Vehicle control method and vehicle control apparatus

A control method for controlling a vehicle which includes a control force generating apparatus configured to generate control force in a vertical direction for damping vibration of a sprung portion of the vehicle, the control force being applied between at least one wheel and a portion of a body of the vehicle, which portion corresponds to a position of the wheel, and a control unit for controlling the control force generating apparatus,

• the control method comprising:
• a step in which the control unit computes a predicted route that the wheel is predicted to pass;
• a step in which the control unit obtains first data from road surface information which is data in which a relationship is established between position information representing a position on a road surface and a road surface displacement related value which relates to a vertical displacement of the road surface at the position represented by the position information, the first data representing a time series change of the road surface displacement related value on the predicted route;
• a step in which the control unit obtains, from the first data, the road surface displacement related value at a predicted passage position that the wheel is predicted to pass when a predetermined time elapses from a present point in time;
• a step in which the control unit computes a target control force by using the road surface displacement related value at the predicted passage position;
• and
• a step in which the control unit executes preview vibration damping control for controlling the control force generating apparatus in such a manner that the control force becomes equal to the target control force when the wheel passes the predicted passage position,
• wherein the control method further comprising:
• a step in which the control unit determines whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied on a basis of the first data, the predetermined condition being satisfied when the time series change of the road surface displacement related value on the predicted route falls within a controllable range of the control force generating apparatus;
• and
• a step in which the control unit executes a particular process for reducing a magnitude of the road surface displacement related value at the predicted passage position when the predetermined condition is not satisfied.