JP2020111189A - Control device for lean vehicle and overturn prediction method - Google Patents

Abstract

To hasten execution of control for an overturning state.SOLUTION: A control device for a lean vehicle that turns and travels while inclining a vehicle body toward a side, comprises: an overturn prediction unit that, based on information from at least one sensor that detects a state of the vehicle, predicts an occurrence of future overturn; and a control unit that, in the event that future overturn is predicted by the overturn prediction unit, executes overturn preparation control corresponding to the overturn.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a lean vehicle control device and a fall prediction method for leaning a vehicle such as a motorcycle that leans laterally and turns.

Patent Document 1 discloses a motorcycle including a tipping sensor that detects a tilt angle of a vehicle body. When the fall sensor determines that the vehicle body falls, the control device for the motorcycle stops fuel injection and ignition and also stops the fuel supply pump.

JP, 2004-093537, A

However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, in order to prevent an erroneous determination of a fall, when the fall state is continuously detected for a predetermined time, it is determined to be a fall and the engine is stopped. Therefore, it takes time to execute the control for stopping the engine after the occurrence of the fall, and the execution of the control for the fall state is delayed.

Then, this invention aims at accelerating the execution of the control for a fall state.

A lean vehicle control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a lean vehicle control device that turns while leaning a vehicle body to the side, and based on information of at least one sensor that detects a state of the vehicle, A fall prediction unit that predicts future fall occurrence, and a control unit that executes fall preparation control corresponding to the fall before the fall when the future fall prediction is predicted by the fall prediction unit.

According to the above configuration, when a future fall is predicted, the fall preparation control corresponding to the future fall is executed during traveling before the fall. As a result, the control can be started earlier and the control response delay can be suppressed as compared with the case where the control corresponding to the fall is executed after the fall.

As an example, the fall preparation control may be configured to include control for reducing fluctuations in vehicle body behavior during a fall.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the fluctuation of the vehicle body during the transition period of the fall and to suppress the damage to the vehicle body during the fall.

As an example, the fall preparation control may include a control for suppressing or invalidating the operation based on the operation amount of the driving operator. For example, the driver may be an accelerator grip, a brake pedal, a brake lever, or the like. In this case, the fall preparatory control may be configured to include control for reducing at least one change in the electronically controlled throttle device or the electronically controlled brake.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent an undesired change in the vehicle body behavior during the fall transition period, and it is possible to suppress the vehicle body damage during the fall.

As an example, the fall preparation control may include a control for suppressing or stopping the driving of the movable portion of the vehicle body.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the driving of the movable parts of the vehicle body (for example, the wheels, the engine, the chain, the radiator fan, etc.) from continuing during the fall transition period, and it is possible to suppress the vehicle damage in the fall.

As an example, the fall prediction unit may be configured to predict the future occurrence of a fall based on an operation state relating to a driver's operation amount and a behavior state relating to the behavior of the vehicle body.

According to the above configuration, by performing the fall prediction based on the vehicle behavior and the driving operation, it is possible to predict the fall before the vehicle behavior changes due to the driving operation. This makes it possible to predict the future occurrence of falls at a relatively early stage. Therefore, it can contribute to hastening the execution of the control for the fall state.

The fall prediction unit determines that an index based on a temporal change in one of the behavior state and the operation state deviates from an allowable range determined based on the other state of the behavior state and the operation state. When judged, it may be configured to predict the occurrence of future falls.

According to the above-mentioned composition, future fall can be predicted suitably by using time change of an operation state or a behavior state as an index.

The fall prediction unit may be configured to predict the future occurrence of a fall based on the temporal changes in the slip amount of the drive wheel and the longitudinal force applied to the drive wheel.

According to the above configuration, it is easy to predict slipdown or falls due to high side.

As an example, the fall prediction unit may be configured to predict the future occurrence of a fall based on the changes over time of the steering angle of the steering shaft and the lean angle of the vehicle body.

According to the above configuration, it is easy to predict a fall due to oversteering of the steered wheels.

As an example, the fall prediction unit may be configured to predict the future occurrence of a fall based on the changes over time of the slip amount of the drive wheels and the lean angle of the vehicle body.

According to the above configuration, it is easy to predict a fall due to slipdown.

The fall preparation control may include a control for reducing a change in at least one of the electronically controlled suspension and the steering damper.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from moving greatly when the vehicle falls, and it is possible to suitably suppress damage. The control unit may increase the damping force or the spring constant in order to reduce changes in the electronically controlled suspension and the steering damper.

A lean vehicle overturn prediction method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is an overturn prediction method for predicting overturning of a lean vehicle that is turning while tilting a vehicle body to the side, and includes information about a sensor that detects a state of the vehicle. Based on, the fall prediction step of predicting the occurrence of future falls, the fall prediction step, based on the respective time changes of the operation state of the driver's operation amount, and the behavior state of the behavior of the vehicle body. , Predict the future occurrence of falls due to turning.

According to the above method, the fall prediction is performed based on the vehicle behavior and the driving operation, so that the fall prediction can be performed before the change in the vehicle behavior due to the driving operation appears. This makes it possible to predict the future occurrence of falls at a relatively early stage. Therefore, it can contribute to hastening the execution of the control for the fall state.

