Vehicle control device, vehicle, vehicle control system, computer program, and recording medium

Abstract

Instability in traveling due to road surface disturbances is quickly detected and reflected in a correction to drive torque. Provided is a control device for a vehicle having at least two left-right pairs of vehicle wheels, wherein: the control device comprises one or more processors and one or more memories that are communicably connected to the one or more processors; and while the vehicle is traveling straight ahead, the one or more processors execute a prediction process for predicting the time at which a left-right difference occurs in a suspension stroke amount of at least one of the two left-right pairs of wheels, and a torque control process for reducing drive torque for driving either left-right pair of wheels in accordance with the predicted time. Also provided is a vehicle comprising said control device.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle, a vehicle control system, a computer program, and a recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] As a conventional technique for stable vehicle running, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which, when a vehicle in which the front and rear wheels are driven by separate electric motors runs straight ahead at a predetermined speed or faster, if it is determined that the difference in vehicle height between the left and right steered wheels is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the driving force of each wheel is corrected in a direction to reduce the yaw motion of the vehicle caused by the change in toe angle associated with the suspension stroke of the left and right steered wheels. This technique can ensure stable running even when there is a disturbance on the road surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-043837 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the driving force of each wheel is corrected after a difference in vehicle height between the left and right wheels of a predetermined value or more occurs, so there is a time lag between when the vehicle becomes unstable due to a disturbance on the road surface and when the correction is made. If the stabilization of the vehicle's driving by correcting the driving force can be started sooner, the effects of the disturbance on the road surface can be minimized, and the vehicle can continue driving without the driver feeling that the vehicle has become unstable.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle, a vehicle control system, a computer program, and a recording medium that are capable of quickly detecting instability in driving due to disturbances on the road surface and reflecting the detection in correction of driving torque. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, In a control device for a vehicle having at least two pairs of left and right wheels, one or more processors; and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; The one or more processors: a prediction process for predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between left and right wheels of any one of the at least two sets occurs when the vehicle is traveling straight; a torque control process for reducing a driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels in accordance with the predicted time; A vehicle control device and a vehicle equipped with the same are provided.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, A vehicle control system including control devices for first and second vehicles having at least two pairs of left and right wheels, A control device of the second vehicle traveling in front of the first vehicle, Transmitting information on the road surface height or road surface unevenness of a road ahead in a traveling direction of the second vehicle, or information on a position where a left-right difference occurs in the suspension stroke amount of a pair of left and right wheels while the second vehicle is traveling, to a control device of the first vehicle; The first vehicle control device includes: one or more processors; and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; The one or more processors: a prediction process for predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between left and right wheels of any one of the at least two sets will occur based on information received from a control device of the second vehicle and a distance from the first vehicle to the second vehicle while the first vehicle is traveling straight ahead; a torque control process for reducing a driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels in accordance with the predicted time; A vehicle control system is provided.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, according to still another aspect of the present disclosure, A system including a control device for a vehicle having at least two pairs of left and right wheels, and an external server that transmits information to the control device, The external server is Transmitting information on the road surface height or road surface unevenness of the road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, or information on a position where a left-right difference occurs in the suspension stroke amount of a pair of left and right wheels while another vehicle is traveling, to the control device; The control device includes: one or more processors; and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; The one or more processors: a prediction process for predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between left and right wheels of any one of the at least two sets will occur based on the information received from the external server and position information of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling straight ahead; a torque control process for reducing a driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels in accordance with the predicted time; A vehicle control system is provided.

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, according to still another aspect of the present disclosure, A computer program applied to a control device for a vehicle having at least two pairs of left and right wheels, the computer program comprising: a prediction process for predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between left and right wheels of any one of the at least two sets occurs when the vehicle is traveling straight; a torque control process for reducing a driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels in accordance with the predicted time; A computer program and a non-transitory tangible recording medium having the program recorded thereon are provided. Effect of the Invention

