Corner module assembly for electric vehicle and electric vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a corner module assembly for an electric vehicle and the electric vehicle, and relates to the technical field of new energy automobiles. The angle module assembly comprises a wheel edge controller, a driving motor, a braking motor and a steering motor, the wheel edge controller comprises a shell, a control circuit and a driving circuit, and the control circuit is used for controlling the driving circuit to drive the driving motor, the braking motor and the steering motor; the surface of the shell comprises a plurality of communication interfaces, a power battery interface, a low-voltage battery interface and a plurality of current output interfaces. The driving circuit is used for receiving power supplied by a low-voltage battery through the low-voltage battery interface and supplying power to the steering motor and the brake motor through the plurality of current output interfaces; the driving circuit is further used for receiving high-voltage direct current output by the power battery through the power battery interface, converting the high-voltage direct current into first alternating current and then supplying power to the driving motor through the multiple current output interfaces. According to the scheme, the number of control chips is reduced, the unsprung mass is reduced, and the integration level and the economical efficiency are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of electric vehicles, and more particularly, to an angle module assembly for an electric vehicle and the electric vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the further development of the electrification of electric vehicles, consumers have further improved requirements for vehicle ride comfort, handling performance, and passenger compartment space. The skateboard chassis and angle module concepts have emerged, which greatly improve the available space of the passenger compartment and the comfort of consumers by integrating driving, braking, steering, and suspension into four wheel ends. The application of the angle module has a cross-generation improvement in vehicle space, weight reduction, development cycle, and special scene functions. However, the current electric vehicle components are basically independently controlled, and only a few functions are cooperatively controlled by the vehicle control unit (VCU). It is a stack of existing driving, steering, braking, and suspension products, and the integration degree is low and the cost is high.

[0003] Therefore, how to improve the integration degree and economy of the electric vehicle angle module is a problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides an angle module assembly for an electric vehicle and the electric vehicle, which directly integrates the controllers of the driving motor, the braking motor, and the steering motor in the wheel controller at the wheel side, reduces the number of control chips, reduces the unsprung mass, and improves the integration degree and economy of the electric vehicle angle module.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides an angle module assembly for an electric vehicle, the angle module assembly comprising a wheel controller, a driving motor, a braking motor, and a steering motor, the driving motor, the braking motor, and the steering motor being respectively configured to drive, brake, and steer one wheel, the wheel controller comprising a housing, and a control circuit and a driving circuit accommodated in the housing, the control circuit being configured to control the driving circuit to drive the driving motor, the braking motor, and the steering motor, a surface of the housing comprising a plurality of communication interfaces, a power battery interface, a low-voltage battery interface, and a plurality of current output interfaces. The control circuit is configured to receive signals from a controller area network (CAN) bus of the electric vehicle through the communication interfaces; the driving circuit is configured to receive power from a low-voltage battery through the low-voltage battery interface and supply power to the steering motor and the braking motor through the plurality of current output interfaces; and the driving circuit is further configured to receive high-voltage direct current output by a power battery through the power battery interface, convert the high-voltage direct current into first alternating current, and supply power to the driving motor through the plurality of current output interfaces.

[0006] The corner module assembly is a modular unit integrating driving, braking, and steering functions, installed at the position of each wheel of an electric vehicle, and is used to control one wheel of the electric vehicle. The corner module assembly is also referred to as a corner module, a corner module driver, and other names.

[0007] The corner module assembly includes a wheel controller, a driving motor, a braking motor, and a steering motor. The wheel controller integrates the control of the driving motor, the braking motor, and the steering motor, and is used to control the driving motor to output torque to drive one wheel of the electric vehicle, control the braking motor to output braking force to brake one wheel, and control the steering motor to output torque to adjust the steering angle of one wheel. In order to realize the control of the driving motor, the braking motor, and the steering motor, the wheel controller needs multiple interfaces, and the surface of the shell of the wheel controller includes multiple communication interfaces, a power battery interface, a low-voltage battery interface, and multiple current output interfaces. The wheel controller receives the signals of the controller area network bus of the electric vehicle through the communication interface, and is used to receive the signals of other components or sensors of the electric vehicle, so as to realize calculation. The control circuit of the wheel controller receives the power supply of one low-voltage battery through the low-voltage battery interface, and the low-voltage battery supplies power to the driving circuit in the wheel controller.

[0008] The wheel controller also includes a driving circuit, which is used to drive the driving motor, the braking motor, and the steering motor of the corner module assembly respectively. The driving circuit receives the low-voltage direct current output by one low-voltage battery through the low-voltage battery interface and receives the high-voltage direct current output by the power battery through the power battery interface, and the driving circuit converts the low-voltage direct current and the high-voltage direct current to supply power to the driving motor, the braking motor, and the steering motor. The multiple current output interfaces include a steering output interface, a braking output interface, and a driving output interface, the driving circuit supplies power to the steering motor through the steering output interface and supplies power to the braking motor through the braking output interface. The driving circuit converts the high-voltage direct current into first alternating current and supplies power to the driving motor through the driving output interface.

[0009] In a traditional corner module system architecture, each corner module includes a driving unit, a braking unit, a steering unit and a suspension unit. The driving unit includes a motor controller and a driving motor, the braking unit includes a brake motor controller and a brake motor and a brake reducer, the steering unit includes a steering motor controller and a steering motor and a steering reducer, and the suspension unit includes a suspension motor controller and a suspension motor and a suspension reducer. The system architecture also includes a central controller, which is connected to the multiple controllers in each corner module through a controller area network bus and controls each corner module. Therefore, the traditional corner module system architecture includes multiple controllers, the corner module is only a stack of driving, braking and steering products, the system design is complex, the integration degree is low, the number of controllers required is large, and the cost is high. The corner module assembly of the present application integrates the controllers of the driving motor, the brake motor and the steering motor into a wheel-side controller, the wheel-side controller receives power supply from a low-voltage battery and a power battery of an electric vehicle and supplies power to the driving motor, the brake motor and the steering motor respectively, and is directly controlled by the wheel-side controller, thereby reducing the number of control chips, and the multiple controllers are integrated in a wheel-side controller housing and the wheel-side controller is arranged on a vehicle frame, thereby reducing the unsprung mass.

[0010] According to the scheme of the present application, the controllers of the driving motor, the brake motor and the steering motor are integrated into the wheel-side controller, the wheel-side controller directly outputs driving current to each motor for control, the number of control chips is reduced, the unsprung mass is reduced, the integration degree of the corner module of the electric vehicle is improved, and the cost of the corner module assembly is reduced.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the surface of the housing further includes a sensor interface, the control circuit is configured to connect a throttle pedal sensor to the sensor interface by a hard wire and control the driving circuit to adjust the current of the first alternating current output to the driving motor according to a throttle pedal opening degree indicated by the throttle pedal sensor. The control circuit is further configured to connect a brake pedal sensor to the sensor interface by a hard wire and control the driving circuit to adjust the current output to the brake motor according to a brake pedal opening degree indicated by the brake pedal sensor.

[0012] The wheel-side controller is connected to sensors of the electric vehicle through multiple sensor interfaces on the surface of the housing. The sensors include a throttle pedal sensor and a brake pedal sensor. The control circuit in the wheel-side controller receives signals sent by the sensors of the electric vehicle through the sensor interfaces.

