JP7169201B2 - Control device for lean vehicle and overturn prediction method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control device and an overturn prediction method for a lean vehicle, such as a motorcycle, which turns with its vehicle body tilted to the side.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a motorcycle equipped with an overturn sensor that detects the tilt angle of the vehicle body. When the overturn sensor determines that the vehicle body has overturned, the control device of the motorcycle stops fuel injection and ignition, and stops the fuel supply pump.

JP 2004-093537 A

However, in order to prevent erroneous determination of overturning, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 performs turnover control to stop the engine when the overturning state is detected continuously for a predetermined period of time. For this reason, it takes time to execute the control for stopping the engine after the overturn occurs, and the execution of the control for the overturned state is delayed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to expedite the execution of control for overturned conditions.

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

According to the above configuration, when a future rollover is predicted, rollover preparation control corresponding to the future rollover is executed during running before the rollover. As a result, the control can be started earlier than when the control corresponding to the overturn is executed after the overturn, and the response delay of the control can be suppressed.

As an example, the rollover preparation control may be configured to include control for reducing fluctuations in vehicle body behavior at the time of rollover.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to reduce vehicle body fluctuations in the transitional period of overturning, and to suppress damage to the vehicle body due to overturning.

As an example, the overturn preparation control may include control for suppressing or invalidating the operation based on the operation amount of the driving operator. For example, an accelerator grip, a brake pedal, a brake lever, etc. are assumed as the driving operation elements. In this case, the overturn preparation control may include control to reduce changes in at least one of the electronically controlled throttle device and the electronically controlled brake.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent an undesired change in the behavior of the vehicle body during a transitional period of overturning, and to suppress damage to the vehicle body due to overturning.

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

According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the movable parts of the vehicle body (for example, wheels, engine, chain, radiator fan, etc.) from continuing to drive during the transitional period of overturning, thereby suppressing damage to the vehicle body due to overturning.

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

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

The overturn prediction unit determines that an index based on time change of one of the behavior state and the operation state has deviated from an allowable range determined based on the other of the behavior state and the operation state. Once determined, it may be configured to predict the occurrence of future falls.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to suitably predict a future fall by using the temporal change in the operation state or the behavior state as an index.

The rollover prediction unit may be configured to predict the occurrence of a rollover in the future on the basis of changes over time in the amount of slippage of the drive wheels and the longitudinal force applied to the drive wheels.

According to the above configuration, it is easy to predict a slip-down or a fall due to a high side.

As an example, the rollover prediction unit may be configured to predict the occurrence of a rollover in the future, based on changes over time in 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 overturning due to oversteering of the steered wheels.

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

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

The rollover preparation control may include control to reduce changes in at least one of the electronically controlled suspension and the steering damper.

According to the above configuration, the vehicle is prevented from moving significantly when it falls over, and damage can be suitably suppressed. In order to reduce changes in the electronically controlled suspension and steering damper, the control unit may increase the damping force or the spring constant.

A rollover prediction method for a lean vehicle according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a rollover prediction method for predicting rollover of a lean vehicle that turns while tilting a vehicle body to the side, wherein information from a sensor that detects the state of the vehicle includes: a rollover prediction step for predicting the occurrence of a rollover in the future, wherein the rollover prediction step is based on changes over time in an operation state related to the amount of operation by the driver and a behavior state related to the behavior of the vehicle body; , to predict the occurrence of future falls due to turning.

According to the method, by predicting overturning based on the behavior of the vehicle body and the driving operation, it is possible to predict the overturning before the behavior of the vehicle body changes due to the driving operation. This makes it possible to predict the occurrence of future falls at a relatively early stage. Therefore, it can contribute to hastening the execution of the control for the overturned state.

As an example, in the fall prediction step, it is determined that an index based on time change of one of the behavioral state and the operational state has deviated from an allowable range based on the other of the behavioral state and the operational state. The occurrence of future falls may then be predicted.

According to the above method, it is possible to suitably predict a future fall by using the temporal change in the operation state or the behavior state as an index.

According to the present disclosure, it becomes possible to expedite the execution of the control for the overturned state.

1 is a left side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the motorcycle shown in FIG. 1; FIG. (A) to (D) are diagrams schematically showing changes in manipulated variables and permissible ranges.

