JP7497520B2 - Vehicle and its control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle and its control device.

Patent document 1 proposes a technology that receives an image from an imaging device of the surface on which the vehicle is traveling or will travel, and selects a driving mode appropriate for the surface depending on the content of the image output by the imaging device.

JP 2017-109740 A

In a technology for determining the road surface classification of a road on which a vehicle is traveling based on an image, expensive imaging equipment is required to maintain the accuracy of the determination even in shooting conditions such as rainy weather or nighttime. One aspect of the present invention aims to provide a technology for accurately determining the road surface classification of a road on which a vehicle is traveling without using expensive equipment.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a control device for controlling a vehicle, the control device comprising: an identification means for identifying a geographical position of the vehicle; and a control means for controlling the vehicle according to a setting corresponding to a road surface classification of a road on which the vehicle travels, based on the geographical position of the vehicle relative to data including information on a road surface classification of the road, wherein the setting corresponding to the road surface classification includes a first setting related to a first function of the vehicle and a second setting related to a second function of the vehicle, the first setting includes at least one of a setting related to an output of a power unit of the vehicle and a setting related to an impact absorption force of an impact absorbing mechanism that absorbs vibrations received by the vehicle, the second setting includes at least one of a setting related to anti-spin control that prevents spinning of the wheels of the vehicle and a setting related to wheel lock prevention control that prevents the rotation of the wheels of the vehicle from remaining locked, and a transition time of the setting taken for changing the second setting is shorter than a transition time of the setting taken for changing the first setting .

According to some aspects of the present invention, the road surface classification of the road on which a vehicle is traveling can be accurately determined without using expensive equipment.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a right side view of a saddle-type vehicle according to some embodiments. FIG. 2 is a front view of a saddle-type vehicle according to some embodiments. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle according to some embodiments. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of a vehicle according to some embodiments. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of a vehicle according to some embodiments. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating examples of changes to vehicle control settings in some embodiments. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of a vehicle according to some embodiments. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating examples of changes to vehicle control settings in some embodiments. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating examples of control setting values and transition times according to some embodiments. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating examples of changes to vehicle control settings in some embodiments. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating examples of changes to vehicle control settings in some embodiments.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined in any desired manner. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for identical or similar configurations, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

Figure 1 is a right side view of a saddle-ride vehicle 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a front view of the saddle-ride vehicle 1. The saddle-ride vehicle 1 is a touring motorcycle suitable for long-distance travel. In the following explanation, the present invention will be described as being applied to the saddle-ride vehicle 1, but the present invention can also be applied to motorcycles, three-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled vehicles, and other vehicles other than saddle-ride vehicles. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to electric vehicles that use a motor as a drive source, in addition to vehicles that use an internal combustion engine as a drive source. Hereinafter, the saddle-ride vehicle 1 may be referred to as vehicle 1.

The vehicle 1 is equipped with a power unit 2 between the front wheels FW and the rear wheels RW. In this embodiment, the power unit 2 includes a horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine 21 and a transmission 22. The driving force of the transmission 22 is transmitted to the rear wheels RW via a drive shaft (not shown), rotating the rear wheels RW.

The power unit 2 is supported by a body frame 3. The body frame 3 includes a pair of left and right main frames 31 extending in the front-rear direction. A fuel tank 5 and an air cleaner box (not shown) are disposed above the main frames 31. A meter panel MP that displays various information to the rider (driver) is provided in front of the fuel tank 5.

A head pipe 32 is provided at the front end of the main frame 31, which rotatably supports a steering shaft (not shown) that is rotated by the handlebars 8. A pair of left and right pivot plates 33 are provided at the rear end of the main frame 31. The lower ends of the pivot plates 33 and the front end of the main frame 31 are connected by a pair of left and right lower arms (not shown), and the power unit 2 is supported by the main frame 31 and the lower arms. A pair of left and right seat rails (not shown) extending rearward are also provided at the rear end of the main frame 31, and the seat rails support the seat 4a on which the rider sits, the seat 4b on which the passenger sits, the rear trunk 7b, etc.

The front end of a rear swing arm (not shown) extending in the fore-and-aft direction is supported so as to be able to swing freely on the pivot plate 33. The rear swing arm is able to swing up and down, and the rear wheel RW is supported at its rear end. An exhaust muffler 6 that silences the exhaust of the engine 21 is provided extending in the fore-and-aft direction on the sides of the lower part of the rear wheel RW. Left and right saddlebags 7a are provided on the sides of the upper part of the rear wheel RW.

A front suspension mechanism 9 that supports the front wheel FW is configured at the front end of the main frame 31. The front suspension mechanism 9 includes an upper link 91, a lower link 92, a fork support 93, a cushion unit 94, and a pair of left and right front forks 95.

The upper link 91 and the lower link 92 are arranged at a distance above and below the front end of the main frame 31. The rear ends of the upper link 91 and the lower link 92 are swingably connected to the front end of the main frame 31. The front ends of the upper link 91 and the lower link 92 are swingably connected to the fork support 93. The upper link 91 and the lower link 92 each extend in the fore-and-aft direction and are arranged substantially parallel to each other.

The cushion unit 94 has a structure in which a shock absorber is inserted into a coil spring, and its upper end is supported so as to be able to swing freely on the main frame 31. The lower end of the cushion unit 94 is supported so as to be able to swing freely on the lower link 92.

