Vehicle control system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control system which is capable of shortening starting time of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle control system 10 comprises an on-vehicle ECU which is provided for each position or function of a vehicle V, and a core ECU 60 which controls the on-vehicle ECU. The on-vehicle ECU contains a front ECU 71 capable of communicating with a low-voltage battery sensor 80 which detects state of a low-voltage battery BL. The low-voltage battery sensor 80 is configured so as to make it possible to send state of the low-voltage battery BL to the core ECU 60 via the front ECU 71. The core ECU 60 secures communication within the vehicle V when the vehicle V is started and starts up the front ECU 71 and at the same time starts communication of the low-voltage battery sensor 80 in parallel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system including an on-board ECU and an integrated ECU that controls the on-board ECU. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts to realize a low-carbon or carbon-free society have become more active, and research and development into electrification technologies is being conducted in vehicles to reduce CO2 emissions and improve energy efficiency.

[0003] A vehicle control system for an electric vehicle includes front ECUs and center ECUs provided at each position on the vehicle, on-board ECUs such as ADASECUs and IVIECUs provided for each function, and an integrated ECU that integrates and controls these multiple on-board ECUs.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes that an integrated ECU is communicably connected to a plurality of vehicle-mounted ECUs, and performs overall control of the vehicle based on information output from each vehicle-mounted ECU. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-142056 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In recent years, the number of on-board ECUs installed in vehicles has increased, which may result in longer startup times. Meanwhile, as vehicles become more sophisticated, on-board ECUs are increasingly equipped with a large number of highly functional microcomputers (hereinafter also referred to as "microcomputers"). Driving these microcomputers increases power consumption and dark current when the vehicle is stopped, which is one of the causes of battery drain and poor fuel economy. Therefore, when starting a vehicle, it is necessary to quickly determine the battery's condition and charge it as needed.

[0007] The present invention provides a vehicle control system that can reduce the startup time of a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control system including an on-board ECU provided for each position or function of a vehicle and an integrated ECU that controls the on-board ECU, the on-vehicle ECU includes an ECU capable of communicating with an auxiliary battery sensor that detects a state of an auxiliary battery; the auxiliary battery sensor is configured to be able to transmit the state of the auxiliary battery to the integrated ECU via the ECU; The integrated ECU, when the vehicle is started, ensuring communication within the vehicle; The ECU is started, and at the same time, communication with the auxiliary battery sensor is started.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control system including an integrated ECU that integrates and controls on-board ECUs provided for each position or function of a vehicle, The vehicle-mounted ECU includes a relay ECU that can communicate with an auxiliary battery sensor that detects a state of the auxiliary battery, The integrated ECU, when started up, Sending a start request to the relay ECU; A communication start request is transmitted to the auxiliary battery sensor via the relay ECU. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the vehicle can be started early. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle V equipped with a vehicle control system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle control system 10. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a main part of the vehicle control system 10 of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a flow when starting up a vehicle V. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle V equipped with a vehicle control system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0013] The vehicle V includes drive wheels W and a power supply system 1 that exchanges electric power between a drive motor M connected to the drive wheels W and a high-voltage battery BH (described later). In this embodiment, the vehicle V is described as an electric vehicle that accelerates and decelerates mainly by power generated by the drive motor M, but the present invention is not limited to this. The vehicle V may also be a so-called hybrid vehicle that is equipped with a drive motor M and an engine as power generation sources.

[0014] The drive motor M is connected to the drive wheels W via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). The torque generated by the drive motor M when three-phase AC power is supplied from the power supply system 1 to the drive motor M is transmitted to the drive wheels W via the power transmission mechanism (not shown), causing the drive wheels W to rotate and the vehicle V to travel. The drive motor M also functions as a generator when the vehicle V is decelerating, generating regenerative power and applying regenerative braking torque to the drive wheels W according to the magnitude of this regenerative power. The regenerative power generated by the drive motor M is charged as appropriate to the high-voltage battery BH or low-voltage battery BL of the power supply system 1.

[0015] The power supply system 1 includes a high-voltage circuit 2 equipped with a high-voltage battery BH, a low-voltage circuit 3 equipped with a low-voltage battery BL, a voltage converter 4 connecting the high-voltage circuit 2 and the low-voltage circuit 3, and a vehicle control system 10 that controls the power supply system 1.

