Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device which can improve operability and readiness at the time of selection operation by a user.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device 10 comprises: a traveling environment detection part 11; and an ECU 12 as a controller. The ECU 12 acquires traveling environment information representing the traveling environment detected by the traveling environment detection part 11. The ECU 12 determines whether a vehicle 1 is in an off-load traveling state that the vehicle travels on a bad road based on the traveling environment information. The ECU 12 determines, when the vehicle is in the off-load traveling state, an applicable traveling support function when the vehicle 1 travels on the bad road. The ECU 12 changes a display mode to decrease operation frequency to select and operate the determined traveling support function relative to a case that the vehicle is not in the off-road traveling state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A conventional vehicle control device is known, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The conventional vehicle control device includes a first operation unit for switching between drive modes and a second operation unit for switching between off-road modes. The conventional vehicle control device also includes a detection unit that detects the position of the transfer device, a setting unit that sets the driving mode based on the detected position and input operations to the first operation unit and the second operation unit, and a display control unit that displays the drive mode and the driving mode on a multiple display unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-153272 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, vehicles have been equipped with driving assistance functions that assist drivers when driving on rough roads. However, selection of whether to turn on or off a driving assistance function is often required while driving on rough roads, such as roads with steep gradients or large unevenness. Therefore, operability is required that allows accurate selection and operation even when the vehicle is tilted forward, backward, left, or right, or when the vehicle is vibrating and shaking the driver. Quick response is also required to deal with sudden changes in road surface while driving on rough roads.

[0005] On the other hand, with the recent trend toward multifunctional vehicle cockpits and the expansion of connected services, there is a tendency for many functions to be concentrated in devices that can be configured with soft switches. In this case, placing soft switches for infrequently used driving assistance functions in a higher display hierarchy within the device or displaying them in a large, easy-to-operate display size will affect the use of other, more frequently used functions. Therefore, soft switches for driving assistance functions are often placed in a lower display hierarchy within the device or displayed in a small display size, which impairs operability and responsiveness when using the driving assistance functions.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can improve operability and quick response when a driver performs a selection operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle control device of the present invention is applied to a vehicle including a differential gear that distributes driving force generated by a driving force source to each of the driving wheels and can absorb differences in rotational speed between the driving wheels, and a braking device that generates braking force to each of the driving wheels and can make the magnitude of the braking force different from one another. The vehicle control device of the present invention includes a driving environment detection unit and a controller. The driving environment detection unit detects the driving environment of the vehicle. The controller controls the display mode of an operation panel on which driving assistance functions that can change the operating states of the driving force source, the braking device, and the differential gear according to the driving environment are selected and operated, and changes and controls the operating states corresponding to the selected driving assistance functions. The controller then acquires driving environment information representing the detected driving environment. The controller also determines whether the vehicle is in an off-road driving state based on the driving environment information. If the vehicle is in an off-road driving state, the controller determines driving assistance functions that are applicable when the vehicle is traveling on a rough road. The controller also changes the display mode so that the number of operations required to select and operate the determined driving assistance function is reduced compared to when the vehicle is not in an off-road driving state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when the vehicle is in an off-road driving state, the controller can change the display mode of the operation panel so as to reduce the number of operations required to select the determined driving assistance function. This allows the driver to select the driving assistance function with accurate operability and quick response. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle and a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart of a display mode change program. [Figure 3] 10 is a table showing determination factors for a driving support function. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the display and operation of a soft switch before the display mode is changed. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the display and operation of the soft switch after the display mode has been changed. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of a display mode change program according to a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A vehicle control device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In addition to the embodiment described below, the present invention can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0011] The vehicle control device 10 is applied to a vehicle 1 shown in Fig. 1. The vehicle 1 is equipped with wheels 2. The wheels 2 are made up of a right front wheel 21, a left front wheel 22, a right rear wheel 23, and a left rear wheel 24. In order to transmit driving force, more specifically, driving torque, to each of the wheels 2, the vehicle 1 is also equipped with an engine 3, a transmission 4, and differential devices, namely a center differential 5, a front differential 6, and a rear differential 7.