[0010] As described above, according to the present disclosure, instability in driving caused by disturbances on the road surface can be detected quickly and reflected in the correction of the drive torque. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a vehicle equipped with a control device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a suspension stroke of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control device in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device for a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle control device according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle in the example of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device in the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device in the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a vehicle control device according to a modified example of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of a control device for a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12]FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a vehicle control device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0013] <<1. First embodiment>> <1-1. Example of vehicle configuration> First, an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle to which a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied will be described.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle control device 50 according to this embodiment. The vehicle 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a four-wheel vehicle equipped with a left front wheel 3LF, a right front wheel 3RF, a left rear wheel 3LR, and a right rear wheel 3RR (hereinafter, the left front wheel 3LF and the right front wheel 3RF may be collectively referred to as "front wheels 3F", and the left rear wheel 3LR and the right rear wheel 3RR may be collectively referred to as "rear wheels 3R"), and is equipped with a front-wheel drive motor 11F and a rear-wheel drive motor 11R as a driving force source that generates a drive torque for the vehicle 1. The front-wheel drive motor 11F and the rear-wheel drive motor 11R are configured to be capable of independently driving the front wheels and the rear wheels, respectively.

[0015] The front-wheel drive motor 11F and the rear-wheel drive motor 11R are, for example, three-phase AC radial motors or axial gap motors. However, the number of phases is not particularly limited. The front-wheel drive motor 11F outputs a drive torque transmitted to the left and right front wheels 3F via the differential mechanism 7F and the front-wheel drive shaft 5F. The rear-wheel drive motor 11R outputs a drive torque transmitted to the left and right rear wheels 3R ​​via the differential mechanism 7R and the rear-wheel drive shaft 5R. In addition, the front-wheel drive motor 11F and the rear-wheel drive motor 11R have a function of performing regenerative power generation by receiving the rotation torque of the front wheels 3F or the rear wheels 3R ​​transmitted via the front-wheel drive shaft 5F or the rear-wheel drive shaft 5R during deceleration of the vehicle 1. The drive and regeneration of the front-wheel drive motor 11F and the rear-wheel drive motor 11R are controlled by the control device 50.

[0016] The front-wheel drive motor 11F and the rear-wheel drive motor 11R are each determined to have a rated output torque that allows them to continuously output a stable torque. The rated output torques of the front-wheel drive motor 11F and the rear-wheel drive motor 11R may be the same or different.

[0017] The vehicle 1 includes an inverter unit 13, a battery 20, and a control device 50 as a system for driving the front-wheel drive motor 11F and the rear-wheel drive motor 11R. The battery 20 is configured with a chargeable and dischargeable secondary battery. The battery 20 may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery rated at 200V, but the rated voltage and type of the battery 20 are not particularly limited. The battery 20 is connected to the front-wheel drive motor 11F and the rear-wheel drive motor 11R via the inverter unit 13, and stores power to be supplied to the front-wheel drive motor 11F and the rear-wheel drive motor 11R. The battery 20 is provided with a battery management device 21 that detects the open voltage, output voltage, battery temperature, etc. of the battery 20 and transmits them to the control device 50.

[0018] The inverter unit 13 includes a first inverter circuit that controls the driving of the front-wheel drive motor 11F and a second inverter circuit that controls the driving of the rear-wheel drive motor 11R. The first inverter circuit converts DC power swept from the battery 20 into three-phase AC power and supplies it to the stator of the front-wheel drive motor 11F. The first inverter circuit also converts three-phase AC power regenerated by the front-wheel drive motor 11F into DC power and charges the battery 20. Similarly, the second inverter circuit converts DC power swept from the battery 20 into three-phase AC power and supplies it to the stator of the rear-wheel drive motor 11R. The second inverter circuit also converts three-phase AC power regenerated by the rear-wheel drive motor 11R into DC power and charges the battery 20. The driving of the inverter unit 13 is controlled by the control device 50.

[0019] A converter circuit for boosting the voltage may be provided between the battery 20 and the inverter circuit.

[0020] The control device 50 functions as a device that controls the driving of the front wheel drive motor 11F and the rear wheel drive motor 11R by one or more processors executing a computer program. The computer program is a computer program for causing the processor to execute the operations to be executed by the control device 50, which will be described later. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage unit (memory) 53 provided in the control device 50, or may be recorded on a recording medium built into the control device 50 or any recording medium that can be externally attached to the control device 50.

