JP2008179195A - Vehicle controller and calculation storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle controller which, when calculating the state of a road, storing the calculation result of the state in association with a point of time corresponding to the state and controlling a vehicle based on the stored point of time and calculation result of the state, prevents the vehicle from being controlled based on inaccurate information due to a delay time. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle controller is configured to calculate the state of at least either the road or a driver, and to store the calculation result of the state, and to control the vehicle based on the stored calculation result of the state, wherein the calculation result of the state is stored as a state corresponding to a second point of time (B) which is a time (D) required for calculating the state before a first point of time (A) at which the calculation result of the state is acquired. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and a calculation storage device, and more particularly to a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle based on at least one of a road and a driver and a calculation storage device that can be suitably applied to the control.

  A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle based on at least one of a road and a driver is known. Here, the driver's information includes driving orientation (whether sports driving orientation or fuel consumption orientation, etc.). The road condition includes, for example, a travel environment parameter related to a position where the vehicle travels. The travel environment parameter includes, for example, a toll gate such as a corner, an intersection, a T-junction, a temporary stop, a railroad crossing, and an automobile road. , Traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, pedestrians, exit roads and junctions such as automobile roads, points where the number of lanes decreases, points where the width of the road becomes narrower, road gradient, road resistance (roughness of road surface), and prospects It is. Control of the vehicle includes control of various parts of the vehicle such as a suspension, shift control, control of the driving force of the vehicle, and the like. The driving force control includes, for example, a downshift of an automatic transmission, an automatic brake, a regenerative brake, an electronic control throttle closing control, a control for delaying an upshift of the automatic transmission, an exhaust brake, and the like. Hereinafter, an example in which the driving force of the vehicle is controlled based on the travel environment parameter will be described.

  A travel environment parameter at a point where the vehicle has traveled may be calculated (including estimation) based on vehicle information or the like at the time when the vehicle traveled. For example, based on information such as the acceleration of the vehicle at the point where the vehicle has traveled, the road gradient at that point is calculated. The calculated travel environment parameter (for example, road gradient) information may be stored in association with vehicle position information. It has been proposed that the stored information on the travel environment parameter is used for vehicle control when the vehicle travels the next time.

  When the travel environment parameter is calculated based on the vehicle information as described above, a calculation delay may occur. That is, a predetermined time may be required from when the vehicle information or the like is obtained until the calculation based on the vehicle information or the like is performed and the calculation result of the travel environment parameter is obtained. When a calculation delay occurs, a deviation occurs between the point where the travel environment parameter can be calculated and the actual travel environment parameter position.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-117524 (Patent Document 1) stores a gradient for each section, and considers the gradient ratio of the current section and the gradient ratio of the next section when approaching the end of a section. Thus, it is disclosed that the engine output is controlled. According to the technique of Patent Literature 1, when the stored gradient is calculated by traveling, gradient information at an accurate position cannot be obtained due to a delay due to calculation.

  In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-35117 (Patent Document 2), in order to improve accuracy in calculating (estimating) a gradient, a time constant of data processing is changed, and accuracy is emphasized according to traveling conditions, and real time is emphasized. A method applied to switching control has been proposed. According to the technique of this patent document 2, when the real time property is required, the calculation is performed by changing the filter time constant. However, it is difficult to completely eliminate the delay caused by the calculation.

  In the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, since gradient data is stored with a position error due to calculation delay, vehicle control (driving force control, shift control, etc.) is performed using the gradient data. In this case, a driving force change or a downshift occurs at a position different from the actual road surface condition, and the driver feels uncomfortable.

JP 7-117524 A JP 2000-35117 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-242853

  For example, when a road state is calculated, the calculation result of the state is stored in association with the time point corresponding to the state, and the vehicle is controlled based on the stored time point and the calculation result of the state, a delay occurs. It is desired to suppress the vehicle from being controlled based on inaccurate information due to time.

  An object of the present invention is to calculate, for example, the state of a road, store the calculation result of the state in association with the time point corresponding to the state, and control the vehicle based on the stored time point and the calculation result of the state. In this case, it is possible to suppress the control of the vehicle based on the inaccurate information due to the calculation storage device and the inaccurate information due to the delay time. Is to provide a simple vehicle control device.

  The vehicle control device of the present invention calculates a state of at least one of a road and a driver, stores a calculation result of the state, and controls the vehicle based on the stored calculation result of the state The apparatus stores the calculation result of the state as the state corresponding to the second time point only before the time point corresponding to the time required for the calculation of the state from the first time point when the calculation result of the state is obtained. It is characterized by doing.

