Vehicle

Abstract

To provide a shift operation which is comfortable for a driver.SOLUTION: A vehicle includes: a range input device for receiving an operation of a shift lever; and a shift-by-wire control device for switching a gear shift range. The gear shift range includes a first range and a second range, and the range input device has a first range region and a second range region respectively corresponding to the first range and the second range. The shift lever may receive an operation of moving to the first range region or an operation of moving to the second range region. When the shift lever is operated to the first range region, it passes through the second range region. The shift-by-wire control device measures a staying time of the shift lever in the second range region. When the staying time is a switching time or more for determining the switching to the second range, the gear shift range is switched to the second range, and then when the shift lever is moved to the first range region, the switching time is corrected based on the staying time until the movement to the first range region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a shift-by-wire automatic transmission. [Background technology]

[0002] In a shift-by-wire automatic transmission for a vehicle, actuators such as solenoids are used to automatically switch between the various gear ranges (forward range (D range), reverse range (R range), neutral range (N range), and parking range (P range)) in response to the driver's shift operation.

[0003] A driver's shift operation is performed by moving the shift lever to one of the range positions corresponding to each gear range and holding it in the selected range position. Each range position is provided with a recognition time for recognizing that the shift lever has been moved, and if the shift lever is held in the selected range position for the recognition time or longer, the automatic transmission for a vehicle switches to the gear range corresponding to that range position (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The range positions are sometimes arranged so that when the shift lever is moved to the D range position corresponding to the D range or the R range position corresponding to the R range, it always passes through the N range position corresponding to the N range. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-090925 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the case of the range positions described above, a driver who tends to be slow at shifting may take longer than the recognition time to pass the N range position when moving the shift lever to the D range position or the R range position, causing the automatic transmission for a vehicle to switch to N range before switching to D range or R range. As a result, it takes time to switch to D range or R range, which may cause discomfort to the driver.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle that can provide a driver with a comfortable shift operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a range input device that accepts operation of a shift lever by a driver; a shift-by-wire control device that switches the gear range of the transmission in response to operation of the shift lever; A vehicle comprising: The shift range includes a first range and a second range, The range input device is a first range region corresponding to the first range and a second range region corresponding to the second range, The shift lever may be operated to move to the first range region or the second range region, When the shift lever is operated to the first range area, the shift lever passes through the second range area, The shift-by-wire control device measuring the time that the shift lever stays in the second range area; When the dwell time is equal to or longer than a switching time for determining switching to the second range, the gear range is switched to the second range; When the shift lever is moved to the first range area after the gear range is switched to the second range, the switching time is corrected based on the stay time until the shift lever moves to the first range area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a comfortable shift range switching operation to all drivers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a general configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of range positions of the range input device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining correction of a switching time in a vehicle. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for correcting a switching time in a vehicle. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a correction process for a switching time in a vehicle. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for correcting a switching time in a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific dimensions, materials, numerical values, etc. shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and do not define the present invention unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the relative sizes of components shown in each drawing do not necessarily accurately represent the actual size relationships between the components. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0011] [First embodiment] (Vehicle configuration) 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. Vehicle 1 is an engine vehicle that uses an engine as a drive source. Note that vehicle 1 may be an electric vehicle that uses a motor as a drive source, or a hybrid vehicle that uses both an engine and a motor as drive sources.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 includes an engine 11, a transmission 12, drive wheels 13, a range input device 14, and a shift-by-wire control device 15.

[0013] The engine 11 outputs power for driving the drive wheels 13, and the output shaft of the engine 11 is connected to the transmission 12. The power output from the engine 11 is transmitted to the transmission 12.

[0014] The transmission 12 has a plurality of gear ranges. An output shaft of the transmission 12 is connected to a differential device (not shown). Power transmitted to the transmission 12 is transmitted by the transmission 12 to the differential device at a rate corresponding to each gear range, and is distributed by the differential device to a pair of left and right drive wheels 13. The gear ranges of the transmission 12 include, for example, a forward range (D range), a reverse range (R range), a neutral range (N range), a brake range (B range), and a parking range (P range).

[0015] The drive wheels 13 may be either the front wheels or the rear wheels. Furthermore, the power output from the engine 11 may be transmitted to both the front and rear wheels. In this case, the output shaft of the transmission 12 is connected to a front differential device that distributes power to a pair of left and right front wheels, and a rear differential device that distributes power to a pair of left and right rear wheels.

[0016] The range input device 14 includes a shift lever 141 and a shift position sensor 142 .

