Electronic control unit

Abstract

To provide an electronic control device which can suppress large variation of an input voltage.SOLUTION: An electronic control device 10 includes a control circuit 20 for executing vehicle control, and a multi-phase power source 30 for supplying power to the control circuit 20. The control circuit 20 has an instruction part 21 for instructing the multi-phase power source 30 to set the number of driving phases at a predetermined number. The control circuit 20 switches the number of driving phases to the number of driving phases according to a preliminary high load state, before starting predetermined processing from a low load state to a higher load state than the low load state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosure herein relates to electronic control devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a multiphase power supply that switches the number of drive phases when a load fluctuation is detected. The contents of the prior art document are incorporated by reference as an explanation of the technical elements in this specification. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-116834 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is conceivable that the multi-phase power supply is applied to an electronic control unit having a control circuit for executing vehicle control, and the multi-phase power supply supplies power to the control circuit.

[0005] Electronic control units mounted on vehicles are particularly required to operate in real time. However, the multi-phase power supply described above switches the number of drive phases after detecting load fluctuations. Therefore, if the processing load of the control circuit increases suddenly when the number of drive phases is small, a temporary current shortage occurs, causing large fluctuations in the input voltage of the control circuit. For example, there is a risk that the input voltage may fall outside the guaranteed operating range. Further improvements are required for electronic control units in the above-mentioned respects and in other respects not mentioned.

[0006] One disclosed object is to provide an electronic control device that can suppress large fluctuations in input voltage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The electronic control device disclosed herein One of teeth, a control circuit (20) for executing vehicle control; A power supply circuit (31) having multiple phases connected in parallel with each other, a multi-phase power supply (30) for supplying power to the control circuit; The control circuit has an instruction unit (21) that instructs the multiphase power supply to set the number of drive phases to a predetermined number, and switches the number of drive phases in advance to a number corresponding to a high load state before starting a predetermined process that changes from a low load state to a state where the load is higher than the low load state. Another disclosed electronic control device is: a control circuit (20) for executing vehicle control; a multi-phase power supply (30) for supplying power to the control circuit; The control circuit has an instruction unit (21) that instructs the multi-phase power supply to set the number of driving phases to a predetermined number, and before starting a predetermined process to change from a low load state to a state where the load is higher than the low load state, switches the number of driving phases to a number corresponding to the high load state in advance; a detection unit (34) for detecting the actual number of driving phases in the multi-phase power supply; a determination unit (22) that determines whether the number of drive phases detected by the detection unit matches the number of drive phases instructed by the instruction unit, If a match is found, the control circuit starts a predetermined process.

[0008] According to the disclosed electronic control device, predetermined processing can be started with the number of drive phases switched to a value corresponding to a high load state, thereby suppressing large fluctuations in the input voltage of the control circuit.

[0009] The various aspects disclosed in this specification employ different technical means to achieve their respective objectives. The reference numerals in parentheses in the claims and in this section are intended to exemplify correspondences with the following embodiments and are not intended to limit the technical scope. The objectives, features, and advantages disclosed in this specification will become more apparent by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an electronic control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process executed by a control circuit. [Figure 3] 3 is a timing chart corresponding to FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the process executed by the control circuit. [Figure 5] 5 is a timing chart corresponding to FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an electronic control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a process executed by a control circuit. [Figure 8] 8 is a timing chart corresponding to FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in each embodiment, corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only a portion of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of another embodiment previously described may be applied to the remaining portion of the configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combinations of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of several embodiments may be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, provided that there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0012] (First embodiment) The electronic control device according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle. The electronic control device controls on-board devices. The electronic control device is sometimes referred to as an ECU. ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit. As an example, the electronic control device is an autonomous driving ECU.

