Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a control device for a vehicle that is able to improve cooling efficiency at the same time as properly cooling a plurality of devices, while restricting an increase in the size of a device configuration.SOLUTION: A control device 10 is cooled by a cooling circuit 21 of a vehicle 1 together with a drive train that is a cooling target portion. The control device 10 includes a first travel control unit that executes travel control for reducing a driving load of a driver and a second travel control unit that executes travel control for reducing a driving load of the driver more greatly than the first travel control unit. The control device 10 reduces output of the second travel control unit when a cooling load of the cooling target portion is equal to or greater than a predetermined load.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, research and development has been conducted to contribute to energy efficiency, ensuring that more people have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and advanced energy. Conventionally, a vehicle is known that includes a first cooling water passage for cooling the drive unit, a second cooling water passage for cooling the charger, a switching valve that switches the flow of cooling water to either the first cooling water passage or the second cooling water passage, and a control device that controls the switching valve depending on the state of the drive unit and the charger (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-48758 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in this technology, it is an issue to improve the cooling efficiency while appropriately cooling a plurality of devices, while preventing the device configuration from becoming large. For example, as in the vehicle described above, if the cooling of multiple devices is selectively switched between different modes, rather than simultaneously cooling multiple devices, the cooling operation of the entire system is limited. Furthermore, in the case of a cooling mechanism that supplies cooling medium to multiple devices in sequence by connecting the cooling pipes of multiple devices, such as an on-board charger and a power conversion device for driving, there is a risk that the cooling capacity will be insufficient for devices downstream in the cooling medium flow path.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present application aims to achieve an improvement in cooling efficiency while appropriately cooling multiple devices and preventing the device configuration from becoming large, thereby contributing to energy efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following aspects. (1): A vehicle control device (e.g., control device 10 in the embodiment) according to one aspect of the present invention includes a control unit (e.g., also functioning as control device 10 in the embodiment) that is cooled together with a cooling target (e.g., a drive train or a power storage device in the embodiment) by a cooling unit (e.g., cooling circuit 21 in the embodiment) of the vehicle (e.g., vehicle 1 in the embodiment), and the control unit includes a first control unit (e.g., first driving control unit 10b in the embodiment) that performs driving control to reduce the driving load on the driver, and a second control unit (e.g., second driving control unit 10c in the embodiment) that performs driving control to reduce the driving load on the driver to a greater extent than the first control unit, and reduces the output of the second control unit when the cooling load on the cooling target is equal to or greater than a predetermined load.

[0007] (2): In the vehicle control device described in (1) above, when reducing the output of the second control unit, the control unit may select a first state or a second state which has a greater processing load than the first state and in which the reduction in output is resolved more quickly than the first state.

[0008] (3) In the vehicle control device described in (1) or (2) above, the control unit and the cooling target may need to be cooled while the vehicle is traveling.

[0009] (4) In the vehicle control device described in (3) above, the control unit and the cooling target may be cooled in series by the cooling unit.

[0010] (5) In the vehicle control device described in (1) or (2) above, the cooling target may be a drive train of the vehicle (for example, the drive unit 24 in the embodiment).

[0011] (6): In the vehicle control device described in (3) above, the control unit may reduce the output of the second control unit in at least one of the following cases: when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, when the vehicle is towing, and when the vehicle is traveling uphill.

[0012] (7): In the vehicle control device described in (6) dependent on (2) above, the control unit may reduce the output of the second control unit in the second state when the vehicle is traveling on a highway.

[0013] (8): In the vehicle control device described in (6) or (7) dependent on (2) above, the control unit may reduce the output of the second control unit in the first state when the vehicle is towing.

[0014] (9): In the vehicle control device described in (6) which is dependent on (2) above, the control unit may reduce the output of the second control unit in the second state when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, when the vehicle is being towed, or when the vehicle is traveling uphill, and may reduce the output of the second control unit in the first state when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, when the vehicle is being towed, or when the vehicle is traveling uphill. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the above (1), by providing a control unit that reduces the output of the second control unit, which has a relatively large processing load, when the cooling load of the cooling target cooled by the cooling unit common to the control unit is large, it is possible to efficiently and continuously cool the cooling target and the control unit while preventing the cooling unit from becoming large. By maintaining the output of the first control unit, which has a relatively small processing load, it is possible to prevent an increase in the driving load of the driver.

