Vehicle

Abstract

To facilitate determining whether a vehicle and a towed object are appropriately connected by a connector.SOLUTION: A vehicle includes: a vehicle body; a connector for connecting a towed object and the vehicle body; a vibration generating device disposed in the vehicle body and vibrating the vehicle body; a sensor disposed in the vehicle body and measuring the vibration of the vehicle body; and a control device for controlling the vibration generating device. The control device includes one or a plurality of processors, and one or a plurality of memories connected to the processors. The processor executes processing including: generating by the vibration generating device, a first vibration having previously set first vibration characteristics in a state that the vehicle body and the towed object are connected by the connector; measuring by using the sensor, second vibration characteristics as the characteristics of a second vibration actually generated in the vehicle body connected to the towed object; and determining a connection state between the vehicle body and the towed object by comparing the first vibration characteristics and the second vibration characteristics.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when a vehicle malfunctions, the vehicle may become unable to move under its own power. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle towing device that can safely tow a vehicle when the vehicle is unable to move under its own power.

[0003] The towing device described in Patent Document 1 includes a coupler that connects the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle, and the coupler is equipped with a tension detection means. When the tension applied to the coupler exceeds a predetermined value, the towing device described in Patent Document 1 notifies the driver of an abnormal tension on a display panel as a notification means. This makes it possible to notify the driver of the abnormal tension if an excessive towing load is applied to the towing vehicle during towing, thereby preventing inappropriate towing driving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-73363 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if the vehicle and the towed object are not properly coupled by the coupling device, there is a risk that the coupling between the vehicle and the towed object may come loose while the vehicle is towing the object. Therefore, the driver of the vehicle has to visually check whether the vehicle and the towed object are properly coupled by the coupling device or manually shake the coupling device. This checking process is cumbersome for the driver, and it is not easy to determine whether the coupling is proper.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle that can easily determine whether the vehicle and the towed object are properly coupled by a coupling device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the vehicle of the present invention comprises: The car body and a coupling device that couples the towed object to the vehicle body; a vibration generating device provided on the vehicle body and vibrating the vehicle body; a sensor provided on the vehicle body for measuring vibrations of the vehicle body; a control device that controls the vibration generating device; Equipped with The control device one or more processors; one or more memories coupled to said processor; and The processor: generating a first vibration having a preset first vibration characteristic by the vibration generating device while the vehicle body and the towed object are connected by the coupling device; measuring, using the sensor, a second vibration characteristic that is a characteristic of a second vibration that actually occurs in the vehicle body coupled to the towed object; determining a connection state between the vehicle body and the towed object by comparing the first vibration characteristic with the second vibration characteristic; Execute the process including. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily determine whether the vehicle and the towed object are properly coupled by the coupling device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a vehicle system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a connecting device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of the first vibration characteristic. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a graph showing an example of the second vibration characteristic. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the coupling device when the towed object and the vehicle are moving forward together. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the coupling device when the towed object and the vehicle are moving backward together. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a graph showing the first frequency component, which is the frequency component of the first vibration. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a graph showing the second frequency component, which is the frequency component of the second vibration. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the determination process performed by the determination unit according to this embodiment to determine the connection state between the vehicle body and the towed object. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific dimensions, materials, numerical values, etc. shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a vehicle system 100 according to this embodiment. The vehicle system 100 includes a vehicle 200 and a towed object 300. In FIG. 1, arrows indicate up, down, front, and back with respect to the vehicle 200. In FIG. 1, arrow F indicates the forward direction, which is the direction in which the vehicle 200 moves forward, and arrow B indicates the rearward direction, which is the direction in which the vehicle 200 moves backward. Furthermore, arrow U indicates the upward direction of the vehicle 200, and arrow D indicates the downward direction of the vehicle 200.

[0012] The vehicle 200 is a towing vehicle capable of towing a towed object 300. The vehicle 200 of this embodiment is an electric vehicle powered by a motor. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle 200 may be an engine vehicle powered by an engine, or a hybrid vehicle powered by both an engine and a motor. The vehicle 200 includes a vehicle body 210, wheels 220, a coupling device 230, a vibration generator 240, a sensor 250, and a control device 260.

