Vehicle control device

Abstract

The vehicle control apparatus includes an optimization unit configured to perform optimization among a plurality of control commands acquired from a plurality of driving support applications that respectively implement a driving support function, and a controller configured to output an instruction based on the optimized control command to a first control unit capable of controlling the steering actuator and a second control unit capable of controlling at least one of the brake actuator and the drive actuator, and configured to acquire a steering angle and a yaw rate as the control command from a driving support application.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese invention patent application with application number 2020111383578, application date October 22, 2020, and invention name “Vehicle Control Device”. Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to a vehicle control device. Background Art

[0003] There is a known vehicle that is capable of arbitrating between a plurality of control commands related to the movement of the vehicle and generated in the vehicle to control the operation of an actuator according to the arbitration result. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-030472 (JP 2017-030472A) discloses a device in which a steering command of a collision avoidance assist control unit and a steering command of a lane departure assist control unit are input as a steering angle or a steering torque to an arbitration control unit, and the arbitration control unit arbitrates between the steering commands. Summary of the invention

[0004] In the control device described in JP 2017-030472A, for example, if in an attempt to control the steering actuator based on the steering angle received as a steering command, the steering actuator cannot be controlled according to the steering command due to a malfunction or the like, the vehicle may not behave as expected and the lateral movement of the vehicle may not be properly controlled.

[0005] The present invention provides a vehicle control device capable of appropriately controlling the lateral movement of a vehicle.

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle control device including an arbitration unit. The arbitration unit is configured to arbitrate between a plurality of control commands acquired from a plurality of driving support applications that respectively implement driving support functions, is configured to output instructions based on the arbitrated control commands to a first control unit capable of controlling a steering actuator and a second control unit capable of controlling at least one of a brake actuator and a drive actuator, and is configured to acquire a steering angle and a yaw rate from the driving support application as the control command.

[0007] In a first aspect, the arbitration unit may be configured to output an instruction based on a steering angle used as a post-arbitration control command to a first control unit when the post-arbitration control command can be implemented only by controlling a steering actuator, and may be configured to output an instruction based on at least a yaw rate used as a post-arbitration control command to a second control unit when the post-arbitration control command cannot be implemented only by controlling a steering actuator.

[0008] In the first aspect, the situation where the arbitrated control command cannot be implemented only by controlling the steering actuator may be a situation where a system including the steering actuator is abnormal.

[0009] In the first aspect, the case where the arbitrated control command cannot be realized only by controlling the steering actuator may be a case where the steering angle used as the arbitrated control command exceeds the maximum steering angle of the steering actuator.

[0010] In the first aspect, the situation where the prioritized control command cannot be implemented only by controlling the steering actuator may be a situation where the steering angle used as the prioritized control command deviates by more than a predetermined value from the actual steering angle of the steering actuator that has been operated according to the instruction based on the steering angle.

[0011] In a first aspect, the arbitration unit may obtain the steering angle and the yaw rate as control commands from the driving support application substantially simultaneously.

[0012] In a first aspect, the arbitration unit may acquire a data frame including a steering angle and a yaw rate as a control command from a driving support application.

[0013] In a first aspect, the brake actuator may be capable of distributing braking force between the left and right wheels.

[0014] In a first aspect, the drive actuator may be capable of distributing drive force between the left and right wheels.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle control device including an arbitration unit. The arbitration unit is configured to arbitrate between a plurality of control commands acquired from a plurality of driving support applications that respectively implement driving support functions, is configured to output instructions based on the arbitrated control commands to a first control unit capable of controlling a steering actuator and a second control unit capable of controlling at least one of a brake actuator and a drive actuator, and is configured to acquire information from the driving support application that allows a steering angle and a yaw rate used as the control command to be specified.

[0016] By using the vehicle control device of the present invention, the lateral movement of the vehicle can be appropriately controlled. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like elements, and wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle control device and its peripheral components according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the vehicle control device of the first embodiment;

[0020] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle control device and its peripheral components according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0021] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the vehicle control device of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The vehicle control device according to the present invention acquires the steering angle and yaw rate related to the lateral motion of the vehicle from the application realizing the driving support function as a control command. Therefore, the vehicle control device can prepare the control of the brake actuator or the drive actuator based on the yaw rate in parallel with the control of the steering actuator based on the steering angle. Therefore, even if the steering angle indicated by the control command of the application cannot be realized by the steering actuator, the vehicle control device can appropriately control the lateral motion of the vehicle using the brake actuator or the drive actuator.

