Controller, vehicle, and control method

A controller that is mounted to a vehicle,

• the vehicle including a front wheel-side shock absorber of a damping force adjustment type and provided between a vehicle body and a front wheel of the vehicle and a rear wheel-side shock absorber of a non-damping force adjustment type provided between the vehicle body and a rear wheel of the vehicle, and outputs a command signal corresponding to, a damping force of the front wheel-side shock absorber to a front wheel-side actuator that adjusts the damping force of the front wheel-side shock absorber,
• wherein the controller is configured to determine if the vehicle is brought into a stable turning state based on a roll rate of the vehicle body, a change amount of a yaw rate per unit time of the vehicle body, and/or a steering angular velocity of a steering wheel of the vehicle, and
• wherein the controller is configured to, in a case where a value that is acquired by subtracting a damping force of the rear wheel-side shock absorber from the damping force of the front wheel-side shock absorber is defined as a damping force subtracted value, output the command signal to the front wheel-side actuator so that the damping force subtracted value becomes smaller or larger than the damping force subtracted value during forward straight travel of the vehicle, when it is determined that the vehicle is brought into the stable turning state,
• wherein the controller is further configured to determine the damping force subtracted value.

A control method for outputting a command signal corresponding to a damping force of a front wheel-side shock absorber of a damping force adjustment type to a front wheel-side actuator and a command signal corresponding to a damping force of a rear wheel-side shock absorber of a damping force adjustment type to a rear wheel-side actuator, the control method being used for a vehicle that includes:

• the front wheel-side shock absorber provided between a vehicle body and a front wheel of the vehicle, the front wheel-side actuator that adjusts the damping force of the front wheel-side shock absorber, the rear wheel-side shock absorber provided between the vehicle body and a rear wheel of the vehicle, and the rear wheel-side actuator that adjusts the damping force of the rear wheel-side shock absorber, the control method comprising:
• determining if the vehicle is brought into a stable turning state based on a roll rate of the vehicle body, a change amount of a yaw rate per unit time of the vehicle body, and/or a steering angular velocity of a steering wheel of the vehicle, and
• outputting, in the case where a value that is acquired by subtracting the damping force of the rear wheel-side shock absorber from the damping force of the front wheel-side shock absorber is defined as a damping force subtracted value, the command signal to the front wheel-side actuator and the command signal to the rear wheel-side actuator so that the damping force subtracted value becomes smaller or larger than the damping force subtracted value during forward straight travel of the vehicle, when it is determined that the vehicle is brought into the stable turning state,
• wherein the controller is further configured to determine the damping force subtracted value.

A control method for outputting a command signal corresponding to a damping force of a front wheel-side shock absorber of a damping force adjustment type to a front wheel-side actuator, the control method being used for a vehicle that includes:

• the front wheel-side shock absorber provided between a vehicle body and a front wheel of the vehicle, the front wheel-side actuator that adjusts the damping force of the front wheel-side shock absorber, and a rear wheel-side shock absorber of a non-damping force adjustment type provided between the vehicle body and a rear wheel of the vehicle, the control method comprising:
• determining if the vehicle is brought into a stable turning state based on a roll rate of the vehicle body, a change amount of a yaw rate per unit time of the vehicle body, and/or a steering angular velocity of a steering wheel of the vehicle, and
• outputting, in the case where a value that is acquired by subtracting a damping force of the rear wheel-side shock absorber from the damping force of the front wheel-side shock absorber is defined as a damping force subtracted value, the command signal to the front wheel-side actuator so that the damping force subtracted value becomes smaller or larger than the damping force subtracted value during forward straight travel of the vehicle, when it is determined that the vehicle is brought into the stable turning state,
• wherein the controller is further configured to determine the damping force subtracted value.