This sound control device also controls virtual engine sound for the vehicle interior based on the calculated engine speed. In controlling this virtual engine sound, a sound effect corresponding to the operation of the components of the virtual engine vehicle is determined based on the simulation results of the operation of the components of the virtual engine vehicle. The determined sound effect is then added to the virtual engine sound.

[0003] In addition to JP 2011-215437 A, JP 2014-240239 A can be cited as examples of documents showing the state of the art in the technical field related to the present disclosure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-215437 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-240239 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] By adding sound effects corresponding to the operation of components of the virtual engine vehicle to the virtual engine sound, the driver of the vehicle is provided with a sense of realism as if he or she were driving a real engine vehicle. On the other hand, the driver of the vehicle is required to drive the vehicle safely, and there are also assumed to be situations in which the sense of realism should not be prioritized. In particular, at night, the driver's field of vision is likely to be narrower than during the day, so that the production of a sense of realism may affect safe driving. Therefore, from this perspective, there is room for improvement in the above sound control device.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems. One objective of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that, when outputting a pseudo engine sound into the cabin of a vehicle that can run on an electric motor, can support the driver in driving safely while providing the driver with a sense of realism from the output. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle control method applied to an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power unit for traveling, and has the following features. The vehicle control method includes the steps of generating a pseudo engine sound to be output from an interior speaker of the electric vehicle based on operation information of components of the electric vehicle, and adjusting the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound based on the time zone to which the current time belongs, and outputting the pseudo engine sound from the interior speaker. When the current time falls within the nighttime period, the sound pressure of the engine pseudo sound is adjusted to be lower than when the current time falls within the daytime period.

[0008] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle control device that is applied to an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power unit for traveling, and has the following features. The vehicle control device includes a processor that performs various processes. The processor generates a pseudo engine sound to be output from an interior speaker of the electric vehicle based on operation information of components of the electric vehicle, and adjusts the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound based on the time zone to which the current time belongs, and outputs the pseudo engine sound to the interior speaker. The processor further adjusts the sound pressure of the engine pseudo sound so that, when the current time falls within the nighttime period, it is lower than when the current time falls within the daytime period.

[0009] A third aspect of the present disclosure is an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power unit for traveling, and has the following characteristics. The electric vehicle includes an indoor speaker and a processor that performs various processes. The processor generates a pseudo engine sound to be output from the indoor speaker based on operation information of components of the electric vehicle, and adjusts the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound based on the time zone to which the current time belongs, and outputs the pseudo engine sound to the indoor speaker. The processor further adjusts the sound pressure of the engine pseudo sound so that, when the current time falls within the nighttime period, it is lower than when the current time falls within the daytime period. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, when the current time belongs to the nighttime period, the sound pressure of the simulated engine sound is adjusted to be lower than when the current time belongs to the daytime period and output from the interior speaker. Therefore, it is possible to support the driver's safe driving when the current time belongs to the nighttime period while always giving the driver a sense of realism due to the output of the simulated engine sound. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an electric vehicle and a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a basic functional configuration of a vehicle control device; [Diagram 3]FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing another example of the basic functional configuration of the vehicle control device. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a vehicle control device particularly related to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 5 is a diagram illustrating an adjustment command generated by a time period specifying unit shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of computer processing particularly related to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first configuration example of a power control system for an electric vehicle. [Figure 8] 4A to 4C are diagrams showing examples of an engine model, a clutch model, and a transmission model that configure the MT vehicle model. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a comparison of the torque characteristics of an electric motor achieved by motor control using a MT vehicle model with the torque characteristics of an electric motor achieved by normal motor control in an electric vehicle. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second configuration example of a power control system for an electric vehicle. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing an electric vehicle and a vehicle control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a vehicle control device particularly related to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] 12A to 12C are diagrams for explaining an example of operation control when the assist device shown in FIG. 11 is a lighting device. [Figure 14] 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of operation control in the case where the assist device shown in FIG. 11 is a seat ventilation device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

[0013] 1. First embodiment 1-1. Overall configuration and simulated engine sound 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an electric vehicle 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure and a vehicle control device 100 applied to the electric vehicle 10. The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with an electric motor 44. Examples of the electric motor 44 include a brushless DC motor and a three-phase AC synchronous motor. The electric vehicle 10 uses the electric motor 44 as a power unit for traveling.

[0014] The electric vehicle 10 is also equipped with various sensors 12. The various sensors 12 include operation state sensors such as an accelerator position sensor, a brake position sensor, and a shift position sensor, and driving state sensors such as a wheel speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a rotational speed sensor. The accelerator position sensor detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal (accelerator opening). The brake position sensor detects the amount of operation of the brake pedal. The shift position sensor detects the shift position. The wheel speed sensor detects the rotational speed of the wheels of the electric vehicle 10. The acceleration sensor detects the lateral acceleration and longitudinal acceleration of the electric vehicle 10. The rotational speed sensor detects the rotational speed of the electric motor 44.

[0015] The various sensors 12 also include position sensors such as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor, and recognition sensors such as a camera, a radar, and a Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). The GNSS detects the position and attitude of the electric vehicle 10. The camera captures an image of at least the area in front of the electric vehicle 10. The radar and LIDAR recognize the situation around the electric vehicle 10.

