Parking control device and parking control method

Abstract

Even when the use of the electric parking brake is restricted during parking to prevent freezing, the driver's preference regarding the use of the electric parking brake should be reflected. [Solution] The parking control device 100 for a vehicle 1 equipped with an electric parking brake 5 and a park lock device 3 installed on the transmission TM comprises a mode setting unit 101 and an operating unit 103. The mode setting unit 101 can set a cold weather mode as the operating mode of the vehicle 1, which restricts the use of the electric parking brake 5. When the operating mode of the vehicle 1 is set to the cold weather mode and a parking operation is performed by the driver to park the vehicle 1, the operating unit 103 activates the electric parking brake 5 if the state of the vehicle 1 is in a specific state or if a specific operation is performed by the driver, and activates the park lock device 3 without activating the electric parking brake 5 otherwise.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a parking control device and a parking control method.

Background Art

[0002] Vehicles equipped with an electric parking brake that automates a manual parking brake have become widespread. The electric parking brake has a problem that it is likely to freeze in cold regions where the air temperature is low. In response to this problem, Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle notification device that deactivates the electric parking brake and notifies the driver to that effect when the acquired outside air temperature information is below a predetermined threshold value.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the vehicle notification device described in Patent Document 1, when the outside air temperature information is below a predetermined threshold value, the electric parking brake is uniformly controlled to be deactivated. Therefore, even in such a case, the intention of the driver who wants to park the vehicle using the electric parking brake cannot be reflected.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a parking control device and a parking control method that can reflect the intention of the driver regarding the use of the electric parking brake even when the use of the electric parking brake during parking is restricted for freeze prevention.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the parking control device according to the present invention is a parking control device for a vehicle comprising an electric parking brake and a park lock device installed on the transmission. The processor of this parking control device activates the electric parking brake when the vehicle's operating mode is set to a cold climate mode that restricts the use of the electric parking brake, and when a parking operation is performed by the driver to park the vehicle, if the vehicle is in a specific state or if a specific operation is performed by the driver, it activates the electric parking brake, and otherwise activates the park lock device without activating the electric parking brake. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, even when the use of the electric parking brake is restricted during parking to prevent freezing, the driver's intentions regarding the use of the electric parking brake can be reflected. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a vehicle equipped with a parking control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a parking control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart of the parking process according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of the parking process related to Modification Example 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] With reference to the drawings, the parking control device 100 and vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0010] (Embodiment) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with the parking control device 100 according to this embodiment. This vehicle 1 is a front-wheel drive type vehicle and is equipped with front wheels 2F, which are drive wheels, and rear wheels 2R. Note that in Figure 1, only the parking control device 100 and its related components are shown as the configuration of vehicle 1, and other general components of vehicle 1 are omitted.

[0011] First, let's describe the braking configuration of Vehicle 1. Vehicle 1 is equipped with a parking lock device 3, a parking lock controller 4, an electric parking brake 5, and an electric parking brake controller 6 (hereinafter also referred to as EPB controller 6) as its braking configuration.

[0012] The park lock device 3 is installed in the transmission TM of the vehicle 1 and is a mechanism for locking the front wheels 2F, which are the drive wheels of the vehicle 1. The park lock device 3 includes a parking gear, a parking pawl, a park lock actuator, etc. (not shown). The parking gear is a gear fixed to the output shaft of the vehicle 1. The parking pawl is a claw-shaped metal part that engages with the parking gear. The park lock actuator is an electric actuator that changes the position of the parking pawl. Upon receiving instructions from the park lock controller 4, the park lock actuator changes the position of the parking pawl so that it engages with the parking gear, preventing the output shaft from rotating. As a result, the park lock device 3 can lock the front wheels 2F. The park lock controller 4 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the operation of this park lock. The park lock controller 4 may be installed in the parking control device 100, which will be described later.

