Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and non-transitory storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a non-transitory storage medium. The vehicle control device of the present invention includes one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to set a second required value of a second state quantity for requiring an action of a control object using a first required value from an on-vehicle system configured to set a first required value of a first state quantity related to an action of a vehicle. The one or more processors are configured to set a feedback term of the second required value in feedback control using a deviation of the first required value from a measured value of the first state quantity. The one or more processors are configured to determine deterioration of a component of the vehicle using at least any one of a change history of the deviation and a change history of the feedback term.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to vehicle control devices, vehicle control methods, and non-transitory storage media. Background Technology

[0002] For example, vehicles that provide driver assistance through systems that assist the driver's driving operations, such as systems for autonomous driving, are known. In such vehicles, for example, it is known to have a technique that uses feedback control, which uses the deviation between a required value (target value) of the vehicle's acceleration and a measured value, to generate a driving force for achieving the actions required by the current driver assistance system.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-045077 discloses a technique for generating braking force by a drive unit based on a target braking force calculated according to a required value of acceleration and the availability of a range of braking force that the drive unit can currently generate.

[0004] In vehicles like the one described above, if the driving force is controlled based on the deviation between the required value and the measured value, there is a possibility that the reduced control responsiveness caused by the deterioration of vehicle components may not be easily reflected in the vehicle's behavior. Especially in the case of autonomous driving, since the vehicle's behavior is controlled without driver intervention, it is not easy for occupants to recognize changes in the vehicle's behavior, making early detection or prediction of component deterioration difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a non-transitory storage medium capable of accurately detecting anomalies such as deterioration of vehicle components.

[0006] The vehicle control device according to the first aspect of this disclosure includes one or more processors. The processors are configured to: use a first requirement value from an onboard system configured to set a first requirement value related to the operation of the vehicle to set a second requirement value for a second state quantity used to request an action from the controlled object; use the deviation between the first requirement value and the measured value of the first state quantity to set a feedback term for the second requirement value in feedback control; and use at least one of a history of deviation changes and a history of feedback term changes to determine the deterioration of vehicle components.

[0007] If vehicle components deteriorate, it can lead to deviations and changes such as an increase in feedback terms set in feedback control. Therefore, historical records of deviation and feedback term changes can be used to accurately determine the deterioration of vehicle components. In particular, even in driving conditions where changes in vehicle behavior caused by deterioration are difficult to identify, such as during autonomous driving, early detection and prediction of component deterioration are possible. As a result, vehicle reliability and safety can be improved.

[0008] Furthermore, it can be configured such that, based on one implementation, the feedback term includes an integral term. One or more processors can also be configured to determine vehicle component deterioration when the historical change history of the integral term shows a predetermined increasing trend.

[0009] For example, if the degradation of a vehicle component persists and the deviation between the first required value and the measured value is large, the integral term of the feedback term will show an increasing trend compared to before the degradation. Therefore, if the historical change history of the integral term shows a predetermined increasing trend, it is determined that the vehicle component has deteriorated, thereby enabling high-precision determination of vehicle component degradation.

[0010] Furthermore, in one embodiment, one or more processors are configured to determine that a vehicle component is deteriorating if the deviation shows a predetermined increasing trend before the magnitude of the deviation falls below a threshold.

[0011] For example, if a vehicle component deteriorates, the time before the deviation between the first required value and the measured value falls below a threshold tends to increase compared to before the deterioration occurred. Therefore, if the time before the deviation falls below the threshold shows a predetermined increasing trend, the vehicle component is determined to be deteriorated, thereby enabling high-precision determination of vehicle component deterioration.

[0012] It can also be configured such that, based on one implementation, the first state quantity includes at least one of the vehicle's acceleration in the longitudinal direction, the vehicle's angular velocity in the yaw direction, and the vehicle's acceleration in the lateral direction.

[0013] In this way, the degradation of vehicle components can be determined with high precision by using the historical records of the deviation between the first required value and the measured value of the acceleration in the forward, yaw, or left and right directions of the vehicle, and the historical records of the feedback item of the second required value set using the deviation.

[0014] It can also be configured such that, based on one embodiment, the vehicle components include components that are bushings related to the movement of the vehicle.

[0015] In this way, the historical records of deviation changes and feedback changes can be used to accurately determine the deterioration of components that are bushings related to the vehicle's movements.

[0016] Alternatively, in one implementation, one or more processors may be configured to use a first required value to set a feedforward term for a second required value in the feedforward control.

[0017] In this way, by setting the second required value through feedforward control and feedback control, the degradation of vehicle components can be determined with high precision using the historical records of deviation changes and the historical records of feedback changes.

[0018] The second aspect of this disclosure relates to a vehicle control method executed by a computer. This vehicle control method includes: setting a second required value for a second state quantity used to request action on a controlled object using a first required value from an onboard system configured to set a first required value related to the action of a first state quantity; setting a feedback term for the second required value in feedback control using the deviation between the first required value and a measured value of the first state quantity; and determining a degradation of a vehicle component using at least one of a history of deviation changes and a history of changes in the feedback term.

