Vehicle condition determination device

Abstract

To accurately determine on a vehicle whether or not a power transmission device has been exchanged.SOLUTION: A vehicle state determination device is mounted on a vehicle together with an engine, a power transmission device which is lubricated by oil and transmits power from at least the engine to a drive shaft, and a battery connected to a power line. When a system of the vehicle is activated and a prescribed operation is performed after activating the engine, the vehicle state determination device determines that an oil adjustment control mode for supplying oil throughout the power transmission device after an exchange of oil has been performed. When there is a history of execution of the oil adjustment control mode and there is a history of removal of the battery from the power line between a prescribed time before the execution of the oil adjustment control mode and when the oil adjustment control mode was executed, the vehicle state determination device determines that the power transmission device has been exchanged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A conventional vehicle condition determination device of this type is one that is mounted on a vehicle together with an engine, a power transmission device that transmits power from the engine to a drive shaft, and a battery (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This device receives maintenance information stored in an external server via communication, and determines that the power transmission device has been replaced if the received maintenance information includes an update to the power transmission device replacement record. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-93791 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In an environment where communication with an external server is not possible, the vehicle condition determination device described above cannot receive maintenance information from the server, making it impossible to accurately determine whether the power transmission device has been replaced.

[0005] The main object of the vehicle state determination device of the present invention is to accurately determine whether or not a power transmission device has been replaced in a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle state determination device of the present invention employs the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The vehicle state determination device of the present invention comprises: A vehicle state determination device is mounted on a vehicle together with an engine, a power transmission device lubricated with oil and configured to transmit power from the engine to a drive shaft, and a battery connected to a power line, and determines that an oil adjustment control mode has been executed to distribute oil through the power transmission device after an oil change when a predetermined operation is performed after a system start-up of the vehicle and the engine is started, When there is a history of the oil adjustment control mode being executed and there is a history of the battery being disconnected from the power line from a predetermined time before the oil adjustment control mode is executed until the oil adjustment control mode is executed, it is determined that the power transmission device has been replaced. The gist of this is as follows.

[0008] The vehicle state determination device of the present invention determines that the power transmission device has been replaced if there is a history of the oil adjustment control mode being executed and if there is a history of the battery being disconnected from the power line from a predetermined time before the oil adjustment control mode is executed until the oil adjustment control mode is executed. As a result, it is possible to accurately determine in the vehicle that the power transmission device has been replaced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a vehicle 20 equipped with a vehicle state determination device for an engine as an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a determination routine executed by the ECU 30. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Next, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described using examples. [Example]

[0011] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a vehicle 20 equipped with a vehicle state determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle 20 of the embodiment includes an engine 22, a starter motor 24, a battery 25, a transmission 26, and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU") 30. The ECU 30 mainly serves as the vehicle state determination device of the embodiment.

[0012] The engine 22 is configured as an internal combustion engine that outputs power using, for example, gasoline or diesel as fuel. The starter motor 24 is connected to a crankshaft 23, which serves as the output shaft of the engine 22, and cranks the engine 22. The battery 25 is connected to a power line 25a. The power line 25a is connected to an alternator (not shown) attached to the crankshaft 23 of the engine 22 via a belt, the starter motor 24, and other accessories (for example, an air conditioning compressor). The battery 25 is charged via the power line 25a with power generated by the alternator and supplies power to the starter motor 24 and other accessories. The engine 22 and the starter motor 24 are controlled by an ECU 30.

[0013] The transmission 26 includes an automatic transmission (not shown) having a plurality of gears and an output shaft coupled to a drive shaft 28 which is connected to the drive wheels DW via a differential gear DF, and a torque converter (not shown) connected between the crankshaft 23 and the input shaft of the transmission, and outputs power from the engine 22 at a variable speed to the drive shaft 28. The plurality of gears of the automatic transmission are configured to scoop up lubricating oil stored in an oil pan (not shown) as they rotate. The transmission 26 is controlled by an ECU 30.

