Vehicular control mode switching apparatus

Abstract

To provide a vehicular control mode switching apparatus improved so as to be able to easily switch a control mode between three modes as compared to a conventional control mode switching apparatus.SOLUTION: A vehicular control mode switching apparatus for switching a control mode between a non-control mode in which a controlled variable is not varied, an auto mode in which the controlled variable is automatically varied, and a manual mode in which the controlled variable is manually varied, includes: an operation element to be operated by a driver; and a control unit for determining an operation manner when the operation element is operated (S30, S50, S70), and switching the control mode on the basis of the determined operation manner (S40, S60, S80). In accordance with the determined operation manner, the control unit performs switching between the non-control mode and the auto mode, switching between the non-control mode and the manual mode, and switching between the auto mode and the manual mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control mode switching device for a vehicle such as an automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART In a vehicle such as an automobile, a control mode switching device is known that switches the control mode between a non-control mode in which a control amount is not changed, an auto mode in which the control amount is automatically changed, and a manual mode in which the control amount is manually changed when an operator is operated.

[0003] For example, Figure 8 of Patent Document 1 listed below describes a control mode switching device that switches the shift mode between a shift prohibition mode, a manual shift mode, and an automatic shift mode by operating a paddle shift lever and a mode switching switch. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-243594 Summary of the Invention

[0005] [Problem to be solved by the invention] Conventional control mode switching devices have room for improvement in order to easily switch between the three control modes. In particular, switching between the auto mode and the manual mode requires passing through a non-control mode. Furthermore, to switch the control mode to a target mode, the driver must operate multiple types of controls in different ways depending on the current mode.

[0006] For example, in the control mode switching device described in Patent Document 1, in order for the driver to switch the shift mode to a target mode, he or she must check the current mode and operate the paddle shift lever and / or mode switching switch in different ways depending on the current mode.

[0007] The present invention provides an improved control mode switching device for a vehicle that can switch the control mode among three modes more easily than conventional control mode switching devices. [Means for solving the problems and effects of the invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, there is provided a control mode switching device (100) for a vehicle that switches a control mode among a non-control mode in which a control amount is not changed, an auto mode in which a control amount is automatically changed, and a manual mode in which a control amount is manually changed.

[0009] In one configuration, the control mode switching device includes an operator (a pair of paddle shift levers 112L and 112R) operated by the driver, and a control unit (10) configured to determine the manner of operation when the operator is operated (S30, S50, S70) and switch the control mode based on the determined manner of operation (S40, S60, S80), and the control unit is configured to switch between the non-control mode and the auto mode, between the non-control mode and the manual mode, and between the auto mode and the manual mode according to the determined manner of operation.

[0010] According to the above configuration, switching between the non-control mode and the automatic mode, switching between the non-control mode and the manual mode, and switching between the automatic mode and the manual mode are performed in accordance with the determined type of operation. Therefore, switching between two of the three modes can be performed without passing through modes other than those two modes. Therefore, control mode switching can be performed more easily and quickly than with conventional control mode switching devices that require passing through modes other than those two modes.

[0011] In another configuration, the control mode switching device (100) includes an operator (a pair of paddle shift levers 112L and 112R) operated by the driver, and a control unit (10) configured to determine the manner of operation when the operator is operated by the driver (S30, S50, S70) and switch the control mode based on the determined manner of operation (S40, S60, S80), and the control unit is configured to switch the current control mode to auto mode (S40) when the determined manner of operation is a first manner (S30), switch the current control mode to manual mode (S60) when the determined manner of operation is a second manner (S50), and switch the current control mode to non-control mode (S80) when the determined manner of operation is a third manner (S70).

[0012] According to the above configuration, when the determined operation mode is the first mode, the current control mode is switched to the auto mode. When the determined operation mode is the second mode, the current control mode is switched to the manual mode. Furthermore, when the determined operation mode is the third mode, the current control mode is switched to the non-control mode.

[0013] The first to third modes correspond one-to-one to the post-switching control mode, i.e., the target control mode for switching. Therefore, the driver can switch the current control mode to the target control mode without checking the current control mode. Therefore, control mode switching can be performed more easily and quickly than with conventional control mode switching devices, which require the driver to check the current control mode and then determine the operator and operation mode based on the check result to execute the operation. [Mode of the Invention]

[0014] In one aspect of the present invention, at least the first and second aspects are different from each other.

