JP2008279898A - Vehicle behavior control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle behavior control device capable of securing ability for surely colliding against an obstacle. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle behavior control device installed in a vehicle is provided with a plurality of control devices 3, which operate by electric power and can support collision prevention against an obstacle in travel of a vehicle, and a collision prevention support control part 82 performing control to support collision prevention by operating the control devices 3 and performing control to supply electric power preferentially to a control device 3 highly effective in collision prevention to the obstacle when electric power is not sufficient to operate a plurality of control devices 3. In this way, when electric power is not sufficient to operate a plurality of control devices 3, control is carried out for preferentially supplying electric power to the control device 3 highly effective in collision prevention, so that collision against the obstacle can be easily prevented in an electric power shortage. Consequently, the vehicle can secure ability for surely colliding against the obstacle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle behavior control device. In particular, the present invention relates to a vehicle behavior control device that controls collision avoidance between a vehicle and an obstacle.

  While the vehicle is running, obstacles such as other vehicles may appear in front of the vehicle.For example, when the driver is late in finding the obstacle, the operation to avoid the obstacle is delayed, and the vehicle There is a risk of colliding with obstacles. For this reason, some conventional vehicles include a vehicle behavior control device that can suppress such a collision. For example, a vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 includes a front obstacle detection unit that detects a front obstacle, an automatic steering unit that performs automatic steering in preference to a driver's steering operation, Automatic braking means for performing automatic braking in preference to the brake operation.

  In this vehicle control device, when an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle by the forward obstacle detection means, one of the automatic steering means and the automatic braking means is selected based on a predetermined condition to control contact avoidance. However, the contact avoidance control by the other means is prohibited. As a result, when avoiding contact with an obstacle, both the automatic steering means and the automatic braking means are avoided at the same time, so that it is possible to suppress the loss of the grip force of the tire when avoiding contact. As a result, contact avoidance control can be performed appropriately.

JP 2000-159077 A

  In the conventional vehicle behavior control device, a plurality of means for avoiding such collisions with obstacles are provided to prevent the traveling vehicle from colliding with the obstacles, but avoiding collision with the obstacles. Various means other than automatic steering means and automatic braking means can be considered. When a plurality of means for avoiding such a collision with an obstacle are provided, the vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 prohibits the control of one means. In many cases, avoiding a collision with a plurality of means is more effective in avoiding the collision than avoiding the collision.

  However, since a device that operates by electricity is often used as means for avoiding such a collision, power consumption increases when a plurality of devices that avoid collision are operated. For this reason, when the power consumption when avoiding a collision exceeds the power that can be used at one time due to the relationship with the battery capacity or the like, it is not possible to operate all the devices included in the vehicle behavior control device due to insufficient power. There is a fear. In this case, there is a possibility that the device that avoids the collision with the obstacle cannot be effectively operated, and thus it may be difficult to effectively avoid the collision of the vehicle with the obstacle. .

  This invention is made in view of the above, Comprising: It aims at providing the vehicle behavior control apparatus which can ensure the capability in which a vehicle collides with an obstruction more reliably.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the vehicle behavior control device according to the present invention is operated by electric power and is capable of assisting in avoiding a collision with an obstacle during traveling of the vehicle. And the collision avoidance support means when the collision avoidance support means is controlled by operating the collision avoidance support means and the power for operating the plurality of collision avoidance support means is insufficient. And a collision avoidance support control means for controlling the supply of the electric power in preference to the high collision avoidance support means.

  In the present invention, when power for operating the plurality of collision avoidance support means is insufficient, control is performed to supply power in preference to the collision avoidance support means having a high effect of avoiding collision with an obstacle. Even when power is insufficient, obstacles can be easily avoided. As a result, the ability of the vehicle to collide with an obstacle can be ensured more reliably.

  In the vehicle behavior control apparatus according to the present invention, the collision avoidance support control unit can improve the turning ability of the vehicle when the electric power for operating the plurality of collision avoidance support units is insufficient. The collision avoidance support means is preferentially operated.

  In the present invention, when power for operating the plurality of collision avoidance support means is insufficient, the collision avoidance support means that can improve the turning ability of the vehicle is preferentially operated. Among them, even when some of the collision avoidance support means are operated, it is possible to more easily avoid the obstacle more reliably. As a result, the ability of the vehicle to collide with an obstacle can be ensured more reliably.

  In addition, the vehicle behavior control device according to the present invention provides the collision avoidance support unit that consumes a large amount of power among the plurality of collision avoidance support units when the power for operating the plurality of collision avoidance support units is insufficient. It is characterized by lowering the priority of operation.

  In this invention, when the power for operating the plurality of collision avoidance support means is insufficient, the priority of the operation of the collision avoidance support means with large power consumption is lowered, so that the power shortage can be solved, and the plurality of collisions The avoidance support means can be easily operated. As a result, the ability of the vehicle to collide with an obstacle can be ensured more reliably.

  Further, the vehicle behavior control device according to the present invention further includes a traveling direction information obtaining unit that obtains traveling direction information that is information on a traveling direction of the vehicle, and an area that stops when the vehicle is braked. A stoppable area estimation unit capable of estimating a stoppable area, and the collision avoidance support control unit operates the collision avoidance support unit according to the traveling direction information and the stoppable area. It is characterized by.

