KR20240081756A - Apparatus and method for controlling towing mode of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a towing mode control device and method for a vehicle, which can control the non-ideal behavior of the towed vehicle when driving and can easily control the behavior and direction of travel of the towed vehicle even when driving in reverse. The main purpose is to provide a control device and method. In order to achieve the above object, a driving information detection unit that detects the driving status of connected vehicles to enable driving in towing mode; Based on the information indicating the driving status of the vehicles detected by the driving information detection unit, when driving in towing mode, a control signal is sent to control the driving force applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle connected to the preceding vehicle, which is a towing vehicle. Controller that outputs; and a towing mode control device for a vehicle, including a driving device mounted on the following vehicle and controlled to apply adjusted driving force to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle according to a control signal output by the controller, and a method thereof. do.

Description

Apparatus and method for controlling towing mode of vehicle {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING TOWING MODE OF VEHICLE}

The present invention relates to a towing mode control device and method for a vehicle, and more specifically, to a device that can control the non-ideal behavior of the towed vehicle while driving and easily control the behavior and direction of travel of the towed vehicle even when traveling in reverse. It relates to a towing mode control device and method for a vehicle.

In general, a trailer is a vehicle that is connected to the rear of a towing vehicle and moves without its own power, and a trailer for transporting cargo is usually called a cargo trailer.

In the case of a towing vehicle, it is equipped with a power generating device for driving, that is, a driving device, but since the trailer does not have its own driving device, it must be towed while connected to a towing vehicle to transport cargo or people.

Additionally, since the trailer must be towed while connected to the tow vehicle, a connecting device is provided between the tow vehicle and the trailer to connect both vehicles. In other words, the towing vehicle and the trailer are connected by a connecting device, and at this time, the connecting device is composed of a towing vehicle side connection part and a trailer side connection part that are rotatably coupled to each other.

For example, in order to connect a cargo trailer to a towing vehicle, a towbar, which is a tow vehicle side connection, may be fixedly installed at the rear of the tow vehicle, and a coupler, which is a trailer side connection, may be installed at the front end of the cargo trailer. It can be.

Meanwhile, in the case of towed vehicles (trailing vehicles) such as conventional trailers, they do not have their own driving devices and cannot generate driving force, so a towing vehicle equipped with a driving device is needed for driving. At this time, because part of the driving force of the towing vehicle (leading vehicle) is used for trailer towing, the fuel efficiency (or fuel efficiency) of the towing vehicle decreases.

Recently, as the automobile industry is transitioning to electrification, various electric vehicles are being released. Towing driving according to the prior art has a negative impact on the driving range, which is most important in electric vehicles.

In addition, since the trailer does not generate its own driving force, it is impossible to respond to the non-ideal behavior of the trailer itself when driving at high speed in a towing situation.

In addition, when driving backwards while towing a trailer, a separate operation method is required from the driver, which requires skill on the part of the driver and reduces driving convenience. These various problems can greatly limit the diversification of the driver's range of activities using a trailer.

Therefore, the present invention was created to solve the above problems, and is a towing mode for a vehicle that can control the non-ideal behavior of the towed vehicle and easily control the behavior and direction of travel of the towed vehicle when driving in reverse. The purpose is to provide a control device and method.

The purpose of the present invention is not limited to the purposes mentioned above, and other purposes not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art (hereinafter referred to as 'ordinary skilled in the art') in the technical field to which the present invention pertains from the description below. It could be.

In order to achieve the above object, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a driving information detection unit that detects the driving status of connected vehicles to enable driving in towing mode; Based on the information indicating the driving status of the vehicles detected by the driving information detection unit, when driving in towing mode, a control signal is sent to control the driving force applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle connected to the preceding vehicle, which is a towing vehicle. Controller that outputs; and a driving device mounted on the following vehicle and controlled to apply adjusted driving force to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle according to a control signal output from the controller.

And, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a driving information detection unit detects information indicating the driving status of vehicles connected to enable driving in towing mode; When driving in towing mode, the controller outputs a control signal to control the driving force applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle connected to the preceding vehicle, which is a towing vehicle, based on information indicating the detected driving status of the vehicles. stage of becoming; and controlling a driving device mounted on the following vehicle according to a control signal output from the controller, thereby applying a controlled driving force to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle. .