[0016] In the case of (2) above, the control unit reduces the output of the second control unit depending on the first state or the second state, which differ in the magnitude of the processing load and the speed at which the output reduction is resolved, thereby being able to appropriately reduce the output of the second control unit according to the state of the vehicle.

[0017] In the case of (3) above, the cooling target part and the control part can be cooled simultaneously by a common cooling part while the vehicle is running.

[0018] In the case of (4) above, the cooling target and the control unit can be cooled simultaneously in series by a common cooling unit, which prevents the configuration of the cooling unit from becoming complicated compared to, for example, when the cooling target and the control unit are cooled in parallel.

[0019] In the case of (5) above, the drive train and the control unit, which require cooling while the vehicle is running, can be cooled simultaneously by a common cooling unit.

[0020] In the case of (6) above, when the cooling load of the cooling target increases as the vehicle's driving load increases, the output of the second control unit is reduced, thereby making it possible to efficiently and continuously cool the cooling target and the control unit while preventing the cooling unit from becoming larger.

[0021] In the case of (7) above, when the vehicle is traveling on a highway, the operating requirements of the second control unit are high, so by reducing the output of the second control unit in the second state more than in the first state, the driving load on the driver can be appropriately reduced.

[0022] In the case of (8) above, the possibility that the towing of the vehicle will be released while the vehicle is moving is low, and the likelihood that the driving load and the cooling load of the control unit will decrease while the vehicle is moving is low. Therefore, by reducing the output of the second control unit in the first state, the control unit can be cooled appropriately.

[0023] In the case of (9) above, the output of the second control unit can be reduced in stages or the like depending on the magnitude of the vehicle's running load and the cooling load of the control unit. When the cooling load of the control unit is relatively small, priority can be given to quickly resolving the output reduction by using the second state, and when the cooling load of the control unit is relatively large, priority can be given to cooling by using the first state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle temperature control system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a control device for a vehicle equipped with a temperature control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment. The vehicle 1 of the embodiment is, for example, an electric vehicle that performs driving assistance and autonomous driving, etc. The electric vehicle is an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, etc.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes, for example, a control unit (ECU) 10, a driving operator 11, a vehicle sensor 12, an object detection device 13, a positioning signal receiver 14, a memory device 15, a drive device 16, a braking device 17, and a steering device 18.

[0027] The control device 10 is a software functional unit that functions when a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executes a predetermined program. The software functional unit is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that includes a processor such as a CPU, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores data, and electronic circuits such as a timer. At least a part of the control device 10 may be an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration).

[0028] The control device 10 includes, for example, a calculation unit 10a, a first traveling control unit 10b, and a second traveling control unit 10c. The calculation unit 10a executes various calculation processes based on information acquired from, for example, the driving operation controls 11, the vehicle sensors 12, the object detection device 13, the positioning signal receiver 14, the storage device 15, and the like. Each of the first driving control unit 10b and the second driving control unit 10c controls the drive device 16, the brake device 17, and the steering device 18 so as to reduce the driving load on the driver when the vehicle 1 is traveling.

[0029] The first driving control unit 10b controls driving assistance operations such as cruise control, lane keeping assist, and collision damage mitigation braking, with the driver as the driving subject. Cruise control is, for example, control such as constant speed driving that maintains a constant speed of the vehicle 1 and follow-up driving that maintains a constant distance between the vehicle 1 and a preceding vehicle. Lane keeping assist is, for example, control that assists the vehicle 1 to drive in the center of the lane. Collision damage mitigation braking is, for example, control such as deceleration or stopping by braking before contact with an object, and control that assists avoidance operations by steering.

[0030] The second driving control unit 10c reduces the driving load on the driver relatively more than the first driving control unit 10b. The second driving control unit 10c controls, for example, autonomous driving that does not rely on the driver but does not involve the driver as the main driver. For example, when the first traveling control unit 10b and the second traveling control unit 10c operate without any restrictions, the power consumption of the second traveling control unit 10c is relatively greater than the power consumption of the first traveling control unit 10b.