[0023] First embodiment

[0024] Configuration

[0025] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of the vehicle control device 20 and its peripheral components according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The functional blocks shown include a plurality of execution units 11 to 13, a vehicle control device 20, a powertrain control unit 31, a brake control unit 32, a steering control unit 33, and actuators 41 to 43. These configurations are connected to communicate with each other via an in-vehicle network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or Ethernet (registered trademark). Note that Figure 1 The arrows in the figure schematically show an exemplary information flow, and the actual connection mode of the communication line is not limited.

[0026] The execution units 11 to 13 are configured to execute driving support applications to implement vehicle driving support functions such as automatic driving, automatic parking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and collision mitigation braking. The execution units 11 to 13 are implemented by a computer such as an electronic control unit (ECU) having a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory. The execution units 11 to 13 implement different driving support functions and can operate simultaneously. The number of execution units installed on the vehicle is not limited to Figure 1 The three shown may be less than two and more than four. The execution units 11 to 13 output control commands for requesting the operations of the actuators 41 to 43 .

[0027] The vehicle control device 20 determines the control content related to the movement of the vehicle (such as "driving", "turning" and "stopping") based on the control commands from the execution units 11 to 13, and issues necessary instructions to the powertrain control unit 31, the braking control unit 32 and the steering control unit 33 (in addition, the shift control unit (not shown)) based on the determined control content. Therefore, the vehicle control device 20 serves as a motion manager that appropriately controls the actuators 41 to 43 involved in the movement of the vehicle, or serves as a part of the motion manager to control the lateral movement of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 20 may be a device that specifically controls the lateral movement of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 20 includes a judgment unit 21 and a plurality of instruction output units 22 to 24.

[0028] The arbitration unit 21 acquires control commands output from the driving support application of the execution units 11 to 13, and arbitrates between the acquired control commands. The control commands acquired by the arbitration unit 21 from the driving support application include a steering angle and a yaw rate, which are control quantities related to the lateral movement of the vehicle. The control command may include, for example, a vehicle speed instead of a yaw rate. The yaw rate can be specified by the steering angle and the vehicle speed. As described above, the control commands acquired by the arbitration unit 21 from the execution units 11 to 13 do not need to explicitly specify the steering angle and yaw rate information, but only need to include information that allows the steering angle and yaw rate to be specified. The arbitration unit 21 acquires the steering angle and yaw rate (or information that allows the yaw rate to be specified) from the execution units 11 to 13 substantially at the same time. Acquiring substantially at the same time means acquiring the steering angle and yaw rate at the same timing, and also means that even if control is performed based on the acquired yaw rate, the vehicle behavior caused by the control includes a timing error that is comparable to the timing error of the vehicle behavior in the case where control is performed based on the acquired steering angle. For example, in CAN, Ethernet, or the like, the steering angle and the yaw rate are stored in the same data frame, and are transmitted and received between the execution units 11 to 13 and the vehicle control device 20 .

[0029] As an arbitration process, the arbitration unit 21 selects, for example, one control command from a plurality of acquired control commands based on a predetermined selection criterion, or sets a new control command based on the acquired control command. The result of the arbitration process may be fed back from the arbitration unit 21 to the execution units 11 to 13. In addition, the arbitration unit 21 may perform an arbitration process based on information indicating the operating state of the actuators 41 to 43 and availability indicating the current operable performance range of the actuators 41 to 43. This information is sent from the powertrain control unit 31, the brake control unit 32, and the steering control unit 33, which will be described later.

[0030] In addition, based on the control command obtained by arbitration, the arbitration unit 21 can instruct one or more of the powertrain control unit 31, the brake control unit 32 and the steering control unit 33 to control the lateral movement of the vehicle required by the driving support application via the instruction output units 22 to 24. The lateral movement of the vehicle can be achieved by controlling the steering of the steering device, the braking device to generate braking force, and the powertrain to generate driving force or braking force, individually or in combination. The arbitration unit 21 can control the lateral movement of the vehicle based on the judgment on whether the control command after arbitration can be achieved only by controlling the actuator 43 as a steering actuator. The details of this control will be described later. The arbitration unit 21 can provide instructions for control related to the lateral movement of the vehicle based on information indicating the operating status and availability of the actuators 41 to 43 obtained from the powertrain control unit 31, the brake control unit 32 and the steering control unit 33 via the instruction output units 22 to 24.