Accordingly, according to the apparatus and method for controlling the towing mode of a vehicle according to the present invention, the following vehicle is also equipped with its own driving device and can use the driving force generated by the following vehicle during toing driving, thereby improving the fuel efficiency or fuel efficiency of the preceding vehicle.

In addition, driving assistance will be performed to reduce abnormal behavior of the following vehicle, such as sway phenomenon, that may occur when driving the vehicle by appropriately controlling the wheel torque applied to the left and right wheels by the driving device in the following vehicle. You can.

In addition, when reversing while towing, the driver's steering input information is used to control the wheel torque applied to the left and right wheels, enabling driving assistance to stably reverse the vehicle in the desired direction without requiring a separate reverse operation for the vehicle behind. can be performed, and thus driving convenience can be increased.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a towing mode control system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams showing vehicle behavior states according to the towing mode control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a flowchart showing a towing mode control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The specific structural or functional descriptions presented in the embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention, and the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention may be implemented in various forms. In addition, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in this specification, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

Meanwhile, in the present invention, terms such as first and/or second may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components, for example, without departing from the scope of rights according to the concept of the present invention, a first component may be named a second component, Similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. something to do. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being “directly connected” or “in direct contact” with another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between. Other expressions to describe the relationship between components, such as “between” and “immediately between” or “adjacent to” and “directly adjacent to”, should be interpreted similarly.

Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. The terms used in this specification are for describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms unless specifically stated in the phrase. As used in the specification, “comprises” and/or “comprising” means that a referenced component, step, operation and/or element is present in one or more other components, steps, operations and/or elements. or does not rule out addition.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a towing mode control system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams showing a vehicle behavior state by the towing mode control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. .

Figure 2 shows a state in which behavior stability control of a trailing vehicle (towed vehicle) 2 such as a trailer is performed when the vehicle is traveling at high speed. The left figure shows the control state of a conventional trailer vehicle, and the right figure shows the control state of the present invention. This shows the state in which towing mode control is performed.

Figure 3 shows the state when the vehicle is traveling backwards, the left figure shows the reverse state of a conventional trailer vehicle, and the right figure shows the state in which towing mode control according to the present invention is performed.

In the present invention, the towing mode driving state can be said to be a state in which a leading vehicle (1), which is a towing vehicle, and a following vehicle (2), which is a towed vehicle, are connected by a connection device.

At this time, the preceding vehicle 1 is a normal automobile equipped with its own driving device 30 that can generate driving force for driving and running the vehicle. Additionally, when the following vehicle 2 is connected to the preceding vehicle 1 and travels in towing mode, it may be rotated left and right based on the connection point with the preceding vehicle 1.

In the present invention, the driving device 30 of the preceding vehicle 1 may be a motor, and the preceding vehicle may be an electric vehicle driven by a motor. At this time, the preceding vehicle 1 may be a battery electric vehicle, which is a pure electric vehicle that runs only with a motor using battery power, or a fuel cell vehicle that runs with a motor using generated power from a fuel cell.

Alternatively, the preceding vehicle 1 may be an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle capable of driving using combined power of a motor and an internal combustion engine. In this case, the driving device 30 of the preceding vehicle 1 is a motor and an internal combustion engine. Alternatively, the preceding vehicle 1 may be an internal combustion engine vehicle.

Additionally, the preceding vehicle 1 is a normal automobile capable of driving, braking, and steering. This leading vehicle 1 is a vehicle that can tow the following vehicle while connected to the following vehicle 2 by a connection device, and therefore, in the present invention, the leading vehicle refers to a towing vehicle.

Additionally, in the present invention, the following vehicle 2 may be an existing trailer, and in particular, may be a trailer having its own driving device 40 capable of generating driving force. The driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 is provided to apply adjusted driving force to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 of the following vehicle, respectively.

