Vehicle, motion manager, and motion demand correction method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle capable of stabilizing a travel state of the vehicle on the basis of an operation support system.SOLUTION: A vehicle 1 comprises: an operation support system 100 which sets action plans related to operation support for the vehicle 1; a motion manager 200 which coordinates a plurality of action plans set through the operation support system 100; and an actuator system 300 to which motion demand generated using a coordination result of the motion manager 200 is distributed. The motion manager 200: estimates a total weight of the vehicle 1 and a position of a gravity center G thereof; and corrects the motion demand on the basis of the total weight and the position of the gravity center G.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle, a motion manager, and a motion demand correction method. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, an information processing device described in JP 2020-032894 A (Patent Document 1) receives longitudinal and lateral motion control amounts from multiple driving assistance applications. Then, the information processing device arbitrates requests to be output to actuators based on the received motion control amounts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-032894 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The information processing device described in the above Patent Document 1 arbitrates requests output to the actuators based on the motion control amount received from multiple driving assistance applications as described above. However, the above Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration that the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle vary depending on the respective arrangements and weights of the cargo and passengers loaded on the vehicle. When the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle vary, it is considered that the running state of the vehicle based on the above requests will change (the running state will become unstable) from the normal state (when the total weight and center of gravity are as expected). Therefore, it is desired to stabilize the running state of the vehicle based on the driving assistance application (system).

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle, a motion manager, and a motion requirement correction method that are capable of stabilizing the driving state of a vehicle based on a driving assistance system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a driving assistance system that sets an action plan for vehicle driving assistance, a motion manager that arbitrates multiple action plans set by the driving assistance system, and an actuator system to which motion requests generated using the arbitration result by the motion manager are distributed, wherein the motion manager estimates at least one of a total weight of the vehicle and a position of the center of gravity of the vehicle, and corrects the motion requests based on at least one of the estimated total weight and the position of the center of gravity so as to reduce the impact of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity on the vehicle's driving.

[0007] In the vehicle according to the first aspect, as described above, the motion manager estimates at least one of the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle, and corrects the motion request based on the estimated total weight and the position of the center of gravity to reduce the influence of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity on the running of the vehicle. This makes it possible to suppress the influence on the running of the vehicle caused by correcting the motion request when at least one of the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle fluctuates. As a result, it is possible to suppress the change in the running state of the vehicle from the running state of the vehicle under normal conditions when the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle fluctuate. This makes it possible to stabilize the running state of the vehicle based on the driving assistance system.

[0008] In the vehicle according to the first aspect, the motion manager preferably estimates at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity when the vehicle is traveling through a point where the influence on the traveling of the vehicle is suppressed. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the estimation of at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity from becoming uncertain due to, for example, a change in the arrangement of cargo or the like while the vehicle is traveling through a point where the influence on the traveling is relatively large.

[0009] In this case, preferably, a route setting unit is provided for setting a travel route to the destination, and the route setting unit sets the travel route so that the point where the influence is suppressed is included in the travel route. With this configuration, it is possible to proactively travel a route that allows accurate estimation of at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity.

[0010] In the vehicle according to the first aspect, preferably, the vehicle further comprises a vehicle body having a cargo compartment in which at least one cargo is accommodated, and a first vehicle-side communication device provided in the cargo compartment, the first vehicle-side communication device being capable of communicating with a first cargo-side communication device attached to the cargo, and the motion manager estimating the arrangement of the cargo in the cargo compartment based on a communication state between the first cargo-side communication device and the first vehicle-side communication device, and estimating at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on the estimated arrangement of the cargo. With this configuration, at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity can be easily estimated by using the first cargo-side communication device and the first vehicle-side communication device.

[0011] In this case, preferably, the cargo hold contains a plurality of cargoes each having a first cargo side communication device attached thereto, and the first vehicle side communication device acquires, via the first cargo side communication device, information indicating that the first cargo side communication devices of adjacent cargoes are communicating with each other. With this configuration, it is possible to easily acquire position information of the first cargo side communication devices that do not directly communicate with the first vehicle side communication device among the adjacent first cargo side communication devices, based on the fact that the first cargo side communication devices of adjacent cargoes are communicating with each other.

[0012] In the vehicle equipped with the first vehicle-side communication device, preferably, the vehicle further includes a second vehicle-side communication device capable of communicating with a second cargo-side communication device attached to the cargo, the second vehicle-side communication device acquires information indicating the weight of the cargo to which the second cargo-side communication device is attached through the second cargo-side communication device, and the motion manager estimates at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on the estimated cargo arrangement and the acquired information indicating the cargo weight. With this configuration, at least one of the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle can be more easily estimated based on the information indicating the cargo weight acquired by the second vehicle-side communication device.

[0013] The vehicle according to the first aspect preferably includes a vehicle body having a cargo compartment in which cargo is stored, and a camera provided in the cargo compartment, the camera being capable of reading a code indicating cargo position information and cargo weight information attached to the cargo, and the motion manager estimating at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on the cargo position information acquired by the camera and the weight information acquired by the camera from the code. With this configuration, both cargo position information and cargo weight information can be acquired by the camera. As a result, an increase in the number of parts can be easily suppressed.

[0014] The vehicle according to the first aspect preferably includes a vehicle body having a cargo compartment in which cargo is stored, and a first weight sensor provided in the cargo compartment, the first weight sensor detecting the weight of the cargo stored in the cargo compartment, and the motion manager estimating at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on the weight of the cargo detected by the first weight sensor. With this configuration, the first weight sensor can obtain cargo weight information without attaching a code or the like indicating the cargo weight to the cargo. As a result, since there is no need to attach a code or the like indicating the cargo weight to the cargo, the user's work can be reduced.

[0015] The vehicle according to the first aspect preferably further comprises a seat and a second weight sensor provided on the seat, and the motion manager estimates at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on the weight detected by the second weight sensor. With this configuration, at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity can be estimated taking into account the weight applied to the seat. As a result, at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity can be estimated taking into account the weight of an occupant sitting on the seat and / or cargo placed on the seat. This allows at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity to be estimated more accurately.

[0016] In the vehicle according to the first aspect, the motion manager preferably determines whether the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is displaced from the center of the vehicle, and when it determines that the position of the center of gravity is displaced from the center, adds a correction value to the motion request for reducing the moment of inertia caused by the displacement of the center of gravity. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the running state of the vehicle from becoming unstable due to the moment of inertia caused by the displacement of the center of gravity of the vehicle.

[0017] In the vehicle according to the first aspect, the motion manager preferably determines whether the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is shifted at least in the front-rear direction from the center of the vehicle, and when it is determined that the position of the center of gravity is shifted forward or backward from the center, corrects the motion request so that the braking force applied to one of the front or rear wheels of the vehicle is increased compared to when the position of the center of gravity is located in the center. Here, when the center of gravity of the vehicle is located in the front or the other of the vehicle, the other of the front and rear wheels of the vehicle is likely to lock. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the abnormal running state of the vehicle caused by the driving force of the other of the front and rear wheels increasing in a state where one of the front and rear wheels is locked.

[0018] In the vehicle according to the first aspect, preferably, the vehicle further comprises an angular acceleration sensor for detecting an angular acceleration of the vehicle, and the motion manager corrects the motion request based on the angular acceleration detected by the angular acceleration sensor. With this configuration, the motion request can be more appropriately corrected based on the angular acceleration detected by the angular acceleration sensor.

[0019] A motion manager according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes an arbitration unit that arbitrates multiple action plans for vehicle driving assistance set by the vehicle's driving assistance system, a calculation unit that calculates a motion request based on the arbitration result by the arbitration unit, and a distribution unit that distributes the motion request to the vehicle's actuator system, and estimates at least one of the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle, and corrects the motion request based on the estimated total weight and / or the position of the center of gravity so as to reduce the impact of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity on the vehicle's driving.

