JP5088014B2 - Vehicle suspension system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a suspension system for a vehicle including an electromagnetic actuator that generates a force in a direction to approach and separate from an unsprung portion and an unsprung portion.

In recent years, as a suspension system for a vehicle, a suspension system configured to include an electromagnetic actuator that generates a force in a direction of approaching and moving away from an unsprung portion and an unsprung portion based on the force of an electromagnetic motor. For example, there is a system described in the following patent document. In this suspension system, an actuator is disposed between an upper part and an unsprung part and functions as an electromagnetic shock absorber, and vibration damping characteristics based on the so-called skyhook damper theory can be easily realized. Because of its advantages, it is expected as a high-performance system.
JP 2004-299559 A

  In the case where a plurality of the actuators are provided corresponding to the plurality of wheels, a plurality of individual control devices that control the operation of the ones corresponding to the plurality of actuators provided to correspond to the plurality of actuators in order to link the plurality of actuators. In general, the system is controlled in a centralized manner by a central control device provided separately from them. In connection with the connection of the plurality of control devices, a system connected to a common communication line, that is, a so-called bus-connected system has been studied in consideration of wiring saving and the like. However, in such a system, in order to make each of the individual control devices recognize which actuator it corresponds to, an identifier (ID) is assigned to the individual control device before or after the individual control device is assembled to the vehicle. ) Is necessary, and the connection processing of a plurality of individual control devices is complicated. This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and makes it a subject to provide the suspension system with which the connection process to the vehicle of these several individual control apparatuses is simple.

In order to solve the above problems, the suspension system of the present invention determines (A) a plurality of actuators, and (B) a control target value for each of the plurality of actuators, and includes the control target value and an identifier. An integrated control device that outputs control information including: (C) a communication line to which the overall control device is connected and control information is transmitted; and (D) a plurality of actuators corresponding to each of the communication lines. A plurality of individual control terminals that are connected to the PC and receive control information, identify a control target value corresponding to the actuator corresponding to the control information, and control the operation of the actuator corresponding to the actuator based on the identified control target value. A system equipped with a control device, each of which can be connected to either the high potential side terminal or the low potential side terminal of the power supply. There, the pattern is the pattern of connections to those high-potential-side terminal and the low potential side terminal, of the pattern set to be different from each other to correspond to each of the plurality of actuators, corresponding to the actuator corresponding to itself The control target value corresponding to the actuator corresponding to itself among the control target value included in (b) the control information is connected to the predetermined number of connection terminals. And a control target value identifying unit for identifying based on the pattern.

  According to the suspension system of the present invention, the control information corresponding to the actuator corresponding to itself among the plurality of actuators is identified based on the connection pattern of the predetermined number of connection terminals of the individual control device. A process of assigning an identifier for each individual control device during the connection process is not necessary. Moreover, since it is possible to make the structure of a some separate control apparatus the same, management of the separate control apparatus before the assembly | attachment to a vehicle becomes easy. That is, according to the present invention, a system in which connection processing of a plurality of individual control devices to a vehicle is simplified is realized.

Aspects of the Invention

In the following, some aspects of the invention that can be claimed in the present application (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “claimable invention”) will be exemplified and described. As with the claims, each aspect is divided into sections, each section is numbered, and is described in a form that cites the numbers of other sections as necessary. This is merely for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the claimable inventions, and is not intended to limit the combinations of the constituent elements constituting those inventions to those described in the following sections. In other words, the claimable invention should be construed in consideration of the description accompanying each section, the description of the embodiments, etc., and as long as the interpretation is followed, another aspect is added to the form of each section. In addition, an aspect in which some constituent elements are deleted from the aspect of each item can be an aspect of the claimable invention. In each of the following items, the combination of items (1) and (2) corresponds to claim 1, and each of items (2) to (7) is claimed in claim 2. It corresponds to each of claims 7 to 7.

(1) Provided corresponding to a plurality of wheels, each having an electromagnetic motor, which approaches and separates from the upper and lower springs depending on the force generated by the electromagnetic motor. A plurality of actuators capable of generating an actuator force that is a direction force; and
To determine a control target value for the actuator force of each of the plurality of actuators and to identify each of the plurality of actuators associated with each of the control target values and each of them An overall control device that outputs control information including the identifier of
A communication line to which the overall control device is connected and the control information output from the overall control device is transmitted;
Provided corresponding to the plurality of actuators, each of which is connected to the communication line and receives the control information from the communication line, and (a) each of the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal of the power source Any of the plurality of actuators can be connected, and the pattern of connection to the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal is connected to be a pattern corresponding to one of the plurality of actuators. A predetermined number of connection terminals; and (b) a control target value corresponding to one of the plurality of actuators corresponding to itself among the control target values included in the control information. A control target value identifying unit for identifying based on a connection pattern; and (c) based on the control target value identified by the control target value identifying unit, Suspension system for a vehicle that includes a plurality of individual control device having a hydraulic control unit for controlling the operation of those response.

  To put it plainly, in the aspect described in this section, in the system in which the plurality of individual control devices and the overall control device are connected to a common communication line, each of the plurality of individual control devices has an actuator corresponding to itself. In this aspect, an identification terminal for identifying the corresponding control target value is provided. A system in which a plurality of individual control devices and a general control device are connected to a common communication line is a so-called bus-connected system. Specifically, for example, a plurality of individual control devices and a general control device include A system or the like connected by a CAN (Controller Area Network). In such a system, the overall control device transmits control information including a control target value of each of a plurality of actuators and an identifier for identifying which actuator corresponds to the communication line, and a plurality of individual controls. The apparatus is configured to identify a control target value corresponding to an actuator corresponding to the apparatus and to control operation of the actuator corresponding to the apparatus based on the control target value. Accordingly, in the conventional system, in order to make each of the plurality of individual control devices recognize which actuator corresponds, an identifier is assigned to the individual control device before or after the individual control device is assembled to the vehicle. It was necessary to grant. In addition, when an identifier is assigned before assembly, it is necessary to manage a plurality of individual control devices separately for each corresponding actuator, and the process of connecting a plurality of individual control devices to a vehicle is complicated. It has become.

