Control method for vehicle and device

JPWO2024013960A5Active Publication Date: 2025-04-03NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024533460
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2022-07-15
Filing Date
2022-07-15
Publication Date
2025-04-03
Estimated Expiration
2042-07-15

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing vehicle control systems fail to effectively manage power supply for automatic driving functions during idling stop control, leading to potential power source depletion and inefficiencies in power management between main and secondary batteries.

Method used

A vehicle control method that utilizes a first power storage device for starting the motor, a second power storage device for automatic operation, and a disconnection mechanism to ensure reliable power supply to automatic operation loads during idling stop control, disconnecting the second device before restarting to prevent charge depletion, and reconnecting it after the engine is restarted.

Benefits of technology

This solution ensures stable power supply to automatic operation loads during idling stop and restart cycles, minimizing the charge depletion of the secondary power storage device and maintaining efficient power management between the lead acid and lithium ion batteries.

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Abstract

According to the present invention, a vehicle having an automatic driving function comprises: an alternator (2); a starter motor (5); a load A group (21) that includes one of two automatic driving electric loads that constitute a redundant system, and a load B group (22) that includes the other of the two automatic driving electric loads; a lead-acid battery (6); and a backup lithium-ion battery (7). During normal driving, a circuit break switch (13) and a LiB relay (10) are turned ON, and power is supplied to the load A group (21) and the load B group (22) by means of power generation from the alternator (2). During idling stop control, the circuit break switch (13) is turned OFF, and power is supplied from the lead-acid battery 6 to the starter motor (5) for a restart. The lithium-ion battery (7) is not affected during the restart.
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Description

Vehicle control method and device

[0001] This invention relates to vehicle control that appropriately combines ensuring power supply for the automatic driving electrical loads and idling stop control in a vehicle that is equipped with a second power storage device for supplying power to the automatic driving electrical loads required for automatic driving, separate from a first power storage device for cranking.

[0002] In vehicles with an autonomous driving function (including so-called driving assistance functions) in which a control system operates the vehicle's steering, brakes, etc., a highly reliable power supply configuration is required as the power source for the electric loads for autonomous driving, including the electric actuators that realize the operation and their control circuits.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, in addition to a main battery consisting of a lead battery that supplies power to the electrical loads required for normal driving, an additional battery consisting of a lithium-ion battery that supplies power to electrical loads for automatic driving such as an ADAS actuator is provided. This configuration is divided into a first load circuit including the main battery and general electrical loads, and a second load circuit including the additional battery and electrical loads for automatic driving, and a circuit interruption mechanism is provided between the two. Voltage fluctuations in each load circuit are monitored to control the interruption and connection of both load circuits.

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose anything about idling stop control, and does not disclose how to control the circuit interrupting mechanism when idling stop control is applied.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle with an idling stop function, which is equipped with a main battery consisting of a lithium-ion battery and a sub-battery consisting of a lead battery. Normal power supply, including cranking, is performed using the main battery in the normal temperature range, and the sub-battery is used to supply power to the starter when the engine temperature is in the low or high range during starting.

[0006] However, in Patent Document 2, no particular consideration is given to ensuring a power source for maintaining the automatic driving function.

[0007] JP 2017-177857 A JP 2008-167652 A

[0008] The control method for a vehicle according to the present invention comprises: a first power storage device that supplies power to at least one starting motor; a second power storage device that supplies power to an automatic driving electrical load required for automatic driving of the vehicle; and a first disconnecting device provided between the automatic driving electrical load and the first power storage device, wherein when a predetermined condition is met while the vehicle is stopped, an idling stop control is executed to stop the engine, and when the idling stop control is executed, the first disconnecting device is controlled to a disconnected state at the latest before the engine is restarted.