  The vehicle control device of the present invention calculates a state of at least one of a road and a driver, stores the calculation result of the state in association with a time point corresponding to the state, and stores the stored time point and the state A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle based on the calculation result of the above, and is ahead of a time point corresponding to a time required to calculate the state from a third time point at which the stored calculation result of the state is to be used. The calculation result of the state stored as the state corresponding to the fourth time point is used at the third time point.

  In the vehicle control device of the present invention, the time point corresponding to the time required for the calculation of the state is obtained based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle and the time required for the calculation of the state.

  The vehicle control device of the present invention calculates a state of at least one of a road and a driver, stores the calculation result of the state in association with a time point corresponding to the state, and stores the stored time point and the state The vehicle control device controls the vehicle based on the calculation result of the above, and required to read out the stored calculation result of the state from the fifth time point when the stored calculation result of the state is to be used. Reading of the calculation result of the state stored as the state corresponding to the five time points is started at the sixth time point just before the time point corresponding to the time.

  In the vehicle control device of the present invention, the time point corresponding to the time required for reading the state calculation result is obtained based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle and the time required for reading the state calculation result. It is said.

  An arithmetic storage device of the present invention is an arithmetic storage device that calculates the state of at least one of a road and a vehicle driver, and stores the calculation result of the state, wherein the calculation result of the state is obtained. The calculation result of the state is stored as the state corresponding to the second time point only before the time point corresponding to the time required for the calculation of the state from one time point.

  According to the vehicle control device of the present invention, for example, the state of the road is calculated, the calculation result of the state is stored in association with the time point corresponding to the state, and based on the stored time point and the calculation result of the state. Thus, when the vehicle is controlled, it is possible to suppress the vehicle from being controlled based on inaccurate information due to the delay time.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle control device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The present embodiment relates to a vehicle control device that calculates a road state, stores the calculated road state in association with position information, and controls the vehicle based on the stored road state.

  As described above, the road condition includes, for example, a travel environment parameter related to the position where the vehicle travels. The travel environment parameter includes, for example, a corner, an intersection, a T-junction, a temporary stop, a railroad crossing, and an automobile only. Tollgates such as roads, signals, pedestrian crossings, pedestrians, exit roads and junctions such as roads dedicated to automobiles, points where the number of lanes decreases, points where the road width becomes narrower, road gradient, road surface resistance (roughness of the road surface) , Outlook and so on. Control of the vehicle includes control of various parts of the vehicle such as a suspension, shift control, control of the driving force of the vehicle, and the like.

  Hereinafter, an example of the travel environment parameter will be described as a road gradient, and an example of vehicle control will be described as control of the driving force of the vehicle.

  The road gradient at the point where the vehicle has traveled is calculated based on information such as the acceleration of the vehicle when traveling at that point, and the calculated road gradient information is stored in association with the position information of the vehicle. Here, a calculation delay may occur when the road gradient is calculated. As an example of the cause of the calculation delay, when the road gradient is calculated, for example, signal processing (filter processing or the like) is performed on the vehicle information or the like, or a smoothing process for obtaining a moving average with past data is performed. For example, it may be broken. When a calculation delay occurs, a deviation occurs between the point where the road gradient calculation result is obtained and the actual road gradient position (the point of the road gradient to be calculated).

  First, a case where the calculated road gradient is stored in association with a position shifted from the actual position will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 7, reference numeral 100 indicates a vehicle. The vehicle 100 is traveling from the left side to the right side in FIG. When the road gradient is calculated based on the vehicle information detected when the vehicle 100 passes the point B (time Tb), the time when the calculation result is obtained is the time Ta after a predetermined time has elapsed. It becomes. At time Ta, vehicle 100 has reached point A ahead of point B by distance D. For this reason, the calculated road gradient is recognized as a road gradient at point A.

  As a result, the road gradient is stored in association with the position (point A) deviated from the actual position (point B). For example, when the road gradient at point B is 0% and the road gradient at point A is 10%, if the road gradient is calculated at point B and the calculation result is stored at point A, the actual road Data different from the gradient will be stored. Thus, when the road gradient is calculated based on the vehicle information and the information of the road gradient is stored together with the position information, it is necessary to consider the calculation delay of the road gradient.

  In the present embodiment, the time required for calculating the road gradient (hereinafter referred to as calculation delay time, see Tf in FIG. 1) is considered. The calculation delay time Tf is a value determined in advance based on a road gradient calculation method. The calculation delay time Tf that is a calculation delay time includes, for example, a calculation cycle delay or a delay time due to a filter, and can be accurately obtained at the design stage of the program. In FIG. 1, the distance D that has been advanced due to the gradient calculation delay is calculated by using the point A for which the road gradient is calculated and the vehicle speed Va at the point A, and the position of the point B is obtained. By storing the position B point in association with the calculated road gradient, it is possible to accurately store the map position information and the gradient information.

