Vehicle control devices

Abstract

To provide a controller for a vehicle capable of reducing power consumption while performing fueling processing when a fueling operator operates a fueling switch with an intention of fueling.SOLUTION: A controller for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention has: a low-pass filter circuit having an operation signal of a fueling switch of the vehicle as an input signal; a holding circuit that holds On of the operation signal that has passed the low-pass filter circuit to turn an output to High, and resets the output to Low on the basis of a reset signal; a control unit for performing fueling processing when fueling to a fuel tank of the vehicle, and acquiring an operation signal of the fueling switch that has bypassed the low-pass filter circuit and the holding circuit to output the reset signal to the holding circuit; and a power supply unit for turning On and Off power supply from a power source to the control unit, and supplying power to the control unit when an output of the holding circuit is High.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] When the lid opener control device for a fuel tank disclosed in Patent Document 1 operates the lid opening switch by the driver during refueling and outputs a refueling signal, it measures the duration of the refueling signal, and only when the duration is longer than the first predetermined time and shorter than the second predetermined time, it opens the vent valve to exhaust the evaporated fuel in the fuel tank to the canister to reduce the tank internal pressure, and operates the lid opener to open the lid of the fuel filler port.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in order for a vehicle control device having a microcomputer to perform refueling time processing such as exhausting the evaporated fuel in the fuel tank to the canister only when the refueling operator operates the fueling switch with the intention of refueling, when determining the duration of the refueling signal by software processing, power supply to the microcomputer is required to operate the software. However, in order for the microcomputer to determine by software processing that the fueling switch has been misoperated or that the fueling signal has turned on due to noise, it is necessary to start the microcomputer in advance, and there is a problem that the microcomputer consumes unnecessary power.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the conventional situation, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle control device that can reduce power consumption while ensuring that refueling processing is performed when a refueling operator operates the refueling switch with the intention of refueling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one embodiment, the vehicle control device according to the present invention includes: a low-pass filter circuit that takes the operation signal of a vehicle's refueling switch as an input signal; a holding circuit that holds the operation signal that has passed through the low-pass filter circuit as ON and sets its output to high, and resets its output to low based on a reset signal; a control unit that performs refueling processing when refueling the vehicle's fuel tank, the control unit which acquires the operation signal of the refueling switch that has bypassed the low-pass filter circuit and the holding circuit, and outputs the reset signal to the holding circuit; and a power supply unit which turns the power supply from the power source to the control unit on and off, the power supply unit which supplies power to the control unit when the output of the holding circuit is high. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, power consumption can be reduced while ensuring that refueling processing is performed when a refueling operator operates the refueling switch with the intention of refueling. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the vehicle's fuel tank system. [Figure 2] This is a time chart showing the correlation between the on / off state of the fuel supply switch, the output of the low-pass filter, and the output signal of the holding circuit. [Figure 3] This is a transition diagram showing the transitions between operating modes of a microcomputer. [Figure 4] This figure shows the correlation between the ON time of the fueling switch and the transition of the operating mode. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the initialization process of a microcomputer. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the workflow for scheduled task processing in a microcomputer. [Figure 7] This is a time chart illustrating the diagnosis of low-pass filter off-fixation. [Figure 8] This is a time chart showing the diagnosis of a state where the hold circuit cannot be reset. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle control device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a fuel tank system including a vehicle control device according to the present invention.

[0010] The fuel tank system 1 installed in the vehicle is a system that supplies fuel from the fuel tank 10 to the internal combustion engine 20, which is the power source of the vehicle. Furthermore, as will be described later, the fuel tank system 1 has a device for suppressing the release of fuel vapor when refueling the fuel tank 10.

[0011] The fuel pump 30 pumps the fuel stored in the fuel tank 10 to the fuel injector 21, and the fuel injector 21 supplies the fuel to the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine 20. The fuel tank 10 has a filler duct 11 and a vent pipe 12.

[0012] A filler cap 13 is detachably attached to the fuel filler port 11A at the tip of the filler duct 11. A fuel filler opening 41 provided in the vehicle body panel 40 is opened and closed by a filler lid 42, and the tip of a filler duct 11 is positioned at the bottom of the fuel filler opening 41. The filler lid 42 is opened and closed by an opening / closing drive unit 43, such as a motor.

