Suspension control method, suspension control device, domain controller and vehicle

Abstract

The invention is suitable for the technical field of vehicle control, and provides a suspension control method, a suspension control device, a domain controller and a vehicle. The method comprises the steps that under the condition that a pre-collision signal is received and a vehicle body stability system of the vehicle is not started, the pre-collision time of the vehicle is determined; first main power needing to be output by a suspension actuator of each wheel of the vehicle is determined, the first main power is used for adjusting the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the target height within the pre-collision time, and the target height is larger than the current height of the suspension of the wheel; and target instructions are sent to the suspension actuators, the target instructions comprise the first main power needing to be output by the corresponding suspension actuators, and the target instructions indicate the corresponding suspension actuators to output the first main power within the pre-collision time. According to the invention, the safety of the vehicle in the collision process can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of vehicle control technology, and in particular relates to a suspension control method, a suspension control device, a domain controller and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of vehicles, vehicles have gradually become an indispensable part of life. However, with the increase in the number of vehicles, traffic accidents have also increased accordingly. For example, when a vehicle collides with a truck in front, the vehicle is likely to drill into the bottom of the truck in front after the collision, causing great losses and irreversible consequences. Therefore, when a collision occurs, how to improve the safety of the vehicle during the collision is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide a suspension control method, a suspension control device, a domain controller and a vehicle, which can improve the safety of the vehicle during a collision.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a suspension control method, comprising:

[0005] Determining a pre-collision time of the vehicle when a pre-collision signal is received and a vehicle body stability system is not activated;

[0006] Determining a first active force that a suspension actuator of each wheel of the vehicle needs to output, the first active force being used to adjust the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to a target height within the pre-collision time, the target height being greater than a current height of the suspension of the wheel;

[0007] A target instruction is sent to each of the suspension actuators, wherein the target instruction includes the first active force that the corresponding suspension actuator needs to output, and the target instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to output the first active force within the pre-collision time.

[0008] In the embodiment of the present application, when a pre-collision signal is received and the vehicle body stability system is not turned on, the pre-collision time of the vehicle and the first main force that the suspension actuator of each wheel of the vehicle needs to output can be determined, and a target instruction including the corresponding first main force is sent to each suspension actuator, and the target instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to output the first main force within the pre-collision time, so as to adjust the suspension height of the corresponding wheel from the current height to the target height. In the present solution, when a pre-collision signal is received and the vehicle body stability system is not turned on, since the pre-collision time is short and the vehicle body can be lifted based on the suspension height of the wheel, the suspension height of the corresponding wheel can be adjusted from the current height to the target height within the pre-collision time by controlling the suspension actuator corresponding to the wheel whose current height is lower than the target height, so that the vehicle body can be lifted quickly, so that when the vehicle collides with an obstacle, the collision energy is borne as much as possible by the vehicle's longitudinal beams, subframes and other structures with relatively high strength, thereby reducing the collision energy received in the cockpit and improving the safety of the vehicle during the collision.

[0009] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a suspension control device, which may be a domain controller applied to a vehicle or may serve as a domain controller, and the suspension control device includes:

[0010] A time determination module, for determining a pre-collision time of the vehicle when a pre-collision signal is received and the vehicle body stability system is not activated;

[0011] an active force determination module, used for determining a first active force that a suspension actuator of each wheel of the vehicle needs to output, the first active force being used for adjusting the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to a target height within the pre-collision time, the target height being greater than a current height of the suspension of the wheel;

[0012] The target sending module is used to send a target instruction to each of the suspension actuators, wherein the target instruction includes the first active force that the corresponding suspension actuator needs to output, and the target instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to output the first active force within the pre-collision time.

[0013] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a domain controller, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the computer program, the domain controller implements the suspension control method as described in the first aspect above.

[0014] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle, comprising a suspension actuator and a domain controller as described in the third aspect above.

[0015] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a computer, the suspension control method as described in the first aspect above is implemented.

[0016] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, including a computer program, and when the computer program is run, the suspension control method described in the first aspect above is executed.

[0017] It can be understood that the beneficial effects of the second to sixth aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant description of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a suspension control system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a suspension control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 is an example diagram of vehicle collision detection provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 is a simulation example diagram of a vehicle collision provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 is an example diagram of a suspension control strategy corresponding to a collision scenario 1 provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 6 is an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the second collision scenario provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 7 is an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the collision scenario three provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 8 is an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the collision scenario 4 provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Fig. 9 is an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the collision scenario 5 provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Fig.10 is an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the sixth collision scenario provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Fig.11 is a schematic structural diagram of a suspension control device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the domain controller provided in the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures, technologies, etc. are provided for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to prevent unnecessary details from obstructing the description of the present application.

[0032] It should be understood that when used in the present specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0033] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” used in the specification and appended claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0034] As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the term "if" can be interpreted as "when" or "uponce" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting", depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "if it is determined" or "if [described condition or event] is detected" can be interpreted as meaning "uponce it is determined" or "in response to determining" or "uponce [described condition or event] is detected" or "in response to detecting [described condition or event]", depending on the context.