[0016] The electric vehicle 10 also includes a speaker 14. The speaker 14 corresponds to an "indoor speaker" in this disclosure. The speaker 14 outputs sound into the cabin of the electric vehicle 10. The speaker 14 includes, for example, a front speaker provided at the front of the cabin and a rear speaker provided at the rear of the cabin. The total number of speakers constituting the speaker 14 and the layout of the speaker 14 can be changed as desired.

[0017] The vehicle control device 100 generates a sound (hereinafter also referred to as an "indoor sound") to be output from the speaker 14. The vehicle control device 100 also outputs the generated indoor sound from the speaker 14. For example, the vehicle control device 100 generates a pseudo engine sound as the indoor sound, and outputs the generated indoor sound from the speaker 14. In another example, the vehicle control device 100 generates indoor sound including the pseudo engine sound, and outputs the generated indoor sound from the speaker 14.

[0018] The entire vehicle control device 100 may be mounted on the electric vehicle 10. As another example, at least a part of the vehicle control device 100 may be included in a management server external to the electric vehicle 10. In that case, the vehicle control device 100 may generate an interior sound remotely, receive the generated interior sound, and output it from the speaker 14.

[0019] Generally speaking, the vehicle control device 100 includes at least one processor 102 and at least one storage device 104. The processor 102 executes various processes. Examples of the processor 102 include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The storage device 104 stores (stores) various information. Examples of the storage device 104 include a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), and a solid state drive (SSD).

[0020] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a basic functional configuration of the vehicle control device 100. The vehicle control device 100 includes, as functional blocks, an information acquisition unit 110, a vehicle sound source management unit 120, an engine sound generation unit 130, and a sound output control unit 140. These functional blocks are realized, for example, by cooperation between the processor 102 and the storage device 104.

[0021] The information acquisition unit 110 acquires information BEV about the electric vehicle 10. The information BEV includes information about the running state of the electric vehicle 10, information about the running environment of the electric vehicle 10, etc. The information BEV is typically detected by various sensors 12. Part of the information about the running environment of the electric vehicle 10 may be acquired by combining information detected by the various sensors 12 (e.g., position information of the electric vehicle 10) with map data.

[0022] The information BEV also includes a virtual engine rotation speed Ne. Here, it is assumed that the electric vehicle 10 uses a virtual engine as a power unit for traveling. The virtual engine rotation speed Ne is the rotation speed of the virtual engine when it is assumed that the electric vehicle 10 is driven by the virtual engine. For example, the information acquisition unit 110 may calculate the virtual engine rotation speed Ne so that it increases as the wheel speed increases. Furthermore, when the electric vehicle 10 has a manual mode (MT mode) described later, the information acquisition unit 110 may calculate the virtual engine rotation speed Ne in the manual mode based on the wheel speed, the overall reduction ratio, and the slip ratio of the virtual clutch. A method of calculating the virtual engine rotation speed Ne in the manual mode will be described later in detail.

[0023] The vehicle sound source management unit 120 stores sound source data EVS of the engine vehicle used to generate the pseudo engine sound. The vehicle sound source management unit 120 is mainly realized by the storage device 104. Typically, the sound source data EVS includes a plurality of types of sound source data. The plurality of types of sound source data includes, for example, sound source data (for low revolutions, medium revolutions, and high revolutions) of sounds caused by engine combustion, sound source data (for low revolutions, medium revolutions, and high revolutions) of sounds caused by the operation of input devices such as gears and clutches, sound source data of noise sounds, sound source data of event sounds (for example, engine stall sounds), and the like. Each sound source data is generated in advance through a simulation based on an engine model and a vehicle model of the engine vehicle. Each sound source data is flexibly adjustable. That is, at least one of the sound pressure and frequency of the sound indicated by the sound source data is flexibly adjustable.

[0024] The engine sound generation unit 130 (engine sound simulator) is a simulator that generates a pseudo engine sound. The engine sound generation unit 130 acquires at least a part of the information BEV from the information acquisition unit 110. In particular, the engine sound generation unit 130 acquires information on the virtual engine rotation speed Ne and the vehicle speed from the information acquisition unit 110. The engine sound generation unit 130 also reads the sound source data EVS of the engine vehicle from the vehicle sound source management unit 120. Then, the engine sound generation unit 130 generates a pseudo engine sound according to the driving state of the electric vehicle 10 (the virtual engine rotation speed Ne and the vehicle speed) by combining one or more sound source data included in the sound source data EVS of the engine vehicle. The engine sound data EGS is data indicating the generated pseudo engine sound.

[0025] Note that generating a pseudo engine sound is a well-known technique, and there is no particular limitation on the method of generating the pseudo engine sound that can be applied to the present disclosure. For example, the pseudo engine sound may be generated by a well-known engine sound simulator used in games, etc. A method may be used in which a map of virtual engine speed Ne vs. frequency and a map of virtual engine torque vs. sound pressure are prepared, and the frequency of the pseudo engine sound is increased or decreased in proportion to the virtual engine speed Ne, and the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound is increased or decreased in proportion to the virtual engine torque.

[0026] The sound output control unit 140 receives the engine sound data EGS generated by the engine sound generation unit 130. Then, the sound output control unit 140 outputs the engine sound data EGS from the speaker 14. When outputting the engine sound data EGS, the sound output control unit 140 controls the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound by controlling an amplifier. In addition, the sound output control unit 140 changes the frequency of the pseudo engine sound by controlling an FMC (frequency modulator).