  In this invention, since the collision avoidance support means is operated according to the traveling direction information and the stoppable area, it is possible to operate an appropriate collision avoidance support means among the plurality of collision avoidance support means. Thereby, when operating some collision avoidance assistance means among several collision avoidance assistance means, the collision avoidance assistance means with the high effect of the collision avoidance to an obstacle can be operated more reliably. As a result, the ability of the vehicle to collide with an obstacle can be ensured more reliably.

  The vehicle behavior control device according to the present invention has an effect of ensuring the ability of a vehicle to collide with an obstacle more reliably.

  Embodiments of a vehicle behavior control apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. In addition, constituent elements in the following embodiments include those that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle provided with a vehicle behavior control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 1 including the vehicle behavior control device 2 according to the embodiment is provided with an engine 10 that is an internal combustion engine as power generation means, and the engine 10 is mounted on a front portion in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. An automatic transmission 11 is connected to the engine 10, and a power distributor 12 is further connected to the automatic transmission 11. Among these, the automatic transmission 11 is provided so that the power generated by the engine 10 can be shifted and transmitted to the power distributor 12. The power distributor 12 is provided so that the power transmitted from the automatic transmission 11 can be distributed and transmitted to the front wheels 6 and the rear wheels 7 of the vehicle 1 at an arbitrary distribution ratio.

  The power distributed by the power distributor 12 is transmitted to the front wheels 6 by the front wheel drive shaft 15 and to the rear wheels 7 by the rear wheel drive shaft 16 via the propeller shaft 17. That is, the vehicle 1 is a so-called four-wheel drive vehicle in which all four wheels 5 are provided as drive wheels, and further has a control 4WD that can control the drive force between the front wheels 6 and the rear wheels 7. .

  The engine 10 in this embodiment is a reciprocating spark ignition engine using gasoline as fuel, but the engine 10 is not limited to this. The engine 10 may be, for example, a spark ignition engine that uses LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) or alcohol as fuel, a so-called rotary spark ignition engine, or a diesel engine. It may be. The engine 10 has its engine speed and torque (output) controlled by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 70 that controls each part of the vehicle 1. Further, the transmission means for shifting the rotation of the power generated by the engine 10 may be other than the automatic transmission 11, for example, a manual transmission for manually shifting.

  Of the wheels 5 of the vehicle 1, the front wheels 6 are provided as driving wheels and at the same time as steering wheels. The front wheel 6 that is a steered wheel is provided so as to be steerable by a handle 20 disposed in the driver's seat of the vehicle 1. The handle 20 is connected to an EPS (Electric Power Steering) device 22 that is an electric power steering device, and is connected to the EPS device 22 so that the front wheel 6 can be steered.

  Specifically, the handle 20 is connected to one end of a first steering shaft 25 that is a rotating shaft when the steering wheel is operated when the vehicle 1 is turning, and the other end of the first steering shaft 25 is connected to the steering operation. The front wheel steering angle control device 21 that can control the steering angle of the front wheels 6 is connected. Further, a second steering shaft 26 is connected to the front wheel steering angle control device 21 and is located on the opposite side of the end of the second steering shaft 26 on the side connected to the front wheel steering angle control device 21. The end is connected to the EPS device 22. The front wheel 6 is connected to the EPS device 22 via a front wheel tie rod 27.

  Further, the vehicle 1 is provided so that the steering angle of the rear wheel 7 can be changed. Specifically, a rear wheel steering angle control device 31 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle 1, and the rear wheel 7 is connected to the rear wheel steering angle control device via a rear wheel tie rod 32.

  The wheel 5 is held on the vehicle body by a suspension unit (not shown), and the suspension unit has a shock absorber 40 capable of adjusting a damping force. Specifically, a front wheel shock absorber 41 is disposed in the vicinity of the front wheel 6, and the front wheel 6 is held by the front wheel shock absorber 41 so that shocks from the road surface when the vehicle 1 is traveling can be buffered. . Similarly, a rear wheel shock absorber 42 is disposed in the vicinity of the rear wheel 7, and the rear wheel 7 is capable of buffering an impact from the road surface when the vehicle 1 travels by the rear wheel shock absorber 42. Is retained. The front wheel shock absorber 41 and the rear wheel shock absorber 42 are disposed in the vicinity of the left and right front wheels 6 and the left and right rear wheels 7 located on both sides in the width direction of the vehicle 1.

  The shock absorber 40 is connected to a damping force control device 45 that controls the damping force of the shock absorber 40, and the front wheel shock absorber 41 is connected to a front wheel side damping force control device 46 for rear wheel use. A rear wheel damping force control device 47 is connected to the shock absorber 42. The front wheel shock absorber 41 is provided so that the damping force can be adjusted by the front wheel side damping force control device 46, and the rear wheel shock absorber 42 is provided so that the damping force can be adjusted by the rear wheel side damping force control device 47. It has been.

  Further, in the vicinity of the wheels 5, stabilizers 50 that connect suspension units located on both sides in the width direction of the vehicle 1 are disposed. Both ends of the stabilizer 50 in the width direction of the vehicle 1 are connected to the vicinity of the shock absorber 40 in the suspension unit. Among the stabilizers 50 arranged in this way, the stabilizer 50 provided on the front wheel 6 side is a front wheel side stabilizer 51, and the stabilizer 50 provided on the rear wheel 7 side is a rear wheel side stabilizer 52. These stabilizers 50 are provided so that the movement by the suspension unit of one wheel 5 in the width direction of the vehicle 1 can be transmitted to the other wheel 5. That is, the front wheel side stabilizer 51 is provided so that the movement of one front wheel 6 among the left and right front wheels 6 can be transmitted to the other front wheel 6, and the rear wheel side stabilizer 52 is formed of the left and right rear wheels 7. It is provided so that the movement of one rear wheel 7 can be transmitted to the other rear wheel 7.