[0013] The vehicle body 210 is equipped with a coupling device 230, a vibration generator 240, a sensor 250, and a control device 260. Four wheels 220 are provided on the bottom of the vehicle body 210. The four wheels 220 include two front wheels and two rear wheels. A driving force is applied to the wheels 220 from a motor 242, which will be described later. The driving force rotates the wheels 220, and the vehicle 200 can be moved in a forward direction F or a backward direction B.

[0014] The coupling device 230 is provided at the end of the vehicle body 210 on the rearward B side. The coupling device 230 couples the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300. The towed object 300 is coupled to the vehicle body 210 via the coupling device 230. When coupled to the vehicle body 210 by the coupling device 230, the towed object 300 can move integrally with the vehicle 200 as the vehicle 200 moves.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the coupling device 230 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the coupling device 230 includes a first coupling member 232 and a second coupling member 234. The first coupling member 232 is connected to the body 210 of the vehicle 200, and the second coupling member 234 is connected to the towed object 300.

[0016] The first connecting member 232 has a main body portion 232a and a first connecting portion 232b. The first connecting portion 232b is a protrusion that protrudes in the upward direction U from the upper surface of the main body portion 232a. In this embodiment, the shape of the end portion of the first connecting portion 232b on the upward direction U side is spherical. However, the shape is not limited to this, and the shape of the end portion of the first connecting portion 232b on the upward direction U side may be other shapes such as a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, a prism, or a cylinder.

[0017] The second connecting member 234 has a main body portion 234a and a second connecting portion 234b. The second connecting portion 234b is a recessed portion recessed in the upward direction U from the lower surface of the main body portion 234a. In this embodiment, the recessed shape of the second connecting portion 234b is cubic. However, this is not limited thereto, and the recessed shape of the second connecting portion 234b may be other shapes such as a rectangular parallelepiped, a prism, or a cylinder.

[0018] By bringing the second connecting member 234 close to the first connecting member 232 from above and inserting at least a portion of the first connecting portion 232b into the second connecting portion 234b, a connected state is established in which the first connecting member 232 and the second connecting member 234 are connected. By connecting the first connecting member 232 and the second connecting member 234, the vehicle 200 and the towed object 300 can be configured to move integrally. Furthermore, by moving the second connecting member 234 away from the top of the first connecting member 232 and removing the first connecting portion 232b to the outside of the second connecting portion 234b, a disconnected state is established in which the connection between the first connecting member 232 and the second connecting member 234 is released.

[0019] In the connected state, a first clearance D1 and a second clearance D2 are formed between the first connecting portion 232b and the second connecting portion 234b. The first clearance D1 is the distance between the first connecting portion 232b and the second connecting portion 234b on the forward direction F side. The second clearance D2 is the distance between the first connecting portion 232b and the second connecting portion 234b on the rearward direction B side. Although not shown, clearances similar to the first clearance D1 and the second clearance D2 in the front-rear direction are also formed between the first connecting portion 232b and the second connecting portion 234b in the left-right direction.

[0020] If no clearance is provided between first connecting portion 232b and second connecting portion 234b, first connecting portion 232b may not be able to enter inside second connecting portion 234b due to processing accuracy, manufacturing errors, etc. By providing a clearance between first connecting portion 232b and second connecting portion 234b, first connecting portion 232b can enter inside second connecting portion 234b even if processing accuracy, manufacturing errors, etc. occur.

[0021] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 200 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, a vibration generator 240 includes a motor 242 and an air suspension 244.

[0022] The motor 242 is a drive source that provides drive force to the wheels 220. In this embodiment, the motor 242 is used as the drive source, but this is not limited thereto, and an engine may be used as the drive source, or both a motor and an engine may be used. The motor 242 is connected to the wheels 220 via a power transmission device (not shown). However, this is not limited thereto, and the motor 242 may be connected directly to the wheels 220 without via a power transmission device (not shown). For example, one motor 242 may be provided for each of the four wheels 220. The magnitude and rotation direction of the drive force transmitted from the motor 242 to the wheels 220 are controlled based on a control command transmitted from the control device 260.