[0020] The motion manager according to the second aspect estimates at least one of the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle as described above, and corrects the motion request based on at least one of the estimated total weight and the position of the center of gravity to reduce the influence of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity on the running of the vehicle. This makes it possible to suppress the influence on the running of the vehicle caused by correcting the motion request when at least one of the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle fluctuates. As a result, it is possible to suppress the change in the running state of the vehicle from the running state of the vehicle under normal conditions when the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle fluctuate. This makes it possible to provide a motion manager capable of stabilizing the running state of the vehicle based on the driving assistance system.

[0021] A motion demand correction method according to a third aspect of the present disclosure includes an arbitration step of arbitrating a plurality of action plans related to vehicle driving assistance set by a vehicle driving assistance system, a calculation step of calculating a motion demand to be distributed to an actuator system of the vehicle based on a result of the arbitration step, an estimation step of estimating at least one of a total weight of the vehicle and a position of a center of gravity of the vehicle, a correction step of correcting the motion demand calculated in the calculation step based on at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity estimated in the estimation step so as to reduce an effect on vehicle traveling caused by the total weight and the position of the center of gravity, and a distribution step of distributing the motion demand corrected in the correction step to the actuator systems.

[0022] In the motion requirement correction method according to the third aspect, as described above, the motion requirement is corrected based on at least one of the estimated total weight and the position of the center of gravity so as to reduce the influence of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity on the running of the vehicle. This makes it possible to suppress the influence on the running of the vehicle caused by correcting the motion requirement when at least one of the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle fluctuates. As a result, it is possible to suppress the running state of the vehicle when the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle fluctuate from changing from the running state of the vehicle under normal conditions. This makes it possible to provide a motion requirement correction method capable of stabilizing the running state of the vehicle based on the driving assistance system. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to stabilize the driving state of a vehicle based on a driving assistance system. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle (vehicle body) according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the center of gravity of the vehicle is on the front side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the center of gravity of the vehicle is on the rear side. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the magnitude of wheel braking force corresponding to the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle. [Figure 6] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating wheel control when the center of gravity of the vehicle is shifted in the front-rear direction. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating wheel control when the center of gravity of the vehicle is shifted in the left-right direction. (FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating control during acceleration, and FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating control during deceleration.) [Figure 8] FIG. 13 illustrates points at which corrections to athletic demands are made. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a travel route of a vehicle. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a method for correcting a motion requirement in a vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle (vehicle body) according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a method for correcting a motion requirement in a vehicle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle (vehicle body) according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a method for correcting a motion requirement in a vehicle according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle (vehicle body) according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] 13A to 13C are diagrams for explaining correction of a motion requirement in a vehicle whose center of gravity is shifted in the front-rear direction according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] 13A to 13C are diagrams for explaining correction of a motion requirement in a vehicle whose center of gravity is shifted in the left-right direction according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a method for correcting a motion requirement in a vehicle according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference characters and their description will not be repeated.

[0026] (Vehicle configuration) 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 may be any vehicle having a configuration capable of implementing the functions of a driving assistance system 100 described below, and may be, for example, a vehicle using an engine as a drive source, an electric vehicle using an electric motor as a drive source, or a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine and an electric motor and using at least one of them as a drive source.

[0027] The vehicle 1 includes a driving assistance system 100 having a function related to driving assistance of the vehicle 1, a motion manager 200, and an actuator system 300.

[0028] The driving assistance system 100 is configured to execute implemented applications to realize various functions for assisting driving of the vehicle 1, including at least one of steering control, drive control, and braking control of the vehicle 1. The driving assistance system 100 includes a plurality of applications. The applications implemented in the driving assistance system 100 include, for example, an application that realizes the functions of an autonomous driving system (AD), an application that realizes the functions of an automatic parking system, and an application that realizes the functions of an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) (hereinafter referred to as an ADAS application).

[0029] Examples of ADAS applications include at least one of the following: an application that realizes a function of adaptive cruise control (ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) etc.) that maintains a constant distance from the vehicle ahead; an application that realizes an auto speed limiter (ASL) function that recognizes vehicle speed limits and maintains the upper limit of the vehicle's speed; an application that realizes a lane keeping assist (LKA (Lane Keeping Assist) or LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) etc.) that maintains the vehicle in the lane in which it is traveling; an application that realizes a collision mitigation braking function (AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) or PCS (Pre-Crash Safety) etc.) that automatically applies the brakes to reduce the damage of a collision; and an application that realizes a lane departure warning function (LDW (Lane Departure Warning) or LDA (Lane Departure Alert) etc.) that warns of vehicle 1 departing from its lane.

[0030] In the driving assistance system 100 shown in FIG. 1, for example, an AEB 102, an LKA 104, an ACC 106, and an automatic parking 108 are included as applications.

[0031] Each application included in the driving assistance system 100 outputs a request for an action plan that ensures the marketability (function) of the application alone to the motion manager 200 based on information on the vehicle surroundings situation acquired (input) from a plurality of sensors (not shown) and an assistance request from the driver. The plurality of sensors include, for example, a vision sensor such as a forward-facing camera, a radar, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), or a position detection device.

[0032] The forward-facing camera is disposed, for example, behind the rear-view mirror inside the vehicle cabin, and is used to capture an image in front of the vehicle. Radar is a distance measurement device that irradiates an object with short-wavelength radio waves, detects the radio waves returned from the object, and measures the distance and direction to the object. LiDAR is a distance measurement device that irradiates a pulse of laser light (light such as infrared light) and measures the distance based on the time it takes for the light to reflect off the object and return. The position detection device is, for example, composed of a Global Positioning System (GPS) that detects the position of the vehicle 1 using information received from multiple satellites orbiting the Earth.

[0033] Each application acquires information on the vehicle's surroundings that is an integration of detection results from one or more sensors as recognition sensor information, and also acquires assistance requests from the driver via a user interface (not shown) such as a switch. Each application can recognize other vehicles, obstacles, or people around the vehicle by, for example, processing images and videos of the vehicle's surroundings acquired by multiple sensors using artificial intelligence (AI) or an image processing processor.

[0034] The action plan also includes, for example, requirements regarding the longitudinal acceleration / deceleration to be generated in the vehicle 1, requirements regarding the steering angle of the vehicle 1, requirements regarding keeping the vehicle 1 stationary, and the like.

[0035] The requirements regarding the longitudinal acceleration / deceleration to be generated in the vehicle 1 include, for example, operational requirements for the powertrain system 302 and operational requirements for the brake system 304.

[0036] The request regarding holding the vehicle 1 at a stop includes, for example, a request regarding permission and prohibition of operation of at least one of an electric parking brake and a parking lock mechanism (neither of which are shown).

[0037] The electric parking brake, for example, limits the rotation of the wheels 2 (see FIG. 2) of the vehicle 1 by the operation of an actuator. The electric parking brake may be configured to limit the rotation of the wheels by, for example, using an actuator to operate a parking brake brake provided on some of the multiple wheels 2 provided on the vehicle 1. Alternatively, the electric parking brake may operate an actuator for the parking brake to adjust the hydraulic pressure supplied to a braking device of the brake system 304, thereby operating the braking device to limit the rotation of the wheels.

[0038] The parking lock mechanism restricts the rotation of the output shaft of the transmission by the operation of an actuator. For example, the parking lock mechanism engages a protrusion provided at the tip of a parking lock pole, the position of which is adjusted by an actuator, with the teeth of a gear (lock gear) that is connected to a rotating element in the transmission of the vehicle 1. This restricts the rotation of the output shaft of the transmission, and thus the rotation of the wheels 2.

[0039] In addition, the applications implemented in the driving assistance system 100 are not limited to the applications described above, and applications that realize other functions may be added, or existing applications may be omitted, and there is no particular limit to the number of applications implemented.