As an example, in the fall prediction step, it is determined that an index based on a temporal change in one of the behavior state or the operation state has deviated from an allowable range based on the other state of the behavior state and the operation state. Then, the occurrence of future falls may be predicted.

According to the method, a future fall can be appropriately predicted by using the time change of the operation state or the behavior state as an index.

According to the present disclosure, it becomes possible to accelerate the execution of control for a fall state.

It is a left side view of the motorcycle according to the embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the motorcycle shown in FIG. (A)-(D) is a figure which shows a manipulated variable change and an allowable range typically.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of the motorcycle according to the embodiment. The motorcycle 1 is a suitable example of a lean vehicle. A lean vehicle is a vehicle that turns while leaning the vehicle body in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the motorcycle 1 includes a front wheel 2 that is a driven wheel, a rear wheel 3 that is a driving wheel, and a vehicle body 4 supported by the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 3. The motorcycle 1 is capable of turning while the vehicle body 4 is tilted in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) around the front-rear axis passing through the front wheel ground contact point and the rear wheel ground contact point (lean posture state). The lean angle of the vehicle body 4 around the front-rear axis based on the upright state of the vehicle body 4 is referred to as the lean angle (the lean angle in the upright state is zero).

A motorcycle that is a lean vehicle may fall down during lean turning when conditions such as a turning radius, a turning speed, and a frictional force with a road surface exceed a predetermined range. For example, when the lateral force generated by the centrifugal force on the vehicle body at the time of turning is larger than the frictional force generated between the tire and the road surface, the wheel slips on the road surface. Due to the skid, the vehicle body may not maintain balance and the vehicle body may tilt around the front-rear axis and fall. As described later, the present embodiment relates to a prediction method for predicting that the vehicle body tilts and falls due to turning traveling, and a control device based on the prediction.

The motorcycle 1 includes a traveling drive source that generates a driving force for traveling. In the present embodiment, the engine E (internal combustion engine) is adopted as the traveling drive source, but an electric motor may be adopted instead of the engine, or both the engine and the electric motor may be adopted. The driving force of the engine E is transmitted to the transmission TM via a clutch (not shown), and is applied to the rear wheels 3 from the transmission TM via the output transmission mechanism. The engine E is provided with a throttle device Ea for adjusting the intake air amount. Further, the engine E is provided with a fuel supply device and an ignition device which are not shown. In the present embodiment, the throttle device Ea, the fuel supply device, and the ignition device are engine actuators for controlling the engine, and are provided such that the intake air amount, the fuel injection amount, and the ignition timing can be changed.

The motorcycle 1 includes hydraulic brakes 6 (the rear wheels 3 are not shown) for braking the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3, respectively. The brake 6 includes a front brake unit 6a that brakes the front wheels 2, a rear brake unit (not shown) that brakes the rear wheels 3, and a brake control device 6b that controls the front brake unit 6a and the rear brake unit. The front brake unit 6a and the rear brake unit operate independently of each other, and apply a braking force proportional to the brake pressure supplied from the brake control device 6b to the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 3. In the present embodiment, the brake control device 6b can be used for ABS control. The brake control device 6b switches between a manual braking state in which a braking force is applied according to a driver's braking operation, and a controlled braking state in which a braking force is applied regardless of a driver's braking operation when a predetermined condition is satisfied. Configured to be possible. For example, there is a condition in which a slip of a wheel is detected as a condition for the controlled braking state. When this condition is satisfied, ABS control that applies a braking force to suppress wheel slip is executed.

An electronically controlled suspension 7 is mounted on the motorcycle 1. The electronically controlled suspension 7 is a shock absorber that absorbs the impact transmitted from the road surface to the vehicle body. The electronically controlled suspension 7 is interposed between at least one of the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 3 and the vehicle body 4. In the present embodiment, a front wheel side suspension that alleviates the shock transmitted to the vehicle body 4 via the front wheels 2 and a rear wheel side suspension that alleviates the shock transmitted to the vehicle body 4 via the rear wheels 3 are provided. The front wheel side suspension includes a front fork interposed between the front wheel 2 and the vehicle body 4. The rear wheel side suspension includes a rear suspension interposed between the rear wheel 3 and the vehicle body 4. The electronically controlled suspension 7 is a well-known suspension capable of changing the damping force of the expansion/contraction portion serving as a buffer portion by electronic control. The electronically controlled suspension 7 may be capable of changing the spring constant in addition to the damping force.

The electronically controlled suspension 7 adjusts the damping force according to the condition of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and the traveling state. As a result, comfort (ride comfort) and running performance can be improved. For example, by increasing the damping force, it is possible to reduce the impact on the vehicle body from the road surface via the wheels. In addition, by reducing the damping force, it is possible to improve running stability during turning or on a highway. In the present embodiment, the electronically controlled suspension 7 is provided with a sensor that detects the amount of expansion or contraction of the elastic part or the change over time of the amount of expansion and contraction, and is controllable based on the detection value of the sensor.