  The stabilizer 50 is connected to a stabilizer adjusting device 55 that can adjust the transmission rate when the stabilizer 50 transmits the movement of the wheel 5 between the left and right wheels 5. The stabilizer adjusting device 55 is connected to each of the front wheel side stabilizer 51 and the rear wheel side stabilizer 52, the front wheel side stabilizer 51 is connected to the front wheel side stabilizer adjusting device 56, and the rear wheel side stabilizer 52 is connected to the rear wheel. A side stabilizer adjustment device 57 is connected.

  Further, near each wheel 5, there is a wheel cylinder 61 that is actuated by hydraulic pressure, and a brake disc 62 that is provided in combination with the wheel cylinder 61 and rotates together with the wheel 5 when the wheel 5 rotates. Is provided. Further, the vehicle 1 is provided with a brake hydraulic pressure control device 60 that is connected to the wheel cylinder 61 by a hydraulic pressure path 63 and controls the hydraulic pressure applied to the wheel cylinder 61 during a brake operation. The brake hydraulic pressure control device 60 is provided such that the hydraulic pressure can be controlled independently for each wheel cylinder 61 provided in the vicinity of each wheel 5. Thereby, the brake hydraulic pressure control device 60 is provided so that the braking force of the plurality of wheels 5 can be controlled independently.

  The engine 10, the power distributor 12, the front wheel steering angle control device 21, the rear wheel steering angle control device 31, the EPS device 22, the damping force control device 45, the stabilizer adjustment device 55, and the brake hydraulic pressure control device 60 are operated by electric power. In addition, the control device 3 (see FIG. 2) is a collision avoidance support means capable of assisting in avoiding a collision with an obstacle when the vehicle is traveling.

  In addition, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera 65 provided forward is provided at the front end in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 as traveling direction information detecting means. The CCD camera 65 is provided so as to be able to image the front of the vehicle 1. In addition, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a battery 66 serving as a power source for supplying electricity to each device operated by electricity.

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a main part of the vehicle behavior control apparatus shown in FIG. Also, these front wheel steering angle control device 21, EPS device 22, rear wheel steering angle control device 31, front wheel side damping force control device 46, rear wheel side damping force control device 47, front wheel side stabilizer adjustment device 56, rear wheel side The stabilizer adjustment device 57, the brake hydraulic pressure control device 60, the CCD camera 65, the engine 10, the automatic transmission 11, and the power distributor 12 are connected to an ECU 70 that controls each part of the vehicle 1, and are provided so as to be controllable by the ECU 70. ing. The ECU 70 is provided with a processing unit 71, a storage unit 85, and an input / output unit 86, which are connected to each other and can exchange signals with each other. The front wheel steering angle control device 21 and the engine 10 connected to the ECU 70 are connected to an input / output unit 86, and the input / output unit 86 inputs and outputs signals to and from these devices. .

  The storage unit 85 stores a computer program for controlling the vehicle behavior control apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment. The storage unit 85 is a hard disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory (a storage medium that can be read only such as a CD-ROM), or a RAM (Random Access Memory). A volatile memory or a combination thereof can be used.

  The processing unit 71 includes a memory and a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the engine control unit 72 that is an engine control unit capable of controlling the operation state of the engine 10 and the power distributor 12. By controlling the distribution control unit 73, which is a distribution control means for performing control to distribute and transmit the output of the engine 10 to the front wheel 6 side and the rear wheel 7 side at an arbitrary distribution ratio, and the brake hydraulic control device 60, And a brake control unit 74 that is a brake control unit capable of controlling the operating state of the wheel cylinder 61.

  In addition, the processing unit 71 controls the steering angle control unit 75 that is a steering angle control unit that can control the steering angle of the front wheel 6 and the steering angle of the rear wheel 7 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1, and the damping force control device 45. By controlling the damping force control unit 76, which is a damping force control means capable of controlling the damping force of the shock absorber 40, and the stabilizer adjusting device 55, the movement of the wheel 5 is transmitted between the left and right wheels 5 by the stabilizer 50. And a stabilizer adjusting unit 77 which is a stabilizer adjusting means capable of controlling the transmission rate at the time.

  Further, the processing unit 71 and an image information acquisition unit 78 that is a traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires traveling direction information that is information on the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 and an area that can be stopped when the vehicle 1 is braked. A stoppable area estimation unit 79 which is a stoppable area estimation unit capable of estimating the stoppable area.

  Further, the processing unit 71 derives a risk of collision that derives a risk of the vehicle 1 colliding with an obstacle based on the traveling direction information acquired by the image information acquisition unit 78 and the stoppable region estimated by the stoppable region estimation unit 79. The control device 3 and the control method corresponding to the risk level are determined from the risk level deriving unit 80 and the risk level derived by the collision risk level deriving unit 80, and a plurality of controls are used in the determination. Avoidance, which is an avoidance assistance control determination means that prioritizes the operation of the control device 3 having a high effect of avoiding collision with an obstacle among the plurality of control devices 3 when the power for operating the device 3 is insufficient. Collision avoidance support that is a collision avoidance support control means for performing collision avoidance support control by controlling the control device 3 by the control method determined by the support control determining unit 81 and the avoidance support control determining unit 81 It has a control unit 82, a.