In the present invention, the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 may be a motor. At this time, the following vehicle (2), like the preceding vehicle (1), is equipped with a battery (not shown) to supply power to the motor, and the battery is connected to the motor and an inverter (not shown) to enable charging and discharging. .

The following vehicle 2 is a vehicle that can be towed by the preceding vehicle while connected to the preceding vehicle 1 by a connection device, and therefore, in the present invention, the following vehicle refers to the towed vehicle.

In the present invention, the following vehicle 2 may be a two-wheeled vehicle having one left wheel 61 and one right wheel 62 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and the driving device of the following vehicle 2 ( 40) may be a motor capable of both forward and reverse rotation. At this time, both the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 of the two-wheeled vehicle are driving wheels connected to the driving device 40 to transmit power.

In the present invention, the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 includes two motors capable of transmitting power to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62, respectively, namely, a left wheel motor and a right wheel motor capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions. It may include a motor (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

In the present invention, the left wheel motor and the right wheel motor may be in-wheel motors. In this way, both the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 of the following vehicle 2 are driving wheels that are connected to the motor, which is the driving device 40, so as to transmit power and can receive the driving force of the motor.

Alternatively, in the present invention, one motor may be mounted as the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2, and the output side of the motor has a power distribution system that distributes the motor torque to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 61. Device 50 may be deployed.

The power distribution device 50 is disposed between the motor and the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 61 to distribute the driving force of the motor, which is the driving device 40, to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62. (see Figure 1). Figure 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment in which one motor is mounted as the driving device 40.

In addition, in the present invention, control of the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 is performed between the controller (first controller) 20 of the preceding vehicle 1, which will be described later, and which is equipped to enable communication, and the following vehicle 2. The controller (second controller) 23 can perform cooperative control with each other.

In addition, when the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 is a motor, regenerative braking may be performed by the motor of the following vehicle 2, and in this case, the drive control for the motor of the following vehicle 2 as well as regenerative braking may be performed. Braking control can also be performed through cooperative control between the controller 20 of the preceding vehicle 1 and the controller 23 of the following vehicle 2.

Meanwhile, the towing mode control device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a driving information detection unit that detects information indicating the driving status of vehicles running in towing mode, that is, vehicle driving information.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the driving information detector includes a gear stage detector 11 that detects the gear stage state of the preceding vehicle 1, a vehicle speed detector 12 that detects the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle 1, and a following vehicle ( 2) may include a lateral acceleration sensor 14 that detects the lateral acceleration. In addition, the driving information detector may further include a steering angle sensor 13 that detects the steering angle of the preceding vehicle 1.

The gear range detection unit 11 is for detecting the gear range status of the preceding vehicle 1, such as forward range (D range) and reverse range (R range). Since this is already provided in a typical vehicle, a detailed description will be omitted. Do this.

Additionally, the vehicle speed detection unit 12 may include a wheel speed sensor, and since acquisition of vehicle speed information from signals from the wheel speed sensor is a known technical matter, detailed description will be omitted.

In the present invention, the preceding vehicle 1 is equipped with a steering device like a normal vehicle. At this time, the steering angle sensor 13 is used to detect the steering angle, which is steering input information among the driver's driving input information, and outputs an electrical signal, that is, a steering angle signal, according to the driver's steering wheel operation state.

In addition, the preceding vehicle 1 may be equipped with detection elements such as a number of sensors (not shown) to detect and acquire the driver's driving input information, for example, to detect the driver's accelerator pedal input value (APS value). A pedal sensor (Accelerator Position Sensor, APS) and a brake pedal sensor (Brake Pedal Sensor, BPS) to detect the driver's brake pedal input value may be installed.

In addition, detection elements such as sensors for detecting and acquiring other vehicle driving information may be installed in the leading vehicle 1 and the following vehicle 2, and specifically, the rotation of the driving devices 30 and 40 in each vehicle. A speed detection unit (not shown) may be installed to detect the speed. For example, the speed detection unit may include a resolver, which is a sensor for detecting the motor speed of the preceding vehicle 1, and a resolver for detecting the motor speed of the following vehicle 2. A resolver, which is a sensor, can be installed.