[0013] The vapor recovery pipe 14 connects the upper space inside the fuel tank 10 to the canister 18. In the vapor recovery pipe 14, in order from the fuel tank 10 side, a solenoid valve 16 for opening and closing the vapor recovery pipe 14, a compressor 17 for sending fuel evaporation gas into the canister 18, and a canister 18 for adsorbing fuel evaporation gas are arranged.

[0014] The above vapor recovery pipe 14, solenoid valve 16, compressor 17, and canister 18 constitute a fuel evaporation suppression device for suppressing the release of fuel evaporation gas from the fuel filling port 11A during fueling of the fuel tank 10. Note that the fuel evaporation suppression device can be a device provided with a reservoir together with the canister 18 as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-121280.

[0015] The control device 50 of the fuel tank system 1 is a vehicle control device having a microcomputer 51 which is an arithmetic device. The microcomputer 51 includes, in addition to a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read only memory) which is a non-volatile memory for storing a processing program and the like, a RAM (Random access memory) which is a volatile memory for temporarily storing data, and further includes input / output ports and the like.

[0016] And the microcomputer 51 is a control unit provided with a control function for suppressing the release of fuel evaporation gas during fueling as software. That is, the microcomputer 51 performs control to operate the compressor 17 after opening the solenoid valve 16 to send the fuel evaporation gas in the fuel tank 10 into the canister 18 prior to fueling the fuel tank 10, and then performs control to open the filler lid 42 by the opening / closing drive unit 43 as fueling-time processing.

[0017] When the microcomputer 51 performs opening control of the filler lid 42, the fuel filling port 11A of the fuel tank 10 can be opened. Therefore, the refueling operator manually removes the filler cap 13 to open the fuel inlet 11A, and then inserts the refueling gun into the fuel inlet 11A to refuel the fuel tank 10. Here, since the fuel vapor gas in the fuel tank 10 is collected in the canister 18 before the fuel filler port 11A is opened, it is possible to prevent the fuel vapor gas from being released into the atmosphere from the fuel filler port 11A when the refueling operator removes the filler cap 13 and opens the fuel filler port 11A.

[0018] The control device 50 is powered by the battery 60, which is the power source. Furthermore, the control device 50 acquires the operation signal of the refueling switch 61 located near the driver's seat of the vehicle, and the on / off signal of the ignition switch (IGNSW) 62 that switches the operation of the internal combustion engine 20 on and off. The fuel supply switch 61 is a push switch that turns on during the pressing operation and automatically returns to the off state when the pressing operation is stopped, and remains in the off state.

[0019] The control device 50 includes a microcomputer 51, a power supply unit 52, and an operation signal input circuit 53. The power supply unit 52 includes a power relay 52A and a power IC 52B, which switch the power supply from the battery 60 to the microcomputer 51 on and off.

[0020] The power supply IC 52B is a circuit that generates the power supply voltage for the microcomputer 51 from the power supply voltage of the battery 60 and supplies power to the microcomputer 51. The power relay 52A is installed between the battery 60 and the power supply IC 52B, and switches the power supply from the battery 60 to the power supply IC 52B, in other words, the power supply to the microcomputer 51, on and off.

[0021] The operation signal input circuit 53 includes a low-pass filter circuit 53A that uses the operation signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61 as an input signal, and a holding circuit 53B. The low-pass filter circuit 53A is, for example, a first-order low-pass filter consisting of a capacitor in parallel with the input signal and a resistor in series with the input signal. The holding circuit 53B is, for example, a flip-flop circuit, which holds the ON state of the operation signal OS that has passed through the low-pass filter circuit 53A, keeping the output signal HS high, and the output signal HS is reset to low based on the reset signal RS output by the microcomputer 51.

[0022] The microcomputer 51 obtains the on / off signal IS of the ignition switch 62, the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B, and the operation signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61, which bypasses the operation signal input circuit 53. Furthermore, the microcomputer 51 outputs a power retention signal SS to the power relay 52A, which commands the continuation of power supply.

