JP6468429B2 - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device including a vehicle height adjusting device that is provided between a wheel and a vehicle body and adjusts the vehicle height.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some vehicles such as automobiles include a vehicle height adjusting device that is provided in a suspension device and adjusts the vehicle height between a wheel and a vehicle body. For example, there is a technique of operating the vehicle height adjusting device as appropriate to maintain the vehicle height constant regardless of the number of passengers, loading conditions such as baggage, and to improve running stability and ride comfort.

  Also, for example, by operating the vehicle height adjustment device based on the change in the inclination state of the road surface on which the vehicle travels and adjusting the vehicle height at the front or rear of the vehicle body, that is, by tilting the vehicle body forward or backward Some have improved visibility in front or rear of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-234470 A

  By the way, for example, when an automobile enters a steep uphill from a flat ground, if the approach angle or departure angle of the automobile is smaller than the inclination angle of the uphill, the vehicle body may interfere with the road surface (ground). . That is, the bottom surface of the front bumper or rear bumper of the automobile may come into contact with the road surface (ground). Specifically, such a situation may occur when traveling off-road with a four-wheel drive vehicle.

  As a method of solving such a problem, for example, it is conceivable to control the vehicle body posture according to the road surface inclination state as in the invention according to Patent Document 1 described above.

  However, the invention according to Patent Document 1 is intended to increase the visibility of the front or rear of the vehicle, and does not consider contact with the road surface of the vehicle body. Therefore, the above-described problem can occur even in the invention according to Patent Document 1.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a vehicle control device capable of suppressing interference between a vehicle body and a road surface regardless of a change in an inclined state of a traveling road surface. Objective.

  A first aspect of the present invention that solves the above problem is a vehicle control device that includes a vehicle height adjusting device that is provided between a wheel and a vehicle body and adjusts the vehicle height, wherein the vehicle is positioned first. A road surface inclination detector for detecting an inclination angle of the second road surface with respect to the first road surface when the presence of the second road surface inclined with respect to the road surface is recognized in front of the vehicle, and an approach angle of the vehicle Is a posture control unit that operates the vehicle height adjustment device and controls the vehicle body posture so that the front portion of the vehicle body does not interfere with the second road surface when the vehicle is below the inclination angle of the second road surface And a vehicle control apparatus characterized by comprising:

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control apparatus according to the first aspect, a front vehicle height detection unit that detects a vehicle height at a front portion of the vehicle body, and a detection result of the front vehicle height detection unit. A first angle calculation unit that calculates an approach angle of the vehicle, and the posture control unit controls a vehicle body posture based on a result of the first angle calculation unit. In the control unit.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to the first or second aspect, the attitude control unit is configured such that when a departure angle of the vehicle is equal to or less than an inclination angle of the second road surface, The vehicle height control device is operated to control the vehicle body posture so that the rear portion of the vehicle body does not interfere with the first road surface.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to the third aspect, a rear vehicle height detection unit that detects a vehicle height at a rear portion of the vehicle body, and a detection result of the rear vehicle height detection unit. A second angle calculation unit that calculates a departure angle of the vehicle, and the posture control unit controls a vehicle body posture based on a result of the second angle calculation unit. In the control unit.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, when the approach angle is equal to or less than the inclination angle of the second road surface, a warning is given to the passenger. The vehicle control device includes a warning unit that performs the warning.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the interference between the vehicle body and the road surface regardless of the change in the inclination state of the road surface (ground) on which the vehicle travels.

