JP6623985B2 - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that switches a shift range by a shift-by-wire method.

  Conventionally, there has been known a vehicle control device that switches a shift range in accordance with a detection result of a shift position sensor that detects a position of a shift lever operated by a driver (hereinafter, a shift position). Note that a control method for switching the shift range according to the detection result of the shift position sensor is called a shift-by-wire method.

  In such a vehicle control device that controls the shift range by the shift-by-wire method, when an abnormality occurs in the shift position sensor, the output of the drive source is prevented in order to prevent the vehicle from running against the driver's will. Is often controlled.

  By the way, the shift position sensor may be realized by using a plurality of switches configured to turn on a different combination for each shift position. Such a shift position sensor outputs, to the vehicle control device, a signal indicating a connection state (that is, on / off) of each of the plurality of switches as a signal indicating a shift position (hereinafter, a shift position signal).

  On the other hand, a vehicle control device connected to a shift position sensor of the type described above specifies a shift position based on an output pattern of each switch as a shift position signal, and determines whether the shift position sensor is operating normally. Is determined. Note that the case where the shift position sensor is out of order means that the output voltage of a certain switch is out of a range designed in advance as a normal output value of the switch, or that the output pattern of each switch is Are patterns that do not correspond to any shift position.

  Patent Document 1 discloses that a normal output pattern is output from a shift position sensor in a state where a vehicle is stopped even when an abnormality occurs in a certain switch among a plurality of switches constituting the shift position sensor. When a shift position signal is input, a vehicle control device that permits traveling at a shift position corresponding to the output pattern is disclosed.

Japanese Patent No. 5692246

  In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, when there is no shift position where a normal output pattern exists, traveling in any shift range becomes impossible. That is, the vehicle cannot be moved forward or backward.

  If the switch corresponding to the shift position desired by the driver is out of order, the driver cannot travel in the desired direction. For example, if the switch for detecting that the shift lever is set to the forward position is out of order, the driver cannot move the vehicle forward.

  The present invention has been made based on this situation, and an object of the present invention is to enable a vehicle to travel in a direction desired by a driver even when a shift position sensor is out of order. It is to provide a simple vehicle control device.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an abnormality detection unit (F11) for determining whether a shift position sensor for detecting a shift position, which is a set position of a shift lever, is operating normally, and a driver operating an accelerator pedal. A vehicle information acquisition unit (14) for acquiring a detection value of an accelerator sensor that detects an accelerator depression amount, which is an amount of depression of the accelerator, and a drive source provided in the vehicle based on the accelerator depression amount acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit. A drive control unit (F3) that controls the magnitude of the driving force to be performed and switches the direction in which the driving force is exerted in accordance with the detection result of the shift position sensor, and that the shift position sensor is not operating normally by the abnormality detection unit. If it is determined, the driver should move the vehicle forward based on the accelerator depression amount acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit. A drive estimating unit (F2) for estimating a driver's intention for vehicle control including whether or not the vehicle control unit determines whether the driver has an intention to move the vehicle forward. The driving source generates a driving force of a predetermined magnitude, and the driving force generated by the driving source is exerted in a direction in which the vehicle moves forward.

  In the above configuration, the intention estimating unit determines whether or not the driver intends to move the vehicle forward based on the accelerator pedal depression amount which is the driver's operation amount on the accelerator pedal. Generally, the driver is likely to depress the accelerator pedal when the driver wants to move the vehicle forward. Therefore, the intention estimating unit can estimate whether or not the driver intends to move the vehicle forward based on the accelerator depression amount indicating whether or not the driver has performed an accelerator operation.

  The drive control unit causes the drive source to generate a predetermined level of drive force when the intention estimation unit estimates that the driver intends to move the vehicle forward when the shift position sensor is out of order. The driving force is exerted in a direction in which the vehicle moves forward. That is, the vehicle is moved forward. According to such an embodiment, even if the shift position sensor is out of order, the vehicle can travel in the direction desired by the driver.

  The reference numerals in parentheses described in the claims indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiment described below as one aspect, and limit the technical scope of the present invention. is not.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the vehicle control device 1. It is a figure for explaining an estimated state with respect to a forward intention. It is a flowchart for explaining a failure handling process. It is a flowchart for demonstrating a forward intention estimation process. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an estimation result correction process. It is a flowchart for demonstrating a backward intention estimation process. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an estimation result arbitration process. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation flow of the vehicle control device 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation flow of the vehicle control device 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram for describing an output level of a driving source 71 in a state during estimation. It is a flowchart which shows the modification of a backward intention estimation process. FIG. 9 is a diagram for describing functions provided in a vehicle control device 1 according to a third modification.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Overall configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system 100 according to the present embodiment. The vehicle control system 100 is mounted on a vehicle, and as shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle control device 1, a shift position sensor 2, an accelerator sensor 3, a brake sensor 4, a navigation device 5, an obstacle sensor 6, and a drive. A system mechanical system 7 is provided. For convenience, a vehicle on which the vehicle control system 100 is mounted is also referred to as a mounted vehicle hereinafter. Each of the shift position sensor 2, the accelerator sensor 3, the brake sensor 4, the navigation device 5, the obstacle sensor 6, and the drive system mechanical system 7 is communicably connected to the vehicle control device 1.

  The vehicle control device 1 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the operation of the drive system mechanical system 7 based on data input from a sensor mounted on the mounted vehicle, such as the shift position sensor 2. The vehicle control device 1 includes a CPU 11 as a central processing unit, a RAM 12 as a volatile memory, a ROM 13 as a nonvolatile memory, an I / O 14, and the like.

  The ROM 13 stores a program for causing a normal computer to function as the vehicle control device 1 (hereinafter, a vehicle control program) and the like. Note that the above-described vehicle control program may be stored in a non-transitory tangible storage medium. Executing the vehicle control program by the CPU 11 corresponds to executing a method corresponding to the vehicle control program.

  The I / O 14 is a module that functions as an interface for the vehicle control device 1 to communicate with another device mounted on the mounted vehicle, such as the shift position sensor 2, for example. For example, the I / O 14 acquires detection results of various sensors and information provided from the navigation device 5 or the like. Further, the I / O 14 acquires vehicle speed information indicating the running speed of the mounted vehicle from a vehicle speed sensor (not shown). The I / O 14 corresponds to a vehicle information acquisition unit described in the claims. The details of the vehicle control device 1 will be separately described later.

  The shift position sensor 2 is a sensor that detects the position of the shift lever (that is, the shift position). Shift position sensor 2 sequentially outputs a signal indicating a shift position (hereinafter, a shift position signal) to vehicle control device 1. The shift position includes a forward position, a reverse position, a neutral position, a parking position, and the like.

  The forward position is a shift position in which the driving force generated by the driving source is exerted in the direction in which the mounted vehicle moves forward, and the reverse position is a shift position in which the driving force generated by the driving source is exerted in the direction in which the mounted vehicle moves backward. is there. The neutral position is a shift position at which the driving force generated by the driving source is not exerted, and the parking position is a shift position at which the operation of the driving source is stopped and a parking gear for inhibiting rotation of the driving wheels is operated. . The forward position includes a drive position where the engine brake does not act and a brake position where the engine brake acts.

