Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and tire testing system

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of a tire test by suppressing the increase of a load on a tire in the tire test.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device 100 comprises a control unit 10 that receives at least one from among information relating to a tire 7, information relating to the road surface of a course 200, and alignment information for a vehicle 1, and uses the received information to control at least one of a first control value that is a speed control value of the vehicle 1 corresponding to a target travel speed of the vehicle 1 and a second control value that is a steering angle control value of the vehicle 1 corresponding to a target travel route of the vehicle 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a tire testing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known tire testing methods, namely, a bench test method and an actual vehicle test method. As the bench test method, for example, there is a method in which a pseudo surface of a drum is brought into contact with a tire and the noise generated by the tire is measured while the drum is rotating (see Patent Document 1). On the other hand, in the actual vehicle test method, various tests are performed while the vehicle is actually running along a circuit course dedicated to the test. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-134213 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, in the above-mentioned actual tire testing, tires are mounted on a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function, and the vehicle is driven around a test course to obtain test data. In tire testing, if the tire wears out to an extent that affects the tire performance evaluation, appropriate testing cannot be performed, and work such as replacing the worn tire is required. Such work leads to a decrease in the efficiency of tire testing. Therefore, in the above-mentioned actual tire testing using a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function, there is a demand for vehicle control that can reduce the load on the tires and improve the efficiency of tire testing.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a tire testing system that can suppress an increase in load on a tire during tire testing and improve the efficiency of tire testing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle equipped with tires and traveling autonomously around a course, and includes a control unit that receives input of at least one of information related to the tires, information related to the road surface of the course, and alignment information for the vehicle, and controls at least one of a first control value, which is a control value for the speed of the vehicle that corresponds to a target traveling speed of the vehicle, and a second control value, which is a control value for the steering angle of the vehicle that corresponds to a target traveling route of the vehicle, based on the input information. The above configuration enables control of vehicle running according to at least one of tire performance, course road surface conditions, and vehicle alignment information, thereby suppressing an increase in tire load during tire testing, thereby reducing the effort required for tire replacement due to wear and improving the efficiency of tire testing.

[0007] In a vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may control the first control value so that the speed of the vehicle does not exceed a target driving speed of the vehicle, and / or control the second control value so that the steering angle of the vehicle does not exceed a target steering angle corresponding to the driving route of the vehicle. By having the above configuration, it is possible to suppress fluctuations in the vehicle's speed relative to a target driving speed and fluctuations in the vehicle's steering angle relative to a steering angle according to a target driving route, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on the tires.

[0008] In a vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the information relating to the tire includes at least one of the tire's RRC (Rolling Resistance Coefficient) value, uniformity, outer diameter of the tire, tan δ of the tire's tread rubber, width of the tire, vertical spring constant of the tire, cornering power value of the tire and WGI (Wet Grip Index), and the information relating to the road surface of the course may include at least one of the road surface roughness, forward gradient, lateral gradient and water depth of the course. With the above configuration, tire performance and the road surface conditions of the course can be more clearly grasped to control vehicle driving, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on the tires during tire testing and improving the efficiency of tire testing.

[0009] In a vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the course has a curved shape and includes a bank section in which the road surface slopes from the inner periphery of the curve to the outer periphery, and the control unit may keep a target driving speed of the vehicle constant in the bank section. With the above-described configuration, the vehicle speed in the banked section is kept constant, so that the load on the tires can be kept constant.

[0010] A vehicle control method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle equipped with tires and driving autonomously around a course, which accepts input of at least one of information relating to the tires, information relating to the road surface of the course, and alignment information for the vehicle, and controls at least one of a first control value which is a control value for the speed of the vehicle corresponding to a target driving speed of the vehicle, and a second control value which is a control value for the steering angle of the vehicle corresponding to a target driving route of the vehicle, based on the input information. The above configuration makes it possible to control the running of a vehicle according to at least one of the tire performance, the road surface condition of the course, and the vehicle alignment information, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on the tires during tire testing. As a result, the labor required for replacing tires due to wear can be reduced, and tire testing can be made more efficient.