[0013] In one implementation, the sensor interface is connected with the accelerator pedal sensor and the brake pedal sensor through hardwires respectively. The control circuit is configured to receive the accelerator pedal signal from the accelerator pedal sensor and the brake pedal signal from the brake pedal sensor through the hardwires. The accelerator pedal signal from the accelerator pedal sensor is indicative of the opening of the accelerator pedal, and the brake pedal signal from the brake pedal sensor is indicative of the opening of the brake pedal.

[0014] The accelerator pedal in the present application is also referred to as the electric pedal or the acceleration pedal. The opening of the accelerator pedal is indicative of the driving force required by the driver. The greater the opening of the accelerator pedal, the greater the driving force required by the driver, and the greater the torque required to be output by the driving motor. The control circuit controls the current of the first alternating current output by the driving circuit to the driving motor according to the opening of the accelerator pedal, so that the driving motor outputs the torque indicated by the opening of the accelerator pedal. The greater the opening of the accelerator pedal, the greater the current of the first alternating current output by the driving circuit, and thus the greater the torque output by the driving motor. The smaller the opening of the accelerator pedal, the smaller the current of the first alternating current output by the driving circuit, and thus the smaller the torque output by the driving motor. The wheel-side controller controls the torque output by the driving motor to change with the change of the opening of the accelerator pedal.

[0015] The brake pedal in the present application is also referred to as the brake or the brake pedal. The opening of the brake pedal is indicative of the braking force required by the driver. The greater the opening of the brake pedal, the greater the braking force required by the driver, and the greater the braking force required to be output by the braking motor of the corner module assembly. When the vehicle is in normal driving, the control circuit controls the current output by the driving circuit to the braking motor according to the opening of the brake pedal, so that the braking motor outputs the braking force indicated by the opening of the brake pedal. The greater the opening of the brake pedal, the greater the current output by the driving circuit, and thus the greater the braking force output by the braking motor. The smaller the opening of the brake pedal, the smaller the current output by the driving circuit, and thus the smaller the braking force output by the braking motor. The wheel-side controller controls the braking force output by the braking motor to change with the change of the opening of the brake pedal.

[0016] In the traditional corner module architecture, the signals of the accelerator pedal sensor and the brake pedal sensor are received by the central controller for calculation, and then the control signals are sent to the motor controller and the braking motor controller in each corner module through the controller area network bus. Due to the bandwidth of the controller area network bus, there is a delay from the sensor information sensing to the final actuator execution. In the corner module assembly in the present application, the control circuit of the wheel-side controller receives the signals of the accelerator pedal sensor and the brake pedal sensor through hardwires, and controls the driving motor and the braking motor of the corner module assembly according to the calculation of the signals.

[0017] According to the scheme, the wheel-side controller is directly connected to the accelerator pedal sensor and the brake pedal sensor through a hard line, and controls according to the signals, thereby reducing signal transmission time and improving integration and control efficiency.

[0018] In some implementations of the first aspect, the control circuit is configured to receive signals of at least two private CAN buses through the communication interface, the private CAN buses being used to realize communication between the other three corner module assemblies and the corner module assembly of the electric vehicle.

[0019] The four corner module assemblies of the electric vehicle are connected to each other through at least two internal controller area network buses, and the number of internal controller area network buses can be increased to three or four according to actual communication load rate. In other implementations, the four corner module assemblies are connected through other high-speed communication modes. When one internal controller area network bus fails, another internal controller area network bus can be used to maintain the connection and communication between the corner module assemblies.

[0020] The four corner module assemblies of the electric vehicle are connected to each other through at least two internal controller area network buses. The accelerator pedal sensor of the electric vehicle is usually one, and is connected to the wheel-side controller of one corner module assembly. The other corner module assemblies receive signals sent by other corner module assemblies through the internal controller area network bus, so as to obtain the accelerator pedal opening degree and the brake pedal opening degree, and further control the drive circuit to adjust the current size of the first alternating current output to the drive motor and control the drive circuit to adjust the current size output to the brake motor.

[0021] According to the scheme, the corner module assemblies are connected through at least two internal controller area network buses, which ensures high-speed signal transmission between the corner module assemblies, realizes device redundancy of signal transmission, and improves the stability and safety of the corner module assemblies.

[0022] In some implementations of the first aspect, the control circuit is configured to receive signals of at least two private CAN buses through the communication interface, the private CAN buses being used to realize communication between the other three corner module assemblies and the corner module assembly of the electric vehicle.

[0023] The wheel-side controller of the corner module assembly receives signals of at least two paths of a CAN bus of the electric vehicle through a communication interface, and the CAN bus is connected with a mobile data center (MDC), a vehicle dynamic control (VDC), a battery management system (BMS) and other systems of the electric vehicle. The corner module assembly communicates with other systems of the electric vehicle through the CAN bus.

[0024] According to the scheme of the present application, the corner module assembly and other systems of the electric vehicle are connected through at least two paths of the CAN bus, which ensures the signal transmission between the corner module assembly and other systems, realizes the redundancy of the signal transmission device, and improves the stability and safety of the corner module assembly.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the corner module assembly further includes a suspension motor, and the wheel-side controller is configured to control the suspension motor to output a torque to adjust a damping or a height of a suspension connected with a wheel. The drive circuit is configured to convert high-voltage direct current into second alternating current and supply power to the suspension motor through a plurality of current output interfaces.

[0026] The corner module assembly further includes a suspension motor. The wheel-side controller integrates the control of the drive motor, the brake motor, the steering motor and the suspension motor. The suspension of the corner module assembly is used to connect the body of the electric vehicle with the wheels, and provides support, buffering and stability during driving of the electric vehicle. The suspension includes a shock absorber. Each wheel is connected with the body of the electric vehicle through a shock absorber. For the suspension with a damping-adjustable shock absorber, the wheel-side controller sends a target damping coefficient or a target damping level to the suspension of the corner module assembly, and outputs the second alternating current to the suspension motor of the corner module to adjust the damping of the shock absorber. The suspension further includes an air suspension or a fully active suspension. After the wheel-side controller determines a target wheel suspension height, the wheel-side controller outputs the second alternating current to the suspension motor of the corner module to make the suspension motor output a torque to adjust the suspension height.

[0027] In a complex driving scene of the electric vehicle requiring cooperation of driving, braking and suspension, such as intelligent driving, drifting, U-turn, driving on bumpy road and the like, the wheel-side controller jointly controls the drive motor, the brake motor, the steering motor and the suspension motor of the corner module assembly, and cooperatively adjusts the torque, the braking force, the steering angle and the damping and height of the suspension output to the wheels, thereby improving the accuracy of cooperative control.

[0028] According to the scheme, the wheel-side controller integrates the control of the driving motor, the braking motor, the steering motor and the suspension motor, and can improve the control limit of the electric vehicle and the steering performance and comfort through cooperative control.

[0029] In some implementations of the first aspect, the low-voltage battery interface is further configured to connect another low-voltage battery, and the driving circuit is configured to receive power supply of the another low-voltage battery through the low-voltage battery interface. The angle module assembly further comprises a voltage reduction circuit configured to output current after voltage reduction conversion of high-voltage direct current output by the power battery.

