JP7414641B2 - vehicle height control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle height control device .

The vehicle height adjustment device disclosed in Patent Document 1 changes the height of the vehicle on the outside of the turn to the height of the vehicle on the inside of the turn so that when passing a turning start position based on the turning path information is detected, the vehicle assumes a tilted attitude based on the turning path information. The controller includes a control unit that starts tilt control to increase the height of the vehicle and terminates the tilt control when passing a turning end position based on turning route information is detected, and the control unit is configured to , the tilt control ends regardless of whether or not passage of the turning end position is detected.

JP2019-182188A

By the way, the tendency of the driver's driving operation during turning is different depending on the driver of the vehicle, such as the positioning of the vehicle in the turning path or the timing of acceleration/deceleration in the turning path.
For this reason, depending on the driver, the degree of attitude control that increases the vehicle height on the outside of the turn to be higher than the vehicle height on the inside of the turn may be insufficient, or the timing of starting and/or ending the attitude control may be inappropriate. There was a possibility.

The present invention has been made in view of the conventional situation, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle height control device that can perform appropriate attitude control even if the tendency of the driver's driving operation on a turning road differs. It is in.

According to the vehicle height control device according to the present invention, in one aspect thereof, a vehicle height adjustment section that is provided at each wheel of the vehicle and adjusts the vehicle height of each wheel individually; a turning route information acquisition unit that acquires route information; and a control unit that controls the vehicle height adjustment unit based on the turning route information to perform attitude control such that the vehicle height on the outside of the turn is higher than the vehicle height on the inside of the turn. an operation tendency acquisition section that acquires a tendency of the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle during turning; and a detection section that detects the tendency of the driving operation, the operation tendency acquisition section being configured to When traveling on a turning path having a reference curvature, the vehicle height control section learns the tendency of the driving operation detected by the detection section, and the vehicle height control section adjusts the posture based on the tendency of the driving operation learned by the operation tendency acquisition section. Change control.

According to the vehicle height control device according to the present invention, in one aspect thereof , a vehicle height adjustment section that is provided at each wheel of the vehicle and adjusts the vehicle height of each wheel individually; a turning route information acquisition unit that acquires route information; and a control unit that controls the vehicle height adjustment unit based on the turning route information to perform attitude control such that the vehicle height on the outside of the turn is higher than the vehicle height on the inside of the turn. an operation tendency acquisition unit that acquires a tendency of the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle during turning; and a detection unit that detects the tendency of the driving operation, the operation tendency acquisition unit comprising: The vehicle height control unit is configured to change the attitude control based on the driving operation tendency learned by the operation tendency acquisition unit, and the vehicle height control unit is configured to change the attitude control based on the driving operation tendency learned by the operation tendency acquisition unit. The change in attitude control based on the driving operation tendency is corrected in accordance with the difference between the vehicle speed when the unit learns the driving operation tendency and the actual vehicle speed.

According to the present invention, appropriate attitude control can be performed even if the tendency of the driver's driving operation on the turning path differs.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a vehicle height control device. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle height control unit. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of posture control. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of posture control correction processing. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a driving operation tendency learning process. It is a figure which shows the division of the swirl path of a reference curvature. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a positioning pattern. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a pattern of acceleration/deceleration timing. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing changes in vehicle speed depending on patterns of acceleration/deceleration timing. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a combination of positioning trends and acceleration/deceleration timing trends. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing classifications of driving operation trends and correction contents according to each classification. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the content of posture control correction according to the classification of driving operation tendencies. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating changes in the content of posture control correction due to differences in curvature. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing problems caused by differences in driving operation tendencies and correction contents.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle height control device according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one aspect of a vehicle height control device 200 provided in a vehicle (automobile) 100.

The vehicle height control device 200 includes a vehicle height adjustment section 210, a vehicle height control unit 220, and a sensor section 230.
Each of the wheels FL, FR, RL, and RR of the vehicle 100 is provided with a suspension device that utilizes air springs 210FL, 210FR, 210RL, and 210RR that constitute the vehicle height adjustment section 210, respectively.

By controlling the air pressure of the air springs 210FL, 210FR, 210RL, and 210RR by supplying and discharging air, the vehicle height can be adjusted to a desired height, and the spring constant can be changed to a desired value.
However, the vehicle height adjustment unit 210 is not limited to a suspension system that varies the vehicle height using air springs 210FL, 210FR, 210RL, and 210RR, and various suspension systems having a vehicle height adjustment function may be used. can.

Further, the vehicle height adjustment section 210 includes vehicle height sensors 211FL, 211FR, 211RL, and 211RR that detect the vehicle heights of the respective wheels FL, FR, RL, and RR.
When the vehicle height is adjusted, the air spring 210FL is adjusted so that the vehicle height of each wheel FL, FR, RL, and RR detected by the vehicle height sensors 211FL, 211FR, 211RL, and 211RR approaches the respective target vehicle height. , 210FR, 210RL, and 210RR, air is supplied and discharged from each of them.

