# US 2019/0168744 A1 · Vehicle control apparatus and vehicle control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168744 A1 - Document ID: US20190168744A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/172,415 - Filed: 2018-10-26 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01 - Assignees: Subaru Corporation - Applicants: Subaru Corporation - Inventors: Hiroshi IENAGA; Kentaro ISHII; Akihito KATSUME; Fumiyuki MORIYA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168744A1 ## CPC - B60W 30/02: Control of vehicle driving stability - B60K 1/02: comprising more than one electric motor - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 10/12: including control of differentials - B60K 17/354: having separate mechanical assemblies for transmitting drive to the front or to the rear wheels or set of wheels - B60K 23/08: for changing number of driven wheels {, for switching from driving one axle to driving two or more axles (B60K17/3515 takes precedence)} - B60K 2026/046: {with electrical transmission means} - B60W 2400/00: Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2510/0676: Engine temperature - B60W 2510/087: Temperature - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2520/105: Longitudinal acceleration - B60W 2520/125: Lateral acceleration - B60W 2520/26: Wheel slip - B60W 2540/10: Accelerator pedal position - B60W 2540/12: Brake pedal position - B60W 2552/00: Input parameters relating to infrastructure - B60W 2552/20: Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments - B60W 2555/20: Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain - B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data - B60W 2710/12: Differentials - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - 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 - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A vehicle control apparatus includes a thermal load priority calculator, a stability priority calculator, and a driving force distribution controller. The thermal load priority calculator is configured to calculate a thermal load priority that prioritizes a thermal load of a motor for driving a vehicle according to an operating state of the vehicle. The stability priority calculator is configured to calculate a stability priority that prioritizes a stability of the vehicle according to an operating state of the vehicle. The driving force distribution controller is configured to control a driving force distribution in a front and a rear of the vehicle, on a basis of a result of comparing the thermal load priority and the stability priority. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle control apparatus comprising: a thermal load priority calculator configured to calculate a thermal load priority that prioritizes a thermal load of a motor for driving a vehicle according to an operating state of the vehicle; a stability priority calculator configured to calculate a stability priority that prioritizes a stability of the vehicle according to an operating state of the vehicle; and a driving force distribution controller configured to control a driving force distribution in a front and a rear of the vehicle, on a basis of a result of comparing the thermal load priority and the stability priority. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving force distribution controller controls the driving force distribution on a basis of a difference between the thermal load priority and the stability priority. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving force distribution controller controls the driving force distribution prioritizing the thermal load of the motor in a case in which the thermal load priority is greater than the stability priority, and controls the driving force distribution prioritizing the stability of the vehicle in a case in which the thermal load priority is less than or equal to the stability priority. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal load priority calculator calculates the thermal load priority on a basis of a temperature of the motor, such that as the temperature rises, the thermal load priority becomes larger. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal load priority calculator calculates the thermal load priority on a basis of a load imposed on the motor, such that as the load increases, the thermal load priority becomes larger. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal load priority calculator calculates the thermal load priority on a basis of a vehicle outside environment captured by a camera. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal load priority calculator calculates the thermal load priority on a basis of a piece of information about a route on which the vehicle travels, the route being obtained from a navigation system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stability priority calculator calculates the stability priority on a basis of a result of a wheel slip determination, such that if a slip is determined, the stability priority becomes larger. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stability priority calculator calculates the stability priority on a basis of whether the vehicle is skidding, such that if the vehicle is skidding, the stability priority becomes larger. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stability priority calculator calculates the stability priority according to whether the vehicle is accelerating or decelerating suddenly, such that if the vehicle is accelerating or decelerating suddenly, the stability priority becomes larger. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stability priority calculator calculates the stability priority according to a vehicle speed of the vehicle, such that as the vehicle speed increases, the stability priority becomes larger. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stability priority calculator calculates the stability priority according to an acceleration in a horizontal direction of the vehicle, such that as the acceleration in the horizontal direction increases, the stability priority becomes larger. ### Claim 13 A vehicle control method comprising: calculating a thermal load priority that prioritizes a thermal load of a motor for driving a vehicle according to an operating state of the vehicle; calculating a stability priority that prioritizes a stability of the vehicle according to an operating state of the vehicle; and controlling a driving force distribution in a front and a rear of the vehicle, on a basis of a result of comparing the thermal load priority and the stability priority. ### Claim 14 A vehicle control apparatus comprising: circuitry configured to calculate a thermal load priority that prioritizes a thermal load of a motor for driving a vehicle according to an operating state of the vehicle, calculate a stability priority that prioritizes a stability of the vehicle according to an operating state of the vehicle, and control a driving force distribution in a front and a rear of the vehicle, on a basis of a result of comparing the thermal load priority and the stability priority.