VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE AND VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD

• US 20160090004A1
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: IENAGA, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,821,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/42 with use of more than one motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/461 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/465 Slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0015 Prevention of collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/102 of individual wheels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A vehicle control device includes an obstacle detection unit that detects an obstacle in front of a vehicle and detects a distance to the obstacle, a maximum driving force difference calculation module that calculates, on the basis of the detected distance to the obstacle, a maximum driving force difference between a left wheel and a right wheel, and a redistribution control module that redistributes, when an actual driving force difference of respective motors that drive the left and right wheels exceeds the maximum driving force difference, torques of the respective motors in a manner that the actual driving force difference becomes lower than or equal to the maximum driving force difference.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising:

an obstacle detection unit that detects an obstacle in front of a vehicle and detects a distance to the obstacle;

a maximum driving force difference calculation module that calculates, on the basis of the detected distance to the obstacle, a maximum driving force difference between a left wheel and a right wheel; and

a redistribution control module that redistributes, when an actual driving force difference of respective motors that drive the left and right wheels exceeds the maximum driving force difference, torques of the respective motors in a manner that the actual driving force difference becomes lower than or equal to the maximum driving force difference.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,

wherein the redistribution control module limits a torque of a motor having a larger actual driving force of the respective motors that drive the respective left and right wheels, to a value obtained by adding the maximum driving force difference to the actual driving force of a motor having a smaller actual driving force of the respective motors.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2,

wherein the redistribution control module sets a torque of the motor having the smaller actual driving force of the respective motors as a driver'"'"'s requested driving force obtained from an accelerator position and a braking operation amount.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a slip determination module that sets a lowest rotation speed among rotation speeds of wheels as a base rotation speed and determines a slip of the left and right wheels on the basis of the base rotation speed and rotation speeds of the motors of the respective wheels,

wherein, when it is determined that either one of the left and right wheels is slipping, the redistribution control module calculates the torques to be redistributed.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a target rotation speed calculation module that calculates target rotation speeds of the wheels on the basis of the base rotation speed; and

a rotation speed control module that calculates, on the basis of a result of slip determination by the slip determination module, a request torque of a motor of a slipping wheel from a torque of the slipping wheel calculated by the redistribution control module in a manner that the rotation speed of the slipping wheel becomes equal to the target rotation speed.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,

wherein the maximum driving force difference calculation module calculates the maximum driving force difference in accordance with the distance to the obstacle and a steering wheel steering angle.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a warning generation unit that generates a warning to a driver in response to the calculation of the torques to be redistributed by the redistribution control module.

8. A vehicle control method comprising:

detecting an obstacle in front of a vehicle and detecting a distance to the obstacle;

calculating, on the basis of the detected distance to the obstacle, a maximum driving force difference between a left wheel and a right wheel; and

calculating and redistributing, when an actual driving force difference of respective motors that drive the left and right wheels exceeds the maximum driving force difference, torques of the respective motors in a manner that the actual driving force difference becomes lower than or equal to the maximum driving force difference.