JPH056053B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention provides a method for instructing a driver to shift up a transmission in a vehicle equipped with a manually operated transmission. Regarding equipment.

(Prior art) In engines installed in automobiles, mechanical losses such as sliding resistance usually decrease as the engine speed decreases, and when the air-fuel ratio is maintained constant, the engine load increases. The smaller the pumping loss is, the smaller the pumping loss becomes. Therefore, when the output required of the engine is constant, it is more desirable to operate the engine under a high load and low rotational speed than to operate the engine under a low load and high rotational speed in order to improve fuel efficiency. For example, in a car equipped with a manually operated transmission, the operating state of the engine is expressed in a characteristic diagram in which the horizontal axis represents the engine speed and the vertical axis represents the engine load. 5
From a _state at _point By shifting to point Y on the equal output curve H where N ₁ is smaller than N ₂ and the engine load is L ₂ larger than L ₁ at point X, fuel efficiency can be improved without impairing power performance. You can improve your performance.

Therefore, conventionally, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-29519, the operating state of the engine has been set within a predetermined range (shift-up) in which the fuel efficiency can be improved by shifting up the gears of the transmission. A shift timing indicating device has been proposed which instructs the driver to perform an upshift operation on the transmission when the shift timing is in the instruction region).

Such a shift timing indicating device detects the operating state of the engine, and when the operating state of the engine is in the shift up instruction region, specifically, when the engine speed is equal to or higher than a set value and the engine load is at a predetermined level. When it is within the range, an instruction lamp installed near the driver's seat is turned on or an instruction buzzer is sounded to instruct the transmission to shift up.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional shift timing indicating device as described above, the shift-up instruction operation is performed as long as the engine operating state is in the shift-up instruction region, so the transmission If the driver does not intend to perform a shift-up operation despite the instruction to shift up for a gear, the instruction to shift up will continue for a long time. There is an inconvenience that the sound of the instruction buzzer and the like are bothersome to the driver.

In view of these points, the present invention provides a shift-up instruction that prompts the driver to perform a shift-up operation on the transmission when the operating state of the engine is in the shift-up instruction range, and furthermore, the present invention provides a shift-up instruction that prompts the driver to perform a shift-up operation on the transmission. To provide a shift timing instructing device for an automobile, which avoids as much as possible a state in which a driver is bothered by lights, sounds, etc. of a means for instructing upshifting when there is no upshifting instruction.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the gear shift timing indicating device for an automobile according to the present invention, as shown in the basic configuration in FIG. 1, includes engine rotation speed detection means, A rotation speed comparison means that generates a predetermined output when the engine rotation speed detected by the engine rotation speed detection means is equal to or higher than a set value; a shift-up instruction means for instructing a shift-up, a timer means for measuring a predetermined time from the time when a predetermined output from the rotation speed comparison means is obtained, and a rotation speed comparison means for measuring a predetermined time within a predetermined time measured by the timer means. The apparatus further includes shift-up instruction stopping means for terminating the shift-up instruction by the shift-up instruction means after a predetermined period of time has elapsed when the shift-up instruction means continues to generate a predetermined output.

(Function) In the shift timing indicating device for an automobile according to the present invention configured as described above, when the engine speed exceeds a set value and the engine operating state enters the shift-up instruction region, the rotation speed is Based on a predetermined output from the comparison means, the shift-up instructing means issues an instruction to shift up, and the timer means starts measuring a predetermined time. and,
When the rotation speed comparison means continuously generates a predetermined output within a predetermined period of time measured by the timer means, that is, when the engine operating condition is in the shift-up instruction region and the shift-up instruction means does not cause a shift-up. If the shift-up operation to the transmission is not performed within the predetermined time period measured by the timer means despite the instruction, the shift-up instruction means The shift-up instruction is terminated by the shift-up instruction stopping means.

As a result, even when the driver has no intention of performing an upshift operation despite an instruction to upshift, the situation in which the driver is bothered by the light, sound, etc. of the means for instructing upshifting is significantly reduced.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of an example of a shift timing indicating device for an automobile according to the present invention, together with an engine installed in an automobile to which the device is applied.

In FIG. 2, the engine body 10 includes combustion chambers 1 and 1 through intake valves and exhaust valves (not shown), respectively.
4 are provided with an intake passage 16 and an exhaust passage 18 communicating with each other. In the intake passage 16, an air cleaner 19 and an air flow meter 2 are installed in order from the upstream side.
0, a throttle valve 22 and a fuel injection valve 24 are each provided in a predetermined manner. In addition, exhaust passage 1
8 is equipped with a catalytic converter for purifying exhaust gas, a muffler, etc., although not shown.