[0012] The engine 3 is a driving force source for the vehicle 1. The driving torque generated by the engine 3 is transmitted to the transmission 4. The input shaft of the transmission 4 is connected to the engine 3. The output shaft of the transmission 4 is connected to a center differential 5. This allows the driving torque to be distributed from the output shaft of the transmission 4 to each of the wheels 2.

[0013] Specifically, the drive torque is distributed from the transmission 4 to the right front wheel 21 and the left front wheel 22 via the center differential 5 and the front differential 6. The drive torque is also distributed from the transmission 4 to the right rear wheel 23 and the left rear wheel 24 via the center differential 5 and the rear differential 7. In other words, the vehicle 1 is a four-wheel drive vehicle in which the right front wheel 21, the left front wheel 22, the right rear wheel 23, and the left rear wheel 24 can be drive wheels.

[0014] Here, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a transfer switch 8 located inside the vehicle cabin. This allows the driver to switch between a "HI range" for normal driving and a "LOW range" for driving on rough roads. In the vehicle 1, for example, the center differential 5 is configured to perform the transfer function of the "HI range" or "LOW range."

[0015] The front differential 6 can absorb the difference in rotation speed between the right front wheel 21 and the left front wheel 22. The rear differential 7 can absorb the difference in rotation speed between the right rear wheel 23 and the left rear wheel 24. And the center differential 5 can absorb the difference in rotation speed between the right front wheel 21 and the left front wheel 22 and the right rear wheel 23 and the left rear wheel 24.

[0016] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a braking device 9 for generating braking force on each of the drive wheels 2. The braking device 9 includes a right front wheel brake 91, a left front wheel brake 92, a right rear wheel brake 93, a left rear wheel brake 94, a hydraulic oil pressurizing device 95, and brake piping 96.

[0017] The hydraulic fluid pressurizing device 95 includes a reservoir tank that stores hydraulic fluid and a master cylinder that pressurizes the hydraulic fluid. The reservoir tank and master cylinder are not shown. The hydraulic fluid pressurizing device 95 adjusts the pressure (hydraulic oil pressure) of the hydraulic fluid applied to each of the brake pipes 96 in response to instructions from, for example, the ECU 12 (described later) or another ECU. This allows the hydraulic fluid pressurizing device 95 to generate braking forces of different magnitudes in each of the right front wheel brake 91, left front wheel brake 92, right rear wheel brake 93, and left rear wheel brake 94.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle control device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 1. The vehicle control device 10 includes a driving environment detection unit 11 and an ECU 12 as a controller.

[0019] The driving environment detection unit 11 detects the driving environment of the vehicle 1 and outputs driving environment information indicating the detected driving environment to the ECU 12. The driving environment detection unit 11 is configured to include a wheel speed sensor 111, a wheel speed sensor 112, a wheel speed sensor 113, and a wheel speed sensor 114.

[0020] The wheel speed sensor 111 detects the wheel speed, which is the rotation speed of the right front wheel 21. The wheel speed sensor 112 detects the wheel speed, which is the rotation speed of the left front wheel 22. The wheel speed sensor 113 detects the wheel speed, which is the rotation speed of the right rear wheel 23. The wheel speed sensor 114 detects the wheel speed, which is the rotation speed of the left rear wheel 24.

[0021] The driving environment detection unit 11 is configured to include an acceleration sensor 115, a current position detection sensor 116, a road surface condition detection sensor 117, and a transfer select sensor 118. The acceleration sensor 115 detects the acceleration of the vehicle 1. Here, the acceleration sensor 115 is configured to detect acceleration in the up and down direction of the vehicle 1 in addition to the front, rear, left and right directions of the vehicle 1.