[0013] The electric parking brake 5 is a braking system that applies braking force to the rear wheels 2R of the vehicle 1. The electric parking brake 5 includes a motor, gears, caliper, brake disc, etc. (not shown). The motor is driven in response to instructions from the EPB controller 6, and the driving force is transmitted to the brake pads of the caliper via the gears, pressing the brake pads against the brake discs of the rear wheels 2R. In this way, the electric parking brake 5 can apply braking force to the rear wheels 2R. The EPB controller 6 is an ECU that controls the operation of the electric parking brake 5. The EPB controller 6 may be located within the parking control device 100, which will be described later.

[0014] Vehicle 1 also includes a mode selection switch 7, an ignition switch 8, a parking switch 9, and a tilt sensor 10. These will be described below.

[0015] The mode selection switch 7 is located on the console or dashboard inside the vehicle and is used by the driver to select the operating mode of the vehicle 1. The selection information indicating which operating mode is selected by the mode selection switch 7 is transmitted to the mode setting unit 101 of the parking control device 100 (described later), thereby setting the operating mode of the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the mode selection switch 7 is a binary switch, and the driver can set the operating mode of the vehicle 1 by operating the mode selection switch 7 to select either the cold climate mode or the non-cold climate mode. The cold climate mode is the recommended operating mode when the vehicle 1 is located in a cold region with relatively low temperatures. In the cold climate mode, the use of the electric parking brake 5 is restricted to prevent freezing. The non-cold climate mode is the recommended operating mode when the vehicle 1 is located in a place with relatively high temperatures. In the non-cold climate mode, the electric parking brake 5 can be used without such restrictions.

[0016] The ignition switch 8 is a switch for starting the engine of the vehicle 1 (in the case of an electric vehicle, it is a motor). Each time the driver presses the ignition switch 8, the ignition-on state where the engine has started and the ignition-off state where the engine has not started are switched.

[0017] The parking switch 9 is, for example, arranged on the console or dashboard inside the vehicle, and is a button-type switch used when the driver parks the vehicle 1. When parking the vehicle 1, the driver presses the parking switch 9 to turn it on. Thereby, the parking control device 100 executes the parking process described later, and activates at least one of the park lock device 3 and the electric parking brake 5 so that the vehicle 1 cannot move.

[0018] The tilt sensor 10 is a sensor for detecting the tilt of the vehicle 1, and is, for example, an acceleration sensor, an inertial sensor, a G sensor, etc. The tilt sensor 10 constantly continues to detect the tilt of the vehicle 1, and outputs a signal indicating the magnitude of the detected tilt to the parking control device 100.

[0019] Subsequently, the parking control device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. The parking control device 100 is a control device such as an ECU that performs control related to parking of the vehicle 1. An example of the hardware configuration of the parking control device 100 is shown in FIG. 2. In the example of FIG. 2, the parking control device 100 includes a processor 1011, a memory 1012, a storage 1013, and a communication interface 1014, which are connected to each other via a bus 1010.

[0020] The processor 1011 includes, for example, one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and their peripheral circuits, and executes various arithmetic processes. The processor 1011 reads the control program stored in the storage 1013 into the memory 1012 and executes it. Note that the processor 1011 may further include arithmetic circuits such as a logical arithmetic unit and a numerical arithmetic unit.

[0021] The memory 1012 includes a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and functions as a working memory of the processor 1011. Also, the memory 1012 temporarily stores the control program read by the processor 1011 from the storage 1013 and various data used for the arithmetic processing of the processor 1011.

[0022] The storage 1013 includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), a flash memory, etc. The storage 1013 stores the control program executed by the processor 1011 and various data used for the arithmetic processing of the processor 1011. For example, the storage 1013 stores, as an example of various data, data indicating a threshold value for determining the inclination of a vehicle, which is referred to in the parking process described later.

[0023] The communication interface 1014 includes an interface circuit for connecting the parking control device 100 to an in-vehicle network conforming to a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The communication interface 1014 receives signals from the mode selection switch 7, the ignition switch 8, the parking switch 9, the inclination sensor 10, and other in-vehicle components not shown in the figure, and passes them to the processor 1011.

