JP2008265545A - Center of gravity position estimating device of vehicle and center of gravity position/yaw inertia moment estimating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for estimating the horizontal position of center of gravity of a vehicle without grounding load value of a wheel. <P>SOLUTION: This device for estimating the center of gravity position in the vehicle estimates the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on the balance of yaw moment generated in a vehicle body due to the tire generating force applied from the road surface to the wheel in the horizontal direction between the wheel of the vehicle and the road surface when the magnitude of the yaw angle acceleration of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined reference value. The yaw inertia moment of the vehicle may be estimated using the estimated center of gravity position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting or estimating the position of the center of gravity of a vehicle such as an automobile or the position of the center of gravity and the yaw moment of inertia, and more specifically, an apparatus for estimating / detecting a state quantity of the vehicle as described above while the vehicle is traveling. Concerning.

  In the travel control or motion control of a vehicle such as an automobile, it is preferable that the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle and the magnitude of the yaw moment of inertia are determined as accurately as possible. For example, vehicle behavior control, that is, adjusting the distribution of the braking / driving force on the wheels or the steering angle, is often performed while the vehicle is turning or traveling on a straddle road (road surfaces with different frictional states of the left and right wheels). Thus, when the control to stabilize the behavior is executed, a yaw moment around the center of gravity of the vehicle is generated (control yaw moment), and the vehicle yaw rate is controlled to an appropriate value with respect to the vehicle travel path, Or it is avoided that a vehicle falls into a spin state or a drift-out state (for example, refer patent document 1). The control yaw moment generated on the vehicle in such a case is calculated in consideration of the distance between the wheel that generates a force on the vehicle and the center of gravity, and the yaw inertia moment of the vehicle. Therefore, in order to successfully achieve vehicle travel or motion control, it is better to know the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle and the yaw moment of inertia necessary for calculating the control yaw moment more accurately.

However, in an actual vehicle, the position of the center of gravity and the yaw moment of inertia change depending on the number of passengers, the amount of luggage to be loaded, and their distribution or arrangement on the vehicle. In view of this, various apparatuses or methods for estimating the position of the center of gravity or the yaw moment of inertia during the traveling of the vehicle have been proposed in order to optimally execute the traveling or motion control of the vehicle as described above. For example, in Patent Document 2, it is proposed to measure a vertical (ground contact) load of each wheel of a vehicle quantity and to estimate a horizontal position of the vehicle based on the distribution of the load. Patent Document 3 discloses means for detecting a change in yaw moment of inertia based on a change in ground load on front and rear wheels of a vehicle in steering angle control of the vehicle. Further, Patent Documents 4 and 5 propose to calculate the shift of the center of gravity position due to the roll change or pitch change of the vehicle.
JP-A-2005-280688 JP-A-6-323894 Japanese Utility Model Sho 63-181581 JP 2006-76403 A JP2006-117067

  Regarding the detection or estimation of the horizontal position of the center of gravity of a vehicle, the conventional apparatus or method described above is based on the weight distribution on the vehicle calculated from the ground contact load of each wheel of the vehicle. Is determined. This method is straightforward from the viewpoint of the definition of the center of gravity, but in an actual vehicle, the vehicle body is supported by the wheels via elastically extending and contracting suspensions. The value of is influenced by the degree of vibration or expansion / contraction of the suspension or the change of the elastic coefficient or viscoelastic coefficient. In addition, the accuracy of the value of the ground contact load also deteriorates due to the aging of the friction, elasticity or viscoelastic property of each part during expansion and contraction of the suspension, and therefore the accuracy of detection or estimation of the center of gravity position also deteriorates. . Further, when the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle, the yaw moment of inertia, and the like are detected or estimated using the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle, the accuracy of those values also deteriorates. However, no device or method has been proposed in the prior art that can accurately detect or estimate the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle without using the detected value of the ground contact load of each wheel of the vehicle. .

  Thus, one problem of the present invention is that the detected value of the ground load of each wheel of the vehicle is not used, and therefore, the vehicle is not affected by the aging deterioration of the suspension device of the vehicle body such as the suspension, etc. It is to provide a novel device capable of estimating the position of the center of gravity of a vehicle (particularly in the horizontal direction).

  Another object of the present invention is an apparatus for estimating the yaw moment of inertia using the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle estimated by the apparatus for estimating the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle as described above. Is to provide.

  Furthermore, another object of the present invention is an apparatus for estimating the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle as described above, which uses relatively inexpensive means and uses the horizontal position, the yaw moment of inertia and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle as described above. An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of estimating the height of the center of gravity.

  According to the present invention, generally speaking, a mechanical component acting in the horizontal direction of the vehicle between the tire of the vehicle wheel and the road surface, that is, the horizontal direction of the vehicle using the longitudinal force, lateral force, etc. of the tire. An apparatus for estimating the position of the center of gravity is provided.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, the apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for estimating the position of the center of gravity in a vehicle, and when the magnitude of the yaw angular acceleration of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined reference value, Based on the balance of yaw moment generated in the vehicle body due to the front and rear force (braking / driving force) and / or lateral force of the tire that acts horizontally between the wheel and the road surface from the road surface to the wheel. The horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is estimated.

The horizontal movement of the running vehicle, that is, the movement in the yaw direction, is represented by the longitudinal and lateral forces of the vehicle and the yaw moment around the center of gravity of the vehicle. In particular, the equation of motion of the yaw moment around the center of gravity of the vehicle is
I · dγ / dt = Mfl + Mfr + Mrl + Mrr (1)
It becomes. Here, I is the yaw moment of inertia, γ is the yaw rate, Mi (i = fl, fr, rl, rr), and represents the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel, respectively. ) Is a yaw moment resulting from a force (road reaction force) acting from the road surface in the horizontal direction in each wheel. In this equation (1), the yaw moment Mi of each wheel is the outer product of the road surface reaction force acting on each wheel and the distance between the point of action and the center of gravity, and the position of each wheel in the vehicle is Since it is a design value, it can be known in advance. Therefore, if the contribution of the error of the yaw moment of inertia I is so small that it can be substantially ignored compared to the magnitude of the yaw moment generated by each wheel, by using the road surface reaction force acting on each wheel, Based on the balance of yaw moment in equation (1) (equation (1) is considered to be the equation of balance of yaw moment according to D'Alembert's principle), regardless of the inaccuracy of yaw moment of inertia I, The relationship between the distance and direction between each wheel and the center of gravity is determined, thus making it possible to specify the position of the center of gravity in the vehicle.