[0031] The driving operators 11 are, for example, operators such as an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and a steering wheel. The driving operators 11 are equipped with, for example, sensors that detect the amount of operation of each operator or whether or not it is operated. Each sensor is, for example, an accelerator position sensor, a brake sensor, a steering sensor, etc. The accelerator position sensor detects accelerator operation, such as accelerator position, which changes in response to operation of an accelerator pedal (accelerator operator) by the driver of the vehicle 1, and outputs a detection signal of the accelerator operation. The brake sensor is, for example, a hydraulic pressure sensor or a stroke sensor, etc. The brake sensor detects, for example, the operation of the brake pedal (brake operator) by the driver of the vehicle 1 or the brake operation, which is the hydraulic pressure resulting from the operation of the brake pedal, and outputs a detection signal of the brake operation. The steering sensor is, for example, a torque sensor and a steering angle (rotation angle) sensor, etc. The steering sensor detects steering operation, such as torque and steering angle caused by operation of the steering wheel (steering operator) by the driver of the vehicle 1, and outputs a steering operation detection signal.

[0032] The vehicle sensors 12 include, for example, sensors that detect state quantities related to the speed of the vehicle 1, such as wheel speed sensors or rotation speed sensors, and sensors that detect inertial motion of the vehicle 1, such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The inertial motion of the vehicle 1 includes, for example, acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor and angular velocity detected by a gyro sensor.

[0033] The object detection device 13 includes, for example, a sonar, a radar device, a finder, a camera, etc. The finder is, for example, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The sonar, radar device, or finder emits, for example, ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, or light into the external environment around the vehicle 1 and detects reflection or scattering by the object, thereby detecting the distance to the object, the position of the object, etc. The camera is a digital camera equipped with a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), etc. The camera captures an image of the outside world of the vehicle 1 in the visible light region and the infrared region, and outputs image data obtained by the image capture.

[0034] The positioning signal receiver 14 includes, for example, an antenna for a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) such as a global positioning system (GPS). The positioning signal receiver 14 outputs information such as the position and attitude of the vehicle 1 by, for example, predetermined information obtained from the positioning signal received by the antenna or predetermined calculation based on the positioning signal. The storage device 15 stores, for example, map information. The map information includes, for example, information on road shapes using nodes and links, information on road shapes such as the number of lanes, curvature, width, and gradient, and information on road structures such as type, position, direction, and size.

[0035] The drive device 16 includes, for example, a power source, a power transmission mechanism, and a power controller. The power source is, for example, an electric motor and an internal combustion engine that output power for propelling the vehicle 1. The power transmission mechanism is, for example, a transmission that transmits the power of the power source to the drive wheels. The power controller is, for example, a power converter that controls the exchange of power between a power source and the electric motor. The drive device 16 controls the power for propelling the vehicle 1 in response to, for example, the operation of an accelerator operator by the driver or a signal input from the control device 10.

[0036] The brake device 17 includes a braking mechanism such as a hydraulic disc brake or drum brake, and an electric motor. The brake device 17 controls the electric motor in response to, for example, the operation of a brake operator by the driver or a signal input from the control device 10, and outputs brake torque to each wheel by the hydraulic pressure generated by the electric motor.

[0037] The steering device 18 includes a steering mechanism such as a rack and pinion mechanism and an electric motor. The steering device 18 controls the electric motor in response to, for example, the operation of a steering operator by the driver or a signal input from the control device 10, thereby changing the direction of the steered wheels.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the temperature adjustment system 20 of the vehicle 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature adjustment system 20 includes, for example, a cooling circuit 21, a radiator (RAD) 22, a pump 23, and a drive unit (DU) 24.

[0039] The cooling circuit 21 is, for example, a cooling circuit for a drive train system. The radiator 22 dissipates heat from a heat medium, for example, so-called cooling water such as a coolant liquid, flowing inside the cooling circuit 21, by exchanging heat with the surrounding air or a coolant. The pump 23 is, for example, an electric water pump, etc. The pump 23 sends out the heat medium to the cooling circuit 21. For example, the control device 10 and a drive unit 24 that constitutes a drive train are arranged in the cooling circuit 21 as parts of the vehicle 1 to be cooled. The drive unit 24 is disposed, for example, downstream of the control device 10 in the cooling circuit 21. The drive unit 24 includes, for example, a rotating electric machine that exchanges torque with the left and right wheels, a differential mechanism that connects the rotating electric machine with the left and right wheels, and a power controller such as an inverter and converter that controls the exchange of power with the rotating electric machine.

