Vehicle cruise control method and cruise control

Abstract

A method of operating a vehicle cruise control includes confirming, by a cruise controller, a cruise input while a vehicle travels, and releasing, by a clutch protection cruise control, a cruise operation based on an increase in a clutch temperature confirmed by a cruise control release condition one or more times during the cruise operation.

Claims

1. A method of operating a vehicle cruise control, the method comprising: confirming, by a cruise controller, a cruise input while a vehicle travels; and releasing a cruise operation based on an increase in a clutch temperature confirmed by a cruise control release condition one or more times during the cruise operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising confirming by the cruise controller overheating of a clutch in a clutch state of lock, open, or slip by a clutch controller.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising turning on a clutch warning lamp on a cluster when the cruise operation is released.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: entering a cruise control recognizing an ON signal of a cruise button as an input signal; confirming clutch protection confirming the cruise control release condition checked one or more times; and automatically releasing the cruise operation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein confirming the clutch protection comprises: confirming the cruise control release condition with clutch information measured by a clutch; operating the cruise operation in which the clutch is continuously monitored during cruise traveling; and re-confirming the cruise control release condition with the clutch information measured by the clutch again.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the clutch information includes a slip of the clutch and the clutch temperature.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein confirming the cruise control release condition comprises applying a clutch overheating temperature threshold to the clutch temperature measured by the clutch in a slip state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the clutch overheating temperature threshold is applied with less than a clutch damage temperature.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein re-confirming the cruise control release condition comprises applying a clutch damage temperature threshold to the clutch temperature measured by the clutch in a slip state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the clutch damage temperature threshold is applied with a clutch damage temperature or more.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein automatically releasing the cruise operation comprises stopping the cruise operation by switching the cruise button to an OFF signal in the cruise controller.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein switching to the OFF signal further comprises alerting a driver by turning on a clutch warning lamp provided on a cluster.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a clutch confirmation control for confirming overheating of the clutch, wherein performing the clutch confirmation control comprises: detecting vehicle information in the vehicle; confirming clutch information for the clutch; confirming a clutch state with a clutch temperature; and confirming the overheating.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle information includes at least one of a vehicle speed, an engine RPM, gear stages, an accelerator position scope, lock/slip/open state of the clutch, or the clutch temperature.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein confirming the clutch state comprises applying a cruise blocking clutch temperature threshold to the clutch temperature.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cruise blocking clutch temperature threshold is applied with a clutch damage temperature or a clutch overheating temperature.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising: blocking the cruise input when the overheating is confirmed; and turning on a clutch warning lamp provided on a cluster to alert a driver that entering cruise traveling is not possible.

18. A cruise control system comprising: a sensor unit configured to detect vehicle information while a vehicle travels; a cruise controller configured to receive the vehicle information, to prevent a cruise operation before entering the cruise operation by blocking a cruise input upon confirmation of overheating of a clutch based on the vehicle information, and to release a cruise operation based on an increase in a clutch temperature confirmed by a cruise control release condition checked one or more times during the cruise operation; and a cruise button configured to switch the cruise input from ON to OFF by releasing the cruise operation.

19. The cruise control system of claim 18, wherein the sensor unit comprises a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect a speed, an engine RPM sensor configured to measure a revolution per minute (RPM) of an engine, a gear stage sensor configured to detect a location of shift gear stages, a pedal sensor configured to detect an accelerator position scope of an accelerator pedal, a clutch sensor configured to detect an operation state of the clutch as lock/slip/open, or a clutch temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the clutch.

20. The cruise control system of claim 18, wherein: the cruise controller is connected with a cluster; the cluster is configured to transfer an operating signal of the cruise button to the cruise controller; and the cluster has a clutch warning lamp configured to turn on when the cruise operation is prevented and when the cruise operation is released.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIGS. 1A and 1B are a flowchart of a vehicle cruise control method for protecting a clutch according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

(2) FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle to which a cruise control system in which a vehicle cruise traveling control for protecting the clutch is implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure is applied.