Therefore, in the apparatus of the present invention, when the time change of the yaw rate γ, that is, the magnitude of the yaw angular acceleration dγ / dt becomes small enough to ignore the error in the value on the left side of the equation (1), the tire The horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is estimated on the basis of the balance of the yaw moment generated in the vehicle body by the generated force, so that the vertical load of each wheel is not used, that is, the suspension device of the vehicle body such as a suspension is used. The center-of-gravity position can be estimated without being affected by movement or aging degradation. In the device of the present invention, as understood from the above discussion, typically, the predetermined reference value of the magnitude of the yaw angular acceleration of the vehicle is set to substantially 0 or a predetermined minute value, The magnitude of the yaw angular acceleration becomes smaller than the predetermined reference value, and the equation of motion (1) of the yaw moment is as follows:
0 = Mfl + Mfr + Mrl + Mrr (2),
It is preferable that the horizontal position of the center of gravity is estimated. However, when the error of the yaw inertia moment I is negligible, it should be understood that the center-of-gravity position may be estimated based on a balance equation that takes into account the contribution of the left side of equation (1). is there.

  In the apparatus for estimating the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on the balance of the yaw moment of the present invention described above, the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is determined so that the vehicle is traveling straight ahead. Can be advantageously estimated. When the vehicle is traveling straight (yaw angular acceleration is substantially 0), equation (2) is satisfied, and the lateral force on the wheels is substantially 0. It is not necessary to consider the moment. Therefore, the yaw moment resulting from the wheel tire generating force is represented by the longitudinal force of the wheel and the distance in the left-right direction of the vehicle from the center of gravity to each wheel in the direction perpendicular thereto. Based on 2), the relationship between the position of the wheel and the center of gravity position in the left-right direction of the vehicle is determined, whereby the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle in the left-right direction of the vehicle can be estimated. Accordingly, in one aspect of the device of the present invention, the vehicle includes means for determining whether or not the vehicle is traveling straight, and when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling straight, the left wheel (left wheel) of the vehicle is determined. Of the horizontal center of gravity of the vehicle based on the balance between the yaw moment generated by the tire generated force at the wheel and the yaw moment generated by the tire generated force at the right wheel (right wheel) of the vehicle. The position in the left-right direction may be estimated. Further, whether or not the vehicle is traveling straight can be determined based on the yaw rate of the vehicle. Accordingly, in another aspect of the apparatus of the present invention, it occurs at the left wheel of the vehicle when the vehicle yaw rate is less than a predetermined value (which may be substantially zero or a predetermined minute amount). Based on the balance between the yaw moment generated by the tire generated force and the yaw moment generated by the tire generated force at the right wheel of the vehicle, the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle in the horizontal direction is estimated. It may be. Note that whether or not the vehicle is traveling straight may be determined based on whether or not the steering angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined value.

  On the other hand, among the horizontal positions of the center of gravity of the vehicle, the position in the front-rear direction of the vehicle can be advantageously estimated when the vehicle is in steady turning. During steady turning (yaw angular acceleration is substantially 0), a lateral force component is generated in the tire generating force, and the yaw moment generated by the lateral force and the longitudinal force causes the center of gravity to move in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. It will be in the state of being balanced between. In the balance of yaw moment at that time, the distance perpendicular to the lateral force between the position of the front and rear wheels and the center of gravity (that is, the length of the moment arm of the front wheel and the moment arm of the rear wheel). ), The relationship between the wheel position and the center of gravity position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is determined based on the formula (2). Can be estimated. Therefore, in another aspect of the apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus includes a means for determining whether or not the vehicle is traveling in a steady turn. When the vehicle is determined to be turning, the front wheel of the vehicle Estimating the front-rear direction position of the horizontal center of gravity of the vehicle based on the balance between the yaw moment generated by the tire generated force and the yaw moment generated by the tire generated force at the rear wheel of the vehicle It may be. Whether the vehicle is in a steady turn can be determined by the magnitude of the yaw rate of the vehicle. Therefore, in another aspect of the apparatus of the present invention, when the yaw angular acceleration of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined reference value and the yaw rate is larger than a predetermined value, the yaw due to the tire generating force generated at the front wheels of the vehicle. Based on the balance between the moment and the yaw moment generated by the tire-generated force generated at the rear wheel of the vehicle, the position in the front-rear direction of the horizontal center-of-gravity position of the center of gravity of the vehicle may be estimated.

  It should be noted that the yaw moment resulting from the wheel tire generating force is the same as the wheel lateral force, particularly when the vehicle is in a steady turn and running at a constant speed, because the longitudinal force on the wheel is substantially zero. , And the distance in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle from the center of gravity to each wheel in the direction perpendicular to it (however, when considering the steering angle of the wheels, the force acting in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle) Moments are taken into account in the balance equation). In that case, the equation for balancing the yaw moment is simplified, and therefore the calculation for the position of the center of gravity is facilitated and the accuracy is improved.

  In the above-described series of embodiments of the device of the present invention, preferably, the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is a predetermined reference position in the vehicle, for example, so that the estimation calculation is easy. The distance and direction of each wheel position can be specified (based on the center of gravity as a reference) by the distance from the geometric center position of the vehicle and the design center of gravity position (in the vehicle front-rear direction and left-right direction). It should be understood that it may come to be.) In the apparatus of the present invention, as described above, the position of the center of gravity is estimated based on the balance of the yaw moment, but in the actual apparatus, it is solved using the formula of the balance of the yaw moment. A calculation formula for the position of the center of gravity is used, and the calculation formula is such that the tire generation force and the steering angle acting on the wheels from the road surface to the wheels in the horizontal direction, and the vehicle specifications (tread length, axle distance, etc.) And is represented by Therefore, in the apparatus of the present invention, the position of the center of gravity may be estimated based on the tire generating force and the steering angle.