The vehicle height control unit 220 is an electronic control device mainly composed of a microcomputer 220A that performs calculations based on input information and outputs calculation results. It includes ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.
The vehicle height control unit 220 receives various detection signals output from the sensor section 230 and calculates target vehicle heights of the wheels FL, FR, RL, and RR based on the various input detection signals.

Then, the vehicle height control unit 220 compares the detection values of the vehicle height sensors 211FL, 211FR, 211RL, and 211RR with the target vehicle height for each wheel FL, FR, RL, and RR, and adjusts the air spring according to the comparison result. By controlling the supply and exhaust of air in each of wheels 210FL, 210FR, 210RL, and 210RR, the vehicle height of each wheel FL, FR, RL, and RR is controlled to its respective target value.

The sensor unit 230 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 231, a map database 232, a camera 233, a steering angle sensor 234, an acceleration sensor 235, a wheel speed sensor 236, and the like.
The GPS receiving unit 231 measures the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 100 position by receiving signals from GPS satellites.

Map database 232 is formed within a storage device mounted on vehicle 100. Note that the map information in the map database 232 includes information such as road positions, road shapes, and intersection positions.
The camera 233 is a stereo camera, a monocular camera, an omnidirectional camera, or the like, and photographs the surroundings of the vehicle 100 to obtain image information of the surroundings of the vehicle 100.

The steering angle sensor 234 detects the steering angle of a steering wheel (not shown).
The steering wheel constitutes a steering device of the vehicle 100, and when the driver operates the steering wheel, the directions of the front wheels FL and FR are changed, thereby generating a centripetal force that changes the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 or turns the vehicle 100. do.

The acceleration sensor 235 detects longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration (left-right acceleration), vertical acceleration, yaw rate, pitch rate, roll rate, lateral jerk, etc. of the vehicle 100.
The wheel speed sensor 236 is a sensor that detects the rotational speed of each wheel FL, FR, RL, and RR of the vehicle 100, and the detection results of the wheel speed sensor 236 are used to estimate the running speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle 100. used.

Here, when the vehicle 100 is turning, the vehicle height control unit 220 performs attitude control to make the vehicle height on the outside of the turn higher than the vehicle height on the inside of the turn, thereby stabilizing the driving when the vehicle 100 is turning. Improve your sexuality.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one aspect of the attitude control function of the vehicle height control unit 220.
The vehicle height control unit 220 has functions as a turning route information acquisition section 221 , a vehicle height control section 222 , and an operation tendency acquisition section 223 .

The turning route information acquisition unit 221 acquires, for example, the position information of the vehicle 100 measured by the GPS reception unit 231 and the map information held by the map database 232, and obtains information regarding the shape of the road on which the vehicle 100 is predicted to travel in the future. Information, specifically, turning route information such as route shape, road width, and curvature is acquired.
Further, the turning route information acquisition unit 221 can analyze image information acquired by the camera 233 and acquire turning route information.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing attitude control by the vehicle height control unit 220 (microcomputer 220A), in other words, one aspect of the function as the vehicle height control section 222.
Note that the routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is executed by interruption at every predetermined time.

Vehicle height control unit 220 acquires information on vehicle speed determined based on the output of wheel speed sensor 236 in step S301.
Furthermore, in step S302, the vehicle height control unit 220 acquires the position information of the vehicle 100 (information on the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 100) determined by the GPS receiving section 231.

Next, the vehicle height control unit 220 proceeds to step S303 and determines whether a vehicle speed condition for performing attitude control is satisfied.
Here, the vehicle height control unit 220 controls the vehicle speed at which the attitude control is executed when the vehicle speed is in a vehicle speed range where the attitude control can contribute to improving the running stability of the vehicle 100, for example, when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed. It is determined that the conditions are met.

When the vehicle speed condition for performing attitude control is not met, that is, when the vehicle speed is less than or equal to the predetermined vehicle speed, the vehicle height control unit 220 proceeds to step S313 and cancels the attitude control.
Then, in the next step S314, the vehicle height control unit 220 controls the air springs 210FL, 210FR, 210RL, and 210RR so that the vehicle height of each wheel FL, FR, RL, and RR approaches the standard vehicle height. Let 100 be the horizontal vehicle height.

On the other hand, when the vehicle speed condition for performing attitude control is satisfied, that is, when the vehicle speed exceeds the predetermined vehicle speed, the vehicle height control unit 220 proceeds to step S304 and subsequent steps to perform attitude control.
In step S304, the vehicle height control unit 220 performs a process of correcting the timing and degree of attitude control for making the vehicle height on the outside of the turn higher than the vehicle height on the inside of the turn, based on the tendency of the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle 100. implement.
Note that the timing of attitude control is the start position and end position of attitude control, and the degree of attitude control is the magnitude of the difference between the left and right vehicle heights (the inclination angle of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction).

The vehicle height control unit 220 has a function of learning the driver's driving operation tendencies (in other words, the driver's habits) when the vehicle 100 travels on a turning path, and a standard specification for attitude control (in other words, It also has a function to change the attitude control (which is compatible with the standard driving operation assumed in the attitude control) according to the learned driving operation tendency.
Here, the tendency of the driver's driving operation during turning is the tendency of the positioning of the vehicle 100 on the turning path, the tendency of the timing of acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle 100 on the turning path, and the like.
Note that the process of correcting attitude control based on the tendency of driving operations in step S304 will be described in detail later.