  It is assumed that the shift position sensor 2 in the present embodiment is realized by using a plurality of switches in which different combinations are turned on for each shift position, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. Therefore, the shift position sensor 2 outputs a signal indicating the connection state (that is, on / off) of each of the plurality of switches to the vehicle control device 1 as a shift position signal.

  The accelerator sensor 3 is a sensor that detects the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal by the driver (that is, the amount of accelerator depression). The amount of depression represents the amount of depression of the pedal by the driver, and corresponds to the amount of displacement of the pedal with respect to the basic position (in other words, the displacement angle). Note that detecting the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal corresponds to detecting the position of the accelerator pedal. The detection result of the accelerator sensor 3 is sequentially output to the vehicle control device 1.

  The brake sensor 4 is a sensor that detects the amount of depression of the brake pedal by the driver. Detecting the depression amount of the breach pedal corresponds to detecting the position of the brake pedal. The detection result of the brake sensor 4 is sequentially output to the vehicle control device 1.

  The navigation device 5 is a well-known navigation device that provides road information around a mounted vehicle to a driver. The navigation device 5 specifies the current position of the mounted vehicle on the road map by a well-known map matching process. The map matching process obtains the traveling locus of the on-board vehicle based on the position coordinates, the traveling direction, the vehicle speed, and the like of the on-board vehicle at multiple points in time, and compares the traveling locus with the road shape obtained from the map information. This is a process for specifying the current position of the. The position coordinates of the on-board vehicle are provided from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver that calculates a current position based on a navigation signal transmitted by a satellite provided in the GNSS.

  Further, the navigation device 5 determines whether the mounted vehicle is moving forward or backward along the road, based on the traveling direction of the mounted vehicle determined from the traveling locus and the detection result of an azimuth sensor (not shown). Further, the navigation device 5 obtains traffic congestion information and the like by receiving road traffic information distributed from a center (not shown).

  Then, the navigation device 5 includes information on a road on which the onboard vehicle is traveling (hereinafter, traveling road information) and information indicating whether the onboard vehicle is moving forward or backward along the road (hereinafter, traveling (Posture information) are sequentially provided to the vehicle control device 1.

  The traveling road information includes traffic congestion information indicating whether or not the road on which the mounted vehicle is traveling is congested, distance to an intersection in front of the mounted vehicle, intersection information indicating the presence or absence of a traffic light at the intersection, and the like. Is included. It is preferable that the intersection information includes not only the presence or absence of the traffic light at the front intersection but also the presence or absence of a stop line. In the present embodiment, as an example, the traveling road information includes both the traffic jam information and the intersection information. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The traveling road information may include only one of the traffic congestion information and the intersection information.

  The obstacle sensor 6 is a sensor that detects an obstacle existing in front of the mounted vehicle and outputs information indicating information (for example, distance and relative position) on the obstacle. As the obstacle sensor 6, for example, a sonar, a millimeter wave radar, a laser radar, a camera, or the like can be adopted. In addition, the front here includes the diagonally front. The obstacle sensor 6 may include a sensor that detects an obstacle behind the vehicle in addition to a sensor that detects an obstacle ahead of the vehicle. The obstacle sensor 6 sequentially provides information indicating a detection result (hereinafter, obstacle information) to the vehicle control device 1.

  The drive system mechanical system 7 is a system including mechanical elements for driving the mounted vehicle. The drive system mechanical system 7 includes a drive source 71 and a transmission 72 as components. The driving source 71 is a device that generates (in other words, provides) driving force for running the mounted vehicle. The drive source 71 includes an engine, a motor, and the like. In the present embodiment, as an example, the mounted vehicle is a vehicle having an engine as the drive source 71, but is not limited thereto. The mounted vehicle may be a vehicle having only a motor as a drive source (a so-called electric vehicle) or a hybrid car having both an engine and a motor as a drive source. The magnitude of the driving force generated by the driving source 71 (in other words, the output level of the driving source 71) is controlled by the vehicle control device 1. The output level may be represented by the rotation speed of the engine or the motor, or may be represented by torque.

  The transmission 72 is a device that changes the rotational speed of the drive source 71 and transmits the speed to drive wheels (not shown). The transmission 72 includes a plurality of gears for switching a power transmission direction and a gear ratio. The power transmission direction corresponds to a direction in which the driving force generated by the driving source 71 is exerted as the moving direction of the mounted vehicle. Among the plurality of gears, a combination of gears used for power transmission is controlled by the vehicle control device 1.

  When the drive source 71 is a motor, the drive system mechanical system 7 does not need to include the transmission 72. This is because by controlling the phase and magnitude of the current / voltage supplied to the motor, the power transmission direction and the magnitude of the generated driving force can be adjusted.

<Functions provided in vehicle control device 1>
Next, the functions of the vehicle control device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The vehicle control device 1 provides functions corresponding to various functional blocks illustrated in FIG. 2 by the CPU 11 executing the vehicle control program. Specifically, the vehicle control device 1 includes, as functional blocks, a shift position specifying unit F1, an intention estimating unit F2, and a drive control unit F3.

  Note that some or all of the functional blocks included in the vehicle control device 1 may be implemented as hardware by using one or more ICs or the like. Further, it may be realized by a combination of execution of software by the CPU 11 and hardware members.

  The shift position specifying unit F1 specifies the shift position selected by the driver based on the shift position signal input from the shift position sensor 2. Note that specifying the shift position corresponds to specifying the operation mode (so-called shift range) of the drive mechanical system specified by the driver.

  Further, the shift position specifying unit F1 includes a failure detection unit F11 that detects a failure of the shift position sensor 2 as a more detailed function (that is, a sub function). The failure detection unit F11 detects an abnormality of the shift position sensor 2 based on the output signal pattern of each switch indicated by the shift position signal.

  Specifically, when the combination of the on / off state of each switch (hereinafter, output pattern) is a pattern that does not correspond to any shift position, it is determined that the shift position sensor 2 has failed. . Further, the failure detection unit F11 detects the shift position even when the output voltage of a switch constituting the shift position sensor 2 is a value outside a range designed as a normal output value of the switch. It is determined that the sensor 2 has failed. The failure detection unit F11 corresponds to an abnormality detection unit described in claims.

  When the shift position specifying unit F1 determines that the shift position sensor 2 is out of order, the intention estimating unit F2 determines the driver for the traveling control of the mounted vehicle based on the detection values of the accelerator sensor 3 and the brake sensor 4. Is a functional block for estimating the intention of the user. The intention of the driver with respect to the traveling control of the mounted vehicle is, for example, whether the driver intends to move the mounted vehicle forward, to retreat, or to maintain a stopped state.