The fork support 93 is cylindrical and tilted backward. The front end of the upper link 21 is pivotally connected to the front upper part of the fork support 93. The front end of the lower link 92 is pivotally connected to the rear lower part of the fork support 93.

A steering shaft 96 is supported on the fork support 93 so as to be rotatable about its axis. The steering shaft 96 has an axle portion (not shown) that passes through the fork support 93. A bridge (not shown) is provided at the lower end of the steering shaft 96, and a pair of left and right front forks 95 are supported on this bridge. The front wheel FW is rotatably supported by the front fork 95. The upper end of the steering shaft 96 is connected via a link 97 to a steering shaft (not shown) that is rotated by the handlebars 8. The steering shaft 96 rotates when the handlebars 8 are steered, and the front wheel FW is steered. The upper part of the front wheel FW is covered by a fender 10, which is supported by the front fork 95.

The vehicle 1 is equipped with a brake device 19F for braking the front wheels FW and a brake device 19R for braking the rear wheels RW, and the brake devices 19F and 19R are configured to be operable by the rider's operation of the brake lever 8a or the brake pedal 18. The brake devices 19F and 19R are, for example, disc brakes.

A headlight unit 11 that irradiates light ahead of the vehicle 1 is disposed at the front of the vehicle 1. The headlight unit 11 in this embodiment is a two-lens type headlight unit that has a right light irradiation section 11R and a left light irradiation section 11L arranged symmetrically. However, a one-lens type or three-lens type headlight unit, or an asymmetric two-lens type headlight unit can also be used.

The front of the vehicle 1 is covered by a front cover 12, and the front sides of the vehicle 1 are covered by a pair of left and right side covers 14. A screen 13 is arranged above the front cover 12. The screen 13 is a windshield that reduces the wind pressure experienced by the rider while driving, and is formed, for example, from a transparent resin material. A pair of left and right side mirror units 15 are arranged on the sides of the front cover 12. The side mirror units 15 support side mirrors (not shown) that allow the rider to view the rear.

The front cover 12 includes cowl members 121 to 123, which form the front cowl. The cowl member 121 extends in the Y direction and forms the main body of the front cover 12, and the cowl member 122 forms the upper part of the cowl member 121. The cowl member 123 is disposed spaced downward from the cowl member 121.

An opening exposing the headlight unit 11 is formed between the cowl members 121 and 123 and between the pair of left and right side covers 14, and the upper edge of this opening is defined by the cowl members 121, the lower edge is defined by the cowl members 123, and the left and right side edges are defined by the side covers 14.

A detection unit 16 that detects the situation in front of the vehicle 1 is disposed behind the front cover 12. In this embodiment, the detection unit 16 is a radar (e.g., a millimeter wave radar), but may be another type of sensor that can detect the front through the front cover 12. For example, the detection unit 16 may include a camera or a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) instead of or in addition to a radar. The camera may be a camera included in a drive recorder. When the detection unit 16 detects an obstacle in front of the vehicle 1, for example, a display can be displayed on the meter panel MP to alert the rider, or the brake devices 19F, 19R can be automatically activated to decelerate the vehicle 1.

With reference to FIG. 3, an example configuration of a vehicle 1 according to some embodiments will be described. The vehicle 1 has a control device 301, a communication device 302, a power unit 303, a braking device 304, an impact absorbing mechanism 305, a positioning sensor 306, a wheel speed sensor 307, an external sensor 308, and a storage medium 309. These components are listed for the purposes of the following description. Depending on the individual embodiment, the vehicle 1 may not include some of these components, or may include other components. The storage medium 309 may be considered to be part of the control device 301.

The control device 301 controls the overall operation of the vehicle 1. The control device 301 may be realized by a general-purpose integrated circuit such as a processor. Part or all of the control device 301 may be configured by a dedicated integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The communication device 302 is a device through which the vehicle 1 communicates with an external device (e.g., a map data server 330). The communication between the vehicle 1 and the external device may be communication via the wide area network 320. The communication between the communication device 302 and the external device may be communication via a communication device (e.g., a smartphone) possessed by the rider of the vehicle 1.

The power unit 303 generates power for the vehicle 1 to travel. The power unit 303 is constituted, for example, by the engine 21. The braking device 304 is a device that applies a braking force to the vehicle 1 by reducing the rotation speed of the wheels (front wheels FW and rear wheels RW) of the vehicle 1. The braking device 304 is constituted, for example, by brake devices 19F and 19R. The shock absorbing mechanism 305 is a mechanism that dampens vibrations that the vehicle 1 receives from the road surface. The shock absorbing mechanism 305 is constituted, for example, by the front suspension mechanism 9.

The positioning sensor 306 is a sensor for identifying the current geographical position of the vehicle 1. The positioning sensor 306 is, for example, configured by a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor. The wheel speed sensor 307 is a sensor for measuring the rotational speed of the wheels (front wheels FW or rear wheels RW) of the vehicle 1. The external sensor 308 is a sensor for acquiring data regarding the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1. The external sensor 308 may be the detection unit 16 of FIG. 1. The external sensor 308 may be a radar, a camera, or a LIDAR.

