Vehicle control device and vehicle control system

Abstract

The present application provides a vehicle control device and a vehicle control system that can make the travel control of a vehicle more appropriate. The vehicle control device has, for example, an acquisition unit that acquires detection information in a current travel state detected by a detection unit mounted on a vehicle provided with the vehicle control device and position information indicating the current position of the vehicle, a transmission unit that transmits travel information obtained by associating the acquired detection information with the position information to an external management device, a reception unit that receives parameter information of the vehicle transmitted when it is determined in the management device that the current travel state of the vehicle requires a change in a parameter of the vehicle that affects the travel control of the vehicle, and a control unit that changes the parameter of the vehicle corresponding to the parameter information and reflects it in the travel control of the vehicle when the parameter information is received.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to vehicle control devices and vehicle control systems. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, to improve vehicle comfort, vehicle control devices were proposed that use various sensors mounted on the vehicle to detect its behavior during driving and appropriately reflect this behavior in driving control. For example, suspension control devices were proposed that improve damping by changing the damping coefficient of the suspension based on road conditions. In vehicles equipped with such suspension control devices, a technique has been proposed that involves communicating with an external server to obtain driving information from other vehicles traveling on the same road section, and applying this information to the vehicle's suspension control. This reduces the computational load on the vehicle and improves its damping performance.

[0003] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-137356.

[0004] However, under current technology, control target values ​​such as the damping coefficient of this vehicle are calculated using driving information obtained from other vehicles traveling on the same road section. Therefore, even when the control target values ​​such as the damping coefficient calculated based on the driving information of other vehicles are applied to this vehicle with different vehicle parameters, it is difficult to obtain the desired control results (e.g., vibration damping performance). Furthermore, the various parameters of this vehicle used in calculating the control target values ​​are generally calculated using parameters set during vehicle design, but these parameters may change due to the vehicle's usage conditions or be intentionally altered. In such cases, it may be difficult to obtain the desired control results. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, one of the objectives of this invention is to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control system that enables the driving control of the vehicle to become more optimal.

[0006] The vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, an acquisition unit that acquires detection information of the current driving state detected by a detection unit of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device and position information indicating the current position of the vehicle; a transmission unit that transmits driving information obtained by associating the acquired detection information with the position information to an external management device; a receiving unit that receives modified vehicle parameter information transmitted by the management device when it is determined that the current driving state of the vehicle requires changes to vehicle parameters affecting the driving control of the vehicle; and a control unit that, upon receiving the parameter information, changes the vehicle parameters corresponding to the parameter information and reflects this in the driving control of the vehicle. According to this structure, for example, the vehicle parameters can be changed based on the current driving state of the vehicle, thus enabling more optimal vehicle driving control.

[0007] Furthermore, the parameter information of the vehicle control device according to embodiments of the present invention may include, for example, parameters that are modified such that the difference between the current driving information of the vehicle (i.e., first driving information) and the second driving information stored in the management device corresponding to the first driving information when the vehicle was previously traveling at the same location is greater than a predetermined threshold. According to this structure, for example, the modified vehicle parameters can be provided to the vehicle more effectively and appropriately.

[0008] Furthermore, the parameter information of the vehicle control device according to embodiments of the present invention may be, for example, at least a first parameter used when calculating the sprung speed of the vehicle's suspension and a second parameter used when calculating the suspension's travel speed. According to this structure, for example, suspension damping control can be performed more accurately.

[0009] Furthermore, the parameter information of the vehicle control device according to embodiments of the present invention can, for example, be classified into a first acquisition method that can be acquired at a fixed rate over a fixed period and a second acquisition method that incurs an acquisition fee on each acquisition, based on the contribution of the vehicle's performance impact and a predetermined change frequency. According to this structure, appropriate parameters for the vehicle can be acquired more efficiently, for example.

[0010] Furthermore, the parameter information of the vehicle control device according to embodiments of the present invention can, for example, be modified from standard parameters determined during the design of the vehicle, provided that the vehicle's maintenance conditions meet specified requirements. According to this structure, for example, if parameter information is changed due to wear and tear of vehicle components, and the cause of wear and tear is eliminated through vehicle maintenance or replacement of components (including tires), the standard parameters are returned to once. As a result, parameter information can be modified more accurately based on subsequent vehicle driving conditions.

