JP2015067106A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle control device capable of achieving both safety and convenience during use of a vehicle in a well-balanced manner.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, a vehicle control device includes a safe-state determination unit determining whether a vehicle is in a safe state. The vehicle starts into a drivable state in response to a user's start-up command, and a driving operation allowed for the vehicle is limited if the safe-state determination unit determines that a state of the vehicle is not the safe state.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

  In recent years, functions capable of locking and unlocking vehicle doors and starting an engine without using a mechanical key (hereinafter referred to as an “electronic key operation system”) have begun to spread. The electronic key operation system allows the user to operate the vehicle by communicating between the mobile terminal owned by the authorized user and the in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle. For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a technique for starting an engine in accordance with an operation state of each device in a vehicle and a user's operation is disclosed.

  However, although the above-described electronic key operation system is highly convenient for a legitimate user, a vehicle is used when a third party obtains or duplicates a portable terminal by unauthorized means. I can do it.

  Therefore, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example, when the user ID stored in the security key is authenticated, the engine start is permitted, while when the authentication is rejected, the engine start is not permitted. Such a technique has also been proposed.

JP 11-91507 A JP 2007-8387 A

  However, as in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, if the engine start itself is restricted when a safe state is not ensured, there is a problem that legitimate use of the vehicle is restricted more than necessary and convenience is impaired. is there.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can realize both safety and convenience at the time of vehicle use in a well-balanced manner.

  The present invention includes a safety state determination unit that determines a safety state of the vehicle, and starts the vehicle in a state where it can run based on a start command from a user, and if the vehicle state is not safe, the safety state When the determination unit determines, the range of travel motion allowed for the vehicle is limited.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve a balance between safety and convenience when using a vehicle in a balanced manner.

It is the figure which showed the vehicle by which the vehicle control apparatus concerning the embodiment of this invention is mounted. It is the figure which showed the internal structure of the vehicle control apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the user setting information which the vehicle control apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention has. It is the figure which showed the operation mode of the vehicle control apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the state transition of the operation mode of the vehicle control apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment for explaining the present invention.

  A vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 1 that performs wireless communication with a portable wireless device 12 owned by a user 101, an injector 10 that is attached to an engine 7, an engine device control device 4 that controls an electric throttle 11, and a brake drive device 8. Has a brake control device 5 for controlling the motor. These control devices are connected to the communication network 6.

  The vehicle control device 1 includes a door opening / closing sensor 13 that detects whether the user has opened or closed the door, whether the user 101 is seated on the seat, an angle of the seat back, a fixed position in the front-rear direction of the seat, Information of the seat sensor 15 for detecting the applied load and the mirror angle sensor 14 for detecting the angle of the mirror for confirming the rear of the vehicle 100 is input by the user 101. The vehicle control device 1 also controls an alarm device 3 that generates an alarm, a hazard lamp (or blinker lamp) 2, and a door lock device 17 that unlocks and locks the door. Moreover, the display 18 which displays the control state of the vehicle control apparatus 1, and the operation switch 19 which a user operates are provided, and the indoor image information from the indoor camera 17 is input into the control mode. In addition, the state of the ignition switch 20 for operating the user to start the vehicle in a state where the vehicle can run or for inputting other start-up commands to the electronic device, and the state of the window switch 21 for operating the power window are also detected. . The vehicle may be driven by combustion of an internal combustion engine (engine) or may be an electric vehicle driven by a motor.

  In addition, a maintenance connector 22 is attached to the vehicle control device 1, and a diagnostic device 16 that reads information on the device is connected.

  The vehicle control device 1 includes a safety state determination unit (not shown) that determines the safety state of the vehicle, and starts the vehicle in a state where it can run based on a start command from the user. If the safety state determination unit determines that the vehicle is not, it limits the range of travel motion allowed for the vehicle. Here, the safety state determined by the safety state determination unit includes the significance of both the security state of the vehicle and the failure state of the vehicle. Note that the vehicle control device 1 can be referred to as a vehicle security device from the viewpoint that the safety state determination unit determines the security state of the vehicle as a safe state.

  Specifically, the vehicle control device 1 limits the operating range with respect to other control devices (travel control devices such as the engine device control device 4 and the brake control device 5) according to its own control mode. be able to. For example, the engine device control device 4 is instructed to limit the vehicle speed so as not to exceed a certain value (for example, 4 km / h), and the brake control device 5 is always locked. Can give instructions.