The motorcycle 1 includes a steering shaft 8 connected to the front wheels 2 for steering the front wheels 2. A steering wheel 9 is connected to the steering shaft 8. That is, when the driver R operates the steering wheel 9 to rotate the steering shaft 8, the front wheels 2 are turned (steered) left and right. The motorcycle 1 includes a steering damper 10 that applies a damping force to the rotation of the steering shaft 8. The steering damper 10 is a known damper whose damping force can be changed by electronic control. For example, the steering damper 10 changes the damping characteristic according to the traveling speed. Specifically, the steering damper 10 increases the damping force when the traveling speed is high compared to when the traveling speed is low. As a result, it is possible to improve straight running stability during high-speed slimming. In the present embodiment, the steering damper 10 is provided with a sensor that detects a rotation amount of the steering shaft or a time change of the rotation amount, and is controllable based on a detection value of the sensor.

The motorcycle 1 includes a tipping preparation control device 20 that executes tipping preparation control corresponding to a tipping caused by turning traveling. In the present embodiment, the overturn preparation control device 20 is realized by an engine control device (ECU) that controls the engine, such as the throttle device Ea, the fuel supply device, and the ignition device, but is a control device independent of the engine control device. May be The fall preparation control device 20 predicts the future occurrence of a fall based on information from each sensor described later that detects the state of the vehicle. Further, when the fall preparation control device 20 predicts a future fall, the fall preparation control device 20 executes the fall preparation control before the fall in order to mitigate damage to the vehicle body caused by the fall. The fall preparation control device 20 controls the engine E, the brake 6, the electronically controlled suspension 7, the steering damper 10, and the like as fall preparation control.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the motorcycle 1. The motorcycle has a sensor that detects the state of the vehicle. The state of the vehicle is used as a meaning including both the state of the driver's driving operation (operation state) and the state of the vehicle body behavior (behavior state).

The motorcycle includes an operation amount sensor 31 that detects an operation state related to the driving operation of the driver. For example, the operation amount sensor 31 detects the operation amount of the driving operator operated by the driver.

Specifically, the operation amount sensor 31 includes an accelerator operation sensor 41 that detects an accelerator operation amount by the driver. As an example, the accelerator operation sensor 41 is realized by an accelerator operator that can be displaced by the driver, for example, a position sensor that detects the amount of displacement of the throttle grip. The engine control device controls the output of the engine based on the operation amount of the accelerator operation sensor 41.

The operation amount sensor 31 also includes a brake operation sensor 42 that detects the amount of brake operation by the driver. The brake operation sensor 42 is realized by a brake operator 42 that can be displaced by the driver, for example, a position sensor that detects the amount of displacement of a brake pedal or a brake lever. Further, the brake operation sensor 42 may be realized by a brake pressure sensor that detects a brake pipe internal pressure that is changed by operating a brake pedal or a brake lever. For example, the brake control device 6b may apply a braking force to the brake unit 6a corresponding to the other of the front and rear wheels 2 and 3 when the brake operator corresponding to one of the front and rear wheels 2 and 3 is operated. .. As a result, it is possible to execute interlocking braking in which both the front and rear wheels 2 and 3 are braked. That is, the brake control device 6b can be used for CBS control as well as ABS control.

In addition, the operation amount sensor 31 may include a clutch operation sensor 43 that detects an on/off operation of the clutch by the driver. The clutch operation sensor 43 is realized by a clutch operator that can be displaced by the driver, for example, a position sensor that detects the amount of displacement of the clutch lever or a portion that operates in conjunction with the clutch lever.

The operation amount sensor 31 may include a gear shift operation sensor 44 that detects a gear shift operation by the driver. The shift operation sensor 44 is realized by a shift operator that can be displaced by the driver, for example, a strain sensor that detects a stress generated in a portion that operates in conjunction with the operation of the shift pedal. For example, the engine control device determines the start of a gear shift operation based on the value detected by the gear shift operation sensor 44, and controls the engine output so that the engine speed is suitable for upshifting or downshifting.

The operation amount sensor 31 may include a steering operation sensor 45 that detects a steering operation by the driver. The steering operation sensor 45 is realized by a steering operator that can be displaced by the driver, for example, a position sensor that detects the amount of displacement of a portion that operates in conjunction with the operation of the steering wheel. For example, the steering operation sensor 45 may be realized by the position sensor included in the steering damper 10 described above.

The operation amount sensor 31 may include a weight shift sensor 46 that detects a weight shift operation of the driver. The weight shift sensor 46 may use the Slotalk sensors of the front and rear suspensions. For example, the weight shift sensor 46 may detect the weight shift of the driver in the front-rear direction based on the change in each stroke of the front and rear suspensions. An IMU (Inertial measurement unit) may be used as the weight movement sensor 46. For example, based on the information detected by the IMU, the balance movement condition of the centrifugal force and the lean angle that acts at the time of turning may be used to detect the driver's lateral movement of the body weight with respect to the vehicle body. The IMU 36 can detect angular velocities around three axes that are orthogonal to each other and acceleration (inertial force) in the three axis directions. In the present embodiment, the IMU 36 is set with the front-rear axis of the vehicle body, the up-down axis, and the left-right axis orthogonal thereto as the three axis directions.

