vehicle-mounted device

Abstract

The purpose is to suppress the deterioration of the solder used in radiators. [Solution] The control unit of the on-board device determines whether a vehicle equipped with a radiator using solder has been idling for a predetermined period of time or longer. The control unit of the on-board device also determines whether the radiator fan that air-cools the radiator is running. The control unit of the on-board device also determines whether there are passengers inside the vehicle. If the vehicle has been idling for a predetermined period of time or longer, the radiator fan is running, and there are no passengers inside the vehicle, the control unit of the on-board device limits the rotation speed of the radiator fan.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a control device for a radiator fan. The control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an electric radiator fan that sends cooling air to a radiator that performs heat exchange between engine cooling water and outside air. The control device also includes a generator that is driven by the engine to generate electricity. The control device controls the startup, stop, and rotation speed of the radiator fan based on the temperature of the engine cooling water, and adjusts the power generation amount of the generator and the output torque of the engine according to the driving state of the radiator fan. The control device also measures the elapsed time since the increase in the rotation speed of the radiator fan started.

[0003] When increasing the rotation speed of the radiator fan, the control device increases the power generation amount of the generator and the output torque of the engine. After starting to increase the rotation speed of the radiator fan, the control device receives a stop request for the radiator fan. At this time, the control device prohibits the stop of the radiator fan until the measured elapsed time elapses a preset predetermined time. The control device also stops the radiator fan when the elapsed time elapses the predetermined time.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to suppress deterioration of solder used in a radiator.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The in-vehicle device relating to this disclosure is To determine whether a vehicle equipped with a radiator using solder has been idling for a predetermined period of time or longer, To determine whether the radiator fan that air-cools the radiator is operating, To determine whether or not there are passengers inside the vehicle, When the vehicle is idling for a predetermined time or longer, the radiator fan is running, and there are no occupants in the vehicle, the rotation speed of the radiator fan is limited. It includes a control unit configured to perform the following actions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This disclosure makes it possible to suppress the degradation of the solder used in radiators. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a schematic configuration of the cooling system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of an in-vehicle device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the processes performed by the control unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Solder is sometimes used in the radiators installed in vehicles. Solder has the property of degrading more easily when subjected to large temperature changes than when subjected to small temperature changes. Therefore, when the radiator is cooled by the radiator fan, the solder is subjected to large temperature changes, and it is expected that the solder portion of the radiator will degrade more than when subjected to small temperature changes.

[0010] In this situation, the vehicle may be idling. Since the vehicle is not moving, less heat flows into the radiator via the coolant compared to when the vehicle is running. Therefore, when the radiator fan is activated while the vehicle is idling, the radiator water temperature drops more significantly compared to when the vehicle is running, making the solder joints more prone to deterioration.

[0011] Furthermore, if there are no passengers inside the vehicle, it is expected that the time it takes for the vehicle to start will be longer compared to when there are passengers inside. Therefore, if there are no passengers inside the vehicle, the effects of starting the vehicle can be suppressed without having to cool the radiator as quickly as when there are passengers inside.

[0012] Therefore, the control unit of the in-vehicle device according to this disclosure determines whether the vehicle has been idling for a predetermined period of time or longer. The control unit of the in-vehicle device according to this disclosure also determines whether the radiator fan is running. The control unit also determines whether there are passengers inside the vehicle. If the vehicle has been idling for a predetermined period of time or longer, the radiator fan is running, and there are no passengers inside the vehicle, the control unit limits the rotation speed of the radiator fan.

[0013] As explained above, the in-vehicle device according to this disclosure limits the rotation speed of the radiator fan when the vehicle is idling for a predetermined period of time, the radiator fan is running, and there are no occupants in the vehicle. This prevents the solder joints of the radiator from experiencing large temperature changes, which is a condition in which the solder joints of the radiator are prone to deterioration when the radiator fan is running while the vehicle is idling. In addition, by limiting the rotation speed of the radiator fan when there are no occupants in the vehicle, the effects that occur when the vehicle starts can be suppressed. In this way, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the solder joints of the radiator while suppressing the effects that occur when the vehicle starts, even in a condition in which the solder joints of the radiator are prone to deterioration.