[0011] A tire testing system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle fitted with tires and driving autonomously around a course, and an information input device that inputs at least one of information related to the tires, information related to the road surface of the course, and alignment information of the vehicle to the vehicle control device. The vehicle control device receives at least one of information related to the tires, information related to the road surface of the course, and alignment information of the vehicle from the information input device, and comprises a control unit that controls at least one of a first control value, which is a control value for the speed of the vehicle corresponding to a target driving speed of the vehicle, and a second control value, which is a control value for the steering angle of the vehicle corresponding to a target driving route of the vehicle, based on the input information. The above configuration makes it possible to control the running of a vehicle according to at least one of the tire performance, the road surface condition of the course, and the vehicle alignment information, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on the tires during tire testing. As a result, the labor required for replacing tires due to wear can be reduced, and tire testing can be made more efficient. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a tire testing system that are capable of suppressing an increase in the load on a tire during tire testing and improving the efficiency of tire testing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a plan view showing an example of a course along which the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 travels. [Diagram 3] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vehicle control device shown in FIG. 1; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a tire test system that acquires test data of tires mounted on the vehicle shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or equivalent components.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle control device 100 according to this embodiment controls the vehicle 1 equipped with a tire 7 and an automatic driving function, and causes the vehicle 1 to automatically drive along a course 200 for testing the tire 7, as shown in Fig. 2. Details of the course 200 will be described later.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 1 includes an engine 2, a power transmission device 3, a steering device 4, a braking device 5, tires 7, a communication device 8, an on-board sensor 9, a control unit 10, a first battery 11, and a second battery 12. The control unit 10 constitutes a vehicle control device 100 according to this embodiment. The communication device 8, the on-board sensor 9, and the control unit 10 (the vehicle control device 100) constitute an automatic driving processing unit 13 that provides an automatic driving function provided in the vehicle 1. The configuration of the automatic driving processing unit 13 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 1, and may include various configurations for providing the automatic driving function of the vehicle 1.

[0017] The engine 2 is a power source that drives the vehicle 1. The engine 2 is driven by electric power supplied from a first battery 11. The vehicle 1 may be equipped with a motor instead of the engine 2 as a power source. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 may be equipped with both the engine 2 and a motor as power sources.

[0018] The power transmission device 3 transmits the power generated by the engine 2 to tires 7. The power transmission device 3 includes a transmission and the like.

[0019] The steering device 4 controls the steering angle of the tires 7. The steering device 4 includes a steering wheel and the like.

[0020] The braking device 5 applies brakes to the tires 7. The braking device 5 includes a brake and the like.

[0021] The communication device 8 includes a communication module capable of wireless communication. The communication device 8 may include a communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as 4G (4th Generation) and 5G (5th Generation). The communication device 8 communicates with a fixed point sensor 14 provided around the course 200 along which the vehicle 1 travels, via a communication interface. The fixed point sensor 14 mainly detects information about the course 200. The information about the course 200 may include information about the situation on the course 200 (such as the presence or absence of other vehicles or objects such as obstacles). The fixed point sensor 14 may include a 3D-LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor that emits electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays and millimeter waves, and detects the reflected waves of the electromagnetic waves reflected by surrounding objects, thereby detecting surrounding objects and distances to the surrounding objects in a three-dimensional manner. The communication device 8 receives information about the course 200 detected by the fixed point sensor 14, and outputs the received information about the course 200 to the control unit 10.

[0022] The communication device 8 also includes a communication module capable of wired or wireless communication with an external information input device 15. The information input device 15 is, for example, a server device, a PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, or the like connected to the vehicle 1 via a network. At least one of information on the tire 7 mounted on the vehicle 1, information on the road surface of the course 200 on which the vehicle 1 runs, and alignment information on the vehicle 1 is input to the information input device 15. The information on the tire 7 is, for example, information obtained by a single wheel test of the tire 7, and is information on the performance of the tire 7. The information on the road surface of the course 200 is, for example, information on the condition of the road surface of the course 200, such as the roughness of the road surface and the wetness of the road surface. The alignment information on the vehicle 1 is, for example, information on the mounting angle of the tire 7 to the vehicle 1. The communication device 8 receives at least one of information on the tire 7 mounted on the vehicle 1 and information on the road surface of the course 200 on which the vehicle 1 runs from the information input device 15 via the communication module. The communication device 8 outputs the information received from the information input device 15 to the control unit 10.

