Vehicle management system and electric vehicle

Abstract

To reduce complexity when a user specifies an engine model to generate a pseudo-engine sound from among a plurality of engine models, with respect to a technique for generating a pseudo-engine sound in an electric vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle management system is provided with one or more processors configured to generate a pseudo-engine sound based on an operating state of an electric vehicle and to output the pseudo-engine sound from a speaker mounted on the electric vehicle. The one or more processors are configured to generate the pseudo-engine sound using a sound source corresponding to one selected vehicle model selected from a plurality of engine models. Further, when the user performs provisional designation input of the selected vehicle model while the electric vehicle is halting, the one or more processors output a sample sound of the engine model corresponding to the provisional designation input from the speaker in a predetermined output form.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electric vehicle having an electric motor as a drive source.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in an electric vehicle, a technique for generating a pseudo engine sound that occurs when driving in a virtual engine vehicle having an internal combustion engine as a drive source has been considered. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sound control device that controls a pseudo engine sound (virtual engine sound) for the purpose of realistically expressing the engine sound generated during a shift change in an engine vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In an actual engine vehicle, the characteristics of the engine sound generated vary depending on the vehicle type. In a technique for generating a pseudo engine sound in an electric vehicle, by making it possible to specify the vehicle type (engine vehicle type) of a virtual engine vehicle from among a plurality of types, a pseudo engine sound simulating the engine sounds of various engine vehicle types can be generated. The user can appropriately specify the engine vehicle type according to their preference and mood.

[0005] On the one hand, it is conceivable that the user listens to the simulated engine sound during driving and then determines whether the simulated engine sound matches their preferences or mood. In this case, conventionally, the user has had to actually drive the vehicle to listen to the simulated engine sound and then specify the engine vehicle type. This causes annoyance to the user when specifying the engine vehicle type. One object of the present disclosure is to reduce such annoyance of the user.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The first aspect relates to a vehicle management system applied to an electric vehicle having an electric motor as a drive source. The vehicle management system includes one or more processors configured to generate a simulated engine sound based on the driving state of the electric vehicle and output the simulated engine sound from a speaker mounted on the electric vehicle. The one or more processors are configured to generate a simulated engine sound using a sound source corresponding to one selected vehicle type selected from a plurality of engine vehicle types. The one or more processors are further configured to output, in a predetermined output form, a sample sound of the engine vehicle type corresponding to the provisional designation input from the speaker when a provisional designation input of the selected vehicle type is made by the user while the electric vehicle is stopped.

[0007] The second aspect relates to an electric vehicle having an electric motor as a drive source. The electric vehicle includes one or more processors configured to generate a simulated engine sound based on the driving state of the electric vehicle and output the simulated engine sound from a speaker mounted on the electric vehicle. The one or more processors are configured to generate a simulated engine sound using a sound source corresponding to one selected vehicle type selected from a plurality of engine vehicle types. The one or more processors are further configured to output, in a predetermined output form, a sample sound of the engine vehicle type corresponding to the provisional designation input from the speaker when a provisional designation input of the selected vehicle type is made by the user while the electric vehicle is stopped.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, when a provisional designation input is made by a user while an electric vehicle is parked, a sample sound of an engine vehicle type corresponding to the provisional designation input is output from a speaker. Thereby, a user who is a driver can listen to the sample sounds of each engine vehicle type before designating the engine vehicle type. By listening to the sample sounds, the user can determine whether the pseudo engine sound matches their preference or mood without actually driving the electric vehicle. Then, when it matches the preference or mood, the user can designate the engine vehicle type. In this way, the annoyance of the user can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] 1 Electric Vehicle and Vehicle Management System FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an electric vehicle 10 and a vehicle management system 100 according to this embodiment. The electric vehicle 10 has an electric motor 44 as a drive source. 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 driving power device for traveling.

[0012] In addition, the electric vehicle 10 is equipped with various sensors 11. The various sensors 11 detect the driving state of the electric vehicle 10. Examples of the various sensors 11 include an accelerator position sensor, a brake position sensor, a steering angle sensor, a steering torque sensor, a wheel speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a rotational speed sensor, a position sensor, a surrounding environment recognition sensor, a driver recognition sensor, and the like. The accelerator position sensor detects the operation amount of the accelerator pedal. The brake position sensor detects the operation amount of the brake pedal. The steering angle sensor detects the steering angle of the steering wheel. The steering torque sensor detects the steering torque of the steering wheel. 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. The position sensor detects the position of the electric vehicle 10. An example of the position sensor is a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor. The surrounding environment recognition sensor is a sensor for recognizing (detecting) the surrounding environment of the electric vehicle 10. Examples of the surrounding environment recognition sensor include a camera, a lidar (Light Detection And Ranging), a radar, and the like. The driver recognition sensor is a sensor for recognizing (detecting) the driver of the electric vehicle 10.

[0013] Furthermore, the electric vehicle 10 is equipped with one or more speakers 70. For example, the speaker 70 is an in-vehicle speaker that outputs sound inside the passenger compartment of the electric vehicle 10. As another example, the speaker 70 may be an out-vehicle speaker that outputs sound outside the electric vehicle 10. The electric vehicle 10 may be equipped with both an in-vehicle speaker and an out-vehicle speaker.

[0014] Further, the electric vehicle 10 is provided with a human-machine interface (HMI) 12 as an interface with the user. The HMI 12 presents various information to the user by means of display and sound, and also receives various inputs from the user. The HMI 12 is composed of a multi-information display, a meter display, a steering switch, a speakerphone, a touch panel, and the like.

[0015] The vehicle management system 100 is applied to such an electric vehicle 10 and manages the electric vehicle 10. The whole of the vehicle management system 100 may be mounted on the electric vehicle 10. As another example, at least a part of the vehicle management system 100 may be included in a management server outside the electric vehicle 10. In that case, the vehicle management system 100 may manage the electric vehicle 10 remotely. As yet another example, the vehicle management system 100 may be distributed between the electric vehicle 10 and the management server.

[0016] Generally speaking, the vehicle management system 100 includes one or more processors 101 (hereinafter simply referred to as the processor 101) and one or more storage devices 102 (hereinafter simply referred to as the storage device 102). The processor 101 executes various processes. The processor 101 is composed of a general-purpose processor, an application-specific processor, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an integrated circuit, a conventional circuit, etc. The processor 101 can also be referred to as circuitry or processing circuitry. Circuitry is hardware programmed to realize the described functions or hardware that executes functions. The storage device 102 stores (stores) various information. Examples of the storage device 102 include a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The functions of the vehicle management system 100 are realized by the cooperation of the processor 101 and the storage device 102.

