JP2005289175A - Fuel-cell vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel-cell vehicle which notifies a person around the vehicle of an approach of the vehicle when the fuel-cell vehicle is traveling at a low speed. <P>SOLUTION: Pseudo engine sound is generated by an electronic control unit 12 according to the detection signal of a rotational speed sensor 24 to detect the rotational speed of a driving motor. When the detection output of a rotational speed sensor 22 to detect the rotational speed of an air compressor is equal to or less than a threshold under the condition that the vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor 20 is equal to or less than the threshold, the level of the pseudo engine sound is determined according to the rotational speed of the air compressor, and the pseudo engine sound according to the determination is output outside the vehicle from a speaker 16 to notify a pedestrian 26 of the approach of a vehicle 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell vehicle capable of notifying a pedestrian or the like of the approach of a vehicle.

  An electric vehicle using a motor as a power source is used instead of a gasoline engine or a diesel engine. An electric vehicle is equipped with a (rechargeable) battery and operates a motor. Unlike an internal combustion engine, an electric vehicle does not have a compression / expansion process or the like, and has no so-called engine noise, so that it travels quietly. For this reason, even if an electric vehicle and a pedestrian approach, it is also considered that a pedestrian does not notice.

In view of this, an electric vehicle has been proposed in which a warning sound is generated outside the vehicle in accordance with the traveling state of the electric vehicle to alert a pedestrian (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-27810 (pages 2 to 3, FIG. 1)

  However, fuel cell vehicles (electric vehicles) equipped with fuel cells and secondary batteries as batteries use auxiliary equipment such as air compressors and hydrogen pumps to send air and hydrogen gas to the fuel cells. There is a certain operating sound when the works. In a fuel cell vehicle, there are a mode in which the motor is directly driven by the fuel cell, a mode driven by the secondary battery charged by the fuel cell, or a mode driven by the fuel cell and the secondary battery. Therefore, when the warning sound generation system for an electric vehicle equipped with only the battery described above is applied, a warning sound may be generated even when the auxiliary equipment is operating and notification of pedestrians is unnecessary due to the operation sound. The operation sound and the warning sound are superimposed, resulting in an unnecessarily loud volume (noise).

  Therefore, the present invention takes into consideration the driving situation of the fuel cell, and the fuel cell vehicle capable of notifying the target person (pedestrian, driver of another vehicle (automobile, bicycle), animal, etc.) of approaching the vehicle. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, a fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises a traveling state detecting means for detecting the traveling speed of a vehicle, an operating condition detecting means for detecting the operating condition of the fuel cell, and the detected traveling speed is a predetermined value. Notification degree determining means for determining the degree of approach notification for notifying the surrounding target person of the approach of the host vehicle according to the detection output of the driving condition detecting means when the speed is lower than the speed, and determination of the notification degree determining means And an approach notification output means for outputting the approach notification to the outside of the vehicle.

  The operation status is, for example, an operation sound generated by the fuel cell system, and includes a sound generated by auxiliary devices of the fuel cell such as a compressor. Moreover, the driving sound (running sound) generated by the fuel cell vehicle may be used.

  According to such a configuration, when the vehicle travel speed is low enough to approach a pedestrian or the like, when the condition for generating a warning for notifying the pedestrian is reached, the fuel cell operation status The degree of approach notification (for example, notification sound level) is determined according to (for example, driving sound), and the approach notification is output outside the vehicle according to this determination. Notification sound) or unnecessary approach notifications can be prevented from being output. A pedestrian or the like can be informed of the approach of the vehicle without deteriorating the merchantability of the vehicle. The approach notification includes pseudo engine sound, music, horn, light, and the like. The degree of approach notification includes volume, light quantity, notification interval, and the like.

  In addition to the above configuration, the fuel cell system of the present invention further includes external environment signal output means for outputting a signal corresponding to the external environment of the vehicle, and the notification degree determining means is the driving state detecting means. The degree of the approach notification is determined according to the detection output or the output signal of the external environment signal output means. The external environment includes, for example, the presence / absence of pedestrians, daytime and evening / night, vehicle travel areas, and noise levels outside the vehicle. The external environment signal output means corresponds to a sensor (infrared sensor, light quantity sensor, voice sensor, etc.) for detecting these. Thereby, it is possible to make the degree of approach notification appropriate so that pedestrians do not feel uncomfortable.