The storage medium 309 stores programs and data used for the control of the vehicle 1 by the control device 301. The storage medium 309 is realized, for example, by a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage medium 309 stores, for example, a program 310, control setting data 311, and transition time data 312. These programs and data may be stored in the storage medium 309 when the vehicle 1 is manufactured, or may be updated based on data acquired via the communication device 302.

The program 310 includes instructions that define various controls of the vehicle 1, and is executable by the control device 301. The control setting data 311 is data relating to settings used to control the vehicle 1. The transition time data 312 is data relating to the transition time when changing settings used to control the vehicle 1. Details of the control setting data 311 and the transition time data 312 will be described later.

The map data server 330 includes a control device 331, a communication device 332, and a storage medium 333. These components are listed for the purposes of the following description. Depending on the particular embodiment, the map data server 330 may not include some of these components, or may include other components.

The control device 331 is a device that controls the overall operation of the map data server 330. The control device 331 may be realized by a general-purpose integrated circuit such as a processor. Part or all of the control device 301 may be configured by a dedicated integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA.

The communication device 332 is a device through which the map data server 330 communicates with an external device (e.g., vehicle 1). The communication between the map data server 330 and the external device may be communication via the wide area network 320.

The storage medium 333 stores programs and data used for the control of the map data server 330 by the control device 331. The storage medium 333 is realized, for example, by a ROM, a RAM, a secondary storage device, etc. The storage medium 333 stores, for example, a program 334 and map data 335. The program 334 includes instructions that define various controls of the map data server 330, and is executable by the control device 331.

Map data 335 is data related to a map. Map data 335 may include information related to roads. The information related to roads may include information related to the road surface classification at each geographic location. A road surface classification is a classification based on the non-temporary state of the road surface. The non-temporary state of the road surface is a state that is not affected by weather or vehicle movement. The road surface classification may be changed, for example, by carrying out construction work. In the following description, road surface classifications are classified into two types: paved roads and unpaved roads. The road surface classifications may include other classifications.

An example of the operation of vehicle 1 will be described with reference to Figure 4. This operation may be performed by control device 301 executing program 310. Alternatively, some or all of the operation of Figure 4 may be performed by a dedicated integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. The operation of Figure 4 may be started when vehicle 1 starts traveling.

In step S401, the control device 301 determines the current geographic location of the vehicle 1. For example, the control device 301 may determine the current geographic location of the vehicle 1 using the positioning sensor 306, or may determine the current geographic location in another manner.

In step S402, the control device 301 determines the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling by comparing the current geographical position of the vehicle 1 against the map data 335. For example, the control device 301 may transmit the geographical position identified in step S401 to the map data server 330, request the map data server 330 to compare the geographical position against the map data 335, and determine the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling based on the response to this request. The "road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling" may be the road on which the vehicle 1 is currently traveling (e.g., the geographical position at the time of execution of step S401), or the road on which the vehicle 1 is scheduled to travel in the near future (e.g., the geographical position where the vehicle 1 is estimated to be located in 10 seconds, or the geographical position 30 m ahead from the geographical position at the time of execution of step S401). The storage medium 309 may store map data in advance, and in this case, the control device 301 may determine the road surface classification of the current geographical position using the map data in the storage medium 309.

In step S403, the control device 301 determines whether the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling will change based on the determination result in step S402. If the control device 301 determines that the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling will change ("YES" in step S403), it transitions the process to step S404, and otherwise ("NO" in step S403), it transitions the process to step S405.

In step S404, the control device 301 changes the settings used to control the vehicle 1 so that the settings correspond to the changed road surface classification. The settings used to control the vehicle 1 are specified in the control setting data 311. A specific example of the control setting data 311 will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

In the control setting data 311, column 900 indicates the items for which the control device 301 controls the vehicle 1. Column 901 indicates the settings of each control item when the road on which the vehicle 1 travels is paved. Column 902 indicates the settings of each control item when the road on which the vehicle 1 travels is unpaved. Column 903 indicates the settings of each control item when the road on which the vehicle 1 travels is snowy. In the embodiment described in FIG. 4, the settings shown in column 903 are not used, and will be described in the embodiment described below.

In some embodiments, the control setting data 311 specifies settings for four control items. The "engine torque level" indicates the level of torque generated by the power unit 303 (e.g., the engine 21) under the same conditions. The larger this value, the greater the torque under the same conditions. The same conditions when comparing torques may be the same engine speed and accelerator opening. The "engine torque level" is an example of a setting for the output of the vehicle's power unit. The control setting data 311 may specify other settings for the output of the power unit 303. Since the vehicle 1 is set to a high "engine torque level" on paved roads, if the vehicle 1 runs on an unpaved road using the same "engine torque level" value as when running on a paved road, the vehicle becomes slippery on the unpaved road, which deteriorates the rider's riding comfort. Therefore, in order to reduce such differences, the setting (A2) of the "engine torque level" on unpaved roads has a smaller value than the setting (A1) of the "engine torque level" on paved roads (i.e., A1>A2), thereby suppressing the rise of torque and making it easier to control the vehicle body.