[0017] The shift lever 141 accepts a shift operation by the driver to switch the gear range of the transmission 12. For example, the range input device 14 is provided with range positions corresponding to each gear range of the transmission 12. The driver operates the shift lever 141 to the range position corresponding to the desired gear range. The shift lever 141 is a so-called momentary type shift lever that has a self-return mechanism that automatically returns to a predetermined home position after the driver has finished operating the shift lever 141.

[0018] The shift position sensor 142 detects the position of the shift lever 141 and outputs the detection result to the shift-by-wire control device 15. Here, there are no particular limitations on the type of the shift position sensor 142. For example, the shift position sensor 142 may detect the position of the shift lever 141 based on a voltage value that changes in response to the movement of the shift lever 141, or may detect the position of the shift lever 141 based on a magnetic force that changes in response to the movement of the shift lever 141.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of range positions of the range input device 14. In Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows, the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 when traveling forward is referred to as the forward direction, the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 when traveling backward is referred to as the backward direction, the right side of the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 when traveling forward is referred to as the right direction, and the left side of the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 when traveling forward is referred to as the left direction.

[0020] 2, the range positions include a forward position DP, a reverse position RP, a neutral position NP, a brake position BP, and the above-mentioned home position HP. The forward position DP, the reverse position RP, the neutral position NP, and the brake position BP correspond to the forward range, the reverse range, the neutral range, and the brake range, respectively.

[0021] 2, a brake position BP is located rearward of a home position HP, and a neutral position NP is located to the right of the home position HP. A reverse position RP is located forward of the neutral position NP, and a forward position DP is located rearward of the neutral position NP. The home position HP and the brake position BP are connected by a path R1, the reverse position RP, the neutral position NP, and the forward position DP are connected by a path R2, and the home position HP and the neutral position NP are connected by a path R3.

[0022] The shift lever 141 is operated along paths R1, R2, and R3, and returns to the home position HP when the driver's operation is completed. Therefore, the range input device 14 is configured so that when the shift lever 141 is operated to the forward position DP or the reverse position RP, it always passes through the neutral position NP, that is, it is always operated to the neutral position NP before being operated to the forward position DP or the reverse position RP.

[0023] As will be described in detail later, the shift-by-wire control device 15 is designed to switch to the gear range corresponding to a range position when the shift lever 141 is moved to one of the range positions and held there for at least the switching time corresponding to that range position. For example, suppose a driver who tends to operate the shift lever 141 slowly attempts to switch the gear range to the forward range or the reverse range. In this case, when passing through the neutral position NP, the time spent in the neutral position NP may exceed the switching time of the neutral position NP, and the gear may end up being switched to the neutral range. As a result, it takes time to switch the gear range to the forward range or the reverse range, which may cause discomfort to the driver.

[0024] Therefore, the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment employs a configuration in which the switching time of the neutral position NP is corrected according to the speed at which the driver operates the shift lever 141. This makes it possible to prevent the shift range from being temporarily switched to the neutral range when the shift range is switched to the forward range or the reverse range.

[0025] The shift-by-wire control device 15 constitutes a range switching unit that has a function related to switching the shift range of the transmission 12. Here, the range switching unit is of a so-called shift-by-wire type that switches the shift range using only an electrical signal, rather than a type that switches the shift range using a linkage mechanism mechanically connected to the shift lever 141. In addition to the shift-by-wire control device 15, the range switching unit is configured to include a manual valve (not shown) that selectively supplies hydraulic pressure to the forward clutch or the reverse clutch, a parking lock mechanism (not shown) that mechanically locks the output shaft of the transmission 12, and an electric actuator (not shown) that drives the manual valve and the parking lock mechanism using a motor, solenoid, etc.

[0026] The shift-by-wire control device 15 controls the driving of the actuator. As shown in FIG. 1 , the shift-by-wire control device 15 includes a central control unit 151 and a storage unit 152. The central control unit 151 is configured with a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit (CPU), a ROM in which programs and the like are stored, a RAM as a work area, and the like, and controls the entire shift-by-wire control device 15. The central control unit 151 also functions as a measurement unit 153, a switching unit 154, and a correction unit 155, which will be described below. The storage unit 152 is configured with a RAM, a flash memory, a HDD, and the like, and holds various pieces of information necessary for processing by the central control unit 151.

