Vehicle control device

• US 8,170,792 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Equos Research Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Equos Research Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Akira, Shirai, Hisanori, Horiguchi, Munehisa, Sakakibara, Fumihiko, Abe, Minoru, Naito, Takashi, Ando, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US12/518,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 701/37, 701/41, 701/91, 701116-119, 701/201, 701208-209, 701/409
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/00 Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/001 Tyres requiring an asymmetric or a special mounting
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 3/06 asymmetric
• 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 17/0161 mainly during straight-line motion B60G17/0164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• 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 2200/18 Multilink suspensions, e.g. elastokinematic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/462 Toe-in/out
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/464 Caster angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/148 on the unsprung part of the vehicle, e.g. wheel knuckle or rigid axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/182 Electric motor on wheel support
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/1116 Actively adjustable during driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/05142 Wheel camber
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/823 Obstacle sensing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/824 Travel path sensing; Track monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/843 Humidity; Rainfall
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/16 GPS track data
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/176 Radio or audio sensitive means, e.g. Ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/0422 : involving data transmission, e.g. via satellite or GPS; for data monitoring, telemetry or platooning purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/70 : Computer memory; Data storage, e.g. maps for adaptive control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/182 : Traction
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/21 : Traction, slip, skid or slide control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/26 : Means for maintaining substantially-constant wheel camber during suspension movement ; Means for controlling the variation of the wheel position during suspension movement B60G3/202, B60G3/22, B60G7/003, B60G7/006 take precedence; means for adjusting camber, castor, or toe-in B62D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/003 : of adjustable length
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/006 : Attaching arms to sprung or unsprung part of vehicle, characterised by comprising attachment means controlled by an external actuator, e.g. a fluid or electrical motor B62D7/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 17/00 : Means on vehicles for adjusting camber, castor, or toe-in
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/86 : Optimisation of rolling resistance, e.g. weight reduction

Abstract

A vehicle control device which can at least provide compatibility between a high grip performance and fuel efficiency or compatibility between quietness and fuel efficiency is provided. When a camber angle of a wheel 2 is adjusted to a negative camber, ground contact in a first tread 21 is increased and ground contact in a second tread 22 is decreased. Accordingly, the high grip performance or the quietness is provided. On the other hand, when the camber angle of the wheel 2 is adjusted to a positive camber, the ground contact in the first tread 21 is decreased and the ground contact in the second tread 22 is increased. Accordingly, a rolling resistance becomes low, and fuel saving is achieved. In this manner, by adjusting the camber angle of the wheel 2, the compatibility can be provided between conflicting performances of the high grip performance or the quietness and the fuel saving.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device which activates a camber angle adjustment device which adjusts a camber angle of a wheel to control the camber angle of the wheel, comprising:

activation control means for controlling an activation state of the camber angle adjustment device,

wherein the wheel includes a first tread and a second tread aligned in a width direction of the wheel with respect to the first tread and arranged on an inside or an outside of the vehicle,

wherein the first tread and the second tread are configured to have characteristics different from each other such that the first tread is configured to have a characteristic of a higher grip force compared to the second tread and the second tread is configured to have a characteristic of a smaller rolling resistance compared to the first tread,

wherein the activation control means includes;

vicinity information acquisition means for acquiring vicinity information on a vicinity of the vehicle;

characteristic determination means for determining a characteristic necessary for the wheel, based on the vicinity information acquired by the vicinity information acquisition means, and

camber angle change means for activating the camber angle adjustment device to change the camber angle of the wheel such that the wheel exhibits the characteristic determined by the characteristic determination means; and

wherein the vicinity information acquisition means includes;

current position detection means for detecting a current position of the vehicle;

map data storage means for storing map data; and

situation acquisition means for acquiring a situation of a route that the vehicle is to follow as the vicinity information based on the map data stored in the map data storage means and the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detection means.

2. A vehicle control device which activates a camber angle adjustment device which adjusts a camber angle of a wheel to control the camber angle of the wheel, comprising:

activation control means for controlling an activation state of the camber angle adjustment device,

wherein the wheel includes a first tread and a second tread aligned in a width direction of the wheel with respect to the first tread and arranged on an inside or an outside of the vehicle,

wherein the first tread and the second tread are configured to have characteristics different from each other such that the first tread is configured to have a characteristic of a higher grip force compared to the second tread and the second tread is configured to have a characteristic of a smaller rolling resistance compared to the first tread,

wherein the activation control means includes;

vicinity information acquisition means for acquiring vicinity information on a vicinity of the vehicle;

characteristic determination means for determining a characteristic necessary for the wheel, based on the vicinity information acquired by the vicinity information acquisition means, and

camber angle change means for activating the camber angle adjustment device to change the camber angle of the wheel such that the wheel exhibits the characteristic determined by the characteristic determination means,

wherein;

the vicinity information acquisition means includes relative position acquisition means for acquiring a relative position of the vehicle relative to another vehicle as the vicinity information, and

the characteristic determination means determines the characteristic necessary for the wheel based on the relative position acquired as the vicinity information by the relative position acquisition means.

3. A vehicle control device which activates a camber angle adjustment device which adjusts a camber angle of a wheel to control the camber angle of the wheel, comprising:

activation control means for controlling an activation state of the camber angle adjustment device,

wherein the wheel includes a first tread and a second tread aligned in a width direction of the wheel with respect to the first tread and arranged on an inside or an outside of the vehicle,

wherein the first tread and the second tread are configured to have characteristics different from each other such that the first tread is configured to have a characteristic of a higher grip force compared to the second tread and the second tread is configured to have a characteristic of a smaller rolling resistance compared to the first tread,

wherein the activation control means includes;

vicinity information acquisition means for acquiring vicinity information on a vicinity of the vehicle;

characteristic determination means for determining a characteristic necessary for the wheel, based on the vicinity information acquired by the vicinity information acquisition means, and

camber angle change means for activating the camber angle adjustment device to change the camber angle of the wheel such that the wheel exhibits the characteristic determined by the characteristic determination means,

wherein;

the activation control means includes time acquisition means for acquiring the current time, and

the characteristic determination means determines the characteristic necessary for the wheel based on the current time acquired by the time acquisition means and the vicinity information acquired by the situation acquisition means.