Vehicle control system

Abstract

To provide a control device of a vehicle that enables a driver to open a door and reverse into a park while visually confirming a rear side of the vehicle, while operating an automatic parking control function.SOLUTION: When vehicle speed is below predetermined vehicle speed and when a state of a power transmission device is in a non-parking state, automatic parking control is executed when a door opening / closing determination shows that a door is opened. However, when it is determined that reverse parking is executed by a driver, the automatic parking control is not executed. This enables the driver to open the door and reverse into a park while visually confirming a rear side of the vehicle, while operating a function of the automatic parking control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that switches the state of a power transmission device between a parking state and a non-parking state based on a control command signal.

Background Art

[0002] A vehicle control device including a power transmission device that transmits the power of a power source to drive wheels, and a switching device that switches the state of the power transmission device between a parking state in which the rotation of a rotating member that rotates together with the drive wheels is mechanically blocked and a non-parking state in which the rotation of the rotating member is permitted based on a control command signal is well known. For example, the vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 is such a device. Patent Document 1 discloses that when the vehicle speed is less than or equal to a predetermined vehicle speed and the state of the power transmission device is in the non-parking state, and when the door opening / closing determination is an open determination, automatic parking control for switching the state of the power transmission device to the parking state is executed by the switching device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, as a driving scene of a vehicle, there is reverse parking in which the driver reverses the vehicle to park. When executing reverse parking, the driver may open the door and reverse the vehicle while visually checking the rear of the vehicle. By the way, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when the door is opened during the execution of reverse parking, automatic parking control is executed. [[ID=3⑥]]

[0005] This invention was made against the above circumstances, and its objective is to provide a vehicle control device that allows the driver to reverse park while opening the door and visually checking the area behind the vehicle, while the automatic parking control function is in operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gist of the first invention is a control device for a vehicle comprising: (a) a power transmission device for transmitting power from a power source to the drive wheels; and a switching device that switches the state of the power transmission device between a parking state in which the rotation of a rotating member that rotates with the drive wheels is mechanically prevented from rotating and a non-parking state in which the rotation of the rotating member is permitted, based on a control command signal, the control device comprising: (b) an opening / closing determination unit that performs a door opening / closing determination to indicate whether the vehicle's door is open or closed; and (c) when the vehicle speed is below a predetermined vehicle speed near zero, and the power transmission device (d) a switching control unit that performs automatic parking control by switching the state of the power transmission unit to the parking state when the state of the vehicle is the non-parking state and the door opening / closing determination is an open determination indicating that the door is open, and (e) the switching control unit does not perform the automatic parking control if it is determined that the driver is performing the reverse parking. (f) The reverse parking determination unit determines that the driver is performing the reverse parking when the state of the power transmission device is in a state that allows the vehicle to move in reverse and the accelerator opening is below a predetermined opening; (g) The predetermined opening is a predetermined upper limit of the accelerator opening that can be determined to indicate that the driver intends to perform the reverse parking; (h) The reverse parking determination unit sets the predetermined opening based on the inclination angle of the vehicle. It is the matter. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the first invention described above, when the vehicle speed is below a predetermined speed and the power transmission device is in a non-parking state, if the door opening / closing determination is determined to be open, automatic parking control is executed. However, if it is determined that the driver is performing reverse parking, automatic parking control is not executed. Therefore, the driver can perform reverse parking while the automatic parking control function is working, by opening the door and visually checking the area behind the vehicle. Furthermore, according to the first invention, when the state of the power transmission device is such that the vehicle can move in reverse, and the accelerator opening is below a predetermined opening, it is determined that the driver is performing reverse parking. This ensures that it is appropriately determined that it is time to perform reverse parking. Alternatively, existing sensors can be used to determine that it is time to perform reverse parking. Furthermore, according to the first invention, the predetermined opening is a predetermined upper limit of the accelerator opening that can be determined to indicate the driver's intention to reverse park. This allows for a more appropriate determination of when reverse parking is being performed. In addition, the predetermined opening is set based on the vehicle's inclination angle. This allows for an appropriate determination of when reverse parking is being performed, regardless of whether the road is flat or sloped. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram illustrates the schematic configuration of a vehicle to which the present invention is applied, as well as the main parts of the control functions and control systems for various control functions in the vehicle. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates the schematic configuration of a vehicle to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 3] This flowchart explains the key aspects of the control operation of an electronic control unit, specifically the control operation for determining whether a door is open or closed. [Figure 4] This flowchart explains the key aspects of the control operation of an electronic control unit, specifically the control operation required for reverse parking while the driver opens the driver's side door and visually checks the area behind the vehicle, all while the automatic parking control function is active. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. [Examples]