[0040] The control operation executed by the control device 10 of the vehicle 1 equipped with the temperature adjustment system 20 in this embodiment will be described below. The control device 10 regulates the output of the second driving control unit 10c in accordance with the cooling load of the cooling object in the vehicle 1. For example, when the cooling load of the cooling object other than the control device 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined load, the control device 10 regulates the output of the second driving control unit 10c. The cooling object other than the control device 10 is, for example, the drive train of the vehicle 1.

[0041] When restricting the output of the second traveling control unit 10c, the control device 10 controls the second traveling control unit 10c to the first state or the second state depending on the traveling state of the vehicle 1, for example. Each of the first state and the second state is, for example, a state in which the power consumption of the second traveling control unit 10c is reduced. The first state is, for example, a stopped state due to power off (no power supply), that is, a so-called shutdown state. The second state is a state in which the processing load is greater than that of the first state and the reduction in output is resolved more quickly than that of the first state. The second state is, for example, a standby, sleep, or operation suppression state after activation by power-on (with power supply), a so-called power saving state.

[0042] The control device 10 reduces the power consumption of the second driving control unit 10c when, for example, the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed above a predetermined speed on a highway or the like, the vehicle 1 is towing, or the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill. For example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, the control device 10 reduces the output of the second traveling control unit 10c in the second state. For example, when the vehicle 1 is towing, the control device 10 reduces the output of the second traveling control unit 10c in the first state. For example, the control device 10 reduces the power consumption of the second driving control unit 10c in the second state when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed above a predetermined speed, when the vehicle 1 is being towed, or when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill. For example, the control device 10 reduces the power consumption of the second driving control unit 10c in the first state when at least one of the following occurs: when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed above a predetermined speed; when the vehicle 1 is towing; or when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 10 of the vehicle 1 equipped with the temperature adjustment system 10 in the embodiment. 3, first, the control device 10 acquires the running state of the vehicle 1 (step S01). The control device 10 acquires the running state of the vehicle 1 based on, for example, information acquired from the driving operation controls 11, the vehicle sensors 12, the object detection device 13, the positioning signal receiver 14, the storage device 15, etc., and information obtained from various calculation processes of the calculation unit 10a. The running state of the vehicle 1 includes, for example, when the vehicle 1 is running at a high speed equal to or greater than a predetermined speed on a highway, when the vehicle 1 is being towed, when the vehicle 1 is running uphill, etc.

[0044] Next, the control device 10 acquires the cooling load of the drive train of the vehicle 1 (step S02). Next, the control device 10 determines whether the cooling load of the drive train of the vehicle 1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined load (step S03). If the result of this determination is "NO", the control device 10 advances the process to the end. On the other hand, if the result of this determination is "YES", the control device 10 advances the process to step S04.

[0045] Next, the control device 10 determines whether the running state of the vehicle 1 corresponds to the case where the second running control unit 10c is controlled to the first state (step S04). If the result of this determination is "NO", the control device 10 advances the process to step S06. On the other hand, if the result of this determination is "YES", the control device 10 advances the process to step S05. Next, the control device 10 controls the second traveling control unit 10c to the first state (step S05), and then the control device 10 advances the processing to the end. Furthermore, the control device 10 controls the second traveling control unit 10c to the second state (step S06), and then the control device 10 advances the processing to the end.

[0046] As described above, according to the control device 10 of the vehicle 1 equipped with the temperature adjustment system 20 of the embodiment, when the cooling load of the cooling target cooled by the cooling circuit 21 shared with the control device 10 is high, the output of the second driving control unit 10c, which has a relatively high processing load, is reduced. This makes it possible to efficiently and continuously cool the cooling target and the control device 10 while preventing the cooling circuit 21 from becoming large. By maintaining the output of the first driving control unit 10b, which has a relatively low processing load, it is possible to prevent an increase in the driving load on the driver. By continuously maintaining driving assistance operations such as following driving, lane keeping, and avoidance assistance by the first driving control unit 10b, it is possible to appropriately ensure the driving safety of the vehicle 1.