[0013] The electronic control unit (autonomous driving ECU) forms the autonomous driving system together with surrounding monitoring sensors, vehicle condition sensors, locators, V2X onboard devices, etc. The electronic control unit is the main component (main part) of this system. The system provides the so-called autonomous driving function, which allows the vehicle to drive autonomously. There can be multiple levels of automation for driving operations (automation levels), as defined by, for example, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International). For example, according to the SAE definition, automation levels are divided into six levels, from level 0 to 5, as follows:

[0014] Level 0 is a level where the user as a driver's seat occupant performs all driving tasks without system intervention. Driving tasks include, for example, steering and acceleration / deceleration. Driving tasks also include monitoring the vehicle's surroundings, such as the area ahead of the vehicle. Level 0 corresponds to the so-called fully manual driving level. Level 1 is a level where the system supports either steering or acceleration / deceleration. Level 2 is a level where the system supports both steering and acceleration / deceleration operations. Levels 1 and 2 correspond to so-called driving assistance levels.

[0015] Level 3 is a level where the system performs all driving tasks within the Operational Design Domain (ODD), while transferring operational authority to the user in an emergency. ODD is an abbreviation for Operational Design Domain. ODD specifies the conditions under which automated driving can be performed, such as the driving location being on a highway. Level 4 is a level where the system performs all driving tasks except in specific situations such as on designated roads that cannot be handled or in extreme environments. Level 4 corresponds to the level where the system performs all driving tasks within the ODD. Level 5 is a level where the system can perform all driving tasks in any environment. Levels 3 to 5 correspond to so-called automated driving.

[0016] <Electronic control device> The electronic control unit 10 (autonomous driving ECU) shown in FIG. 1 controls driving actuators based on the detection results of surrounding monitoring sensors and vehicle condition sensors, thereby performing driving operations on behalf of the user. The driving actuators include, for example, a brake actuator as a braking device, an electronic throttle, and a steering actuator. The steering actuator includes an EPS motor. EPS is an abbreviation for Electric Power Steering.

[0017] Note that other ECUs may be present between the electronic control unit 10 and the traveling actuators, such as a steering ECU that performs steering control, a power unit control ECU that performs acceleration / deceleration control, a brake ECU, etc. In other words, the electronic control unit 10 may directly control the traveling actuators or may indirectly control the traveling actuators.

[0018] The electronic control unit 10 has a plurality of driving modes with different automation levels. As an example, the electronic control unit 10 of this embodiment is configured to be switchable between a fully manual mode and an automated driving mode. Each driving mode has a different range of driving tasks for the user, in other words, a different range of driving tasks in which the electronic control unit 10 (system) intervenes.

[0019] The fully manual mode corresponds to the automation level 0 described above. The fully manual mode is a driving mode in which the user performs all driving tasks. The automated driving mode is a driving mode in which the electronic control device 10 (system) performs all driving tasks. As an example, the automated driving mode corresponds to automation level 3. The automated driving mode may also correspond to automation level 4 or automation level 5.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic control unit 10 includes a control circuit 20 and a multi-phase power supply 30. The electronic control unit 10 further includes an interface. The interface includes an input / output interface and a communication interface. The input circuit 40 constitutes the input / output interface. The electronic control unit 10 acquires, for example, sensing information via the input circuit 40. The electronic control unit 10 outputs a control signal to a device via the input / output interface (output circuit, not shown). The communication circuit 41 constitutes the communication interface. The electronic control unit 10 is communicably connected to other ECUs and the like via the communication circuit 41 and a communication bus 100 of an in-vehicle network.

[0021] The control circuit 20 executes vehicle control. The control circuit 20 acquires sensing information and the like via the input circuit 40, and controls the driving actuators based on the acquired sensing information, thereby performing driving operations on behalf of the user. The sensors are perimeter monitoring sensors and vehicle condition sensors. Examples of perimeter monitoring sensors include perimeter monitoring cameras, millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR, and sonar. LiDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging. Examples of vehicle condition sensors include a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor.

[0022] The control circuit 20 is configured to include, for example, a processor, RAM, ROM, etc. RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory. ROM is an abbreviation for Read Only Memory. The processor is, for example, a CPU, MPU, GPU, DFP, etc. CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. MPU is an abbreviation for Micro-Processing Unit. GPU is an abbreviation for Graphics Processing Unit. DFP is an abbreviation for Data Flow Processor. The control circuit 20 may be realized by combining multiple types of arithmetic processing devices, such as a CPU, MPU, GPU, etc.