[0027] When the shift lever 141 is operated to any of the range positions, the measurement unit 153 measures the time that the shift lever 141 stays in that range position. For example, when the shift lever 141 is operated to any of the forward position DP, reverse position RP, neutral position NP, and brake position BP, the measurement unit 153 starts a timer corresponding to that range position to begin measuring the stay time. Also, when the position of the shift lever 141 detected by the shift position sensor 142 moves from the range position where the shift lever 141 was staying to another range position, the measurement unit 153 stops the timer corresponding to the range position where the shift lever 141 was staying. Also, the measurement unit 153 starts a timer corresponding to the newly moved range position to begin measuring the stay time.

[0028] When the dwell time measured by the measurement unit 153 is equal to or longer than the switching time for the range position in which the shift lever 141 is located, the switching unit 154 switches the gear range of the transmission 12 to the gear range corresponding to that range position. Here, the switching time for a range position is a threshold time for determining whether the driver intends to switch to the gear range corresponding to that range position, and is expressed as the time from when the shift lever 141 moves to a predetermined range position to when it is decided to switch to the gear range corresponding to that range position. In other words, when the dwell time is equal to or longer than the switching time, the switching unit 154 decides to switch the gear range and executes it. The switching times for each range position may be set to the same time or different times. For example, the switching time for the neutral position NP is set to be longer than the time spent in the neutral position NP when the shift lever 141 is operated to the forward position DP or the reverse position RP and passes through the neutral position NP. This is to prevent the gear range from being switched to the neutral range once when switching to the forward range or the reverse range. On the other hand, for range positions other than the neutral position NP, an extremely short time is set so that the gear range is switched immediately after the shift lever 141 is operated.

[0029] The switching unit 154 switches the gear range of the transmission 12 by driving an actuator according to the gear range to which the shift lever 141 is operated. Specifically, it drives the actuator to perform the following controls. For example, when the gear range to which the shift lever 141 is operated is the forward range, the forward clutch is engaged and the reverse clutch is released. When the gear range is the reverse range, the forward clutch is released and the reverse clutch is engaged. When the gear range is the neutral range, both the forward clutch and the reverse clutch are released. When the gear range is the parking range, both the forward clutch and the reverse clutch are released and the parking lock mechanism is activated.

[0030] The correction unit 155 corrects the switching time for each range position. For example, if the transmission range is switched to the neutral range once when the transmission range is switched to the forward range or the reverse range, the correction unit 155 corrects the switching time for the neutral position NP. Here, the correction of the switching time for the neutral position NP is performed based on the time the shift lever 141 remains in the neutral position NP when the transmission range is switched to the neutral range when the transmission range is switched to the forward range or the reverse range. Therefore, the correction unit 155 corrects the switching time after the measurement of the time remaining is completed, that is, after the shift lever 141 is moved from the neutral position NP.

[0031] (Correction process 1) Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining correction of the switching time in the vehicle 1. Fig. 3 explains correction of the switching time for the neutral position NP.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 3, if the stay time Tx in the neutral position NP from when the shift lever 141 is moved to the neutral position NP (IN) until when it is moved toward another range position (OUT) is equal to or longer than the predetermined switching time Ts for the neutral position NP, the switching time Ts is corrected. For example, the correction unit 155 corrects the switching time Ts to a correction time Tz, which is the sum of the stay time Tx and a predetermined time Ty. If the preset switching time Ts is 200 ms, the stay time Tx is 350 ms, and the predetermined time Ty is 50 ms, the correction time Tz is "350 ms + 50 ms = 400 ms."

[0033] An upper limit may be set for the correction time Tz. In this case, if the sum of the stay time Tx and the predetermined time Ty is equal to or greater than the upper limit of the correction time Tz, the switching time Ts is corrected to the upper limit of the correction time Tz. The predetermined time Ty may be 0.

[0034] (Vehicle operation 1) Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the correction process for the switching time Ts in the vehicle 1. Fig. 4 shows the flow of the correction process (hereinafter referred to as "first correction process") when correcting the switching time Ts to a correction time Tz, which is the sum of the staying time Tx and a predetermined time Ty. The first correction process is executed every time the shift lever 141 is operated from the home position HP to another range position (brake position BP or neutral position NP).

[0035] 4, first, in step S100, the measurement unit 153 determines whether the shift lever 141 has been operated to the neutral position NP. For example, the measurement unit 153 determines whether the shift lever 141 has been operated to the neutral position NP by referring to the detection result of the position of the shift lever 141 received from the shift position sensor 142 of the range input device 14. As a result, if it is determined that the shift lever 141 has been operated to the neutral position NP (YES in step S100), the processing proceeds to step S101. Note that if it is determined that the shift lever 141 has not been operated to the neutral position NP, that is, if it is determined that it has been operated to the brake position BP, the processing ends.