[0014] Although not shown, the ECU 30 is configured as a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, and input / output ports. Signals from various sensors are input to the ECU 30 via the input ports.

[0015] Examples of signals input to ECU 30 include an ignition signal from ignition switch 40, a shift position SP from a shift position sensor 42 that detects the operating position of shift lever 41, an accelerator opening Acc from an accelerator pedal position sensor that detects the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal, a brake depression amount BP from a brake pedal position sensor that detects the amount of depression of the brake pedal, and vehicle speed from a vehicle speed sensor. The shift position SP includes a parking position (P position) used when parking, a reverse position (R position) for reverse travel, a neutral position (N position), a forward position (D position) for forward travel, etc.

[0016] Various control signals are output via an output port from the ECU 30. Examples of the signals output from the ECU 30 include a control signal to the engine 22, a control signal to the starter motor 24, and a control signal to the transmission 26.

[0017] In the vehicle 20 of the embodiment configured as described above, the ECU 30 sets the target gear Gs* of the transmission 26 based on the accelerator pedal position Acc and the vehicle speed V, and controls the transmission 26 so that the gear Gs of the transmission 26 becomes the target gear Gs*. The ECU 30 also sets a target torque Te* of the engine 22 based on the accelerator pedal position Acc, the vehicle speed V, and the gear Gs of the transmission 26, and performs intake air amount control, fuel injection control, ignition control, etc. of the engine 22 so that the engine 22 is operated based on the target torque Te*.

[0018] In the vehicle 20 of the embodiment, after the ignition switch 40 is turned on to start the system of the vehicle 20, the ECU 30 determines that the oil adjustment control mode for distributing lubricating oil throughout each gear of the transmission 26 has been executed when the engine 22 is started with the brake pedal depressed and a predetermined shift operation is performed. The ECU 30 then stores the execution of the oil adjustment control mode and the date and time of execution of the oil adjustment control mode in the flash memory as a first history. In the oil adjustment control mode, the engine 22 is operated at a predetermined rotation speed (e.g., the idle rotation speed when the engine 22 is idling). An example of the predetermined shift operation is to slowly move the shift lever 41 from the P position to the D position, and then repeatedly switch the shift lever 41 between the N position and the D position multiple times within a predetermined time. In the oil adjustment control mode, by operating the shift lever 41 while the engine 22 is running, oil can be distributed throughout the transmission 26. The oil adjustment control mode is executed after the lubricating oil in the transmission 26 has been changed at a repair shop or the like.

[0019] In the vehicle 20 of the embodiment, when a current sensor (not shown) attached to the power line 25a detects that the current supplied from the battery 25 to the power line 25a has become zero, the ECU 30 determines that the battery 25 has been removed from the power line 25a, and stores the fact that the battery 25 has been removed and the date and time of removal in the flash memory as a second history.

[0020] Next, the operation of the vehicle 20 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described, particularly the operation when determining whether the transmission 26 has been replaced. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a determination routine executed by the ECU 30. This routine is executed when the ignition switch 40 is turned on and the vehicle 20 system is started up.

[0021] When this routine is executed, the CPU of the ECU 30 determines whether or not the first history, i.e., the history of the oil adjustment control mode being executed, is stored in the flash memory (step S100). If the first history is not stored in the flash memory, this routine is terminated.