[0009] When a predetermined condition is met while the vehicle is stopped, idling stop control is executed and the engine is stopped. Substantially simultaneously with the start of this idling stop control, or with a delay from the start of the idling stop control, the first disconnecting device is brought into a disconnected state. While the first disconnecting device is in a disconnected state, power is supplied to the automatic driving electrical load by the second power storage device. Thereafter, the engine is restarted, triggered by, for example, the driver releasing the brake pedal, and at the time of this restart, power is supplied from the first power storage device to the starting motor. At the time of this restart, because the first disconnecting device is in a disconnected state, the second power storage device and the automatic driving electrical load are disconnected from the first power storage device, and no power is taken from the second power storage device to the first power storage device.

[0010] Therefore, even if the idling stop control and the associated restart are frequently repeated, the charge amount of the second power storage device will not decrease significantly.

[0011] An explanatory diagram showing the system configuration of a power supply system of one embodiment. An explanatory diagram showing the basic operation of a power supply system of one embodiment. A time chart showing charging and discharging of a lead acid battery and a lithium ion battery during idling stop control. An explanatory diagram showing the operation during idling stop control. An explanatory diagram of the operation when restarting after idling stop fails. An explanatory diagram of the operation when the ignition switch is turned OFF during idling stop. An explanatory diagram of the operation when the circuit breaker switch is stuck in the cut-off state.

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the system configuration of a power supply system in a vehicle with an automatic driving function according to one embodiment. The vehicle of this embodiment is a vehicle that is basically powered by an engine 1. The engine 1 may be, for example, a spark-ignition engine, i.e., a gasoline engine, or may be a diesel engine that uses compression autoignition. The engine 1 includes a generator, for example, an alternator 2. The alternator 2 is driven by a crank pulley 4 of the engine 1 via a belt transmission mechanism 3. The engine 1 also includes a starter motor 5 as a starting motor. The starter motor 5 is of a general type that includes a pinion that engages and disengages with a ring gear (not shown) of the engine 1.

[0014] A vehicle includes many electrical loads, which in one embodiment are roughly divided into a load A group 21 and a load B group 22, as shown in Fig. 1. The load A group 21 includes various electrical loads required for general vehicle operation, such as the fuel system, ignition system, and control system of the engine 1, as well as electrical equipment such as lighting, air conditioning, and audio. The load A group 21 further includes one of the automatic driving electrical loads (corresponding to the second automatic driving electrical load in the claims) that are configured as a redundant system and are required for automatic driving of the vehicle.

[0015] The load B group 22 includes the load of the other system of the automatic driving electrical loads required for automatic driving of the vehicle configured as a redundant system (corresponding to the automatic driving electrical load in the claims).

[0016] These two electric loads for autonomous driving, configured as a redundant system, have substantially the same functions. For example, in a level 2 autonomous driving function, the throttle valve of the engine 1 and the vehicle brakes are controlled by a driving assistance system via electric actuators, and the steering operation of the vehicle is controlled by the driving assistance system via an electric power steering device. The actuators, control circuits, etc. that are responsible for such autonomous driving require a redundant system so that if one fails, the other can maintain its function.

[0017] For example, an electric power steering device may be configured with two motor units and two motor drive control circuit units that are redundant with respect to each other. In this case, one motor unit and its corresponding drive control circuit unit correspond to one of the automatic driving electric loads included in load A group 21, and the other motor unit and its corresponding drive control circuit unit correspond to the other automatic driving electric load included in load B group 22.

[0018] The power supply system of one embodiment includes two secondary batteries for temporarily storing power generated by the alternator 2. Specifically, the system includes a lead-acid battery 6, which corresponds to the first power storage device in the claims, and a lithium-ion battery 7, which corresponds to the second power storage device. The lead-acid battery 6 is a so-called 12V battery commonly used as an on-board battery in automobiles, and is a battery with an appropriate capacity taking into account the overall loads A group 21 and B group 22. The lithium-ion battery 7 is a type of backup power supply primarily used to secure power for the electric loads for automatic driving in the load B group 22. For example, a battery with a capacity relatively smaller than that of the lead-acid battery 6 is used. Generally, lithium-ion batteries have lower internal resistance and superior charge / discharge characteristics compared to lead-acid batteries. The lithium-ion battery 7 has a voltage equivalent to that of the lead-acid battery 6 by adjusting the number of cells.