[0019] A third aspect of this disclosure relates to a non-transitory storage medium that stores commands executable by one or more processors and causing the aforementioned processors to perform the following functions: The functions include: setting a second requirement value for a second state quantity requiring action on an object using a first requirement value from an onboard system configured to set a first requirement value related to the operation of a vehicle; setting a feedback term for the second requirement value in feedback control using the deviation between the first requirement value and the measured value of the first state quantity; and determining the deterioration of a vehicle component using at least one of the deviation change history and the feedback term change history.

[0020] According to the present disclosure, a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, a non-transitory storage medium, and a motion manager can be provided that can accurately detect abnormalities such as deterioration of vehicle components.

[0021] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same elements. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the components of a vehicle.

[0023] Figure 2This is a diagram used to illustrate an example of the motion manager's actions.

[0024] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an example of the processing of FB control and FF control performed by the computing unit.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed by the computing unit.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a graph representing an example of the historical record of changes in the integral term.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by the computation unit in a variant example. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, identical or equivalent parts will be labeled with the same reference numerals in the drawings, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of vehicle 1. (For example...) Figure 1 As shown, vehicle 1 includes ADAS-ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10, brake ECU 20, actuator system 30, central ECU 40, and ADK (Autonomous Driving Kit) 120 as an autonomous driving device.

[0030] Vehicle 1 can be any vehicle with a structure that enables the functions of the driving assistance system described later. For example, it can be a vehicle driven by an engine, an electric vehicle driven by an electric motor, or a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine and an electric motor, with at least one of them as the driving source.

[0031] ADAS-ECU10, Braking ECU20, Central ECU40, and ADK120 all include a computer with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing programs, memory, and input / output interfaces.

[0032] ADAS-ECU 10 includes a driver assistance system 100 having functions related to driving assistance of vehicle 1. The driver assistance system 100 is configured to perform various functions for assisting the driving of vehicle 1, including at least one of steering control, drive control, and braking control of vehicle 1, by executing an installed application program. Examples of applications installed in the driver assistance system 100 include applications that implement the functions of an automatic parking system and applications that implement the functions of an Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS) (hereinafter referred to as ADAS applications).

[0033] Examples of ADAS applications include: applications that implement follow-the-car (ACC) functions, such as maintaining a constant distance from the vehicle in front and a distance from the vehicle ahead; applications that implement ASL (Auto Speed ​​Limiter) functions, such as lane keeping assist (LKA or LTA) functions, such as lane keeping assist; applications that implement collision damage mitigation braking (AEB or PCS) functions, such as automatic emergency braking; applications that implement lane departure warning (LDW or LDA) functions, such as lane departure warning; and applications that implement intelligent speed control (ISA) functions, such as controlling the vehicle to maintain a speed not exceeding the speed limit. At least one of the applications that provide the function of Assistance (intelligent speed assistance).

[0034] The driver assistance system 100, based on information about the vehicle's surroundings obtained from multiple sensors (not shown) and the driver's assistance requests, ensures that each application's individual operational (functional) action plan is output to the braking ECU 20 (more specifically, the motion manager 200). These multiple sensors include, for example, visual sensors such as forward-facing cameras, radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), or position detection devices. The action plan is one example of the first required value.

[0035] A forward-facing camera, for example, is positioned on the back side of the rearview mirror inside the vehicle compartment, for capturing images of the area in front of vehicle 1. Radar is a distance measuring device that measures the distance and direction to an object by illuminating it with short-wavelength radio waves and detecting the radio waves returning from the object. LiDAR is a distance measuring device that measures distance by illuminating a laser (such as infrared light) in pulses and measuring the time it takes for the light to reflect back from the object. A position detection device, for example, consists of GPS (Global Positioning System), which uses information received from multiple satellites orbiting the Earth to detect the position of vehicle 1.

[0036] Each application acquires information about the vehicle's surroundings, which incorporates detection results from one or more sensors, as identification sensor information, and obtains driver assistance requests via a user interface (not shown), such as a switch. Each application can identify other vehicles, obstacles, or people in the vicinity of the vehicle, for example, through artificial intelligence (AI) processing of images and videos of the vehicle's surroundings acquired by multiple sensors, or through image processing using an image processing processor.

[0037] In addition, the action plan includes, for example, requirements related to the forward / reverse acceleration / deceleration of vehicle 1, requirements related to the steering angle of vehicle 1, and requirements related to the stationary hold of vehicle 1. The forward / reverse acceleration / deceleration of vehicle 1 is an example of a first state quantity related to the motion of vehicle 1.

[0038] Requirements related to the front-to-rear acceleration / deceleration generated by vehicle 1 include, for example, requirements for the operation of the powertrain 302 and the braking system 304.

[0039] Requirements relating to the stationary operation of vehicle 1 include, for example, requirements relating to the permission and prohibition of operation of at least one of the electric parking brake and parking locking mechanism (neither shown).

[0040] An electric parking brake, for example, limits the rotation of the wheels of vehicle 1 by the action of an actuator. The electric parking brake may also be configured such that an actuator is used to activate a parking brake located on a portion of the plurality of wheels provided on vehicle 1, thereby limiting wheel rotation. Alternatively, the electric parking brake may also limit wheel rotation by adjusting the hydraulic pressure supplied to the braking device of braking system 304 and activating the braking device by actuating the parking brake actuator.

