Vehicle controller

• US 9,020,661 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugihara, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/000,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20140012435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/24 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0015 Prevention of collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/108 whilst braking, i.e. ABS
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0073 Driver overrides controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0225 : Failure correction strategy
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/227 : Limping Home, i.e. taking specific engine control measures at abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2493 : Resetting of data to a predefined set of values
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 : Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

According to a vehicle controller, when a communication control unlit (13) of a vehicle controller (1) acquires a variable control parameter from a server (5) via the Internet (4), the variable control parameter is stored in a write-enabled storage unit (11), and the user can change to a desired vehicle driving state on the basis of the variable control parameter. A fixed control parameter set as a default value and adapted for initializing the vehicle driving state is stored in a non-write-enabled storage unit (12). If an emergency stop button (16) is pushed or a vehicle-information-acquiring unit (17) acquires driving error detection information when the vehicle is driving on the basis of the variable control parameter, the vehicle immediately switches to a safe driving state according to the fixed control parameter.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus to be installed in a vehicle and being configured for controlling a running state of the vehicle on a basis of information acquired from an external device via a communication network, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a communication control section that acquires, via an external network, a variable control parameter configured for varying the running state of the vehicle;

a writable storage section that accumulates the variable control parameter;

a non-writable storage section that accumulates a fixed control parameter defined as a default value and used to initialize the running state of the vehicle;

a vehicle information acquisition section that acquires information related to the running state of the vehicle and determines whether running, turning, or stopping behavior of the vehicle is abnormal while the vehicle runs on the basis of the variable control parameter; and

a safety-related section that makes the vehicle run on a basis of the variable control parameter when the variable control parameter is present, and that makes the vehicle run on a basis of the fixed control parameter when the variable control parameter is absent, and that switches from the variable control parameter to the fixed control parameter when the vehicle information acquisition section detects that the running, turning, or stopping behavior of the vehicle is abnormal while the vehicle runs on the basis of the variable control parameter.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running state to be controlled by the safety-related section corresponds to at least one of acceleration control, brake control, and steering wheel control.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the safety-related section forcibly changes the variable control parameter to the fixed control parameter when an emergency stop button installed in the vehicle is pressed, or when a brake pedal is stepped on by an amount equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

4. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information acquisition section determines that the behavior of the vehicle is abnormal when acceleration with respect to the amount of stepping on an acceleration pedal is equal to or greater than a predetermined value while the vehicle runs on a basis of the variable control parameter.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information acquisition section determines that the behavior of the vehicle is abnormal when the amount of deceleration with respect to the amount of stepping on a brake pedal is smaller than a predetermined value while the vehicle runs on a basis of the variable control parameter.

6. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information acquisition section determines that the behavior of the vehicle is abnormal when a turning angle of the vehicle with respect to a turning angle of a steering wheel is smaller than a predetermined value while the vehicle runs on a basis of the variable Control parameter.

7. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information acquisition section forcibly blocks the communication network if the communication control section is connected to the communication network when the vehicle information acquisition section detects that the behavior of the vehicle is abnormal.

8. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control apparatus is installed in a hybrid electric vehicle or an electric vehicle.