Embodiments will be described below 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 by tilting (leaning) the vehicle body in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 1 , a motorcycle 1 includes a front wheel 2 as a driven wheel, a rear wheel 3 as a driving wheel, and a vehicle body 4 supported by the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 3 . The motorcycle 1 can turn while the vehicle body 4 is tilted in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) (a lean posture state) about the front-rear axis passing through the ground contact point of the front wheel and the ground contact point of the rear wheel. The inclination angle of the vehicle body 4 about the front-rear axis with respect to the upright state of the vehicle body 4 is called the lean angle (the lean angle in the upright state is zero).

A motorcycle, which is a lean vehicle, may overturn during lean turning if conditions such as turning radius, turning speed, and frictional force with the road surface exceed predetermined ranges. For example, if the lateral force generated in the vehicle body due to centrifugal force during cornering is greater than the frictional force generated between the tires and the road surface, the wheel skids on the road surface. Due to this skidding, the vehicle body cannot keep its balance, and the vehicle body may tilt around the front-rear axis and overturn. As will be described later, the present embodiment relates to a prediction method for predicting that a vehicle body will tilt and overturn due to cornering, and a control device based on the prediction.

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

The motorcycle 1 includes hydraulic brakes 6 (not shown for the rear wheels 3) for braking the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3, respectively. The brake 6 has 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 braking forces to the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3 in proportion to the brake pressures respectively supplied from the brake control device 6b. In this 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 braking force is applied according to the driver's braking operation and a controlled braking state in which braking force is applied regardless of the driver's braking operation when a predetermined condition is satisfied. configured as possible. For example, as a condition for the controlled braking state, there is a condition that wheel slip is detected. When this condition is satisfied, ABS control is executed to apply a braking force to suppress wheel slip.

An electronically controlled suspension 7 is mounted on the motorcycle 1 . The electronically controlled suspension 7 is a shock absorber that reduces 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 wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3 and the vehicle body 4 . In this embodiment, a front wheel side suspension for mitigating the impact transmitted to the vehicle body 4 via the front wheels 2 and a rear wheel side suspension for mitigating the impact 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. - 特許庁The rear wheel side suspension includes a rear suspension interposed between the rear wheel 3 and the vehicle body 4. - 特許庁The electronically controlled suspension 7 is a well-known suspension that can change the damping force of the elastic portion that serves as a cushioning portion by electronic control. The electronically controlled suspension 7 may have a spring constant that can be changed in addition to the damping force.

The electronically controlled suspension 7 adjusts the damping force according to the condition of the road surface and the running state. This makes it possible to improve comfort (ride comfort) and running performance. For example, by increasing the damping force, it is possible to mitigate the impact on the vehicle body from the road surface via the wheels. Also, by reducing the damping force, it is possible to improve the running stability when turning or on a highway. In this embodiment, the electronically controlled suspension 7 is provided with a sensor that detects the amount of expansion/contraction of the expansion/contraction portion or the change in the amount of expansion/contraction over time, and is configured to be controllable based on the detected value of the sensor.

The motorcycle 1 has 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 left and right (steered). The motorcycle 1 includes a steering damper 10 that applies 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 damping characteristics according to the running 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 this embodiment, the steering damper 10 is provided with a sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the steering shaft or the change in the amount of rotation over time, and is configured to be controllable based on the detected value of the sensor.

The motorcycle 1 includes a rollover preparation control device 20 that executes rollover preparation control in response to rollover caused by cornering. In this 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. may be The overturn preparation control device 20 predicts the occurrence of a future overturn based on information from each sensor, which will be described later, that detects the state of the vehicle. Further, when predicting a future rollover, the rollover preparation control device 20 executes rollover preparation control before the rollover in order to mitigate damage to the vehicle body caused by the rollover. The rollover preparation control device 20 controls the engine E, the brake 6, the electronically controlled suspension 7, the steering damper 10, and the like as rollover preparation control.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the motorcycle 1. As shown in FIG. Motorcycles have sensors that detect the state of the vehicle. The state of the vehicle is used to include both concepts of 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 driving operation by the driver. For example, the operation amount sensor 31 detects the amount of operation of a driving operator operated by the driver.