[0023] The power relay 52A turns on when any of the following signals are at a high level: the on / off signal IS of the ignition switch 62, the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B, or the power holding signal SS output by the microcomputer 51, and supplies power from the battery 60 to the power IC 52B. The power supply IC 52B, powered by the battery 60, generates the power supply voltage for the microcomputer 51 and supplies power to the microcomputer 51.

[0024] In other words, the power relay 52A turns on and off according to the logical OR of the on / off signal IS of the ignition switch 62, the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B, and the power holding signal SS output by the microcomputer 51, thereby controlling the power supply to the microcomputer 51. In other words, the power supply unit 52 is configured to supply power to the microcomputer 51 when the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is high.

[0025] In the fuel tank system 1 with the above configuration, when a refueling operator turns on the refueling switch 61 prior to refueling, the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is switched on in response to the turn-on operation, which turns on the power relay 52A. When the power relay 52A is turned on, power is supplied from the power IC 52B to the microcomputer 51, and the microcomputer 51 starts up. The activated microcomputer 51 then performs the aforementioned refueling process and recovers fuel vapor before refueling begins.

[0026] Furthermore, the signal that turns on the power relay 52A may include a periodic wake-up signal transmitted periodically from other electronic control devices that can communicate with each other via the in-vehicle communication network, and a diagnostic wake-up signal output by the wake-up circuit when a predetermined time has elapsed since the internal combustion engine 20 stopped. Here, the microcomputer 51, upon activation based on a diagnostic wake-up signal, performs leak diagnosis of the canister purge system and other related tasks.

[0027] The control device 50 prevents the refueling process, which includes the process of sending fuel vapor to the canister 18 and the process of opening the filler lid 42, from being performed incorrectly when the refueling switch 61 is misoperated or malfunctions occur, and achieves this prevention of malfunctions while suppressing the power consumption of the microcomputer 51. The control device 50 is equipped with a low-pass filter circuit 53A to prevent malfunctions and reduce power consumption.

[0028] Figure 2 is a time chart illustrating the operation of the low-pass filter circuit 53A. The low-pass filter circuit 53A, which uses the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 as its input signal, changes its output signal with a delay relative to the operation signal OS when the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 switches from off to on.

[0029] Then, the output signal of the low-pass filter circuit 53A reaches a threshold after a delay time T1[s] (T1>0) corresponding to the time constant of the low-pass filter circuit 53A has elapsed since the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 switched from off to on at time T0, and the output of the holding circuit 53B switches to high. In other words, the low-pass filter circuit 53A delays the timing at which the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B switches to high (in other words, the timing at which power is supplied to the microcomputer 51) by a delay time T1 from the moment the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 switches from off to on.

[0030] Furthermore, if the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 switches from off to off during the time T0 to the time T1 has elapsed since the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 switched from off to on, the output of the low-pass filter circuit 53A will not reach the threshold at which the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B switches to high, and power will not be supplied to the microcomputer 51. In other words, the low-pass filter circuit 53A starts supplying power to the microcomputer 51 and starts up the microcomputer 51 when the ON state of the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 continues for longer than the delay time T1.

[0031] Therefore, if noise is superimposed on the input circuit of the control device 50's operation signal OS, and the duration of the ON state of the refueling switch 61 becomes less than the delay time T1, the low-pass filter circuit 53A will prevent power from being supplied to the microcomputer 51. This prevents the microcomputer 51 from being unnecessarily powered on by noise superimposed on the input circuit of the control signal OS, thus preventing the microcomputer 51 from being unnecessarily started up and reducing the power consumption of the microcomputer 51. Furthermore, the delay time T1[s], in other words, the time constant of the low-pass filter circuit 53A, is adapted to prevent noise from initiating the power supply to the microcomputer 51.

[0032] Furthermore, the microcomputer 51 does not need to measure the duration itself to determine whether the time during which the operating signal OS of the refueling switch 61 remains ON is short enough to estimate the noise superposition. Therefore, the microcomputer 51 does not need to wait in an operating state (powered state) in preparation for the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 to turn from off to on, and the power consumption of the microcomputer 51 can be reduced.