[0023] The on-vehicle sensor 9 mainly detects information about the vehicle 1 on which the on-vehicle sensor 9 is mounted. The information detected by the on-vehicle sensor 9 may include information about the status of the vehicle 1, such as the position or speed of the vehicle 1. The information detected by the on-vehicle sensor 9 may include information about the status around the vehicle 1. The on-vehicle sensor 9 may acquire information from various meters mounted on the vehicle 1, such as a speedometer, a tachometer, a fuel meter, or an odometer. The on-vehicle sensor 9 may include a GPS sensor that detects the position of the vehicle 1 using a positioning system such as a GPS (Global Positioning System). The on-vehicle sensor 9 may include a speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle 1 using a GPS. The on-vehicle sensor 9 may include a camera that captures an image of the periphery of the vehicle 1, such as a monochrome camera or a stereo camera. The on-vehicle sensor 9 may include a LiDAR sensor. The on-vehicle sensor 9 outputs the detected information about the vehicle 1 to the control unit 10.

[0024] The control unit 10 is one or more processors. As the processor, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process can be used. The control unit 10 may include one or more dedicated circuits. Also, in the control unit 10, one or more processors may be replaced with one or more dedicated circuits. As the dedicated circuit, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) can be used.

[0025] The control unit 10 controls the behavior of the vehicle 1 in an autonomous driving manner by controlling the engine 2, the power transmission device 3, the steering device 4, and the braking device 5. The autonomous driving level may be, for example, level 3-5 defined by the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE).

[0026] The control unit 10 acquires detection results from all or some of the on-board sensors 9 and the fixed point sensors 14, and detects the position of the vehicle 1 and obstacles around the vehicle 1 based on the acquired detection results. The control unit 10 controls the traveling of the vehicle 1 based on the detection results of the position of the vehicle 1 and the obstacles around the vehicle 1.

[0027] Furthermore, the control unit 10 controls the behavior of the vehicle 1 based on at least one of the information about the tires 7 and the information about the road surface of the course 200 output from the communication device 8. The control unit 10 may receive at least one of the information about the tires 7 and the information about the road surface of the course 200 directly from the information input device 15 without going through the communication device 8. Details of the control of the behavior of the vehicle 1 by the control unit 10 will be described later.

[0028] The first battery 11 as the first power supply is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lead-acid battery or a lithium-ion battery. The first battery 11 supplies power to the engine 2 (and / or motor) of the vehicle 1 to drive the engine 2 (and / or motor). The first battery 11 stops operating, for example, when the vehicle 1 is coasted for a pass-by noise test described later. When the first battery 11 stops operating, the power source of the vehicle 1 stops operating, and the vehicle 1 coasts while the power source is stopped (hereinafter referred to as an "ignition off state"). The first battery 11 may charge the second battery 12 when the second battery 12 is a secondary battery. The first battery 11 may supply power to various electric or electronic devices mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0029] The second battery 12 as the second power supply is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lead-acid battery or a lithium-ion battery. The second battery 12 may be a primary battery. The second battery 12 supplies power to the automatic driving processing unit 13. The second battery 12 supplies power to the automatic driving processing unit 13 when power is supplied from the first battery 11 to the power source and the power source is driven (hereinafter referred to as "ignition on state"). Furthermore, the second battery 12 supplies power to the automatic driving processing unit 13 even in the ignition off state. The supply of power from the second battery 12 to the automatic driving processing unit 13 enables automatic driving of the vehicle 1 by the automatic driving processing unit 13 not only in the ignition on state but also in the ignition off state.

[0030] In testing the tire 7, the vehicle 1 usually travels around the course 200. Therefore, after performing a predetermined measurement in the ignition off state, it is necessary to transition the vehicle 1 to the ignition on state. When transitioning the vehicle 1 from the ignition off state to the ignition on state, the second battery 12 supplies power to the first battery 11 to start the first battery 11. When started by the second battery 12, the first battery 11 supplies power to the power source of the vehicle 1 to drive it, and transitions the vehicle 1 to the ignition on state.

[0031] As described above, the vehicle 1 uses the automatic driving function to automatically drive the course 200. The course 200 is, for example, a course for testing the tire 7. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the course 200 that the vehicle 1 drives to test the tire 7.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2, the course 200 is a closed circuit course consisting of two straight roads 200a, 200b extending parallel to each other, and semicircular curved roads 200c, 200d disposed at both ends of the straight roads 200a, 200b and connected to connect the ends of the straight roads 200a, 200b. The vehicle 1 travels around the circuit course 200 in a predetermined direction (counterclockwise in Fig. 2).