  In the aspect described in this section, each of the plurality of individual control devices identifies the control target value corresponding to the actuator corresponding to itself based on the connection pattern of the predetermined number of connection terminals included in the individual control device. In this connection process, the above-described process for assigning the identifier becomes unnecessary. Moreover, since it is possible to make the structure of a some separate control apparatus the same, management of the separate control apparatus before the assembly | attachment to a vehicle becomes easy. Therefore, according to the aspect of this section, the connection processing of the plurality of individual control devices to the vehicle is simplified.

  The “predetermined number of connection terminals” in the aspect of this section is simply an identification terminal, and may be provided only for identification of the control target value, for example, for its own drive. You may use the terminal provided in the connection with a power supply as some of the terminals for identification. The “connection pattern” of the connection terminals is a combination of whether a predetermined number of connection terminals are connected to either the high potential side terminal or the low potential side terminal. The connection pattern set corresponding to the plurality of actuators, for example, in the case of having two connection terminals, the connection to the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal of the first connection terminal, It can be set by dividing by the actuators corresponding to the front and rear wheels and dividing the connection of the second connection terminal by the actuators corresponding to the left and right wheels.

  The specific configuration of the “control target value identifying unit” in the aspect of this section is not particularly limited. For example, a program for identifying a control target value based on the voltage of each connection terminal is stored in a general-purpose computer that is also used for other controls, and includes a part for executing the processing of the program It may be configured by, including a dedicated computer that receives each voltage of the connection terminal and identifies the control target value based on it, in other words, does not execute the program It may be a circuit or the like.

  Note that the “control target value” referred to in the aspect of this section is not limited to the target actuator force itself, which is an actuator force to be generated by the actuator, but some related amount that indicates the magnitude of the target actuator force, In other words, some physical quantity related to the actuator force may be used. Specifically, for example, it may be motor force, energization current, duty ratio in PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control, or the like.

  The “actuator” in the aspect of this section can be, for example, an electromagnetic shock absorber as one component of a suspension device that will be described in detail later. In addition, an elastic body having one end connected to one of the spring upper part and the spring lower part is provided, and the actuator is disposed between the other end of the elastic body and the other of the spring upper part and the spring lower part, The amount of deformation of the elastic body is changed according to its own operating position by applying the force generated by itself depending on the motor force to the elastic body. It is also possible to make it a component of a so-called left and right independent type stabilizer device that generates a force in the direction in which they approach and separate.

(2) The vehicle suspension system is
The vehicle suspension according to (1), wherein the plurality of individual control devices have the same configuration, and the connection patterns of the predetermined number of connection terminals for the plurality of individual control devices are different from each other. system.

  The mode described in this section is a mode that shows the mutual relationship among the plurality of individual control devices. According to the aspect of this section, it is possible to reliably identify the control target value by the individual control device.

  (3) The vehicle suspension system according to (1) or (2), wherein the predetermined number of connection terminals are provided only for identifying a control target value by the control target value identifying unit.

  The mode described in this section is a mode in which the predetermined number of connection terminals are terminals dedicated for identification. In the aspect of this section, power for driving is supplied through another terminal.

(4) The control target value identifying unit
The individual control having one of the plurality of actuators depending on which one of the plurality of patterns set corresponding to the plurality of actuators matches a pattern in which the predetermined number of connection terminals are connected. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the actuator corresponding to the device is recognized and a control target value corresponding to the recognized actuator is identified.

  The mode described in this section is a mode in which the identification method by the control target value identifying unit is embodied, and the control target value identifying unit in the mode of this section first includes individual control having itself among a plurality of actuators. An actuator corresponding to the apparatus is configured to be recognized.

(5) Each of the connection patterns of the predetermined number of connection terminals corresponding to the plurality of actuators,
Even when the connection of any one of the predetermined number of connection terminals is exchanged between the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal, the pattern in that case is any of the patterns corresponding to other actuators. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of (1) to (4), which is set differently.

  For example, if an error occurs when assembling the individual control device to the vehicle, or if there is a break in the wiring connecting the connection terminal and the high potential side terminal, the connection pattern in that case corresponds to another actuator. If the pattern matches the pattern, the individual control device may execute control different from the actuator corresponding to the individual control device. However, according to the aspect of this section, due to the factors as described above, the connection of any one of the predetermined number of connection terminals is switched between the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal. However, since it is different from the connection pattern corresponding to the other actuators and the actuator corresponding to itself cannot be recognized, it is possible to detect that some abnormality has occurred in the connection of the terminal for identification.

(6) The vehicle suspension system includes four actuators and four individual control devices corresponding to front, rear, left and right wheels,
The vehicle suspension system according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein each of the four individual control devices has at least two connection terminals.

  (7) The vehicle suspension system according to (6), wherein each of the four individual control devices has three connection terminals.

  The modes described in the above two items are modes in which the number of connection terminals is limited with respect to a general four-wheel vehicle. In order to set four patterns corresponding to the four actuators, at least two connection terminals are required. That is, the former mode is a mode that indicates the minimum number of connection terminals in the case of a system including four actuators. The latter aspect is an aspect in which more connection terminals are provided than the necessary minimum number. According to the latter aspect, each of the connection patterns corresponding to a plurality of actuators has a predetermined number of connection terminals. Even if the connection of any one of them is switched between the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal, the pattern in that case is set to be different from any of the patterns corresponding to other actuators. It is possible to realize this aspect.