The figure which shows schematic structure of a vehicle provided with the control apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram explaining the front distance sensor concerning one embodiment of the present invention. The block diagram which shows schematic structure of the control apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The figure explaining the state of the vehicle at the time of adjusting a vehicle body posture. The figure explaining the state of the vehicle at the time of adjusting a vehicle body posture. The figure which shows the control flow of the vehicle body attitude | position which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The vehicle control device according to the present invention has a vehicle body posture for the purpose of suppressing contact between the vehicle body and the road surface when, for example, there is a steep uphill in the front or rear of the vehicle and it is desired to enter the slope. Adjust as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a front distance sensor 10 that detects a distance from a road surface (ground) 100 is provided in a front portion of a vehicle 1 that is an automobile, for example, a front bumper 2. A rear distance sensor 20 that detects the distance from the road surface 100 is also provided in the rear portion of the vehicle 1, for example, the rear bumper 3. In the present embodiment, the front distance sensor 10 and the rear distance sensor 20 are each provided with a plurality of sensors that measure the distance from the road surface 100 using radio waves, laser light, or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the front distance sensor 10 includes a first front sensor 11 that measures a distance L1 from the road surface 100 in front of the vehicle and a second front sensor 12 that measures a distance L2 from the road surface below the vehicle. The first front sensor 11 includes a third front sensor 13 that measures a distance L3 from the front road surface 100 in a direction inclined by a predetermined angle (for example, about 15 ° to 45 °).

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when there is a second road surface 102 that is inclined (uphill) with respect to the substantially flat first road surface 101 on which the vehicle 1 is located in front of the vehicle 1, The sensor 11 and the third front sensor 13 measure the distance from the vehicle 1 to the second road surface 102, and the second front sensor 12 determines the distance (vehicle height) between the vehicle 1 and the first road surface 101. measure.

  Similarly, the rear distance sensor 20 also includes a first rear sensor 21 that measures the distance from the road surface 100 behind the vehicle 1, a second rear sensor 22 that measures the distance from the road surface 100 below the vehicle 1, The direction of one rear sensor 21 includes a third rear sensor 23 that measures the distance from the rear road surface 100 in a direction inclined by a predetermined angle (for example, about 15 ° to 45 °).

  The detection information of the front distance sensor 10 and the rear distance sensor 20 is input to an ECU (electronic control unit) 50 as a control device, which will be described in detail below. The ECU 50 determines the vehicle height based on the input information. The adjustment device 40 is actuated as appropriate to appropriately control the vehicle body posture.

  The vehicle height adjusting device 40 (40A, 40B) adjusts the height (vehicle height) of the vehicle 1 from the road surface 100, and is provided corresponding to each wheel of the vehicle 1. The vehicle height adjusting device 40 is composed of, for example, an actuator that is driven by hydraulic pressure, and is provided in each of a front suspension (not shown) that supports the front wheels 4 and a rear suspension (not shown) that supports the rear wheels 5. Yes. The configuration of the vehicle height adjusting device 40 is not particularly limited, and an existing one may be adopted, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ECU 50 specifically includes a road surface inclination detection unit 51, a vehicle height detection unit (front vehicle height detection unit and rear vehicle height detection unit) 52, and an angle calculation unit (first angle). (Calculation unit and second angle calculation unit) 53, posture control unit 54, and warning unit 55.

  When the road surface inclination detecting unit 51 recognizes the presence of the second road surface 102 that is inclined with respect to the first road surface 101 on which the vehicle 1 is located in front of the vehicle 1 (see FIG. 2), the second road surface 102. The inclination angle θ1 with respect to the first road surface 101 is detected (calculated). For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when the vehicle 1 is positioned on the substantially flat first road surface 101, when the presence of the second road surface 102 that is a steep uphill ahead of the vehicle 1 is recognized, the road surface is inclined. The detection unit 51 determines the inclination angle θ1 of the second road surface 102 with respect to the first road surface 101 based on the measurement results of the front distance sensor 10, in particular, the measurement results of the first front sensor 11 and the third front sensor 13. Detect (calculate).

  When the vehicle 1 is moved backward (back), if the road surface inclination detection unit 51 has a road surface that is inclined upward behind the vehicle 1, the inclination angle of the road surface is detected based on the measurement result of the rear distance sensor 20 ( Calculation).