[0011] An embodiment of the vehicle control system of the present invention includes, for example, a vehicle control device disposed in a vehicle, which manages parameters for driving control of the vehicle in a changeable manner; and a management device disposed outside the vehicle, which can send / receive information with the vehicle, store information acquired from the vehicle, and manage the parameters of the vehicle based on the information. The vehicle control device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires detection information of the current driving state detected by a detection unit mounted on the vehicle and position information indicating the current position of the vehicle; a transmission unit that sends driving information obtained by associating the acquired detection information with the position information to the management device; a receiving unit that receives modified vehicle parameter information sent by the management device when it is determined that the current driving state of the vehicle requires a change to the vehicle parameters affecting the driving control of the vehicle; and a control unit that, upon receiving the parameter information, changes the vehicle parameters corresponding to the parameter information and reflects this in the driving control of the vehicle. Furthermore, the management device includes: a receiving unit for receiving the driving information transmitted from the vehicle; a data storage unit for storing the received driving information; a parameter change calculation unit for calculating parameters to be changed so that the difference between the current driving information of the vehicle (i.e., first driving information) and the second driving information stored in the data storage unit corresponding to the first driving information when the vehicle was previously driving at the same location is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold; and a sending unit for sending the changed parameter information of the vehicle to the vehicle. According to this structure, for example, based on the current driving state of the vehicle, the parameters of the vehicle can be changed, thus enabling more optimal driving control of the vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is an illustrative and schematic block diagram showing the structure of a vehicle control system (vehicle control device) according to an implementation method.

[0013] Figure 2This is an illustrative and schematic diagram showing the suspension and its surrounding structure, which can be the control object of a vehicle control system (vehicle control device) that can be implemented.

[0014] Figure 3 This is an illustrative diagram showing the relationship between the performance impact contribution of factors affecting the suspension control of the vehicle control system (vehicle control device) in the implementation method and the frequency of change.

[0015] Figure 4 This is an illustrative diagram showing the changing factors of parameters related to suspension control in the vehicle control system (vehicle control device) of the implementation method, examples of input acceleration changes, and the relationships between influencing factors.

[0016] Figure 5 This is an illustrative flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the vehicle control system according to the implementation method.

[0017] Figure 6 This is an illustrative diagram showing the provision method (charging method) when changing the parameters of a vehicle control system (vehicle control device) in a different implementation.

[0018] Figure 7 This is an illustrative diagram showing the relationship between the performance impact contribution of factors affecting the rear steering control of the vehicle control system (vehicle control device) in the implementation method and the frequency of change.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0020] 10: Vehicle control system; 10A: Vehicle control device; 12: This vehicle; 14: Management device; 16, 34: Transmitter / receiver; 18: Acquisition unit; 20: Vehicle parameter storage unit; 22: Signal processing unit; 22a: Sprout speed calculation and processing unit; 22n: Stroke speed estimation and processing unit; 24: Control unit; 24a: Ride comfort control unit; 24n: Large amplitude impact reduction control unit; 26: Output processing unit; 26a: Final target output calculation unit; 26b: Current feedback unit; 28: On-board sensor; 30: GPS receiver; 32: Actuator; 36: Data storage unit; 38: Anomaly detection unit; 40: Change parameter calculation unit. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The following describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The structure of the embodiments shown below, as well as the effects, results, and outcomes resulting from that structure, are examples. The present invention can also be implemented using structures other than those disclosed in the following embodiments, and at least one of various effects and derived effects based on the basic structure can be obtained.

[0022] Figure 1 This is an illustrative and schematic block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle control system 10 (vehicle control device 10A) according to the embodiment.

[0023] The vehicle control system 10 consists of a vehicle control device 10A mounted on the vehicle 12 and a management device 14 located externally, such as a management center. In this embodiment, an example will be described using an electronically controlled suspension system mounted on the vehicle 12 as the controlled object of the vehicle control device 10A. Assume that the electronically controlled suspension system calculates a target control quantity based on the road conditions on which the vehicle is traveling, thereby suppressing vibrations and improving vehicle ride comfort. Therefore, in Figure 1 In the case shown, the vehicle control device 10A is a suspension control ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0024] In electronically controlled suspension, the information used to calculate the target control quantity generally consists of detection signals collected in real time by onboard sensors to show changes in the vehicle's behavior due to road conditions (such as unevenness), and control constants determined through vehicle development (suitability) (constants based on standard parameters determined during the design phase). While the values ​​of the control constants or standard parameters used in calculating the target control quantity remain unchanged after the vehicle is handed over to the user, in the actual vehicle, various parameters, such as loading conditions, may change, and the target control quantity derived from the calculation may not be the target value. Furthermore, in addition to the physically determined standard parameters of the vehicle, the control constants also include identification constants set to match the difference between the vehicle state quantities calculated using physical formulas and the actual vehicle state quantities.