  The calculated road gradient is a time point Tb (point B) that is earlier than the time point Ta (point A) when the road gradient calculation result is obtained by an amount corresponding to the travel distance D of the vehicle 100 during the calculation delay time Tf. ) Is stored in association with the position information. Thereby, due to the calculation delay time Tf, the actual position B of the calculated road gradient and the position information stored in association with the calculated road gradient as the calculated road gradient position. It is suppressed that a gap | deviation arises in between.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an apparatus according to the present embodiment. A vehicle (not shown) is provided with an engine 11. An automatic transmission 13 having a torque converter 12 is connected to the engine 11. The driving force of the engine 11 is input to the automatic transmission 13 via the torque converter 12 and transmitted to the driving wheels 16 via the differential gear 14 and the drive shaft 15. In the automatic transmission 13, the gear ratio is automatically controlled by the A / T hydraulic control device 17 in accordance with the driving state of the vehicle. The brake device 18 is controlled by the brake hydraulic pressure control device 19 to brake the vehicle.

  The vehicle is provided with an electronic control unit (ECU) 20 that controls the engine 11, the automatic transmission 13, the brake device 18, and the like. The ECU 20 performs comprehensive control of the engine 11, the automatic transmission 13 (A / T hydraulic control device 17), and the brake device 18 (brake hydraulic control device 19).

  The vehicle is provided with an accelerator position sensor 21 that detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal (accelerator opening). A signal indicating the accelerator opening detected by the accelerator position sensor 21 is output to the ECU 20. A throttle control valve 23 is provided in the intake pipe 22 of the engine 11. The throttle control valve 23 can be opened and closed by a throttle actuator 24. The ECU 20 causes the throttle actuator 24 to operate the throttle control valve 23. The ECU 20 controls the throttle actuator 24 so that the throttle opening by the throttle control valve 23 corresponds to the accelerator opening.

  The intake pipe 22 is provided with a bypass passage 25 that bypasses the throttle control valve 23. The bypass passage 25 is provided with an idle speed control valve (ISC valve) 26 for controlling the intake air amount when the throttle control valve 23 is fully closed in order to control the idle speed of the engine 11. A throttle opening sensor 27 with an idle switch for detecting the fully closed state (idle state) of the throttle control valve 23 and the throttle opening is provided. Signals indicating the idle state and the throttle opening detected by the throttle opening sensor with idle switch 27 are output to the ECU 20.

  The engine 11 is provided with an engine speed sensor 28 that detects the engine speed (engine speed). A signal indicating the engine speed detected by the engine speed sensor 28 is output to the ECU 20. The vehicle speed sensor 29 detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle. A signal indicating the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 29 is output to the ECU 20.

  The shift position sensor 30 detects the position (shift position) of the shift lever operated by the driver. A signal indicating the shift position detected by the shift position sensor 30 is output to the ECU 20. The wheel speed sensor 31 detects the speed of the wheel. A signal indicating the detected wheel speed is output to the ECU 20.

  The brake operation amount sensor 32 detects the operation amount of the brake device 18. A signal indicating the operation amount of the brake device 18 detected by the brake operation amount sensor 32 is output to the ECU 20. The steering angle sensor 33 detects the steering angle of the steering operated by the driver. A signal indicating the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 33 is output to the ECU 20. The direction indicator switch 34 is operated by a driver, and an operation for specifying a direction indicated by a direction indicator (not shown) is performed. A signal indicating the direction indicated by the direction indicator is output to the ECU 20.

  The operation mode setting switch 35 is operated by the driver, and an operation for setting the operation mode is performed. By operating the driving mode setting switch 35 by the driver, a sports driving-oriented or normal driving-oriented driving mode is set, and a signal indicating the set driving mode is output to the ECU 20. The vehicle inclination angle sensor 36 detects an inclination angle with respect to the road surface of the vehicle. A signal indicating the detected tilt angle with respect to the road surface of the vehicle is output to the ECU 20.

  The lateral G sensor 37 detects the lateral G of the vehicle, the longitudinal G sensor 38 detects the longitudinal G of the vehicle, and the vertical G sensor 39 detects the vertical G of the vehicle. A signal indicating the lateral G detected by the lateral G sensor 37, a signal indicating the longitudinal G detected by the longitudinal G sensor 38, and a signal indicating the vertical G detected by the vertical G sensor 39 are each output to the ECU 20. The

  The yaw rate sensor 40 detects the yaw rate of the vehicle. A signal indicating the yaw rate detected by the yaw rate sensor 40 is output to the ECU 20. The output shaft rotational speed sensor 41 detects the rotational speed of the output shaft of the automatic transmission 13. A signal indicating the rotational speed of the output shaft detected by the output shaft rotational speed sensor 41 is output to the ECU 20.