  The vehicle height detector 52 detects the vehicle height at the front and rear parts of the vehicle body. In the present embodiment, the vehicle height detection unit 52 acquires the detection result of the front distance sensor 10 (second front sensor 12) provided in the front bumper 2 as the vehicle height at the front portion of the vehicle body, and the rear bumper 3 The detection result of the provided rear distance sensor 20 (second rear sensor 22) is acquired as the vehicle height at the rear portion of the vehicle body.

  The angle calculation unit 53 appropriately calculates the approach angle and the departure angle of the vehicle 1 based on the detection result of the vehicle height detection unit 52 and the specification values of the vehicle 1 stored in advance. The approach angle refers to the angle of the tangent line between the front lowermost part of the vehicle body and the outer periphery of the tire (ground), and the departure angle refers to the road surface (ground) of the tangent line between the rear lowermost part of the vehicle body and the outer periphery of the tire. The angle with respect to. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the angle θ2 of the tangent line between the front bumper 2 and the front wheel (tire) 4 with respect to the road surface 100 is the approach angle, and the angle θ3 of the tangent line between the rear bumper 3 and the rear wheel (tire) 5 with respect to the road surface 100 is It is a departure angle.

  The attitude control unit 54 operates the vehicle height adjusting device 40 as necessary based on the detection result of the road surface inclination detection unit 51 and the calculation result of the angle calculation unit 53, and the vehicle 1 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Controls the vehicle body posture.

  For example, when the approach angle θ2 of the vehicle 1 is equal to or smaller than the inclination angle (inclination angle with respect to the first road surface 101) θ1 of the second road surface 102, when the front wheel 4 of the vehicle 1 enters the second road surface 102, FIG. 4, the front portion of the vehicle 1 may interfere with the second road surface 102. That is, the bottom surface side of the front bumper 2 may come into contact with the surface of the second road surface 102.

  In such a situation, the posture control unit 54 operates the vehicle height adjusting device 40 to relatively raise the front portion of the vehicle (vehicle body) 1 as shown by a solid line in FIG. 1) is larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the second road surface 102. Specifically, the posture control unit 54 operates the vehicle height adjusting device 40A corresponding to the front wheel 4 to raise the front part of the vehicle body. Alternatively, the vehicle height adjustment device 40B corresponding to the rear wheel 5 is operated to lower the rear portion of the vehicle body, thereby relatively raising the front portion of the vehicle body. Of course, the attitude control unit 54 may operate both the vehicle height adjusting devices 40A and 40B to lower the rear part of the vehicle body while raising the front part of the vehicle body.

  Thus, by controlling the vehicle body posture of the vehicle 1 based on the relationship between the inclination angle θ1 of the second road surface 102 and the approach angle θ2 of the vehicle 1, the bottom surface side of the front bumper 2 is not brought into contact with the road surface 100. The front wheel 4 of the vehicle 1 can enter the second road surface 102 from the first road surface 101. Note that the approach angle changes according to changes in the vehicle height due to the number of passengers, the weight of the luggage, and the like, but in this embodiment, the angle calculation unit 53 appropriately calculates the approach angle θ2. Therefore, the vehicle body posture can be appropriately adjusted regardless of the change in the approach angle θ2.

  Further, for example, when the departure angle θ3 of the vehicle 1 is equal to or less than the inclination angle (inclination angle with respect to the first road surface 101) θ1 of the second road surface 102, the front wheel 4 of the vehicle 1 has entered the second road surface 102. Thereafter, when the rear wheel 5 enters the second road surface 102, the rear portion of the vehicle 1 may interfere with the first road surface 101 as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5. That is, the bottom surface side of the rear bumper 3 may come into contact with the surface of the first road surface 101.