(8) Each of the plurality of actuators is
A sprung unit connected to the sprung unit, and a sprung unit connected to the sprung unit to allow relative movement between the sprung unit and the sprung unit according to the approach and separation between the sprung unit and the sprung unit. Any one of the items (1) to (7), wherein the electromagnetic shock absorber relies on the force of the electromagnetic motor to generate a force for relative movement between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit. The vehicle suspension system according to claim 1.

  The mode described in this section is a mode in which the actuator is limited to one component of the so-called suspension device. In this case, the specific structure of the actuator is not limited, and the function is not particularly limited. For example, a function that attenuates the vibration generated in the vehicle or a function that controls the posture of the vehicle body for the purpose of suppressing the roll, pitch, etc. of the vehicle body caused by vehicle turning, acceleration / deceleration, etc. Is possible.

  (9) Each of the plurality of individual control devices has a drive circuit for driving the electromagnetic motor, and the operation control unit includes the drive circuit (1) to (8). The vehicle suspension system according to any one of the above.

  The mode described in this section is a mode in which the operation control unit includes a so-called inverter. The inverter may be of any structure that can control the operation of switching elements such as FETs provided for each phase according to the electrical angle of the electromagnetic motor, and performs PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. It is desirable to adopt a possible structure.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the claimable invention and modifications thereof will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition to the following examples, the claimable invention is implemented in various modes including various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the mode described in the above [Mode of Invention]. can do.

≪Suspension system configuration≫
FIG. 1 schematically shows a vehicle suspension system 10 that is an embodiment of the claimable invention. The suspension system 10 includes four independent suspension type suspension devices corresponding to the front, rear, left and right wheels 12, each of which is a spring absorber in which a suspension spring and a shock absorber are integrated. Assy20. The wheel 12 and the spring absorber assembly 20 are generic names, and when it is necessary to clarify which of the four wheels corresponds, as shown in FIG. In some cases, FL, FR, RL, and RR are attached to the front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the spring absorber assembly 20 is provided between a suspension lower arm 22 that holds the wheel 12 and constitutes a part of the unsprung part, and a mount part 24 that is provided on the vehicle body and constitutes a part of the unsprung part. And an electromagnetic actuator 26 disposed so as to connect them, and an air spring 28 as a suspension spring provided in parallel therewith.

  The actuator 26 includes an outer tube 30 and an inner tube 32 that fits into the outer tube 30 and protrudes upward from the upper end portion of the outer tube 30. The outer tube 30 is connected to the lower arm 22 via a mounting member 34 provided at the lower end portion thereof, while the inner tube 32 is connected to the mount portion 24 at a flange portion 36 formed at the upper end portion thereof. ing. The outer tube 30 is provided with a pair of guide grooves 38 on the inner wall surface thereof so as to extend in the direction in which the axis of the actuator 26 extends (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “axial direction”). Each of a pair of keys 40 attached to the lower end of the inner tube 32 is fitted into each of the outer tube 30 and the inner tube 32 by the guide groove 38 and the key 40. Relative rotation is impossible and relative movement is possible in the axial direction. Incidentally, a seal 42 is attached to the upper end portion of the outer tube 30 to prevent air leakage from the pressure chamber 44 described later.

  The actuator 26 includes a screw rod 50 as a male screw portion in which a thread groove is formed, and a nut 52 as a female screw portion that holds the bearing ball and is screwed with the screw rod 50. A mechanism and an electromagnetic motor 54 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “motor 54”) as a power source are provided. The motor 54 is fixedly accommodated in the motor case 56, and the flange portion of the motor case 56 is fixed to the upper surface side of the mount portion 24, and the flange portion 36 of the inner tube 32 is attached to the flange portion of the motor case 56. By being fixed, the inner tube 32 is connected to the mount portion 24 via the motor case 56. A motor shaft 58 that is a rotation shaft of the motor 54 is integrally connected to the upper end portion of the screw rod 50. That is, the screw rod 50 is disposed in the inner tube 32 with the motor shaft 58 extended, and is rotated by the motor 54. On the other hand, the nut 52 is fixedly supported on the upper end portion of the nut support cylinder 60 attached to the inner bottom portion of the outer tube 30 in a state of being screwed with the screw rod 50.

  The air spring 28 includes a housing 70 fixed to the mount portion 24, an air piston 72 fixed to the outer tube 30 of the actuator 26, and a diaphragm 74 connecting them. The housing 70 has a generally cylindrical shape with a lid, and is fixed to the lower surface side of the mount portion 24 on the upper surface side of the lid portion 76 in a state where the inner tube 32 of the actuator 26 is passed through a hole formed in the lid portion 76. Yes. The air piston 72 has a generally cylindrical shape, and is fixed to the upper portion of the outer tube 30 with the outer tube 30 fitted therein. The housing 70 and the air piston 72 are connected by a diaphragm 74 while maintaining airtightness, and the pressure chamber 44 is formed by the housing 70, the air piston 72, and the diaphragm 74. The pressure chamber 44 is filled with compressed air as a fluid. With such a structure, the air spring 28 elastically supports the lower arm 22 and the mount portion 24, that is, the wheel 12 and the vehicle body, by the pressure of the compressed air.