[0030] The electric vehicle is provided with two or two sets of low-voltage batteries, and the angle module assembly is connected with both of the low-voltage batteries through the low-voltage battery interface. The angle module assembly further comprises a voltage reduction circuit configured to convert high-voltage direct current received from the power battery into low-voltage direct current, so as to realize the same effect as the low-voltage direct current output by the two low-voltage batteries.

[0031] According to the scheme, the angle module assembly is connected with two low-voltage batteries and has high-voltage auxiliary power supply, so that the power supply redundancy is realized, and the stability and safety of the angle module assembly are improved.

[0032] In some implementations of the first aspect, the control circuit is configured to receive power supply of the another low-voltage battery through the low-voltage battery interface or receive power supply of the voltage reduction circuit when one low-voltage battery fails or the power of the one low-voltage battery is lower than a threshold value. The driving circuit is configured to supply power to the steering motor and the braking motor through the another low-voltage battery or the voltage reduction circuit when one low-voltage battery fails or the power of the one low-voltage battery is lower than a threshold value.

[0033] When one low-voltage battery fails or the power of the one low-voltage battery is lower than a threshold value, the control circuit and the steering motor and the braking motor cannot obtain power supply from the low-voltage battery, which may cause the angle module assembly to fail. At this time, the control circuit and the steering motor and the braking motor receive power supply from the another low-voltage battery through the low-voltage battery interface, or receive power supply from the voltage reduction circuit when the another low-voltage battery cannot provide power supply.

[0034] According to the scheme, the angle module assembly receives double power supply of the low-voltage battery and has triple redundancy, so that the continuous power supply of the angle module assembly is guaranteed, and the stability and safety of the angle module assembly are improved.

[0035] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the control circuit includes two control chips in communication with each other, one of the control chips being configured to control the drive circuit to adjust the drive current output to the drive motor and the suspension motor, and the other control chip being configured to control the drive circuit to adjust the drive current output to the brake motor and the steering motor.

[0036] The control circuit includes two control chips, one of the control chips being configured to control the drive motor and the suspension motor, and the other control chip being configured to control the brake motor and the steering motor. The two control chips are in communication with each other and exchange necessary control signals. One of the control chips is responsible for controlling high-voltage motors, and the other control chip is responsible for controlling low-voltage motors. In complex driving scenarios that require cooperation of driving, braking, and suspension, the two control chips jointly control the drive motor, the brake motor, the steering motor, and the suspension motor, and cooperatively adjust the torque, braking force, steering angle, and suspension damping and height output to the wheels, thereby improving the accuracy of cooperative control.

[0037] According to the scheme of the present application, two control chips are provided to control the drive circuit, which provides sufficient control computing power while reducing the number of control chips, improves the integration of the corner module assembly, and reduces costs.

[0038] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the two control chips are connected through a serial communication interface, and the two control chips are configured to detect faults by periodically monitoring each other through the serial communication interface. One of the control chips is configured to, during a process in which the wheel-side controller controls the brake motor to output a braking force to brake a wheel, control the drive circuit to adjust the drive current output to the drive motor to cause the drive motor to output a reverse torque, the reverse torque being configured to brake the wheel.

[0039] The two control chips are connected through a serial communication interface, and the two control chips detect faults by periodically monitoring each other, such as heart rate monitoring. During a process in which the corner module assembly brakes a wheel, if the control chip configured to control the brake motor to output a braking force fails, the control chip configured to control the drive motor can control the drive motor to output a reverse torque, thereby also braking the wheel. The control chips achieve fault-tolerant control under failure through inter-hardware core communication, thereby avoiding simultaneous loss of control of driving, braking, steering, and suspension.

[0040] According to the scheme of the present application, the two control chips detect each other under the control architecture of the dual-chip, and one control chip compensates for the failure of the other control chip as much as possible, thereby improving the stability and safety of the corner module assembly.

[0041] In some implementations of the first aspect, the computing frequency of one control chip is greater than the computing frequency of the other control chip.

[0042] Two control chips are arranged in the angle module assembly, and the specifications of the two control chips are selected according to the needs of calculation and control. Generally, the control of the driving motor and the suspension motor requires higher accuracy and requirements, and the calculation amount is usually larger, so the control chip for controlling the driving motor and the suspension motor selects a control chip with a higher computing frequency, and the control chip for controlling the steering motor and the brake motor selects a lower specification chip.

[0043] It should be understood that both control chips can also select high-specification control chips to achieve computing redundancy and improve computing stability, but also increase the cost.

[0044] According to the scheme of the present application, different specifications of control chips are selected for control, which reduces the cost while meeting availability.

[0045] In some implementations of the first aspect, the control circuit is further configured to receive signals of a resolver sensor and a clamping force sensor through a sensor interface. The control circuit is further configured to control the drive circuit to adjust the current size of the first alternating current output to the driving motor according to the rotational speed of the driving motor indicated by the resolver sensor, and control the drive circuit to adjust the current size of the output to the brake motor according to the brake force received by one wheel indicated by the clamping force sensor.

[0046] The control circuit is connected with the sensors of the electric vehicle and interacts with the signals through a controller area network bus, Ethernet, local interconnect network (LIN) bus, FlexRay, or other types of connection methods. The sensors include a resolver sensor and a clamping force sensor. The resolver sensor can accurately detect the position, direction and speed of the rotor of the driving motor, is responsible for monitoring and extracting the rotational speed of the driving motor, has a high sampling rate, is directly connected with the drive circuit, has a short signal transmission time, and has high stability. The clamping force sensor is used to sense the brake force output by the angle module assembly. The control circuit receives signals from the wheel-side sensor through the sensor interface to sense the running state of the wheel and the electric vehicle, and performs calculation according to the sensed running state to adjust the control of the driving motor, the brake motor and the like.

[0047] The sensors also include a height sensor, a wheel-side acceleration sensor, a temperature sensor, a motor angle position sensor, and the like.

[0048] According to the scheme of the application, the control of the driving motor, the braking motor, the steering motor and the suspension motor and the sensing signals of the sensors are directly integrated into the wheel controller, the number of control chips is reduced, the sensing and control of a single wheel are realized through hardware inter-core communication, a near-end closed loop is realized, the safety of the angle module is improved, real-time response is fast, the integration degree is improved, and the cost is reduced.

[0049] In a second aspect, the application provides an electric vehicle, comprising a throttle pedal sensor, a brake pedal sensor, four wheels and four angle module assemblies respectively corresponding to the four wheels, the throttle pedal sensor being configured to connect one angle module assembly of the four angle module assemblies through a hard line, the brake pedal sensor being configured to connect two angle module assemblies of the four angle module assemblies through a hard line, each angle module assembly being configured to drive or brake a corresponding wheel, and each angle module assembly being further configured to adjust a steering angle of the corresponding wheel.

[0050] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the four angle module assemblies are further configured to connect a hand feeling control unit of the electric vehicle through at least two controller area network buses, and the hand feeling control unit is configured to output a torque to simulate a steering hand feeling when the four angle module assemblies are used to adjust the steering angles of the four wheels.