  Further, the fuel cell vehicle (electric vehicle) of the present invention includes a traveling state detection unit that detects a traveling state of the vehicle, a driving state detection unit that detects a driving state of the fuel cell, and a vehicle that is detected by the traveling state detection unit. A warning degree determining means for determining the degree of the warning according to the detection output of the driving condition detecting means when the driving state satisfies a condition for outputting a warning for notifying a pedestrian of the approach of the vehicle; Warning output means for outputting the warning to the outside of the vehicle according to the determination of the warning degree determination means.

  According to such a configuration, when the traveling state of the vehicle becomes a condition for generating a warning for notifying the pedestrian of the approach of the vehicle, the degree of warning is determined according to the operating state of the fuel cell, and this determination is made. Since the warning is output to the outside according to the above, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary warning or an unnecessary warning from being output. A pedestrian can be informed of the approach of the vehicle without deteriorating the merchantability of the vehicle. Further, when determining the level of warning, the level of warning can be determined in consideration of the operating condition of the fuel cell or the external environment of the vehicle.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the approach of the own vehicle can be notified to the object which should notify an approach, without deteriorating the merchantability of a vehicle.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a fuel cell vehicle showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a fuel cell vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle) 10 is equipped with a fuel cell (not shown) as a drive source, and this fuel cell is provided with a motor (not shown) via an inverter (not shown). The rotation shaft of the motor is connected to the axle. The vehicle 10 is also equipped with an electronic control unit (ECU) 12 for controlling the operation of the fuel cell, an operation panel 14, speakers 16 and 18, a vehicle speed sensor 20, and rotation speed sensors 22 and 24. A signal from an on / off switch (not shown) arranged on the operation panel 14 and a signal from a volume adjuster (not shown) are input to the electronic control unit 12, and a vehicle speed sensor 20, Signals from the rotational speed sensors 22 and 24 are input.

  The vehicle speed sensor 20 is configured as a traveling state detection unit that detects a traveling state of the vehicle. The rotation speed sensor 22 is configured to detect, for example, the rotation speed of an air compressor (not shown) for supplying compressed air to the fuel cell as an operation condition detection means for detecting the operation condition of the fuel cell. Has been. The rotation speed sensor 24 is configured as motor rotation speed detection means for detecting the rotation speed of a motor (drive motor) that drives the wheels in accordance with an output signal from the inverter.

  The electronic control unit 12 generates a pseudo engine sound based on the motor rotation speed detected by the rotation speed sensor 24, and outputs an electrical signal related to the generated pseudo engine sound to the speakers 16 and 18. The speaker 16 is configured by using a speaker having directivity, and is configured as warning means for outputting a pseudo engine sound to the outside of the vehicle according to a signal from the electronic control unit 12 or a pseudo engine sound generator. That is, the speaker 16 generates a pseudo engine sound (warning sound) as an approach notification for notifying an object person (pedestrian, driver of another vehicle (automobile, bicycle), animal, etc.) 26 of the approach of the vehicle 10. It is like that. The speaker 18 generates a pseudo engine sound in the vehicle interior as a pseudo engine sound generator.

  Further, when the electronic control unit 12 generates the pseudo engine sound from the speakers 16 and 18, an approach notification for notifying the pedestrian 26 that the traveling state of the vehicle 10 indicates that the vehicle 10 is approaching from the output signal of the vehicle speed sensor 20. For example, whether or not the vehicle speed is in a low-speed traveling state where the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a threshold value is satisfied. Level) is configured as notification degree determination means for determining the level of the pseudo engine sound, for example. Note that the level of the pseudo engine sound can also be adjusted by the volume adjuster of the operation panel 14. Further, when determining the level of the pseudo engine sound, it is determined based on the driving amount or driving sound of the air compressor which is the fuel cell auxiliary machine.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the electronic control unit 12 determines whether or not the on / off switch on the operation panel 14 is in the on state (step S1). When it is determined that the on / off switch is in the on state, the vehicle speed sensor 20 Whether or not the output signal of the rotational speed sensor 22 is captured, the vehicle speed is below the threshold value and the vehicle is in a low-speed running state, and the rotational speed of the air compressor (operating sound source), which is one of the operating conditions of the fuel cell, Is determined (step S2). Here, when the vehicle speed is in a low-speed running state equal to or lower than the threshold value, the level of the pseudo engine sound is determined according to the rotation speed of the air compressor, assuming that the vehicle running state satisfies a condition for generating a warning. A pseudo engine sound is generated from the speaker 16 (step S3).