[0033] The course 200 is divided into a plurality of sections. For example, the course 200 includes a test section 210 starting from a position P1 and ending at a position P2. The positions P1 and P2 are included in the straight road 200a. Therefore, the test section 210 is a straight section. The test section 210 is a section for performing various measurements related to the testing of the tire 7. The test of the tire 7 includes, for example, the pass-by noise test described above. The pass-by noise test is performed based on a predetermined standard related to the testing of tires (for example, ECE R117-02, which is an international standard related to tire noise regulations). The road surface in the test section 210 may be a road surface based on the ISO10844 standard. As described above, in the pass-by noise test, the vehicle 1 is in an ignition-off state in which the power source is stopped before the test section 210 so that the running noise of the vehicle 1 does not include the driving sound of the power source of the vehicle 1, and inertial running is performed in the test section 210. When the vehicle 1 passes through the test section 210, the state transitions from an ignition off state to an ignition on state. The passing through the test section 210 can be detected, for example, from position information of the vehicle 1. The test of the tire 7 is not limited to a passing noise test, and may be another test.

[0034] In the case of a passing noise test, microphones are placed on both sides of the road surface in the width direction of the test section 210, and the vehicle 1 runs at a predetermined speed in the center of the road surface of the test section 210. The microphones placed on both sides of the road surface each detect the noise level of the running noise of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is running on the test section 210, and obtain the noise level as test data for the tire 7.

[0035] The course 200 further includes a regulation section 220 , a bank section 230 , and an acceleration section 240 .

[0036] The adjustment section 220 is a section that starts at position P2 and ends at position P3. Position P3 is a position where the straight road 200b and the curved road 200d are connected. The adjustment section 220 is a section of the straight road 200a that includes the section after the test section 210, the curved road 220c, and the straight road 200b. In other words, the adjustment section 220 is a section that is connected to the end point of the test section 210 and the start point of a bank section 230, which will be described later. In the adjustment section 220, the vehicle 1 is allowed to overtake other vehicles and other vehicles are allowed to overtake the vehicle 1. In the adjustment section 220, adjustments such as the order of vehicles entering the test section 210 are performed.

[0037] The bank section 230 is a section that starts at position P3 and ends at position P4. Position P4 is a position where the straight road 200a and the curved road 200d are connected. The bank section 230 is provided with a slope such that the road surface becomes higher from the inner periphery of the curve toward the outer periphery. In other words, the course 200 includes a bank section 230 that has a curved shape and has a slope such that the road surface becomes higher from the inner periphery of the curve toward the outer periphery. Due to this slope, in the bank section 230, the vehicle 1 runs on the outside of the semicircular corner and utilizes centrifugal force to run at a constant speed (for example, 60 km / h).

[0038] In the bank section 230, the field of view from the vehicle 1 is limited due to its shape, but the vehicle is required to travel at a relatively high speed. Therefore, from the viewpoint of safety, only one vehicle may travel on the bank section 230. Therefore, while one vehicle is traveling on the bank section 230, other vehicles may be controlled to wait before entering the bank section 230, for example by decelerating and stopping in the adjustment section 220 just before the bank section 230.

[0039] The acceleration section 240 is a section that starts at position P4 and ends at position P1. In other words, the acceleration section 240 is a section that is connected to the start point (position P1) of the test section 210. The distance of the acceleration section 240 is determined depending on the speed required for testing the tires 7 in the test section 210, the type of tires 7 mounted on the vehicle 1, the load on the vehicle 1, and the acceleration performance of the vehicle 1. In the acceleration section 240, the control unit 10 accelerates the vehicle 1 to a speed required for entering the test section 210, for example, at a predetermined acceleration rate.

[0040] Next, the control of the behavior of the vehicle 1 by the control unit 10 will be described.

[0041] The control unit 10 detects the speed and position of the vehicle 1 based on the detection results of the on-board sensor 9 and the fixed point sensor 14. The control unit 10 controls the behavior of the vehicle 1 so that the detected speed and position of the vehicle 1 follow a driving scenario that specifies the driving speed and driving route of the vehicle 1 in the tire 7 test.

[0042] Specifically, the control unit 10 calculates a control value (first control value) for controlling the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 1 so that the speed of the vehicle 1 follows a target running speed defined in the running scenario, and controls the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 1 according to the calculated first control value. That is, the control unit 10 generates a first control value that is a control value for the speed of the vehicle 1 according to the target running speed of the vehicle 1, and controls the speed of the vehicle 1 based on the generated first control value.