  The intention estimating unit F2 includes a forward intention estimating unit F21, a backward intention estimating unit F22, and an estimation result arbitration unit F23 as finer functional blocks (in other words, sub-functions). The forward intention estimating unit F21 is a functional block for estimating whether the driver intends to move the mounted vehicle forward, and the retreat intention estimating unit F22 estimates whether the driver intends to retreat the mounted vehicle. It is a functional block that performs The estimation result arbitration unit F23 arbitrates the estimation results of the forward intention estimation unit F21 and the reverse intention estimation unit F22, and determines the final driver intention.

  Details of the intention estimating unit F2 including these sub-functions will be separately described later. Note that the forward intention estimating unit F21 sets the initial state as shown in FIG. 3 as a state indicating the progress of the process of estimating whether or not the driver is about to move the mounted vehicle forward (hereinafter, an estimated state). , An estimation in progress state, and an estimation completion state in order. The initial state is a state in which estimation is to be performed from now on, and the estimation state is a state in which the estimation result is undetermined. The estimation completion state is a state in which a series of estimation processes has been completed and the estimation result of the driver's intention to advance the mounted vehicle has been determined. Various estimated states may be described using flags.

  The drive control unit F3 controls the operation of the drive system mechanical system 7. Specifically, by determining a target value of the driving force to be generated by the driving source 71 and inputting a control signal corresponding to the target value to the driving source 71, the driving force corresponding to the target value is supplied to the driving source 71. Is generated. In addition, the drive control unit F <b> 3 changes the direction in which the drive force generated by the drive source 71 is exerted by outputting a predetermined control signal to the transmission 72.

  For example, when the shift position is set to the forward position, the gear combination of the transmission 72 is changed so that the driving force is exerted in the forward direction. When the shift position is set to the reverse position, the combination of the gears of the transmission 72 is changed so that the driving force is exerted in the reverse direction.

  When it is determined that the shift position sensor 2 is out of order, the drive control unit F3 controls the drive system mechanical system 7 based on a request from the intention estimation unit F2. When the failure of the shift position sensor 2 is detected, the drive control unit F3 temporarily cuts off the driving force generated by the drive source 71 from the viewpoint of fail-safe. The interruption of the driving force may be realized by interrupting the power supply to the driving source 71 and stopping the operation of the driving source 71 itself. Until the estimation state becomes the estimation completion state, the upper limit of the output level of the drive source 71 is set to a lower suppression level than when the shift position sensor 2 is operating normally (that is, during normal operation). The suppression level is an output level at which traveling at a speed equivalent to slow traveling (so-called evacuation traveling) is possible.

<Failure handling process>
Next, a failure handling process performed by the vehicle control device 1 will be described using a flowchart shown in FIG. The failure handling process is a process for realizing vehicle control according to the driver's intention when the shift position sensor 2 has failed. The failure handling process may be started sequentially (for example, every 100 milliseconds) while power is supplied to the vehicle control device 1.

  The execution subject of each step shown in FIG. 4 is the vehicle control device 1. Steps for which the execution subject is not particularly specified may be executed by, for example, an operating system (OS) of the vehicle control device 1.

  Further, the vehicle control device 1 according to the present embodiment executes the failure handling process using four types of flags such as a forward intention flag, a reverse intention flag, a forward estimation prohibition flag, and a reverse estimation prohibition flag.

  The forward intention flag is a flag in a process indicating an estimation result of whether or not the driver intends to move the mounted vehicle forward. The forward intention estimating unit F21 sets the forward intention flag to ON when it is determined that the driver intends to move the mounted vehicle forward. If it is determined that the driver is not going to move the mounted vehicle forward, the forward intention flag is set to OFF.

  The reverse intention flag is a flag in processing indicating an estimation result of whether or not the driver is going to reverse the mounted vehicle. The reverse intention estimating unit F22 sets the reverse intention flag to ON when it is determined that the driver intends to reverse the mounted vehicle. If the driver determines that the onboard vehicle is not going to retreat, the reverse intention flag is set to OFF.

  The forward estimation prohibition flag is a flag for prohibiting execution of a process of estimating whether or not the driver intends to move the mounted vehicle forward. When the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to ON, it is not estimated whether or not the driver intends to move the mounted vehicle forward. Also, the forward intention flag is set to OFF. The case where the forward intention estimating unit F21 estimates whether or not the driver intends to move the mounted vehicle forward is a case where the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF. At the time when the failure handling process is started, the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF.

  The reverse estimation prohibition flag is a flag for prohibiting the execution of the process of estimating whether the driver intends to reverse the mounted vehicle. When the reverse estimation prohibition flag is set to ON, it is not estimated whether or not the driver intends to reverse the mounted vehicle. Also, the reverse intention flag is set to OFF. The case where the reverse intention estimating unit F22 estimates whether or not the driver intends to reverse the mounted vehicle is a case where the reverse estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF. At the time when the failure handling process is started, the backward estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF.

  Hereinafter, each step included in the failure handling process executed using the various flags described above will be described in order. First, in step S1, it is determined whether or not the mounted vehicle is ready to run. The state in which the mounted vehicle can travel here is, for example, a case where the ignition power is on. When the mounted vehicle is an electric vehicle, the motor as the drive source 71 may be connected to the power supply for traveling. If the mounted vehicle is in a runnable state, step S1 is determined to be affirmative and the process proceeds to step S2. On the other hand, if the mounted vehicle is not in a state in which it can travel, step S1 is determined to be negative, and this flow ends. When this flow ends, the flow may be restarted after a predetermined time (for example, 100 milliseconds) has elapsed from the end point.

  In step S2, the failure detection unit F11 determines whether or not the shift position sensor 2 has failed based on the shift position signal input from the shift position sensor 2. If the shift position sensor 2 is out of order, step S2 is affirmatively determined, and the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if the shift position sensor 2 is operating normally, a negative determination is made in step S2 and the process returns to step S1.

  In step S3, the forward intention estimating unit F21 executes the forward intention estimating process, and proceeds to step S4. This forward intention estimating process will be separately described later. The forward intention flag is set to ON or OFF according to the result of performing step S3. In step S4, the forward intention estimating unit F21 performs an estimation result correction process, and proceeds to step S5. This processing result correction processing will be described separately later.

  In step S5, the backward intention estimating unit F22 performs a backward intention estimating process, and proceeds to step S6. This backward intention estimating process will be separately described later. By performing step S5, the reverse intention flag is set to either ON or OFF.

  In step S6, the estimation result arbitration unit F23 performs the estimation result arbitration process, and proceeds to step S7. The estimation result arbitration process will be separately described later. By executing the processing in step S6, the estimation result of the driver's intention for the traveling control of the onboard vehicle is determined. Specifically, it is determined whether the vehicle is going to move forward, to move backward, or not to move.

  In step S7, it is determined whether or not the intention estimating unit F2 determines that the driver intends to move the mounted vehicle forward as a result of the above processing. When the intention estimating unit F2 determines that the driver intends to move the mounted vehicle forward (that is, there is a forward intention), the determination in step S7 is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step S8. On the other hand, when the intention estimating unit F2 does not determine that the driver is going to move the mounted vehicle forward, a negative determination is made in step S7, and the process proceeds to step S9.