  The control of the engine 10 and the front wheel steering angle control device 21 controlled by the ECU 70 is performed by, for example, a memory in which the processing unit 71 incorporates the computer program in the processing unit 71 based on image information captured by the CCD camera 65. The control is performed by operating the operating portion such as the front wheel steering angle control device 21 according to the result of the calculation. At that time, the processing unit 71 appropriately stores a numerical value in the middle of the calculation in the storage unit 85 and takes out the stored numerical value to execute the calculation. In addition, when controlling the front wheel steering angle control device 21, the engine 10, and the like in this way, instead of the computer program, it may be controlled by dedicated hardware different from the ECU 70.

  The vehicle behavior control device 2 according to this embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below. When the vehicle 1 travels, the engine 10 is driven to travel by transmitting the power of the engine 10 to the wheels 5. Specifically, during operation of the engine 10, rotation and torque are controlled by the engine control unit 72 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70. When the engine 10 is operated in this way, the rotation of the crankshaft (not shown) of the engine 10 is transmitted to the automatic transmission 11, and the gear ratio suitable for the traveling state of the vehicle 1 by the automatic transmission 11. Change the speed.

  The rotation shifted by the automatic transmission 11 is distributed by the power distributor 12 to the front wheel 6 side and the rear wheel 7 side with a torque distribution suitable for the traveling state of the vehicle 1. The distribution ratio of the torque distribution is calculated by the distribution control unit 73 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70, and a control signal is transmitted from the distribution control unit 73 to the power distributor 12 to control the power distributor 12. The torque distributed to the front wheel 6 side and the rear wheel 7 side by the power distributor 12 is set to the calculated distribution ratio. Of the distributed rotation, the rotation transmitted to the front wheel 6 is transmitted to the front wheel 6 by the front wheel drive shaft 15, and the rotation transmitted to the rear wheel 7 is rearized by the rear wheel drive shaft 16 via the propeller shaft 17. It is transmitted to the wheel 7. Thereby, the wheel 5 rotates and the vehicle 1 travels.

  Further, when braking the traveling vehicle 1, a control signal is transmitted to the brake hydraulic pressure control device 60 from the brake control unit 74 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70. As a result, the brake hydraulic pressure control device 60 generates hydraulic pressure according to the control signal from the brake control unit 74. The hydraulic pressure generated by the brake hydraulic control device 60 is transmitted to the wheel cylinder 61 via a hydraulic path 63 provided between the brake hydraulic control device 60 and the wheel cylinder 61, and the wheel cylinder 61 is operated by this hydraulic pressure. When the wheel cylinder 61 is actuated, the wheel cylinder 61 is provided in combination with the wheel cylinder 61 and reduces the rotational speed of the brake disc 62 that rotates integrally with the rotation of the wheel 5. Thereby, since the rotational speed of the wheel 5 is also reduced, the speed of the vehicle 1 is reduced, and the traveling vehicle 1 can be braked.

  Further, when changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 such as turning the vehicle 1, the steering wheel is operated. That is, the handle 20 is rotated using the first steering shaft 25 as a rotation axis. When the first steering shaft 25 is rotated by rotating the handle 20, the rotation is input to the front wheel steering angle control device 21. The front wheel rudder angle control device 21 to which the rotation of the first steering shaft 25 has been inputted corresponds to an input from the first steering shaft 25 and a control signal from the rudder angle control unit 75 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70. Output to the second steering shaft 26. That is, when the rotation of the first steering shaft 25 is input, the front wheel steering angle control device 21 changes the relative angle in accordance with the control signal from the steering angle control unit 75 and outputs it to the second steering shaft 26. Then, the second steering shaft 26 is rotated.

  The rotation of the second steering shaft 26 is transmitted to the EPS device 22, and the EPS device 22 rotates the front wheel 6 by transmitting a pressing force or a pulling force to the front wheel 6 through the front wheel tie rod 27. As a result, the rotation direction of the front wheels 6 is different from the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1, so that the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 changes and the vehicle 1 turns.

  Further, while the vehicle 1 is traveling, an impact from the road surface is input to the wheels 5, or the vehicle 1 rolls while turning, but the wheels 5 are displaced in the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body. The speed of the displacement is a speed corresponding to the damping force of the shock absorber 40.

  Further, the damping force of the shock absorber 40 related to the displacement speed of the wheel 5 can be controlled by the damping force control device 45 connected to the shock absorber 40. The damping force control device 45 can control the shock absorber. When the damping force 40 is controlled, first, the damping force suitable for the traveling state of the vehicle 1 is calculated by the damping force control unit 76 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70. The damping force control unit 76 that has calculated the damping force further transmits a control signal to the damping force control device 45 to control the damping force control device 45, and the damping of the shock absorber 40 connected to the damping force control device 45. The force is set to the damping force calculated by the damping force control unit 76.

  That is, the damping force control unit 76 transmits control signals to both the front wheel side damping force control device 46 and the rear wheel side damping force control device 47. Of the front wheel side damping force control device 46 and the rear wheel side damping force control device 47 that have received the control signal, the front wheel side damping force control device 46 controls the damping force of the front wheel shock absorber 41 and the rear wheel side damping force. The control device 47 controls the damping force of the rear wheel shock absorber 42. As a result, both the front wheel 6 and the rear wheel 7 have a displacement speed suitable for the traveling state of the vehicle 1.