[0023] The air suspension 244 uses air pressure to support the vehicle body 210 on the axles (not shown) of the wheels 220, and also to reduce and absorb shocks from the road surface that are input to the vehicle body 210 through the axles. An air pump (not shown) is connected to the air suspension 244. The height of the vehicle body 210 relative to the axles is adjusted by supplying air from the air pump and discharging the supplied air. The amount of air supplied from the air pump to the air suspension is controlled based on a control command transmitted from the control device 260. The amount of air discharged from the air suspension is also controlled based on a control command transmitted from the control device 260.

[0024] The sensor 250 is an acceleration sensor that measures the acceleration of the vehicle 200. The sensor 250 is capable of measuring acceleration in three mutually perpendicular axes, and measures, for example, acceleration in the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the vehicle 200. The signal measured by the sensor 250 is transmitted to the control device 260.

[0025] The control device 260 controls the entire vehicle 200. The control device 260 includes an I / F 261, a storage device 262, a system bus 263, one or more processors 264, and one or more memories 265. The I / F 261 is an interface for communicating with the vibration generator 240 and the sensor 250. For example, the I / F 261 acquires data transmitted from the sensor 250. The I / F 261 also transmits a control signal to the vibration generator 240.

[0026] The storage device 262 is composed of RAM, flash memory, HDD, etc., and holds various information necessary for the processing of the processor 264 described below. The system bus 263 electrically connects the I / F 261, storage device 262, processor 264, and memory 265, and is a transmission path for transmitting data among them.

[0027] The processor 264 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The memory 265 includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM is a storage element that stores programs and calculation parameters used by the CPU. The RAM is a storage element that temporarily stores data such as variables and parameters used in processing executed by the CPU.

[0028] 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 260 according to this embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the control device 260 includes a vibration control unit 260a, a measurement unit 260b, and a determination unit 260c.

[0029] The processor 264 cooperates with the programs contained in the memory 265 and executes the programs contained in the memory 265 to realize various processes including the processes described below that are performed by the vibration control unit 260a, the measurement unit 260b, and the judgment unit 260c.

[0030] The vibration control unit 260a controls the vibration generating device 240 and controls the vibrations generated by the vibration generating device 240. In this embodiment, the vibration control unit 260a causes the vibration generating device 240 to generate a first vibration having a preset first vibration characteristic when the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 are connected by the coupling device 230.

[0031] The measuring unit 260b uses the sensor 250 to measure the second vibration characteristic, which is a characteristic of the second vibration actually generated in the vehicle body 210 connected to the towed object 300. The determining unit 260c compares the first vibration characteristic with the second vibration characteristic to determine the connection state between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300. For example, the determining unit 260c determines the connection state between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 based on the degree of correlation between the waveform of the first vibration characteristic and the waveform of the second vibration characteristic. Detailed control of the vibration control unit 260a, the measuring unit 260b, and the determining unit 260c will be described later.

[0032] However, if the vehicle 200 and the towed object 300 are not properly coupled by the coupling device 230, there is a risk that the coupling between the vehicle 200 and the towed object 300 may come loose while the vehicle 200 is traveling while towing the towed object 300. For this reason, the driver of the vehicle 200 has to visually check whether the vehicle 200 and the towed object 300 are properly coupled by the coupling device 230 or by manually shaking the coupling device 230. This checking process is cumbersome for the driver, and it is not easy to determine whether the coupling is proper.

[0033] Therefore, in the vehicle 200 of this embodiment, the vibration generator 240 vibrates the vehicle body 210 with a preset reference vibration (first vibration), and the sensor 250 detects the actual vibration (second vibration) of the vehicle body 210. By comparing the vibration characteristics of the first vibration with the vibration characteristics of the second vibration, it is determined whether the vehicle 200 and the towed object 300 are properly coupled by the coupling device 230.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of the first vibration characteristic. The first vibration characteristic is the vibration characteristic of the first vibration. The first vibration is a reference vibration generated in the vehicle body 210 by the vibration generator 240. Here, the vibration characteristic includes elements such as the frequency, amplitude, and waveform of the vibration. As shown in FIG. 5, the waveform of the first vibration is a sine wave having a constant period, and the first vibration characteristic is a sine wave-like characteristic having a constant frequency and a constant maximum amplitude. Information on the first vibration characteristic of the preset first vibration is stored in the storage device 262. The information on the first vibration characteristic includes at least information representing the frequency component of the first vibration (for example, the frequency and maximum amplitude preset as the reference vibration).