[0016] The high-voltage battery BH is a secondary battery capable of both discharging (converting chemical energy into electrical energy) and charging (converting electrical energy into chemical energy). The high-voltage battery BH is, for example, a so-called lithium-ion battery that charges and discharges by the movement of lithium ions between electrodes.

[0017] The low-voltage battery BL is a secondary battery capable of both discharging (converting chemical energy into electrical energy) and charging (converting electrical energy into chemical energy). The following description will be given of a low-voltage battery BL as a so-called lead-acid battery, with lead dioxide used for the positive electrode, spongy lead used for the negative electrode, and dilute sulfuric acid used as the electrolyte, but the present invention is not limited to this. The voltage of the low-voltage battery BL is lower than the voltage of the high-voltage battery BH. Therefore, the voltage of the high-voltage circuit 2 is higher than the voltage of the low-voltage circuit 3. The low-voltage battery BL is, for example, a 12V battery or a 48V battery.

[0018] The voltage converter 4 connects the high-voltage circuit 2 and the low-voltage circuit 3. The voltage converter 4 is a DC-DC converter configured by combining switching elements, reactors, smoothing capacitors, etc., and has the function of converting voltage between the high-voltage circuit 2 and the low-voltage circuit 3. The voltage converter 4 reduces the power in the high-voltage circuit 2 and supplies it to the low-voltage circuit 3 by driving the switching elements on and off in accordance with a gate drive signal generated at a predetermined timing from a gate drive circuit (not shown) based on a command from the vehicle control system 10.

[0019] The high voltage circuit 2 is connected to a power converter 21 and an on-board charger 22 .

[0020] The power converter 21 converts power between the high-voltage circuit 2 and the drive motor M. The power converter 21 is, for example, a PWM inverter using pulse width modulation, and has the function of converting between DC power and AC power. The DC input / output side of the power converter 21 is connected to the high-voltage circuit 2, and the AC input / output side is connected to the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase coils of the drive motor M. The power converter 21 drives the switching elements of each phase on / off in accordance with gate drive signals generated at predetermined timing from a gate drive circuit (not shown) based on commands from the vehicle control system 10, thereby converting the DC power in the high-voltage circuit 2 into three-phase AC power and supplying it to the drive motor M, or converting the three-phase AC power supplied from the drive motor M into DC power and supplying it to the high-voltage circuit 2.

[0021] When the on-board charger 22 is connected to, for example, a commercial household AC power source (not shown), it converts AC power supplied from the AC power source into DC power and supplies it to the high-voltage circuit 2 to charge the high-voltage battery BH. At this time, it is also possible to charge the low-voltage battery BL by driving the voltage converter 4 to step down the power in the high-voltage circuit 2 and supply it to the low-voltage circuit 3. Hereinafter, charging the high-voltage battery BH via the on-board charger 22 will be referred to as external charging.

[0022] The low-voltage circuit 3 is connected to a vehicle accessory 31 and a vehicle control system 10. The vehicle accessory 31 and the vehicle control system 10 operate by consuming power from the low-voltage circuit 3. The vehicle accessory 31 is made up of a number of electrical components such as lamps, a car navigation system, audio equipment, and an air compressor.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control system 10. As shown in FIG. The vehicle control system 10 includes an on-board ECU provided for each position or function of the vehicle V and an integrated ECU that controls the on-board ECU. These ECUs are interconnected via an in-vehicle network that transmits and receives various control information, enabling transmission and reception of necessary control information between them. Examples of the in-vehicle network include a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication network, a LIN (Local Interconnect Network)-compliant communication network, and an Ethernet (registered trademark)-compliant communication network. The vehicle control system 10 is also configured to be able to communicate with portable devices, FOB keys, and the like via UWB-IR (Ultra Wide Band - Impulse Radio) wireless communication, wireless communication via a mobile network, wireless LAN communication, BLE communication, and the like.

[0024] An ECU (Electronic Control Unit) is an electronic circuit board that mounts a microcontroller, peripheral ICs, external connection terminals, etc. The microcontroller is composed of an integrated CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, I / F (Interface), etc.

[0025] The core ECU 60 as an integrated ECU includes a gateway unit 61, is communicably connected to a plurality of on-board ECUs, and transmits a startup request to the on-board ECUs when the core ECU 60 is started. The core ECU 60 also includes a vehicle control unit 62 and a charging control unit 63, and performs overall control of the vehicle based on information output from each on-board ECU.