[0031] The command output unit 22 generates command information for causing the actuator 41 included in the powertrain to generate driving force or braking force based on the control command arbitrated by the arbitration unit 21. The command information generated by the command output unit 22 is acquired by the powertrain control unit 31.

[0032] The command output unit 23 generates command information for causing the actuator 42 included in the brake device to generate a braking force based on the control command arbitrated by the arbitration unit 21. The command information generated by the command output unit 23 is acquired by the brake control unit 32.

[0033] The command output unit 24 generates command information for causing the actuator 43 included in the steering device to generate a steering angle based on the control command arbitrated by the arbitration unit 21. The command information generated by the command output unit 24 is acquired by the steering control unit 33.

[0034] The powertrain control unit 31 controls the operation of the actuator 41 which is one of the driving actuators and constitutes the powertrain to generate the driving force (four-wheel drive) indicated by the instruction output unit 22. The actuator 41 is generally an actuator that generates the driving force, but is also a brake actuator that can generate a braking force that can be distributed between the left and right wheels by so-called engine braking, downshifting, etc. Depending on the configuration of the powertrain, the powertrain control unit 31 is implemented by, for example, any one of an engine control ECU, a hybrid control ECU, a transmission ECU, etc., or a combination thereof. Although Figure 1A single actuator 41 controlled by the powertrain control unit 31 is shown, but the number of actuators controlled by the powertrain control unit 31 may be more than two depending on the configuration of the powertrain of the vehicle. Examples of the actuator 41 constituting the powertrain include an engine, a drive motor, a clutch, a transmission, and a torque converter. In addition, the powertrain control unit 31 acquires information about the operating state of the actuator 41 based on a signal output from the actuator 41 or a measurement value of a sensor. Examples of the information about the operating state of the actuator 41 include information indicating the availability of the actuator 41, information indicating a monitoring value of the driving force achieved by the actuator 41, and the like. The information about the operating state of the actuator 41 acquired by the powertrain control unit 31 is acquired by the instruction output unit 22.

[0035] The brake control unit 32 controls the actuator 42, which is one of the brake actuators, and actuates the brake device provided in each wheel (for example, independently controlling four wheels or independently controlling two left wheels and two right wheels), thereby generating the braking force instructed by the instruction output unit 23. The brake actuator includes a hydraulic brake that can distribute the braking force between the left and right wheels and a regenerative brake such as an in-wheel motor (IWM). The brake control unit 32 is implemented by, for example, a brake control ECU. The output value of the wheel speed sensor provided in each wheel is input to the brake control unit 32. In addition, the brake control unit 32 obtains information about the operating state of the actuator 42 based on the signal output from the actuator 42 or the measured value of the sensor. Examples of the information about the operating state of the actuator 42 include information unique to the actuator 42, such as whether the temperature of the brake pad is transitioning to overheating, in addition to the information indicating the above-mentioned availability and the information indicating the monitoring value of the braking force achieved by the actuator 42. The information about the operating state of the actuator 42 obtained by the brake control unit 32 is obtained by the instruction output unit 23.

[0036] The steering control unit 33 controls the steering angle of the steering wheel by controlling the actuator 43, which is one of the steering actuators and is included in the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system. The steering control unit 33 is implemented by, for example, a power steering control ECU. In addition, the steering control unit 33 obtains information about the operating state of the actuator 43 based on a signal output from the actuator 43 or a measurement value of a sensor. Examples of the information about the operating state of the actuator 43 include information indicating the above-mentioned availability, information indicating a monitoring value of the steering angle achieved by the actuator 43, and the like. The information about the operating state of the actuator 43 obtained by the steering control unit 33 is obtained by the instruction output unit 24.

[0037] control

[0038] Also refer to Figure 2 , the steering control process performed by the vehicle control device 20 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the steering control process executed by the vehicle control device 20. For example, Figure 2 The steering control process shown may be executed in a predetermined cycle.