[0035] In addition, in the description of the present application specification and the appended claims, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0036] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. described in the specification of this application mean that one or more embodiments of the present application include specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment. Therefore, the statements "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. that appear in different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways.

[0037] For example, Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the suspension control system provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the suspension control system includes an automatic driving sensor 101, an automatic driving controller 102, a domain controller 103, a suspension height sensor 104, a suspension vertical acceleration sensor 105, a suspension actuator 106 and an airbag module 107.

[0038] The autonomous driving sensor 101 may refer to a sensor related to autonomous driving, which is used to sense information about obstacles around the vehicle (such as other vehicles or pedestrians), road conditions, distances to obstacles, the current speed of the vehicle, and send such information to the autonomous driving controller 102. As an example and not a limitation, the autonomous driving sensor 101 includes but is not limited to a laser radar, a camera, a millimeter wave radar, and the like.

[0039] After receiving this information, the automatic driving controller 102 can determine whether the vehicle is about to collide and is unavoidable based on this information. If it is confirmed that the collision is about to occur and is unavoidable, a pre-collision signal can be sent to the domain controller 103. When the collision does not occur, the automatic driving controller 102 sends a collision elimination signal to the domain controller 103, and the collision elimination signal indicates that the collision has not occurred.

[0040] As an example and not limitation, the autonomous driving controller 102 can determine whether a collision can be avoided in an emergency braking situation based on information such as the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle and the current driving speed of the vehicle sent by the autonomous driving sensor 101. If the collision cannot be avoided, it can be determined that the collision is imminent and unavoidable.

[0041] The number of suspension height sensors 104 is related to the number of wheels of the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle is equipped with four wheels, a suspension height sensor 104 may be provided for each wheel, and each suspension height sensor 104 is used to detect the suspension height of the corresponding wheel. The number of suspension vertical acceleration sensors 105 is related to the number of wheels of the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle is equipped with four wheels, a suspension vertical acceleration sensor 105 may be provided for each wheel, and each suspension vertical acceleration sensor 105 is used to detect the vertical acceleration of the corresponding wheel.

[0042] The number of suspension actuators 106 is related to the number of wheels of the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle is equipped with four wheels, a suspension actuator 106 may be provided for each wheel, and each suspension actuator 106 is used to output an active force, which is used to control the suspension height of the corresponding wheel. Optionally, the suspension actuator 106 may be an active suspension actuator to achieve rapid and high-precision adjustment of the suspension height of the wheel to lift the vehicle body.

[0043] The power supply voltage of the suspension actuator 106 is 48V, and it is connected to the domain controller 103 via a controller area network (CAN) signal. When the power supply voltage of the suspension actuator 106 is abnormal (e.g., no power supply or insufficient voltage) or the communication with the domain controller 103 is abnormal, the suspension actuator 106 is downgraded as a whole so that it cannot lift the vehicle, so as to avoid unexpected behaviors such as unstable functions of the suspension actuator 106.

[0044] The airbag module 107 is used to send a collision confirmation signal to the domain controller 103 when the vehicle collides. The collision confirmation signal indicates that the vehicle has collided. The airbag module 107 includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which can detect whether the vehicle has collided by measuring the acceleration change of the vehicle.

[0045] Based on the above-mentioned various information or signals received, the domain controller 103 controls each suspension actuator 106 to adjust the suspension height of the corresponding wheel, thereby adjusting the height of the vehicle body. The specific implementation scheme can be found in the relevant description of the following method embodiment.

[0046] It should be understood that the collision that occurs to the vehicle in the embodiments of the present application may be any type of collision, such as a head-on collision, a side collision or a rear collision, and the present application does not limit this.

[0047] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2A flow chart of a suspension control method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. As an example but not a limitation, the method is applied to a domain controller of a vehicle. The method includes the following steps:

[0048] Step 201 : determining a pre-collision time of the vehicle when a pre-collision signal is received and the vehicle body stability system is not activated.

[0049] The pre-collision signal may refer to a signal sent by the autonomous driving controller to the domain controller when it is predicted that the vehicle is about to collide and is unavoidable. That is, the pre-collision signal indicates that the vehicle is about to collide and is unavoidable.

[0050] It should be understood that the autonomous driving controller may detect that the vehicle is about to collide and the collision is inevitable during the suspension height adjustment process (i.e., during the vehicle body lowering process), or may detect that the vehicle is about to collide and the collision is inevitable before the suspension height is adjusted or when the suspension height has been adjusted. On this basis, the autonomous driving controller may send a pre-collision signal to the domain controller during the suspension height recovery process, and may also send a pre-collision signal to the domain controller before the suspension height is adjusted or when the suspension height has been adjusted.

[0051] The vehicle body stability system may be a vehicle dynamics control (VDC). Of course, it is understandable that it is not limited to VDC, and this application does not limit this.