In step S304, the vehicle height control unit 220 corrects the timing and degree of attitude control based on the tendency of the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle 100, and then in step S305 onwards, the vehicle height control unit 220 corrects the attitude control based on the correction result. Execute.
In step S305, the vehicle height control unit 220 compares the information on the current position of the vehicle 100 with the information on the attitude control start position as turning route information, and determines whether the vehicle 100 has passed the attitude control start position. Determine whether or not there is.

Here, if the vehicle 100 has passed the attitude control start position, the vehicle height control unit 220 proceeds to step S306 and provides information on the current position of the vehicle 100 and information on the end position of the attitude control as turning route information. It is determined whether the vehicle 100 has passed through the end position of the attitude control by comparing the information.
If the vehicle 100 has not passed the attitude control end position, that is, if the vehicle 100 is turning and traveling between the attitude control start position and the attitude control end position, That is, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the attitude control execution section, the vehicle height control unit 220 proceeds to step S307 and thereafter, and performs attitude control to make the vehicle height on the outside of the turn higher than the vehicle height on the inside of the turn. do.

On the other hand, if the vehicle 100 is traveling in front of the attitude control starting position, the vehicle height control unit 220 advances from step S305 to step S313 to cancel the attitude control, and in the next step S314, the vehicle height control unit 220 moves the vehicle 100 The vehicle height is horizontal.
Further, if the vehicle 100 has passed the end position of the attitude control, the vehicle height control unit 220 proceeds from step S306 to step S313 to cancel the attitude control, and in the next step S314, the vehicle 100 is adjusted to the horizontal vehicle height. shall be.

In step S307, the vehicle height control unit 220 turns on attitude control to obtain a tilted attitude suitable for cornering, and in the next step S308, measures the elapsed time from the start of attitude control.
Then, in step S309, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines the shape of the road on which the vehicle 100 is turning (turning route information) based on the current position information of the vehicle 100 and the map information, and the driver's driving operation while turning. Based on this tendency, a target for the tilted posture of the vehicle 100 is set, and the vehicle height (control amount) of each wheel FL, FR, RL, and RR is set to achieve the target tilted posture.

Next, in step S310, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether or not the elapsed time since the attitude control is turned on has reached a predetermined control time, and also determines whether or not each of the current wheels FL, FR, RL, It is determined whether the vehicle height in RR has reached the target vehicle height for realizing the target tilted posture.
Here, if the elapsed time since the attitude control is turned on has not reached the predetermined control time, and the vehicle height at each wheel has not reached the target vehicle height, the vehicle height control unit 220: Proceeding to step S311, air springs 210FL, 210FR, 210RL, and 210RR are controlled so that the vehicle height of the outer wheel of the vehicle 100 when turning becomes the target vehicle height, and control is performed to raise the vehicle height of the outer wheel of the turning wheel. do.

On the other hand, in step S310, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines that the elapsed time since the attitude control is turned on has reached the predetermined control time, and/or that the vehicle height at each wheel is set to the target vehicle height. If it is determined that this has been reached, the process advances to step S312.
In step S312, the vehicle height control unit 220 maintains the current vehicle height state, that is, the tilted posture of the vehicle 100 in which the vehicle height on the outside of the turn is higher than the vehicle height on the inside of the turn.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of the attitude control correction process in step S304 described above.
In step S401, the vehicle height control unit 220 acquires the shape of the road ahead on which the vehicle 100 will be traveling.
Next, in step S402, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether the attitude control correction process is valid or invalid.

Here, the driver of the vehicle 100 is configured to be able to select whether or not to correct the attitude control based on the tendency of the driving operation, and the driver selects whether or not to correct the attitude control based on the tendency of the driving operation. In step S402, the vehicle height control unit 220 can determine that the attitude control correction process is effective.
The vehicle height control unit 220 also determines whether the shape of the road on which the vehicle 100 travels satisfies the conditions for correcting the posture control based on the tendency of driving operations, and When this is the case, it can be determined in step S402 that the attitude control correction process is effective.

If the vehicle height control unit 220 determines that the attitude control correction process is invalid in step S402, it cancels the attitude control correction based on the driving operation tendency by directly ending this routine.
On the other hand, if the vehicle height control unit 220 determines that the posture control correction processing is effective in step S402, the process proceeds to step S403, and the vehicle height control unit 220 applies the tendency of the driver's driving operation to one of preset classifications. Perform processing.

The classification of driving operation trends will be explained in detail later, but the vehicle height control unit 220 can classify driving operation trends from a combination of, for example, the tendency of positioning in a turning path and the tendency of acceleration/deceleration timing. Fit into one of multiple classifications.
In the next step S404, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether the process of applying the driving operation tendency to one of the plurality of classifications has been completed, and if the process has not been completed, the vehicle height control unit 220 Returning to S403, when the process is completed, the process advances to Step S405.