[0026] The in-vehicle ECUs include, for example, a front ECU 71, a center ECU 72, etc., which are provided for each position of the vehicle V, and an ADAS_ECU 73, a telematics ECU 74, etc., which are provided for each function of the vehicle V. The vehicle control system 10 has a cascade structure, and includes a first in-vehicle ECU 71A, a second in-vehicle ECU 71B, a third in-vehicle ECU 71C, etc., which are communicatively connected to the front ECU 71, and a fourth in-vehicle ECU 72A, a fifth in-vehicle ECU 72B, etc., which are communicatively connected to the center ECU 72.

[0027] The first in-vehicle ECU 71A, the second in-vehicle ECU 71B, the third in-vehicle ECU 71C, etc., which are communicatively connected to the front ECU 71, are configured to be able to exchange information with the core ECU 60, etc. via the front ECU 71. The fourth in-vehicle ECU 72A, the fifth in-vehicle ECU 72B, etc., which are communicatively connected to the center ECU 72, are configured to be able to exchange information with the core ECU 60, etc. via the center ECU 72.

[0028] The ADAS_ECU 73 is an ECU that controls the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System). The telematics ECU 74 is an ECU that handles wireless communication between the vehicle V and the outside. The first in-vehicle ECU 71A is an ECU that controls, for example, the high-voltage battery BH that stores electric energy for driving the vehicle V. The second in-vehicle ECU 71B is an ECU that controls the voltage converter 4 that converts the high-voltage voltage from the high-voltage battery BH into low-voltage power for charging the low-voltage battery BL. The third in-vehicle ECU 71C is an ECU that controls the in-vehicle charger 22 that charges the high-voltage battery BH.

[0029] The fourth in-vehicle ECU 72A is a smart ECU that detects the approach of the FOB key and the operation of the FOB key switch. The fifth in-vehicle ECU 72B is a power supply ECU that controls the on / off state of the running power supply installed in the vehicle V based on a request from the core ECU 60. Note that the above-mentioned in-vehicle ECUs are merely examples, and other ECUs may be provided, or some of the in-vehicle ECUs may not be provided.

[0030] The front ECU 71 is also connected to be able to communicate with a low-voltage battery sensor 80 that is connected to the low-voltage battery BL, and transmits information acquired from the sensor to the core ECU 60. The center ECU 72 is connected to a start switch 81, which is a push switch that the user uses to turn the running power source on and off, and detects when the start switch 81 is pressed and transmits the detected information to the core ECU 60.

[0031] The low-voltage battery sensor 80 detects physical quantities necessary for the core ECU 60 to estimate the state of charge of the low-voltage battery BL (the amount of charge stored in the battery expressed as a percentage), and transmits a signal corresponding to the detected value to the front ECU 71. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the low-voltage battery sensor 80 detects the terminal voltage of the low-voltage battery BL, the current flowing through the low-voltage battery BL, the integrated dark current (integrated dark discharge amount) obtained by integrating the dark current from the low-voltage battery BL while the vehicle V is stopped, and the temperature of the low-voltage battery BL, and transmits these to the front ECU 71. The core ECU 60 receives the signal transmitted from the low-voltage battery sensor 80 via the front ECU 71, and calculates the state of charge of the low-voltage battery BL based on this information in accordance with a known algorithm.

[0032] The charging control unit 63 of the core ECU 60 performs control related to monitoring the states of the high-voltage battery BH and the low-voltage battery BL, and performs charging control of the low-voltage battery BL. The charging control of the low-voltage battery BL operates the voltage converter 4 to execute charging control to charge the low-voltage battery BL with power from the high-voltage circuit 2. The charging control unit 63 can selectively execute the following charging control of the low-voltage battery BL: normal charging control, in which the voltage converter 4 is operated while the vehicle is running to charge the low-voltage battery BL by stepping down the power from the high-voltage circuit 2 and supplying it to the low-voltage circuit 3; and supplementary charging control, in which the voltage converter 4 is operated while the vehicle is stopped to charge the low-voltage battery BL by stepping down the power from the high-voltage circuit 2 and supplying it to the low-voltage circuit 3.