The motorcycle includes a vehicle body behavior sensor 32 that detects a behavior state related to the behavior of the vehicle body. For example, as the vehicle body behavior sensor 32, various sensors already provided for engine control are used. For example, the vehicle body behavior sensor 32 includes a front wheel vehicle speed sensor 51, a rear wheel vehicle speed sensor 52, an engine speed sensor 53, an IMU 54 (Inertial measurement unit).

Further, the vehicle body behavior sensor 32 may include a shift speed sensor 55 that detects a shift speed and a stroke sensor 56 of each suspension. In addition, the vehicle body behavior sensor 32 may include a throttle opening sensor that indicates the amount of intake air to the engine E, an intake pressure sensor, an intake air temperature sensor, a position sensor (GPS) sensor, and the like. Further, the vehicle body behavior sensor may detect the friction coefficient between the road surface and the wheels.

Various sensors that detect the state of the vehicle are electrically connected to the preparation control device 20 according to a predetermined communication standard such as CAN communication. That is, the preparation control device 20 is configured to be able to acquire the detection values of various sensors provided on the vehicle body as input information. Further, the preparation control device 20 may add, as the information indicating the vehicle body behavior, information indicating the operating state of the actuator for changing the vehicle body behavior. For example, when an abnormal control mode (engine output suppression control, ABS control state, etc.) different from normal traveling is being executed, the information of these abnormal control modes may be included in the vehicle body behavior information. Further, the detection values of various sensors also include indirect information obtained by calculation based on the sensor information and other information.

The preparation control device 20 includes an actuator for changing the behavior of the vehicle body, such as an actuator for an engine (throttle device Ea, fuel supply device and ignition device), a brake control device 6b, an electronically controlled suspension, according to a predetermined communication standard such as CAN communication. 7 and the steering damper 10 are electrically connected. That is, the preparation control device 20 controls the traveling state of the motorcycle 1 by giving an operation command to the actuator based on the state of the driver's operation or vehicle body behavior detected by each sensor.

The preparation control device 20 may be electrically connected to the meter control device 60 or the communication control device 61 according to a predetermined communication standard. The meter control device 60 controls a display screen that the driver can visually recognize while traveling. The communication control device 61 is a device for transmitting a signal to the outside of the vehicle. As a result, the preparation control device 20 can give a display command to the display screen, and can give a communication command to a device outside the vehicle. In addition, the preparation control device 20 may be electrically connected to a shift control device that switches to a predetermined shift speed, and a clutch on/off control device that switches the engagement/disengagement of the clutch.

In terms of hardware, the control device 20 has a processor that is an arithmetic processing device, a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, and an I/O interface. The control device 20 includes a fall prediction unit 21 and a control unit 22 in terms of function. The fall prediction unit 21 and the control unit 22 are realized by the processor performing arithmetic processing using a volatile memory based on a program stored in the nonvolatile memory.

The overturn prediction unit 21 determines whether or not the running state of the motorcycle 1 deviates from a predetermined normal running state based on at least one of a plurality of sensor information items that respectively detect different types of vehicle states, Predict the future occurrence of a fall of the motorcycle 1. In this embodiment, the future occurrence of a fall is predicted based on a plurality of pieces of sensor information. For example, if the fall prediction unit 21 determines that the index based on the temporal change in the operating state of the driver R detected by the sensor has deviated from the allowable range based on the vehicle body behavior state detected by the sensor, a fall occurs. Predict. For example, the fall prediction unit 21 predicts that a fall will occur if it is determined that a rider operation that deviates significantly from the balance state during lean running has been performed.

Specifically, a sudden change in the grip force between the road surface and the wheels when the driver's operation is suddenly changed, when the index indicating the change over time in the operating state deviates from the allowable range based on the vehicle body behavior state. Is assumed. If the future grip force suddenly changes and exceeds the friction limit due to the sudden operation of the driver, it is predicted that a fall will occur as a future situation. The fall predicting unit 21 predicts a future fall based on information including at least one of a rotation angle and a steering angle around the front-rear axis of the vehicle body, and at least one of a vehicle speed, a rotation speed of a travel drive source, an accelerator operation and a brake operation. Occurrence may be predicted.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a change in the manipulated variable and an allowable range. The index X (vector X) indicating the change over time of the operation amount changes in size, orientation, position of the starting point, and the like according to the difference in change rate of the operation amount. The allowable range Y changes in size and shape according to the difference in the vehicle behavior state. The allowable range Y can be determined based on the vehicle body behavior state and/or its temporal change.

As shown in FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B), even when the index X (for example, the time change rate of the accelerator operation amount) indicating the time change of the driver's operation state is the same, the vehicle body behavior state (for example, The allowable range Y, which means a state in which the vehicle does not tip over, differs depending on differences in the traveling speed, the lean angle, the turning radius, the turning angle, and the like. As shown in FIG. 3(A), in a situation where the traveling speed and lean angle are small and the allowable range Y is relatively large, even if the accelerator is suddenly operated, the index X falls within the allowable range Y, and therefore a fall may occur in the future. Predict not to happen. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 3(B), in a situation where the output torque applied to the road surface is large at present and the allowable range Y is relatively small, the index X deviates from the allowable range Y when the accelerator is suddenly operated. Predict that a fall will occur.

