Vehicle controlling apparatus and method

• US 9,452,653 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Hironobu, Hirayama, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahne, Kevin P.
• Application Number:
  US13/828,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20130245888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/0195 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 2400/102 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• 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 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/22 Suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/00 Input parameters relating to overall vehicle dynamics
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0677 Engine power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/025 related to comfort of drivers or passengers

Abstract

A vehicle controlling apparatus includes: a vertical acceleration sensor configured to detect a vertical acceleration of a sprung mass; a power-source attitude controller configured to compute a power-source attitude control amount for a driving force outputted from a power source, the control amount making the acceleration detected by the vertical acceleration sensor an appropriate acceleration for attaining a target sprung-mass state, and to control the power source based on the power-source attitude control amount; a stroke sensor configured to detect a stroke speed of a shock absorber; and a friction-brake attitude controller configured to compute a brake attitude control amount for a braking force outputted from a friction brake, the control amount making the stroke speed detected by the stroke sensor an appropriate stroke speed for attaining a target sprung-mass state, and to control the friction brake based on the brake attitude control amount.

Claims

1. A vehicle controlling apparatus comprising:

a vertical acceleration sensor configured to detect a vertical acceleration of a sprung mass;

a power-source attitude controller configured to;

compute a power-source attitude control amount for a driving force outputted from a power source, the power-source attitude control amount making the vertical acceleration detected by the vertical acceleration sensor an appropriate vertical acceleration for attaining a target sprung-mass state, and

control the power source based on the power-source attitude control amount;

a stroke sensor configured to detect a stroke speed of a shock absorber; and

a friction-brake attitude controller configured to;

compute a brake attitude control amount for a braking force output from a friction brake, the brake attitude control amount making the stroke speed detected by the stroke sensor an appropriate stroke speed for attaining a target sprung-mass state, and

control the friction brake based on the brake attitude control amount,

wherein at least one of an engine feedback system, a brake feedback system, or a shock absorber feedback system includes a phase compensator configured to compensate for a phase offset between a detection value obtained by the vertical acceleration sensor and a detection value obtained by the stroke sensor.

2. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the power-source attitude controller is further configured to suppress a bounce motion and a pitch motion of a vehicle body.

3. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the power-source attitude controller has a limit value used to limit the power-source attitude control amount to a predetermined value range.

4. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the friction-brake attitude controller has a limit value used to limit the brake attitude control amount to a predetermined value range so that a rate of change of a vehicle-body deceleration does not exceed a predetermined value.

5. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a damping-force controller configured to:

compute a damping force control amount for a damping force of a damping-force-variable shock absorber, the damping force control amount making the stroke speed detected by the stroke sensor an appropriate stroke speed for attaining at least one of a target sprung-mass state and a target unsprung-mass state, and

control the damping-force-variable shock absorber based on the damping force control amount.

6. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the damping-force controller computes the damping force control amount based on an active skyhook model capable of estimation not dependent on signs of a speed of the sprung mass and the stroke speed.

7. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the damping-force controller is further configured to estimate a traveling state using a four-wheel model developed based on a bounce term representing a vertical motion of four wheels, a pitch term representing a vertical motion of front wheels and rear wheels, a roll term representing a vertical motion of left wheels and right wheels, and a warp term representing a vertical motion of each pair of diagonal wheels.

8. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the friction-brake attitude controller suppresses a pitch motion of a vehicle body.

9. A vehicle controlling apparatus comprising:

a vertical acceleration sensor configured to detect a vertical acceleration of a sprung mass;

a stroke sensor configured to detect a stroke speed of a shock absorber; and

a controller configured to;

compute a power-source attitude control amount for making the vertical acceleration detected by the vertical acceleration sensor an appropriate vertical acceleration for attaining a target sprung-mass state,

request a power source to output a driving force based on the power-source attitude control amount,

compute a brake attitude control amount for making the stroke speed detected by the stroke sensor an appropriate stroke speed for attaining at least one of a target sprung-mass state and a target unsprung-mass state,

request a friction brake to output a braking force based on the brake attitude control amount, and

use at least one of an engine feedback system, a brake feedback system, or a shock absorber feedback system to compensate for a phase offset between a detection value obtained by the vertical acceleration sensor and a detection value obtained by the stroke sensor.