[0019] The lead-acid battery 6 incorporates a current / voltage sensor 8 that detects the current and voltage of the lead-acid battery 6. This current / voltage sensor 8 detects the current and voltage during charging and discharging, and the state of charge (SOC) of the lead-acid battery 6 is estimated based on these data. The lithium-ion battery 7 incorporates a battery management system (BMS) 9 and an LiB relay 10 in a battery pack containing cells. The battery management system 9 detects the voltage and current of each cell, suppresses overcharging and overdischarging, equalizes cell voltages, calculates the state of charge (SOC), and performs other functions. It also detects cell temperature and monitors overcurrent, protecting the lithium-ion battery 7 by shutting off the LiB relay 10 in the event of, for example, an abnormally high temperature or an overcurrent. The LiB relay 10 is a contact relay and corresponds to the second disconnecting device in the claims.

[0020] The lead-acid battery 6 is connected to the alternator 2, starter motor 5, and load group A 21 as a main circuit 11. The lithium-ion battery 7 incorporating the LiB relay 10 is connected to load group B 22 as a backup circuit 12. The main circuit 11 and backup circuit 12 are connected to each other via a circuit breaker switch 13 (corresponding to the first disconnecting device in the claims). The circuit breaker switch 13 is made of a semiconductor switch in consideration of responsiveness. As shown in FIG. 1 , the circuit breaker switch 13 is disposed between the lead-acid battery 6 for supplying power to the starter motor 5 and load group B 22, which is mainly composed of electrical loads for automatic driving.

[0021] The connection and disconnection of the circuit breaker switch 13 and the LiB relay 10 are controlled by a controller 14 that controls the power supply. The controller 14 also controls the voltage and power generation amount of the alternator 2, and further controls the starter motor 5 when starting the engine 1 (initial start and restart after idling stop). The controller 14 may be composed of multiple modules or controllers.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the basic operation of the power supply system of one embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . In the following explanatory diagrams, including FIG. 2 , arrows indicate the flow of main currents. FIG. 2(a) shows a state in which the vehicle ignition switch is OFF. In this ignition switch OFF state, the circuit breaker switch 13 is ON (conducting state), and the LiB relay 10 is controlled to OFF (disconnecting state). In this ignition switch OFF state, many electrical loads do not require power, but some electrical loads consume power even during standby, resulting in so-called standby current flowing through the circuit. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 2(a), the lead-acid battery 6 supplies the necessary power to both load group A 21 and load group B 22 during standby. Because the LiB relay 10 is in the disconnecting state, the charge level of the lithium-ion battery 7 does not decrease.

[0023] When the ignition switch is turned ON, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 2(b), power is supplied from the lead-acid battery 6 to the starter motor 5, and cranking and starting (initial starting) of the engine 1 is performed. During cranking, the LiB relay 10 remains OFF, and power from the lithium-ion battery 7 is not consumed.

[0024] When starting is complete, the LiB relay 10 is turned ON as shown in Figure 2(c). Therefore, as shown by the arrows, both the lead-acid battery 6 and the lithium-ion battery 7 are charged by power generation from the alternator 2. The voltage is controlled so that the charge of the lead-acid battery 6, which is reduced due to power consumption while the ignition switch is OFF and during cranking, and the charge of the lithium-ion battery 7, which is slightly reduced due to natural discharge, are quickly restored.

[0025] 2(d) shows a normal driving state in which the lead-acid battery 6 and the lithium-ion battery 7 are sufficiently charged. The circuit breaker switch 13 and the LiB relay 10 are both in the ON state. In this state, power is basically supplied from the alternator 2 to the load A group 21 and the load B group 22. If the lithium-ion battery 7 is sufficiently charged, the use of the automatic driving function is permitted. Furthermore, if the lead-acid battery 6 is sufficiently charged, idling stop control, which stops operation of the engine 1 when the vehicle is stopped at an intersection, is permitted.