  In step S8, the drive control unit F3 outputs a predetermined control signal to the drive system mechanical system 7 to exert a drive force in the forward direction. Specifically, the combination of the gears in the transmission 72 is switched to a combination in which the driving force is transmitted in the forward direction. In addition, the driving source 71 exerts a driving force corresponding to the accelerator pedal depression amount of the driver.

  However, when exerting the driving force according to the accelerator pedal depression amount of the driver, the driving force is not suddenly exhibited, but is gradually increased (in other words, gradually). The drive source 71 is controlled. That is, the driving force that is increased by making a round from step S1 to step S8 is a minute amount that does not surprise the driver of the onboard vehicle and the persons existing around. Such an aspect corresponds to gradually reducing the limit on the output of the drive source 71 set in response to the detection of the failure of the shift position sensor 2. The various processes of the drive control unit F3 in step S8 are all performed based on a request from the intention estimation unit F2.

  In step S9, as a result of the above processing, it is determined whether or not the intention estimating unit F2 determines that the driver intends to retreat the mounted vehicle. If the intention estimating unit F2 determines that the driver is going to retreat the mounted vehicle (that is, there is a intention to retreat), the affirmative determination is made in step S9 and the process proceeds to step S10. On the other hand, when the intention estimating unit F2 does not determine that the driver is going to retreat the mounted vehicle, a negative determination is made in step S9, and the process proceeds to step S11.

  In step S10, the drive control unit F3 outputs a predetermined control signal to the drive system mechanical system 7 to exert a drive force in the backward direction. Specifically, the combination of gears in the transmission 72 is switched to a combination in which the driving force is transmitted in the reverse direction. In addition, the driving source 71 exerts a driving force corresponding to the accelerator pedal depression amount of the driver. At this time, the driving source 71 is controlled so that the driving force is gradually exerted, instead of suddenly exerting the driving force.

  In step S11, the drive control unit F3 stops the operation of the drive source 71 or suppresses the output level of the drive source 71, and returns to step S1. However, the setting of the direction in which the driving force is exerted is maintained.

<Progressive intention estimation process>
Next, a forward intention estimating process performed by the forward intention estimating unit F21 in cooperation with the drive control unit F3 and the like will be described using a flowchart illustrated in FIG. The flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is started when the process proceeds to step S3 in FIG. Of the various steps shown in FIG. 5, steps for which the execution subject is not specified are assumed to be executed by the forward intention estimating unit F21.

  First, in step S301, it is determined whether the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to ON. If the forward estimation prohibition flag is ON, step S301 is affirmed and the process proceeds to step S316. On the other hand, if the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF, a negative determination is made in step S301 and the process proceeds to step S302.

  In step S302, it is determined whether the estimated state is the initial state. If the estimation state is the initial state, a positive determination is made in step S302, and the process proceeds to step S303. On the other hand, if the estimated state is not the initial state, a negative determination is made in step S302 and the process proceeds to step S310.

  In step S303, it is determined whether or not the accelerator pedal is operated by the driver (in other words, the accelerator is on) and the brake pedal is not operated (in other words, the brake is off).

  Whether or not the accelerator pedal is operated can be determined from the detection value of the accelerator sensor 3. Specifically, when the detection value of the accelerator sensor 3 is equal to or greater than a predetermined accelerator operation determination threshold, it is determined that the accelerator pedal is operated. When the detection value of the accelerator sensor 3 is smaller than the accelerator operation determination threshold, it is determined that the accelerator pedal is not operated. The operation of the accelerator pedal (hereinafter, accelerator operation) means that the angle of the pedal is adjusted by depressing the accelerator pedal.

  Whether or not the brake pedal is operated can also be determined by comparing the detection value of the brake sensor 4 with a predetermined brake operation determination threshold value. Hereinafter, depressing the brake pedal by the driver is also referred to as a brake operation.

  When the accelerator pedal is operated by the driver and the brake pedal is not operated, an affirmative determination is made in step S303, and the process proceeds to step S304. On the other hand, if the accelerator pedal has not been operated or the brake pedal has been operated, a negative determination is made in step S303 and the process proceeds to step S316. In step S304, the estimation state is set to estimation in progress, and the flow advances to step S305.

  In step S305, the drive control unit F3 outputs a predetermined control signal to the transmission 72, sets the direction in which the driving force is exerted to the forward direction, and proceeds to step S306. In step S306, the drive control unit F3 increases the driving force generated by the drive source 71 by a small amount, and proceeds to step S307. It is preferable that the driving force exerted by executing step S306 be a small amount that allows the driver to recognize that the mounted vehicle has started to move forward. More specifically, it is preferable that the moving distance in one second is from several tens of cm to less than 1 m.

  In step S307, it is determined whether or not a predetermined behavior monitoring time (for example, 5 seconds) has elapsed since the estimation state shifted to during estimation. If the behavior monitoring time has elapsed after the estimation state has shifted to the estimation state, an affirmative determination is made in step S307, and the process proceeds to step S308. On the other hand, if the behavior monitoring time has not yet elapsed since the estimation state has shifted to the estimation state, a negative determination is made in step S307, and the flow ends. When the present flow ends, the flow returns to the failure handling process that is the caller of the present flow, and step S4 is executed.

  In step S308, the forward intention flag is set to ON, and the routine goes to step S309. In step S309, the estimation state is set to estimation completion, and this flow ends.

  In step S310, it is determined whether the estimation state is being estimated. If the estimation state is under estimation, an affirmative determination is made in step S310, and the process proceeds to step S311. On the other hand, if the estimation state is not being estimated, a negative determination is made in step S310, and the process proceeds to step S315. Note that the case of moving to step S315 is a case where the estimation state has been completed.

  In step S311, as in step S303, it is determined whether the accelerator pedal is operated and the brake pedal is not operated. If the accelerator pedal has been operated and the brake pedal has not been operated, an affirmative determination is made in step S311 and the process proceeds to step S306.

  On the other hand, if the accelerator pedal has not been operated or the brake pedal has been operated, a negative determination is made in step S311 and the process proceeds to step S312. In step S312, the forward intention flag is set to OFF, and the routine goes to step S313. In step S313, the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to ON, and the routine goes to step S314. In step S314, the estimation state is set to the initial state, and the flow ends.

  By the way, as a result of moving the mounted vehicle forward in step S307 based on the driver's accelerator operation, the fact that the driver has applied the brake or stopped the accelerator operation means that the vehicle control of moving the mounted vehicle forward means the driver. This means that the control was contrary to the above.

  Therefore, when a negative determination is made in step S311, the forward intention flag is turned off. Thus, the estimation result can be matched with the driver's intention. Further, by turning on the forward estimation prohibition flag in step S313, it is possible to avoid repeated determination of whether or not there is a forward intention. The operation of returning the accelerator pedal to the basic position (that is, the operation of releasing the accelerator pedal) and the operation of depressing the brake pedal correspond to the driver operation for stopping the forward movement of the vehicle (that is, the stop operation).

