Integrated electronic control unit, mounting structure for integrated electronic control unit, and vehicle

Abstract

To provide an integrated electronic control unit, a mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit, and a vehicle that can shorten the wiring length required for connection. [Solution] The integrated electronic control unit is mounted on a vehicle and connected to a plurality of electronic control units mounted on the vehicle, with each control function integrated according to the unit. The integrated electronic control unit is mounted on the partition wall located between the passenger compartment and the drive unit of the vehicle, facing other integrated electronic control units across the partition wall, and overlapping with at least a portion of the other integrated electronic control units when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to an integrated electronic control device, an attachment structure of the integrated electronic control device, and a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In a vehicle, when realizing control of each part of the vehicle, a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs: Electronic Control Unit) that execute the control are mounted. In particular, in fields such as battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), in order to comprehensively control these plurality of ECUs, an integrated electronic control device (sometimes referred to as an "integrated ECU" or a "domain controller") that is collectively connected to the plurality of ECUs may be adopted. For example, Patent Document 1 below describes a vehicle control using a plurality of domain controllers.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The above-described domain controller needs to be connected to a plurality of ECUs, other domain controllers, a power source, etc. And shortening the wiring length of wiring such as a wire harness used for making the connection is important from the viewpoints of weight reduction of the vehicle and reduction of production costs. From the above viewpoints, there is room for further improvement in the structure including the domain controller.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, this disclosure aims to provide an integrated electronic control unit, a mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit, and a vehicle that can shorten the wiring length required for connection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 1 is mounted on a vehicle, connected to a plurality of electronic control units mounted on the vehicle in a manner that aggregates control functions according to each unit, and is mounted on the partition wall located between the passenger compartment and the drive unit of the vehicle so as to face other integrated electronic control units across the partition wall, and so as to overlap at least a portion of the other integrated electronic control units when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

[0007] In the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 1, by arranging it so that it overlaps with another integrated electronic control unit in the vehicle's forward view, the distance between the two integrated electronic control units can be reduced, thereby shortening the wiring length of the wiring connecting the two integrated electronic control units.

[0008] The integrated electronic control device according to claim 2 is the integrated electronic control device according to claim 1, and is mounted in the partition wall adjacent to a through hole through which wiring is routed.

[0009] In the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 2, the distance between the through hole and the integrated electronic control unit can be shortened, thereby shortening the wiring length of the wiring connecting the through hole and the integrated electronic control unit.

[0010] The integrated electronic control device according to claim 3 is an integrated electronic control device according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising: a controller body; and a connector provided on the controller body on a surface adjacent to a through hole in the partition wall through which wiring is routed, or on a surface opposite to the surface facing the partition wall, to which the wiring is connected.

[0011] In the integrated electronic control device according to claim 3, since the connector is located relatively close to the through-hole of the controller body, the wiring length connecting the through-hole and the integrated electronic control device can be further shortened.

[0012] The mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 4 includes a bulkhead located between the passenger compartment and the drive unit of a vehicle; a first integrated electronic control unit attached to the drive unit side of the bulkhead and connected to a plurality of first electronic control units mounted on the vehicle and having specific control functions; and a second integrated electronic control unit attached to the passenger compartment side of the bulkhead and connected to a plurality of second electronic control units mounted on the vehicle and having other specific control functions different from the specific control functions, wherein the first integrated electronic control unit and the second integrated electronic control unit are each attached to the bulkhead such that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

[0013] In the mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 4, the distance between the first and second integrated electronic control units can be shortened, thereby shortening the wiring length of the wiring connecting them.

[0014] The mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 5 is the mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the first integrated electronic control unit and the second integrated electronic control unit is mounted in the partition wall at a position adjacent to a through hole through which wiring is routed.

[0015] In the mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 5, the distance between the through hole and the first and / or second integrated electronic control unit can be shortened, thereby shortening the wiring length of the wiring connecting the through hole and the first and / or second integrated electronic control unit.

[0016] The mounting structure for an integrated electronic control device according to claim 6 is the mounting structure for an integrated electronic control device according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the first integrated electronic control device and the second integrated electronic control device each include a controller body and a connector provided on the side of the controller body opposite to the side adjacent to the through hole in the partition wall through which wiring is routed or the side opposite to the side facing the partition wall, to which the wiring is connected.

[0017] In the mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 6, since the connector is located relatively close to the through-hole of the controller body, the wiring length of the wiring connecting the through-hole and the first and second integrated electronic control units can be further shortened.