[0039] Step S201

[0040] The arbitration unit 21 of the vehicle control device 20 acquires the steering angle and the yaw rate (or information that allows the yaw rate to be specified) as the control commands output from the driving support applications of the execution units 11 to 13, and arbitrates between the acquired control commands. When only one control command is acquired from the execution units 11 to 13, the control command is adopted as the arbitrated control command.

[0041] Step S202

[0042] The arbitration unit 21 of the vehicle control device 20 determines whether the arbitrated control command can be implemented only by controlling the actuator 43 as the steering actuator. More specifically, when the steering angle δ1 used as the arbitrated control command is equal to or less than the maximum steering angle δ2 of the actuator 43 (δ1≤δ2), the arbitration unit 21 determines that the arbitrated control command can be implemented. When the steering angle δ1 exceeds the maximum steering angle δ2 of the actuator 43 (δ1>δ2), the arbitration unit 21 determines that the arbitrated control command cannot be implemented. Even when the steering angle δ1 used as the arbitrated control command is equal to or less than the maximum steering angle δ2 of the actuator 43, if the actual steering angle δ3 of the actuator 43 operated according to the instruction based on the steering angle δ1 deviates from the steering angle δ1 by more than the predetermined value α (δ1>δ3+α), the arbitration unit 21 may determine that the arbitrated control command cannot be implemented. When the control command can be implemented (step S202, Yes), the process proceeds to step S203, and when the control command cannot be implemented (step S202, No), the process proceeds to step S204.

[0043] Step S203

[0044] The command output unit 24 of the vehicle control device 20 causes the steering control unit 33 to execute control for causing the actuator 43 as a steering actuator to generate a steering angle based on the steering angle serving as the arbitrated control command. Thus, the steering control process ends.

[0045] Step S204

[0046] The command output unit 24 of the vehicle control device 20 causes the steering control unit 33 to execute control for causing the actuator 43 as a steering actuator to generate a steering angle based on the steering angle serving as the arbitrated control command.

[0047] Step S205

[0048] Based on the yaw rate used as the control command after arbitration, the arbitration unit 21 of the vehicle control device 20 derives the lateral momentum corresponding to the amount by which the maximum steering angle δ2 of the actuator 43 is shorter than the steering angle δ1 (=δ1-δ2), or the lateral momentum corresponding to the deviation between the actual steering angle δ3 and the steering angle δ1 (=δ1-δ3).

[0049] Step S206

[0050] The command output unit 23 of the vehicle control device 20 causes the brake control unit 32 to perform control that causes the actuator 42 as the brake actuator to generate a braking force for achieving the yaw rate based on the lateral momentum derived by the arbitration unit 21. Specifically, based on the yaw rate value acquired by the yaw rate sensor mounted on the vehicle, control is performed so that the actual yaw rate follows the commanded yaw rate. When the lateral momentum generated by the brake actuator is a certain amount or more, control is performed so that the yaw rate gradually approaches the target value, thereby suppressing extreme changes in vehicle behavior. Thus, the steering control process ends.

[0051] In step S206, the command output unit 22 of the vehicle control device 20 may cause the powertrain control unit 31 to perform control that causes the actuator 41 serving as the brake actuator to generate a braking force for achieving the yaw rate based on the lateral momentum derived by the arbitration unit 21. In addition, when the lateral momentum derived by the arbitration unit 21 is achieved using a driving force instead of a braking force, the command output unit 22 may cause the powertrain control unit 31 to perform control that causes the actuator 41 serving as the drive actuator to generate a driving force for achieving the yaw rate. That is, in order to achieve the lateral momentum derived by the arbitration unit 21 at the yaw rate, only the brake actuator may be controlled, only the drive actuator may be controlled, or both the brake actuator and the drive actuator may be controlled.

[0052] In addition, when the prioritized control command cannot be achieved only by controlling the actuator 43 as a steering actuator and the lateral momentum is achieved together with the steering control through the steering device and the braking force control or driving force control through the braking device or the powertrain, the execution units 11 to 13 can be notified that two controls are used (steering control is supplemented by braking force control or driving force control).

[0053] Operation and Effect

[0054] As described above, in the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the arbitration unit obtains the steering angle and yaw rate (or the steering angle and the information allowing the specified yaw rate) as control commands from the driving support application of the execution unit basically at the same time, and the steering angle and the yaw rate are control quantities that allow different actuators to be controlled with respect to the lateral movement of the vehicle.