[0041] The parking lock mechanism restricts the rotation of the transmission output shaft by the action of an actuator. For example, the parking lock mechanism engages a protrusion located at the front end of the parking lock lever, whose position is adjusted by the actuator, with the teeth of a gear (locking gear) connected to a rotating component within the transmission of vehicle 1. This restricts the rotation of the transmission output shaft and, consequently, the rotation of the drive wheels.

[0042] Furthermore, the applications installed in the driving assistance system 100 are not specifically limited to the applications mentioned above; additional applications that perform other functions may be added, existing applications may be omitted, and the number of applications installed is not specifically limited.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ADAS-ECU 10 is described as a driving assistance system 100 consisting of multiple applications, but for example, the ECU can also be configured for each application. For example, the driving assistance system 100 can be composed of an ECU with an application that implements the function of an automatic parking system and an ECU with an ADAS application installed.

[0044] ADK120 includes an Autonomous Driving System (ADS) 122. ADK120 is configured to be detachable from vehicle 1 and interchangeable with other ADKs. ADS122 has an application that enables autonomous driving. Based on information from multiple sensors mounted on ADK120 and the surrounding conditions of vehicle 1, ADS122 outputs to the braking ECU20 the requirements of an action plan (i.e., an action plan for autonomous driving) that ensures the individual functionality of the application. The multiple sensors mounted on ADK120 include, for example, visual sensors such as forward-facing cameras, radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), or position detection devices. These sensors have been described above, and therefore their detailed descriptions will not be repeated. For example, in a section from the current location to a pre-set destination, or a portion of that section, based on the surrounding conditions of vehicle 1, at least one of the following actions is performed: acceleration, deceleration, steering, or stopping of vehicle 1, without driver intervention, thereby achieving autonomous driving. In this embodiment, ADS122 is configured to acquire the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1 via sensors or image processing devices of a system separate from the driver assistance system 100.

[0045] Furthermore, the application that enables autonomous driving functions may be included in the driver assistance system 100, or it may be installed in an ECU different from the ADAS-ECU 10.

[0046] The braking ECU 20 includes a motion manager 200. In this embodiment, the case where the braking ECU 20 has a hardware structure including the motion manager 200 is described as an example; however, the motion manager 200 may be a separate ECU from the braking ECU 20, or it may be included in another ECU different from the braking ECU 20. The braking ECU 20 is configured to communicate with the ADAS-ECU 10, the various ECUs included in the actuator system 30, the central ECU 40, and the ADK 120.

[0047] The motion manager 200 requests the actuator system 30 to move the vehicle 1 according to a movement plan set in at least one of the multiple applications of the driver assistance system 100 and the application that implements the autonomous driving function of the ADS 122. The detailed structure of the motion manager 200 will be described later.

[0048] The actuator system 30 is configured to achieve the motion of the vehicle 1 output from the motion manager 200. The actuator system 30 includes multiple actuators. Figure 1The diagram illustrates an example where the actuator system 30 includes, for instance, a power transmission system 302, a braking system 304, and a steering system 306 as actuators. Furthermore, the number of actuators required to function as the motion manager 200 is not limited to three as described above; it can be four or more, or two or fewer.

[0049] The powertrain system 302 includes a power transmission device capable of generating driving force for the drive wheels of the vehicle 1, and an ECU (not shown) for controlling the operation of the power transmission device. The power transmission device may include, for example, at least one of the following: an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or diesel engine; a transmission including a gearbox and differential; a motor-generator that serves as a drive source; an energy storage device that stores electricity supplied to the motor-generator; an electric power conversion device that converts electricity between the motor-generator and the energy storage device; or a power source such as a fuel cell. The ECU controlling the operation of the powertrain device controls the corresponding equipment, thereby fulfilling the motion requirements of the motion manager 200 for the corresponding equipment in the powertrain system 302.

[0050] The braking system 304 includes, for example, multiple braking devices installed on each wheel of the vehicle 1. These braking devices include, for example, hydraulic brakes such as disc brakes that use hydraulic pressure to generate braking force. Furthermore, as a braking device, a motor generator connected to the wheels and generating regenerative torque may also be included. The braking action of the vehicle 1, which uses multiple braking devices, is controlled by the braking ECU 20. The braking ECU 20, for example, includes a control unit (not shown) for controlling the braking system 304 separately from the motion manager 200.

[0051] The steering system 306 includes, for example, a steering control device capable of changing the steering angle of the steering wheels (e.g., the front wheels) of the vehicle 1, and an ECU (not shown) for controlling the operation of the steering control device. The steering control device includes, for example, a steering wheel that changes the steering angle according to the amount of operation, and electric power steering (EPS) capable of adjusting the steering angle separately from the operation of the steering wheel via an actuator. The ECU controlling the operation of the steering control device controls the operation of the EPS actuator.