[0023] The control circuit 20 may be realized as an SoC. SoC is an abbreviation for System on Chip. The control circuit 20 may be realized using an ASIC or FPGA. ASIC is an abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. FPGA is an abbreviation for Field-Programmable Gate Array. The program storage medium is not limited to ROM. Various storage media, such as HDD and SSD, can be used. HDD is an abbreviation for Hard-disk Drive. SSD is an abbreviation for Solid State Drive.

[0024] In the control circuit 20, the processor executes the autonomous driving program stored in the ROM while using the RAM as a temporary storage area, thereby performing the above-described control. The processor executes multiple instructions included in the autonomous driving program to establish multiple functional units. For example, the control circuit 20 has, as functional units, an information acquisition unit, an environment recognition unit, a control planning unit, a control execution unit, and a mode switching unit (not shown).

[0025] The information acquisition unit acquires a variety of information for implementing driving assistance or autonomous driving. The information acquisition unit acquires host vehicle position information from a locator, and acquires map data around the host vehicle from a map database (not shown) based on the host vehicle position information. The information acquisition unit acquires detection results (sensing information) from the periphery monitoring sensor and vehicle state sensor. The information acquisition unit can acquire traffic information, etc. from the V2X onboard device. The environment recognition unit recognizes the driving environment of the host vehicle based on the host vehicle position information, sensing information, and map data.

[0026] The control planning unit plans the control content to be executed as driving assistance or autonomous driving. For example, in autonomous driving mode, the control planning unit generates a planned driving line for the host vehicle to travel on based on the driving environment recognition results from the environment recognition unit. The control execution unit generates control commands based on the planned driving line formulated by the control planning unit and sequentially outputs them to the driving actuators via the load drive circuit 42. The control execution unit also controls the on / off of turn signals, headlights, hazard lights, etc. based on the plan of the control planning unit and the external environment. The mode switching unit switches to a driving mode according to, for example, the user's operation.

[0027] In this embodiment, the electronic control unit 10 includes the load drive circuit 42, but the load drive circuit 42 may be provided integrally with the traveling actuator in a configuration in which the traveling actuator is directly controlled. In other words, the load drive circuit 42 may be provided outside the electronic control unit 10. For example, when the traveling actuator is indirectly controlled, the control execution unit may transmit a control command to another ECU via the communication circuit 41 and the communication bus 100.

[0028] With the above-mentioned functions, the control circuit 20 automatically steers, accelerates, decelerates (in other words, brakes), etc. the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along roads to a destination set by the user in the autonomous driving mode. Note that the switching of the operation mode is automatically performed due to a user operation, a determination that autonomous driving is possible based on sensing information, recovery from a failure, etc.

[0029] The control circuit 20 has an instruction unit 21 as one of its functional units. The instruction unit 21 generates a switching signal that instructs (specifies) the number of drive phases to a predetermined number and outputs it to a power supply control circuit 33, which will be described later. The control circuit 20 uses this switching signal to switch the number of drive phases to a number that corresponds to a high-load state before starting a predetermined process that changes the processing load of the control circuit 20 from a low-load state to a state where the load is higher than the low-load state. A phase is sometimes referred to as a channel (Ch).

[0030] The multiphase power supply 30 supplies power to the control circuit 20. The control circuit 20 operates upon receiving the power supply. As an example, the core voltage of the processor in the control circuit 20 is around 1 V (for example, less than 1 V), and the load current is several tens of amperes or more (for example, 100 A or more). In order to accommodate such low voltages and large currents, the multiphase power supply 30 is adopted as a power supply circuit. The multiphase power supply 30 steps down the input voltage Vin to a voltage corresponding to the core voltage of the processor, and outputs it as an output voltage Vout. The multiphase power supply 30 is a step-down DC-DC converter, and includes multiple power supply circuits 31, a capacitor 32, and a power supply control circuit 33.

[0031] The power supply circuits 31 are so-called switching power supply circuits. Each power supply circuit 31 has switching elements 311, 312 and an inductor 313. The switching elements 311, 312 are, for example, MOSFETs. The switching elements 311, 312 are connected in series between a power supply line to which an input voltage Vin is input and a ground (GND) line, with the switching element 311 on the high side. One end of the inductor 313 is connected to the connection point of the switching elements 311, 312.