[0026] When the vehicle stops from the control state of FIG. 2(d) and the ignition switch is turned off, the LiB relay 10 is turned off and the state returns to the state of FIG. 2(a).

[0027] Next, power supply control during idling stop control, which is a main part of the present invention, will be described with reference to the time chart of FIG. 3 and the operation explanatory diagram of FIG.

[0028] Idling stop control is an effective means for reducing fuel consumption of a vehicle, and is executed when several idling stop conditions are simultaneously met (so-called AND conditions), such as when the vehicle speed is approximately 0, after warm-up is complete, the accelerator pedal is OFF, the brake pedal is ON, and the charge amount of the lead-acid battery 6 or the lithium-ion battery 7 is equal to or greater than a predetermined level (LABSOC2, LiBSOC1, described later), and the engine 1 is automatically stopped. After that, automatic restart is performed when any one of several restart conditions is met (so-called OR conditions), such as when the brake pedal is OFF or a start request is received from the air conditioning system.

[0029] 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining operation during idle stop control, and when the idle stop condition is met from the normal control state shown in FIG. 2(d) described above and idle stop control is initiated, the circuit breaker switch 13 is turned OFF as shown in FIG. 4(a). The LiB relay 10 remains in the ON state. During idle stop control, the engine 1 is stopped and power generation by the alternator 2 is stopped, so that power is supplied to the load group A 21 from the lead-acid battery 6 and to the load group B 22 from the lithium-ion battery 7. This ensures that power is reliably supplied to the two mutually redundant automatic driving electric loads included in the load group A 21 and the load group B 22, respectively.

[0030] It is preferable that the condition that the LiB relay 10 is actually ON be included as one of the idling stop conditions. In other words, it is desirable to prevent the idling stop control from being started in a state in which power supply from the lithium ion battery 7 to the load B group 22 is not possible.

[0031] Next, when the restart conditions are met and the vehicle is restarted, as shown in FIG. 4B , power is supplied from the lead-acid battery 6 to the starter motor 5, and cranking for the restart is performed. At this time, the circuit breaker switch 13 remains OFF, and the LiB relay 10 remains ON. Therefore, while power continues to be supplied from the lithium-ion battery 7 to the automatic driving electrical loads of the load group B 22, the lithium-ion battery 7 is disconnected from the starter motor 5 and the lead-acid battery 6, and no power is transferred from the lithium-ion battery 7 to the main circuit 11. Because the lithium-ion battery 7 has a lower internal resistance than the lead-acid battery 6, if both the lead-acid battery 6 and the lithium-ion battery 7 were connected to the starter motor 5, power from the lithium-ion battery 7 would be consumed preferentially. Because the circuit breaker switch 13 is OFF, the lithium-ion battery 7 is not affected during the restart.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the circuit breaker switch 13 is turned OFF substantially simultaneously with the start of the idling stop control in preparation for restart. Therefore, there is no delay in switching the circuit breaker switch 13 OFF when a restart request is made, and restart can be started promptly. In addition, there is no concern about power being drawn from the lithium-ion battery 7 to the load A group 21 during the idling stop control.

[0033] 4(c) shows the control state immediately after restart. After restart, charging of the lead-acid battery 6 is given priority. Therefore, the circuit breaker switch 13 remains in the OFF state for a predetermined period after restart. The lead-acid battery 6 is charged by power generation by the alternator 2. During this time, the load group B 22 receives power supply from the lithium-ion battery 7. This is in consideration of the fact that the lead-acid battery 6 consumes power due to cranking during restart, and that the internal resistance of the lead-acid battery 6 is greater than that of the lithium-ion battery 7, etc.

[0034] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4( d ), the circuit breaker switch 13 is controlled to be ON, and the charging of both the lead-acid battery 6 and the lithium-ion battery 7 begins.