(3) FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an increase in a clutch temperature in the vehicle according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

(4) FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state where the cruise control system controls a cruise traveling for protecting the clutch in the vehicle according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

(5) Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying exemplary drawings, and these exemplary embodiments are examples and may be implemented by those skilled in the art in various different forms, and thus are not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

(6) Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a vehicle cruise control method confirms clutch overheating for a clutch in a clutch confirmation control (S10 to S40), prevents the clutch overheating generated by a slip of the clutch by an electronic clutch control with respect to a cruise traveling entering in a state of having no clutch overheating by stopping the cruise traveling of an auto off irrelevant to a driver in a clutch protection cruise control (S50 to S90), and fundamentally blocks the cruise traveling in the clutch overheating state in a cruise entry prohibition control (S100).

(7) Accordingly, the vehicle cruise control is characterized by a vehicle cruise control method for protecting the clutch.

(8) Accordingly, the vehicle cruise control method for protecting the clutch has the characteristics of previously blocking an increase in a clutch temperature generated by continuously maintaining the slip of the clutch upon a cruise operation having the characteristics in which a required torque is also constant because a difference between a target speed and a current vehicle speed is constant in the slip state of the clutch in an electronic clutch control, and particularly, fundamentally blocks a situation in which the clutch temperature may sharply increase from 67° C. to 250° C. by maintaining the slip for several minutes to increase to 320° C. or more causing damage to the component of the clutch by monitoring clutch information (S70) during the cruise traveling.

(9) Referring to FIG. 2, a vehicle 1 includes a cruise control system 1-1.

(10) Particularly, the cruise control system 1-1 generates a button auto OFF signal (a) or a button ON blocking signal (b) in the case of a situation in which the temperature of a clutch 400 may increase to 320° C. or more, which causes damage to the component, based on the generation of a clutch control signal, thereby preventing the damage to the component due to the increase in the temperature of the clutch 400.

(11) As an example, the vehicle 1 includes a clutch controller 3 connected with the cruise controller 300 of the cruise control system 1-1 via a controller area network (CAN) and an accelerator pedal 5. In this case, the clutch controller 3 transmits and receives data to and from the cruise controller 300 while controlling the clutch 400 as lock/slip/open regardless of a driver, and usually applies a transmission control unit (TCU). The accelerator pedal 5 transmits an accelerator position scope generated when being depressed by the driver to the cruise controller 300.

(12) Specifically, the cruise control system 1-1 includes a sensor unit 100, a cluster 200, a cruise button 200-1, a clutch warning lamp 200-2, and a cruise controller 300.

(13) As an example, the sensor unit 100 is a basic sensor mounted on the vehicle 1, and includes a vehicle speed sensor 101 detecting a speed, an engine RPM sensor 102 measuring a revolution per minute (RPM) of an engine, a gear stage sensor 103 detecting the location of shift gear stages (P, N, R, D), a pedal sensor 104 detecting the accelerator position scope of the accelerator pedal 5, a clutch sensor 105 detecting an operating state of the clutch 400 as the lock/slip/open, and a clutch temperature sensor 106 detecting the temperature of the clutch 400.

(14) As an example, the cluster 200 configures a driver seat of the vehicle 1 to provide speed/engine RPM/coolant temperature/oil temperature as basic functions, processes the signal of the cruise button 200-1 to send it to the cruise controller 300, and has the clutch warning lamp 200-2 turned on upon clutch overheating.

(15) Particularly, the cluster 200 includes a cruise traveling display part which displays an optimal gear stage determined by the cruise controller 300 to the driver in text or graphics. In this case, the cruise traveling display part is a basic component of a general cruise control system.

(16) As an example, the cruise button 200-1 is provided on the cluster 200 in a push button type or a dial rotation type operated by the driver. The clutch warning lamp 200-2 generates the visibility effect of a bulb or light-emitting diode (LED) type and is provided on the cluster 200.

(17) Particularly, the cruise button 200-1 has an ON function for a cruise operation, an OFF function for releasing a cruise as a basic operation function, and includes a speed function for adjusting a target speed and a previous mode function for switching the cruise operation to a previous target speed.