[0017] For example, the vehicle management system 100 has a function as a sound management system that manages the sound related to the electric vehicle 10. In particular, the vehicle management system 100 generates and manages the sound output from the speaker 70 mounted on the electric vehicle 10. Further, the vehicle management system 100 outputs the generated sound through the speaker 70 mounted on the electric vehicle 10.

[0018] In particular, the vehicle management system 100 generates a "pseudo engine sound" that simulates the engine sound of an engine vehicle as a function as a sound management system. Then, the vehicle management system 100 outputs the pseudo engine sound from the speaker 70 mounted on the electric vehicle 10. Note that an engine vehicle is a vehicle equipped with an engine (internal combustion engine) and uses the engine as a driving power device for driving.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the basic functional configuration of a vehicle management system 100 as a sound management system. The vehicle management system 100 includes, as functional blocks, an information acquisition unit 110, a sound source data management unit 120, an engine sound generation unit 130, a sound output control unit 140, an HMI control unit 150, a vehicle type selection unit 160, and an engine sound stop mode determination unit 170. These functional blocks may be realized, for example, by the cooperation of a processor 101 that executes a vehicle management program 105 and a storage device 102.

[0020] The information acquisition unit 110 acquires information regarding the electric vehicle 10. In particular, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires driving state information DRV indicating the driving state of the electric vehicle 10. The driving state information DRV includes the operating states of the manual driving elements (e.g., accelerator pedal, brake pedal, steering wheel) of the electric vehicle 10, information regarding the driving state of the electric vehicle 10, information regarding the surrounding situation of the electric vehicle 10, information regarding the driver of the electric vehicle 10, and the like. Typically, the driving state information DRV includes information detected by sensors 11 mounted on the electric vehicle 10. For example, the driving state information DRV includes the operation amount of the accelerator pedal (accelerator opening), the operation amount of the brake pedal (brake opening), the steering angle, the steering speed, the steering torque, the wheel speed, the vehicle speed, the longitudinal acceleration, the lateral acceleration, the rotational speed of the electric motor 44, and the like. The driving state information DRV may include the position of the electric vehicle 10. The driving state information DRV may include the surrounding environment of the electric vehicle 10 recognized (detected) by the surrounding environment recognition sensor. The driving state information DRV may include the recognition result of the driver recognized (detected) by the driver recognition sensor.

[0021] In addition, the driving state information DRV includes the virtual engine rotational speed Ne. Here, it is assumed that the electric vehicle 10 uses the virtual engine as a driving power device. The virtual engine rotational speed Ne is the rotational 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 rotational speed Ne so as to increase as the wheel speed increases. Further, when the electric vehicle 10 is provided with a manual mode (MT mode) described later, the information acquisition unit 110 may calculate the virtual engine rotational speed Ne in the manual mode based on the wheel speed, the overall reduction ratio, and the slip ratio of the virtual clutch. Details of the calculation method of the virtual engine rotational speed Ne in this manual mode will be described later.

[0022] The sound source data management unit 120 stores the sound source data EVS of an engine vehicle used to generate a pseudo engine sound. In particular, the sound source data management unit 120 stores a plurality of types of sound source data EVS (EVS-1, ···, EVS-n) corresponding to each of a plurality of engine vehicle models (1, ···, n). That is, the sound source data management unit 120 stores the sound source data EVS of the engine vehicle for each engine vehicle model. The sound source data EVS-i (1 ≦ i ≦ n) is generated in advance through simulations based on the engine model and vehicle model of the corresponding engine vehicle model. The sound source data EVS typically consists of a plurality of types of sound source data. The plurality of types of sound source data include, for example, sound source data of sounds caused by engine combustion (for low rotational speeds, medium rotational speeds, high rotational speeds), sound source data of sounds caused by drive systems such as gears (for low rotational speeds, medium rotational speeds, high rotational speeds), sound source data of noise sounds, sound source data of event sounds (e.g., rattling sounds, engine stall sounds), etc. Each sound source data can be flexibly adjusted. That is, at least one of the sound pressure and frequency of the sound indicated by the sound source data can be flexibly adjusted. The sound source data management unit 120 is mainly realized by the storage device 102.

[0023] The HMI control unit 150 controls the HMI 12 to provide various information to the user and receive various inputs from the user in each function related to the sound management system. The specific content of the control of the HMI 12 by the HMI control unit 150 will be described as appropriate in the description of each function.

[0024] The vehicle type selection unit 160 selects one of a plurality of engine vehicle types (1, ···, n). The vehicle type selection unit 160 transmits the selected engine vehicle type (selected vehicle type) k to the engine sound generation unit 130. As will be described later, the vehicle management system 100 generates a pseudo engine sound that reproduces the engine sound of the selected vehicle type k. In particular, the user can perform a designated input of the selected vehicle type k via the HMI 12. This is realized by the HMI control unit 150 executing processing as follows.

[0025] The HMI control unit 150 displays a list of a plurality of engine vehicle types on the HMI 12 in response to a request from the user. The HMI control unit 150 first accepts a temporary designation input for each engine vehicle type displayed in the list. For example, the HMI control unit 150 accepts an operation of selecting each engine vehicle type on the list as a temporary designation input for each engine vehicle type. The user can perform a temporary designation input by selecting an engine vehicle type from among the plurality of engine vehicle types on the list. When the user performs a temporary designation input, the HMI control unit 150 displays information on the engine vehicle type corresponding to the temporary designation input on the HMI 12. Examples of the information to be displayed include the type of engine mounted on the engine vehicle type, an external appearance image of the engine vehicle type, vehicle specifications of the engine vehicle type (e.g., vehicle weight, size), etc. Then, the HMI control unit 150 accepts a designated input for the engine vehicle type corresponding to the temporary designation input. For example, the HMI control unit 150 displays a designated input operation member (e.g., button switch) for performing a designated input of the engine vehicle type corresponding to the temporary designation input on the HMI 12. The user can perform a designated input of the engine vehicle type corresponding to the temporary designation input by operating the designated input operation member.

[0026] The vehicle type selection unit 160 acquires the user input information INI from the HMI control unit 150. The vehicle type selection unit 160 determines the status of the designated input of the selected vehicle type k based on the input information INI. When the user makes a designated input of the selected vehicle type k, the vehicle type selection unit 160 sets the designated engine vehicle type (hereinafter referred to as the "designated engine vehicle type") as the selected vehicle type k.