[0018] The mounting structure for an integrated electronic control device according to claim 7 is the mounting structure for an integrated electronic control device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the other specific control function includes a driving assistance function, and the specific control function includes functions other than the driving assistance function.

[0019] In the mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 7, the first and second integrated electronic control units are arranged in accordance with the arrangement of the first and second electronic control units, thereby shortening the wiring length between the integrated electronic control unit and the electronic control units.

[0020] The vehicle according to claim 8 includes a bulkhead located between the passenger compartment and the drive unit, a first integrated electronic control unit attached to the drive unit side of the bulkhead and connected to a plurality of first electronic control units having specific control functions, and a second integrated electronic control unit attached to the passenger compartment side of the bulkhead and connected to a plurality of second electronic control units having other specific control functions different from the specific control functions, wherein the first integrated electronic control unit and the second integrated electronic control unit are attached to the bulkhead such that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

[0021] In the vehicle according to claim 8, since the distance between the first and second integrated electronic control units can be shortened, the wiring length of the wiring connecting the two can be shortened.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] According to the above-described integrated electronic control unit, the mounting structure of the integrated electronic control unit, and the vehicle, the wiring length required for connection can be shortened.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a schematic side view showing an example of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing an example of a front vehicle compartment structure including the partition wall shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram schematically showing the connection structure of the first and second domain controllers. [Figure 4] It is a view of the front vehicle compartment structure shown in FIG. 2 as seen from the front side of the vehicle. [Figure 5] It is a view of the front vehicle compartment structure shown in FIG. 2 as seen from the vehicle compartment side. [Figure 6] It is an enlarged view of a part of the front vehicle compartment structure shown in FIG. 2 as seen from above.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the scope necessary for the description for achieving the object of the present disclosure is schematically shown, and mainly the scope necessary for the description of the relevant part of the present disclosure will be described, and the parts for which the description is omitted are assumed to be based on known techniques. Also, the same or corresponding members in the drawings are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. Further, when a plurality of the same or corresponding members are included in the drawings, for the sake of easy viewing of the drawings, some of them may be denoted by reference numerals.

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment includes a front passenger compartment structure 10 that separates the passenger compartment 2 where the occupants sit from the front of the vehicle 3, which is an example of a drive unit that constitutes an engine room or a storage space for a battery, etc. In Figure 1, arrow FR indicates the front of the vehicle 1, and arrow UPR indicates the top of the vehicle 1. The front passenger compartment structure 10 is also an example of a "mounting structure for an integrated electronic control unit".

[0026] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a front passenger compartment structure including the bulkhead shown in Figure 1. The front passenger compartment structure 10 includes a bulkhead 11 located between the passenger compartment 2 and the front part of the vehicle 3, as shown in Figure 1, and first and second domain controllers 20 and 30 attached to the bulkhead 11. The arrow RH in Figure 2 indicates the rightward direction of the vehicle 1. The first domain controller 20 is an example of a "first integrated electronic control unit," and the second domain controller 30 is an example of a "second integrated electronic control unit." Furthermore, one of the first and second domain controllers 20 and 30 is an example of an "integrated electronic control unit," and the other is an example of "other integrated electronic control units." Also, in Figure 2, the wiring 40 arranged around the bulkhead 11 is not shown.

[0027] The bulkhead 11 separates the passenger compartment 2 from the front part of the vehicle 3 and may be composed of, for example, at least a part of the dashboard panel. The bulkhead 11 constitutes part of the vehicle body and may be made of a molded metal part. The bulkhead 11 may include a bulkhead body 12 extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle 1 and a pair of side walls 13 extending from both ends of each wall body in the left-right direction along the front and rear directions of the vehicle 1. The manufacturing method of the bulkhead 11 is not particularly limited, but it may be manufactured by casting, for example.

[0028] Of the bulkhead 11 described above, the bulkhead body 12 may have a mounting hole 14 formed approximately in the center for mounting air conditioning equipment, etc., and one through-hole 15A and one through-hole 15B each formed adjacent to its left and right ends for routing wiring 40, which will be described later. Both the mounting hole 14 and the through-holes 15A and 15B may consist of holes that penetrate the bulkhead body 12 in the front-rear direction. In addition, the pair of side walls 13 may be partially curved to match the arrangement of other components of the vehicle 1 (e.g., wheels).