  FIG. 2 shows an internal configuration of the vehicle control device 1. The vehicle control device 1 includes a CPU 201 that controls the entire device, an alarm 3, a hazard lamp 2, a D / A converter 202 that operates the door lock device 17, a GPS 203 that measures position information of the vehicle 100, and a portable radio. A wireless communication circuit 204 that performs wireless communication with the device 12, and an A / D converter 205 that inputs operation states of the mirror angle sensor 14, the door opening / closing sensor 13, the operation switch 19, the window switch 21, and the ignition switch 20. The CPU 201 also has a communication circuit 208 for communicating with the diagnostic device 16, a memory 206 for recording diagnostic information of the vehicle 100 and information related to security, and a CPU control for controlling the communication circuit 208 and the memory 206. Part 207. Further, the CPU 201 controls the communication circuit 209 to read image information from the indoor camera 17 and transmit information on the operation mode of the vehicle control device 1 to the display 18.

  FIG. 3 shows information related to an authorized user recorded in the memory 206 in the vehicle control device 1.

  When the authorized user 101 uses the vehicle 100, the seat and mirror adjustment information, the user setting information A that records the main route and location, and another authorized user (such as the family of the user 101) ) Setting information B. The items of the setting of these regular users include seat adjustment information, (1) seat back angle, (2) front and rear position of the seat in the passenger compartment, (3) load applied to the seat, and (4) mirror angle position. And (5) steady travel route and (6) steady drop-in place where the user 101 uses the vehicle 100. (5) Steady travel route and (6) Steady stop location may be acquired by learning based on position information obtained from the GPS 203 in the process in which the user 101 continues to use the vehicle 100. For example, when a common route or parking position that exceeds a certain percentage of the usage time of the vehicle, for example, more than half of the usage time, can be registered as a regular travel route or a regular stop location.

  Further, although two regular users are shown in the present embodiment, more regular users may be registered.

  FIG. 4 shows a plurality of operation modes of the vehicle control device 1 and a vehicle state that is a state of the vehicle 100 (that is, an operation state of each device).

  The vertical axis of the table in FIG. 4 indicates “initial setting mode 501”, “steady use mode 502”, “unsteady use mode 503”, “alarm mode 504”, and “fail safe mode 505” as operation modes of the vehicle control device 1. ”Is shown. The horizontal axis shows the states of “engine operation”, “vehicle speed limit”, “brake operation”, “display”, “external notification”, and “indoor camera”, which are the operations of the devices in the vehicle 100.

  In the initial setting mode 501, the engine is stopped, the vehicle is stopped (the vehicle speed is 0), the brake is in a locked state, the display is “initializing”, and there is no notification to the outside (no hazard lamp, alarm is off).

  The safety state determination unit determines that the security state is safe when the user performs a predetermined operation on the vehicle after the vehicle is started. This predetermined operation will be described. In the initial setting mode 501, an authorized user 101 operates after adjusting the seat back angle, the front-rear direction position of the seat, and the angle of the mirror while seated on the seat (a load is applied to the seat). The switch 19 is pressed to perform an operation for storing such information. As the predetermined operation, even if the operation switch 19 is not used, the above information is obtained by combining the operations of other switches such as the window switch 21, the ignition switch 20, and the door opening / closing in accordance with a program incorporated in the vehicle control device 1 in advance. May be used as a trigger for storing. For example, by performing operations such as “turning on / off the ignition switch 20 twice, turning the window switch 21 three times, and again turning the ignition switch on / off three times within a short time (within 10 seconds)”, the sheet and mirror A program for executing a setting method such as “store position” may be provided. This setting method is known only to the authorized user 101 or the authorized mechanic of the vehicle.

  In the regular use mode 502, the user 101 can operate the equipment of the vehicle 100 without any particular limitation. The engine can be operated, the vehicle speed is not limited (however, within the range of the speed limiter set by the vehicle manufacturer), the brake operation is not limited, the display is “no display”, and the indoor camera 17 is stopped.

  The non-steady use mode 503 is a mode that is activated when a user other than a regular user registered in advance uses the vehicle. The engine can be operated, but the vehicle speed is limited to a certain level (for example, 4 km / h or less). This is the minimum speed required for the user to move the car to the maintenance area or to evacuate to a safe place. There is no restriction on the operation of the brake, the indicator is “operating in the unsteady use mode”, and the hazard lamp 2 is displayed (blinker lamp blinks) as external notification.