  From the structure as described above, when the spring upper portion and the spring lower portion approach and separate from each other, the outer tube 30 and the inner tube 32 can be relatively moved in the axial direction. Along with the relative movement, the screw rod 50 and the nut 52 relatively move in the axial direction, and the screw rod 50 rotates with respect to the nut 52. The motor 54 can apply a rotational torque to the screw rod 50, and generates a resistance force that prevents the stroke operation against the relative operation (stroke operation) between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion. Is possible. The actuator 26 functions as a so-called absorber (also referred to as “damper”) by causing this resistance force to act as a damping force against the stroke motion of the sprung portion and the unsprung portion. In other words, the actuator 26 has a function of applying a damping force to the stroke operation by an actuator force that is an axial force generated by the actuator 26 itself. The actuator 26 also has a function of causing the actuator force to act as a driving force, that is, a driving force for the stroke operation. With this function, a control based on the so-called skyhook damper theory that applies a damping force proportional to the sprung absolute speed to the action of the sprung spring, and a damping force proportional to the unsprung absolute speed to the action of the sprung part. It is possible to execute control based on the pseudo ground hook theory that causes Further, the actuator 26 positively changes the distance between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion in the vertical direction (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “distance between sprung springs”) by the actuator force, It also has a function of maintaining the distance at a predetermined distance. With this function, it is possible to effectively suppress the roll of the vehicle body at the time of turning, the pitch of the vehicle body at the time of acceleration / deceleration, and the adjustment of the vehicle height of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension system 10 includes a fluid inflow / outflow device for inflowing / outflowing air (air) as a fluid with respect to an air spring 28 included in each spring / absorber assembly 20. An air supply / discharge device 80 is connected to the pressure chamber 44 of the spring 28, supplies air to the pressure chamber 44, and discharges air from the pressure chamber 44. Although detailed description is omitted, the suspension system 10 can adjust the amount of air in the pressure chamber 44 of each air spring 28 by the air supply / discharge device 80. The spring length of the air spring 28 can be changed to change the distance between the sprung springs for each wheel 12. Specifically, it is possible to increase the amount of air in the pressure chamber 44 to increase the distance between the sprung springs and decrease the amount of air to decrease the distance between the sprung springs.

  In the present suspension system 10, the operation of the spring absorber assembly 20, that is, the control of the actuator 26 and the air spring 28 is performed by a suspension electronic control unit 140 (hereinafter also referred to as “ECU 140”) as an overall control device. The ECU 140 is configured mainly by a computer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like, and is provided corresponding to a driver 142 as a drive circuit of the air supply / discharge device 80 and each actuator 26. Are connected to four motor electronic drive units 144 (hereinafter also referred to as “EDU 144”) as individual control devices for controlling the operation of the actuators 26. Specifically, the ECU 140, the driver 142, and the four EDUs 144 are connected to a bus 146 as a communication line, and they are connected by a CAN (Controller Area Network). Further, the driver 142 and the four EDUs 144 are connected to the battery 150 via the converter 148, and each control valve, pump motor, etc., and the motor 54 of each actuator 26 included in the air supply / discharge device 80 are Electric power is supplied from a power source including the converter 148 and the battery 150.

  The vehicle includes an ignition switch [I / G] 160, a vehicle speed sensor [v] 162 for detecting a vehicle traveling speed (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as “vehicle speed”), and a sprung unsprung state for each wheel 12. Four height sensors [h] 164 for detecting the distance, vehicle height change switch [HSw] 166 operated by the driver for the vehicle height change instruction, and an operation angle sensor [δ for detecting the operation angle of the steering wheel 170, longitudinal acceleration sensor [Gx] 172 that detects actual longitudinal acceleration that is the longitudinal acceleration actually generated in the vehicle body, and lateral acceleration sensor [Gy] 174 that detects actual lateral acceleration that is the lateral acceleration actually generated in the vehicle body , Four sprung vertical acceleration sensors [Gzs] 176 for detecting the vertical acceleration (vertical acceleration) of each mount 24 of the vehicle body corresponding to each wheel 12, each wheel 1 There are four unsprung vertical acceleration sensors [Gzg] 178 for detecting the longitudinal acceleration of the engine, a throttle sensor [Sr] 180 for detecting the opening of the accelerator throttle, a brake pressure sensor [Br] 182 for detecting the master cylinder pressure of the brake, etc. They are connected to the computer of the ECU 140. The ECU 140 controls the operation of the spring absorber assembly 20 based on signals from these switches and sensors. Incidentally, the character [] is a symbol used when the above-mentioned switch, sensor, etc. are shown in the drawing. Further, the ROM provided in the computer of the ECU 140 stores a program related to the control of the actuator 26, various data, and the like, which will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the motor 54 of each actuator 26 is a three-phase DC brushless motor in which the coil is star-connected (Y-connected), and is controlled by the EDU 144 as described above. The inverter 190 as a drive circuit included in the EDU 144 is a general one as shown in FIG. 3, and corresponds to each of the high side (high potential side) and the low side (low potential side). Six switching elements HUS, HVS, HWS, LUS, LVS, and LWS corresponding to three phases, ie, U phase, V phase, and W phase, are provided. The EDU 144 includes a controller 192 mainly composed of a computer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The controller 192 includes a resolver [θ that is provided in the motor 54 and detects the rotation angle of the motor 54. 194 and an energizing current sensor [I] 196 that measures an actual energizing current that actually flows through the motor 54 in the inverter 146 are connected via a switching element control circuit 198 that the inverter 190 has. The switching element control circuit 198 determines a motor rotation angle (electrical angle) by the resolver 194 and opens and closes the switching element based on the motor rotation angle. The EDU 144 drives the motor 54 by so-called sine wave drive so that the current flowing in each of the three phases of the motor 54 changes in a sine wave shape and the phase difference differs by 120 ° in electrical angle. The switching element is controlled by the switching element control circuit 198. Further, the inverter 190 has a structure capable of regenerating electric power (current) generated by electromotive force as a power source, and the motor 46 has not only motor power depending on supply current but also motor power depending on generated current. May occur. That is, the inverter 190 controls the motor force by adjusting the current flowing through the motor 46, that is, the energizing current of the motor 46, regardless of whether the current is supplied from the power source or the generated current caused by the electromotive force. It is supposed to be a structure. The energization current is performed by each inverter 190 changing a ratio (duty ratio) between a pulse on time and a pulse off time by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control.

