Vehicle control system and abnormality detection device

Abstract

A vehicle control system according to the present invention comprises: a vehicle control device that has a plurality of electronic components and a cooling unit for cooling the plurality of electronic components; and an abnormality detection unit that acquires temperature detection values of each of the plurality of electronic components, calculates a predetermined parameter related to the temperature of each of the plurality of electronic components on the basis of the acquired temperature detection values, and is capable of detecting a cooling abnormality in the vehicle control device on the basis of the predetermined parameter.

Description

Vehicle Control System and Abnormality Detection Device

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system and an abnormality detection device.

[0002] A vehicle control device for autonomous driving includes a plurality of electronic components such as high-performance SoCs (System On Chip) to process external environment information input from a camera or the like. Further, since the electronic components included in the vehicle control device generate a large amount of heat during operation, a cooling device for the electronic components is provided for the vehicle control device. As a cooling device, a water-cooled cooling device with high cooling performance is often employed.

[0003] In the cooling system of a vehicle control device, if an abnormality such as cooling water leakage occurs, for example, the vehicle control device (electronic components) cannot be sufficiently cooled, which may cause an operational abnormality of the vehicle control device. Accordingly, various methods for detecting water leakage abnormality in a cooling system have been conventionally proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the water-cooled inverter cooling device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a water temperature sensor that detects water temperature is disposed at a cooling water inlet of a water-cooled casing, and another water temperature sensor is disposed at a cooling water outlet of the water-cooled casing. Then, when the temperature difference between the water temperature at the cooling water inlet and the water temperature at the cooling water outlet exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that a cooling water leakage abnormality has occurred.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-184471

[0005] By the way, in vehicle control for autonomous driving, when an abnormality occurs during autonomous driving, it is necessary to continue the operation of the vehicle in order to evacuate the vehicle to a safe place such as a roadside strip or a parking space. For this reason, for example, when an abnormality occurs during autonomous driving, it is desirable to switch vehicle control stepwise according to the abnormality cause without immediately stopping the vehicle operation. Therefore, in a vehicle control device provided with a cooling device, not only detection of abnormality in cooling performance but also identification of the abnormality cause is required.

[0006] Factors other than coolant leakage can also contribute to abnormal cooling performance. For example, if the coolant flow rate is low, the water temperature may rise due to factors such as abnormal heat generation from electronic components, leading to a decrease in cooling performance. In other words, depending on the coolant flow rate, cooling abnormalities can occur due to factors other than water leakage. It should be noted that the abnormality detection method disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a technology that detects water leakage abnormalities based on the temperature difference between the water temperature at the coolant inlet and the water temperature at the coolant outlet, and therefore cannot identify abnormal factors that may occur when the coolant flow rate is low, such as abnormal heat generation from electronic components.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control system and an anomaly detection device that can not only detect the occurrence of an anomaly in the cooling performance of a vehicle control device, but also identify the cause of the anomaly.

[0008] To solve the above problems, the vehicle control system of the present invention comprises a vehicle control device and an abnormality detection unit. The vehicle control device has a plurality of electronic components and a cooling unit for cooling the plurality of electronic components. The abnormality detection unit acquires temperature detection values ​​for each of the plurality of electronic components and calculates predetermined parameters related to the temperature of each of the plurality of electronic components based on the acquired temperature detection values. Based on these predetermined parameters, the abnormality detection unit can detect cooling abnormalities in the vehicle control device.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, the abnormality detection device of the present invention includes a calculation unit. The calculation unit acquires temperature detection values ​​for each of the multiple electronic components of a vehicle control device having multiple electronic components and a cooling unit that cools the multiple electronic components. The calculation unit also calculates predetermined parameters related to the temperature of each of the multiple electronic components based on the acquired temperature detection values, and can detect cooling abnormalities of the vehicle control device based on the predetermined parameters.

[0010] According to the vehicle control system and anomaly detection device of the present invention with the above configuration, it becomes possible not only to detect the occurrence of an anomaly in the cooling performance of the vehicle control device, but also to identify the cause of the anomaly.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a hardware diagram of a computer device applicable as an abnormality detection unit in a vehicle control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the time change characteristics of the coolant and electronic component temperatures when a cooling abnormality (water leakage) occurs in the vehicle control device. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the time change characteristics of the coolant and electronic component temperatures when a cooling abnormality (abnormal heat generation of electronic component) occurs in the vehicle control device. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the cooling abnormality detection process performed in a vehicle control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle control system according to Modification 1.

[0012] A vehicle control system and anomaly detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is applicable, for example, to vehicle control systems for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and / or autonomous driving (AD).

[0013] [Configuration of the Vehicle Control System] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle control system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In order to simplify the explanation, Figure 1 shows only the components related to the function for detecting abnormal cooling performance of the vehicle control device 1 provided in the vehicle control system 100.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control system 100 includes a vehicle control device 1, an abnormality detection unit 2, a radiator 3 for heat exchange of coolant, a coolant pump 4, flow path switching valves 5 and 6, water temperature sensors 7 and 8, and cooling pipes 9a to 9f through which coolant flows. In this embodiment, the radiator 3, the coolant pump 4, the flow path switching valves 5 and 6, and the cooling pipes 9a to 9f constitute a cooling device for cooling the vehicle control device 1 and a plurality of electronic components located inside it, which will be described later.

[0015] Within the vehicle control system 100, the vehicle control device 1 (various temperature sensors described later) is connected to the abnormality detection unit 2 electrically or by communication. The connection configuration between the vehicle control device 1 and the abnormality detection unit 2 is set appropriately according to the installation configuration of the abnormality detection unit 2.

[0016] Figure 1 shows an example in which the abnormality detection unit 2 is located outside the vehicle control device 1. In this case, the abnormality detection unit 2 may be located, for example, within another control device inside the vehicle, or on a cloud server. In the former case, the vehicle control device 1 is connected to the abnormality detection unit 2 electrically or by communication, while in the latter case, the vehicle control device 1 is connected to the abnormality detection unit 2 by communication. Alternatively, the abnormality detection unit 2 may be located inside the vehicle control device 1. In this case, the functions of the abnormality detection unit 2 may be included in an electronic component within the vehicle control device 1, such as an MCU (Micro Controller Unit). In this configuration, the MCU is electrically connected to other electronic components within the vehicle control device 1, various temperature sensors described later, etc.