[0014] The following describes specific embodiments of this disclosure with reference to the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configurations, module configurations, functional configurations, etc., described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to those configurations alone.

[0015] <First Embodiment> The cooling system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the cooling system 1. The cooling system 1 consists of a radiator fan 11, a radiator 12, a driving control ECU 13, and an on-board device 100. In the cooling system 1, the radiator fan 11, the radiator 12, the driving control ECU 13, and the on-board device 100 are connected by an in-vehicle network.

[0016] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100 is connected to the radiator fan 11 and the driving control ECU 13 via the in-vehicle network. The driving control ECU 13 and the radiator 12 are also connected via the in-vehicle network. The radiator fan 11 and the driving control ECU 13 are also connected via the in-vehicle network. The ECU 12, the driving control ECU 13, and the in-vehicle device 100 may be interconnected via an in-vehicle network.

[0017] (Radiator) The radiator 12 is a radiator mounted on the vehicle 10. The radiator 12 cools the engine or electric motor of the vehicle 10 using cooling water. The radiator 12 circulates the cooling water in at least one flow channel and dissipates heat from the heat dissipation fins provided in the flow channel, thereby cooling the engine or electric motor of the vehicle 10.

[0018] Here, the radiator 12 may use solder. When the radiator 12 uses solder, for example, it is the case where the heat dissipation fins in the radiator 12 use a soldered copper plate. Also, when the radiator 12 uses solder, for example, it is the case where solder is used to block a location where the cooling water is leaking.

[0019] (Radiator fan) The radiator fan 11 is a fan for cooling the radiator 12. The radiator fan 11 drives the fan in response to a command from the travel control ECU 13. Here, solder is more likely to deteriorate when it undergoes a large temperature change compared to when it undergoes a small temperature change. Therefore, if the radiator fan 11 cools the radiator 12 and the solder undergoes a large temperature change, it is assumed that the solder part will deteriorate.

[0020] (Travel control ECU) The travel control ECU 13 is an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the travel of the vehicle 10. Also, the travel control ECU 13 drives the radiator fan 11 when the temperature of the radiator 12 (temperature of the cooling water) exceeds a threshold value. Here, the travel control ECU 13 acquires the temperature of the radiator 12 in real time from a temperature sensor provided in the radiator 12.

[0021] Furthermore, the driving control ECU 13 transmits driving information indicating the driving status of the vehicle 10 to the in-vehicle device 100 in real time via the in-vehicle network. Here, the information indicating the driving status of the vehicle 10 includes information indicating the driving status of the vehicle 10's engine or motor, information indicating the speed of the vehicle 10, and information indicating the driving status of the radiator fan 11. Here, the information indicating the driving status of the vehicle 10's engine or motor indicates whether or not the vehicle 10's engine or motor is driving. Also, the information indicating the driving status of the radiator fan 11 indicates whether or not the radiator fan 11 is driving.

[0022] (In-vehicle device) The in-vehicle device 100 is a device that limits the driving of the radiator fan 11. The in-vehicle device 100 is composed of a computer having a processor 110, a main memory unit 120, an auxiliary memory unit 130, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 140. The processor 110 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The main memory unit 120 is, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory). The auxiliary memory unit 130 is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory). The auxiliary memory unit 130 is also, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or a disk recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD disc, or Blu-ray disc. The auxiliary memory unit 130 may also be removable media (portable storage medium). Here, examples of removable media include, for example, a USB memory stick or an SD card. The communication I / F 140 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication.

[0023] In the in-vehicle device 100, the auxiliary storage unit 130 stores the operating system (OS), various programs, and various information tables. Furthermore, in the in-vehicle device 100, the processor 110 loads the programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 130 into the main storage unit 120 and executes them, thereby realizing various functions as described later. However, some or all of the functions of the in-vehicle device 100 may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs. Note that the in-vehicle device 100 does not necessarily have to be realized by a single physical configuration, but may be composed of multiple computers cooperating with each other. Also, the radiator fan 11, radiator 12, and driving control ECU 13 are configured to include computers, similar to the in-vehicle device 100.