[0022] The current position detection sensor 116 is equipped with, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, and detects the current position of the vehicle 1 based on the received signal. The road surface condition detection sensor 117 is equipped with, for example, a stereo camera or a LiDAR, and detects the condition of the road surface in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. Here, the road surface condition detection sensor 117 detects road surface irregularities, undulations, ruts, steep downhill slopes, etc. as the road surface condition. The road surface condition detection sensor 117 can also detect whether the road surface is rocky, sandy, muddy, deep snow, gravel, etc.

[0023] The transfer select sensor 118 detects the operation state of the transfer switch 8. Specifically, the transfer select sensor 118 detects whether the transfer switch 8 is in the "HI range" or "LOW range."

[0024] The driving environment detection unit 11 may also include an engine sensor 3a and a brake sensor 95a. The engine sensor 3a includes a throttle valve opening sensor, an engine rotation speed sensor, an intake air amount sensor, etc. The brake sensor 95a is a sensor that detects the hydraulic oil pressure of the master cylinder of the hydraulic oil pressurizing device 95 and the hydraulic oil pressure of each of the brake piping 96.

[0025] Furthermore, the driving environment detection unit 11 can also detect the operating state of off-road related functions other than the own function for driving the vehicle 1 on rough roads. Here, an example of the off-road related function other than the own function is a separately installed winch function. For example, when the winch function is operating to allow the vehicle 1 to escape from mud, the driving environment detection unit 11 outputs the winch function operating state to the ECU 12.

[0026] The ECU 12 is an electronic control unit that includes, as its main element, a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, and various interfaces. The CPU sequentially executes predetermined programs to read data, perform numerical calculations, and output the calculation results. The ROM stores programs and maps executed by the CPU. The RAM temporarily stores data, etc. The various interfaces are connected to the driving environment detection unit 11.

[0027] Furthermore, the ECU 12 is connected to a display device 30 serving as an operation panel. The display device 30 can be exemplified by a touch panel display. The display device 30 displays maps, images, videos (multimedia), etc., on any of a plurality of display layers, and displays touch-operable soft switches 31 for selecting driving support functions (described later).

[0028] The display device 30 detects touch operations by the driver and passengers (hereinafter referred to as "users"). When the display device 30 detects contact with the user's finger, it outputs a detection signal indicating the contact position, contact range, etc. to the ECU 12. Based on the information included in the detection signal from the display device 30, the ECU 12 calculates the finger contact position on the display device 30, the finger movement direction, finger movement distance, finger contact time, etc.

[0029] Note that a display (device) other than a touch panel display can be used as the operation panel. In this case, the user, particularly the driver, can use, for example, a touch pad or steering switch mounted on the vehicle 1 to move a cursor and perform a selection operation (click operation, etc.) on a display button or the like for selecting a displayed driving assistance function.

[0030] In this embodiment, the ECU 12 can control the engine 3 and braking device 9 of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the ECU 12 determines the required drive torque based on the accelerator operation amount, acceleration, vehicle speed, etc. Furthermore, the ECU 12 controls the engine output of the engine 3 and the gear ratio of the transmission 4 so that the actual drive torque matches the required drive torque.

[0031] Here, the ECU 12 sets the gear ratio in principle according to the operation state of the transfer switch 8. That is, when the "LO range" is selected and the vehicle 1 is in an off-road driving state where it is traveling on a rough road, the ECU 12 sets the gear ratio to a larger value than when the "HI range" is selected and the vehicle 1 is in an on-road driving state where it is traveling on a good road (paved road).

[0032] The ECU 12 also determines a required deceleration based on the brake operation amount, the speed and acceleration of each wheel, etc. Furthermore, the ECU 12 generates a braking force on each of the wheels 2 so that the actual deceleration matches the required deceleration. That is, the ECU 12 determines a target value (target hydraulic pressure) of the hydraulic pressure to be applied to each of the braking devices 9, and further controls the hydraulic oil pressurizing device 95 so that the actual hydraulic pressure applied to each of the braking devices 9 matches the target hydraulic pressure.