Specifically, the operation amount sensor 31 includes an accelerator operation sensor 41 that detects the amount of accelerator operation by the driver. As an example, the accelerator operation sensor 41 is implemented by a position sensor that detects the amount of displacement of an accelerator operation element that can be displaced by the driver, such as a throttle grip. The engine control device controls the engine output 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 implemented by a position sensor that detects the amount of displacement of a brake operator 42 that can be displaced by the driver, such as a brake pedal or brake lever. Also, the brake operation sensor 42 may be realized by a brake pressure sensor that detects the pressure inside the brake pipe changed by the operation of the brake pedal or brake lever. For example, the brake control device 6b may apply 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 perform 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 not only for ABS control but also for CBS control.

Further, the operation amount sensor 31 may include a clutch operation sensor 43 that detects clutch engagement/disengagement operations by the driver. Clutch operation sensor 43 is implemented by a position sensor that detects the amount of displacement of a clutch operating element that can be displaced by the driver, such as a clutch lever or a portion that operates in conjunction with the clutch lever.

The operation amount sensor 31 may also include a shift operation sensor 44 that detects a shift operation by the driver. The shift operation sensor 44 is implemented by a strain sensor that detects stress generated in a portion that operates in conjunction with the operation of a shift operation element displaceable by the driver, such as a shift pedal. For example, the engine control device determines the start of the shift operation based on the detection value of the shift operation sensor 44, and controls the output of the engine so that the engine speed is suitable for upshifting or downshifting.

The operation amount sensor 31 may also include a steering operation sensor 45 that detects a steering operation by the driver. The steering operation sensor 45 is realized by a steering operation element displaceable 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, steering operation sensor 45 may be realized by a position sensor included in steering damper 10 described above.

Further, the operation amount sensor 31 may include a weight shift sensor 46 that detects the weight shift operation of the driver. The weight shift sensor 46 may be a front/rear suspension throttle talk sensor. For example, the weight shift sensor 46 may detect the weight shift of the driver in the front-rear direction based on changes in the strokes 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 condition between the centrifugal force acting during turning and the lean angle may be used to detect the lateral weight shifting operation of the driver with respect to the vehicle body. The IMU 36 can detect angular velocities about three axes perpendicular to each other and accelerations (inertial forces) in the directions of the three axes. In this embodiment, the IMU 36 has three axial directions, the front-rear axis of the vehicle body, the vertical axis, and the left-right axis orthogonal thereto.

The motorcycle includes a vehicle body behavior sensor 32 that detects a behavioral state regarding 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 speed sensor 51, a rear wheel speed sensor 52, an engine speed sensor 53, an IMU 54 (Inertial measurement unit), and the like.

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

Various sensors for detecting such vehicle states 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 detection values of various sensors provided on the vehicle body as input information. Further, the preparation control device 20 may add information indicating the operating state of an actuator for changing the vehicle body behavior as the information indicating the vehicle body behavior. For example, when an abnormal control mode different from normal driving (engine output suppression control, ABS control state, etc.) is being executed, information on these abnormal control modes may be included in the vehicle body behavior information. The detection values of various sensors also include indirect information obtained by calculation based on sensor information and other information.

The preparation control device 20 controls actuators for changing the behavior of the vehicle body, such as engine actuators (throttle device Ea, fuel supply device and ignition device), brake control device 6b, and electronically controlled suspension, in accordance with a predetermined communication standard such as CAN communication. 7 and the steering damper 10 . 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 and 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 driving. The communication control device 61 is a device for transmitting signals to the outside of the vehicle. Thereby, the preparation control device 20 can give a display command to the display screen and can give a communication command directed to a device outside the vehicle. In addition, the preparation control device 20 may be electrically connected to a shift control device for switching to a predetermined gear stage or a clutch on/off control device for switching on/off of the clutch.

The control device 20 has a processor, which is an arithmetic processing device, a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, and an I/O interface in terms of hardware. The control device 20 has a fall prediction section 21 and a control section 22 in terms of functionality. The overturn prediction unit 21 and the control unit 22 are implemented by the processor performing arithmetic processing using the volatile memory based on a program stored in the nonvolatile memory.

The overturn prediction unit 21 determines whether 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 that respectively detect different types of vehicle states, Predict the occurrence of future falls of the motorcycle 1 . In this embodiment, the occurrence of future falls is predicted based on information from a plurality of sensors. For example, when the overturn prediction unit 21 determines that the index based on the time change of the operation state of the driver R detected by the sensor deviates from the allowable range based on the vehicle body behavior state detected by the sensor, it is determined that the overturn occurs. Predict. For example, the fall prediction unit 21 predicts that a fall will occur when it determines that the rider has performed an operation that greatly deviates from the balance state during lean running.