[0027] 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 driving state information DRV 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 acquires the selected vehicle type k from the vehicle type selection unit 160. The engine sound generation unit 130 further acquires the sound source data EVS-k corresponding to the selected vehicle type k from among the sound source data EVS (EVS-1, ···, EVS-n) of a plurality of types of engine vehicles from the sound source data management unit 120. Then, the engine sound generation unit 130 generates a pseudo engine sound corresponding to the driving state (virtual engine rotation speed Ne and vehicle speed) of the electric vehicle 10 by combining one or more pieces of sound source data included in the sound source data EVS-k. The engine sound data EGS is data indicating the generated pseudo engine sound.

[0028] Note that the generation of the pseudo engine sound is a well-known technique, and the generation method of the pseudo engine sound applicable to the present disclosure is not particularly limited. For example, a pseudo engine sound may be generated by a well-known engine sound simulator employed in games or the like. A method may also be used in which a map of virtual engine rotation speed Ne - frequency and a map of virtual engine torque - sound pressure are provided, and the frequency of the pseudo engine sound is increased or decreased in proportion to the virtual engine rotation speed Ne, and the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound is increased or decreased in proportion to the virtual engine torque.

[0029] The vehicle management system 100 has a mode (engine sound stop mode) for stopping the output of the pseudo engine sound from the speaker 70. The engine sound stop mode determination unit 170 determines the on / off of the engine sound stop mode based on at least one of the driving state information DRV acquired from the information acquisition unit 110 or the input information INI acquired from the HMI control unit 150. For example, the engine sound stop mode determination unit 170 determines the state of the manual mode (MT mode) described later from the driving state information DRV. Then, while the manual mode is applied, the engine sound stop mode determination unit 170 turns off the engine sound stop mode, and while the manual mode is released, the engine sound stop mode determination unit 170 turns on the engine sound stop mode. In this case, the vehicle management system 100 outputs the pseudo engine sound from the speaker 70 only while the manual mode is applied. Also, for example, the HMI control unit 150 receives the on / off input of the engine sound stop mode from the user via the HMI 12. Then, the engine sound stop mode determination unit 170 switches the on / off of the engine sound stop mode according to the input from the user. The engine sound stop mode determination unit 170 transmits a mode state signal MOD indicating the on / off state of the engine sound stop mode to the sound output control unit 140.

[0030] The sound output control unit 140 receives the engine sound data EGS generated by the engine sound generation unit 130. Then, based on the engine sound data EGS, the sound output control unit 140 outputs a pseudo engine sound from the speaker 70. When outputting the engine sound data EGS, the sound output control unit 140 controls the amplifier to control the sound pressure of the pseudo engine sound. Also, the sound output control unit 140 changes the frequency of the pseudo engine sound by controlling the FMC (frequency modulator).

[0031] Note that the sound output control unit 140 determines the on / off of the engine sound stop mode from the mode state signal MOD. Then, when the engine sound stop mode is on, the sound output control unit 140 stops the output of the pseudo engine sound from the speaker 70.

[0032] In this way, the vehicle management system 100 is configured to output a pseudo engine sound from the speaker 70. Thereby, a sense of presence as if driving an actual engine vehicle is provided to the user who is the driver of the electric vehicle 10.

[0033] 2 Features of the Embodiment 2.1 Output of Sample Sound The user can specify an engine vehicle of the selected vehicle type k via the HMI 12. Thereby, the user who is the driver can enjoy a pseudo engine sound that simulates the engine sounds of various engine vehicle types according to their preferences and moods. On the other hand, it is conceivable that the user listens to the pseudo engine sound during driving and then determines whether the pseudo engine sound matches their preferences and mood. For this reason, if it is not known what kind of pseudo engine sound will be output until the electric vehicle 10 actually starts running, it may cause annoyance to the user when specifying the engine vehicle type. This is a factor that reduces the usability of the function.

[0034] Therefore, when a provisional designation input of the selected vehicle type k is made by the user while the electric vehicle 10 is stopped, the vehicle management system 100 according to the present embodiment further has a function of outputting a sample sound of the engine vehicle type (hereinafter referred to as "provisional designation engine vehicle type") corresponding to the provisional designation input from the speaker 70.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle management system 100 related to the function of outputting a sample sound. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle management system 100 includes a sample sound data management unit 180 and a sample sound output determination unit 190 in addition to the functional blocks described in FIG. 2. These functional blocks are realized, for example, by the cooperation of the processor 101 and the storage device 102. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the functional block of the engine sound stop mode determination unit 170 is omitted. In the description of FIG. 3, it is assumed that the engine sound stop mode is off.

[0036] The sample sound data management unit 180 stores sample sound data SMS which is data of sample sounds. In particular, the sample sound data management unit 180 stores sample sound data SMS (SMS-1, ···, SMS-n) corresponding to each of a plurality of engine vehicle types (1, ···, n). That is, the sample sound data management unit 180 stores sample sound data SMS for each engine vehicle type. The sample sound data management unit 180 is mainly realized by the storage device 102.

[0037] The sample sound reproduced by the sample sound data SMS indicates the characteristics of the pseudo engine sound generated for each engine vehicle type. For example, the sample sound can be the supercharging sound of the engine in a predetermined engine speed range. As another example, the sample sound may be a pseudo engine sound generated during acceleration or deceleration in a predetermined vehicle speed range. As still another example, the sample sound may be a pseudo engine sound generated for a predetermined pattern of the operation state (accelerator opening) of the accelerator pedal. The sample sound data SMS may be configured to be able to reproduce these multiple types of sample sounds.

[0038] The sample sound data SMS-i (1 ≤ i ≤ n) is pre-generated through a simulation based on the engine model and vehicle model of the corresponding engine vehicle type. Alternatively, the sample sound data SMS-i (1 ≤ i ≤ n) is pre-generated based on the sound source data EVS-i of the corresponding engine vehicle type. Alternatively, the sample sound data SMS-i (1 ≤ i ≤ n) is pre-generated by recording the actual engine sound of the corresponding engine vehicle type.

[0039] The sample sound output determination unit 190 determines whether to output a sample sound from the speaker 70. Based on the driving state information DRV acquired from the information acquisition unit 110, the sample sound output determination unit 190 determines whether the electric vehicle 10 is stopped. Whether the electric vehicle 10 is stopped can be determined based on the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 10. Also, based on the input information INI acquired from the HMI control unit 150, the sample sound output determination unit 190 determines the situation of the temporary designation input. Then, when a temporary designation input is made by the user while the electric vehicle is stopped, the sample sound output determination unit 190 determines to output a sample sound.