[0010] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the schematic configuration of a vehicle 10 to which the present invention is applied. Figure 1 also illustrates the main parts of the control functions and control systems for various controls in the vehicle 10. In Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle 10 includes a power source 12, drive wheels 14, and a power transmission device 16 that transmits power from the power source 12 to the drive wheels 14. Unless otherwise specified, the power is synonymous with torque or force.

[0011] The power source 12 is, for example, a known internal combustion engine such as an engine. Alternatively, the power source 12 is, for example, a known rotating electric machine such as a motor generator. Alternatively, the vehicle 10 may be equipped with the rotating electric machine in addition to the internal combustion engine as the power source 12.

[0012] The power transmission device 16 includes, for example, an automatic transmission 18 connected to the power source 12, a differential gear unit 22 connected to the output shaft 20, and left and right axles 24 connected to the differential gear unit 22. The output shaft 20 is the output rotating member of the automatic transmission 18 and is a rotating member that rotates together with the drive wheels 14.

[0013] The vehicle 10 is further equipped with a shift operating device 30, a changeover device 40, a driver's seat 60, a driver's door 62, a driver's door lock device 64, a courtesy lamp 66, and the like. The courtesy lamp 66 is a lamp provided in the driver's door 62 and / or inside the passenger compartment.

[0014] The shift operation device 30 is an operating device for manually selecting from multiple types of shift positions POSsh in the automatic transmission 18; in other words, it is an operating device that accepts a request to switch shift positions POSsh when manually operated. The shift operation device 30 is operated by the driver to the operating position POSop corresponding to shift position POSsh. Operating position POSop includes, for example, the parking position, the reverse driving position, the neutral position, and the forward driving position. Shift position POSsh includes, for example, the parking position, the reverse driving position, the neutral position, and the forward driving position. Shift position POSsh is synonymous with the shift range of the automatic transmission 18.

[0015] The parking operation position is an operation position for selecting the parking position of the automatic transmission 18, in which the automatic transmission 18 is in a neutral state and the rotation of the output shaft 20 is mechanically prevented. The neutral state of the automatic transmission 18 is a state in which power transmission in the automatic transmission 18 is cut off, that is, a state in which the automatic transmission 18 is unable to transmit power. The neutral state of the automatic transmission 18 is synonymous with the neutral state of the power transmission device 16, which is a state in which power transmission in the power transmission device 16 is cut off. The state in which the rotation of the output shaft 20 is mechanically prevented is a parking lock state in which the output shaft 20 is fixed so as not to rotate, that is, the parking state of the power transmission device 16. The parking operation position is an operation position corresponding to the parking state of the power transmission device 16. The output shaft 20 is fixed so as not to rotate by the switching device 40.

[0016] The reverse driving position is the operating position for selecting the reverse driving position of the automatic transmission 18, which enables the vehicle 10 to drive in reverse. The state in which the vehicle 10 can drive in reverse is the reverse driving enabled state of the power transmission 16. The neutral operating position is the operating position for selecting the neutral position of the automatic transmission 18, which is the state in which the automatic transmission 18 is in neutral. The forward driving position is the operating position for selecting the forward driving position of the automatic transmission 18, which enables the vehicle 10 to drive in forward. The state in which the vehicle 10 can drive in forward is the forward driving enabled state of the power transmission 16. The neutral state, forward driving enabled state, and reverse driving enabled state of the power transmission 16 are non-parking lock states in which rotation of the output shaft 20 is permitted, i.e., non-parking states of the power transmission 16. The reverse driving position, neutral operating position, and forward driving position are non-parking operating positions corresponding to the non-parking state of the power transmission 16. The non-parking operating position is an operating position that selects a non-parking position of the automatic transmission 18, such as the reverse driving position, neutral position, or forward driving position, when the parking lock state is released.