[0021] The recording medium for recording a computer program may be a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, or a magnetic tape; an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a Blu-ray (registered trademark); a magnetic optical medium such as a floptical disk; a memory element such as a RAM or a ROM; a flash memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory; or any other medium capable of storing a program.

[0022] The control device 50 is connected to an ambient environment sensor 31, a vehicle state sensor 33, and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor 35 via a dedicated line or communication means such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or a Local Inter Net (LIN). The control device 50 is also connected to an inverter unit 13 via a dedicated line or communication means such as a CAN or a LIN. The functional configuration of the control device 50 will be described in detail later.

[0023] The surrounding environment sensor 31 detects the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the surrounding environment sensor 31 is configured to be able to detect at least the shape of the road ahead of the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the vehicle 1 is equipped with front-viewing cameras 31LF, 31RF, and a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) 31S as the surrounding environment sensor 31.

[0024] The front photographing cameras 31LF, 31RF photograph the area in front of the vehicle 1 and generate image data. The front photographing cameras 31LF, 31RF are equipped with imaging elements such as CCD (Charged-Coupled Devices) or CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor), and transmit the generated image data to the control device 50. In the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1, the front photographing cameras 31LF, 31RF are configured as stereo cameras including a pair of left and right cameras, but may be monocular cameras. In addition to the front photographing cameras 31LF, 31RF, the vehicle 1 may be equipped with a rear photographing camera that is provided at the rear of the vehicle 1 and photographs the rear.

[0025] The LiDAR 31S transmits optical waves and receives reflected waves of the optical waves, and detects an obstacle, a distance to the obstacle, and a position of the obstacle based on the time from transmitting the optical waves to receiving the reflected waves. The LiDAR 31S transmits the detection data to the control device 50. The vehicle 1 may be equipped with one or more sensors selected from a radar sensor such as a millimeter wave radar and an ultrasonic sensor as a surrounding environment sensor for acquiring information about the surrounding environment, instead of or in addition to the LiDAR 31S.

[0026] The vehicle state sensor 33 is composed of one or more sensors that detect the operation state and behavior of the vehicle 1. The vehicle state sensor 33 includes at least one of a steering angle sensor, an accelerator position sensor, a brake stroke sensor, a brake pressure sensor, or an engine speed sensor, and detects the operation state of the vehicle 1, such as the steering angle of the steering wheel or steering wheels, the accelerator opening, the brake operation amount, or the engine speed. The vehicle state sensor 33 also includes at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, or an angular velocity sensor, and detects the behavior of the vehicle, such as the vehicle speed, longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, and yaw rate. The vehicle state sensor 33 transmits a sensor signal including the detected information to the control device 50.

[0027] The GNSS sensor 35 receives satellite signals transmitted from a plurality of satellites and detects the position of the GNSS sensor 35, that is, the position of the vehicle 1. The GNSS sensor 35 transmits the detected position information of the vehicle 1 to the control device 50.

[0028] The stroke sensor 37 detects the stroke amount of the suspension provided on the left front wheel 3LF, the right front wheel 3RF, the left rear wheel 3LR, and the right rear wheel 3RR. In the following description, the stroke amount of the suspension is also referred to as the suspension stroke. The stroke sensor 37 transmits a sensor signal including the detected suspension stroke to the control device 50. As will be described later, since the process using the stroke sensor 37 is not essential in this embodiment, the stroke sensor 37 does not necessarily have to be used. Also, instead of the stroke sensor 37, a sensor capable of detecting the torque transmitted from the left front wheel 3LF, the right front wheel 3RF, the left rear wheel 3LR, and the right rear wheel 3RR to the road surface may be used.

[0029] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the suspension stroke of a vehicle. Fig. 2 shows a front-wheel suspension 4F, but the rear-wheel suspension is similar. The suspension 4F includes an arm 41LF and a spring 42LF provided on the left front wheel 3LF, and an arm 41RF and a spring 42RF provided on the right front wheel 3RF. The springs 42LF, 42RF and shock absorbers (not shown) absorb the shock applied to the wheels, thereby suppressing vibration of the vehicle body caused by small unevenness in the road surface.