[0052] When the driver makes a sudden turn or quick change of direction to try to avoid a collision, the vehicle may lose control. To assist the driver in preventing the vehicle from losing control, the vehicle will automatically activate the vehicle stability system. If the vehicle body is lifted with the vehicle stability system activated, the vertical load distribution of the wheels will change, thereby changing the dynamic characteristics of the wheels (such as understeer, oversteer, slippage, etc.), which may cause the vehicle to lose control even more. Therefore, in order to prevent the vehicle from losing stability, the vehicle body can be lifted only when a pre-collision signal is received and the vehicle body stability system is not activated. If the vehicle body stability system is activated, the vehicle body will not be lifted even if a pre-collision signal is received.

[0053] The above-mentioned pre-collision time may refer to the time required for a vehicle to collide when a collision is imminent and unavoidable. Since the pre-collision time corresponds to a situation where a vehicle is about to have an inevitable collision, the pre-collision time can indicate that the automatic driving controller detects an impending collision more accurately, and usually does not cause a false collision trigger. On this basis, quickly lifting the vehicle body within the pre-collision time can reduce the collision energy received in the cockpit and improve the safety of the vehicle during a collision.

[0054] Optionally, the pre-collision time may be determined based on empirical values ​​in actual vehicle collision scenarios.

[0055] like Figure 3 The following is an example diagram of a vehicle collision detection provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 An automatic emergency braking system (AEB) including an automatic driving sensor and an automatic driving controller is used to detect whether a vehicle is about to collide. If a collision is detected to be imminent and occurs after M seconds, it is detected whether the collision is avoidable. If a collision is detected to be inevitable when the collision is N seconds away, it can be determined that the pre-collision time is N seconds, and the vehicle collides at the end of N seconds. The duration of M is greater than the duration of N, for example, N is less than 2. Figure 3 Other controller reactions in include but are not limited to emergency braking, steering, etc.

[0056] In one embodiment, a correspondence between the pre-collision signal and the pre-collision time may be preset, and on this basis, the domain controller may determine the pre-collision time upon receiving the pre-collision signal.

[0057] In a possible implementation, when a pre-collision signal is received and a vehicle body stability system is not activated, determining a pre-collision time of the vehicle includes:

[0058] If a pre-collision signal is received, determining the type of collision of the vehicle;

[0059] If the collision type is a side collision, determine the current speed of the vehicle;

[0060] When the current driving speed is less than the vehicle speed threshold and the vehicle stability system is not turned on, the pre-collision time is determined.

[0061] When a vehicle collides sideways, if the vehicle's current speed is relatively fast and the vehicle body is lifted, the vehicle may be overturned on the side. To reduce this, a vehicle speed threshold can be set. When the current speed of the wheels is less than the vehicle speed threshold, the vehicle body is lifted so that the forward structure of the vehicle can absorb the collision energy before the A-pillar, reducing the collision energy in the cockpit. The A-pillar is the connecting column on the left and right front of the vehicle that connects the roof and the front cabin.

[0062] Optionally, a speed threshold may be set according to scenario requirements, which is not limited in this application. As a guideline but not limitation, the speed threshold is 100 kph.

[0063] Step 202: determine the first active force that the suspension actuator of each wheel of the vehicle needs to output.

[0064] The first main force refers to the main force that the corresponding suspension actuator needs to output at each moment during the pre-collision time. Increasing the main force to the first main force is used to adjust the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to a target height during the pre-collision time. The target height is greater than the current height of the wheel suspension.

[0065] It should be understood that the active force that the suspension actuator needs to output at each moment in the pre-collision time is gradually increased. As an example and not a limitation, when the active force output by the suspension actuator is gradually increased to L Newtons in the pre-collision time, the suspension height of the corresponding wheel can be adjusted to S mm, that is, the vehicle body is lifted by S mm, and L and S are numbers greater than zero, for example, L is greater than 2000, and S is greater than 40.

[0066] It should be understood that in actual scenarios, there may be a situation where the current height of the suspension of a certain wheel is greater than or equal to the target height. In this case, there is no need to adjust the suspension height of the wheel, that is, there is no need to send a target instruction to the suspension actuator of the wheel. Therefore, each wheel in the above step 202 may refer to a wheel whose current height of the suspension is less than the target height.

[0067] In one possible implementation, for the suspension actuator of any wheel, the domain controller may determine the first active force based on the pre-collision time, the target height corresponding to the suspension actuator, the current height, and the vertical acceleration of the wheel.

[0068] Since the information such as the pre-collision time, target height, current height and vertical acceleration all affect the active force output by the suspension actuator, the first correspondence relationship can be set in advance by performing multiple tests on the vehicle's pre-collision time, target height, current height and vertical acceleration information and the active force. The first correspondence relationship is the correspondence relationship between the pre-collision time, target height, current height and vertical acceleration information and the first active force. For the suspension actuator of any wheel, the domain controller can search for the first active force corresponding to the pre-collision time, target height, current height and vertical acceleration information from the first correspondence relationship.

[0069] Step 203 : Send a target instruction to each suspension actuator, where the target instruction includes the first main force that the corresponding suspension actuator needs to output, and the target instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to output the first main force within the pre-collision time.

[0070] Optionally, in order to accurately control the first main force output by the suspension actuator, after the suspension actuator outputs the first main force within the pre-collision time, it can be detected whether the suspension height of the corresponding wheel after adjustment reaches the target height. If the target height is not reached, the first main force that the suspension actuator needs to output can be adjusted based on the difference between the adjusted suspension height and the target height and the vertical acceleration of the adjusted wheel, thereby realizing closed-loop adjustment of the main force and making the suspension height of the wheel reach the target height.