The speed detector may be installed in each driving device 30 and 40. For example, in the following vehicle 2, a resolver may be installed in the left wheel motor and the right wheel motor respectively to detect the speed of the corresponding motor.

In addition, the towing mode control device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a controller that performs towing mode control, wherein the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2, such as the left wheel motor and the right wheel motor, The operation of is controlled according to the control signal of the controller.

The controller may include a first controller 20 mounted on the preceding vehicle 1 and a second controller 23 mounted on the following vehicle 2. At this time, when vehicle driving information indicating the vehicle driving state is acquired by various detection elements such as sensors in the vehicle, the first controller 20 of the preceding vehicle 1 makes a driver request based on the vehicle driving information acquired in real time. It may include a vehicle control unit (VCU) that determines the torque and generates and outputs a torque command to the vehicle driving device 30 based on the driver's required torque.

At this time, the driver's required torque is satisfied by the torque output by the driving device 30 of the preceding vehicle 1 and the driving device 30 of the following vehicle 2, and the vehicle controller takes the lead to meet the driver's required torque. Torque distribution can be performed between the driving device 30 of the vehicle 1 and the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2.

The sum of the torque generated by the driving device 30 of the preceding vehicle 1 and the torque generated by the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 must be able to meet the torque required by the driver, and the vehicle driving information Torque distribution can be performed between the driving device 30 of the preceding vehicle 1 and the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 according to a correspondingly determined distribution ratio.

In addition, the first controller 20 of the preceding vehicle 1 controls the operation of the driving device 30 of the vehicle, for example, the motor that drives the vehicle, according to the torque command output by the vehicle controller (VCU). It may further include a controller (Motor Control Unit, MCU).

In addition, the second controller 23 of the following vehicle 2 may also include a vehicle controller and a motor controller, where the vehicle controller of the preceding vehicle 1 and the vehicle controller of the following vehicle 2 perform cooperative control. It may be provided to enable mutual communication.

To this end, the towing mode control device connects the preceding vehicle (1) with the preceding vehicle (1) for wired or wireless communication between the first controller (20), which is the controller of the preceding vehicle (1), and the second controller (23), which is the controller of the following vehicle (2). It may further include communication devices 21 and 22 provided in each of the following vehicles 2.

That is, the first controller 20 and the second controller 23 are connected to the communication devices 21 and 22 provided in each vehicle, and the two controllers 20 and 23 use the communication devices 21 and 22. They are connected to enable mutual communication so that various signals can be exchanged.

In this way, in the configuration of the towing mode control device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the controller includes the first controller 20 of the preceding vehicle (towed vehicle) 1 and the second controller of the following vehicle (towed vehicle) 2. It may include (23), and the first controller 20 and the second controller 23 can perform mutual communication and cooperative control to control the towing mode.

However, the towing mode control according to the embodiment of the present invention is not performed by two separate controllers divided into the first controller 20 and the second controller 23, but is performed by one integrated control element. It may be possible.

Therefore, in the following description, 'controller' may refer to the first controller 20 and the second controller 23 that perform mutual communication and cooperative control for towing mode control according to an embodiment of the present invention. , Alternatively, it may refer to a single integrated control element that performs towing mode control according to an embodiment of the present invention.

If towing mode control according to an embodiment of the present invention is performed by one integrated control element, the controller that is the integrated control element may be a controller mounted on the preceding vehicle (1), and in this case, the following vehicle ( The sensor installed in 2) may be equipped to transmit and input a signal to the controller of the preceding vehicle 1 through the communication devices 21 and 22. In this way, the controller can receive signals from sensors installed in the following vehicle 2 directly through wired or wireless communication.

Likewise, the controller installed in the preceding vehicle 1 outputs a torque command to control the operation of the motor, which is the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2, and the motor of the following vehicle 2 is connected to the preceding vehicle 1. It can be controlled according to the torque command received from the controller.

At this time, the following vehicle 2 may be separately equipped with a motor controller that controls the operation of the motor of the following vehicle 2 according to the received torque command. In this case, the controller controls the motor of the following vehicle 2. It can be said to include a motor controller. Alternatively, in this case as well, it is possible to define the controller of the preceding vehicle 1 as the first controller 20 and the motor controller of the following vehicle 2 as the second controller 23.