[0027] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another example of the basic functional configuration of the vehicle control device 100. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle sound source management unit 120 stores sound source data EVS (EVS1, . . . EVSn) of multiple types of engine vehicles corresponding to multiple vehicle models (1, . . . , n). That is, the vehicle sound source management unit 120 stores the sound source data EVS of the engine vehicle for each vehicle model. The sound source data EVSk (1 ≦ k ≦ n) is generated in advance based on the engine model or vehicle model of the corresponding vehicle model. The driver may specify a vehicle model of his / her preference from among multiple vehicle models. In that case, the engine sound generation unit 130 acquires the sound source data EVSk corresponding to the vehicle model specified by the driver. Then, the engine sound generation unit 130 generates a pseudo engine sound using the acquired sound source data EVSk of the engine vehicle. This allows the driver to get the feeling that he / she is driving a vehicle model of his / her preference.

[0028] 1-2.Adjustment of pseudo engine sound The pseudo engine sound is output from the speaker 14, providing the driver of the electric vehicle 10 with a sense of realism as if he or she were driving a real engine vehicle. On the other hand, the driver is required to drive safely and with consideration for the surroundings of the electric vehicle 10. In particular, the driver's field of vision is likely to be narrower at night than during the day. Therefore, the production of a sense of realism may affect the driver's safe driving. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound when the engine sound data EGS is output from the speaker 14 is adjusted based on the time zone to which the current time belongs.

[0029] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the vehicle control device 100 particularly related to the first embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the vehicle control device 100 includes a time zone identification unit 150 in addition to the functional blocks described in Fig. 2. These functional blocks are realized, for example, by cooperation between the processor 102 and the storage device 104.

[0030] The time zone specification unit 150 specifies the time zone to which the current time belongs. Examples of the time zone include a daytime zone and a nighttime zone. For example, the daytime zone is from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and the nighttime zone is from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. The boundary time between the daytime zone and the nighttime zone may be adjusted as appropriate based on the position information of the electric vehicle 10 and the information on the sunset time and sunrise time. The daytime zone may include a morning zone and an evening zone. The time zone specification unit 150 generates an adjustment command MDF based on the specification result of the time zone to which the current time belongs, and transmits this to the sound output control unit 140.

[0031] The adjustment command MDF is information for adjusting the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound. The adjustment command MDF will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The adjustment command MDF is represented by, for example, the sound pressure ratio Rp of the pseudo engine sound before and after adjustment (R = sound pressure after adjustment / sound pressure before adjustment. 0 < R ≤ 1). FIG. 5 shows an example of the relationship between time and the sound pressure ratio Rp. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the time corresponding to one day (24 hours) is divided into a daytime period and a nighttime period. The times at the boundaries between the daytime and nighttime periods are 6:00 in the morning and 8:00 in the evening. In the example shown in FIG. 5, also shown as part of the daytime period are the early morning period from 6:00 to 8:00 in the morning and the late afternoon period from 6:00 to 8:00 in the evening.

[0032] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the sound pressure ratio Rp of the daytime period excluding the early morning and late afternoon periods is the highest, and the sound pressure ratio Rp of the nighttime period is the lowest. Also, the sound pressure ratio Rp of the early morning and late afternoon periods is higher than the sound pressure ratio Rp of the nighttime period and lower than the sound pressure ratio Rp of the daytime period excluding the early morning and late afternoon periods. For example, the sound pressure ratio Rp of the daytime period excluding the early morning and late afternoon periods is R = 1.0, the sound pressure ratio Rp of the nighttime period is R = x (0 < x < 1.0), and the sound pressure ratio Rp of the early morning and late afternoon periods is R = y (x < y < 1.0).

[0033] The sound output control unit 140 outputs the engine sound data EGS received from the engine sound generation unit 130 from the speaker 14. So far, this is the same function as described in FIG. 2. When receiving the adjustment command MDF from the time zone specifying unit 150, the sound output control unit 140 adjusts the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound based on the adjustment command MDF and outputs the engine sound data EGS to the speaker 14. The adjustment of the sound pressure is performed, for example, by controlling the amplifier.

[0034] 1-3. Processing Example FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of computer processing particularly related to the first embodiment. The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is repeatedly executed by the processor 102 shown in FIG. 1 at a predetermined control cycle.

[0035] In the routine shown in FIG. 6, first, information BEV is acquired (step S11). As described above, the information BEV is information regarding the electric vehicle 10, and includes information regarding the running state of the electric vehicle 10, information regarding the running environment of the electric vehicle 10, the virtual engine rotation speed Ne, and the like.

[0036] Subsequent to the processing of step S11, engine sound data EGS is generated (step S12). The engine sound data EGS is generated based on the virtual engine rotation speed Ne and vehicle speed information acquired in step S11. When information on the vehicle type of the engine vehicle specified by the driver is obtained in the processing of step S11, the engine sound data EGS is generated by combining this vehicle type information with the virtual engine rotation speed Ne and vehicle speed information.

[0037] Subsequent to the processing of step S12, adjustment of the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound based on the adjustment command MDF is performed (step S13). The adjustment command MDF is generated based on the time zone to which the current time belongs. By performing the processing of step S13, adjustment of the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound when the engine sound data EGS generated in step S12 is output from the speaker 14 is performed.