  In such a situation, the attitude control unit 54 operates the vehicle height adjusting device 40 to relatively raise the rear part of the vehicle body as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5, and the departure angle θ3 (see FIG. 1) The inclination angle θ2 of the second road surface 102 is set to be larger than that. Specifically, the posture control unit 54 operates the vehicle height adjusting device 40B corresponding to the rear wheel 5 to raise the rear part of the vehicle body. Alternatively, the rear portion of the vehicle body is relatively raised by operating the vehicle height adjusting device 40A corresponding to the front wheel 4 to lower the front portion of the vehicle body. Of course, the posture control unit 54 may operate both the vehicle height adjusting devices 40A and 40B to raise the rear part of the vehicle body while lowering the front part of the vehicle body.

  By controlling the vehicle body posture of the vehicle 1 in this way, the rear wheel 5 of the vehicle 1 is moved from the first road surface 101 to the second road surface 102 without bringing the bottom surface side of the rear bumper 3 into contact with the second road surface 102. Can enter. Note that the departure angle changes according to the change in the vehicle height due to the number of passengers, the weight of the luggage, etc., as in the approach angle, but in this embodiment, the angle calculation unit 53 calculates the departure angle θ3 as appropriate. Therefore, the vehicle body posture can be appropriately adjusted regardless of the change in the departure angle θ3.

  When the approach angle θ2 or the departure angle θ3 of the vehicle 1 is equal to or less than the inclination angle of the second road surface 102 (inclination angle with respect to the first road surface 101) θ1, the warning unit 55 determines that the attitude control unit 54 Prior to the execution of the control, a first warning that “the vehicle body may come into contact with the road surface 100” is executed to the occupant.

  Further, depending on the magnitude of the inclination angle θ1 of the second road surface 102, even when the vehicle height adjusting devices 40A and 40B are operated with the maximum displacement, the approach angle θ2 or the departure angle θ3 is set to the second road surface 102. In some cases, the inclination angle θ1 cannot be increased. In such a situation, the warning unit 55 gives a second warning to the occupant that the vehicle body may come into contact with the road surface even when the vehicle body posture is controlled, which is stronger than the first warning. Run.

  In the present embodiment, the warning unit 55 issues a warning to the occupant by, for example, lighting or blinking a warning lamp 6 provided in the vehicle 1. At this time, it is preferable to change the warning method between the first warning and the second warning. Of course, the warning method is not particularly limited.

  Further, after the warning by the warning unit 55, the posture control unit 54 may automatically start the control of the vehicle body posture. For example, on the condition that a predetermined switch or the like is operated by an occupant, the posture control unit 54 may execute control of the vehicle body posture.

Next, an example of vehicle body posture control according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
The vehicle body posture control according to the present embodiment is executed in a state in which the vehicle 1 is brought close to the vicinity of the uphill, and at that time, the vehicle 1 is preferably in a substantially stopped state.

  When the control of the vehicle body posture is started, as shown in FIG. 6, first, in step S1, the inclination angle of the uphill (second road surface 102) ahead of the vehicle 1 based on the measurement result of the front distance sensor 10. θ1 is calculated. Next, in step S2, it is determined whether or not the approach angle θ2 of the vehicle 1 needs to be changed from the calculated uphill inclination angle θ1. That is, it is determined whether or not the inclination angle θ1 of the uphill is equal to or larger than the approach angle θ2 of the vehicle 1 and the vehicle 1 may come into contact with the road surface (ground) 100.

  Here, when it is determined that the inclination angle θ1 of the uphill is equal to or larger than the approach angle θ2 of the vehicle 1 (step S2: Yes), the vehicle (body body) is further activated by operating the vehicle height adjusting device 40 in step S3. ) It is determined whether or not contact with one road surface 100 can be avoided. That is, it is determined whether the approach angle θ2 of the vehicle 1 can be made larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the uphill by operating the vehicle height adjusting device 40.