[0040] When the sample sound output determination unit 190 determines to output a sample sound, it sets the output specification SP of the sample sound. The output specification SP includes information on the engine vehicle type and output form for outputting the sample sound. The engine vehicle type for outputting the sample sound is the temporarily designated engine vehicle type. The output form is the reproduction time, number of repetitions, etc. of the sample sound. When the sample sound data SMS is configured to be able to reproduce multiple types of sample sounds, the output specification SP may include information on the type of sample sound. The sample sound output determination unit 190 transmits the output specification SP to the sound output control unit 140.

[0041] After determining to output the sample sound, the sample sound output determination unit 190 further determines whether to stop the output of the sample sound. The sample sound output determination unit 190 determines the operation state of the manual driving elements of the electric vehicle 10 based on the driving state information DRV acquired from the information acquisition unit 110. Then, when the sample sound output determination unit 190 detects an operation of the manual driving elements of the electric vehicle 10, it determines to stop the output of the sample sound. For example, when the sample sound output determination unit 190 detects an operation of the accelerator pedal, it determines to stop the output of the sample sound. The sample sound output determination unit 190 also determines the situation of the specified input based on the input information INI acquired from the HMI control unit 150. Then, when the user makes a specified input to specify the pseudo-designated engine vehicle type, the sample sound output determination unit 190 determines to stop the output of the sample sound. When the sample sound output determination unit 190 determines to stop the output of the sample sound, it transmits a stop request SRQ to the sound output control unit 140.

[0042] When the sound output control unit 140 receives the output specification SP from the sample sound output determination unit 190, it outputs the sample sound from the speaker 70 according to the output specification SP. Specifically, the sound output control unit 140 acquires the sample sound data SMS-j corresponding to the engine vehicle type (pseudo-designated engine vehicle type) j specified by the output specification SP from the sample sound data management unit 180. Then, the sound output control unit 140 outputs the sample sound based on the sample sound data SMS-j from the speaker 70 in a predetermined output form specified by the output specification SP. Also, when the sound output control unit 140 receives a stop request SRQ from the sample sound output determination unit 190 while outputting the sample sound, it stops the output of the sample sound.

[0043] While outputting the sample sound, the sound output control unit 140 may be configured to stop the output of the pseudo engine sound. And after the reproduction of the sample sound is completed or after the output of the sample sound is stopped, the sound output control unit 140 may be configured to resume the output of the pseudo engine sound.

[0044] By providing the functional configuration of the vehicle management system 100 in this way, it is possible to realize the function of outputting a sample sound. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow executed by the vehicle management system 100 regarding the function of outputting a sample sound based on the above-described functional configuration. The processing flow shown in FIG. 4 may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined processing cycle.

[0045] First, in step S110, the vehicle management system 100 acquires various types of information including driving state information DRV and input information INI.

[0046] Next, in step S120, the vehicle management system 100 determines whether or not the electric vehicle 10 is stopped based on the driving state information DRV. For example, it can be determined whether or not the electric vehicle 10 is stopped based on the detection value of the wheel speed sensor. If the electric vehicle is not stopped (step S120; No), the vehicle management system 100 ends the current processing without outputting a sample sound. If the electric vehicle is stopped (step S120; Yes), the processing proceeds to step S130.

[0047] In step S130, the vehicle management system 100 determines whether or not a provisional designation input of the selected vehicle type k by the user has been made based on the input information INI. If the provisional designation input has not been made (step S130; No), the vehicle management system 100 ends the current processing without outputting a sample sound. If the provisional designation input has been made (step S130; Yes), the processing proceeds to step S140.

[0048] In step S140, the vehicle management system 100 stops the output of the pseudo engine sound and outputs the sample sound of the provisional designation engine vehicle type from the speaker 70. When the reproduction of the sample sound in a predetermined output form is completed (step S150; Yes), the vehicle management system 100 resumes the output of the pseudo engine sound (step S160) and ends the current processing. In this case, the output pseudo engine sound is the pseudo engine sound of the originally selected vehicle type k.

[0049] While the vehicle management system 100 is outputting a sample sound from the speaker 70 (step S150; No), it determines whether a manual driving element of the electric vehicle 10 has been operated and whether a designation input for designating a pseudo-designated engine vehicle type has been made (step S170). If both determinations are negative (step S170; No), the vehicle management system 100 continues to output the sample sound.

[0050] If the manual driving element has been operated (step S170; Yes), the vehicle management system 100 stops the output of the sample sound (step S180). Then, the vehicle management system 100 resumes the output of the pseudo engine sound (step S160) and ends the current process. In this case, the output pseudo engine sound is the pseudo engine sound of the originally selected vehicle type k.

[0051] Similarly, if a designation input has been made (step S170; Yes), the vehicle management system 100 stops the output of the sample sound (step S180). Then, the vehicle management system 100 resumes the output of the pseudo engine sound (step S160) and ends the current process. In this case, the pseudo-designated engine vehicle type becomes the designated engine vehicle type and is selected as the selected vehicle type k. Therefore, the output pseudo engine sound becomes the pseudo engine sound of the newly selected selected vehicle type k.

[0052] As described above, according to the vehicle management system 100 according to the present embodiment, when a provisional designation input of the selected vehicle type k is made by the user while the electric vehicle 10 is parked, a sample sound of the engine vehicle type (provisional designation engine vehicle type) corresponding to the provisional designation input is output from the speaker 70. Thereby, the user who becomes the driver can listen to the sample sounds of the respective engine vehicle types by making a provisional designation input prior to the designation input. By listening to the sample sound, the user can determine whether the pseudo engine sound matches their preference or mood without actually driving the electric vehicle 10. Then, when it matches the preference or mood, the user can perform a designation input designating the provisional designation engine vehicle type as the designated engine vehicle type. In this way, the annoyance of the user for designating the engine vehicle type can be reduced. In particular, since the user can determine and designate the engine vehicle type that matches their preference or mood while the electric vehicle 10 is stopped, safety is ensured.

[0053] Further, according to the vehicle management system 100 according to the present embodiment, when an operation of a manual driving element of the electric vehicle 10 is performed while the sample sound is being output from the speaker 70, the output of the sample sound is stopped. That is, when the operation of the electric vehicle 10 resumes, the output of the sample sound is stopped. Thereby, when the driver resumes the operation of the electric vehicle 10, it is possible to prevent the output of the sample sound from continuing and to resume the output of the pseudo engine sound naturally.