[0038] In the example described with reference to FIG. 5, the adjustment command MDF was represented by the sound pressure ratio Rp (0 < R ≦ 1). This sound pressure ratio Rp is lower for the night time zone than for the day time zone. Therefore, when the current time belongs to the night time zone, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound is reduced compared to when the current time belongs to the day time zone. Further, the sound pressure ratio Rp is the lowest for the night time zone. Therefore, when the current time belongs to the night time zone, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound is reduced the most during the day.

[0039] 5, the sound pressure ratio Rp in the morning and evening time zones is lower than the sound pressure ratio Rp in the daytime zone excluding these time zones, and is higher than the sound pressure ratio Rp in the nighttime zone. Therefore, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound when the current time belongs to the morning or evening time zone is an intermediate sound pressure that is lower than the sound pressure when the current time belongs to the daytime zone excluding the morning and evening time zones, and higher than the sound pressure when the current time belongs to the nighttime zone.

[0040] Following the process of step S13, the engine sound data EGS is output to the speaker 14 (step S14).

[0041] 1-4.Effects According to the first embodiment, the engine sound data EGS is output from the speaker 14. Therefore, it is possible to provide the driver of the electric vehicle 10 with a sense of realism as if he or she were driving a real engine vehicle. In addition, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound is adjusted when the engine sound data EGS is output from the speaker 14 based on the time zone to which the current time belongs. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the sound pressure according to the time zone to which the current time belongs, such as not lowering the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound when the current time belongs to the daytime zone, and lowering the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound when the current time belongs to the nighttime zone. Therefore, it is possible to support the driver's safe driving when the current time belongs to the nighttime zone while always providing the driver with a sense of realism by the output of the pseudo engine sound.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, it is also possible to lower the sound pressure of the simulated engine sound when the current time is in the evening compared to the immediately preceding time period, and to raise the sound pressure of the simulated engine sound when the current time is in the morning compared to the immediately preceding time period. Therefore, when the electric vehicle 10 is continuously driven across the morning or evening time period, it is possible to change the sound pressure of the simulated engine sound in three stages. Therefore, compared to changing the sound pressure of the simulated engine sound in two stages between the daytime and nighttime, it is also possible to alleviate the discomfort felt by the driver due to the change in sound pressure.

[0043] 1-5. Application to electric vehicles with manual mode (MT mode) The electric motor used as the power unit for driving a general electric vehicle has torque characteristics that are significantly different from those of the internal combustion engine used as the power unit for driving a conventional vehicle (CV). Due to the difference in torque characteristics of the power unit, a CV requires a transmission, whereas an electric vehicle generally does not have a transmission. Of course, a general electric vehicle does not have a manual transmission (MT) that allows the driver to manually change the gear ratio. For this reason, there is a significant difference in the driving sensation between driving a conventional vehicle with a MT (hereinafter also referred to as an "MT vehicle") and driving an electric vehicle.

[0044] On the other hand, the torque of an electric motor can be controlled relatively easily by controlling the applied voltage and the magnetic field. Therefore, with an electric motor, it is possible to obtain a desired torque characteristic within the operating range of the electric motor by implementing appropriate control. By utilizing this feature, the torque of an electric vehicle can be controlled to simulate the torque characteristic unique to a manual transmission vehicle. In addition, a pseudo shifter can be provided in the electric vehicle so that the driver can get the same driving sensation as in a manual transmission vehicle. This makes it possible to simulate a manual transmission vehicle in an electric vehicle.

[0045] That is, the electric vehicle controls the output of the electric motor so as to simulate the torque characteristics unique to a manual transmission vehicle. The driver operates the pseudo shifter to perform a pseudo manual gear shift operation. In response to the driver's pseudo manual gear shift operation, the electric vehicle changes the torque characteristics to simulate a manual transmission vehicle. This allows the driver of the electric vehicle to feel as if he or she is driving a manual transmission vehicle. The control mode of the electric motor for simulating the manual gear shift operation of a manual transmission vehicle in this way is hereinafter referred to as the "manual mode" or "MT mode."

[0046] The electric vehicle 10 according to the present disclosure may have such a manual mode (MT mode). In the MT mode, the electric vehicle 10 generates a pseudo engine sound according to the driving operation of the driver, and outputs the pseudo engine sound from the speaker 70. Since not only the driving operation of a MT vehicle but also the engine sound of a MT vehicle are reproduced, the satisfaction of drivers who seek realism is increased.

[0047] An example of the configuration of an electric vehicle 10 that has a manual mode (MT mode) will be described below.

[0048] 1-5-1. First configuration example 7 is a block diagram showing a first example of the configuration of a power control system of the electric vehicle 10. The electric vehicle 10 includes an electric motor 44, a battery 46, and an inverter 42. The electric motor 44 is a power device for driving the electric vehicle 10. The battery 46 stores electric energy for driving the electric motor 44. In other words, the electric vehicle 10 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) that runs on electric energy stored in the battery 46. The inverter 42 converts DC power input from the battery 46 during acceleration into drive power for the electric motor 44. The inverter 42 also converts regenerative power input from the electric motor 44 during deceleration into DC power and charges the battery 46.