[0025] As mentioned above, the parameters (standard parameters) determined during the design phase are generally not changed after the vehicle is handed over to the user. However, due to the usage of the vehicle 12, the number of passengers and the amount of cargo change. In other words, the vehicle weight changes. In addition, the parameters sometimes change due to the wear of the suspension components (springs, bushings, etc.) as the vehicle travels, or due to, for example, the replacement of summer tires with winter tires, or the replacement of suspension springs. On the other hand, the detection signals collected in real time using onboard sensors change according to the condition of the road surface (unevenness or coefficient of friction, etc.) or the vehicle speed. Therefore, when the target control quantity of the electronically controlled suspension device does not reach the target value (for example, when vibration suppression is insufficient), it is sometimes difficult to determine whether the cause is a change in the detection signal (change in road surface condition or vehicle speed, etc.) or a change in the control constant (standard parameters, etc.) (replacement or wear, etc.).

[0026] Furthermore, when the vehicle 12 is traveling at the same speed on the same road surface (road with the same road conditions), the detection results detected by the onboard sensors are approximately the same. Therefore, in the case of the vehicle control system 10 of this embodiment, the driving state of the vehicle 12 is detected when traveling under the same conditions, such as traveling at the same speed on the same road. For example, if the vehicle 12 is a privately owned vehicle, it is usually stored at home. In this case, regardless of the time of travel, the road surface conditions (paving condition, unevenness, presence or absence of manholes, presence of road joints, etc.) around the home can be considered approximately the same. In addition, when traveling on this road, the speed limit almost never changes, and although the traffic conditions (degree of congestion) vary from time to time, they are considered approximately the same if they are within the same time period. Therefore, if the vehicle 12 travels at the same location (driving road) around the home, it is considered that the vehicle 12 is traveling in approximately the same driving state.

[0027] In this case, if the driving state changes compared to the past driving state, it can be presumed that the change in driving state is due to a change in the control constant (standard parameter). In this situation, the ride comfort of the vehicle 12 may change, and when calculating the target control value of the electronically controlled suspension device, it can be determined that the control constant needs to be corrected. That is, in the case of the vehicle control system 10 of this embodiment, the control constant (a constant based on the standard parameter), which is a fixed value determined during the development (design) of the vehicle, is changed according to the driving state of the vehicle 12. As a result, a target control value suitable for the current driving state can be calculated, thereby achieving more appropriate control.

[0028] The structure of the vehicle control device 10A of this embodiment, which changes the control constant (parameter information that was previously a fixed value) according to the driving state of the vehicle 12, will be described in detail below.

[0029] In this embodiment, the vehicle control device 10A sends driving information to the management device 14, which is obtained by associating detection information of the driving state acquired while the vehicle 12 is driving with the location information at the time of acquiring the detection information. Then, the management device 14 stores the sent driving information sequentially to build a dedicated database representing the state of the vehicle 12 while it is driving. In this case, the sent driving information includes information about driving on roads that meet certain conditions, namely the aforementioned "frequently traveled roads," such as roads around one's home.

[0030] The vehicle control unit 10A includes a storage device (storage unit) such as a CPU (central processing unit), ROM (read-only memory), RAM (random access memory), and SSD (solid-state drive). The CPU, for example, reads a program installed and stored in a non-volatile storage device such as ROM, performs calculations based on the program, determines the target control quantity of the electronically controlled suspension device, and controls the electronically controlled suspension device of each wheel based on the control quantity.

[0031] The vehicle control device 10A includes, for example, a transmitting / receiving unit 16, an acquisition unit 18, a vehicle parameter storage unit 20, a signal processing unit 22, a control unit 24, and an output processing unit 26. The transmitting / receiving unit 16, the acquisition unit 18, the signal processing unit 22, the control unit 24, and the output processing unit 26 can also be implemented as functional modules by loading all or part of a program stored in ROM or the like into the CPU and executing it. Alternatively, they can be implemented as separate hardware. The vehicle parameter storage unit 20 can also be implemented using a rewritable SSD or HDD (hard disk drive). The vehicle parameter storage unit 20 can also be provided separately from the vehicle control device 10A.

[0032] The management device 14, which is set up in an external management center, can be a general personal computer, including, for example, a sending / receiving unit 34, a data storage unit 36 ​​(server), an anomaly detection unit 38, a change parameter calculation unit 40, etc.

[0033] The vehicle control device 10A's transmitting / receiving unit 16 communicates with the management device 14's transmitting / receiving unit 34 to transmit / receive various types of information. Furthermore, the transmitting / receiving unit in the vehicle control device 10A and the management device 14's transmitting / receiving unit 34 can also be configured as separate structures.

[0034] The transmitting / receiving unit 16 processes the detection signals (information acquired by the vehicle-mounted sensor 28 and the GPS receiver 30) acquired by the acquisition unit 18 via the signal processing unit 22, and transmits them as driving information to the management device 14. Furthermore, the management device 14 can receive the modified parameter information of the vehicle 12, sent when it is determined, based on the current driving state of the vehicle 12, that parameters affecting the driving control of the vehicle 12 need to be changed.