[0024] Also, the communication interface 1014 transmits the control signal generated by the processor 1011 to the park lock controller 4 and the EPB controller 6. The park lock controller 4 and the EPB controller 6 control the operation and non-operation of the park lock device 3 and the electric parking brake 5 based on the received control signal.

[0025] Next, the functions of the parking control device 100 will be described. For example, the parking control device 100 realizes the functions shown in Figure 1 by having the processor 1011 execute a control program stored in the storage 1013. That is, the parking control device 100 realizes the functions of the mode setting unit 101, the ignition state detection unit 102, and the operation unit 103.

[0026] The mode setting unit 101 sets the operating mode of the vehicle 1 to either the cold climate mode or the non-cold climate mode selected by the mode selection switch 7.

[0027] The ignition state detection unit 102 detects whether the vehicle 1 is currently in the ignition-on or ignition-off state based on the signal from the ignition switch 8.

[0028] When the driver performs an operation (parking device) to park the vehicle 1, the operating unit 103 executes a parking process described later, and activates at least one of the park lock device 3 or the electric parking brake 5 based on the currently set operating mode of the vehicle 1, the ignition status, etc.

[0029] Specifically, when a parking operation is performed, if the operating mode is set to cold climate mode and the vehicle 1 is ignition-on, the operating unit 103 will activate only the park lock device 3. Also, when a parking operation is performed, if the operating mode is set to cold climate mode and the vehicle 1 is ignition-off, the operating unit 103 will activate only the electric parking brake 5. Also, when a parking operation is performed, if the operating mode is set to non-cold climate mode, the operating unit 103 will activate both the park lock device 3 and the electric parking brake 5. Furthermore, when a parking operation is performed, if the vehicle 1 is tilted above a threshold, the operating unit 103 will activate both the park lock device 3 and the electric parking brake 5, regardless of the set operating mode.

[0030] Next, the operation of the parking process performed by the parking control device 100 configured as described above will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 3. It is assumed that the driver has already operated the mode selection switch 7 to set the operating mode of the vehicle 1 to an appropriate mode. For example, after the driver moves the vehicle 1 to a designated parking space such as a parking lot, the driver turns on the parking switch 9 as an operation to park the vehicle 1 (parking operation). This sends a signal to the parking control device 100 indicating that the parking switch 9 is ON, and the parking control device 100 executes the parking process. If the vehicle 1 is an automatic transmission vehicle, the parking control device 100 may also execute the parking process if the driver switches the select lever to the parking range, as this is considered a parking operation.

[0031] First, the operating unit 103 of the parking control device 100 refers to the value detected by the tilt sensor 10 to determine whether the current tilt of the vehicle 1 is above a predetermined threshold (step S11). This threshold is set to an appropriate value based on the braking force of the park lock device 3, etc. If the vehicle 1 is tilted above the threshold (step S11; Yes), it is necessary to keep the vehicle 1 from moving strictly, regardless of the set operating mode. Therefore, the operating unit 103 sends control signals to the park lock controller 4 and the EPB controller 6 to activate both the park lock device 3 and the electric parking brake 5 (step S12). Then the parking process is completed. Note that since many vehicles are not equipped with a tilt sensor 10, the process in step S11 does not necessarily need to be performed. In this case, the parking process can be started from step S13, which will be described later.

[0032] On the other hand, if vehicle 1 is not tilted above a threshold (step S11; No), the operating unit 103 determines the operating mode of vehicle 1 currently set by the mode setting unit 101 (step S13). If the current operating mode is set to non-cold climate mode (step S13; non-cold climate mode), the possibility of the electric parking brake 5 freezing is considered low, so the operating unit 103 sends control signals to the park lock controller 4 and the EPB controller 6 to activate both the park lock device 3 and the electric parking brake 5 (step S12). In this case, the operating unit 103 may activate only the electric parking brake 5. The parking process is then completed.