[0017] Furthermore, within the vehicle control system 100, cooling pipe 9a connects the radiator 3 and the flow path switching valve 5, and cooling pipe 9b connects the flow path switching valve 5 and the vehicle control device 1 (coolant flow path 11 described later). Cooling pipe 9c connects the flow path switching valve 5 and the flow path switching valve 6, and cooling pipe 9d connects the vehicle control device 1 (coolant flow path 11 described later) and the flow path switching valve 6. Cooling pipe 9e connects the flow path switching valve 6 and the coolant pump 4, and cooling pipe 9f connects the coolant pump 4 and the radiator 3. In addition, the water temperature sensor 7 is located at the end of cooling pipe 9b on the vehicle control device 1 side, and the water temperature sensor 8 is located at the end of cooling pipe 9d on the vehicle control device 1 side.

[0018] The vehicle control device 1 is mounted on the vehicle and performs various controls for autonomous driving (AD) and driver assistance (ADAS). The internal configuration of the vehicle control device 1 will be explained later.

[0019] The abnormality detection unit 2 is electrically or by communication connected to temperature sensors provided on each of the electronic components within the vehicle control device 1, as described later. The abnormality detection unit 2 acquires (inputs / receives) temperature information 70 (temperature detection value) detected by each temperature sensor and determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the cooling performance of the vehicle control device 1 based on the temperature information 70. Furthermore, if the abnormality detection unit 2 detects an abnormality in cooling performance, it identifies the type of cooling abnormality (abnormality cause) based on the temperature information 70 and sends (outputs / transmits) information 71 regarding the abnormality cause to the vehicle control device 1. The vehicle control device 1 then performs switching control of the vehicle's driving control mode based on the acquired information 71 regarding the abnormality cause. The internal configuration of the abnormality detection unit 2 will be explained later.

[0020] The radiator 3 reduces the temperature of the cooled coolant, which has become hot after being sent from the coolant pump 4, through heat exchange, and sends the cooled coolant to the vehicle control device 1. The coolant pump 4 circulates the coolant through its circulation path, thereby cooling the vehicle control device 1 and the multiple electronic components located inside it, which will be described later. In this embodiment, a water-cooled cooling system is used because the electronic components used in driving control such as automatic driving and driver assistance generate a large amount of heat. However, a cooling medium other than water may be used as the cooling medium. In addition, although an example is described here in which the coolant pump 4 is located upstream of the radiator 3 in the coolant circulation path, the coolant pump 4 may also be located downstream of the radiator 3.

[0021] The flow path switching valves 5 and 6 can switch the circulation path of part or all of the coolant from the path on the cooling pipe 9b side to the path on the cooling pipe 9c side. Specifically, when the cooling performance is normal, the flow path switching valves 5 and 6 are controlled so that the circulation path of the coolant is only the path on the cooling pipe 9b side. In other words, in the vehicle control system 100 of this embodiment, when the cooling performance is normal, the flow path switching valves 5 and 6 control the flow so that the coolant does not flow into the cooling pipe 9c. Therefore, in this case, the coolant circulates in the following order: radiator 3, cooling pipe 9a, flow path switching valve 5, cooling pipe 9b, the coolant flow path 11 in the vehicle control device 1 (described later), cooling pipe 9d, flow path switching valve 6, coolant pump 4, and cooling pipe 9f (thick black arrows in Figure 1).

[0022] On the other hand, when a decrease in cooling performance is detected due to a malfunction such as water leakage in the cooling system, the flow path switching valves 5 and 6 are controlled to switch the circulation path of part or all of the coolant from the path on the cooling pipe 9b side to the path on the cooling pipe 9c side. In other words, in the vehicle control system 100 of this embodiment, when the cooling performance decreases due to a malfunction such as water leakage in the cooling system, the flow path switching valves 5 and 6 are controlled to switch so that part or all of the coolant flows to the cooling pipe 9c. Therefore, in this case, part or all of the coolant circulates in the following order: radiator 3, cooling pipe 9a, flow path switching valve 5, cooling pipe 9c, flow path switching valve 6, coolant pump 4, and cooling pipe 9f (white arrows in Figure 1). The switching control of the flow path switching valves 5 and 6 described above is controlled by the vehicle control device 1 based on the detection result of the abnormality detection unit 2.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the water temperature sensor 7 is located upstream of the vehicle control device 1 in the coolant circulation path and detects the temperature of the coolant flowing into the vehicle control device 1. The water temperature sensor 8 is located downstream of the vehicle control device 1 in the coolant circulation path and detects the temperature of the coolant flowing out of the vehicle control device 1.

[0024] [Configuration of the Vehicle Control Device] In the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment, which is capable of performing driving control such as autonomous driving and driver assistance, multiple electronic components for realizing these driving control functions are provided inside, as in the conventional. Conventionally, there are configurations in which multiple electronic components are divided and arranged in multiple vehicle control devices, or configurations in which they are arranged in a rack-type enclosure. In this embodiment, a vehicle control device 1 employing the latter arrangement will be described.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control device 1 comprises a cooling housing 10 (cooling unit) with a cooling water channel 11 inside, and a plurality of circuit boards (first circuit board 21, second circuit board 22, and third circuit board 23). The vehicle control device 1 comprises a plurality of electronic components (first electronic component 31, second electronic component 32, and third electronic component 33) mounted on each of the plurality of circuit boards. The vehicle control device 1 comprises a plurality of temperature sensors (first temperature sensor 41, second temperature sensor 42, and third temperature sensor 43) provided for each of the plurality of electronic components. Furthermore, the vehicle control device 1 comprises a plurality of power cut-off circuits (first power cut-off circuit 51, second power cut-off circuit 52, and third power cut-off circuit 53) mounted on each of the plurality of circuit boards and provided for each of the plurality of electronic components. Note that Figure 1 shows an example with three electronic components, but the number of electronic components may be two, four or more.

[0026] Within the vehicle control device 1, each circuit board (the first circuit board 21, the second circuit board 22, and the third circuit board 23), on which each electronic component (the first electronic component 31, the second electronic component 32, and the third electronic component 33) is mounted, is placed on the cooling housing 10. At this time, each electronic component is positioned on a cooling water channel 11 provided inside the cooling housing 10 and is cooled by the cooling water (thick black arrow in Figure 1) flowing through the cooling water channel 11.

[0027] Within the vehicle control device 1, each temperature sensor (first temperature sensor 41, second temperature sensor 42, and third temperature sensor 43) provided for each electronic component may be positioned in contact with the corresponding electronic component, or it may be positioned in the vicinity of the electronic component without contact. Within the vehicle control device 1, each electronic component (first electronic component 31, second electronic component 32, and third electronic component 33) is electrically connected to the corresponding power cut-off circuit (first power cut-off circuit 51, second power cut-off circuit 52, and third power cut-off circuit 53). Furthermore, each power cut-off circuit is electrically connected to the power supply unit (inverted triangle in Figure 1).