[0035] The acquisition unit 18 acquires, for example, detection information (e.g., acceleration information) of the current driving state detected by the vehicle-mounted sensor 28 (detection unit) mounted on the vehicle 12, and position information indicating the current position of the vehicle 12 acquired by the GPS receiver 30. The vehicle-mounted sensor 28 may be, for example, an acceleration sensor installed on the electronically controlled suspension or a wheel speed sensor installed on each tire (wheel). Alternatively, the GPS receiver 30 may be a dedicated receiver for the vehicle control system 10, or it may acquire GPS signals from a navigation system. In this case, the acquisition unit 18 may also directly acquire GPS signals (position information) from the navigation system. Then, the signal processing unit 22 generates driving information for the vehicle 12 by associating the detection information with the position information and provides it to the transmitting / receiving unit 16. The transmitting / receiving unit 16 transmits the driving information generated by the signal processing unit 22 to the transmitting / receiving unit 34 on the management device 14 side. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 18 may also store the current driving information of the vehicle 12 as driving history in RAM or an SSD, etc.

[0036] The vehicle parameter storage unit 20 stores parameters (standard parameters) determined during the development (design) of the vehicle 12 in a way that allows for updating (overwriting). On the management device 14 side, when the vehicle parameter storage unit 20 receives parameter information (modified parameters) calculated based on the current driving state of the vehicle 12 and determines that changes to the parameters of the vehicle 12 are necessary, it updates and stores this parameter information. Furthermore, the vehicle parameter storage unit 20 can store parameters in a fixed area that stores non-rewritable standard parameters and in an update area that stores the same rewritable standard parameters. It can also overwrite parameters in the update area upon receiving modified parameter information.

[0037] The signal processing unit 22 performs signal processing on the various detection information acquired by the vehicle-mounted sensors 28. The signal processing unit 22 includes, for example, multiple signal processing units such as a sprung speed calculation processing unit 22a, ..., and a travel speed estimation processing unit 22n. For example, the sprung speed calculation processing unit 22a acquires sprung acceleration from an acceleration sensor installed in the electronically controlled suspension device to calculate the sprung speed. Furthermore, the signal processing unit 22 can also perform speed calculations for the heel (swell), roll, and pitch of the vehicle 12 based on the calculated sprung speed. The signal processing unit 22 can also perform processing that categorizes the sprung resonance and unsprung resonance combinations (6 types) for each heel, roll, and pitch of the vehicle 12. Additionally, for example, the travel speed estimation processing unit 22n calculates an estimated value for the suspension's travel speed based on the sprung acceleration. Furthermore, for example, regarding the sprung speed calculation processing unit 22a and the travel speed estimation processing unit 22n, when the management device 14 provides modified parameter information and updates the parameters stored in the vehicle parameter storage unit 20, the modified parameter information is used to calculate the estimated values ​​of sprung speed and travel speed. In this case, more accurate estimated values ​​of sprung speed and travel speed corresponding to the current state of the vehicle 12 can be obtained.

[0038] When the control unit 24 receives updated parameter information from the management device 14, it modifies (updates, overwrites) the corresponding parameter information currently stored in the vehicle parameter storage unit 20 and reflects this in the driving control of the vehicle 12. The control unit 24 includes, for example, multiple control units such as a ride comfort control unit 24a, ..., and a large amplitude impact reduction control unit 24n. It uses the results of signal processing in the signal processing unit 22 to calculate various control values ​​for controlling the electronically controlled suspension device. For example, the ride comfort control unit 24a calculates the target control value for improving ride comfort based on the vehicle speed obtained by processing the detection information obtained by the wheel speed sensor by the signal processing unit 22, the sprung speed, heel, roll, pitch speed, estimated travel speed, etc., obtained by the calculation results of the signal processing unit 22, and the latest parameter information stored in the vehicle parameter storage unit 20 (including parameter information in the case of updated parameter information and parameter information in the case of standard parameters). Furthermore, for example, the large-amplitude impact reduction control unit 24n calculates a target control value for reducing large-amplitude impacts based on vehicle speed, estimated travel speed, and other parameter information. Thus, in each operation within the signal processing unit 22, when the management device 14 provides modified parameter information and updates the parameters stored in the vehicle parameter storage unit 20, various operations are performed using the modified parameter information. As a result, a more accurate target control value corresponding to the current state of the vehicle 12 can be calculated.