[0071] After each suspension actuator receives the corresponding first active force, it can adjust the suspension height of the corresponding wheel from the current height to the target height within the pre-collision time by outputting the corresponding first active force, thereby quickly lifting the vehicle body before a collision occurs. When the vehicle collides with an obstacle, the collision energy is borne as much as possible by the vehicle's longitudinal beams, subframes and other structures with relatively high strength, thereby reducing the collision energy received in the cockpit and improving the safety of the vehicle during a collision.

[0072] like Figure 4 The figure shows an example of a simulation of a vehicle collision provided in an embodiment of the present application. The simulation condition is that the vehicle collides with a truck in front, the vehicle's actual driving speed is 50 kph, and the target height is S mm. Figure 4 The red parts of the vehicle are relatively strong structures such as subframes and longitudinal beams. Figure 4 It can be seen that if the vehicle body is not lifted, the relatively strong structures in the vehicle will not contact the collision area, that is, they will not bear the collision energy, and the relatively weak structures in the vehicle will bear the collision energy. This situation will cause more damage to the cockpit. If the vehicle body is lifted, the collision energy can be borne by the relatively strong structures in the vehicle, reducing the damage to the cockpit and improving the safety of the vehicle during a collision.

[0073] When a vehicle is about to collide, the suspension actuator can be controlled to quickly lift the vehicle to the target height, thereby optimizing the transmission path of the collision load and collision energy and reducing the risk of injury to people in the vehicle.

[0074] After the automatic driving controller sends out the pre-collision signal, the vehicle is likely to collide, but there is also a situation where the collision does not occur (i.e., the collision is eliminated) due to misjudgment or obstacle removal. In this case, the non-collision and the collision can be combined to determine the triggering of the suspension control strategy. On this basis, a first preset time can also be set. After receiving the pre-collision signal, the domain controller executes different suspension control strategies (i.e., different suspension adjustments are performed according to different collision scenarios) based on whether it is determined that no collision has occurred or that a collision has occurred within the first preset time. The end time of the first preset time is later than the end time of the pre-collision time, and the start time of the first preset time can be the same as the start time of the pre-collision time (both the first preset time and the pre-collision time start counting after the domain controller receives the pre-collision signal), or it can be later than the start time of the pre-collision time.

[0075] Collision scenario one, the automatic driving controller triggers a pre-collision signal, but determines that no collision has occurred. This scenario corresponds to the situation where the domain controller determines that no collision has occurred within the first preset time. In this case, the domain controller can send a first instruction to each suspension actuator, the first instruction instructing the corresponding suspension actuator to keep outputting the second main force within the second preset time, the second main force refers to the main force output by the corresponding suspension actuator at the moment of receiving the first instruction, the starting time of the second preset time is later than the starting time of the first preset time and earlier than the end time of the first preset time; after the second preset time, control each suspension actuator to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within the third preset time, the duration of the third preset time is greater than the duration of the pre-collision time, and the starting time of the second preset time is within the first preset time.

[0076] The above determination that no collision has occurred includes but is not limited to the domain controller receiving a collision elimination signal.

[0077] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the relationship between the length of the first preset time, the length of the second preset time, and the length of the third preset time. As an example and not a limitation, the length of the first preset time is greater than 2 seconds, the length of the second preset time is greater than 1 second, and the length of the third preset time is greater than 1.5 seconds.

[0078] After the collision is eliminated, the domain controller sends a first instruction to each suspension actuator, thereby controlling each suspension actuator to keep outputting the second active force within the second preset time, so that the wheel maintains the corresponding suspension height unchanged within the second preset time to cope with multiple continuous collisions in a short period of time. If it is determined that no collision has occurred within the second preset time, then from the perspective of the comfort of the people in the cockpit, a third preset time can be set and the duration of the third preset time can be greater than the duration of the pre-collision time. By controlling each suspension actuator to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height (i.e., the height before the suspension height of the wheel was adjusted) within the third preset time, the vehicle body can be slowly restored to the original height (i.e., the height before the vehicle body was lifted), that is, the vehicle body height can be gently lowered, thereby ensuring driving comfort.

[0079] It should be understood that the domain controller determines that no collision occurs within the first preset time in two situations: one is that no collision occurs during the adjustment process of the suspension height of the wheel, when the suspension height has not yet been adjusted to the target height, and the other is that no collision occurs after the suspension height of the wheel is adjusted to the target height. As an example and not a limitation, the first preset time is P seconds, the pre-collision time is N seconds, and P is greater than N; the domain controller may receive a collision elimination signal within Q seconds, corresponding to the situation where no collision is determined during the adjustment process of the suspension height of the wheel, and Q is less than N; the domain controller may receive a collision elimination signal after N seconds and before P seconds, corresponding to the situation where no collision is determined after the suspension height of the wheel has been adjusted to the target height.