[0033] Furthermore, after startup, the microcomputer 51 determines whether a refueling operator, such as a vehicle driver, has operated the refueling switch 61 with the intention of refueling, based on the ON time of the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61, and reduces its own power consumption by transitioning its operating mode according to the result of this determination. Figure 3 is a transition diagram showing how the operating modes of the microcomputer 51 transition in response to operations such as the operation of the refueling switch 61, and Figure 4 is a diagram showing the transition of the operating modes in relation to the ON time of the refueling switch 61.

[0034] In Figures 3 and 4, time T[s] is the elapsed time since the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 switched from off to on. Then, power is supplied to the microcomputer 51 after a delay time T1 has elapsed since the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 switched from off to on, so "time T - delay time T1" corresponds to the elapsed time since the microcomputer 51 was started up.

[0035] When the ON time of the refueling switch 61 is less than the delay time T1 (including when the refueling switch 61 remains in the OFF state), the microcomputer 51 is not powered by the battery 60 (power supply IC 53) and remains in an inoperable state (shut-off state). Here, when the ON time of the refueling switch 61 exceeds the delay time T1, the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B goes high, the power relay 52A turns on, and power is supplied, starting up the microcomputer 51.

[0036] The powered-up microcomputer 51 performs initialization and sets its operating mode to a standby mode that consumes less power than the refueling mode described later. When the microcomputer 51 is started, it determines that it is started by the switching of the operation signal of the fuel supply switch 61 from off to on based on the fact that the operation signal of the fuel supply switch 61 is on and / or the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is high when it is started.

[0037] Then, while the time T satisfies the delay time T1 < time T < determination time T2 (0 < T1 < T2), in other words, until the elapsed time from startup reaches T2 - T1, if the operation signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61 remains on, the microcomputer 51 maintains the standby mode. On the other hand, when the operation signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61 returns to off during the period when T1 < T < T2, if there is no request to transition to another operation mode even after a certain time has elapsed since the operation signal OS returned to off, the microcomputer 51 self-shuts off the power supply and shuts down. Note that the microcomputer 51 maintains the power supply state by outputting a reset signal to the holding circuit 53B in a state where the power holding signal SS is raised to high after startup, and in such a state, it switches the power holding signal SS to low (in other words, outputs a signal instructing the stop of power supply to the power relay 52A) to execute self-shutdown.

[0038] Here, the determination time T2 (T2 > T1 > 0) is a time corresponding to the shortest on-time when the fuel supply operator operates the fuel supply switch 61 with the intention of fuel supply, and is set to a time such that the on-time of the operation signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61 does not fall below when the fuel supply operator normally operates the fuel supply switch 61 with the intention of fuel supply. Note that the determination time T2 is set to a time of about 0.5 [s], for example.

[0039] Therefore, the fact that the operation signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61 returns to off before the determination time T2 elapses suggests a malfunction of the fuel supply switch 61. Therefore, when the operation signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61 returns to OFF before the determination time T2 elapses, the microcomputer 51 does not perform the fuel supply time process, and when a certain time elapses as it is, it executes self - shutdown. Thereby, even if the microcomputer 51 is activated due to a misoperation of the fuel supply switch 61, it is suppressed that the fuel supply time process is uselessly performed, and it is also suppressed that the power supply to the microcomputer 51 continues wastefully.

[0040] Also, when the determination time T2 < time T < determination time T3 (T2 < T3) is satisfied, that is, when the elapsed time from startup exceeds T2 - T1 and has not reached T3 - T1, if the operation signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61 returns from ON to OFF, the microcomputer 51 transitions from the standby mode to the fuel supply mode. Then, the microcomputer 51 executes the fuel supply time process in the fuel supply mode, and after the completion of the fuel supply time process, it transitions from the fuel supply mode to the standby mode. In other words, when the operation signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61 changes from ON to OFF after the first hour has elapsed since startup and before the second hour, which is longer than the first hour since startup, has elapsed, the microcomputer 51 performs the fuel supply time process.