[0049] The electric vehicle 10 is provided with an accelerator pedal 22 that allows the driver to input an acceleration request to the electric vehicle 10. The accelerator pedal 22 is provided with an accelerator position sensor 32 that detects the accelerator opening degree.

[0050] The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a pseudo shift paddle 24. This pseudo shift paddle 24 is a dummy that is different from an actual paddle-type shifter. The pseudo shift paddle 24 has a structure similar to a shift paddle equipped in a clutch pedal-less MT vehicle. The pseudo shift paddle 24 is attached to the steering wheel. The pseudo shift paddle 24 has an upshift switch and a downshift switch that determine the operation position. When the upshift switch is pulled toward the driver, it issues an upshift signal 34u, and when the downshift switch is pulled toward the driver, it issues a downshift signal 34d.

[0051] Wheel speed sensors 36 are provided on the wheels 26 of the electric vehicle 10. The wheel speed sensors 36 are used as vehicle speed sensors for detecting the speed of the electric vehicle 10. In addition, the electric motor 44 is provided with a rotation speed sensor 38 for detecting the rotation speed thereof.

[0052] The electric vehicle 10 includes a control device 50. The control device 50 is typically an electronic control unit (ECU) mounted on the electric vehicle 10. The control device 50 may be a combination of multiple ECUs. The control device 50 includes an interface, a memory, and a processor. An in-vehicle network is connected to the interface. The memory includes a RAM for temporarily recording data, and a ROM for storing programs executable by the processor and various data related to the programs. The programs are made up of multiple instructions. The processor reads the programs and data from the memory and executes them, and generates control signals based on signals acquired from each sensor.

[0053] For example, the control device 50 controls the electric motor 44 by PWM control of the inverter 42. Signals from the accelerator position sensor 32, the pseudo shift paddle 24, the wheel speed sensor 36, and the rotation speed sensor 38 (the signals from the pseudo shift paddle 24 are an upshift signal 34u and a downshift signal 34d) are input to the control device 50. The control device 50 processes these signals and calculates a motor torque command value for PWM controlling the inverter 42.

[0054] The control device 50 includes an automatic mode (EV mode) and a manual mode (MT mode) as control modes. The automatic mode is a normal control mode for driving the electric vehicle 10 as a general electric vehicle. The automatic mode is programmed to continuously change the output of the electric motor 44 in response to the operation of the accelerator pedal 22. On the other hand, the manual mode is a control mode for driving the electric vehicle 10 like a manual transmission vehicle. The manual mode is programmed to change the output characteristic of the electric motor 44 in response to the operation of the accelerator pedal 22 in response to an upshift operation and a downshift operation on the pseudo shift paddle 24. In other words, the manual mode is a control mode in which the output of the electric motor 44 can be changed in response to the driving operation of vehicle components other than the accelerator pedal 22 and the brake pedal. The automatic mode (EV mode) and the manual mode (MT mode) can be switched.

[0055] The control device 50 includes an automatic mode torque calculation unit 54 and a manual mode torque calculation unit 56. Each of the units 54 and 56 may be an independent ECU, or may be an ECU function obtained by executing a program recorded in a memory by a processor.

[0056] The automatic mode torque calculation unit 54 has a function of calculating the motor torque when the electric motor 44 is controlled in the automatic mode. A motor torque command map is stored in the automatic mode torque calculation unit 54. The motor torque command map is a map that determines the motor torque from the accelerator opening and the rotation speed of the electric motor 44. The signal of the accelerator position sensor 32 and the signal of the rotation speed sensor 38 are input to each parameter of the motor torque command map. The motor torque command map outputs a motor torque corresponding to these signals. Therefore, in the automatic mode, even if the driver operates the pseudo shift paddle 24, the operation is not reflected in the motor torque.

[0057] The manual mode torque calculation unit 56 includes an MT vehicle model. The MT vehicle model is a model for calculating the drive wheel torque that should be obtained by operating the accelerator pedal 22 and the pseudo shift paddles 24 when the electric vehicle 10 is assumed to be a MT vehicle.

[0058] The MT vehicle model provided in the manual mode torque calculation unit 56 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 8, the MT vehicle model includes an engine model 561, a clutch model 562, and a transmission model 563. The engine, clutch, and transmission virtually realized by the MT vehicle model are referred to as a virtual engine, a virtual clutch, and a virtual transmission, respectively. The engine model 561 models a virtual engine. The clutch model 562 models a virtual clutch. The transmission model 563 models a virtual transmission.

[0059] The engine model 561 calculates a virtual engine rotation speed Ne and a virtual engine output torque Teout. The virtual engine rotation speed Ne is calculated based on the rotation speed Nw of the wheels, the total reduction ratio R, and the slip ratio Rslip of the virtual clutch. For example, the virtual engine rotation speed Ne is expressed by the following equation (1). Formula (1): Ne = Nw × R / (1 - Rslip)

[0060] The virtual engine output torque Teout is calculated from the virtual engine rotation speed Ne and the accelerator opening Pap. To calculate the virtual engine output torque Teout, a map is used that defines the relationship between the accelerator opening Pap, the virtual engine rotation speed Ne, and the virtual engine output torque Teout, as shown in FIG. 8. In this map, the virtual engine output torque Teout for the virtual engine rotation speed Ne is given for each accelerator opening Pap. The torque characteristics shown in FIG. 8 can be set to characteristics assuming a gasoline engine or to characteristics assuming a diesel engine. In addition, the torque characteristics can be set to characteristics assuming a naturally aspirated engine or to characteristics assuming a supercharged engine.

