JP2020088947A - Traveling control device of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a traveling control device of a vehicle which can extend a cruising distance of the vehicle, and can improve fuel economy by charging a battery with regeneration energy at the cornering of the vehicle.SOLUTION: In a traveling control device of a vehicle 1 having electric motors ML, MR for independently rotationally driving a pair of left and right rear wheels (driven wheels) WRL, WRR, a traveling state acquisition part 14 for acquiring a traveling state of the vehicle 1, and a control device (control means) 100 for controlling the drive of the electric motors ML, MR according to the traveling state of the vehicle 1 which is acquired by the traveling state acquisition part 14, when a battery remaining amount is smaller than a prescribed value in the case that the traveling state of the vehicle 1 acquired by the traveling state acquisition part 14 is in a post-deceleration cornering state, the control device 100 makes at least the inner-ring side electric motor ML or MR function as a regeneration brake.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vehicle travel control device that independently rotationally drives a pair of left and right wheels by an electric motor.

For example, in a vehicle in which at least one of a pair of left and right front wheels and a rear wheel is independently driven to rotate by an electric motor, each electric motor is driven by electric energy stored in a battery such as a lithium-ion battery. The proposal regarding the vehicle driving force control device is made in Patent Document 1, for example.

That is, in Patent Document 1, as a drive force control device that controls the drive of the electric motor based on the detection of the vehicle state detection device that detects the vehicle state including the operation state of the driver, the vehicle requires the drive torque required by the driver. The front-rear direction drive torque control unit that sets the front-rear direction drive torque for the left and right drive wheels according to the left and right, and the left and right independently set the left-right drive torque difference for vehicle state control on the left and right drive wheels according to the vehicle state. A driving force control device has been proposed that includes a wheel drive torque difference setting unit and a limit amount setting unit that sets a limit amount that limits the motor maximum torque according to the steering angle obtained from the vehicle state detection device. According to this, it is possible to suppress the generation of a feeling of acceleration different from the driver's intention due to the driving force difference control associated with steering.

JP, 2016-123172, A

By the way, a vehicle including an electric motor in at least a part of its drive source is required to have a longer cruising range and a shorter battery charging time in order to improve performance.

In the vehicle driving force control device proposed in Patent Document 1, the limit amount of the drive torque on the regeneration side is set to be smaller than the limit amount of the drive torque on the acceleration side, and is set to a general hybrid. Even in the system (HEV system), only the control for storing the electric power in the battery by the regenerative brake is performed only when the vehicle is decelerated. In other words, when cornering after deceleration on a flat road or during cornering after deceleration on a downhill road, the inner-wheel electric motor is not used as a regenerative brake (generator) because the driving force is distributed to the left and right. , The battery is not charged, and it is not possible to extend the cruising range and improve fuel efficiency.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to extend a cruising range of a vehicle and improve fuel consumption (fuel consumption rate) by charging a battery with regenerative energy during cornering of the vehicle. Another object of the present invention is to provide a travel control device for a vehicle that can perform the following.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an electric motor (ML, MR) that independently rotationally drives a pair of left and right driven wheels (WRL, WRR) and a traveling state acquisition that acquires a traveling state of a vehicle (1). A vehicle provided with a section (14) and a control means (100) for controlling the drive of the electric motors (ML, MR) according to the traveling state of the vehicle (1) acquired by the traveling state acquisition section (14). In the traveling control device according to (1), the control means (100) is a battery when the traveling state of the vehicle (1) acquired by the traveling state acquisition unit (14) is in a cornering state after deceleration. When the remaining amount is less than a predetermined value, at least the inner wheel side electric motor (ML or MR) is configured to function as a regenerative brake.

According to the vehicle travel control device of the present invention, at least the electric motor on the inner wheel side functions as a regenerative brake when the vehicle is running in the cornering state after deceleration and the remaining battery capacity is less than the predetermined value. With this configuration, the electric power generated by the electric motor that functions as a generator is supplied to the battery to charge the battery. Therefore, the cruising distance of the vehicle is extended and the fuel economy of the vehicle equipped with the engine as a drive source is improved. Further, the vehicle can be turned in a desired direction (direction).

Further, in the present invention, the control means (100) causes the electric motors (ML, MR) on the inner wheel side and the outer wheel side to function as regenerative brakes respectively, and the regenerative braking force on the inner wheel side is greater than the regenerative braking force on the outer wheel side. The electric motors (ML, MR) may be controlled so as to become larger.

With this configuration, the vehicle can be turned more effectively in a predetermined direction (direction).

Further, in the present invention, the control means (100) has a battery residual amount of a predetermined value or more when the traveling state of the vehicle (1) acquired by the traveling state acquisition unit (14) is a cornering state. At times, the driving force of the outer wheel side electric motor (ML or MR) is set to be larger than the driving force of the inner wheel side electric motor (ML or MR), or at the same time when the outer wheel side electric motor (ML or MR) is driven. The inner wheel side electric motor (ML or MR) may be configured to function as a regenerative brake.

Further, in this case, the control means (100) may be configured to drive only the electric motor (ML or MR) on the outer wheel side.