  Further, the roll during the turning of the vehicle 1 is suppressed by the stabilizer 50. That is, the stabilizer 50 transmits the displacement in the vertical direction of one wheel 5 among the wheels 5 arranged on the left and right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 to the other wheel 5. Thereby, even when the wheel 5 is displaced in the vertical direction by turning the vehicle 1, the difference in the displacement amount in the vertical direction of the left and right wheels 5 is reduced, so that the roll amount that is the inclination of the vehicle 1 is reduced. To do.

  The roll of the vehicle 1 is suppressed by the stabilizer 50 transmitting the vertical movement between the left and right wheels 5 in this way, but this transmission rate is provided so as to be adjustable by the stabilizer adjusting device 55. . Thus, when adjusting the stabilizer 50 with the stabilizer adjusting device 55, first, the transmission rate suitable for the traveling state of the vehicle 1 is calculated by the stabilizer adjusting unit 77 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70. The stabilizer adjustment unit 77 that has calculated the transmission rate further transmits a control signal to the stabilizer adjustment device 55 to control the stabilizer adjustment device 55, and the transmission rate of the stabilizer 50 connected to the stabilizer adjustment device 55 is determined as the stabilizer. The transmission rate calculated by the adjustment unit 77 is used.

  That is, the stabilizer adjustment unit 77 transmits a control signal to both the front wheel side stabilizer adjustment device 56 and the rear wheel side stabilizer adjustment device 57. Of the front wheel side stabilizer adjusting device 56 and the rear wheel side stabilizer adjusting device 57 that have received the control signal, the front wheel side stabilizer adjusting device 56 controls the transmission rate of the front wheel side stabilizer 51, and the rear wheel side stabilizer adjusting device 57 is the rear wheel side stabilizer adjusting device 57. The transmission rate of the wheel side stabilizer 52 is controlled. Thereby, the transmission rate of the displacement by the stabilizer 50 in the left and right wheels of the front wheel 6 and the rear wheel 7 becomes a transmission rate suitable for the traveling state of the vehicle 1, and the roll amount during the turning traveling is equal to the traveling state of the vehicle 1. Suitable roll amount.

  The CCD camera 65 located in front of the vehicle 1 images the front of the traveling vehicle 1, and the captured image is transmitted to the image information acquisition unit 78 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70 as electrical image information. Is done. The image information acquisition unit 78 acquires the state ahead of the vehicle 1 as image information.

  Further, when an obstacle such as another vehicle 1 positioned in front of the vehicle 1 is detected while the vehicle 1 is traveling, the vehicle behavior control device 2 according to the present embodiment avoids the vehicle 1 from colliding with the obstacle. The collision avoidance assistance control that is control is performed. This collision avoidance support control is performed by a collision avoidance support control unit 82 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70. The collision avoidance support control unit 82 performs the collision avoidance support control according to the danger level according to the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the obstacle and the power consumption of the control device 3 that is controlled when the collision avoidance support control is performed.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a danger level when performing collision avoidance support control. The danger level when performing collision avoidance support control is determined by the distance between the vehicle 1 and the obstacle. Specifically, an area that is the shortest distance that can be stopped when the traveling vehicle 1 is suddenly braked is defined as a shortest stop distance area 91, and a range from the shortest stop distance area 91 to the position of the vehicle 1 is dangerous. In the case of the area 92, the danger level is defined in stages according to the position in the danger area 92.

  That is, in the danger area 92, the danger level 1 is set on the shortest stop distance area 91, and the danger level 2 and danger level 3 become higher as the vehicle approaches the vehicle 1 from the shortest stop distance area 91. It becomes dangerous level 8. In the vehicle behavior control apparatus 2 in the present embodiment, this danger level 8 is the highest danger level. On the other hand, a position that is farther from the vehicle 1 than the shortest stop distance area 91, that is, a position outside the danger area 92 is at the danger level 0.

  Since the danger level approaches the vehicle 1 as the numerical value increases in this way, the smaller the danger level, the smaller the risk of collision with the obstacle, and the greater the danger level, the greater the risk of collision with the obstacle. It has become. In other words, when an obstacle is located in the danger area 92, when the obstacle is located in a portion where the danger level is low, the risk that the vehicle 1 collides with the obstacle is small, and the obstacle is The risk of the vehicle 1 colliding with an obstacle increases as it is located at a higher danger level.

  As described above, the collision avoidance assistance control when the obstacle is located in the danger area 92 differs depending on the danger level. The collision avoidance assistance control for each danger level will be described. At the danger level 0, the collision avoidance assistance control is not performed because there is no risk that the vehicle 1 collides with an obstacle.

  At the danger level 1, the distribution controller 73 of the ECU 70 controls the power distributor 12 to distribute the torque so that the driving force of the rear wheels 7 becomes larger. Thereby, in order to reduce the driving force of the front wheel 6, a margin can be given to the lateral force of the front wheel 6, and an obstacle can be easily avoided by steering the front wheel 6. At the danger level 2, the stabilizer adjusting unit 55 of the ECU 70 is controlled to increase the transmission rate of the rear wheel side stabilizer 52. Thereby, when the vehicle 1 is turned, the amount of roll on the rear wheel 7 side is reduced and the load in the roll direction is received by the rear wheel 7, thereby reducing the load factor of the front wheel 6 and steering the front wheel 6. Increase the ability to avoid obstacles.