[0030] On the other hand, for example, as in the illustrated example, when the left front wheel 3LF sinks relative to the right front wheel 3RF due to large unevenness in the road surface, the left spring 42LF expands relative to the right spring 42RF to absorb the difference in height between the wheels. Here, the suspension 4F is designed so that the ground contact angle between the wheel and the road surface is perpendicular under normal conditions so that the ground contact area of ​​the wheel increases during turning, etc. Therefore, for example, when the spring 42LF is expanded greatly due to a large difference in height between the left front wheel 3LF and the right front wheel 3RF as described above, the left front wheel 3LF tilts, and the ground contact angle between the left front wheel 3LF and the road surface becomes no longer perpendicular, so that the ground contact area of ​​the left front wheel 3LF becomes smaller than that of the right front wheel 3RF. This causes a difference in the magnitude of the torque transmitted to the road surface between the left front wheel 3LF and the right front wheel 3RF, which may affect the running stability. Specifically, when the vehicle 1 is traveling straight, the torque transmitted between the left front wheel 3LF and the right front wheel 3RF becomes unequal, which may affect the straight running stability.

[0031] Therefore, in this embodiment, the time when the left and right difference in the suspension stroke amount, specifically the stroke amount s1 of the spring 42LF and the stroke amount s2 of the spring 42RF in the example of the front wheel suspension 4F shown in the figure, occurs is predicted, and the drive torque of the front wheel 3F or the rear wheel 3R is reduced according to that time. When the left and right suspension stroke amount is different, it is estimated that the ground contact area of ​​the left and right wheels is different and the transmission torque is unequal. Therefore, by reducing the drive torque to the wheel with the left and right suspension stroke amount difference, the unequal transmission torque can be eliminated or reduced, and straight-line stability can be improved. Although not shown, the same applies to the rear wheel suspension.

[0032] <1-2.Control device> Next, the vehicle control device 50 according to this embodiment will be specifically described.

[0033] (1-2-1. Configuration example) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the control device 50 in the example of FIG. 1. The control device 50 includes a processing unit 51 and a storage unit 53. The processing unit 51 includes one or more processors such as CPUs. A part or all of the processing unit 51 may be configured with an updatable firmware or the like, or may be a program module or the like executed by a command from the CPU or the like. The storage unit 53 includes a memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). However, the number and type of the storage units 53 are not particularly limited. The storage unit 53 stores information such as computer programs executed by the processing unit 51, various parameters used in arithmetic processing, detection data, and arithmetic results.

[0034] (1-2-2. Functional configuration) The processing unit 51 of the control device 50 includes a prediction processing unit 61 and a torque control processing unit 63. These units may have functions realized by a processor such as a CPU executing a computer program, but some of them may be configured with analog circuits. Below, the functions of the units of the processing unit 51 will be briefly described, and then specific processing operations will be described.

[0035] (Prediction processing unit) The prediction processing unit 61 predicts the time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels will occur in at least one of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​when the vehicle 1 is traveling straight ahead. Specifically, the prediction processing unit 61 predicts the time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels will occur based on information on the road surface height or road surface unevenness of the road ahead in the traveling direction detected by the surrounding environment sensor 31 that detects the environment around the vehicle 1, and on the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1.

[0036] Here, the information on the road surface height or road surface unevenness includes the distance from the vehicle 1 to the location. The prediction processing unit 61 predicts the time when a left-right difference in the suspension stroke amount will occur for the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R, respectively, based on the distance to the location and the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the prediction processing unit 61 may predict the magnitude of the left-right difference in the suspension stroke amount based on the detection results of the difference in road surface height or the magnitude of road surface unevenness.

[0037] The prediction processing unit 61 may identify the position and traveling direction of the vehicle 1 on the high-precision map data based on the position data of the vehicle 1 transmitted from the GNSS sensor 35, and may refer to the high-precision map data to acquire information on the road shape ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. The high-precision map data may be stored in the storage unit 53, or may be stored in an external server connectable via wireless communication means.