[0039] The calculation of the target control value will be explained. When the vehicle control system 10 of this embodiment is applied to the control of the electronically controlled suspension device, by updating (rewriting) the control constants (parameter information) that were previously used as fixed values ​​according to the driving state, the damping coefficient of the suspension can be controlled more appropriately, thereby minimizing the input (vibration) to the occupants of the vehicle 12. As a result, ride comfort can be improved.

[0040] For example, Figure 2 This is the single-wheel mode of the electronically controlled suspension system, which simulates the tire's W-axis, unsprung and supinated states. Furthermore, the equation of motion for supinated resonance in this mode is Equation 1, and the equation of motion for unsprung resonance is Equation 2.

[0041] [Mathematical Expression 1]

[0042]

[0043] [Mathematical Expression 2]

[0044]

[0045] exist Figure 2 In this diagram, G represents the road surface, M1 represents the unsprung weight (weight of components such as suspension arms), and M2 represents the sprung weight (body weight of the vehicle 12, etc.). Between the road surface G and the unsprung weight (M1), there exists the tire W (elastic body). Kt represents the tire characteristics. Furthermore, displacement z is the displacement (vibration amount) of the tire W. Additionally, between the unsprung weight (M1) and sprung weight (M2), there exists the suspension S (spring, shock absorber, damper, etc.). Furthermore, Cs is the damping coefficient of the suspension S, and Ks is the spring constant of the suspension S. Additionally, X1 is the unsprung displacement, and X2 is the sprung displacement.

[0046] Among the factors affecting the performance of electronically controlled suspension systems, one could consider, for example... Figure 3 The factors shown. Figure 3 Figure 42 is an illustrative illustration of the relationship between the performance contribution of factors affecting parameter changes related to suspension control in the vehicle control system 10 (vehicle control device 10A) and the frequency of such changes. Specifically, these influencing factors include occupant / loading conditions (front and rear balance, etc.), damper oil temperature of the suspension S, presence or absence of traction, changes in damper seals (characteristic changes), tire pressure, system power supply voltage, tire type (summer tires / studless anti-skid tires), engine oil, tire wear condition, brake pad wear condition, E / G (engine), T / M (transmission) assembly characteristics, seat characteristic changes, suspension bushing characteristics, and body rigidity. Additionally, as... Figure 3As shown, the frequency of change for these factors varies. For example, occupancy / loading conditions may change daily because the number of occupants changes each time the vehicle is driven, or the quantity or weight of cargo loaded may change. Similarly, shock absorber oil temperature may change depending on daily driving conditions. Furthermore, due to factors such as whether or not towing (connection to a tractor) is performed, such as during the off-season, changes may occur every few months (e.g., every 3 months). Similarly, tire pressure may be adjusted during maintenance every few months (e.g., every 3 months). Additionally, tire type (summer tires / studless tires) may be changed every 6 months. Furthermore, tire wear, brake pad wear, etc., may be re-examined on an annual basis (e.g., 1 year). The assembly characteristics of the E / G (engine) and T / M (transmission) may be re-examined over longer periods (e.g., 3 years, 6 years).

[0047] As mentioned above, in Figure 3 The elements shown are used as standard parameters with fixed values ​​for various calculations. Therefore, for example, even when using Equations 1 and 2 above for calculation, the unsprung weight M1 and sprung weight M2 are also used as fixed values. As a result, as mentioned above, when calculating the target control value, even considering road conditions during driving, there are situations where it is difficult to achieve the desired control.

[0048] Figure 4 This is an illustrative relationship diagram 44 showing the changing factors of parameters related to suspension control in the vehicle control system 10 (vehicle control device 10A), examples of input acceleration changes, and the relationships between influencing factors. For example... Figure 4As shown, for example, with a sprung weight M2, the load / suspension changes (UP / DOWN) depending on the occupant / load status. As a result, the input acceleration of the vehicle's onboard sensor 28 changes during driving. Similarly, the suspension characteristics change due to variations in temperature, slip characteristics, or deterioration of the shock absorbers or bushings, causing the damping coefficient Cs and spring constant Ks of the suspension S to increase / decrease (UP / DOWN). As a result, the input acceleration of the vehicle's onboard sensor 28 changes during driving. Furthermore, for example, with a sprung weight M1, the load / suspension changes (UP / DOWN) due to tire W replacement or wheel replacement. As a result, the input acceleration of the vehicle's onboard sensor 28 changes during driving. Moreover, for example, with a tire characteristic Kt, the load / suspension changes (UP / DOWN) due to tire W replacement, tire pressure changes, or bushing deterioration. As a result, the input acceleration of the on-board sensor 28 of the vehicle 12 changes during driving. Therefore, on "frequently traveled roads," by comparing past driving states with the current driving state, it is detected whether the control constants (parameter information) affecting the driving control of the vehicle 12 have changed. If a change has occurred, the control constants (parameter information) of the vehicle 12 are updated. As a result, the target control value that is most suitable for the current vehicle state (driving state) of the vehicle 12 can be calculated.