10. A vehicle controlling method causing a controller to perform:

computing a power-source attitude control amount for a driving force output from a power source, the power-source attitude control amount making a vertical acceleration of a sprung mass an appropriate sprung-mass vertical acceleration for attaining a target sprung-mass state,

controlling the driving force of the power source based on the power-source attitude control amount,

computing a brake attitude control amount for a braking force of a friction brake, the brake attitude control amount making a stroke speed of a shock absorber an appropriate stroke speed for attaining at least one of a target sprung-mass state and a target unsprung-mass state, and

controlling the braking force of the friction brake based on the brake attitude control amount, and

using at least one of an engine feedback system, a brake feedback system, or a shock absorber feedback system to compensate for a phase offset between the vertical acceleration and the stroke speed.

11. A vehicle controlling apparatus comprising:

a vertical acceleration sensor configured to detect a vertical acceleration of a sprung mass;

a power-source attitude controller configured to;

compute a power-source attitude control amount for a driving force outputted from a power source, the power-source attitude control amount making the vertical acceleration detected by the vertical acceleration sensor an appropriate vertical acceleration for attaining a target sprung-mass state, and

control the power source based on the power-source attitude control amount;

a stroke sensor configured to detect a stroke speed of a damping-force-variable shock absorber; and

a damping-force controller configured to;

compute a damping force control amount for a damping force of the damping-force-variable shock absorber, the damping force control amount making the stroke speed detected by the stroke sensor an appropriate stroke speed for attaining at least one of a target sprung-mass state and a target unsprung-mass state, and

control the damping-force-variable shock absorber based on the damping force control amount,

wherein at least one of an engine feedback system, a brake feedback system, or a shock absorber feedback system includes a phase compensator configured to compensate for a phase offset between a detection value obtained by the vertical acceleration sensor and a detection value obtained by the stroke sensor.

12. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the power-source attitude controller is further configured to suppress a bounce motion and a pitch motion of a vehicle body.

13. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the power-source attitude controller has a limit value used to limit the power-source attitude control amount to a predetermined value range.

14. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the damping-force controller computes the damping force control amount based on an active skyhook model capable of estimation not dependent on signs of a speed of the sprung mass and the stroke speed.

15. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the damping-force controller is further configured to estimate a traveling state using a four-wheel model based on a bounce term representing a vertical motion of four wheels, a pitch term representing a vertical motion of front wheels and rear wheels, a roll term representing a vertical motion of left wheels and right wheels, and a warp term representing a vertical motion of each pair of diagonal wheels.

16. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a friction-brake attitude controller configured to compute a brake attitude control amount for a braking force output from a friction brake, the brake attitude control amount making the stroke speed detected by the stroke sensor an appropriate stroke speed for attaining a target sprung-mass state, and to control the friction brake based on the brake attitude control amount.

17. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the friction-brake attitude controller has a limit value used to limit the brake attitude control amount to a predetermined value range so that a rate of change of a vehicle-body deceleration does not exceed a predetermined value.

18. The vehicle controlling apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the friction-brake attitude controller suppresses a pitch motion of a vehicle body.

19. A vehicle controlling apparatus comprising:

a vertical acceleration sensor configured to detect a vertical acceleration of a sprung mass;

a stroke sensor configured to detect a stroke speed of a damping-force-variable shock absorber; and

a controller configured to;

compute a power-source attitude control amount for making the vertical acceleration detected by the vertical acceleration sensor an appropriate vertical acceleration for attaining a target sprung-mass state,

request a power source to output a driving force based on the power-source attitude control amount,

compute a damping force control amount for making the stroke speed detected by the stroke sensor an appropriate stroke speed for attaining at least one of a target sprung-mass state and a target unsprung-mass state,

request the damping-force-variable shock absorber to output a damping force based on the damping force control amount, and

use at least one of an engine feedback system, a brake feedback system, or a shock absorber feedback system to compensate for a phase offset between a detection value obtained by the vertical acceleration sensor and a detection value obtained by the stroke sensor.

20. A vehicle controlling method causing a controller to perform:

computing a power-source attitude control amount for a driving force output from a power source, the power-source attitude control amount making a vertical acceleration of a sprung mass an appropriate sprung-mass vertical acceleration for attaining a target sprung-mass state,

controlling the driving force of the power source based on the power-source attitude control amount,

computing a damping force control amount for a damping force of a damping-force-variable shock absorber, the damping force control amount making a stroke speed of the damping-force-variable shock absorber an appropriate stroke speed for attaining at least one of a target sprung-mass state and a target unsprung-mass state,

controlling the damping force of the damping-force-variable shock absorber based on the damping force control amount, and

using at least one of an engine feedback system, a brake feedback system, or a shock absorber feedback system to compensate for a phase offset between the vertical acceleration and the stroke speed.