[0033] The vehicle control unit 62 of the core ECU 60 controls the acceptance of vehicle start / stop operations, vehicle door lock operations, vehicle entry operations, and the like. The vehicle control unit 62 accepts an on operation or an off operation by the user to start or stop the vehicle V based on signals transmitted from the start switch 81, etc. An on operation refers to an operation in which the user presses the start switch 81 to start the vehicle V in a driving mode. When the core ECU 60 accepts an on operation by the user, it starts the vehicle V in a driving mode and makes the vehicle V ready to drive. An off operation refers to an operation in which the user presses the start switch 81 to stop the vehicle V. When the vehicle control unit 62 accepts an off operation by the user, it stops the vehicle V (the ignition is off in the case of an engine vehicle).

[0034] In a vehicle V equipped with multiple ECUs, if all ECUs are kept in operation while the vehicle V is stopped, the power consumed by the ECUs will increase, resulting in an increase in dark current from the low-voltage battery BL, resulting in a decrease in the SOC (State of Charge) of the low-voltage battery BL. Therefore, it is possible to transition the ECUs to a low-power consumption state (hereinafter referred to as a sleep state) that consumes less power than the normal operating state. However, an ECU in a sleep state must be woken up (activated) before it can perform an operation. For this reason, transitioning the ECU to a low-power consumption state may result in a decrease in responsiveness. Note that the low-power consumption state may be called a sleep mode, a deep sleep mode, a shutdown mode, a stop mode, or other states depending on the power consumption; however, hereinafter, these states will be referred to as the sleep state without distinction.

[0035] Each ECU requires a certain amount of time to transition from a sleep state to a normal operating state upon detecting a wake-up signal. This time is called the startup time, and the length of this startup time varies depending on the type, function, and specifications of the ECU.

[0036] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, when the core ECU 60 receives an ON operation of the start switch 81, it ensures communication within the vehicle V, and then starts up the front ECU 71 and causes the low-voltage battery sensor 80 to start communication.

[0037] The core ECU 60 and the front ECU 71 are in a sleep state when the vehicle V is stopped. When the core ECU 60 receives an ON operation from the center ECU 72 during startup of the vehicle V, the core ECU 60 wakes itself up from the sleep state and transitions to a normal operating state. To ensure communication within the vehicle, the core ECU 60 transmits, for example, control signals for communication to each connected ECU and transmits a startup request to each ECU. The core ECU 60 transmits a startup request to the front ECU 71 and also transmits a communication start request to the low-voltage battery sensor 80 via the front ECU 71. Upon receiving the communication start request, the low-voltage battery sensor 80 outputs information regarding the state of the low-voltage battery sensor 80, i.e., voltage, current, and integrated dark current, to the core ECU 60 via the front ECU 71.

[0038] The core ECU 60 receives the voltage, current, and integrated dark current from the low-voltage battery sensor 80 via the front ECU 71 and estimates the SOC of the low-voltage battery BL. If the SOC of the low-voltage battery BL is less than a predetermined value, the core ECU 60 operates the voltage converter 4 to step down the power in the high-voltage circuit 2 and supply it to the low-voltage circuit 3, thereby charging the low-voltage battery BL.

[0039] In this way, when the vehicle V is started, in other words, when the core ECU 60 starts up in response to the on operation of the start switch 81, the core ECU 60 starts up the front ECU 71 and, while the front ECU 71 is starting up, starts communication with the low-voltage battery sensor 80 in parallel, so that the core ECU 60 can quickly grasp the state of the low-voltage battery BL and start up the vehicle V quickly.

[0040] If the low-voltage battery sensor 80 is in a sleep state when the vehicle V is stopped, the core ECU 60 starts the front ECU 71, and while the front ECU 71 is running, starts the low-voltage battery sensor 80 in parallel to start communication. This allows the vehicle V to start up quickly. By running the low-voltage battery in parallel, the time required for startup can be shortened in order to quickly secure the power of the low-voltage battery required for fault diagnosis by OBD (on-board charging) performed when the vehicle is started.

[0041] In the above-described embodiment, a lead battery is used as the low-voltage battery BL, but it is preferable that the low-voltage battery BL is a lithium-ion battery. A lithium-ion battery generally has a unitized low-voltage battery sensor 80, and is configured so that its monitoring system can detect the SOC when the vehicle V is stopped. This makes it easier to control the core ECU 60 compared to a lead-acid battery. Furthermore, while lead-acid batteries are prone to battery failure around the time of their periodic replacement, lithium-ion batteries have a long service life, reducing the user's concerns about battery failure.