  If it is determined that the approach angle θ2 of the vehicle 1 can be made larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the uphill (step S3: Yes), the process proceeds to step S4, for example, by flashing the warning lamp 6 to the passenger. The first warning is issued to warn that “the front part of the vehicle body is in contact with the road surface”. Thereafter, the vehicle height adjustment device 40 is operated to automatically adjust the vehicle body posture (step S5). The vehicle body posture adjustment in step S5 may be performed while the vehicle 1 is stopped, or may be performed while the vehicle 1 is traveling. When the adjustment of the vehicle body posture is completed and the approach angle θ2 becomes larger than the inclination angle θ1, the warning lamp 6 is turned off in step S6, that is, the first warning is canceled, and then the process proceeds to step S7.

  If it is determined in step S2 that the inclination angle θ1 of the uphill is smaller than the approach angle θ2 of the vehicle, the vehicle 1 can enter the uphill without interfering with the road surface 100, so the processes of steps S3 to S6 are performed. It progresses to step S7, without.

  In step S7, for example, when it is confirmed that the vehicle 1 has traveled based on the measurement results of the front distance sensor 10 and the rear distance sensor 20 and the front wheel 4 has entered the uphill, the rear part of the vehicle body is then moved in step S8. It is determined whether or not there is a possibility of contact with the road surface (ground) 100. That is, it is determined whether the uphill inclination angle θ1 is equal to or greater than the departure angle θ3 of the vehicle 1.

  Here, when it is determined that the rear part of the vehicle body may come into contact with the road surface (ground) 100 (step S8: Yes), the road surface of the vehicle 1 is operated by operating the vehicle height adjusting device 40 in step S9. It is determined whether or not contact with 100 can be avoided. That is, it is determined whether or not the vehicle height adjusting device 40 can be operated to make the departure angle θ3 of the vehicle 1 larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the uphill.

  When it is determined that the departure angle θ3 of the vehicle 1 can be made larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the uphill (step S9: Yes), the process proceeds to step S10, for example, by flashing the warning lamp 6 to the occupant. On the other hand, a first warning for warning that “the rear part of the vehicle body is in contact with the road surface” is executed. Thereafter, the vehicle height adjustment device 40 is operated to automatically adjust the vehicle body posture (step S11). The vehicle body posture adjustment in step S11 may be performed while the vehicle 1 is stopped, or may be performed while the vehicle 1 is traveling. When the adjustment of the vehicle body posture is completed and the departure angle θ3 becomes larger than the inclination angle θ1, the warning lamp 6 is turned off, that is, the first warning is released (step S12).

  Thereafter, in step S13, for example, the distance (vehicle height) between the vehicle (vehicle body) 1 and the road surface (ground) 100 is appropriately maintained based on the measurement results of the front distance sensor 10, the rear distance sensor 20, and the like. It is determined whether or not. Although this determination method is not particularly limited, for example, when a period in which the vehicle height is equal to or greater than a predetermined value elapses for a predetermined time or more, it is determined that the vehicle height is appropriately maintained (step S13: Yes), and the process proceeds to step S14. Proceed and return the vehicle to its normal position. That is, the vehicle height adjusting device 40 is returned to the normal control. Thus, a series of vehicle body posture control is completed.

  In addition, when it is not detected in step S7 that the vehicle 1 has entered the uphill (step S7: No), for example, the process proceeds to step S14 when a certain time has elapsed, and the series of controls is terminated.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the approach angle θ2 of the vehicle 1 cannot be larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the uphill (step S3: No), the process proceeds to step S15, for example, turning on the warning lamp 6 or the like. Thus, a second warning stronger than the first warning that warns the passenger that “the front part of the vehicle body may come into contact with the road surface even when the vehicle body posture control is performed” is executed. End control. For example, the second warning may be ended after a predetermined time has elapsed, or may be canceled by a passenger's switch operation or the like.

  Similarly, when it is determined in step S9 that the departure angle θ3 of the vehicle 1 cannot be larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the uphill (step S9: No), the process proceeds to step S16, for example, the warning lamp 6 is turned on. The second warning is issued to warn the occupant that “the rear part of the vehicle body may come into contact with the road surface even when the vehicle body posture control is performed”, and the series of control operations are terminated. .