In step S405, the vehicle height control unit 220 obtains timing used for posture control correction based on the classification of driving operation trends.
Next, in step S406, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether acquisition of the timing used for correction of attitude control has been completed. If the acquisition processing has not been completed, the process returns to step S405, and the acquisition processing is completed. Then, the process advances to step S407.

In step S407, the vehicle height control unit 220 acquires the degree to be used for posture control correction.
The degree of attitude control refers to how much the vehicle height of the wheel on the outside of the turn is raised relative to the height of the wheel on the inside of the turn, or in other words, the height of the wheel on the outside of the turn and the height of the wheel on the inside of the turn. The target is the difference in vehicle height.

Next, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether or not the degree acquisition has been completed in step S408. If the acquisition process has not been completed, the process returns to step S407, and when the acquisition process is completed, the process advances to step S409.
In step S409, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines the timing and degree used for the attitude control correction acquired in steps S405 to S408 based on the conditions when the driving operation tendency is learned and the conditions when actually performing the attitude control. The timing and degree of attitude control correction to be applied in the current turning path is determined by modifying it according to the difference from the conditions.

Here, the difference between the conditions when the driving operation tendency is learned and the conditions when the attitude control is actually performed is the curvature when the driving operation tendency is learned and the turning path in which the vehicle 100 is about to travel. and/or the difference between the vehicle speed when the driving operation tendency was learned and the current vehicle speed.

Next, the vehicle height control unit 220 proceeds to step S410, and corrects the attitude control start timing and end timing based on the attitude control timing correction determined in step S409.
Then, in the next step S411, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether or not the correction of the start timing and the end timing is completed. If the correction is not completed, the process returns to step S410, and if the correction is completed, the process returns to step S410. Proceed to S412.

In step S412, the vehicle height control unit 220 corrects the degree of attitude control based on the correction of the degree of attitude control determined in step S409.
Then, in the next step S413, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether or not the correction of the degree of attitude control has been completed. If the correction has not been completed, the process returns to step S412, and when the correction is completed, the main routine terminate.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an aspect of the process of learning the tendency of the driver's driving operation, specifically, the process of learning the tendency of positioning during cornering and the tendency of acceleration/deceleration timing during cornering. .
Note that the routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 is executed by interruption at every predetermined time.

In step S501, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether learning of driving operation tendencies is valid or invalid, in other words, whether learning is permitted or prohibited.
The configuration may be such that the driver can arbitrarily select whether learning is enabled or disabled, and the learning may be switched from the disabled state to the enabled state periodically or irregularly.

The vehicle height control unit 220 proceeds to step S502 if learning is enabled (implementation permitted state), and ends this routine if learning is disabled (implementation prohibited state).
In step S502, vehicle height control unit 220 acquires the shape of the road in front of vehicle 100, that is, the shape of the road on which vehicle 100 will travel from now on.

Next, in step S503, vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether the shape of the road in front of vehicle 100 corresponds to a predetermined reference road shape when learning is performed.
Here, the reference road shape is, for example, a road shape that curves at a substantially right angle, such as when turning left or right at an intersection, that is, a turning path close to the reference curvature.

If the vehicle height control unit 220 determines in step S503 that the shape of the road in front of the vehicle 100 corresponds to the predetermined standard road shape after learning, the process proceeds to step S504 and determines that the shape of the road in front of the vehicle 100 corresponds to the standard road shape. If not, terminate this routine.
In step S<b>504 , vehicle height control unit 220 divides the road ahead (turning route with reference curvature) into a plurality of sections along the traveling direction of vehicle 100 .

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of dividing the swirl path of the reference curvature.
In Figure 6, the turning path with the standard curvature is shown in the first section, which is a straight section before entering the turning path, the second section when entering the turning path, the third section in the middle of the turn, the fourth section, and the straight section after exiting the turning path. The route is divided into six sections: the fifth section, and the sixth section, which is a straight section immediately after passing through the turning route.
Note that "A" shown in FIG. 6 indicates a tendency of positioning, and "D" indicates a tendency of acceleration/deceleration timing, and these trends will be explained later.

After dividing the turning path of the standard curvature, the vehicle height control unit 220 proceeds to step S505, determines whether the vehicle 100 has entered the next section of the divided sections, and proceeds to the next section. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has entered the next section, the process proceeds to step S506, and if the vehicle 100 has not entered the next section, this routine is ended.
Vehicle height control unit 220 first detects that vehicle 100 has entered the first section and proceeds to step S506.

Vehicle height control unit 220 acquires the position of vehicle 100 within the lane (road width) in step S506 (detection unit).
Note that the vehicle height control unit 220 can acquire the position of the vehicle 100 from a combination of position information by GPS and map information, or from a camera or radar.

Here, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines, for example, whether the vehicle 100 is traveling on the outside of the turn within the lane, whether the vehicle 100 is traveling approximately in the center of the lane, or whether the vehicle 100 is traveling on the inside of the lane when turning. Three types of positioning are distinguished depending on whether the vehicle is running or not.
In the next step S507, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether or not the acquisition of the positioning of the vehicle 100 has been completed, and if the acquisition of the positioning has not been completed, the process returns to step S506 and the acquisition of the positioning is completed. Once completed, the process advances to step S508.

