VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20110112736A1
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamada, Atsushi, Nakade, Yusuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/58
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/686 in hydraulic systems or parts thereof
• 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: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18045 Rocking, i.e. fast change between forward and reverse
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0225 Failure correction strategy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/446 Detecting vehicle stop, i.e. the vehicle is at stand still, e.g. for engaging parking lock
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1232 Bringing the control into a predefined state, e.g. giving priority to particular actuators or gear ratios
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/326 Actuators for range selection, i.e. actuators for controlling the range selector or the manual range valve in the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/105 consisting of electrical switches or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/24 dependent on the throttle opening
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/44 dependent on machine speed of the machine, e.g. the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/48 : Inputs being a function of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/54 : dependent on signals from the brakes, e.g. parking brakes
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/12 : Detecting malfunction or potential malfunction, e.g. fail safe in control of hydrostatic gearing F16H61/4192; Circumventing or fixing failures
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/32 : Electric motors actuators or related electrical control means therefor

Abstract

A vehicle control device having a shift-by-wire system that switches a driving range of a vehicle transmission by inputting a range switching signal to a shift switching device, includes: an abnormality detecting means that detects an abnormality that the shift switching device cannot switch the driving range, of the shift-by-wire system; and a driving force suppressing means that suppresses a driving force of a vehicle when an abnormality is detected in the shift-by-wire system and when a vehicle stop is predicted, and the driving force suppressing means switching a gear stage of the vehicle transmission to a higher-speed gear stage.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device having a shift-by-wire system that switches a driving range of a vehicle transmission by inputting a range switching signal to a shift switching device, comprising:

an abnormality detecting means that detects an abnormality that the shift switching device cannot switch the driving range, of the shift-by-wire system; and

a driving force suppressing means that suppresses a driving force of a vehicle when an abnormality is detected in the shift-by-wire system and when a vehicle stop is predicted. predicted, and

the driving force suppressing means switching a gear stage of the vehicle transmission to a higher-speed gear stage.

2. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein a prediction of the vehicle stop is made when a vehicle speed is a predetermined value or below.

3. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein a prediction of the vehicle stop is made when a brake is ON-operated.

4. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein a prediction of the vehicle stop is made when a vehicle deceleration is a predetermined value or above.

6. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the driving force suppressing means cancels the suppression of the driving force of the vehicle when a restart of the vehicle is predicted.

7. The vehicle control device of claim 6, wherein a prediction of the restart of the vehicle is made when a vehicle speed of the vehicle is a predetermined value or above.

8. The vehicle control device of claim 6, wherein a prediction of the restart of the vehicle is made when an accelerator opening is a predetermined value or above.

9. The vehicle control device of claim 6, wherein a prediction of the restart of the vehicle is made when a brake is OFF-operated.

5. (canceled)