VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL APPARATUS AND VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL SYSTEM USING THE SAME

• US 20120109411A1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advics Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: Advics Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hanzawa, Masatoshi, Nitta, Hirofumi, Tokimasa, Mitsuhiro, Tatsukawa, Junpei, Mukai, Yasuhiko, Maruyama, Masaki, Mizutani, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,180,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/009 Priority selection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering

Abstract

A vehicle dynamic control apparatus is designed to control a plurality of controlled objects based on a first parameter associated with a motion of a vehicle in a same direction to fulfill a request value of a second parameter associated with the motion of the vehicle in the same direction and outputted from a control requester. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus includes an availability obtainer configured to obtain an availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects, and to output the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects to the control requester.

Claims

1. A vehicle dynamic control apparatus for controlling a plurality of controlled objects based on a first parameter associated with a motion of a vehicle in a same direction to fulfill a request value of a second parameter associated with the motion of the vehicle in the same direction and outputted from a control requester, the vehicle dynamic control apparatus comprising:

an availability obtainer configured to obtain an availability corresponding to a controllable range of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects, and to output the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects to the control requester.

2. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first parameter includes a controlled variable and a change in the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects, and the availability obtainer is configured to obtain, as a first availability, the availability of the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects, obtain, as a second availability, the availability of the change in the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects, and output the first availability of the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects and the second availability of the change in the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects to the control requester, the vehicle dynamic control apparatus further comprising:

a determiner configured to determine an order of the plurality of controlled objects to be controlled based on the first availability of the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects and the second availability of the change in the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects; and

a selector configured to select one of the plurality of controlled objects to be controlled in accordance with the order determined by the determiner.

3. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control requester includes at least one application programmed to output, in addition to the second parameter, a request mode, the request mode of the at least one application representing what the at least one application places a higher priority on, and the determiner is configured to determine the order of the plurality of controlled objects to be controlled based on the request mode in addition to the first availability of the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects and the second availability of the change in the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects.

4. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the request value of the second parameter is comprised of a first request value for the controlled variable and a second request value for the change in the controlled variable, the vehicle dynamic control apparatus further comprising:

a calculator configured to calculate, based on the request mode, the first request value for the controlled variable, and the second request value for the change in the controlled variable, a value of the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects and a value of the change in the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects,

the determiner being configured to determine the order of the plurality of controlled objects to be controlled based on;

the request mode, the first request value for the controlled variable, the second request value for the change in the controlled variable, the value of the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects, and the value of the change in the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects.

5. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the request mode of the at least one application includes a first mode representing that the at least one application places a higher priority on comfort, and a second mode representing that the at least one application places a higher priority on responsivity, and the determiner is configured to:

determine the order of the plurality of controlled objects to be controlled based on whether the value of the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects satisfies the first request value for the controlled variable when the request mode of the at least one application is the first mode; and

determine the order of the plurality of controlled objects to be controlled based on whether the value of the change in the controlled variable of each of the controlled objects satisfies the second request value for the change in the controlled variable when the request mode of the at least one application is the second mode.

6. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control requester includes at least one application programmed to output, in addition to the second parameter, a limitation request to limit the availability of the first parameter for at least one of the controlled objects, and the availability obtainer is configured to:

limit, based on the limitation request, the availability of the first parameter for at least one of the controlled objects to generate the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects, the availability of the first parameter for the at least one of the controlled objects having been limited; and

output, to the control requester, the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects.

7. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controllable range obtainer is configured to:

limit, based on the limitation request, the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects to generate a limited availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects; and

output, to the control requester, the limited availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects, and the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects before being limited.

8. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the availability obtainer is configured to:

receive vehicle information indicative of current conditions of the vehicle;

limit, based on the vehicle information, the availability of the first parameter of at least one of the controlled objects to generate a limited availability of the first parameter of the at least one of the controlled object; and

output, to the control requester, the availability of the first parameter of the at least one of the controlled objects.

9. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the availability obtainer is configured to:

obtain a disturbance entering into the vehicle dynamic control apparatus;

limit, based on the disturbance, the availability of the first parameter for at least one of the controlled objects to generate the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects, the availability of the first parameter for the at least one of the controlled objects having been limited; and

output, to the control requester, the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects.

10. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the availability obtainer is configured to:

limit, based on the disturbance, the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects to generate a limited availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects; and

output, to the control requester, the limited availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects, and the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects before being limited.

11. A vehicle dynamic control system comprising:

the vehicle dynamic control apparatus recited in claim 1; and

the control requester recited in claim 1,

wherein the control requester is configured to;

generate the request value of the second parameter based on the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects outputted to the control requester from the availability obtainer.

12. The vehicle dynamic control system according to claim 11, wherein the control requester includes at least one application programmed to:

if an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle with the vehicle travelling, determine whether the vehicle is able to avoid the obstacle;

determine whether the vehicle will avoid the obstacle;

generate the request value of the second parameter based on the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects outputted from the availability obtainer if it is determined that the vehicle will avoid the obstacle; and

stop the vehicle if it is determined that the vehicle will not avoid the obstacle.

13. A vehicle dynamic control system comprising:

the vehicle dynamic control apparatus recited in claim 1;

the control requester recited in claim 1; and

the plurality of controlled objects recited in claim 1, wherein the control requester includes at least one application programmed to output, in addition to the second parameter, a request mode, the request mode of the at least one application representing a mode representing that the at least one application places a higher priority on ecology, the availability obtainer is configured to limit, based on the ecology mode as the request mode, the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects to generate a limited availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects, and the control requester is configured to generate the request value of the second parameter based on the limited availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects outputted to the control requester from the availability obtainer.