[0036] Next, in step S101, the measurement unit 153 starts measuring the stay time Tx. For example, the measurement unit 153 has a timer that measures the time that the shift lever 141 stays in the neutral position NP. The measurement unit 153 starts the timer and starts measuring the stay time Tx.

[0037] Next, in step S102, the switching unit 154 determines whether the stay time Tx measured by the measurement unit 153 is equal to or greater than the switching time Ts. Here, the switching time Ts is a predetermined value, and is stored in the storage unit 152, for example. The switching unit 154 compares the measurement value of the timer of the measurement unit 153 with the switching time Ts to determine whether the stay time Tx is equal to or greater than the switching time Ts. As a result, if it is determined that the stay time Tx is not equal to or greater than the switching time Ts (NO in step S102), the process proceeds to step S103. Note that if it is determined that the stay time Tx is equal to or greater than the switching time Ts (NO in step S102), the process proceeds to step S104.

[0038] Next, in step S103, the switching unit 154 determines whether the shift lever 141 has been operated from the neutral position NP to another range position. For example, the switching unit 154 refers to the detection result of the position of the shift lever 141 received from the shift position sensor 142 of the range input device 14, and determines whether the shift lever 141 has been operated from the neutral position NP to the forward position DP or the reverse position RP. If it is determined that the shift lever 141 has been operated from the neutral position NP to the forward position DP or the reverse position RP (YES in step S103), the process proceeds to step S104. However, if it is determined that the shift lever 141 has not been operated to the forward position DP or the reverse position RP (NO in step S103), the process returns to step S102 again.

[0039] Next, in step S104, the switching unit 154 switches the transmission range to the forward range or the reverse range. Since the transmission range was switched to the forward range or the reverse range without being switched to the neutral range, correction of the switching time Ts is not necessary. Therefore, the first correction process ends without correcting the switching time Ts.

[0040] If it is determined that the stay time Tx is equal to or greater than the switching time Ts (NO in step S102), then in step S105 the switching unit 154 switches the gear range of the transmission 12 to the neutral range.

[0041] Next, in step S106, the measurement unit 153 determines whether the shift lever 141 has been operated from the neutral position NP to another range position. For example, the measurement unit 153 refers to the detection result of the position of the shift lever 141 received from the shift position sensor 142 of the range input device 14, and determines whether the shift lever 141 has been operated from the neutral position NP to the home position HP, the forward position DP, or the reverse position RP. If it is determined that the shift lever 141 has been operated from the neutral position NP to the forward position DP or the reverse position RP (YES in step S106), the process proceeds to step S107. Note that if it is determined that the shift lever 141 has not been moved from the neutral position NP (NO in step S106), step S106 is repeated.

[0042] Next, in step S107, the measurement unit 153 ends the measurement of the staying time Tx. For example, the measurement unit 153 stops a timer that measures the time spent in the neutral position NP, and ends the measurement of the staying time Tx. The measurement unit 153 also stores the count value of the timer at the time the measurement ends in the storage unit 152 as the staying time Tx.

[0043] Next, in step S108, the switching unit 154 sets the gear range to the gear range corresponding to the range position to which the shift lever 141 was operated in step S106. For example, if the shift lever 141 is operated to the forward position DP or the reverse position RP in step S106, the switching unit 154 switches the gear range to the forward range or the reverse range. On the other hand, if the shift lever 141 is operated to the home position HP in step S106, the switching unit 154 does not switch the gear range, and the gear range remains the neutral range.

[0044] Next, in step S109, correction unit 155 determines whether the shift range was switched to the forward range or the reverse range within a predetermined time (for example, 1.0 s) after being switched to the neutral range in step S105. If the shift range was switched to the forward range or the reverse range within the predetermined time after being switched to the neutral range (YES in step S109), the process proceeds to S110. Note that if the shift range was not switched to the forward range or the reverse range within the predetermined time after being switched to the neutral range (NO in step S109), the process ends without correcting the switching time Ts.

[0045] That is, the correction unit 155 is configured not to correct the switching time Ts when the shift range is switched to the neutral range because the driver desires to switch to the neutral range, or when the shift lever 141 is operated to the home position HP after switching to the neutral range. In other words, the correction unit 155 corrects the switching time Ts only when the shift lever 141 switches to the neutral range when it is moved directly from the home position HP to the forward position DP or reverse position RP via the neutral position NP. As a result, the correction can be made to a more suitable switching time Ts, providing the driver with a comfortable shift operation.