And, in the present invention, the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 is, as described above, two motors connected to enable power transmission to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62, respectively, namely, a left wheel motor and It may include a right wheel motor. The left wheel motor and the right wheel motor may be in-wheel motors installed on each wheel.

Or, as another embodiment according to the present invention, the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 may include one motor, and in this case, the motor, the left wheel 61 and the right driving wheel of the following vehicle 2 A power distribution device 50 is installed between the wheels 62 to individually control the motor torque applied to each wheel.

In the present invention, the controller (which may be a second controller) controls the operation of the power distribution device 50 according to vehicle driving information, and the left wheel 61 and the right wheel (61) are controlled by the power distribution device 50. 62) The motor torque applied can be controlled.

In the present invention, a known power distribution device 50 capable of controlling the motor torque and driving force applied to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 can be used. For example, the power distribution device 50 is used for the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62. It may include a torque vectoring device capable of distributing torque to the wheel 61 and the right wheel 62.

In addition, the power distribution device 50 may further include a clutch (not shown) to control the torque of the motor for each wheel so that the torque of the motor is not applied to the selected wheel. In this case, the driving device of the following vehicle 2 As (40), even if a single motor is used, motor torque can be prevented from being applied to the selected one of the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62.

In the present invention, the controller controls not only the driving device 30 of the preceding vehicle 1 and the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2, but also the torque of the motor, which is the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2, at a predetermined power distribution ratio. It is also provided to control the operation of the power distribution device 50, which distributes and applies power to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62.

In this way, the configuration of the towing mode control device according to an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, and the towing mode control method will be described in detail below.

In the present invention, the following vehicle (2) coupled to the preceding vehicle (1) may be a mobility vehicle equipped with its own driving device (40). In this way, a method of controlling the driving force of the mobility equipped with the self-driving device 40 in various driving situations is disclosed.

In the present invention, the following vehicle (2) also generates its own driving force, so the fuel efficiency or fuel efficiency of the preceding vehicle (1) can be improved. In addition, by appropriately controlling the wheel torque applied to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 by the driving device 40 in the following vehicle 2, non-ideal behavior of the following vehicle that may occur while driving the vehicle, such as sway ( Driving assistance to reduce sway phenomenon, etc. can be performed.

In addition, when reversing while towing, the driver's steering input information is used to control the wheel torque applied to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62, thereby steering the vehicle in the desired direction without a separate reverse operation for the following vehicle 2. Driving assistance that can stably drive backwards can be performed, and thus driving convenience can be increased.

Figure 4 is a flowchart showing a towing mode control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control method will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 together with FIG. 4.

In the present invention, the following vehicle 2 is connected to the preceding vehicle 1 through a rigid body such as a coupling device, as described above, and the following vehicle 2 may be a mobility vehicle equipped with its own driving device 40. Here, the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 may include a left wheel motor and a right wheel motor.

Alternatively, the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 may include one motor connected to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 through the power distribution device 50. At this time, the driving force of the motor distributed to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 can be controlled by the power distribution device 50, and the driving force to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 61 can be controlled to achieve high speed. When driving, the behavior of the following vehicle 2 can be maintained stably.

In addition, the controller (which may be a first controller) uses a driving information detection unit such as a sensor to collect information such as steering angle and steering angle speed, which are steering input information, and gear range and vehicle speed as vehicle driving information indicating the driving state of the preceding vehicle 1. acquired through Here, the steering angle speed is information obtained by differentiating the steering angle signal.

Additionally, the controller acquires lateral acceleration information of the following vehicle 2 detected by the lateral acceleration sensor 14 as vehicle driving information indicating the behavior state of the rear vehicle. At this time, the lateral acceleration information detected by the lateral acceleration sensor 14 may be transmitted from the second controller 23 to the first controller 20 through the communication devices 21 and 22.

