Vehicle control apparatus

• US 7,337,049 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Fumiharu, Sakakibara, Seiji, Kawai, Masao, Shiimado, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Gary
• Application Number:
  US11/060,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20050209742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/37, 701/41, 701/48, 701/49, 701/51, 701/70, 701/91, 701/101, 701/102
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1015 Input shaft speed, e.g. turbine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/104 Output speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/00 Input parameters relating to exterior conditions, not covered by groups B60W2552/00, B60W2554/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus includes an attribute information collection unit for collecting attribute information relevant to a plurality of units in a vehicle, an environmental information collection unit for collecting environmental information, a required performance detection unit for detecting a required performance necessary for the vehicle based on the collected environmental information, a controlled target determination unit for determining a unit to be controlled based on the collected attribute information and required performance, and a control unit for controlling the unit by calculating a control variable for the unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus for mounting on a vehicle, comprising:

(a) an attribute information collection unit for collecting attribute information relevant to a plurality of units in a vehicle;

(b) an environmental information collection unit for collecting environmental information;

(c) a required performance detection unit for detecting a required operation of the vehicle based on the collected environmental information;

(d) a controlled target determination unit for determining, as a target unit, at least one unit to be controlled based on the collected attribute information and the detected required operation; and

(e) a control unit for controlling determined target units, by calculating a control command for each target unit.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

(a) said controlled target determination unit determines weighting for each target unit, based on the collected attribute information; and

(b) said control unit calculates a control command for each target unit, based on the weighting.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlled target determination unit determines a target unit based on a control map that is created on the basis of attribute information and in which the target unit is set corresponding to the detected required operation.

4. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

(a) said control map includes weighting for said target units in a manner corresponding to the detected required operation; and

(b) said control unit calculates at least one control command for each target unit based on the weighting.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control map is created each time an accessory signal switch is turned on.

6. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

(a) said control map includes weighting for said target units in a manner corresponding to the detected required operation; and

(b) said control unit calculates at least one control command for each target unit based on the weighting.

7. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 4:

wherein the target units are an engine and a transmission;

wherein the detected required operation is required acceleration; and

wherein said weighting determines the extent to which operation of each of the engine and transmission is to be changed to achieve the required acceleration.

8. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the target unit is selected from an engine, a transmission, a suspension system, a braking system, a steering unit, and a lamp unit.

9. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1:

wherein the target unit is a braking system;

wherein the attribute information includes information for at least one attribute selected from deceleration value and remaining pad; and

wherein the detected required operation is deceleration.

10. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1:

wherein said target unit is a power steering unit including a steering gear box;

wherein the attribute information includes auxiliary force generated by the power steering unit, type of power steering unit, and range of gear ratio of the steering gearbox; and

wherein the detected required operation is at least one of the generation of the auxiliary force and change of the gear ratio.

11. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1:

wherein the target unit is a suspension system;

wherein the attribute information includes data for at least one of spring constant, damping force and vehicle height; and

wherein the detected required operation is at least one of adjustment of vehicle height, change of spring constant and adjustment of damping force.

12. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1:

wherein the target unit is a transmission;

wherein the attribute information includes data for at least one of transmission input speed, gear or speed ratio and transmission output speed; and

wherein the detected required operation is a change of at least one of transmission input speed, gear or speed ratio and transmission output speed.

13. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1:

wherein the target unit is a lamp unit;

wherein the attribute information includes data for at least one parameter selected from lighting intensity, light direction, light distribution and on/off; and

wherein the detected required operation is a change in said at least one parameter.

14. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1:

wherein the target unit is an engine;

wherein the attribute information includes data for at least one parameter selected from number of cylinders, engine type, throttle characteristic, throttle range, fuel type and efficiency maps; and

wherein the detected required operation is a change in the output rotational speed or output torque of the engine.

15. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said environmental information collection unit includes:

at least one of a GPS signal receiver, a gyro sensor, a shift position sensor, a brake sensor, an emergency brake sensor, a throttle sensor, a lamp switch sensor and a vertical acceleration sensor; and

a database containing at least one file of data selected from;

a road data file including data for at least one of road width, slope, cant, altitude, banking, condition of the road surface, number of lanes, point at which the number of lanes increases or decreases and a point at which a road widens or narrows;

a map data file including data for at least one of modes, links, coordinates, and names of facilities; and

a point-of-interest file including data for at least one of facilities, telephone directory and events.

16. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said environmental information collection unit includes at least one camera for providing at least one distance to a vehicle ahead, tracking of the vehicle rotation to the centerline, condition of the road surface and field of vision to the rear of the vehicle.

17. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said environmental information collection unit includes:

at least one of a GPS signal receiver, a gyro sensor, a shift position sensor, a brake sensor, an emergency brake sensor, a throttle sensor, a lamp switch sensor and a vertical acceleration sensor; and

a database containing at least one file of data selected from;

a road data file including data for at least one of road width, slope, cant, altitude, banking, condition of the road surface, number of lanes, point at which the number of lanes increases or decreases and a point at which a road widens or narrows;

a map data file including data for at least one of nodes, links, coordinates, and names of facilities; and

a point-of-interest file including data for at least one of facilities, telephone directory and events.

18. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said environmental information collection unit includes:

at least one of a GPS signal receiver, a gyro sensor, a shift position sensor, a brake sensor, an emergency brake sensor, a throttle sensor, a lamp switch sensor and a vertical acceleration sensor; and

a database containing at least one file of data selected from;

a road data file including data for at least one of road width, slope, cant, altitude, banking, condition of the road surface, number of lanes, point at which the number of lanes increases or decreases and a point at which a road widens or narrows;

a map data file including data for at least one of nodes, links, coordinates, and names of facilities; and

a point-of-interest file including data for at least one of facilities, telephone directory and events.

19. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said environmental information collection unit includes:

at least one of a GPS signal receiver, a gyro sensor, a shift position sensor, a brake sensor, an emergency brake sensor, a throttle sensor, a lamp switch sensor and a vertical acceleration sensor; and

a database containing at least one file of data selected from;

a road data file including data for at least one of road width, slope, cant, altitude, banking, condition of the road surface, number of lanes, point at which the number of lanes increases or decreases and a point at which a road widens or narrows;

a map data file including data for at least one of nodes, links, coordinates, and names of facilities; and

a point-of-interest file including data for at least one of facilities, telephone directory and events.

20. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said environmental information collection unit includes:

at least one of a GPS signal receiver, a gyro sensor, a shift position sensor, a brake sensor, an emergency brake sensor, a throttle sensor, a lamp switch sensor and a vertical acceleration sensor; and

a database containing at least one file of data selected from;

a road data file including data for at least one of road width, slope, cant, altitude, banking, condition of the road surface, number of lanes, point at which the number of lanes increases or decreases and a point at which a road widens or narrows;

a map data file including data for at least one of nodes, links, coordinates, and names of facilities; and

a point-of-interest file including data for at least one of facilities, telephone directory and events.

21. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said environmental information collection unit includes:

at least one of a GPS signal receiver, a gyro sensor, a shift position sensor, a brake sensor, an emergency brake sensor, a throttle sensor, a lamp switch sensor and a vertical acceleration sensor; and

a database containing at least one file of data selected from;

a road data file including data for at least one of road width, slope, cant, altitude, banking, condition of the road surface, number of lanes, point at which the number of lanes increases or decreases and a point at which a road widens or narrows;

a map data file including data for at least one of nodes, links, coordinates, and names of facilities; and

a point-of-interest file including data for at least one of facilities, telephone directory and events.

22. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said environmental information collection unit includes:

at least one of a GPS signal receiver, a gyro sensor, a shift position sensor, a brake sensor, an emergency brake sensor, a throttle sensor, a lamp switch sensor and a vertical acceleration sensor; and

a database containing at least one file of data selected from;

a road data file including data for at least one of road width, slope, cant, altitude, banking, condition of the road surface, number of lanes, point at which the number of lanes increases or decreases and a point at which a road widens or narrows;

a map data file including data for at least one of nodes, links, coordinates, and names of facilities; and

a point-of-interest file including data for at least one of facilities, telephone directory and events.