As shown in FIGS. 3(C) and 3(D), even when the vehicle body behavior state (for example, traveling speed, lean angle, turning radius, turning angle, etc.) is the same, a change over time in the operating state of the driver is shown. Depending on the difference in the index X (for example, the rate of change of the accelerator operation amount with time), the allowable range Y that means a state in which the vehicle does not fall over is different. As shown in FIG. 3C, when the index X is small due to a small change in the accelerator operation amount over time, the index X is within the allowable range even if the traveling speed and the lean angle are large and the allowable range Y is relatively small. Since it falls within X, it is predicted that no fall will occur in the future. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 3(D), when the index X is large due to a large change in the accelerator operation amount over time, the index X deviates from the allowable range Y, and thus a fall is predicted to occur in the future. ..

In this way, the future occurrence of a fall is predicted before the fall based on the operation state of the driver. As a result, it is possible to predict a fall earlier than to make a fall determination using only a sensor that detects a vehicle body behavior, and it is possible to accelerate a control operation corresponding to the fall.

Further, the usage relationship between the operation state and the behavior state may be reversed. That is, when the fall prediction unit 21 determines that the index indicating the change over time of the vehicle body behavior state detected by the sensor has deviated from the allowable range based on the operation state of the driver R detected by the sensor, a fall occurs. You may predict. For example, the fall prediction unit 21 may be configured to predict that a fall will occur if it is determined that the behavior state of the vehicle body deviates significantly from the balance state with respect to a certain operation state.

Further, in the present embodiment, a plurality of sensor information is used for the fall prediction, and the allowable range based on the vehicle body behavior state is set to improve the prediction accuracy. For example, based on multiple information, preferably all information, of the rotational speed of the driving wheel, the rotational speed of the driven wheel, the steering angle, the torque (driving force, braking force) transmitted from the tire to the road surface, the suspension stroke and the vehicle attitude. Then, the allowable range is calculated. The index of the change over time of the operation amount is calculated based on information including the acceleration/deceleration operation (for example, throttle operation amount, brake operation amount, etc.). Preferably, the index of the time change of the operation amount may be calculated based on information including the steering angle operation amount, the gear shift operation, and the weight movement operation, in addition to the acceleration/deceleration operation (throttle operation amount, brake operation amount, etc.). preferable.

More specifically, the driver's operating conditions such as the brake, throttle, and steering angle, the rotational speed of the travel drive source, the generated torque, the suspension stroke corresponding to each wheel, the tire slip angle, the yaw angle of the vehicle body, and the roll angle. The turning traveling state or the transition traveling state is discriminated by using the pitch angle, the state of the change rate thereof, and the vehicle behavior state such as each wheel speed. The transitional traveling state means a state from the non-turning traveling state to the turning traveling state and a state from the turning traveling state to the non-turning traveling state. After determining such a traveling state, it is determined that a fall will occur in the future if the driver's operation leads to a balance deviating from the stable traveling state.

Various concrete methods of the fall prediction of the fall prediction unit 21 can be considered. The fall prediction unit 21 may predict future occurrence of a fall due to the turning traveling of the motorcycle 1 based on the temporal change of the value of the behavior state regarding the behavior of the vehicle body 4. For example, the “behavior state regarding the behavior of the vehicle body 4” is the rotational speed of the front wheels 2 or the rear wheels 3 (rear wheel vehicle speed), the rotational speed of the engine E, and the lean angle (or roll angle) of the vehicle body 4 in the left-right direction detected by the IMU 36. ), a pitch angle in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 4 detected by the IMU 36, a slip amount (slip ratio) of the rear wheel 3, and a front-rear direction and/or a left-right direction force acting on the front wheel 2 and/or the rear wheel 3. Including one.

The fall prediction unit 21 refers to the temporal changes of the plurality of behavior states illustrated above. As a result, the fall prediction unit 21 causes a running state (that is, a fall) in which the time change of another behavior state that acts on the time change of the current running state (behavior state) deviates from the predetermined normal running state. You can judge whether or not. From this, the fall prediction unit 21 can predict a fall that will occur in the future at a relatively early stage.

In detail, the fall prediction unit 21 predicts the future occurrence of a fall based on the changes over time of the slip amount (slip ratio) of the rear wheel 3 and the longitudinal force applied to the wheels. Good. The "slip amount of the rear wheels 3" is obtained by, for example, "(front wheel vehicle speed-rear wheel vehicle speed)/front wheel vehicle speed". The “force in the front-rear direction applied to the wheel” can also be referred to as “longitudinal tire force”. The vertical tire force of the rear wheel 3, which is the driving wheel, is a force that is directed in the front-rear direction during acceleration/deceleration. The main factors that generate the vertical tire force of the rear wheel 3 include the driving force transmitted from the engine E to the rear wheel 3 and the braking force applied from the brake 6 to the rear wheel 3. The vertical tire force of the front wheels 2 is a force that is directed rearward during deceleration. The main factor that generates the vertical tire force of the front wheels 2 is the braking force applied from the brakes 6 to the front wheels 2.

