Vehicle control apparatus and vehicle vibration suppression method

• US 20070005196A1
• Filed: 07/03/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inagaki, Shoji, Nakai, Yasuhiro, Takamatsu, Hideki, Oikawa, Yoshitaka, Kawahara, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,269,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 19/02 characterised by the use of electric means

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus for controlling a vehicle in response to a target control value includes a first setting unit configured to set a first target control value in response to a driver'"'"'s request, a correction unit configured to correct the first target control value set by the first setting unit such as to suppress over-spring vibration of the vehicle, a second setting unit configured to set a second target control value in response to conditions different from a driver'"'"'s request, and an arbitration unit configured to arbitrate between the first target control value and the second target control value, wherein if the second setting unit sets the second target control value, the correction unit is prevented from correcting the first target control value, and the arbitration unit arbitrates between the first target control value not corrected by the correction unit and the second target control value.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus for controlling a vehicle in response to a target control value that relates to a travel of the vehicle, comprising:

a first target control value setting unit configured to set a first target control value in response to a driver'"'"'s request;

a correction unit configured to correct the first target control value set by the first target control value setting unit such as to suppress over-spring vibration of the vehicle;

a second target control value setting unit configured to set a second target control value in response to conditions different from a driver'"'"'s request; and

an arbitration unit configured to arbitrate between the first target control value and the second target control value,

wherein if the second target control value setting unit sets the second target control value, the correction unit is prevented from correcting the first target control value, and the arbitration unit arbitrates between the first target control value not corrected by the correction unit and the second target control value.

2. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a switching unit configured to selectively switch a destination of the first target control value set by the first target control value setting unit between the correction unit and the arbitration unit, wherein the switching unit supplies the first target control value directly to the arbitration unit without the correction unit serving as an intervening unit if the second target control value sets the second target control value.

3. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the second target control value setting unit releases a setting of the second target control value, the correction unit receives a final output value of the arbitration unit that is output at a time the setting of the second target control value is released

4. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arbitration unit is configured to select the smaller of the first target control value or the second target control value, which are substantially simultaneously supplied.

5. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arbitration unit is configured to select the larger of the first target control value or the second target control value, which are substantially simultaneously supplied.

6. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second target control value setting unit is configured to set the second target control value in response to at least one of a travel condition of the vehicle and a travel environment of the vehicle such that a behavior of the vehicle is stabilized.

7. A method of suppressing vibration of a vehicle by correcting, with a correction unit, a first target control value relating to a travel of the vehicle and set according to a driver'"'"'s request such as to suppress over-spring vibration of the vehicle, comprising:

a step (a) of setting a second target control value in response to conditions different from the driver'"'"'s request;

a step (b) of preventing the correction unit from correcting the first target control value if the second target control value is set by the step (a); and

a step (c) of arbitrating between the first target control value not corrected by the correction unit and the second target control value.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a step (d) of supplying a final arbitration result of the step (c) to the correction unit when a setting of the second target control value is released, the final arbitration result being a result of the step (c) that is obtained at a time the setting of the second target control value is released.

9. A vehicle control apparatus for controlling a vehicle in response to a target control value that relates to a travel of the vehicle, comprising:

a first target control value setting unit configured to set a first target control value in response to a driver'"'"'s request;

a second target control value setting unit configured to set a second target control value in response to conditions different from a driver'"'"'s request; and

a correction unit configured to correct the first target control value set by the first target control value setting unit or the second target control value set by the second target control value setting unit such as to suppress over-spring vibration of the vehicle,

wherein when the second target control value setting unit sets the second target control value, the first target control value is disabled, and the correction unit is prevented from correcting the second target control value under predetermined conditions.

10. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a first switching unit configured to selectively enable one of the first target control value set by the first target control value setting unit and the second target control value set by the second target control value setting unit, and a second switching unit configured to control whether to supply the first target control value or second target control value output from the first switching unit to the correction unit.

11. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein when the second target control value setting unit releases a setting of the second target control value, the correction unit receives a final output value of the second target control value setting unit that is output at a time the setting of the second target control value is released

12. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second target control value setting unit is configured to set the second target control value in response to at least one of the driver'"'"'s request, a travel condition of the vehicle, and a travel environment of the vehicle such that driving of the vehicle is assisted or substituted for.

13. A method of suppressing vibration of a vehicle by correcting, with a correction unit, a first target control value relating to a travel of the vehicle and set according to a driver'"'"'s request such as to suppress over-spring vibration of the vehicle, comprising:

a step (a) of setting a second target control value in response to conditions different from the driver'"'"'s request; and

a step (b) of disabling the first target control value and preventing the correction unit from correcting the second target control value under predetermined conditions if the second target control value is set by the step (a).

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a step (c) of supplying a final setting value of the step (a) to the correction unit when a setting of the second target control value is released, the final setting value being a value set by the step (a) at a time the setting of the second target control value is released.