  The ECU 20 has a shift map, determines the gear position of the automatic transmission 13 based on the throttle opening, vehicle speed, and the like, and sets the A / T hydraulic control device 17 so as to establish the determined gear position. Can be controlled.

  The navigation device (road information storage device) 50 has a basic function of guiding the host vehicle to a predetermined destination, and includes an ECU 60, an operation unit 51, a display unit 52, a speaker 53, and a position detection unit. 54, a map database 55, and an operation history recording unit 56. The ECU 60 of the navigation device 50 is capable of bidirectional communication with the ECU 20.

  The navigation device 50 informs the driver of road information around the current location of the vehicle and guides the travel route to the destination of the vehicle. Instruction data such as a destination is input to the operation unit 51. The display unit 52 displays information such as map information around the current location, current location, destination location, and route. A guidance voice is output from the speaker 53.

  The CPU 61 of the ECU 60 performs various arithmetic processes such as a navigation process based on the input information. The ROM 62 of the ECU 60 stores various programs for searching a route to the destination, traveling guidance in the route, determining a specific section, and the like.

  The position detection unit 54 includes a GPS receiver, a geomagnetic sensor, a distance sensor, a beacon sensor, and a gyro sensor. The position detection unit 54 detects the position of the host vehicle, and outputs data indicating the detected position of the host vehicle to the ECU 60.

  The map database 55 stores information (map, straight road, corner, uphill / downhill, highway, etc.) necessary for vehicle travel. The map database 55 includes a map data file, an intersection data file, a node data file, and a road data file. Each of these files stores various data for performing a route search and displaying a guide map along the searched route. The road gradient data calculated in this embodiment can be stored in the map database 55, for example. The ECU 60 reads out necessary information with reference to the map database 55.

  The driving history recording unit 56 records information such as the travel route on which the vehicle traveled and the date and time when the vehicle traveled on the travel route. The ECU 60 reads driving history data from the driving history recording unit 56 as necessary.

  The ECU 60 retrieves necessary map information from the map database 55 based on the instruction data such as the destination input from the operation unit 51 and the own vehicle position detected by the position detection unit 54, and obtained by the search. The route information is displayed on the display unit 52. The ECU 60 displays road information around the vehicle position on the display unit 52 when the instruction data such as the destination input from the operation unit 51 is not input.

  The vehicle is provided with a camera 71 and a road condition detection unit 72. The camera 71 images the road situation ahead of the vehicle. The road condition detection unit 72 detects the road condition ahead of the vehicle based on the image taken by the camera 71. The detection result by the road condition detection unit 72 is output to the ECU 20.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a traveling position and time of a vehicle. In FIG. 1, the code | symbol 100 shows a vehicle. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present embodiment.

[Step S101]
First, in step S <b> 101, it is determined whether road gradient data at the current location B (see FIG. 1) of the vehicle 100 is stored in the map database 55. As a result of the determination in step S101, when it is determined that the road gradient data at point B is not stored (Yes in step S101), the process proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S101, if it is determined that road gradient data at point B is stored (No in step S101), the process proceeds to step S105.

[Step S102]
In step S102, the road gradient at point B is calculated. The road gradient can be calculated based on, for example, the difference between the acceleration obtained from the vehicle state quantity (driving force, vehicle speed, etc.) and the acceleration obtained from the change amount of the output shaft rotation speed. When the calculation result of the road gradient is obtained in step S102, the process proceeds to step S103.

[Step S103]
In step S103, correction of the position information for associating the road gradient data calculated in step S102 with the position information of the point B which is the position of the road gradient is performed.

  A point A in FIG. 1 indicates the position of the vehicle 100 at the time Ta when the calculation of the road gradient in step S102 is completed. While the road gradient is calculated, the vehicle 100 travels to a point A ahead of the point B by a distance D. Here, when the calculated road gradient data is stored in association with the position A point at the calculation end time Ta as in the prior art, the actual position B point and the road gradient data are stored. Shifts from the position information stored in association with each other. Therefore, in step S103, correction of the position information for correctly associating the calculated road gradient data with the position information of the point B is performed by the following method.

  The time (calculation delay time Tf) required to calculate the road gradient performed in step S102 is determined according to the calculation method (delay time by annealing / filtering, etc.), the calculation cycle delay, and the like. Therefore, the calculated delay time Tf can be stored as a value determined in advance in the design stage of the program.