Specifically, when the index indicating the time change of the operation state deviates from the allowable range based on the vehicle behavior state, the grip force between the road surface and the wheel suddenly changes when the driver's operation suddenly changes. is assumed. If the future gripping force suddenly changes due to the driver's sudden operation and exceeds the friction limit, it is predicted that a fall will occur as a future situation. The overturn prediction unit 21 predicts a future overturn based on information including at least one of a rotation angle about the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body and a steering angle, and at least one of a vehicle speed, a rotation speed of a travel drive source, an accelerator operation, and a brake operation. Occurrence can be predicted.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing changes in manipulated variables and permissible ranges. The index X (vector X) indicating the time change of the manipulated variable changes in magnitude, direction, position of the starting point, etc. according to the difference in change rate of the manipulated variable. The allowable range Y changes in size, shape, etc., depending on the difference in the behavior of the vehicle body. Note that the allowable range Y can be determined based on the vehicle body behavior state and/or its change over time.

As shown in FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B), even if the index X indicating the time change of the driver's operation state (for example, the time change rate of the accelerator operation amount) is the same, the vehicle body behavior state (for example, The allowable range Y, which means a state in which the vehicle does not overturn, differs depending on differences in running speed, lean angle, turning radius, turning angle, etc.). As shown in FIG. 3A, when the vehicle speed and lean angle are small and the allowable range Y is relatively large, even if the accelerator pedal is suddenly operated, the index X is within the allowable range Y. Predict it will not occur. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 3B, in a situation where the current output torque applied to the road surface is large and the allowable range Y is relatively small, if the accelerator is suddenly operated, the index X will deviate from the allowable range Y. Predict that a fall will occur in

As shown in FIGS. 3(C) and 3(D), even when the vehicle body behavior state (e.g., running speed, lean angle, turning radius, turning angle, etc.) is the same, the driver's operation state changes over time. The permissible range Y, which means a state in which the vehicle does not fall over, differs depending on the difference in the index X (for example, the rate of change over time of the accelerator operation amount). As shown in FIG. 3C, when the index X is small because the accelerator operation amount changes little over time, the index X remains within the allowable range even if the travel speed or lean angle is large and the allowable range Y is relatively small. Since it falls within X, it is predicted that there will be no falls in the future. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 3(D), when the index X is large due to a large change in the amount of accelerator operation over time, it is predicted that a rollover will occur in the future because the index X deviates from the allowable range Y. .

In this way, based on the driver's operation state, the occurrence of a future fall is predicted before the fall. As a result, it is possible to predict the overturning at an early stage and speed up the control operation corresponding to the overturning, rather than judging the overturning using only the sensor that detects the vehicle body behavior.

Also, the usage relationship between the operation state and the behavior state may be reversed. That is, when the overturn prediction unit 21 determines that the index indicating the time change of the vehicle behavior state detected by the sensor deviates from the allowable range based on the operation state of the driver R detected by the sensor, it is determined that the overturn occurs. You can predict. For example, the overturn prediction unit 21 may be configured to predict that a turnover will occur when it is determined that a change in behavior of the vehicle body that greatly deviates from the balance state has occurred in response to a certain operation state.

In addition, in the present embodiment, prediction accuracy is enhanced by using a plurality of pieces of sensor information for predicting overturning and setting an allowable range based on the behavior of the vehicle body. For example, based on a plurality of information, preferably all of the following information: driving wheel rotation speed, driven wheel rotation speed, steering angle, torque transmitted from tires to the road surface (driving force, braking force), suspension stroke, and vehicle attitude to calculate the tolerance. The index of the time change of the operation amount is calculated based on information including acceleration/deceleration operation (for example, throttle operation amount, brake operation amount, etc.). Preferably, the index of the time change of the operation amount is calculated based on information including acceleration/deceleration operation (throttle operation amount, brake operation amount, etc.), steering angle operation amount, gear shift operation, and weight shift operation. preferable.