  In step S315, it is determined whether or not the stop state has continued for a fixed time (for example, 30 seconds). Whether or not the vehicle is in the stopped state can be determined, for example, based on a detection value of a vehicle speed sensor (not shown). Specifically, when the detection value of the vehicle speed sensor is smaller than a predetermined stop determination threshold (for example, 2 km / h) for determining that the mounted vehicle is stopped, it is determined that the mounted vehicle is stopped. . Of course, whether or not the mounted vehicle is stopped may be determined by another known method. For example, it may be determined that the vehicle is stopped when the position information provided from the navigation device 5 has not changed.

  If the traveling speed of the on-board vehicle is equal to or higher than the stop determination threshold value in step S315, or if the time during which the vehicle is in the stopped state is shorter than the certain time even during the stop, step S315 is determined to be negative. To end this flow.

  On the other hand, if the stopped state has continued for a certain period of time, a positive determination is made in step S315, and the process proceeds to step S314. This is because if the stopped state continues for a certain period of time, the driver's intention may have changed during that time, and it is preferable to again estimate the driver's intention from the initial state.

  Note that the driver's intention estimation based on the accelerator operation or the brake operation is not performed while the estimation state is set to the estimation completion. Therefore, the driver can accelerate and decelerate the mounted vehicle as in the case where the shift position sensor 2 is not out of order.

  In step S316, the forward intention flag is set to OFF, and the routine goes to step S317. In step S317, the estimation state is set to the initial state, and the flow ends.

<Estimation result correction processing>
Next, an estimation result correction process performed by the forward intention estimating unit F21 will be described using a flowchart shown in FIG. The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is started when the process proceeds to step S4 in FIG. The various steps shown in FIG. 6 are executed by the forward intention estimating unit F21.

  First, in step S401, it is determined whether or not the mounted vehicle is stopped. If the on-board vehicle is stopped, a positive determination is made in step S401, and the process proceeds to step S402. On the other hand, if the on-vehicle vehicle is not stopped, a negative determination is made in step S401 and the process proceeds to step S404.

  In step S402, based on the traveling road information provided from the navigation device 5, it is determined whether or not the reason why the mounted vehicle is stopped (hereinafter, the reason for stopping) corresponds to any of signal waiting and traffic congestion. . For example, when the traffic light is stopped at a position within several tens of meters from an intersection, it is determined that the reason for the stop is waiting for the traffic light. If traffic congestion occurs on the road on which the mounted vehicle is traveling, it is determined that the reason for stopping is congestion. In addition, waiting for a signal means that the display of the traffic light stops at the intersection with the display prohibiting the traffic at the intersection, and waits until the display is switched to the display permitting the traffic.

  If the reason for the stop corresponds to one of signal waiting and traffic congestion, an affirmative determination is made in step S402 and the process proceeds to step S403. On the other hand, if the reason for stopping does not correspond to any of the signal waiting and the traffic jam, a negative determination is made in step S402 and the process proceeds to step S404.

  In step S403, the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF, and the routine goes to step S404. In general, when the vehicle is stopped due to signal waiting or traffic congestion, the driver cannot freely operate the accelerator pedal. In addition, in order to adjust the inter-vehicle distance with another vehicle existing before and after the mounted vehicle, a situation in which an accelerator operation and a brake operation are alternately performed is also assumed. When the above-described forward intention estimating process is performed in such a situation, the forward estimation prohibition flag may be turned ON even though the driver desires forward travel.

  By executing the steps S401 to S403 for such a problem, the forward prohibition flag can be returned to OFF even if the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to ON by the forward intention estimating process. .

  In step S404, it is determined whether the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to ON. If the forward estimation prohibition flag is ON, step S404 is affirmatively determined and the present flow ends. When the present flow ends, the flow returns to the failure handling process that is the caller of the present flow, and the backward intention estimating process (Step S5 in FIG. 4) is executed.

  On the other hand, if the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF, a negative determination is made in step S404, and the process proceeds to step S405. In step S405, it is determined whether or not the mounted vehicle is moving forward along the road based on the movement posture information provided from the navigation device 5. If the on-board vehicle is moving forward along the road, an affirmative determination is made in step S405, and the process proceeds to step S406. On the other hand, if the on-board vehicle is not moving forward along the road (for example, during a stop or a retreat), a negative determination is made in step S405, and the process proceeds to step S408. In step S406, the forward intention flag is set to ON, and the routine goes to step S407. In step S407, the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF, and the flow advances to step S408.

  In step S408, it is determined based on the obstacle information provided from the obstacle sensor 6 whether or not an obstacle exists in front of the mounted vehicle. If there is an obstacle in front of the mounted vehicle, step S408 is determined to be affirmative and the process moves to step S409. On the other hand, if there is no obstacle in front of the mounted vehicle, step S408 is negatively determined and the present flow ends.

  In step S409, the forward intention flag is set to OFF, and this flow ends. By executing steps S408 to S409, if an obstacle exists, the forward intention flag is set to OFF, so that the possibility that the mounted vehicle and the obstacle come into contact with each other can be reduced. Further, when the detected obstacle is a moving object, the forward estimation prohibition flag is not set to ON because there is a possibility that the obstacle may move from the front of the mounted vehicle with the lapse of time (ie, It remains OFF).

<Retreat intention estimation process>
Next, the backward intention estimating process performed by the backward intention estimating unit F22 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. The flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is started when the process proceeds to step S5 in FIG. Various steps shown in FIG. 7 are executed by the backward intention estimating unit F22. As described above, the initial setting state of the reverse intention flag and the reverse estimation prohibition flag is OFF.

  First, in step S501, it is determined whether or not the reverse estimation prohibition flag is set to ON. If the reverse estimation prohibition flag is set to ON, the determination in step S501 is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step S502. On the other hand, if the backward estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF, step S501 is negatively determined, and the process proceeds to step S503.

  In step S502, the reverse intention flag is set to OFF, and the flow ends. When the present flow ends, the process returns to the failure handling process that is the caller of the present flow, and executes the estimation result arbitration process (Step S6 in FIG. 4).

  In step S503, it is determined whether or not the mounted vehicle is retreating along the road based on the movement posture information provided from the navigation device 5. If the mounted vehicle is retreating along the road, an affirmative determination is made in step S503, and the process proceeds to step S504. On the other hand, when the on-board vehicle is not retreating along the road (for example, while the vehicle is moving forward or stopped), a negative determination is made in step S503, and the flow ends.

  In step S504, the reverse intention flag is set to ON, and the routine goes to step S505. In step S505, the reverse estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF, and the flow ends. Note that the condition for setting the backward estimation prohibition flag to ON may be appropriately designed. For example, when the navigation device 5 is out of order, the reverse estimation prohibition flag may be set to ON.

<Estimation result arbitration processing>
Next, the estimation result arbitration process performed by the estimation result arbitration unit F23 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The flowchart shown in FIG. 8 is started when the process proceeds to step S6 in FIG. Various steps shown in FIG. 8 are executed by the estimation result arbitration unit F23.

  First, in step S601, it is determined whether or not the forward intention flag is set to ON. If the forward intention flag is set to ON, the process moves from step S601 to step S602. On the other hand, if the forward intention flag is set to OFF, the process moves from step S601 to step S603.