[0051] Since the steering wheel is not directly mechanically connected to the steering mechanism in the angle module assembly, the hand feeling control unit is needed to simulate the hand feeling so that the driver can feel the road conditions and the steering state of the electric vehicle. The hand feeling control unit comprises a hand feeling controller and a hand feeling simulation motor, and the hand feeling controller is connected to the four angle module assemblies through a controller area network bus. The hand feeling controller obtains real-time state information and a steering state of the electric vehicle through the controller area network bus. The hand feeling controller performs calculation according to a preset algorithm, and controls the hand feeling simulation motor to output a torque according to the calculation result so that the hand feeling control unit generates a resistance torque of a corresponding size and direction. The resistance torque acts on the steering wheel, so that the driver can feel different hand feelings caused by changes in road conditions and vehicle driving states in a traditional mechanical steering system when turning the steering wheel. For example, when simulating a bumpy road, the resistance torque generated by the hand feeling simulation motor will fluctuate irregularly, so that the driver's steering wheel will have a shaking feeling, and when simulating high-speed smooth driving, the resistance torque is relatively stable and small. For another example, when the vehicle speed is low and the steering angle is large, the vehicle is in a low-speed large-angle steering working condition, at this time, a large steering resistance and obvious road feedback need to be simulated to meet the actual driving scene, and if the vehicle speed is high and the steering angle is small, a relatively soft and stable road feeling feedback is generated.

[0052] According to the scheme of the application, the angle module assembly is connected to the hand feeling control unit, the steering hand feeling is simulated according to the steering state of the angle module assembly, and the controllability and safety of the electric vehicle are improved.

[0053] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, each corner module assembly is configured to calculate a first motion result of a corresponding one of the wheels, the first motion result including a drive torque, a braking force and an adjusted steering angle to be output to the corresponding one of the wheels, any one of the four corner module assemblies is configured to calculate a second motion result of each of the wheels, the second motion result including a drive torque, a braking force and an adjusted steering angle to be output to each of the wheels, and each corner module assembly is configured to output the drive torque, the braking force and adjust the steering angle of the corresponding one of the wheels according to the first motion result when the first motion result is consistent with the second motion result.

[0054] Each corner module assembly calculates the motion state of the wheel to be controlled. For the four wheels of the electric vehicle, the four corner module assemblies need to be cooperatively controlled, and therefore the calculation results need to be communicated among the four corner module assemblies. One of the four corner module assemblies can be set as a master controller, which receives the calculation results of the other three corner module assemblies and calculates the motion state of the four wheels of the electric vehicle, thereby verifying the calculation results of the other three corner module assemblies. If the verification is passed, the results of each wheel calculated by the four corner module assemblies are consistent with the results of the four wheels calculated by the master controller, indicating that the calculation is correct, and the four corner module assemblies execute the calculated results.

[0055] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, each corner module assembly is configured to calculate a second motion result of each of the wheels, the second motion result including a drive torque, a braking force and an adjusted steering angle to be output to each of the wheels, any one of the four corner module assemblies is configured to verify the second motion results output by the four corner module assemblies, and each corner module assembly is configured to output the drive torque, the braking force and adjust the steering angle of the corresponding one of the wheels according to the second motion result when the second motion results output by the four corner module assemblies are consistent.

[0056] Each corner module assembly calculates the motion state of the four wheels. For the four wheels of the electric vehicle, the four corner module assemblies need to be cooperatively controlled, and therefore the calculation results need to be communicated among the four corner module assemblies. One of the four corner module assemblies can be set as a master controller, which receives the calculation results of the other three corner module assemblies, and the master controller verifies the calculation results of the four corner module assemblies. If the verification is passed, the calculation results of the four corner module assemblies are consistent, indicating that the calculation is correct, and the four corner module assemblies execute the calculated results.

[0057] According to the scheme of the application, based on the high integration, low cost, real-time response fast angle module assembly, the control of wheel edge driving, braking, steering and suspension and sensor sensing signal are directly integrated into the wheel edge controller, the control chip is reduced, the single wheel control sensing signal is realized through the hardware inter-core communication, the near-end closed loop is realized, and the calculation efficiency and safety of the angle module assembly are improved through distributed calculation.

[0058] The beneficial effects of other aspects can refer to the beneficial effects described in the first aspect, which will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0059] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electric vehicle architecture provided by an embodiment of the application;

[0060] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an angle module architecture provided by an embodiment of the application;

[0061] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an angle module provided by an embodiment of the application;

[0062] Figure 4 is a connection diagram of an angle module assembly provided by an embodiment of the application;

[0063] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a wheel edge controller of an angle module assembly provided by an embodiment of the application;

[0064] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another angle module assembly provided by an embodiment of the application;

[0065] Figure 7 is a connection diagram of an angle module assembly provided by an embodiment of the application;

[0066] Figure 8 is a control circuit diagram of an angle module assembly provided by an embodiment of the application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] The technical solutions in the application will be described below with reference to the drawings. The detailed description of the following embodiments and the drawings are used to exemplarily illustrate the principles of the application, but cannot be used to limit the scope of the application, i.e., the application is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0068] As electric vehicle electrification further develops, consumers are demanding higher levels of smoothness, handling stability, and passenger cabin space. Flexible chassis configurations, particularly corner modules, represent a future trend. Corner modules integrate drive, braking, steering, and suspension at all four wheel ends, offering a generational improvement in vehicle space, weight reduction, development cycle, and functionality for special scenarios. However, currently, the components of electric vehicles are largely controlled independently. The drive motor is controlled by both the vehicle controller and the motor controller. A separate brake motor controller manages the brake motor, and steering is handled by the steering motor controller. Each corner module requires multiple independent controllers, each operating independently. These controller boxes occupy significant space, resulting in low integration and high cost due to the stacking of existing drive, steering, braking, and suspension components.

[0069] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a corner module assembly and an electric vehicle, which directly integrates the controllers for the drive motor, brake motor, and steering motor into the wheel-side controller. This reduces the number of control chips, lightens the unsprung mass, and improves the integration and economy of the electric vehicle's corner module.

[0070] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the electric vehicle 10 provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0071] like Figure 1 As shown, the electric vehicle 10 includes four corner module assemblies and four wheels. The four corner module assemblies are corner module assembly 201, corner module assembly 202, corner module assembly 203, and corner module assembly 204. Each corner module assembly is used to drive or brake a corresponding wheel, and each corner module assembly is also used to adjust the steering angle of the corresponding wheel.

[0072] The corner module assembly 200 is a modular unit integrating functions such as driving, braking, and steering. It is installed at the position of each wheel of the electric vehicle 10, and is used to control one wheel of the electric vehicle 10. The corner module assembly 200 is also known as a corner module, corner module driver, or other names.

[0073] The electric vehicle 10 also includes an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal. The accelerator pedal is used to indicate the torque output to the wheels of the electric vehicle 10. The brake pedal is used to indicate the braking force output to the wheels of the electric vehicle 10.

[0074] The accelerator pedal in this application is also called the power pedal or throttle pedal. The opening degree of the accelerator pedal indicates the amount of driving force required by the driver. The greater the opening degree of the accelerator pedal, the greater the driver's demand for driving force, and the greater the torque required to be output by the drive motor 30.

[0075] The brake pedal in the present application is also called as the brake or the brake pedal. The opening degree of the brake pedal indicates the size of the brake force required by the driver. The greater the opening degree of the brake pedal, the greater the requirement of the driver for the brake, and the greater the brake force required to be output by the brake motor 40 of the corner module assembly 200.