More specifically, the driver's operation state such as brake, throttle, steering angle, rotation speed of the traveling drive source, generated torque, suspension stroke corresponding to each wheel, tire slip angle, vehicle body yaw angle, roll angle , the pitch angle or the rate of change thereof, and the vehicle behavior state such as each wheel speed are used to determine the turning state or the transition state. The transitional running state means a state from a non-turning running state to a turning running state, and a state from a turning running state to a non-turning running state. After determining such driving conditions, it is determined that an overturn will occur in the future if there is a driver's operation leading to a deviation from the stable driving condition.

Various methods are conceivable for the fall prediction by the fall prediction unit 21 . The overturn prediction unit 21 may predict the occurrence of a future overturn due to the turning of the motorcycle 1 based on the change over time of the behavior state value related to the behavior of the vehicle body 4 . For example, the "behavior state regarding the behavior of the vehicle body 4" includes the rotation speed of the front wheels 2 or the rear wheels 3 (rear wheel vehicle speed), the rotation speed of the engine E, the lean angle (or roll angle) of the vehicle body 4 in the horizontal direction detected by the IMU 36. ), the pitch angle of the vehicle body 4 in the longitudinal direction detected by the IMU 36, the amount of slippage (slip ratio) of the rear wheels 3, and the forces acting on the front wheels 2 and/or the rear wheels 3 in the longitudinal direction and/or the lateral direction. including one.

The fall prediction unit 21 refers to the temporal changes of the plurality of behavioral states illustrated above. As a result, the overturn prediction unit 21 determines that the time change of other behavioral states acting on the time change of the current running state (behavior state) causes a running state (that is, overturning) that deviates from the predetermined normal running state. can determine whether As a result, the fall prediction unit 21 can predict a possible fall in the future at a relatively early stage.

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

A future overturn may be determined by predicting a slip-down in which at least one of the front wheels 2 or the rear wheels 3 slides sideways. For example, the overturn prediction unit 21 determines when the rate of increase in the amount of slippage of the rear wheels 3 is greater than a predetermined threshold and when the rate of increase in the longitudinal tire force of the rear wheels 3 is greater than a predetermined threshold (or an operation to increase ), you may predict that a slipdown will occur in the future. Further, the overturn prediction unit 21 may predict that a slip-down will occur when it is determined that a change in the vehicle body posture corresponding to a sign of a slip-down has occurred. For example, a slipdown may be predicted by detecting the start of leaning of the vehicle body after a sudden skidding.

In addition, when 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) is detected, a sudden increase in tire force (acceleration/deceleration operation, When a shift operation, braking operation) is detected, occurrence of slip down may be predicted. Specifically, the occurrence of slip down may be predicted upon sensing the occurrence of excessive braking in the transition towards turning. Upon detection of excessive accelerator operation in the transition towards turning or non-turning conditions, the occurrence of slipdown may be predicted. Slipdown may also 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 also be predicted in the same manner. Prediction may also be made using information that predicts the occurrence of a slipdown, which is obtained by learning using accumulated past data on the occurrence of a slipdown.

Further, the rollover prediction unit 21 may predict the occurrence of a rollover in the future based on the time change in the amount of slippage (slip ratio) of the rear wheels 3 and the lean angle of the vehicle body 4 . Specifically, when the rate of increase in the amount of slippage of the rear wheels 3 is greater than a predetermined threshold value and the rate of increase in the lean angle of the vehicle body 4 is greater than a predetermined threshold value, the fall prediction unit 21 predicts slip-down. can be expected to occur. Note that the turnover prediction unit 21 may predict a turnover by referring to the lateral tire forces acting on the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3 in the lateral direction (left-right direction) during cornering.

After the wheels skid, the side slip is eliminated (grip recovery), and a moment is generated that tries to raise the car body, and the vehicle is thrown to the outside or upward of the turning radius. You may For example, after detecting a sudden lateral slip of the rear wheel, if the rear wheel suddenly stops slipping and the stroke of the rear shock increases at a speed higher than normal, it can be predicted that a high side has occurred. Alternatively, a high side may be predicted based on a sudden change in the vehicle body attitude after determining that the grip has suddenly recovered during turning.

As one aspect, the overturn prediction unit 21 predicts a future overturn due to turning traveling of the motorcycle 1 based on the time change of each value of the operation state related to the operation amount of the driver R and the behavior state related to the behavior of the vehicle body 4. can be predicted. The "operation state related to the operation amount of the driver R" includes 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 steering angles is included. The "behavior state regarding the behavior of the vehicle body 4" is as exemplified above.