A future fall may be determined by predicting slipdown in which at least one of the front wheels 2 or the rear wheels 3 slips sideways. For example, the fall prediction unit 21 determines that the increase rate of the slip amount of the rear wheel 3 is larger than a predetermined threshold value and the increase rate of the vertical tire force of the rear wheel 3 is larger than the predetermined threshold value (or an operation to increase the increase amount). In this case), slipdown may occur in the future. Further, the overturn prediction unit 21 may predict that slipdown will occur if it is determined that the change in the vehicle body posture corresponding to the precursor of slipdown has occurred. For example, slipdown may be predicted by detecting the start of leaning of the vehicle body after a sudden skidding.

In addition, a sudden increase in tire force (acceleration/deceleration operation, acceleration/deceleration operation, etc.) is detected while detecting the occurrence of an operation that promotes skidding (for example, a transition state from a non-turning state to a turning state or a transition state from a turning state to a non-turning state). The occurrence of slipdown may be predicted by detecting a gear change operation or a braking operation). Specifically, the occurrence of slipdown may be predicted when the occurrence of excessive braking operation in the transition state toward the turning state is detected. The occurrence of slipdown may be predicted when excessive accelerator operation is detected in the transition state toward the turning state or the non-turning state. Further, slipdown may be predicted by judging a sudden steering change during turning. In addition to slip-down of the rear wheels 3, slip-down of the front wheels 2 may be predicted in the same manner. In addition, prediction may be performed using the sign information that slipdown occurs, which is obtained by learning using the accumulation of past data in which slipdown has occurred.

Further, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict the future occurrence of a fall based on the temporal changes in the slip amount (slip ratio) of the rear wheel 3 and the lean angle of the vehicle body 4. Specifically, the fall prediction unit 21 slips down when the increase rate of the slip amount of the rear wheel 3 is larger than a predetermined threshold value and the increase rate of the lean angle of the vehicle body 4 is larger than the predetermined threshold value. May occur. The overturn prediction unit 21 may predict the overturn by referring to the lateral tire force that acts laterally (left and right) on the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3 during turning.

After the sideslip of the wheels, the moment that tries to raise the vehicle body is generated due to the elimination of sideslip (grip recovery), and the future is predicted by predicting the high side that will be fallen by being flipped outside or above the turning radius. You may. For example, if a rear wheel slip suddenly stops after a sudden rear wheel slip in the lateral direction is detected and the rear shock stroke increases at a speed higher than usual, it can be predicted that the high side has occurred. Alternatively, the high side may be predicted based on a sudden change in the vehicle body posture after determining that a sudden grip recovery has occurred during turning.

As one aspect, the overturn prediction unit 21 causes the future overturn by the turning traveling of the motorcycle 1 based on the time change of each value of the operation state regarding the operation amount of the driver R and the behavior state regarding the behavior of the vehicle body 4. May occur. The “operation state relating to the operation amount of the driver R” means the accelerator opening detected by the accelerator operation sensor 31, the brake pressure detected by the brake pressure sensor 32, and the steering shaft 8 detected by the steering angle sensor 37. At least one of the steering angles is included. The “behavior state regarding the behavior of the vehicle body 4” is as described above.

The fall prediction unit 21 refers to the time changes of the respective values of the operation state and the behavior state illustrated above, and thereby the driving operation being performed for the current traveling state (behavior state) is a predetermined normal traveling. It is possible to determine whether or not to cause a running state (that is, a fall) that deviates from the state, and a future fall will be predicted at a relatively early stage.

Specifically, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict the occurrence of a fall based on the temporal changes in the steering angle of the steering shaft 8 and the lean angle of the vehicle body 4. For example, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict that a fall will occur if the rate of increase of the steering angle with respect to the rate of increase of the lean angle becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined value. This makes it possible to predict a fall due to oversteering.

Further, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict the occurrence of a fall based on the temporal changes in the accelerator operation amount and the lean angle of the vehicle body 4. For example, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict that a fall will occur when the lean angle increase rate with respect to the accelerator operation amount increase rate becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined value. This makes it possible to predict a fall due to the excessive inclination of the vehicle body 4 with respect to the centrifugal force.

In addition, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict the occurrence of a fall based on the temporal changes in the brake pressure and the lean angle of the vehicle body 4. For example, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict that a fall will occur when the increase rate of the brake pressure with respect to the increase rate of the lean angle becomes larger than a predetermined value. This makes it possible to predict a fall due to the excessive inclination of the vehicle body 4 with respect to the centrifugal force.