[0054] 2.2 Tone adjustment of the pseudo engine sound by the sample sound As described above, according to the vehicle management system 100 according to the present embodiment, the user can confirm the pseudo engine sound of each engine vehicle type by listening to the sample sound and designate the engine vehicle type. Here, it is conceivable that the user feels that the tone is slightly different from their preference when listening to the sample sound. "Tone" can also be paraphrased as "pitch" or "key".

[0055] Therefore, the vehicle management system 100 according to this embodiment may further be configured to have a tone adjustment function that enables a user to adjust the tone of a pseudo engine sound using a sample sound.

[0056] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle management system 100 related to the tone adjustment function of the pseudo engine sound using a sample sound. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle management system 100 includes a tone adjustment unit 191 in addition to the functional blocks described in FIG. 3. This functional block is realized, for example, by the cooperation of the processor 101 and the storage device 102.

[0057] The HMI control unit 150 receives an input for changing the tone of the sample sound from the user while the sample sound is being output from the speaker 70. For example, when the HMI control unit 150 receives a temporary designation input, it displays a change input member for performing an input for changing the tone of the sample sound of the temporarily designated engine vehicle type on the HMI 12. For example, the change input member is composed of buttons for performing an input to stepwise increase or decrease the pitch of the sound. Also, for example, the change input member is composed of a slide switch for performing an input to continuously change the pitch of the sound. Also, for example, the change input member is composed of a selection switch for selecting one from a plurality of presets of tones. The user can perform an input for changing the tone of the sample sound by operating these change input members.

[0058] The tone adjustment unit 191 acquires input information INI from the HMI control unit 150. The tone adjustment unit 191 determines the status of the input for changing the tone of the sample sound based on the input information INI. When a change input is made from the user, the tone adjustment unit 191 sets a tone specification TP. The tone specification TP is set according to the content of the change input. For example, when the user makes a change input to raise the pitch of the sound by two steps, the tone specification TP indicates that the pitch of the sound is raised by two steps from the default value. The tone adjustment unit 191 transmits the tone specification TP to the sound output control unit 140.

[0059] While the sound output control unit 140 is outputting a sample sound from the speaker 70, if it receives a tone specification TP from the tone adjustment unit 191, it adjusts the tone of the sample sound based on the information of the tone specification TP. Also, when the temporarily specified engine vehicle type related to the sample sound becomes the selected vehicle type k by the user's designated input, the sound output control unit 140 outputs a pseudo engine sound with the tone adjusted based on the information of the tone specification TP from the speaker 70. That is, in this case, the sound output control unit 140 outputs a pseudo engine sound in which the adjustment to the sample sound is reflected. Note that the sound output control unit 140 may store the tone specification TP for each engine vehicle type.

[0060] By providing the functional configuration of the vehicle management system 100 in this way, it is possible to realize a function of adjusting the tone of the pseudo engine sound by the sample sound. As a result, the user who is the driver can adjust the tone while listening to the sample sound. Then, after adjusting the tone so as to match the preference and mood, the driver can output a pseudo engine sound in which the adjustment is reflected by designating the specified engine vehicle type by designated input. In this way, the output pseudo engine sound can be brought closer to the driver's preference and mood. Eventually, the user satisfaction can be improved.

[0061] 2.3 Output of Pseudo Engine Starting Sound The vehicle management system 100 has an engine sound stop mode for stopping the output of the pseudo engine sound. When the engine sound stop mode is switched from on to off, the vehicle management system 100 resumes the output of the pseudo engine sound. At this time, if the pseudo engine sound of the selected vehicle type k based on the driving state of the electric vehicle 10 is suddenly output, it may give a sense of discomfort to the user who is the driver.

[0062] Therefore, the vehicle management system 100 according to the present embodiment may be further configured to have a function of outputting a pseudo engine starting sound of the selected vehicle type k when the engine sound stop mode is switched from on to off.

[0063] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a vehicle management system 100 related to a function of outputting a pseudo engine start sound. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the engine sound stop mode determination unit 170 is shown without being omitted.

[0064] The sample sound data management unit 180 stores, in addition to the sample sound data SMS (SMS-1,..., SMS-n), pseudo engine start sound data ESS (ESS-1,..., ESS-n) corresponding to each of a plurality of engine vehicle types (1,..., n). That is, in the example shown in FIG. 6, compared with FIG. 3, the sample sound data management unit 180 stores the pseudo engine start sound data ESS for each engine vehicle type. The pseudo engine start sound data ESS-i (1 ≤ i ≤ n) is generated in advance through a simulation based on the engine model and vehicle model of the corresponding engine vehicle type. Alternatively, the pseudo engine start sound data ESS-i (1 ≤ i ≤ n) is generated in advance based on the sound source data EVS-i of the corresponding engine vehicle type. Alternatively, the pseudo engine start sound data ESS-i (1 ≤ i ≤ n) is generated in advance by recording the actual engine start sound of the corresponding engine vehicle type.

[0065] The sound output control unit 140 acquires the selected vehicle type k from the vehicle type selection unit 160. The sound output control unit 140 reads the pseudo engine start sound data ESS-k corresponding to the selected vehicle type k. Then, when the engine sound stop mode changes from off to on, the sound output control unit 140 outputs a pseudo engine start sound from the speaker 70 based on the pseudo engine start sound data ESS-k.

[0066] By providing the functional configuration of the vehicle management system 100 in this way, the function of outputting a pseudo engine start sound can be realized. Thereby, the discomfort of the user when the engine sound stop mode switches from on to off can be reduced. Consequently, the user satisfaction can be improved.

[0067] 2.4 Selected Vehicle Type at Startup of Electric Vehicle When there are multiple users of the electric vehicle 10, it is assumed that various users will become the driver of the electric vehicle 10 each time the electric vehicle 10 is driven. On the other hand, it is conceivable that the preferred pseudo engine sounds of each user are different. In such a case, the user who becomes the driver may feel annoyed when starting the operation of the electric vehicle 10 because they have to re-specify the engine vehicle type every time according to their preferences.

[0068] Therefore, in the vehicle management system 100 according to the present embodiment, the vehicle type selection unit 160 may be configured to determine the selected vehicle type k according to the user who becomes the driver when the electric vehicle 10 starts.