[0055] By setting the control command to such a control amount, when the control command is acquired from the driving support application of the execution unit, the arbitration unit can prepare the control of the brake actuator or the drive actuator based on the yaw rate in parallel with the control of the steering actuator based on the steering angle. Therefore, even if the steering angle indicated by the control command of the driving support application cannot be achieved by the steering actuator alone, the brake actuator or the drive actuator can be controlled based on the yaw rate without inquiring the execution unit and waiting for a new control command. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a turning performance that exceeds the turning performance achieved only by steering (steering limit turning performance). As a result, it is possible to reduce the situation where the vehicle does not behave as expected or the responsiveness of the vehicle deteriorates, so that the lateral movement of the vehicle can be appropriately controlled.

[0056] Second embodiment

[0057] Configuration

[0058] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle control device 20 and its peripheral components according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 The functional blocks shown include a plurality of execution units 11 to 13, a vehicle control device 20, a powertrain control unit 31, a brake control unit 32, a steering control unit 33, and actuators 41 to 43. These configurations are connected to communicate with each other via an in-vehicle network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or Ethernet (registered trademark). Note that Figure 3 The arrows in the figure schematically show an exemplary information flow, and the actual connection mode of the communication line is not limited.

[0059] The execution units 11 to 13 are configured to execute driving support applications to implement vehicle driving support functions such as automatic driving, automatic parking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and collision mitigation braking. The execution units 11 to 13 are implemented by a computer such as an electronic control unit (ECU) having a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory. The execution units 11 to 13 implement different driving support functions and can operate simultaneously. The number of execution units installed on the vehicle is not limited to Figure 1The three shown may be less than two and more than four. The execution units 11 to 13 output control commands for requesting the operations of the actuators 41 to 43 .

[0060] The vehicle control device 20 determines the control content related to the movement of the vehicle (such as "driving", "turning" and "stopping") based on the control commands from the execution units 11 to 13, and issues necessary instructions to the powertrain control unit 31, the braking control unit 32 and the steering control unit 33 (in addition, the shift control unit (not shown)) based on the determined control content. Therefore, the vehicle control device 20 serves as a motion manager that appropriately controls the actuators 41 to 43 involved in the movement of the vehicle, or serves as a part of the motion manager to control the lateral movement of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 20 may be a device that specifically controls the lateral movement of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 20 includes a judgment unit 21 and a plurality of instruction output units 22 to 24.

[0061] The arbitration unit 21 acquires control commands output from the driving support application of the execution units 11 to 13, and arbitrates between the acquired control commands. The control commands acquired by the arbitration unit 21 from the driving support application include a steering angle and a yaw rate, which are control quantities related to the lateral movement of the vehicle. The control command may include, for example, a vehicle speed instead of a yaw rate. The yaw rate can be specified by the steering angle and the vehicle speed. As described above, the control commands acquired by the arbitration unit 21 from the execution units 11 to 13 do not need to explicitly specify the steering angle and yaw rate information, but only need to include information that allows the steering angle and yaw rate to be specified. The arbitration unit 21 acquires the steering angle and yaw rate (or information that allows the yaw rate to be specified) from the execution units 11 to 13 substantially at the same time. Acquiring substantially at the same time means acquiring the steering angle and yaw rate at the same timing, and also means that even if control is performed based on the acquired yaw rate, the vehicle behavior caused by the control includes a timing error that is comparable to the timing error of the vehicle behavior in the case where control is performed based on the acquired steering angle. For example, in CAN, Ethernet, or the like, the steering angle and the yaw rate are stored in the same data frame, and are transmitted and received between the execution units 11 to 13 and the vehicle control device 20 .

[0062] As an arbitration process, the arbitration unit 21 selects, for example, one control command from a plurality of control commands acquired based on a predetermined selection criterion, or sets a new control command based on the acquired control command. The result of the arbitration process may be fed back from the arbitration unit 21 to the execution units 11 to 13. In addition, the arbitration unit 21 may perform an arbitration process based on information indicating the operating state of the actuators 41 to 43 and availability indicating the current operable performance range of the actuators 41 to 43. This information is sent from the powertrain control unit 31, the brake control unit 32, and the steering control unit 33, which will be described later.