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the connection structure of the first and second domain controllers. The first and second domain controllers 20 and 30 are mounted on the vehicle 1 and may be connected to multiple slave ECUs 21 and 31 via an in-vehicle communication network such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network). The first and second domain controllers 20 and 30 may also be connected to each other in the same manner. For example, some of the connections between the slave ECUs and the domain controllers may be wirelessly connected using wireless communication methods such as Ethernet®, Wi-Fi®, or Bluetooth®.

[0030] In this embodiment, the slave ECUs 21 and 31 are pre-classified into multiple domains according to their control functions, and the slave ECUs 21 and 31 belonging to each domain are connected to a domain controller that manages that domain. These slave ECUs 21 and 31 may include sensor ECUs that detect various information, actuator ECUs that perform driving operations or provide support therefor, etc. Slave ECU 21 is an example of the "first electronic control device" and "electronic control device," and slave ECU 31 is an example of the "second electronic control device" and "electronic control device."

[0031] Wiring 40, particularly connection means such as a communication bus 41 and a communication cable 42, can be used to connect the first domain controller 20, the second domain controller 30, and the multiple slave ECUs 21 and 31 mentioned above. Although Figure 3 only shows the first and second domain controllers 20 and 30 and the multiple slave ECUs 21 and 31 connected to them, the number of domain controllers and the connection structure of the slave ECUs are not limited to those shown in Figure 3. For example, a gateway ECU (not shown) that controls the transmission and reception of data may be connected to the communication bus 41.

[0032] The wiring 40 used in vehicle 1 may include a power cable 43 in addition to the communication bus 41 and communication cable 42 described above. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the communication bus 41 and power cable 43 of the wiring 40 are routed to pass through the through hole 15A. If the slave ECU 21 connected to the first domain controller 20 is located on the passenger compartment 2 side, or if the slave ECU 31 connected to the second domain controller 30 is located in the front part 3 of the vehicle, the wiring 40 connecting them, such as the communication cable 42, is also routed to pass through the through hole 15A.

[0033] Figure 4 is a view of the front passenger compartment structure shown in Figure 2, as seen from the front of the vehicle. The first domain controller 20 is mounted on the front vehicle side 3 of the bulkhead 11, as shown in Figure 4. Multiple slave ECUs 21 are aggregated and connected to this first domain controller 20. The multiple slave ECUs 21 may consist of units that perform specific control functions, such as power supply system control, air conditioning system control, or body system control such as wiper control. The first domain controller 20 is composed of an ECU and can function as a master ECU that integrates and manages multiple slave ECUs 21.

[0034] Furthermore, the first domain controller 20 may be mounted on the front vehicle portion 3 side of the bulkhead body 12, and adjacent to the through-hole 15A located on the right side of the through-holes 15A and 15B provided on the left and right sides of the bulkhead body 12. The mounting position of the first domain controller 20 described above is opposite the glove box or passenger seat in the passenger compartment 2. One reason for arranging the first domain controller 20 in such a position is that it is easier to secure installation space for the first domain controller 20 compared to other positions on the bulkhead body 12, such as a position opposite the driver's seat.

[0035] The first domain controller 20 may include a controller body 22 and a plurality of connectors 23 provided on the side opposite to the side facing the partition wall 11. Of these, the controller body 22 is a substantially rectangular member as shown in Figure 2 and includes components for realizing the functions of the ECU, such as a processor and memory. Furthermore, a fixing structure for attaching the first domain controller 20 to the partition wall 11 may be provided at an appropriate location on the outside of the controller body 22, such as screw holes or adhesive application surfaces.

[0036] Multiple connectors 23 are electrically connected to the wiring 40, at least in part. Preferably, the corresponding connectors 23 are located on the side of the controller body 22 opposite to the side facing the bulkhead 11, in order to connect to the wiring 40. Providing the connectors 23 in the aforementioned positions is preferable because it reduces the routing distance of the wiring 40 that is pulled out through the through-hole 15A towards the front of the vehicle 3. The position of connectors 23 that are not connected to the wiring 40 routed through the through-hole 15A is not particularly limited. Therefore, for example, a connector 23 to which a communication cable 42 extending from any slave ECU 21 installed in the front of the vehicle 3 is connected may be located relatively far from the through-hole 15A.