Further, in the present invention, the control means (100) has an automatic driving control unit (110) that performs automatic driving control for automatically controlling at least one of acceleration and deceleration and steering of the vehicle (1), The control means (100) calculates a movement locus from a preset destination to the destination during execution of the automatic driving control by the automatic driving control unit (110), and based on the calculated movement locus, It may be configured to determine the cornering state of the vehicle (1).

According to this configuration, in the autonomous driving vehicle, the movement locus from the preset destination to the destination is calculated, and the cornering state of the vehicle is automatically determined from the calculated movement locus to drive the electric motor. Can be controlled.

Further, in the present invention, the control means (100) changes the yaw rate limit value according to the running mode, and makes the yaw rate limit value larger when the sport mode is selected than the yaw rate limit value when the normal mode is selected. It may be configured to set and calculate at least the steering angle based on the set yaw rate limit value.

With this configuration, it is possible to change the yaw rate limit value depending on the difference in the driving mode and set at least the optimum steering angle based on the target value of the optimum yaw rate for the selected driving mode.

According to the vehicle travel control device of the present invention, it is possible to extend the cruising range of the vehicle and improve the fuel consumption by charging the battery with the regenerative energy during cornering of the vehicle.

It is a top view which shows typically the power transmission path of the vehicle provided with the traveling control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a traveling control device according to the present invention. It is a flow chart which shows the control procedure of the run control device concerning the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the driving force control & regenerative braking control procedure in the control procedure of the traveling control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flow chart which shows the regenerative brake control procedure in the control procedure of the run control device concerning the present invention. It is a figure which shows the control pattern by the traveling control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a top view which shows typically another form of the power transmission path of the vehicle to which this invention is applied. It is a top view which shows typically another form of the power transmission path of the vehicle to which this invention is applied.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Vehicle power transmission path]
First, a power transmission path of a vehicle equipped with a travel control device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

That is, FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a power transmission path of a vehicle equipped with a traveling control device according to the present invention. The illustrated vehicle 1 adopts a front drive/rear assist system capable of automatic driving. It is a wheel drive (4WD) vehicle. In this vehicle 1, an engine E, which is a drive source, and an electric motor M are laterally juxtaposed in a front portion, and a transmission T is arranged between the engine E and the electric motor M.

The driving force of the engine E and the electric motor M is transmitted to the left and right axles 2L and 2R via the transmission T and the differential device (differential device) D, and is transmitted to the axles 2L and 2R and their respective outer ends. The left and right front wheels WFL and WFR, which are the attached drive wheels, are rotationally driven, and the vehicle 1 travels at a predetermined speed by the rotation of these front wheels WFL and WFR.

On the other hand, in the rear part of the vehicle 1, left and right rear wheels WRL and WRR, which are driven wheels, are rotatably arranged, and these rear wheels WRL and WRR are independently rotated by the left and right electric motors ML and MR, respectively. Driven. That is, the driving force of each electric motor ML, MR is transmitted to the left and right rear wheels WRL, WRR via the left and right axles 3L, 3R, and these rear wheels WRL, WRR are rotationally driven, so that the vehicle 1 is driven. Drive at a predetermined speed.

By the way, the electric motor M arranged in the front part of the vehicle 1 and the left and right electric motors ML, MR arranged in the rear part are electrically connected to a power drive unit (PDU) 4 and an intelligent power unit (IPU: electric device for electric motor) 5. It is connected to the. The PDU 4 exchanges electric power with the electric motors M, ML, MR and a battery included in the IPU 5 described later. The electric power transmitted/received here is, for example, the electric power supplied to the electric motors M, ML, MR at the time of driving or assisting the electric motors M, ML, MR, the electric motors M, ML by regenerative operation or boost driving. , MR, there is output power output from the electric motors M, ML, and MR. The PDU 4 is controlled by a control device 100 which will be described later, and by this control, driving of the front electric motor M and the rear left and right electric motors M, ML, and MR are controlled. That is, the PDU 4 receives the control command from the control device 100 and controls driving and power generation of the electric motors M, ML, MR. For example, when the electric motors M, ML, MR are driven, the DC power output from the battery is converted into three-phase AC power based on the torque command output from the control device 100 and supplied to the electric motors M, ML, MR. To do. On the other hand, when the electric motors M, ML, MR generate electricity, the three-phase AC power output from the electric motors M, ML, MR is converted into DC power to charge the battery.

The IPU 5 is a unit of each electric device such as a battery (electric storage device) in which electric power for supplying to the electric motors M, ML, MR is stored, an inverter unit, a DC-DC converter unit (all not shown), and the like. It is a thing. The inverter unit converts direct current to alternating current when power is supplied from the battery of the direct current power source to the motor. Further, when the output of the engine or the kinetic energy of the vehicle 1 is converted into electric energy and stored in the battery during deceleration of the vehicle 1 or the like, regenerative electric power generated by the electric motors M, ML, and MR functioning as a generator is generated. , Convert from AC to DC and store electricity in the battery. Moreover, the DC-DC converter unit steps down the high-voltage DC voltage converted by the inverter unit.

[System configuration of travel control device]
Next, the system configuration of the travel control device provided in the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described below with reference to FIG.

That is, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the traveling control device, and the illustrated control device 100 includes a vehicle 1 such as an external condition acquisition unit 12, a route information acquisition unit 13, a traveling condition acquisition unit 14 (see FIG. 1). ) Has a means to take in various information from outside.