  At the danger level 3, the damping force control unit 45 of the ECU 70 controls the damping force control device 45 to increase the damping force of the shock absorber 40. This control is performed for the front wheel shock absorber 41 and the rear wheel shock absorber 42 by the front wheel side damping force control device 46 and the rear wheel side damping force control device 47. This increases the yaw responsiveness when changing the direction of travel and makes it easier to avoid obstacles. At the danger level 4, the steering angle control unit 75 of the ECU 70 controls the front wheel steering angle control device 21 to reduce the rotation ratio when outputting to the second steering shaft 26 with respect to the rotation angle of the first steering shaft 25. That is, the steering angle of the front wheel 6 with respect to the rotation of the handle 20 is increased. Further, the differential gain is increased, and the steering angle of the front wheels 6 with respect to the rotation of the handle 20 is increased as the rotation speed of the first steering shaft 25 is increased. Thereby, by changing the rudder angle of the front wheel 6, the rudder angle of the front wheel 6 when the obstacle is urgently avoided is increased, and the obstacle is easily avoided.

  At the danger level 5, the engine 10 is controlled by the engine control unit 72 of the ECU 70, or the brake hydraulic control device 60 is controlled by the brake control unit 74, so that the vehicle 1 can be decelerated and obstacles can be easily avoided. To do. At the danger level 6, the EPS device 22 is controlled by the steering angle control unit 75 of the ECU 70, and torque is applied to the second steering shaft 26 in a direction to avoid an obstacle. This torque is transmitted to the steering wheel 20 via the front wheel steering angle control device 21 and the first steering shaft 25, and is transmitted to the driver. By recognizing the direction of this torque, the driver can recognize the direction in which the handle 20 is rotated in order to avoid an obstacle, and by rotating the handle 20 in the direction of torque, the driver The corners change in a direction to avoid obstacles. This makes it easier to avoid obstacles.

  At the danger level 7, the rudder angle control unit 75 of the ECU 70 controls the rear wheel rudder angle control device 31 to change the rudder angle of the rear wheel 7 in the direction of avoiding the obstacle to avoid the obstacle. Make it easier. At the danger level 8, the steering angle control unit 75 of the ECU 70 controls the front wheel steering angle control device 21 so that the steering angle of the front wheels 6 is an obstacle regardless of the rotation angle of the handle 20, that is, the rotation angle of the first steering shaft 25. Is output to the second steering shaft 26 such that the angle is in a direction that avoids the above. That is, the rudder angle of the front wheels 6 is forcibly changed in a direction to avoid the obstacle, thereby making it easier to avoid the obstacle.

  The collision avoidance support control unit 82 of the ECU 70 changes the control device 3 when performing collision avoidance support control according to the danger level at the position of the obstacle when an obstacle is located in the danger area 92, Control according to the level.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of control priority when performing collision avoidance support control. In each numerical value in FIG. 4, the power consumption increases as the numerical value increases, and the avoidance effect increases as the numerical value increases. As for the priority, the priority increases as the numerical value decreases. The collision avoidance support control is performed by controlling with the control device 3 corresponding to the danger level. When the collision avoidance support control is performed with the control device 3 as described above, the control is performed as shown in FIG. Prioritize This priority is determined by the power consumption of the control device 3 when the collision avoidance support control is performed and the obstacle avoidance effect when the collision avoidance support control is performed. The criterion for determining the priority level increases the priority as the power consumption decreases or the avoidance effect increases, and decreases the priority as the power consumption increases or the avoidance effect decreases.

  In addition, the control device 3 with a high avoidance effect means the control device 3 which can improve the turnability of the vehicle 1, for example. Of the collision avoidance support controls, the collision avoidance support control having a high avoidance effect is a control that largely changes the behavior of the vehicle 1. The collision avoidance support control having a low avoidance effect is generally the behavior of the vehicle 1. The control has little change.

  When an obstacle is located in the danger area 92 while the vehicle 1 is traveling and collision avoidance assistance control is performed according to the danger level, basically, collision avoidance assistance control below the current danger level is performed. That is, for example, when the current danger level is the danger level 4, all the collision avoidance support controls of the danger levels 1 to 4 are performed.

  Further, when the collision avoidance support control is performed, the electric capacity of the battery 66 and the power consumption of the control device 3 are compared, and the power consumption of the control device 3 when the collision avoidance support control is performed becomes equal to or higher than the supply power. In this case, the control device 3 that is operated by the collision avoidance assistance control with a low priority is stopped. Thus, when stopping the control device 3 operated by the low priority collision avoidance support control, the control device operated by the low priority collision avoidance support control until the power consumption of the control device 3 falls below the supplied power. Stop in order from 3.

  In the collision avoidance support control, the control device 3 that is operated by the low priority collision avoidance support control is stopped. Therefore, when the collision avoidance support control is performed at the danger level according to the position of the obstacle, the control is performed. Collision avoidance support control below the danger level according to the position of the obstacle is performed within a range where the power consumption of the device 3 is less than or equal to the supplied power. By performing the collision avoidance support control in this way, the control device 3 operates more reliably, so that the collision avoidance support control can be performed more reliably, and the obstacle avoidance improves.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the vehicle behavior control apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Next, a control method of the vehicle behavior control device 2 according to the embodiment, that is, a processing procedure of the vehicle behavior control device 2 will be described. While the vehicle 1 is traveling, travel direction information that is information on the travel direction of the vehicle 1 is acquired (step ST10). The traveling direction information is obtained by transmitting an image captured by the CCD camera 65 to the image information acquiring unit 78 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70 as electrical image information, and using the transmitted image information as the traveling direction information. Obtained by the obtaining unit 78.