[0017] The shift operation device 30 has a shift lever 32 and a parking switch 34 that are selectively operated by a driver to a plurality of operation positions POSop. Both the shift lever 32 and the parking switch 34 are momentary operators that return to their original positions when no external force is applied. The shift lever 32 is selectively operated by the driver to the corresponding operation position POSop to set the shift position POSsh to a desired shift position POSsh among the non-parking positions. The parking switch 34 is operated by the driver to set the shift position POSsh to the parking position.

[0018] The shift operation device 30 includes a lever position sensor 36 that outputs a lever position signal Splev corresponding to the non-parking operation position to an electronic control device 90 described later. The parking switch 34 is, for example, a momentary push button switch and is pushed by the driver to the parking operation position. The parking switch 34 outputs a parking switch signal Spsw corresponding to the parking operation position to the electronic control device 90 described later each time it is pushed to the parking operation position. The lever position signal Splev and the parking switch signal Spsw are signals representing the operation position POSop.

[0019] The switching device 40 includes an electric actuator 42, an encoder 44, a parking lock mechanism 46, etc. The switching device 40 switches the shift position POSsh of the automatic transmission 18 by the operation of the electric actuator 42. The parking lock mechanism 46 includes a parking lock gear 48, a parking lock pole 50, a cam 52, a parking rod 54, etc. The parking lock gear 48 is a member provided to rotate integrally with the output shaft 20. The parking lock pole 50 has a claw portion that meshes with the gear teeth of the parking lock gear 48 and is a member capable of meshing with the parking lock gear 48. The cam 52 is provided at the tip of the parking rod 54 on the parking lock pole 50 side. The cam 52 is a tapered member that meshes the parking lock pole 50 with the parking lock gear 48 by being moved toward the parking lock pole 50 side. The parking rod 54 is a member that supports the cam 52 at one end and is mechanically connected to the electric actuator 42 via a member not shown on the other end side.

[0020] The electric actuator 42 is operated based on a parking switching control command signal Splock from an electronic control device 90 described later. The switching device 40 switches the state of the power transmission device 16 between a parking state and a non-parking state when the electric actuator 42 is operated. That is, the switching device 40 switches the shift position POSsh between a parking position and a non-parking position. Thus, the switching device 40 is a switching device that switches the state of the power transmission device 16 between a parking state and a non-parking state based on a control command signal from the electronic control device 90. In the vehicle 10, the shift position POSsh is switched using a shift-by-wire (=SBW) system.

[0021] The driver's seat door lock device 64 is provided on the driver's seat door 62. The driver's seat door lock device 64 switches the driver's seat door 62 between a locked state and an unlocked state by the forward and reverse rotations of a built-in door lock motor not shown.

[0022] Vehicle 10 is further equipped with an electronic control unit 90, which acts as a controller for vehicle 10, including control devices related to the control of the automatic transmission 18. The electronic control unit 90 is composed of a so-called microcomputer, for example, which includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, input / output interface, etc. The CPU performs various controls on vehicle 10 by performing signal processing according to a program pre-stored in ROM, while utilizing the temporary storage function of RAM.

[0023] The electronic control unit 90 is supplied with various signals based on detection values ​​from various sensors installed in the vehicle 10. Examples of these sensors include a parking switch 34, a lever position sensor 36, an encoder 44, an output rotational speed sensor 70, an accelerator opening sensor 72, a brake switch 74, a courtesy switch 76, a lock switch 78, and a tilt angle sensor 80. Examples of these signals include a parking switch signal Spsw, a lever position signal Splev, a pulse signal Senc, an output rotational speed No, an accelerator opening θacc, a brake on signal Bon, a courtesy signal Cts, a lock signal DLc, and a tilt angle θinc.