[0041] Here, after the microcomputer 51 returns to the standby mode based on the completion of the fuel supply time process, if there is no request to transition to another operation mode for a certain time, it shuts down. In addition, when the microcomputer 51 abnormally terminates and cannot end the fuel supply time process in the normal procedure, it also transitions from the fuel supply mode to the standby mode in the same way as when it normally ends the fuel supply time process. After returning to the standby mode, if there is no request to transition to another operation mode for a certain time, it shuts down.

[0042] The above determination time T3 (T3 > T2 > T1 > 0) is a time corresponding to the longest ON time when the fuel supply operator operates the fuel supply switch 61 with the intention of fuel supply, and is set to a time such that the ON time of the operation signal OS does not exceed when the fuel supply switch 61 is normally operated. Therefore, the fact that the operation signal of the refueling switch 61 returned to the OFF state before the judgment time T3 elapsed suggests that the refueling operator operated the refueling switch 61 normally with the intention of refueling, in other words, that the standard operation of the refueling switch 61 was performed. Therefore, when the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 returns to OFF before the determination time T3 has elapsed, the microcomputer 51 transitions to refueling mode and performs refueling processing. The judgment time T3 is set to a duration of approximately 3 to 4 seconds.

[0043] On the other hand, if the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 does not return to the off state even after the judgment time T3 has elapsed, it does not correspond to normal operation of the refueling switch 61 by the refueling operator and suggests that an abnormality has occurred, such as the refueling switch 61 being stuck in the ON position. Therefore, if the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 does not return to off even after the determination time T3 has elapsed, the microcomputer 51 maintains standby mode without transitioning to refueling mode and does not execute refueling processing. Then, after the determination time T3 has elapsed, if there is no request to transition to another operating mode for a certain period of time, the microcomputer 51 will shut down.

[0044] Furthermore, if the operation signal of the refueling switch 61 does not return to the off position even after the judgment time T3 has elapsed, the microcomputer 51 can output a signal requesting that the driver be notified of an abnormality in the fuel tank system 1 (refueling control system), in other words, a signal requesting the activation of the abnormality warning device. Here, the microcomputer 51 can be configured to output a notification request signal for an abnormality to a meter panel control device that is communicably connected via an in-vehicle network, and for the meter panel control device to illuminate a warning light based on the notification request signal.

[0045] As described above, the microcomputer 51 starts supplying power in accordance with the time T from the moment the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is turned on. After startup, based on the correlation between time T and the on / off state of the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61, it transitions from a standby mode that reduces power consumption to a refueling mode that performs refueling processing. As a result, the microcomputer 51 can perform refueling processing only when a refueling operator operates the refueling switch 61 with the intention of refueling, and can also reduce its own power consumption as much as possible.

[0046] The flowchart in Figure 5 shows the initialization process that occurs when power is supplied to the microcomputer 51 by one of the following: the operation signal of the fuel supply switch 61 is turned on, the ignition switch 62 is turned on, the periodic wake-up signal is turned on, or the diagnostic wake-up signal is turned on, and the microcomputer 51 is started up. In step S101, the microcomputer 51 performs a first initialization process, which includes initializing high-priority input / output ports.

[0047] Next, in step S102, the microcomputer 51 raises the power holding signal SS, which is output to the power relay 52A, to high, so that the power relay 52A remains in the ON state. In addition, in step S103, the microcomputer 51 determines whether the operating signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61 remains ON, or whether other starting factors such as the ignition switch 62 are ON.

[0048] In this case, if the operating signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is off, and other starting factors are also off, it can be considered that the system was started by turning on the operating signal OS of the refueling switch 61, but that the turning on of the operating signal OS was due to a malfunction of the refueling switch 61. Therefore, if the operating signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is off and other activation factors are also off, the microcomputer 51 proceeds from step S103 to step S106.

[0049] In step S106, the microcomputer 51 outputs a reset signal RS that resets the output of the holding circuit 53B. Next, in step S107, the microcomputer 51 switches the power holding signal SS to low. As a result of the processing in steps S106 and S107, the power relay 52A is turned off, the power supply from the battery 60 (power IC 53) to the microcomputer 51 is cut off, and the microcomputer 51 is shut off.