  Further, the tire generated force acting on the wheel in the horizontal direction may be a value measured by a longitudinal force / lateral force sensor or a lateral force sensor provided on the wheel. Such sensors are currently available at low cost. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to estimate the center of gravity position with better accuracy at a low cost.

  Further, the above-described apparatus according to the present invention performs estimation of the center of gravity position at any time during traveling of the vehicle if predetermined conditions are satisfied with respect to values such as yaw angular acceleration and yaw rate during traveling of the vehicle. can do. Therefore, the accuracy of the estimation result may be improved by sequentially repeating the estimation and taking the average value. In this regard, it is considered that the estimation result is more accurate as the tire generation force of each wheel is larger. Therefore, in the above-described apparatus of the present invention, when the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is specified by the distance from the predetermined reference position in the vehicle, the reference position of the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is determined. Means for sequentially calculating a temporary value of the distance of the vehicle during traveling of the vehicle, and means for calculating a weighted average value of the temporary value of the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle calculated sequentially. Is the average value of the temporary value of the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle multiplied by the weighting factor, the weighting factor increases with the magnitude of the tire generating force, and the weighted average value is the value of the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle. It may be estimated as a distance from the reference position.

  By the way, in the above-described apparatus of the present invention, if the position of the center of gravity is accurately estimated and the accuracy of the value on the right side of the equation (1) is improved, the yaw angular acceleration is large, that is, the equation (1). ) Takes a significant value, the vehicle yaw moment of inertia can be estimated based on equation (1). Therefore, the above-described apparatus of the present invention further includes the yaw moment generated in the vehicle body by the tire generating force acting horizontally on the wheels calculated using the estimated horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle, and the vehicle Means for estimating the yaw moment of inertia of the vehicle based on the yaw angular acceleration may be included. As in the case of estimating the center of gravity position, the estimation of the yaw moment of inertia can be performed sequentially while the vehicle is running, and the estimation accuracy improves as the magnitude of the yaw angular acceleration increases. Includes means for sequentially calculating a temporary value of the yaw inertia moment of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling, and means for calculating a weighted average value of the temporary values of the yaw inertia moment of the vehicle that are sequentially calculated. The average value is the average value of the temporary value of the yaw inertia moment of the vehicle multiplied by the weighting factor, the weighting factor increases with the magnitude of the yaw angular acceleration, and the weighted average value is estimated as the yaw inertia moment of the vehicle. You may be supposed to. (If the yaw moment of inertia of the vehicle is also estimated, it may be referred to as a vehicle state quantity estimating device, and such a device also belongs to the scope of the present invention.)

  Further, in the above-described series of apparatus embodiments of the present invention, when the vehicle is provided with means for detecting the ground contact load of the wheel, the height of the center of gravity can be estimated using the detected value. It's okay. In that case, according to the present invention, the height of the center of gravity can be detected together with the estimated horizontal position of the center of gravity estimated substantially without being affected by the suspension. Corresponding to the above, it is expected that the running / motion control of the vehicle can be executed which is improved as compared with the past. Thus, in one aspect of the apparatus of the present invention, the pitch moment acting on the vehicle body calculated based on the tire generating force in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the vehicle surface from the road surface to the vehicle wheel in the vertical direction. Means for estimating the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on the balance with the pitch moment acting on the vehicle may be included. Also in this case, the estimation of the center of gravity height can be performed sequentially while the vehicle is traveling, and the estimation accuracy improves as the magnitude of the tire generating force increases. And a means for calculating a weighted average value of the temporary value of the center of gravity of the vehicle calculated sequentially, and the weighted average value is a value obtained by multiplying the temporary value of the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle by a weighting factor. The weight coefficient increases with the magnitude of the tire generating force, and the weighted average value may be estimated as the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle.

  In the apparatus for estimating the center of gravity position of the vehicle of the present invention described above, it should be understood that the estimation result of the center of gravity position is a mechanical component acting on the wheels in the horizontal direction while the vehicle is running, That is, it is given by a mechanical component that directly affects the behavior of the vehicle in the yaw direction. As described above, the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle or the value of the yaw moment of inertia is typically used as a parameter that represents the characteristics of the controlled object in the control that stabilizes the behavior of the vehicle in the yaw direction. Used to determine the quantity (control yaw moment). That is, according to the present invention, the characteristic that determines the response of the control target is determined by the response to the physical quantity adjusted in the control using the value. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the response result of the control target as expected is obtained at the stage of actually executing the control, that is, at the stage of actively controlling the physical quantity, and the center of gravity obtained by a completely different method is obtained. It is expected that a better control result can be given than when the position is used. In other words, the centroid position according to the present invention is specified as a position to be regarded as the centroid position in the yaw behavior (the centroid position determined by the parameters not related to the yaw behavior is Therefore, it can be said that the apparatus of the present invention can determine a position of the center of gravity particularly suitable for controlling the yaw behavior of the vehicle.

  Further, in a preferred embodiment described later, detection of a mechanical component acting on a wheel for estimating the center of gravity is performed by using a longitudinal force / lateral force sensor or a six component force that is relatively easily available in this field. It can be implemented using a meter, in which case the development cost or time of the device for determining the position of the center of gravity can be kept low, which is very advantageous.

  Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be in part apparent and pointed out hereinafter.

  The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same parts.

Principle of vehicle center-of-gravity position estimation In some embodiments of the present invention described below, the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle in the front-rear direction, the position in the left-right direction (lateral direction), the yaw inertia moment, and the height of the center of gravity Presumed. Hereinafter, prior to description of a specific embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, the principle of estimation of each quantity in the present invention will be described.

ここに於いて、Ｔｒは、トレッド長、Ｌは、前輪と後輪の車軸間距離、δは、前輪の舵角である。また、Ｇｘ、Ｇｙは、それぞれ、車両の中心（トレッド長と車軸間距離の中点）からの車両の重心位置までの前後方向及び左右方向の距離である。もし、設計上の重心位置が車両の中心位置に一致していない場合は、上記の式に於いて、Ｔｒ／２及び／又はＬ／２が適宜変更されればよいことは理解されるべきである。なお、力は、前方及び左方向を正とし、モーメントは、左回転方向を正としているが、重心位置は、前方及び右方向を正としている。 (I) Yaw moment around the center of gravity of the vehicle The yaw moment around the center of gravity of the four-wheeled vehicle is expressed by the equation (1), as described in the section of “Disclosure of the Invention”:
I · dγ / dt = Mfl + Mfr + Mrl + Mrr (1)
Given by. Referring to FIG. 1, yaw moment Mi resulting from tire generating force of each wheel 2 of vehicle 1 is given as follows using longitudinal force Fxi and lateral force Fyi of each wheel.