[0033] Furthermore, when the vehicle 1 is in a driving environment where it is traveling on a rough road, that is, when it is in an off-road driving state, the ECU 12 executes a driving assistance function that is applicable when traveling on a rough road. Specifically, the ECU 12 executes the applicable driving assistance function by controlling (changing) the operating states of the engine 3, transmission 4, center differential 5, front differential 6, rear differential 7, and braking device 9. In this case, the ECU 12 executes the driving assistance function that is selected and operated by a user, particularly a driver, using a soft switch 31 displayed on the display device 30.

[0034] Here, an example of the driving assistance function is "DAC (Downhill Assist Control)," which maintains a constant speed to ensure stability when the vehicle 1 travels off-road on steep downhill slopes. Another example of the driving assistance function is "CRAWL," which maintains a constant speed when the vehicle 1 travels on uneven rocky roads or steep downhill slopes off-road, achieving both stability and drivability. Another example of the driving assistance function is "MTS (Multi Terrain Select)," which optimizes characteristics such as drive force and traction control according to the road surface when the vehicle 1 travels on rocky roads, sand, mud, deep snow, gravel, etc., to ensure drivability. Another example of the driving assistance function is "TA (Turn Assist)," which improves maneuverability and reduces the number of turning operations when the vehicle 1 travels on switchback mountain roads where multiple turns are required.

[0035] Specifically, when "DAC" and "CRAWL" are executed, the ECU 12 coordinates the engine 3 and the brake device 9 to maintain the vehicle 1 at a constant low speed. In this case, the ECU 12 controls, for example, the center differential 5 etc. to be in a differential lock state (differential prohibited state) as necessary, so that the vehicle 1 travels while generating appropriate driving force and braking force. Note that the center differential 5 etc. can also be changed to a differential lock state by, for example, the user operating a differential lock switch installed in the vehicle cabin.

[0036] Furthermore, when "MTS" is executed, the ECU 12 coordinates the engine 3 and the braking device 9 in accordance with the road surface conditions to drive the vehicle 1. In this case, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on sandy or muddy ground, for example, the running resistance increases and there is a possibility that the wheels 2 may spin, so the ECU 12 controls to reduce the frequency of intervention by the traction control.

[0037] Furthermore, when "TA" is executed, the ECU 12 causes the vehicle 1 to travel while applying braking force to each wheel 2 via the braking device 9 in accordance with the shape of the road surface, such as the size of the curve. In this case, when the vehicle 1 travels around a tight corner that is difficult to traverse without turning, for example, the ECU 12 controls the braking device 9 to apply a large braking force to the right rear wheel 23 or the left rear wheel 24 on the inside of the turn in order to improve the turning ability of the vehicle 1. Note that "DAC", "CRAWL", "MTS", and "TA" are well-known functions, and detailed explanations of these will be omitted.

[0038] Next, a description will be given of a display mode change program executed by the ECU 12. The ECU 12 executes the display mode change program shown in the flowchart of FIG.

[0039] The ECU 12 (more specifically, the CPU of the microcomputer that constitutes the ECU 12) starts executing a display mode change program in step S10. In the following step S11, the ECU 12 determines whether the vehicle 1 is in an off-road driving state based on the driving environment information acquired from the driving environment detection unit 11. For example, if the transfer switch 8 is set to the "LOW range," the ECU 12 determines (estimates) that there is a high possibility that the vehicle 1 is in an off-road driving state where the vehicle 1 is traveling on a rough road, and executes the processing of step S12.

[0040] On the other hand, if the vehicle is not in an off-road driving state, the ECU 12 determines "No" and does not change the display mode of the soft switch 31 in step S16. Then, the ECU 12 temporarily ends the execution of the program in step S17.

[0041] In the next step S12, the ECU 12 determines whether the display mode change function is "ON," i.e., whether an instruction to change the display mode of the soft switch 31 in an off-road driving state has been issued. If the display mode change function is "ON," the ECU 12 determines "Yes" and executes the processing of step S13. Here, the display mode change function is set to "ON" as an initial value, for example, and can be changed to "OFF" by the user by touching the display device 30.