A travel distance (corrected distance) D during which the road gradient is calculated is obtained. The correction distance D is calculated by the following equation based on the vehicle speed Va at the position A at the road gradient calculation end point Ta and the calculation delay time Tf stored in advance.
D = Va × Tf

  Based on the calculated correction distance D, position information associated with road gradient data is corrected to a point B that is a correction distance D before the point A. After step S103, the process proceeds to step S104.

[Step S104]
In step S104, the road gradient data calculated in step S102 is stored in the map database 55 in association with the position information of the point (point B) corrected in step S103. Following step S104, the control flow is reset.

[Step S105]
In step S105, the normal driving force Fo when it is assumed that the vehicle has traveled on a flat road is calculated from the output shaft torque TO, the differential gear ratio iD, the tire diameter, and the like. After step S105, step S106 is performed.

[Step S106]
In step S106, the stored road gradient data at the current position (point B) is read, and the driving force correction amount α corresponding to the road gradient is calculated. Step S107 is performed after step S106.

[Step S107]
In step S107, it is determined whether a condition for starting driving force control of the vehicle 100 based on the road gradient (driving force control start condition) is satisfied. The driving force control start condition can be, for example, the stored value of the road gradient at the current position (point B) being equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this case, if the result of determination in step S107 is that the road gradient value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, it is determined that the driving force control start condition is satisfied (Yes in step S107), and the process proceeds to step S108. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S107, when it is determined that the driving force control start condition is not satisfied (No in step S107),
Proceed to step S110.

[Step S108]
In step S108, the corrected driving force Fo + α is set. The corrected driving force Fo + α is calculated as the sum of the normal driving force Fo obtained in step S105 and the driving force correction amount α corresponding to the road gradient obtained in step S106. Step S109 is performed after step S108.

[Step S109]
In step S109, driving force control of the vehicle 100 is performed based on the road gradient. When the driving force control start condition is satisfied (Yes at Step S107), for example, control for adding the driving force α by the amount corresponding to the road gradient at Step S108 when climbing as the driving force control of the vehicle 100 at Step S109. Thus, it is possible to travel on an uphill road with the same operation as a flat road (without stepping on the accelerator). Alternatively, it is possible to select an optimum gear position (speed ratio) for outputting the corrected driving force Fo + α.

  On the other hand, when the driving force control start condition is not satisfied (No at Step S107), the normal driving force Fo set at Step S110 described below (Step S105 above) is set as the driving force control of the vehicle 100 at Step S109. The vehicle is controlled so as to travel.

[Step S110]
In step S110, the normal driving force Fo calculated in step S105 is set. After step S110, step S109 is performed.

  According to the present embodiment, when the road gradient is calculated (step S102) and the calculated road gradient is stored in association with the position information (step S104), the correction distance is calculated based on the calculated delay time Tf. D is obtained, and position information associated with the road gradient is corrected based on the correction distance D (step S103). As a result, it is possible to suppress a shift between the actual position (B point) of the gradient calculation target and the position information associated with the road gradient data due to the calculation delay time Tf. As a result, the driving force of the vehicle 100 can be controlled at an accurate position based on the stored road gradient.

(Second Embodiment)
The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In the second embodiment, only differences from the first embodiment will be described.

  In the first embodiment, the position information associated with the calculated road gradient data is corrected before being stored in the map database 55. Instead, in the present embodiment, the position information is not corrected before being stored, and the position information is corrected when road gradient data is read from the map database 55. That is, when the road gradient information is used, the calculation delay of the road gradient is taken into consideration.

  The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the information on the road gradient is stored in association with the position where the calculation result of the road gradient is obtained without considering the influence of the calculation delay of the road gradient. The When the road gradient information is used, for example, when the driving force of the vehicle is controlled based on the road gradient information, the influence of the delay in calculating the road gradient from the time when the road gradient information is used. Only the road gradient data at the forward position in the traveling direction of the vehicle is read (prefetching), and the driving force of the vehicle is controlled based on the read road gradient.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the travel position and time of the vehicle. In FIG. 4, the code | symbol 100 shows a vehicle. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present embodiment.

[Step S201]
First, in step S201, the current position of the vehicle 100 (or a position ahead of the current position where the vehicle 100 can be considered to be substantially equal to the current position, hereinafter simply referred to as the current position) H. Information (see FIG. 4), information on positions ahead of the current position H, and road gradient data at those positions are read from the map database 55. After step S201, the process proceeds to step S202.

[Step S202]
In step S202, it is determined whether or not the road gradient data at the current position H read in step S201 is road design gradient data stored in advance in the map database 55. Here, the road design gradient data is not road gradient data calculated based on data such as a state quantity (driving force, vehicle speed, etc.) of the vehicle 100 during travel, but map data of the navigation device 50. This is road gradient data that is provided in advance (regardless of data from actual driving of the vehicle).