The controller (first controller) determines whether the vehicle is in a forward state (step S10) or in a reverse state (step S20) through the signal of the gear stage detector 11, that is, the gear stage signal of the preceding vehicle 1, In the forward state (gear stage = D stage), it is determined whether the current vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detector 12 is a high-speed driving situation higher than the set speed (α) (S11).

If the vehicle is in a high-speed driving situation in the forward state (vehicle speed ≥ α), the controller (which may be the first controller) based on the signal of the lateral acceleration sensor 14 mounted on the following vehicle 2, that is, the lateral acceleration signal. The non-ideal behavior of the following vehicle 2, such as the state of sway phenomenon, is determined (S12).

In step S12, if the lateral acceleration value occurring in the left and right directions of the vehicle is greater than the preset acceleration (β) value (｜lateral acceleration｜>β), the controller determines that the trailing vehicle 2 is exhibiting an abnormal behavior state. It can be set to judge.

Then, when it is determined that abnormal behavior of the following vehicle (2) has occurred, the controller operates the left wheel motor and right wheel motor, or the driving device (40), which are the driving devices (40) of the following vehicle (2), according to the direction of lateral acceleration of the vehicle. ) controls the operation of the motor (single motor) and the power distribution device 50 to control the driving torque applied to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62.

At this time, the controller controls the driving torque applied to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 based on the lateral acceleration direction of the following vehicle 2, but operates in a direction that reduces the non-ideal behavior of the following vehicle 2, that is, Control to reduce the lateral acceleration of the following vehicle (2).

That is, when the following vehicle 2 exhibits abnormal behavior in the right direction, such as turning to the right around the connection point with the preceding vehicle 1, the driving force applied to the left wheel 61 of the following vehicle 2 is reduced. increases, and the driving force applied to the right wheel 62 decreases (steps S13 and S14).

However, on the contrary, if non-ideal leftward behavior occurs in which the following vehicle 2 rotates to the left around the connection point with the preceding vehicle 1, the driving force applied to the left wheel 61 of the following vehicle 2 decreases, and increases the driving force applied to the right wheel 62 (steps S15 and S16).

In controlling the driving force applied to the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 as described above, the driving force (torque) applied to the left wheel 61 and the driving force (torque) applied to the right wheel are the same as those of both wheels. The driving force sum may be determined to satisfy the driving force distributed to the following vehicle 2 among the total required driving force (driver required torque).

Then, the controller repeatedly performs the above process until the signal value of the lateral acceleration sensor 14 becomes less than the set acceleration (β) value (|lateral acceleration|≤β) (step S17).

Meanwhile, when the controller determines that the vehicle is in a reverse driving situation from the signal of the gear range detection unit 11 (gear range = R range), the controller obtains from the signal of the steering angle sensor 13 installed in the preceding vehicle 1 as vehicle driving information. Using steering input information such as steering angle and steering angle speed, the driving status of the left wheel 61 and right wheel 62 of the following vehicle 2 is controlled when reversing.

At this time, the steering angle of the wheel being steered by the preceding vehicle 1 and the steering direction information of the preceding vehicle 1 can be obtained from the steering angle information obtained from the signal of the steering angle sensor 13 (S21).

Then, the controller controls the driving status of the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 of the following vehicle 2 according to the steering angle and steering direction of the preceding vehicle 1. At this time, the left wheel motor and the right wheel motor (or a single It controls the behavior of the following vehicle (2) when reversing by controlling the control mechanisms such as motors and clutches.

That is, when the driver wants to reverse the following vehicle 2 to the left, the controller drives the right wheel 62 of the following vehicle 2 in the reverse direction, and at this time, the left wheel 61 is controlled in a non-driven state. Do this (steps S23 and S24). For example, the right wheel motor can be driven in the reverse direction and the left wheel motor can be controlled in a non-driving state.

However, on the contrary, when the driver wants to reverse the following vehicle 2 to the right, the controller drives the left wheel 61 of the following vehicle 2 in the reverse direction, and at this time, puts the right wheel 62 in a non-driving state. Control (steps S25 and S26). For example, the left wheel motor can be driven in the reverse direction and the left wheel motor can be controlled in a non-driving state.

