IP Library Granted Patent US 10,161,511
Granted Patent B2
US 10,161,511 · App. 15/526,817 · Granted Dec 25, 2018

Automotive transmission control device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,161,511
App. No.
15/526,817
Granted
Dec 25, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is an automotive transmission control device in which a shift range signal can be generated as accurately as possible and control of vehicle travel can be maintained even when a signal input port for a computation device develops a fault. The automotive transmission control device according to the present invention: is provided with three input ports for receiving shift range signals; and provisionally determines the shift range state by the majority decision of the input ports, estimates the shift range state on the basis of the travel state of the vehicle, and performs a final determination of the shift range state by using both the provisional determination and the estimation.

Claims (44)

1. An automotive transmission control device for controlling a transmission mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a first operation device which determines a first state of a shift range of the transmission; and

first, second, and third input circuits which each receive shift range signals showing shift range states of the transmission and each output respective shift range signals to the first operation device,

wherein the first operation device includes a primary determination unit which provisionally determines the state of the shift range of the transmission by a majority decision of the shift range signals received from the first, second, and third input circuits and an estimation unit which receives travel state data showing a travel state of the vehicle and estimates the state of the shift range of the transmission on the basis of the travel state shown by the travel state data, and

the primary determination unit determines abnormality of the state of the shift range of the transmission in the majority decision, by using both a result of the provisional determination and a result of the estimation.

2. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 1 ,

when the shift range of the transmission is in a second state, the primary determination unit further executes an initial state determination to determine whether there is the result of the estimation, and

when there is not the result of the estimation in the initial state determination, the primary determination unit uses the result of the provisional determination as a final determination result of the shift range of the transmission.

3. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 2 , wherein

when there is the result of the estimation in the initial state determination, the primary determination unit further executes a minority determination to determine whether a minority in the majority decision among the first, second, and third input circuits and the result of the estimation are matched with each other, and

when the minority in the majority decision and the result of the estimation are matched with each other in the minority determination, the primary determination unit uses the result of the estimation as the final determination result of the shift range of the transmission.

4. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 3 , wherein

when the minority in the majority decision and the result of the estimation are not matched with each other in the minority determination, the primary determination unit compulsorily sets the shift range of the transmission to a neutral state and stops communication other than an error notification from a mechanism for driving the transmission and the automotive transmission control device to other control device.

5. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 1 , wherein

when the shift range of the transmission is in the travel state of the transmission in the provisional determination, the primary determination unit further executes a matching determination to determine whether the result of the estimation and the result of the provisional determination are matched with each other, and

when the result of the estimation and the result of the provisional determination are matched with each other in the matching determination, the primary determination unit uses the result of the provisional determination as a final determination result of the shift range of the transmission.

6. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 5 , wherein

when the result of the estimation and the result of the provisional determination are not matched with each other in the matching determination, the primary determination unit further executes a minority determination to determine whether a minority in the majority decision among the first, second, and third input circuits and the result of the estimation are matched with each other, and

when the minority in the majority decision and the result of the estimation are matched with each other in the minority determination, the primary determination unit uses the result of the estimation as the final determination result of the shift range of the transmission.

7. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 6 , wherein

when the minority in the majority decision and the result of the estimation are not matched with each other in the minority determination, the primary determination unit compulsorily sets the shift range of the transmission to a neutral state and stops communication other than an error notification from a mechanism for driving the transmission and the automotive transmission control device to other control device.

8. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 1 , wherein

when a final determination result and the result of the provisional determination are matched with each other, the primary determination unit issues a warning that a minority in the majority decision among the first, second, and third input circuits fails.

9. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 1 , wherein

when the result of the provisional determination of final determination result is not matched, the primary determination unit further executes an estimation result determination to determine whether the final determination result and the result of the estimation are matched with each other, and

when the final determination result and the result of the estimation are matched with each other in the estimation result determination, the primary determination unit issues a warning that the two input circuits to be a majority in the majority decision among the first, second, and third input circuits fail.

10. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 9 , wherein

when the final determination result and the result of the estimation are not matched with each other in the estimation result determination, the primary determination unit issues a warning that all of the first, second, and third input circuits fail.

11. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 1 , wherein

when all of the shift range states shown by the shift range signals received from the first, second, and third input circuits are different, the primary determination unit issues a warning that all of the first, second, and third input circuits fail and compulsorily sets the shift range of the transmission to a neutral state, and

the primary determination unit stops communication other than an error notification from a mechanism for driving the transmission and the automotive transmission control device to other control device.

12. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second operation device which is connected to the first operation device to enable communication,

wherein the second operation device includes a monitoring unit which monitors whether the first operation device normally operates, and

when the first operation device does not normally operate, the monitoring unit issues a warning that the first operation device does not normally operate, compulsorily sets the shift range of the transmission to a neutral state, and stops communication other than an error notification from a mechanism for driving the transmission and the automotive transmission control device to other control device.

13. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 12 , wherein

the monitoring unit transmits question data to request a reply to the first operation device, and

if the question data is received, the first operation device inspects whether an internal arithmetic logic unit normally operates, returns predetermined reply data to the question data to the monitoring unit, when the internal arithmetic logic unit normally operates, and returns a fact that the internal arithmetic logic unit does not normally operate, when the internal arithmetic logic unit does not normally operate.

14. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the primary determination unit executes the provisional determination when one of the shift range signals that is received by at least one of the first, second, and third input circuits changes from a previous value, and

the estimation unit executes the estimation when the one of the shift range signals that is received by at least one of the first, second, and third input circuits changes from the previous value.

15. The automotive transmission control device according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the first, second, and third input circuits is an input port which inputs a signal to at least one of the first operation device and the second operation device, and

when the second operation device receives one of the shift range signals, the first operation device acquires the one of the shift range signals from the second operation device.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 25, 2021
From: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 056299/0447 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2017
From: MASUDA, KENJI; OKUBO, SATORU
To: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 042380/0170 →