US-20260125082-A1 - VEHICLE CONTROL MODE SWITCHING DEVICE

US20260125082A1US 20260125082 A1US20260125082 A1US 20260125082A1US-20260125082-A1

Abstract

A vehicle control mode switching device that switches a control mode between a non-control mode in which a control amount is not changed automatically, an auto mode in which the control amount is changed automatically, and a manual mode in which the control amount is changed manually, and includes a first operating device and a second operating device operated by a driver, and an electronic control unit configured to switch the control mode based on the operation of the first and second operating devices, in which the electronic control unit switches the controlmode between two modes of the three modes to set a base mode based on the operation of the first operating device, and switches the control mode between the base mode and a remaining mode other than the two modes among the three modes based on the operation of the second operating device.

Inventors

Kumiko Kondo
Shinya Kawamata
Tomoyuki Doi
Shogo Ito

Assignees

TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251001
Priority Date: 20241101

Claims (11)

1 . A vehicle control mode switching device that switches a control mode between a non-control mode in which a control amount is not changed automatically, an auto mode in which the control amount is changed automatically, and a manual mode in which the control amount is changed manually, wherein the vehicle control mode switching device comprises: first and second operating devices operated by a driver; and an electronic control unit configured to switch the control mode based on operation of the first and second operating devices, the electronic control unit is configured to switch the control mode between two modes of the three modes to set one of the two modes as a base mode based on the operation of the first operating device, and to switch the control mode between the base mode and a remaining mode other than the two modes among the three modes based on the operation of the second operating device.
2 . The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the second operating device is provided in a position that is easier for the driver to access while driving a vehicle than the first operating device.
3 . The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation of the second operating device for switching the control mode between the base mode and the remaining mode is the same regardless of which of the two modes the base mode is.
4 . The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured such that, when switching the control mode from the remaining mode to the base mode based on the operation of the second operating device, the control mode is switched to a mode that was set as the base mode before switching the control mode from the base mode to the remaining mode.
5 . The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the two modes are the non-control mode and the auto mode, and the remaining mode is the manual mode.
6 . The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 5 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured such that, when switching the control mode from the auto mode to the manual mode based on the operation of the second operating device in a situation where the control mode is the auto mode, increase or decrease in the control amount when switching the control mode from the auto mode to the manual mode is determined based on an operation manner of the second operating device.
7 . The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the two modes are the non-control mode and the manual mode, and the remaining mode is the auto mode.
8 . The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 7 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured such that, when switching the control mode from the auto mode to the manual mode based on the operation of the second operating device in a situation where the control mode is the auto mode, increase or decrease in the control amount when switching the control mode from the auto mode to the manual mode is determined based on an operation manner of the second operating device.
9 . The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the first operating device is a switch provided at a position other than a steering wheel, and the second operating device is one of a paddle shift device and a steering switch provided on the steering wheel.
10 . The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 9 , wherein the switch provided at the position other than the steering wheel is a soft switch that is displayed on a display device visible to the driver and can be operated by touch.
11 . The vehicle control mode switching device according to claim 1 , the electronic control unit is configured, when the control mode is the remaining mode, to display the control mode that was set as the base mode before the control mode was switched from the base mode to the remaining mode on the display device that is visible to the driver.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. JP2024-192880 filed on November 1, 2024, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application. BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a control mode switching device for vehicles such as automobiles. 2. Description of the Related Art In vehicles such as automobiles, a control mode switching device is known that switches a control mode of a vehicle in response to operation of an operating device. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2022-72666 describes a control mode switching device that switches a driving mode of a vehicle between an electric mode and a hybrid mode and switches a gear ratio of an automatic transmission by operating a paddle shift lever. In a control of vehicles such as automobiles, a control mode may be switched between a non-control mode in which a control amount is not changed automatically, an auto mode in which the control amount is changed automatically, and a manual mode in which the control amount is changed manually. In conventional control mode switching devices such as that described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication, when switching a control mode between three modes by operating one or a type of operating devices such as a paddle shift lever, the operation of the operating device inevitably becomes complex. Therefore, when switching the control mode, there is a high likelihood of incorrectly operating the operating device. SUMMARY The present disclosure provides a vehicle control mode switching device that is improved so that operating errors of an operating device are less likely to occur when switching a control mode between three modes, compared to conventional control mode switching devices. According to the present disclosure, a vehicle control mode switching device is provided that switches a control mode between a non-control mode in which a control amount is not changed automatically, an auto mode in which the control amount is changed automatically, and a manual mode in which the control amount is changed manually. The control mode switching device comprises: first and second operating devices operated by a driver; and an electronic control unit configured to switch the control mode based on operation of the first and second operating devices, and the electronic control unit is configured to switch the control mode between two modes of the three modes to set one of the two modes as a base mode based on the operation of the first operating device, and to switch the control mode between the base mode and a remaining mode other than the two modes among the three modes based on the operation of the second operating device. According to the above configuration, the control mode is switched between two modes of the three modes to set one of the two modes as the base mode based on the operation of the first operating device. Therefore, the driver can switch the control mode between the two modes to set the base mode by operating the first operating device. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the control mode is switched between the base mode and the remaining mode other than the two modes based on the operation of the second operating device. Accordingly, the driver can switch the control mode between the base mode and the remaining mode by operating the second operating device. Therefore, according to the above configuration, compared to a conventional device that switches the control mode between three modes by operating one or a type of operating devices, it is possible to reduce a risk of operating the operating device incorrectly when switching the control mode between three modes. In one aspect of the present disclosure, the second operating device is provided in a position that is easier for the driver to access while driving a vehicle than the first operating device. According to the above aspect, the second operating device is easier for the driver to operate while driving the vehicle than the first operating device. Therefore, switching the control mode between the base mode and the remaining mode is easier than switching the control mode between the two modes to be set as the base mode. In another aspect of the present disclosure, the operation of the second operating device for switching the control mode between the base mode and the remaining mode is the same regardless of which of the two modes the base mode is. According to the above aspect, it is possible to easily switch the control mode between the base mode and the remaining mode compared to when the operation of the second operating device differs depending on which of the two modes the base mode is. In another aspect of the present disclosure, the electronic control unit is configured such that, when switching the control mode from the remaining mode t