[0024] The courtesy switch 76 is a sensor that detects the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle 10, and is installed, for example, on the B-pillar near the driver's seat 60. The courtesy switch 76 is a switch that switches between on and off in accordance with the opening and closing of the driver's door 62, and is a switch that activates the courtesy lamp 66 which is illuminated when the driver's door 62 is open. The lock switch 78 is a sensor that detects the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle 10, and is installed, for example, on the driver's door lock device 64. The lock switch 78 is an on / off switch that switches between on and off in accordance with the opening and closing of the driver's door 62. Multiple courtesy switches 76 and lock switches 78 are provided for the same door, the driver's door 62.

[0025] The pulse signal Senc is a signal for obtaining the encoder count corresponding to the operating position of the electric actuator 42. The output rotational speed No is the rotational speed of the output shaft 20 corresponding to the vehicle speed V. The accelerator opening θacc is the amount of accelerator operation by the driver, representing the magnitude of the acceleration request in the operation of the accelerator operating member by the driver. Operation of the accelerator operating member is sometimes called accelerator operation. The brake on signal Bon is a signal that indicates that the brake operating member for activating the wheel brakes is being operated by the driver. Operation of the brake operating member is sometimes called brake operation. The courtesy signal Cts is an open / close signal corresponding to the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle 10. The lock signal DLc is an open / close signal corresponding to the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle 10, separate from the courtesy signal Cts. The inclination angle θinc is the angle of inclination of the vehicle 10 in the longitudinal direction, and is also a signal indicating the gradient of the road.

[0026] The electronic control unit 90 outputs various command signals to each device installed in the vehicle 10. These devices include, for example, the power source 12, the automatic transmission 18, and the electric actuator 42. The various control command signals include, for example, the power source control command signal Spu for controlling the power source 12, the transmission control command signal Spt for controlling the automatic transmission 18, and the parking switch control command signal Splock for controlling the operation of the switch 40.

[0027] The electronic control unit 90 includes an opening / closing determination unit 92 and a switching control unit 94 in order to implement various controls in the vehicle 10.

[0028] The opening / closing determination unit 92 uses an opening / closing signal corresponding to the opening and closing of the vehicle 10's door to perform a door opening / closing determination to indicate whether the vehicle 10's door is open or closed. In this embodiment, the state in which the vehicle 10's door is open is referred to as the door open state, and the state in which the vehicle 10's door is closed is referred to as the door closed state. When the door's opening / closing state is the door open state, the opening / closing determination unit 92 sets the door opening / closing determination to an open determination indicating the door open state, and when the door's opening / closing state is the door closed state, the door opening / closing determination unit 92 sets the door opening / closing determination to a closed determination indicating the door closed state.

[0029] The open / close determination unit 92 determines the door to be open if at least one of the courtesy signal Cts and the lock signal DLc changes from the closed signal Dcls corresponding to the door closed state to the open signal Dopn corresponding to the door open state. Also, the open / close determination unit 92 determines the door to be closed if at least one of the courtesy signal Cts and the lock signal DLc changes from the open signal Dopn to the closed signal Dcls.

[0030] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the main part of the control operation of the electronic control device 90, and is a flowchart illustrating the control operation for determining door opening and closing, which is, for example, executed repeatedly.

[0031] In Figure 3, each step in the flowchart corresponds to a function of the open / closed determination unit 92. In step S10 (the steps will be omitted hereafter), it is determined whether the courtesy signal Cts has changed from the closed signal Dcls to the open signal Dopn. If the determination in S10 is negative, then in S20, it is determined whether the lock signal DLc has changed from the closed signal Dcls to the open signal Dopn. If the determination in S10 is positive, or if the determination in S20 is positive, then in S30, the door open / closed determination is set to open. If the determination in S20 is negative, then in S40, it is determined whether the courtesy signal Cts has changed from the open signal Dopn to the closed signal Dcls. If the determination in S40 is negative, then in S50, it is determined whether the lock signal DLc has changed from the open signal Dopn to the closed signal Dcls. If the determination in S50 is negative, then this routine is terminated. If the judgment in S40 above is affirmed, or if the judgment in S50 above is affirmed, then in S60, the door open / closed determination is set to closed.

