Vehicle motion control method and vehicle motion control apparatus

• US 7,315,773 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohta, Takayuki, Kato, Hiroaki, Momiyama, Minekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US10/811,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/42, 701/70, 701/88, 701/89, 180/400, 180/446, 180/422, 180/443, 340/438, 318/52
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/04 responsive only to forces disturbing the intended course of the vehicle, e.g. forces acting transversely to the direction of vehicle travel

Abstract

This invention provides a vehicle motion control method and a vehicle motion control apparatus capable of improving the behavior stability of a vehicle. According to the vehicle motion control method, vehicle steering characteristic is determined based on a behavior amount differentiated value obtained by differentiating (S203) a slip angle differential value which is a behavior amount of the vehicle which occurs around a z-axis in the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body (S205, S209). Consequently, because the phase of the slip angle differential value is progressed, the transition tendency of the steering characteristic, that is, which the vehicle motion condition is moved to over-steer or under-steer, can be obtained early. Therefore, the starting timing of the steering control or drive power control of the vehicle can be accelerated thereby improving the behavior stability of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle motion control method for executing steering control or drive power control for the vehicle based on steering characteristic of the vehicle obtained based on the behavior amount of the vehicle which occurs around an axis in the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body, comprising:

behavior amount acquiring step of acquiring the behavior amount of said vehicle;

differentiation step of obtaining a behavior amount differentiated value by differentiating said behavior amount; and

steering characteristic determination step of determining said vehicle steering characteristic based on said behavior amount differentiated value,

wherein said steering characteristic determination step contains over-steer characteristic determination step in which even if said behavior amount falls under the under-steer characteristic, if it exceeds a predetermined under-steer determination value in the vicinity of neutral steer determination value while said behavior amount differentiated value is positive, it is determined that the steering characteristic is over-steer; and

under-steer characteristic determination step in which even if said behavior amount falls under the over-steer characteristic, if it is below a predetermined over-steer determination value in the vicinity of neutral steer determination value while said behavior amount differentiated value is negative, it is determined that the steering characteristic is under-steer.

2. The vehicle motion control method according to claim 1 wherein said behavior amount is a difference in angle between the front wheel slip angle of a front wheel of said vehicle and the rear wheel slip angle of a rear wheel of said vehicle.

4. The vehicle motion control method according to claim 2 wherein said steering control is carried out by transmission ratio changing control step for controlling the transmission ratio changing means which is located in the midway of steering transmission system connecting the steering wheel to the steered vehicle wheel for changing the transmission ratio by driving an electric motor.

5. The vehicle motion control method according to claim 1 further comprising:

object control amount arithmetic operation step of computing an object control amount which is an object value for the steering control or drive power control of said vehicle;

proportional control amount arithmetic operation step of computing a proportional control amount based on a difference between said behavior amount and said object control amount; and

proportional control amount zero setting step for, when said proportional control amount acts on control which intensifies the over-steer when the over-steer of said vehicle is suppressed, setting the proportional control amount to substantially zero.

6. The vehicle motion control method according to claim 1 wherein said steering control is carried out by transmission ratio changing control step for controlling the transmission ratio changing means which is located in the midway of steering transmission system connecting the steering wheel to the steered vehicle wheel for changing the transmission ratio by driving an electric motor.

3. The vehicle motion control method according to claim further comprising:

object control amount arithmetic operation step of computing an object control amount which is an object value for the steering control or drive power control of said vehicle;

proportional control amount arithmetic operation step of computing a proportional control amount based on a difference between said behavior amount and said object control amount; and

proportional control amount zero setting step for, when said proportional control amount acts on control which intensifies the over-steer when the over-steer of said vehicle is suppressed, setting the proportional control amount to substantially zero.

7. A vehicle motion control method for executing steering control or drive power control for the vehicle based on steering characteristic of the vehicle obtained based on the behavior amount of the vehicle which occurs around an axis in the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body, comprising:

behavior amount acquiring step of acquiring the behavior amount of said vehicle;

differentiation step of obtaining a behavior amount differentiated value by differentiating said behavior amount; and

steering characteristic determination step of determining said vehicle steering characteristic based on said behavior amount differentiated value, wherein said behavior amount is a difference in angle between the front wheel slip angle of a front wheel of said vehicle and the rear wheel slip angle of a rear wheel of said vehicle, and

wherein said steering characteristic determination step contains over-steer characteristic determination step in which even if said behavior amount falls under the under-steer characteristic, if it exceeds a predetermined under-steer determination value in the vicinity of neutral steer determination value while said behavior amount differentiated value is positive, it is determined that the steering characteristic is over-steer; and

under-steer characteristic determination step in which even if said behavior amount falls under the over-steer characteristic, if it is below a predetermined over-steer determination value in the vicinity of neutral steer determination value while said behavior amount differentiated value is negative, it is determined that the steering characteristic is under-steer.