[0042] On the other hand, if the display mode change function is not "ON", i.e., is set to "OFF", the ECU 12 determines "No" and does not change the display mode of the soft switch 31 in step S16. Then, the ECU 12 temporarily ends the execution of the program in step S17.

[0043] In step S13, the ECU 12 compares the driving environment represented by the driving environment information acquired in step S11 with a plurality of determination factors for determining the driving support function shown in Fig. 3. Then, the ECU 12 determines whether or not the current driving environment of the vehicle 1 matches the determination factors, i.e., whether or not the driving support function is applicable when the vehicle 1 is driving on a rough road represented by the driving environment. Specifically, the ECU 12 determines whether or not the driving environment matches each of the determination factors No. 1 to No. 10 shown in Fig. 3. Then, if the driving environment matches multiple determination factors out of, for example, ten determination factors, the ECU 12 determines "Yes" and executes the process of step S14.

[0044] On the other hand, if the result of comparing the driving environment information with the multiple determination factors shows that the driving environment does not match the current driving environment of the vehicle 1, the driving support function is not required even though the driving state was determined (estimated) as being off-road in step S11. Therefore, the ECU 12 determines "No" in step S13 and does not change the display mode of the soft switch 31 in step S16. Then, the ECU 12 temporarily ends the execution of the program in step S17, and restarts the execution of the program in step S10 after a predetermined short time has elapsed.

[0045] In step S14, the ECU 12 changes the display mode for displaying the soft switches 31 for selecting and operating the driving support functions determined to be applicable. Specifically, the ECU 12 changes the display mode to one in which the changed display layer for displaying the soft switches 31 is the highest display layer of the display device 30, i.e., the foreground (top screen). Below, this will be described in comparison with a case in which the display mode is not changed.

[0046] When the ECU 12 does not change the hierarchical position as the display mode of the soft switch 31, the soft switch 31 is displayed in a lower display hierarchical position (third display hierarchical position) as shown in Fig. 4, which shows the screen transition of the display device 30. In this case, the driver first performs a first operation T1 of touching an operation icon displayed on the foreground (top screen) of the display device 30.

[0047] By performing a first operation T1 according to the downward arrow indicated by the thick solid arrow in Figure 4, the screen transitions to the second display hierarchy, which is a hierarchy position lower than the foreground, and a setting menu list is displayed on the right side of the screen so that it can be scrolled. Here, driving assistance functions in off-road driving conditions are generally not used frequently. For this reason, the driver performs a second operation T2 by moving (swiping) their finger upward near the setting menu list.

[0048] Then, the driver performs a third operation T3 of touching "cruising support functions" that are displayed by scrolling. This causes the screen to transition to a third display layer that is a display layer lower than the second layer, and a list of functions for "cruising support functions" is displayed on the right side of the screen. Therefore, the driver performs a fourth operation T4 of touching, for example, "CRAWL" from the displayed list of functions. In other words, in this embodiment, if the ECU 12 does not change the display mode, the soft switch 31 is displayed on the third display layer as the display layer before the change.

[0049] As described above, when the ECU 12 does not change the display mode, the driver must perform four selection operations to transition from the foreground of the display device 30 to the lower third display layer. Furthermore, when the number of operations is large, particularly when the driver is shaken while driving off-road, the possibility of an increase in the number of erroneous touch operations (erroneous selection operations) increases. As a result, the number of operations required for the driver to select and operate a driving assistance function further increases.

[0050] On the other hand, when changing the display mode of the soft switch 31, the ECU 12 changes the display mode so that the soft switch 31 for selecting and operating the determined driving support function is displayed at the forefront of the display hierarchy after the change, as shown in Fig. 5. This allows the driver to simply touch the soft switch 31 displayed at the forefront once, without having to transition the display hierarchy of the display device 30.