Here, Tr is the tread length, L is the distance between the axles of the front and rear wheels, and δ is the steering angle of the front wheels. Gx and Gy are distances in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction from the center of the vehicle (the midpoint of the tread length and the distance between the axles) to the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle. It should be understood that Tr / 2 and / or L / 2 may be appropriately changed in the above formula if the designed center of gravity position does not coincide with the center position of the vehicle. is there. Note that the force is positive in the forward and left directions, and the moment is positive in the left rotation direction, but the center of gravity is positive in the forward and right directions.

In the above formula (1), when the yaw angular acceleration is small and the left side is negligibly small compared to the yaw moment Mi of each wheel, as described above, regardless of the magnitude of the yaw moment of inertia. , The above formula (2),
0 = Mfl + Mfr + Mrl + Mrr (2)
Is established, and the balance of the yaw moment is given by the tire generating force, the center of gravity position, and the steering angle of each wheel. The center-of-gravity positions Gx and Gy of the vehicle are calculated using the relationship of Expression (2).

となる。即ち、左右輪間の前後力の比を
(Fxfr+Fxrr):(Fxfl+Fxrl)＝１：ａ
と置くと、左右方向の重心位置Ｇｙは、
Ｇｙ＝Ｔｒ／２・｛（１−ａ）／（１＋ａ）｝ …（４ｂ）
により特定される。従って、車両が直進走行、特に、加減速走行しているとき（定速では、走行抵抗を（仮に）無視すると前後力が発生しない。）、タイヤの前後力を用いて左右方向の重心位置Ｇｙが得られることとなる。 (ii) Position Gy in the left-right direction of the center of gravity of the vehicle
In the equation (2), when the vehicle is traveling straight ahead, dγ / dt = 0, δ = 0, and lateral force Fyi = 0. Therefore, equation (2) becomes
0 = Mfl + Mfr + Mrl + Mrr
= -Fxfl (Tr / 2 + Gy) + Fxfr (Tr / 2-Gy) -Fxrl (Tr / 2 + Gy) + Fxrr (Tr / 2-Gy)
So, if you solve for Gy,

It becomes. That is, the ratio of the longitudinal force between the left and right wheels
(Fxfr + Fxrr) :( Fxfl + Fxrl) = 1: a
The center of gravity position Gy in the left-right direction is
Gy = Tr / 2 · {(1-a) / (1 + a)} (4b)
Specified by. Therefore, when the vehicle is traveling straight, particularly when accelerating / decelerating (at constant speed, if the traveling resistance is ignored (provisionally), no longitudinal force is generated), the center-of-gravity position Gy in the left-right direction using the longitudinal force of the tire. Will be obtained.

である。また、車両が定速走行中、即ち、車輪の前後力Ｆｘｉ＝０であれば、Ｇｘは、

により与えられる。なお、上記の式（５ａ）、（５ｂ）に於いて、舵角δが、δ≪１を満たし、車両の中心から重心までの距離ＧｙがＴｒ、Ｌに比して小さいときには、ｃｏｓδ〜１；ｓｉｎδ〜δと置き、且、Ｇｙ・δ〜０と置いて、式（５ａ）の分子Ａ及び分母Ｂは、

と近似されてよい。また、車両が定速走行中の場合の式（５ｂ）は、

と近似されてよい（この場合、Ｇｙが無くなる。）
上記の式に於いて、Ｇｙの値は、式（４）による算出されたＧｙの値が代入される。（通常、車両が発進する際、車両は、まず、直進に加速されるので、式（５）により、Ｇｘの推定が実行される際、式（４）によるＧｙは利用可能である。）しかしながら、タイヤの前後力が測定できない場合は、車両の設計値（諸元）が代入される（式（５ｂ’）を使用する場合は除く。）。 (iii) The longitudinal position Gx of the center of gravity of the vehicle
If the rudder angle is constant (dγ / dt = 0) while the vehicle is turning, Gx is given by the following equation according to equation (2).
Gx = A / B (5a)
here,

It is. Further, if the vehicle is traveling at a constant speed, that is, if the longitudinal force Fxi of the wheel is 0, Gx is

Given by. In the above formulas (5a) and (5b), when the steering angle δ satisfies δ << 1, and the distance Gy from the center of the vehicle to the center of gravity is smaller than Tr and L, cos δ˜1 , Where sin δ˜δ and Gy · δ˜0, the numerator A and the denominator B of formula (5a) are

May be approximated. Further, the equation (5b) when the vehicle is traveling at a constant speed is

(In this case, Gy disappears.)
In the above equation, the value of Gy calculated by equation (4) is substituted for the value of Gy. (Normally, when the vehicle starts, the vehicle is first accelerated in a straight line, so that Gy according to equation (4) can be used when Gx is estimated according to equation (5).) When the longitudinal force of the tire cannot be measured, the design value (specifications) of the vehicle is substituted (except when the equation (5b ′) is used).

(iv) Yaw moment of inertia I
When dγ / dt ≠ 0, from equation (1), the yaw moment of inertia is
I = (Mfl + Mfr + Mrl + Mrr) / (dγ / dt) (6)
Given by. The calculation of Mi is performed using the formula (3), and the values calculated by the above formulas (4a) to (5b ′) are substituted for Gx and Gy of those formulas.