[0015] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the operator is at least one of the left and right levers of a paddle shifter that is provided on the steering wheel and used to change the shift position.

[0016] In another embodiment of the present invention, the operator is a shift lever of an automatic transmission having a manual transmission mode.

[0017] In the above description, to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the names and / or symbols used in the embodiments described below are enclosed in parentheses for the configurations of the invention corresponding to those embodiments. However, each component of the present invention is not limited to the components of the embodiments corresponding to the names and / or symbols enclosed in parentheses. Other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will be easily understood from the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, which will be given with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a driving assistance device equipped with a control mode switching device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the control mode switching operation among the auto mode, manual mode, and non-control mode, the current control mode, and the manner of operation. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle equipped with a control mode switching device; [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart corresponding to a control mode switching control program in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a subroutine in step S70 of a first modified example. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a subroutine in step S70 of a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle control mode switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] 1, a control mode switching device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a driving assistance device 104 of a vehicle 102, and includes a driving assistance ECU 10. The vehicle 102 is an autonomously driven vehicle, and includes a drive ECU 20, a brake ECU 30, and a meter ECU 50. The ECU stands for an electronic control unit having a microcomputer as its main component.

[0021] The microcomputer of each ECU includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, read / write non-volatile memory (N / M), and an interface (I / F). The CPU performs various functions by executing instructions (programs, routines) stored in the ROM. Furthermore, these ECUs are interconnected via a Controller Area Network (CAN) 106 to enable data exchange (communication). Therefore, the detected values ​​of sensors (including switches) connected to a specific ECU are transmitted to other ECUs.

[0022] The driving assistance ECU 10 is a central control device that performs driving assistance control such as deceleration assistance control, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping control, etc. In the embodiment, the driving assistance ECU 10 cooperates with other ECUs to perform driving assistance control that assists the driver in driving the vehicle 102 when the vehicle 102 is traveling, and further performs control mode switching control for the driving assistance control.

[0023] The driving assistance ECU 10 is connected to a camera sensor 12, a radar sensor 14, an operation device 16, and a setting operation device 18. The camera sensor 12 and the radar sensor 14 each include a plurality of camera devices and a plurality of radar devices, and function as a target information acquisition device 17 that acquires target information around the vehicle 102.

[0024] Although not shown in the figure, each camera device of the camera sensor 12 includes a camera unit that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 102 and a recognition unit that analyzes image data captured by the camera unit to recognize targets such as white lines on the road and other vehicles. The recognition unit supplies information about the recognized targets to the driving assistance ECU 10 at predetermined time intervals.

[0025] Each radar device of the radar sensor 14 uses millimeter wave radio waves to detect the distance between the vehicle and a three-dimensional object, the relative speed between the vehicle and the three-dimensional object, the relative position (direction) of the three-dimensional object with respect to the vehicle, etc., and supplies information representing these at predetermined time intervals to the driving assistance ECU 10. Note that instead of or in addition to the radar sensor 14, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) may be used.

[0026] The operation device 16 includes an operator 16A that is operated by the driver and a switch 16B that is switched on and off when the operator is operated, and information on whether the switch 16B is on or off is transmitted to the driving assistance ECU 10. The driving assistance ECU 10 determines the manner of operation when the operator 16A is operated by the driver, based on the on or off state of the switch 16B.

[0027] Furthermore, based on the determined mode of operation, the driving assistance ECU 10 switches the control mode of the driving assistance control between the non-control mode and the automatic mode, between the non-control mode and the manual mode, and between the automatic mode and the manual mode, as shown in Fig. 2. In particular, when the determined mode of operation is the first mode, the second mode, or the third mode, the driving assistance ECU 10 switches the current control mode to the automatic mode, the manual mode, or the non-control mode, respectively.

[0028] The non-control mode is a mode in which the deceleration as a control amount is not changed, the auto mode is a mode in which the deceleration is changed automatically, and the manual mode is a mode in which the deceleration is changed manually. As shown in Figure 2, the first mode of operation is called the auto operation, the second mode of operation is called the manual operation, and the third mode of operation is called the cancel operation.

[0029] The setting operator 18 is provided in a position where it can be operated by the driver, and is configured to be operated by the driver. Although not shown in Fig. 1, the setting operator 18 includes a deceleration assist switch. As will be described in detail later, the driving assist ECU 10 executes driving assist control when the deceleration assist switch is on.