  In this state, when the user performs a predetermined operation on the vehicle, a program previously incorporated in the vehicle control device 1 for canceling the unsteady use mode 503 is executed, and the safety state determination unit is in a safe state. It is determined that there is, and the routine returns to the steady use mode 502. As the predetermined operation, for example, an operation such as “turning on / off the ignition switch 20 once, turning the window switch 21 twice, and turning the ignition switch 20 on / off once again within a short time (within 5 seconds)” is performed. is there. This operation method is known only to the authorized user 101 or the authorized mechanic of the vehicle 100.

  When the state where the security state is not safe (in this embodiment, the non-steady use mode 503) continues for a predetermined threshold or more, the safe state determination unit shifts to an alarm mode 504 that notifies the user. . In the present embodiment, time is adopted as the predetermined threshold, and the alarm mode 504 is activated when the non-steady use mode 503 continues for a certain period of time (for example, it is used for 10 minutes or more without stopping the engine). Note that, as the predetermined threshold value for shifting to the alarm mode 504, in addition to time, a travel distance traveled in the unsteady use mode 503 may be employed.

  In the alarm mode 504, the engine can be operated, the vehicle speed is limited to a certain value (for example, 4 km / h or less), the brake operation is not limited, and the display indicates “alarm activated”. In the external notification, the hazard lamp 2 is turned on and the alarm device 3 is activated. This alarm device 3 is continued for a certain time (for example, 1 minute) after the user stops the ignition switch 20. This has the effect of preventing further use when the user aims at unauthorized use of the vehicle. In order to cancel the alarm mode 504 and return to the steady use mode 502, it is necessary to execute the program incorporated in the vehicle control device 1 in advance. For example, the operation mode can be changed by performing an operation such as “turning on / off the ignition switch once, turning the window switch 21 twice, and turning the ignition switch 20 on / off once within a short time (within 5 seconds)”. Use a program to switch. This operation method is known only to the authorized user 101 or the authorized mechanic of the vehicle 100. The operation pattern for switching from the unsteady use mode 503 to the steady use mode 502 may be the same as the above, but switching from the alarm mode 504 to the steady use mode 502 adds a more complicated step, so that an unauthorized user can It is desirable to make it more difficult to release.

  In the alarm mode 504, the indoor camera 17 is operated to record the user's state. This is for storing information for specifying the user. This recorded information can be read using the diagnostic device 16.

  In the fail-safe mode 505, the vehicle control device 1 is connected to another control device (engine device control device 4, brake) via its own failure, sensors connected to itself, switches, or the communication network 6. This is a mode in which a diagnostic result transmitted by the control device 5) is acquired and operated based on the result. When the other control device detects its own failure, it transmits the failure information to the communication network 6. In the case of engine equipment-related and brake-related failures, engine operation is disabled. Any other failure can operate the engine. When the engine is operated, the vehicle speed is limited to a predetermined speed or less (for example, 4 km / h). This is to limit the vehicle speed to the minimum required for movement in order to maintain the vehicle 100 as a countermeasure against failure. There is no restriction on brake operation. In the fail-safe mode 505, the display displays “fail-safe mode in operation”, and the hazard lamp 2 is turned on as an external notification.

  FIG. 5 shows a state transition diagram of the operation of the vehicle control device 1.

  When the user 101 starts using the vehicle 100, when the initial setting mode 501 for setting the seat position and mirror angle information ends, the user 101 transitions to the steady use mode 502 (state transition path 551).

  As a condition for the transition from the steady use mode 502 to the non-steady use mode 503 (state transition path 555), “when user information (sheet position and mirror angle etc.) registered in the initial setting is changed”, and "When the current vehicle position deviates significantly from the regular travel route registered by the user 101 (for example, more than 500 m away from the regular travel route), then the ignition key is turned off and a certain time (for example, about 5 minutes has passed). This is a case where two cases of “when it can be estimated that the parking state is present” are established. When the ignition switch is turned on from this state, a transition is made to the unsteady use mode 503, the hazard lamp is turned on, and the vehicle speed limit is started.

  When returning from the non-steady use mode 503 to the steady use mode 502 (state transition path 556), the user 101 needs to operate the window switch 21 and the ignition switch 20 in a specific pattern. Further, the authorized user 101 may additionally register the current position information as a new stationary stop location by this operation.