≪Control of suspension system≫
In the present suspension system 10, each of the four spring absorber assemblies 20 can be controlled independently. In each of the spring absorber assemblies 20, the actuator force of the actuator 26 is independently controlled to control the vibration of the vehicle body and the wheel 12, that is, the control for damping the sprung vibration and the unsprung vibration (hereinafter referred to as “vibration damping”). May be referred to as “control”). In addition, control for suppressing the roll of the vehicle body caused by turning of the vehicle (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “roll suppression control”), control for suppressing the pitch of the vehicle body caused by acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “roll control”). (Sometimes referred to as “pitch suppression control”). In the vibration damping control, roll suppression control, and pitch suppression control, the target actuator force is determined by adding the vibration damping component, roll suppression component, and pitch suppression component, which are components of the actuator force for each control. It is executed comprehensively by being controlled to generate the target actuator force. In the following description, the actuator force and its component are positive values corresponding to the force in the direction (rebound direction) separating the sprung portion and the unsprung portion, and the direction causing the sprung portion and the unsprung portion to approach each other. It is assumed that the one corresponding to the force in the (bound direction) is a negative value.

  In the suspension system 10, a control for changing the vehicle height based on the driver's intention (hereinafter referred to as “vehicle height change”) for the purpose of coping with traveling on a road with large road undulations by the air spring 28. Is also executed). The vehicle height change control will be briefly described. The vehicle height change control is executed when a target set vehicle height that is a set vehicle height to be realized by an operation of the vehicle height change switch 166 based on the driver's intention is changed. A sprung unsprung distance as a target for each wheel 12 is set according to each of the target set vehicle heights, and a sprung spring for each wheel 12 is set based on a detection value of the stroke sensor 164. The operation of the air supply / discharge device 80 is controlled so that the lower distance becomes the target distance, and the unsprung distance between the springs of each wheel 12 is changed to a distance corresponding to the target set vehicle height. Further, in this vehicle height change control, so-called auto leveling control is also performed for the purpose of dealing with changes in vehicle height due to, for example, changes in the number of passengers and changes in the load capacity of luggage.

i) Vibration damping control In the vibration damping control, a vibration damping component F _V of the actuator force is determined so as to generate an actuator force having a magnitude corresponding to the vibration speed in order to attenuate the vibration of the vehicle body and the wheel 12. . That is, the control is based on both the control based on the so-called skyhook damper theory and the control based on the pseudo groundhook theory. More specifically, the vertical movement speed of the vehicle body mount 24 calculated from the spring vertical acceleration detected by the spring vertical acceleration sensor 176 provided on the vehicle mount 24, the so-called spring velocity Vs. Based on the vertical movement speed of the wheel 12 calculated from the unsprung longitudinal acceleration detected by the unsprung longitudinal acceleration sensor 178 provided in the lower arm 22, so-called unsprung speed Vg, vibration damping is performed according to the following equation. The component F _V is calculated.
F _V = Cs · Vs−Cg · Vg
Here, Cs is a gain for generating a damping force in accordance with the vertical operation speed of the mount 24 of the vehicle body, and Cg generates a damping force in accordance with the vertical operation speed of the wheel 12. For gain. That is, Cs and Cg can be considered as damping coefficients for so-called sprung and unsprung absolute vibrations.

ii) Roll suppression control When the vehicle turns, the roll moment resulting from the turn separates the sprung and unsprung parts on the turning inner ring side and causes the sprung and unsprung parts on the turning outer ring side to approach each other. It is done. In the roll suppression control, in order to suppress the separation on the turning inner ring side and the approach on the turning outer ring side, the actuator force in the bounce direction is applied to the actuator 26 on the turning inner ring side, and the actuator force in the rebound direction is applied to the actuator 26 on the turning outer ring side. Each is generated as a roll restraining force. Specifically, first, as a lateral acceleration indexing the roll moment received by the vehicle body, an estimated lateral acceleration Gyc estimated based on the steering angle δ of the steering wheel and the vehicle speed v and a lateral acceleration sensor 174 were measured. Based on the actual lateral acceleration Gyr, a control lateral acceleration Gy ^* , which is a lateral acceleration used for control, is determined according to the following equation.
Gy ^* = K ₁ · Gyc + K ₂ · Gyr (K ₁ , K ₂ : gain)
Such based on the determined control-use lateral acceleration Gy ^*, the roll restrain component F _R is determined according to the following equation.
F _R = K ₃ · Gy ^* (K ₃ : Gain)

iii) Pitch suppression control For the nose dive of the vehicle body that occurs during deceleration, such as when braking the vehicle body, the sprung moment causing the nose dive brings the front spring side and the unsprung part closer together, The sprung part on the ring side and the unsprung part are separated from each other. In addition, for the squat of the vehicle body generated during the acceleration of the vehicle body, the sprung moment that generates the squat separates the front wheel side spring top and the spring bottom, and the rear wheel side spring top and spring bottom. Is approached. In the pitch suppression control, the actuator force is generated as the pitch suppression force in order to suppress the approach / separation distance in those cases. Specifically, as longitudinal acceleration indicative of the pitch moment acting on the vehicle body, is employed the actual longitudinal acceleration Gx that is actually measured by the longitudinal acceleration sensor 172, and based on the actual longitudinal acceleration Gx, the pitch restrain component F _P has the following formula Determined according to.
F _P = K ₄ · Gx (K ₄ : Gain)
It should be noted that the pitch suppression control is executed when the throttle opening detected by the throttle sensor 180 or the master cylinder pressure detected by the brake pressure sensor 182 exceeds a set threshold.