[0032] The multiple power supply circuits 31 are provided in parallel with each other with respect to the control circuit 20, which is a load. The multiple power supply circuits 31 are connected in parallel with each other. Ends of the inductors 313 opposite to the above-mentioned connection point are connected to each other in the multiple power supply circuits 31. In this way, by paralleling the multiple power supply circuits 31, it is possible to increase the output current from the multiphase power supply 30, i.e., the load current. As an example, the multiphase power supply 30 of this embodiment includes four power supply circuits 31 (for four phases).

[0033] The capacitors 32 are provided between the outputs of the multiple power supply circuits 31 and the ground. The positive terminals of the capacitors 32 are connected to the commonly connected inductors 313, i.e., the inductors 313 of each phase. The positive terminals are also connected to the input terminals of the control circuit 20.

[0034] The power supply control circuit 33 executes voltage mode control, which is an existing technology, by feedback of the output voltage Vout, and controls the operation of the switching elements 311 and 312. In voltage mode control, the pulse width (duty ratio) of the PWM signal is determined based on the output voltage Vout, and the output voltage of the multiphase power supply 30, i.e., the input voltage of the control circuit 20, is controlled. Note that current mode control may be executed instead of voltage mode control.

[0035] The power supply control circuit 33 synchronously controls the multiple power supply circuits 31 so that the multiple power supply circuits 31 perform switching operations (drive) at different phases from each other. By using multiple phases in this way, it is possible to increase the switching frequency artificially even if the switching frequency is the same in the multiple power supply circuits 31. This makes it possible to reduce ripple in the output voltage and improve responsiveness.

[0036] The power supply control circuit 33 switches the power supply circuit 31 to be switched, i.e., the number of drive phases, depending on the load current. The power supply control circuit 33 compares the load current with a threshold current and increases and / or decreases the number of drive phases depending on the comparison result. The electronic control device 10 includes, for example, a detection resistor (not shown) that detects the load current. The detection resistor is provided in the connection line between the multiphase power supply 30 and the input terminal of the control circuit 20.

[0037] <First process executed by the control circuit> Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a process (first process) executed by the control circuit 20. Fig. 3 is a timing chart corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. 3 also shows a reference example in addition to an example of this embodiment (this example).

[0038] 2 and 3, when the control circuit 20 receives a wake-up signal in sleep mode, it starts a predetermined process. The control circuit 20 sets the sleep mode when, for example, the IG switch of the vehicle is turned off. The wake-up signal is generated when the IG switch is turned on. The control circuit 20 receives the wake-up signal via, for example, the communication circuit 41.

[0039] Since the processing load of the control circuit 20 in the sleep mode is low, the number of driving phases of the multi-phase power supply 30 is 1. If the control circuit 20 does not execute any processing in the sleep mode, the number of driving phases may be set to 0.

[0040] When the wake-up signal is acquired, the control circuit 20 first generates a switching signal that specifies the number of drive phases as a predetermined number and outputs it to the power supply control circuit 33. That is, the control circuit 20 instructs the power supply control circuit 33 on the number of drive phases (step S10). As an example, the control circuit 20 outputs a switching signal that specifies the number of drive phases as 4 (four phases) so that all power supply circuits 31 are driven (perform switching operations).

[0041] Next, the control circuit 20 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the number of drive phases was instructed (step S11). The predetermined time is the time required from the issuance of the instruction until the number of drive phases of the multi-phase power supply 30 is switched. The predetermined time is stored in advance in the memory of the control circuit 20. The control circuit 20 repeats the process of step S11 until the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0042] After a predetermined time has elapsed, the control circuit 20 first starts a startup process before starting vehicle control (step S12). The startup process from sleep mode involves a higher processing load than the sleep mode or the vehicle control mode. In this embodiment, the switching signal increases the actual number of drive phases of the multi-phase power supply 30 to a predetermined number specified before the startup process begins. Specifically, the number of drive phases increases from 1 to 4. Therefore, even if the load current increases suddenly as shown in FIG. 3 by executing the startup process, the fluctuation of the input voltage of the control circuit 20 can be kept within the range of the guaranteed operating voltage. The guaranteed operating voltage is approximately several percent to 10% of the processor core voltage (around 1 V). The control circuit 20 remains in a switchover standby state until the startup process begins.