  In the present embodiment, the control is terminated after the second warning is issued in step S15 and step S16. For example, when the vehicle 1 enters an uphill despite the warning. For example, the vehicle height adjustment device 40 may be operated to adjust the vehicle body posture as appropriate.

  Further, in the present embodiment, steps S8 to S10 are executed after the vehicle 1 enters the uphill, but these steps can also be executed before the vehicle 1 enters the uphill.

  In such a vehicle control apparatus according to the present embodiment, the vehicle body posture is appropriately adjusted in accordance with the change in the slope state of the road surface, so the slope state of the road surface (ground) on which the vehicle travels changes rapidly. Even in this case, contact with the road surface of the vehicle body can be suppressed.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the angle calculation unit appropriately calculates the approach angle and the departure angle, but the ECU (control device) does not necessarily have the angle calculation unit. As the approach angle and the departure angle, specification values stored in advance may be used as they are.

  Moreover, although the structure provided with a some sensor was illustrated as an example of a front distance sensor and a rear distance sensor, the structure of these front distance sensors and rear distance sensors is not specifically limited. For example, the front distance sensor and the rear distance sensor may be provided with a single sensor that can be rotated in the front-rear direction, or may be a sensor that measures the distance to the road surface with a camera or the like. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described by taking as an example a situation where the vehicle enters the uphill from the flat ground. However, the present invention is naturally applicable to a situation where the vehicle enters the flat ground from the downhill, for example. Can do.

1 Vehicle 2 Front Bumper 3 Rear Bumper 4 Front Wheel 5 Rear Wheel 6 Warning Lamp 10 Front Distance Sensor 11 First Front Sensor 12 Second Front Sensor 13 Third Front Sensor 20 Rear Distance Sensor 21 First Rear Sensor 22 Second Rear Sensor Rear sensor 23 Third rear sensor 40 Vehicle height adjusting device 50 ECU (control device)
51 Road Surface Inclination Detection Unit 52 Vehicle Height Detection Unit 53 Angle Calculation Unit 54 Attitude Control Unit 55 Warning Unit 100 Road Surface 101 First Road Surface 102 Second Road Surface

Claims (5)

A vehicle control device including a vehicle height adjustment device that is provided between a wheel and a vehicle body and adjusts the vehicle height,
A road surface inclination detection unit that detects an inclination angle of the second road surface with respect to the first road surface when the presence of the second road surface inclined with respect to the first road surface on which the vehicle is located is recognized in front of the vehicle. When,
When the approach angle of the vehicle is equal to or smaller than the inclination angle of the second road surface, the vehicle height adjustment device is operated to change the vehicle body posture so that the front portion of the vehicle body does not interfere with the second road surface. A vehicle control device comprising: an attitude control unit that controls the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,
A front vehicle height detector for detecting a vehicle height at a front portion of the vehicle body;
A first angle calculation unit that calculates an approach angle of the vehicle based on a detection result of the front vehicle height detection unit,
The vehicle control apparatus, wherein the posture control unit controls a vehicle body posture based on a result of the first angle calculation unit. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2,
The attitude control unit activates the vehicle height adjustment device when a departure angle of the vehicle is equal to or less than an inclination angle of the second road surface, and a rear portion of the vehicle body is positioned with respect to the first road surface. A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle body posture so as not to interfere. The vehicle control device according to claim 3,
A rear vehicle height detector for detecting a vehicle height at a rear portion of the vehicle body;
A second angle calculation unit that calculates a departure angle of the vehicle based on a detection result of the rear vehicle height detection unit,
The vehicle control apparatus, wherein the posture control unit controls a vehicle body posture based on a result of the second angle calculation unit. In the vehicle control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
When the approach angle is equal to or smaller than the inclination angle of the second road surface, the vehicle control device includes a warning unit that warns a passenger to that effect.

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