[0051] 5, the ECU 12 changes the display mode so that the soft switch 31 is displayed and positioned below the display screen of the display device 30. This allows the driver's hands and fingers to be stabilized by, for example, a frame member (not shown) that holds the display screen of the display device 30 or a support member (such as a dash panel not shown) that supports the display device 30. By changing the display mode so that the soft switch 31 is positioned in an optimal position in this way, the number of times the driver erroneously touches the soft switch 31 when performing a touch operation can be reduced. Then, after the ECU 12 changes the display mode so that the soft switch 31 is displayed in the foreground of the display device 30 as the changed display layer, the process proceeds to step S15 shown in FIG. 2.

[0052] In step S15, the ECU 12 changes the display mode to one in which the display size of the soft switches 31 displayed in the foreground is enlarged. That is, the ECU 12 enlarges the display size of the soft switches 31 as shown in Fig. 5. In this case, the ECU 12 displays the soft switches 31 in a larger size than the display size of the function list shown in Fig. 4.

[0053] This allows the driver to easily touch the large-displayed soft switch 31. Therefore, the number of erroneous touch operations by the driver can be reduced. Then, when the ECU 12 changes the display mode to enlarge the display size of the soft switch 31, the process proceeds to step S17.

[0054] In step S17, the ECU 12 temporarily ends the execution of the program. Then, after a predetermined short time has elapsed, the ECU 17 resumes the execution of the program in step S10. In this embodiment, the case where both step S14 and step S15 are executed is exemplified, but it is also possible to execute only one of step S14 and step S15.

[0055] As can be understood from the above description, the vehicle control device 10 is applied to a vehicle 1 equipped with a center differential 5, a front differential 6, and a rear differential 7 that distribute driving force generated by the engine 3 to each of the wheels 2, which are drive wheels, and can absorb differences in rotational speed among the wheels 2, and a braking device 9 that generates braking force for each of the wheels 2 and can make the magnitude of the braking force for each of the wheels 2 different from one another. The vehicle control device 10 includes a driving environment detection unit 11 and an ECU 12 that serves as a controller. The driving environment detection unit 11 detects the driving environment of the vehicle 1. The ECU 12 controls the display mode of a display device 30, which serves as an operation panel on which driving assistance functions that can change the operating states of the engine 3, the braking device 9, and the center differential 5, the front differential 6, and the rear differential 7 according to the driving environment are selected and operated, and changes and controls the operating states corresponding to the selected driving assistance functions. The ECU 12 then acquires driving environment information that represents the detected driving environment. Furthermore, the ECU 12 determines (estimates) whether the vehicle 1 is in an off-road driving state where the vehicle 1 is driving on a rough road, based on the driving environment information. If the vehicle 1 is in an off-road driving state, the ECU 12 determines driving support functions that can be applied when the vehicle 1 is driving on a rough road. Furthermore, the ECU 12 changes the display mode so that the number of operations required to select and operate the determined driving support function is reduced compared to when the vehicle 1 is not in an off-road driving state.

[0056] According to this, when the vehicle 1 is in an off-road driving state, the ECU 12 can change the display mode of the display device 30 so as to reduce the number of operations required to select the determined driving assistance function. As a result, even if the display mode is difficult to select while satisfying good operability and quick response when the vehicle 1 is not in an off-road driving state, when the driver selects and operates a driving assistance function in an off-road driving state, the display mode is changed to reduce the number of operations. Therefore, when selecting a driving assistance function, the driver can perform the selection operation while satisfying accurate operability and quick response.

[0057] Next, a first modified example will be described. In the first modified example, when it is predicted that the driver will select and operate the soft switch 31, the ECU 12 changes the display mode so that the soft switch 31 can be selected and operated. For this purpose, the ECU 12 compares the driving environment information with the determination elements for identifying each driving support function, and displays, at the forefront, the soft switch 31 for selecting and operating the driving support function desired by the user at an appropriate timing.

[0058] In an off-road driving state, the determination elements for appropriately determining the situation in which the user selects "DAC" are omitted from the determination elements shown in Figure 3. Meanwhile, the determination elements for appropriately determining the situation in which the user selects "DAC" as a driving assistance function are newly added with a "high" reliability level, "when reversing on a steep off-road road surface that cannot be climbed," and the reliability of No. 5 shown in Figure 3 is changed to "high."