[0040] The motion manager 200 requests the actuator system 300 to move the vehicle 1 in accordance with an action plan set in at least one of a plurality of applications of the driving assistance system 100. A detailed configuration of the motion manager 200 will be described later.

[0041] The actuator system 300 is configured to realize a request for motion of the vehicle 1 output from the motion manager 200. The actuator system 300 includes multiple types of actuator systems. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the actuator system 300 includes, for example, a powertrain system 302, a brake system 304, and a steering system 306 as multiple types of actuator systems. Note that the number of actuator systems to which the motion manager 200 requests motion is not limited to three as described above, and may be four or more, or two or less.

[0042] The powertrain system 302 includes a powertrain actuator (not shown) capable of generating a driving force to the wheels 2 of the vehicle 1, and a powertrain ECU (Electronic Control Unit) (not shown) that controls the operation of the powertrain actuator. The powertrain actuator includes at least one of an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, a transmission including a gearbox and a differential device, a motor generator serving as a driving source, a power storage device that stores the power supplied to the motor generator, a power conversion device that converts power between the motor generator and the power storage device, a power generation source such as a fuel cell, etc. The powertrain ECU controls the corresponding devices in the powertrain system 302 so as to realize a motion request from the motion manager 200 to the corresponding devices.

[0043] The brake system 304 includes, for example, a plurality of brake devices provided on each wheel of the vehicle 1. The brake devices include, for example, hydraulic brakes such as disk brakes that generate braking force using hydraulic pressure. The brake devices may further include, for example, a motor generator that is connected to the wheels and generates regenerative torque. The braking operation of the vehicle 1 using the plurality of brake devices is controlled by a brake ECU (not shown). The brake ECU includes, for example, a control unit (not shown) for controlling the brake system 304, separate from the motion manager 200.

[0044] Steering system 306 includes, for example, a steering device capable of changing the steering angle of steered wheels (for example, front wheels) of vehicle 1, and an ECU (neither shown) that controls the operation of the steering device. The steering device includes, for example, a steering wheel that changes the steering angle according to the amount of operation, and an electric power steering (EPS: Electric Power Steering) that can adjust the steering angle by an actuator separately from the operation of the steering wheel. The ECU that controls the operation of the steering device controls the operation of the actuator of the EPS.

[0045] In the vehicle 1 having the above-described configuration, the driving assistance system 100, for example, transmits a request for an action plan set in at least one of a plurality of applications as a request signal PLN1 from the driving assistance system 100 to the exercise manager 200.

[0046] The request signal PLN1 includes, for example, information about a target (required) acceleration set as one of the action plans in AEB102, ACC106 or automatic parking 108, and information about a target (required) curvature set as one of the action plans in LKA104.

[0047] The motion manager 200 sets a motion required for the vehicle 1 based on the request of the action plan included in the received request signal PLN1, and requests the actuator system 300 to realize the set motion. That is, the motion manager 200 transmits a request for an operation of the powertrain system 302 to the actuator system 300 as a request signal ACL1. The motion manager 200 transmits a request for an operation of the brake system 304 to the actuator system 300 as a request signal BRK1. Furthermore, the motion manager 200 transmits a request for an operation of the steering system 306 to the actuator system 300 as a request signal STR1.

[0048] The request signal ACL1 includes, for example, information on the requested value of the driving torque or driving force, information on the requested shift range, information on the arbitration method (for example, whether to select the maximum or minimum value, to change in steps, to change gradually, etc.) The shift range includes, for example, a forward driving range (hereinafter, referred to as "D range" or simply "D") and a reverse driving range (hereinafter, referred to as "R range" or simply "R").

[0049] The request signal BRK1 includes, for example, information regarding the requested value of the braking torque, information regarding the method of arbitration (for example, whether to change in a stepwise manner or gradually, etc.), and information regarding the timing of braking (whether to perform braking immediately or not, etc.).

[0050] The request signal STR1 includes, for example, a target (requested) steering angle, information on whether the target steering angle is valid, and information on upper and lower limit torques of the assist torque for steering wheel operation.

[0051] In the actuator system that receives the corresponding request signal among the multiple types of actuator systems that make up the actuator system 300, the actuator system is controlled so as to realize the operation request contained in the request signal.

[0052] The following describes an example of the configuration of the exercise manager 200. As shown in FIG. 1, the exercise manager 200 includes a reception unit 202, an arbitration unit 204, a calculation unit 206, a distribution unit 208, an estimation unit 210, a correction unit 212, and a route setting unit 214.

[0053] The receiving unit 202 receives a request for an action plan output by one or more applications of the driving assistance system 100.

[0054] The arbitration unit 204 arbitrates requests for a plurality of action plans received from each application via the reception unit 202. An example of the arbitration process is to select one action plan from the plurality of action plans based on a predetermined selection criterion. Another example of the arbitration process is to set a new action plan based on the plurality of action plans. The arbitration unit 204 may arbitrate requests for a plurality of action plans by further adding predetermined information received from the actuator system 300. Furthermore, the arbitration unit 204 may determine whether or not to temporarily prioritize the motion of the vehicle 1 required according to the driver state (for example, the operation state of the operation device 400) and the vehicle state over the motion of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the action plan determined based on the arbitration result.

[0055] The calculation unit 206 calculates a motion request based on the result of arbitration of the requirements of the action plan in the arbitration unit 204 and the motion of the vehicle 1 determined based on the arbitration result. This motion request is a physical quantity for controlling at least one of the actuator systems of the actuator system 300, and includes a physical quantity different from the physical quantity of the requirement of the action plan. For example, when the requirement of the action plan (first requirement) is longitudinal acceleration, the calculation unit 206 calculates a value obtained by converting the acceleration into a driving force or a driving torque as the motion request (second requirement).

[0056] The distributor 208 distributes (transmits) the motion request calculated by the calculator 206 to at least one actuator system of the actuator system 300. For example, when acceleration of the vehicle 1 is required, the distributor 208 distributes the motion request only to the powertrain system 302. Alternatively, when deceleration of the vehicle 1 is required, the distributor 208 appropriately distributes the motion request to the powertrain system 302 and the brake system 304 to achieve a target deceleration. The distributor 208 corresponds to a “transmitter” that transmits the motion request to the actuator system 300.

[0057] The powertrain system 302 of the actuator system 300 transmits information on the state of the powertrain system 302 as a signal ACL2 to the motion manager 200. The information on the state of the powertrain system 302 includes, for example, information on the operation of the accelerator pedal, information on the actual driving torque or actual driving force of the powertrain system 302, actual shift range information, information on the upper and lower limits of the driving torque, information on the upper and lower limits of the driving force, information on the reliability of the powertrain system 302, and the like.

[0058] The brake system 304 of the actuator system 300 transmits information about the state of the brake system 304 as a signal BRK2 to the motion manager 200. The information about the state of the brake system 304 includes, for example, information about the operation of the brake pedal, information about the braking torque requested by the driver, information about the requested value of the braking torque after arbitration, information about the actual braking torque after arbitration, information about the reliability of the brake system 304, and the like.

[0059] The steering system 306 of the actuator system 300 transmits information about the state of the steering system 306 as a signal STR2 to the motion manager 200. The information about the state of the steering system 306 includes, for example, information about the reliability of the steering system 306, information about whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel, information about the torque for operating the steering wheel, information about the rotation angle of the steering wheel, etc.

[0060] Additionally, the actuator system 300 includes a sensor group 308 in addition to the powertrain system 302, braking system 304, and steering system 306 described above.