Further, the control device 100 includes operation devices such as an accelerator pedal 70, a brake pedal 72, a steering wheel (handle) 74, and a changeover switch 80, an accelerator opening sensor 71, a brake pedal amount sensor (brake switch) 73, and a steering steering angle. An operation detection sensor such as a sensor (steering torque sensor) 75, a notification device (output unit) 82, and an occupant identification unit (in-vehicle camera) 15 are provided.

Further, the control device 100 includes a traveling drive force output device (drive device) 90, a steering device 92, and a brake device 94 as devices for driving the vehicle 1, distributing drive force, steering, and the like. These devices and devices are connected to each other by multiple communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, and wireless communication networks. Note that the illustrated operation device is merely an example, and a button, a dial switch, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) switch, or the like may be mounted on the vehicle 1.

Here, various components will be described.

(External situation acquisition department)
The external information acquisition unit 12 acquires external conditions of the vehicle 1, for example, environmental information around the vehicle 1 such as a lane of a traveling road and objects in the vicinity. For example, various cameras (monocular camera, stereo) Cameras, infrared cameras, etc.) and various radars (millimeter wave radar, microwave radar, laser radar, etc.). It is also possible here to use a fusion sensor which integrates the information obtained by the camera with the information obtained by the radar.

(Route information acquisition unit)
The route information acquisition unit 13 includes a navigation device, and the navigation device includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, map information (navigation map), a touch panel display device that functions as a user interface, a speaker, a microphone, and the like. I have it. Here, the navigation device specifies the position of the vehicle 1 by the GNSS receiver and derives the route from the specified position to the destination specified by the user. Then, the route derived by the navigation device is stored in the storage unit 140 as route information 144. The position of the vehicle 1 may be specified or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the traveling state acquisition unit 14.

Further, the navigation device guides the route to the destination by voice or navigation display while the control device 100 is executing the manual operation mode. The configuration for identifying the position of the vehicle 1 may be provided independently of the navigation device. Further, the navigation device may be configured by a function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal owned by the user. In this case, information is transmitted and received between the terminal device and the control device 100 by wireless or wired communication.

(Running status acquisition unit)
The traveling state acquisition unit 14 acquires the current traveling state of the vehicle 1, and includes a traveling position acquisition unit 26, a vehicle speed acquisition unit 28, a yaw rate acquisition unit 30, a steering angle acquisition unit 32, and a traveling trajectory acquisition. A portion 34 is provided.

<Running position acquisition unit>
The traveling position acquisition unit 26 acquires the traveling position and traveling posture (traveling direction) of the vehicle 1, which is one of the traveling states, and transmits electromagnetic waves transmitted from various positioning devices such as satellites and roadside devices. It is equipped with a device (GPS receiver, GNSS receiver, beacon receiver, etc.) that receives and acquires position information (latitude, lightness, altitude, coordinates, etc.), a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like. The traveling position of the vehicle 1 is measured with reference to a specific portion of the vehicle 1.

<Vehicle speed acquisition unit>
The vehicle speed acquisition unit 28 acquires the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, and a vehicle speed sensor is used for this.

<Yaw rate acquisition unit>
The yaw rate acquisition unit 30 acquires the yaw rate of the vehicle 1 which is one of the traveling states, and includes, for example, a yaw rate sensor.

<Steering angle acquisition unit>
The steering angle acquisition unit 32 acquires a steering angle, which is one of the traveling states of the vehicle 1, and includes, for example, a steering steering angle sensor 75 provided on a steering shaft. The steering angular velocity and the steering angular acceleration are also acquired based on the steering angle acquired by the steering steering angle sensor 75.

<Traveling trajectory acquisition unit>
The traveling track acquisition unit 34 acquires information on an actual traveling track of the vehicle 1 (actual traveling track), which is one of the traveling states, and includes a memory, and the memory is included in the actual traveling track. The position information of a series of points is stored. Here, the actual traveling track includes a track (trajectory) on which the vehicle 1 actually travels, and includes a track planned to travel from now on, for example, an extension line of the traveling track (trajectory) on the front side in the traveling direction. You may stay. In this case, the extension line can be predicted by a computer or the like.

(Accelerator opening sensor, brake pedal sensor and steering steering angle sensor)
By the way, the accelerator opening sensor 71, the brake depression amount sensor 73, and the steering steering angle sensor 75, which are operation detection sensors, output the accelerator opening, the brake depression amount, and the steering steering angle as detection results to the control device 100, respectively. To do.

(Changeover switch)
The changeover switch 80 is a switch operated by an occupant of the vehicle 1, receives the operation of the occupant, and switches the operation mode (for example, the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode) from the received operation content. For example, the changeover switch 80 generates a driving mode designation signal that designates the driving mode of the vehicle 1 from the operation content of the occupant, and outputs this driving mode designation signal to the control device 100.

(Shift device)
The shift device 60 is operated by a driver via a shift lever (not shown), and the positions of the shift lever in the shift device 60 are P (parking), R (reverse running), and N (neutral). ), D (forward traveling in automatic shift mode (normal mode)), S (forward traveling in sports mode), and the like. A shift position sensor 205 is provided near the shift device 60, and the shift position sensor 205 detects the position (shift position) of the shift lever operated by the driver. The shift device 60 is not limited to a lever and may be an SBW (Shift-by-wire) such as a button type or a dial type.