[0032] The switching control unit 94 electrically switches the shift position POSsh of the automatic transmission 18 using the switching device 40 based on the operating position POSop in the shift operation device 30. For example, the switching control unit 94 sets a requested position, which is the shift position POSsh desired by the driver, based on the lever position signal Splev or the parking switch signal Spsw. The switching control unit 94 switches to the shift position POSsh corresponding to the requested position. When the shift position POSsh is in a non-parking position, if the switching control unit 94 detects the input of the parking switch signal Spsw, it sets the parking position as the requested position. Then, the switching control unit 94 switches the shift position POSsh to the parking position by operating the electric actuator 42 to put the parking lock mechanism 46 into the parking lock state. On the other hand, when the shift position POSsh is in the parking position, if the switching control unit 94 detects the input of the lever position signal Splev, it sets the non-parking position corresponding to the lever position signal Splev as the requested position. The switching control unit 94 then activates the electric actuator 42 to set the parking lock mechanism 46 to the non-parking lock state, thereby switching the shift position POSsh to the non-parking position. In addition, the switching control unit 94 switches to the shift position POSsh corresponding to the requested position among the non-parking positions.

[0033] The switching control unit 94 executes automatic parking control CNap when the vehicle speed V is below a predetermined vehicle speed Vf near zero, and the state of the power transmission device 16 is in a non-parking state, and the door opening / closing determination unit 92 determines that the door is open. Automatic parking control CNap is a control that switches the state of the power transmission device 16 to the parking state using the switching device 40. In other words, the switching control unit 94 executes automatic parking control CNap when the vehicle speed V is below a predetermined vehicle speed Vf, and the shift position POSsh is in a non-parking position, and the door opening / closing determination determines that the door is open. Automatic parking control CNap is a control that switches the shift position POSsh to the parking position by operating the electric actuator 42 to put the parking lock mechanism 46 into a parking lock state.

[0034] The predetermined vehicle speed Vf is a predetermined stopping speed at which stopping can be determined, for example, by taking into account the response delay of the vehicle speed V based on the detected value of the output rotational speed sensor 70 in response to the decrease in the actual vehicle speed V during a sudden stop.

[0035] The automatic parking control CNap is a control system that automatically switches the shift position POSsh to the parking position when it detects the driver's intention to exit the vehicle while the shift position POSsh is in a non-parking position. The switching control unit 94 detects the driver's intention to exit the vehicle based on whether the door open / close determination is an open determination.

[0036] To further improve the reliability of detecting the driver's intention to exit the vehicle, in addition to the door opening / closing determination being an open determination, the system may also use, for example, the condition that the brakes are not being applied by the driver. The switching control unit 94 executes automatic parking control CNap when the vehicle speed V is less than or equal to a predetermined vehicle speed Vf, and the shift position POSsh is in a non-parking position, and the door opening / closing determination is an open determination in addition to the brakes being off.

[0037] Incidentally, when the driver performs reverse parking by backing the vehicle 10 into a parking space, the driver may open the driver's side door 62 and visually check the area behind the vehicle while backing up the vehicle 10. If the driver opens the driver's side door 62 without intending to get out of the vehicle, for example, if the driver opens the driver's side door 62 with the intention of reverse parking, the automatic parking control CNap will not be activated. If the switching control unit 94 detects the driver's intention to reverse park, it will skip and not execute the automatic parking control CNap.

[0038] The electronic control unit 90 is further equipped with a reverse parking determination unit 96 to allow the driver to perform reverse parking while visually checking the area behind the vehicle with the driver's side door 62 open.

[0039] The reverse parking determination unit 96 determines whether or not the driver is attempting to reverse park. In other words, the reverse parking determination unit 96 detects whether or not the driver intends to reverse park.

[0040] The switching control unit 94 executes automatic parking control CNap when the vehicle speed V is less than or equal to a predetermined vehicle speed Vf, the power transmission device 16 is in a non-parking state, the door opening / closing determination is open, and it is determined that the driver is not performing reverse parking. On the other hand, the switching control unit 94 does not execute automatic parking control CNap when it is determined that the driver is performing reverse parking.