[0061] The sensor group 308 includes a plurality of sensors that detect the behavior of the vehicle 1. The sensor group 308 includes, for example, a longitudinal G sensor 308a (see FIG. 2) that detects the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle 1, a lateral G sensor 308b (see FIG. 2) that detects the lateral acceleration of the vehicle 1, a wheel speed sensor 308c (see FIG. 2) that is provided on each wheel and detects the wheel speed, and a yaw rate sensor 308d (see FIG. 2) that detects the angular velocity of the rotation angle (yaw angle) in the yaw direction. For simplification, only one wheel speed sensor 308c is shown in the figure, but in reality, a wheel speed sensor 308c is provided for each of the plurality of wheels 2. The sensor group 308 transmits information including the detection results of the plurality of sensors to the motion manager 200 as a signal VSS2. That is, the signal VSS2 includes, for example, a detection value of the longitudinal G sensor 308a, a detection value of the lateral G sensor 308b, a detection value of the wheel speed sensor 308c of each wheel 2, a detection value of the yaw rate sensor 308d, and information on the reliability of each sensor. The yaw rate sensor 308d is an example of the "angular acceleration sensor" in the present disclosure.

[0062] The operation device 400 includes operation members operated by a user who is a driver, such as a shift lever for changing a shift range and a brake pedal. The position of the shift lever is detected, for example, by a detection device that detects the position of the shift lever. Also, the position of the brake pedal is detected by a detection device that detects the amount of depression of the brake pedal. The sensor group 308 further includes various detection devices as described above.

[0063] When the motion manager 200 receives various signals from the actuator system 300, it transmits predetermined information as a signal PLN2 to the driving assistance system 100. The predetermined information includes a fail class indicating the operating status of the various actuator systems, including the presence or absence of an abnormality.

[0064] 2, the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body 10, a communication device 11, a communication device 12, a seat 13, a seat weight sensor 14, and a steering wheel 15. The communication devices 11 and 12 are examples of a "first vehicle-side communication device" and a "second vehicle-side communication device" in the present disclosure, respectively. The seat weight sensor 14 is an example of a "second weight sensor" in the present disclosure.

[0065] The vehicle body 10 is formed with a cargo room 10a for accommodating at least one cargo item 20. In this embodiment, the cargo room 10a accommodates a plurality of (two in FIG. 2) cargo items 20. The cargo room 10a is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body 10 (the Y2 side in FIG. 2).

[0066] Each of the multiple cargoes 20 is attached with a communication device 21 and a communication device 22. The communication device 21 and the communication device 22 are examples of a "first cargo side communication device" and a "second cargo side communication device" of the present disclosure, respectively.

[0067] The communication device 11 of the vehicle 1 is provided in the cargo room 10a. Specifically, a plurality of communication devices 11 are arranged in the front-rear direction (Y direction in FIG. 2) on each of the left side (X1 side in FIG. 2) and right side (X2 side in FIG. 2) of the space in the cargo room 10a where the cargo 20 is placed. The communication devices 11 are capable of communicating with the communication devices 21 attached to the cargo 20. Different communication devices 21 are capable of communicating with each other.

[0068] Here, in the first embodiment, the communication device 11 of the vehicle 1 acquires information indicating that the communication devices 21 of the adjacent cargoes 20 are communicating with each other through the communication device 21. Specifically, the communication device 11 acquires the above information from the communication device 21 attached to the cargo 20 closer to the communication device 11 among the communication devices 21 of the adjacent cargoes 20. Note that the communication device 11 may acquire the above information from both of the adjacent communication devices 21, or may acquire the above information from the communication device 21 farther from the communication device 11 among the adjacent communication devices 21.

[0069] In addition, the communication device 21 of the cargo 20 transmits the ID information of the communication device 22 attached to the same cargo 20 to the communication device 11 of the vehicle 1.

[0070] The communication device 12 of the vehicle 1 is capable of communicating with the communication device 22 attached to the cargo 20. The communication distance of the communication device 12 is longer than the communication distance of the communication device 11. The communication device 12 is disposed, for example, in the front of the vehicle body 10. However, the position of the communication device 12 is not limited thereto.

[0071] The communication device 12 of the vehicle 1 acquires information indicating the weight of the cargo 20 to which the communication device 22 is attached, through the communication device 22. At this time, the communication device 22 transmits its own ID information to the communication device 12 together with the information indicating the weight of the attached cargo 20. The communication device 22 may transmit to the communication device 12 ID information of cargo 20 adjacent to the attached cargo 20, ID information of the wall of the adjacent cargo room 10a, etc.

[0072] The seats 13 include a driver's seat 13a, a passenger seat 13b, and a rear seat 13c. The seat weight sensor 14 is provided on the seat 13. Specifically, the seat weight sensor 14 is provided on each of the driver's seat 13a, the passenger seat 13b, and the rear seat 13c. The seat weight sensor 14 detects the weight of an occupant sitting on each seat 13 or cargo placed thereon. Note that a plurality of seat weight sensors 14 may be provided on the rear seat 13c.

[0073] The steering wheel 15 is configured to be operable by a passenger. When the steering wheel 15 is operated by the passenger, the traveling direction (steering angle, etc.) of the vehicle 1 is controlled.

[0074] The above-described configurations of the devices mounted on the vehicle 1 and the motion manager 200 are merely examples, and may be added, replaced, modified, or omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the functions of each device may be integrated into one device or distributed among multiple devices as appropriate.

[0075] In the vehicle 1 having the above configuration, the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 may vary depending on the respective arrangements and weights of the cargo and passengers loaded on the vehicle 1. In a conventional vehicle, when the total weight of the vehicle and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle vary, it is considered that the running state of the vehicle based on the motion request changes from the normal state (when the total weight and center of gravity are as expected) (the running state becomes unstable). Therefore, there is a demand for a vehicle 1 that can stabilize the running state of the vehicle 1 based on the driving assistance system 100.

[0076] Therefore, in the first embodiment, the motion manager 200 estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G (see FIG. 3) of the vehicle 1, and corrects the motion request to the actuator system 300 (see FIG. 1) based on the estimated total weight and the position of the center of gravity G so as to reduce the influence of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity G on the running of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so as to reduce the influence on the running state of the vehicle 1 caused by the difference between the estimated total weight and the position of the center of gravity G and the total weight and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 under normal circumstances (when the total weight and the center of gravity G are as expected).

[0077] The motion manager 200 (estimation unit 210) determines whether or not the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 is displaced from the center C of the vehicle (see FIG. 3). Specifically, the motion manager 200 (estimation unit 210) determines whether or not the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 is displaced from the center C of the vehicle in each of the front-rear direction (Y direction) and the left-right direction (X direction).

[0078] In the first embodiment, when the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) determines that the position of the center of gravity G is shifted forward (toward Y1) or backward (toward Y2) from the center C, it corrects the motion requirement so that the braking force applied to one of the wheels 2 at the front or rear of the vehicle 1 is increased compared to when the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C.

[0079] In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, when it is determined that the position of the center of gravity G is shifted forward (toward Y1) from the center C, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the braking force applied to the front wheel 2a is increased compared to when the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, when the position of the center of gravity G is shifted backward (toward Y2) from the center C, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the braking force applied to the rear wheel 2b is increased compared to when the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C. In this case, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request to the brake system 304 (see FIG. 1).

[0080] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, when the exercise manager 200 (correction unit 212) determines that the position of the center of gravity G is shifted forward from the center C, the exercise requirement is corrected so that the ratio of the braking force of the front wheels 2a to the braking force of the rear wheels 2b is greater than when the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C.

[0081] In addition, when the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) determines that the position of the center of gravity G is shifted rearward from the center C, the motion requirement is corrected so that the ratio of the braking force of the rear wheels 2b to the braking force of the front wheels 2a is greater than when the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C.

[0082] In addition, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) may correct the driving force of the wheel 2 by correcting the motion demand to the powertrain system 302 (see Figure 1) instead of correcting the braking force of the wheel 2, or may correct both the braking force and driving force of the wheel 2.

[0083] In the first embodiment, when it is determined that the position of the center of gravity G is shifted from the center C, the exercise manager 200 (correction unit 212) adds a correction value to the exercise request to reduce the moment of inertia caused by the position shift of the center of gravity G. A specific description will be given with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.