  Next, a stoppable area is estimated (step ST20). The stoppable area is estimated by a stoppable area estimation unit 79 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70. The estimation of the stoppable area by the stoppable area estimation unit 79 is based on the shortest distance at which the vehicle 1 can stop in consideration of the case where the control device 3 is operated based on the vehicle speed, road surface information, etc. used in other controls during vehicle travel. This is estimated by deriving the shortest stop distance area 91 that is an area. That is, the shortest stop distance area 91 is a stoppable area.

  Next, the risk of collision with an obstacle is derived (step ST30). The collision risk is derived by a collision risk deriving unit 80 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70. The collision risk degree deriving unit 80 derives from the image information that is the traveling direction information acquired by the image information acquiring unit 78 and the shortest stop distance region 91 that is the stoppable region estimated by the stoppable region estimation unit. That is, the collision risk degree deriving unit 80 derives the position of the obstacle from the image information, and collides with the obstacle when the traveling vehicle 1 travels as it is from the shortest stop distance area 91 and the position of the obstacle. The risk level which is a collision risk level is derived from the time until the time until. When deriving the danger level, the danger level is increased as the time until the vehicle 1 collides with the obstacle decreases.

  Next, the control device 3 and control method for obstacle avoidance support are determined (step ST40). This determination is made by an avoidance support control determination unit 81 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70. The avoidance assistance control determining unit 81 determines the control device 3 and the control method according to the danger level from the danger level derived by the collision risk degree deriving unit 80. That is, the collision avoidance support control according to the danger level is determined.

  When performing collision avoidance support control, basically, collision avoidance support control is performed in accordance with all the risk levels that are less than or equal to the derived risk level. At that time, the avoidance support control determining unit 81 performs collision avoidance support control. The power consumption of the control device 3 that is activated during control is compared with the electric capacity from the battery 66 that can be supplied to the control device 3.

  According to this comparison, when the power consumption of the control device 3 is larger than the electric capacity that can be supplied, the operation of the control device 3 with higher priority is prioritized among the control devices 3 to be operated, and the control device with lower priority 3 decides not to activate. In this way, the avoidance support control determining unit 81 determines the collision avoidance support control according to the danger level within a range where the power consumption of the control device 3 is equal to or less than the electric capacity that can be supplied to the control device 3. In other words, the avoidance support control determining unit 81 determines the control device 3 and the control method according to the danger level, and when the power for operating the plurality of control devices 3 is insufficient, the plurality of control devices 3 are determined. Is determined to prioritize the operation of the control device 3 that is highly effective in avoiding collision with an obstacle. The collision avoidance support control according to the danger level, the power consumption and priority of the control device 3 are stored in advance in the storage unit 85 of the ECU 70.

  Next, collision avoidance support control is performed (step ST50). This collision avoidance support control is performed by a collision avoidance support control unit 82 included in the processing unit 71 of the ECU 70. The collision avoidance support control unit 82 performs the collision avoidance support control by controlling the control device 3 determined by the avoidance support control determination unit 81 by the control method determined by the avoidance support control determination unit 81. Further, since the collision avoidance support control unit 82 performs the collision avoidance support control by the control device 3 determined by the avoidance support control determination unit 81 and the braking method in this way, when performing the collision avoidance support control, When power for operating the plurality of control devices 3 is insufficient, power is supplied in preference to the control device 3 that is highly effective in avoiding collisions with obstacles, and collision avoidance support control is performed.

  The vehicle behavior control apparatus 2 described above performs control to supply power in preference to the control device 3 that has a high effect of avoiding collision with an obstacle when the power for operating the plurality of control devices 3 is insufficient. As a result, obstacles can be easily avoided even when power is insufficient. As a result, the ability of the vehicle 1 to collide with an obstacle can be ensured more reliably.

  In addition, when the power for operating the plurality of control devices 3 is insufficient, the control device 3 that can improve the turnability of the vehicle 1 is operated with priority. Even when the control device 3 of the unit is operated, it is possible to easily avoid the obstacle more reliably. As a result, the ability of the vehicle 1 to collide with an obstacle can be ensured more reliably.

  In addition, when the power for operating the plurality of control devices 3 is insufficient, the priority of the operation of the control device 3 with large power consumption is lowered, so that the power shortage can be solved and the plurality of control devices 3 are operated. It can be made easy. As a result, the ability of the vehicle 1 to collide with an obstacle can be ensured more reliably.

  Further, the collision risk deriving unit 80 derives the danger level according to the image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit 78 and the shortest stop distance area 91 estimated by the stoppable area estimation unit 79, and according to the danger level. In order to operate the control device 3, an appropriate control device 3 among the plurality of control devices 3 can be operated. Thereby, when operating some control devices 3 among the plurality of control devices 3, it is possible to more reliably operate the control devices 3 having a high effect of avoiding collision with an obstacle. As a result, the ability of the vehicle 1 to collide with an obstacle can be ensured more reliably.