[0043] Next, the control circuit 20 determines whether the startup process has been completed (step S13). The control circuit 20 repeats the process of step S13 until the startup process has been completed.

[0044] When the startup process is completed, the control circuit 20 starts vehicle control (step S14). For example, control in an autonomous driving mode or control in a fully manual mode corresponds to vehicle control. FIG. 3 illustrates control in an autonomous driving mode as an example of vehicle control. In the autonomous driving mode, the control circuit 20 automatically steers, accelerates, decelerates (in other words, brakes), and the like of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along roads to a destination set by the user.

[0045] Next, the control circuit 20 cancels the designation of the number of drive phases (step S15), and ends the series of processes. Since the designation of the predetermined number is canceled (the predetermined number is not specified), the actual number of drive phases of the multi-phase power supply 30 is controlled by the power supply control circuit 33. When automatic driving control is executed as vehicle control, the load current is large, so four phases are maintained.

[0046] As shown in the lower part of Figure 3, in the reference example, the control circuit does not output a switching signal, and the power supply control circuit of the multi-phase power supply switches the number of drive phases based on the load current. In other words, the control circuit starts the startup process after entering sleep mode without waiting for the switch. Because the control circuit executes the startup process, which involves a high processing load, while the number of drive phases of the multi-phase power supply remains at 1, the input voltage of the control circuit fluctuates significantly with a sudden increase in load current, falling below the guaranteed operating voltage. Then, the power supply control circuit detects the load current and switches the number of drive phases to 4, bringing the input voltage within the guaranteed operating voltage range. Thus, in the reference example, because the number of drive phases is switched after detecting the sudden increase in load current accompanying the start of the startup process, the input voltage of the control circuit fluctuates significantly and falls outside the guaranteed operating voltage range.

[0047] <Second process executed by the control circuit> Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing another example (second process) of the process executed by the control circuit 20. Fig. 5 is a timing chart corresponding to Fig. 4. Fig. 5, like Fig. 3, also shows a reference example together with this example.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , when the control circuit 20 receives a control switch trigger to switch to the automatic operation mode (high-load operation) in the fully manual operation mode (low-load operation), it starts a predetermined process. The control switch trigger corresponds to the switching of the operation mode described above and is generated in response to a user operation, a determination that automatic operation is possible based on sensing information, recovery from a fault, or the like. The control circuit 20 may receive the control switch trigger from an external source or may generate the trigger internally. That is, the control circuit 20 may use the receipt of a predetermined signal from outside the electronic control unit 10 as a trigger, or may use the estimation of a switch from a low-load state to a high-load state based on a signal received from outside the electronic control unit 10 as a trigger. Note that, because the processing load of the control circuit 20 in the fully manual mode is low, the number of drive phases of the multi-phase power supply 30 is two (two phases).

[0049] When the control switching trigger is acquired, the control circuit 20 executes the same process as in step S10. That is, the control circuit 20 first generates a switching signal that specifies the number of drive phases as a predetermined number and outputs it to the power supply control circuit 33, thereby instructing the power supply control circuit 33 on the number of drive phases (step S20). As an example, the control circuit 20 outputs a switching signal that specifies the number of drive phases as 4 (four phases) so that all power supply circuits 31 are driven (perform switching operations).

[0050] Next, the control circuit 20 executes the same process as in step S11. That is, the control circuit 20 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the number of drive phases was instructed (step S21). The control circuit 20 repeats the process of step S21 until the predetermined time has elapsed. The control circuit 20 remains in a state of waiting for switching until the automatic driving process is started.

[0051] After a predetermined time has elapsed, the control circuit 20 starts control in the automatic driving mode, that is, automatic driving processing (step S22). The automatic driving processing imposes a higher load on the vehicle than control in the fully manual driving mode (manual driving processing) or processing during sleep. Specifically, the control circuit 20 uses a high-performance arithmetic processing unit to recognize the surrounding conditions, estimate the vehicle's position, plan a route, etc. based on camera and sensor information, and controls the vehicle. Because processing such as recognition of the surrounding conditions, estimation of the vehicle's position, and route planning is not necessary in manual driving, the automatic driving processing imposes a higher load on the vehicle than manual driving processing, and the current consumption in the control circuit 20 increases significantly.