In the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, in addition to the normal mode (normal traveling mode), which is a shift mode (traveling mode) mainly for drivers having general skill, the preference of the driver having high skill is satisfied. The sports mode (sports driving mode), which is a setting that emphasizes the running of the vehicle (driving feeling, acceleration feeling, etc.), is provided. The normal mode is a mode when the D position is selected by the shift lever, and the sports mode is a mode when the S position is selected by the shift lever. Although illustration and detailed description are omitted, shift control based on a normal shift map is performed in the normal mode, and shift control based on a shift map for sports running is performed in the sports running mode.

(Paddle switch)
The paddle switch 65 is provided in the vicinity of the steering wheel 74, and a-switch (minus button) 66 for instructing a downshift in the manual shift mode during manual driving (manual driving mode) and a manual shift mode are used. A + switch (plus button) 67 for instructing an upshift is provided.

In the manual shift mode (manual mode) in the manual operation mode, the operation signals of the − switch 66 and the + switch 67 are output to the control device 100, and in the transmission T (see FIG. 1) according to the traveling state of the vehicle 1. The upshift or downshift of the set gear is performed.

(Notification device)
The notification device 82 is various devices that can output information, and outputs, for example, information for prompting the occupant of the vehicle 1 to shift from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode. As the notification device 82, for example, at least one of a speaker, a vibrator, a display device, and a light emitting device is used.

(Occupant identification section)
The occupant identification unit 15 includes, for example, an in-vehicle camera capable of capturing an image of the interior of the vehicle 1. As the in-vehicle camera, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state image sensor such as CCD or CMOS or a near infrared light source is used. A near infrared camera combined with is used. The control device 100 acquires the image captured by the in-vehicle camera, and identifies the current driver of the vehicle 1 from the image of the driver's face included in the image.

(Running drive force output device)
The traveling driving force output device (driving device) 90 includes an engine E (see FIG. 1), an FI-ECU (Electronic Control Unit) (not shown) that controls the engine E, a transmission T (see FIG. 1), and the transmission T. And an AT-ECU for controlling the. In addition, in addition to this, when the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a drive source, the traveling driving force output device 90 includes a traveling motor and a motor ECU that controls the traveling motor. Stuff used. When the vehicle 1 is a hybrid vehicle, the traveling driving force output device 90 is composed of the engine E and the engine ECU, the traveling motor and the motor ECU.

When the traveling driving force output device 90 is configured to include the engine E and the transmission T as in the present embodiment, the FI-ECU and the AT-ECU are input from the traveling control unit 120 described later. According to the information, the throttle opening of the engine E, the shift stage of the transmission T, etc. are controlled to output a traveling drive force (torque) for the vehicle 1 to travel. When the traveling driving force output device 90 includes only the traveling motor, the motor ECU adjusts the duty ratio of the PWM signal given to the traveling motor according to the information input from the traveling control unit 120, and the vehicle 1 travels. The driving force (torque) for driving is output. When the traveling driving force output device 90 includes the engine E and the traveling motor, both the FI-ECU and the motor ECU drive the traveling driving force for the vehicle 1 according to the information input from the traveling control unit 120. Outputs (torque) in cooperation with each other (steering device)
The steering device (EPS) 92 includes, for example, an electric motor as a drive source, and the electric motor applies, for example, a force to a rack and pinion mechanism to produce left and right front wheels WFL and WFR (see FIG. 1). ) To steer. That is, the steering device 92 drives the electric motor according to the information input from the traveling control unit 120 to steer the left and right front wheels WFL and WFR.

(Brake device)
The brake device 94 is, for example, an electric servo brake device that includes a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that supplies hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a braking control unit. The braking control unit of this electric servo brake device controls the electric motor according to the information input from the traveling control unit 120, and applies the braking force corresponding to the braking operation to the left and right front wheels WFL, WFR and the rear wheels WRL, WRR. Output each.

The electric servo brake device may include, as a backup, a mechanism that supplies the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal 72 to the hydraulic cylinder via the master cylinder. The brake device 94 is not limited to the electric servo brake device described above, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device. This electronically controlled hydraulic brake device controls the actuator according to the information input from the traveling control unit 120 and transmits the hydraulic pressure generated in the master cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder. Further, when the traveling driving force output device 90 includes a traveling motor, the brake device 94 may include a regenerative brake by the traveling motor.

[Control device]
Next, the control device 100 will be described. The control device 100 includes an automatic driving control unit 110, a travel control unit 120, and a storage unit 140.

(Automatic driving control unit)
The automatic driving control unit 110 includes a vehicle position recognition unit 112, an outside world recognition unit 114, an action plan generation unit 116, and a target traveling state setting unit 118. Here, each unit of the automatic driving control unit 110 and a part or all of the traveling control unit 120 are realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program. Further, some or all of them may be realized by hardware such as LSI (Large Scale Integration) and ASIC (Application Specific Circuit).