In this way, among the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 of the following vehicle 1, the wheel in the opposite direction to the steering direction of the preceding vehicle 1 is driven backwards, and the remaining wheels are controlled to be in a non-driving state. At this time, the driving force of the wheel driven backwards may be determined as a value corresponding to the steering angle using a scale map according to the steering angle.

Afterwards, when the gear range is switched from reverse range (R range) to park range (P range), reverse travel control ends (step S27).

To explain further with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, as shown in the left drawing, since there is no separate means for controlling non-ideal behavior states that occur in the trailer in the related art, the speed of the preceding vehicle 1 is simply adjusted. Control is performed to reduce non-ideal behavior by slowing down.

On the other hand, in the present invention, the non-ideal behavior of the following vehicle 2 can be controlled by controlling the driving states of the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 of the following vehicle 2. That is, in the case of a high-speed driving situation of the vehicle, the driving force applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle 2 is controlled by the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 in consideration of the direction in which the non-ideal behavior occurred. . This generates its own moment in a direction that prevents the non-ideal behavior of the following vehicle (2) turning left and right around the hinge portion, which is a connection part with the preceding vehicle (1).

Additionally, conventionally, in a reverse situation, the steering direction of the preceding vehicle must be opposite to the direction in which the trailer is heading. This causes the driver the inconvenience of having to learn a separate trailer operation method, and requires a certain level of skill in driving when the vehicle is in reverse.

On the other hand, in the present invention, the driving status of the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62 of the following vehicle 2 are controlled according to the steering angle and steering direction of the preceding vehicle 1 in a reverse driving situation, so that the drivability of the vehicle when traveling backwards is controlled. can be improved.

That is, when driving backwards, the driving device 40 of the following vehicle 2 is controlled according to the steering angle and steering direction of the preceding vehicle 1 to appropriately control the driving states of the left wheel 61 and the right wheel 62. For example, when reversing to the right, if the left wheel motor of the following vehicle 2 is driven and the right wheel motor is controlled to stop, the same behavior as when reversing a general vehicle can be achieved.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements can be made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention as defined in the following patent claims. It is also included in the scope of rights of the present invention.

1: Leading vehicle 2: Following vehicle
11: Gear stage detection unit 12: Vehicle speed detection unit
13: steering angle sensor 14: lateral acceleration sensor
20: first controller 21, 22: communication device
23: second controller 30, 40: driving device (motor)
50: Power distribution device 61: Left wheel
62: Right wheel

Claims (16)