[0041] The reverse parking determination unit 96 determines that it is time for the driver to perform reverse parking if the power transmission device 16 is in a state where it is capable of reverse driving and the accelerator opening θacc is less than or equal to a predetermined opening θaccf. The state of the power transmission device 16 being in a state where it is capable of reverse driving is synonymous with the shift position POSsh being in the reverse driving position.

[0042] The predetermined throttle opening θaccf is the upper limit of the throttle opening θacc that can be determined to indicate the driver's intention to reverse park. In other words, the predetermined throttle opening θaccf is the upper limit of the throttle opening θacc that can be interpreted as the driver intending to reverse the vehicle 10 with slight acceleration. When the throttle opening θacc is zero, it can be interpreted as the driver intending to reverse the vehicle 10 with slight acceleration by utilizing the creep phenomenon. The creep phenomenon is the phenomenon in which the vehicle 10 moves slowly, for example, when the brake is released while the accelerator is still off. Therefore, the predetermined vehicle speed Vf may be, for example, the upper limit of the predetermined vehicle speed V when reversing with the throttle opening θacc below the predetermined throttle opening θaccf.

[0043] The reverse parking determination unit 96 determines that it is not time for the driver to perform reverse parking if the state of the power transmission device 16 is not in a state where reverse driving is possible. The state of the power transmission device 16 is not in a state where reverse driving is possible, for example, when the state of the power transmission device 16 is in a state where forward driving is possible, or when the state of the power transmission device 16 is in a neutral state. The state of the power transmission device 16 being in a state where forward driving is possible is synonymous with the shift position POSsh being in the forward driving position. The state of the power transmission device 16 being in a neutral state is synonymous with the shift position POSsh being in the neutral position.

[0044] Alternatively, the reverse parking determination unit 96 determines that the driver is not performing reverse parking when the power transmission device 16 is in a state where reverse driving is possible and the accelerator opening θacc exceeds a predetermined opening θaccf. When the shift position POSsh is in the reverse driving position, if the accelerator is opened and the accelerator is opened significantly, it may be unsafe. If the accelerator opening θacc exceeds a predetermined opening θaccf, the system determines that the driver is not performing reverse parking to prevent reversing, and the automatic parking control CNap is executed. Conversely, if the accelerator opening θacc is small enough that the vehicle 10 barely moves, it is assumed that no danger will occur even if the doors are open. Only when driving slowly during reverse parking, the automatic parking control CNap is skipped and not executed even if the doors are opened for convenience. However, if the doors are closed, driving with a large accelerator operation in the reverse driving position is possible.

[0045] Here, we will explain reverse parking on a slope. As an example of reverse parking on a slope, we will describe the case where vehicle 10 is parked by reversing it uphill on a downhill slope. In this case, the driver's procedure is as follows: First, the driver drives vehicle 10 downhill and stops it (Procedure [1]). Next, with the accelerator off, the driver switches the operation position POSop to the reverse driving operation position. This switches the shift position POSsh from the forward driving position to the reverse driving position (Procedure [2]). Next, the driver opens the driver's side door 62 to check behind vehicle 10 (Procedure [3]). Next, the driver operates the accelerator with a low accelerator opening θacc that allows vehicle 10 to just barely reverse (Procedure [4]).

[0046] At the point when the above procedure [3] is performed, the accelerator pedal position θacc is zero. At this point, it is desirable that the automatic parking control CNap be skipped. However, if a lower limit is set for the accelerator pedal position θacc and it is determined that the driver is performing reverse parking, the automatic parking control CNap will be executed at this point. In this embodiment, only an upper limit is set for the accelerator pedal position θacc, and if the accelerator pedal position θacc is less than or equal to a predetermined position θaccf, it is determined that the driver is performing reverse parking, and the automatic parking control CNap is skipped. Therefore, the automatic parking control CNap is not executed at this point.