  If the above-mentioned unsteady use mode 503 is not canceled and a certain time (for example, 10 minutes) has passed, the mode is changed to the alarm mode. In the alarm mode 504, an alarm is generated from the alarm device. Even if the ignition is turned off, the alarm operates for a certain time (for example, 3 minutes). When the alarm mode 504 is canceled and returned to the steady use mode 502 (state transition path 560), the above-described specific switches must be operated.

  By executing the above state transition, a user who has operated the vehicle for the purpose of illegal use such as theft of the vehicle knows how to return from the non-steady use mode 503 or the alarm mode 504 to the steady use mode 502. There will be no use of the vehicle.

  Further, when the vehicle control device 1 transits to the non-steady use mode 503 or the alarm mode 504, the vehicle control device 1 uses the wireless communication circuit 204 to notify the mobile wireless terminal 12 of the user 101 of the vehicle position information acquired from the GPS 203. It is also possible.

  Next, the fail safe mode 505 will be described. The vehicle control device 1 detects the error information of the engine device control device 4 and the brake control device 5 acquired via the communication network 6 as a result of its own self-diagnosis process, and the indoor camera 17 connected to the vehicle control device 1. Based on the error information obtained by monitoring the state of each sensor and each switch, the state transits from the steady use mode 502 to the fail safe mode 505 (state transition 558). By repairing the vehicle, it is possible to correct the above-described error and return to the steady use mode 502 by operating a specific switch (state transition 559).

  Further, the vehicle control device 1 monitors the operation state of the indoor camera 17 by periodically communicating. However, when there is no response due to a failure of the device or when the imaging cannot be performed, the indoor control device 17 An error is assumed. Here, there is a response from the indoor camera 17, but when detecting a state where the illuminance of imaging of the indoor camera 17 is dark (the indoor camera 17 may be covered with a tape by a third party) You may change to unsteady use mode 503.

  As described above, the vehicle control device 1 is a sensor that is used by a third party to monitor the indoor state (for example, the indoor camera 17 and the seat sensor 15) and disables the sensors due to unauthorized use. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether it is an error in the use of the device due to regular use or not, and thus it is possible to appropriately control the function limitation of the vehicle and the operation of the alarm.

  In addition, when a third party frequently repeats an operation other than a specific operation pattern of predetermined switches in order to cancel the non-steady use mode 503 in a state of transition to the non-steady use mode 503 ( If a specific operation pattern is failed five times in succession or the like, an illegal operation may be performed, and a transition to the alarm mode 504 may be made without waiting for a certain period of time.

  Further, in the non-steady use mode 503, a user other than the regular user 101, for example, an employee at the accommodation, temporarily operates the vehicle to park the vehicle, or changes the tires at an auto parts store or the like. When receiving maintenance, it is also activated when a store worker operates the vehicle temporarily. If the vehicle 100 is used for a short time, parking can be completed before the alarm mode 504 is entered.

  As described above, the transition to the non-steady use mode 503 for temporarily restricting the function related to the operation of the vehicle is performed before the alarm mode 504 for generating the alarm, so that the convenience of the vehicle 100 is not impaired. Security can be ensured.

  As described above, according to the vehicle control device 1 having the above-described configuration, it is possible to achieve both safety and convenience in a balanced manner when using the vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle control apparatus 100 ... Vehicle 101 ... User 502 ... Steady use mode 503 ... Unsteady use mode 504 ... Alarm mode 505 ... Fail safe mode

Claims (6)

A safety state determination unit for determining the safety state of the vehicle;
Based on the start command from the user, the vehicle is started to be ready to travel,
A vehicle control device that limits a range of travel operations allowed for the vehicle when the safety state determination unit determines that the state of the vehicle is not safe.   The upper limit speed of the vehicle is limited to be lower when the vehicle is determined to be unsafe than when the vehicle is determined to be safe. Vehicle control device.   The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the safety state determination unit determines a security state of the vehicle as the safety state.   The vehicle control according to claim 3, wherein the safety state determination unit determines that the security state is safe when a predetermined operation is performed on the vehicle by the user after the vehicle is started. apparatus.   The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the safety state determination unit notifies the user when the state where the security state is not safe continues for a predetermined threshold value or more.   The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the safety state determination unit determines a failure state of the vehicle as the safety state.

Images