[0037] As described above, the first domain controller 20 in this embodiment controls the body system, but the number of domain controllers controlling the body system is not limited to one. Specifically, it may further include third domain controllers 50A and 50B to which slave ECUs (not shown) are connected in order to manage slave ECUs that control components located away from the front part of the vehicle 3, such as door locks and power windows. These third domain controllers 50A and 50B may be mounted, for example, on a pair of side walls 13. By adjusting the number and arrangement of domain controllers in accordance with the control targets of the slave ECUs, the required wiring length can be shortened. Furthermore, the control functions managed by the first domain controller 20 are not limited to the body system control functions described above, but may include any functions other than the driver assistance functions managed by the second domain controller 30, which will be described later.

[0038] Figure 5 is a view of the front passenger compartment structure shown in Figure 2, as seen from the passenger compartment side. The arrow LH in Figure 5 indicates the left direction of vehicle 1. The second domain controller 30 is attached to the passenger compartment 2 side of the bulkhead 11, as shown in Figure 5. Multiple slave ECUs 31 are aggregated and connected to this second domain controller 30. The multiple slave ECUs 31 may be ECUs that implement different control functions from the aforementioned slave ECU 21, specifically, functions related to driver assistance systems such as Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), Autonomous Driving (AD), or Connected Car. In this embodiment, the second domain controller 30 is exemplified as one that manages domains related to ADAS (sometimes called ADAS-ECU or ADAS-DCU (Domain Control Unit)). Examples of slave ECUs 31 for implementing ADAS include those that control in-vehicle cameras, radar / LiDAR, and various meters. The second domain controller 30 is composed of an ECU and can function as a master ECU that centrally manages multiple slave ECUs 31.

[0039] Furthermore, the second domain controller 30 may be mounted on the passenger compartment 2 side of the bulkhead body 12, and, similar to the first domain controller 20 described above, in a position adjacent to the through-hole 15A of the bulkhead body 12. The relative positions of the first and second domain controllers 20 and 30 will be described later.

[0040] The specific configuration of the second domain controller 30 may be generally the same as that of the first domain controller 20. That is, the second domain controller 30 may include a controller body 32 and a plurality of connectors 33. However, of the plurality of connectors 33, at least those to which wiring 40, which is routed to pass through the through hole 15A, is connected are provided on the side of the controller body 32 adjacent to the through hole 15A. In this embodiment, the connectors 23, 33 to which the wiring 40 is connected are shown as examples provided on the side of the controller body 22, 32 opposite to the side facing the partition body 12, or on the side adjacent to the through hole 15A. However, their arrangement can be appropriately changed as long as they are relatively close to the through hole 15A.

[0041] The first domain controller 20 and the second domain controller 30, which have the configuration described above, are electrically connected by wiring 40 that is routed to pass through the through hole 15A. Therefore, the closer the distance between the first domain controller 20 and the second domain controller 30, the shorter the wiring length of the wiring 40 connecting them can be. Shorter wiring length reduces costs by shortening the wiring 40 required for connection, and also reduces the weight of the vehicle 1. Taking this into consideration, the first domain controller 20 and the second domain controller 30 in this embodiment are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from the front of the vehicle. Note that "view from the front of the vehicle" refers to the field of view when looking at the front of the vehicle from, for example, inside the passenger compartment.

[0042] Figure 6 is an enlarged view from above of a part of the front structure of the passenger compartment shown in Figure 2, more specifically the right side. The first domain controller 20 and the second domain controller 30 are arranged facing each other with the bulkhead body 12 in between, as shown in Figures 2 and 6. The degree of overlap between the first domain controller 20 and the second domain controller 30 is not particularly limited as it depends on the size and shape of each domain controller, but for example, it is preferable to adjust the relative position so that 30% or more, preferably 50% or more, and more preferably 80% or more of the area of ​​one domain controller in the forward view of the vehicle overlaps with that of the other domain controller.

[0043] As described above, when the first domain controller 20 attached to the front part 3 of the vehicle and the second domain controller 30 attached to the passenger compartment 2 are arranged so that they overlap when viewed from the front of the vehicle, separated by the bulkhead body 12, the distance between them is reduced, and the length of the wiring 40 connecting them can be kept short. In order to further shorten the length of the aforementioned wiring 40, in this embodiment, at least one of the first domain controller 20 and the second domain controller 30 is attached to a position adjacent to the through hole 15A provided in the bulkhead 11. By arranging the first domain controller 20 and the second domain controller 30 in this manner, the length of the wiring 40 from the through hole 15A to the connectors 23 and 33 of each domain controller 20 and 30 can be shortened.