The automatic operation control unit 110 switches the operation mode according to the input of the signal from the changeover switch 80 to perform control. Here, as the driving mode, an automatic driving mode in which the acceleration and steering of the vehicle 1 are automatically controlled, and an acceleration in the vehicle 1 is controlled based on an operation on an operation device such as an accelerator pedal 70 and a brake pedal 72 to perform steering. There are manual driving modes for controlling the steering wheel based on an operation on an operation device such as the steering wheel 74, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As another operation mode, for example, a semi-automatic operation mode in which one of acceleration and deceleration and steering of the vehicle 1 is automatically controlled and the other is controlled based on an operation on an operation device may be set.

<Vehicle position recognition unit>
The vehicle position recognition unit 112 of the automatic driving control unit 110 stores the map information 142 stored in the storage unit 140 and the information input from the external situation acquisition unit 12, the route information acquisition unit 13, or the traveling state acquisition unit 14. Based on, the lane in which the vehicle 1 is traveling (the traveling lane) and the position of the vehicle 1 relative to the traveling lane are recognized.

The host vehicle position recognizing unit 112, for example, forms an angle with respect to the traveling lane with respect to a line that connects the center of the traveling lane in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 and the deviation of the reference point (center of gravity, etc.) of the vehicle 1 from the traveling lane center. It is recognized as the relative position of the vehicle 1. Instead of this, the own vehicle position recognizing unit 112 may recognize the position of the reference point of the vehicle 1 with respect to any side end of the traveling lane as the relative position of the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling lane.

<Outside world recognition section>
The external world recognition unit 114 has a function of recognizing the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of surrounding vehicles based on information input from the external situation acquisition unit 12 and the like. The peripheral vehicle in the present embodiment is another vehicle traveling in the vicinity of vehicle 1 and traveling in the same direction as vehicle 1. The position of the surrounding vehicle may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the vehicle 1, or may be represented by an area represented by the contour of the vehicle 1. Here, the "state" of the peripheral vehicle may include the acceleration of the peripheral vehicle and whether or not the lane is changed (or whether or not the lane is to be changed) based on the information of the various devices. Further, the outside world recognition unit 114 may recognize the positions of guardrails, telephone poles, parked vehicles, pedestrians, and other objects in addition to the surrounding vehicles.

<Action plan generator>
The action plan generation unit 116 has a function of setting a start point of automatic driving, a scheduled end point of automatic driving, and/or a destination of automatic driving. Here, the starting point of the automatic driving may be the current position of the vehicle 1 or a point at which an operation for instructing the automatic driving is performed by the occupant of the vehicle 1.

The action plan generation unit 116 generates an action plan in a section between a start point of automatic driving and a planned end point, or a section between a start point and a destination of automatic driving. Note that the action plan generation unit 116 is not limited to this, and may generate an action plan for any section.

The action plan is composed of, for example, a plurality of events that are sequentially executed. Here, the event includes, for example, a deceleration event that decelerates the vehicle 1, an acceleration event that accelerates the vehicle 1, a lane keep event that causes the vehicle 1 to travel without departing from the driving lane, and a lane change event that changes the driving lane. , An overtaking event that causes the vehicle 1 to overtake a preceding vehicle, a branching event that causes the vehicle 1 to change to a desired lane at a branching point, or causes the vehicle 1 to travel so as not to deviate from the current driving lane, and a merger to join the main line A merging event in which the vehicle 1 is accelerated/decelerated in the lane and the traveling lane is changed is included. For example, when there is a junction branch point on a toll road (such as a highway), the control device 100 changes the lane so that the vehicle 1 advances toward the destination, or maintains the lane. Therefore, when the action plan generation unit 116 refers to the map information 142 and finds that a junction exists on the route, the action plan generation unit 116 moves from the current position (coordinates) of the vehicle 1 to the position (coordinates) of the junction. Then, a lane change event for changing the lane to a desired lane that can proceed in the direction of the destination is set. Information indicating the action plan generated by the action plan generation unit 116 is stored in the storage unit 140 as the action plan information 146.

(Target running state setting unit)
The target traveling state setting unit 118, based on the action plan generated by the action plan generating unit 116 and the various information obtained by the external situation acquiring unit 12, the route information acquiring unit 13, and the traveling condition acquiring unit 14, the vehicle 1 The function of setting the target traveling state, which is the traveling state that is the target of The target state setting unit 118 includes a target value setting unit 52, a target trajectory setting unit 54, a deviation acquisition unit 42, and a correction unit 44.

<Target value setting section>
The target value setting unit 52 includes information on a traveling position (latitude, longitude, altitude, coordinates, etc.) targeted by the vehicle 1 (also simply referred to as “target position”) and target value information on vehicle speed (also simply referred to as “target vehicle speed”). ), yaw rate target value information (also simply referred to as “target yaw rate”) is set.

<Target trajectory setting section>
The target trajectory setting unit 54, based on the external situation acquired by the external situation acquisition unit 12 and the traveling route information acquired by the route information acquisition unit 13, information on the target trajectory of the vehicle 1 (also referred to simply as “target trajectory”). ) Is configured to set. Here, the target trajectory includes information on the target position for each unit time. The attitude information (travel direction) of the vehicle 1 is associated with each target position. Further, target value information such as vehicle speed, acceleration, yaw rate, lateral G, steering angle, steering angular velocity, and steering angular acceleration may be associated with each target position. The target position, the target vehicle speed, the target yaw rate, and the target trajectory described above are information indicating the target traveling state of the vehicle 1.