When the vehicle height control unit 220 completes obtaining the positioning and proceeds to step S508 (detection unit), the vehicle height control unit 220 obtains the acceleration/deceleration state of the vehicle 100.
Here, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines, for example, whether the vehicle 100 is accelerating, decelerating, or traveling at a constant speed, and further distinguishes the acceleration state into a large acceleration state and a small acceleration state. , Similarly, the deceleration state is distinguished into a large deceleration state and a small deceleration state.
Note that the vehicle height control unit 220 can acquire the acceleration/deceleration state of the vehicle 100 from detection outputs of the acceleration sensor 235, wheel speed sensor 236, and the like.

In the next step S509, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether acquisition of the acceleration/deceleration state of the vehicle 100 has been completed, and if the acquisition of the acceleration/deceleration state has not been completed, the process returns to step S508 and the acceleration/deceleration state is When the state acquisition is completed, the process advances to step S510.
In step S510, vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether vehicle 100 has passed through a turning path with a reference curvature (reference turning path).

If the vehicle 100 has not passed the reference road, the vehicle height control unit 220 returns to step S505 in order to obtain the positioning and acceleration/deceleration state of the vehicle 100 in the next section.
As described above, the vehicle height control unit 220 positions the vehicle 100 on the turning path of the reference curvature and acquires the acceleration/deceleration state for each of the first to sixth sections.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a positioning pattern of the vehicle 100 on a turning path (reference road) having a reference curvature.
Pattern A in FIG. 7 shows a tendency for the driver to steer the vehicle 100 so that when the vehicle 100 travels on a turning path having a reference curvature, the vehicle 100 travels on the outside of the lane, in other words, maintains the vehicle 100 on the outside of the turn. shows.

Further, in pattern B of FIG. 7, when the vehicle 100 travels on a turning path having a reference curvature, the driver steers the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 maintains the inside of the lane, in other words, the vehicle 100 maintains the inside of the turn. shows a tendency to
Further, in pattern C of FIG. 7, when the vehicle 100 travels on a turning path having a reference curvature, the vehicle 100 travels in the order of the outside of the turn (towards the outside), the inside of the turn (toward the inside), and the outside of the turn (toward the outside). This indicates a tendency for drivers to steer the vehicle so that the driving route is as straight as possible.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an acceleration/deceleration pattern of the vehicle 100 on a turning path having a reference curvature.
In pattern D in Fig. 8, the driver decelerates early in the straight section before the turning path in preparation for turning, and then operates the accelerator so that the driver starts accelerating after passing through the turning path and entering the straight road. and a tendency to perform brake operations.
On the other hand, pattern E in FIG. 8 indicates that the driver tends to operate the accelerator and brake so that the vehicle 100 decelerates while turning and accelerates the vehicle 100 while turning. , is a pattern in which the deceleration operation by the driver is slower than pattern D, and the acceleration operation by the driver is faster than pattern D.

FIG. 9 shows vehicle speed changes in the above patterns D and E.
In the case of pattern D, since the deceleration timing is earlier and the acceleration timing is later than in pattern E, the section in which the low vehicle speed state is maintained is long.
On the other hand, in the case of pattern E, the deceleration timing is later than that of pattern D, and the acceleration timing is earlier.

FIG. 10 shows how the vehicle height The control unit 220 indicates the positioning and acceleration/deceleration states to be acquired in each section.
In positioning pattern A, the vehicle 100 travels while maintaining the outside of the turn throughout the entire area from when it enters the turning path to when it passes through the turning path. It is learned that the vehicle 100 tends to travel on the outside of the turn in the section.

On the other hand, in acceleration/deceleration timing pattern D, the vehicle 100 decelerates early before the turning path and accelerates after exiting the turning path, so the vehicle height control unit 220 decelerates the vehicle 100 significantly in the first section and the second section. However, it is learned that the vehicle 100 tends to maintain a constant speed in the third and fourth sections, and accelerate greatly in the fifth and sixth sections.
The vehicle height control unit 220 can learn the positioning of the vehicle 100 for each section as information on the distance from the roadside to the vehicle 100, and can learn the acceleration/deceleration timing of the vehicle 100 for each section as information on the acceleration. can be learned.

Furthermore, the vehicle height control unit 220 can newly learn driving operation trends (positioning trends and acceleration/deceleration timing trends) each time the vehicle travels on a turning path with a reference curvature.
In addition, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines that the elapsed time since the last time of learning has exceeded a predetermined time, or that the number of times the vehicle has traveled on the turning path of the reference curvature since the last time of learning has exceeded a predetermined number of times. New learning can be carried out on the condition that the student is present.

