Vehicle control unit and vehicle control method

A vehicle control unit that controls a steering device of a vehicle, the steering device having a structure in which a power transmission path between a steering unit having an operation member and a turning unit configured to turn turning wheels is cut off,

• the vehicle control unit comprising a controller configured to make a state transition to a normal control state via a start-up state after a power source system of the vehicle is started, the start-up state being a state where it is possible to execute a preparation process, required for making a state transition to the normal control state, by controlling the operation member so as to move automatically, the normal control state being a state where it is possible to execute a normal process for turning the turning wheels according to operation of the operation member by a driver,
• wherein the controller is configured to execute, in the start-up state:
• a forced-ending condition determination process of determining whether a forced-ending condition showing that the preparation process being executed is to be forcedly ended from start of execution of the preparation process is met;
• a forced-ending process of forcedly ending the preparation process being executed when the forced-ending condition is met;
• and
• a notification process of notifying the driver of forced ending of the preparation process,
• wherein the preparation process includes a synchronization process,
• wherein the synchronization process includes a process of synchronizing a position of the operation member and a turning position of the turning wheels by automatically moving the operation member such that a positional relationship between the position and the turning position corresponds to a predetermined positional relationship, and
• wherein the controller is configured to execute the forced-ending process before the synchronizing is completed by the synchronization process when the forced-ending condition is met after a start of the automatically moving the operation member.

A vehicle control method for controlling a steering device of a vehicle, the steering device having a structure in which a power transmission path between a steering unit having an operation member and a turning unit configured to turn turning wheels is cut off, the vehicle control method comprising:

• making a state transition to a normal control state via a start-up state in response to a power source system of the vehicle being started, the start-up state being a state where it is possible to execute a preparation process, required for making a state transition to the normal control state, by controlling the operation member so as to move automatically, the normal control state being a state where it is possible to execute a normal process for turning the turning wheels according to operation of the operation member by a driver,
• wherein the vehicle control method includes executing the following in the start-up state:
• a forced-ending condition determination process of determining whether a forced ending condition showing that the preparation process being executed is to be forcedly ended from start of execution of the preparation process is met;
• a forced-ending process of forcedly ending the preparation process being executed in response to the forced-ending condition being met;
• and
• a notification process of notifying the driver of forced ending of the preparation process,
• wherein the preparation process includes a correction process including a process of calculating a reference position for defining a position of the operation member, and
• wherein the forced-ending process is executed before the reference position is calculated by the correction process in response to the forced-ending condition being met.

A vehicle control method for controlling a steering device of a vehicle, the steering device having a structure in which a power transmission path between a steering unit having an operation member and a turning unit configured to turn turning wheels is cut off, the vehicle control method comprising:

• making a state transition to a normal control state via a start-up state in response to a power source system of the vehicle being started, the start-up state being a state where it is possible to execute a preparation process, required for making a state transition to the normal control state, by controlling the operation member so as to move automatically, the normal control state being a state where it is possible to execute a normal process for turning the turning wheels according to operation of the operation member by a driver,
• wherein the vehicle control method includes executing the following in the start-up state:
• a forced-ending condition determination process of determining whether a forced ending condition showing that the preparation process being executed is to be forcedly ended from start of execution of the preparation process is met;
• a forced-ending process of forcedly ending the preparation process being executed in response to the forced-ending condition being met;
• and
• a notification process of notifying the driver of forced ending of the preparation process,
• wherein the preparation process includes a synchronization process,
• wherein the synchronization process includes a process of synchronizing a position of the operation member and a turning position of the turning wheels by automatically moving the operation member such that a positional relationship between the position and the turning position corresponds to a predetermined positional relationship, and
• wherein the forced-ending process is executed before the synchronizing is completed by the synchronization process in response to the forced-ending condition being met after a start of the automatically moving the operation member.