[0061] The clutch model 562 calculates a torque transmission gain k. The torque transmission gain k is a gain for calculating the degree of torque transmission of the virtual clutch according to the virtual clutch opening Pc. The virtual clutch opening Pc is usually 0%, and is temporarily opened to 100% in conjunction with the switching of the virtual gear stage of the virtual transmission. The clutch model 562 has a map as shown in FIG. 8. In this map, the torque transmission gain k is given for the virtual clutch opening Pc. In FIG. 8, Pc0 corresponds to the position where the virtual clutch opening Pc is 0%, and Pc3 corresponds to the position where the virtual clutch opening Pc is 100%. The ranges from Pc0 to Pc1 and from Pc2 to Pc3 are dead zones in which the torque transmission gain k does not change depending on the virtual clutch opening Pc. The clutch model 562 calculates the clutch output torque Tcout using the torque transmission gain k. The clutch output torque Tcout is the torque output from the virtual clutch. For example, the clutch output torque Tcout is given by the product of the virtual engine output torque Teout and the torque transmission gain k (Tcout=Teout×k).

[0062] Further, the clutch model 562 calculates a slip ratio Rslip. The slip ratio Rslip is used to calculate a virtual engine rotation speed Ne in the engine model 561. To calculate the slip ratio Rslip, a map in which the slip ratio Rslip is given with respect to the virtual clutch opening degree Pc can be used, similar to the torque transmission gain k.

[0063] The transmission model 563 calculates a gear ratio (speed ratio) r. The gear ratio r is a gear ratio determined by the virtual gear stage GP in the virtual transmission. In response to an upshift operation of the pseudo shift paddle 24, the virtual gear stage GP is increased by one stage. On the other hand, in response to a downshift operation of the pseudo shift paddle 24, the virtual gear stage GP is decreased by one stage. The transmission model 563 has a map as shown in FIG. 8. In this map, the gear ratio r is given to the virtual gear stage GP so that the gear ratio r becomes smaller as the virtual gear stage GP becomes larger. The transmission model 563 calculates the transmission output torque Tgout using the gear ratio r and the clutch output torque Tcout obtained from the map. For example, the transmission output torque Tgout is given as the product of the clutch output torque Tcout and the gear ratio r (Tgout=Tcout×r). The transmission output torque Tgout changes discontinuously in response to the switching of the gear ratio r. This discontinuous change in the transmission output torque Tgout generates a gear shift shock, creating the feeling that the vehicle is equipped with a stepped transmission.

[0064] The MT vehicle model calculates the driving wheel torque Tw using a predetermined reduction gear ratio rr. The reduction gear ratio rr is a fixed value determined by the mechanical structure from the virtual transmission to the driving wheels. The value obtained by multiplying the reduction gear ratio rr by the gear ratio r is the above-mentioned overall reduction gear ratio R. The MT vehicle model calculates the driving wheel torque Tw from the transmission output torque Tgout and the reduction gear ratio rr. For example, the driving wheel torque Tw is given by the product of the transmission output torque Tgout and the reduction gear ratio rr (Tw=Tgout×rr).

[0065] The control device 50 converts the driving wheel torque Tw calculated by the MT vehicle model into a required motor torque Tm. The required motor torque Tm is the motor torque required to realize the driving wheel torque Tw calculated by the MT vehicle model. The reduction ratio from the output shaft of the electric motor 44 to the driving wheels is used to convert the driving wheel torque Tw into the required motor torque Tm. Then, the control device 50 controls the inverter 42 according to the required motor torque Tm to control the electric motor 44.

[0066] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a comparison of the torque characteristics of the electric motor 44 realized by motor control using the MT vehicle model with the torque characteristics of the electric motor 44 realized by normal motor control for an electric vehicle (EV). According to the motor control using the MT vehicle model, as shown in Fig. 9, it is possible to realize torque characteristics (solid line in the figure) that simulate the torque characteristics of a MT vehicle according to the virtual gear stage set by the pseudo shift paddle 24. Note that in Fig. 9, the number of gear stages is six.

[0067] 1-5-2. Second configuration example 10 is a block diagram showing a second configuration example of the power control system of the electric vehicle 10. Here, only the configuration different from the first configuration example described above will be explained. Specifically, in the second configuration example, the electric vehicle 10 is provided with a pseudo shift lever 27 and a pseudo clutch pedal 28 instead of the pseudo shift paddle 24 provided in the first configuration example. The pseudo shift lever 27 and the pseudo clutch pedal 28 are merely dummies that are different from an actual shift lever and clutch pedal.

[0068] The pseudo shift lever 27 has a structure simulating a shift lever equipped in a manual transmission vehicle. The arrangement and operation feel of the pseudo shift lever 27 are the same as those of an actual manual transmission vehicle. The pseudo shift lever 27 has positions corresponding to each gear stage, for example, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, reverse, and neutral. The pseudo shift lever 27 is provided with a shift position sensor 27a that detects the gear stage by determining which position the pseudo shift lever 27 is in.