[0076] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the electric vehicle includes four corner modules and a central controller. Each corner module includes a driving unit, a braking unit, a steering unit and a suspension unit, the driving unit includes a motor controller and a driving motor, the braking unit includes a brake motor controller and a brake motor and a brake reducer, the steering unit includes a steering motor controller and a steering motor and a steering reducer, and the suspension unit includes a suspension motor controller and a suspension motor and a suspension reducer. The central controller is connected with the plurality of controllers in each corner module through a controller area network bus and controls each corner module by the central controller.

[0077] It should be understood that the corner module system architecture described above includes a plurality of controllers, and the corner module is only a stack of driving, braking, steering and suspension products, the system design is complex, the integration degree is low, the number of required controllers is large, and the cost is high.

[0078] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a corner module assembly 200 provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0079] As shown in Figure 4 , the corner module assembly 200 includes a wheel-side controller 20, a driving motor 30, a brake motor 40 and a steering motor 50. The wheel-side controller 20 is used to control the driving motor 30 to output torque to drive one wheel of the electric vehicle 10, control the brake motor 40 to output brake force to brake one wheel, and control the steering motor 50 to output torque to adjust the steering angle of one wheel.

[0080] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a wheel-side controller 20 provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0081] As shown in Figure 5As shown, the wheel controller 20 includes a housing 21, and a control circuit 22 and a drive circuit 23 accommodated in the housing 21, the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50 are respectively used to realize the drive, brake and steering of one wheel, the control circuit 22 is used to control the drive circuit 23 to drive the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50. The surface of the housing 21 includes a plurality of communication interfaces 24, a power battery interface 25, a low-voltage battery interface 26 and a plurality of current output interfaces 27. Among them, the control circuit 22 is used to receive signals from the controller area network bus of the electric vehicle 10 through the communication interface 24. The control circuit 22 is used to receive power supply of a low-voltage battery 71 through the low-voltage battery interface 26.

[0082] The drive circuit 23 is used to receive power supply of a low-voltage battery 71 through the low-voltage battery interface 26 and supply power to the steering motor 50 through the steering output interface in the plurality of current output interfaces 27, and the drive circuit 23 is also used to receive power supply of a low-voltage battery 71 and supply power to the brake motor 40 through the brake output interface in the plurality of current output interfaces 27.

[0083] The drive circuit 23 is also used to receive high-voltage direct current output by the power battery 80 of the electric vehicle 10 through the power battery interface 25, and the drive circuit 23 is also used to convert the high-voltage direct current into first alternating current and supply power to the drive motor 30 through the drive output interface in the plurality of current output interfaces 27.

[0084] The wheel controller 20 integrates the control of the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50. In order to realize the control of the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50, the wheel controller 20 needs a plurality of interfaces, and the surface of the housing 21 of the wheel controller 20 includes a plurality of communication interfaces 24, a power battery interface 25, a low-voltage battery interface 26 and a plurality of current output interfaces 27. The wheel controller 20 receives signals of the controller area network bus of the electric vehicle 10 through the communication interface 24, and is used to receive signals of other components or sensors of the electric vehicle 10, so as to realize calculation. The control circuit 22 of the wheel controller 20 receives power supply of a low-voltage battery 71 through the low-voltage battery interface 26, and the low-voltage battery supplies power to the drive circuit 23 in the wheel controller 20.

[0085] The wheel-side controller 20 further comprises a drive circuit 23 for driving the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50 of the corner module assembly 200 respectively. The drive circuit 23 receives low-voltage direct current output by a low-voltage battery 71 through a low-voltage battery interface 26 and receives high-voltage direct current output by a power battery 80 through a power battery interface 25, and the drive circuit 23 converts the low-voltage direct current and the high-voltage direct current to power the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50. A plurality of current output interfaces 27 comprises a steering output interface, a brake output interface and a drive output interface, and the drive circuit 23 powers the steering motor 50 through the steering output interface and powers the brake motor 40 through the brake output interface. The drive circuit 23 converts the high-voltage direct current into first alternating current and powers the drive motor 30 through the drive output interface.

[0086] Compared with the traditional corner module architecture, the corner module assembly 200 of the present application integrates the controllers of the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50 into the wheel-side controller 20, the wheel-side controller 20 receives power supply of the low-voltage battery and the power battery 80 of the electric vehicle 10 and powers the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50 respectively, and is directly controlled by the wheel-side controller 20, thereby reducing the number of control chips, and integrating a plurality of controllers in the wheel-side controller 20 housing 21 and arranging the wheel-side controller 20 on the vehicle frame, thereby reducing the unsprung mass.

[0087] According to the scheme of the present application, the controllers of the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50 are integrated into the wheel-side controller 20, and the wheel-side controller 20 directly outputs drive current to each motor for control, thereby reducing the number of control chips, reducing the unsprung mass, improving the integration of the corner module of the electric vehicle 10, and reducing the cost of the corner module assembly 200.

[0088] Figure 5 is another schematic view of a corner module assembly 200 provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0089] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 6 the corner module assembly 200 further comprises a suspension motor 60, and the wheel-side controller 20 is configured to control the suspension motor 60 to output torque to adjust the damping or height of a suspension connected to a wheel. The drive circuit 23 is configured to convert the high-voltage direct current into second alternating current and power the suspension motor 60 through a suspension output interface in the plurality of current output interfaces 27.

[0090] The corner module assembly 200 also includes a suspension motor 60. The wheel controller 20 integrates the control of the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40, the steering motor 50 and the suspension motor 60. The suspension of the corner module assembly 200 is used to connect the body of the electric vehicle 10 with the wheels, and provides support, cushioning and stability during the driving of the electric vehicle 10. The suspension includes shock absorbers. Each wheel is individually connected to the body of the electric vehicle 10 through a shock absorber. For the suspension with adjustable damping shock absorbers, the wheel controller 20 sends a target damping coefficient or a target damping level to the suspension of the corner module assembly 200, and outputs a second alternating current to the suspension motor 60 of the corner module assembly 200 to adjust the damping of the shock absorber. The suspension also includes an air suspension or a fully active suspension. After the wheel controller 20 determines the target wheel suspension height, the wheel controller 20 outputs a second alternating current to the suspension motor 60 of the corner module assembly 200 to make the suspension motor 60 output a torque to adjust the suspension height.

[0091] In complex driving scenarios of the electric vehicle 10 requiring cooperation of driving, braking and suspension, such as intelligent driving, drifting, U-turn, bumpy road driving, etc., the wheel controller 20 jointly controls the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40, the steering motor 50 and the suspension motor 60 of the corner module assembly 200, and cooperatively adjusts the torque, braking force, steering angle and damping and height of the suspension output to the wheels, thereby improving the accuracy of cooperative control.

[0092] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the connection of the corner module assembly 200 provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0093] As shown in Figure 7 , the electric vehicle 10 includes a throttle pedal sensor and a brake pedal sensor. The throttle pedal sensor is used to connect one of the four corner module assemblies 200 through a hard wire, and the brake pedal sensor is used to connect two of the four corner module assemblies 200 through a hard wire.