[0033] On the other hand, if the current operating mode is set to cold climate mode (step S13; cold climate mode), the operating unit 103 determines the current ignition status of vehicle 1 based on the detection signal from the ignition status detection unit 102 (step S14). If vehicle 1 is in the ignition ON state (step S14; ignition ON), the operating unit 103 sends a control signal to the park lock controller 4 to activate only the park lock device 3 (step S15). The parking process then ends.

[0034] On the other hand, if vehicle 1 is in the ignition-off state (step S14; ignition off), the operating unit 103 sends a control signal to the EPB controller 6 to activate only the electric parking brake 5 (step S16). The parking process then ends.

[0035] Thus, according to the parking control device 100 of this embodiment, when the driver attempts to park the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1's operating mode is set to a cold-weather mode that restricts the use of the electric parking brake 5, the operating unit 103 activates the electric parking brake 5 if the vehicle 1 is in a specific state of ignition off, and activates the park lock device 3 without activating the electric parking brake 5 if the vehicle 1 is in an ignition on state. In other words, according to the parking control device 100 of this embodiment, even when the operating mode is set to cold-weather mode, the driver can activate the electric parking brake 5 and park the vehicle 1 by operating the ignition switch 8 to put the vehicle 1 in an ignition off state before parking. Therefore, according to the parking control device 100 of this embodiment, even when the use of the electric parking brake 5 is restricted during parking to prevent freezing, the driver's intentions regarding the use of the electric parking brake 5 can be reflected.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the parking control device 100 of this embodiment, if the tilt of the vehicle 1 is greater than a threshold when a parking operation is performed, both the park lock device 3 and the electric parking brake 5 are activated regardless of the set operating mode. This makes it possible to securely fix the vehicle in place when parking the vehicle 1 on a steep slope.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the parking control device 100 of this embodiment, if the operating mode is not set to cold climate mode (i.e., it is set to non-cold climate mode), the electric parking brake 5 is activated when parking. Therefore, if the vehicle 1 is located in a place where there is little risk of the electric parking brake 5 freezing, it is possible to reliably activate the electric parking brake 5 when parking.

[0038] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, when the operating mode is set to cold weather mode during parking, either the park lock device 3 or the electric parking brake 5 is activated at the time of parking based on the state of the vehicle 1 (ignition state). In contrast, the first modification is characterized in that the park lock device 3 and the electric parking brake 5 are activated based on the content of the driver's operation.

[0039] The parking process performed by the parking control device 100 in Modification 1 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 4. Steps that are substantially the same as those in Embodiment 1 will be given the same step numbers, and explanations will be simplified or omitted as appropriate.

[0040] When the parking switch 9 is turned ON by the driver, the parking process begins. If the tilt of the vehicle 1 is not above a threshold (step S11; No) and the operating mode is set to cold climate mode (step S13; cold climate mode), the operating unit 103 activates the park lock device 3 by sending a control signal to the park lock controller 4 (step S21).

[0041] Subsequently, if the parking switch 9 is turned ON again by the driver before a predetermined time has elapsed since the activation of the park lock device 3 (Step S22; No), (Step S23: Yes), the operating unit 103 transmits a control signal to the EPB controller 6, thereby activating the electric parking brake 5 (Step S24). In Step S24, the operation of the park lock device 3 may be stopped, and only the electric parking brake 5 may be activated. The parking process then ends. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed without the parking switch 9 being turned ON again (Step S23; No), (Step S22; Yes), the parking process ends as is.

[0042] Thus, according to the parking control device 100 of the modified example 1, if the driver performs a specific operation, such as turning the parking switch 9 ON again after the parking process has started, the operating unit 103 will activate the electric parking brake 5 when parking, even if the operating mode is set to cold weather mode. Therefore, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to reflect the driver's intentions regarding the use of the electric parking brake 5 in cold weather mode.

