Vehicle control device

A vehicle control device equipped with a drive manipulated variable detecting means which detects a drive manipulated variable indicative of a drive manipulation state of the vehicle driven by a driver of the vehicle having a plurality of wheels, an actuator device provided in the vehicle so as to permit the manipulation of the driving/braking force of each wheel of the vehicle, and an actuator device control means which sequentially controls an operation of the actuator device, the vehicle control device comprising:

• an actual state amount grasping means which detects or estimates a first actual state amount, which is the value of a first state amount related to a rotational motion in the yaw direction of an actual vehicle or the value of a first state amount related to the rotational motion in the yaw direction and a translational motion in a lateral direction;
• a model state amount determining means which determines a first model state amount, which is the value of the first state amount of the vehicle on a vehicle model established beforehand as a model representing the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle, on the basis of at least the detected drive manipulated variable;
• a state amount error calculating means which calculates a first state amount error, which is a difference between the detected or estimated first actual state amount and the determined first model state amount;
• a basic required manipulated variable determining means which determines a basic required manipulated variable for operating the actuator device to approximate the first state amount error to zero on the basis of the calculated first state amount error;
• a driving/braking force manipulation control input determining means which determines, for at least one particular set among the sets of front wheels and rear wheels immediately behind the front wheels of the actual vehicle, a driving/braking force manipulation control input, which is a control input for manipulating the driving/braking force of each of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the particular set, such that the relationship between at least a change in the basic required manipulated variable and a change in the driving/braking force manipulation control input will be a proportional relationship;
• and
• a vehicle model operation control input determining means which determines, on the basis of at least the calculated first state amount error, a vehicle model operation control input for operating the vehicle on the vehicle model such that the first state amount error approximate to zero,
• wherein the actuator device control means is a means which manipulates the driving/braking force of each of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the particular set through the intermediary of the actuator device by controlling the operation of the actuator device on the basis of at least the determined driving/braking force manipulation control input,
• the model state amount determining means is a means which determines the first model state amount on the basis of at least the detected drive manipulation input and the determined vehicle model operation control input, and
• the driving/braking force manipulation control input determining means uses, as a front wheel gain adjustment parameter, one of a state amount related to a lateral motion of at least one front wheel of a real vehicle, which is the actual vehicle, or a model vehicle, which is the vehicle on the vehicle model, a state amount related to a lateral motion at a predetermined position of a front portion of the actual vehicle or the model vehicle, a lateral force acting from a road surface onto at least one front wheel of the actual vehicle or the model vehicle, and a parameter having correlation with at least one of the state amounts and the lateral force, determines the driving/braking force manipulation control input of the front wheel of the particular set on the basis of at least the front wheel gain adjustment parameter and the determined basic required manipulated variable such that a front wheel gain, which indicates the ratio of a change in the driving/braking force manipulation control input of the front wheel of the particular set with respect to a change in the basic required manipulated variable, changes on the basis of the front wheel gain adjustment parameter, uses, as a rear wheel gain adjustment parameter, one of a state amount related to a lateral motion of at least one rear wheel of the actual vehicle or a model vehicle, a state amount related to a lateral motion at a predetermined position of a rear portion of the actual vehicle or the model vehicle, a lateral force acting from a road surface onto at least one rear wheel of the actual vehicle or the model vehicle, and a parameter having correlation with one of the state amounts and the lateral force, and determines the driving/braking force manipulation control input of the rear wheel of the particular set on the basis of at least the rear wheel gain adjustment parameter and the determined basic required manipulated variable such that a rear wheel gain, which indicates the ratio of a change in the driving/braking force manipulation control input of the rear wheel of the particular set with respect to a change in the basic required manipulated variable, changes on the basis of the rear wheel gain adjustment parameter.

A vehicle control device equipped with a drive manipulated variable detecting means which detects a drive manipulated variable indicative of a drive manipulation state of a vehicle driven by a driver of the vehicle having a plurality of wheels, an actuator device provided in the vehicle so as to permit the manipulation of the driving/braking force of each wheel of the vehicle, and an actuator device control means which sequentially controls an operation of the actuator device, the vehicle control device comprising:

• an actual state amount grasping means which detects or estimates a first actual state amount, which is the value of a first state amount related to a rotational motion in the yaw direction of an actual vehicle or the value of a first state amount related to the rotational motion in the yaw direction and a translational motion in a lateral direction;
• a reference value determining means which determines a first reference value, which is a reference value of the first state amount, on the basis of at least the detected drive manipulated variable;
• a state amount error calculating means which calculates a first state amount error, which is a difference between the detected or estimated first actual state amount and the determined first reference value;
• a basic required manipulated variable determining means which determines a basic required manipulated variable for operating the actuator device to approximate the first state amount error to zero on the basis of the calculated first state amount error;
• and
• a driving/braking force manipulation control input determining means which determines, for one particular set among the sets of front wheels and rear wheels immediately behind the front wheels of the actual vehicle, a driving/braking force manipulation control input, which is a control input for manipulating the driving/braking force of each of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the particular set,
• wherein the actuator device control means is a means which manipulates the driving/braking force of each of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the particular set through the intermediary of the actuator device by controlling the operation of the actuator device on the basis of at least the determined driving/braking force manipulation control input, and
• the driving/braking force manipulation control input determining means is a means which uses, as a front wheel gain adjustment parameter, one of a state amount related to a lateral motion of at least one front wheel of the actual vehicle, a state amount related to a lateral motion at a predetermined position of a front portion of the vehicle, a lateral force acting from a road surface onto at least one front wheel of the vehicle, and a parameter having correlation with one of the state amounts and the lateral force, uses, as a rear wheel gain adjustment parameter, one of a state amount related to a lateral motion of at least one rear wheel of the actual vehicle, a state amount related to a lateral motion at a predetermined position of a rear portion of the vehicle, a lateral force acting from a road surface onto at least one rear wheel of the vehicle, and a parameter having correlation with at least one of the state amounts and the lateral force, receives at least the determined basic required manipulated variable, the front wheel gain adjustment parameter, and the rear wheel gain adjustment parameter as inputs, and outputs the driving/braking force manipulation control input of each of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the particular set, and the relationship between the inputs and the outputs is configured such that a change in the driving/braking force manipulation control input of the front wheel of the particular set in the case where only the front wheel gain adjustment parameter among the inputs monotonously changes, a change in the driving/braking force manipulation control input of the rear wheel of the particular set in the case where only the rear wheel gain adjustment parameter monotonously changes, and a change in the driving/braking force manipulation control input of each of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the particular set in the case where only the basic required manipulated variable monotonously changes while maintaining the polarity thereof at the same polarity will be monotonous changes.

A vehicle control device equipped with a drive manipulated variable detecting means which detects a drive manipulated variable indicative of a drive manipulation state of a vehicle driven by a driver of the vehicle having a plurality of wheels, an actuator device provided in the vehicle so as to permit the manipulation of the driving/braking force of each wheel of the vehicle, and an actuator device control means which sequentially controls an operation of the actuator device, the vehicle control device comprising:

• an actual state amount grasping means which detects or estimates a first actual state amount, which is the value of a first state amount related to a rotational motion in the yaw direction of an actual vehicle or the value of a first state amount related to the rotational motion in the yaw direction and a translational motion in a lateral direction;
• a model state amount determining means which determines a first model state amount, which is the value of the first state amount of the vehicle on a vehicle model established beforehand as a model representing the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle, on the basis of at least the detected drive manipulated variable;
• a state amount error calculating means which calculates a first state amount error, which is a difference between the detected or estimated first actual state amount and the determined first model state amount;
• a basic required manipulated variable determining means which determines a basic required manipulated variable for operating the actuator device to approximate the first state amount error to zero on the basis of the calculated first state amount error;
• a driving/braking force manipulation control input determining means which determines, for one particular set among the sets of front wheels and rear wheels immediately behind the front wheels of the actual vehicle, a driving/braking force manipulation control input, which is a control input for manipulating the driving/braking force of each of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the particular set;
• and
• a vehicle model operation control input determining means which determines, on the basis of at least the calculated first state amount error, a vehicle model operation control input for operating the vehicle on the vehicle model such that the first state amount error approximates to zero,
• wherein the actuator device control means is a means which manipulates the driving/braking force of each of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the particular set through the intermediary of the actuator device by controlling the operation of the actuator device on the basis of at least the determined driving/braking force manipulation control input, and
• the driving/braking force manipulation control input determining means is a means which uses, as a front wheel gain adjustment parameter, one of a state amount related to a lateral motion of at least one front wheel of a real vehicle, which is the actual vehicle, or a model vehicle, which is the vehicle on the vehicle model, a state amount related to a lateral motion at a predetermined position of a front portion of the actual vehicle or the model vehicle, a lateral force acting from a road surface onto at least one front wheel of the actual vehicle or the model vehicle, and a parameter having correlation with at least one of the state amounts and the lateral force, uses, as a rear wheel gain adjustment parameter, one of a state amount related to a lateral motion of at least one rear wheel of the actual vehicle or the model vehicle, a state amount related to a lateral motion at a predetermined position of a rear portion of the actual vehicle or the model vehicle, a lateral force acting from a road surface onto at least one rear wheel of the actual vehicle or the model vehicle, and a parameter having correlation with one of the state amounts and the lateral force, receives at least the determined basic required manipulated variable, the front wheel gain adjustment parameter, and the rear wheel gain adjustment parameter as inputs, and then outputs the driving/braking force manipulation control input of each of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the particular set, and the relationship between the inputs and the outputs is configured such that a change in the driving/braking force manipulation control input of the front wheel of the particular set in the case where only the front wheel gain adjustment parameter among the inputs monotonously changes, a change in the driving/braking force manipulation control input of the rear wheel of the particular set in the case where only the rear wheel gain adjustment parameter monotonously changes, and a change in the driving/braking force manipulation control input of each of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the particular set in the case where only the basic required manipulated variable monotonously changes while maintaining the polarity thereof at the same polarity will be monotonous changes.