[0049] Return to Figure 1 The output processing unit 26 outputs a target current to control the actuator 32 (e.g., the solenoid of the electronically controlled suspension device) based on various target control values ​​calculated by the control unit 24. The output processing unit 26 includes, for example, a final target output calculation unit 26a and a current feedback unit 26b. The final target output calculation unit 26a calculates the final control value input to the actuator 32 of the electronically controlled suspension device based on the various target control values ​​calculated by the control unit 24. That is, the final target output calculation unit 26a calculates the final control value that optimizes the vibration reduction characteristics of the vehicle 12 (the control value that minimizes the vibration input to the occupants of the vehicle 12). Then, the current feedback unit 26b calculates the current value that should actually be supplied to the actuator 32 at the current moment based on the current value supplied to the actuator 32 at the current time and the final control value calculated by the final target output calculation unit 26a, and drives the actuator 32.

[0050] On the other hand, as described above, the data storage unit 36 ​​of the management device 14 sequentially stores the driving information (including the detection information from the onboard sensors 28 and GPS receiver 30 acquired by the acquisition unit 18) transmitted from the transmission / reception unit 16 of the vehicle 12 during its operation, and constructs a dedicated database representing the behavior (vibration state, etc.) of the vehicle 12. In other words, it constructs a database representing the vibration state obtained when driving on "frequently traveled roads," such as roads around the driver's home. Furthermore, in this case, the driving information can also be linked to the vehicle 12's driving time, date, weather, etc. For example, different driving times and seasons may lead to different traffic congestion conditions, or changes in driving speed due to differences in ambient brightness and road surface conditions (dry, wet, icy, etc.). In such cases, changes in driving speed on "frequently traveled roads" can sometimes cause different behaviors of the electronically controlled suspension system. Therefore, by considering the vehicle 12's driving time, date, weather, etc., the driving status of the vehicle 12 can be further assessed with high precision.

[0051] The anomaly detection unit 38 compares the current driving information (first driving information) of the vehicle 12 received by the transmitting / receiving unit 34 from the vehicle control device 10A with the stored information (second driving information) stored in the data storage unit 36 ​​corresponding to the first driving information when the vehicle 12 was driving at the same location (the same location on a frequently traveled road) in the past (for example, calculating the difference). Furthermore, the second driving information can be the driving information from the last time the vehicle was driving on a "frequently traveled road," or it can be the average value of past driving information. Moreover, if there is a difference (difference) between the first driving information and the second driving information that exceeds a predetermined threshold, the anomaly detection unit 38 determines that a change (modification) has occurred in the control constant (parameter) affecting the driving control of the vehicle 12 (the calculation of the target control value may result in an anomaly), and performs an anomaly determination. Furthermore, if the difference between the first driving information and the second driving information is less than a predetermined threshold, the anomaly detection unit 38 determines that no change (modification) has occurred in the parameters affecting the driving control of the vehicle 12. In other words, the parameter information of the vehicle 12 is not updated, and the current state is maintained.

[0052] use Figure 5 The flowchart illustrates an example of the processing flow of this type of vehicle control system 10.

[0053] For example, if the vehicle control device 10A determines, based on the location information obtained from the GPS signal acquired by the GPS receiver 30, that the vehicle 12 is traveling on a "frequently traveled road," such as a road around its home ("Yes" in S100), it acquires detection information (e.g., acceleration information) indicating the driving status of the vehicle 12 via the onboard sensor 28. Then, the driving information obtained by associating the detection information with the location information acquired by the GPS receiver 30 is sequentially transmitted to the management device 14 (transmitter / receiver 34) via the transmitter / receiver 16 (S102). When the management device 14 receives the driving information from the vehicle 12 (vehicle control device 10A), it sequentially stores it in the data storage unit 36 ​​and updates the database (S104). In other words, a dedicated database related to the driving information is constructed for the vehicle 12 traveling on "frequently traveled roads."

[0054] The management device 14 compares the driving information (the current driving information of the vehicle 12, i.e., the first driving information) from the vehicle control device 10A (the vehicle 12) with the second driving information stored in the data storage unit 36 ​​that corresponds to the first driving information when the vehicle 12 was driving at the same location in the past (S106). Then, if the difference between the first driving information and the second driving information is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, that is, even if the vehicle is driving on a "frequently traveled road" as usual, there is a change in the driving state that exceeds the threshold ("Yes" in S106), it is determined that the parameters affecting the driving control of the vehicle 12 need to be changed. The parameter change calculation unit 40 calculates the control constant (parameter information) of the vehicle 12 so that the difference between the first driving information and the second driving information is less than the threshold (S108). In other words, the changed parameter information is calculated.