(V) Center of gravity height Gz
The height of the center of gravity is calculated based on the balance of the pitch moment acting on the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling straight ahead. For example, when the vehicle decelerates, as shown in FIG. 2, an inertial force acts on the center of gravity and a pitch moment acts on the vehicle. In order to balance this, the pitch moment due to the vertical force of the wheels from the road surface (the reaction force of the ground load) must change (the vehicle is assumed to be a rigid body including the wheels, and the vehicle is accelerated / decelerated) Ignore changes in the height of the center of gravity.) Therefore, considering the balance of the pitch moment around the ground contact point of the rear wheel during the vehicle's straight acceleration / deceleration running, the following is obtained.
mg · (L / 2 + Gx) + Ft · Gz = Wf · L (7)
Here, mg is vehicle weight × gravity acceleration, Ft is an inertial force with respect to acceleration / deceleration force, and Wf is a reaction force from the road surface to the wheel with respect to the front wheel load. In the equation (7), the first term is the pitch moment due to gravity, the second term is the pitch moment with respect to the inertial force, and the third term is the pitch moment due to the reaction force from the road surface. Thus, from equation (7), Gz is
Gz = {Wf · L−mg · (L / 2 + Gx)} / Ft (8a)
Given by. The inertial force Ft may be the sum of the longitudinal forces of each wheel. Wf is the sum of the ground load of the front wheels, and is detected by a load sensor or the like. In addition, when load sensors are provided on all the wheels of the vehicle, the balance of the pitch moment when the vehicle is stationary is
mg · (L / 2 + Gx) = Wfo · L (9)
(Wfo is equal to the sum of the ground contact loads of the front wheels when the vehicle is stationary).
Gz = (Wf−Wfo} · L / Ft (8b)
(When Gx is given by the equations (5a) to (5b ′), the vehicle weight m can be calculated from the front wheel load only by the equation (9)).

It should be understood that the center-of-gravity height Gz can be calculated based on the balance of the pitch moment around the front wheel contact point using the rear wheel contact load as described above. Further, when the ground contact load Wi can be detected in all the wheels, the horizontal positions Gx and Gy of the center of gravity can be calculated from the load ratio of the front and rear wheels or the load ratio of the left and right wheels. That is, the load ratio of the front and rear wheels is Wfl + Wfr: Wrl + Wrr = 1: b
Then Gx is
Gx = (L / 2). (1-b) / (1 + b) (10a)
Given by
Wfr + Wrr: Wfl + Wrl = 1: c
When,
Gy = (Tr / 2) · (1-c) / (1 + c) (10b)
Given by. These values may be used as initial values of Gx and Gy.

(Vi) Weighted average value of estimated values The estimated values of the center of gravity positions Gx, Gy, the yaw inertia moment I, and the center of gravity height Gz satisfy the conditions that allow the respective values to be estimated sequentially or that are advantageous to the estimation. Calculated when In this regard, since the estimation is performed using detection values of various sensors, which will be described later, the estimation value includes an error due to an error in the detection value of the sensor. Therefore, in order to reduce the error of the estimated value, an average value of each estimated value may be calculated, and the average value may be used as a final estimated result value. At that time, the value of each sensor is generally considered to be more accurate as the detected value is larger. Therefore, the result value (temporary value) calculated sequentially is weighted so as to increase as the detected value of the corresponding sensor increases. The average value (weighted average value) may be calculated.

ここに於いて、積分は、装置の作動開始時又は適宜選択された時刻から現在の時刻Ｔまでの値について行う。Ｇx,y,z_mは、重心位置Ｇｘ、Ｇｙ又は重心高Ｇｚの重み付き平均値であり、Ｇｘ，ｙ，ｚ(τ)は、時刻τの重心位置Ｇｘ、Ｇｙ又は重心高Ｇｚの推定結果の一時値（式（４ａ）〜（５ｂ’）のいずれかの値）である。Ｆｔ（τ）は、時刻τのときのタイヤ発生力の総和（ベクトル和）の絶対値であり、Ω（Ｆｔ）は、Ｆｔをパラメータとする重み係数である。重み係数Ωは、図３（Ａ）に例示されている如く、タイヤ発生力の総和（ベクトル和）の絶対値Ｆｔが大きくなるほど増大する任意に設定されてよい関数である。Ｆｔは、各輪の前後力の総和Ｆｘ及び横力の総和Ｆｙより、
Ｆｔ＝（Ｆｘ^２＋Ｆｙ^２）^１／２ …（１２ａ）
により与えられる。ＦｘとＦｙは、図１を参照して、それぞれ、
Ｆｘ＝(Fxfl+Fxfr)cosδ+Fxrl+Fxrr-(Fyfr+Fyfl)sinδ
Ｆｙ＝(Fyfl+Fyfr)cosδ+Fyrl+Fyrr-(Fxfr+Fxfl)sinδ …（１２ｂ）
により与えられる。かくして、上記の式（１１）によれば、タイヤ発生力が大きいときの推定一時値の平均値Ｇx,y,z_mに於ける寄与が大きくなり、これにより、推定精度が向上されることが期待される。 For the center of gravity positions Gx and Gy and the center of gravity height Gz, an average value with a weight that increases as the total sum of tire generation forces (the absolute value thereof) increases is calculated by the following equation.

Here, the integration is performed for values from the start of operation of the apparatus or a time selected as appropriate to the current time T. Gx, y, z_m is a weighted average value of the centroid position Gx, Gy or centroid height Gz, and Gx, y, z (τ) is the estimated result of the centroid position Gx, Gy or centroid height Gz at time τ. It is a temporary value (any one of the formulas (4a) to (5b ′)). Ft (τ) is an absolute value of the sum (vector sum) of tire generation forces at time τ, and Ω (Ft) is a weighting coefficient using Ft as a parameter. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the weighting coefficient Ω is a function that can be arbitrarily set to increase as the absolute value Ft of the total sum (vector sum) of tire generation forces increases. Ft is the sum of front and rear forces Fx and the sum of lateral forces Fy of each wheel.
Ft = (Fx ² + Fy ² ) ^1/2 (12a)
Given by. Fx and Fy are respectively referred to FIG.
Fx = (Fxfl + Fxfr) cosδ + Fxrl + Fxrr- (Fyfr + Fyfl) sinδ
Fy = (Fyfl + Fyfr) cosδ + Fyrl + Fyrr− (Fxfr + Fxfl) sinδ (12b)
Given by. Thus, according to the above equation (11), the contribution in the average value Gx, y, z_m of the estimated temporary value when the tire generating force is large is increased, and this is expected to improve the estimation accuracy. Is done.