[0022] When the first history is stored in the flash memory, a determination is made based on the second history stored in the flash memory as to whether the battery 25 was removed from a predetermined time tref before the oil adjustment control mode was executed until the oil adjustment control mode was executed (step S110). Here, the predetermined time tref can be 24 hours, 48 ​​hours, 72 hours, or the like. When only the lubricating oil in the transmission 26 is changed without replacing the transmission 26, it is considered that the lubricating oil is drained from the transmission 26 and refilled with new lubricating oil while the battery 25 is attached to the power line 25a, and then the oil adjustment mode is executed. When replacing the transmission 26, in order to protect the operator performing the replacement, it is considered that the battery 25 is removed before replacing the transmission 26, the lubricating oil in the transmission 26 is drained, the transmission 26 is removed from the vehicle body, the new transmission 26 is attached to the vehicle body, refilled with lubricating oil, the battery 25 is attached to the power line 25a, and then the oil adjustment mode is executed. In other words, if the battery 25 is disconnected from the power line 25a before the oil adjustment control mode is executed, it can be determined that the transmission 26 has been replaced. When replacing the transmission 26, the battery 25 may be disconnected several days before or immediately before the new transmission 26 is attached to the vehicle body. Taking this into consideration, the embodiment determines whether there is a history of the battery 25 being disconnected from the predetermined time tref before the oil adjustment control mode is executed until the oil adjustment control mode is executed.

[0023] If there is no history of the battery 25 being removed from the predetermined time tref before the oil adjustment control mode is executed until the oil adjustment control mode is executed in step S110, this routine is ended.

[0024] If there is a history of battery 25 being removed from the predetermined time tref before the oil adjustment control mode is executed in step S110 until the oil adjustment control mode is executed, it is determined that transmission 26 has been replaced (step S120), and this routine ends. This determination process makes it possible to accurately determine whether transmission 26 has been replaced in vehicle 20.

[0025] According to the vehicle 20 equipped with the vehicle state determination device of the embodiment described above, if there is a history of the oil adjustment control mode being executed and there is a history of the battery 25 being disconnected from the power line 25a from a predetermined time tref before the oil adjustment control mode is executed until the oil adjustment control mode is executed, it is determined that the transmission 26 has been replaced, and the vehicle 20 can accurately determine whether the transmission 26 has been replaced.

[0026] In the vehicle 20 equipped with the vehicle state determination device of the embodiment, the transmission 26 includes an automatic transmission and a torque converter. However, the transmission 26 may include a continuously variable transmission instead of the automatic transmission and the torque converter.

[0027] In the embodiment, the present invention is illustrated as being applied to a vehicle 20 including an engine 22, a transmission 26, and a battery 25. However, the present invention can be applied to any vehicle including an engine, an oil-lubricated power transmission device that transmits power from the engine to a drive shaft, and a battery. For example, the present invention may be applied to a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a first motor, a sun gear, a ring gear, a planetary gear as a power transmission device in which the first motor, drive shaft, and engine are connected to a carrier, respectively, a second motor connected to the drive shaft, and a battery that exchanges power with the first and second motors, and in which the planetary gear is lubricated with oil. The present invention may also be applied to a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a motor connected to the engine via a clutch, and a transmission as a power transmission device connected between the motor and the drive shaft, and in which the transmission is lubricated with oil.

[0028] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem will be described below. In the embodiment, the ECU 30 corresponds to the "vehicle state determination device."

[0029] The correspondence between the main elements of the Examples and the main elements of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section does not limit the elements of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section, since the Examples are examples for specifically explaining the mode for implementing the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section should be based on the description in that section, and the Examples are merely specific examples of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section.

[0030] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be carried out in various forms within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0031] The present invention can be used in the manufacturing industry of vehicle state determination devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 20 vehicle, 22 engine, 23 crankshaft, 24 starter motor, 25 battery, 26 transmission, 28 drive shaft, 30 electronic control unit (ECU), 40 ignition switch, 41 shift lever, 42 shift position sensor, DF differential gear, DW drive wheel.

Claims

[Claim 1] A vehicle state determination device is mounted on a vehicle together with an engine, a power transmission device lubricated with oil and configured to transmit power from the engine to a drive shaft, and a battery connected to a power line, and determines that an oil adjustment control mode has been executed to distribute oil through the power transmission device after an oil change when a predetermined operation is performed after a system start-up of the vehicle and the engine is started, When there is a history of the oil adjustment control mode being executed and there is a history of the battery being disconnected from the power line from a predetermined time before the oil adjustment control mode is executed until the oil adjustment control mode is executed, it is determined that the power transmission device has been replaced. Vehicle condition determination device.

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