The amount of intake air taken into the combustion chamber 14 through the intake passage 16 is regulated by a throttle valve 22, and the amount of intake air at this time is detected by an air flow meter 20, and the amount of intake air is adjusted according to the amount of intake air. The detected signal Sa is supplied from the air flow meter 20 to a control unit 100, which will be described later.

The control unit 100 includes a detection signal.
In addition to Sa, a detection signal Sn corresponding to the engine speed obtained from an engine speed sensor 30 provided in connection with the crankshaft 26 of the engine body 10 is also supplied. Control unit 1
00 is based on the above-mentioned detection signals Sa and Sn,
The fuel injection amount corresponding to the amount of intake air per revolution of the engine is calculated, and an injection pulse Ip having an injection pulse width corresponding to the fuel injection amount is formed and supplied to the fuel injection valve 24. As a result, a predetermined amount of fuel corresponding to the amount of intake air is injected from the fuel injection valve 24 toward the intake port near the combustion chamber 14 .

Furthermore, the control unit 100 receives a detection signal obtained from the clutch switch 36, which turns on when the clutch pedal 33 is depressed.
Sc, a detection signal Se obtained from the neutral switch 38 which is turned on when the transmission 35 including the shift lever 34 takes the neutral position, and the transmission 35 is placed in the highest gear position (5th gear in this example). At this time, the detection signal Sf obtained from the five-speed switch 40, which is in the on state, is supplied.

In addition to the above-mentioned fuel injection control, the control unit 100 performs the following operations based on the above-mentioned detection signals Sa, Sn, Sc, Se, and Sf: The shift-up instruction operation is performed in the manner described below.

In the memory built into the control unit 100, for example, the horizontal axis represents the engine speed, and the vertical axis represents the injection pulse corresponding to the engine load.
Shift-up instruction area Q as shown by hatching in FIG. 4, which is a characteristic diagram showing the pulse width of Ip, that is, the injection pulse width.
is stored in advance. This shift-up instruction region Q is such that the engine speed is equal to or higher than a lower limit set value N _R , for example, 2500 rpm, and an upper limit set value N _Q , for example,
This is a range in which the value is 5000 rpm or less and the injection pulse width is a value between the upper limit value curve u and the lower limit value curve l. Here, the shift-up instruction area Q is not only defined by the engine speed, but also set so that the engine load is within a predetermined range. This is to prevent this from happening.

Then, _the control unit 100 determines that _the engine _{speed N} It is between the value Pu on the upper limit value curve u corresponding to the rotation speed N _X and the value Pl on the lower limit value curve l (Pl≦Px≦Pu)
When the shift up instruction lamp 50 shows the operating current Id
Supply this to light it. However, even in such a case, the gear position of the transmission 35 is the highest gear position (5th gear).
Or when it is in the neutral position, or when the clutch pedal 33 is depressed (when the clutch is in the off state),
Detection signals obtained from the 5-speed switch 40, the neutral switch 38, and the clutch switch 36
Based on Sf, Se, and Sc, the operating current Id is not supplied to the shift-up instruction lamp 50, and the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is turned off.

The shift up instruction lamp 50 is activated as described above.
When is turned on, control unit 1
00 starts a built-in timer (turns on the timer) and starts measuring a predetermined time T when the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is turned on. If the shift-up instruction lamp 50 continues to be lit even after the timer has finished measuring the predetermined time, the control unit 100 resets the timer (turns the timer off) and issues a shift-up instruction. The supply of the operating current Id to the lamp 50 is stopped. As a result, the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is turned off and the shift-up instruction is terminated, and the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is prevented from remaining lit for a long time when the driver has no intention of performing an upshift operation.

The control unit 100 that performs the control operations as described above is configured using, for example, a microcomputer, and an example of a program executed by the microcomputer in such a case will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. .

After the program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is started, in process 101 the current engine speed _{N It} is _{determined whether} the read _engine speed _N If it is determined that there is no such information, the process returns to process 101.
As a result, the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is maintained in the off state. On _the other hand _, if it is determined that _the engine speed _N After reading, the process proceeds to decision 105.

In decision 105, the injection pulse width
Whether or not Px is a value between the upper limit curve u and the lower limit curve l as shown in _FIG . It is determined whether it is less than or equal to the upper value Pu and greater than or equal to the value Pl on the lower limit curve l.
Here, if it is determined that the injection pulse width Px is less than or equal to the value Pu and not greater than or equal to the value Pl, the process returns to process 101. As a result, the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is maintained in the off state.