"Suspension damping force" represents the level of damping force generated by the shock absorbing mechanism 305. The larger this value, the greater the damping force generated by the shock absorbing mechanism 305. "Suspension damping force" is an example of a setting related to the shock absorbing force of the shock absorbing mechanism 305 that absorbs vibrations received by the vehicle 1. The control setting data 311 may specify other settings related to the shock absorbing force of the shock absorbing mechanism 305. If the vehicle 1 runs on an unpaved road using the same "suspension damping force" value as when running on a paved road, the vibrations received from the road surface will increase, and the rider's riding comfort will deteriorate. Therefore, in order to reduce such a difference in vibration, the setting (B2) of "suspension damping force" on an unpaved road has a smaller value than the setting (B1) of "suspension damping force" on a paved road (i.e., B1>B2). The damping force generated by the shock absorbing mechanism 305 can be electronically controlled by a signal from the control device 301. By having such settings, the control device 301 controls the vehicle 1 (specifically, the shock absorbing mechanism 305) so that the shock absorbing capacity of the shock absorbing mechanism 305 when the vehicle 1 is traveling on an unpaved road is greater than the shock absorbing capacity of the shock absorbing mechanism 305 when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a paved road.

The "ABS intervention slip ratio" represents the slip ratio threshold value for the ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) function to intervene in driving. The larger this value, the higher the slip ratio at which the ABS function intervenes in driving. The "ABS intervention slip ratio" is an example of a setting related to wheel fixation prevention control that prevents the rotation of the wheels of the vehicle 1 from being continuously fixed by the braking force. The control setting data 311 may specify other settings related to the wheel fixation prevention control. The slip ratio of the vehicle 1 tends to be larger when traveling on an unpaved road than when traveling on a paved road, even if the vehicle 1 is equally stable. Therefore, in order to reduce excessive intervention of the ABS function, the setting (C2) of the "ABS intervention slip ratio" on an unpaved road has a larger value than the setting (C1) of the "ABS intervention slip ratio" on a paved road (i.e., C1<C2).

The "TCS intervention slip ratio" represents the slip ratio threshold value for the TCS (Traction Control System) function to intervene in driving. The larger this value, the higher the slip ratio at which the TCS function intervenes in driving. The "TCS intervention slip ratio" is an example of a setting related to anti-slip control that prevents the wheels of the vehicle 1 from spinning using the vehicle speed sensor and wheel speed sensor 307 of the vehicle 1. The control setting data 311 may specify other settings related to anti-slip control. The slip ratio of the vehicle 1 tends to be larger when traveling on an unpaved road than when traveling on a paved road, even if the vehicle 1 accelerates with the same engine torque. Therefore, in order to enable the vehicle 1 to perform stable acceleration, the setting (D2) of the "TCS intervention slip ratio" on an unpaved road has a smaller value than the setting (D1) of the "TCS intervention slip ratio" on a paved road (i.e., D1>D2).

The "engine torque level" and "suspension damping force" defined in the control setting data 311 are examples of settings that are highly related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1. The control setting data 311 may define only one of these as a setting that is highly related to the ride comfort, or may define both of these, or may define other control items. The "ABS intervention slip rate" and "TCS intervention slip rate" defined in the control setting data 311 are examples of settings that are less related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1. The control setting data 311 may define only one of these as a setting that is less related to the ride comfort, or may define both of these, or may define other control items. The ride comfort of the vehicle 1 may be determined by the magnitude of vibrations given to the occupants of the vehicle 1.

In step S405, the control device 301 determines whether the vehicle 1 has stopped traveling. If it is determined that the vehicle 1 has stopped traveling ("YES" in step S405), the control device 301 ends the process, and otherwise ("NO" in step S405), the control device 301 transitions the process to step S401. If the process transitions to step S401, the control device 301 repeats the operations of steps S401 to S405.

As described above, by changing the settings in step S404, the control device 301 controls the vehicle 1 according to settings corresponding to the road surface classification determined in step S402. According to this embodiment, the control device 301 is able to control the vehicle 1 according to settings suitable for the road surface classification. In addition, because the control device 301 determines the road surface classification based on map data, the accuracy of determining the road surface classification is improved compared to when the road surface classification is determined by analyzing an image of the road.

Referring to Figure 5, a specific example of the operation of step S404 in Figure 4 in some embodiments will be described. As described above, step S404 is executed when the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle is traveling changes. In this embodiment, the control device 301 changes the setting according to the road surface classification over a predetermined transition time.

In step S501, the control device 301 determines whether the change in road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a change from a paved road to an unpaved road. If the control device 301 determines that the change is from a paved road to an unpaved road ("YES" in step S501), it transitions the process to step S502, and otherwise ("NO" in step S501), that is, if it is determined that the change is from an unpaved road to a paved road, it transitions the process to step S503.

In step S502, the control device 301 changes the setting (e.g., "engine torque level") used to control the vehicle 1 over a period of 5 seconds. In step S503, the control device 301 changes the setting (e.g., "engine torque level") used to control the vehicle 1 over a period of 2 seconds.

When the road on which vehicle 1 is traveling changes from a paved road to an unpaved road, the behavior of vehicle 1 is likely to become unstable. Therefore, in the control device 301 of this embodiment, when the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle is traveling changes from a paved road to an unpaved road, the setting is changed over a relatively long time (e.g., 5 seconds), and when the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle is traveling changes from an unpaved road to a paved road, the setting is changed over a relatively short time (e.g., 2 seconds).