[0059] 2, the ECU 12 compares the determination factors for determining "DAC" with the driving environment information to determine whether they match. If the ECU 12 determines that the determination factors match the driving environment information, the ECU 12 enlarges and displays the soft switch 31 for selecting "DAC" on the front of the display device 30 in steps S14 and S15, similar to "CRAWL" in FIG.

[0060] In off-road driving, the determination element for appropriately determining the situation in which the user selects "MTS" is a new "state in which the rolling resistance is large and the vehicle is presumed to be driving on sand" with a reliability of "medium" added to the determination elements shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, a new "state in which the vehicle is driving with lowered tire pressure in all four wheels" with a reliability of "medium" is added to the determination elements shown in Figure 3 above.

[0061] 2, the ECU 12 compares the determination factors for determining "MTS" with the driving environment information to determine whether they match. If the ECU 12 determines that the determination factors match the driving environment information, the ECU 12 enlarges and displays the soft switch 31 for selecting "MTS" on the forefront of the display device 30 in steps S14 and S15, similar to "CRAWL" in FIG.

[0062] In an off-road driving state, the determination elements No. 2 to No. 8 shown in Fig. 3 are omitted as determination elements for appropriately determining the situation in which the user selects "TA." On the other hand, a new determination element "repeated low-speed and large steering angle changes" is added as a "high" reliability determination element for appropriately determining the situation in which the user selects "TA" as a driving assistance function.

[0063] As a result, in the determination process of step S13 of the program shown in Fig. 2, the ECU 12 compares the determination factors for determining "TA" with the driving environment information to determine whether they match. If the ECU 12 determines that the determination factors match the driving environment information, then in steps S14 and S15, similar to "CRAWL" in Fig. 5, the soft switch 31 for selecting "TA" is enlarged and displayed on the front of the display device 30. Therefore, in the first modified example, in addition to the same effects as the above embodiment, it is possible to present the "TA" to the driver at an appropriate timing.

[0064] Next, a second modified example will be described. In the second modified example, the ECU 12 can change the display mode of the soft switch 31 based on the reliability of the determination accuracy previously assigned to each of the determination elements shown in Fig. 3. This second modified example will be described below, but detailed description of parts that are substantially the same as those in the display mode change program of the above embodiment will be omitted.

[0065] In the second modification, the ECU 12 executes a display mode change program shown in Fig. 6. The program of the second modification changes the display mode depending on the reliability of the determination accuracy previously assigned to each determination element. Therefore, the portions of the program corresponding to steps S13, S14, and S15 of the above embodiment are changed.

[0066] 6, the display mode change program starts execution in step S100, and in step S101 the ECU 12 determines whether the vehicle is traveling off-road. If the display mode change function is "ON," the ECU 12 determines "Yes" in the following step S102 and executes the process in steps S103 and onward.

[0067] In step S103, the ECU 12 compares the determination factors with the driving environment information and determines whether the reliability of the matching determination factor is "high." That is, for example, if the front differential 6 and the rear differential 7 are in a differential lock state, the ECU 12 determines that the matching determination factor matches the determination factor No. 2 shown in FIG. 3, which has a "high" reliability. As a result, the ECU 12 determines "Yes" in step S103, changes the hierarchical position of the post-change display hierarchy of the soft switch 31 to the forefront in step S104, and maximizes the display size of the soft switch 31 in step S105. Then, the ECU 12 temporarily terminates execution of the program in step S113.

[0068] On the other hand, if the reliability of the matching determination element is not "high" in step S103, the ECU 12 determines "No" and executes the process of step S106. In step S106, the ECU 12 compares the determination element with the driving environment information and determines whether the reliability of the matching determination element is "medium." That is, for example, if the center differential 5 is in a differential lock state, the ECU 12 determines that the matching determination element matches the determination element No. 4 shown in FIG. 3, which has a reliability of "medium." As a result, the ECU 12 determines "Yes" in step S106, changes the hierarchical position of the post-change display hierarchy of the soft switch 31 to the second display hierarchy in step S107, and changes the display size of the soft switch 31 to a medium size, which is smaller than the maximum, in step S108. Then, the ECU 12 temporarily terminates execution of the program in step S113.