[0069] The pseudo clutch pedal 28 has a structure simulating a clutch pedal equipped in a manual transmission vehicle. The arrangement and operation feel of the pseudo clutch pedal 28 are the same as those of an actual manual transmission vehicle. The pseudo clutch pedal 28 is operated when the pseudo shift lever 27 is operated. That is, the driver depresses the pseudo clutch pedal 28 when he / she wishes to change the gear setting with the pseudo shift lever 27, and stops depressing the pseudo clutch pedal 28 when the gear setting change is completed and returns the pseudo clutch pedal 28 to its original position. The pseudo clutch pedal 28 is provided with a clutch position sensor 28a for detecting the amount of depression of the pseudo clutch pedal 28.

[0070] Signals are input to the control device 50 from the accelerator position sensor 32, the shift position sensor 27a, the clutch position sensor 28a, the wheel speed sensor 36, and the rotation speed sensor 38. The control device 50 processes these signals and calculates a motor torque command value for PWM controlling the inverter 42.

[0071] The control device 50 includes an automatic mode and a manual mode as control modes, similarly to the first configuration example described above. The automatic mode is programmed to continuously change the output of the electric motor 44 in response to the operation of the accelerator pedal 22. On the other hand, the manual mode is a control mode for driving the electric vehicle 10 like a manual transmission vehicle. The manual mode is programmed to change the output of the electric motor 44 in response to the operation of the accelerator pedal 22 in response to the operation of the pseudo clutch pedal 28 and the pseudo shift lever 27. In other words, the manual mode is a control mode in which the output of the electric motor 44 can be changed in response to the driving operation of vehicle components other than the accelerator pedal 22 or the brake pedal.

[0072] The vehicle model equipped with the manual mode torque calculation unit 56 is the same as that shown in FIG. 8. However, the virtual clutch opening Pc is replaced by the depression amount of the pseudo clutch pedal 28 detected by the clutch position sensor 28a. Also, the virtual gear stage GP is determined by the position of the pseudo shift lever 27 detected by the shift position sensor 27a.

[0073] 2. Second Embodiment 2-1. Overall Configuration FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing an electric vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure and a vehicle control device 100 applied to this electric vehicle 10. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the electric vehicle 10 is equipped with an assist device 16. The assist device 16 is a device that acts on the acceleration feeling of the driver of the electric vehicle 10. The assist device 16 is provided inside the electric vehicle 10. Examples of the assist device 16 include a lighting device and a seat ventilation device.

[0074] The lighting device includes a plurality of LED lamps 18 (see FIG. 13). The plurality of LED lamps 18 are arranged, for example, on the surfaces of the left and right doors. In another example, the plurality of LED lamps 18 are arranged on the ceiling surface. In still another example, the plurality of LED lamps 18 are arranged on the console. The arrangement direction when arranging at these parts is, for example, the front-rear direction of the electric vehicle 10. In yet another example, the lighting device is arranged on the dashboard. The arrangement direction in this case is, for example, the lateral direction or the front-rear direction of the electric vehicle 10. The seat ventilation device is provided at least on the backrest part of the driver's seat. The seat ventilation device includes an electric fan that sucks in the air on the surface of the backrest part. The total number of electric fans may be 1 or 2 or more.

[0075] 2-2. Acceleration Feeling Assist In the first embodiment, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound was adjusted based on the time zone to which the current time belongs. Specifically, when the current time belongs to the night time zone, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound was adjusted to be lowered. When the current time belongs to the morning or evening time zone, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound was also adjusted to be lowered. This may result in a difference in the driver's sense of acceleration between the time zone in which the sound pressure is adjusted to be lowered and the time zone in which this adjustment is not made. Therefore, in the second embodiment, during the time zone in which the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound is adjusted to be lowered, the operation of the assist device is controlled based on the longitudinal acceleration of the electric vehicle 10.

[0076] Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the vehicle control device 100 that is particularly related to the second embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 12, the vehicle control device 100 includes an assist control unit 160 in addition to the functional blocks described in Fig. 4. These functional blocks are realized, for example, by cooperation between the processor 102 and the storage device 104.

[0077] The assist control unit 160 controls the operation of the assist device 16 based on the adjustment command MDF and the longitudinal acceleration ACC of the electric vehicle 10. The adjustment command MDF transmitted from the time zone determination unit 150 to the assist control unit 160 is used. The longitudinal acceleration ACC transmitted from the information acquisition unit 110 to the assist control unit 160 is used.

[0078] Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining operation control when the assist device 16 is a lighting device. In the example shown in Fig. 13, blinking control is performed on the multiple LED lamps 18. The multiple LED lamps 18 correspond to the "multiple light source units" of the present disclosure. In the blinking control, the lighting timing of the multiple LED lamps 18 is individually controlled so that the multiple LED lamps 18 are sequentially lit along the arrangement direction of the LED lamps.

[0079] In the blinking control based on the adjustment command MDF and the longitudinal acceleration ACC, the speed at which the multiple LED lamps 18 are sequentially turned on (hereinafter also referred to as the "flow speed of the LED lamps") is controlled. When the adjustment command MDF is expressed by the above-mentioned sound pressure ratio Rp, the flow speed of the LED lamps is controlled according to the longitudinal acceleration ACC in a time period in which the sound pressure ratio Rp is less than 1.0 (i.e., the time period of night, morning, or evening). Specifically, when the current time is the time period of night, morning, or evening, the lighting timing of the multiple LED lamps 18 is controlled so that the flow speed of the LED lamps increases as the longitudinal acceleration ACC increases.