[0052] In this embodiment, the switching signal increases the actual number of drive phases of the multiphase power supply 30 to a predetermined number that was specified before the automatic operation process was started. Specifically, the number of drive phases is increased from 2 to 4. Therefore, even if the load current increases suddenly as shown in FIG. 5 by executing the automatic operation process, the fluctuation of the input voltage of the control circuit 20 can be kept within the guaranteed operating voltage range.

[0053] Next, the control circuit 20 determines whether to switch to the fully manual driving mode (step S23). The control circuit 20 repeats the process of step S23 until it receives a control switch trigger for switching from the automatic driving mode to the fully manual mode. In other words, it continues control in the automatic driving mode.

[0054] When the control trigger for switching to the fully manual driving mode is acquired, the control circuit 20 starts control in the fully manual driving mode, that is, starts manual driving processing (step S24). Then, the control circuit 20 cancels the designation of the number of driving phases (step S25) and ends the series of processing. For convenience, FIG. 5 shows the parts corresponding to steps S20 to S22.

[0055] In the reference example shown in the lower part of Figure 5, similar to the reference example in Figure 3, the control circuit does not output a switching signal, and the power supply control circuit of the multi-phase power supply switches the number of drive phases based on the load current. The control circuit starts manual operation processing (low-load processing) and then automatic operation processing (high-load processing) without waiting for the switch. Because the control circuit executes automatic operation processing with a high processing load while the number of drive phases of the multi-phase power supply remains at 2, the input voltage of the control circuit fluctuates significantly with a sudden increase in load current and falls below the guaranteed operating voltage. Then, the power supply control circuit detects the load current and switches the number of drive phases to 4, bringing the input voltage within the guaranteed operating voltage range. Thus, in the reference example, because the number of drive phases is switched after detecting a sudden increase in load current accompanying the start of automatic operation processing, the input voltage of the control circuit fluctuates significantly and falls outside the guaranteed operating voltage range.

[0056] <Summary of the First Embodiment> As described above, in the electronic control device 10 of this embodiment, the control circuit 20 that executes vehicle control includes an instruction unit 21 that instructs the multi-phase power supply 30 to set the number of drive phases to a predetermined number. In response to an instruction from the instruction unit 21, the control circuit 20 switches the number of drive phases to a number appropriate for a high-load state before starting a predetermined process for changing from a low-load state to a state with a higher load than the low-load state. The control circuit 20 can start the predetermined process with the number of drive phases of the multi-phase power supply 30 switched to the number of drive phases appropriate for the high-load state. Therefore, even if the control circuit 20 starts the predetermined process for changing to a high-load state and the load current increases suddenly, the input voltage of the control circuit 20 can be prevented from fluctuating significantly.

[0057] The control circuit 20 of this embodiment starts a predetermined process a predetermined time after instructing the multi-phase power supply 30 on the number of drive phases, thereby achieving the above-described effects while simplifying the circuit configuration.

[0058] The multi-phase power supply 30 of this embodiment switches the number of drive phases based on the load current (output current) during a period when the control circuit 20 does not issue an instruction to set the number of drive phases to a predetermined number. This makes it possible to suppress large fluctuations in the input voltage even during a period when there is no instruction from the control circuit 20.

[0059] The above-described examples show that the startup process and the automatic driving process correspond to the predetermined process. However, a process of the startup process that has a particularly high processing load may be the predetermined process. That is, a part of the startup process that has a low processing load may be started before the number of drive phases is switched, and a process that has a high processing load may be started after the number of drive phases is switched. Similarly, a process of the automatic driving process that has a particularly high processing load may be the predetermined process. That is, a part of the automatic driving process that has a low processing load may be started before the number of drive phases is switched, and a process that has a high processing load may be started after the number of drive phases is switched.

[0060] The control circuit 20 executes the first process and the second process described above, but is not limited to this, and the control circuit 20 may execute only the first process or only the second process.