<Deviation acquisition unit>
The deviation acquisition unit 42 determines the target traveling state of the vehicle 1 based on the target traveling state of the vehicle 1 set by the target traveling state setting unit 118 and the actual traveling state of the vehicle 1 acquired by the traveling state acquisition unit 14. Fulfills the function of acquiring the deviation of the actual driving state with respect to.

<Correction part>
The correction unit 44 has a function of correcting the target traveling state of the vehicle 1 according to the deviation acquired by the deviation acquisition unit 42.

(Traveling control unit)
The traveling control unit 120 has a function of controlling the traveling of the vehicle 1 and includes an acceleration/deceleration command unit 56 and a steering command unit 58. The traveling state of the vehicle 1 is controlled by the target traveling state setting unit 118. A command value for travel control is output so as to match or approach the set target travel state of the vehicle 1 or the new target travel state set by the correction unit 44.

<Acceleration/deceleration command section>
The acceleration/deceleration command unit 56 is configured to perform acceleration/deceleration control of the traveling control of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the acceleration/deceleration command unit 56 determines the vehicle 1 based on the target traveling state (target acceleration/deceleration) and the actual traveling state (actual acceleration/deceleration) set by the target traveling state setting unit 118 or the correction unit 44. The acceleration/deceleration command value for matching the traveling state of 1 to the target traveling state is calculated.

<Steering command section>
The steering command unit 58 is configured to perform steering control of the traveling control of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the steering command unit 58 causes the traveling state of the vehicle 1 to match the target traveling state based on the target traveling state and the actual traveling state set by the target traveling state setting unit 118 or the correction unit 44. The steering angular velocity command value of is calculated.

(Storage unit)
The storage unit 140 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, and the like, and includes map information 142, route information 144, and action plan information. 146 is stored. The program executed by the processor may be stored in the storage unit 140 in advance, or may be downloaded from an external device via in-vehicle Internet equipment or the like. The program may be installed in the storage unit 140 by mounting a portable storage medium storing the program in a drive device (not shown).

Here, the map information 142 is, for example, map information with higher accuracy than the navigation map included in the route information acquisition unit 13, and includes information about the center of the lane or information about the boundary of the lane. More specifically, the map information 142 includes road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address/postal code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The road information includes information indicating the types of roads such as highways, toll roads, national roads, and prefectural roads, the number of lanes on the road, the width of each diagonal line, the slope of the road, the position of the road (longitude, latitude, and height). (Including three-dimensional coordinates), the curvature of the lane curve, the position of the merging and branching points of the lane, and signs such as road signs. In addition, the traffic regulation information includes information that the lane is blocked due to construction, traffic accident, traffic jam, or the like.

[Operation of travel control device]
Next, the operation of the traveling control device for the vehicle 1 according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

1 and 2 provided in the traveling control device for a vehicle 1 according to the present invention, the traveling state of the vehicle 1 acquired by the traveling state acquisition unit 14 (see FIG. 2) is after deceleration. In the cornering state, at least the electric motor ML (MR) on the inner wheel side is made to function as a regenerative brake when the battery remaining amount (SOC) is less than the predetermined value.

In addition, when the running state of the vehicle 1 acquired by the running state acquisition unit 14 (see FIG. 2) is in the cornering state, the control device 100 determines that the battery level (SOC) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the outer wheel side. The driving force of the electric motor ML (MR) is set to be larger than the driving force of the electric motor MR (ML) on the inner wheel side, or the electric motor ML (MR) on the outer wheel side is driven, and at the same time, the electric motor MR ( ML) to function as a regenerative brake.

Here, the traveling control method of the vehicle 1 by the control device 100 will be specifically described based on FIGS. 3 to 6.

3 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the traveling control device according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a driving force control & regenerative braking control procedure in the control procedure of the traveling control device, and FIG. 5 is a control procedure of the traveling control device. 6 is a flowchart showing a regenerative braking control procedure in FIG. 6, and FIG. 6 is a view showing a control pattern by the traveling control device. In addition, in the following description, it is assumed that the vehicle 1 is automatically driven.

When the control of the vehicle 1 by the control device 100 is started (step S1 in FIG. 3) and the destination is set by the driver (step S2), the target trajectory setting section 54 of the automatic driving control section 110 shown in FIG. The locus of movement to the destination is calculated (step S3). Then, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 1 is in the cornering state after deceleration based on the calculated movement locus and the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle speed acquisition unit 28 (see FIG. 2) of the traveling state acquisition unit 14 (step S4).

As a result of the above determination, when the vehicle 1 is in the cornering state after deceleration (step S4: Yes), the battery remaining amount obtained by the battery remaining amount obtaining unit (not shown) of the traveling state obtaining unit 14 shown in FIG. It is determined whether (SOC) is a predetermined value or more (step S5). If the result of this determination is that the battery remaining amount (SOC) is greater than or equal to the predetermined value (step S5: Yes), the drive force & regenerative braking control described below is executed (step S6), and the battery remaining amount (SOC) is determined. When it is less than the predetermined value (step S5: No), the regenerative braking control described later is executed (step S7).

Here, the procedure of the driving force & regenerative braking control executed in step 6 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6.