[0050] Meanwhile, if the operating signal OS of the refueling switch 61 remains ON, or if another starting factor such as the ignition switch 62 is ON, the microcomputer 51 proceeds from step S103 to step S104. In step S104, the microcomputer 51 performs a second initialization process, which has a relatively lower priority than the first initialization process in step S101.

[0051] In the next step S105, the microcomputer 51 determines, similar to step S103, whether the operating signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61 remains ON, or whether another starting factor, such as the ignition switch 62, is ON. Then, if the operating signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is off and other starting factors are also off, the microcomputer 51 proceeds from step S105 to steps S106 and S107 to self-shut off the power supply.

[0052] Meanwhile, if the operating signal OS of the refueling switch 61 remains ON, or if another starting factor such as the ignition switch 62 is ON, the microcomputer 51 proceeds from step S105 to step S108. In step S108, the microcomputer 51 determines whether the ignition switch 62 is on or off.

[0053] Then, if the ignition switch 62 is ON, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S109 to set the operating mode to a driving mode that corresponds to the control under the vehicle's driving conditions. On the other hand, if the ignition switch 62 is off, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S110 to determine whether the diagnostic wake-up signal (start request by soak timer) is on.

[0054] Then, if the diagnostic wake-up signal (start request by soak timer) is on, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S111 to set the operating mode to leak diagnostic mode, which performs leak diagnosis of the canister purge system. Furthermore, if the diagnostic wake-up signal (start request by soak timer) is off, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S112 to set the operating mode to standby mode. During the initialization process after startup, the microcomputer 51 completes the initialization process once it has set the operating mode to one of the following: driving mode, leak diagnosis mode, or standby mode, and then starts a periodic task in step S113.

[0055] The flowchart in Figure 6 shows the flow of periodic task processing after the initialization process described above. The microcomputer 51 performs periodic task processing, for example, at intervals of 10ms. In step S201, the microcomputer 51 determines whether the vehicle speed is 0 km / h or whether refueling processing is in progress.

[0056] Then, if the vehicle speed is 0 km / h or if refueling processing is in progress, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S202. In step S202, the microcomputer 51 determines whether the period in which the condition T2 < time T < T3 is met is within the time frame, or whether the refueling process is currently being executed.

[0057] At this point, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S203 if it is within the period in which the condition T2 < time T < T3 is met, or if it is in the process of performing refueling. In step S203, the microcomputer 51 determines whether the operation signal of the refueling switch 61 has changed from on to off, or whether refueling processing is in progress.

[0058] Then, if the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 changes from on to off within the period in which the judgment time T2 < time T < judgment time T3 is true, or if the refueling process is in progress, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S204. In step S204, the microcomputer 51 sets the operating mode to the refueling mode, which is used to perform refueling processing.

[0059] On the other hand, if the microcomputer 51 determines in step S201 that the vehicle speed is not 0 km / h and that refueling processing is not currently being performed, it proceeds to step S205. Furthermore, if the microcomputer 51 determines in step S202 that the period in which the condition T2 < time T < T3 is not met is not currently running, and that the refueling process is not in progress, it proceeds to step S205. Furthermore, if the microcomputer 51 determines in step S203 that the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 has not been switched from on to off, and that refueling processing is not currently being performed, it proceeds to step S205.

[0060] In step S205, the microcomputer 51 determines whether the ignition switch 62 is on or off. Then, if the ignition switch 62 is ON, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S206 to set the operating mode to a driving mode that corresponds to the control under the vehicle's driving conditions.

[0061] Meanwhile, if the ignition switch 62 is off, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S207. In step S207, the microcomputer 51 determines whether the diagnostic wake-up signal (soak timer) is on or whether a leak diagnosis of the canister purge system is being performed.

[0062] The microcomputer 51 then proceeds to step S208 if the diagnostic wake-up signal is on or if leak diagnosis of the canister purge system is being performed. In step S208, the microcomputer 51 sets the operating mode to leak diagnostic mode, which performs leak diagnosis of the canister purge system.