[0061] (Second embodiment) This embodiment is a modification of the previous embodiment, and the description of the previous embodiment can be used. In the previous embodiment, the high-load processing is started after a predetermined time has elapsed. Instead, the actual number of drive phases may be detected, and the high-load processing may be started based on the detection result.

[0062] 6 is a diagram showing an electronic control device 10 according to this embodiment. The electronic control device 10 has a configuration substantially similar to that of the electronic control device 10 shown in the preceding embodiment (see FIG. 1). The electronic control device 10 differs from the preceding embodiment in that it includes a detection unit that detects the actual number of drive phases and a determination unit that determines whether the detected number of drive phases matches the number of drive phases instructed by the instruction unit 21.

[0063] The multiphase power supply 30 includes a detection unit 34. The detection unit 34 detects the number of power supply circuits 31 that are actually being driven (switching operation), that is, the actual number of drive phases. The detection unit 34 detects the current flowing through the inductor 313 of each power supply circuit 31 to detect the actual number of drive phases.

[0064] The control circuit 20 has a determination unit 22. The determination unit 22 acquires the detection result of the detection unit 34. The determination unit 22 determines whether the detected number of drive phases matches the number of drive phases instructed by the instruction unit 21. When the detected number of phases matches the instructed number of phases, the control circuit 20 starts the predetermined process described above.

[0065] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the control circuit 20. Fig. 7 corresponds to the processing (second processing) shown in Fig. 4.

[0066] The control circuit 20 executes step S21A instead of step S21 shown in Fig. 4. In step S21A, the control circuit 20 acquires the detection result of the detection unit 34 and determines whether the detected number of drive phases matches the number of drive phases instructed by the instructing unit 21. If they match, the control circuit 20 starts the process of step S22, that is, the automatic driving process. The processes other than step S21A are the same as the second process shown in Fig. 4.

[0067] Fig. 8 is a timing chart corresponding to Fig. 7. Fig. 8 corresponds to Fig. 5. In Fig. 8, a notification from the multi-phase power supply 30 to the control circuit 20 is added to Fig. 5. The control circuit 20 obtaining the detection result of the detection unit 34 corresponds to the notification from the multi-phase power supply 30 to the control circuit 20.

[0068] The control circuit 20 starts the automatic driving process (high load process) when the actual number of driving phases acquired from the detection unit 34 matches the number of driving phases designated by the switching signal. The rest is the same as in FIG. 5.

[0069] <Summary of the second embodiment> The electronic control device 10 of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as the configuration described in the preceding embodiment. For example, before the control circuit 20 starts a predetermined process to change from a low-load state to a state with a higher load than the low-load state, the control circuit 20 switches the number of drive phases of the multi-phase power supply 30 to a number of drive phases corresponding to the high-load state in advance. Therefore, even if the control circuit 20 starts the predetermined process to change to a high-load state and the load current increases suddenly, the input voltage of the control circuit 20 can be prevented from fluctuating significantly.

[0070] In this embodiment, unlike the previous embodiment, the control circuit 20 starts a predetermined process for a high load state after confirming that the number of drive phases of the multi-phase power supply has been switched as instructed. This more reliably suppresses large fluctuations in the input voltage of the control circuit 20. Furthermore, the predetermined process can be started immediately after switching the drive phase. This makes it possible to advance the start timing of the predetermined process while reliably suppressing fluctuations in the input voltage of the control circuit 20.

[0071] Although the example in which the determination using the actual number of drive phases is applied to the second process has been described, it is not limited to this. It may also be applied to the first process. In this case, instead of the process of step S11, a process similar to step S21A may be executed.

[0072] (Other embodiments) The disclosure in this specification and drawings, etc. is not limited to the exemplified embodiments. The disclosure encompasses the exemplified embodiments and modifications thereto by those skilled in the art. For example, the disclosure is not limited to the combinations of parts and / or elements shown in the embodiments. The disclosure can be implemented in various combinations. The disclosure can have additional parts that can be added to the embodiments. The disclosure encompasses the omission of parts and / or elements from the embodiments. The disclosure encompasses the substitution or combination of parts and / or elements between one embodiment and another embodiment. The disclosed technical scope is not limited to the description of the embodiments. Some disclosed technical scopes are defined by the claims, and should be interpreted as including all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0073] The disclosure in the specification, drawings, etc. is not limited by the claims. The disclosure in the specification, drawings, etc. encompasses the technical ideas described in the claims, and extends to more diverse and broader technical ideas than the technical ideas described in the claims. Therefore, various technical ideas can be extracted from the disclosure in the specification, drawings, etc. without being bound by the claims.