[0052] The central ECU 40 includes a memory 42 capable of updating stored content. The central ECU 40 is configured, for example, to communicate with the brake ECU 20, and is also configured to communicate with an external device (e.g., a server) of the vehicle 1 (not shown) via a communication module (not shown). The central ECU 40 updates the information stored in the memory 42 using update information received when receiving update information from a server external to the vehicle 1. Prescribed information is stored in the memory 42. This prescribed information includes, for example, information read from various ECUs when the vehicle 1's system is started.

[0053] In this embodiment, the central ECU 40 reads the prescribed information from various ECUs when the vehicle 1 system is started, but it may also have functions such as relaying communication between various ECUs (gateway function).

[0054] The following uses Figure 2 A detailed explanation of an example of the motion manager 200's actions is provided. Figure 2 This is a diagram used to illustrate an example of the actions of the motion manager 200.

[0055] exist Figure 2 The diagram shows a system group 150, including a driver assistance system 100 and an ADS 122. Additionally, in... Figure 2 The text illustrates, for example, a driver assistance system 100 including AEB 102, LKA 104, ACC 106, ASL 108, PCS 110, and ISA 112 as an application. Furthermore, in... Figure 2 The diagram illustrates an example where ADS122 includes, for instance, AD124, an application that enables autonomous driving (AD) functionality. A request signal PLN1 is sent from the system group 150, including the driving assistance system 100 and ADS122, to the motion manager 200, specifying a motion plan set in at least one of multiple applications.

[0056] The required signal PLN1 may include, for example, information about the target acceleration set as part of the action plan in ACC, AEB, ASL, PCS, ISA, or AD, or information about the target curvature set as part of the action plan in LKA or AD.

[0057] The motion manager 200 sets the required motion for the vehicle 1 based on the action plan requirements included in the received request signal PLN1, and requests the actuator system 30 to implement the set motion. Specifically, the motion manager 200 sends a request for the operation of the powertrain system 302 as a request signal ACL1 to the actuator system 30. The motion manager 200 sends a request for the operation of the braking system 304 as a request signal BRK1 to the actuator system 30. Furthermore, the motion manager 200 sends a request for the operation of the steering system 306 as a request signal STR1 to the actuator system 30.

[0058] The required signal ACL1 may include information related to the required value of the drive torque or drive force, information related to the means of adjustment (e.g., selecting the maximum or minimum value, whether it changes in stages or gradually).

[0059] The requirement signal BRK1 includes, for example, information related to the required value of braking torque, information related to the means of adjustment (e.g., whether to change it in stages or gradually), and information on the timing of braking (whether to apply the brakes immediately).

[0060] The required signal STR1 may include, for example, the target steering angle, information on whether the target steering angle is valid, and information related to the upper and lower limits of the auxiliary torque for steering wheel operation.

[0061] The actuators that receive the corresponding request signals among the plurality of actuators constituting the actuator system 30 are controlled in a manner that fulfills the requirements of the action included in the request signal.

[0062] The following describes an example of the structure of the motion manager 200. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the motion manager 200 includes a receiving unit 202, a regulating unit 204, a calculating unit 206, and an allocation unit 208.

[0063] The receiving unit 202 accepts action plan requests output by one or more applications of the system group 150. Details of the action plan in this embodiment will be described later.

[0064] The mediation unit 204 mediates multiple action plan requests received from various applications via the receiving unit 202. As an example of this mediation process, one possible approach is to select an action plan from multiple action plans based on predetermined selection criteria. Another example is to set a new action plan based on multiple action plans. Furthermore, the mediation unit 204 can mediate multiple action plan requests beyond the predetermined information received from the actuator system 30. The mediation unit 204 can also determine whether to temporarily prioritize the movement of vehicle 1 calculated based on the driver's state and vehicle state compared to the movement of vehicle 1 corresponding to the action plan determined based on the mediation result.

[0065] The calculation unit 206 calculates the motion requirement based on the mediation result of the action plan requirements in the mediation unit 204 and the motion of the vehicle 1 determined based on the mediation result. This motion requirement is a physical quantity used to control at least one actuator of the actuator system 30, including physical quantities different from the physical quantities required by the action plan. For example, if the action plan requirement (first requirement) is front-to-rear acceleration, the calculation unit 206 calculates a value that converts the acceleration into driving force and driving torque as the motion requirement (second requirement). The motion requirement is an example of a value for the second requirement.

[0066] The distribution unit 208 distributes the motion requirements calculated by the calculation unit 206 to at least one actuator of the actuator system 30. For example, if the vehicle 1 is required to accelerate, the distribution unit 208 distributes the motion requirements only to the powertrain system 302. Alternatively, if the vehicle 1 is required to decelerate, the distribution unit 208 appropriately distributes the motion requirements to the powertrain system 302 and the braking system 304 to achieve the target deceleration.

[0067] The actuator system 30 sends information about the status of the powertrain 302 to the motion manager 200 as signal ACL2. This information includes, for example, information related to accelerator pedal operation, information related to the actual drive torque or actual drive force of the powertrain 302, actual gear shift information, information about the upper and lower limits of drive torque, information about the upper and lower limits of drive force, and information about the reliability of the powertrain 302.