The overturn prediction unit 21 refers to the time change of each value of the operation state and the behavior state illustrated above, so that the driving operation performed with respect to the current driving state (behavior state) is a predetermined normal driving state. It can be determined whether an out-of-state driving condition (ie, a rollover) will result, and future rollover occurrences can be predicted at a relatively early stage.

Specifically, the turnover prediction unit 21 may predict the occurrence of a turnover 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 turnover prediction unit 21 may predict that a turnover will occur when the steering angle increase rate with respect to the lean angle increase rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. This makes it possible to predict overturning due to oversteering.

The overturn prediction unit 21 may also predict the occurrence of a turnover based on the temporal changes in the amount of accelerator operation and the lean angle of the vehicle body 4 . For example, the turnover prediction unit 21 may predict that a turnover will occur when the rate of increase in the lean angle with respect to the rate of increase in the amount of accelerator operation is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. As a result, it is possible to predict overturning due to excessive tilting of the vehicle body 4 with respect to the centrifugal force.

Moreover, the turnover prediction unit 21 may predict the occurrence of a turnover based on the temporal changes in the brake pressure and the lean angle of the vehicle body 4 . For example, the turnover prediction unit 21 may predict that a turnover will occur when the rate of increase in brake pressure with respect to the rate of increase in lean angle becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined value. As a result, it is possible to predict overturning due to excessive tilting of the vehicle body 4 with respect to the centrifugal force.

As one aspect, the overturn prediction unit 21 predicts future changes in the turning travel of the motorcycle 1 based on the time change of one of the operation state and the behavior state and the other value of the operation state and the behavior state. may predict the occurrence of falls. For example, the turnover prediction unit 21 may predict that a turnover will occur when the brake pressure increase rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined value when the lean angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Further, the turnover prediction unit 21 may predict that a turnover will occur when the rate of decrease in the accelerator operation amount becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined value when the lean angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

As another aspect, the fall prediction unit 21 may predict that a fall will occur by determining that a plurality of phenomena leading to the fall occur continuously over time. For example, in the case of slip-down, it is determined that a secondary phenomenon such as a sudden change in steering angle or a sudden change in lean angle occurs after a primary phenomenon such as sudden change in throttle or brake operation or sudden slippage of wheels. Anticipate falls. In the case of the high side, it is determined that the secondary phenomenon of a sudden change in the stroke of the drive wheels has occurred in order after the primary phenomenon of the spin of the drive wheels, and the overturn is predicted. By predicting a fall based on the time-series connection of a plurality of phenomena leading to a fall in this way, it is possible to improve the prediction accuracy.

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

The overturn preparation control is a control before overturn that is performed according to the overturn prediction, and is, for example, a control that suppresses damage to the vehicle body 4 when overturn occurs. The overturn preparation control is not intended to prevent overturning, but is a control premised on coping with overturning. Fall preparation control is control that is executed before a fall, not after a fall. For example, the control unit 22 executes, as overturn preparation control, control before overturn so that the behavior variation or overturn impact of the vehicle body 4 at the time of overturn is reduced. For example, the control unit 22 executes variation suppression control that suppresses or disables the operation of the engine E based on the amount of operation of an accelerator grip, which is one of the driving operators, as the overturn preparation control. A brake pedal or a brake lever may be used as the operating element.

Also, for example, the rollover preparation control reduces changes in at least one of the electronically controlled throttle device or the electronically controlled brakes. For example, the variation suppression control may be control that prohibits an increase in the output of the engine E. In this way, unintended rider operation and undesired changes in the behavior of the vehicle body during the transitional period of overturning can be prevented, and damage to the vehicle body 4 at the time of overturning can be suppressed. When the turnover prediction unit predicts a turnover in this way, the variation suppression control may be executed to reduce the variation in the behavior of the vehicle body regardless of the driver's operation. By reducing sudden changes in posture and changes in acceleration and deceleration as changes in the vehicle body in this way, damage to the vehicle body can be suppressed.