(18) As an example, the cruise controller 300 includes a memory storing, as a program, logic for the clutch confirmation control (S1 to S40), the clutch protection cruise control (S50 to S90), and the cruise entry prohibition control (S100), and operates as a central processing unit (CPU) in which the logic is executed.

(19) Accordingly, the cruise controller 300 performs a cruise control by recognizing an input signal of the cruise button 200-1 of the driver sent from the cluster 200, and determines the required torque by matching the vehicle speed of the vehicle speed sensor 101, the engine RPM of the engine RPM sensor 102, the shift gear stages (P, N, R, D) of the gear stage sensor 103, and the accelerator position scope of the pedal sensor 104 with the traveling state. In this case, the set target speed may be changed during the cruise operation according to the driver's button input.

(20) To this end, the cruise button 200-1 is connected to a required torque map 300-1, and the required torque map 300-1 has a target speed-current vehicle speed matching table to provide the cruise controller 300 with the required torque by a difference value between the target speed and the current vehicle speed upon cruise entry.

(21) Furthermore, the cruise controller 300 further generates the button auto OFF signal (a) and the button ON blocking signal (b) connected with a clutch temperature detection value of a clutch temperature sensor 106 in addition to a clutch control signal connected with the clutch controller 3 for operating the clutch 400, and a clutch overheating warning signal for operating the clutch warning lamp 200-2.

(22) Particularly, the button auto OFF signal (a) switches the cruise button 200-1 from ON to OFF regardless of the driver when there is a risk that the temperature of the clutch 400 is overheated to the temperature causing the damage to the component during the cruise traveling of the vehicle 1. Accordingly, the button auto OFF signal (a) is connected with an OFF function of the cruise button 200-1 by an electric circuit so that a power circuit may be blocked or switched, or the button may be pressed or return to the original location.

(23) On the other hand, the button ON blocking signal (b) blocks the ON function of the cruise button 200-1 regardless of the driver when there is a risk that the temperature of the clutch 400 is overheated to the temperature causing the damage to the component while the vehicle 1 attempts to enter the cruise control, thereby preventing the cruise operation from being performed even when the driver requests the cruise operation as in the case of the states of the vehicle such as the non-engagement of the gear, too low or high vehicle speed, and failure of the system.

(24) Accordingly, the button ON blocking signal (b) is connected with the ON function of the cruise button 200-1 by an electric circuit so that the power circuit may be blocked or switched.

(25) Hereinafter, the vehicle cruise control method for protecting the clutch illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. In this case, the control subject is the cruise controller 300, and the control target is a cruise control including the cruise button 200-1.

(26) First, the cruise controller 300 confirms the clutch overheating in the clutch confirmation control (S10 to S40). To this end, the clutch confirmation control (S10 to S40) includes detecting vehicle information (S10), confirming clutch information (S20), confirming a clutch state (S30), and determining clutch overheating (S40).

(27) Referring to FIG. 2, the cruise controller 300 confirms a current gear stage (for example, D) and the accelerator position scope of the pedal sensor 104 via the CAN among the vehicle speed of the vehicle speed sensor 101, the engine RPM of the engine RPM sensor 102, and the shift gear stages (P, N, R, D) of the gear stage sensor 103.

(28) Accordingly, the detecting of the vehicle information (S10) is performed by confirming, by the cruise controller 300, the vehicle speed, the engine RPM, the gear stage, the brake/accelerator pedal position scopes, the clutch state (lock, slip, or open), and the clutch temperature. In addition, the confirming of the clutch information (S20) is performed by classifying, by the cruise controller 300, the position scope, the clutch state (lock, slip, or open), and the clutch temperature among the vehicle information with the clutch 400.

(29) FIG. 3 illustrates simulation results for the temperature increasing in the state where the clutch 400 is in the slip state. As illustrated, the simulation result experimentally shows that the temperature of the clutch 400 maintaining the over slip for a few minutes increases to 250° C., so that the damage possibility is greatly increased with respect to the component of the clutch 400 in the temperature environment (K) of 320° C. or more.