[0068] The braking system 304 of the actuator system 30 sends information about the status of the braking system 304 to the motion manager 200 as a signal BRK2. This information about the status of the braking system 304 includes, for example, information related to the operation of the brake pedal, information related to the braking torque requested by the driver, information related to the requested value of the adjusted braking torque, information related to the actual adjusted braking torque, and information related to the reliability of the braking system 304.

[0069] The steering system 306 of the actuator system 30 sends information about the state of the steering system 306 to the motion manager 200 as signal STR2. This information about the state of the steering system 306 includes, for example, information related to the reliability of the steering system 306, information about whether the driver is holding the steering wheel, information about the torque applied to the steering wheel, and information about the steering wheel's rotation angle.

[0070] In addition to the aforementioned power transmission system 302, braking system 304, and steering system 306, the actuator system 30 also includes a sensor group 308.

[0071] The sensor group 308 includes multiple sensors for detecting the behavior of the vehicle 1. For example, the sensor group 308 includes front and rear G-sensors for detecting the vehicle's acceleration in the longitudinal direction, lateral G-sensors for detecting the vehicle's acceleration in the lateral direction, wheel speed sensors located at each wheel and detecting wheel speed, and yaw rate sensors for detecting the angular velocity of the yaw rate. The sensor group 308 sends information including the detection results from the multiple sensors to the motion manager 200 as a signal VSS2. That is, the signal VSS2 includes, for example, the detection values ​​from the front and rear G-sensors, the detection values ​​from the lateral G-sensors, the detection values ​​from the wheel speed sensors of each wheel, the detection values ​​from the yaw rate sensors, and information regarding the reliability of each sensor.

[0072] If the motion manager 200 receives various signals from the actuator system 30, it sends the specified information as signal PLN2 to the driving assistance system 100.

[0073] Furthermore, the structure of the device mounted on vehicle 1 described above and the structure of motion manager 200 are examples, and can be appropriately added, replaced, changed, or omitted. Additionally, the functions of each device can be appropriately centralized in one device or distributed across multiple devices for execution.

[0074] In the vehicle 1 with the above-described structure, the calculation unit 206 of the motion manager 200 adjusts, for example, the required value of the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle 1 from the vehicle system (including ADS122 and driver assistance system 100), sets the required value of the driving force corresponding to the adjusted acceleration requirement value, and outputs the set driving force requirement value to the actuator system 30. At this time, the calculation unit 206 sets the required value of the driving force corresponding to the adjusted acceleration requirement value through feedforward control (hereinafter referred to as FF control) and feedback control (hereinafter referred to as FB control). The calculation unit 206 sets the required value of the driving force as the sum of, for example, the feedforward term corresponding to the adjusted acceleration requirement value and the feedback term corresponding to the deviation between the adjusted acceleration requirement value and the measured acceleration value. The feedback control includes, for example, PID control.

[0075] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an example of the processing of FF control and FB control performed by the calculation unit 206. For example, in automatic driving, the required acceleration value set by the ADS122 is input to the receiving unit 202 of the motion manager 200. The required acceleration value input to the receiving unit 202 is output to the adjustment unit 204, where it is adjusted to other required acceleration values. The adjusted required acceleration value is input to the calculation unit 206. The calculation unit 206 uses the adjusted required acceleration value input from the adjustment unit 204 to set the required driving force value.

[0076] The calculation unit 206 includes an FF control unit 206a and an FB control unit 206b. The FF control unit 206a sets the FF term of the required driving force using the adjusted required acceleration value. The FF control unit 206a sets the driving force that achieves the adjusted required acceleration value as the FF term, taking into account factors such as driving resistance. The FF control unit 206a sets the FF term using, for example, a formula, function, mapping, or table representing a predetermined relationship between the required acceleration value and the FF term, and using the required acceleration value. For example, the predetermined relationship is made suitable through experimentation or design. The FF control unit 206a outputs the set FF term.

[0077] The FB control unit 206b sets the FB term for the required driving force value using the deviation between the adjusted required acceleration value and the measured value in the forward and backward directions of vehicle 1. The deviation between the required acceleration value calculated at the summing point 206c and the measured acceleration value is input to the FB control unit 206b. The measured acceleration value is input from the sensor group 308 of the actuator system 30. The FB control unit 206b sets the FB term for the required driving force value corresponding to the deviation. The FB term includes a proportional term set proportional to the deviation in PID control, an integral term set proportional to the time integral of the deviation, and a derivative term set proportional to the time derivative of the deviation. The FB control unit 206b outputs the set FB term.

[0078] Furthermore, at the summation point 206d, the sum of the FF term output from the FF control unit 206a and the FB term output from the FB control unit 206b is calculated, and the calculated sum is output to the actuator system 30 via the distribution unit 208 as the required value of the driving force.

[0079] If the FB term is set based on the deviation between the required acceleration value and the measured acceleration value in the feedback control described above, it becomes difficult to detect a decrease in control responsiveness caused by the deterioration of components of vehicle 1 (e.g., bushings related to the movement of vehicle 1 and the movement of the powertrain 302, which is the controlled object) during the behavior of vehicle 1. Especially in the case of autonomous driving, since the behavior of vehicle 1 is not controlled by the driver, it is not easy for occupants to recognize changes in the behavior of vehicle 1, making early detection or prediction of component deterioration difficult. Furthermore, bushings include, for example, bushings provided in the powertrain 302, braking system 304, and steering system 306, as well as bushings provided in the movable parts of the suspension of vehicle 1.