[0035] Based on the information on the first vibration characteristics stored in the storage device 262, the vibration control unit 260a controls the vibration generating device 240 to generate a first vibration having the first vibration characteristics as shown in Fig. 5. Specifically, the vibration control unit 260a uses the motor 242 to repeatedly move the vehicle 200 forward and backward, thereby causing the vehicle body 210 to swing in the front-to-rear direction and generating the first vibration having the first vibration characteristics. This first vibration is a reference vibration that is applied to the vehicle 200 to determine the coupling state, which will be described later, and has a predetermined frequency and amplitude.

[0036] Fig. 6 is a graph showing an example of the second vibration characteristic. The second vibration characteristic is the vibration characteristic of the second vibration. The second vibration is the vibration that actually occurs in the vehicle body 210 as a result of the first vibration being generated in the vehicle body 210, and is the actual vibration measured by the sensor 250 provided in the vehicle body 210. In Fig. 6, the solid line indicates the second vibration characteristic of the second vibration, and the dashed line indicates the first vibration characteristic of the first vibration.

[0037] 6 shows the second vibration characteristic of the second vibration actually generated in the vehicle body 210, measured by the sensor 250, when the first vibration is generated by the vibration generator 240. Specifically, the vibration control unit 260a generates the first vibration having the first vibration characteristic by swinging the vehicle body 210 in the front-rear direction, and the measurement unit 260b measures the second vibration characteristic of the second vibration actually generated in the vehicle body 210 at this time, using the sensor 250. The measured second vibration characteristic of the second vibration is shown by the solid line in FIG.

[0038] 2, a first clearance D1 and a second clearance D2 are formed in the front-to-rear direction between the first connecting portion 232b and the second connecting portion 234b of the coupling device 230. Therefore, when the vehicle 200 moves forward, the towed object 300 does not move until the first clearance D1 becomes 0, and only the vehicle 200 moves in the forward direction F. Then, when the first clearance D1 becomes 0 and the first connecting portion 232b and the second connecting portion 234b come into contact with each other, the towed object 300 and the vehicle 200 move together in the forward direction F.

[0039] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the coupling device 230 when the towed object 300 and the vehicle 200 are moving together in the forward direction F. As shown in Fig. 7, a third clearance D3 is formed between the first coupling part 232b and the second coupling part 234b on the rearward direction B side. This third clearance D3 is approximately equal to the sum of the first clearance D1 and the second clearance D2.

[0040] Thereafter, when the vehicle 200 moves backward, the towed object 300 does not move and only the vehicle 200 moves in the rearward direction B until the third clearance D3 becomes 0. Then, when the third clearance D3 becomes 0 and the first connecting portion 232b and the second connecting portion 234b come into contact with each other, the towed object 300 and the vehicle 200 move in the rearward direction B together.

[0041] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the coupling device 230 when the towed object 300 and the vehicle 200 are moving together in the rearward direction B. As shown in Fig. 8, a fourth clearance D4 is formed between the first coupling part 232b and the second coupling part 234b on the forward direction F side. This fourth clearance D4 is approximately equal to the sum of the first clearance D1 and the second clearance D2, and is also approximately equal to the third clearance D3.

[0042] When the vehicle 200 moves forward from the state shown in Fig. 8, the towed object 300 does not move and only the vehicle 200 moves forward in the direction F until the fourth clearance D4 becomes 0. Then, when the fourth clearance D4 becomes 0 and the first connecting portion 232b and the second connecting portion 234b come into contact, the towed object 300 and the vehicle 200 move together in the direction F. Thereafter, the vehicle 200 repeatedly moves forward and backward while alternately repeating the states of the coupling device 230 shown in Figs. 7 and 8, causing the vehicle body 210 to swing in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0043] In this manner, when the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 are connected by the coupling device 230 and the vibration generator 240 generates a first vibration having a first vibration characteristic, the first coupling portion 232b and the second coupling portion 234b of the coupling device 230 repeatedly collide. As a result, a vibration (third vibration) is generated when the first coupling portion 232b and the second coupling portion 234b collide. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the second vibration characteristic of the second vibration is supplemented with the third vibration characteristic of the third vibration caused by the collision between the coupling portions 232b and 234b in addition to the first vibration characteristic of the first vibration. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the second vibration has a waveform that appears to be a combination of vibrations of multiple frequencies.

