# US 11,993,252 B2 · Vehicle control apparatus

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- Number: US 11,993,252 B2
- Document ID: US11993252B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/534,115
- Filed: 2021-11-23
- Published: 2022-06-16
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2020-12-16
- Assignees: Subaru Corporation
- Applicants: Subaru Corporation
- Inventors: Satoru Akiyama; Eiichi Shiraishi; Takashi Takeda; Shintaro Ikeda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993252B2

## CPC

- B60W 30/02: Control of vehicle driving stability
- B62D 7/159: {characterised by computing methods or stabilisation processes or systems, e.g. responding to yaw rate, lateral wind, load, road condition}
- B60T 7/22: initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle {, or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle}
- B60T 8/17551: {determining control parameters related to vehicle stability used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters}
- B60T 8/246: {Change of direction}
- B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems
- B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems
- B60W 30/08: {Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences}
- B62D 6/10: characterised by means for sensing {or determining} torque
- B62D 15/025: {Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence)}
- B60T 2201/024: Collision mitigation systems
- B60T 2250/03: Vehicle yaw rate
- B60W 2030/082: {Vehicle operation after collision}
- B60W 2520/14: Yaw
- B60W 2540/18: Steering angle
- B60W 2710/18: Braking system
- B60W 2710/207: Steering angle of wheels
- B60W 2720/14: Yaw
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES

## Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus includes a contact detector, an attitude stabilization processor, and a steering intention determining unit. The contact detector is configured to detect a contact of a vehicle with an object. The attitude stabilization processor is configured to execute an attitude stabilization control that generates a yaw moment at a vehicle body on the basis of a deviation between a target yaw rate and an actual yaw rate. The steering intention determining unit is configured to determine a presence of a driver's intention to perform steering. The attitude stabilization processor is configured to stop the generation of the yaw moment by the attitude stabilization control or reduce the yaw moment to be generated by the attitude stabilization control, in a case where the steering intention determining unit determines that the driver's intention to perform the steering is absent after the detection of the contact by the contact detector.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle control apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:
a contact detector including a sensor, the contact detector being configured to detect a contact of the vehicle with an object;
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
determine a presence of an intention, of a driver who drives the vehicle, to perform steering;
in response to determining that, after the contact detector detects the contact, i) there is a deviation between a target yaw rate and an actual yaw rate, the target yaw rate being calculated based on a steering angle of a steering device, and ii) the driver has the intention to perform the steering, execute an attitude stabilization control for generating a yaw moment at a body of the vehicle based on the deviation between the target yaw rate and the actual yaw rate; and
in response to not determining that, after the contact detector detects the contact, the driver's intention to perform the steering is absent, stop the generating of the yaw moment by the attitude stabilization control or reduce the yaw moment to be generated by the attitude stabilization control after the contact detector detects the contact.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a braking processor configured to execute a braking control that automatically decelerates the vehicle after the detection of the contact by the contact detector.

### Claim 3

A vehicle control apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:
a contact detector including a first sensor, the contact detector being configured to detect a contact of the vehicle with an object;
a gripping state detector including a second sensor, the gripping state detector being configured to detect a state of gripping of a steering operation device by a driver who drives the vehicle;
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
in response to determining that, after the contact detector detects the contact, i) there is a deviation between a target yaw rate and an actual yaw rate, the target yaw rate being calculated based on a steering angle of a steering device, ii) the gripping of the steering operation device by the driver is detected by the gripping state detector, and iii) a steering direction of the steering device is in an opposite direction to a yaw rate generated at a body of the vehicle by the contact, execute an attitude stabilization control for generating a yaw moment at the body of the vehicle based on a basis of a the deviation between the target yaw rate and the actual yaw rate; and
in response to not determining that, after the contact detector detects the contact, i) the gripping of the steering operation device by the driver is detected by the gripping state detector, and ii) a steering direction of the steering device is in an opposite direction to a yaw rate generated at the body of the vehicle by the contact, stop the generating of the yaw moment by the attitude stabilization control or reduce the yaw moment to be generated by the attitude stabilization control after the contact detector detects the contact.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a braking processor configured to execute a braking control that automatically decelerates the vehicle after the detection of the contact by the contact detector.

### Claim 5

A vehicle control apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:
a contact detector including a first sensor, the contact detector being configured to detect a contact of the vehicle with an object;
a gripping state detector including a second sensor, the gripping state detector configured to detect a state of gripping of a steering operation device by a driver who drives the vehicle;
a steering torque detector including a third sensor, the steering torque detector configured to detect a steering torque to be applied to the steering operation device;
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
in response to determining that after the contact detector detects the contact, i) there is a deviation between a target yaw rate and an actual yaw rate, the target yaw rate being calculated based on a steering angle of a steering device, ii) the gripping of the steering operation device by the driver is detected by the gripping state detector, and iii) the steering torque detected by the steering torque detector is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, execute an attitude stabilization control for generating a yaw moment at a body of the vehicle based on the deviation between the target yaw rate and the actual yaw rate; and
in response to not determining that, after the contact detector detects the contact, i) the gripping of the steering operation device by the driver is detected by the gripping state detector, and ii) the steering torque detected by the steering torque detector is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, stop the generating of the yaw moment by the attitude stabilization control or reduce the yaw moment to be generated by the attitude stabilization control after the contact detector detects the contact.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a braking processor configured to execute a braking control that automatically decelerates the vehicle after the detection of the contact by the contact detector.

### Claim 7

A vehicle control apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:
a contact detector including a sensor, the contact detector being configured to detect a contact of the vehicle with an object;
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
in response to determining that, after the contact detector detets the contact, i) there is a deviation between a target yaw rate and an actual yaw rate, the target yaw rate being calculated based on a steering angle of a steering device, and ii) a steering direction of the steering device and a direction of the actual yaw rate are in a same direction as each other, execute an attitude stabilization control for generating a yaw moment at a body of the vehicle based on the deviation between the target yaw rate and the actual yaw rate; and
in response to not determining that, after the contact detector detects the contact, the steering direction of the steering device and the direction of the actual yaw rate are in the same direction as each other, stop the generating of the yaw moment by the attitude stabilization control or reduce the yaw moment to be generated by the attitude stabilization control after the contact detector detects the contact.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a braking processor configured to execute a braking control that automatically decelerates the vehicle after the detection of the contact by the contact detector.