iv) Target Actuator Force and Motor Operation Control The actuator 26 is controlled based on a target actuator force that is an actuator force that should be generated. In detail, as described above, the vibration damping component F _V of the actuator force, a roll restrain component F _R, the pitch restrain component F _P is determined on the basis of their target actuator is a control target value in accordance with the following equation The force F ^* is determined.
F ^* = F _V + F _R + F _P
The ECU 140 transmits control information including the target actuator force F ^* determined as described above to the bus 146, and the four EDUs 144 receive the control information from the bus 146. The control information is as shown in FIG. 4 and includes a target actuator force and an identifier (ID) for identifying which of the four actuators 26 corresponds to the target actuator force. It is a thing. The four EDUs 144 identify the target actuator force corresponding to the actuator 26 corresponding to the self among the target actuator forces included in the control information, and become targets based on the identified target actuator force F ^*. A duty ratio is determined. The EDU 144 controls the motor 54 so as to generate the target actuator force by controlling the opening and closing of the switching element included in the inverter 190 under the appropriate duty ratio. When determining the target duty ratio in the EDU 144, the target energization current corresponding to the target actuator force F ^* , which is the control target value from the ECU 140, is calculated and the actual current detected by the energization current sensor 196 is calculated. Feedback control based on a deviation of the energization current with respect to the target energization current is performed.

≪Control target value identification method≫
The four EDUs 144 have the same configuration and can correspond to any actuator 26. Therefore, each of the four EDUs 144 can identify the target actuator force corresponding to the actuator 26 corresponding to itself among the target actuator forces included in the control information of each of the four actuators 29 as described above. ing. The identification method will be described in detail below.

  Each of the four EDUs 144 has three identification terminals 220, 222, and 224. These identification terminals 220, 222, and 224 can be connected to either the high potential side terminal of the power source or the ground as the low potential side terminal, and as shown in FIG. The connection pattern to the ground is connected to the pattern corresponding to the actuator 26 corresponding to itself. The first identification terminal 220 has a connection between the front and rear wheels connected to the high potential side terminal and the ground, and the EDUs 144FR and 144FL corresponding to the front wheel side actuators 26FR and 26FL have the high potential side. The terminals of the EDUs 144RR and 144RL corresponding to the rear wheel side actuators 26RR and 26RL are connected to the ground. The second identification terminal 222 has a connection between the high-potential side terminal and the ground on the left and right wheels, and the EDUs 144FL and 144RL corresponding to the actuators 26FL and 26RL on the left wheel side have a high potential. The EDUs 144FR and 144RR corresponding to the right wheel side actuators 26FR and 26RR are connected to the ground terminal. The third identification terminal 224 is a diagonal ring with a connection to the high potential side terminal and the ground, and the EDUs 144FL and 144RR corresponding to the actuators 26FL and 26RR are connected to the high potential side terminal. The EDUs 144FR and 144RL corresponding to the actuators 26FR and 26RL are connected to the ground. That is, the connection patterns set in correspondence with the four actuators 26 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “actuator correspondence patterns”) are as shown in the table of FIG.

  First, in each of the EDUs 144, after the ignition switch 160 is turned on, it is detected whether each of the identification terminals 220, 222, and 224 is connected to the high-potential side terminal or the ground. A pattern in which the terminals 220, 222, and 224 are connected (hereinafter may be referred to as “connection pattern”) is detected. Depending on which of the actuator corresponding patterns shown in the table of FIG. 6 matches the detected connection pattern, it is recognized which actuator 26 corresponds to itself. At this time, an ID indicating that the controller 192 of the EDU 144 corresponds to the recognized actuator 26 is stored. In the control of the motor 54 by each of the EDUs 144, when the control information transmitted from the ECU 140 is received, it is determined whether or not the ID included in the control information matches the ID stored in the controller 192. , The target duty ratio for controlling the motor 54 of the actuator 26 corresponding to itself is determined based on the target actuator force included in the control information with the matching ID. As described above, each of the EDUs 144 identifies the target actuator force corresponding to the actuator 26 corresponding to itself based on the connection pattern of the identification terminals 220, 222, and 224.

  Each of the EDUs 144 is configured to transmit an error signal to the bus 146 when the connection pattern is different from any of the four actuator corresponding patterns. Each of the actuator-corresponding patterns is different from any of the other actuator-corresponding patterns even when the connection of any one of the identification terminals 220, 222, and 224 is switched. It has become. For example, when any one of the identification terminals 220, 222, and 224 is connected by replacing the high potential side with the ground, or any one of them is connected to the high potential side terminal. Even if the wiring is disconnected, it is possible to detect that an abnormality has occurred in any of the identification terminals 220, 222, and 224 because the pattern in that case is different from any of the other actuator corresponding patterns. It has become.

