VEHICLE BEHAVIOR CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20150066243A1
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: HIRAO, Ryusuke, ICHIMARU, Nobuyuki, YAMAKADO, Makoto, AOKI, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,059,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/06 Characteristics of dampers , e.g. mechanical dampersB60G17/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/223 Stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/226 Damping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/045 Improving turning performance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 Load or weight

Abstract

A tire load calculation section of a controller calculates tire load factors of the respective wheels. A target tire load-factor calculation section calculates a tire load factor average value (η_ave) obtained by averaging the tire load factors (η_i) of the respective wheels as a target tire load factor. A target tire vertical-load calculation section calculates target tire vertical loads (Fzref_i) for the respective wheels so that the tire load factors of the respective wheels become equal to the tire load factor average value. A vertical-load control section and a suspension control section control thrusts of electromagnetic dampers for the respective wheels so as to achieve the target tire vertical loads.

Claims

1. A vehicle behavior control apparatus for controlling a behavior of a vehicle including a plurality of wheels having respective tires externally mounted thereon, the vehicle behavior control apparatus comprising:

means for estimating a degree of allowance for generation of a lateral force on a front wheel and on a rear wheel;

vehicle behavior estimation means for estimating the behavior of the vehicle;

tire load calculation means for calculating tire load factors of the respective tires; and

vertical-load control means for controlling, when the vehicle behavior estimation means estimates that the vehicle is in a turning state, a load applied to a wheel other than a wheel having a larger tire load factor among calculated values of the respective tire load factors calculated by the tire load calculation means, so as to increase a load applied to the wheel having the larger tire load factor.

2. A vehicle behavior control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vertical-load control means performs control so as to change the wheel from which the load is transferred between at time of entering a turn and at time of exiting the torn.

3. A vehicle behavior control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vertical-load control means performs control so as to decrease a load applied to a wheel having a smallest tire load factor and increase a load applied to a wheel having a largest tire load factor.

4. A vehicle behavior control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vertical-load control means, comprises roll stiffness distribution control means for controlling roll stiffness to be distributed to the front wheel and roll stiffness to be distributed to the rear wheel so as to increase a load applied to a wheel having a largest tire load factor.

5. A vehicle behavior control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the roll stiffness distribution control means decreases the roll stiffness to be distributed to the front wheel when a requested degree of decreasing the load is higher for the rear wheel than for the front wheel.

6. A vehicle behavior control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the roll stiffness distribution control means decreases the roll stiffness to be distributed to the rear wheel when a requested degree of decreasing the load is higher for the front wheel than for the rear wheel.