  As a result of the determination in step S202, if it is determined that the read road gradient data is design gradient data (Yes in step S202), the process proceeds to step S203, and if not (No in step S202). Proceeds to step S205.

[Step S203]
In step S203, it is determined whether a condition for starting driving force control of the vehicle 100 based on the road gradient (driving force control start condition) is satisfied. The driving force control start condition can be, for example, a value of a road gradient at the current position (point H) equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this case, if the result of determination in step S203 is that the road gradient value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, it is determined that the driving force control start condition is satisfied (Yes in step S203), and the process proceeds to step S204. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S203, when it is determined that the driving force control start condition is not satisfied (No in step S203), the control flow is reset.

  In the determination in step S203, as the road gradient at the current position (point H), if the determination in step 202 is positive, the road gradient data (read in step S201) ( Design gradient data) is used as is. On the other hand, if the determination in step S202 is negative, the road gradient at the current position (point H) is stored in association with the corrected position G read in step S206 described later. The road gradient data (indicating the road gradient at the current position H) is used.

[Step S204]
In step S204, driving force control of the vehicle 100 is performed based on the road gradient. As the driving force control of the vehicle 100, for example, the downshift of the automatic transmission 13 is performed as the driving force control during uphill / downhill. Following step S204, the control flow is reset.

[Step S205]
In step S205, the position information of the road gradient to be read out is corrected. When the road gradient data at the current position H read in step S201 is not the design gradient data (No in step S202), the road gradient data is the state quantity data when the vehicle 100 is running. The road gradient data calculated and stored based on Unlike the first embodiment, in this embodiment, when the calculated road gradient data is stored in the map database 55, the position information is not corrected, and the position information of the point where the calculation result is obtained is used. Associated and stored. Accordingly, the position information associated with the calculated road gradient includes a deviation from the actual position due to the calculated delay time Tf, as will be described below.

  In FIG. 4, the symbol G indicates the position of the vehicle 100 at time Tg when the calculated delay time Tf has elapsed from the passing time Th at point H. When the road gradient is calculated, the data of the H road gradient calculated based on the vehicle information detected at the H point is associated with the position information of the G point from which the road gradient calculation result is obtained. And stored in the map database 55.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, as described below, when road gradient data is read, the road gradient data is read after correction of position information.

In step S205, a distance (corrected distance) D2 traveled by the vehicle 100 during the calculated delay time Tf is obtained. The correction distance D2 is calculated by the following formula based on the vehicle speed Vh at the point H and the calculation delay time Tf.
D2 = Vh × Tf
The position information is corrected based on the calculated correction distance D2. The target position from which the road gradient is read in the map database 55 is corrected to a point G ahead of the point H by a correction distance D2. Next, the process proceeds to step S206.

[Step S206]
In step S206, road gradient data associated with the position information of the position (point G) corrected in step S205 is read from the map database 55. As described above, the road gradient data associated with the position information of the position (point G) corrected in step S205 in the map database 55 is the road gradient data of the current position H. After step S206, the process proceeds to step S203.

  According to the present embodiment, when the road gradient data to be used is data calculated based on the state quantity data when the vehicle 100 is traveling (No in step S202), this corresponds to the calculation delay. After the position information has been corrected by the amount (step S205), road gradient data associated with the corrected position information is read (step S206). As a result, a shift between the position where the road gradient data actually corresponds and the position information associated with the road gradient data caused by the calculated delay time Tf is suppressed.

(Third embodiment)
A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the third embodiment, only differences from the above embodiments will be described.

  In each of the above embodiments, the positional information shift caused by the calculated delay time Tf is corrected. In the present embodiment, in addition to or instead of this, as described below with reference to FIG. 6, a delay time when reading road gradient data (hereinafter referred to as a read delay time Tk) is used. The resulting positional information shift is corrected.

  In the following, it is assumed that the calculated road gradient data is stored in the map database 55 in association with correct position information (for example, the first embodiment). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the traveling position and time of the vehicle. In FIG. 6, the code | symbol 100 shows a vehicle. It is assumed that vehicle control is about to be performed based on the road gradient at the N point (time Tn).

  When road gradient data is read, it takes a predetermined time (read delay time Tk) to read the data. For this reason, in order to perform vehicle control based on the road gradient at the N point (time Tn), when reading of the road gradient data at the N point is started at the N point, the reading is completed from the time Tn. This is the time Tm when the delay time Tk has elapsed. While reading is being performed, the vehicle 100 has reached the point M ahead of the point N by a distance D3. In this case, N-point road gradient data cannot be acquired until M points, and vehicle control based on the N-point road gradient cannot be realized at N points.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, data prefetching is performed in anticipation of the occurrence of a read delay time Tk when data is read. The read delay time Tk is known in advance based on the structure of the database, the capability of the CPU, and the like. When the road gradient data at the N point is read, the travel distance (correction distance) D3 ′ of the vehicle 100 during the read delay time Tk is obtained, and the obtained correction distance D3 ′ is before the N point by the obtained correction distance D3 ′. At point O, reading of N-point road gradient data is started.