[0084] FIG. 6 shows an example of the correction of the motion request when the vehicle 1 runs while turning to the right. When the position of the center of gravity G is shifted forward from the center C, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the driving force of the left wheels 2 (2a, 2b) is increased and the braking force is decreased, compared to the case where the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C (see "normal time" in FIG. 6). Furthermore, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the driving force of the right wheels 2 (2a, 2b) is decreased and the braking force is increased, compared to the case where the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C. At this time, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request to the powertrain system 302 and the brake system 304. Note that only one of the braking force and the driving force of the wheels 2 may be corrected.

[0085] Furthermore, when the position of the center of gravity G is shifted forward from the center C, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the front wheels 2a turn further to the right and the rear wheels 2b turn further to the left, compared to when the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C. At this time, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request to the steering system 306 (see FIG. 1). Note that only one of the front wheels 2a and the rear wheels 2b may be corrected.

[0086] As a result, it is possible to prevent understeer (the phenomenon in which the vehicle bulges outward) caused by the moment of inertia resulting from the position of the center of gravity G being shifted forward relative to the center C.

[0087] In addition, when the position of the center of gravity G is shifted backward from the center C, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the driving force of the left wheels 2 (2a, 2b) is decreased and the braking force is increased, compared to when the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C. Furthermore, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the driving force of the right wheels 2 (2a, 2b) is increased and the braking force is decreased, compared to when the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C. At this time, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request to the powertrain system 302 and the brake system 304. Note that only one of the braking force and the driving force of the wheels 2 may be corrected.

[0088] Furthermore, when the position of the center of gravity G is shifted backward from the center C, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the front wheels 2a turn further to the left and the rear wheels 2b turn further to the right, compared to when the position of the center of gravity G is located at the center C. At this time, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request to the steering system 306. Note that only one of the front wheels 2a and the rear wheels 2b may be corrected.

[0089] As a result, it is possible to prevent oversteer (the phenomenon in which the vehicle cuts inward) caused by the moment of inertia resulting from the position of the center of gravity G being shifted forward relative to the center C.

[0090] When the vehicle 1 is traveling while turning left, the opposite control to that described above is simply performed, and therefore detailed description will not be repeated.

[0091] Also, as shown in FIG. 7(A), when the vehicle 1 is traveling while accelerating and the position of the center of gravity G is shifted to the right side with respect to the center C, a moment of inertia along the clockwise direction is generated. In this case, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the driving force of the right wheels 2 (2a, 2b) is increased and the braking force is decreased. Also, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the driving force of the left wheels 2 (2a, 2b) is decreased and the braking force is increased. At this time, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request to the powertrain system 302 and the brake system 304.

[0092] As a result, the moment of inertia is reduced (cancelled). Note that only one of the driving force and the braking force of the wheel 2 may be corrected. Note that when the center of gravity G is shifted to the left, the opposite control to the above is simply performed, and therefore detailed description will not be repeated.

[0093] Also, as shown in FIG. 7(B), when the vehicle 1 is traveling while decelerating and the position of the center of gravity G is shifted to the right side with respect to the center C, a moment of inertia along the counterclockwise direction is generated. In this case, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the driving force of the right wheels 2 (2a, 2b) is decreased and the braking force is increased. Also, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so that the driving force of the left wheels 2 (2a, 2b) is increased and the braking force is decreased. At this time, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request to the powertrain system 302 and the brake system 304.

[0094] As a result, the moment of inertia is reduced (cancelled). Note that only one of the driving force and the braking force of the wheel 2 may be corrected. Note that when the center of gravity G is shifted to the left, the opposite control to the above is simply performed, and therefore detailed description will not be repeated.

[0095] The moment of inertia also changes with a change in the total weight of the vehicle 1. Therefore, in the control shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion request so as to reduce (cancel) the moment of inertia based on the amount of deviation of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 from the center C and the amount of change in the total weight of the vehicle 1. The moment of inertia may be calculated by the motion manager 200.

[0096] The exercise manager 200 (estimation unit 210) may determine whether the total weight of the vehicle 1 has changed from the normal state (when the total weight is as expected). The exercise manager 200 (correction unit 212) may correct the exercise request when it is determined that the total weight of the vehicle 1 has changed from the normal state.

[0097] In the first embodiment, the motion manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the arrangement of the cargo 20 in the cargo hold 10a based on the communication state between the communication device 21 (see FIG. 2) of the cargo 20 and the communication device 11 (see FIG. 2) of the vehicle 1. Then, the motion manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 based on the estimated arrangement of the cargo 20.

[0098] Specifically, the exercise manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the location of the cargo 20 based on information from the communication device 21 of the cargo 20 that communicates with the communication device 11 of the vehicle 1 (for example, position information of the communication device 21 relative to the communication device 11).

[0099] Further, the exercise manager 200 (estimation unit 210) acquires position information of one of the communicating communicators 21 (one closer to the communicator 11) relative to the other of the communicating communicators 21 based on communication between the communicating communicators 21. As a result, the communicator 11 acquires position information of the other of the communicating communicators 21 from the one of the communicating communicators 21 even if the communicator 11 does not directly communicate with the other of the communicating communicators 21.

[0100] Furthermore, the motion manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 based on the estimated location of the cargo 20 and information indicating the weight of the cargo 20 acquired by the communication device 12 of the vehicle 1. Here, as described above, each of the communication devices 11 and 12 of the vehicle 1 acquires ID information of the communication device 22 attached to each cargo 20. Therefore, the motion manager 200 can link the location information of the cargo 20 acquired by the communication device 11 with the weight information of the cargo 20 acquired by the communication device 12 based on the ID information.

[0101] In the first embodiment, the exercise manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 based on the weight detected by the seat weight sensor 14. Specifically, the exercise manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 based on the above information corresponding to each of the driver's seat 13a, the passenger seat 13b, and the rear seat 13c.

[0102] Therefore, the motion manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 based on the arrangement and weight of the cargo 20 stored in the cargo compartment 10a and the weight detected by the seat weight sensor 14.

[0103] In the first embodiment, the exercise manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a point 500 (see FIG. 8) where the influence on the traveling of the vehicle 1 is suppressed. Here, the point 500 where the influence on the traveling of the vehicle 1 is suppressed means a flat point (traveling path) without unevenness or incline, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0104] Here, the route setting unit 214 (see FIG. 1) sets a driving route (see the dashed line in FIG. 9) to the destination 502. In the first embodiment, the route setting unit 214 sets the driving route so that the point 500 is included in the driving route. For example, the route setting unit 214 may set a driving route that has the shortest distance to the destination 502 among the driving routes that include the point 500. The route setting unit 214 may also set the driving route based on the number of points 500 in the driving route. The driving route set by the route setting unit 214 may be configured to be displayed by a car navigation system (not shown) or the like.

[0105] (Explanation of exercise demand correction method) Next, a method for correcting exercise requests by exercise manager 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0106] First, in step S1, the exercise manager 200 (the arbitration unit 204) arbitrates a plurality of action plans set by the driving assistance system 100.

[0107] Next, in step S2, the motion manager 200 (calculation unit 206) calculates a motion request to be distributed to the actuator system 300 of the vehicle 1 based on the arbitration result in step S1.

[0108] Next, in step S3, the motion manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the motion manager 200 (estimation unit 210) acquires weight information of the cargo 20 (see FIG. 2) and position information of the cargo 20 based on the communication between the communication device 11 of the vehicle 1 and the communication device 21 of the cargo 20, and the communication between the communication device 12 of the vehicle 1 and the communication device 22 of the cargo 20. Then, the motion manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 based on the acquired weight information of the cargo 20 and the position information of the cargo 20. In detail, the motion manager 200 (estimation unit 210) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 based on the weight information of the cargo 20 and the position information of the cargo 20, and the weight information (and position information) of the occupant (cargo) detected by the seat weight sensor 14.