[0044] In addition, in this embodiment, in order to shorten the wiring length of the wiring 40 from the through hole 15A to the connectors 23 and 33 of each domain controller 20 and 30, the connectors 23 and 33 connected to the wiring 40 are arranged on the side adjacent to the through hole 15A or on the side opposite to the side facing the partition wall 11.

[0045] As described above, the integrated electronic control unit, the front passenger compartment structure 10, and the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment make it possible to shorten the wiring length for connecting multiple domain controllers by bringing them closer together.

[0046] In the embodiment described above, the first domain controller 20 is configured to manage the slave ECU 21 that controls the body system, and the second domain controller 30 is configured to manage the slave ECU 31 that controls the ADAS, due to the arrangement of each slave ECU 21 and 31. In other words, it takes into consideration that the slave ECU 31 that controls the ADAS is often located on the passenger compartment 2 side, and the slave ECU 21 that controls the body system is often located on the front part 3 side of the vehicle. By configuring each domain controller as described above, the wiring length between the slave ECU and the domain controller can be shortened.

[0047] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the front part of the vehicle 3 was used as an example of a drive unit, but if, for example, the engine compartment or battery housing area is located at the rear of the vehicle 1, it is also possible to adopt the above-described structure between the rear part of the vehicle and the passenger compartment.

[0048] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. All such modifications are included in the technical concept of this disclosure. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified in the specification, each component of this disclosure is not limited to one, but may exist in multiple forms. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 vehicle 2 Cabin 3. Front section of the vehicle (an example of a drive unit) 10. Front structure of the passenger compartment (an example of a mounting structure for an integrated electronic control unit) 11 Bulkhead 15A, 15B through hole 20. First Domain Controller (An example of the first integrated electronic control unit) 21. Slave ECU (an example of a first electronic control unit) 22, 32 Controller Unit 23, 33 connectors 30. Second Domain Controller (An example of a second integrated electronic control unit) 31. Slave ECU (an example of a second electronic control unit) 40 Wiring

Claims

1. It is mounted on the vehicle, and is connected to multiple electronic control units mounted on the vehicle, with each control function consolidated accordingly, and is mounted on the bulkhead so as to face other integrated electronic control units across the bulkhead located between the vehicle's passenger compartment and the drive unit, and so as to overlap at least a portion of the other integrated electronic control units when viewed from the front of the vehicle, Integrated electronic control unit.

2. It is installed in the aforementioned bulkhead at a position adjacent to the through-hole through which the wiring is routed, The integrated electronic control device according to claim 1.

3. The controller itself, The controller body comprises a connector to which the wiring is connected, provided on a surface adjacent to a through-hole in the partition wall through which wiring is routed, or on a surface opposite to the surface facing the partition wall. The integrated electronic control device according to claim 1.

4. A bulkhead located between the vehicle's passenger compartment and the drive unit, A first integrated electronic control unit is attached to the drive unit side of the bulkhead and is mounted on the vehicle and connected to a plurality of first electronic control units having specific control functions, The system comprises a second integrated electronic control unit attached to the passenger compartment side of the bulkhead, mounted on the vehicle, and connected to a plurality of second electronic control units having other specific control functions different from the specific control function, The first integrated electronic control unit and the second integrated electronic control unit are mounted on the bulkhead such that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from the front of the vehicle. Mounting structure for integrated electronic control unit.

5. At least one of the first integrated electronic control unit and the second integrated electronic control unit is mounted in the partition wall adjacent to a through-hole through which wiring is routed. Mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 4.

6. The first integrated electronic control unit and the second integrated electronic control unit each include a controller body and a connector provided on the side of the controller body opposite to the side adjacent to the through-hole in the partition wall through which wiring is routed, or the side opposite to the side facing the partition wall, to which the wiring is connected. Mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 4.

7. The aforementioned other specific control function includes a driving assistance function, and the aforementioned specific control function includes functions other than the driving assistance function. Mounting structure for the integrated electronic control unit according to claim 4.

8. A bulkhead located between the passenger compartment and the drive unit, A first integrated electronic control unit is attached to the drive unit side of the partition wall and is connected to a plurality of first electronic control units having specific control functions, The system comprises a second integrated electronic control unit attached to the vehicle compartment side of the bulkhead, and connected to a plurality of second electronic control units having other specific control functions different from the specific control function, The first integrated electronic control unit and the second integrated electronic control unit are mounted on the bulkhead such that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from the front of the vehicle. vehicle.

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