[0044] Fig. 9 is a graph showing the first frequency component, which is the frequency component of the first vibration, and Fig. 10 is a graph showing the second frequency component, which is the frequency component of the second vibration.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 9, the first frequency component of the first vibration includes a first frequency F1. As shown in FIG. 10, the second frequency component of the second vibration includes a first frequency F1, a second frequency F2, and a third frequency F3. The second frequency F2 and the third frequency F3 are different from the first frequency F1 and are higher than the first frequency F1. The third frequency F3 is different from the second frequency F2 and is higher than the second frequency F2. The amplitudes of the second frequency F2 and the third frequency F3 are different from the amplitude of the first frequency F1 and are smaller than the amplitude of the first frequency F1. The amplitude of the third frequency F3 is different from the amplitude of the second frequency F2 and is smaller than the amplitude of the second frequency F2.

[0046] Determination unit 260c decomposes the signal measured by sensor 250 into frequency components by Fourier transform. As shown in Fig. 9, the first vibration characteristic of the first vibration includes a first frequency component having only a first frequency F1. Also, as shown in Fig. 10, the second vibration characteristic of the second vibration includes second frequency components having a first frequency F1, a second frequency F2, and a third frequency F3.

[0047] The determination unit 260c determines the connection state between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 by comparing the first frequency component of the first vibration characteristic with the second frequency component of the second vibration characteristic. Specifically, the determination unit 260c determines whether the second frequency component matches the first frequency component within a predetermined error range. "Within the predetermined error range" refers to, for example, a case where the ratio of the frequency value of the second frequency component to the frequency value of the first frequency component is within a range of 100% to 95% (for example, an error of ±5%).

[0048] If the second frequency component matches the first frequency component within a predetermined error range, the determination unit 260c determines that the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 are disconnected. On the other hand, if the second frequency component does not match the first frequency component within a predetermined error range, the determination unit 260c determines whether the second frequency component includes, in addition to the first frequency component, another frequency component different from the first frequency component. If the second frequency component includes, in addition to the first frequency component, another frequency component different from the first frequency component, the determination unit 260c determines that the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 are properly connected.

[0049] However, without being limited thereto, the determination unit 260c may determine the connection state between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 based on the degree of correlation between the waveform of the first vibration characteristic and the waveform of the second vibration characteristic. Here, if the degree of correlation between the waveform of the first vibration characteristic and the waveform of the second vibration characteristic is high, it can be determined that there is a high possibility that the first vibration generated by the vibration generator 240 is being measured by the sensor 250 as the second vibration. In other words, it can be determined that there is a high possibility that the vehicle body 210 is vibrating alone, and it can be determined that the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 has been broken. Furthermore, if the degree of correlation between the waveform of the first vibration characteristic and the waveform of the second vibration characteristic is low, it can be determined that the first vibration generated by the vibration generator 240 has changed to the second vibration, and it can be determined that there is a high possibility that another object is vibrating together with the vehicle body 210. Therefore, it can be determined that the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 is properly established.

[0050] 11 is a flowchart showing the determination process performed by the determination unit 260c according to this embodiment to determine the connection state between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300. Before the determination process is performed by the determination unit 260c, the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 are connected by the coupling device 230.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 11, the vibration control unit 260a uses the motor 242 to repeatedly move the vehicle 200 forward and backward in short increments at high frequency, thereby generating a first vibration having a first vibration characteristic and causing the vehicle body 210 to oscillate in the forward and backward directions (S110).