When the vehicle 1 is in a cornering (turning) state after deceleration (step S4: Yes) and the remaining battery charge (SOC) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (that is, the battery has a margin) (step S5: Yes). Determines whether the traveling mode is the normal mode or the sports mode (step S61). As a result of this determination, the yaw rate limit value is set small when the normal mode is selected as the traveling mode (step S62), and the yaw rate limit value is large when the sports mode is selected as the traveling mode. It is set (step S63). Then, the target vehicle speed, steering angle, acceleration, etc. are calculated based on the yaw rate limit value set according to the selected traveling mode (step S64).

After that, the turning direction of the vehicle 1 is determined (step S65), and when the vehicle 1 turns right, the following control is performed (step S66). That is, as shown as pattern 1 in FIG. 6, the driving force F _L of the electric motor ML that drives the left rear wheel WRL that is the outer wheel is the driving force F _L of the electric motor MR that drives the right rear wheel WRR that is the inner wheel. It is set larger than _R (F _L >F _R ). Alternatively, as shown as a pattern 2 in FIG. 6, only the wheels WRL After left as the outer ring is driven by a driving force F _L by an electric motor ML, the right electric motor MR is not driven (the driving force F _{R =} 0) .. Alternatively, as shown as a pattern 3 in FIG. 6, wheels WRL after the opening as the outer ring is driven by a driving force F _L by an electric motor ML, the electric motor MR of the right rear wheel WRR side serving as the inner ring regenerative braking ( As a generator, a regenerative braking force _RR is generated on the right rear wheel WRR which is an outer wheel.

As described above, the vehicle 1 can turn to the right by controlling the driving force of the left and right electric motors ML and MR, or by causing the right electric motor MR to function as a regenerative brake. When the electric motor MR on the right side is made to function as a regenerative brake, as shown as a pattern 3 in FIG. 3, electric power generated by the electric motor MR acting as a generator is charged in a battery (not shown), so that the cruising distance of the vehicle 1 is increased. The fuel consumption can be extended and fuel efficiency can be improved.

On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 turns left, the following control is performed (step S67). That is, contrary to the case of turning right, the driving force F _R of the electric motor MR that drives the right rear wheel WRR that is the outer wheel is the driving force F of the electric motor ML that is driven by the left rear wheel WRF that is the inner wheel. It is set larger than _L (F _R >F _L ). Or, drive only wheels WRR after the right to be the outer wheel driving force F _R by an electric motor MR, the electric motor ML left as the inner ring is not driven (the driving force F _{L =} 0). Alternatively, to drive the wheels WRR after right as the outer ring in the driving force F _R by an electric motor MR, or electric motor ML of the left rear wheel WRL side serving as the inner ring to function as a regenerative brake (generator), the left rear Regenerative braking force R _L is generated on the wheel WRL.

As described above, by controlling the driving force of the left and right electric motors ML and MR, or by causing the left electric motor ML to function as a regenerative brake, the vehicle 1 can turn left, but When the electric motor ML functions as a regenerative brake, electric power generated by the electric motor ML acting as a generator is charged in a battery (not shown), so that the cruising distance of the vehicle 1 can be extended and the fuel consumption can be improved.

When the above control is performed when the vehicle 1 turns to the left or right, a series of processing of the driving force & regenerative braking control ends (step S68), and the processing shifts to step 8 described later shown in FIG. To do.

Next, the procedure of the regenerative braking control executed in step S7 in FIG. 3 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

When the vehicle 1 is in a cornering (turning) state after deceleration (step S4: Yes) and the remaining battery charge (SOC) is less than a predetermined value (that is, the battery has no margin) (step S5: No). Determines whether the traveling mode is the normal mode or the sports mode (step S71). As a result of this determination, the yaw rate limit value is set small when the normal mode is selected as the traveling mode (step S72), and the yaw rate limit value is large when the sports mode is selected as the traveling mode. It is set (step S73). Then, the target vehicle speed, steering steering angle, acceleration, etc. are calculated based on the yaw rate limit value set according to the selected traveling mode (step S74).

After that, the turning direction of the vehicle 1 is determined (step S75), and when the vehicle 1 turns right, the following control is performed (step S76). That is, as shown as a pattern 4 in FIG. 6, the left rear wheel WRL which is an outer wheel is not driven by the electric motor ML, but the electric motor ML which drives the right rear wheel WRR which is an inner wheel is regeneratively braked (generator). ) is made to function as to generate a regenerative braking force R _R on wheels WRR after the right of the inner ring. Alternatively, as shown as a pattern 5 in FIG. 6, the left and right electric motors ML and MR, which independently drive the left and right rear wheels WRL and WRR, respectively function as regenerative brakes (generators), and the left and right rear wheels WRL, regenerative braking force to the WRR R _L, but to act, respectively the R _R, is set larger than the regenerative braking force R _L which towards the regenerative braking force R _R acting on the wheel WRR after right acts on the wheels WRL of the left (R _R >R _L ).

As described above, by causing the left and right electric motors ML and MR to function as regenerative brakes, the vehicle 1 can turn to the right, but in a state where the battery remaining amount (SOC) has no margin, FIG. When the electric motor MR on the right side is made to function as a regenerative brake as shown in pattern 4 in FIG. 6 or the left and right electric motors ML and MR are made to function as regenerative brakes as shown in pattern 5 in FIG. The electric power generated by the acting electric motors ML and MR is charged into a battery (not shown), so that the cruising distance of the vehicle 1 can be extended and the fuel consumption can be improved.