[0024] In this case, the vehicle 10 may be idling. In this state, since the vehicle 10 is not moving, heat does not flow into the radiator 12 via the coolant as easily as when the vehicle 10 is moving. Therefore, when the radiator fan 11 is driven while the vehicle 10 is idling, the temperature of the radiator drops faster and the temperature change becomes larger compared to when the vehicle 10 is moving. As a result, the solder joints of the radiator 12 are more prone to deterioration.

[0025] Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 100 acquires whether or not there is an occupant in the vehicle 10. For example, the in-vehicle device 100 acquires whether or not there is an occupant in the vehicle 10 based on sensing values ​​acquired by a human presence sensor installed in the vehicle 10. Alternatively, the in-vehicle device 100 may acquire whether or not there is an occupant in the vehicle 10 based on moving images of the inside of the vehicle 10 captured by a camera installed inside the vehicle 10.

[0026] In this case, if there are no passengers in vehicle 10, it takes time for them to get into vehicle 10, etc. Therefore, it is expected that the time until vehicle 10 starts moving will be longer compared to when there are passengers in vehicle 10. For this reason, if there are no passengers in vehicle 10, the effects that occur when vehicle 10 starts moving can be suppressed without having to cool the radiator as quickly as when there are passengers in vehicle 10.

[0027] Therefore, the on-board device 100 limits the rotation speed of the radiator fan 11 when the vehicle 10 is idling for a predetermined time or longer, the radiator fan 11 is running, and there are no occupants in the vehicle 10. Here, the predetermined time is a time set in advance. The on-board device 100 also determines whether or not solder is used in the radiator 12 by receiving input indicating whether or not solder is used in the radiator 12. Details of how the on-board device 100 limits the rotation speed of the radiator fan 11 will be described later.

[0028] (Functional Configuration) Next, the functional configuration of the on-board device 100, which constitutes the cooling system 1, will be explained based on Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the on-board device 100. The on-board device 100 is composed of a control unit 101 and a communication unit 102.

[0029] The control unit 101 has the function of performing calculation processing for controlling the in-vehicle device 100. The control unit 101 can be implemented by the processor in the in-vehicle device 100. The communication unit 102 has the function of connecting the in-vehicle device 100 to the in-vehicle network. The communication unit 102 can be implemented by the communication I / F 140 in the in-vehicle device 100.

[0030] The control unit 101 receives driving information in real time from the driving control ECU 13 via the communication unit 102. The control unit 101 refers to the received driving information and determines if the vehicle 10 has been in operation for a predetermined time or longer. The control unit 101 determines whether the vehicle is idling or not. Specifically, the control unit 101 refers to information included in the driving information, which indicates the driving status of the vehicle's engine or motor and the speed of the vehicle 10, and obtains the time (idling time) during which the vehicle's engine or motor is running and the vehicle's speed is 0. The control unit 101 then determines whether the vehicle 10 has been idling for a predetermined time or longer by determining whether the obtained idling time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time.

[0031] Furthermore, the control unit 101 refers to the driving information and determines whether or not the radiator fan 11 is being driven. Here, the control unit 101 may also directly obtain the driving status of the radiator fan 11 from the radiator fan 11.

[0032] Furthermore, the control unit 101 determines whether or not there is an occupant inside the vehicle 10 based on the sensing values ​​of sensors such as a human presence sensor or camera inside the vehicle. Here, the control unit 101 may also determine whether or not the driver of the vehicle 10 is inside.

[0033] The control unit 101 then outputs restriction information to the radiator fan 11 when the vehicle 10 is idling for a predetermined time, the radiator fan 11 is running, and there are no occupants inside the vehicle 10. Here, the restriction information is information that instructs the radiator fan 11 to run with its rotational speed limited. The restriction information may also include information that instructs the radiator fan 11 to run at a reduced rotational speed compared to normal for a certain period of time.