[0094] In an embodiment, the surface of the housing 21 also includes a sensor interface, and the control circuit 22 is configured to connect the throttle pedal sensor through the sensor interface by a hard wire, and control the drive circuit 23 to adjust the current of the first alternating current output to the drive motor 30 according to the throttle pedal opening degree indicated by the throttle pedal sensor. The control circuit 22 is also configured to connect the brake pedal sensor through the sensor interface by a hard wire, and control the drive circuit 23 to adjust the current of the first alternating current output to the brake motor 40 according to the brake pedal opening degree indicated by the brake pedal sensor.

[0095] The wheel controller 20 connects the sensors of the electric vehicle 10 through a plurality of sensor interfaces on the surface of the housing 21. The sensors include a throttle pedal sensor and a brake pedal sensor. A control circuit 22 in the wheel controller 20 receives signals sent by the sensors of the electric vehicle 10 through the sensor interfaces.

[0096] In one implementation, the sensor interfaces are connected to the throttle pedal sensor and the brake pedal sensor respectively through hardwires. The control circuit 22 is configured to receive a throttle pedal signal from the throttle pedal sensor and a brake pedal signal from the brake pedal sensor through the hardwires. The throttle pedal signal from the throttle pedal sensor is indicative of the opening of the throttle pedal, and the brake pedal signal from the brake pedal sensor is indicative of the opening of the brake pedal.

[0097] The control circuit 22 controls the drive circuit 23 to output a current of the first alternating current to the drive motor 30 according to the opening of the throttle pedal so that the drive motor 30 outputs a torque indicated by the opening of the throttle pedal. The greater the opening of the throttle pedal, the greater the current of the first alternating current output by the drive circuit 23, and thus the greater the torque output by the drive motor 30. The smaller the opening of the throttle pedal, the smaller the current of the first alternating current output by the drive circuit 23, and thus the smaller the torque output by the drive motor 30. The wheel controller 20 controls the torque output by the drive motor 30 to vary with the change of the opening of the throttle pedal.

[0098] When the vehicle is in normal driving, the control circuit 22 controls the drive circuit 23 to output a current to the brake motor 40 according to the opening of the brake pedal so that the brake motor 40 outputs a braking force indicated by the opening of the brake pedal. The greater the opening of the brake pedal, the greater the current output by the drive circuit 23, and thus the greater the braking force output by the brake motor 40. The smaller the opening of the brake pedal, the smaller the current output by the drive circuit 23, and thus the smaller the braking force output by the brake motor 40. The wheel controller 20 controls the braking force output by the brake motor 40 to vary with the change of the opening of the brake pedal.

[0099] In one embodiment, the low-voltage battery interface 26 is also configured to connect another low-voltage battery 72, and the drive circuit 23 is configured to receive power from the another low-voltage battery 72 through the low-voltage battery interface 26. The corner module assembly 200 further includes a step-down circuit configured to output a current after step-down conversion of the high-voltage direct current output by the power battery 80.

[0100] The electric vehicle 10 is provided with two or two sets of low-voltage batteries, and the corner module assembly 200 is connected to both of the low-voltage batteries through the low-voltage battery interface 26. The corner module assembly 200 further comprises a voltage reduction circuit, which is capable of reducing the high-voltage direct current received from the power battery 80, so as to convert the high-voltage direct current into low-voltage direct current, and thus achieve the same effect as the low-voltage direct current output by the two low-voltage batteries.

[0101] In an embodiment, the control circuit 22 is configured to receive power from the other low-voltage battery 72 through the low-voltage battery interface 26 or receive power from the voltage reduction circuit when one low-voltage battery 71 fails or has a power lower than a threshold. The drive circuit 23 is configured to supply power to the steering motor 50 and the brake motor 40 through the other low-voltage battery 72 or the voltage reduction circuit when one low-voltage battery 71 fails or has a power lower than a threshold.

[0102] When one low-voltage battery 71 fails or has a power lower than a threshold, the control circuit 22 and the steering motor 50 and the brake motor 40 cannot obtain power from the low-voltage battery, which may cause the corner module assembly 200 to fail. At this time, the control circuit 22 and the steering motor 50 and the brake motor 40 receive power from the other low-voltage battery 72 through the low-voltage battery interface 26, or receive power from the voltage reduction circuit when the other low-voltage battery 72 also fails to provide power.

[0103] In an embodiment, the control circuit 22 is further configured to receive signals of the resolver sensor and the clamping force sensor through the sensor interface. The control circuit 22 is further configured to control the drive circuit 23 to adjust the current of the first alternating current output to the drive motor 30 according to the rotational speed of the drive motor 30 indicated by the resolver sensor, and control the drive circuit 23 to adjust the current output to the brake motor 40 according to the braking force on one wheel indicated by the clamping force sensor.

[0104] The control circuit 22 is connected with sensors of the electric vehicle 10 and interacts with signals through a controller area network bus, Ethernet, a local interconnect network (LIN) bus, a high-speed fault-tolerant network protocol (FlexRay), or other types of connection. The sensors include resolver sensors and clamping force sensors. The resolver sensors can accurately detect the position, direction, and speed of the rotor of the drive motor 30, are responsible for monitoring and extracting the rotational speed of the drive motor 30, have a high sampling rate, are directly connected with the drive circuit 23, have a short signal transmission time, and have high stability. The clamping force sensors are used to sense the braking force output by the corner module assembly 200. The control circuit 22 receives signals from the wheel-side sensors through a sensor interface, thereby sensing the running state of the wheel and the electric vehicle 10, and performs calculation according to the sensed running state, thereby adjusting the control of the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40, and the like.

[0105] The sensors further include height sensors, wheel-side acceleration sensors, temperature sensors, motor angular position sensors, and the like.

[0106] According to the scheme of the application, the control of the drive motor 30, the brake motor 40, the steering motor 50, and the suspension motor 60 and the sensing signals of the sensors are directly integrated into the wheel-side controller 20, the number of control chips is reduced, the single-wheel control and sensing are integrated through hardware inter-core communication, near-end closed loop is achieved, the safety of the corner module is improved, real-time response is fast, the integration degree is improved, and the cost is reduced.

[0107] In an embodiment, the control circuit 22 is configured to receive signals of at least two private CAN buses through the communication interface 24, the private CAN buses are used to realize communication between the corner module assembly 200 and other three corner module assemblies 200 of the electric vehicle 10. The control circuit 22 is configured to control the drive circuit 23 to adjust the current size of the first alternating current output to the drive motor 30 according to the accelerator pedal opening degree indicated by the signals of the private CAN buses. The control circuit 22 is further configured to control the drive circuit 23 to adjust the current size of the output to the brake motor 40 according to the brake pedal opening degree indicated by the signals of the private CAN buses.

[0108] The four corner module assemblies 200 of the electric vehicle 10 are connected with each other through at least two internal controller area network buses, and can be increased to three or four internal controller area network buses according to the actual communication load rate. In other implementations, the four corner module assemblies 200 are connected with each other through other high-speed communication modes. When one internal controller area network bus fails, another internal controller area network bus can be used to maintain the connection and communication between the corner module assemblies 200.