[0043] Furthermore, the control unit 10 calculates a control value (second control value) for the steering angle of the vehicle 1 so that the driving path (position) of the vehicle 1 follows the target driving path defined in the driving scenario, and controls the steering angle of the vehicle 1 according to the calculated second control value. That is, the control unit 10 generates the second control value, which is a control value for the steering angle of the vehicle 1 according to the target driving path of the vehicle 1, and controls the steering angle of the vehicle 1 based on the generated second control value.

[0044] In this embodiment, the control unit 10 receives at least one of information about the tire 7, information about the road surface of the course 200, and alignment information about the vehicle 1 from the information input device 15, and controls at least one of the first control value and the second control value based on the information input from the information input device 15. This makes it possible to control the running of the vehicle 1 according to the performance of the tire 7, the condition of the road surface of the course 200, and the alignment information of the vehicle 1, so that an increase in the load on the tire 7 during the testing of the tire 7 can be suppressed. As a result, the effort required for replacing the tire 7 due to wear can be reduced, and the testing of the tire 7 can be made more efficient.

[0045] The operation of the control unit 10 will be described below with a specific example.

[0046] The control unit 10 controls the first control value so that the speed of the vehicle 1 does not exceed a target traveling speed of the vehicle 1, based on, for example, information about the tires 7 input from the information input device 15. In the following, an example will be described in which the rolling resistance coefficient (RRC value) of the tires 7 is used as the information about the tires 7, and the acceleration of the vehicle 1 is controlled as the first control value.

[0047] The RRC value is the ratio of the rolling resistance (energy lost by the tire 7 while traveling) to the specific gravity of the tire 7. The smaller the RRC value, the easier the tire 7 rolls in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, and the higher the responsiveness to the acceleration of the vehicle 1. Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 is accelerated based on the same first control value when the RRC value of the tire 7 is small and when the RRC value of the tire 7 is large, the speed of the vehicle 1 may increase too much and exceed the target traveling speed when the RRC value of the tire 7 is small. When the speed of the vehicle 1 exceeds the target traveling speed, control is performed to slow down the vehicle 1. When the speed of the vehicle 1 fluctuates greatly with respect to the target traveling speed, and control is performed to repeatedly increase and decrease the speed of the vehicle 1, the load on the tire 7 increases.

[0048] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 10 controls the first control value so that the speed of the vehicle 1 does not exceed the target running speed of the vehicle 1. For example, when increasing the speed of the vehicle 1 from speed A to speed B, the control unit 10 makes the acceleration of the vehicle 1 when the RRC value is smaller than a predetermined threshold smaller than the acceleration of the vehicle 1 when the RRC value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold. In this way, when the RRC value is small, the speed of the vehicle 1 is less likely to increase too much and exceed the target running speed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the fluctuation of the vehicle 1 relative to the target running speed and suppress an increase in the load on the tires 7.

[0049] Furthermore, the control unit 10 controls the second control value so that the steering angle of the vehicle 1 does not exceed a target steering angle according to the travel route of the vehicle 1, based on information about the tires 7 input from the information input device 15. In the following, an example will be described in which cornering power (CP) is used as the information about the tires 7, and the steering angle of the vehicle 1 is controlled as the second control value.

[0050] CP is a value indicating the ratio between the steering angle and the lateral force generated during steering. The larger the CP, the higher the responsiveness to steering. Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 is steered based on the same second control value when the CP of the tire 7 is small and when the CP of the tire 7 is large, when the CP of the tire 7 is small, the movement amount of the vehicle 1 becomes too large and may exceed the movement amount according to the target driving route (the movement amount that can follow the target driving route). When the movement amount of the vehicle 1 exceeds the steering angle according to the target driving route, control is performed to steer the vehicle 1 in the opposite direction. When the steering angle of the vehicle 1 with respect to the steering angle according to the target driving route varies greatly and control is performed to repeatedly steer the vehicle 1, the load on the tire 7 becomes large.

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 10 controls the second control value so that the steering angle of the vehicle 1 does not exceed the steering angle corresponding to the target driving route of the vehicle 1. For example, even when traveling along the same driving route, the control unit 10 makes the movement amount of the vehicle 1 when the CP is greater than a predetermined threshold smaller than the movement amount of the vehicle 1 when the CP is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold. In this way, when the CP is large, the steering angle of the vehicle 1 becomes too large, and the vehicle 1 deviates from the target driving route. As a result, it is possible to suppress the fluctuation of the steering angle of the vehicle 1 with respect to the steering angle corresponding to the target driving route, and suppress the increase in the load on the tires 7.