[0035] 3 is a time chart showing power supply control during idle stop control, and in this example, idle stop control is executed twice. The period marked "IS" in the top row (a) is the idle stop control period (corresponding to FIG. 4(a)), the period marked "LAB charging" is the priority charging period for the lead-acid battery 6 (corresponding to FIG. 4(c)), and the period marked "LiB+LAB charging" is the charging period for both the lithium-ion battery 7 and the lead-acid battery 6 (corresponding to FIG. 4(d)). As described above, after the idle stop control ends, the priority charging period for the lead-acid battery 6 begins, and then the charging of both the lithium-ion battery 7 and the lead-acid battery 6 begins.

[0036] Column (b) shows the change in the state of charge (SOC) of the lead-acid battery 6 (abbreviated as LAB in the figure). LABSOC1 is the target SOC of the lead-acid battery 6 for ending the priority charging of the lead-acid battery 6 after restart. LABSOC2 is the idling stop prohibition SOC of the lead-acid battery 6, which is one of the idling stop conditions. LABSOC2 is set to a value lower than LABSOC1. When the state of charge (SOC) of the lead-acid battery 6 falls below LABSOC2, idling stop control is prohibited. Thereafter, idling stop control remains prohibited as a so-called hysteresis until the state of charge returns to LABSOC1. The state of charge of the lead-acid battery 6 decreases due to power consumption by the load A group 21 during idling stop control and cranking at restart, and then increases during the subsequent charging period. In the illustrated example, the priority charging period for the lead-acid battery 6 after the first idle stop control ends at time t3 when the charge amount of the lead-acid battery 6 reaches LABSOC1. In other words, the predetermined period for priority charging of the lead-acid battery 6 is considered to have elapsed when the charge target LABSOC1 is reached. The first idle stop control ends at time t2 when, for example, the driver releases the brake pedal. The second idle stop control ends at time t5 when the charge amount of the lead-acid battery 6 drops to LABSOC2.

[0037] Column (c) shows the change in the state of charge (SOC) of the lithium-ion battery 7 (abbreviated as LiB in the figure). LiBSOC1 is the idling stop prohibition SOC below which idling stop control is prohibited. This LiBSOC1 is also the lower limit SOC at which the lithium-ion battery 7 should be charged. If the charge level of the lithium-ion battery 7 drops to LiBSOC1 while the lead-acid battery 6 is being preferentially charged after idling stop control, the system will switch to charging both the lithium-ion battery 7 and the lead-acid battery 6. LiBSOC2 is the automatic driving warning SOC, which is the lower limit at which the power required for the automatic driving function can be output to the automatic driving electrical loads of load group B 22. If the charge level of the lithium-ion battery 7 falls below this LiBSOC2 during automatic driving, an alert (audio, screen display, etc.) is issued to the driver urging them to switch from automatic driving to manual driving. LiBSOC1 is set to a value higher than LiBSOC2 so as to provide an appropriate margin of time before an alert is issued. The charge amount of the lithium-ion battery 7 decreases due to power consumption by the load group B 22 during the idle-stop control and the subsequent priority charging period of the lead-acid battery 6, and increases during the charging periods of both the lithium-ion battery 7 and the lead-acid battery 6. In the illustrated example, the priority charging period of the lead-acid battery 6 after the second idle-stop control ends at time t6 when the charge amount of the lithium-ion battery 7 has decreased to LiBSOC1. In other words, the decrease to LiBSOC1 is considered to be the end of the predetermined period for priority charging of the lead-acid battery 6.

[0038] The predetermined period for which the lead-acid battery 6 is preferentially charged may be determined by its duration. In this case, the preferential charging of the lead-acid battery 6 ends after a certain period of time has elapsed, and the charging process shifts to charging both the lithium-ion battery 7 and the lead-acid battery 6.

[0039] Column (d) indicates whether the alternator 2 (abbreviated as ALT in the drawing) is in a generating state (Generate) or a non-generating state (Not Generate). During idling stop control, power generation stops.