[0034] In this case, the restricted rotational speed of the radiator fan 11 is a predetermined rotational speed that is lower than the rotational speed of the radiator fan 11 during normal operation. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the radiator fan 11 may change depending on the temperature of the radiator 12. In this case, the restricted rotational speed of the radiator fan 11 may be a variable value, as long as it is lower than the rotational speed that changes depending on the temperature of the radiator 12.

[0035] Furthermore, even if the radiator fan 11 is running, if the conditions that the vehicle 10 is idling for a predetermined period of time and there are no occupants inside the vehicle 10 are not met, the radiator fan 11 will run at its normal rotational speed.

[0036] (flowchart) Next, the processing performed by the control unit 101 in the in-vehicle device 100 will be explained with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the control unit 101. The processing shown in Figure 3 is for outputting control information when predetermined conditions (the vehicle 10 is idling for a predetermined time, the radiator fan 11 is running, and there are no occupants in the vehicle 10) are met. The processing shown in Figure 3 is started repeatedly at predetermined intervals.

[0037] In the process shown in Figure 3, first, in S101, the driving information is referenced to determine whether the vehicle 10 has been idling for a predetermined time or longer. If a negative determination is made in S101, the vehicle 10 has not been idling for a predetermined time or longer, and the process shown in Figure 3 is terminated. In this case, if the radiator fan 11 is running, the radiator fan 11 runs at its normal rotational speed.

[0038] If a positive result is obtained in S101, in S102, the driving information is referenced to determine whether or not the radiator fan 11 is operating. If a negative result is obtained in S102, the radiator fan 11 is not operating, and the process shown in Figure 3 is terminated.

[0039] If a positive result is obtained in S102, then in S103, it is determined whether or not there is an occupant inside the vehicle 10. If a positive result is obtained in S103, there is an occupant inside the vehicle 10, and therefore the possibility of the vehicle 10 starting is higher than if there were no occupants inside the vehicle 10. Therefore, by cooling the radiator 12 as usual, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 10 from starting smoothly. Thus, if a positive result is obtained in S103, the process shown in Figure 3 is terminated. As a result, the radiator fan 11 operates at its normal rotational speed.

[0040] If a negative result is obtained in S103, restriction information is output to the radiator fan 11 in S104. This allows the radiator fan 11 to be driven at a reduced rotational speed compared to normal operation.

[0041] As explained above, in the cooling system 1, when the vehicle 10 is idling for a predetermined period of time or longer, the radiator fan 11 is running, and there are no occupants in the vehicle 10, the rotation speed of the radiator fan 11 is restricted compared to normal. This prevents the solder joints of the radiator 12 from experiencing large temperature changes, which is a condition where the solder joints of the radiator 12 are prone to deterioration when the vehicle 10 is idling and the radiator fan 11 is running. In addition, by restricting the rotation speed of the radiator fan when there are no occupants in the vehicle 10, the effects that occur when the vehicle 10 starts can be suppressed. In this way, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the solder joints of the radiator 12 while suppressing the effects that occur when the vehicle 10 starts, which is a condition where the solder joints of the radiator 12 are prone to deterioration.

[0042] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. Furthermore, the processes and means described in this disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical inconsistencies arise.

[0043] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by a single device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. Conversely, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is implemented can be flexibly changed.

[0044] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the embodiments above to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-temporary computer-readable storage medium includes any type of disk, such as magnetic disks (floppy disks or hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, or optical cards, and any other type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 1. Cooling System 10. Vehicles 11. Radiator fan 12. Radiator 13. Driving control ECU 100...In-vehicle equipment 101. Control Unit 102. Communications Department

Claims

[Claim 1] To determine whether a vehicle equipped with a radiator using solder has been idling for a predetermined period of time or longer, To determine whether the radiator fan that air-cools the radiator is operating, To determine whether or not there are passengers inside the vehicle, When the vehicle is idling for a predetermined time or longer, the radiator fan is running, and there are no occupants in the vehicle, the rotation speed of the radiator fan is limited. A control unit configured to perform the following actions: In-vehicle device.

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