[0109] The four corner module assemblies 200 of the electric vehicle 10 communicate with each other through at least two internal controller area network buses. The electric vehicle 10 has one accelerator pedal sensor in general, which is connected to the wheel controller 20 of one corner module assembly 200, and the other corner module assemblies 200 receive the signals sent by the other corner module assemblies 200 through the internal controller area network buses, so as to obtain the accelerator pedal opening degree and the brake pedal opening degree, and then control the drive circuit 23 to adjust the current of the first alternating current output to the drive motor 30, and control the drive circuit 23 to adjust the current output to the brake motor 40.

[0110] In one embodiment, each corner module assembly 200 is configured to calculate a first motion result of a corresponding one of the wheels, the first motion result including a drive torque, a brake force and an adjusted steering angle required to be output to the corresponding one of the wheels, and any one of the four corner module assemblies 200 is configured to calculate a second motion result of each of the wheels, the second motion result including a drive torque, a brake force and an adjusted steering angle required to be output to each of the wheels; and each corner module assembly 200 is configured to output the drive torque, the brake force and adjust the steering angle of the corresponding one of the wheels according to the first motion result when the first motion result is consistent with the second motion result.

[0111] Each corner module assembly 200 calculates the motion state of the wheel to be controlled. For the four wheels of the electric vehicle 10, four corner module assemblies 200 are required to cooperate and control, and therefore the calculation results need to be communicated between the four corner module assemblies 200. One of the four corner module assemblies 200 can be set as a master controller, which receives the calculation results of the other three corner module assemblies 200 and calculates the motion state of the four wheels of the electric vehicle 10, thereby verifying the calculation results of the other three corner module assemblies 200. If the verification is passed, the results of each wheel calculated by the four corner module assemblies 200 are consistent with the results of the four wheels calculated by the master controller, which indicates that the calculation is correct, and the four corner module assemblies 200 execute the results of the calculation.

[0112] In another embodiment, each corner module assembly 200 is configured to calculate a second motion result of each of the wheels, the second motion result including a drive torque, a brake force and an adjusted steering angle required to be output to each of the wheels, and any one of the four corner module assemblies 200 is configured to verify the second motion results output by the four corner module assemblies 200, and when the second motion results output by the four corner module assemblies 200 are consistent, control each corner module assembly 200 to output the drive torque, the brake force and adjust the steering angle of the corresponding one of the wheels according to the second motion result.

[0113] Each corner module assembly 200 calculates the motion state of four wheels respectively. Four corner module assemblies 200 are needed to cooperate and control the four wheels of the electric vehicle 10, and the calculation results need to be communicated among the four corner module assemblies 200. One of the four corner module assemblies 200 can be set as a master controller, which receives the calculation results of the other three corner module assemblies 200. The master controller checks the collected calculation results of the four corner module assemblies 200. If the check is passed and the calculation results of the four corner module assemblies 200 are consistent, it means that the operation is correct, and the four corner module assemblies 200 execute the calculation results.

[0114] In an embodiment, the control circuit 22 is configured to receive signals of at least two public CAN buses of the electric vehicle 10 through the communication interface 24.

[0115] The wheel controller 20 of the corner module assembly 200 receives signals of at least two public CAN buses of the electric vehicle 10 through the communication interface 24, and the public CAN buses are connected to systems such as the mobile data center (MDC), the vehicle dynamic control (VDC), the vehicle dynamic control (VDC), and the battery management system (BMS) of the electric vehicle 10. The corner module assembly 200 communicates with other systems of the electric vehicle 10 through the public CAN buses.

[0116] In an embodiment, the four corner module assemblies 200 are further configured to connect to the hand feel control unit 90 of the electric vehicle 10 through at least two CAN buses. The hand feel control unit 90 is configured to output torque to simulate the steering hand feel when the four corner module assemblies 200 are used to adjust the steering angles of the four wheels.

[0117] Since there is no direct mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering mechanism in the corner module assembly 200, a hand feel control unit 90 is needed to simulate the hand feel so that the driver can perceive the road conditions and the steering state of the electric vehicle 10. The hand feel control unit 90 includes a hand feel controller and a hand feel simulation motor. The hand feel controller is connected to the four corner module assemblies 200 via a controller area network (CLAN) bus. The hand feel controller obtains real-time status information and steering state of the electric vehicle 10 through the CLAN bus. The hand feel controller performs calculations according to a preset algorithm and controls the output torque of the hand feel simulation motor based on the calculation results, causing the hand feel control unit 90 to generate a resistance torque of corresponding magnitude and direction. This resistance torque acts on the steering wheel, allowing the driver to feel different hand feel similar to that of a traditional mechanical steering system caused by changes in road conditions and vehicle driving state when turning the steering wheel. For example, when simulating a bumpy road, the resistance torque generated by the hand feel simulation motor will fluctuate irregularly, causing the driver to feel vibration in the steering wheel, while when simulating high-speed, stable driving, the resistance torque is relatively stable and small. For example, when the vehicle speed is low and the steering angle is large, the vehicle is in a low-speed, large-angle steering condition. At this time, it is necessary to simulate a large steering resistance and obvious road feedback to match the actual driving scenario. If the vehicle speed is high and the steering angle is small, a relatively gentle and stable road feel feedback is generated.

[0118] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the control circuit 22 of a corner module assembly 200 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0119] In one embodiment, such as Figure 8 As shown, the control circuit 22 includes two control chips that communicate with each other. One control chip 221 is used to control the drive circuit 23 to adjust the drive current output to the drive motor 30 and the suspension motor 60, and the other control chip 222 is used to control the drive circuit 23 to adjust the drive current output to the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50.

[0120] The control circuit 22 includes two control chips: one control chip 221 controls the drive motor 30 and the suspension motor 60, and the other control chip 222 controls the brake motor 40 and the steering motor 50. The two control chips communicate with each other, exchanging necessary control signals. One control chip 221 controls the high-voltage motor, and the other control chip 222 controls the medium- and low-voltage motors. In complex driving scenarios requiring coordination between drive, braking, and suspension, the two control chips jointly control the drive motor 30, brake motor 40, steering motor 50, and suspension motor 60, collaboratively adjusting the torque, braking force, steering angle, and suspension damping and height output to the wheels, thus improving the accuracy of coordinated control.

[0121] In an embodiment, the two control chips are connected through the serial communication interface 24, and the two control chips are used to detect faults by timing mutual monitoring through the serial communication interface 24. One control chip is used to: in the process that the wheel-side controller 20 is used to control the brake motor 40 to output a braking force to brake one wheel, the other control chip fails, and the control driving circuit 23 adjusts the driving current output to the driving motor 30 to make the driving motor 30 output a reverse torque, and the reverse torque is used to brake one wheel.

[0122] The two control chips are connected through the serial communication interface 24, and the two control chips are used to detect faults by timing mutual monitoring, such as heartbeat monitoring. In the process that the corner module assembly 200 brakes a wheel, if the control chip 222 used to control the brake motor 40 to output a braking force fails, the control chip 221 used to control the driving motor 30 can control the driving motor 30 to output a reverse torque, so as to also brake the wheel. The fault-tolerant control under the control between the control chips is realized through the hardware inter-core communication, and the simultaneous loss of control of the driving, braking, steering, and suspension is avoided.

[0123] In an embodiment, the calculation frequency of one control chip 221 is greater than the calculation frequency of the other control chip 222.