[0047] In the above procedure [4], as long as the accelerator pedal is pressed in small increments, the vehicle 10 will slide down the slope. However, as is characteristic of the driver, the accelerator pedal is pressed in larger increments to prevent the vehicle from sliding down. Therefore, the driver's intention to reverse park can be considered to be the magnitude of the driving force requested by the driver that is not excessive and can move the vehicle 10 backward against the sliding down the slope. For example, the accelerator pedal opening θacc corresponding to the magnitude of the driving force requested by the driver at this time is set to a predetermined opening θaccf.

[0048] The slope driving force Fs[N] shown in equation (1) below is the vehicle driving force F required to maintain the vehicle 10 in a stationary state against sliding down a slope. In equation (1) below, "θinc[rad]" is the inclination angle of the vehicle 10 with the front facing downhill, "m[kg]" is the vehicle mass, and "g[m / s 2 ] is the acceleration due to gravity. The predetermined opening θaccf is a value greater than, for example, the accelerator opening θacc that generates the uphill driving force Fs, and is set to the accelerator opening θacc that generates the uphill driving force Fs plus the amount that causes the vehicle 10 to move backward with a small acceleration on a downhill slope. In this way, the reverse parking determination unit 96 sets the predetermined opening θaccf based on the inclination angle θinc of the vehicle 10.

[0049] Fs = m × g × sinθ inc ... (1)

[0050] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the main part of the control operation of the electronic control unit 90, and is a flowchart illustrating the control operation for performing reverse parking while the driver opens the driver's side door 62 and visually checks the rear of the vehicle, while the function of the automatic parking control CNap is activated, and is, for example, executed repeatedly.

[0051] In Figure 4, first, in S110, which corresponds to the function of the switching control unit 94, it is determined whether the vehicle speed V is less than or equal to a predetermined vehicle speed Vf. If the determination in S110 is negative, this routine is terminated. If the determination in S110 is positive, in S120, which corresponds to the function of the switching control unit 94, it is determined whether the shift position POSsh is in a non-parking position. If the determination in S120 is negative, this routine is terminated. If the determination in S120 is positive, in S130, which corresponds to the function of the opening / closing determination unit 92, it is determined whether the door opening / closing determination is an open determination. If the determination in S130 is negative, this routine is terminated. If the determination in S130 is positive, in S140, which corresponds to the function of the switching control unit 94, it is determined whether the brake is off. If the determination in S140 is negative, this routine is terminated. If the judgment in S140 is affirmed, S150, which corresponds to the function of the reverse parking determination unit 96, determines whether the shift position POSsh is not in the reverse driving position. If the judgment in S150 is denied, S160, which corresponds to the function of the reverse parking determination unit 96, determines whether the accelerator opening θacc exceeds a predetermined opening θaccf. If the judgment in S160 is denied, this routine is terminated and the automatic parking control CNap is not executed. On the other hand, if the judgment in S150 is affirmed, or if the judgment in S160 is affirmed, the automatic parking control CNap is executed in S170, which corresponds to the function of the switching control unit 94.

[0052] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the vehicle speed V is less than or equal to a predetermined vehicle speed Vf, and the state of the power transmission device 16 is in a non-parking state, if the door opening / closing determination is determined to be open, the automatic parking control CNap is executed. However, if it is determined that the driver is performing reverse parking, the automatic parking control CNap is not executed. Therefore, the driver can perform reverse parking while the function of the automatic parking control CNap is working, by opening the driver's side door 62 and visually checking the rear of the vehicle.

[0053] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the power transmission device 16 is in a state where it is capable of reverse driving, and the accelerator opening θacc is less than or equal to a predetermined opening θaccf, it is determined that the driver is performing reverse parking. This ensures that it is appropriately determined that it is time to perform reverse parking. In addition, existing sensors are used to determine that it is time to perform reverse parking.

[0054] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the predetermined opening angle θaccf is the upper limit of the accelerator opening angle θacc that can be determined in advance when it is determined that the driver intends to reverse park. This allows for a more appropriate determination of when it is time to reverse park. In addition, the predetermined opening angle θaccf is set based on the inclination angle θinc of the vehicle 10. This allows for an appropriate determination of when it is time to reverse park, regardless of whether it is a flat road or a slope. For example, even when reversing into a parking space on a downhill slope, the driver can open the driver's side door 62 and visually check the area behind the vehicle while reversing.