  Thereby, when the vehicle 10 approaches the pedestrian 26, by generating the pseudo engine sound from the speaker 16, without generating the pseudo engine sound more than necessary, that is, without deteriorating the merchantability of the vehicle, The pedestrian 26 can be notified of the approach of the vehicle.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the driver's consideration for the pedestrian 26 can be reduced in an environment where the vehicle 10 is close to the pedestrian 26, and the pseudo engine sound generated from the vehicle 10 can be minimized. Can be stopped.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the electronic control unit 12 determines whether or not the on / off switch on the operation panel 14 is in the on state (step S11). When the on / off switch is in the on state, the electronic speed control unit 12 detects the rotation speed sensor 24. A pseudo engine sound generated according to the output is generated from the speaker 18 into the vehicle interior.

  In this embodiment, since the pseudo engine sound corresponding to the rotational speed of the motor is output to the passenger compartment, the driver can enjoy the accelerator work and can experience the load on the motor. Shortening of the motor life due to unreasonable running can be suppressed.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, a warning that generates a pseudo engine sound is described as a warning for the pedestrian 26. However, as a warning for the pedestrian 26, a warning can be output to the pedestrian 26 by turning on a light.

  Further, for example, when determining the level of the pseudo engine sound as the degree of warning, the level of the pseudo engine sound can be determined according to the external environment of the vehicle.

  For example, by arranging a signal generator as an external environment signal output means for outputting a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of a pedestrian or a vehicle running area on the operation panel 14 and connecting this signal generator to the electronic control unit 12, In the electronic control unit 12, the level of the pseudo engine sound can be determined according to the presence or absence of a pedestrian, or the level of the pseudo engine sound can be determined according to the vehicle travel region.

  In each of the above embodiments, the fuel cell vehicle has been described. However, as a device that generates sound regardless of the running state of the vehicle, for example, a vehicle equipped with a cooling fan, a stereo, or the like is targeted. In this case, the present invention can be applied to an electric vehicle by generating a pseudo engine sound based on these sounds.

  Moreover, when calling attention accompanying the approach of the vehicle 10 to the pedestrian 26, the following methods can also be employ | adopted together.

(1) The light is turned on by the driver's manual operation to alert the pedestrian.
(2) The horn is sounded by the driver's manual operation to alert the pedestrian.
(3) The compressor is operated by the driver's manual operation to alert the pedestrian.
(4) The vehicle information is processed based on the vehicle speed, and the light is automatically turned on according to the processing result to alert the pedestrian.
(5) The vehicle information is processed based on the vehicle speed, and the horn is automatically sounded based on the processing result to alert the pedestrian. In this case, in order to reduce discomfort given to the pedestrian, it is desirable to lower the horn drive voltage to reduce the horn volume.
(6) The vehicle information is processed based on the vehicle speed, and an air compressor or the like is automatically operated based on the processing result to alert the pedestrian.

1 is a block diagram of a fuel cell vehicle showing one embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the effect | action of one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the effect | action of the other Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  10 Vehicle, 12 Electronic control unit, 14 Operation panel, 16, 18 Speaker, 20 Vehicle speed sensor, 22, 24 Speed sensor

Claims (2)

Traveling state detection means for detecting the traveling speed of the vehicle;
An operating condition detecting means for detecting an operating condition of the fuel cell;
Notification degree determination means for determining the degree of approach notification for notifying the surrounding subject of the approach of the host vehicle according to the detection output of the driving condition detection means when the detected traveling speed is lower than a predetermined speed. When,
Approach notification output means for outputting the approach notification to the outside according to the determination of the notification degree determination means;
A fuel cell vehicle comprising: The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1,
Furthermore, an external environment signal output means for outputting a signal according to the external environment of the vehicle,
The fuel cell vehicle characterized in that the notification degree determining means determines the degree of approach notification in accordance with a detection output of the traveling state detection means or an output signal of the external environment signal output means.

Images