により与えられる。ここで、Ｉ(τ)は、時刻τに推定されたヨー慣性モーメントの一時値であり、Ψは、図３（Ｂ）に示されている如く、ｄγ／ｄｔの絶対値が大きくなるほど大きくなる重み係数である。 The weighted average value of the yaw moment of inertia I is calculated such that the larger the absolute value of the yaw angular acceleration dγ / dt, the greater the contribution to the average value of the estimated temporary value at that time. Specifically, the weighted average value I_m of the yaw moment of inertia I is

Given by. Here, I (τ) is a temporary value of the yaw moment of inertia estimated at time τ, and ψ increases as the absolute value of dγ / dt increases, as shown in FIG. It is a weighting factor.

Since the center of gravity position, center of gravity height, and yaw moment of inertia are sequentially calculated in a calculation cycle that repeats at a predetermined cycle as described later, the weighted average value is the average value of the estimation results up to the previous time. And may be calculated as follows: For the center of gravity position and center of gravity height,
Gx, y, z_m [n] = Gx, y, z [n] .omega. (Ft) + Gx, y, z_m [n-1]. (1-.omega. (Ft) (11a)
For yaw moment of inertia,
I_m [n] = I [n] ψ (dγ / dt) + I_m [n−1] · (1-ψ (dγ / dt)) (13a)
Here, [n] represents the value of the current cycle, and [n−1] represents the value of the previous cycle. ω (Ft) and ψ (dγ / dt) are weighting factors that may be arbitrarily set so as not to exceed 1, which increases as the size of the parameter in parentheses increases.

Diagram 4 of the device is a representation of a preferred embodiment structure of the gravity center position / yaw inertia moment estimation apparatus of the present invention which is mounted on any four-wheeled vehicle in the form of a block diagram. Referring to the figure, an arithmetic processing unit 50 for calculating the position of the center of gravity / yaw moment of inertia detects a longitudinal force Fxi and a lateral force Fyi that are mounted on the axle of each wheel of the vehicle and act on the wheel from the road surface. For detecting a lateral force Fyi (a sensor capable of detecting a longitudinal force and a lateral force of a tire or a combination of a longitudinal force sensor for detecting a longitudinal force and a lateral force sensor for detecting a lateral force) Signals from the lateral force sensor 10i, the yaw rate sensor 12 that detects the yaw rate γ of the vehicle, and the steering angle sensor 14 that detects the front wheel steering angle δ are input. When the longitudinal force of the tire cannot be measured as in Example 2 described later, a signal representing the longitudinal acceleration α from the G sensor 20 is input in order to detect whether or not the longitudinal force of the tire is generated. It may be. In the case of Example 3 to be described later, each wheel is provided with a load sensor 16i for detecting the ground load Wi of each wheel, and the output of the load sensor is also input to the arithmetic processing unit 50 (in the drawing). If a six-component force meter is provided, as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line, the longitudinal force, lateral force, and ground load of the tire can be detected.) Further, as in a normal vehicle, a wheel speed sensor 18i is provided in each wheel, and a vehicle speed Vx calculated based on the signal may be calculated (the vehicle speed is mounted on the vehicle). The value of another electronic control unit may be used.) Although not shown, the arithmetic processing unit 50 may include a microcomputer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an input / output port device which are connected to each other by a bidirectional common bus. As the above-described series of sensors or detection instruments, any commercially available sensors or detection instruments may be used, and signals from the sensors are appropriately processed in the arithmetic processing unit 50 so that numerical computations are possible ( Noise removal, AD conversion processing, etc.). Typically, since the estimation result of the device of the present invention is used for vehicle travel / motion control, it communicates with the vehicle drive control device and brake control device, and receives information about the operating state of the vehicle. The estimation result may be transmitted to those control devices. In the following, the operation of some embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of calculation processing of the estimation device when the longitudinal force and lateral force of the tire can be measured or used. The arithmetic processing shown in the figure is repeatedly executed in a predetermined cycle during operation of the vehicle (the same applies to the second and third embodiments).

  Referring to the figure, in the arithmetic processing, whether or not the absolute value of yaw angular acceleration dγ / dt is equal to or smaller than a predetermined reference value Δγo (step 10), and the absolute value of yaw rate γ is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value γo. Whether or not (step 20) and whether or not the absolute value of the total sum of the tire longitudinal forces is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step 30). | Dγ / dt | is given by time-differentiating the value of γ. Ft may be given by equation (12a) above. Note that if the vehicle front-rear direction G sensor is mounted on the vehicle, it may be determined based on the signal whether the vehicle is traveling straight ahead. Γo, Δγ, and Fto are positive predetermined reference values or predetermined values that may be arbitrarily set (the same applies hereinafter).

When the absolute values of the yaw rate γ and the yaw angular acceleration dγ / dt are each equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the absolute value of the sum of the tire longitudinal forces is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, that is,
| Dγ / dt | ≦ Δγo
| Γ | ≦ γo
Ft ≧ Fto (14a)
In this case, the vehicle is traveling straight ahead. Accordingly, in this case, as described above, the left-right direction position Gy of the center of gravity is calculated according to the equation (4a) or (4b) (step 40). Further, the weighted average value of Gy is calculated using the equation (11) or (11a), and the weighted average value Gy_m is set as the final estimated value of the center-of-gravity position Gy (step 45). In addition, the value (specification) at the time of vehicle design may be used as the initial value of the arithmetic processing (the same applies hereinafter).

When the absolute value of the yaw angular acceleration dγ / dt is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value Δγo, the yaw rate γ is larger than the predetermined value, that is,
| Dγ / dt | ≦ Δγo
| Γ |> γo (14b)
In this case, the vehicle is in a steady turn. Therefore, in that case, the longitudinal position of the center of gravity is calculated by the equation (5a) or (5a ′) (step 50), and the weighted average value of Gx is further calculated using the equation (11) or (11a). The weighted average value Gx_m is calculated as the final estimated value of the longitudinal position Gx of the center of gravity (step 55). Even if the yaw rate is larger than the predetermined value γo, if the absolute value is small, the lateral force is small, and therefore the accuracy of the estimated Gx may be lowered. Therefore, as shown by the dotted line in the figure, after step 20, the estimation of Gx may be executed only when the second predetermined value γ1 larger than the predetermined value γo is larger. (Step 25). Further, although not shown, it is further determined whether or not the tire longitudinal force is substantially zero, that is, whether or not the vehicle is traveling at a constant speed. In this case, the formula (5b) or (5b ′) that does not use the longitudinal force of the tire may be used.