[0080] Therefore, in this embodiment, the calculation unit 206 of the motion manager 200 uses the change history of the FB item to determine the deterioration of the components of the vehicle 1.

[0081] If components of vehicle 1 deteriorate, the large deviation will persist, potentially leading to changes such as an increase in the FB terms (especially the integral term) set in the FB control. Therefore, the historical change history of the FB terms can be used to accurately determine the deterioration of components of vehicle 1.

[0082] The following is a reference. Figure 4 The processing performed by the calculation unit 206 of the motion manager 200 will be explained. Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by the computing unit 206. The computing unit 206 repeatedly executes the series of processes shown in this flowchart at predetermined control cycles.

[0083] In step (hereinafter referred to as step S) 100, the calculation unit 206 obtains the required value of the acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. For example, the calculation unit 206 obtains the adjusted required value of the acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 from the adjustment unit 204.

[0084] In S102, the calculation unit 206 obtains the measured value of the acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. The calculation unit 206 obtains the measured value of the acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1, for example, using the detection results of the G sensors included in the sensor group 308 of the actuator system 30. The detection results of the G sensors included in the sensor group 308 are input to the calculation unit 206, for example, via the receiving unit 202.

[0085] In S104, the calculation unit 206 sets the required value of the driving force (FF). The method for setting the FF item is as described above, so its detailed explanation will not be repeated.

[0086] In S106, the calculation unit 206 sets the FB item, which represents the required value of the driving force. The method for setting the FB item is as described above, and therefore its detailed explanation will not be repeated.

[0087] In S108, the calculation unit 206 outputs the sum of the FF term and the FB term as the required value of the driving force to the actuator system 30 via the distribution unit 208.

[0088] In S110, the calculation unit 206 determines whether a determination condition is met. Determination conditions include, for example, the condition that the distance traveled since the start of autonomous driving is a predetermined distance L or more. For example, when the state of a sign changes from closed to open, the calculation unit 206 determines that autonomous driving has started. Regarding the sign, if autonomous driving starts through user operation, the sign's state is set to open; if autonomous driving ends, the sign's state is set to closed. Furthermore, the calculation unit 206 can calculate the travel distance using, for example, the historical speed change record of vehicle 1 during autonomous driving, the historical wheel speed change record of vehicle 1 during autonomous driving, and tire diameter, or a location detection device such as GPS. If the determination condition is met (yes in S110), the calculation unit 206 moves the process to S112. Conversely, if the determination condition is not met (no in S110), the calculation unit 206 terminates the process.

[0089] In S112, the calculation unit 206 obtains the change in the integral term in the FB term since the start of autonomous driving. The calculation unit 206 subtracts the value of the integral term at the start of autonomous driving from the current value of the integral term to obtain the change in the integral term since the start of autonomous driving. Furthermore, in the following description, "change in the integral term" refers to the change in the integral term since the start of autonomous driving.

[0090] In S114, the calculation unit 206 determines whether the change in the integral term has a predetermined increasing trend. Specifically, the calculation unit 206 uses, for example, the change in the integral term when the vehicle 1 traveled a predetermined distance L in a previous autonomous driving session as a reference value. If the change in the integral term exceeds a predetermined value from the reference value, it determines that the change in the integral term has a predetermined increasing trend.

[0091] Furthermore, as a benchmark, it could be, for example, the change in the integral term during the initial autonomous driving when vehicle 1 travels a predetermined distance L, the average of the changes in the integral term when vehicle 1 travels multiple predetermined distances L from the initial autonomous driving to the previous autonomous driving, or the average of the changes in the integral term during the most recent predetermined period when vehicle 1 travels multiple predetermined distances L.

[0092] If the calculation unit 206 determines that the change in the integral term has a predetermined increasing trend (yes in S114), the calculation unit 206 moves the processing to S116. Conversely, if the calculation unit 206 determines that the change in the integral term does not have a predetermined increasing trend (no in S114), the calculation unit 206 ends the processing.

[0093] In S116, the calculation unit 206 determines the deterioration of the component. For example, the calculation unit 206 sets a flag indicating deterioration of the component that is being installed as a bushing to an on state.

[0094] Furthermore, when the indicator is on, the motion manager 200 can also report information indicating component deterioration to the user. The motion manager 200 can display text information or images indicating component deterioration on a display device, or it can report to the user via sound. Alternatively, when the indicator is on, the motion manager 200 can send information indicating component deterioration to an external device (e.g., a server) of the vehicle 1 (not shown) via the central ECU 40 and the communication module.

