Vehicle control device

• US 9,139,062 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ogino, Atsuto
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/294,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 701/38
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0164 mainly during accelerating or braking
• 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 17/06 Characteristics of dampers , e.g. mechanical dampersB60G17/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/208 of wheel rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/39 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2220/04 Pedal travel sensor, stroke sensor; Sensing brake request
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/06 Active Suspension System
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17555 specially adapted for enhancing driver or passenger comfort, e.g. soft intervention or pre-actuation strategies
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/041 about the pitch axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/025 related to comfort of drivers or passengers

Abstract

A vehicle control device includes a detection portion detecting a master cylinder pressure which is an oil pressure applied by a master cylinder changing a depression force applied to a brake pedal into the oil pressure and a control portion controlling a suspension to restrain a vehicle from tilting forward caused by a depression of the brake pedal based on a variation of the master cylinder pressure, the control portion controlling the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from a tilting forward attitude caused by a release of the brake pedal based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, comprising:

a detection portion detecting a master cylinder pressure which is an oil pressure applied by a master cylinder changing a depression force applied to a brake pedal into the oil pressure; and

a control portion controlling a suspension to restrain a vehicle from tilting forward caused by a depression of the brake pedal based on a variation of the master cylinder pressure, the control portion controlling the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from a tilting forward attitude caused by a release of the brake pedal from a depressed state of the brake pedal based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure.

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

a determination portion determining whether a velocity of the wheel of the vehicle is higher than a predetermined threshold value of the velocity of the wheel, and whether the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold value;

wherein

the control portion controls the suspension to restrain the vehicle from tilting forward by applying a first damping force that is greater than a reference damping force applied when the vehicle is in a normal operation to the suspension, and the first damping force that is based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure to the suspension in a state where the determination portion determines that the velocity of the wheel of the vehicle is higher than the predetermined threshold value of the velocity of the wheel, and that the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or higher than the predetermined first threshold value.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the determination portion determines whether the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or higher than a first adjusted threshold value which is lower than the first threshold value, the control portion controls the suspension to restrain the vehicle from tilting forward by applying a damping force that is greater than the reference damping force to the suspension, the damping force that is smaller than the first damping force to the suspension and the damping force that is based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure to the suspension in a state where the determination portion determines that the velocity of the wheel of the vehicle is higher than the predetermined threshold value of the velocity of the wheel, and that the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or higher than the first adjusted threshold value and lower than the first threshold value.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the control portion applies a smaller damping force than the reference damping force to the suspension after a predetermined time elapses from when the control portion applies the first damping force to the suspension.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the control portion applies a smaller damping force than the reference damping force to the suspension after a predetermined time elapses from when the control portion applies the first damping force to the suspension.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the determination portion determines whether the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than a second threshold value, and the control portion controls the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from the tilting forward attitude by applying a second damping force that is greater than the reference damping force applied when the vehicle is in the normal operation to the suspension, and the second damping force that is based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure to the suspension in a state where the determination portion determines that the velocity of the wheel of the vehicle is higher than the predetermined threshold value of the velocity of the wheel, and that the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than the second threshold value.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the determination portion determines whether the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than a second threshold value, and the control portion controls the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from the tilting forward attitude by applying a second damping force that is greater than the reference damping force applied when the vehicle is in the normal operation to the suspension, and the second damping force that is based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure to the suspension in a state where the determination portion determines that the velocity of the wheel of the vehicle is higher than the predetermined threshold value of the velocity of the wheel, and that the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than the second threshold value.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein the determination portion determines whether the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than a second threshold value, and the control portion controls the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from the tilting forward attitude by applying a second damping force that is greater than the reference damping force applied when the vehicle is in the normal operation to the suspension, and the second damping force that is based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure to the suspension in a state where the determination portion determines that the velocity of the wheel of the vehicle is higher than the predetermined threshold value of the velocity of the wheel, and that the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than the second threshold value.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein the determination portion determines whether the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than a second threshold value, and the control portion controls the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from the tilting forward attitude by applying a second damping force that is greater than the reference damping force applied when the vehicle is in the normal operation to the suspension, and the second damping force that is based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure to the suspension in a state where the determination portion determines that the velocity of the wheel of the vehicle is higher than the predetermined threshold value of the velocity of the wheel, and that the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than the second threshold value.

10. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein the determination portion determines whether the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than a second adjusted threshold value which is higher than the second threshold value, the control portion controls the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from tilting forward by applying a damping force that is greater than the reference damping force to the suspension, the damping force that is smaller than the second damping force to the suspension, and the damping force that is based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure to the suspension in a state where the determination portion determines that the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than the second adjusted threshold value and higher than the second threshold value.

11. The vehicle control device according to claim 7, wherein the determination portion determines whether the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than a second adjusted threshold value which is higher than the second threshold value, the control portion controls the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from tilting forward by applying a damping force that is greater than the reference damping force to the suspension, the damping force that is smaller than the second damping force to the suspension, and the damping force that is based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure to the suspension in a state where the determination portion determines that the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than the second adjusted threshold value and higher than the second threshold value.

12. The vehicle control device according to claim 8, wherein the determination portion determines whether the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than a second adjusted threshold value which is higher than the second threshold value, the control portion controls the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from tilting forward by applying a damping force that is greater than the reference damping force to the suspension, the damping force that is smaller than the second damping force to the suspension, and the damping force that is based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure to the suspension in a state where the determination portion determines that the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than the second adjusted threshold value and higher than the second threshold value.

13. The vehicle control device according to claim 9, wherein the determination portion determines whether the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than a second adjusted threshold value which is higher than the second threshold value, the control portion controls the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from tilting forward by applying a damping force that is greater than the reference damping force to the suspension, the damping force that is smaller than the second damping force to the suspension, and the damping force that is based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure to the suspension in a state where the determination portion determines that the variation of the master cylinder pressure is equal to or lower than the second adjusted threshold value and higher than the second threshold value.

14. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein the control portion applies a smaller damping force than the reference damping force to the suspension after a predetermined time elapses from when the control portion applies the second damping force to the suspension.

15. The vehicle control device according to claim 7, wherein the control portion applies a smaller damping force than the reference damping force to the suspension after a predetermined time elapses from when the control portion applies the second damping force to the suspension.

16. The vehicle control device according to claim 8, wherein the control portion applies a smaller damping force than the reference damping force to the suspension after a predetermined time elapses from when the control portion applies the second damping force to the suspension.

17. The vehicle control device according to claim 9, wherein the control portion applies a smaller damping force than the reference damping force to the suspension after a predetermined time elapses from when the control portion applies the second damping force to the suspension.