  When the absolute value of the yaw angular acceleration dγ / dt is larger than the predetermined value Δγo, the values of both sides of the equation (1) are not 0, so the yaw inertia moment is estimated by the equation (6) (step 60). Next, the weighted average value I_m of the yaw inertia moment is calculated by the equation (13) or (13a), and the weighted average value I_m is set as the final estimated value of the yaw inertia moment I (step 65). As in the case of Gx estimation, in order to improve the estimation accuracy of I, as shown by the dotted line in the figure, after step 10, it is larger than the second reference value Δγ1 that is larger than the reference value Δγo. Only occasionally, an estimation of I may be performed (step 15).

  Thus, according to the above arithmetic processing, the center of gravity position and the yaw moment of inertia are estimated based on the longitudinal force and / or the lateral force of the tire while the vehicle is running, By using the weighted average value as the final estimated value, the estimation accuracy is improved. In this regard, it should be understood that when the vehicle starts running, the vehicle specifications are given as the center of gravity position and the yaw moment of inertia, so there may be a large error from the actual value. With the configuration in which estimation is repeated during traveling, the accuracy of the center of gravity position and the yaw moment of inertia improves as the vehicle travels.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the calculation process flow of the estimation apparatus when the lateral force of the tire can be measured or used. In this case, since the longitudinal force of the tire cannot be measured, it is impossible to estimate the position of the center of gravity in the left-right direction. Referring to the figure, in the arithmetic processing, first, whether or not the front-rear force of the tire is generated is determined based on the G sensor value or the driving device from the vehicle driving control device or the braking control device. Alternatively, the determination is made based on a signal indicating the operating state of the braking device (step 110). Then, it is sequentially determined whether or not the absolute value of the yaw angular acceleration dγ / dt is equal to or smaller than a predetermined reference value Δγo (step 120) and whether or not the absolute value of the yaw rate γ is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value γo (step 130). Is done.

  When the absolute value of the yaw rate γ is larger than the predetermined value γo, the equation (14b) is established as in the case of the first embodiment, and the vehicle is in a steady turn. However, since the tire longitudinal force is not measured in this embodiment, the longitudinal position of the center of gravity is calculated by the equation (5b) or (5b ′) that does not use the tire longitudinal force (step 150), and further, the equation (11) ) Or (11a) is used to calculate the weighted average value of Gx, and the weighted average value Gx_m is used as the final estimated value of the longitudinal position Gx of the center of gravity (step 155). In this embodiment, since it is not determined after step 130 whether the vehicle is traveling straight ahead, the predetermined value γo may be equivalent to the second predetermined value γ1 of the first embodiment.

  When the absolute value of the yaw angular acceleration dγ / dt is larger than the predetermined value Δγo, the yaw inertia moment is estimated by the equation (6) as in the case of the first embodiment (step 160), and then the equation ( 13) or (13a), the weighted average value I_m of the yaw inertia moment is calculated, and the weighted average value I_m is set as the final estimated value of the yaw inertia moment I (step 165). In order to improve the estimation accuracy of I, as shown by the dotted line in the figure, after step 10, the estimation of I is executed only when it is larger than the second reference value Δγ1 larger than the reference value Δγo. (Step 125).

  FIG. 7 shows a calculation process flow of the estimation apparatus when a load sensor is mounted on each wheel of the vehicle and the ground load Wi of each wheel is available in the case of the apparatus of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Is represented in the form of a flowchart. In this case, basically, the same processing as in the flowchart of FIG. 5 is executed, but after estimating the horizontal position of the center of gravity in steps 40 and 45, the center of gravity height Gz is estimated using the value of the ground contact load. Is done. In addition, since ground contact load values can be used, calculation values using the equations (10a) and (10b) may be used as the initial values of Gx and Gy.

  In estimating the height of the center of gravity, it is first determined whether or not the vehicle speed Vx is equal to or less than a predetermined value Vxo (step 70). When the vehicle speed Vx is relatively high and exceeds a predetermined value Vxo, the contribution of air resistance or the like to the vehicle body cannot be ignored. In the illustrated embodiment, the contribution is not taken into account. Not executed. (Embodiments considering the contribution of air resistance and the like to the vehicle body can be appropriately configured by those skilled in the art based on the description of the embodiments, and it should be understood that such cases also belong to the present invention. )

  On the other hand, when the vehicle speed Vx is equal to or less than the predetermined value Vxo, a temporary value for estimating the center of gravity height is calculated using equation (8a) or (8b) (step 75), and further, equation (11) or (11a) Is used to calculate the weighted average value Gz_m of Gz, and this value is used as the final estimated value of the center of gravity height Gz (step 80).

  Thus, the position of the center of gravity, the moment of inertia of the yaw, and the height of the center of gravity estimated with good accuracy as described above can be used as parameters for arbitrary vehicle control.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  For example, it should be understood that the above flow chart may be varied in configuration depending on the available tire force. Importantly, the lateral position Gy of the center of gravity is advantageously estimated while the vehicle is traveling straight ahead, and the longitudinal position Gx of the center of gravity is advantageously estimated when the vehicle is turning at a constant yaw rate, and the yaw inertia The moment is advantageously estimated when the yaw rate changes, that is, when the yaw angular acceleration is not substantially zero, and the height of the center of gravity is advantageous when the vehicle is traveling straight and accelerated and the vehicle speed is relatively low. It is estimated that. Therefore, regardless of the exemplary flowchart, when the above-described series of conditions are satisfied, the corresponding estimation may be executed, and such a case also belongs to the scope of the present invention. (For example, in the first embodiment, even if the order of determination in steps 20 and 30 is reversed, estimation of the longitudinal position of the center of gravity is performed only during constant speed steady turning. It will be good.)