[0095] Side reference Figure 5 An example of the operation of vehicle 1 based on the above structure and flowchart will be explained. Figure 5 This is a graph representing an example of the historical record of changes in the integral term. Figure 5 The vertical axis represents the change in the integral term within the FB term. Figure 5 The horizontal axis represents the distance traveled by vehicle 1. Figure 5 LN1 represents the historical record of the change in the integral term before the component deteriorates. Figure 5 LN2 represents the historical record of the change in the integral term after component degradation. Additionally, [the following text is incomplete and likely refers to a separate topic:] ... Figure 5 The change a(0) of the integral term corresponding to the predetermined distance L in LN2 is set as the baseline value.

[0096] For example, in autonomous driving, if a required value for the forward and backward acceleration of vehicle 1 is obtained (S100) and a measured value for the forward and backward acceleration of vehicle 1 is obtained (S102), the obtained required value is used to set the FF term (S104). Furthermore, the deviation between the obtained required value and the measured value is used to set the FB term (S106), and the sum of the FF term and the FB term is output as the required value for the driving force (S108).

[0097] At this time, as Figure 5 As shown in LN1 and LN2, the change in the integral term of the FB term begins to increase from the start of autonomous driving. Moreover, the change occurs in a manner that the change in the integral term after component degradation is significantly greater than the change in the integral term before component degradation.

[0098] Therefore, the change in the integral term from the start of autonomous driving is based on Figure 5When LN2 changes, if the determination condition is met (yes in S110) when the driving distance from the start of autonomous driving becomes a predetermined distance L or more, the change in the integral term a(1) is obtained. If the value obtained by subtracting the reference value a(0) from the obtained change in the integral term a(1) is greater than the threshold, the calculation unit 206 determines that the change has an increasing trend (S114), and thus determines that the component is deteriorating (S116).

[0099] Furthermore, if the value obtained by subtracting the reference value a(0) from the obtained integral term change is below the threshold, the calculation unit 206 determines that the change does not have an increasing trend (no in S114), and therefore does not determine that the component is deteriorating and continues to drive the vehicle 1.

[0100] As described above, according to the motion manager 200 of the vehicle control device according to this embodiment, if components such as bushings of vehicle 1 deteriorate, changes such as an increase in FB items set in FB control may occur. Therefore, the historical change history of FB items can be used to determine the deterioration of vehicle 1 components with high precision. In particular, even in driving conditions where changes in the behavior of vehicle 1 caused by deterioration are not easily identified, such as during autonomous driving, early detection and prediction of deterioration of vehicle 1 components can be achieved. As a result, the reliability and safety of vehicle 1 can be improved. Therefore, a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, a non-transitory storage medium, and a motion manager that can accurately detect anomalies such as deterioration of vehicle 1 components can be provided.

[0101] Furthermore, for example, if the condition of a large deviation between the required acceleration value and the measured acceleration value due to the deterioration of a component of vehicle 1 persists, the integral term of the FB term will tend to increase compared to before the deterioration. Therefore, if the history of the integral term shows a predetermined increasing trend, it is determined that the component of vehicle 1 is deteriorating, thereby enabling high-precision determination of the deterioration of the component of vehicle 1.

[0102] The following describes some variations.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the structure of the motion manager 200, including the receiving unit 202, the mediation unit 204, the calculation unit 206, and the allocation unit 208, has been described as an example. However, the motion manager 200 may also have a structure that includes at least a first motion manager that receives action plans from the application and a second motion manager that can communicate with the first motion manager and request motion from the actuator system 30. Furthermore, in this case, the functions of the mediation unit 204, the calculation unit 206, and the allocation unit 208 can be installed in either the first motion manager or the second motion manager.

[0104] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, as an example, the case in which the determination condition is included is the condition that the vehicle 1 has traveled a predetermined distance L since the start of autonomous driving. However, the following condition may also be included: the vehicle 1 has traveled a predetermined distance L since the control of setting the required value of the driving force, etc., through FB control has started due to the execution of at least one of the multiple applications set in the driving assistance system 100.

[0105] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the case where PID control is included as FB control has been described. For example, PI control may be included instead of PID control.

[0106] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, a structure was described for determining that the component of vehicle 1 is deteriorating when the history of the change of the integral term shows a predetermined increasing trend. However, it is also possible to determine that the component of vehicle 1 is deteriorating when the history of the change of the proportional term instead of the integral term shows a predetermined increasing trend.

[0107] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case in which the component of vehicle 1 is determined to be deteriorated when the history of the change of the integral term shows a predetermined increasing trend has been described. However, for example, the history of the change of the deviation can also be used to determine the deterioration of the component of vehicle 1.

[0108] For example, if the deviation shows a predetermined increasing trend before it falls below a threshold, the calculation unit 206 can also determine that the vehicle 1's components are deteriorating.

[0109] The calculation unit 206, for example, measures the convergence time from the state where the magnitude of the deviation input to the FB control unit 206b is greater than a first value until the magnitude of the deviation becomes below a threshold. If the value obtained by subtracting the reference time from the measured convergence time is greater than a predetermined value, the calculation unit 206 determines that the time before the magnitude of the deviation becomes below the threshold shows an increasing trend. Furthermore, the reference time is the convergence time measured before component deterioration; it can be measured through experiments or by the calculation unit 206.