[0052] The measurement unit 260b measures the second vibration characteristic of the second vibration that actually occurs in the vehicle body 210 connected to the towed object 300 in S110 using the sensor 250 (S120). When the measurement by the measurement unit 260b is completed, the vibration control unit 260a stops driving the motor 242 and stops the first vibration that rocks the vehicle body 210 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0053] The determination unit 260c determines whether the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 in the longitudinal direction is normal or not by comparing the first vibration characteristic of the first vibration generated in S110 with the second vibration characteristic of the second vibration measured in S120 (S130). In other words, the determination unit 260c determines whether the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 in the longitudinal direction is appropriate or not.

[0054] Specifically, if the second frequency component of the second vibration characteristic matches the first frequency component of the first vibration characteristic within a predetermined error range, the determination unit 260c determines that the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 in the longitudinal direction is abnormal. On the other hand, if the second frequency component includes a frequency component different from the first frequency component in addition to the first frequency component, the determination unit 260c determines that the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 in the longitudinal direction is normal.

[0055] If it is determined that the connection in the longitudinal direction is normal (YES in S130), the vibration control unit 260a uses the air suspension 244 to generate a fourth vibration having a fourth vibration characteristic, thereby causing the vehicle body 210 to oscillate in the left-right direction (S140). Specifically, the vibration control unit 260a uses the air suspension 244 to control one of the left and right sides of the vehicle body 210 to be higher and the other side to be lower, and then controls the one of the left and right sides of the vehicle body 210 to be lower and the other side to be higher. By repeating this control of reversing the heights of the left and right sides of the vehicle body 210, the vibration control unit 260a generates a fourth vibration having a fourth vibration characteristic that oscillates the vehicle body 210 in the left-right direction.

[0056] Measurement unit 260b measures the fifth vibration characteristic of the fifth vibration that actually occurred in vehicle body 210 connected to towed object 300 in S140 using sensor 250 (S150). When measurement by measurement unit 260b is completed, vibration control unit 260a stops driving air suspension 244, thereby stopping the fourth vibration that rocks vehicle body 210 in the left-right direction.

[0057] The determination unit 260c compares the fourth vibration characteristic of the fourth vibration generated in S140 with the fifth vibration characteristic of the fifth vibration measured in S150 to determine whether the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 in the left-right direction is normal (S160). The determination in S160 is similar to the determination in S130, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] If it is determined that the connection in the left-right direction is normal (YES in S160), the judgment unit 260c determines that the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 in the front-rear and left-right directions of the vehicle 200 is normal and that the connection is appropriate (S170).

[0059] On the other hand, if it is determined in S130 or S160 that the connection is not normal (NO in S130, NO in S160), the determination unit 260c determines that the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 has come off and that there is an abnormality in the connection (S180). Then, the determination unit 260c notifies the driver via a display (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 200 that the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 has come off and that there is an abnormality in the connection (S190). Note that this is not limited to this, and the determination unit 260c may also notify the driver via a speaker (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 200 that the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 has come off and that there is an abnormality in the connection.

[0060] As described above, the control device 260 according to this embodiment includes a vibration control unit 260a, a measurement unit 260b, and a determination unit 260c. With the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 coupled by the coupling device 230, the vibration control unit 260a causes the vibration generating unit 240 to generate a first vibration having a preset first vibration characteristic. The measurement unit 260b uses the sensor 250 to measure a second vibration characteristic, which is a characteristic of a second vibration actually generated in the vehicle body 210 coupled to the towed object 300. The determination unit 260c determines the coupling state between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 by comparing the first vibration characteristic with the second vibration characteristic. This eliminates the need for the driver to visually or manually check the coupling state between the vehicle 200 and the towed object 300, and makes it easy to determine whether the vehicle 200 and the towed object 300 are properly coupled by the coupling device 230.

[0061] The vibration generator 240 also includes a motor 242, and the vibration control unit 260a uses the motor to repeatedly move the vehicle 200 forward and backward to generate a first vibration that causes the vehicle body 210 to oscillate in the front-to-rear direction. In particular, the motor 242 is used to repeatedly move the vehicle 200 forward and backward in short bursts at a high frequency, thereby oscillating the vehicle body 210 in the front-to-rear direction and generating the first vibration. This makes it possible to oscillate the vehicle body 210 in the front-to-rear direction at a higher frequency band than when the vehicle body 210 is oscillated in the front-to-rear direction by switching between the engine and forward / reverse gears, and makes it possible to determine the connection state between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 with higher accuracy.