As one aspect, the fall prediction unit 21 uses the time change of one of the values of the operation state and the behavior state and the other value of the operation state and the behavior state to predict the future of turning of the motorcycle 1. The occurrence of a fall may be predicted. For example, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict that a fall will occur if the increase rate of the brake pressure becomes larger than a predetermined value when the lean angle is equal to or larger than the predetermined value. Further, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict that a fall will occur when the lean angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the reduction rate of the accelerator operation amount is greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

Further, as one aspect, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict that a fall may occur by determining that a plurality of phenomena leading up to the fall occur continuously over time. For example, in the case of slipdown, it is determined that a secondary phenomenon such as a sudden change in steering angle or a sudden change in lean angle occurs in sequence after a primary phenomenon such as a sudden change in throttle or brake operation or a sudden increase in wheel slip. Predict a fall. On the other hand, in the case of the high side, a fall is predicted by determining that a secondary phenomenon, which is a sudden change in the stroke of the driving wheel, sequentially occurs after the primary phenomenon that is the spin of the driving wheel. In this way, the prediction accuracy can be improved by predicting a fall based on the time-series connection of a plurality of phenomena leading to a fall.

When the fall prediction unit 21 predicts a future fall, the control unit 22 executes the fall preparation control corresponding to the fall before the fall. The control unit 22 controls one or more of the engine E, the brake 6, the clutch (not shown), the transmission TM, and the like to suppress or stop the driving of the vehicle operating portion. As a result, the control can be started earlier than in the case where the control corresponding to the fall is executed after the fall, and the control response delay can be suppressed.

The fall preparation control is a control before a fall that is performed according to a fall prediction, and is a control that suppresses damage to the vehicle body 4 during a fall, for example. The fall preparation control is not intended to prevent a fall, but is a control premised on dealing with a fall. Further, the fall preparation control is a control that is executed before the fall, instead of starting after the fall. For example, as the fall preparation control, the control unit 22 executes the control before the fall so as to reduce the behavior variation or the fall impact of the vehicle body 4 at the time of the fall. For example, the control unit 22 executes, as the fall preparation control, a fluctuation suppression control that suppresses or invalidates the operation of the engine E based on the operation amount of the accelerator grip that is one of the driving operators. The driving operator may be a brake pedal or a brake lever.

Also, for example, the fall preparation control reduces at least one change in the electronically controlled throttle device or the electronically controlled brake. For example, the fluctuation suppression control may be control that prohibits an increase in the output of the engine E. This prevents unintentional rider operation and undesired changes in vehicle body behavior during a fall transition period, and suppresses damage to the vehicle body 4 during a fall. When a fall is predicted by the fall predicting unit in this way, fluctuation suppression control may be executed to reduce fluctuations in vehicle body behavior regardless of the driver's operation. As described above, by reducing a sudden posture change or acceleration/deceleration change as the vehicle body variation, the vehicle body damage can be suppressed.

The control unit 22 may execute control for suppressing or stopping the driving of the rear wheel 3 that is the movable portion of the vehicle body 4 as the fall preparation control. For example, the control unit 22 may control the brake 6 to brake the rear wheel 3 as the fall preparation control. The front wheels 2 may also be braked. This prevents continuous rotation of the movable portion of the vehicle body 4 during a fall transition period, and suppresses damage to the vehicle body 4 in a fall. The movable portion may be a component whose rotating portion is exposed outside the vehicle body, specifically, a wheel, a chain, a transmission, a radiator fan, or the like.

The controller 22 may control the actuator (not shown) of the clutch (not shown) interposed in the power transmission path from the engine E to the transmission TM to disengage the clutch as the fall preparation control. .. As a result, the driving force is not transmitted to the rear wheels 3 that are the driving wheels during the transition period of the fall, the large movement of the motorcycle 1 is prevented, and the damage to the vehicle body 4 is suppressed. The control unit 22 may disengage the dog clutch in the transmission TM to make the transmission TM neutral. This also prevents moving parts such as wheels and chains from continuing to rotate together with the inertia of the drive source.

The control unit 22 may perform the fall preparation control so that the damping force of the electronically controlled suspension 7 increases. As a result, the change of the electronically controlled suspension 7 becomes small in the fall transition period, the large movement of the motorcycle 1 is prevented, and the damage to the vehicle body 4 is suppressed. If the electronically controlled suspension 7 has a variable spring constant, the controller 22 may perform the fall preparation control so that the spring constant of the electronically controlled suspension 7 increases.

The control unit may change the content of the fall preparation control according to the type of fall. For example, it is possible to further suppress the damage to the vehicle body due to the fall by determining whether the fall is due to slip-down or the fall due to the high side and differentiating the fall preparation control. Specifically, by increasing the damping force of the suspension before the fall, the amount of the vehicle hit by the above-mentioned high side can be suppressed and the damage at the time of the fall can be suppressed. Also, by controlling the spring constant of the suspension to be small before the fall and controlling the damping force to decrease, the impact generated on the vehicle body when the wheels collide with an obstacle when the vehicle body slides sideways after the fall due to the above-mentioned slipdown. Can be relaxed.

The control unit 22 may perform control as the fall preparation control so that the damping force of the steering damper 10 increases. As a result, the change of the steering damper 10 becomes small and the movement of the steering wheel 9 is suppressed in the fall transition period, so that the motorcycle 1 is prevented from largely turning in the fall transition period, and the damage to the vehicle body 4 is suppressed. It

In the present embodiment, the actuator controlled by the control unit 22 is an actuator that is used for purposes other than the fall control and that influences the behavior of the body to reduce damage to the body during a fall. As a result, compared to the case where the actuator is provided only for the overturn control, the parts can be shared and the number of parts can be reduced.