[0047] The control device 10 reduces the output of the second driving control unit 10c depending on the first state or the second state, which differ in the magnitude of the processing load and the speed at which the output reduction is resolved, thereby being able to appropriately reduce the output of the second driving control unit 10c according to the state of the vehicle 1. The drive train and control device 10, which require cooling while the vehicle 1 is running, can be cooled simultaneously by a common cooling circuit 21, and since the drive train and control device 10 are cooled simultaneously in series, the configuration of the cooling circuit 21 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0048] By reducing the output of the second driving control unit 10c when the cooling load of the drivetrain increases as the driving load of the vehicle 1 increases, the drivetrain and control device 10 can be efficiently and continuously cooled while preventing the cooling circuit 21 from becoming larger.

[0049] When the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, the operational requirements of the second driving control unit 10c are higher, so by reducing the output of the second driving control unit 10c in the second state more than in the first state, the driving load on the driver can be appropriately reduced. Since the towing of the vehicle 1 is unlikely to be released while the vehicle is traveling, and the traveling load and the cooling load of the control device 10 are unlikely to decrease while the vehicle is traveling, the control device 10 can be properly cooled by reducing the output of the second traveling control unit 10c in the first state.

[0050] By selecting the second state or the first state depending on one or more of the following: when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a high speed equal to or greater than a predetermined speed; when the vehicle 1 is towing; and when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill, the output of the second traveling control unit 10c can be reduced in stages or the like depending on the magnitude of the traveling load of the vehicle 1 and the cooling load of the control device 10. When the cooling load of the control device 10 is relatively small, priority can be given to quickly resolving the output reduction by using the second state, and when the cooling load of the control device 10 is relatively large, priority can be given to cooling by using the first state.

[0051] (Variation) Modifications of the embodiment will be described below. Note that the same parts as those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted or simplified. In the above-described embodiment, the control device 10 selects the second state when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, but this is not limiting. For example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, the control device 10 may prioritize the selection of the second state and select the first state depending on the magnitude of the traveling load and the processing load. In the above-described embodiment, when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill, the control device 10 may switch the selection between the first state and the second state depending on the magnitude of the inclination angle.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, the part to be cooled of the vehicle 1 is the drive train, but this is not limiting. For example, the part to be cooled of the vehicle 1 may be at least one of the drive train and a power storage device such as a battery mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0053] The embodiments of the present invention are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are intended to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1...vehicle, 10...control device (control unit), 10a...calculation unit, 10b...first driving control unit (first control unit), 10c...second driving control unit (second control unit), 11...driving operator, 12...vehicle sensor, 13...object detection device, 14...positioning signal receiver, 15...storage device, 16...drive unit, 17...brake unit, 18...steering unit, 21...cooling circuit (cooling unit), 22...radiator, 24...drive unit (drive train).

Claims

1. a control unit that is cooled together with the cooling target by a cooling unit of the vehicle; The control unit a first control unit that executes driving control to reduce a driving load on a driver; a second control unit that executes driving control to reduce the driving load of the driver to a greater extent than the first control unit; reducing the power consumption of the second control unit when the cooling load of the cooling target is equal to or greater than a predetermined load; The cooling target is a drive train of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

2. The control unit When reducing the power consumption of the second control unit, First state or A second state is selected, in which the processing load is greater than that of the first state and the reduction in power consumption is resolved more quickly than that of the first state. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit and the cooling target unit require cooling while the vehicle is running. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control unit and the cooling target unit are cooled in series by the cooling unit. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

5. The control unit The power consumption of the second control unit is reduced in at least one of the cases where the vehicle is traveling at high speed, where the vehicle is towing, and where the vehicle is traveling uphill. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

6. The control unit When the vehicle is traveling on a highway, the second state reduces the power consumption of the second control unit.

6. A vehicle control device according to claim 5 dependent on claim 2.

7. The control unit When the vehicle is towing, the first state reduces the power consumption of the second control unit.

7. A vehicle control device according to claim 5 or 6, dependent on claim 2.

8. The control unit reducing power consumption of the second control unit in the second state when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, when the vehicle is being towed, or when the vehicle is traveling uphill; The power consumption of the second control unit is reduced in the first state in at least one of a case where the vehicle is traveling at high speed, a case where the vehicle is towing, and a case where the vehicle is traveling uphill.

6. A vehicle control device according to claim 5 dependent on claim 2.

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