[0109] The control in step S3 may be performed, for example, before step S1 or S2.

[0110] Next, in step S4, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion requirement based on the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 estimated in step S3. Specifically, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) performs correction to reduce the moment of inertia caused by the change in the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position shift of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1. In particular, the motion manager 200 (correction unit 212) corrects the motion requirement so that the braking force, driving force, angle, etc. of the wheels 2 are adjusted.

[0111] Then, in step S5, the motion manager 200 (distribution unit 208) distributes the motion request corrected in step S4 to the actuator systems 300 of the vehicle 1 (the powertrain system 302, the brake system 304, and the steering system 306).

[0112] As described above, according to the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, the motion manager 200 estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1, and corrects the motion request based on the estimated total weight and the position of the center of gravity G. This allows the motion manager 200 to correct the motion request by taking into account the fluctuations in the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1. As a result, it is possible to suppress the vehicle's running state from becoming abnormal due to the fluctuations in the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1.

[0113] In addition, the motion manager 200 estimates the arrangement of the cargo 20 in the cargo hold 10a based on the communication state between the communication device 11 of the vehicle 1 and the communication device 21 of the cargo 20, and estimates the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 based on the estimated arrangement of the cargo 20. Here, the communication device 11 is a relatively small device. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 1 from becoming large due to the inclusion of the communication device 11 in the vehicle 1. [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. In the second embodiment, unlike the above-described first embodiment in which the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 are estimated based on information from the communication devices (11, 12, 21, 22), the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 are estimated using a camera 10b provided in the cargo compartment 10a. Configurations similar to those in the above-described first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and similar descriptions will not be repeated.

[0114] (Vehicle configuration) 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle 31. The vehicle 31 includes an exercise manager 600. The exercise manager 600 includes an estimation unit 610 and a correction unit 612.

[0115] The vehicle 31 includes a camera 10b provided in the cargo room 10a. The camera 10b is provided so as to capture an image of the cargo room 10a from the front side (Y1 side) of the cargo room 10a. The image captured by the camera 10b is transmitted to the motion manager 600. Note that, although an example in which only one camera 10b is provided is illustrated in FIG. 11, multiple cameras 10b may be provided in the cargo room 10a.

[0116] The camera 10b is configured to be able to read position information of the cargo 20 accommodated in the cargo hold 10a. The motion manager 600 acquires position information of the cargo 20 (coordinate information in the cargo hold 10a) based on an image captured by the camera 10b. The camera 10b itself may acquire position information of the cargo 20 (coordinate information in the cargo hold 10a) and transmit the acquired position information (coordinate information) of the cargo 20 to the motion manager 600.

[0117] A code indicating weight information of the cargo 20 is attached to the cargo 20 stored in the cargo hold 10a. Specifically, a sticker 23 on which the code is written is attached to the cargo 20. The camera 10b is capable of reading the code.

[0118] Here, in the second embodiment, the motion manager 600 (estimation unit 610) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 31 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 31 based on the position information of the cargo 20 acquired by the camera 10b and the weight information of the cargo 20 acquired by the camera 10b from the code written on the sticker 23. That is, the motion manager 600 (estimation unit 610) estimates the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 31 (and the total weight of the vehicle 31) by linking the position information (coordinate information) of where the cargo 20 is placed in the cargo hold 10a and the weight information of the cargo 20 with each other.

[0119] (Explanation of exercise demand correction method) Next, a method for correcting an exercise request by the exercise manager 600 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. In the second embodiment, steps S3 and S4 in the first embodiment are replaced with the following steps S13 and S14, respectively, and the other steps are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0120] In step S13, the motion manager 600 (estimation unit 610) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 31 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 31. Specifically, the motion manager 600 (estimation unit 610) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 31 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 31 based on the weight information of the cargo 20 and the position information of the cargo 20 acquired using the camera 10b (see FIG. 11). In detail, the motion manager 600 (estimation unit 610) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 31 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 31 based on the weight information of the cargo 20 and the position information of the cargo 20, and the weight information (and position information) of the occupant (cargo) detected by the seat weight sensor 14.

[0121] It should be noted that the estimation step in step S13 may be performed, for example, before step S1 or S2.

[0122] Next, in step S14, the exercise manager 600 (correction unit 612) corrects the exercise request based on the total weight of the vehicle 31 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 31 estimated in step S13.

[0123] As described above, according to the vehicle 31 according to the second embodiment, the motion manager 600 estimates the total weight of the vehicle 31 and the center of gravity G of the vehicle 31 based on the position information of the cargo 20 acquired by the camera 10b and the weight information of the cargo 20 acquired by the camera 10b from the code. This makes it possible to easily obtain accurate position information of the cargo 20 based on the actual image of the cargo hold 10a acquired by the camera 10b.

[0124] The other configurations and effects of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. In the third embodiment, unlike the above-described first embodiment in which the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 are estimated based on information from the communication devices (11, 12, 21, 22), the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 are estimated using a cargo weight sensor 10c provided in the cargo compartment 10a. The same reference numerals are used for configurations similar to those in the above-described first embodiment, and similar descriptions will not be repeated.

[0125] (Vehicle configuration) 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle 41. The vehicle 41 includes an exercise manager 700. The exercise manager 700 includes an estimation unit 710 and a correction unit 712.

[0126] The vehicle 41 includes a cargo weight sensor 10c provided in the cargo hold 10a. The cargo weight sensor 10c is provided on the bottom surface of the cargo hold 10a so that cargo 20 is placed thereon. The cargo weight sensor 10c detects the weight of the cargo 20 accommodated in the cargo hold 10a. Weight information of the cargo 20 detected by the cargo weight sensor 10c is transmitted to the motion manager 700. The cargo weight sensor 10c is an example of a "first weight sensor" in the present disclosure.

[0127] Further, a plurality of cargo weight sensors 10c are provided in the cargo hold 10a. The plurality of cargo weight sensors 10c are provided, for example, in a matrix when viewed from above. The motion manager 700 acquires position information of the cargo 20 based on the position of the cargo weight sensor 10c that acquired the weight information of the cargo 20. In this way, the motion manager 700 acquires position information of the cargo 20 (coordinate information in the cargo hold 10a) along with the weight information of the cargo 20. Note that the number of cargo weight sensors 10c is not limited to the above. For example, the number of cargo weight sensors 10c may be one.

[0128] Here, in the third embodiment, the motion manager 700 (estimation unit 710) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 41 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 41 based on the weight information of the cargo 20 detected by the cargo weight sensor 10c. Specifically, the motion manager 700 (estimation unit 710) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 41 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 41 based on the weight information of the cargo 20 detected by the cargo weight sensor 10c and the position information of the cargo 20 (coordinate information in the cargo hold 10a).

[0129] (Explanation of exercise demand correction method) Next, a method for correcting an exercise request by the exercise manager 700 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. In the second embodiment, steps S3 and S4 in the first embodiment are replaced with the following steps S23 and S24, respectively, and the other steps are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0130] In step S23, the motion manager 700 (estimation unit 710) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 41 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 41. Specifically, the motion manager 700 (estimation unit 710) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 41 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 41 based on the weight information of the cargo 20 and the position information of the cargo 20 acquired using the cargo weight sensor 10c (see FIG. 13). In detail, the motion manager 700 (estimation unit 710) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 41 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 41 based on the weight information of the cargo 20 and the position information of the cargo 20, and the weight information (and position information) of the occupant (cargo) detected by the seat weight sensor 14.

[0131] It should be noted that the estimation step in step S23 may be performed, for example, before step S1 or S2.

[0132] Next, in step S24, the exercise manager 700 (correction unit 712) corrects the exercise request based on the total weight of the vehicle 41 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 41 estimated in step S23.