[0069] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle type selection unit 160 when the electric vehicle 10 starts. The vehicle type selection unit 160 includes a user identification unit 161 and a designated engine vehicle type acquisition unit 162.

[0070] The user identification unit 161 acquires the user identification information of the driver using the driver recognition sensor 11a. Examples of the driver recognition sensor 11a include a driver monitor, a fingerprint authentication sensor, an IC tag authentication sensor, and the like. The user identification information is information that can identify each of the users of the electric vehicle 10. Typically, the user identification information is a user ID. The user identification unit 161 acquires the user identification information by, for example, identifying the user who becomes the driver from the feature amount of the driver image acquired by the driver monitor. Also, for example, the user identification unit 161 directly acquires the user identification information of the driver from the authentication information by the fingerprint authentication sensor or the IC tag authentication sensor. The user identification unit 161 transmits the acquired user identification information to the designated engine vehicle type acquisition unit 162.

[0071] The designated engine vehicle type acquisition unit 162 is connected to the user database D10. The user database D10 manages information regarding each user of the electric vehicle 10. In particular, the user database D10 manages by associating user identification information and a designated engine vehicle type for each user (see FIG. 7). The designated engine vehicle type managed by the user database D10 is typically the engine vehicle type designated by the user's latest designated input.

[0072] The designated engine vehicle type acquisition unit 162 acquires the driver's user identification information from the user identification unit 161. Then, the designated engine vehicle type acquisition unit 162 refers to the user database D10 and reads the designated engine vehicle type associated with the driver's user identification information. For example, when the driver's user identification information is "B10", the designated engine vehicle type acquisition unit 162 reads "Vehicle type 5" from the user database D10.

[0073] The vehicle type selection unit 160 sets the selected vehicle type k at the start of the electric vehicle 10 to the designated engine vehicle type read by the designated engine vehicle type acquisition unit 162.

[0074] In this way, the selected vehicle type k can be determined according to the user who becomes the driver at the start of the electric vehicle 10. Thereby, the annoyance of the driver when starting the operation of the electric vehicle 10 can be reduced.

[0075] 3 Application to an electric vehicle equipped with a manual mode (MT mode) The electric motor used as a driving power unit in a general electric vehicle has significantly different torque characteristics compared to the internal combustion engine that has been used as a driving power unit in conventional vehicles (CV: Conventional Vehicle). Due to the difference in torque characteristics of the power units, a CV requires a transmission, while generally an electric vehicle does not have a transmission. Of course, a general electric vehicle does not have a manual transmission (MT) that switches the gear ratio by the driver's manual operation. Therefore, there is a significant difference in the driving feeling between driving an MT-equipped conventional vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an MT vehicle) and driving an electric vehicle.

[0076] On the other hand, the electric motor can relatively easily control torque by controlling the applied voltage and field excitation. Therefore, in the electric motor, by implementing appropriate control, it is possible to obtain desired torque characteristics within the operating range of the electric motor. Taking advantage of this feature, it is possible to control the torque of an electric vehicle to simulate the torque characteristics peculiar to an MT vehicle. Also, a pseudo shifter can be provided in the electric vehicle so that the driver can obtain a driving feeling like that of an MT vehicle. By these means, it becomes possible to simulate an MT vehicle in an electric vehicle.

[0077] That is, the electric vehicle controls the output of the electric motor so as to simulate the driving characteristics (torque characteristics) peculiar to an MT vehicle. The driver operates the pseudo shifter to perform a pseudo manual shifting operation. In response to the pseudo manual shifting operation by the driver, the electric vehicle changes the driving characteristics (torque characteristics) by simulating an MT vehicle. As a result, the driver of the electric vehicle can obtain a feeling as if driving an MT vehicle. The control mode of the electric motor for simulating the driving characteristics and manual shifting operation of an MT vehicle is hereinafter referred to as the "manual mode" or "MT mode".

[0078] The electric vehicle 10 according to the present disclosure may be provided with such a manual mode (MT mode). In the MT mode, the electric vehicle 10 generates a pseudo engine sound according to the driver's driving operation and outputs the pseudo engine sound via the speaker 70. Since not only the driving operation of the MT vehicle but also the engine sound of the MT vehicle are reproduced, the satisfaction of the driver who seeks reality is enhanced.

[0079] Hereinafter, a configuration example of the electric vehicle 10 provided with the manual mode (MT mode) will be described.

[0080] 3.1 First Configuration Example (Sequential Shifter) FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a first configuration example of the power control system of the electric vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment. 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 traveling. The battery 46 stores electric energy for driving the electric motor 44. That is, the electric vehicle 10 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) that travels with the electric energy stored in the battery 46. The inverter 42 converts the DC power input from the battery 46 during acceleration into the driving power of the electric motor 44. Further, the inverter 42 converts the regenerative power input from the electric motor 44 during deceleration into DC power and charges the battery 46.

[0081] The electric vehicle 10 includes an accelerator pedal 22 for the driver to input an acceleration request for the electric vehicle 10. The accelerator pedal 22 is provided with an accelerator position sensor 32 for detecting the accelerator opening.

[0082] The electric vehicle 10 includes a sequential shifter 24. The sequential shifter 24 may be a paddle shifter or a lever-type pseudo shifter.

[0083] The paddle shifter is a dummy that is different from the original paddle shifter. The paddle shifter has a structure modeled after the paddle shifter provided in a clutch pedal-less MT vehicle. The paddle shifter is attached to the steering wheel. The paddle shifter includes an upshift switch and a downshift switch that determine the operation position. The upshift switch generates an upshift signal 34u when pulled forward, and the downshift switch generates a downshift signal 34d when pulled forward.

[0084] On the other hand, the lever-type pseudo shifter is, like the paddle shifter, a dummy that is different from the original shifter. The lever-type pseudo shifter has a structure modeled after the lever shifter provided in a clutch pedal-less MT vehicle. The lever-type pseudo shifter is configured to output an upshift signal 34u when the shift lever is tilted forward and output a downshift signal 34d when the shift lever is tilted backward.

[0085] A wheel speed sensor 36 is provided on the wheel 26 of the electric vehicle 10. The wheel speed sensor 36 is used as a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 10. Further, a rotational speed sensor 38 for detecting the rotational speed is provided on the electric motor 44.

[0086] 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 a plurality of 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 program is composed of a plurality of instructions. The processor reads the program and data from the memory and executes them, and generates a control signal based on the signals acquired from each sensor.