[0030] The drive ECU 20 is connected to a drive device 22 that accelerates the vehicle 102 by applying a driving force to drive wheels 24. The drive ECU 20 normally controls the drive device 22 so that the driving force generated by the drive device 22 changes in response to the driving operation by the driver, and when it receives a command signal from the driving assistance ECU 10, it controls the drive device 22 based on the command signal.

[0031] The brake ECU 30 is connected to a brake device 32 that applies a braking force to wheels 34 to decelerate the vehicle 102 through braking. The wheels 34 may include the wheels 24. The brake ECU 30 normally controls the brake device so that the braking force generated by the brake device 32 changes in response to the braking operation by the driver, and when it receives a command signal from the driving assistance ECU 10, it controls the brake device 32 based on the command signal to perform automatic braking.

[0032] Therefore, the brake ECU 30 and the brake device 32 cooperate with each other to function as an automatic braking device 38. When braking force is applied to the wheels by deceleration assist control or the like, a brake lamp (not shown in FIG. 1) is turned on.

[0033] A touch panel display 52 that displays the status of control by the driving assistance ECU 10 is connected to the meter ECU 50. The display 52 may be, for example, a multi-information display that displays meters and various information, or may be a monitor display of a navigation device. As will be described later, when the display 52 receives a signal from the driving assistance ECU 10, it displays information on deceleration assistance control and information on the control mode.

[0034] The driving operation sensors 60 and the vehicle condition sensors 70 are connected to the CAN 106. Information detected by the driving operation sensors 60 and the vehicle condition sensors 70 (referred to as sensor information) is transmitted to the CAN 106. The sensor information transmitted to the CAN 106 can be used appropriately by each ECU. Note that the sensor information may be information from a sensor connected to a specific ECU and transmitted from that specific ECU to the CAN 106.

[0035] The driving operation sensor 60 includes a driving operation amount sensor that detects the accelerator opening, a braking operation amount sensor that detects the master cylinder pressure or the depression force on the brake pedal (not shown), a brake switch that detects whether the brake pedal is operated, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle, a steering torque sensor that detects the steering torque, etc.

[0036] The vehicle state sensor 70 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed V of the vehicle 102, a longitudinal acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, a lateral acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle in the lateral direction, and a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate of the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle state sensor 70 includes a shift position sensor that detects the shift position (shift range) of the transmission (not shown).

[0037] First Embodiment In the first embodiment, the operating element 16A of the operating device 16 is a pair of paddle shift levers 112L and 112R that are provided on the left and right spokes 110L and 110R of the steering wheel 110 and are operated by the driver's fingers, as shown in balloon A in Fig. 3. As is well known, a paddle shift is a device that is provided on the steering wheel 110 and is used to change the shift position.

[0038] For example, when the left paddle shift lever 112L is pulled toward the driver once, the shift position decreases by one step (downshift), and when the lever 112L is pulled toward the driver multiple times in succession, the shift position decreases by multiple steps. When the right paddle shift lever 112R is pulled toward the driver once, the shift position increases by one step (upshift), and when the lever 112R is pulled toward the driver multiple times in succession, the shift position increases by multiple steps. Even if the levers 112L and / or 112R are pulled continuously for more than a reference time, the shift position does not change. A single pull of the lever is called a "short pull," and continuous pulls of the lever are called a "long pull."

[0039] The switch 16B of the operating device 16 is composed of a pair of switches provided corresponding to the levers 112L and 112R. Each switch is normally off, that is, when the corresponding lever is not pulled, and is turned on when the corresponding lever is pulled. Information on whether each switch is on or not is supplied to the driving assistance ECU 10.

[0040] In the first embodiment, the driving assistance control is a control for switching the deceleration rate of the vehicle when the driver is not depressing the accelerator pedal (accelerator-off state), and switches the deceleration rate between three levels: high, medium (standard), and low. When the control mode is the non-control mode, the driving assistance ECU 10 does not change the deceleration rate and sets it to medium. In contrast, when the control mode is the auto mode, the driving assistance ECU 10 changes the deceleration rate in accordance with the vehicle driving conditions, such as the vehicle speed V and the curvature of the road ahead of the vehicle 102. Furthermore, when the control mode is the manual mode, the driving assistance ECU 10 changes the deceleration rate in accordance with the driver's increase / decrease operation using the cross switch 114 shown in FIG. 3 or the like.