[0040] Column (e) shows the open / closed state of the circuit breaker switch 13 (abbreviated as HNS in the figure). The circuit breaker switch 13 is open (OFF) during idling stop control and during the period in which the lead-acid battery 6 is being preferentially charged, and is closed (ON) during the period in which both the lithium-ion battery 7 and the lead-acid battery 6 are being charged. Column (f) shows the open / closed state of the LiB relay 10. The LiB relay 10 remains closed (ON) during the period shown in the time chart.

[0041] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation when restarting the engine 1 after idling stop control fails for some reason. Cranking for restarting is performed with the circuit breaker switch 13 OFF and the LiB relay 10 ON, as shown in FIG. 4(b) above. If restarting fails from this state, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the circuit breaker switch 13 is first turned ON to establish power supply to the load group B 22, and then, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the LiB relay 10 is turned OFF to disconnect the lithium-ion battery 7 from the circuit. The LiB relay 10 is prohibited from turning OFF until the circuit breaker switch 13 is turned ON. After the LiB relay 10 is turned OFF, starting (cranking) of the engine 1 is permitted. After a failed restart, the engine 1 can be started by the driver again operating the ignition switch (e.g., a push switch).

[0042] In this way, by turning the LiB relay 10 OFF after controlling the circuit breaker switch 13 to ON, the power supply to the automatic driving electrical loads of the load group B 22 is not interrupted.

[0043] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation when the ignition switch is turned OFF during idle stop control. For example, when the vehicle reaches its destination and temporarily stops, idle stop control may be initiated, and the driver may simply turn OFF the ignition switch. FIG. 6(a) shows a state during idle stop control, similar to FIG. 4(a), in which the circuit breaker switch 13 is OFF and the LiB relay 10 is ON. When the ignition switch is turned OFF in this state, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the circuit breaker switch 13 is OFF and the LiB relay 10 is fixed ON. In this state, for example, while the vehicle is stopped, discharge of the lithium-ion battery 7 occurs. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the circuit breaker switch 13 is first turned ON to establish power supply to the load group B 22, and then, as shown in FIG. 6(d), the LiB relay 10 is turned OFF to disconnect the lithium-ion battery 7 from the circuit. The LiB relay 10 is prohibited from being turned off until the circuit breaker switch 13 is turned on.

[0044] This state in Figure 6(d) is the same as the normal ignition switch OFF state shown in Figure 2(a). Therefore, from then on, standby power is supplied to the load A group 21 and the load B group 22 by the lead-acid battery 6. Also, when the driver turns the ignition switch ON, power is supplied from the lead-acid battery 6 to the starter motor 5 as described above (see Figure 2(b)). Here, starting using the starter motor 5 is prohibited until the LiB relay 10 is turned OFF as shown in Figure 6(d). Therefore, discharging of the lithium-ion battery 7 is reliably prevented.

[0045] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation when the LiB relay 10 is stuck open, i.e., stuck in a disconnected state. FIG. 7(a) shows a state in which the LiB relay 10 is stuck open during normal driving. In this state, power is supplied to the load A group 21 and the load B group 22 by the power generation of the alternator 2, and the lead-acid battery 6 is charged depending on the situation. Because the LiB relay 10 is stuck open, the lithium-ion battery 7 is disconnected from the circuit. When such a stuck-open state of the LiB relay 10 is detected, the controller 14 prohibits automatic driving. On the other hand, even if the LiB relay 10 is stuck open, the idling stop control is enabled as usual. Therefore, when a predetermined idling stop condition is met, the idling stop control is initiated and the engine 1 is stopped. FIG. 7(b) shows the state during the idling stop control, and FIG. 7(c) shows the state at the time of restarting the engine after the idling stop control ends. As shown in Fig. 7(b), unlike the normal idle stop control (Fig. 4(a)) in which the LiB relay 10 can operate, the idle stop control is started with the circuit breaker switch 13 controlled to be in the ON state. Therefore, during the idle stop control, power is supplied from the lead-acid battery 6 to the load B group 22. As shown in Fig. 7(c), the restart is also performed with the circuit breaker switch 13 in the ON state, and power supply from the lead-acid battery 6 to the load B group 22 continues. After the restart, the state returns to the state shown in Fig. 7(a).