[0080] When the assist device 16 is a seat ventilation device, the amount of air suctioned is controlled by an electric fan. Figure 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation control when the assist device 16 is a seat ventilation device. Figure 14 shows an example of the relationship between the longitudinal acceleration ACC and the amount of air suctioned. In the example shown in Figure 14, the amount of air suctioned increases in proportion to the longitudinal acceleration ACC.

[0081] In the suction amount control based on the adjustment command MDF and the longitudinal acceleration ACC, the rotation speed of the electric fan is controlled based on the relationship shown in Fig. 14. When the adjustment command MDF is expressed by the sound pressure ratio Rp described above, the rotation speed of the electric fan is controlled so that the amount of air suction increases as the longitudinal acceleration ACC increases in time periods when the sound pressure ratio Rp is less than 1.0 (i.e., night, morning, and evening). This suction amount control may be performed in combination with the blinking control described above.

[0082] 2-3.Effects According to the second embodiment, during the time period when the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound is adjusted to be lowered, the operation of the assist device 16 is controlled. By controlling the operation, it is possible to compensate for the loss of the driver's sense of acceleration caused by the adjustment to lower the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 10...electric vehicle, 12...various sensors, 14...speaker, 16...assist device, 18...LED lamp, 22...accelerator pedal, 24...pseudo shift paddle, 27...pseudo shift lever, 28...pseudo clutch pedal, 44...electric motor, 100...vehicle control device, 102...processor, 104...storage device, 110...information acquisition unit, 120...vehicle sound source management unit, 130...engine sound generation unit, 140...sound output control unit, 150...time zone identification unit, 160...assist control unit, ACC...longitudinal acceleration, BEV...information regarding electric vehicle, EGS...engine sound data, EVS...sound source data of engine vehicle, MDF...adjustment command

Claims

1. A vehicle control method applied to an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power unit for traveling, comprising: generating a pseudo engine sound to be output from an interior speaker of the electric vehicle based on operation information of a component of the electric vehicle; adjusting the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound based on the time zone to which the current time belongs and outputting the sound from the indoor speaker; Including, When the current time belongs to the night time zone, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound is adjusted to be lower than when the current time belongs to the day time zone. A vehicle control method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1 , obtaining a longitudinal acceleration of the electric vehicle; When the current time falls within the night time zone, controlling the operation of an assist device provided in a cabin of the electric vehicle and acting on an acceleration feeling of a driver of the electric vehicle, based on the longitudinal acceleration; The vehicle control method further comprises:

3. 3. The method of claim 2, The assist device includes a plurality of light source units arranged in a cabin of the electric vehicle, The operation control includes blinking control of the plurality of light source units, In the step of controlling the operation, the plurality of light source units are controlled so that they are sequentially turned on along an arrangement direction of the light source units, and the speed at which the plurality of light source units are sequentially turned on increases as the longitudinal acceleration increases. A vehicle control method comprising:

4. 3. The method of claim 2, the assist device includes an electric fan provided in a backrest of a driver's seat of the electric vehicle and configured to draw in air from a surface of the backrest, The operation control includes controlling an amount of air suction by the electric fan, In the step of controlling the operation, the electric fan is controlled so that the amount of air drawn in increases as the longitudinal acceleration increases. A vehicle control method comprising:

5. 2. The method of claim 1 , The daytime period includes morning and evening periods, When the current time belongs to a time zone in the morning or evening, an adjustment is made to lower the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound compared to when the current time belongs to a time zone in the daytime excluding the morning and evening times. A vehicle control method comprising:

6. 6. The method of claim 5, obtaining a longitudinal acceleration of the electric vehicle; When the current time belongs to the morning or evening time zone, controlling the operation of an assist device provided in a cabin of the electric vehicle and acting on an acceleration feeling of a driver of the electric vehicle based on the longitudinal acceleration; The vehicle control method further comprises:

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The components include an accelerator pedal and a pseudo shift paddle. A vehicle control method comprising:

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The components include an accelerator pedal, a pseudo clutch pedal, and a pseudo shift lever. A vehicle control method comprising:

9. A vehicle control device applied to an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power unit for driving, Equipped with a processor that performs various processes, The processor, generating a pseudo engine sound to be output from an interior speaker of the electric vehicle based on operation information of a component of the electric vehicle; adjusting the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound based on the time zone to which the current time belongs, and outputting the pseudo engine sound to the indoor speaker; The processor further comprises: When the current time belongs to the night time zone, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound is adjusted to be lower than when the current time belongs to the day time zone. A vehicle control device comprising:

10. An electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power unit for traveling, Indoor speakers and A processor for performing various processes, The processor, generating a pseudo engine sound to be output from an interior speaker of the electric vehicle based on operation information of a component of the electric vehicle; adjusting the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound based on the time zone to which the current time belongs, and outputting the pseudo engine sound to the indoor speaker; The processor further comprises: When the current time belongs to the night time zone, the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound is adjusted to be lower than when the current time belongs to the day time zone. An electric vehicle characterized by

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