[0041] The deceleration rate may be changed in any manner. For example, the deceleration rate may be changed by automatically changing the shift position of the transmission, or by automatically changing the shift position and / or automatically controlling the braking device 32.

[0042] As shown in balloon B in Fig. 3, the current control mode and deceleration rate are displayed on the multi-information display 116. The control mode display may be "OFF" when the current control mode is a non-control mode, "AUTO" when the current control mode is an auto mode, or "MANU" when the current control mode is a manual mode. Furthermore, the deceleration rate display may be "high," "medium," or "low" when the deceleration rate is high, medium, or low, respectively.

[0043] In this embodiment, the transmission (not shown) of the vehicle 102 is an automatic transmission that has a manual transmission mode. In Fig. 3, 118 denotes a shift lever of the automatic transmission. As shown in balloon C in Fig. 3, the shift lever 118 can be switched between D range, N range, R range, P range, and M range (manual range). Furthermore, when the shift lever 118 is pressed to the + side in the M range, an upshift is performed, and when the shift lever 118 is pressed to the - side in the M range, a downshift is performed.

[0044] 3, the shift position of the transmission may also be displayed as the alphabet of each shift range on the multi-information display 116. In particular, when the shift lever 118 is pressed to the + side in the M range, M+ may be displayed, and when the shift lever 118 is pressed to the - side in the M range, M- may be displayed.

[0045] In the first embodiment, the ROM of the driving assistance ECU 10 stores a control program for switching the control mode of the vehicle deceleration rate when the accelerator is released, which program corresponds to the flowchart shown in Fig. 4. The control according to the flowchart shown in Fig. 4 is repeatedly executed by the CPU of the driving assistance ECU 10 at predetermined time intervals when the driving assistance switch is on.

[0046] First, in step S10, the CPU determines whether the accelerator is off based on the accelerator opening detected by the driving operation amount sensor of the driving operation sensor 60. If a negative determination is made, this control is temporarily terminated, and if a positive determination is made, this control proceeds to step S20.

[0047] In step S20, the CPU determines whether or not paddle shift levers 112L and / or 112R, which are operating elements 16A of operating device 16, have been operated. If a negative determination is made, this control is temporarily terminated, and if a positive determination is made, this control proceeds to step S30.

[0048] In step S30, the CPU determines whether the operation mode of the paddle shift levers 112L and / or 112R is automatic operation. If a negative determination is made, the control proceeds to step S50, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S40.

[0049] In step S40, the CPU sets the mode of the vehicle deceleration rate switching control to the automatic mode, and outputs a command signal to the meter ECU 50 to display "AUTO" on the multi-information display 116.

[0050] In step S50, the CPU determines whether the operation of the paddle shift levers 112L and / or 112R is manual. If a negative determination is made, the control proceeds to step S70, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S60.

[0051] In step S60, the CPU sets the mode of the vehicle deceleration rate switching control to the manual mode, and outputs a command signal to the meter ECU 50 to display "MANU" on the multi-information display 116.

[0052] In step S70, the CPU determines whether the operation of the paddle shift levers 112L and / or 112R is a cancel operation. If a negative determination is made, the control proceeds to step S90, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S80.

[0053] In step S80, the CPU sets the mode of the vehicle deceleration rate switching control to the non-control mode, and outputs a command signal to the meter ECU 50 to cause the multi-information display 116 to display OFF.

[0054] In step S90, the CPU outputs a command signal to the meter ECU 50 to display an error on the multi-information display 116 and prompt the driver to try again.

[0055] The switching operation, current control mode, and operation mode in the first embodiment are as shown in Table 1 below. Note that in the first embodiment, the automatic operation, manual operation, and cancel operation modes are different from one another. Therefore, the current mode is not determined in steps S30, S50, and S70. [Table 1]

[0056] <First Modification> The switching operation, current control mode, and operation manner in the first modified example are as shown in Table 2 below. Note that in the first modified example and the second and third modified examples in which the operation manner includes a short pull of the lever, shift changes using the paddle shift may be disabled when the accelerator is off. In other words, manual shift changes may be performed only using the shift lever 118. [Table 2]

[0057] In the first modification, the manner of operation when the switching operation is a cancel operation differs depending on the current control mode. Thus, in step S30, when the current mode is the non-control mode or the manual mode and the manner of operation is a long pull of both the left and right levers, it is determined that the switching operation is an automatic operation. Also, in step S50, when the current mode is the non-control mode or the auto mode and the manner of operation is a short pull of one of the left and right levers, it is determined that the switching operation is a manual operation. Furthermore, in step S70, the determination is made according to the subroutine shown in FIG. 5.