[0074] The electronic control unit 10 (autonomous driving ECU) may perform some or all of the driving operations on behalf of the user. The electronic control unit 10 may be configured to be able to switch between a fully manual mode, an assistance mode, and an autonomous driving mode. The control circuit 20 may specify the number of driving phases before switching to the assistance mode (assistance processing). The load of the assistance processing is higher than that of the manual driving processing but lower than that of the autonomous driving processing. Therefore, for example, a predetermined number may be specified that is smaller than that of the autonomous driving mode but larger than that of the fully manual driving mode.

[0075] The assistance mode corresponds to automation levels 1 and 2. The assistance mode is a driving mode in which the electronic control unit 10 (system) assists in at least one of steering operation and acceleration / deceleration operation. For example, the electronic control unit 10 may execute or assist in acceleration / deceleration control, while the user may execute other driving tasks. The electronic control unit 10 may assist in steering operation in addition to executing or assisting in acceleration / deceleration control. The electronic control unit 10 may execute acceleration / deceleration and steering control.

[0076] Although an example of an autonomous driving ECU has been shown as the electronic control device 10, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied to an ECU that includes a control circuit 20 that controls devices mounted on a vehicle, and in which the processing load of the control circuit 20 varies greatly.

[0077] The number of phases included in the multi-phase power supply 30, that is, the number of power supply circuits 31, is not limited to four. It may be any number. For example, it may be three phases, or five or more phases. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 10...Electronic control device, 20...control circuit, 21...instruction section, 22...judgment section, 30...Multiphase power supply, 31...power supply circuit, 311, 312...switching elements, 313...inductor, 32...Capacitor, 33...power supply control circuit, 34...detection unit, 40...input circuit, 41...Communication circuits, 42...Load drive circuit

Claims

1. a control circuit (20) for executing vehicle control; a multiphase power supply (30) having a power supply circuit (31) of multiple phases connected in parallel with each other and supplying power to the control circuit; The control circuit has an instruction unit (21) that instructs the multi-phase power supply to set the number of driving phases to a predetermined number, and before starting a predetermined process to change from a low load state to a state with a higher load than the low load state, switches the number of driving phases in advance to an electronic control device that corresponds to the high load state.

2. 2. The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit starts the predetermined process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the control circuit instructed the multiphase power supply to have a number of drive phases.

3. a detection unit (34) for detecting the actual number of driving phases in the multi-phase power supply; a determination unit (22) that determines whether the number of drive phases detected by the detection unit matches the number of drive phases instructed by the instruction unit, The electronic control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the two signals match, the control circuit starts the predetermined process.

4. a control circuit (20) for executing vehicle control; a multiphase power supply (30) that supplies power to the control circuit; The control circuit has an instruction unit (21) that instructs the multi-phase power supply to set the number of driving phases to a predetermined number, and before starting a predetermined process to change from a low load state to a state where the load is higher than the low load state, switches in advance to the number of driving phases corresponding to the high load state, a detection unit (34) for detecting the actual number of driving phases in the multi-phase power supply; a determination unit (22) that determines whether the number of drive phases detected by the detection unit matches the number of drive phases instructed by the instruction unit, When the signals match, the control circuit starts the predetermined process.

5. 5. The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein during a period in which the control circuit does not issue an instruction to set the number of drive phases to a predetermined number, the multiphase power supply switches the number of drive phases based on a load current output to the control circuit.

6. An electronic control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control circuit instructs the multi-phase power supply to set the number of drive phases to a predetermined number using the operating mode as a control switching trigger.

7. 6. The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit indicates the number of drive phases to the multiphase power supply when a predetermined signal is acquired from outside the electronic control device.

8. The electronic control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the control circuit estimates a switch from the low load state to the high load state based on a signal acquired from outside the electronic control device, it instructs the multi-phase power supply on the number of drive phases.

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