Further, the vehicle height control unit 220 can perform statistical processing such as averaging on the results learned at different timings in time series, and learn the results of the statistical processing as a driving operation tendency used for attitude control.
In addition, the vehicle height control unit 220 determines whether to perform or cancel learning, and weights the vehicle based on the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle, the inter-vehicle time, and the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle when the own vehicle travels on a turning path with a reference curvature. You can make adjustments to the learning content, such as changing the

FIG. 11 exemplifies the process of applying a driving operation tendency to one of a plurality of classifications (step S403) and the determination of posture control correction according to the classification (steps S405 to S408).
In the example shown in FIG. 11, classifications A, B, C, etc. are predetermined according to the combination of positioning patterns A, B, C and acceleration/deceleration timing patterns D, E, and classifications A, B, C, etc. An example will be shown in which the timing and degree of attitude control are corrected according to (b), (c), and so on.

For example, when the tendency of positioning is pattern A and the tendency of acceleration/deceleration timing is pattern D, the vehicle height control unit 220 applies the tendency of the driver's driving operation to classification A, and the tendency of positioning is pattern C. When the tendency of the acceleration/deceleration timing is pattern E, the vehicle height control unit 220 applies the tendency of the driver's driving operation to classification D.
The vehicle height control unit 220 can classify driving operation trends as many times as there are combinations of positioning patterns A, B, C and acceleration/deceleration patterns D, E. It is also possible to apply one classification to each.

In the example shown in FIG. 11, a correction table in which correction of the timing and degree of attitude control is defined for each section is set for each category A, B, C, . . . .
Correction of the timing of attitude control involves determining whether or not attitude control is to be performed for each section, thereby advancing or delaying the start timing and end timing of attitude control depending on the driver's driving operation tendency. .

In addition, the degree of attitude control can be corrected by determining the degree of attitude control for each section, so that the degree of attitude control (difference between the vehicle height on the outside of the turn and the vehicle height on the inside of the turn) can be adjusted based on the tendency of the driver's driving operation. Increase or decrease depending on the situation.
For example, if the tendency of the driver's driving operation falls into category A, attitude control is disabled in the first and sixth sections, and attitude control is performed between the second and fifth sections. Thus, the correction of the attitude control timing is determined.

Additionally, if the tendency of the driver's driving operation falls into category A, the degree of attitude control is determined to be "none (horizontal vehicle height)" in the first and sixth sections where attitude control is disabled. The degree of attitude control is set to "medium" from the second section to the fifth section.
In the example shown in FIG. 11, the degree of attitude control indicates the degree to which the vehicle height of the wheel on the outside of the turn is made higher than the vehicle height of the wheel on the inside of the turn. Therefore, when the attitude control level is "medium", the vehicle height of the wheel on the outside of the turn is made higher than when the attitude control level is "small".

Furthermore, if the tendency of the driver's driving operation is applied to classification 2, timing correction is determined so that attitude control is performed from the 1st section to the 6th section, and Up to the sixth section, the degree of attitude control is set to "small".
The degree of attitude control can be corrected by increasing the vehicle height of the wheel on the outside of the turn, as described above, or can be a degree of correction relative to the standard degree. It can be a numerical value specifically indicating the height of.
In addition, to correct the timing of attitude control, in addition to specifying whether attitude control is enabled or disabled for each section as described above, it is also possible to indicate the start timing and end timing by a point on the road or distance from a reference position. .

FIG. 12 shows a specific example of posture control correction based on classification of driving operation tendencies, in other words, a specific example of steps S305 to S314.
FIG. 12 shows the attitude control state when the positioning tendency is pattern A, the acceleration/deceleration timing tendency is pattern D, and the driver's driving operation tendency is applied to classification A.

If the driving operation tendency falls under category A, as shown in Figure 12, attitude control is set to be disabled in the first and sixth sections, so the attitude control is disabled between the first and sixth sections. Compared to the case where the control is executed, the start timing of attitude control is delayed and the end timing of attitude control is earlier.
In the first and sixth sections where attitude control is disabled, the vehicle height is controlled to be horizontal, while in the second to fifth sections, the attitude control level is set to "medium" and the turning Attitude control is performed to raise the vehicle height of the wheels on the outside of the turn relative to the vehicle height of the inside wheels.

FIG. 13 is for explaining the process (step S409) of correcting the posture control correction based on the difference between the curvature of the reference road on which the tendency of the driver's driving operation is learned and the curvature of the road on which the posture control is performed. This is a diagram.
The example shown in FIG. 13 is a road where the turning path of the standard curvature curves approximately at right angles, such as when turning left or right at an intersection, and the tendency of positioning in the turning path of the standard curvature is pattern A, and the tendency of acceleration/deceleration timing is pattern A. In pattern D, a case is shown in which the tendency of the driver's driving operation is applied to classification A.

In this case, in steps S405 to S408 of the flowchart in FIG. 4, corrections to the timing and degree of attitude control are set according to category A, but the curvature of the road on which attitude control is to be performed is determined by the tendency of driving operation. In step S409, the timing and degree of attitude control are corrected based on the difference in curvature so that appropriate attitude control can be performed even if the curvature differs from the reference curvature that was learned.
FIG. 13 shows a case where the curvature of the road on which attitude control is to be performed is smaller than the reference curvature, in other words, the degree of curvature of the road on which attitude control is to be performed is gentler than during learning, and in this case, the vehicle height control unit 220 reduces the interval in which attitude control is enabled to be earlier or earlier than the area that conforms to the reference curvature so as to delay the start timing of attitude control and hasten the end timing of attitude control; The degree is made smaller than the degree that conforms to the reference curvature.