  In the above embodiment, the turning state of the vehicle is determined based on the yaw angular acceleration and the yaw rate, but it is understood that the same processing can be performed with reference to the lateral acceleration or the steering angle instead of the yaw rate. Such a case should be within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a vehicle for explaining the principle of estimation of the center of gravity position and yaw moment of inertia executed by the apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the vehicle for explaining the principle of estimating the center of gravity height executed by the apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a graph showing the relationship between the weighting coefficient Ω used when calculating the weighted average value of the center of gravity position Gx, Gy or the center of gravity height Gz and the absolute value Ft of the sum of tire generating forces. is there. FIG. 3B is a graph showing the relationship between the weighting coefficient ψ used when calculating the weighted average value of the yaw moment of inertia and the absolute value | dγ / dt | of the yaw angular acceleration. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the estimation apparatus of the present invention in the form of a block diagram. FIG. 5 shows the flow of arithmetic processing in the first embodiment of the estimation apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows the flow of arithmetic processing in the second embodiment of the estimation apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a flow of arithmetic processing of the estimation apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle 2i ... Wheel 10i ... Longitudinal force / lateral force sensor or lateral force sensor mounted on each wheel 12 ... Yaw rate sensor 14 ... Front wheel rudder angle sensor 16i ... Load sensor mounted on each wheel 18i ... Mounted on each wheel Wheel speed sensor 20... G sensor 50.

Claims (16)

  An apparatus for estimating the position of the center of gravity of a vehicle, wherein when the yaw angular acceleration of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined reference value, a horizontal direction from the road surface to the wheels between the wheel of the vehicle and the road surface An apparatus for estimating a horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on a balance of yaw moments generated in a vehicle body of the vehicle due to a tire generating force acting on the vehicle.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal position of a center of gravity of the vehicle is specified by a distance in a front-rear direction or a left-right direction of the vehicle from a predetermined reference position in the vehicle.   3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein means for sequentially calculating a temporary value of the distance from the reference position of the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling, and Means for calculating a weighted average value of a temporary value of the horizontal position of the center of gravity, and the weighted average value is an average value of a value obtained by multiplying a temporary value of the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle by a weighting factor, The weighting factor increases with the magnitude of the tire generating force, and the weighted average value is determined as the distance from the reference position of the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining whether or not the vehicle is traveling straight, and generating the tire that is generated at a left wheel of the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling straight. Estimating the horizontal position of the horizontal center of gravity of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on the balance between the yaw moment due to the force and the yaw moment due to the tire generating force generated at the right wheel of the vehicle. Features device.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the yaw rate of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined value, the yaw moment generated by the tire generating force generated at the left wheel of the vehicle and the tire generated at the right wheel of the vehicle. An apparatus for estimating a horizontal position of a horizontal center of gravity position of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on a balance with a yaw moment by a generated force.   The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining whether or not the vehicle is turning, and the tire generation that occurs at the front wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle is determined to be turning. Estimating the position in the front-rear direction of the horizontal center of gravity of the vehicle based on the balance between the yaw moment due to the force and the yaw moment due to the tire-generated force generated at the rear wheel of the vehicle. Features device.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the yaw rate of the vehicle is larger than a predetermined value, the yaw moment generated by the tire generating force generated at the front wheel of the vehicle and the tire generated at the rear wheel of the vehicle. An apparatus for estimating a front-rear direction position of a horizontal center-of-gravity position of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on a balance with a yaw moment generated by a generated force.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the yaw rate of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined value, the yaw moment generated by the tire generating force generated at the left wheel of the vehicle and the tire generated at the right wheel of the vehicle. Means for estimating a horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle in the horizontal direction based on a balance with a generated yaw moment, and when the yaw rate of the vehicle is greater than the predetermined value, Based on the balance between the yaw moment generated by the tire generating force generated at the front wheel and the yaw moment generated by the tire generated force at the rear wheel of the vehicle, Means for estimating the position in the front-rear direction.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal position of a center of gravity of the vehicle is estimated based on a tire generation force and a steering angle of each wheel of the vehicle.   10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a tire generating force acting in a horizontal direction on the wheel is a value measured by a longitudinal force / lateral force sensor or a lateral force sensor mounted on the wheel. .   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a yaw moment generated in a vehicle body of the vehicle by a tire generating force acting in a horizontal direction on the wheels, calculated using the estimated horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle. An apparatus comprising means for estimating a yaw moment of inertia of the vehicle based on a yaw angular acceleration of the vehicle.   12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein means for sequentially calculating a temporary value of the yaw moment of inertia of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling, and a weighted average of the temporary values of the yaw moment of inertia of the vehicle calculated sequentially. Means for calculating a value, wherein the weighted average value is an average value obtained by multiplying a temporary value of the yaw inertia moment of the vehicle by a weighting factor, and the weighting factor increases with the magnitude of the yaw angular acceleration. The weighted average value is determined as a yaw moment of inertia of the vehicle.   12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when the yaw angular acceleration of the vehicle is smaller than the predetermined reference value, the vehicle acts in a horizontal direction from the road surface to the wheel between the vehicle wheel and the road surface. When the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is estimated based on the balance of the yaw moment generated in the vehicle body caused by the tire generating force, and the magnitude of the yaw angular acceleration of the vehicle is greater than the predetermined reference value An apparatus for estimating a yaw moment of inertia of the vehicle.   The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a pitch moment acting on a vehicle body of the vehicle calculated based on a tire generating force in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and a vehicle wheel from the road surface to a vehicle wheel in a vertical direction of the vehicle. An apparatus comprising: means for estimating a height of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on a balance with an acting pitch moment.   15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein means for sequentially calculating a temporary value of the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling, and a weighted average value of the temporary values of the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle that are sequentially calculated. Means for calculating, wherein the weighted average value is an average value obtained by multiplying a temporary value of the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle by a weighting factor, and the weighting factor increases with the magnitude of the tire generating force, A weighted average value is estimated as the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle.   15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when the yaw angular acceleration is smaller than the predetermined reference value and the yaw rate of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined value, the horizontal direction of the horizontal center of gravity position of the vehicle center of gravity. And the center of gravity in the horizontal direction of the center of gravity of the vehicle when the yaw angular acceleration is smaller than the predetermined reference value and the vehicle yaw rate is greater than the predetermined value. And a yaw moment of inertia of the vehicle is estimated when the yaw angular acceleration is greater than the predetermined reference value.

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