  In step S602, it is determined whether the reverse intention flag is set to ON. If the reverse intention flag is set to ON, the process moves from step S602 to step S603. On the other hand, if the reverse intention flag is set to OFF, the process moves from step S602 to step S604.

  In step S603, the driver determines that there is no intention to move the mounted vehicle (that is, there is no intention to move), and ends this flow. Further, in step S604, the driver determines that the driver has an intention to move the mounted vehicle forward (that is, has an intention to move forward), and ends this flow. When the present flow has been completed, step S7 of the failure handling process which is the calling source of the present flow is executed.

  In step S605, it is determined whether the reverse intention flag is set to ON. If the reverse intention flag is set to ON, the process moves from step S605 to step S606. On the other hand, if the reverse intention flag is set to OFF, the process moves from step S605 to step S607.

  In step S606, the driver determines that the driver has an intention to retreat the mounted vehicle (that is, the driver intends to retreat), and ends this flow. In step S607, the driver determines that there is no intention to move the mounted vehicle (that is, there is no intention to move), and ends this flow.

<Summary of operation of vehicle control device 1>
The operation of the vehicle control device 1 described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 illustrates an operation when an abnormality occurs in the shift position sensor 2 when the driver attempts to start forward. As a premise of the situation shown in FIG. 9, it is assumed that the driver intends to move the mounted vehicle forward. Further, it is assumed that the shift lever is set to the parking position in the initial state.

  9A shows the output value of the accelerator sensor 3, that is, the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal by the driver, and FIG. 9B shows the output value of the brake sensor 4, that is, the amount of depression of the brake pedal by the driver. Is represented. (C) shows the setting position of the shift lever by the driver, and (D) shows the detection result of the shift position sensor 2. Note that “P” in the figure indicates a parking position, and “D” indicates a drive position.

  FIG. 9E shows a setting state of the direction in which the driving force is exerted, and FIG. 9F shows an estimated state at each time point. (G) indicates the output level of the driving source 71 (that is, the magnitude of the generated driving force). In each of the graphs (A) to (G), the horizontal axis represents the passage of time.

  Time T10 represents the time when the driver changes the shift lever from the parking position to the drive position. Using the driver's shift lever operation as a trigger, the drive control unit F3 sets the direction in which the driving force is exerted to the forward direction, and causes the driving source 71 to gradually exert the driving force.

  Time T11 represents a time when an abnormality has occurred in the shift position sensor 2. The occurrence of an abnormality in the shift position sensor 2 is specified by the failure detection unit F11. The drive control unit F3 temporarily interrupts the drive force generated by the drive source 71 when the shift position sensor 2 fails.

  Time T12 represents the time when the driver operates the accelerator pedal, and the estimation state changes to estimation in progress with the driver's operation (FIG. 5, step S304). The forward intention estimating unit F21 requests the drive control unit F3 to move the mounted vehicle forward with a driving force equal to or lower than a predetermined suppression level, triggered by the accelerator operation of the driver. Based on the request from the forward intention estimating unit F21, the drive control unit F3 sets the drive force exerting direction to the forward direction and slightly increases the drive force (step S306 in FIG. 5).

  In the present embodiment, the driving force that is increased in step S306 in FIG. 5 is a level at which the output level of the driving source 71 does not reach the suppression level during estimation. That is, the output level is gradually increased at a pace at which the output level of the drive source 71 does not reach the suppression level during the estimation.

  Time T13 is a time when the behavior monitoring time has elapsed from time T12. From time T12 to time T13, as shown in (A) and (B), the state where the accelerator pedal is operated and the brake pedal is not depressed continues. Therefore, at time T13, the estimation state changes from during estimation to estimation completion. Note that time T12a represents a time when the driver increases the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal due to a small driving force to be exerted.

  After time T13 when the estimation state is completed, the drive control unit F3 gradually releases the restriction on the driving force set due to the failure of the shift position sensor 2, and depresses the accelerator pedal. Demonstrate the driving force according to the amount.

  In the present embodiment, as an example, the drive control unit F3 gradually increases the output level at a pace at which the output level of the drive source 71 does not reach the suppression level during estimation, but is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 11, before the estimation completion state is reached, the output level may be increased at a pace at which the output level reaches the suppression level. However, the output level of the drive source 71 is controlled to be equal to or lower than the suppression level until the estimation state becomes the estimation completion state. Note that Lv_sp in FIG. 11 represents the suppression level.

  Time T14 represents a point in time when the accelerator pedal depression amount is reduced, and time T15 represents a point in time when the user releases his / her foot from the accelerator pedal and starts to depress the brake pedal. Once the estimation state has been completed, the determination that there is a forward intention is maintained until the stop state continues for a certain period of time unless an obstacle is present ahead. That is, the direction in which the driving force is exerted remains in the forward direction.

  FIG. 10 illustrates an operation when an abnormality occurs in the shift position sensor 2 when the driver attempts to start backward. As a premise of the situation shown in FIG. 10, it is assumed that the driver has an intention to move the mounted vehicle backward. Further, it is assumed that the shift lever is set to the parking position in the initial state. The items represented by the various graphs (A) to (G) shown in FIG. 10 are the same as those in FIG.

  Time T20 represents the time when the driver sets the shift lever from the parking position to the reverse position. As the driver operates the shift lever, the drive control unit F3 sets the direction in which the driving force is exerted in the backward direction, and gradually exerts the driving force as shown in FIG.

  Time T21 represents the time when an abnormality has occurred in the shift position sensor 2. The failure of the shift position sensor 2 is detected by the failure detection unit F11. The drive control unit F3 temporarily cuts off the drive force generated by the drive source 71 from the viewpoint of fail-safe due to the failure of the shift position sensor 2.

  Time T22 represents the time when the driver operates the accelerator pedal, and the estimation state changes to estimation in progress with the driver's operation (FIG. 5, step S304). Accordingly, the drive control unit F3 sets the direction in which the driving force is exerted in the forward direction, and exerts the driving force in a very small amount (step S306 in FIG. 5).

  As a result, the mounted vehicle starts to move forward slowly, but the traveling direction intended by the driver in the situation shown in FIG. 10 is the backward direction. Therefore, it is assumed that the driver depresses the brake pedal to stop the mounted vehicle from moving forward.

  Time T23 represents the point in time when the driver releases the accelerator pedal and depresses the brake pedal due to the fact that the mounted vehicle has begun to move forward. Since the brake pedal is depressed during the estimation, the forward intention estimating unit F21 sets the forward intention flag to OFF and sets the forward estimation prohibition flag to ON.

  Since the forward estimation inhibition flag is set to ON, the mounted vehicle does not move forward even if the driver depresses the accelerator pedal again at time T24. This is because step S301 is affirmatively determined in the forward intention estimating process and the process proceeds to step S316. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the process of moving the mounted vehicle forward from being repeatedly performed in a state where the driver wants to travel backward.