[0110] The following is a reference. Figure 6 The processing performed by the calculation unit 206 of the motion manager 200 in this modified example will be explained. Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by the calculation unit 206 in a modified example. The calculation unit 206 repeatedly executes the series of processes shown in this flowchart at predetermined control cycles.

[0111] also, Figure 6 The processing of S100, S102, S104, S106, S108, and S116 in the flowchart is related to... Figure 4 The processing of S100, S102, S104, S106, S108, and S116 in the flowchart is the same. Therefore, its detailed description will not be repeated.

[0112] After the required driving force value is output in S108, the process moves to S210. In S210, the calculation unit 206 determines whether a determination condition is met. The determination condition includes the condition that there is a period within a recently predetermined period during which the state changes from a state where the deviation is greater than a first value to a state where the state changes to a state below a threshold. The first value is, for example, a predetermined value that is made suitable through experiments, etc. If the determination condition is met (yes in S210), the calculation unit 206 moves the process to S212. If the determination condition is not met (no in S210), the calculation unit 206 ends the process.

[0113] In S212, the calculation unit 206 obtains the convergence time before the magnitude of the deviation becomes below the threshold.

[0114] In S214, the calculation unit 206 determines whether the convergence time has an increasing trend. The determination method is as described above, so its detailed explanation will not be repeated. If it is determined that the convergence time has an increasing trend (yes in S214), the calculation unit 206 moves the process to S116. Furthermore, if it is determined that the convergence time does not have an increasing trend (no in S214), the calculation unit 206 terminates the process.

[0115] If a component of vehicle 1 deteriorates, the time before the deviation between the required acceleration value and the measured acceleration value falls below a threshold tends to increase compared to before the deterioration. Therefore, if the time before the deviation falls below the threshold shows a predetermined increasing trend, it is determined that a component of vehicle 1 has deteriorated, thereby enabling high-precision determination of component deterioration in vehicle 1.

[0116] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the case of controlling the driving force using the required value of the longitudinal acceleration of vehicle 1 and the measured value of the longitudinal acceleration of vehicle 1 is described as an example. However, for example, when controlling the driving force using the required value of the yaw rate of vehicle 1 and the measured value of the yaw rate of vehicle 1, the degradation of the components of vehicle 1 can be determined as described above. Alternatively, when controlling the driving force using the required value of the lateral acceleration of vehicle 1 and the measured value of the lateral acceleration of vehicle 1, the degradation of the components of vehicle 1 can be determined as described above. In this way, the degradation of the components of vehicle 1 can be determined with high precision by using the deviation between the required value and the measured value, and the change history of the FB item of the required value of the driving force set using the deviation.

[0117] Furthermore, the aforementioned variations can also be implemented by appropriately combining all or part of them.

[0118] All points in the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. The scope of the invention is not limited by the foregoing description, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all equivalents of the claims and all modifications within their scope.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, characterized in that, The vehicle control device includes one or more processors, which are configured as follows: The first requirement value from the on-board system configured to set the first requirement value of the first state quantity related to the action of the vehicle is used to set the second requirement value of the second state quantity for requesting action on the controlled object. The feedback term for the second required value in the feedback control is set using the deviation between the first required value and the measured value of the first state quantity; and The historical record of the deviation is used to determine the deterioration of the vehicle's components. The one or more processors are configured to determine that the vehicle's components are deteriorating if the deviation shows a predetermined increasing trend before the magnitude of the deviation falls below a threshold.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The one or more processors further use the change history of the feedback item to determine the deterioration of the vehicle's components. The feedback items include integral items. The one or more processors are configured to determine that the vehicle's components are deteriorating when the history of changes in the integral term shows a predetermined increasing trend.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first state quantity includes at least one of the vehicle's acceleration in the longitudinal direction, the vehicle's angular velocity in the yaw direction, and the vehicle's acceleration in the lateral direction.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle's components include those that are bushings and are related to the vehicle's movement.

5. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The one or more processors are configured to use the first requirement value to set the feedforward term of the second requirement value in the feedforward control.

6. A vehicle control method, which is a vehicle control method executed by a computer, characterized in that, The vehicle control method includes: The first requirement value from the on-board system configured to set the first requirement value of the first state quantity related to the action of the vehicle is used to set the second requirement value of the second state quantity for requesting action on the controlled object. The deviation between the first required value and the measured value of the first state quantity is used to set the feedback term of the second required value in the feedback control; The historical record of the deviation is used to determine the deterioration of the vehicle's components; and If the deviation shows a predetermined increasing trend before its magnitude falls below a threshold, the vehicle is deemed to have experienced component degradation.

7. A non-transitory storage medium storing commands executable by one or more processors and causing said one or more processors to perform the following functions, characterized in that, The functions include: The first requirement value from the on-board system configured to set the first requirement value of the first state quantity related to the action of the vehicle is used to set the second requirement value of the second state quantity for requesting action on the controlled object. The deviation between the first required value and the measured value of the first state quantity is used to set the feedback term of the second required value in the feedback control; The historical record of the deviation is used to determine the deterioration of the vehicle's components; and If the deviation shows a predetermined increasing trend before its magnitude falls below a threshold, the vehicle is deemed to have experienced component degradation.

Images