[0052] In addition to the RRC value, the above-mentioned control of the speed of the vehicle 1 may use information on the tire 7 such as uniformity, outer diameter, tan δ, and WGI, and information on the road surface of the course 200 such as road surface roughness, travel direction gradient, and water depth. As with the RRC value, these pieces of information are related to the performance of the tire 7 in the travel direction of the vehicle 1, and the speed of the vehicle 1 can be controlled by the same control as that described using the RRC value. In addition to the CP, the above-mentioned control of the steering angle of the vehicle 1 may use information on the tire 7 such as tire width and longitudinal spring coefficient, as information on the road surface of the course 200 such as road surface roughness, lateral gradient, and water depth, and as information on the vehicle 1 such as alignment. As with the CP, these pieces of information are related to the performance of the tire 7 in a direction intersecting the travel direction of the vehicle 1, and the steering angle of the vehicle 1 can be controlled by the same control as that described using the CP. That is, the information on the tire 7 may include at least one of the tire width and longitudinal spring coefficient. Additionally, the information regarding the surface of the course 200 may include at least one of the surface roughness, lateral gradient, and water depth.

[0053] As described above, the vehicle 1 runs at a constant speed in the bank section 230. Therefore, the control unit 10 sets the target speed of the vehicle 1 constant in the bank section 230. In this way, the vehicle speed in the bank section 230 is kept constant, and the load on the tires 7 can be kept constant.

[0054] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vehicle control device 100 according to this embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining a vehicle control method in the vehicle control device 100.

[0055] The control unit 10 accepts input of at least any one of information related to the tires 7, information related to the road surface of the course 200, and alignment information of the vehicle 1 (step S101). Specifically, the control unit 10 accepts input of the information related to the tires 7, information related to the road surface of the course 200, and alignment information of the vehicle 1 from, for example, the information input device 15 via the communication device 8. These pieces of information may be input directly to the control unit 10 from the information input device 15.

[0056] Next, the control unit 10 controls at least one of a control value (first control value) of the speed of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the running speed of the target vehicle 1 and a control value (second control value) of the steering angle of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the running route of the target vehicle 1 based on the input information (step S102). For example, the control unit 10 controls the first control value based on the input information (e.g., RRC value) about the tires 7 so that the speed of the vehicle 1 does not exceed the running speed of the target vehicle 1. In addition, the control unit 10 controls the second control value based on the input information (e.g., WGI) about the tires 7 so that the steering angle of the vehicle 1 does not exceed the steering angle corresponding to the running route of the target vehicle 1.

[0057] This makes it possible to control the running of the vehicle 1 according to the performance of the tire 7, the road surface conditions of the course 200, and the alignment information of the vehicle 1, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on the tire 7 during the testing of the tire 7. As a result, the effort required for replacing the tire 7 due to wear can be reduced, and the testing of the tire 7 can be made more efficient.

[0058] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a tire testing system 300 that acquires test data of a tire 7 mounted on a vehicle 1 that runs on a course 200. As shown in FIG.

[0059] 4 includes a server device 30 and a measurement device 31. The server device 30 is an example of the information input device 15.

[0060] At least one of information about the tire 7 mounted on the vehicle 1, information about the road surface of the course 200 on which the vehicle 1 runs, and alignment information about the vehicle 1 is input to the server device 30. These pieces of information are measured in advance before testing the tire 7 and input to the server device 30. The server device 30 has a communication interface for communicating with a communication device 8 mounted on the vehicle 1. The server device 30 transmits at least one of the input information about the tire 7 mounted on the vehicle 1, information about the road surface of the course 200 on which the vehicle 1 runs, and alignment information about the vehicle 1 to the vehicle 1 (vehicle control device 100) via the communication interface. That is, the server device 30 as the information input device 15 inputs at least one of information about the tire 7, information about the road surface of the course 200, and alignment information about the vehicle 1 to the vehicle control device 100. The number of vehicles 1 (vehicle control devices 100) that communicate with the server device 30 may be one or more than two.