[0028] Each electronic component (the first electronic component 31, the second electronic component 32, and the third electronic component 33) is made of, for example, an SoC (System on a Chip) and has the function of executing various control processes related to the autonomous driving and driver assistance of the vehicle. Each electronic component also has a function to shut down its own function when its temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0029] Each temperature sensor (the first temperature sensor 41, the second temperature sensor 42, and the third temperature sensor 43) is, for example, a semiconductor temperature sensor and detects the temperature of the corresponding electronic component. Each temperature sensor then sends (outputs / transmits) the detected temperature information 70 of the electronic component to the abnormality detection unit 2. In this embodiment, the detection of the temperature of the electronic component by each temperature sensor is performed at a fixed period (predetermined period), and the detection timing of each temperature sensor is the same.

[0030] Each power cut-off circuit (the first power cut-off circuit 51, the second power cut-off circuit 52, and the third power cut-off circuit 53) stops the power supply to the corresponding electronic component and stops the operation of the electronic component when a cooling abnormality occurs due to abnormal heat generation of the electronic component.

[0031] [Configuration of the Anomaly Detection Unit] The Anomaly Detection Unit 2 (anomaly detection device), as shown in Figure 1, functionally includes a calculation unit 60. The calculation unit 60 performs various processes performed by the Anomaly Detection Unit 2, such as determining whether or not an abnormality in cooling performance has occurred, identifying the type of cooling abnormality (abnormality cause), and outputting / transmitting information 71 related to the abnormality cause.

[0032] In the process of determining whether or not an abnormality in cooling performance has occurred, the calculation unit 60 calculates the sum of the temperature change amounts dTk (k = 1, 2, 3, ...) for each electronic component, and if the sum is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, it determines that an abnormality in cooling performance has occurred. In this embodiment, the temperature change amount dTk of an electronic component is calculated by subtracting the temperature of the electronic component during normal operation (hereinafter referred to as "normal temperature") from the temperature of the detected electronic component.

[0033] Then, if the cooling performance abnormality determination process determines that an abnormality has occurred in the cooling performance, the calculation unit 60 performs a cooling abnormality type identification process (abnormality cause). In the cooling abnormality type identification process, the calculation unit 60 extracts the maximum and minimum values ​​from the temperature change amount dTk of each electronic component, calculates the difference between the maximum and minimum values, and identifies the cooling abnormality type (water leakage or abnormal heat generation of electronic components) based on this difference. The specific processing details of the cooling abnormality detection process, which consists of the cooling performance abnormality determination process and the cooling abnormality type identification process described above, will be described in detail later with reference to the flowchart.

[0034] The anomaly detection unit 2 is composed of, for example, a microcontroller or a computer device in order to perform the various processes (calculation processes) described above. If the anomaly detection unit 2 is installed, for example, inside the vehicle control device 1 or inside another control device in the vehicle, the anomaly detection unit 2 can be composed of, for example, a microcontroller. If the anomaly detection unit 2 is installed, for example, on the cloud, the anomaly detection unit 2 can be composed of, for example, a computer device (computer server).

[0035] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration (block diagram) of a computer device 80 that can be used as the anomaly detection unit 2. Note that even when the anomaly detection unit 2 is configured with a microcontroller, the hardware configuration is almost the same as that shown in Figure 2.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, the computer device 80 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 81, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 82, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 83 connected to a bus line 87. The computer device 80 also includes a network interface 84, a data input / output interface 85, and a non-volatile storage 86 connected to the bus line 87.

[0037] The CPU 81 reads the program code for the software that implements the various processing functions of the abnormality detection unit 2 from the ROM 82 into the RAM 83 and executes it. At this time, variables and parameters that arise during the calculation process are also temporarily written to the RAM 83. In other words, the cooling abnormality detection process of the vehicle control device 1 performed by the abnormality detection unit 2 is executed by the CPU 81, and the calculation unit 60 within the abnormality detection unit 2 is included in the CPU 81.

[0038] The network interface 84 is composed of, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) and transmits and receives various data between the computer device 80 and each external device connected via wireless communication. If the anomaly detection unit 2 is located on, for example, the cloud, various information (for example, temperature information 70 and information regarding the cause of the anomaly 71 in Figure 1) is transmitted and received between the anomaly detection unit 2 and the vehicle control device 1 via the network interface 84. Note that if the anomaly detection unit 2 is configured with a microcontroller, the network interface 84 does not need to be provided.

[0039] The data input / output interface 85 includes various interfaces used when performing input / output processing of various data (various information) between the computer device 80 and external devices. When the abnormality detection unit 2 is configured with a microcontroller, it is possible to input and output various information (for example, temperature information 70 and information related to the cause of the abnormality 71 in Figure 1) between the abnormality detection unit 2 and the vehicle control device 1 via the data input / output interface 85.

[0040] The non-volatile storage 86 can be composed of, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a CD-R, magnetic tape, or non-volatile memory. The non-volatile storage 86 stores the OS (Operating System), various parameters, and various programs for causing the computer device 80 to function as an anomaly detection unit 2. The information (data) such as programs, tables, and files for realizing each function of the anomaly detection unit 2 may be stored in recording media other than ROM 82 and the non-volatile storage 86, such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) card, an SD card, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

[0041] [Examples of Cooling Abnormal Occurrence Patterns] Next, an example of the temperature change characteristics of the coolant and electronic components when a cooling abnormality occurs will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the time change characteristics of the temperature of the coolant and electronic components when a water leakage abnormality occurs in the coolant flow path 11, and Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the time change characteristics of the temperature of the coolant and electronic components when abnormal heat generation occurs in the electronic components. Figures 3 and 4 show an example in which the vehicle control device 1 is equipped with three electronic components (the first electronic component 31, the second electronic component 32, and the third electronic component 33 in Figure 1).

[0042] In the temperature change characteristics of the coolant and electronic components shown in Figures 3 and 4, time t0 is the start time of operation for each electronic component, and time t1 is the time of abnormality occurrence. Temperature Tw_in is the temperature of the coolant flowing into the vehicle control device 1, as detected by the water temperature sensor 7, and temperature Tw_out is the temperature of the coolant flowing out of the vehicle control device 1, as detected by the water temperature sensor 8. Furthermore, temperature T1 is the temperature of the first electronic component 31, as detected by the first temperature sensor 41, temperature T2 is the temperature of the second electronic component 32, as detected by the second temperature sensor 42, and temperature T3 is the temperature of the third electronic component 33, as detected by the third temperature sensor 43.