[0063] In addition, based on the control command obtained by arbitration, the arbitration unit 21 can instruct one or more of the powertrain control unit 31, the brake control unit 32 and the steering control unit 33 to control the lateral movement of the vehicle required by the driving support application via the instruction output units 22 to 24. The lateral movement of the vehicle can be achieved by controlling the steering of the steering device, the braking device to generate braking force, and the powertrain to generate driving force or braking force, individually or in combination. The arbitration unit 21 can control the lateral movement of the vehicle based on the determination of whether the system including the actuator 43 as the steering actuator is operating normally. The details of this control will be described later. The arbitration unit 21 can provide instructions for control related to the lateral movement of the vehicle based on information indicating the operating status and availability of the actuators 41 to 43 obtained from the powertrain control unit 31, the brake control unit 32 and the steering control unit 33 via the instruction output units 22 to 24.

[0064] The command output unit 22 generates command information for causing the actuator 41 included in the powertrain to generate driving force or braking force based on the control command arbitrated by the arbitration unit 21. The command information generated by the command output unit 22 is acquired by the powertrain control unit 31.

[0065] The command output unit 23 generates command information for causing the actuator 42 included in the brake device to generate a braking force based on the control command arbitrated by the arbitration unit 21. The command information generated by the command output unit 23 is acquired by the brake control unit 32.

[0066] The command output unit 24 generates command information for causing the actuator 43 included in the steering device to generate a steering angle based on the control command arbitrated by the arbitration unit 21. The command information generated by the command output unit 24 is acquired by the steering control unit 33.

[0067] The powertrain control unit 31 controls the operation of the actuator 41 which is one of the driving actuators and constitutes the powertrain to generate the driving force (four-wheel drive) indicated by the instruction output unit 22. The actuator 41 is generally an actuator that generates the driving force, but is also a brake actuator that can generate a braking force that can be distributed between the left and right wheels by so-called engine braking, downshifting, etc. Depending on the configuration of the powertrain, the powertrain control unit 31 is implemented by, for example, any one of an engine control ECU, a hybrid control ECU, a transmission ECU, etc., or a combination thereof. Although Figure 1A single actuator 41 controlled by the powertrain control unit 31 is shown, but the number of actuators controlled by the powertrain control unit 31 may be more than two depending on the configuration of the powertrain of the vehicle. Examples of the actuator 41 constituting the powertrain include an engine, a drive motor, a clutch, a transmission, and a torque converter. In addition, the powertrain control unit 31 acquires information about the operating state of the actuator 41 based on a signal output from the actuator 41 or a measurement value of a sensor. Examples of information about the operating state of the actuator 41 include information indicating the availability of the actuator 41 (including information indicating whether there is a fault in the actuator 41), information indicating a monitoring value of the driving force achieved by the actuator 41, and the like. The information about the operating state of the actuator 41 acquired by the powertrain control unit 31 is acquired by the instruction output unit 22.

[0068] The brake control unit 32 controls the actuator 42, which is one of the brake actuators and actuates the brake device provided in each wheel (for example, independently controlling four wheels or independently controlling two left wheels and two right wheels), so as to generate the braking force indicated by the instruction output unit 23. The brake actuator includes a hydraulic brake that can distribute the braking force between the left and right wheels and a regenerative brake such as an in-wheel motor (IWM). The brake control unit 32 is implemented by, for example, a brake control ECU. The output value of the wheel speed sensor provided in each wheel is input to the brake control unit 32. In addition, the brake control unit 32 obtains information about the operating state of the actuator 42 based on the signal output from the actuator 42 or the measured value of the sensor. Examples of the information about the operating state of the actuator 42 include information unique to the actuator 42, such as whether the temperature of the brake pad is transitioning to overheating, in addition to the information indicating the above-mentioned availability and the information indicating the monitoring value of the braking force achieved by the actuator 42. The information about the operating state of the actuator 42 obtained by the brake control unit 32 is obtained by the instruction output unit 23.