The correction distance D3 ′ is calculated by the following formula based on the vehicle speed Vn of the vehicle 100 at a time prior to at least the time Tn at which the point N is reached.
D3 ′ = Vo × Tk
Based on the calculated correction distance D3 ′, the point at which the reading of N-point road gradient data is set to the O point just before the N point by the correction distance D3 ′. Thereby, the data of the road gradient at the N point can be acquired without delay when reaching the N point.

  The application target of the present embodiment is not limited to the case where the data read from the map database 55 is data calculated and stored while the vehicle 100 is traveling. For example, the present embodiment is preferably applied to a case where road design gradient data stored in advance in the map database 55 is read out.

(First Modification of First to Third Embodiments)
In each of the above embodiments, a case has been described in which the state of the road (traveling environment parameter) calculated and stored based on the vehicle information of both parties is the road gradient. It is not limited to the gradient. The above embodiments can be suitably applied as long as the road condition is calculated based on vehicle information and stored in association with the position information.

  For example, as an example of a road state (running environment parameter), in the first embodiment, the driving force of the vehicle 100 is controlled based on the road surface μ (including road surface unevenness) instead of the road gradient. This will be described with reference to FIG.

  In this case, in step S102, unlike the first embodiment, the road surface μ is calculated by a known road surface μ calculation method. Further, in step S107, unlike the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not a condition for starting the driving force control of the vehicle 100 based on the road surface μ data is satisfied. The determination can be made, for example, based on whether or not the value of the road surface μ is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

  In step S109, unlike the first embodiment, the driving force of the vehicle 100 is controlled based on the road surface μ. The driving force control means can be the same as in the first embodiment.

(Second Modification of First to Third Embodiments)
In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the control performed based on the road condition (traveling environment parameter) is the control of the driving force of the vehicle 100 has been described. It is not limited to control. For example, the above-described embodiments can be suitably applied also to suspension device control and shift control in which the damping force is controlled based on traveling environment parameters such as road surface μ (including road surface unevenness). .

(Third Modification of First to Third Embodiments)
In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the information calculated based on the vehicle information at the time of vehicle traveling and stored in association with the position information is the road state has been described. The above embodiments can also be applied to the case where the estimated driving-oriented data is stored in association with the position information.

  For example, based on the driving state of the driver (the amount of operation of the vehicle 100) and the driving state of the vehicle 100, the driving direction of the driver (whether sports driving direction or normal driving direction) is estimated, and based on the estimated driving direction. Thus, the vehicle 100 may be controlled. In this case, the driving orientation estimation result is stored in association with the position information, and the vehicle 100 may be controlled based on the stored driving orientation. In this case, there may be an environmental change in which the driving direction of the driver changes at a specific point on the road. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

  For example, there is a case where a narrow field of view can be opened at a certain point (point H) on the road. In this case, the driver's driving direction may change from the normal driving direction to the sports driving direction at the point H where the field of view opens. There is a delay time (corresponding to the calculated delay time Tf) from when the driving direction of the driver changes until the estimation calculation of the driving direction is completed. For this reason, a positional shift (D2) occurs between the point H where the driving direction of the driver changes and the point G where the driving direction estimation result is obtained. In such a case, by applying each of the embodiments described above, it is possible to suppress a deviation between the position where the driving orientation changes (H point) and the position where the driving-oriented estimation result is associated. It is.

  For example, a case where the driving force of the vehicle 100 is controlled based on the driving direction of the driver in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this case, in step S102, unlike the first embodiment, the driving direction of the driver is estimated by a known driving direction estimation method.

  In step S107, unlike the first embodiment, it is determined whether a condition for starting driving force control of the vehicle 100 based on driving-oriented data is satisfied. The determination can be made based on information such as the road condition ahead, the inter-vehicle distance, the obstacle ahead, the road surface μ, and the road gradient. In step S109, unlike the first embodiment, the driving force of the vehicle 100 is controlled based on the driving orientation. The driving force control means can be the same as in the first embodiment. Other operations can be the same as those in the first embodiment.

  At least the following technical matters are disclosed from the above description.

A vehicle control device that calculates a state of at least one of a road and a driver, stores the calculation result of the state, and controls the vehicle based on the stored calculation result of the state,
To a second time point (point B) that precedes the time point (D) corresponding to the time (Tf) required to calculate the state from the first time point (point A in FIG. 1) from which the state calculation result was obtained. A vehicle control device that stores a calculation result of the state as the corresponding state.