≪Control flow≫
The control for identifying the actuator 26 corresponding to each of the EDUs 144 described above is performed by the corresponding actuator identification program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 being executed by the EDU 144 after the ignition switch 160 is turned on. . Further, the actuator 26 as described above is controlled by a short time interval (for example, several milliseconds to several tens of milliseconds) while the ignition switch 160 is turned on by the actuator control program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9 and is repeatedly executed by the EDU 144 during the same period as the actuator control program. The control flow will be briefly described below with reference to the flowchart shown in the drawing. These control programs are executed for each of the actuators 26 of the spring absorber assembly 20 provided on each of the four wheels 12. In the following description, processing by this program for one actuator 26 will be described in consideration of simplification of description.

i) Corresponding Actuator Identification Program In the corresponding actuator identification program executed in the EDU 144, first, in step 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as “S1”, the other steps are the same), the identification terminals 220, 222, 224 are A connected pattern (connection pattern) is detected. The EDU 144 can recognize whether each of the identification terminals has a high potential (for example, 10 to 15 V) or a low potential (for example, 0 to 5 V), and is configured to detect a connection pattern. ing. Next, in S2 to S5, it is determined whether or not the connection pattern detected in S1 matches the four patterns (actuator corresponding patterns) shown in FIG. If it matches any of the actuator corresponding patterns, the ID corresponding to the actuator 26 having the matched pattern is stored in the controller 192 in S6 to S9. Also, if it does not match any of the actuator corresponding patterns, for example, a failure that cannot recognize the actuator corresponding to itself occurs due to a disconnection between the identification terminal and the high potential side terminal. A signal is sent to the bus 146. After the series of processes described above, execution of the corresponding actuator identification program ends.

In the actuator control program executed in ii) actuator control program ECU 140, in S11 to S13, in the manner previously described, the vibration damping component F _V, the roll restrain component F _R, pitch restrain component F _P is determined In S14, these three components are added together to determine the target actuator force F ^* that is the control target value. Then, control information including the target actuator force F ^* determined in S15 and an ID for identifying which of the four actuators 26 corresponds to the bus 146 is transmitted. After the series of processes described above, one execution of the actuator control program ends.

iii) Motor control program In the motor control program executed in the EDU 144, first, in S21, it is determined whether or not the control information transmitted from the ECU 140 is received from the bus 146. When the control information is received, it is determined in S22 whether or not the target actuator force F ^* included in the control information corresponds to the actuator 26 corresponding to itself. Specifically, in the corresponding actuator identification program, the determination is made based on whether or not the ID stored in the controller 192 matches the ID included in the received control information. If they match, the target actuator force F ^* is identified as corresponding to itself, and the target duty ratio for controlling the operation of the inverter 190 based on the target actuator force F ^* in S23 and subsequent steps. Is determined. Specifically, the identified target electric current of the target actuator force F ^* in accordance with the motor 54 i ^* is calculated, the target current of the actual electric current i _r obtained by the electric current sensor 196 provided in the inverter 190 deviation with respect to the current ^{i * Δi (= i * -i} r) is certified. Then, the target duty ratio is determined by feedback control based on the deviation Δi, and a command based on the target duty ratio is transmitted to inverter 190. After the above series of processes, one execution of the motor control program is completed.

≪Functional configuration of the general control device and individual control device≫
The ECU 140 that executes the above-described actuator control program, and the EDU 144 that executes the corresponding actuator identification program and motor control program can be considered to have various functional units that execute various processes according to those programs. . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the ECU 140 executes the processing of S11 as a functional unit that determines the vibration damping component F _V , and performs the processing of S12 and the roll suppression component F as a functional unit that determines the vibration damping component F _V. as a functional unit for determining the _R, the roll control section 302, as a functional portion to determine the pitch restrain component F _P and executes the processing of S13, a pitch reduction control unit 304 respectively have. In addition, the vibration damping control unit 300, the roll suppression control unit 302, and the pitch suppression control unit 304 are included, and the control target value is determined by executing the process of S14 and determining the control target value. A control information output unit 306 is configured as a functional unit that outputs control information including

  The controller 192 of the EDU 144 recognizes the actuator 26 corresponding to itself based on the connection pattern of the identification terminals 220, 222, and 224, that is, a self-recognition unit 310 as a functional unit that executes a corresponding actuator identification program. And an ID storage unit 312 for storing an ID corresponding to the recognized actuator 26. The self-recognizing unit 310 recognizes the actuator 26 corresponding to itself depending on which of the connection patterns set corresponding to the four actuators 26 stored in the data storage unit 314 corresponds to the connection pattern. In other words, it recognizes which actuator 26 it corresponds to. The control target value identifying unit includes a self-recognizing unit 310 and an ID storage unit 312 as a functional unit that executes the process of S22 of the motor control program and identifies the control target value corresponding to the recognized actuator 26. 316 is configured.

  Further, the controller 192 of the EDU 144 outputs a control signal of the motor 54 of the actuator 26 corresponding to itself based on the control target value identified by the control target value identifying unit 316, that is, the motor control program S23 ~. A drive signal output unit 318 is provided as a functional unit that executes the process of S26. An operation control unit 320 is configured as a functional unit that controls the operation of the actuator 26 corresponding to itself, including the drive signal output unit 318 and the inverter 190 as a drive circuit.

  With this configuration, the suspension system 10 is configured such that the overall control device and a plurality of individual control devices are connected by bus, and each of the plurality of individual control devices includes: It can be connected to any of the potential side terminals, and the pattern of connection to the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal is a predetermined number connected so as to be a pattern corresponding to the actuator corresponding to itself. Control target value identification for identifying a control target value corresponding to an actuator corresponding to itself among connection terminals and a control target value included in (b) control information based on a connection pattern of a predetermined number of connection terminals Part. That is, according to the suspension system 10, in order to identify control information corresponding to an actuator corresponding to itself among a plurality of actuators based on a connection pattern of a predetermined number of connection terminals included in the individual control device, In the connection process, the process of assigning an identifier for each individual control device is not necessary. Moreover, since it is possible to make the structure of a some separate control apparatus the same, management of the separate control apparatus before the assembly | attachment to a vehicle becomes easy. Therefore, the present system 10 is a system in which connection processing of a plurality of individual control devices to a vehicle is simplified.

