Integrated control system for vehicle

• US 20020183911A1
• Filed: 05/28/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Noboru, Fujii, Takehito, Tashiro, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 6,810,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/85 System Prioritisation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/408 Hierarchical failure detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/321 deceleration B60T8/34, B60T8/52, B60T8/54, B60T8/56, B60T8/58, B60T8/72, B60T8/86, B60T8/88 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/101 Infinitely variable gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0004 In digital systems, e.g. discrete-time systems involving sampling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0005 Processor details or data handling, e.g. memory registers or chip architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/021 Means for detecting failure or malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/029 Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1208 with diagnostic check cycles; Monitoring of failures
• 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 2061/1272 the failing part is a part of the final output mechanism, e.g. shift rods or forks
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1276 : the failing part is a friction device, e.g. clutches or 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 61/14 : Control of torque converter lock-up clutches

Abstract

An integrated control system for a vehicle comprises a plurality of system device control units for controlling system devices in a vehicle, and a manager control unit for providing the system device control units with commands serving as operation directives of the system devices. A particular one of the system device control units has a hierarchical layer. If the predetermined operation should be carried out, the particular system device control unit issues a command to the particular system device as an independent operation directive for driving the particular system device to carry out the predetermined operation independently of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit.

Claims

1. An integrated control system for a vehicle comprising:

a plurality of system device control units for controlling operations carried out by a plurality of system devices employed in a vehicle in accordance with control programs set in advance; and

a manager control unit for providing the system device control units with commands serving as operation directives of the system devices controlled by the system device control units,

wherein at least a particular one of the system device control units has a hierarchical layer secession determination means for determining whether a particular system device controlled by the particular system device control unit has entered a state requiring that a predetermined operation taking precedence of execution of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit be carried out, and

wherein, if the hierarchical layer secession determination means determines that the predetermined operation should be carried out, the particular system device control unit issues a command to the particular system device as an independent operation directive for driving the particular system device to carry out the predetermined operation independently of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit.

2. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein at least a particular one of the system device control units has a system device control unit for controlling a particular system device, and a system device integrated control unit for giving a command as an operation directive to the particular system device and having a hierarchical layer secession determination means, and

wherein, if the hierarchical layer secession determination means determines that the particular system device has entered a state requiring that a predetermined operation taking precedence of execution of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit be carried out, the particular system device integrated control unit issues a command to the particular system device as an independent operation directive for driving the particular system device to carry out the predetermined operation independently of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit.

3. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein at least a particular one of the system device control units has a system device control unit for controlling a particular system device, and a system device integrated control unit for giving a command as an operation directive to the particular system device and having a hierarchical layer secession determination means, and

wherein, if the hierarchical layer secession determination means determines that the particular system device has entered a state requiring that a predetermined operation taking precedence of execution of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit be carried out, the particular system device control unit issues a command to the particular system device as an independent operation directive for driving the particular system device to carry out the predetermined operation independently of an operation directive issued by the system device integrated control unit.

4. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the particular system device control unit is a transmission control unit for controlling a transmission mounted on the vehicle as the particular system device, and

wherein, when a driver carries out a transmission operation on the transmission, the hierarchical layer secession determination means determines that the transmission has entered a state requiring that a predetermined operation taking precedence of execution of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit be carried out, and the transmission control unit issues a command to the transmission as an independent operation directive for driving the transmission to perform a transmission changeover according to the transmission operation carried out by the driver.

5. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein at least a particular one of the system device control units has a hierarchical layer secession determination means, and

wherein, when an abnormality occurs in a particular system device controlled by the particular system device control unit, the hierarchical layer secession determination means determines that the particular system device has entered a state requiring that a predetermined operation taking precedence of execution of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit be carried out, and the particular system device control unit issues a command to the particular system device as an independent operation directive for driving the particular system device to carry out the predetermined operation coping with the abnormality.

6. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein a particular one of the particular system device control units is a driving power generator control unit for controlling a driving power generating source mounted on the vehicle, and

wherein, when an abnormality occurs in the driving power generating source controlled by the driving power generator control unit, the driving power generator control unit issues a command to the driving power generating source as an independent operation directive for driving the driving power generating source to carry out the predetermined operation coping with the abnormality occurring in the driving power generating source.

7. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the driving power generating source controlled by the driving power generator control unit is an engine of the vehicle, and

wherein, when an abnormality occurs in the engine, the driving power generator control unit issues a command to the engine as an independent operation directive for driving the engine to reduce a driving power output by the engine.

8. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein the particular system device control unit is a transmission control unit for controlling a transmission mounted on the vehicle as the particular system device, and

wherein, when an abnormality occurs in the transmission, the transmission control unit issues a command to the transmission as an independent operation directive for driving the transmission to perform a predetermined operation coping with the abnormality occurring in the transmission.

9. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 8,

wherein the transmission controlled by the particular transmission control unit is a transmission having a torque converter equipped with a lockup mechanism, and

wherein, when an abnormality occurs in the lockup mechanism, the transmission control unit issues a command to the transmission having the torque converter equipped with the lockup mechanism as an independent operation directive for driving the transmission to release the lockup mechanism.

10. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein the particular system device control unit is a brake control unit for controlling a brake device mounted on the vehicle as the particular control device, and

wherein, when an abnormality occurs in the brake device, the brake control unit issues a command to the brake device as an independent operation directive for driving the brake device to carry out a predetermined operation coping with the abnormality occurring in the brake device.

11. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 10,

wherein, when a driving wheel of the vehicle is determined to be in a wheel spin or a wheel lock state, the brake control unit issues a command to the brake device as an independent operation directive for driving the brake device to generate a braking torque to get rid of the wheel spin or a wheel lock state.

12. An integrated control system for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein, if the hierarchical layer secession determination means determines that a particular system device controlled by the particular system device control unit has entered a state requiring that a predetermined operation taking precedence of execution of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit be carried out, the particular system device control unit notifies the manager control unit of the state of non-execution, and

wherein, if the manager control unit is notified of the state of non-execution, the manager control unit gives a command to each of the system device control units other than the particular system device control unit as an operation directive for driving the other system device control unit to carry out a predetermined operation conforming to the independent operation directive.

13. An integrated control system for a vehicle comprising:

a plurality of system device control units for controlling operations carried out by a plurality of system devices employed in a vehicle in accordance with control programs set in advance; and

a manager control unit for providing the system device control units with commands serving as operation directives of the system devices controlled by the system device control units,

wherein the manager control unit has at least a vehicle whole operation determining means for determining an operation of the vehicle as a whole, and a system device integrated control unit for giving a command to any of the system device control units as an operation directive based on an operation directive issued by the vehicle whole operation determining means as a command,

wherein the system device integrated control unit has a hierarchical layer secession determination means for determining whether a particular system device controlled by a particular one of the system device control units has entered a state requiring that a predetermined operation taking precedence of execution of an operation directive issued by the manager control unit be carried out, and

wherein, if the hierarchical layer secession determination means determines that the particular system device has entered a state requiring that the predetermined operation be carried out, the system device integrated control unit issues a command to the particular system device control unit as an independent operation directive for driving the particular system device to carry out the predetermined operation and a command to each of the system device control units other than the particular system device control unit as an operation directive for driving the other system device control unit to carry out another predetermined operation conforming to the independent operation directive.