[0043] In Modification 1, the electric parking brake 5 was activated when the parking switch 9 was turned ON again after the parking process had started. However, the electric parking brake 5 may also be activated when the driver performs other specific operations during parking in cold climate mode. For example, if the parking switch 9 is turned ON by the driver and the parking process has started, and then the parking switch 9 remains ON for a predetermined period of time due to the driver's so-called long-press operation, this may also be considered a specific operation, and the electric parking brake 5 may be activated during parking in cold climate mode.

[0044] (Other variations) This invention is not limited to the above embodiments or Modification 1, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, parts of the above embodiments can be omitted or replaced, or arbitrary configurations can be added. Also, the hardware configuration, functional configuration, flowchart, etc. shown in the above embodiments are examples and can be changed as appropriate.

[0045] For example, in the above embodiment, the mode setting unit 101 of the parking control device 100 set the operating mode of the vehicle 1 to the operating mode selected by the mode selection switch 7, but the operating mode may be set by other methods. For example, an outside temperature sensor may be installed on the vehicle 1. Then, the mode setting unit 101 may set the vehicle to cold climate mode if the outside temperature measured by the outside temperature sensor is below a threshold, and to non-cold climate mode otherwise. In this way, it becomes possible to automatically set the operating mode without installing a mode selection switch 7 on the vehicle.

[0046] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which the processor 1011 executes a control program to realize each function of the parking control device 100, the parking control device 100 may also be configured with dedicated hardware to realize each function.

[0047] Furthermore, the parking control device 100 may be configured to realize each function by distributing a control program for executing the operations of the above embodiment on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), MO (Magneto Optical Disc), or memory card, and installing the program on a computer. In cases where each function is realized through a division of labor between the OS (Operating System) and an application, or through cooperation between the OS and an application, only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the recording medium.

[0048] The present invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the invention. In other words, the scope of the invention is indicated by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent significance of disclosure are considered to be within the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 Vehicle, 2F Front wheels, 2R Rear wheels, 3 Park lock device, 4 Park lock controller, 5 Electric parking brake, 6 Electric parking brake controller (EPB controller), 7 Mode selection switch, 8 Ignition switch, 9 Parking switch, 10 Tilt sensor, 100 Parking control device, 101 Mode setting unit, 102 Ignition state detection unit, 103 Actuator unit, 1010 Bus, 1011 Processor, 1012 Memory, 1013 Storage, 1014 Communication interface, TM Transmission.

Claims

1. A parking control device for a vehicle comprising an electric parking brake and a parking lock device installed on the transmission, wherein the processor of the parking control device is When the vehicle's operating mode is set to a cold-weather mode that restricts the use of the electric parking brake, and the driver performs a parking operation to park the vehicle, the electric parking brake is activated if the vehicle is in a specific state or if the driver performs a specific operation; otherwise, the park lock device is activated without activating the electric parking brake. Parking control device.

2. The aforementioned processor, When the vehicle's operating mode is set to the cold climate mode, and the driver performs the parking operation, If the vehicle's ignition is on, activate the park lock device. If the vehicle's ignition is off, the electric parking brake is activated. The parking control device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned processor, If the vehicle's tilt exceeds a threshold when the parking operation is performed, both the park lock device and the electric parking brake are activated, regardless of the operating mode the vehicle is set to. The parking control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The aforementioned processor, When the vehicle's operating mode is not set to the cold climate mode, and the driver performs the parking operation, the electric parking brake is activated. The parking control device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A parking control method for a vehicle comprising an electric parking brake and a parking lock device installed on the transmission, When the vehicle's operating mode is set to a cold-weather mode that restricts the use of the electric parking brake, and the driver performs a parking operation to park the vehicle, the electric parking brake is activated if the vehicle is in a specific state or if the driver performs a specific operation; otherwise, the park lock device is activated without activating the electric parking brake. Parking control method.

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