(30) Accordingly, the confirming of the clutch state (S30) is performed by confirming, by the cruise controller 300, any one of the lock, open, and slip of the clutch 400 at the time of measuring the vehicle information. In addition, the determining of the clutch overheating (S40) is performed by confirming the clutch temperature of the clutch 400 as a component damage risk temperature.

(31) To this end, the determining of the clutch overheating (S40) is performed by the following clutch temperature confirmation formula:
clutch temperature>A  Clutch temperature confirmation formula:
where “clutch temperature” refers to a current measured temperature value of the clutch 400, and “A” refers to a cruise blocking clutch temperature threshold indicating the clutch temperature at which the cruise entry is blocked, and is set to less than about 300° C. but preferably set to about 250° C., which is to reflect that the increase in the clutch temperature may increase faster depending on the weight of the vehicle and the traveling state of the vehicle. In addition, “>” refers to an inequality sign indicating the size relationship between two values.

(32) As a result, the cruise controller 300 switches to the prohibiting of the cruise entry (S100) if the clutch temperature is the cruise blocking clutch temperature threshold (A) or more in the determining of the clutch overheating (S40). In this case, the clutch overheating temperature may be applied to the cruise blocking clutch temperature threshold (A).

(33) Referring to FIG. 4, the cruise controller 300 generates the button ON blocking signal (b) upon the overheating of the clutch 400, so that even if the driver operates the cruise button 200-1 as ON, the cluster 200 does not generate a cruise operating signal, thereby fundamentally blocking the proceeding of the cruise control. In addition, the cruise controller 300 sends a clutch overheating warning signal to the clutch warning lamp 200-2 when the button ON blocking signal (b) is generated to turn on the clutch warning lamp 200-2, thereby causing the driver to recognize the cruise traveling entry impossibility due to the clutch overheating with the visibility effect.

(34) Accordingly, the prohibiting of the cruise entry (S100) prevents the cruise control system 1-1 from operating until the clutch overheating is released regardless of the traveling state of the vehicle 1.

(35) On the other hand, the cruise controller 300 enters the clutch protection cruise control (S50 to S90) if the clutch temperature is less than the cruise blocking clutch temperature threshold (A) in the determining of the clutch overheating (S40), thereby normally maintaining the operation of the cruise control system 1-1 without the clutch overheating. In this case, the clutch overheating temperature may be applied to the cruise blocking clutch temperature threshold (A).

(36) Specifically, the clutch protection cruise control (S50 to S90) includes confirming the cruise control entry (S50), and confirming clutch protection (S60 to S80) which confirms the increase in the clutch temperature as one or more cruise control release conditions during the cruise operation, and automatically releasing the cruise (S90). Accordingly, the clutch protection cruise control (S50 to S90) prevents the clutch overheating generated by the slip of the clutch by the electronic clutch control by stopping the cruise traveling by the auto OFF irrelevant to the driver in the cruise control release control (S50 to S90) with respect to the entered cruise traveling.

(37) Referring to FIG. 4, the cruise controller 300 enters the cruise control by recognizing the input signal of the ON signal of the cruise button 200-1 of the driver sent from the cluster 200. Subsequently, the cruise controller 300 performs the cruise control while transmitting to the clutch controller 3 the required torque determined in connection with the required torque map 300-1 by matching the vehicle speed of the vehicle speed sensor 101, the engine RPM of the engine RPM sensor 102, the gear shift stages (P, N, R, D) of the gear stage sensor 103, and the accelerator position scope of the pedal sensor 104 with the traveling state, and changes the set target speed by the input of the speed button or the previous mode button of the cruise button 200-1 by the driver during the cruise operation.

(38) Accordingly, the entering of the cruise control (S50) is performed by the cruise button ON.

(39) In addition, the confirming of the clutch protection (S60 to S80) includes confirming a cruise control release condition (S60), operating the cruise in which the clutch is continuously monitored during the cruise traveling (S70), and re-confirming the cruise control release condition (S80).