[0061] The measuring device 31 acquires test data of the tires 7 mounted on the vehicle 1 traveling on the course 200. In the case of a passing noise test, the measuring device 31 is, for example, a microphone. In this case, the measuring device 31 is installed on both ends in the width direction of the road surface of the test section 210, and measures the running noise of the vehicle 1. The measuring device 31 may output the acquired test data to the server device 30.

[0062] As described above, the vehicle control device 100 according to this embodiment is equipped with a control unit 10 which receives at least one of information relating to the tires 7, information relating to the road surface of the course 200, and alignment information of the vehicle 1, and controls at least one of a first control value, which is a control value for the speed of the vehicle 1 according to the driving speed of the target vehicle 1, and a second control value, which is a control value for the steering angle of the vehicle 1 according to the driving route of the target vehicle 1, based on the input information.

[0063] In addition, the vehicle control method of this embodiment accepts input of at least one of information regarding tires 7, information regarding the road surface of course 200, and alignment information of vehicle 1, and controls at least one of a first control value, which is a control value for the speed of vehicle 1 according to the driving speed of the target vehicle 1, and a second control value, which is a control value for the steering angle of vehicle 1 according to the driving route of the target vehicle 1, based on the input information.

[0064] The tire testing system 300 according to this embodiment includes a vehicle control device 100 that controls a vehicle 1 that is fitted with a tire 7 and that travels autonomously on a course 200, and an information input device 15 that inputs at least one of information about the tire 7, information about the road surface of the course 200, and alignment information about the vehicle 1 to the vehicle control device 100. At least one of information about the tire 7, information about the road surface of the course 200, and alignment information about the vehicle 1 is input from the information input device 15 to the vehicle control device 100. The vehicle control device 100 controls at least one of a first control value, which is a control value for the speed of the vehicle 1 according to the travel speed of the target vehicle 1, and a second control value, which is a control value for the steering angle of the vehicle 1 according to the travel route of the target vehicle 1, based on the input information.

[0065] Therefore, it is possible to control the running of the vehicle 1 according to the performance of the tire 7, the road surface condition of the course 200, and the alignment information of the vehicle 1, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on the tire 7 during the testing of the tire 7. As a result, the labor required for replacing the tire 7 due to wear can be reduced, and the testing of the tire 7 can be made more efficient.

[0066] The vehicle control device 100, the vehicle control method, and the tire testing system 300 according to the present invention are not limited to the specific configurations shown in the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1: vehicle, 2: engine (power source), 3: power transmission device, 4: steering device, 5: braking device, 7: tire, 8: communication device, 9: on-board sensor, 10: control unit, 11: first battery (first power source), 12: second battery (second power source), 13: automatic driving processing unit, 14: fixed point sensor, 15: information input device, 30: server device (information input device), 31: measurement device, 100: vehicle control device, 200: course, 200a, 200b: straight road, 200c, 200d: curved road, 210: test section, 220: adjustment section, 230: bank section, 240: acceleration section, 300: tire test system

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle that is fitted with tires and that automatically drives a course for testing the tires, a control unit that receives a cornering power (CP) of the tire that is measured in advance before the tire is tested, and controls a steering angle of the vehicle according to a target travel route of the vehicle based on the CP; The control unit reduces a steering angle of the vehicle when the CP is smaller than a predetermined threshold value compared to a steering angle of the vehicle when the CP is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold value.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The control unit controls a steering angle of the vehicle so that the steering angle of the vehicle does not exceed a target steering angle according to a travel route of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, the course has a curved shape and includes a bank section in which the road surface is inclined from the inner periphery of the curve toward the outer periphery, The control unit maintains a target traveling speed of the vehicle constant in the bank section.

4. A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle that is fitted with a tire and that automatically drives a course for testing the tire, comprising: Accepting an input of a cornering power (CP) of the tire that has been measured in advance before testing the tire; Controlling a steering angle of the vehicle according to a target travel route of the vehicle based on the input CP; A vehicle control method comprising: making the acceleration when the CP is smaller than a predetermined threshold smaller than the steering angle of the vehicle when the CP is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold.

5. a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle on which a tire is mounted and that automatically drives the vehicle around a course for testing the tire; and an information input device that inputs a Cornering Power (CP) of the tire, which is measured in advance before the tire test, to the vehicle control device, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that receives the CP from the information input device and controls a steering angle of the vehicle according to a target traveling route of the vehicle based on the input CP; The control unit reduces the steering angle of the vehicle when the CP is smaller than a predetermined threshold value compared to the steering angle of the vehicle when the CP is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold value.

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