Vehicle control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11433780-B2
Application number	US-202117153277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2021
Priority date	Jan 24, 2020
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

When replacement of a battery is detected, an automatic driving executability determination unit determines whether the battery is in a low capacity state until a predetermined time elapses, using battery information (battery charge amount, discharge performance) excluding an estimation value of a temperature of the battery, and restricts automatic driving according to such a determination result.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle control device capable of controlling automatic driving of a vehicle, the vehicle control device comprising a processor, wherein the processor functions as:
a mounting detection unit configured to detect mounting of a battery on the vehicle;
an information acquisition unit configured to acquire battery information indicating a state of the battery; and
a control unit configured to restrict the automatic driving based on the battery information, wherein
the battery information includes an estimation value in which information accuracy deteriorates when the battery is mounted or removed, and
when the mounting of the battery is detected, by a function of the control unit, the processor performs a process of restricting the automatic driving using the battery information excluding the estimation value until a predetermined time elapses.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the estimation value is a value obtained using a past estimation value, and
the predetermined time is a time during which a discrepancy between the estimation value and a measured value falls within an allowable range.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the battery information includes the estimation value and non-estimation information regarding output performance of the battery, and
when the mounting of the battery is detected, the control unit performs a first process of restricting the automatic driving based on the non-estimation information until the predetermined time elapses and performs a second process of restricting the automatic driving using at least the estimation value when the predetermined time elapses.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein
the control unit performs, as the first process, a discharge test for testing whether the battery is capable of discharging a predetermined amount of current when the vehicle is started, in a cycle shorter than the predetermined time, acquires information obtained by the discharge test as the non-estimation information, and determines based on the acquired information whether to restrict the automatic driving.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein
the estimation value includes a battery temperature estimation value that is an estimation value of a liquid temperature of the battery, and
the control unit performs, as the second process, at least a process of determining whether to restrict the automatic driving, based on an amount of change in the battery temperature estimation value from a time point when the automatic driving is permitted.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein
the cycle is set to a time shorter than a time required for a temperature of the battery to drop by a predetermined temperature.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the mounting of the battery is detected, the control unit is configured to:
determine the state of the battery based on the battery information excluding the estimation value until the predetermined time elapses,
determine the state of the battery using the estimation value when the predetermined time elapses, and
prohibit hands-off automatic driving according to a result of each determination.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable memory that records an automatic driving program causing a computer, having a processor, to execute an automatic driving process of a vehicle, wherein
the automatic driving program causes the computer to execute, by the processor:
a process of detecting mounting of a battery on the vehicle,
a process of acquiring battery information indicating a state of the battery, and
a process of restricting the automatic driving process based on the battery information,

the battery information includes an estimation value in which information accuracy deteriorates when the battery is mounted or removed, and
when the mounting of the battery is detected, the automatic driving program causes the processor to restrict the automatic driving process using the battery information excluding the estimation value until a predetermined time elapses.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ukai Hayahito
• Kawanaka Shota
• Horigome Takehiro
• Ikeda Yasuhiro
• Itagaki Takeshi

Classifications

• B60W20/00

  Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} · CPC title

• B60L2260/32

  Auto pilot mode · CPC title

• B60L58/24

  for controlling the temperature of batteries · CPC title

• B60W60/0059 Primary

  Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity · CPC title

• B60L58/13 Primary

  Maintaining the SoC within a determined range · CPC title