JP2007161078A - Controller for driving system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving system capable of preventing operational problems even though a mode setting is initialized. <P>SOLUTION: In an ECU 50 for controlling the driving system capable of selectively setting up a disabled-person mode for driving by a disabled person and a able-bodied person mode for driving by an able-bodied person, when the mode setting is initialized by resetting of the ECU 50, its mode is reset to a mode being set before the initialization. Thus, the operational problems can be prevented even though the mode setting is initialized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device for controlling a driving device.

As a device for assisting driving of a vehicle by a physically handicapped person with lower limbs, an operation lever that is manually operated by a driver to selectively instruct the operation of a brake device and an accelerator device of the vehicle is included. There is known a driving device composed of an operation unit, a brake driving system for driving a brake pedal, an accelerator driving system for driving an accelerator pedal, a control device for controlling the brake driving system and the accelerator driving system in accordance with an operation amount of an operation lever, and the like. (See Patent Document 1).
Some of such driving devices can switch between a normal person mode in which a normal person can operate as usual and a disabled person mode in which a disabled person can operate using an operation lever or the like.
JP-A-8-216737

However, a reset may occur in the control device of the driving device due to some cause such as voltage fluctuation, instantaneous interruption, and EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) during traveling. When a reset occurs, the set mode is also initialized. This may cause a problem in operability.
For example, if a reset occurs during traveling in the disabled person mode and the mode is switched to the healthy person mode, the operation with the operation lever cannot be performed. As a result, a disabled person who has difficulty in lower limbs becomes unable to drive.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control device for a driving device that can prevent the occurrence of operability problems even when the mode setting is initialized. .

The above purpose is to initialize a mode setting in a control device for controlling a driving device in which a disabled person mode for a disabled person and a healthy person mode for a healthy person are selectively set. In such a case, it can be achieved by the control device of the operating device, wherein the mode is reset to the mode set before the initialization.
With such a configuration, even when the mode setting is initialized for some reason, it is possible to reset the mode to the mode set before the initialization, thereby preventing the problem of operability.

In addition, a storage unit that stores information on the mode that was set before initialization is stored, and the mode that was set before initialization is reset by reading the mode information from the storage unit. This can also be achieved by the control device for the operating device according to claim 1.
Even with such a configuration, it is possible to reset to the mode set before the initialization, so that the problem of operability can be prevented.

Further, in the control device for controlling the driving device in which the disabled person mode for driving the disabled person and the healthy person mode for driving the healthy person are selectively set, the driving device includes the disabled person When the operation setting for the disabled person for driving and the operation part for the healthy person for the healthy person to drive and the mode setting is initialized, the mode is set according to the operation part operated after the initialization. This can also be achieved by a control device for the operating device that resets the value.
With such a configuration, since the mode can be reset according to the operation unit operated after the mode setting is initialized, it is possible to prevent the problem of operability.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if it is a case where the setting of a mode is initialized, the control apparatus of the operating device which can prevent generation | occurrence | production of the problem of operativity can be provided.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a driving assistance device according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the driving assistance device includes an operating device (operating unit for a disabled person for driving a disabled person) 10, a mode switch 40 for switching a driving mode for a disabled person and a driving mode for a healthy person, an ECU ( A control device 50, a brake control unit 60 for driving a brake pedal (operating unit for a healthy person for a healthy person to drive) 80 as a braking system of the vehicle, and an accelerator pedal (a healthy person driving the vehicle). For example, an accelerator control unit 70 for driving an operation unit 90 for healthy persons).

The ECU 50 includes a microcomputer 51, an EEPROM (Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) (storage unit) 55, a brake control unit 60, and an accelerator control unit 70, and controls the entire driving assist device.
The microcomputer 51 is realized by hardware such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 53, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) (storage unit) 54, and necessary software.

  The microcomputer 51 transmits signals to the brake control unit 60 and the accelerator control unit 70 in accordance with the operation amount of the operation lever 20 from the operation device 10 to control the drive amounts of the actuators 61 and 71. Thereby, the drive amount of the brake pedal 80 and the accelerator pedal 90 is controlled.

  The actuator 61 drives the brake pedal 80 based on a signal from the brake control unit 60. Similarly, the actuator 71 drives the accelerator pedal 90 based on a signal from the accelerator control unit 70.