[0043] (Example of temperature change characteristics of cooling water and electronic components when drainage abnormality occurs) First, with reference to FIG. 3, an example of temperature change characteristics of cooling water and each electronic component when a drainage abnormality occurs will be described. FIG. 3 shows an example of a time-varying mode of temperatures of the cooling water and each electronic component when drainage of cooling water occurs on the cooling water flow path 11 between the first electronic component 31 and the second electronic component 32.

[0044] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the temperature Tw_in of the cooling water flowing into the vehicle control device 1 is maintained at the temperature before the start of operation of each electronic component after the operation start time t0 of each electronic component. Even if a cooling abnormality (drainage abnormality) occurs at time t1, the water temperature sensor 7 is located upstream of the location where drainage occurs on the circulation path of the cooling water, so it is not affected by the drainage. Therefore, even after time t1 (the time when the drainage abnormality occurs), the temperature Tw_in hardly changes and is maintained at a constant temperature.

[0045] On the other hand, the temperature Tw_out of the cooling water flowing out from the vehicle control device 1 rises from the temperature before the start of operation due to heat generated by the operation of each electronic component after the operation start time t0 of each electronic component, and becomes constant after reaching a specific temperature. When a cooling abnormality (drainage abnormality) occurs at time t1, the cooling performance decreases due to a decrease in the flow rate of cooling water flowing inside the cooling housing 10, so the temperature Tw_out of the cooling water rises after time t1.

[0046] The temperature T1 of the first electronic component 31 rises from the temperature before the start of operation due to heat generated by the operation of the first electronic component 31 after the start of operation of the first electronic component 31 (time t0), and becomes constant at the first predetermined temperature after reaching the first predetermined temperature. Thereafter, at time t1, drainage occurs on the cooling water flow path 11 between the first electronic component 31 and the second electronic component 32, but the first electronic component 31 is located upstream of the location where drainage occurs on the circulation path of the cooling water, so it is not affected by the drainage. Therefore, even after time t1, the flow rate of cooling water flowing into the cooling water flow path 11 below the first electronic component 31 hardly changes, and the cooling performance of the first electronic component 31 also hardly changes. As a result, the temperature T1 of the first electronic component 31 hardly changes even after time t1, and is maintained at the first temperature (constant temperature).

[0047] After the start of operation of the second electronic component 32 (time t0), the temperature T2 of the second electronic component 32 rises from the temperature before the start of operation due to heat generation accompanying the operation of the second electronic component 32. When the temperature reaches a predetermined second temperature, it then becomes constant at the second temperature. The second electronic component 32 is located downstream of the first electronic component 31 on the cooling water circulation path, and the cooling water flowing into the cooling water flow path 11 below the second electronic component 32 is the cooling water after cooling the first electronic component 31. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cooling water flow path 11 below the second electronic component 32 becomes higher than the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cooling water flow path 11 below the first electronic component 31. As a result, the second temperature (constant temperature) of the second electronic component 32 before a cooling abnormality occurs (time t1) becomes higher than the first temperature of the first electronic component 31.

[0048] Thereafter, when water leakage occurs on the cooling water flow path 11 between the first electronic component 31 and the second electronic component 32 at time t1, after time t1, the flow rate of cooling water flowing into the cooling water flow path 11 below the second electronic component 32 decreases, and the cooling performance of the second electronic component 32 decreases. Therefore, after time t1, the temperature T2 of the second electronic component 32 rises from the second temperature (constant temperature).

[0049] After the start of operation of the third electronic component 33 (time t0), the temperature T3 of the third electronic component 33 rises from the temperature before the start of operation due to heat generation accompanying the operation of the third electronic component 33. When the temperature reaches a predetermined third temperature, it then becomes constant at the third temperature. The third electronic component 33 is located downstream of the second electronic component 32 on the cooling water circulation path, and the cooling water flowing into the cooling water flow path 11 below the third electronic component 33 is the cooling water after cooling the first electronic component 31 and the second electronic component 32. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cooling water flow path 11 below the third electronic component 33 becomes higher than the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cooling water flow path 11 below the second electronic component 32. As a result, the third temperature (constant temperature) of the third electronic component 33 before a cooling abnormality occurs (time t1) becomes higher than the second temperature of the second electronic component 32.

[0050] Subsequently, at time t1, if water leakage occurs in the cooling water channel 11 between the first electronic component 31 and the second electronic component 32, the flow rate of cooling water flowing into the lower part of the third electronic component 33 decreases after time t1, and the cooling performance of the third electronic component 33 deteriorates. Therefore, after time t1, the temperature T3 of the third electronic component 33 rises from the third temperature (constant temperature). Also, in this example, as described above, the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cooling water channel 11 at the bottom of the third electronic component 33 is higher than the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cooling water channel 11 at the bottom of the second electronic component 32. That is, the cooling performance of the third electronic component 33 is lower than that of the second electronic component 32. Therefore, after time t1, as shown in Figure 3, the amount of rise in the temperature T3 of the third electronic component 33 is greater than that of the second electronic component 32.

[0051] Although a detailed explanation is omitted, for example, if water leakage occurs in the cooling water channel 11 upstream of the first electronic component 31, the temperature T1 of the first electronic component 31 will also rise from time t1 onward. In this case, the amount of increase in the temperature T1 of the first electronic component 31 will be smaller than that of the second electronic component 32. Also, for example, if water leakage occurs in the cooling water channel 11 between the second electronic component 32 and the third electronic component 33, the temperature T3 of the third electronic component 33 will rise from time t1 onward, but the temperature T1 of the first electronic component 31 and the temperature T2 of the second electronic component 32 will remain almost unchanged.

[0052] (Examples of temperature change characteristics of cooling water and electronic components when abnormal heat generation occurs in electronic components) Next, with reference to Figure 4, examples of temperature change characteristics of cooling water and each electronic component when abnormal heat generation occurs in electronic components will be described. Figure 4 shows an example of the time change characteristics of the cooling water and each electronic component when abnormal heat generation occurs only in the second electronic component 32.

[0053] As is clear from comparing Figure 3 and Figure 4, in the example shown in Figure 4, the time-dependent temperature characteristics of the cooling water and each electronic component up to time t1, when abnormal heat generation occurs in the second electronic component 32, are the same as those described in Figure 3. Therefore, the explanation of the time-dependent temperature characteristics up to time t1 is omitted here.

[0054] In the example shown in Figure 4, abnormal heat generation occurs in the second electronic component 32 at time t1. However, since the abnormality occurs downstream of the water temperature sensor 7 in the coolant circulation path, the water temperature sensor 7 is not affected by this abnormality. Therefore, the temperature Tw_in of the coolant flowing into the vehicle control device 1 remains almost unchanged after time t1. On the other hand, the temperature Tw_out of the coolant detected by the water temperature sensor 8 located downstream of the cooling housing 10 in the coolant circulation path rises after time t1 due to the abnormal heat generation of the second electronic component 32.