[0080] like Figure 5 Shown is an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the collision scenario 1 provided in an embodiment of the present application, which shows the control process of the main force and the suspension height when it is determined that no collision has occurred, specifically corresponding to the situation where it is determined that no collision has occurred after the suspension height of the wheel has been adjusted to the target height. Figure 5 Where t1 represents the time from detecting the triggering of the collision to detecting that no collision has occurred (for example, the time from the domain controller receiving the pre-collision signal to receiving the collision elimination signal), t2 represents the second preset time, the initial height is the height of the suspension height of the wheel before adjustment (i.e., the current height), and the initial active force refers to the active force output by the suspension actuator when the suspension height of the corresponding wheel is at the current height.

[0081] Collision scenario 2: The autonomous driving controller triggers a collision signal, but does not determine that a collision has not occurred or that a collision has occurred (for example, the signal is stuck due to damage to the autonomous driving sensor or the autonomous driving controller, which causes the autonomous driving controller to be unable to trigger a collision elimination signal). This scenario corresponds to the situation where the domain controller has not determined that a collision has not occurred and has not determined that a collision has occurred within the first preset time. In this case, the domain controller can control each suspension actuator to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within the third preset time.

[0082] The above-mentioned failure to determine that a collision has not occurred includes but is not limited to the domain controller not receiving a collision elimination signal. The above-mentioned failure to determine that a collision has not occurred includes but is not limited to the domain controller not receiving a collision confirmation signal.

[0083] After the first preset time, the domain controller can control each suspension actuator to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within the third preset time, thereby slowly restoring the vehicle body to its original height, that is, gently lowering the vehicle body height to ensure driving comfort.

[0084] like Figure 6 The figure shows an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the collision scenario 2 provided in the embodiment of the present application, which shows the control process of the main force and the suspension height when it is not determined that a collision has not occurred and it is not confirmed that a collision has occurred. Figure 6 The t3 in the figure represents the first preset time, that is, from the time when the collision trigger is detected to the time when neither the collision elimination signal nor the collision confirmation signal is received exceeds the first preset time.

[0085] Collision scenario three, a scenario where the collision is eliminated after the collision is confirmed; collision scenario four, a scenario where the collision is not eliminated after the collision is confirmed. These two scenarios correspond to the situation where the domain controller confirms the occurrence of a collision within the first preset time. In this case, the domain controller can send a second instruction to each suspension actuator, and the second instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to keep outputting the third main force within the fourth preset time. The third main force refers to the main force output by the corresponding suspension actuator at the moment of receiving the second instruction; after the fourth preset time, each suspension actuator is controlled to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within the third preset time, and the starting time of the fourth preset time is within the first preset time.

[0086] The duration of the second preset time may be the same as or different from the duration of the fourth preset time, and this application does not limit this.

[0087] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the relationship between the duration of the first preset time, the duration of the fourth preset time, and the duration of the third preset time. As an example and not a limitation, the duration of the first preset time is greater than 2 seconds, the duration of the fourth preset time is greater than 1 second, and the duration of the third preset time is greater than 1.5 seconds.

[0088] After the collision occurs, the domain controller can control each suspension actuator to keep outputting the third active force within a fourth preset time by sending a second instruction to each suspension actuator, so that the wheel maintains the corresponding suspension height unchanged within the fourth preset time to cope with multiple continuous collisions in a short period of time. If a collision is determined to occur within the fourth preset time, then from the perspective of the comfort of people in the cockpit, the third preset time can be set and the third preset time can be greater than the pre-collision time. By controlling each suspension actuator to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within the third preset time, the vehicle body can be slowly restored to the original height, that is, the vehicle body height can be gently lowered, thereby ensuring driving comfort.

[0089] It should be understood that the domain controller determines that a collision occurs within the first preset time in two situations: one is that a collision is determined to occur during the adjustment process of the suspension height of the wheel, and the suspension height has not yet been adjusted to the target height; the other is that a collision is determined to occur after the suspension height of the wheel is adjusted to the target height. As an example and not a limitation, the first preset time is P seconds, and the pre-collision time is N seconds; the domain controller may receive a confirmation collision signal within W seconds, corresponding to the determination of a collision during the adjustment process of the suspension height of the wheel, where W is less than N; the domain controller may receive a confirmation collision signal after N seconds and before P seconds, corresponding to the determination of a collision after the suspension height of the wheel has been adjusted to the target height.

[0090] It should be understood that after a collision occurs, the autonomous driving controller can detect that the collision has been eliminated, thereby sending a collision elimination signal to the domain controller. However, it is also possible that the autonomous driving sensor or the autonomous driving controller is damaged, causing the signal to be stuck and the collision elimination signal cannot be triggered. However, regardless of whether the domain controller receives the collision elimination signal, in this scenario, the suspension adjustment strategy is executed based on determining that a collision has occurred.