[0087] For example, the control device 50 controls the electric motor 44 by PWM control of the inverter 42. Signals from an accelerator position sensor 32, a sequential shifter 24 (when the sequential shifter 24 is a paddle shifter, an upshift switch and a downshift switch), a wheel speed sensor 36, and a rotational speed sensor 38 are input to the control device 50. The control device 50 processes these signals and calculates a motor torque command value for PWM control of the inverter 42.

[0088] 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 according 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 an MT vehicle. The manual mode is programmed to change the output characteristics of the electric motor 44 with respect to the operation of the accelerator pedal 22 according to an upshift operation and a downshift operation with respect to the sequential shifter 24. That is, the manual mode is a control mode capable of changing the output of the electric motor 44 in response to driving operations of vehicle components other than the accelerator pedal 22 and the brake pedal. The automatic mode (EV mode) and the manual mode (MT mode) are switchable.

[0089] 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 a function of an ECU obtained by executing a program recorded in a memory by a processor.

[0090] The automatic mode torque calculation unit 54 has a function of calculating the motor torque when controlling the electric motor 44 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 rotational speed of the electric motor 44. Signals from the accelerator position sensor 32 and the rotational speed sensor 38 are input to each parameter of the motor torque command map. Motor torque corresponding to these signals is output from the motor torque command map. Therefore, in the automatic mode, even if the driver operates the sequential shifter 24, the operation is not reflected in the motor torque.

[0091] 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 sequential shifter 24 when assuming that the electric vehicle 10 is an MT vehicle.

[0092] The MT vehicle model included in the manual mode torque calculation unit 56 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, the MT vehicle model includes an engine model 561, a clutch model 562, and a transmission model 563. Note that 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. In the engine model 561, the virtual engine is modeled. In the clutch model 562, the virtual clutch is modeled. In the transmission model 563, the virtual transmission is modeled.

[0093] The engine model 561 calculates the virtual engine rotational speed Ne and the virtual engine output torque Teout. The virtual engine rotational speed Ne is calculated based on the rotational speed Nw of the wheels, the overall reduction ratio R, and the slip ratio Rslip of the virtual clutch. For example, the virtual engine rotational speed Ne is represented by the following equation (1). Equation (1): Ne = Nw × R / (1 - Rslip)

[0094] The virtual engine output torque Teout is calculated from the virtual engine rotational speed Ne and the accelerator opening Pap. For the calculation of the virtual engine output torque Teout, as shown in FIG. 9, a map defining the relationship among the accelerator opening Pap, the virtual engine rotational speed Ne, and the virtual engine output torque Teout is used. In this map, the virtual engine output torque Teout with respect to the virtual engine rotational speed Ne is given for each accelerator opening Pap. The torque characteristics shown in FIG. 9 can be set to the characteristics assuming a gasoline engine, or can be set to the characteristics assuming a diesel engine. Also, the characteristics assuming a naturally aspirated engine can be set, or the characteristics assuming a supercharged engine can be set.

[0095] 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 normally 0%, and is temporarily opened up 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. 9. In this map, the torque transmission gain K is given with respect to the virtual clutch opening Pc. In FIG. 9, 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 where 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).

[0096] Also, the clutch model 562 calculates the slip ratio Rslip. The slip ratio Rslip is used in the calculation of the virtual engine rotational speed Ne in the engine model 561. To calculate the slip ratio Rslip, similar to the torque transmission gain K, a map in which the slip ratio Rslip is given for the virtual clutch opening Pc can be used.

[0097] The transmission model 563 calculates the gear ratio (shift ratio) r. The gear ratio r is the gear ratio determined by the virtual gear stage GP in the virtual transmission. In response to an upshift operation of the sequential shifter 24, the virtual gear stage GP is shifted up by one stage. On the other hand, in response to a downshift operation of the sequential shifter 24, the virtual gear stage GP is shifted down by one stage. The transmission model 563 has a map as shown in FIG. 9. In this map, the gear ratio r is given for the virtual gear stage GP such that the gear ratio r decreases as the virtual gear stage GP increases. The transmission model 563 calculates the transmission output torque Tgout using the gear ratio r obtained from the map and the clutch output torque Tcout. For example, the transmission output torque Tgout is given by 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 shift shock and gives the impression of a vehicle equipped with a stepped transmission.

[0098] The MT vehicle model calculates the drive wheel torque Tw using a predetermined reduction ratio rr. The reduction ratio rr is a fixed value determined by the mechanical structure from the virtual transmission to the drive wheels. The value obtained by multiplying the reduction ratio rr by the gear ratio r is the aforementioned overall reduction ratio R. The MT vehicle model calculates the drive wheel torque Tw from the transmission output torque Tgout and the reduction ratio rr. For example, the drive wheel torque Tw is given by the product of the transmission output torque Tgout and the reduction ratio rr (Tw = Tgout × rr).

[0099] The control device 50 converts the drive wheel torque Tw calculated by the MT vehicle model into the required motor torque Tm. The required motor torque Tm is the motor torque necessary to realize the drive wheel torque Tw calculated by the MT vehicle model. For the conversion of the drive wheel torque Tw to the required motor torque Tm, the reduction ratio from the output shaft of the electric motor 44 to the drive wheels is used. Then, the control device 50 controls the inverter 42 according to the required motor torque Tm to control the electric motor 44.

[0100] FIG. 10 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 as an electric vehicle (EV). According to the motor control using the MT vehicle model, as shown in FIG. 10, torque characteristics (solid line in the figure) that simulate the torque characteristics of the MT vehicle can be realized according to the virtual gear stage set by the sequential shifter 24. In FIG. 10, the number of gear stages is six.

[0101] 3.2 Second configuration example FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a second configuration example of the power control system of the electric vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment. Here, only the configuration different from the above-described first configuration example will be described. Specifically, in the second configuration example, the electric vehicle 10 is provided with a pseudo shift lever (pseudo shift device) 27 and a pseudo clutch pedal 28 instead of the sequential shifter 24 provided in the first configuration example. The pseudo shift lever 27 and the pseudo clutch pedal 28 are merely dummy ones that are different from the original shift lever and clutch pedal.

[0102] The pseudo shift lever 27 has a structure that mimics the shift lever of a MT vehicle. The arrangement and operating feel of the pseudo shift lever 27 are equivalent to those of an actual MT vehicle. The pseudo shift lever 27 is provided with positions corresponding to each gear stage such as first gear, second gear, third gear, fourth gear, fifth gear, sixth gear, reverse, and neutral. The pseudo shift lever 27 is provided with a shift position sensor 27a that detects the gear stage by discriminating which position the pseudo shift lever 27 is in.