In this way, in this embodiment, the control device 301 changes the setting using a transition time that corresponds to the changed road surface classification. This transition time is specified in the transition time data 312. A specific example of the transition time data 312 will be described with reference to Figure 9.

In the transition time data 312, column 910 indicates the items that the control device 301 controls for the vehicle 1. The contents of column 910 may be the same as those of column 900, so duplicated explanations will be omitted. Column 911 indicates the transition time of each control item when the road on which the vehicle 1 runs changes from a paved road to an unpaved road. Column 912 indicates the transition time of each control item when the road on which the vehicle 1 runs changes from an unpaved road to a paved road. Column 913 indicates the transition time of each control item when the road on which the vehicle 1 runs changes from a paved road to a snowy road. Column 914 indicates the transition time of each control item when the road on which the vehicle 1 runs changes from a snowy road to a paved road. In the embodiment described in FIG. 5, the transition times shown in columns 913-914 are not used, so this will be described in the embodiment described later.

The rider of the vehicle 1 is more likely to lose balance on unpaved roads than on paved roads. Therefore, the transition time (S1) of the "engine torque level" when the road surface classification changes from paved to unpaved is longer than the transition time (S2) of the "engine torque level" when the road surface classification changes from unpaved to paved (i.e., S1>S2). Similarly, the "suspension damping force," "ABS intervention slip rate," and "TCS intervention slip rate" are set so that S3>S4, S5>S6, and S7>S8, respectively.

In addition, a change in a setting that is highly related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 (for example, "engine torque level" and "suspension damping force") has a greater impact on the ride comfort of the rider of the vehicle 1 than a change in a setting that is less related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 (for example, "ABS intervention slip rate" and "TCS intervention slip rate"). Therefore, the transition time required for changing a setting that is less related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 may be shorter than the transition time required for changing a setting that is more related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 (i.e., S1 = S3 > S5 = S7, S2 = S4 > S6 = S8). This allows the control device 301 to support safe driving while reducing the discomfort of the ride comfort given to the rider. In other embodiments, these transition times may be the same (i.e., S1 = S3 = S5 = S7, S2 = S4 = S6 = S8).

The transition times of the two settings that are highly related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 may be equal to each other (i.e., S1=S3, S2=S4) or may be different (i.e., S1≠S3, S2≠S4). The transition times of the two settings that are less related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 may be equal to each other (i.e., S5=S7, S6=S8) or may be different (i.e., S5≠S7, S6≠S8). The transition times of the two settings that are less related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 may be the same when changing from a paved road to an unpaved road and when changing from an unpaved road to a paved road (i.e., S5=S6, S7=S8).

With reference to Figure 6, we will explain the specific changes in settings due to the example operation described in Figure 5. The four graphs shown in Figure 6 show, from top to bottom, the changes over time of "engine torque level", "suspension damping force", "ABS intervention slip rate", and "TCS intervention slip rate".

From time t0 to time t1, the vehicle 1 travels on a paved road. Therefore, the control device 301 controls the vehicle 1 according to the settings specified in column 901 of the control setting data 311. Assume that at time t1, the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle 1 travels changes from a paved road to an unpaved road. The control device 301 then changes the settings of each control item over the transition time specified in column 911 of the transition time data 312. Specifically, the control device 301 changes the settings of the "engine torque level" and "suspension damping force" from time t1 to time t3 (satisfying t3-t1=S1=S3). The control device 301 changes the settings of the "ABS intervention slip ratio" and "TCS intervention slip ratio" from time t1 to time t2 (satisfying t2-t1=S5=S7). As shown in FIG. 6, the settings of each control item change continuously over the transition time.

After the setting change, the control device 301 controls the vehicle 1 according to the setting specified in column 902 of the control setting data 311 while the vehicle 1 is traveling on an unpaved road. After that, the control device 301 estimates that the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling will change from an unpaved road to a paved road at time t6. The control device 301 then changes the setting of each control item over the transition time specified in column 912 of the transition time data 312. Specifically, the control device 301 changes the settings of the "engine torque level" and "suspension damping force" from time t4 to time t6 (satisfying t6-t4=S2=S4). The control device 301 changes the settings of the "ABS intervention slip rate" and "TCS intervention slip rate" from time t5 to time t6 (satisfying t6-t5=S6=S8). After the setting change, the control device 301 controls the vehicle 1 according to the setting specified in column 901 of the control setting data 311 while the vehicle 1 is traveling on a paved road.

In the example of FIG. 6, the control device 301 starts changing the settings when the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle 1 travels changes from a paved road to an unpaved road (time t1). Alternatively, the control device 301 may start changing the settings in the middle of the change so that the time t1 occurs, or may start changing the settings so that the change ends at or before time t1, or may start changing the settings after time t1. Similarly, in the example of FIG. 6, the control device 301 starts changing the settings so that the change ends when the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle 1 travels changes from an unpaved road to a paved road (time t6). Alternatively, the control device 301 may start changing the settings in the middle of the change so that the time t6 occurs, or may start changing the settings so that the change ends before time t6, or may start changing the settings at or after time t6. In addition, the time at which the change starts may be different for each control item, and the time at which the change ends may be different for each control item.