(40) As an example, the confirming of the cruise control release condition (S60) is performed by the following clutch overheating protection formula of the operating state (for example, the slip) of the clutch 400 confirmed by the clutch sensor 105 and the current temperature value of the clutch 400 detected by the clutch temperature sensor 106.
slip & clutch temperature>B  Clutch overheating protection formula:
where “slip” refers to a state generated during the cruise operation of the clutch 400, “clutch temperature” refers to the current measured temperature value of the clutch 400 during the cruise traveling, and “B” refers to a clutch overheating temperature threshold indicating the clutch overheating temperature, and is preferably set to about 250° C. considering that the increase in the clutch temperature increases faster depending on the weight of the vehicle and the traveling state of the vehicle but may be set to less than about 300° C. In addition, “&” refers to an “AND” condition, and “>” refers to an inequality sign indicating the size relationship between two values.

(41) As a result, the cruise controller 300 switches to the automatically releasing of the cruise (S90) if the clutch temperature is the clutch overheating temperature threshold (B) or more in the slip state of the clutch 400 in the confirming of the cruise control release condition (S60). On the other hand, if the clutch 400 is in the slip state but the clutch temperature is less than the clutch overheating temperature threshold (B), the cruise controller 300 enters the operating of the cruise (S70).

(42) As an example, the operating of the cruise (S70) indicates that the vehicle 1 is cruise-controlled.

(43) Subsequently, the re-confirming of the cruise control release condition (S80) is performed by the following clutch damage protection formula of the operating state (for example, the slip) of the clutch 400 confirmed by the clutch sensor 105 and the current temperature value of the clutch 400 detected by the clutch temperature sensor 106.
slip & clutch temperature>C  Clutch damage protection formula:
where “slip” refers to the state during the cruise operation of the clutch 400, “clutch temperature” refers to the current measured temperature value of the clutch 400 during the cruise traveling, and “C” refers to the clutch damage temperature threshold indicating the component damage risk temperature and is set to about 300° C. or less than 320° C. in consideration of the risk of damage to the component of the clutch 400. In addition, “&” refers to an “AND condition”, and “>” refers to an inequality sign indicating the size relationship between two values.

(44) As a result, the cruise controller 300 is fed back to the operating of the cruise (S70) if the clutch 400 is in the slip state but the clutch temperature is less than the clutch damage temperature threshold (C) in the re-confirming of the cruise control release condition (S80).

(45) On the other hand, the cruise controller 300 switches to the automatically releasing of the cruise (S90) if the clutch temperature is the clutch damage temperature threshold (C) or more in the slip state of the clutch 400 in the re-confirming of the cruise control release condition (S80).

(46) Referring to FIG. 4, the cruise controller 300 generates the button auto OFF signal (a) for preventing the slip of the clutch 400, and the clutch overheating and damage to the component of the clutch in the confirming of the cruise control release condition (S60) and the re-confirming of the cruise control release condition (S80).

(47) Accordingly, the automatically releasing of the cruise (S90) switches from the current ON function of the cruise button 200-1 to OFF with the button auto OFF signal (a) by the cruise controller 300 regardless of the driver, thereby helping to escape from the risk of the slip of the clutch maintained for a few minutes by the clutch controller 300.

(48) Then, the clutch controller 300 controls the lock/slip/open of the clutch 400 in a method for matching the re-adjustment of the target speed of the vehicle 1 changed by stopping the cruise operation with the accelerator position scope or a method for matching the re-adjustment of the target speed of the vehicle 1 with the engagement of the high stage gear or the lower stage gear compared to the current vehicle speed.

(49) As described above, the cruise control system 1-1 applied to the vehicle 1 according to the present exemplary embodiments may perform the clutch protection cruise control (S50 to S90) which releases the cruise operation with respect to the increase in the clutch temperature confirmed by the cruise control release condition one or more times during the cruise operation, when the cruise input is confirmed by the cruise controller 300 in the state where the clutch 400 is not overheated while the vehicle travels, thereby changing the electronic clutch control so that the increase in the temperature of the clutch slip does not damage the clutch upon the cruise traveling, and particularly, may use the clutch temperature as a control variable in the slip state of the clutch 400 of the electronic clutch control of the clutch controller 3, thereby releasing or prohibiting the cruise control during the cruise traveling regardless of the operation of the cruise button 200-1 by the driver.