[0055] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the vehicle speed V is less than or equal to a predetermined vehicle speed Vf, and the state of the power transmission device 16 is in a non-parking state, and the door opening / closing determination is determined to be open, and it is determined that the driver is not performing reverse parking, then the automatic parking control CNap is executed. As a result, when the driver opens the driver's side door 62 and is not performing reverse parking, the automatic parking control CNap is executed appropriately.

[0056] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is determined that the driver is not performing reverse parking when the power transmission device 16 is in a state where forward driving is possible, or when the power transmission device 16 is in a neutral state. Alternatively, it is determined that the driver is not performing reverse parking when the power transmission device 16 is in a state where reverse driving is possible, and the accelerator opening θacc exceeds a predetermined opening θaccf. This ensures that it is appropriately determined that the driver is not performing reverse parking.

[0057] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is also applicable to other embodiments.

[0058] For example, in the above embodiment, it may be determined whether or not the driver is attempting to park the vehicle 10 in the rear parking space by using the image from the rear camera or the like.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, it is also acceptable to provide only one sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the driver's side door 62. In this case, the door opening and closing determination is performed using the single sensor that detects the opening and closing of the driver's side door 62.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the shift operation device 30 may be a device comprising a single operating element, such as a lever or dial, which is operated to an operating position POSop corresponding to the shift position POSsh, and a position sensor that electrically detects the position of the operating element.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the switching device 40 may be a switching device that switches the shift position POSsh to each of the following positions: parking position, reverse driving position, neutral position, forward driving position, etc.

[0062] Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to any vehicle that includes a power transmission device for transmitting power from a power source to the drive wheels, and a switching device for switching the state of the power transmission device between a parked state and an unparked state based on a control command signal, as described in the above-described embodiment.

[0063] It should be noted that the above-described embodiment is merely one example, and the present invention can be implemented in various modified and improved forms based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10: Vehicle 12: Power source 14: Drive wheels 16: Power transmission device 20: Output shaft (rotating member) 40: Switching device 62: Driver's side door (door) 90: Electronic control device (control device) 92: Open / close determination unit 94: Switching control unit 96: Reverse parking determination unit

Claims

1. A control device for a vehicle comprising: a power transmission device for transmitting power from a power source to the drive wheels; and a switching device that switches the state of the power transmission device between a parking state in which the rotation of a rotating member that rotates with the drive wheels is mechanically prevented from rotating and a non-parking state in which the rotation of the rotating member is permitted, based on a control command signal, An opening / closing determination unit that determines whether the door of the vehicle is open or closed, When the vehicle speed is below a predetermined vehicle speed near zero, and the state of the power transmission device is the non-parking state, if the door opening / closing determination is an open determination indicating that the door is open, the switching control unit executes automatic parking control by switching the state of the power transmission device to the parking state using the switching device, It includes, The system further includes a reverse parking determination unit that determines whether or not the driver is performing a reverse parking maneuver, in which the vehicle is reversed to park. The switching control unit will not execute the automatic parking control if it determines that the driver is performing the reverse parking maneuver. The reverse parking determination unit determines that the driver is performing the reverse parking maneuver when the state of the power transmission device is such that the vehicle can move in reverse, and the accelerator pedal opening is below a predetermined opening. The predetermined opening is a predetermined upper limit of the accelerator opening that can be determined to indicate the driver's intention to reverse park. The vehicle control device is characterized in that the reverse parking determination unit sets the predetermined opening degree based on the inclination angle of the vehicle.

2. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the switching control unit executes the automatic parking control when the vehicle speed is less than or equal to the predetermined vehicle speed and the state of the power transmission device is the non-parking state, the door opening / closing determination is the open determination, and the driver is not performing the reverse parking.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, characterized in that the reverse parking determination unit determines that it is not time for the driver to perform the reverse parking when the state of the power transmission device is in a state that allows the vehicle to travel forward, or when the state of the power transmission device is in a state that power transmission in the power transmission device is interrupted, or when the state of the power transmission device is in a state that allows the vehicle to travel in reverse and the accelerator opening exceeds a predetermined opening.

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