[0055] If the modified parameter information is calculated by the parameter modification calculation unit 40, the transmitting / receiving unit 34 sends the modified parameter information to the transmitting / receiving unit 16 of the vehicle control device 10A (the vehicle 12) (S110). If the vehicle control device 10A receives the modified parameter information, it updates the parameter information stored in the vehicle parameter storage unit 20 to the present time with the modified parameter information (S112). The signal processing unit 22 and the control unit 24 use the modified parameter information to achieve the expected control effect of the electronically controlled suspension device, that is, calculate the target control value that minimizes the vibration input to the occupants of the vehicle 12, and execute the control of the electronically controlled suspension device of the vehicle 12 (S114).

[0056] In this way, compared with the previous use of fixed values ​​for calculation, the vibration of the electronically controlled suspension device can be suppressed more effectively, thereby further improving the ride comfort of the vehicle 12.

[0057] Furthermore, in the processing of S106, if the difference between the first driving information and the second driving information is less than a threshold ("No" in S106), the processing of S108 to S112 is skipped. That is, the parameter information in the vehicle parameter storage unit 20 of the vehicle control device 10A (the vehicle 12) is not updated, and the current state is maintained. In other words, the parameter information of the vehicle 12 is most suitable in the current state, and the damping control of the electronically controlled suspension device functions fully. In addition, in S100, if the vehicle 12 is traveling on a road that is not "frequently traveled", the processing of S102 to S112 is skipped, and the parameter information is not updated, and the current state is maintained. Furthermore, in this case, it can be assumed that the vehicle 12 has been traveling on a "frequently traveled road" when it departs from home. That is, the parameter information of the vehicle 12 is updated to parameter information suitable for the current number of passengers, luggage, tire W status, etc. of the vehicle 12 when it has been traveling on a "frequently traveled road". Therefore, even after the vehicle 12 has been driven on a "frequently traveled road", the electronically controlled suspension device of the vehicle 12 can perform damping control (driving control) in the most appropriate state, thereby improving the ride comfort of the vehicle 12.

[0058] Thus, by appropriately updating the parameter information, the vehicle control system 10 according to this embodiment can make the driving control of the vehicle 12 more suitable.

[0059] also, Figure 5 The flowchart executes according to a specified control cycle, but by shortening the control cycle and increasing the update frequency of parameter information, the research conditions (elements) originally used to calculate the target control quantity can be narrowed down to a certain range. As a result, the robustness of the control increases, thereby further improving the control effect.

[0060] exist Figure 3Of the elements shown, besides changes in occupant / loading conditions and tire type, changes in temperature and air pressure, as described above, are also considered. The parameter calculation unit 40 calculates the control constant (parameter information) of the vehicle 12 based on the difference between the first driving information and the second driving information being less than a threshold. In other words, the calculation includes control constants based on changes in multiple elements. On the other hand, in cases of changes in occupant / loading conditions or tire brand, changes in sprung weight M2 and unsprung weight M1 can also be used to numerically calculate parameter information and change the parameter information of the vehicle 12. Furthermore, while the above embodiment comprehensively processes changes in temperature and air pressure to calculate the control constant, in other embodiments, changes in each element can be detected by the individual vehicle sensors 28 and sent to the management device 14 to update the individual parameter information corresponding to each element. In this case, the state of the vehicle 12 can be grasped with higher precision, thereby enabling more accurate vehicle control.

[0061] Furthermore, in the case of a system that updates parameter information as described above, such as Figure 3 As shown, the update frequency of factors affecting the performance of electronically controlled suspension systems varies widely. Therefore, even when providing parameter information updates as a paid service, different pricing structures may apply. For example, ... Figure 6 As shown in diagram 46, based on the performance impact contribution of the vehicle 12 and the predetermined change frequency, it can be categorized into a first acquisition method (service method in subscription area 46a) that allows for the acquisition of changed parameter information at a fixed rate over a fixed period, and a second acquisition method (service method in chargeable area 46b) that incurs an acquisition fee each time changed parameter information is acquired. For example, parameters that change frequently (e.g., those that change every day to every 3 months) can be updated sequentially using a fixed-rate subscription method. On the other hand, parameters that change over a longer period (e.g., more than 6 months) can be updated based on the status of the vehicle 12 each time, such as during periodic inspections. As a result, for example, appropriate parameter information for the vehicle 12 can be acquired more effectively and at appropriate times, thereby providing an easy-to-use parameter information update service.