[0046] Next, in step S110, the correction unit 155 corrects the switching time Ts to a correction time Tz, which is the sum of the stay time Tx and the predetermined time Ty, as described above. The correction unit 155 also stores the correction time Tz in the storage unit 152, and ends the first correction process.

[0047] (Correction process 2) In the above-described embodiment, the first correction process for correcting the switching time Ts based on the staying time Tx has been described as an example. However, this is not a limitation and various correction processes are possible. Below, a second correction process for correcting the switching time Ts using a process different from the first correction process will be described.

[0048] Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the correction of the shifting time in the vehicle 1. Fig. 5 is a table showing specific examples of the stay time Tx during which the shift lever 141 stays in the neutral position NP. Here, the stay time Txn is the time during which the shift lever 141 stays in the neutral position NP when the gear range is switched to the forward range or reverse range for the nth time after the shifting time Ts is corrected.

[0049] The second correction process corrects the switching time Ts when the number of times the transmission 12 has been switched to the neutral range when switching the transmission range to the forward range or the reverse range exceeds a predetermined number. In this case, the shift-by-wire control device 15 is provided with a counter with an initial value of 0 that counts the number of times the transmission 12 has been switched to the neutral range when switching the transmission range to the forward range or the reverse range. For example, when the measurement value of the counter reaches N, the correction time Tz is set to the sum of the average stay time Ta, which is the average value of the stay times Txn when the transmission 12 has been switched to the neutral range, or the maximum stay time Tmax of the stay times Tx when the transmission 12 has been switched to the neutral range, and the predetermined time Ty.

[0050] In the following, an example will be given in which the preset switching time Ts is 200 ms, the predetermined time Ty is 50 ms, and the switching time Ts is corrected when the number of times the shift range is switched to the neutral range when switching to the forward range or reverse range reaches three.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 5, assume that the fifth shift to the forward range or reverse range after the shift time Ts is corrected results in three shifts to the neutral range when the forward range or reverse range is shifted. Among the shift times Tx1 to Tx5, shifts to the neutral range occurred at shift times Tx1, Tx4, and Tx5. In this case, the average shift time Ta is the average value of the shift times Tx1, Tx4, and Tx5, or (210 ms + 320 ms + 220 ms) / 3 = 250 ms. The maximum shift time Tmax is 320 ms, which is the longest shift time among the shift times Tx1, Tx4, and Tx5. Therefore, when the shift time Ts is corrected to a correction time Tz, which is the sum of the average shift time Ta and the predetermined time Ty, the correction time Tz is 300 ms + 50 ms = 350 ms. Furthermore, when the switching time Ts is corrected to a correction time Tz which is the sum of the maximum stay time Tmax and the predetermined time Ty, the correction time Tz is "320 ms + 50 ms = 370 ms."

[0052] In the second correction process, an upper limit may be set for the correction time Tz. In this case, if the sum of the stay time Tx and the predetermined time Ty is equal to or greater than the upper limit of the correction time Tz, the switching time Ts is corrected to the upper limit of the correction time Tz. The predetermined time Ty may be 0.

[0053] (Vehicle operation 2) Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the correction process of the switching time Ts in the vehicle 1. Fig. 6 shows the flow of the second correction process described above. The second correction process is executed every time the shift lever 141 is operated from the home position HP to another range position (brake position BP or neutral position NP).

[0054] 4 and 6, the second correction process adds steps S111, S112, and S113 to the first correction process. Therefore, to avoid redundant explanation, only steps S111, S112, and S113 will be described below.

[0055] 6, step S111 is executed when it is determined that the shift lever 141 has been operated directly from the neutral position NP to the forward position DP or the reverse position RP (YES in step S109). In step S111, the correction unit 155 increments the value of a counter provided in the shift-by-wire control device 15.

[0056] Next, in step S112, the correction unit 155 determines whether the count value of the counter incremented in step S111 is equal to or greater than N. If the count value of the counter is equal to or greater than N, the process proceeds to step S110. In step S110, as described with reference to FIG. 5, the switching time Ts is corrected to a correction time Tz which is the sum of the average stay time Ta and a predetermined time Ty, or to a correction time Tz which is the sum of the maximum stay time Tmax and the predetermined time Ty. Note that if the count value of the counter is smaller than N, the process ends.

[0057] Step S113 is executed after the process of correcting the switching time Ts in step S110. In step S113, the correction unit 155 resets the count value of the counter to an initial value of zero.