[0055] Furthermore, since the first electronic component 31 is located upstream of the second electronic component 32 in the cooling water circulation path, even if abnormal heat generation occurs in the second electronic component 32 at time t1, the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cooling water channel 11 below the first electronic component 31 is not affected by this abnormality. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cooling water channel 11 below the first electronic component 31 remains almost unchanged, and the cooling performance of the first electronic component 31 also remains almost unchanged. As a result, in the example shown in Figure 4, the temperature T1 of the first electronic component 31 remains almost unchanged even after time t1, and is maintained at the first temperature (constant temperature).

[0056] When abnormal heat generation occurs in the second electronic component 32 at time t1, the temperature T2 of the second electronic component 32 rises sharply from time t1 onward, as shown in Figure 4, and the amount of increase (change) is significantly greater than that when a water leakage abnormality occurs, as shown in Figure 3.

[0057] Furthermore, after time t1, the abnormal heat generation of the second electronic component 32 causes the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cooling water channel 11 below the third electronic component 33, which is located downstream of the second electronic component 32, to rise, reducing the cooling performance of the third electronic component 33. As a result, the temperature T3 of the third electronic component 33 also rises after time t1. However, the amount of increase in the temperature T3 of the third electronic component 33 at this time corresponds to the amount of increase due to the decrease in cooling performance caused by the rise in the temperature of the cooling water, and is therefore smaller than the amount of increase (change) in temperature T2 due to the abnormal heat generation of the second electronic component 32.

[0058] In other words, if abnormal heat generation occurs in the second electronic component 32 at time t1, only the temperature T2 of the second electronic component 32 will increase rapidly and significantly from time t1 onward. Therefore, the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the temperature change dTk of each electronic component after abnormal heat generation in the second electronic component 32 will be greater than that after abnormal water leakage occurs in the cooling water flow path 11. In the examples shown in Figures 3 and 4, the difference in the former case (when abnormal heat generation occurs in the second electronic component 32) is the difference between the temperature change dT2 of the second electronic component 32 and the temperature change dT1 of the first electronic component 31 (dT2 - dT1), and the difference in the latter case (when abnormal water leakage occurs) is the difference between the temperature change dT3 of the third electronic component 33 and the temperature change dT1 of the first electronic component 31 (dT3 - dT1).

[0059] Although a detailed explanation will be omitted, for example, if abnormal heat generation occurs in the first electronic component 31 at time t1, the temperature T1 of the first electronic component 31 will increase rapidly and significantly from time t1 onward. In this case, the temperature T2 of the second electronic component 32 and the temperature T3 of the third electronic component will increase by an amount corresponding to the rise in the temperature of the cooling water (decrease in cooling performance) due to the abnormal heat generation of the first electronic component 31.

[0060] Furthermore, for example, if abnormal heat generation occurs in the third electronic component 33 at time t1, the temperature T3 of the third electronic component 33 will increase rapidly and significantly from time t1 onward. However, in this case, since the first electronic component 31 and the second electronic component 32 are located upstream of the third electronic component 33 in the cooling water circulation path, even if abnormal heat generation occurs in the third electronic component 33 at time t1, the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cooling water passage 11 below the first electronic component 31 and the second electronic component 32 will not be affected by this abnormality. Therefore, in this case, the temperatures of the first electronic component 31 and the second electronic component 32 will remain almost unchanged from time t1 onward.

[0061] [Cooling Anomaly Detection Process] Next, the cooling anomaly detection process of the vehicle control device 1, which is executed by the vehicle control system 100 of this embodiment (process for determining whether or not there is a cooling anomaly, and process for identifying the cause of the anomaly), will be described. In this embodiment, the cooling anomaly detection process of the vehicle control device 1 is performed based on the temperature change characteristics of each electronic component for each anomaly cause, as described in Figures 3 and 4.

[0062] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for detecting cooling abnormalities in the vehicle control device 1, which is performed by the vehicle control system 100. The cooling abnormality detection process of the vehicle control device 1 shown in Figure 5 is performed each time a temperature is detected by a temperature sensor provided on each electronic component. In other words, the cooling abnormality detection process of the vehicle control device 1 shown in Figure 5 is performed repeatedly at a fixed cycle.

[0063] Furthermore, in the cooling abnormality detection process described below, the number of electronic components included in the vehicle control device 1 is not limited to the three shown in Figure 1, but will be described as x (four or more). Note that even when the number of electronic components included in the vehicle control device 1 is two or three, the cooling abnormality detection process is performed in the same manner as the cooling abnormality detection process shown in Figure 5. Moreover, in the cooling abnormality detection process described below, the various processes executed by the abnormality detection unit 2 (calculation unit 60) (processes in steps S2 to S11 and S13 described later) are executed in software.

[0064] First, each temperature sensor (first temperature sensor 41, second temperature sensor 42, third temperature sensor 43, ..., xth temperature sensor) provided in conjunction with each electronic component (first electronic component 31, second electronic component 32, third electronic component 33, ..., xth electronic component) detects the temperature Tk (k = 1, 2, 3, ..., x) of the corresponding electronic component (step S1). In this process, each temperature sensor also sends (outputs / transmits) the detected temperature Tk information (temperature information 70 in Figure 1) to the abnormality detection unit 2.

[0065] Next, the calculation unit 60 (anomaly detection unit 2) uses the temperature Tk of each electronic component acquired (input / received) from each temperature sensor to calculate the temperature change dTk (k = 1, 2, 3, ..., x) of each electronic component (step S2). In this process, the calculation unit 60 calculates the temperature change dTk of each electronic component as the value obtained by subtracting the normal temperature of each electronic component from the temperature of each electronic component detected this time (the amount of change from a predetermined reference temperature value).

[0066] The normal temperature (a predetermined reference temperature value) for each electronic component may be, for example, the most recent temperature at which no cooling abnormality was determined, or the average temperature over a predetermined period during which no cooling abnormality was determined. Alternatively, for example, the typical temperature of an electronic component when no cooling abnormality is detected may be used as the normal temperature.