[0062] In addition, Figure 6In the case of replacing the tires with new ones (for example, when the maintenance conditions of this vehicle 12 (tire maintenance conditions) meet the prescribed conditions (e.g., replacing with a new product)), the tire characteristic Kt decreases compared to the case of an old tire whose tire characteristics (spring constant) Kt increase due to years of deterioration such as volume reduction caused by rubber wear or rubber curing. As a result, the resonant frequency of the unsprung weight M1 decreases, and the input over protrusions, etc., decreases. In this case, by using standard parameters determined during the design phase as parameter information, vibration can be suppressed according to the design.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the case where the controlled object of the vehicle control system 10 is an electronically controlled suspension device is shown. In other embodiments, for example, the controlled object of the vehicle control system 10 may also be the rear steering system, and the parameter information related to the rear steering system may be updated sequentially based on changes in the driving information of the vehicle 12. In this case, it may be a first parameter used when calculating the required yaw rate or lateral acceleration of the rear steering system and a second parameter used when calculating the required rear wheel steering angle. As a result, similar to the above embodiment, it can contribute to improving the driving control of the vehicle 12. For example, it can contribute to improving ride comfort or cornering stability. In this case, the relationship between the performance impact contribution of the factors affecting the parameter changes of the rear steering system in the vehicle control system 10 (vehicle control device 10A) and the frequency of change is as follows: Figure 7 As illustrated in Figure 48, the same effect can be achieved as in the case of an electronically controlled suspension system.

[0064] Embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described, but these embodiments and modifications are merely illustrative and do not imply limitation of the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, or modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments or modifications thereof are included within the scope or spirit of the invention, and are included within the scope of the invention as described in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, wherein, have: The acquisition unit acquires detection information of the current driving state and position information indicating the current position of the vehicle, which are detected by the detection unit mounted on the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device. The transmitting unit sends driving information obtained by associating the acquired detection information with the location information to an external management device; The receiving unit receives the modified vehicle parameter information sent by the management device when it is determined that the current driving status of the vehicle requires changes to the parameters of the vehicle that affect the driving control of the vehicle. as well as Upon receiving the parameter information, the control unit modifies the vehicle parameters corresponding to the parameter information and reflects this in the vehicle's driving control. The parameter information includes parameters that are modified based on comparing the vehicle's current driving information, i.e., first driving information, with second driving information stored in the management device when the vehicle was previously traveling at the same location, corresponding to the first driving information. The parameter information includes parameters that are changed to make the difference less than the threshold when the difference between the first driving information and the second driving information is above a predetermined threshold.

2. The vehicle control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The parameter information includes at least a first parameter used when calculating the sprung speed of the vehicle's suspension and a second parameter used when calculating the travel speed of the suspension.

3. The vehicle control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The parameter information can be categorized into a first acquisition method that can be obtained at a fixed rate over a fixed period and a second acquisition method that incurs an acquisition fee each time it is acquired, based on the vehicle's performance impact contribution and a predetermined change frequency.

4. The vehicle control device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The parameter information can be categorized into a first acquisition method that can be obtained at a fixed rate over a fixed period and a second acquisition method that incurs an acquisition fee each time it is acquired, based on the vehicle's performance impact contribution and a predetermined change frequency.

5. The vehicle control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, When the maintenance conditions of the vehicle meet the prescribed conditions, the parameter information will be modified from the standard parameters determined during the design of the vehicle.

6. A vehicle control system, wherein, have: A vehicle control device, installed in the vehicle, manages parameters for driving control of the vehicle in a modifiable manner; as well as A management device, located outside the vehicle, is capable of sending / receiving information with the vehicle, storing information obtained from the vehicle, and managing the vehicle's parameters based on that information. The vehicle control device has: The acquisition unit acquires detection information of the current driving state and position information indicating the current position of the vehicle, which are detected by the detection unit mounted on the vehicle. The transmitting unit sends driving information obtained by associating the acquired detection information with the location information to the management device; The receiving unit receives the modified vehicle parameter information sent by the management device when it is determined that the current driving status of the vehicle requires changes to the parameters of the vehicle that affect the driving control of the vehicle. as well as Upon receiving the parameter information, the control unit modifies the vehicle parameters corresponding to the parameter information and reflects this in the vehicle's driving control. The management device has: The receiving unit receives the driving information sent from the vehicle; The data storage unit stores the received driving information; The parameter change calculation unit calculates parameters that are modified based on comparing the vehicle's current driving information (i.e., first driving information) with second driving information stored in the data storage unit when the vehicle was previously traveling at the same location, corresponding to the first driving information. The sending unit sends the modified parameter information of the vehicle to the vehicle. If the difference between the first driving information and the second driving information is above a predetermined threshold, the parameter change calculation unit calculates the parameter to be changed so that the difference becomes less than the threshold.

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