[0042] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0043] This specification describes at least the following items. Note that the components in parentheses correspond to those in the above-described embodiment, but are not limited to these.

[0044] (1) A vehicle control system (vehicle control system 10) including an on-vehicle ECU provided for each position or function of a vehicle (vehicle V) and an integrated ECU (core ECU 60) that controls the on-vehicle ECU, The on-board ECU includes an ECU (front ECU 71) that can communicate with an auxiliary battery sensor (low-voltage battery sensor 80) that detects the state of an auxiliary battery (low-voltage battery BL), the auxiliary battery sensor is configured to be able to transmit the state of the auxiliary battery to the integrated ECU via the ECU; The integrated ECU, when the vehicle is started, ensuring communication within the vehicle; activating the ECU and simultaneously starting communication with the auxiliary battery sensor; Vehicle control system.

[0045] According to (1), communication within the vehicle is ensured when the vehicle is started, and the ECU is started and communication with the auxiliary battery sensor is initiated, so that the vehicle can be started up quickly.

[0046] (2) The vehicle control system according to (1), The auxiliary battery sensor detects at least one of a voltage, a current, and an integrated dark current of the auxiliary battery. Vehicle control system.

[0047] According to (2), the integrated ECU can calculate the SOC of the auxiliary battery.

[0048] (3) A vehicle control system (vehicle control system 10) including an integrated ECU (core ECU 60) that integrates and controls on-board ECUs provided for each position or function of a vehicle (vehicle V), The vehicle-mounted ECU includes a relay ECU (front ECU 71) that can communicate with an auxiliary battery sensor (low-voltage battery sensor 80) that detects the state of an auxiliary battery (low-voltage battery BL), The integrated ECU, when started up, Sending a start request to the relay ECU; transmitting a communication start request to the auxiliary battery sensor via the relay ECU; Vehicle control system.

[0049] According to (3), when the integrated ECU starts up, it sends a start-up request to the relay ECU and then sends a communication start request to the auxiliary battery sensor via the relay ECU, thereby enabling the vehicle to start up quickly.

[0050] (4) A vehicle control system according to any one of (1) to (3), The auxiliary battery is a lithium ion battery. Vehicle control system.

[0051] According to (4), lithium-ion batteries can detect a drop in SOC while the vehicle is stopped using their own monitoring system, making it easier to control the integrated ECU. Also, while lead batteries are prone to battery failure around the time of their scheduled replacement, lithium-ion batteries have a longer service life, reducing the user's concerns about battery failure.

[0052] (5) The vehicle control system according to (4), The integrated ECU receives information about the auxiliary battery and executes charging control of the auxiliary battery. Vehicle control system.

[0053] According to (5), when the amount of dark discharge from the auxiliary battery is large while the vehicle is stopped, the auxiliary battery can be prevented from running out of power by executing charging control of the auxiliary battery. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Vehicle Control System 60 Core ECU (Integrated ECU) 71 Front ECU (ECU, relay ECU, on-board ECU) 80 Low voltage battery sensor BL Low voltage battery V vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle control system including an on-board ECU provided for each position or function of a vehicle and an integrated ECU that controls the on-board ECU, the on-vehicle ECU includes an ECU capable of communicating with an auxiliary battery sensor that detects a state of the auxiliary battery; the auxiliary battery sensor is configured to be able to transmit a state of the auxiliary battery to the integrated ECU via the ECU; The integrated ECU, when the vehicle is started, ensuring communication within the vehicle; The ECU is started, and at the same time, communication with the auxiliary battery sensor is started. Vehicle control system.

2. 2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, the auxiliary battery sensor detects at least one of a voltage, a current, and an integrated dark current of the auxiliary battery; Vehicle control system.

3. A vehicle control system including an integrated ECU that integrates and controls on-board ECUs provided for each position or function of a vehicle, the on-vehicle ECU includes a relay ECU capable of communicating with an auxiliary battery sensor that detects a state of the auxiliary battery; The integrated ECU, when started up, Sending a start request to the relay ECU; transmitting a communication start request to the auxiliary battery sensor via the relay ECU; Vehicle control system.

4. The vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The auxiliary battery is a lithium ion battery. Vehicle control system.

5. 5. The vehicle control system according to claim 4, The integrated ECU receives information about the auxiliary battery and executes charging control of the auxiliary battery. Vehicle control system.

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