The state of at least one of the road and the driver is calculated, the calculation result of the state is stored in association with the time point corresponding to the state, and the vehicle is stored based on the stored time point and the calculation result of the state. A vehicle control device for controlling,
The fourth time point ahead of the time point (D2) corresponding to the time (Tf) required to calculate the state from the third time point (point H in FIG. 4) to use the stored calculation result of the state. The vehicle control apparatus characterized by using the calculation result of the state stored as the state corresponding to (G point) at the third time point.

The state of at least one of the road and the driver is calculated, the calculation result of the state is stored in association with the time point corresponding to the state, and the vehicle is stored based on the stored time point and the calculation result of the state. A vehicle control device for controlling,
Time point (D3) corresponding to the time (Tk) required to read out the stored calculation result of the state rather than the fifth time point (point N in FIG. 6) at which the stored calculation result of the state is to be used. The vehicle control apparatus starts reading the calculation result of the state stored as the state corresponding to the five time points at the sixth time point (point O) just before ').

It is a figure for demonstrating the control content of 1st Embodiment of the vehicle control apparatus of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of the vehicle control apparatus of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of 1st Embodiment of the vehicle control apparatus of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the control content of 2nd Embodiment of the vehicle control apparatus of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of 2nd Embodiment of the vehicle control apparatus of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the control content of 3rd Embodiment of the vehicle control apparatus of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the shift | offset | difference between the position of the calculation object of the calculated road gradient, and the position linked | related with the data of a road gradient.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Engine 12 Torque converter 13 Automatic transmission 14 Differential gear 15 Drive shaft 16 Drive wheel 17 A / T hydraulic control device 18 Brake device 19 Brake hydraulic control device 20 ECU
21 Accelerator position sensor 22 Intake pipe 23 Throttle control valve 24 Throttle actuator 25 Bypass passage 26 Idle speed control valve 27 Throttle opening sensor with idle switch 28 Engine speed sensor 29 Vehicle speed sensor 30 Shift position sensor 31 Wheel speed sensor 32 Brake operation amount Sensor 33 Steering angle sensor 34 Direction indicator switch 35 Operation mode setting switch 36 Vehicle tilt angle sensor 37 Horizontal G sensor 38 Front and rear G sensor 39 Vertical G sensor 40 Yaw rate sensor 41 Output shaft rotational speed sensor 50 Navigation device 51 Operation unit 52 Display Unit 53 speaker 54 position detection unit 55 map database 56 operation history recording unit 60 ECU
61 CPU
62 ROM
100 Vehicle A Vehicle position at the end of road gradient calculation B Vehicle position at the start of road gradient calculation D Correction distance D2 Correction distance D3 ′ Correction distance Tf Calculation delay time Tk Read delay time Va Vehicle speed Vh Vehicle speed Vo Vehicle speed

Claims (6)

A vehicle control device that calculates a state of at least one of a road and a driver, stores the calculation result of the state, and controls the vehicle based on the stored calculation result of the state,
Storing the calculation result of the state as the state corresponding to the second time point only before the time point corresponding to the time required for the calculation of the state from the first time point when the calculation result of the state is obtained. Vehicle control device. The state of at least one of the road and the driver is calculated, the calculation result of the state is stored in association with the time point corresponding to the state, and the vehicle is stored based on the stored time point and the calculation result of the state. A vehicle control device for controlling,
Calculation of the state stored as the state corresponding to the fourth time point, which is earlier than the third time point at which the calculation of the state is to be used, the time point corresponding to the time required to calculate the state. The vehicle control apparatus characterized in that the result is used at the third time point. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2,
The time point corresponding to the time required for the calculation of the state is obtained based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle and the time required for the calculation of the state. The state of at least one of the road and the driver is calculated, the calculation result of the state is stored in association with the time point corresponding to the state, and the vehicle is stored based on the stored time point and the calculation result of the state. A vehicle control device for controlling,
The fifth time point is reached at the sixth time point only before the time point corresponding to the time required to read the stored calculation result of the state from the fifth time point at which the stored calculation result of the state is to be used. The vehicle control device is configured to start reading the calculation result of the state stored as the corresponding state. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein
The time point corresponding to the time required for reading the state calculation result is obtained based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle and the time required for reading the state calculation result. An arithmetic storage device that calculates a state of at least one of a road and a vehicle driver and stores a calculation result of the state,
Storing the calculation result of the state as the state corresponding to the second time point only before the time point corresponding to the time required for the calculation of the state from the first time point when the calculation result of the state is obtained. An arithmetic storage device.

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