CONTROL APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE

• US 20140358373A1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Hironobu, Hirayama, Katsuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,187,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/016 characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input B60G17/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0185 for failure detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/106 longitudinal with regard to vehicle, e.g. braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/30 Propulsion unit conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/91 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/08 Failure or malfunction detecting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/01 Attitude or posture control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/162 Reducing road induced vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/80 Detection or control after a system or component failure
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/922 EBV - Electronic brake force distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/94 Electronic Stability Program (ESP, i.e. ABS+ASC+EMS)
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/95 Automatic Traction or Slip Control [ATC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/06 Active Suspension System
• 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: B60T 8/17555 specially adapted for enhancing driver or passenger comfort, e.g. soft intervention or pre-actuation strategies
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 : including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/16 : Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 : Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/025 : related to comfort of drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/11 : Pitch movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/029 : Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts

Abstract

A control apparatus for a vehicle is configured to detect an abnormality of shock absorbers. When an abnormality detection means has detected an abnormality, braking/driving force posture control amount computation means computes an amount of braking/driving force posture control controlled by means of braking/driving force of the vehicle on the basis of target posture control amount.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a braking force attitude control amount calculation unit configured to calculate a braking force attitude control amount controlled by a braking force of the vehicle so that an attitude of a vehicle body becomes a target attitude;

a driving force attitude control amount calculation unit configured to calculate a driving force attitude control amount controlled by a driving force of the vehicle so that the attitude of the vehicle body becomes a target attitude;

a damping force control unit configured to control a damping force of a shock absorber based on the driving force attitude control amount and the braking force attitude control amount;

a traveling state detector configured to detect a traveling state of the vehicle;

a target attitude control amount calculation unit configured to calculate a target attitude control amount of the vehicle body based on the traveling state; and

an abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality of the shock absorber, wherein

the driving force attitude control amount calculation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates a driving force attitude control amount controlled by the driving force of the vehicle, based on the target attitude control amount, and wherein

the braking force attitude control amount calculation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates a braking force attitude control amount controlled by the braking force of the vehicle, based on the target attitude control amount and the driving force attitude control amount.

3. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the braking force attitude control amount calculation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates the braking force attitude control amount based on a value obtained by excluding the driving force attitude control amount from the target attitude control amount.

4. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the driving force attitude control amount calculation unit has a limit value for limiting the driving force attitude control amount to a predetermined value, and

the driving force attitude control amount calculation unit increases the limit value when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector.

5. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the braking force attitude control amount calculation unit has a limit value for limiting the braking force attitude control amount to a predetermined value, and

the braking force attitude control amount calculation unit increases the limit value when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector.

6. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the driving force attitude control amount calculation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates the driving force attitude control amount so as to increase control responsiveness of the driving force more than when an abnormality has not been detected yet.

7. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the braking force attitude control amount calculation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates the braking force attitude control amount so as to increase control responsiveness of the braking force more than when an abnormality has not been detected yet.

2. (canceled)

8. A control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a driving force attitude control amount calculation unit configured to calculate a driving force attitude control amount controlled by a driving force of the vehicle so that an attitude of a vehicle body becomes a target attitude;

a braking force attitude control amount calculation unit configured to calculate a braking force attitude control amount controlled by a braking force of the vehicle so that the attitude of the vehicle body becomes a target attitude;

a damping force control unit configured to control a damping force of a shock absorber based on the driving force attitude control amount and the braking force attitude control amount;

a traveling state detector configured to detect a traveling state of the vehicle;

a target attitude control amount calculation unit configured to calculate a target attitude control amount of the vehicle body based on the traveling state; and

an abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality of the shock absorber, wherein

the braking force attitude control amount calculation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates a braking force attitude control amount controlled by a braking force of the vehicle based on the target attitude control amount, and wherein

the driving force attitude control amount calculation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates a driving force attitude control amount controlled by a driving force of the vehicle, based on the target attitude control amount and the braking force attitude control amount.

9. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the driving force attitude control amount calculation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates the driving force attitude control amount based on a value obtained by excluding the braking force attitude control amount from the target attitude control amount.

10. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein:

the braking force attitude control amount calculation unit has a limit value for limiting the braking force attitude control amount to a predetermined value, and

the braking force attitude control amount calculation unit increases the limit value when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector.

11. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein:

the driving force attitude control amount calculation unit has a limit value for limiting the driving force attitude control amount to a predetermined value, and

the driving force attitude control amount calculation unit increases the limit value when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector.

12. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the braking force attitude control amount calculation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates the braking force attitude control amount so as to increase control responsiveness of the braking force more than when an abnormality has not been detected yet.

13. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the driving force attitude control amount calculation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates the driving force attitude control amount so as to increase control responsiveness of the driving force more than when an abnormality has not been detected yet.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. A control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a controller configured to calculate a braking force attitude control amount, a driving force attitude control amount, and a damping force attitude control amount so that an attitude of a vehicle body becomes a target attitude;

a friction brake that generates a damping force corresponding to the damping force attitude control amount;

a driving source that generates a driving force corresponding to the driving force attitude control amount;

a shock absorber that generates a damping force corresponding to the damping force attitude control amount;

a sensor configured to detect a traveling state of the vehicle; and

an abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality of the shock absorber, wherein

the controller, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates a driving force attitude control amount based on a target attitude control amount of the vehicle body calculated from the traveling state, and also calculates a braking force attitude control amount based on the target attitude control amount and the driving force attitude control amount.

17. A control method for a vehicle comprising the steps of:

calculating, by a controller, a braking force attitude control amount controlled by a braking force, a driving force attitude control amount controlled by a driving force, and a damping force attitude control amount controlled by a damping force of a shock absorber so that an attitude of a vehicle body becomes a target attitude;

calculating, by the controller, when an abnormality occurs in the shock absorber, a target attitude control amount based on a traveling state of the vehicle;

calculating, by the controller, a driving force attitude control amount based on the target attitude control amount; and

controlling, by the controller, a control amount, which cannot be attained by the driving force attitude control amount, using a braking force with respect to the target attitude control amount.

18. A control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a controller configured to calculate a driving force attitude control amount, a braking force attitude control amount, and a damping force attitude control amount so that an attitude of a vehicle body becomes a target attitude;

a driving source that generates a driving force corresponding to the driving force attitude control amount;

a friction brake that generates a damping force corresponding to the damping force attitude control amount;

a shock absorber that generates a damping force corresponding to the damping force attitude control amount;

a sensor configured to detect a traveling state of the vehicle; and

an abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality of the shock absorber, wherein

the controller, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detector, calculates a braking force attitude control amount based on a target attitude control amount of the vehicle body calculated from the traveling state, and also calculates a driving force attitude control amount based on the target attitude control amount and the braking force attitude control amount.

19. A control method for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

calculating, by a controller, a driving force attitude control amount controlled by a driving force, a braking force attitude control amount controlled by a braking force, and a damping force attitude control amount controlled by a damping force of a shock absorber so that an attitude of a vehicle body becomes a target attitude;

calculating, by the controller, when an abnormality occurs in the shock absorber, a target attitude control amount based on a traveling state of the vehicle;

calculating, by the controller, the braking force attitude control amount based on the target attitude control amount; and

controlling, by the controller, a control amount, which cannot be attained by the braking force attitude control amount, using a driving force with respect to the target attitude control amount.