[0058] As described above, in the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, the shift-by-wire control device 15 executes the first correction process or the second correction process to correct the switching time Ts at the neutral position NP. In the first correction process, if the shift range is unintentionally switched to the neutral range even once when switching the transmission range to the forward range or the reverse range, the switching time Ts to the neutral position NP is corrected. Therefore, even if the shift lever 141 is operated again at the same speed, the shift lever 141 will not be unintentionally switched to the neutral range. Therefore, the driver's tendency to operate the shift lever 141 can be immediately reflected in the switching time Ts.

[0059] On the other hand, in the second correction process, if the number of times the shift range is unintentionally switched to the neutral range when switching to the forward range or reverse range reaches N, the switching time Ts is corrected. This prevents the switching time Ts from being corrected if the driver accidentally operates the shift lever 141 slower than usual. Therefore, the switching time Ts that is more suitable for the driver is set.

[0060] Therefore, the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment is a vehicle that can provide the driver with a comfortable shift operation by executing the first correction process or the second correction process in the shift-by-wire control device 15.

[0061] The above describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modified or altered examples within the scope of the claims also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0062] For example, in the above example, with reference to Figure 2, the brake position BP is located rearward of the home position HP, the neutral position NP is located to the right of the home position HP, and the reverse position RP is located forward of the neutral position NP. However, the arrangement of the range positions is not limited to this. For example, the range positions may be located linearly in the front-to-rear direction as long as the neutral position NP is passed through when switching the gear range between the forward range and the reverse range.

[0063] In the above example, the shifting time Ts is corrected to increase if the shift range is switched to the neutral range once when switching to the forward or reverse range. However, if the driver becomes accustomed to operating the shift lever 141 and operates the shift lever 141 at a faster speed, or if the driver is replaced by a driver who tends to operate the shift lever 141 faster, the driver must consciously hold the shift lever 141 in the neutral position NP when switching the shift range to the neutral range. Therefore, a correction to shorten the shifting time Ts may be performed at a timing different from the timing of the correction to lengthen the shifting time Ts described above. Specifically, when an operation to reset the shifting time Ts is performed, the shifting time Ts may be corrected to its initial value, or the shifting time Ts may be corrected to shorten the shifting time Ts so that it approaches its initial value as time passes since the correction. This allows the driver to perform a comfortable shift operation even when the speed at which the shift lever 141 is operated increases.

[0064] In the above example, the corrected switching time Ts is simply stored in the storage unit 152. However, the corrected switching time Ts may be stored in association with the driver's identification information. The vehicle 1 recognizes the driver and sets a switching time Ts corresponding to the driver before starting to travel. This allows the optimal switching time Ts to be set for each driver, and even if another driver drives the vehicle 1, the driver can be provided with a comfortable shift operation.

[0065] The forward range and reverse range in the above-described embodiment correspond to an example of the first range according to the present invention. The neutral range corresponds to an example of the second range according to the present invention. The forward position DP and reverse position RP correspond to an example of the first range region according to the present invention. The neutral position NP corresponds to an example of the second range region according to the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 vehicle 11 Engine 12. Transmission 13 Drive wheels 14 Range input device 141 Shift lever 142 Shift position sensor 15 Shift-by-wire control device 151 Central Control Unit 152 Storage section 153 Measurement Department 154 Switching section 155 Correction Unit

Claims

1. a range input device that accepts operation of a shift lever by a driver; a shift-by-wire control device that switches the gear range of the transmission in response to operation of the shift lever; A vehicle comprising: The shift range includes a first range and a second range, The range input device is a first range region corresponding to the first range and a second range region corresponding to the second range, an operation to move the shift lever to the first range region or an operation to move the shift lever to the second range region may be received; When the shift lever is operated to the first range area, the shift lever passes through the second range area, The shift-by-wire control device measuring a time during which the shift lever stays in the second range area; When the dwell time is equal to or longer than a switching time for determining switching to the second range, the gear range is switched to the second range; When the shift lever is moved to the first range area after the shift range is switched to the second range, the switching time is corrected based on the stay time until the shift lever moves to the first range area.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the shift-by-wire control device corrects the switching time to a sum of a stay time until the shift is shifted to the first range area and a predetermined time.

3. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, when the number of times the shift lever has been moved to the first range area after the gear range has been switched to the second range is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times, the shift-by-wire control device corrects the switching time to a sum of an average or maximum value of a stay time until the shift lever moves to the first range area and a predetermined time.

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