[0091] like Figure 7 FIG. 1 is an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the collision scenario 3 provided in the embodiment of the present application, showing the control process of the main force and the suspension height when a collision is determined to have occurred and a collision elimination signal is received. Figure 8 The figure shows an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the collision scenario 4 provided in the embodiment of the present application, which shows the control process of the main force and the suspension height when no collision elimination signal is received after it is determined that a collision has occurred. Figure 7 and Figure 8Where t4 represents the time from detecting the collision trigger to detecting the collision confirmation (for example, the time from the domain controller receiving the pre-collision signal to receiving the collision confirmation signal), and t5 represents the fourth preset time. Figure 7 After the collision occurs, the collision elimination can be detected, and the collision changes from triggered to untriggered. Figure 8 If no collision resolution is detected after a collision occurs, the collision remains triggered.

[0092] Collision scenario five, the scenario where the pre-collision signal is triggered multiple times and multiple collisions occur. This scenario corresponds to the situation where the domain controller receives the pre-collision signal again during the process of the wheel suspension height being lowered. In this scenario, the process can return to execute step 201 and subsequent steps until the exit condition is met, and then the wheel suspension height is lowered back to the initial height. The above exit conditions can be receiving a collision elimination signal within the first preset time, not receiving a collision elimination signal within the first preset time, or confirming a collision signal, or receiving a confirming collision signal within the first preset time. Fig. 9 The figure shows an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the collision scenario five provided in the embodiment of the present application, which shows the control process of the main force and the suspension height when the pre-collision signal is received again during the process of the suspension height descending. Fig. 9 The t6 in the figure represents the time from the detection of the trigger collision again to the detection of the collision again, and t7 represents the time from the suspension height starting to drop to starting to rise again.

[0093] Collision scenario six: The autonomous driving controller triggers a pre-collision signal while the vehicle is performing large dynamic operations such as sudden steering or rapid direction changes to try to avoid a collision. In this scenario, since the vehicle is performing large dynamic operations and the body stability system is intervening, lifting the vehicle quickly will change the vertical load distribution of the vehicle, thereby changing the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle, which may lead to a failure to avoid a collision. Therefore, when the vehicle stability system is detected to be intervening, the active suspension actuator will not lift the vehicle even if the pre-collision signal is triggered.

[0094] like Fig.10 The figure shows an example diagram of the suspension control strategy corresponding to the sixth collision scenario provided in the embodiment of the present application, which shows the control process of the main force and the suspension height when the pre-collision signal is triggered and the body stability system is turned on. The main force and the suspension height are not adjusted during this process.

[0095] In a possible implementation, controlling each suspension actuator to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within a third preset time includes:

[0096] For any suspension actuator, based on the actual active force, the initial active force and the third preset time corresponding to the suspension actuator, determine the active force reduction speed corresponding to the suspension actuator, where the active force reduction speed refers to the speed at which the actual active force is reduced to the initial active force within the third preset time;

[0097] Based on the main force decreasing speed and the actual main force, determining the fourth main force that the suspension actuator needs to output, the fourth main force refers to the main force that the suspension actuator needs to output at each moment within the third preset time, and the fourth main force is used to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within the third preset time;

[0098] Sending a third instruction to the suspension actuator, the third instruction including a fourth main force, the third instruction instructing the suspension actuator to output the fourth main force within a third preset time;

[0099] Among them, when it is determined that no collision occurs within the first preset time, the actual main force is the second main force; when it is not determined that no collision occurs and it is not determined that a collision occurs within the first preset time, the actual main force is the first main force; when it is determined that a collision occurs within the first preset time, the actual main force is the third main force.

[0100] The domain controller may calculate the difference between the actual active force and the initial active force, and divide the difference by the third preset time to obtain the active force decrease speed.

[0101] After receiving the third instruction, the suspension actuator can restore the suspension height of the wheel to the value before adjustment within the third preset time by outputting the fourth active force, thereby preventing the suspension actuator from outputting a relatively large active force for a long time, protecting the suspension actuator, and extending the service life of the suspension actuator.

[0102] In the embodiment of the present application, when a pre-collision signal is received and the vehicle body stability system is not activated, since the pre-collision time is short and the vehicle body can be lifted based on the suspension height of the wheels, the suspension height of each wheel is adjusted from the current height to the target height within the pre-collision time by controlling the suspension actuator of each wheel, so that the vehicle body can be lifted quickly. Therefore, when the vehicle collides with an obstacle, the collision energy is borne as much as possible by the vehicle's longitudinal beams, subframes and other structures with relatively high strength, thereby reducing the collision energy in the cockpit and improving the safety of the vehicle during the collision.

[0103] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the steps in the above embodiments does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0104] Corresponding to the suspension control method described in the above embodiment, Fig.11The structural schematic diagram of the suspension control device provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown, and the suspension control device can be a domain controller applied to a vehicle or the suspension control device can be used as a domain controller. For the convenience of description, only the part related to the embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0105] Reference Fig.11 , the device comprises:

[0106] A time determination module 1101, configured to determine a pre-collision time of the vehicle when a pre-collision signal is received and the vehicle body stability system is not activated;

[0107] An active force determination module 1102 is used to determine a first active force that a suspension actuator of each wheel of the vehicle needs to output, wherein the first active force is used to adjust the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to a target height within the pre-collision time, wherein the target height is greater than a current height of the suspension of the wheel;

[0108] The target sending module 1103 is used to send a target instruction to each of the suspension actuators, wherein the target instruction includes the first active force that the corresponding suspension actuator needs to output, and the target instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to output the first active force within the pre-collision time.