[0069] On the other hand, if the reliability of the matching determination element in step S106 is not "medium," the ECU 12 determines "No" and executes the process of step S109. In step S109, the ECU 12 compares the determination element with the driving environment information and determines whether the reliability of the matching determination element is "low." That is, for example, if the road surface condition detected by the road surface condition detection sensor 117 indicates that off-road driving is expected, the ECU 12 determines that the matching determination element matches the determination element No. 9, which has a reliability of "low" as shown in FIG. 3.

[0070] Therefore, the ECU 12 determines "Yes" in step S109, maintains the hierarchical position of the soft switch 31 in the changed display hierarchy in the third display hierarchy in step S110, and changes the display size of the soft switch 31 to small, which is smaller than the medium size, in step S111. Then, the ECU 12 temporarily terminates execution of the program in step S113. Note that if the reliability is "low," there is a low probability that the vehicle 1 is in an off-road driving state. Therefore, since there is a high possibility that the driving assistance function will not be selected, in the second modified example, the ECU 12 displays the soft switch 31 in the third display hierarchy, as in the case when the vehicle is not in an off-road driving state.

[0071] On the other hand, if the reliability of the matching determination element is not "low" in step S109, the ECU 12 determines "No." Then, the ECU 12 does not change the display mode of the soft switch 31 in step S112, and temporarily terminates execution of the program in step S113. Therefore, the second modified example also provides the same effects as the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1...vehicle, 2...wheels (drive wheels), 3...engine (driving force source), 4...transmission, 5...center differential (differential device), 6...front differential (differential device), 7...rear differential (differential device), 8...transfer switch, 9...braking device, 10...vehicle control device, 11...driving environment detection unit, 12...ECU (controller), 30...display device (operation panel), 31...soft switch

Claims

1. a differential device that distributes driving force generated by a driving force source to each of the driving wheels and absorbs differences in rotation speeds of the driving wheels; a braking device that generates a braking force on each of the drive wheels and can make the magnitude of the braking force of each of the drive wheels different from one another, a driving environment detection unit that detects a driving environment of the vehicle; a controller that controls a display mode of an operation panel on which a driving support function that can change the operating states of the driving force source, the braking device, and the differential device in accordance with the driving environment is selected and operated, and that changes and controls the operating states in accordance with the selected driving support function, The controller acquiring driving environment information representing the detected driving environment, determining whether or not the vehicle is in an off-road driving state where the vehicle is driving on a rough road based on the driving environment information, determining the driving support functions applicable when the vehicle is driving on the rough road when the vehicle is in the off-road driving state, and changing the display mode so that the number of operations required to select and operate the determined driving support function is reduced compared to when the vehicle is not in the off-road driving state; Vehicle control device.

2. the operation panel displays a soft switch for selecting the driving support function in any one of a plurality of display layers in any one of the display layers, in any display size; The controller changing at least one of the display mode in which the soft switch is displayed in a post-change display layer that is located in a higher hierarchical position than the pre-change display layer in which the soft switch is displayed when the vehicle is not in an off-road driving state, among the plurality of display layers, and the display mode in which the soft switch is displayed so that the display size is larger than when the vehicle is not in an off-road driving state; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. The controller changing the hierarchical position of the changed display hierarchy in accordance with a reliability of determination accuracy previously assigned to a determination element related to the determination of the driving support function, so that the higher the reliability, the higher the hierarchical position of the changed display hierarchy; The vehicle control device according to claim 2.

4. The controller changing the display mode when it is predicted that the determined driving support function will be selected and operated; A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The controller In the off-road driving state, the display mode is changed when an instruction to change the display mode is given in advance. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

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