Note that if the curvature of the road on which the attitude control is to be performed is larger than the reference curvature, in other words, if the curvature of the road on which the attitude control is to be performed is steeper than during learning, the vehicle height control unit 220 starts the attitude control. In order to advance the timing and delay the end timing of attitude control, the section where attitude control is enabled is expanded to the front and back of the section that matches the curvature of the reference road, and the degree of attitude control is adjusted to the reference curvature. It can be made as large as or greater than the degree of conformity.

However, the vehicle height control unit 220 can only modify either the timing or the degree of the attitude control based on the difference between the curvature of the road on which the attitude control is to be performed and the reference curvature. The degree of correction can be increased as the absolute value of the deviation between the curvature of the road to be implemented and the reference curvature increases.
By correcting the timing and degree of attitude control, even if the curvature of the road when the driving operation tendency is learned differs from the curvature of the road on which attitude control is performed based on the learning results, the attitude is correct. control can be implemented and driving stability can be improved.

Furthermore, the vehicle height control unit 220 performs a process (step S409) of correcting the attitude control correction based on the difference between the vehicle speed when the driving operation tendency is learned and the vehicle speed when the attitude control is performed. be able to.
Specifically, when the vehicle speed is faster than the vehicle speed when the driving operation tendency was learned, the vehicle height control unit 220 adjusts the attitude control so as to advance the start timing of attitude control and delay the end timing of attitude control. Expand the range in which control is enabled to the front and back of the range that matches the vehicle speed when the driving behavior trends are learned, and adjust the degree of attitude control to match the vehicle speed when the driving behavior trends are learned. Make it bigger than the degree.
Furthermore, if the vehicle speed is slower than the vehicle speed at which the driving operation tendency was learned, the vehicle height control unit 220 activates attitude control so as to delay the start timing of attitude control and advance the end timing of attitude control. The area where the driving operation is learned is reduced before or after the area that matches the vehicle speed when the driving operation tendency was learned, and the degree of attitude control is made smaller than the area that matches the vehicle speed when the driving operation tendency was learned. .

Note that the vehicle height control unit 220 adjusts the attitude control timing in the process of correcting attitude control correction based on the difference between the vehicle speed when the driving operation tendency is learned and the vehicle speed when attitude control is performed. Only one of the two degrees can be modified depending on the difference in vehicle speed.
Furthermore, the vehicle height control unit 220 can increase the degree of correction as the absolute value of the deviation between the vehicle speed when the driving operation tendency is learned and the vehicle speed when attitude control is performed becomes larger.

Further, the vehicle height control unit 220 can perform only one of the correction processing according to the difference in curvature and the correction processing according to the difference in vehicle speed.
Further, the vehicle height control unit 220 controls the vehicle height control unit 220 when the vehicle speed when the vehicle 100 enters the turning path of the reference curvature exceeds the first speed and/or falls below the second speed (first speed>second speed). learning can be prohibited.

Further, the vehicle height control unit 220 controls the vehicle height control unit 220 when the vehicle speed exceeds the third speed and/or falls below the fourth speed (third speed>fourth speed) when performing posture control based on the tendency of driving operation. Additionally, corrections based on driving behavior trends can be prohibited.
Further, the vehicle height control unit 220 can modify the timing and degree of attitude control using information on the operating state of the internal combustion engine or motor that is the power source of the vehicle 100 instead of information on the vehicle speed.
For example, if the vehicle 100 is powered by an internal combustion engine, the vehicle height control unit 220 can use information such as the internal combustion engine's rotational speed, intake air amount, fuel injection amount, ignition timing, and target torque.

FIG. 14 shows the correlation between problems caused by the tendency of the driver's driving operations and posture control correction processing for solving the problems.
For example, at the entrance of a turning path, attitude control may start too early or too late depending on the driver's tendency to drive.

If the attitude control is started too early, the attitude control is executed while the vehicle 100 is traveling straight, causing the vehicle body to tilt in the left-right direction. Even though the vehicle is turning, attitude control is not performed and the vehicle maintains a horizontal vehicle height, potentially impairing driving stability.
In contrast, the vehicle height control unit 220 delays the start timing of attitude control when the driving operation tends to start the attitude control too early; If the driving operation tends to be similar, the attitude control start timing is brought forward.

Furthermore, at the exit of the turning path, depending on the tendency of the driver's driving operations, the attitude control may be ended too early or too late.
If the attitude control ends too early, the attitude control will be canceled and the vehicle will return to a horizontal vehicle height even though the vehicle 100 is turning, which may impair running stability.

On the other hand, if the end timing of the attitude control is too late, a problem arises in that the attitude control is performed even though the vehicle 100 has passed through the turning path and is moving straight ahead, causing the vehicle body to tilt in the left-right direction.
In contrast, the vehicle height control unit 220 delays the end timing of the attitude control when the driving operation tends to end the attitude control too early, and conversely, when the end timing of the attitude control is too late. If the driving operation tends to be similar, the end timing of attitude control will be brought forward.