On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 turns left, the following control is performed (step S77). That is, contrary to the case of turning right, the right rear wheel WRR, which is an outer wheel, is not driven by the electric motor MR, but the electric motor ML that drives the left rear wheel WRL, which is an inner wheel, is regeneratively braked (generator). ) To generate regenerative braking force _RL on the left rear wheel WRL which is an inner wheel. Alternatively, the left and right electric motors ML and MR, which independently drive the left and right rear wheels WLR and WRR, respectively function as regenerative brakes (generators), and the left and right rear wheels WRL and WRR regenerative braking forces _RL and _RR. the but to act respectively, it is set larger than the regenerative braking force R _R which towards the regenerative braking force R _L acting on the wheels WRL of the left acts on the wheel WRR after right _{(R L>} R _R).

As described above, by causing the left and right electric motors ML and MR to function as regenerative brakes, the vehicle 1 can turn to the left, but when the left and right electric motors ML and MR function as regenerative brakes, Electric power generated by the electric motors ML and MR acting as a generator is charged in a battery (not shown), so that the cruising distance of the vehicle 1 can be extended and the fuel consumption can be improved.

When the above control is performed when the vehicle 1 turns to the left or right, a series of processes of the regenerative braking control ends (step S78), and the process proceeds to step 8 described later shown in FIG. That is, when the driving force & regenerative braking control is executed in step 6 shown in FIG. 3 or the regenerative braking control is executed in step S7, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 1 has arrived at the destination by automatic driving ( If the vehicle 1 has not arrived at the destination (step S8) (step S8: No), the processes of steps S4 to S8 are repeated until the vehicle 1 arrives at the destination (step S8: Yes). A series of traveling control on the vehicle 1 by the traveling control device according to the present invention is completed (step S9). In addition, when the vehicle 1 is not in the cornering state after deceleration in the determination in step S4 (step S4: No), the process proceeds to step S8.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the running state of the vehicle 1 is in the cornering state after deceleration, when the battery remaining amount (SOC) is less than the predetermined value, at least the inner-wheel-side electric motors FL and / Alternatively, since FR is configured to function as a regenerative brake, the electric power generated by electric motor ML and/or electric motor MR functioning as a generator is supplied to the battery to charge the battery. Therefore, the cruising distance of the vehicle is extended, and the fuel efficiency of the vehicle 1 equipped with the engine E as a drive source is improved.

In the above description, the travel drive device according to the present invention is applied to the four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle 1 employing the front drive/rear assist system shown in FIG. 1, but the travel control according to the present invention is described. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the device has an engine E, an electric motor M, and a transmission T arranged at a rear portion thereof, and electric motors ML, MR for independently driving left and right front wheels WFL, WFR arranged at a front portion thereof. A four-wheel drive vehicle 1'which adopts a drive/front assist system, and left and right front wheels WFL, WFR and rear wheels WRL, WRR are independently driven by electric motors MFL, MFR, MRL, MRR as shown in FIG. The same can be applied to the electric vehicle 1″ and the like.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to application to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims and the specification and drawings.

1 vehicle 4 PDU
5 IPU
14 Running state acquisition unit 100 Control device (control means)
D Differential device E Engine ML, MR Electric motor T Transmission WRL, WRR Rear wheel (driven wheel)

Claims (6)

An electric motor that independently rotationally drives a pair of left and right driven wheels, a running state acquisition unit that acquires the running state of the vehicle, and a drive of the electric motor according to the running state of the vehicle acquired by the running state acquisition unit A travel control device for a vehicle, comprising a control means for controlling
In the case where the traveling state of the vehicle acquired by the traveling state acquisition unit is in a cornering state after deceleration, the control means uses at least the electric motor on the inner wheel side as a regenerative brake when the battery remaining amount is less than a predetermined value. A travel control device for a vehicle, which is configured to function. The control means is configured to cause each of the inner wheel side and outer wheel side electric motors to function as a regenerative brake, and to control each electric motor such that the inner wheel side regenerative braking force is larger than the outer wheel side regenerative braking force. The traveling control device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein In the case where the running state of the vehicle acquired by the running state acquisition unit is in the cornering state, the control unit controls the driving force of the electric motor on the outer wheel side to the electric power on the inner wheel side when the remaining battery power is equal to or more than a predetermined value. 3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the driving force of the motor is set to be larger than that of the motor, or the electric motor on the outer wheel side is driven, and the electric motor on the inner wheel side is made to function as a regenerative brake at the same time. Travel control device. The vehicle drive device according to claim 3, wherein the control means is configured to drive only the electric motor on the outer wheel side. The control means has an automatic driving control unit that performs automatic driving control for automatically controlling at least one of acceleration and deceleration and steering of the vehicle,
The control means calculates a movement locus from a preset destination to the destination during execution of the automatic driving control by the automatic driving control unit, and determines a cornering state of the vehicle from the calculated movement locus. The vehicle travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle travel control device is configured to: The control means changes the yaw rate limit value depending on the running mode, sets the yaw rate limit value when the sport mode is selected to be larger than the yaw rate limit value when the normal mode is selected, and sets the yaw rate limit value to the set yaw rate limit value. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 5, wherein at least a steering angle is calculated based on the steering angle.