[0069] The steering control unit 33 controls the steering angle of the steering wheel by controlling the actuator 43, which is one of the steering actuators and is included in the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system. The steering control unit 33 is implemented by, for example, a power steering control ECU. In addition, the steering control unit 33 obtains information about the operating state of the actuator 43 based on a signal output from the actuator 43 or a measurement value of a sensor. Examples of the information about the operating state of the actuator 43 include information indicating the above-mentioned availability, information indicating a monitoring value of the steering angle achieved by the actuator 43, and the like. The information about the operating state of the actuator 43 obtained by the steering control unit 33 is obtained by the instruction output unit 24.

[0070] control

[0071] Also refer to Figure 4 , the steering control process performed by the vehicle control device 20 according to the second embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the steering control process executed by the vehicle control device 20. For example, Figure 4 The steering control process shown may be executed in a predetermined cycle.

[0072] Step S401

[0073] The arbitration unit 21 of the vehicle control device 20 acquires the steering angle and the yaw rate (or information that allows the yaw rate to be specified) as the control commands output from the driving support applications of the execution units 11 to 13, and arbitrates between the acquired control commands. When only one control command is acquired from the execution units 11 to 13, the control command is adopted as the arbitrated control command.

[0074] Step S402

[0075] The arbitration unit 21 of the vehicle control device 20 determines whether the system including the actuator 43 as the steering actuator is operating normally. Examples of events in which the system is not operating normally include a failure of the actuator 43 of the electric power steering system (EPS), a failure of the ECU (such as the steering control unit 33) that controls the actuator 43, an error in a signal or command to the steering control unit 33 for controlling the actuator 43, and a reduction in the power supplied to the ECU. When the steering control unit 33 has a self-diagnosis function, it is possible to determine whether the system is operating normally by acquiring a self-diagnosis result from the steering control unit 33 by the arbitration unit 21. When the arbitration unit 21 acquires a self-diagnosis result indicating a failure or cannot acquire a self-diagnosis result indicating normality, the arbitration unit 21 can determine that the system including the actuator 43 is not operating normally (has a failure). When the system is operating normally (step S402, yes), the process proceeds to step S403, and when the system is not operating normally (step S402, no), the process proceeds to step S404.

[0076] Step S403

[0077] The command output unit 24 of the vehicle control device 20 causes the steering control unit 33 to execute control for causing the actuator 43 as a steering actuator to generate a steering angle based on the steering angle serving as the arbitrated control command. Thus, the steering control process ends.

[0078] Step S404

[0079] The command output unit 23 of the vehicle control device 20 causes the brake control unit 32 to perform control for causing the actuator 42 as a brake actuator to generate a braking force for achieving a yaw rate based on the yaw rate used as the arbitrated control command. For example, the control may be performed to gradually increase the control target value of the braking force of the actuator 42 as a brake actuator, thereby gradually bringing the control target value of the steering angle of the actuator 43 as a steering actuator close to zero. When the control can be performed in this manner, when the control is switched from the steering angle control to the braking force control, an extreme change in the behavior of the vehicle can be suppressed. Specifically, based on the yaw rate value acquired by the yaw rate sensor mounted on the vehicle, control is performed so that the actual yaw rate occurring in the vehicle gradually approaches the commanded yaw rate. Thus, the steering control process ends.

[0080] In step S404, the command output unit 22 of the vehicle control device 20 may cause the powertrain control unit 31 to perform control that causes the actuator 41 serving as the brake actuator to generate a braking force for achieving the yaw rate based on the yaw rate serving as the arbitrated control command. In addition, when the yaw rate serving as the arbitrated control command is achieved using a driving force instead of a braking force, the command output unit 22 may cause the powertrain control unit 31 to perform control that causes the actuator 41 serving as the drive actuator to generate a driving force for achieving the yaw rate. That is, in order to achieve the lateral momentum derived by the arbitration unit 21 at the yaw rate, only the brake actuator may be controlled, only the drive actuator may be controlled, or both the brake actuator and the drive actuator may be controlled.

[0081] When the system including the actuator 43 does not operate normally and performs braking force control or driving force control by the brake device or the powertrain to achieve lateral momentum, the execution units 11 to 13 may be notified that the system including the actuator 43 does not operate normally. By notifying the execution units 11 to 13 of this state, an evacuation action may be taken based on instructions from the execution units 11 to 13 to drive the vehicle to a safe place and stop.