[0109] Optionally, the above device further includes:

[0110] a first sending module, for sending a first instruction to each of the suspension actuators when it is determined that no collision occurs within a first preset time, the first instruction instructing the corresponding suspension actuator to keep outputting a second active force within a second preset time, the second active force refers to an active force output by the corresponding suspension actuator at the moment of receiving the first instruction, the end time of the first preset time is later than the end time of the pre-collision time, and the start time of the second preset time is within the first preset time;

[0111] The control module is used to control each of the suspension actuators to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within a third preset time after the second preset time, and the duration of the third preset time is greater than the duration of the pre-collision time.

[0112] Optionally, the control module is further used for:

[0113] When it is not determined that no collision has occurred and it is not determined that a collision has occurred within the first preset time, each suspension actuator is controlled to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within a third preset time, the end time of the first preset time is later than the end time of the pre-collision time, and the duration of the third preset time is longer than the duration of the pre-collision time.

[0114] Optionally, the above device further includes:

[0115] a second sending module, for sending a second instruction to each of the suspension actuators when a collision is confirmed within a first preset time, wherein the second instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to keep outputting a third active force within a fourth preset time, wherein the third active force refers to an active force output by the corresponding suspension actuator at the moment of receiving the second instruction, and the end time of the first preset time is later than the end time of the pre-collision time;

[0116] The above-mentioned control module is also used to control each of the suspension actuators to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within the third preset time after the fourth preset time, the duration of the third preset time is greater than the duration of the pre-collision time, and the starting time of the fourth preset time is within the first preset time.

[0117] Optionally, the control module is specifically used for:

[0118] For any of the suspension actuators, based on the actual active force, the initial active force and the third preset time corresponding to the suspension actuator, determining a decreasing speed of the active force corresponding to the suspension actuator, wherein the decreasing speed of the active force refers to a speed at which the actual active force is decreased to the initial active force within the third preset time, and the initial active force refers to an active force output by the suspension actuator when the suspension height corresponding to the wheel is at the current height;

[0119] Based on the main force decreasing speed and the actual main force, determining a fourth main force that the suspension actuator needs to output, wherein the fourth main force is used to restore the suspension height corresponding to the wheel to the current height within the third preset time;

[0120] Sending a third instruction to the suspension actuator, wherein the third instruction includes the fourth active force, and the third instruction instructs the suspension actuator to output the fourth active force within the third preset time;

[0121] Among them, when it is determined that no collision occurs within the first preset time, the actual main force is the second main force; when it is not determined that no collision occurs and it is not determined that a collision occurs within the first preset time, the actual main force is the first main force; when it is determined that a collision occurs within the first preset time, the actual main force is the third main force.

[0122] Optionally, the time determination module 1101 is specifically used for:

[0123] If the pre-collision signal is received, determining a collision type of the vehicle;

[0124] If the collision type is a side collision, determining the current speed of the vehicle;

[0125] When the current driving speed is less than a vehicle speed threshold and the vehicle body stability system is not turned on, the pre-collision time is determined.

[0126] Optionally, the active force determination module 1102 is specifically used for:

[0127] For the suspension actuator of any one of the wheels, the first active force is determined based on the pre-collision time, the target height corresponding to the suspension actuator, the current height and the vertical acceleration of the wheel.

[0128] It should be noted that the information interaction, execution process, etc. between the above-mentioned devices / units are based on the same concept as the method embodiment of the present application. Their specific functions and technical effects can be found in the method embodiment part and will not be repeated here.

[0129] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the domain controller provided in the embodiment of the present application. Fig.12 As shown, the domain controller of this embodiment includes: at least one processor 1200 ( Fig.12 Only one is shown), a memory 1201, and a computer program 1202 stored in the memory 1201 and executable on the at least one processor 1200, wherein the processor 1200 implements the steps of any of the above-mentioned method embodiments when executing the computer program 1202.

[0130] The domain controller may include, but is not limited to, a processor 1200 and a memory 1201. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that Fig.12 This is only an example of a domain controller and does not constitute a limitation on the domain controller. It may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or a combination of certain components, or different components. For example, it may also include input and output devices, network access devices, etc.

[0131] The processor 1200 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0132] In some embodiments, the memory 1201 may be an internal storage unit of the domain controller, such as a hard disk or memory of the domain controller. In other embodiments, the memory 1201 may also be an external storage device of the domain controller, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (Smart Media Card, SMC), a secure digital (Secure Digital, SD) card, a flash card (Flash Card), etc. equipped on the domain controller. Further, the memory 1201 may also include both an internal storage unit of the domain controller and an external storage device. The memory 1201 is used to store an operating system, an application program, a boot loader (BootLoader), data, and other programs, such as the program code of the computer program, etc. The memory 1201 may also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0133] The technicians in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional units and modules is used as an example for illustration. In practical applications, the above-mentioned function allocation can be completed by different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiment can be integrated in a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units. In addition, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for the convenience of distinguishing each other, and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above-mentioned system can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0134] The present application also provides a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a suspension actuator and a Fig.12 The domain controller.