  The brake pedal position sensor 81 detects the position of the brake pedal 80 and sends the information to the microcomputer 51. Similarly, the accelerator pedal position sensor 91 detects the position of the accelerator pedal 90 and sends the information to the microcomputer 51.

  The operation lever 20 is swingably guided by a support mechanism (not shown) to the brake region side and the accelerator region side. Further, the operating lever 20 is biased from both the brake region side and the accelerator region side by a biasing means such as a spring (not shown), and is held in a neutral region between the brake region and the accelerator region when not operated.

  The lever position sensor 30 is electrically connected to the ECU 50 via a cable, detects the operation position of the operation lever 20, and outputs it to the ECU 50 as a detection signal composed of a digital signal. The lever position sensor 30 can be configured using, for example, a rotary encoder, a resolver, or the like. However, the lever position sensor 30 is not particularly limited as long as the lever position sensor 30 can detect the operation position of the operation lever 20.

  The mode switch 40 is provided so that a disabled person mode for a disabled person to drive and a healthy person mode for a healthy person to drive can be selectively set. When the disabled person mode is set, the driver can drive by operating the brake lever 80 and the accelerator pedal 90 by operating the operation lever 20.

  When the healthy person mode is set, the driver cannot drive the brake pedal 80 and the accelerator pedal 90 by the operation lever 20, and can drive by directly depressing the brake pedal 80 and the accelerator pedal 90. It becomes possible.

The CPU 53 stores information on the mode type set by the mode switch 40 in the SRAM 54 and the EEPROM 55. Further, the CPU 53 resets to a predetermined mode when the ECU 50 is reset for some reason and the mode setting is initialized. Details will be described later.
Note that “reset occurs in the ECU 50” means that the mode set by the ECU 50 is initialized due to some cause such as voltage fluctuation, instantaneous interruption, and EMI.

  Next, a process for storing information on the set mode type will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process for storing information on the set mode type. This process is executed at regular intervals while the vehicle is being driven.

  Based on the signal from the mode switch 40, the CPU 53 of the microcomputer 51 determines whether or not the normal person mode is set to the disabled person mode (step S1). When the mode is set to the disabled person mode, the CPU 53 stores the set mode type as the disabled person mode in the SRAM 54 and the EEPROM 55 (step S2).

  If it is not set to the disabled person mode, the CPU 53 similarly determines whether the disabled person mode is set to the healthy person mode based on the signal from the mode switch 40 (step S3). When the normal person mode is set, the CPU 53 stores the set mode type in the SRAM 54 and the EEPROM 55 as the normal person mode (step S4). If it is not set to the healthy person mode, this process is terminated.

  As described above, the CPU 53 stores information on the mode type set by the mode switch 40 in a storage device such as the SRAM 54 and the EEPROM 55. Accordingly, when a reset occurs in the ECU 50 described later, it can be reset to a predetermined mode. Details will be described later.

  Next, processing for resetting to a predetermined mode after occurrence of reset will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of processing for resetting to a predetermined mode after occurrence of reset. This process is executed at regular intervals while the vehicle is being driven.

The CPU 53 determines whether a reset has occurred in the ECU 50 (step S21). If no reset has occurred, this process ends.
If a reset has occurred, the CPU 53 determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the SRAM 54 (step S22). This is because when an abnormality occurs in the SRAM 54, the mode type information set before the reset stored in the SRAM 54 is cleared and cannot be read out.

  If no abnormality has occurred in the SRAM 54, the CPU 53 reads out information on the mode type set before the reset from the SRAM 54 (step S23). This makes it possible to determine the type of mode that was set before resetting.

  The CPU 53 determines whether or not the read mode is the disabled person mode (step S24). If it is in the disabled person mode, the CPU 53 resets the disabled person mode (step S25). On the other hand, if it is not the disabled person mode, the CPU 53 resets the healthy person mode (step S26).

  As described above, the CPU 53 reads out the mode information from the SRAM 54 in which the mode information set before the initialization is stored, thereby resetting the mode set before the initialization. Thereby, the driver who was driving in the disabled person mode can continue driving in the disabled person mode even after the mode setting is initialized, and the driver who was driving in the healthy person mode is You can continue to drive in normal mode.