[0038] (Torque control processing unit) The torque control processing unit 63 reduces the drive torque for driving the front wheels 3F or the rear wheels 3R ​​in accordance with the result of prediction by the prediction processing unit 61, i.e., the time when a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs in at least one of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R. More specifically, the torque control processing unit 63 reduces the drive torque for driving the front wheels 3F to a predetermined value, for example, zero, in accordance with the time when it is predicted that a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount will occur in the front wheels 3F.

[0039] Alternatively, when the prediction processing unit 61 predicts the magnitude of the left-right difference occurring in the suspension stroke amount, the torque control processing unit 63 may set the amount of reduction in the drive torque of the front wheels 3F based on the magnitude of the predicted left-right difference. In this case, the torque control processing unit 63 reduces the drive torque driving the rear wheels 3R ​​to a set predetermined value in accordance with the time when it is predicted that a left-right difference will occur in the suspension stroke amount of the rear wheels 3R.

[0040] Furthermore, when reducing the drive torque of the front wheels 3F, the torque control processing unit 63 adds a drive torque equivalent to the amount of reduction in the drive torque of the front wheels 3F to the drive torque driving the rear wheels 3R. This makes it possible to maintain the overall drive torque of the vehicle 1 even if the drive torque of the front wheels 3F is reduced. If the margin that can be added to the drive torque of the rear wheels 3R ​​is smaller than the amount of reduction in the drive torque of the front wheels 3F, the torque control processing unit 63 may correct the amount of reduction in the drive torque of the front wheels 3F to an amount equivalent to the margin of the rear wheels 3R. Similarly, when reducing the drive torque of the rear wheels 3R, the torque control processing unit 63 adds a drive torque equivalent to the amount of reduction in the drive torque of the rear wheels 3R ​​to the drive torque driving the front wheels 3F.

[0041] <1-3. Processing operation example> So far, an example of the configuration of the vehicle control device 50 according to this embodiment has been described. Next, an example of the processing operation of the vehicle control device 50 will be described with reference to a flowchart.

[0042] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 50A of the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. In the following, an example will be described in which a time when a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs is predicted using sensors such as a camera and LiDAR, and the drive torque is controlled.

[0043] First, when the drive system of the vehicle 1 is started (step S101), the processing unit 51 acquires information on the road surface shape ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 (step S103). Specifically, the prediction processing unit 61 detects measurement objects capable of recognizing the road shape, such as white lines, curbs, and guardrails on the road ahead, based on detection data transmitted from the forward photographing cameras 31LF, 31RF and LiDAR 31S included in the surrounding environment sensor 31. In addition, the prediction processing unit 61 calculates the distance to each position for a plurality of measurement objects capable of recognizing the road shape that are present within the measurement range of the surrounding environment sensor 31. The prediction processing unit 61 calculates the road surface shape of the road based on the information on the distance to each calculated position.

[0044] The prediction processing unit 61 judges whether the vehicle 1 is traveling straight (step S105), and executes the following processing when the vehicle 1 is traveling straight (S105 / Yes). Whether the vehicle 1 is traveling straight is judged, for example, on the condition that the steering wheel or steering wheel steering angle detected by the vehicle state sensor 33 is 0 or in a predetermined range close to 0. When the vehicle 1 is traveling straight, the prediction processing unit 61 judges whether there is a location where a difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs between the left and right wheels based on the road surface shape detected by the surrounding environment sensor 31, more specifically, the road surface height or road surface unevenness information of the road ahead in the traveling direction (step S107). When there is a location where a difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs between the left and right wheels (S107 / Yes), the prediction processing unit 61 predicts the time when a difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs between the left and right wheels for each of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​based on the distance to the location and the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 (step S109).

[0045] Here, the location where the left and right difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs is a location where one of the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 is relatively higher or lower than the other side in the detected road surface shape. The prediction processing unit 61 may determine that the left and right difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs at a location where the difference in road surface height on the predicted trajectory of the left front wheel 3LF and the left rear wheel 3LR, and the right front wheel 3RF and the right rear wheel 3RR when traveling straight exceeds a threshold value. Alternatively, the prediction processing unit 61 may determine that the left and right difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs at that location based on the detection result of road surface unevenness ahead in the traveling direction, when a concave or convex part exceeding a threshold value is on the predicted trajectory of the left front wheel 3LF and the left rear wheel 3LR, and the right front wheel 3RF and the right rear wheel 3RR when traveling straight.

