Integrated vehicle motion control system

• US 20050027402A1
• Filed: 12/22/2002
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyago, Shouchi, Koibuchi, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 7,162,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0004 In digital systems, e.g. discrete-time systems involving sampling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An integrated vehicle motion control system is provided in which the software configuration is formed in a hierarchical structure, and includes (a) a command section adapted to determine target vehicle state quantities based on driving related information, and (b) an executing section adapted to receive the target vehicle state quantities as commands from the command section, and execute the commands by means of a plurality of actuators. The command section includes an upper-level command section adapted to determine first target vehicle state quantities based on the driving related information, without taking account of the dynamic behavior of the vehicle, and a lower-level command section adapted to determine second target vehicle state quantities inview of the dynamic behavior of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An integrated vehicle motion control system which controls a plurality of actuators in an integrated manner by using a computer, comprising:

a command section being at a first level as one of a plurality of levels which are arranged in the form of hierarchy in a direction from the driver toward the plurality of actuators, the command section being adapted to determine a target vehicle state quantity based on driving related information relating to driving of a vehicle by a driver, an executing section being at a second level which is one of the plurality of the hierarchical levels, and is lower than the first level, the executing section being adapted to receive the target vehicle state quantity as a command from the command section, and execute the received command by means of at least one of the plurality of actuators;

wherein the command section includes an upper-level command section and a lower-level command section each of which is adapted to generate commands for controlling the plurality of actuators in an integrated manner, the upper-level command section determining a first target vehicle state quantity based on the driving related information, without taking account of dynamic behavior of the vehicle, and supplying the lower-level command section with the determined first target vehicle state quantity, the lower-level command section determining a second target vehicle state quantity in view of the dynamic behavior of the vehicle, based on the first target vehicle state quantity received from the upper-level command section, and supplying the executing section with the determined second target vehicle state quantity; and

the upper-level command section, the lower-level command section and the executing section perform particular functions assigned to the respective sections, by causing the computer to execute a plurality of modules that are independent of each other on the software configuration.

2. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 1, wherein the driving related information includes driving information relating to driving operations performed by the driver, and at least one of vehicle information relating to state quantities of the vehicle and environmental information relating to an environment around the vehicle, which influences motion of the vehicle.

3. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle includes a driving information acquisition system adapted to acquire driving information relating to driving operations performed by the driver, and at least one of a vehicle information acquisition system adapted to acquire vehicle information relating to state quantities of the vehicle and an environmental information acquisition system adapted to acquire environmental information relating to an environment around the vehicle, which influences motion of the vehicle; and

the upper-level command section determines the first target vehicle state quantity, based on the acquired driving information, and at least one of the acquired vehicle information and the acquired environmental information.

4. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 3, wherein the upper-level command section determines a plurality of candidate values associated with the first target vehicle state quantity to be determined, based on the acquired driving information and at least one of the acquired vehicle information and the acquired environmental information, and determines the first target vehicle state quantity based on the determined plurality of candidate values, according to a predetermined set of rules.

5. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the first target vehicle state quantity is associated with a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle; and

the plurality of candidate values included a first target longitudinal acceleration determined based on the acquired driving information, and a second target longitudinal acceleration determined based on at least one of the acquired vehicle information and the acquired environmental information.

6. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the first target vehicle state quantity is associated with a steering angle of the vehicle; and

the plurality of candidate values include a first target steering angle determined based on the acquired driving information, and a second target steering angle determined based on the acquired vehicle information and the acquired environmental information.

7. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 1, wherein the first target vehicle state quantity comprises a target vehicle state quantity associated with a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle and a target vehicle state quantity associated with a steering angle of the vehicle.

8. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the upper-level command section determines, as the first target vehicle state quantity, a target vehicle state quantity that gives a priority to optimization of a vehicle position-speed relationship between a position of the vehicle and a speed thereof on a track on which the vehicle runs, over stabilization of behavior of the vehicle; and

the lower-level command section determines, as the second target vehicle state quantity, a target vehicle condition that gives a priority to stabilization of behavior of the vehicle, over optimization of the vehicle position-speed relationship, based on the determined first target vehicle state quantity.

9. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the upper-level command section determines the first target vehicle state quantity as a target vehicle state quantity that is variable within a permissible range; and

the lower-level command section determines the second target vehicle state quantity as a target vehicle state quantity selected from the permissible range of the first target vehicle state quantity.

10. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 9, wherein:

the first target vehicle state quantity comprises a target vehicle state quantity associated with a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle and a target vehicle state quantity associated with a steering angle of the vehicle; and

the upper-level command section determines the target vehicle state quantity associated with the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle as a target vehicle state quantity that is variable within a permissible range, and determines the target vehicle state quantity associated with the steering angle of the vehicle as a target vehicle state quantity that does not have a permissible range.

11. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 9, wherein the upper-level command section varies a width of the permissible range, based on at least one of an intention of the driver and an environment around the vehicle, which influences motion of the vehicle.

12. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the upper-level command section determines the first target vehicle state quantity based on input information, by using a simple vehicle model that simply describes motion of the vehicle with no regard to dynamic behavior of the vehicle; and

the lower-level command section determines the second target vehicle state quantity based on input information, by using a more precise vehicle model that describes motion of the vehicle more precisely than the simple vehicle model so as to reflect the dynamic behavior of the vehicle.

13. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 12, wherein the executing section determines controlled variables by which the plurality of actuators are to be controlled so as to realize the second target vehicle state quantity, based on input information, by using a vehicle model that describes motion of a wheel of the vehicle in relation to at least a longitudinal force and a lateral force, out of the longitudinal force, lateral force and a vertical force that act on the wheel.

14. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 1, wherein each of at least one of the upper-level command section, lower-level command section and the executing section determines information to be transmitted to a section located at a lower level than said each section, based on information received from a section located at a higher level than said each section, by using a model that describes at least one of the motion of the vehicle and the motion of a wheel of the vehicle, and corrects the model based on an error in the information transmitted to the section located at a lower level than said each section.

15. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the executing section includes a plurality of units that are arranged in the form of a hierarchy having a plurality of hierarchical levels in a direction from the lower-level command section toward the plurality of actuators;

the plurality of units include a distribution unit being at a first level as one of the hierarchical levels, the distribution unit being adapted to distribute controlled variables by which the plurality of actuators are to be controlled so as to realize the second target vehicle state quantity supplied from the lower-level command section, to the plurality of actuators, and a control unit being at a second level lower than the first level, the control unit being adapted to control the plurality of actuators so as to realize the controlled variables supplied from the distribution unit;

the distribution unit includes an upper-level distribution unit provided with respect to all of the plurality of actuators, for distributing controlled variables by which the plurality of actuators are to be controlled so as to realize the second target vehicle state quantity supplied from the lower-level command section, to all of the plurality of actuators in an integrated manner, a lower-level distribution unit provided with respect to a part of the plurality of actuators, for distributing the controlled variables supplied from the upper-level distribution unit, to the part of the plurality of actuators;

the control unit includes a plurality of individual control units, a first group of which is provided at a hierarchical level subordinate to the lower-level distribution unit with regard to the part of the plurality of actuators, and a second group of which is provided at a hierarchical level subordinate to the upper-level distribution unit with regard to the remaining actuators; and

the upper-level distribution unit, the lower-level distribution unit and the control unit perform particular functions assigned to the respective units, by causing the computer to execute a plurality of modules that are independent of each other on the software configuration.

16. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 15, wherein:

the plurality of actuators are classified into a plurality of groups depending upon a type of a physical quantity that acts on each element of the vehicle by each of the actuators; and

the lower-level distribution unit is provided with respect to at least one of the plurality of groups each of which contains two or more actuators.

17. The integrated vehicle motion control system according to claim 15, wherein:

the plurality of actuators include a plurality of wheel-related actuators that control at least longitudinal force and lateral force, out of longitudinal force, lateral force and vertical force of a wheel of the vehicle; and

the upper-level distribution unit distributes the controlled variables to the plurality of wheel-related actuators such that the controlled variables include at least a longitudinal force component associated with the longitudinal force and a lateral force component associated with the lateral force, out of the longitudinal force component, the lateral force component, and a vertical force component associated with the vertical force.