The control unit 22 may execute control for suppressing or stopping the driving of the rear wheels 3, which are movable parts of the vehicle body 4, as the overturn preparation control. For example, the control unit 22 may control the brake 6 to brake the rear wheel 3 as fall preparation control. Note that the front wheels 2 may also be braked. This prevents the movable portion of the vehicle body 4 from continuing to rotate during the transitional period of overturning, thereby suppressing damage to the vehicle body 4 due to overturning. The movable part may be a part whose rotating part is exposed to the outside of the vehicle body, specifically, a chain, a transmission, a radiator fan, etc., in addition to the wheel.

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

The control unit 22 may perform control to increase the damping force of the electronically controlled suspension 7 as fall preparation control. As a result, the change in the electronically controlled suspension 7 is reduced during the transition period of overturning, the motorcycle 1 is prevented from moving significantly, and damage to the vehicle body 4 is suppressed. If the electronically controlled suspension 7 has a variable spring constant, the controller 22 may perform control to increase the spring constant of the electronically controlled suspension 7 as fall preparation control.

The control unit may vary the content of the fall preparation control according to the type of fall. For example, by determining whether a fall is due to a slip down or a fall due to a high side, and differentiating the fall preparation control, it is possible to further reduce the damage to the vehicle body due to the fall. Specifically, by increasing the damping force of the suspension before a fall, it is possible to suppress the amount that the vehicle is bounced by the above-mentioned high side, thereby suppressing damage at the time of a fall. In addition, by controlling the suspension spring constant before a fall so that the damping force is reduced, the shock to the car body when the wheels collide with an obstacle when the car body skids after a fall due to the above-mentioned slip-down is reduced. can be alleviated.

The control unit 22 may perform control to increase the damping force of the steering damper 10 as fall preparation control. As a result, the change in the steering damper 10 is reduced and the movement of the steering wheel 9 is suppressed in the transitional period of overturning. be.

In this embodiment, the actuator controlled by the control unit 22 is an actuator that affects the behavior of the vehicle body and is used for purposes other than overturn control, thereby reducing damage to the vehicle body when overturning. As a result, the parts can be shared and the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where the actuator is provided exclusively for overturn control.

The overturn preparation control may be performed in a manner other than suppressing damage to the vehicle body. For example, the control unit 22 may perform notification control to notify the driver of the predicted overturn. Specifically, information indicating that the tipping is predicted is displayed on a display device such as the meter control device 60 . This allows the driver to understand that the overturn is predicted. As a result, the driver can recognize that the fall preparation control has been executed, and it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the driver's feeling. In addition, the control unit 22 may wirelessly transmit information indicating that a fall is predicted to an external device outside the vehicle body as fall preparation control. The control unit 22 transmits to the external device, for example, driver identification information for identifying the driver, vehicle type identification information for identifying the vehicle body, position information, and information indicating that the overturn is predicted, via the communication control device 61 . As a result, the repairer can receive from the external device information prompting him to take measures in consideration of the effects of damage to the vehicle body, so that the vehicle body can be repaired promptly. Also, information indicating that the vehicle is predicted to overturn may be wirelessly transmitted to surrounding vehicles.

The present disclosure also includes a control device that performs control after predicting a fall, a control method using 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 storing the program.

Further, in this embodiment, an example of application to a motorcycle as a lean vehicle has been shown, but the present invention can be applied to lean vehicles in general. For example, it can also be applied to lean-running bicycles and tricycles. Further, as described above, the present invention can be similarly applied to an electric vehicle using a motor instead of an engine as a traveling drive source, or a hybrid vehicle having a plurality of types of drive sources. Also, in this embodiment, a motorcycle provided with a plurality of sensors and actuators is shown, but it is an example and does not need to include all of the configurations. For example, a steering damper or an electric clutch may not be provided. The sensor may also be retrofitted to the vehicle or implemented by a device carried by the driver, such as a smart phone. Further, in the present embodiment, the control device that controls the engine functions as a control unit for overturning, but the control unit that controls overturning may be a control device other than the engine control device. It may also be implemented by a plurality of controllers.

