VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20090326761A1
• Filed: 06/09/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Advics Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Advics Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nitta, Chihiro
• Application Number:
  US12/481,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326761A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/16 Curve braking control, e.g. turn control within ABS control algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/02 Active Steering, Steer-by-Wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/09 Complex systems; Conjoint control of two or more vehicle active control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/001 the torque NOT being among the input parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle control device includes a turning state changing mechanism for changing a turning state of a vehicle on the basis of a turning state changing command, and a curve-driving assessment portion for inputting therein a curve characteristic information including a shape of a curve existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle and a line-of-sight information relating to a line-of-sight of a driver and for outputting the turning state changing command to the turning state changing mechanism on the basis of the curve characteristic information and the line-of-sight information.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising:

a turning state changing mechanism for changing a turning state of a vehicle on the basis of a turning state changing command, and

a curve-driving assessment means for inputting therein a curve characteristic information including a shape of a curve existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle and a line-of-sight information relating to a line-of-sight of a driver and for outputting the turning state changing command to the turning state changing mechanism on the basis of the curve characteristic information and the line-of-sight information.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the curve-driving assessment means further inputs therein a turning-drive state information of the vehicle in order to use the turning-drive state information for determining an output of the turning state changing command.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the curve-driving assessment means uses a position of a fixation point of the driver, included in the line-of-sight information, with reference to a reference level as one of determination conditions for outputting the turning state changing command, so that in a case where the fixation point of the driver is positioned below the reference level, the curve-driving assessment means determines that the vehicle moves towards an inner side of the curve and therefore, the curve-driving assessment means outputs the turning state changing command so that the turning state changing mechanism changes a turning state of the vehicle to a turning state where a turning radius of the vehicle increases.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the curve-driving assessment means uses a comparison between a curve radius of the road, included in the curve characteristic information, and a turning radius of the vehicle, included in the turning-drive state information, as one of the determination conditions for outputting the turning state changing command.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 further comprising a steering characteristic adjusting mechanism for adjusting a steering characteristic of the vehicle as the turning state changing mechanism.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 further comprising a steering torque controlling mechanism for controlling a steering torque in a steering mechanism as the turning state changing mechanism.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 further comprising a steering angle changing mechanism for changing a steering angle of a wheel of the vehicle generated by a steering wheel as the turning state changing mechanism.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 further comprising a braking force operating mechanism for operating a braking force of each wheel of the vehicle as the turning state changing mechanism.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the curve-driving assessment means uses a position of a fixation point of the driver, included in the line-of-sight information, with reference to a reference level as one of determination conditions for outputting the turning state changing command, so that in a case where the fixation point of the driver is positioned below the reference level, the curve-driving assessment means determines that the vehicle moves towards an inner side of the curve and therefore, the curve-driving assessment means outputs the turning state changing command so that the turning state changing mechanism changes a turning state of the vehicle to a turning state where a turning radius of the vehicle increases.

10. The vehicle control device according to claim 9 further comprising a steering characteristic adjusting mechanism for adjusting a steering characteristic of the vehicle as the turning state changing mechanism.

11. The vehicle control device according to claim 9 further comprising a steering torque controlling mechanism for controlling a steering torque in a steering mechanism as the turning state changing mechanism.

12. The vehicle control device according to claim 9 further comprising a steering angle changing mechanism for changing a steering angle of a wheel of the vehicle generated by a steering wheel as the turning state changing mechanism.

13. The vehicle control device according to claim 9 further comprising a braking force operating mechanism for operating a braking force of each wheel of the vehicle as the turning state changing mechanism.

14. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 further comprising a steering characteristic adjusting mechanism for adjusting a steering characteristic of the vehicle as the turning state changing mechanism.

15. The vehicle control device according to claim 14, wherein the steering characteristic adjusting mechanism includes an active stabilizer mechanism and a stabilizer control portion for controlling stabilizer values applied relative to a front wheel side and a rear wheel side of the vehicle in the active stabilizer mechanism.

16. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 further comprising a steering torque controlling mechanism for controlling a steering torque in a steering mechanism as the turning state changing mechanism.

17. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 further comprising a steering angle changing mechanism for changing a steering angle of a wheel of the vehicle generated by a steering wheel as the turning state changing mechanism.

18. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 further comprising a braking force operating mechanism for operating a braking force of each wheel of the vehicle as the turning state changing mechanism.

19. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the driver performs an operation exceeding a reference level, a turning state changing operation on the basis of the turning state changing command is cancelled.