  However, in the present embodiment, an estimation result correction process is performed as a supplement to the forward intention estimation process. Therefore, if the reason for stopping is a signal waiting or traffic jam, that is, if the driver's brake operation is not necessarily the inconsistency between the traveling direction of the onboard vehicle and the driver's intention, the forward estimation is prohibited. The flag returns to OFF. As a result, the driver can move the mounted vehicle forward even after the accelerator operation and the brake operation are alternately performed for reasons such as signal waiting and traffic congestion. The setting state of the forward estimation prohibition flag can be reset to OFF by turning off the traveling power supply such as the ignition power supply.

<Regarding Configuration and Effects of Embodiment>
The vehicle control device 1 (especially the forward intention estimating unit F21) estimates the driver's intention based on whether or not the driver continues to operate the accelerator as a result of moving the mounted vehicle forward based on the accelerator operation of the driver. Then, when the driver continues the accelerator operation, the driver estimates that the driver has a forward intention (in other words, determines), and continues to move the mounted vehicle forward.

  According to such a vehicle control device 1, when the driver wants to make the mounted vehicle move forward, the driver keeps depressing the accelerator pedal for a predetermined behavior monitoring time to cause the shift position sensor to fail. Even if it is, the mounted vehicle can be made to travel forward.

  In the process of estimating the driver's intention, the shift position signal is not used. Therefore, even if the shift position sensor 2 fails in a mode in which there is no shift position in which the output pattern of the shift position signal becomes a normal output pattern (hereinafter, referred to as an all-failure state), the driver can perform the operation. The onboard vehicle can run.

  Further, in the above configuration, when the failure of the shift position sensor 2 is detected and the estimation of the driver's intention by the forward intention estimating unit F21 is not completed, the drive control unit F3 outputs the output level of the drive source 71. Is set to the suppression level. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the mounted vehicle from suddenly accelerating in the process of estimating the driver's intention.

  Further, even when the failure of the shift position sensor 2 is detected, when the estimation of the driver's intention by the forward intention estimating unit F21 is completed and it is determined that the driver has the forward intention, the drive source 71 Is allowed to exhibit a driving force higher than the suppression level. According to such an aspect, the driver can drive the mounted vehicle with the same feeling as in normal times.

  Further, in the above configuration, when the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to ON, even if the driver is performing the accelerator operation, the control to move the mounted vehicle forward to estimate the intention of the driver is performed. Is not implemented. That is, by introducing the forward estimation prohibition flag, it is possible to prevent the mounted vehicle from repeatedly performing forward movement when the driver wants to run backward. Further, according to the above configuration, if the reverse intention flag is set to ON as a result of the reverse intention estimation process, the driver can also move the mounted vehicle backward.

  As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications described below are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

  Note that members having the same functions as the members described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is mentioned, the configuration of the above-described embodiment can be applied to the other part.

[Modification 1]
In the above-described embodiment, the mode of estimating whether the driver intends to retreat the mounted vehicle based on the movement posture information provided from the navigation device 5 is disclosed as the backward intention estimating process. Not exclusively. Similarly to the forward intention estimating process, it may be estimated whether or not the driver intends to retreat the mounted vehicle based on the accelerator operation or the brake operation. Hereinafter, as a modified example of the backward intention estimating process, an example of a mode of estimating whether the driver has an intention to retreat the mounted vehicle based on an accelerator operation or a brake operation will be described with reference to a flowchart illustrated in FIG. 12. .

  The flowchart shown in FIG. 12 may be started when the process proceeds to step S5 in FIG. Here, as an example, the backward intention estimating process shown in FIG. 12 is performed instead of the backward intention estimating process shown in FIG. 7, but is not limited thereto. Both the backward intention estimating process shown in FIG. 12 as the first backward intention estimating process and the backward intention estimating process shown in FIG. 7 as the second backward intention estimating process may be performed in order. Of the steps included in the flowchart shown in FIG. 12, steps for which the execution subject is not specified are executed by the retreat intention estimating unit F22.

  First, in step S510, it is determined whether or not the reverse intention prohibition flag is set to ON. If the reverse intention prohibition flag is set to ON, a positive determination is made in step S510, and the present flow ends. On the other hand, if the reverse intention prohibition flag is set to OFF, the negative determination is made in step S510, and the process proceeds to step S511.

  In step S511, it is determined whether or not the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to ON. If the forward intention prohibition flag has been set to ON, a positive determination is made in step S511, and the process proceeds to step S512. On the other hand, if the forward intention prohibition flag has been set to OFF, step S511 is determined negatively, and this flow ends. That is, here, as an example, the following process is executed only when it is determined that the driver does not have the forward intention as a result of the forward intention estimation process.

  In step S512, it is determined whether the accelerator pedal is operated and the brake pedal is not operated. If the accelerator pedal has been operated and the brake pedal has not been operated, an affirmative determination is made in step S512, and the process proceeds to step S513. On the other hand, when the accelerator pedal has not been operated or the brake pedal has been operated, step S512 is determined to be negative, and this flow ends.

  In step S513, the drive control unit F3 outputs a predetermined control signal to the transmission 72, sets the direction in which the driving force is exerted in the reverse direction, and proceeds to step S514. In step S514, the drive control unit F3 instructs the drive source 71 to output a drive force of a predetermined level, and proceeds to step S515. It is preferable that the driving force exerted by executing step S514 be a small amount that allows the driver to recognize that the mounted vehicle has retreated.

  In step S515, it is determined whether or not the driver maintains the state of operating the accelerator pedal for a predetermined behavior monitoring time even after the mounted vehicle starts to retreat. In other words, it is determined whether or not the state where the detection value of the accelerator sensor 3 is equal to or greater than the accelerator operation determination threshold is maintained.

  If the driver keeps operating the accelerator pedal for the behavior monitoring time even after the mounted vehicle starts to retreat, the affirmative determination is made in step S515 and the process proceeds to step S516. On the other hand, if the driver releases the accelerator pedal or depresses the brake pedal within the behavior monitoring time after the mounted vehicle starts to retreat, a negative determination is made in step S515 and the process proceeds to step S518.

  In step S516, the reverse intention flag is set to ON, and the flow shifts to step S517. In step S517, the reverse estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF, and the flow ends. In step S518, the reverse intention flag is set to OFF, and the flow shifts to step S519. In step S519, the reverse estimation prohibition flag is set to ON, and this flow ends.

  According to the above-described processing, even when the navigation device 5 does not determine that the mounted vehicle is retreating along the road, the mounted vehicle can be caused to retreat. For example, even if the shift position sensor 2 breaks down during the process of starting the vehicle backward while parked, the vehicle can be started backward.

[Modification 2]
In the above description, as the failure handling processing, the mode of performing the estimation result correction processing and the backward intention estimation processing after the forward intention estimation processing is disclosed, but the present invention is not limited to this. The estimation result correction process may be omitted. The backward intention estimation process may be omitted.