[0067] Furthermore, for example, the normal temperature may be set separately for each electronic component, or a common normal temperature may be set for all electronic components. When the former setting method is adopted, for example, in the examples shown in Figures 3 and 4, the normal temperature of each electronic component can be set to a constant temperature before the time t1 at which the cooling abnormality occurs. When the latter setting method is adopted, for example, in the examples shown in Figures 3 and 4, in order to prevent the temperature change amount dTk from becoming a negative value, the first temperature (constant temperature) before the time t1 at which the cooling abnormality occurs in the temperature change characteristics of the first electronic component 31 can be set as the common normal temperature for each electronic component. Furthermore, when the latter setting method is adopted, the temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 7 or water temperature sensor 8 during normal operation, i.e., the temperature of the cooling water during normal operation, may be used as the normal temperature (predetermined reference temperature value) for calculating the temperature change amount dTk of each electronic component.

[0068] Now, returning to the flowchart explanation, after the processing in step S2, the calculation unit 60 calculates the sum of the temperature changes dTk of each electronic component (dT1 + dT2 + dT3 + ... + dTx) (step S3).

[0069] Next, the calculation unit 60 determines whether the sum of the temperature changes dTk of each electronic component is equal to or greater than the first threshold (step S4).

[0070] As explained in Figures 3 and 4, if an abnormality occurs in the cooling performance of the vehicle control device 1, the sum of the temperature changes dTk of each electronic component increases, regardless of the type of cooling abnormality (abnormality cause). Therefore, in step S4, the magnitude of the sum of the temperature changes dTk of each electronic component is compared with the first threshold to determine whether or not an abnormality (decrease) in the cooling performance of the vehicle control device 1 has occurred. The first threshold for the sum of the temperature changes dTk of each electronic component is set based on, for example, water temperature, processing load of the electronic component, etc. In this case, the first threshold may be set based on, for example, experience, taking into account water temperature, processing load of the electronic component, etc., or it may be set using a mathematical formula, etc. Furthermore, the method for determining whether or not there is a cooling abnormality in the vehicle control device 1 is not limited to this example, and any method that can determine whether or not there is a cooling abnormality can be adopted.

[0071] In step S4, if the calculation unit 60 determines that the sum of the temperature changes dTk of each electronic component is equal to or greater than the first threshold (if step S4 is a YES determination), the calculation unit 60 determines that there is a cooling abnormality (step S5). In this process, the calculation unit 60 sets information indicating the presence of a cooling abnormality. For example, it sets a flag indicating the presence or absence of a cooling abnormality to the ON state. After the processing in step S5, the calculation unit 60 performs the processing in step S7, which will be described later.

[0072] On the other hand, in step S4, if the calculation unit 60 determines that the sum of the temperature changes dTk of each electronic component is not equal to or greater than the first threshold (i.e., step S4 is a NO determination), the calculation unit 60 determines that there is no cooling abnormality (step S6). In this process, the calculation unit 60 sets information indicating that there is no cooling abnormality. For example, it sets a flag indicating the presence or absence of a cooling abnormality to the off state. In this process, the temperature Tk (k = 1, 2, 3, ..., x) of each electronic component detected in this process may be saved in memory (for example, RAM 83 in Figure 2). This saved temperature Tk of each electronic component can be used, for example, to set the normal temperature of each electronic component.

[0073] After processing in step S5 or step S6, the calculation unit 60 determines whether or not there is a cooling abnormality (step S7). This determination process is performed, for example, by referring to the information indicating whether or not there is a cooling abnormality, which was set in the processing of step S5 or step S6 described above.

[0074] In step S7, if the calculation unit 60 determines that there is no cooling abnormality (i.e., step S7 is determined to be NO), the calculation unit 60 terminates the cooling abnormality detection process.

[0075] On the other hand, if the calculation unit 60 determines in step S7 that there is a cooling abnormality (if step S7 is determined to be YES), the calculation unit 60 extracts the maximum value dTm and the minimum value dTn of the temperature change amount dTk from the temperature change amount dTk of each electronic component calculated in the process of step S2 (step S8). Next, the calculation unit 60 calculates the difference between the maximum value dTm and the minimum value dTn of the temperature change amount dTk (dTm - dTn) (step S9).

[0076] Next, the calculation unit 60 determines whether the difference value (dTm - dTn) is greater than or equal to the second threshold (step S10).

[0077] As explained in Figures 3 and 4, when abnormal heat generation occurs in an electronic component, the temperature of that electronic component (in the example in Figure 4, the temperature T2 of the second electronic component 32) rises rapidly and significantly compared to when a water leakage abnormality occurs (in the example in Figure 3), resulting in a state where the temperature deviates greatly from the normal temperature. In the determination process of step S10, it is determined whether or not there is an electronic component whose temperature has deviated greatly from the normal temperature by comparing the difference value (dTm - dTn) with a second threshold value. When abnormal heat generation occurs in an electronic component, the temperature change amount dTk of the electronic component experiencing abnormal heat generation becomes the maximum value dTm (see Figure 4). The second threshold value of the difference value (dTm - dTn) is set based on, for example, the water temperature, the processing load of the electronic component, etc. In this case, the second threshold value may be set based on, for example, experience, or using a mathematical formula, taking into account the water temperature, the processing load of the electronic component, etc. Furthermore, the method for identifying the type of cooling anomaly (the cause of the anomaly) is not limited to this example; any method capable of identifying the type of cooling anomaly can be adopted.

[0078] In step S10, if the calculation unit 60 determines that the difference value (dTm - dTn) is not equal to or greater than the second threshold (i.e., less than the second threshold) (if step S10 is determined to be NO), the calculation unit 60 determines that a water leakage abnormality has occurred, i.e., an abnormality in the cooling system (step S11).

[0079] In step S11, the calculation unit 60 sets information indicating an abnormality in the cooling system. Specifically, the calculation unit 60 sets a flag indicating whether or not there is an abnormality in the cooling system to the ON state. In this process, the calculation unit 60 also sends (outputs / transmits) the set information indicating a water leakage abnormality (abnormality in the cooling system) to the vehicle control device 1 as information 71 regarding the cause of the abnormality.

[0080] Next, the vehicle control device 1 controls the flow rate of cooling water flowing into the vehicle control device 1 by controlling the flow path switching valves 5 and 6 based on the information 71 regarding the abnormal cause (water leakage abnormality) that it has acquired (input / received), and also performs driving support control (step S12). In other words, the vehicle control device 1 continues to control the vehicle using electronic components.

[0081] Specifically, in step S12, the vehicle control device 1 first controls the flow path switching valves 5 and 6 to divert some or all of the cooling water flowing into the vehicle control device 1 to the cooling pipe 9c (see Figure 1), thereby reducing the flow rate of cooling water flowing into the vehicle control device 1, or preventing cooling water from flowing to the faulty (water leak) location in the cooling water flow path 11 within the vehicle control device 1. Next, the vehicle control device 1, since each electronic component is operating normally in the case of a water leak abnormality, continues vehicle control by the electronic components, but sets the driving control mode by the electronic components to driving assistance. That is, if the driving control mode up to this point is automatic driving, in step S12, the vehicle control device 1 switches the driving control mode from automatic driving to driving assistance. On the other hand, if the driving control mode up to this point is driving assistance, in step S12, the vehicle control device 1 continues driving assistance. After the processing in step S12, the vehicle control system 100 terminates the cooling abnormality detection process of the vehicle control device 1.