1 Motorcycles (lean vehicles)
3 rear wheels (drive wheels)
4 Vehicle Body 7 Electronically Controlled Suspension 8 Steering Shaft 10 Steering Damper 20 Control Device 21 Overturn Prediction Unit 22 Control Unit E Engine (Movable Part)

Claims (12)

A control device for a lean vehicle that turns while tilting the vehicle body to the side,
a fall prediction unit that predicts the occurrence of future falls based on information from at least one sensor that detects the state of the vehicle;
a control unit that , when the fall prediction unit predicts a future fall, performs fall preparation control corresponding to the fall before the fall ;
The rollover preparation control includes control to reduce fluctuations in vehicle body behavior at the time of rollover,
The control unit for a lean vehicle, wherein the control unit continues the rollover preparation control from when the rollover prediction unit predicts a future rollover through a rollover transitional period until the time of rollover . 2. The control device for a lean vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said rollover preparation control includes control for stopping driving of at least one of an engine, a brake, a clutch, a transmission and a radiator fan . 3. The lean vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rollover preparation control includes control for disabling engine operation based on an accelerator operation amount or control for disabling wheel operation based on a brake operation amount. controller. The control device for a lean vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said rollover preparation control includes control for stopping driving of a movable portion of said vehicle body. The rollover prediction unit predicts the occurrence of a future rollover based on an operation state related to a driver's operation amount and a behavior state related to the behavior of the vehicle body ,
The control device for a lean vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein said rollover predicting unit predicts that a rollover will occur when said index indicating the time change of said operation amount exceeds an allowable range . A control device for a lean vehicle that turns while tilting the vehicle body to the side,
a fall prediction unit that predicts the occurrence of future falls based on information from at least one sensor that detects the state of the vehicle;
a control unit that, when the fall prediction unit predicts a future fall, performs fall preparation control corresponding to the fall before the fall;
The rollover prediction unit predicts the occurrence of a future rollover based on an operation state related to a driver's operation amount and a behavior state related to the behavior of the vehicle body,
The overturn prediction unit determines that an index indicating a time change of one of the behavior state and the operation state has deviated from an allowable range determined based on the other of the behavior state and the operation state. A lean vehicle controller that, when determined, predicts the occurrence of future rollovers. The rollover prediction unit predicts the occurrence of a rollover in the future based on the respective temporal changes in the amount of slippage of the drive wheels and the longitudinal force applied to the drive wheels,
7. The overturn prediction unit predicts the occurrence of a future overturn based on a sudden change in vehicle body posture after determining that the grip of the drive wheels has recovered during turning. The lean vehicle control device according to any one of the preceding items. 8. The overturn prediction unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the overturn prediction unit predicts the occurrence of a future overturn based on changes over time in the steering angle of the steering shaft and the lean angle of the vehicle body. Lean vehicle controller. The rollover prediction unit predicts the occurrence of a rollover in the future based on the respective temporal changes in the amount of slippage of the driving wheels and the lean angle of the vehicle body ,
The rollover prediction unit predicts the occurrence of a rollover in the future when the rate of increase in the amount of slippage of the drive wheels is greater than a predetermined threshold and the rate of increase in the lean angle of the vehicle body is greater than a predetermined threshold. The control device for a lean vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8. 10. The control device for a lean vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said rollover preparation control includes control to reduce changes in at least one of an electronically controlled suspension and a steering damper. A rollover prediction method for predicting rollover of a lean vehicle turning with the vehicle body tilted to the side,
a rollover prediction step of predicting the occurrence of a future rollover based on information from a sensor that detects the state of the vehicle ;
a control step of, when the future fall is predicted by the fall prediction step, executing fall preparation control corresponding to the fall before the fall ;
The rollover prediction step predicts the occurrence of a rollover in the future due to cornering based on an operation state related to a driver's operation amount and a behavior state related to the behavior of the vehicle body ,
The rollover preparation control includes control to reduce fluctuations in vehicle body behavior at the time of rollover,
The overturn prediction method for a lean vehicle , wherein, in the control step, the overturn preparation control is continued until overturn after a future overturn is predicted in the overturn prediction step through a transitional period of overturn. A rollover prediction method for predicting rollover of a lean vehicle turning with the vehicle body tilted to the side,
a rollover prediction step of predicting the occurrence of a future rollover based on information from a sensor that detects the state of the vehicle;
The rollover prediction step predicts the occurrence of a rollover in the future due to cornering based on an operation state related to a driver's operation amount and a behavior state related to the behavior of the vehicle body,
In the overturn 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 of the behavior state and the operation state, the future A lean vehicle rollover prediction method for predicting the occurrence of a rollover of a lean vehicle.

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