[0082] Operation and Effect

[0083] As described above, in the vehicle control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the arbitration unit obtains the steering angle and yaw rate (or the steering angle and the information allowing the specified yaw rate) as control commands from the driving support application of the execution unit basically at the same time, and the steering angle and the yaw rate are control quantities that allow different actuators to be controlled with respect to the lateral movement of the vehicle.

[0084] By setting the control command to such a control amount, when the control command is acquired from the driving support application of the execution unit, the arbitration unit can prepare the control of the brake actuator or the drive actuator based on the yaw rate in parallel with the control of the steering actuator based on the steering angle. Therefore, even if the system including the steering actuator does not function properly and the steering angle indicated by the control command of the driving support application cannot be achieved by the steering actuator, the brake actuator or the drive actuator can be controlled based on the yaw rate without inquiring the execution unit and waiting for a new control command. Therefore, the turning performance originally shown by the steering force can be achieved by using the braking force or the drive force. As a result, the situation where the behavior of the vehicle is not as expected or the responsiveness of the vehicle is deteriorated can be reduced, so that the lateral movement of the vehicle can be appropriately controlled.

[0085] The arbitration unit 21 can simultaneously determine whether the arbitrated control command can be implemented by controlling the steering actuator alone (first embodiment) and whether the system including the steering actuator is operating normally (second embodiment). For example, the arbitration unit 21 can first determine whether the system including the steering actuator is operating normally, and when the system is operating normally, then determine whether the arbitrated control command can be implemented by controlling the steering actuator alone.

[0086] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention may be interpreted as a vehicle control device, a steering control method executed by a vehicle control device including a processor and a memory, a steering control program for executing the steering control method, a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium storing the steering control program, a system including a vehicle control device, an application execution unit, an actuator control unit and an actuator, or a vehicle equipped with the system.

[0087] The present invention can be used in a vehicle control device.

Claims

1. A control device installed on a vehicle, characterized in that: An arbitration unit is included, the arbitration unit being configured to acquire a plurality of steering angles and a plurality of yaw rates as control commands from a plurality of driving support applications, being configured to arbitrate between the plurality of steering angles and the plurality of yaw rates, being configured to derive a lateral momentum based on a result of the arbitration, and being configured to output the lateral momentum to at least one of a first control unit capable of controlling a steering actuator and a second control unit capable of controlling at least one of an actuator and a brake actuator included in a powertrain.

2. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arbitration unit is configured to output an instruction based on the arbitration steering angle to the first control unit when the arbitration control command can be implemented only by controlling the steering actuator, and is configured to output an instruction based on at least the arbitration yaw rate to the second control unit when the arbitration control command cannot be implemented only by controlling the steering actuator.

3. The control device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The situation in which the arbitrated control command cannot be implemented only by controlling the steering actuator is a situation in which a system including the steering actuator is abnormal.

4. The control device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The situation in which the arbitrated control command cannot be implemented only by controlling the steering actuator is a situation in which the arbitrated steering angle exceeds the maximum steering angle of the steering actuator.

5. The control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The case where the arbitrated control command cannot be realized only by controlling the steering actuator is a case where the arbitrated steering angle deviates by more than a predetermined value from an actual steering angle of the steering actuator that has been operated according to the command based on the steering angle.

6. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arbitration unit acquires each of the plurality of steering angles and each of the plurality of yaw rates from each of the plurality of driving support applications substantially simultaneously.

7. A method executed by a computer of a control device installed on a vehicle, the method comprising: Acquire multiple steering angles and multiple yaw rates as control commands from multiple driving support applications; arbitrating between a plurality of the steering angles and a plurality of the yaw rates; deriving a lateral momentum based on a result of the arbitration; as well as The lateral momentum is output to at least one of a first control unit capable of controlling a steering actuator and a second control unit capable of controlling at least one of an actuator and a brake actuator included in a powertrain.

8. A program product that causes a computer of a control device installed in a vehicle to execute: Acquire multiple steering angles and multiple yaw rates as control commands from multiple driving support applications; arbitrating between a plurality of the steering angles and a plurality of the yaw rates; deriving a lateral momentum based on a result of the arbitration; as well as The lateral momentum is output to at least one of a first control unit capable of controlling a steering actuator and a second control unit capable of controlling at least one of an actuator and a brake actuator included in a powertrain.

9. A vehicle comprising the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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