With reference to Figure 7, another example of the operation of vehicle 1 will be described. This operation may be performed by control device 301 executing program 310. Alternatively, some or all of the operation of Figure 7 may be performed by a dedicated integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. The operation of Figure 7 may be initiated when vehicle 1 starts traveling. Steps S401, S402, and S405 may be similar to the operation of Figure 4, so duplicate explanations will be omitted.

In step S701, the control device 301 acquires an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 1. This image may be a still image or a moving image. The control device 301 may acquire an image obtained by an external sensor 308 (e.g., a camera) of the vehicle 1.

In step S702, the control device 301 determines the road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling based on the image of the surroundings of the vehicle 1. The road surface condition is a temporary state of the road surface. The temporary state of the road surface is a state affected by weather and vehicle traveling. For example, the control device 301 may determine whether the road surface condition is a state with a high or low friction coefficient. A road surface condition with a high friction coefficient may be a state in which the surface of the road is not entirely covered by objects (e.g., snow). A road surface condition with a low friction coefficient may be a state in which the surface of the road is entirely covered by objects (e.g., snow). In the following, a snowy road is used as an example of a road with a low friction coefficient. The control device 301 may determine whether the road is a snowy road using a determination logic (e.g., a learned inference model) installed in itself, or may transmit an image to an external server and determine based on the response.

In step S703, the control device 301 determines whether the road surface classification or road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling will change based on the determination results in steps S402 and S702. If the control device 301 determines that the road surface classification or road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling will change ("YES" in step S703), it transitions the process to step S704, and otherwise ("NO" in step S703), it transitions the process to step S405.

In step S704, the control device 301 changes the settings used to control the vehicle 1 so that they correspond to the changed road surface classification or road surface condition. The settings used to control the vehicle 1 are specified in the control setting data 311. A specific example of the control setting data 311 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. The contents of columns 900 to 903 are as described above. When a road is a snowy road, the road surface condition will be the same whether the road surface classification is paved or unpaved. Therefore, in the following description, when a road is a snowy road, classification by road surface classification will not be performed. Also, in the following description, paved roads and unpaved roads refer to paved roads and unpaved roads where the road surface condition is normal (i.e., not covered with snow).

When the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is a snowy road, in order to suppress wheel spinning, it is better for the "engine torque level" to be lower than when the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is a paved road or an unpaved road. Therefore, the setting (A3) of the "engine torque level" on a snowy road has a smaller value than the settings (A1, A2) of the "engine torque level" on a paved road and an unpaved road (i.e., A3 < A1, A3 < A2).

When the road on which vehicle 1 is traveling is snowy, the vibrations received from the road surface tend to be greater when traveling on snowy roads than when the road on which vehicle 1 is traveling is paved or unpaved. Therefore, in order to reduce such differences in vibrations, the "suspension damping force" setting (B3) for snowy roads has a smaller value than the "suspension damping force" settings (B1, B2) for paved and unpaved roads (i.e., B1>B3, B2>B3).

The slip ratio of vehicle 1 tends to be greater when traveling on snowy roads than when traveling on paved or unpaved roads, even if vehicle 1 is equally stable. Therefore, in order to reduce excessive intervention of the ABS function, the "ABS intervention slip ratio" setting (C3) on snowy roads has a greater value than the "ABS intervention slip ratio" settings (C1, C2) on paved and unpaved roads (i.e., C1<C3, C2<C3).

The slip ratio of the vehicle 1 tends to be larger when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a snowy road than when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a paved road or an unpaved road, even if the vehicle 1 is traveling at the same acceleration. Therefore, in order to enable the vehicle 1 to perform stable acceleration, the "TCS intervention slip ratio" setting (D3) on a snowy road has a smaller value than the "TCS intervention slip ratio" settings (D1, D2) on paved roads and unpaved roads (i.e., D3 < D1, D3 < D2).

As described above, by changing the settings in step S704, the control device 301 controls the vehicle 1 in accordance with the road surface classification determined in step S402 and the settings corresponding to the road surface classification determined in step S702.

A specific example of transition time data 312 will be described with reference to Figure 9. The contents of columns 910 to 914 are as described above. For matters that may be similar to the above description regarding transition times S1 to S8, duplicate explanations will be omitted.

The rider of vehicle 1 is more likely to lose balance on snowy roads than on paved roads. Therefore, the transition time (S9) of the "engine torque level" when the road changes from a normal paved road to a snowy road is longer than the transition time (S10) of the "engine torque level" when the road changes from a snowy road to a normal paved road (i.e., S9 > S10). Similarly, the "ABS intervention slip rate" and the "TCS intervention slip rate" are set so that S11 > S12 and S13 > S14. The "suspension damping force" has the same setting for paved roads and snowy roads, so no transition time is set.

Changing the settings that are highly related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 (e.g., "engine torque level" and "suspension damping force") has a greater impact on the ride comfort of the rider of the vehicle 1 than changing the settings that are less related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 (e.g., "ABS intervention slip rate" and "TCS intervention slip rate"). Therefore, the transition time required for changing the settings that are less related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 may be shorter than the transition time required for changing the settings that are more related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 (i.e., S9>S11=S13, S10>S12=S14). This allows the control device 301 to support safe driving while reducing the discomfort of the ride comfort given to the rider. In other embodiments, these transition times may be the same (i.e., S9=S11=S13, S10=S12=S14).