8. The vehicle motion control method according to claim 7 wherein said steering control is carried out by transmission ratio changing control step for controlling the transmission ratio changing means which is located in the midway of steering transmission system connecting the steering wheel to the steered vehicle wheel for changing the transmission ratio by driving an electric motor.

9. A vehicle motion control apparatus for executing steering control or drive power control for the vehicle based on steering characteristic of the vehicle obtained based on the behavior amount of the vehicle which occurs around an axis in the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body, comprising:

behavior amount acquiring means for acquiring the behavior amount of said vehicle;

differentiation means for obtaining a behavior amount differentiated value by differentiating said behavior amount; and

steering characteristic determination means for determining said vehicle steering characteristic based on said behavior amount differentiated values,

wherein said steering characteristic determination means includes over-steer characteristic determination means in which even if said behavior amount exceeds a predetermined under-steer determination value while said behavior amount differentiated value is positive, it is determined that the steering characteristic is over-steer; and

under-steer characteristic determination means in which even if said behavior amount is below a predetermined over-steer determination value while said behavior amount differentiated value is negative, it is determined that the steering characteristic is under-steer.

10. The vehicle motion control apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said behavior amount is a difference in angle between the front wheel slip angle of a front wheel of said vehicle and the rear wheel slip angle of a rear wheel of said vehicle.

11. The vehicle motion control method according to claim 10 further comprising:

object control amount arithmetic operation means for computing an object control amount which is an object value for the steering control or drive power control of said vehicle;

proportional control amount arithmetic operation means for computing a proportional control amount based on a difference between said behavior amount and said object control amount; and

proportional control amount zero setting means for, when said proportional control amount acts on control which intensifies the over-steer when the over-steer of said vehicle is suppressed, setting the proportional control amount to substantially zero.

12. The vehicle motion control apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said steering control is carried out by transmission ratio changing control means for controlling the transmission ratio changing means which is located in the midway of steering transmission system connecting the steering wheel to the steered vehicle wheel for changing the transmission ratio by driving an electric motor.

13. The vehicle motion control method according to claim 9 further comprising:

object control amount arithmetic operation means for computing an object control amount which is an object value for the steering control or drive power control of said vehicle;

proportional control amount arithmetic operation means for computing a proportional control amount based on a difference between said behavior amount and said object control amount; and

proportional control amount zero setting means for, when said proportional control amount acts on control which intensifies the over-steer when the over-steer of said vehicle is suppressed, setting the proportional control amount to substantially zero.

14. The vehicle motion control apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said steering control is carried out by transmission ratio changing control means for controlling the transmission ratio changing means which is located in the midway of steering transmission system connecting the steering wheel to the steered vehicle wheel for changing the transmission ratio by driving an electric motor.

15. A vehicle motion control apparatus for executing steering control or drive power control for the vehicle based on steering characteristic of the vehicle obtained based on the behavior amount of the vehicle which occurs around an axis in the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body, comprising:

behavior amount acquiring means for acquiring the behavior amount of said vehicle;

differentiation means for obtaining a behavior amount differentiated value by differentiating said behavior amount; and

steering characteristic determination means for determining said vehicle steering characteristic based on said behavior amount differentiated value, wherein said behavior amount is a difference in angle between the front wheel slip angle of a front wheel of said vehicle and the rear wheel slip angle of a rear wheel of said vehicle,

wherein said steering characteristic determination means includes over-steer characteristic determination means in which even if said behavior amount exceeds a predetermined under-steer determination value while said behavior amount differentiated value is positive, it is determined that the steering characteristic is over-steer; and

under-steer characteristic determination means in which even if said behavior amount is below a predetermined over-steer determination value while said behavior amount differentiated value is negative, it is determined that the steering characteristic is under-steer.

16. The vehicle motion control apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said steering control is carried out by transmission ratio changing control means for controlling the transmission ratio changing means which is located in the midway of steering transmission system connecting the steering wheel to the steered vehicle wheel for changing the transmission ratio by driving an electric motor.