The fall preparation control may be performed other than the vehicle body damage suppression. For example, the control unit 22 may perform notification control for notifying the driver of the fall prediction. Specifically, information indicating that a fall has been predicted is displayed on a display device such as the meter control device 60. This allows the driver to know that the fall was predicted. As a result, the driver can recognize that the fall preparation control has been executed, and can suppress the reduction in the feeling felt by the driver. Further, as the fall preparation control, the control unit 22 may wirelessly transmit information indicating that the fall is predicted to an external device outside the vehicle body. The control unit 22 transmits, through the communication control device 61, to the external device, for example, driver identification information for identifying a driver, vehicle type identification information for identifying a vehicle body, and position information, as well as information indicating that a fall has been predicted. As a result, the repair company can receive from the external device information that prompts treatment in consideration of the influence of damage to the vehicle body, and can promptly repair the vehicle body. Further, information indicating that a fall has been predicted may be wirelessly transmitted to surrounding vehicles.

The present disclosure also includes a control device that performs control after a fall prediction, a control method by the control device, a fall prediction device that predicts a fall, and a fall prediction method. The present disclosure also includes a program for executing those methods and a storage medium in which the program is stored.

In addition, although an example of application to a motorcycle as a lean vehicle is shown in the present embodiment, it can be applied to lean vehicles in general. For example, it can be applied to lean-running bicycles and tricycles. Further, as described above, the invention can be similarly applied to an electric vehicle using a motor as a traveling drive source as well as an electric vehicle using a motor, or a hybrid vehicle having a plurality of types of drive sources. Further, in the present embodiment, a motorcycle including a plurality of sensors and actuators is shown, but this is an example, and it is not necessary to have all the configurations. For example, the steering damper and the electric clutch may not be provided. Further, the sensor may be retrofitted to the vehicle or realized by a device carried by the driver, for example, a smartphone. Further, in the present embodiment, the control device that controls the engine functions as the control unit for the fall, but the control unit that performs the fall control may be a control device other than the engine control device. It may also be realized by a plurality of control devices.

1 motorcycle (lean vehicle)
3 rear wheels (driving wheels)
4 Vehicle Body 7 Electronically Controlled Suspension 8 Steering Axis 10 Steering Damper 20 Control Device 21 Falling Prediction Section 22 Control Section E Engine (Movable Section)

Claims (12)

A lean vehicle control device that leans the vehicle body to the side and turns.
A fall prediction unit that predicts future occurrence of a fall based on information from at least one sensor that detects the state of the vehicle;
A lean vehicle control device, comprising: a control unit that executes a fall preparation control corresponding to the fall when the future fall is predicted by the fall prediction unit before the fall. The lean vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the fall preparation control includes a control for reducing a variation in vehicle body behavior during a fall. The lean vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the tipping preparation control includes control for suppressing or invalidating an operation based on an operation amount of a driving operator. The lean vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the tipping preparation control includes control for suppressing or stopping driving of a movable portion of the vehicle body. 5. The fall prediction unit according to claim 1, wherein the fall prediction unit predicts future occurrence of a fall based on an operation state regarding a driver's operation amount and a behavior state regarding a behavior of the vehicle body. Control device for lean vehicles. The fall prediction unit determines that the index indicating the time change of one of the behavior state and the operation state deviates from an allowable range determined based on the other state of the behavior state and the operation state. The lean vehicle control device according to claim 5, which, when judged, predicts the future occurrence of a fall. 7. The fall predicting unit predicts future occurrence of a fall based on a temporal change in a slip amount of a drive wheel and a longitudinal force applied to the drive wheel. The lean vehicle control device according to item 1. 8. The overturn prediction unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the overturn prediction unit predicts a future overturn on the basis of a temporal change in a steering angle of a steering shaft and a lean angle of the vehicle body. Control device for lean vehicles. 9. The fall prediction unit according to claim 1, wherein the fall prediction unit predicts future occurrence of a fall based on changes over time of a slip amount of a drive wheel and a lean angle of the vehicle body. Control device for lean vehicles. The lean vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the tipping preparation control includes control for reducing a change in at least one of an electronically controlled suspension and a steering damper. A fall prediction method for predicting a fall of a lean vehicle turning while tilting the vehicle body to the side,
Based on the information of the sensor that detects the state of the vehicle, has a fall prediction step of predicting the occurrence of future falls,
The fall predicting method of a lean vehicle, wherein the fall predicting step predicts future occurrence of a fall due to turning traveling, based on an operation state regarding a driver's operation amount and a behavior state regarding a behavior of the vehicle body. In the fall prediction step, if it is determined that the index indicating the time change of one of the behavior state and the operation state has deviated from the allowable range based on the other state of the behavior state and the operation state, in the future. The lean vehicle fall forecasting method according to claim 11, which predicts the occurrence of a fall of the vehicle.

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