[0135] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the present application implements all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment method, which can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program can implement the steps of the above-mentioned various method embodiments when executed by the processor. Among them, the computer program includes computer program code, and the computer program code can be in source code form, object code form, executable file or some intermediate form. The computer-readable medium may at least include: any entity or device that can carry the computer program code to the device / electronic device, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electric carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium. For example, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a magnetic disk or an optical disk. In some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, computer-readable media cannot be electric carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0136] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0137] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0138] In the embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed device / domain controller and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device / domain controller embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the modules or units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0139] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0140] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may still be modified, or some of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A suspension control method, characterized in that: include: Determining a pre-collision time of the vehicle when a pre-collision signal is received and a vehicle body stability system is not activated; Determining a first active force that a suspension actuator of each wheel of the vehicle needs to output, the first active force being used to adjust the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to a target height within the pre-collision time, the target height being greater than a current height of the suspension of the wheel; A target instruction is sent to each of the suspension actuators, wherein the target instruction includes the first active force that the corresponding suspension actuator needs to output, and the target instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to output the first active force within the pre-collision time.

2. The suspension control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: After receiving the pre-collision signal, the method further includes: When it is determined that no collision occurs within the first preset time, a first instruction is sent to each of the suspension actuators, wherein the first instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to keep outputting a second active force within a second preset time, wherein the second active force refers to an active force output by the corresponding suspension actuator at the moment of receiving the first instruction, wherein the end time of the first preset time is later than the end time of the pre-collision time, and the start time of the second preset time is within the first preset time; After the second preset time, each suspension actuator is controlled to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within a third preset time, and the duration of the third preset time is greater than the duration of the pre-collision time.

3. The suspension control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: After receiving the pre-collision signal, the method further includes: When it is not determined that no collision has occurred and it is not determined that a collision has occurred within the first preset time, each suspension actuator is controlled to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within a third preset time, the end time of the first preset time is later than the end time of the pre-collision time, and the duration of the third preset time is longer than the duration of the pre-collision time.

4. The suspension control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: After receiving the pre-collision signal, the method further includes: When a collision is confirmed within a first preset time, a second instruction is sent to each of the suspension actuators, wherein the second instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to keep outputting a third active force within a fourth preset time, wherein the third active force refers to an active force output by the corresponding suspension actuator at the moment of receiving the second instruction, and the end time of the first preset time is later than the end time of the pre-collision time; After the fourth preset time, each suspension actuator is controlled to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within the third preset time, the duration of the third preset time is greater than the duration of the pre-collision time, and the starting time of the fourth preset time is within the first preset time.

5. The suspension control method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The controlling each of the suspension actuators to restore the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to the current height within a third preset time includes: For any of the suspension actuators, based on the actual active force, the initial active force and the third preset time corresponding to the suspension actuator, determining a decreasing speed of the active force corresponding to the suspension actuator, wherein the decreasing speed of the active force refers to a speed at which the actual active force is decreased to the initial active force within the third preset time, and the initial active force refers to an active force output by the suspension actuator when the suspension height corresponding to the wheel is at the current height; Based on the main force decreasing speed and the actual main force, determining a fourth main force that the suspension actuator needs to output, wherein the fourth main force is used to restore the suspension height corresponding to the wheel to the current height within the third preset time; Sending a third instruction to the suspension actuator, wherein the third instruction includes the fourth active force, and the third instruction instructs the suspension actuator to output the fourth active force within the third preset time; Among them, when it is determined that no collision occurs within the first preset time, the actual main force is the second main force; when it is not determined that no collision occurs and it is not determined that a collision occurs within the first preset time, the actual main force is the first main force; when it is determined that a collision occurs within the first preset time, the actual main force is the third main force.

6. The suspension control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The method of determining the pre-collision time of the vehicle when the pre-collision signal is received and the vehicle body stability system is not activated includes: If the pre-collision signal is received, determining a collision type of the vehicle; If the collision type is a side collision, determining the current speed of the vehicle; When the current driving speed is less than a vehicle speed threshold and the vehicle body stability system is not turned on, the pre-collision time is determined.

7. The suspension control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The determining of the first active force that the suspension actuator of each wheel of the vehicle needs to output includes: For the suspension actuator of any one of the wheels, the first active force is determined based on the pre-collision time, the target height corresponding to the suspension actuator, the current height and the vertical acceleration of the wheel.

8. A suspension control device, characterized in that: include: A time determination module, for determining a pre-collision time of the vehicle when a pre-collision signal is received and the vehicle body stability system is not activated; an active force determination module, used for determining a first active force that a suspension actuator of each wheel of the vehicle needs to output, the first active force being used for adjusting the suspension height of the corresponding wheel to a target height within the pre-collision time, the target height being greater than a current height of the suspension of the wheel; The target sending module is used to send a target instruction to each of the suspension actuators, wherein the target instruction includes the first active force that the corresponding suspension actuator needs to output, and the target instruction instructs the corresponding suspension actuator to output the first active force within the pre-collision time.

9. A domain controller, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that: When the processor executes the computer program, the domain controller implements the suspension control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises a suspension actuator and the domain controller of claim 9.

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