[0133] As described above, according to the vehicle 41 according to the third embodiment, the motion manager 700 estimates the total weight of the vehicle 41 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 41 based on the weight of the cargo 20 detected by the cargo weight sensor 10c. This allows the motion manager 700 to obtain accurate weight information of the cargo 20 from the cargo weight sensor 10c. As a result, the motion manager 700 can accurately estimate the total weight of the vehicle 41 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 41.

[0134] The other configurations in the third embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. [Fourth embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 15 to Fig. 17. In the fourth embodiment, unlike the above-described first embodiment in which the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 are estimated based on information from the communication devices (11, 12, 21, 22), the total weight of the vehicle 1 and the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 are estimated based on the angular acceleration of the vehicle 51. The same reference numerals are used for the same configurations as those in the above-described first embodiment, and the same description will not be repeated.

[0135] (Vehicle configuration) 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle 51. The vehicle 51 includes an exercise manager 800. The exercise manager 800 includes an estimation unit 810 and a correction unit 812.

[0136] In the fourth embodiment, the motion manager 800 (estimation unit 810) estimates the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 based on the angular acceleration of the vehicle 51 detected by the yaw rate sensor 308d. Therefore, the motion manager 800 (correction unit 812) corrects the motion request based on the angular acceleration of the vehicle 51 detected by the yaw rate sensor 308d. A method of estimating the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 based on the angular acceleration of the vehicle 51 will be described below.

[0137] 16 is a diagram showing a case where the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 is shifted a predetermined distance (Rc) backward (toward Y2) from the center C of the vehicle 51. Here, when the vehicle 51 with the center of gravity G shifted from the center C travels under driving conditions (speed, steering angle, driving force, etc.) under which the vehicle 51 makes a steady circular turn when the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 is located at the center C of the vehicle 51, angular acceleration occurs in the yaw direction of the vehicle 51. Note that the driving conditions under which the vehicle 51 makes a steady circular turn are measured in advance at the time of design or vehicle evaluation, and are stored in a storage device (not shown) of the vehicle 51.

[0138] Here, the angular acceleration in the yaw direction of the vehicle 51 is α. The moment of inertia in the yaw direction of the vehicle 51 is I. The total weight of the vehicle 51 is M. The speed of the vehicle 51 is ν. The turning radius of the vehicle 51 is Rt. The torque due to the sum of the lateral forces of the front wheels 2a (Ff in FIG. 16) is Tf. The torque due to the sum of the lateral forces of the rear wheels 2b (Fr in FIG. 16) is Tr. The torque due to the centrifugal force (Fc in FIG. 16) is Tc. The distance in the Y direction between the center between the front wheels 2a and the center C of the vehicle 51 is Rf. The distance in the Y direction between the center between the rear wheels 2b and the center C of the vehicle 51 is Rr.

[0139] The relationship between the moment of inertia of the vehicle 51 in the yaw direction and the total weight of the vehicle 51 is expressed by the following formula (1).

[0140]

number

[0141] Moreover, the torque (t) in the yaw direction of the vehicle 51 is expressed by the following equations (2) and (3).

[0142]

number

[0143] In addition, each torque (Tf, Tr, Tc) is the product of the lateral force (centrifugal force) applied to the wheel 2 and the distance to the center C, so the following equation (4) holds.

[0144]

number

[0145] Therefore, the relationship between the moment of inertia of the vehicle 51 in the yaw direction and the torque of the vehicle 51 in the yaw direction is expressed by the following equation (5).

[0146]

number

[0147] Based on the above formula (1) and formula (5), the following formula (6) holds, which expresses the relationship between the distance (Rc) between the center of gravity G and the center C and the angular acceleration (α).

[0148]

number

[0149] Moreover, the following formula (7) expressing the relationship between the centrifugal force (Fc) acting on the vehicle 51 and the weight (M), speed (ν), and turning radius (Rt) of the vehicle 51 holds.

[0150]

number

[0151] Here, under normal driving conditions in which the vehicle makes a steady circular turn with the center of gravity G positioned at the center C, the torque (Tf) due to the front wheels 2a and the torque (Tr) due to the rear wheels 2b cancel each other out. As a result, the following equation (8) is established based on the above equations (6) and (7).

[0152]

number

[0153] Based on the above formula (8), the following formula (9) holds true, which expresses the relationship between the distance (Rc) between the center of gravity G and the center C and the angular acceleration (α).

[0154]

number

[0155] That is, the distance (Rc) between the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 and the center C of the vehicle 51 is a value based on the speed (ν) of the vehicle 51 and the angular acceleration (α) in the yaw direction of the vehicle 51. Therefore, the motion manager 800 (estimation unit 810) estimates the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 based on the angular acceleration of the vehicle 51 detected by the yaw rate sensor 308d and the speed of the vehicle 51 detected by a speed sensor (not shown).

[0156] 17 is a diagram showing a case where the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 is shifted a predetermined distance (Rc) to the right with respect to the center C of the vehicle 51. Here, the acceleration of the vehicle 51 in the front-rear direction is denoted as Ax. Also, the force of the vehicle 51 in the front-rear direction (the total value of the braking force and the driving force) is denoted as F.

[0157] The relationship between the moment of inertia of the vehicle 51 in the yaw direction and the total weight of the vehicle 51 is expressed by the following formula (10).

[0158]

number

[0159] Moreover, the relationship between the moment (torque) in the yaw direction of the vehicle 51 and the force in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 51 is expressed by the following formula (11).

[0160]

number

[0161] Moreover, the relationship between the moment (torque) in the yaw direction of the vehicle 51 and the moment of inertia in the yaw direction of the vehicle 51 is expressed by the following formula (12).

[0162]

number

[0163] Based on the above formulas (10) to (12), the following formula (13) holds, which expresses the relationship between the distance (Rc) between the center of gravity G and the center C and the angular acceleration.

[0164]

number

[0165] That is, the distance (Rc) between the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 and the center C of the vehicle 51 is a value based on the angular acceleration (α) in the yaw direction of the vehicle 51. Furthermore, since the force (F) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 51 is expressed by the product (F=M×Ax) of the total weight (M) of the vehicle 51 and the acceleration (Ax) of the vehicle 51, the distance (Rc) is a value based on the angular acceleration (α) in the yaw direction of the vehicle 51 and the acceleration (Ax) of the vehicle 51. Therefore, the motion manager 800 (estimation unit 810) estimates the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 based on the angular acceleration of the vehicle 51 detected by the yaw rate sensor 308d and the acceleration in the longitudinal direction detected by the longitudinal G sensor 308a.

[0166] As described above, in the vehicle 51 according to the fourth embodiment, the motion manager 800 corrects the motion request based on the angular acceleration detected by the yaw rate sensor 308d. Here, the yaw rate sensor 308d is a sensor that is generally provided in a vehicle. Therefore, since the motion request can be corrected without installing a special device in the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the configuration of the vehicle 51 from becoming complicated and to prevent the number of parts of the vehicle 1 from increasing.

[0167] (Explanation of exercise demand correction method) Next, a method for correcting an exercise request by the exercise manager 800 will be described with reference to Fig. 18. In the fourth embodiment, steps S3 and S4 in the first embodiment are replaced with the following steps S33 and S34, respectively, and the other steps are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0168] In step S33, the motion manager 800 (estimation unit 810) estimates the total weight of the vehicle 51 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51. Specifically, the motion manager 800 (estimation unit 810) estimates the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 based on the angular acceleration of the vehicle 51 detected by the yaw rate sensor 308d (see the above equations (9) and (13)). Note that the motion manager 800 (estimation unit 810) may estimate the total weight of the vehicle 51 using any of the methods in the first to third embodiments.

[0169] It should be noted that the estimation step in step S33 may be performed, for example, before step S1 or S2.

[0170] Next, in step S34, the exercise manager 800 (correction unit 812) corrects the exercise request based on the total weight of the vehicle 51 and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 51 estimated in step S33.

[0171] Other configurations and effects of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. The total weight of the vehicle 51 may be estimated by any of the estimation methods of the first to third embodiments.