[0063] On the other hand, if the diagnostic wake-up signal is off and leak diagnosis of the canister purge system is not being performed, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S209. In step S209, the microcomputer 51 sets the operating mode to a standby mode that reduces power consumption.

[0064] If the microcomputer 51 sets the operating mode in any of steps S204, S206, S208, or S209, it proceeds to step S210. In step S210, the microcomputer 51 performs various scheduled processes. The scheduled processing in step S210 includes refueling processing, transmission and reception processing via the in-vehicle network, and leak diagnosis of the canister purge system.

[0065] Next, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S211 and determines whether the standby mode has continued for a certain period of time or longer. Here, if the duration of the standby mode has exceeded a certain period of time, the microcomputer 51 proceeds to step S212 and performs a shutdown process, which self-shuts off the power supply by switching the power holding signal SS, which was raised in step S102, to low. On the other hand, if the duration of the standby mode is less than a certain period of time, the microcomputer 51 bypasses step S212 and continues to supply power while keeping the operating mode set to standby mode.

[0066] Next, we will describe the abnormality diagnosis of the operation signal input circuit 53 performed by the microcomputer 51. Figure 7 is a time chart showing the operation when the output of the low-pass filter circuit 53A, which constitutes the operation signal input circuit 53, is fixed at the off level of the operation signal OS of the fuel supply switch 61.

[0067] If the output of the low-pass filter circuit 53A is fixed to the off position of the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61, the output of the low-pass filter circuit 53A will not change even if the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 switches from off to on at time T0. Therefore, even when the operation signal of the refueling switch 61 switches from off to on, the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is held low, and power cannot be supplied to the microcomputer 51 based on the operation of the refueling switch 61.

[0068] Therefore, the microcomputer 51 diagnoses the abnormality in the operation signal input circuit 53 as described above, in the following manner. The microcomputer 51 determines that the diagnostic conditions are met when, in the startup state, the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is ON, the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is low, and the state in which the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is ON continues for longer than the determination time T1.

[0069] When the diagnostic conditions are met, the microcomputer 51 determines that there is an abnormality in the operation signal input circuit 53 when the ON time T of the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 reaches the determination time T1 + α (where α is a margin to deal with hardware response delays), and the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is ON and the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is low. In other words, when the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 remains ON for the determination time T1+α, if the operation signal input circuit 53 is functioning normally, the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B will be rising to a high state.

[0070] Therefore, if the output of the holding circuit 53B is low at this time, it suggests an abnormality in the operation signal input circuit 53, such as the low-pass filter circuit 53A being stuck. Therefore, when the operating signal OS of the refueling switch 61 has been in the ON state for a determination time T1+α, the microcomputer 51 determines that there is an abnormality in the operating signal input circuit 53 if the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is low.

[0071] Furthermore, one abnormality of the operation signal input circuit 53 is that even when the microcomputer 51 outputs a reset signal to the holding circuit 53B, the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is not reset to low. Figure 8 is a time chart showing the operation when an abnormality occurs in which the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B, which constitutes the operation signal input circuit 53, cannot be reset.

[0072] When the operating signal OS of the refueling switch 61 switches from off to on, the output of the holding circuit 53B rises to high with a delay due to the delay function of the low-pass filter circuit 53A. Subsequently, the microcomputer 51 outputs a reset signal to the holding circuit 53B. However, if the output of the holding circuit 53B remains high instead of being reset to low, the microcomputer 51 will not be able to self-shut off the power supply even if it switches the power holding signal SS to low. Therefore, the microcomputer 51 diagnoses the abnormality in the operation signal input circuit 53 as described above, in the following manner.

[0073] The microcomputer 51 determines that the diagnostic conditions are met when it is running, the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is off, and the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is at a high level. Then, at time Tβ, when the diagnostic conditions are met, the microcomputer 51 outputs a reset signal RS to the holding circuit 53B, that is, a signal that instructs the holding circuit 53B to reset its output signal HS to low.