[0058] In step S70A, it is determined whether the current control mode is the auto mode. If a negative determination is made, i.e., if the current control mode is the manual mode, the control proceeds to step S70C, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S70B. In step S70B, it is determined whether both the left and right levers 112L and 112R have been pulled long. If a negative determination is made, the control proceeds to step S90, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S80.

[0059] In step S70C, it is determined whether the current control mode is the manual mode. If a negative determination is made, the control proceeds to step S90, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S70D. In step S70D, it is determined whether one of the left and right levers has been pulled short. If a negative determination is made, the control proceeds to step S90, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S80.

[0060] <Second modified example> The switching operation, current control mode and operation manner in the second modified example are as shown in Table 3 below. [Table 3]

[0061] In the second modified example, the manner of operation when the switching operation is a cancel operation also differs depending on the current control mode. Thus, in step S30, if the current mode is the non-control mode or the manual mode and the manner of operation is a long pull of the right lever, it is determined that the switching operation is an automatic operation. Also, in step S50, if the current mode is the non-control mode or the auto mode and the manner of operation is a long pull or a short pull of the left lever, it is determined that the switching operation is a manual operation. Furthermore, in step S70, the determination is made according to the subroutine shown in FIG. 6.

[0062] In step S70A, it is determined whether the current control mode is the auto mode. If a negative determination is made, that is, if the current control mode is the manual mode, the control proceeds to step S70C, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S70B. In step S70B, it is determined whether the right lever 112R has been pulled too long. If a negative determination is made, the control proceeds to step S90, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S80.

[0063] In step S70C, it is determined whether the current control mode is the manual mode. If a negative determination is made, the control proceeds to step S90, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S70D. In step S70D, it is determined whether one of the left and right levers has been pulled short. If a negative determination is made, the control proceeds to step S90, and if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S80.

[0064] <Third Modification> In the third variant, the shift position is changed using only the left paddle shift lever 112L. For example, pulling the lever 112L briefly lowers the shift position by one gear, and pulling the lever 112L longer raises the shift position by one gear.

[0065] The switching operation, current control mode and operation manner in the third modified example are as shown in Table 4 below. [Table 4]

[0066] Second Embodiment In the second embodiment, the operator 16A of the operating device 16 is a shift lever 118 of an automatic transmission. Note that in the second embodiment, shift changes using the shift lever 118 may be disabled when the accelerator is off. In other words, manual shift changes may be performed only using a paddle shift lever.

[0067] The switching operation, current control mode, and operation manner in the second embodiment are as shown in the following Table 5. Note that when the control mode is manual, an increase in the degree of deceleration of the vehicle may be achieved by pushing the shift lever 118 to the - side in the M range, and a decrease in the degree of deceleration of the vehicle may be achieved by pushing the shift lever to the + side in the M range. [Table 5]

[0068] <Third embodiment> In the third embodiment, the driving assistance control is a control for switching a target inter-vehicle distance in inter-vehicle distance control, and switches the target inter-vehicle distance between three levels: long, medium (standard), and short. When the control mode is the non-control mode, the driving assistance ECU 10 does not change the target inter-vehicle distance and sets it to medium. In contrast, when the control mode is the auto mode, the driving assistance ECU 10 changes the target inter-vehicle distance in accordance with the vehicle driving conditions, such as the vehicle speed V and the volume of traffic. Furthermore, when the control mode is the manual mode, the driving assistance ECU 10 changes the target inter-vehicle distance in accordance with the driver's operation to increase or decrease the target inter-vehicle distance using the cross switch 114 shown in FIG. 3 or the like.

[0069] In the third embodiment, the operator 16A of the operating device 16 is a push button 120 that is provided on the right spoke 110R of the steering wheel 110 and is operated by the driver's finger. The push button 120 can be operated in three ways: by pressing once, by pressing twice, and by pressing and holding.

[0070] The switching operation, current control mode and operation manner in the third embodiment may be, for example, as shown in Table 6 below. [Table 6]

[0071] As can be seen from the above description, according to the present invention, the control mode can be switched more easily than with the conventional control mode switching device.