[0062] Furthermore, the determination unit 260c determines the connection state between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 based on the degree of correlation between the waveform of the first vibration characteristic and the waveform of the second vibration characteristic. If the degree of correlation between the waveform of the first vibration characteristic and the waveform of the second vibration characteristic is high, it can be determined that there is a high possibility that the vehicle body 210 is vibrating alone, and it can be determined that the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 has come loose. If the degree of correlation between the waveform of the first vibration characteristic and the waveform of the second vibration characteristic is low, it can be determined that there is a high possibility that other objects are vibrating together with the vehicle body 210, and it can be determined that the connection between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 is appropriate.

[0063] Furthermore, the first vibration characteristic includes a first frequency component that is a frequency component of the first vibration, and the second vibration characteristic includes a second frequency component that is a frequency component of the second vibration. If the second frequency component matches the first frequency component within a predetermined error range, the determination unit 260c determines that the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 have become disjointed. If the second frequency component matches the first frequency component within a predetermined error range, that is, they are close to each other, it can be determined that there is a high possibility that the vehicle body 210 is vibrating independently, and it can be determined that the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 have become disjointed.

[0064] Furthermore, when the second frequency component includes, in addition to the first frequency component, a frequency component different from the first frequency component, the determination unit 260c determines that the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 are coupled. When the second frequency component includes, in addition to the first frequency component, a frequency component different from the first frequency component, it is considered that collisions are occurring repeatedly between the first coupling portion 232b and the second coupling portion 234b in the coupling device 230. Such collisions do not occur when the coupling between the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 by the coupling device 230 is released. Therefore, when the second frequency component includes, in addition to the first frequency component, a frequency component different from the first frequency component, it can be determined that the vehicle body 210 and the towed object 300 are properly coupled.

[0065] While the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that such modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0066] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the vibration generator 240 generates vibrations in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the vehicle 200. However, without being limited to this, the vibration generator 240 may generate vibrations only in either the front-rear direction or the left-right direction of the vehicle 200. In other words, the vibration generator 240 may generate vibrations only in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 200, or only in the left-right direction of the vehicle 200. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 100 Vehicle Systems 200 vehicles 210 Body 220 wheels 230 Coupling device 240 Vibration Generator 242 Motor 244 Air Suspension 250 sensors 260 Control Device 300 primers

Claims

1. The car body and a coupling device that couples the towed object to the vehicle body; a vibration generating device provided on the vehicle body and vibrating the vehicle body; a sensor provided on the vehicle body for measuring vibrations of the vehicle body; a control device that controls the vibration generating device; Equipped with The control device one or more processors; one or more memories coupled to the processor; and The processor: generating a first vibration having a preset first vibration characteristic by the vibration generating device while the vehicle body and the towed object are connected by the coupling device; measuring, using the sensor, a second vibration characteristic that is a characteristic of a second vibration actually generated in the vehicle body coupled to the towed object; determining a connection state between the vehicle body and the towed object by comparing the first vibration characteristic with the second vibration characteristic; Performing a process that includes vehicle.

2. the vibration generator includes a motor that is a drive source of the vehicle, the processor generates the first vibration that causes the vehicle body to rock in a forward and backward direction by repeatedly moving the vehicle forward and backward using the motor; The vehicle of claim 1 .

3. The processor: determining a connection state between the vehicle body and the towed object based on a degree of correlation between a waveform of the first vibration characteristic and a waveform of the second vibration characteristic; 3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the first vibration characteristic includes a first frequency component that is a frequency component of the first vibration; the second vibration characteristic includes a second frequency component that is a frequency component of the second vibration; The processor: If the second frequency component matches the first frequency component within a predetermined error range, it is determined that the vehicle body and the towed object are disconnected.

4. The vehicle of claim 3.

5. the first vibration characteristic includes a first frequency component that is a frequency component of the first vibration; the second vibration characteristic includes a second frequency component that is a frequency component of the second vibration; The processor: If the second frequency component includes, in addition to the first frequency component, another frequency component different from the first frequency component, it is determined that the vehicle body and the towed object are coupled together.

4. The vehicle of claim 3.

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