Further, in general on turning roads, the degree of attitude control adjustment, that is, the degree to which the vehicle height of the wheel on the outside of the turn is raised, may be too large or too small depending on the tendency of the driver's driving operation.
If the degree of adjustment of the attitude control is too large, the problem arises that the vehicle body tilts too much in the left-right direction, and if the degree of adjustment of the attitude control is too small, the vehicle body does not tilt in the left-right direction enough, resulting in poor running stability. The problem arises that the effect of maintaining the

On the other hand, the vehicle height control unit 220 reduces the degree of adjustment of attitude control when the driving operation tends to cause the degree of adjustment of attitude control to be too large; If the driving operation tends to be the same, increase the degree of attitude control adjustment.
As described above, the vehicle height control unit 220 performs posture control in accordance with the driver's driving tendency (driver's habit), so there is no possibility of discomfort caused by the difference in driving tendency, and driving stability It is possible to suppress a decline in sexual performance.

The technical ideas described in the above embodiments can be used in combination as appropriate, as long as there is no contradiction.
Further, although the content of the present invention has been specifically explained with reference to preferred embodiments, it is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various modifications based on the basic technical idea and teachings of the present invention. It is.

For example, the vehicle 100 may be provided with an operation unit that allows the driver to arbitrarily select whether to implement or prohibit posture control correction based on the driver's driving operation tendency.
Furthermore, the vehicle 100 is provided with an operation section through which the driver specifies his own driving operation tendency (in other words, correction of the timing and degree of attitude control), and the vehicle height control unit 220 controls the driving operation specified by the driver. Attitude control can be corrected based on the tendency of

The vehicle height control unit 220 also includes a means for identifying the driver, and learns the tendency of driving operation and corrects attitude control based on the learning result, or permits/prohibits correction of attitude control based on the tendency of driving operation. can be performed for each identified driver.
The means for identifying the driver includes, for example, means for determining the load applied to the driver's seat (the weight of the driver), means for recognizing the iris or face, and means for learning the seat position.

Furthermore, the vehicle 100 can be provided with an operation unit that allows the driver to arbitrarily specify restrictions on correction based on the driver's driving tendency.
Further, the vehicle height control unit 220 can automatically cancel the correction based on the tendency of the driver's driving operation based on time, distance, number of accelerator operations, etc.

Furthermore, the vehicle height adjustment unit that individually adjusts the vehicle height of each wheel is not limited to an air spring, and may be a variable damping force damper, a variable elasticity spring using an actuator, or the like.
In addition, the turning route on which the driving operation tendency is learned is not limited to roads that curve at approximately right angles, and the vehicle height control unit 220 learns the driving operation tendency on each of a plurality of turning roads with mutually different curvatures, Attitude control can be corrected by referring to learning results when the curvature is close to the curvature of the turning path on which attitude control is performed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Vehicle, 200... Vehicle height control device, 210... Vehicle height adjustment part, 210FL, 210FR, 210RL, 210RR... Air spring, 220... Vehicle height control unit, 221... Turning route information acquisition part, 222... Vehicle height control part , 223...operation tendency acquisition unit

Claims (3)

A vehicle height control device,
a vehicle height adjustment section that is provided on each wheel of the vehicle and adjusts the vehicle height of each wheel individually;
a turning route information acquisition unit that acquires turning route information while the vehicle is running;
a vehicle height control section that controls the vehicle height adjustment section based on the turning route information to perform attitude control such that the vehicle height on the outside of the turn is higher than the vehicle height on the inside of the turn;
an operation tendency acquisition unit that acquires a tendency of the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle during turning;
a detection unit that detects the tendency of the driving operation;
Equipped with
The operation tendency acquisition unit learns the driving operation tendency detected by the detection unit when the vehicle travels on a turning path having a reference curvature;
The vehicle height control unit changes the attitude control based on the driving operation tendency learned by the operation tendency acquisition unit .
Vehicle height control device. The vehicle height control device according to claim 1 ,
The vehicle height control unit corrects the change in the attitude control based on the tendency of the driving operation according to the difference between the reference curvature and the curvature of the actual turning path.
Vehicle height control device. A vehicle height control device,
a vehicle height adjustment section that is provided on each wheel of the vehicle and adjusts the vehicle height of each wheel individually;
a turning route information acquisition unit that acquires turning route information while the vehicle is running;
a vehicle height control section that controls the vehicle height adjustment section based on the turning route information to perform attitude control such that the vehicle height on the outside of the turn is higher than the vehicle height on the inside of the turn;
an operation tendency acquisition unit that acquires a tendency of the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle during turning;
a detection unit that detects the tendency of the driving operation ;
Equipped with
The operation tendency acquisition unit learns the driving operation tendency detected by the detection unit,
The vehicle height control section is configured to change the attitude control based on the driving operation tendency learned by the operation tendency acquisition section , and is configured to change the attitude control based on the driving operation tendency learned by the operation tendency acquisition section. modifying the change in attitude control based on the tendency of the driving operation according to the difference between the vehicle speed and the actual vehicle speed;
Vehicle height control device.