[0082] Now, returning to the explanation of the process in step S10, if the calculation unit 60 determines in step S10 that the difference value (dTm - dTn) is greater than or equal to the second threshold (if step S10 is a YES determination), the calculation unit 60 determines that abnormal heat generation has occurred in the electronic component, that is, that there is an abnormality in the electronic component system (step S13).

[0083] In step S13, the calculation unit 60 identifies the electronic component whose temperature change dTk is at its maximum value dTm as the electronic component experiencing the malfunction. In this process, the calculation unit 60 also sets information 71 related to the cause of the malfunction, which includes information indicating the abnormal heat generation (cause of the malfunction) of the electronic component and information about the electronic component experiencing the malfunction. For example, it sets a flag indicating the presence or absence of a malfunction in the electronic component system to the ON state, and sets identification information to identify the electronic component experiencing the malfunction. Furthermore, in this process, the calculation unit 60 sends (outputs / transmits) this set information regarding the malfunction of the electronic component system as information 71 related to the cause of the malfunction to the vehicle control device 1.

[0084] Next, the vehicle control device 1, based on the information 71 regarding the abnormal cause (abnormality in the electronic component system) acquired (input / received), stops the operation of the electronic component where the abnormality is occurring and switches the driving control mode to manual driving (step S14).

[0085] In step S14, the malfunctioning electronic component is shut down by activating the corresponding power cut-off circuit. In this process, if the driving control mode up to this point is automatic driving, in step S14 the vehicle control device 1 switches the driving control mode from automatic driving to manual driving. On the other hand, if the driving control mode up to this point is driver assistance, in step S14 the vehicle control device 1 switches the driving control mode from driver assistance to manual driving. After the processing of step S14, the vehicle control system 100 terminates the cooling abnormality detection process.

[0086] In the cooling abnormality detection process described above, for example, if a water leakage abnormality is detected during automatic operation, steps S11 and S12 described above are performed, and the driving control mode is switched to driver assistance mode. Then, if abnormal heat generation of an electronic component is detected, steps S13 and S14 described above are performed, and the driving control mode is switched to manual operation. In other words, in this case, vehicle control can be switched in stages in the order of automatic operation, driver assistance mode, and manual operation, depending on the cause of the abnormality.

[0087] [Various Effects] In the vehicle control system 100 and abnormality detection unit 2 of this embodiment, as described above, the temperature of each electronic component is detected, and based on the detected temperature, a cooling abnormality of the vehicle control device 1 (electronic component) is detected. Therefore, in this embodiment, not only is it possible to detect the occurrence of an abnormality in the cooling performance of the vehicle control device, but the cause of the abnormality can also be identified.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, not only is the presence or absence of an abnormality (decrease) in the cooling performance of the vehicle control device 1 (electronic components) identified, but the cause of the abnormality (type of cooling abnormality) is also identified. Based on the information of the identified abnormality cause, the vehicle's driving control mode is switched from automatic driving / driving assistance to manual driving, or it is switched in stages in the order of automatic driving, driving assistance, and manual driving. Therefore, in this embodiment, an abnormality in the cooling performance of the vehicle control device 1 can be reliably detected, and appropriate vehicle control can be performed according to the cause of the abnormality, thereby further improving driver safety.

[0089] Furthermore, while the cooling performance anomaly detection method disclosed in Patent Document 1 mentioned above cannot identify abnormal factors such as abnormal heat generation of electronic components when the cooling water flow rate is low, this embodiment can identify abnormal factors such as abnormal heat generation of electronic components regardless of the cooling water flow rate. Therefore, the cooling performance anomaly detection technology of this embodiment is more versatile than conventional technologies, as it can be adopted in vehicle control systems with various specifications.

[0090] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the vehicle's driving control mode can be switched in stages from automatic driving to driving assistance and then to manual driving, depending on the abnormality factor (type of cooling abnormality). Therefore, in this embodiment, the time the vehicle can continue to operate can be extended, and the distance to travel for emergency evacuation to a safe place such as a roadside or parking space can be extended.

[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the sum of the temperature changes dTk (dT1, dT2, dT3, ...) of each electronic component is considered, and the presence or absence of a cooling abnormality is determined based on this sum. In this case, the presence or absence of a cooling abnormality can be detected earlier compared to a method that focuses on the temperature change dTk of each electronic component to determine whether or not a cooling performance abnormality has occurred.

[0092] [Various Modifications] The vehicle control system 100 and abnormality detection unit 2 (abnormality detection device) according to one embodiment of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various other modifications can be made as long as they do not depart from the gist of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, the following various modifications can be adopted, and the same effects as the above embodiment can be obtained in the following various modifications.

[0093] (Modification 1) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a power cut-off circuit (first power cut-off circuit 51, second power cut-off circuit 52, and third power cut-off circuit 53 in Figure 1) is individually provided for each electronic component (first electronic component 31, second electronic component 32, and third electronic component 33 in Figure 1) in the vehicle control device 1, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the vehicle control device 1 may be configured without providing a power cut-off circuit for each electronic component, in which case the configuration of the vehicle control device 1 can be made simpler. An example of this (Modification 1) is shown in Figure 6.

[0094] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the vehicle control system 101 according to Modification 1. In the vehicle control system 101 of Modification 1 shown in Figure 6, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as those in the vehicle control system 100 of the above embodiment (see Figure 1), and their descriptions are omitted.

[0095] As is clear from comparing Figure 6 with Figure 1, the configuration of the modified vehicle control system 101 is the same as the configuration of the vehicle control system 100 of the above embodiment shown in Figure 1, but with the first power cutoff circuit 51, second power cutoff circuit 52, and third power cutoff circuit 53 mounted on the first board 21, second board 22, and third board 23, respectively, omitted.

[0096] In the vehicle control system 101 of this example, if abnormal overheating occurs in an electronic component, the malfunctioning electronic component can be stopped by the following methods (1) or (2): (1) The abnormality detection unit 2 directly sends (outputs / transmits) a stop control signal to the malfunctioning electronic component to activate the stop function of the electronic component itself. (2) Based on the information 71 regarding the abnormality cause (abnormality in the electronic component system) acquired (inputs / received) by the vehicle control device 1, other electronic components in the vehicle control device 1 (e.g., MCU) stop the power supply to the malfunctioning electronic component, or send (outputs / transmits) a stop control signal to the malfunctioning electronic component to activate the stop function of the electronic component itself.

