Vehicle control system

• US 20070170775A1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Uchimura, Yukiya, Ichikawa, Katsufumi, Nakano, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,308,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 303/112
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/746 and mechanical transmission of the braking action
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/107 with electrical power assistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/122 for locking of reverse movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/065 Idle condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0833 Vehicle conditions F02N11/0822, F02N11/0825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/124 Information about road conditions, e.g. road inclination or surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A brake control section can select an automatic mode in which a mechanical brake is automatically transitioned from a released state to a braking state in response to the running condition of a vehicle. A diagnostic section outputs a fail signal when an abnormal condition of the brake control section is detected. A power control section automatically stops a drive power source of the vehicle when the running condition of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition for determining a vehicle stop. When the automatic mode of the brake control section is released or when the diagnostic section outputs a fail signal of the brake control section, the power control section is inhibited to automatically stop the drive power source, so that an unintentional movement of the vehicle caused by an inclination of the road surface and the automatic stop of the drive power source can be prevented.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a brake control section for controlling an actuator to provide a transition between a braking state and a released state of a mechanical brake for applying braking force to drive wheels of a vehicle, and being able to select an automatic mode in which the mechanical brake is automatically transitioned from the released state to the braking state in response to a running condition of the vehicle; and

a power control section for automatically stopping a drive power source of the vehicle when the running condition of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition for determining a vehicle stop,

wherein the power control section inhibits the automatic stop of the drive power source when the automatic mode of the brake control section is released.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, further comprising a manipulation section connected to the brake control section and supplied with a manual input on the mechanical brake,

wherein, in response to an input from the manipulation section, the brake control section can select a manual mode for transitioning the mechanical brake from the released state to the braking state, and

wherein the power control section inhibits an automatic stop of the drive power source when the manual mode of the brake control section is selected.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, further comprising an inclination detection section for detecting an inclination of a road surface on which the vehicle stops,

wherein the power control section inhibits an automatic stop of the drive power source when the automatic mode of the brake control section is released and additionally the inclination detection section detects a predetermined inclination.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the power control section automatically stops the drive power source of the vehicle only when the brake control section selects the automatic mode and additionally the running condition of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition for determining a vehicle stop.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the power control section performs the automatic stop of the drive power source after the mechanical brake transitions from the released state to the braking state.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, further comprising a diagnostic section for diagnosing a function of the brake control section and outputting a fail signal when an abnormal condition is detected,

wherein the power control section inhibits the automatic stop of the drive power source when the diagnostic section outputs the fail signal.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 6, further comprising an inclination detection section for detecting an inclination of a road surface on which the vehicle stops,

wherein the power control section inhibits the automatic stop of the drive power source when the diagnostic section outputs the fail signal and additionally the inclination detection section detects a predetermined inclination.