[0046] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the circuit breaker switch 13 is turned OFF substantially simultaneously with the start of idling stop control (see FIG. 4( a)). However, the circuit breaker switch 13 may be turned OFF after a delay from the start of idling stop control, or may be turned OFF at the latest before restarting the vehicle. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lead-acid battery 6 is used as the first power storage device and the lithium-ion battery 7 is used as the second power storage device. However, any type of power storage device, such as an appropriate secondary battery or capacitor, may be used.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the alternator 2 is simply a generator, and the starter motor 5 is the only starting motor. However, it is also possible to use a motor-generator that functions as a generator to crank the engine during startup. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a motor-generator that functions as a generator and a starter motor, and use the starter motor for initial startup and the motor-generator for restarting the engine after idling stop control. In this case, both the motor-generator that also functions as a generator and the starter motor are considered to be starting motors.

[0048] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the electric load for automatic driving is divided into two redundant electric loads, but the present invention is not limited to such a redundant system and can be applied to other systems.

Claims

1. a first power storage device for supplying power to at least one starter motor; a second power storage device that supplies power to an automatic driving electrical load required for automatic driving of the vehicle; A first disconnecting device provided between the automatic driving electric load and the first power storage device; A second disconnecting device provided between the automatic driving electric load and the second power storage device; Equipped with When a predetermined condition is satisfied while the vehicle is stopped, an idling stop control is executed to stop the engine. When the idling stop control is executed, the first disconnecting device is controlled to be in a disconnected state at the latest before restarting the engine, When an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off during the idling stop control, the first disconnecting device is controlled to a conductive state, and thereafter the second disconnecting device is controlled to a cut-off state. How to control a vehicle.

2. (delete)

3. prohibiting starting of the engine by the starter motor until the second disconnecting device is in a disconnected state; The method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 .

4. When the idling stop control is ended and the engine is restarted, the starter motor is driven by the electric power of the first power storage device while the first disconnecting device is kept in a disconnected state. The method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 .

5. When the restart of the engine fails, the first disconnecting device is controlled to a conductive state, and then the second disconnecting device is controlled to a cut-off state, and the starter motor is driven by the electric power of the first power storage device. The vehicle control method according to claim 4.

6. When the second connecting / disconnecting device is stuck in a disconnected state and the predetermined condition is satisfied when the vehicle is stopped, an idling stop control is executed while the first connecting / disconnecting device is kept in a conductive state. The method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 .

7. When the second disconnecting device is stuck in a disconnected state, automatic driving of the vehicle is prohibited. The method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 .

8. (delete)

9. The predetermined condition includes one condition that the second disconnecting device is in a conductive state. The method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 .

10. a first power storage device for supplying power to at least one starter motor; a second power storage device that supplies power to an automatic driving electrical load required for automatic driving of the vehicle; A first disconnecting device provided between the automatic driving electric load and the first power storage device; A second disconnecting device provided between the automatic driving electric load and the second power storage device; A controller; Equipped with The controller executes an idling stop control to stop the engine when a predetermined condition is satisfied while the vehicle is stopped, and controls the first disconnecting device to a disconnected state at the latest before the engine is restarted; When an ignition switch of a vehicle is turned off during the idling stop control, the first disconnecting device is controlled to a conductive state, and then the second disconnecting device is controlled to a cut-off state. Vehicle control device.

11. A second electric load for automatic driving is provided to configure a redundant system for automatic driving together with the electric load for automatic driving, The second automatic driving electric load receives a supply of electric power from the first power storage device when the first disconnecting device is in an interrupted state. The method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 .