[0097] (Modification 2) In the above embodiment and Modification 1, an example was described in which, when an abnormality in the electronic component system is detected, only the electronic component experiencing the abnormality is stopped. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When an abnormality in the electronic component system is detected, the vehicle's driving control mode is switched to manual driving. For example, not only the electronic component experiencing the abnormality, but also electronic components related to automatic driving / driving assistance that are not experiencing the abnormality may be stopped. In this configuration, for example, a common power cut-off circuit may be provided for all electronic components to be stopped. In this case, the configuration of the vehicle control device 1 can be made simpler.

[0098] (Modification 3) In the above embodiments and various modifications, an example configuration was described in which the temperature change amount dTk (dT1, dT2, ...) from the normal temperature of each electronic component is calculated, and based on the temperature change amount dTk, it is determined whether or not an abnormality (decrease) in cooling performance has occurred, and the cause of the abnormality is identified. That is, an example was described in which the temperature change amount dTk is calculated as a predetermined parameter related to the temperature of each electronic component used for detecting cooling abnormalities. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0099] For example, a predetermined parameter relating to the temperature of each electronic component may be calculated as the rate of temperature rise from the normal temperature (a predetermined reference temperature) of each electronic component. Based on this rate of temperature rise, it may be determined whether or not a cooling performance abnormality has occurred, and the cause of the abnormality may be identified. In this case as well, the cooling abnormality detection process first compares the sum of the rate of temperature rise from the normal temperature of each electronic component with a predetermined threshold to determine whether or not a cooling abnormality has occurred. If a cooling abnormality is found, the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the rate of temperature rise is compared with a specific threshold to identify the cause of the abnormality (abnormal water leakage or abnormal heat generation of the electronic component).

[0100] (Other) In the embodiments and various modifications described above, an example was given in which the cooling abnormality detection process of the vehicle control device 1 (processing steps S2 to S11 and S13 in Figure 5) is performed by the abnormality detection unit 2 in software, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, some or all of the cooling abnormality detection process may be configured in hardware.

[0101] Furthermore, the embodiments and various modifications described above are detailed and specific explanations of the device's configuration in order to clearly illustrate the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those comprising all the described configurations. The positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges of the components shown in the drawings may not represent the actual positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges disclosed in the drawings.

[0102] 1...Vehicle control device, 2...Anomaly detection unit, 3...Radiator, 4...Cooling water pump, 5, 6...Flow path switching valve, 7, 8...Water temperature sensor, 9a-9f...Cooling piping, 10...Cooling housing, 11...Cooling water flow path, 21...First circuit board, 22...Second circuit board, 23...Third circuit board, 31...First electronic component, 32...Second electronic component, 33...Third electronic component, 41...First temperature sensor, 42...Second temperature sensor, 43...Third temperature sensor, 51...First power cut-off circuit, 52...Second power cut-off circuit, 53...Third power cut-off circuit, 60...Calculation unit, 100, 101...Vehicle control system

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising: a vehicle control device having a plurality of electronic components and a cooling unit for cooling the plurality of electronic components; and an abnormality detection unit capable of detecting a cooling abnormality of the vehicle control device based on the predetermined parameters, which acquires temperature detection values ​​for each of the plurality of electronic components, calculates predetermined parameters relating to the temperature of each of the plurality of electronic components based on the acquired temperature detection values.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit calculates the amount of change of the temperature detection value from a predetermined reference temperature value as the predetermined parameter, compares the sum of the multiple amounts of change calculated for each of the multiple electronic components with a predetermined threshold, and determines that there is a cooling abnormality in the vehicle control device if the sum is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, wherein, when the abnormality detection unit determines that there is a cooling abnormality in the vehicle control device, it extracts the maximum and minimum values ​​of the change amounts from a plurality of change amounts calculated for each of the plurality of electronic components, calculates the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the change amounts, compares the calculated difference with a specific threshold, and determines that there is an abnormality in the electronic component system if the difference is greater than or equal to the specific threshold.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein if the abnormality detection unit determines that there is an abnormality in the electronic component system, the vehicle control device stops supplying power to the abnormal electronic component.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein the abnormality detection unit determines that there is an abnormality in the cooling system of the vehicle control device if the difference is less than the specific threshold.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 5, further comprising a flow path switching valve provided on the circulation path of a cooling medium supplied to the cooling unit of the vehicle control device, wherein when the abnormality detection unit determines that there is an abnormality in the cooling system of the vehicle control device, the vehicle control device controls the flow path switching valve so as to reduce the flow rate of the cooling medium supplied to the cooling unit, or so as to prevent the cooling medium from being supplied to the cooling unit.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of electronic components is an electronic component that performs processing related to the automatic driving and / or driving assistance of the vehicle, and if the abnormality detection unit determines that there is an abnormality in the electronic component system during the automatic driving or driving assistance of the vehicle, the vehicle control device switches the driving control mode of the vehicle to manual driving, if the abnormality detection unit determines that there is an abnormality in the cooling system of the vehicle control device during the automatic driving of the vehicle, the vehicle control device switches the driving control mode of the vehicle to the driving assistance, and if the abnormality detection unit determines that there is an abnormality in the cooling system of the vehicle control device during the driving assistance of the vehicle, the vehicle control device continues the driving assistance.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit calculates the temperature rise rate of the temperature detection value from a predetermined reference temperature value as the predetermined parameter, compares the sum of the multiple temperature rise rates calculated for each of the multiple electronic components with a predetermined threshold, and determines that there is a cooling abnormality in the vehicle control device if the sum is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 8, wherein, when the abnormality detection unit determines that there is a cooling abnormality in the vehicle control device, it extracts the maximum and minimum values ​​of the temperature rise rate from a plurality of temperature rise rates calculated for each of the plurality of electronic components, calculates the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the temperature rise rate, compares the calculated difference with a specific threshold, and determines that there is an abnormality in the electronic component system if the difference is greater than or equal to the specific threshold.

10. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit is provided outside the vehicle control device.

11. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit is provided inside the vehicle control device.

12. An anomaly detection device comprising a calculation unit capable of detecting a cooling abnormality in the vehicle control device, which has a plurality of electronic components and a cooling unit for cooling the plurality of electronic components, acquires temperature detection values ​​for each of the plurality of electronic components, calculates predetermined parameters related to the temperature of each of the plurality of electronic components based on the acquired temperature detection values, and detects a cooling abnormality in the vehicle control device based on the predetermined parameters.

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