The transition times of the two settings that are less related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 may be equal to each other (i.e., S11=S13, S12=S14) or may be different (i.e., S11≠S13, S12≠S14). The transition times of the two settings that are less related to the ride comfort of the vehicle 1 may be the same when changing from a paved road to a snowy road and when changing from a snowy road to a paved road (i.e., S11=S12, S13=S14).

With reference to Figure 8, we will explain the specific changes in settings due to the example operation described in Figure 7. The four graphs shown in Figure 8 show, from top to bottom, the changes over time of "engine torque level", "suspension damping force", "ABS intervention slip rate", and "TCS intervention slip rate".

From time t10 to time t11, the vehicle 1 travels on a normal paved road. Therefore, the control device 301 controls the vehicle 1 according to the settings specified in column 901 of the control setting data 311. Assume that at time t11, the road on which the vehicle 1 travels changes from a normal paved road to a snowy road. Therefore, the control device 301 changes the settings of each control item over the transition time specified in column 913 of the transition time data 312. Specifically, the control device 301 changes the "engine torque level" from time t11 to time t13 (satisfying t13-t11=S9). The control device 301 changes the settings of the "ABS intervention slip rate" and the "TCS intervention slip rate" from time t11 to time t12 (satisfying t12-t11=S11=S13). As shown in FIG. 8, the settings of each control item change continuously over the transition time. The control device 301 does not change the setting of the "suspension damping force".

After changing the settings, the control device 301 controls the vehicle 1 according to the settings specified in column 903 of the control setting data 311 while the vehicle 1 is traveling on a snowy road. Thereafter, the control device 301 estimates that the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling will change from a snowy road to a normal paved road at time t16. The control device 301 then changes the settings of each control item over the transition time specified in column 914 of the transition time data 312. Specifically, the control device 301 changes the setting of the "engine torque level" from time t14 to time t16 (satisfying t16-t14=S10). The control device 301 changes the settings of the "ABS intervention slip rate" and the "TCS intervention slip rate" from time t15 to time t16 (satisfying t16-t15=S12=S14). The control device 301 does not change the setting of the "suspension damping force". After changing the settings, the control device 301 controls the vehicle 1 in accordance with the settings defined in column 901 of the control setting data 311 while the vehicle 1 is traveling on a normal paved road.

With reference to FIG. 10, a modified example of the above-mentioned embodiment will be described. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the transition time (S1) of the "engine torque level" when the road surface classification changes from a paved road to an unpaved road is longer than the transition time (S2) of the "engine torque level" when the road surface classification changes from an unpaved road to a paved road (i.e., S1>S2). Similarly, the "suspension damping force", "ABS intervention slip rate", and "TCS intervention slip rate" are set so that S3>S4, S5>S6, and S7>S8. Instead, in the modified example, the transition time (S1) of the "engine torque level" when the road surface classification changes from a paved road to an unpaved road is shorter than the transition time (S2) of the "engine torque level" when the road surface classification changes from an unpaved road to a paved road (i.e., S1<S2). Similarly, the "suspension damping force", "ABS intervention slip rate", and "TCS intervention slip rate" are set so that S3<S4, S5<S6, and S7<S8. This can further improve the stability of the vehicle body when the road surface changes.

A modified example of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11. In the above embodiment, the transition time (S9) of the "engine torque level" when the road changes from a normal paved road to a snowy road is longer than the transition time (S10) of the "engine torque level" when the road changes from a snowy road to a normal paved road (i.e., S9>S10). Similarly, the "ABS intervention slip rate" and the "TCS intervention slip rate" are set to S11>S12 and S13>S14. Instead, in the modified example, the transition time (S9) of the "engine torque level" when the road changes from a normal paved road to a snowy road is shorter than the transition time (S10) of the "engine torque level" when the road changes from a snowy road to a normal paved road (i.e., S9<S10). Similarly, the "ABS intervention slip rate" and the "TCS intervention slip rate" are set to S11<S12 and S13<S14. This can further improve the stability of the vehicle body due to changes in road surface.

According to the above embodiment, the control settings and transition times are changed according to the road surface conditions, making it possible to provide even more accurate driving assistance.