On the other hand, if it is determined at decision 105 that the injection pulse width Px is less than or equal to the value Pu and greater than or equal to the value Pl, the process proceeds to decision 106 and the gear is changed based on the detection signal Sf obtained from the 5th speed switch 40. It is determined whether the gear position of the machine 35 is the highest gear position, 5th gear. Here, if it is determined that the vehicle is in fifth gear, the process returns to process 101, whereby the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is maintained in the off state. On the other hand, if it is determined that the gear is not in fifth gear, the process proceeds to decision 107.

At decision 107, it is determined whether the transmission 35 is in the neutral position based on the detection signal Se obtained from the neutral switch 38. Here, if it is determined that it is placed in the neutral position, process 10
1, and if it is determined that the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is maintained in the off state and not in the neutral position, the process proceeds to decision 108. In the decision 108, the detection signal obtained from the clutch switch 36 is
Based on Sc, it is determined whether the clutch pedal 33 is depressed, that is, whether the clutch is turned off. Here, if it is determined that the clutch has been turned off, the process 101
, and as a result, the shift up instruction lamp 5
0 remains off. If it is determined that the clutch is not in the OFF state, process 1
09, the operating current Id is supplied to the shift-up instruction lamp 50, and the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is turned on. As a result, an instruction to shift up the gear position of the transmission 35 is issued. Subsequently, in process 110, a built-in timer is turned on and measurement of a predetermined time T is started.

In the subsequent process 113, decision 114, process 115, and decision 116, the process 101 and decision 10 described above are
2. Similarly to process 104 and decision 105, read the engine speed N _X and the injection pulse width _Px of the injection pulse Ip, and check that the _engine speed _N and whether the injection pulse width Px at that time is between the upper limit value curve u and the lower limit value curve l, that is, whether the engine operating state is in the shift up instruction region Q. Decide whether or not. Here, if it is determined that the operating state of the engine is not in the shift-up instruction region Q, process 118
Then, in step 119, the supply of Id to the operating current to the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is stopped to turn off the shift-up instruction lamp 50, and the process returns to step 101. Conversely, if it is determined that the engine operating state is in the shift-up instruction region Q, the process proceeds to decision 117 and checks whether the timer has measured a predetermined time T or not, that is, whether the timer has started. After that, it is determined whether a predetermined time T has elapsed. If it is determined that the predetermined time T has not elapsed, the process returns to process 113, and if it is determined that the predetermined time T has elapsed, the process proceeds to process 118 to turn off the timer. Further, in process 119, the supply of the operating current Id to the shift-up instruction lamp 50 is stopped to turn off the shift-up instruction lamp 50, and the process returns to process 101.

Note that instead of providing the shift-up instruction lamp 50 and lighting it to instruct shift-up as in the above example, a shift-up instruction buzzer may be provided and it emits a sound to instruct shift-up. can.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, according to the gear shift timing indicating device for a vehicle according to the present invention, when the operating state of the engine is in the shift-up instruction range, the transmission prompts the driver to perform a shift-up operation. A shift up instruction is given to the gear position, and furthermore,
When the engine operating condition is in the shift-up instruction range and the shift-up operation is not performed on the transmission within a predetermined time even though the shift-up instruction has been given, i.e., when the driver has no intention to perform the shift-up operation. In addition, since the shift-up display is terminated, the driver is prevented from being bothered by the lights, sounds, etc. of the means for giving the shift-up instruction, and the driver is not caused to feel bothered. Fuel efficiency will be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the basic configuration of the present invention in accordance with the claims, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the gear shift timing indicating device for an automobile according to the present invention, for the engine installed in the automobile to which the device is applied. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a program executed by the microcomputer used in the control unit of the example shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG. 5, which is a diagram used to explain the configuration and operation, is an equal output line characteristic diagram of the engine. In the figure, 10 is the engine body, 30 is the engine speed sensor, 35 is the transmission, 36 is the clutch switch, 38 is the neutral switch, 40 is the 5th speed switch, 50 is the shift up instruction lamp, 10
0 is the control unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 engine rotation speed detection means for detecting the rotation speed of an engine in a motor vehicle; rotation speed comparison means for generating a predetermined output when the engine rotation speed detected by the engine rotation speed detection means is equal to or higher than a set value; a shift-up instruction means for instructing a shift up of a gear of a transmission connected to the engine in accordance with the predetermined output from the rotation speed comparison means; and a point in time when the predetermined output is obtained from the rotation speed comparison means. and a timer means for measuring a predetermined time from 1 to 3; when the rotation speed comparison means continuously generates the predetermined output within the predetermined time measured by the timer means, the A shift-up timing instructing device for an automobile, comprising a shift-up instruction stopping means for terminating the shift-up instruction by the shift-up instructing means.