[0072] In particular, according to the above-described embodiments and modifications, the type of operation is determined, and switching between the non-control mode and the automatic mode, between the non-control mode and the manual mode, or between the automatic mode and the manual mode is performed according to the determined type of operation. Therefore, switching between two of the three modes can be performed without passing through modes other than those two modes. Therefore, control mode switching can be performed more easily and quickly than with conventional control mode switching devices that require passing through modes other than those two modes.

[0073] According to the above-described embodiments and modifications, when the determined operation mode is an automatic operation as a first mode, the current control mode is switched to the automatic mode. When the determined operation mode is a manual operation as a second mode, the current control mode is switched to the manual mode. Furthermore, when the determined operation mode is a cancel operation as a third mode, the current control mode is switched to the non-control mode.

[0074] Each switching operation corresponds one-to-one to the control mode after switching, i.e., the target control mode for switching. Therefore, the driver can switch the current control mode to the target control mode without checking the current control mode. Therefore, compared to conventional control mode switching devices that require checking the current control mode and then determining and executing the operation based on the results, control mode switching can be performed easily and quickly.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiments and modifications, the automatic operation as at least the first mode and the manual operation as the second mode are different modes, which reduces the risk that the driver will confuse the operation of switching the current control mode to the automatic mode with the operation of switching the current control mode to the manual mode.

[0076] In particular, according to the first to third embodiments and the third modified example, the automatic operation as the first mode, the manual operation as the second mode, and the cancel operation as the third mode are different modes, which further reduces the risk that the driver will confuse the operation of switching the current control mode to another mode with the operation of switching the current control mode to yet another mode.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment and the first to third modified examples, the operators are paddle shift levers 112L and 112R that are provided on the steering wheel 110 and used to change the shift position. Therefore, the paddle shift levers can be effectively used to switch control modes other than changing the shift position.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the operator is the shift lever 118 of an automatic transmission that has a manual transmission mode. Therefore, the shift lever of the automatic transmission can be effectively used to switch control modes other than changing the shift position.

[0079] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and that various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0080] For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, the degree of deceleration of the vehicle when the accelerator is released is switched between three stages, and in the third embodiment, the target inter-vehicle distance in inter-vehicle distance control is switched between three stages. However, the target of control may be switched between three or more stages, or may be switched substantially continuously.

[0081] Furthermore, the object of control related to the switching of the control mode may be any object other than the rate of deceleration of the vehicle when the accelerator is released and the target inter-vehicle distance in inter-vehicle distance control, that is, any object of vehicle control.

[0082] Furthermore, the switching operations, current control modes, and operation modes in the above-described embodiments and modified examples are merely examples, and may be the switching operations, current control modes, and operation modes shown in Tables 1 to 6 above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 10... driving assistance ECU, 12... camera sensor, 14... radar sensor, 16... operation device, 22... drive device, 32... braking device, 50... meter ECU, 100... control mode switching device, 102... vehicle, 104... driving assistance device, 112L, 112R... paddle shift lever, 118... shift lever, 120... push button

Claims

1. 1. A control mode switching device for a vehicle that switches a control mode among a non-control mode in which a control amount is not changed, an auto mode in which the control amount is automatically changed, and a manual mode in which the control amount is manually changed, A control mode switching device for a vehicle, comprising: an operator operated by a driver; and a control unit configured to determine the manner of operation when the operator is operated and to switch the control mode based on the determined manner of operation, wherein the control unit is configured to switch between the non-control mode and the auto mode, switch between the non-control mode and the manual mode, and switch between the auto mode and the manual mode, according to the determined manner of operation.

2. 1. A control mode switching device for a vehicle that switches a control mode among a non-control mode in which a control amount is not changed, an auto mode in which the control amount is automatically changed, and a manual mode in which the control amount is manually changed, a control unit configured to determine an operation mode when the operator is operated by the driver and to switch the control mode based on the determined operation mode, wherein the control unit is configured to switch the current control mode to the auto mode when the determined operation mode is a first mode, to switch the current control mode to the manual mode when the determined operation mode is a second mode, and to switch the current control mode to the non-control mode when the determined operation mode is a third mode.

3. 3. The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 2, wherein at least the first and second modes are different from each other.

4. 3. The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 1, wherein the operator is at least one of a left and a right lever of a paddle shifter provided on a steering wheel and used to change a shift position.

5. 3. The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 1, wherein the operating element is a shift lever of an automatic transmission having a manual transmission mode.

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