[Modification 3]
As shown in FIG. 13, when the vehicle control device 1 is connected to the display 8 so as to be able to communicate with each other, the display 8 displays the driver's intention while the intention estimating unit F2 performs the process of estimating the driver's intention. An image indicating that the intention is being estimated (hereinafter, an estimated situation notification image) may be displayed. According to such an aspect, the driver can recognize that the on-board vehicle can be driven by depressing the accelerator pedal by looking at the estimated situation notification image. The estimated situation notification image may include information indicating the setting state of various flags, operation details to be performed by the driver to advance the mounted vehicle, and the like, in addition to the information indicating the estimated state.

  The estimated situation notification processing unit F4 illustrated in FIG. 13 is a functional block that provides a function of generating the above-described estimated situation notification image and displaying the image on the display 8. The estimation status notification processing unit F4 corresponds to an information providing processing unit described in claims. The display 8 as the output destination of the estimated situation notification image may be a meter display disposed above an area located in front of the driver's seat in the instrument panel, or may be a vehicle width of the instrument panel. It may be a center display provided at the center in the direction. Further, a head-up display may be used.

  Further, the information indicating that the driver's intention for vehicle control is being estimated may be notified to the driver by turning on (including blinking) an indicator realized using an LED or the like. What is necessary is just to output in the form which a driver can recognize visually.

Reference Signs List 100 vehicle control system, 1 vehicle control device, 2 shift position sensor, 3 accelerator sensor, 4 brake sensor, 5 navigation device, 6 obstacle sensor, 7 drive system mechanical system, 8 display, 71 drive source, 72 transmission, 11 CPU, 12 RAM, 13 ROM, 14 I / O (vehicle information acquisition unit), F1 shift position identification unit, F11 failure detection unit (failure detection unit), F2 intention estimation unit, F21 forward intention estimation unit, F22 backward intention estimation Section, F23 estimation result arbitration section, F3 drive control section, F4 estimation state notification processing section (information provision processing section)

Claims (9)

An abnormality detection unit (F11) that determines whether a shift position sensor that detects a shift position that is a set position of the shift lever is operating normally;
A vehicle information acquisition unit (14) that acquires a detection value of an accelerator sensor that detects an accelerator depression amount that is an amount by which a driver is depressing an accelerator pedal;
A drive generated by the drive source according to a detection result of the shift position sensor, while controlling a magnitude of a drive force output by a drive source included in the vehicle based on the accelerator depression amount acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit. A drive control unit (F3) for switching the direction in which the force is exerted,
If it is determined by the abnormality detection unit that the shift position sensor is not operating normally, the driver moves the vehicle forward based on the accelerator depression amount acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit. An intention estimating unit (F2) for estimating the intention of the driver for vehicle control, including whether or not the vehicle is going to be controlled,
The drive control unit causes the drive source to generate a drive force of a predetermined magnitude when the intention estimation unit estimates that the driver has an intention to move the vehicle forward, and generates the drive force to the drive source. A vehicle control device that exerts the generated driving force in a direction in which the vehicle moves forward. In claim 1,
The intention estimating unit,
When it is determined that the shift position sensor is not operating normally, and when the accelerator depression amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined operation determination threshold, the drive control unit is not more than a predetermined suppression level. Requesting the vehicle to move forward with the driving force of
After the time when the drive control unit starts moving the vehicle forward based on the request from the intention estimation unit, a state where the accelerator depression amount is equal to or more than the operation determination threshold has continued for a predetermined behavior monitoring time In addition, the vehicle control device may determine that the driver has an intention to move the vehicle forward. In claim 2,
The drive control unit includes:
If the abnormality detection unit determines that the shift position sensor is not operating normally, and if the intention estimation unit has not completed the estimation of the driver's intention, the output level of the drive source is Is limited to the suppression level or less,
Even when the abnormality detection unit determines that the shift position sensor is not operating normally, the estimation of the intention of the driver by the intention estimation unit is completed, and the driver moves the vehicle forward. A vehicle control device that allows the drive source to exert a drive force equal to or higher than the suppression level when it is determined that there is intention. In claim 2 or 3,
Before the behavior monitoring time elapses from the time when the drive control unit starts to advance the vehicle based on a request from the intention estimation unit, the intention estimating unit performs a stop operation for stopping the advance of the vehicle. A vehicle control device, characterized in that when detecting that the execution has been performed by the driver, the driver determines that the driver does not intend to advance the vehicle. In claim 4,
The intention estimating unit,
When the forward estimation prohibition flag, which is a flag in the process for prohibiting execution of the process of estimating whether the driver intends to advance the vehicle or not, is set to ON, the accelerator pedal depression amount Even if is greater than or equal to the operation determination threshold, does not request the drive control unit to advance the vehicle,
When the advance estimation prohibition flag is set to OFF, and when the accelerator pedal depression amount is equal to or greater than the operation determination threshold, the drive control unit may be configured to estimate the intention of the driver. Requesting the vehicle to move forward,
When the drive control unit detects that the stop operation is performed by the driver before the behavior monitoring time elapses from the time when the vehicle starts moving forward based on the request from the intention estimation unit, A vehicle control device for switching a forward estimation prohibition flag from off to on. In claim 5,
The vehicle information acquisition unit,
Traffic information indicating whether or not the road on which the vehicle is traveling is congested, and at least one of intersection information indicating whether or not a traffic light is installed at an intersection existing in front of the vehicle. While acquiring travel road information including from a navigation device mounted on the vehicle,
Obtaining vehicle speed information indicating the traveling speed of the vehicle from a vehicle speed sensor mounted on the vehicle,
The intention estimating unit,
Based on the vehicle speed information, determine whether the vehicle is stopped,
If it is determined that the vehicle is stopped, based on the traveling road information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit from the navigation device, the reason why the vehicle is stopped is one of signal waiting and traffic jam Judge whether it corresponds to,
If it is determined that the reason corresponds to one of signal waiting and traffic congestion, the forward estimation prohibition flag is set to off. In any one of claims 4 to 6,
The intention estimating unit,
In a situation in which the abnormality detection unit has determined that the shift position sensor is not operating normally and the driver has determined that the driver has no intention to move the vehicle forward, the accelerator pedal depression amount may be smaller than the operation amount. If it is equal to or greater than the determination threshold, request the drive control unit to retreat the vehicle with a driving force less than the suppression level,
After the time when the drive control unit starts retreating the vehicle based on the request from the intention estimation unit, when the state where the accelerator depression amount is equal to or more than the operation determination threshold continues for a predetermined behavior monitoring time, The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the driver determines that the driver intends to retreat the vehicle. In any one of claims 2 to 7,
The vehicle information acquisition unit acquires, from an obstacle sensor that detects an obstacle existing in front of the vehicle, obstacle information indicating a detection result of the obstacle sensor,
The intention estimating unit determines that the driver has no intention to move the vehicle forward when the obstacle information indicating that the obstacle is present in front of the vehicle is acquired. Vehicle control device. In any one of claims 2 to 8,
When the intention estimating unit estimates the intention of the driver based on the accelerator pedal depression amount, the driver indicates information indicating that the driver intention is being estimated based on the accelerator pedal depression amount. A vehicle control device comprising: an information provision processing unit (F4) that outputs the information in a visually recognizable manner.

Images