[0074] Subsequently, at time Tγ, a predetermined time after time Tβ, if the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is off and the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is high, the microcomputer 51 determines that there is an abnormality in the operation signal input circuit 53. In other words, when the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is off, and a reset signal RS is output to the holding circuit 53B, which has a high output signal HS, if the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B remains high without being reset, it suggests that the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is stuck high and cannot be reset. Therefore, the microcomputer 51 determines that there is an abnormality in the operation signal input circuit 53 if, while the operation signal OS of the refueling switch 61 is off, the microcomputer 51 outputs a reset signal RS to the holding circuit 53B, but the output signal HS of the holding circuit 53B is not reset to low.

[0075] Here, when the microcomputer 51 detects an abnormality in the operation signal input circuit 53, it can be configured to output an abnormality notification signal indicating an abnormality in the fuel tank system to the meter panel control device, which is connected to it via the in-vehicle network, and for the meter panel control device to illuminate a warning light based on the abnormality notification signal. In other words, when the microcomputer 51 detects an abnormality in the operation signal input circuit 53, it can warn the vehicle driver of the occurrence of the abnormality via a warning light or the like. Furthermore, when the microcomputer 51 detects an abnormality in the operation signal input circuit 53, it can save the history of the abnormality detection in non-volatile memory (ROM).

[0076] The technical concepts described in the above embodiments can be used in appropriate combinations, as long as no contradictions arise. Furthermore, although the contents of the present invention have been specifically described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be taken based on the basic technical concept and teachings of the present invention.

[0077] For example, the control device 50 may have a function to perform refueling processing, as well as other control functions such as controlling the operation of the internal combustion engine 20, specifically fuel injection and ignition. Furthermore, the control device 50 is equipped with multiple operation signal input circuits and can perform fail-safe processing that switches to the second operation signal input circuit when it detects an abnormality in the first operation signal input circuit. Furthermore, the microcomputer 51 can cancel the refueling process if the elapsed time since the last refueling process is shorter than the set time. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 50...Control device (vehicle control device), 51...Microcomputer (control unit), 52...Power supply unit, 52A...Power relay, 52B...Power IC, 53...Operation signal input circuit, 53A...Low-pass filter circuit, 53B...Holding circuit, 61...Fueling switch

Claims

1. A low-pass filter circuit that uses the operation signal of the vehicle's fueling switch as an input signal, A holding circuit that maintains the ON state of the operation signal after it has passed through the low-pass filter circuit, thereby setting the output to high, and resets the output to low based on a reset signal, A control unit that performs refueling processing when refueling the fuel tank of the vehicle, The operation signal of the fuel supply switch is obtained by bypassing the low-pass filter circuit and the holding circuit. The holding circuit outputs the reset signal. The control unit and, A power supply unit that switches the power supply from the power source to the control unit on and off, wherein the power supply unit supplies power to the control unit when the output of the holding circuit is high, A vehicle control device having the following features.

2. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The control unit, The refueling process is performed when the operation signal of the refueling switch changes from on to off after a first hour has elapsed since startup, but before a second hour, which is longer than the first hour, has elapsed since startup. Vehicle control device.

3. A vehicle control device according to claim 2, The operating modes of the control unit include a refueling mode for performing the refueling process and a standby mode that consumes less power than the refueling mode. The control unit, From startup until the refueling process is performed, the operating mode is set to the standby mode. When performing the aforementioned refueling process, set the operation mode to the refueling mode. After the refueling process is completed, the operation mode is set to the standby mode. Vehicle control device.

4. A vehicle control device according to claim 3, The control unit, When the duration of the standby mode reaches a predetermined time, the power supply unit outputs a signal to stop the power supply and shuts down. Vehicle control device.

5. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The control unit, The output signal of the holding circuit is acquired, When the operation signal of the fuel supply switch changes from off to on in the startup state, and after a determination time has elapsed, if the output of the holding circuit is low, an abnormality in the low-pass filter circuit and the operation signal input circuit including the holding circuit is determined. Vehicle control device.

6. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The control unit, The output signal of the holding circuit is acquired, When the output of the holding circuit is high and the operation signal of the fuel supply switch is off, the reset signal is output to the holding circuit. After outputting the reset signal to the holding circuit, when the output of the holding circuit remains high, an abnormality in the low-pass filter circuit and the operation signal input circuit including the holding circuit is determined. Vehicle control device.

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