  If an abnormality has occurred in the SRAM 54, the CPU 53 performs processing for reading the mode type information stored in the EEPROM 55 into the SRAM 54 (step S27). As described above, when an abnormality occurs in the SRAM 54, the mode type information stored in the SRAM 54 cannot be read. Therefore, the mode type information is set by reading out the mode type information from the EEPROM 55 to the SRAM 54. Can be restored. In addition, since this process may take time, the CPU 53 determines whether or not this reading process is completed (step S28).

  When the process of reading from the EEPROM 55 is completed, the mode type information set before resetting is restored to the SRAM 54, so the CPU 53 sets the mode type information set before resetting from the SRAM 54. Is read (step S23). The subsequent processing is the same as that described above (step S24, 25 or 26).

  As described above, when an abnormality occurs in the SRAM 54, the reading process from the EEPROM 55 to the SRAM 54 is performed, and after the reading process is completed, the mode information set before the initialization of the mode is read from the SRAM 54. Thus, the mode set before the initialization can be reset.

  If the reading process from the EEPROM 55 to the SRAM 54 has not been completed, the CPU 53 warns the occupant that the mode state is indefinite using a navigation display (not shown) or a speaker (not shown) (step S29).

  Next, the CPU 53 determines whether or not the operation lever 20 has been operated based on a signal from the lever position sensor 30 (step S30). When the operation lever 20 is operated, the CPU 53 resets the disabled person mode (step S31).

  As described above, even when an abnormality occurs in the SRAM and the reading process from the EEPROM is being executed, if the operation lever 20 is operated, it is determined that the driver is a disabled person and the disabled person mode is resumed. Since the setting is performed, it is possible to return to the predetermined mode at an early stage and to prevent the occurrence of operability problems.

When the operation lever 20 is not operated, the CPU 53 determines whether the brake pedal 80 or the accelerator pedal 90 is operated based on a signal from the brake pedal position sensor 81 or the accelerator pedal position sensor 91 (step S32). ). When the brake pedal 80 or the accelerator pedal 90 is operated, the CPU 53 resets the normal person mode (step S33). When the brake pedal 80 or the accelerator pedal 90 is operated, it is determined that the driver is a healthy person and reset as the healthy person mode, so that the predetermined mode can be restored early, and the operability can be improved. The occurrence of problems can be prevented.
If the brake pedal 80 or the accelerator pedal 90 is not operated, the process of step S28 is executed again.

  As described above, when an abnormality occurs in the SRAM 54, processing for reading out information on the mode type set from the EEPROM 55 is performed. After resetting, the operation unit for the disabled (operating lever 20, etc.) ) Or the mode is reset in response to an operation on the operation section for the healthy person (brake pedal 80, accelerator pedal 90, etc.) for the healthy person to drive. Therefore, it is possible to return to the predetermined mode at an early stage, and to prevent the problem of operability.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the driving assistance apparatus which concerns on Example 2 is demonstrated. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the driving assistance device according to the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the driving assistance apparatus according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the driving assistance apparatus according to the first embodiment. Accordingly, the same parts as those of the driving assistance device according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

The ECU 51 includes a mode storage device 56 that can communicate with the microcomputer 51. The mode storage device 56 includes a capacitor (not shown) that stores electric charges according to a command from the CPU 53.
The capacitor stores electric charge according to the mode type set by the mode switch 40 based on a command from the CPU 53. Specifically, the charge is stored in the capacitor when the disabled person mode is set, and the stored charge is discharged when the normal person mode is set. When the reset occurs in the ECU 50, the type of mode set before the reset can be determined depending on whether or not charges are stored in the capacitor of the mode storage device 56. Details will be described later.

  Next, processing for making a predetermined request to the mode storage device 56 according to the set mode type will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of processing for making a predetermined request to the mode storage device 56 in accordance with the set mode type. This process is executed at regular intervals while the vehicle is being driven.

  Based on the signal from the mode switch 40, the CPU 53 determines whether or not the normal person mode is set to the disabled person mode (step S41). When it is set to the disabled person mode, the CPU 53 issues a request to store charges in the mode storage device 56 (step S42).