A driving information detection unit that detects the driving status of connected vehicles to enable driving in towing mode;
Based on the information indicating the driving status of the vehicles detected by the driving information detection unit, when driving in towing mode, a control signal is sent to control the driving force applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle connected to the preceding vehicle, which is a towing vehicle. Controller that outputs; and
A towing mode control device for a vehicle, including a driving device mounted on the following vehicle and controlled to apply adjusted driving force to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle according to a control signal output from the controller.
In claim 1,
The driving device mounted on the following vehicle is,
a left wheel motor that applies torque to the left wheel of the following vehicle; and
A towing mode control device for a vehicle, comprising a right wheel motor that applies torque to the right wheel of the following vehicle.
In claim 1,
The driving device mounted on the following vehicle is a motor for applying driving force to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle,
A power distribution device is disposed on the output side of the motor mounted on the following vehicle to distribute the driving force of the motor to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle,
The towing mode control device for a vehicle, characterized in that the controller is provided to control the operation of the power distribution device and adjust the driving force distributed and applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle by the motor.
In claim 1,
The driving information detection unit,
a gear stage detection unit that detects the gear stage state of the preceding vehicle;
a vehicle speed detector that detects the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle; and
A towing mode control device for a vehicle, comprising a lateral acceleration sensor that detects the lateral acceleration of the following vehicle.
In claim 4,
The controller is,
The gear state detected by the gear stage detection unit is a forward gear,
A high-speed driving state in which the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit is higher than the set speed,
If the lateral acceleration detected by the lateral acceleration sensor is greater than the set acceleration value,
A towing mode control device for a vehicle, characterized in that it is set to output a control signal for controlling the driving force applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle according to the detected lateral acceleration.
In claim 5,
The controller is,
A vehicle characterized in that it outputs a control signal to control the driving force applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle based on the direction of the lateral acceleration of the following vehicle so that the detected lateral acceleration of the following vehicle is less than or equal to the set acceleration value. towing mode control device.
In claim 5 or claim 6,
The controller is,
When the behavior of the following vehicle turning to the right around the connection point with the preceding vehicle occurs, a control signal is output to increase the driving force applied to the left wheel of the following vehicle and reduce the driving force applied to the right wheel,
When the behavior of the following vehicle turning to the left around the connection point with the preceding vehicle occurs, a control signal is set to output a control signal to reduce the driving force applied to the left wheel of the following vehicle and increase the driving force applied to the right wheel. Characterized by a towing mode control device for a vehicle.
In claim 1,
The driving information detection unit,
a gear stage detection unit that detects the gear stage state of the preceding vehicle; and
A towing mode control device for a vehicle, comprising a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle of the preceding vehicle.
In claim 8,
The controller is,
When the gear stage detected by the gear stage detection unit is a reverse range and the left steering state is determined based on the steering angle information detected by the steering angle sensor, the right wheel of the following vehicle is in a reverse drive state and the left wheel is in a reverse drive state. Outputs a control signal to control in a non-driving state,
When the gear stage detected by the gear stage detection unit is a reverse range and the right steering state is determined based on the steering angle information detected by the steering angle sensor, the left wheel of the following vehicle is in a reverse drive state and the right wheel is in a reverse drive state. A towing mode control device for a vehicle, characterized in that it is set to output a control signal for control in a non-driving state.
A step of detecting, by a driving information detection unit, information indicating the driving state of a vehicle connected to enable driving in towing mode;
When driving in towing mode, the controller outputs a control signal to control the driving force applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle connected to the preceding vehicle, which is the towing vehicle, based on the information indicating the detected driving state of the vehicle. stage of becoming; and
A towing mode control method for a vehicle comprising the step of controlling a driving device mounted on the following vehicle according to a control signal output from the controller, and applying adjusted driving force to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle.
In claim 10,
The information indicating the driving status of the vehicles includes the gear state of the preceding vehicle, the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle, and the lateral acceleration of the following vehicle, which are detected by the driving information detector. .
In claim 11,
The controller is,
The detected gear state is forward gear,
A high-speed driving state in which the detected vehicle speed is higher than the set speed,
If the detected lateral acceleration is greater than the set acceleration value,
A towing mode control method for a vehicle, characterized in that outputting a control signal for controlling the driving force applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle according to the detected lateral acceleration.
In claim 12,
The controller is,
A towing mode control method for a vehicle, characterized in that outputting a control signal to control the driving force applied to the left and right wheels of the following vehicle based on the direction of lateral acceleration so that the detected lateral acceleration is less than or equal to the set acceleration value. .
In claim 12 or claim 13,
The controller is,
When the behavior of the following vehicle turning to the right around the connection point with the preceding vehicle occurs, a control signal is output to increase the driving force applied to the left wheel of the following vehicle and reduce the driving force applied to the right wheel,
When the behavior of the following vehicle turning to the left around the connection point with the preceding vehicle occurs, a control signal is output to reduce the driving force applied to the left wheel of the following vehicle and increase the driving force applied to the right wheel. Characterized by a towing mode control method for a vehicle.
In claim 10,
The towing mode control method for a vehicle, wherein the information representing the driving status of the vehicles includes the gear state of the preceding vehicle and the steering angle of the preceding vehicle, which are detected by the driving information detection unit.
In claim 15,
The controller is,
When the detected gear range is reverse gear and the left steering state is determined based on the detected steering angle information, a control signal for controlling the right wheel of the following vehicle to the reverse drive state and the left wheel to the non-drive state. prints ,
When the detected gear stage is reverse gear and the right steering state is determined based on the detected steering angle information, a control signal for controlling the left wheel of the following vehicle to the reverse drive state and the right wheel to the non-drive state. A towing mode control method for a vehicle, characterized in that set to output.

Images