≪Modification≫
In the system 10 of the suspension of the above embodiment, three identification terminals are provided on each of the four EDUs 144. However, as in the system of this modification shown in FIGS. It may be one. FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a state in which the identification terminals of the four EDUs 144 are connected to the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal in the system of the present modification, and FIG. 4 is a table showing four connection patterns (actuator correspondence patterns) set corresponding to the four actuators 26 in the system of FIG. The two identification terminals of the EDU 144 in this modification are the first identification terminal 220 in which the connection to the high potential side terminal and the ground is divided between the front and rear wheels, and the high potential side terminal and the ground on the left and right wheels. This is a second identification terminal 222 to which the connection to is divided. In the system of this modification, the number of identification terminals is the minimum necessary for identifying the control target values corresponding to the four actuators 26, so that the configuration is relatively simple. Yes.

  In the system of the above embodiment, the control target value is identified by the EDU 144 by executing a program stored in the computer. However, when the control information is received, the control target value corresponding to itself is identified. It may be performed by a circuit that allows only the value to pass. In the system of the above embodiment, the target actuator force is employed as the control target value. However, the target duty ratio determined by the EDU 144 may be employed.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a vehicle suspension system that is an embodiment of the claimable invention. It is front sectional drawing which shows the spring absorber Assy shown in FIG. It is a circuit diagram of the motor electronic drive unit which controls the electromagnetic motor with which the actuator of FIG. 2 is provided. It is a figure which shows the structure of the control information which the suspension electronic control unit shown in FIG. 1 outputs. It is the schematic which shows the state by which the terminal for identification which the four motor electronic drive units shown in FIG. 1 have was connected to the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal. It is a table | surface which shows the pattern of four connections set corresponding to four actuators. It is a flowchart showing the corresponding actuator identification program performed by the motor electronic drive unit shown in FIG. It is a flowchart showing the actuator control program performed by the suspension electronic control unit shown in FIG. It is a flowchart showing the motor control program performed by the motor electronic drive unit shown in FIG. It is a block diagram regarding the function of the suspension electronic control unit and motor electronic drive unit which the suspension system for vehicles shown in FIG. 1 has. It is the schematic which shows the state in which the terminal for identification which four motor electronic drive units of the suspension system for vehicles of a modification have connected to the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal. It is a table | surface which shows the pattern of four connections set corresponding to the four actuators in the suspension system for vehicles of a modification.

Explanation of symbols

  10: Vehicle suspension system 12: Wheel 20: Spring absorber assembly 22: Lower arm (lower part of spring) 24: Mount part (upper part of spring) 26: Actuator (shock absorber) 28: Air spring 50: Screw rod (male thread part) 52 : Nut (female thread portion) 54: Electromagnetic motor 80: Air supply / discharge device 140: Suspension electronic control unit (ECU, general control device) 142: Driver 144: Motor electronic drive unit (EDU, individual control device) 146: Bus ( 148: Converter 150: Battery 190: Inverter (drive circuit) 192: Controller 198: Switching element control circuit 220: First identification terminal 222: Second identification terminal 224 Third identification terminal 300: Vibration damping control unit 302: Roll suppression control unit 304: Pitch suppression control unit 306: Control information output unit 310: Self-recognition unit 312: ID storage unit 314: Data storage unit 316: Control target value identification Unit 318: drive signal output unit 320: operation control unit

Claims (7)

Forces are provided corresponding to a plurality of wheels, each of which has an electromagnetic motor, and the direction in which they approach and separate from the upper and lower springs depending on the force generated by the electromagnetic motor. A plurality of actuators capable of generating an actuator force of
To determine a control target value for the actuator force of each of the plurality of actuators and to identify each of the plurality of actuators associated with each of the control target values and each of them An overall control device that outputs control information including the identifier of
A communication line to which the overall control device is connected and the control information output from the overall control device is transmitted;
Provided corresponding to the plurality of actuators, each of which is connected to the communication line and receives the control information from the communication line, and (a) each of the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal of the power source Of the patterns set to be different from each other corresponding to each of the plurality of actuators. A predetermined number of connection terminals connected to form a pattern corresponding to one of the plurality of actuators, and (b) out of the control target values included in the control information, A control target value identifying unit for identifying a control target value corresponding to one corresponding to itself based on a connection pattern of the predetermined number of connection terminals, and (c) the control target value Based on the control target value identified by the value identifying unit, a suspension system for a vehicle that includes a plurality of individual control device having a hydraulic control unit for controlling the operation of those corresponding to itself of the plurality of actuators. The vehicle suspension system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of individual control devices have the same configuration.   The vehicle suspension system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined number of connection terminals are provided only for identification of a control target value by the control target value identification unit. The control target value identification unit is
The individual control having one of the plurality of actuators depending on which one of the plurality of patterns set corresponding to the plurality of actuators matches a pattern in which the predetermined number of connection terminals are connected. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an actuator corresponding to the device is recognized and a control target value corresponding to the recognized actuator is identified. Each of the connection patterns of the predetermined number of connection terminals corresponding to the plurality of actuators,
Even when the connection of any one of the predetermined number of connection terminals is exchanged between the high potential side terminal and the low potential side terminal, the pattern in that case is any of the patterns corresponding to other actuators. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is set differently. The vehicle suspension system includes four actuators and four individual control devices corresponding to front, rear, left and right wheels,
The vehicle suspension system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the four individual control devices has at least two of the connection terminals.   The vehicle suspension system according to claim 6, wherein each of the four individual control devices has three connection terminals.

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