Summary of the embodiment
<Item 1>
A control device (301) for controlling a vehicle (1),
means for determining a geographic location of the vehicle;
control means for controlling the vehicle according to settings (311) corresponding to the surface classification of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, based on the geographical position of the vehicle relative to data (335) containing information on the surface classification of the road;
A control device comprising:
According to this item, the road surface classification is determined using map data, so that the road surface classification can be determined with high accuracy.
<Item 2>
2. The control device according to item 1, wherein, when a road surface classification of a road on which the vehicle is traveling changes, the control means changes the setting in accordance with the changed road surface classification, and a transition time of the setting is set in accordance with the changed road surface classification.
This item reduces the impact on vehicle occupants caused by changing settings.
<Item 3>
3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the transition time (911) of the setting when the road surface segment changes from a paved road to an unpaved road is shorter than the transition time (912) of the setting when the road surface segment changes from an unpaved road to a paved road.
According to this item, by changing the settings to quickly respond to changes in road conditions when going from a paved road to an unpaved road, the stability of the vehicle body due to changes in road surface can be further improved.
<Item 4>
3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the transition time (911) of the setting when the road surface segment changes from a paved road to an unpaved road is longer than the transition time (912) of the setting when the road surface segment changes from an unpaved road to a paved road.
According to this item, the impact on vehicle occupants caused by the difference in operability due to changing settings when changing from paved roads to unpaved roads can be reduced.
<Item 5>
the settings according to the road surface classification include a first setting related to a first function of the vehicle and a second setting related to a second function of the vehicle;
5. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a setting transition time taken for changing the second setting is shorter than a setting transition time taken for changing the first setting.
According to this item, it is possible to provide safe driving assistance while reducing the impact of changing settings on the ride comfort of vehicle occupants.
<Item 6>
The first setting includes at least one of a setting regarding an output of a power unit (303) of the vehicle and a setting regarding an impact absorbing capacity of an impact absorbing mechanism (305) that absorbs vibrations received by the vehicle,
6. The control device according to item 5, wherein the second setting includes at least one of a setting related to anti-spin control that prevents spinning of the wheels of the vehicle and a setting related to wheel lock prevention control that prevents the rotation of the wheels of the vehicle from being fixed.
According to this item, it is possible to provide safe driving assistance while reducing the impact of changing settings on the ride comfort of vehicle occupants.
<Item 7>
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control means controls the vehicle so that, when the road surface section is determined to be an unpaved road, the shock absorbing capacity of an impact absorbing mechanism that absorbs vibrations received by the vehicle is greater than when the road surface section is determined to be a paved road.
According to this item, vibrations to the vehicle can be appropriately reduced according to the road surface classification.
<Item 8>
The vehicle acquires a road surface condition of a road on which the vehicle is traveling based on an image of the surroundings of the vehicle acquired by an image capturing device (308) of the vehicle;
8. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control means controls the vehicle in accordance with settings according to the road surface classification and the road surface condition.
According to this item, the vehicle operation can be controlled more appropriately according to the road surface conditions.
<Item 9>
9. The control device according to claim 8, wherein the transition time (913) of the setting when the road surface condition changes from a paved road with a high friction coefficient to a paved road with a low friction coefficient is shorter than the transition time (914) of the setting when the road surface condition changes from a paved road with a low friction coefficient to a paved road with a high friction coefficient.
According to this item, the vehicle operation can be controlled more appropriately according to the road surface conditions.
<Item 10>
9. The control device according to claim 8, wherein the transition time (913) of the setting when the road surface condition changes from a paved road with a high friction coefficient to a paved road with a low friction coefficient is longer than the transition time (914) of the setting when the road surface condition changes from a paved road with a low friction coefficient to a paved road with a high friction coefficient.
According to this item, the vehicle operation can be controlled more appropriately according to the road surface conditions.
<Item 11>
A vehicle comprising the control device according to any one of items 1 to 10.
According to this item, a vehicle is provided that can determine road surface classifications with high accuracy by using map data to determine road surface classifications.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

A control device for controlling a vehicle,
means for determining a geographic location of the vehicle;
control means for controlling the vehicle according to settings corresponding to the surface classification of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, based on the geographical position of the vehicle relative to data including information on the surface classification of the road;
Equipped with
the settings according to the road surface classification include a first setting related to a first function of the vehicle and a second setting related to a second function of the vehicle;
The first setting includes at least one of a setting regarding an output of a power unit of the vehicle and a setting regarding an impact absorbing force of an impact absorbing mechanism that absorbs vibrations received by the vehicle,
The second setting includes at least one of a setting related to anti-spin control for preventing spinning of the wheels of the vehicle and a setting related to wheel lock prevention control for preventing the rotation of the wheels of the vehicle from being locked,
A control device , wherein a setting transition time taken for changing the second setting is shorter than a setting transition time taken for changing the first setting . The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control means changes the setting according to the changed road surface classification when the road surface classification of the road on which the vehicle is traveling changes, and the transition time of the setting is set according to the changed road surface classification. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transition time of the setting when the road surface classification changes from a paved road to an unpaved road is shorter than the transition time of the setting when the road surface classification changes from an unpaved road to a paved road. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transition time of the setting when the road surface classification changes from a paved road to an unpaved road is longer than the transition time of the setting when the road surface classification changes from an unpaved road to a paved road. 5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the vehicle so that, when the road surface section is determined to be an unpaved road, the shock absorbing capacity of an impact absorbing mechanism that absorbs vibrations received by the vehicle is greater than when the road surface section is determined to be a paved road. The vehicle acquires a road surface condition of a road on which the vehicle is traveling based on an image of the surroundings of the vehicle acquired by an image capturing device of the vehicle;
The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control means controls the vehicle in accordance with settings corresponding to the road surface classification and the road surface condition. The control device according to claim 6, which is dependent on any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5, wherein the transition time of the setting when the road surface condition changes from a paved road with a high friction coefficient to a paved road with a low friction coefficient is shorter than the transition time of the setting when the road surface condition changes from a paved road with a low friction coefficient to a paved road with a high friction coefficient. The control device according to claim 6, which is dependent on any one of claims 1, 2, 4 and 5, wherein the transition time of the setting when the road surface condition changes from a paved road with a high friction coefficient to a paved road with a low friction coefficient is longer than the transition time of the setting when the road surface condition changes from a paved road with a low friction coefficient to a paved road with a high friction coefficient. A vehicle comprising a control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .

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