[0124] In the corner module assembly 200, two control chips are arranged, and the specifications of the two control chips are selected according to the needs of calculation and control. Generally, the control of the driving motor 30 and the suspension motor 60 needs higher accuracy and requirements, and the calculation amount is usually larger, so the control chip 221 used to control the driving motor 30 and the suspension motor 60 selects a control chip with a higher calculation frequency, and the control chip 222 used to control the steering motor 50 and the brake motor 40 selects a lower specification chip.

[0125] It should be understood that the two control chips can also be selected as high-specification control chips, so as to realize the redundancy of the calculation capability and improve the stability of the calculation, but the cost is also increased.

[0126] According to the scheme of the present application, based on the high integration, low cost, and fast real-time response of the corner module assembly 200, the wheel-side driving, braking, steering, and suspension control and the sensor sensing signal are directly integrated into the wheel-side controller 20, the control chips are reduced, the single-wheel control and sensing are integrated through the hardware inter-core communication, the near-end closed loop is realized, and the calculation efficiency and safety of the corner module assembly 200 are improved through distributed calculation.

[0127] The above merely provides the specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited to this. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of the changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present application, which should be covered in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A corner module assembly for an electric vehicle, characterized in that, The corner module assembly includes a wheel-side controller, a drive motor, a brake motor, and a steering motor. The drive motor, brake motor, and steering motor are respectively used to drive, brake, and steer one wheel. The wheel-side controller includes a housing and a control circuit and a drive circuit housed within the housing. The control circuit controls the drive circuit to drive the drive motor, brake motor, and steering motor. The housing surface includes multiple communication interfaces, a power battery interface, a low-voltage battery interface, and multiple current output interfaces, wherein: The control circuit is used to receive signals from the CAN bus of the electric vehicle's controller area network via the communication interface. The drive circuit is used to receive power from a low-voltage battery through the low-voltage battery interface and supply power to the steering motor and the brake motor through the plurality of current output interfaces; The drive circuit is also used to receive high-voltage DC power output from the power battery through the power battery interface, convert the high-voltage DC power into first AC power, and then supply power to the drive motor through the multiple current output interfaces.

2. The corner module assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing surface also includes a sensor interface, and the control circuit is used to connect the accelerator pedal sensor via the sensor interface with a hard wire and control the drive circuit to adjust the current of the first AC power output to the drive motor according to the accelerator pedal opening indicated by the accelerator pedal sensor. The control circuit is also used to connect the brake pedal sensor via the sensor interface using a hard wire and control the drive circuit to adjust the current output to the brake motor according to the brake pedal opening indicated by the brake pedal sensor.

3. The corner module assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The control circuit is used to receive signals from at least two private CAN buses through the communication interface. The private CAN buses are used to enable communication between the other three corner module assemblies of the electric vehicle and the corner module assembly. The control circuit is used to control the drive circuit to adjust the magnitude of the first AC current output to the drive motor according to the accelerator pedal opening indicated by the signal of the private CAN bus. The control circuit is also used to control the brake pedal opening indicated by the signal from the private CAN bus, and to adjust the current output to the brake motor by the drive circuit.

4. The corner module assembly according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The control circuit is used to receive signals from at least two public CAN bus signals of the electric vehicle through the communication interface.

5. The corner module assembly according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The corner module assembly also includes a suspension motor, and the wheel-side controller is used to control the output torque of the suspension motor to adjust the damping or height of the suspension used to connect the one wheel; The drive circuit is used to convert the high-voltage direct current into a second alternating current and supply power to the suspension motor through the plurality of current output interfaces.

6. The corner module assembly according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The low-voltage battery interface is also used to connect another low-voltage battery, and the drive circuit is used to receive power from the other low-voltage battery through the low-voltage battery interface; The corner module assembly also includes a step-down circuit, which is used to step down and convert the high-voltage DC power output from the power battery to output current.

7. The corner module assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The control circuit is used to: receive power from the other low-voltage battery or receive power from the buck circuit through the low-voltage battery interface when one of the low-voltage batteries fails or its power level is below a threshold. The drive circuit is used to: supply power to the steering motor through the other low-voltage battery or the step-down circuit when the one low-voltage battery fails or the power is below a threshold, and to supply power to the brake motor through the other low-voltage battery or the step-down circuit.

8. The corner module assembly according to any one of claims 5-7, characterized in that, The control circuit includes two interconnecting control chips. One control chip controls the drive circuit to adjust the drive current output to the drive motor and the suspension motor, and the other control chip controls the drive circuit to adjust the drive current output to the brake motor and the steering motor.

9. The corner module assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, Two control chips are connected via a serial communication interface. These two control chips are used to periodically monitor each other through the serial communication interface to detect faults. One control chip is used for: During the process of the wheel-side controller controlling the brake motor to output braking force to brake one wheel, the other control chip malfunctions and controls the drive circuit to adjust the drive current output to the drive motor so that the drive motor outputs reverse torque, which is used to brake one wheel.

10. The corner module assembly according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The computing frequency of one control chip is greater than the computing frequency of the other control chip.

11. The corner module assembly according to any one of claims 2-10, characterized in that, The control circuit is also used to receive signals from the resolver sensor and the clamping force sensor through the sensor interface; The control circuit is also used to control the drive circuit to adjust the magnitude of the first AC current output to the drive motor according to the rotational speed of the drive motor indicated by the resolver sensor; and to control the drive circuit to adjust the magnitude of the current output to the brake motor according to the braking force of the wheel indicated by the clamping force sensor.

12. An electric vehicle, characterized in that, The electric vehicle includes an accelerator pedal sensor, a brake pedal sensor, four wheels, and four corner module assemblies as described in any one of claims 1-11, each corresponding to one of the four wheels. The accelerator pedal sensor is used to connect one of the four corner module assemblies via a hard wire, and the brake pedal sensor is used to connect two of the four corner module assemblies via a hard wire. Each corner module assembly is used to drive or brake a corresponding wheel, and each corner module assembly is also used to adjust the steering angle of the corresponding wheel.

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that, The four corner module assemblies are also used to connect the electric vehicle's steering control unit via at least two controller area network buses. The steering control unit is used to output torque to simulate steering feel when the four corner module assemblies are used to adjust the steering angle of the four wheels.

14. The electric vehicle according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned corner module assemblies is used to calculate the first motion result of the corresponding wheel, the first motion result including the drive torque, braking force, and adjusted steering angle to be output to the corresponding wheel. Any one of the four corner module assemblies is used to calculate the second motion result for each wheel, which includes the driving torque, braking force, and adjusted steering angle to be output to each wheel. Each of the angle module assemblies is used to: when the first motion result is consistent with the second motion result, output driving torque and braking force to the corresponding wheel according to the first motion result, and adjust the steering angle of the corresponding wheel.

15. The electric vehicle according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned angle module assemblies is used to calculate the second motion result for each wheel, which includes the drive torque, braking force, and adjusted steering angle to be output to each wheel. Any one of the four corner module assemblies is used to verify the second motion result output by the four corner module assemblies. When the second motion results output by the four corner module assemblies are consistent, each corner module assembly is controlled to output driving torque and braking force to the corresponding wheel according to the second motion result, and to adjust the steering angle of the corresponding wheel.

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