  Among the collision avoidance support controls for each danger level, the collision avoidance support control having a high avoidance effect has a large change in the behavior of the vehicle 1, and the collision avoidance support control having a low avoidance effect has a small change in the behavior of the vehicle 1. Therefore, as the collision avoidance support control having a low avoidance effect is achieved, the driver's uncomfortable feeling when driving the vehicle is reduced. For this reason, when the danger level is low, it is possible to perform the collision avoidance support control while reducing the driver's uncomfortable feeling. Further, when the danger level is high, the change in the behavior of the vehicle 1 becomes large, but the ability of the vehicle 1 to collide with an obstacle can be increased by performing aggressive avoidance control. As a result, it is possible to achieve both reduction in driver discomfort and collision avoidance.

  In the vehicle behavior control device 2 according to the present embodiment, the engine 10, the power distributor 12, the front wheel steering angle control device 21, and the rear wheel steering angle control device 31 are used as the control device 3 when performing the collision avoidance support control. The EPS device 22, the damping force control device 45, the stabilizer adjustment device 55, and the brake hydraulic pressure control device 60 are used, but the control device 3 may not include all of them, and some of these, Alternatively, devices other than these may be used.

  Further, in the vehicle behavior control apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, the danger level is divided into nine stages of the above-described danger levels 0 to 8, and the control device 3 and the control content are defined for each danger level. The control device 3 and the control content for each level stage and danger level may be other than those described above. Similarly, the power consumption, the avoidance effect, and the priority of the control device 3 and the control content defined for each danger level may be other than those described above. The content of the collision avoidance support control may be other than the collision avoidance support control of the vehicle behavior control apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, and at least when the power supplied to the control device 3 is insufficient, the collision avoidance to the obstacle is avoided. It is only necessary to be provided so as to supply power preferentially to the control device 3 having a high effect.

  Further, in the vehicle behavior control apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, the CCD camera 65 is used as the traveling direction information detecting means, but the means for acquiring the traveling direction information may be other than the CCD camera 65. For example, the state of the traveling direction of the vehicle may be acquired by electromagnetic waves or ultrasonic waves.

  As described above, the vehicle behavior control device according to the present invention is useful for a vehicle behavior control device that performs control to avoid an obstacle according to the positional relationship between the vehicle and the obstacle when the vehicle travels, and in particular, avoids the obstacle. This is suitable when the control device is an electrically operated control device.

1 is a schematic view of a vehicle provided with a vehicle behavior control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a principal part block diagram of the vehicle behavior control apparatus shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the danger level at the time of performing collision avoidance assistance control. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the priority of control in performing collision avoidance assistance control. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the vehicle behavior control apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Vehicle behavior control apparatus 3 Control device 5 Wheel 6 Front wheel 7 Rear wheel 10 Engine 11 Automatic transmission 12 Power distribution machine 15 Front wheel drive shaft 16 Rear wheel drive shaft 17 Propeller shaft 20 Handle 21 Front wheel steering angle control device 22 EPS device 25 First steering shaft 26 Second steering shaft 27 Front wheel tie rod 31 Rear wheel rudder angle control device 32 Rear wheel tie rod 40 Shock absorber 41 Front wheel shock absorber 42 Rear wheel shock absorber 45 Damping force control device 46 Front wheel side Damping force control device 47 Rear wheel side damping force control device 50 Stabilizer 51 Front wheel side stabilizer 52 Rear wheel side stabilizer 55 Stabilizer adjustment device 56 Front wheel side stabilizer adjustment device 57 Rear wheel side stabilizer adjustment 60 brake pressure control device 61 the wheel cylinder 62 the brake disc 63 hydraulic path 65 CCD camera 66 Battery 70 ECU
71 Processing Unit 72 Engine Control Unit 73 Distribution Control Unit 74 Brake Control Unit 75 Steering Angle Control Unit 76 Damping Force Control Unit 77 Stabilizer Adjustment Unit 78 Image Information Acquisition Unit 79 Stoppable Area Estimation Unit 80 Collision Risk Derivation Unit 81 Avoidance Support Control Determination unit 82 Collision avoidance support control unit 85 Storage unit 86 Input / output unit 91 Shortest stop distance area 92 Danger area

Claims (4)

A plurality of collision avoidance support means operable by electric power and capable of supporting collision avoidance to obstacles during vehicle travel;
When the collision avoidance support means is operated to control the collision avoidance support and the power to operate the plurality of collision avoidance support means is insufficient, the effect of avoiding collision with the obstacle is high. Collision avoidance support control means for controlling the supply of the electric power in preference to the collision avoidance support means;
A vehicle behavior control device comprising:   The collision avoidance support control means preferentially operates the collision avoidance support means that can improve the turning ability of the vehicle when the electric power for operating the plurality of collision avoidance support means is insufficient. The vehicle behavior control device according to claim 1.   When the power for operating the plurality of collision avoidance support means is insufficient, the priority of the operation of the collision avoidance support means having a large power consumption among the plurality of collision avoidance support means is lowered. The vehicle behavior control device according to claim 1 or 2. Furthermore, traveling direction information acquisition means for acquiring traveling direction information that is information on the traveling direction of the vehicle;
A stoppable area estimation means capable of estimating a stoppable area that is an area of stopping when the vehicle is braked;
With
The vehicle behavior control according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the collision avoidance support control unit operates the collision avoidance support unit according to the traveling direction information and the stoppable area. apparatus.

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