  If not set to the disabled person mode, the CPU 53 similarly determines whether the disabled person mode is set to the healthy person mode based on the signal from the mode switch 40 (step S43). When it is set to the healthy person mode, the CPU 53 issues a discharge request to the mode storage device 56 (step S44). If it is not set to the healthy person mode, this process is terminated.

  As described above, the CPU 53 issues a request for storing charges in the mode storage device 56 or a discharge request in accordance with the type of mode set by the mode switch 40. Accordingly, when a reset occurs in the ECU 50 described later, it can be reset to a predetermined mode. Details will be described later.

  Next, processing for resetting to a predetermined mode after occurrence of reset according to the driving assistance apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of processing for resetting to a predetermined mode after occurrence of a reset, according to the driving assistance device according to the second embodiment. This process is executed at regular intervals while the vehicle is being driven.

The CPU 53 determines whether a reset has occurred in the ECU 50 (step S51). If no reset has occurred, this process ends.
When the reset occurs, the CPU 53 determines whether or not electric charge is stored in the capacitor of the mode storage device 56 (step S52).
When the electric charge is stored, the CPU 53 resets the disabled person mode (step S53). On the other hand, if no charge is stored, the CPU 53 resets the healthy person mode (step S54).

  In this way, by resetting the mode that was set before the reset after the reset occurred, the driver who was driving in the disabled mode continues to drive in the disabled mode even after the reset occurs The driver who has been driving in the healthy person mode can continue to drive in the healthy person mode. Accordingly, since the mode set before the initialization can be reset, it is possible to prevent the problem of operability.

  Compared with the driving assistance device according to the first embodiment, the driving assistance device according to the second embodiment discriminates the type of the mode that has been set based on whether or not charge is stored in the capacitor. The ECU can be manufactured at a lower cost than the case of providing the ECU.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications, within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims, It can be changed.
For example, it may be configured to perform personal authentication of the driver and reset the mode for each individual stored in the ECU in advance. An authentication unit that detects the driver's fingerprint is provided on the handle, etc., and after the reset occurs, the mode type corresponding to each individual driver is stored based on the signal from the authentication unit. It is also possible to read out the mode type and reset the mode.
In the above embodiment, the mode type set from the SRAM or the EEPROM is read to reset the mode set before the reset. However, the information is read from the SRAM or the EEPROM. Instead, the mode may be reset according to the operation unit operated after the occurrence of the reset.
In the above embodiment, when the setting of the mode is initialized due to the occurrence of a reset in the ECU 50, the mode is reset to the predetermined mode. However, the setting of the mode is initialized without being limited to the occurrence of the reset. May be detected and reset to a predetermined mode.

It is a block diagram of a driving assistance device. It is a flowchart of the process which memorize | stores the information of the set mode type. It is a flowchart of the process which resets to a predetermined mode after reset generate | occur | produces. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a driving assistance device according to a second embodiment. It is a flowchart of the process which performs a predetermined | prescribed request | requirement to a mode memory | storage device according to the kind of mode set. It is a flowchart of the process which resets to the predetermined mode after reset generation concerning the driving assistance device which concerns on Example 2. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Operation apparatus 20 Operation lever 30 Lever position sensor 40 Mode switch 50 ECU (control apparatus)
51 Microcomputer 52 ROM
53 CPU
54 SRAM
55 EEPROM
56 mode storage device 60 brake control unit 61 actuator 70 accelerator control unit 71 actuator 80 brake pedal 81 brake pedal position sensor 90 accelerator pedal 91 accelerator pedal position sensor

Claims (3)

In a control device for controlling a driving device in which a disabled person mode for driving a disabled person and a healthy person mode for driving a healthy person are selectively set,
When the setting of the mode is initialized, the control device for the operating device is reset to the mode set before the initialization. It has a storage unit that stores information on the mode that was set before initialization,
2. The control device for a driving device according to claim 1, wherein the mode is reset to the mode set before the initialization by reading the mode information from the storage unit. In a control device for controlling a driving device in which a disabled person mode for driving a disabled person and a healthy person mode for driving a healthy person are selectively set,
The driving device includes a disabled person operation unit for a disabled person to drive and a healthy person operation unit for a healthy person to drive,
When the setting of the mode is initialized, the mode control device is reset according to the operation unit operated after the initialization.

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