[0103] The pseudo clutch pedal 28 has a structure that mimics the clutch pedal of a MT vehicle. The arrangement and operating feel of the pseudo clutch pedal 28 are equivalent to those of an actual MT vehicle. The pseudo clutch pedal 28 is operated when the pseudo shift lever 27 is operated. That is, when the driver wants to change the gear stage setting with the pseudo shift lever 27, the driver depresses the pseudo clutch pedal 28, and when the gear stage setting change is completed, the driver stops depressing 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 depression amount of the pseudo clutch pedal 28.

[0104] Signals from the accelerator position sensor 32, the shift position sensor 27a, the clutch position sensor 28a, the wheel speed sensor 36, and the rotational speed sensor 38 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.

[0105] Similar to the first configuration example described above, the control device 50 includes an automatic mode and a manual mode as control modes. The automatic mode is programmed to continuously change the output of the electric motor 44 according 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 an MT vehicle. The manual mode is programmed to change the output and output characteristics of the electric motor 44 with respect to the operation of the accelerator pedal 22 according to the operations of the pseudo clutch pedal 28 and the pseudo shift lever (pseudo shift device) 27. That is, the manual mode is a control mode capable of changing the output of the electric motor 44 in response to the driving operation of vehicle components other than the accelerator pedal 22 or the brake pedal.

[0106] The vehicle model provided by the manual mode torque calculation unit 56 is the same as that shown in FIG. 9. 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.

Explanation of Signs

[0107] 10 Electric vehicle, 44 Electric motor, 70 Speaker, 100 Vehicle management system, 101 Processor, 102 Storage device, 105 Vehicle management program

Claims

1. A vehicle management system applied to an electric vehicle having an electric motor as a drive source, comprising one or more processors configured to generate a pseudo engine sound based on an operating state of the electric vehicle and output the pseudo engine sound from a speaker mounted on the electric vehicle, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate the pseudo engine sound using a sound source corresponding to one selected vehicle type selected from a plurality of engine vehicle types, and the one or more processors further are configured to output, from the speaker, a sample sound of an engine vehicle type corresponding to the temporary designation input in a predetermined output form when the temporary designation input of the selected vehicle type is made by a user while the electric vehicle is stopped, and are configured as follows vehicle management system.

2. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein the sample sound is a supercharging sound of an engine in a predetermined engine speed range vehicle management system.

3. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein the operating state of the electric vehicle includes an operating state of a manual driving element of the electric vehicle, and the one or more processors are configured to stop the output of the sample sound when the manual driving element is operated while the sample sound is being output from the speaker. vehicle management system.

4. The vehicle management system according to claim 3, wherein the manual driving element includes an accelerator pedal vehicle management system.

5. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors further receive an input for changing the tone of the sample sound from the user while the sample sound is being output from the speaker, and when the change input is made, adjust the tone of the sample sound according to the change input, and output the pseudo engine sound so that the adjustment to the sample sound is reflected when the engine vehicle type corresponding to the temporary designation input is set as the selected vehicle type. and are configured as follows vehicle management system.

6. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, comprising an engine sound stop mode for stopping the output of the pseudo engine sound from the speaker, wherein the one or more processors further are configured to output, from the speaker, a pseudo engine start sound of the selected vehicle type when the engine sound stop mode changes from on to off. vehicle management system.

7. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein the users include a plurality of users, the electric vehicle further comprises one or more storage devices that store a database for managing by associating user identification information for each of the plurality of users with a designated engine vehicle type designated by a designated input of the selected vehicle type, a driver recognition sensor for recognizing a driver of the electric vehicle, and is provided with when the electric vehicle starts, the one or more processors further acquire the user identification information of the driver using the driver recognition sensor, read the designated engine vehicle type associated with the user identification information of the driver from the database, and set the read designated engine vehicle type as the selected vehicle type is configured as a vehicle management system.

8. The vehicle management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the electric vehicle is provided with a manual mode for simulating the driving characteristics of a manual transmission vehicle a vehicle management system.

9. The vehicle management system according to claim 8, wherein the electric vehicle is provided with an accelerator pedal and a sequential shifter, in the manual mode, the electric vehicle is configured to change the output characteristics of the electric motor with respect to the operation of the accelerator pedal according to the shift operation of the sequential shifter a vehicle management system.

10. The vehicle management system according to claim 8, wherein the electric vehicle is provided with an accelerator pedal, a pseudo clutch pedal, and a pseudo shift device, the pseudo clutch pedal is operated when the pseudo shift device is operated, in the manual mode, the electric vehicle is configured to change the output of the electric motor with respect to the operation of the accelerator pedal according to the operation of the pseudo clutch pedal and the operation of the pseudo shift device a vehicle management system.

11. An electric vehicle having an electric motor as a drive source, comprising one or more processors configured to generate a pseudo engine sound based on the driving state of the electric vehicle and output the pseudo engine sound from a speaker mounted on the electric vehicle, the one or more processors are configured to generate the pseudo engine sound using a sound source corresponding to one selected vehicle type selected from a plurality of engine vehicle types, the one or more processors further When a user makes a temporary designation input of the selected vehicle type while the electric vehicle is parked, a sample sound of the engine vehicle type corresponding to the temporary designation input is output from the speaker in a predetermined output form configured as an electric vehicle

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors further while the sample sound is being output from the speaker, receive a change input of the tone of the sample sound from the user, when the change input is made, adjust the tone of the sample sound according to the change input, and output the pseudo engine sound so that the adjustment to the sample sound is reflected when the engine vehicle type corresponding to the temporary designation input is set as the selected vehicle type configured as an electric vehicle

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 11, wherein it has an engine sound stop mode for stopping the output of the pseudo engine sound from the speaker, the one or more processors further are configured to output a pseudo engine start sound of the selected vehicle type from the speaker when the engine sound stop mode changes from on to off an electric vehicle

14. The electric vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the user includes a plurality of users, the electric vehicle further has one or more storage devices that store a database for associating and managing user identification information for each of the plurality of users with a designated engine vehicle type designated by the designation input of the selected vehicle type, a driver recognition sensor for recognizing the driver of the electric vehicle, and is provided with the one or more processors, when the electric vehicle starts, further acquire the user identification information of the driver using the driver recognition sensor, read the designated engine vehicle type associated with the user identification information of the driver from the database, and set the read designated engine vehicle type as the selected vehicle type configured as an electric vehicle

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