[0172] In the above first to fourth embodiments, the total weight of the vehicle 1 (31, 41, 51) and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 (31, 41, 51) are estimated, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Only one of the total weight of the vehicle 1 (31, 41, 51) and the position of the center of gravity G of the vehicle 1 (31, 41, 51) may be estimated.

[0173] In the above first to fourth embodiments, an example has been shown in which the driving route is set so that the point 500, which has a reduced impact on driving, is included in the driving route, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The point 500, which has a reduced impact on driving, does not have to be included in the driving route.

[0174] In the above first to fourth embodiments, the yaw rate sensor 308d is used to directly detect the angular acceleration of the vehicle 1 (31, 41, 51), but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the angular acceleration may be calculated (the angular acceleration may be indirectly detected) based on the angular velocity detected by a gyro sensor. Also, instead of directly detecting the acceleration of the vehicle 1 (31, 41, 51) by the front-rear G sensor 308a (lateral G sensor 308b), the acceleration may be calculated (the acceleration may be indirectly detected) based on the vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor.

[0175] In the above first embodiment, the exercise manager 200 acquires the total weight of the vehicle 1 by acquiring the weight information of the cargo 20 by the communication device 22 attached to the cargo 20, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The exercise manager 200 may estimate the total weight of the vehicle 1 assuming that the weight of the cargo 20 is a predetermined fixed value (for example, 2 kg).

[0176] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0177] The above-described modified examples may be implemented in whole or in part in an appropriate combination.Furthermore, the configurations of the above-described first to fourth embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part in an appropriate combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0178] 1, 31, 41, 51 vehicle, 2, 2a, 2b wheels, 10 vehicle body, 10a cargo compartment, 10b camera, 10c cargo weight sensor (first weight sensor), 11 communication device (first vehicle side communication device), 12 communication device (second vehicle side communication device), 14 seat weight sensor (second weight sensor), 20 cargo, 21 communication device (first cargo side communication device), 22 communication device (second cargo side communication device), 100 driving assistance system, 108 automatic parking, 200, 600, 700, 800 motion manager, 204 arbitration unit, 206 calculation unit, 208 distribution unit, 214 route setting unit, 300 actuator system, 308d yaw rate sensor (angular acceleration sensor), 500 point, 520 destination, C center, G center of gravity.

Claims

1. A driving assistance system that sets an action plan for vehicle driving assistance; a motion manager that arbitrates a plurality of action plans established by the driving assistance system; an actuator system to which a motion request generated using a result of arbitration by the motion manager is distributed; The exercise manager includes: estimating at least one of a total weight of the vehicle and a position of a center of gravity of the vehicle, and correcting the motion request based on the estimated at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity so as to reduce an effect of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity on the running of the vehicle; The vehicle estimates at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity while the vehicle is traveling through a fluctuation suppression point that is preset as a point where fluctuations in the total weight and the position of the center of gravity are suppressed.

2. A route setting unit is provided for setting a driving route to a destination, The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the route setting unit sets the travel route such that the fluctuation suppression point is included in the travel route.

3. A vehicle body having a cargo compartment for accommodating at least one cargo; A first vehicle-side communication device provided in the cargo compartment, the first vehicle-side communication device is capable of communicating with a first cargo-side communication device attached to the cargo, The vehicle described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the motion manager estimates the placement of the cargo in the cargo hold based on a communication state between the first cargo side communication device and the first vehicle side communication device, and estimates at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on the estimated placement of the cargo.

4. The cargo hold accommodates a plurality of cargoes to which the first cargo side communication device is attached, The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the first vehicle-side communication device acquires, via the first cargo-side communication device, information indicating that the first cargo-side communication devices of the adjacent cargoes are communicating with each other.

5. The vehicle further includes a second vehicle-side communication device capable of communicating with a second cargo-side communication device attached to the cargo, the second vehicle-side communication device acquires, via the second cargo-side communication device, information indicating a weight of the cargo to which the second cargo-side communication device is attached; 5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the motion manager estimates at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on an estimated position of the cargo and obtained information indicative of the weight of the cargo.

6. A vehicle body having a cargo compartment for accommodating cargo; a camera provided in the cargo hold; The camera is capable of reading a code indicating location information of the cargo and weight information of the cargo attached to the cargo, The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the motion manager estimates at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on position information of the cargo acquired by the camera and the weight information acquired by the camera from the code.

7. A vehicle body having a cargo compartment for accommodating cargo; A first weight sensor provided in the cargo hold, The first weight sensor detects a weight of the cargo accommodated in the cargo hold, The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the motion manager estimates the at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on a weight of the cargo sensed by the first weight sensor.

8. A seat provided in a vehicle cabin; A second weight sensor provided on the seat, The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the motion manager estimates the at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on a weight sensed by the second weight sensor.

9. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the motion manager determines whether the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is misaligned with respect to the center of the vehicle, and if it determines that the position of the center of gravity is misaligned with respect to the center, adds a correction value to the motion request to reduce the moment of inertia caused by the misalignment of the center of gravity.

10. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the motion manager determines whether the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle is shifted at least in the forward / rearward direction relative to the center of the vehicle, and when it determines that the position of the center of gravity is shifted forward or rearward relative to the center, corrects the motion request so that the braking force applied to one of the wheels at the front or rear of the vehicle is increased compared to when the position of the center of gravity is located at the center.

11. An angular acceleration sensor is further provided to detect an angular acceleration of the vehicle. The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the motion manager corrects the motion request based on the angular acceleration sensed by the angular acceleration sensor.

12. A driving assistance system that sets an action plan for vehicle driving assistance; a motion manager that arbitrates a plurality of action plans established by the driving assistance system; an actuator system to which a motion request generated using the arbitration result by the motion manager is distributed; A vehicle body having a cargo compartment in which a plurality of cargoes, each of which has a cargo communication device attached thereto, is stored; A vehicle-side communication device provided in the cargo compartment, the vehicle-side communication device is capable of communicating with the cargo-side communication device attached to the cargo, The exercise manager includes: estimating at least one of a total weight of the vehicle and a position of a center of gravity of the vehicle, and correcting the motion request based on the estimated at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity so as to reduce an effect of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity on the running of the vehicle; estimating a location of the cargo in the cargo hold based on a communication state between the cargo side communication device and the vehicle side communication device, and estimating at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity based on the estimated location of the cargo; The vehicle-side communication device acquires, via the cargo-side communication device, information indicating that the cargo-side communication devices of adjacent cargoes are communicating with each other.

13. An arbitration unit that arbitrates a plurality of action plans related to driving assistance of the vehicle set by a driving assistance system of the vehicle; a calculation unit that calculates an exercise requirement based on a result of the arbitration by the arbitration unit; a distributor for distributing the motion requests to actuator systems of the vehicle, estimating at least one of a total weight of the vehicle and a position of a center of gravity of the vehicle, and correcting the motion request based on the estimated at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity so as to reduce an effect of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity on the running of the vehicle; A motion manager that estimates at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity while the vehicle is traveling through a fluctuation suppression point that is preset as a point where fluctuations in the total weight and the position of the center of gravity are suppressed.

14. an arbitration step of arbitrating a plurality of action plans related to driving assistance of the vehicle set by a driving assistance system of the vehicle; a calculation step of calculating a motion request to be distributed to an actuator system of the vehicle based on a result of the arbitration step; an estimation step of estimating at least one of a total weight and a position of a center of gravity of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling through a fluctuation suppression point that is preset as a point where fluctuations in a total weight of the vehicle and a position of a center of gravity of the vehicle are suppressed; a correction step of correcting the motion requirement calculated in the calculation step based on at least one of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity estimated in the estimation step so as to reduce an effect of the total weight and the position of the center of gravity on traveling of the vehicle; a distributing step of distributing the motion demand corrected in the correcting step to the actuator system.

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