[0046] When the time when the left-right difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs is predicted in the above step S109, the torque control processing unit 63 executes a process of reducing the drive torque in accordance with the predicted time. More specifically, the torque control processing unit 63 sets the drive torque of the front wheels 3F to zero in accordance with the first time when the left-right difference in the suspension stroke amount is predicted to occur in the front wheels 3F (step S111). At this time, the torque control processing unit 63 maintains the overall drive torque of the vehicle 1 by increasing the drive torque of the rear wheels 3R ​​by the amount of the drive torque of the front wheels 3F before the reduction. When the front wheels 3F have passed the corresponding location, the torque control processing unit 63 restores the drive torque of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​to their original values. The timing of restoring the drive torque to its original value may be determined based on, for example, the difference in road surface height predicted based on the detection result of the surrounding environment sensor 31, the distance the road surface unevenness continues, and the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, or may be determined by actually measuring the left-right difference in the suspension stroke amount using the stroke sensor 37.

[0047] Similarly, the torque control processor 63 sets the drive torque of the rear wheel 3R to zero and increases the drive torque of the front wheel 3F by the drive torque of the rear wheel 3R before it was reduced, in accordance with the second time when it is predicted that a difference in the suspension stroke amount will occur between the left and right wheels 3R ​​(step S113). When the rear wheel 3R has passed the relevant point, the torque control processor 63 restores the drive torque of the front wheel 3F and the rear wheel 3R to their original values. The above-mentioned process is repeated until the drive system of the vehicle 1 stops (step S115).

[0048] <1-4.Effects> As described above, in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, when there is a difference in road surface height or road surface unevenness ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, the time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels occurs is predicted. Furthermore, the control device 50 reduces the drive torque of either the front wheels 3F or the rear wheels 3R ​​to zero according to the predicted time. This makes it possible to prevent a difference in the magnitude of torque transmitted to the road surface between the left and right wheels due to a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels, and thus a decrease in driving stability.

[0049] In the above-described first embodiment, an example of a vehicle 1 in which one front-wheel drive motor 11F is provided on the front wheel side and one rear-wheel drive motor 11R is provided on the rear wheel side is described, but the vehicle 1 to which the control device 50 according to this embodiment can be applied is not limited to this example. The control device 50 according to this embodiment can also be applied to a vehicle in which a drive motor is provided corresponding to each of the left and right wheels on at least one of the front wheel side or the rear wheel side.

[0050] For example, when two drive motors are provided on the rear wheel side, the two drive motors are used as rear wheel drive motors, and the drive torque is reduced in accordance with the time when a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs, thereby obtaining a similar effect. The same applies when two drive motors are provided on the front wheel side. In this case, in order to prevent a difference in torque between the left and right wheels, it is desirable to reduce the drive torque of the left and right drive motors as a pair. The same applies to the other embodiments described below.

[0051] In the above-described first embodiment, the vehicle 1 is a vehicle in which the transmission paths of the drive torque to the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​can be separated from each other, a vehicle in which the drive torque can be transmitted to the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​independently, or a vehicle in which the drive torque can be transmitted to either the front wheels 3F or the rear wheels 3R, and only the drive torque of the wheel in which the left and right suspension stroke amount difference occurs is set to zero. However, the same processing is possible, for example, when the transmission path of the drive torque to the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​is common in the vehicle 1, or when the vehicle 1 is driven only by either the front wheels 3F or the rear wheels 3R. In this case, the drive torque of the entire vehicle 1 is reduced in accordance with the time when the left and right suspension stroke amount difference occurs in the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R, and is temporarily reduced to zero, for example. In this case, the processing for increasing the drive torque of one wheel by the amount of the drive torque reduced in the other wheel may not be executed. The same applies to the other embodiments described below.

[0052] <1-5. Modifications> 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a vehicle control device according to a modified example of this embodiment. In this example, instead of predicting the time when a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs based on the detection result of the surrounding environment sensor 31, the prediction processing unit 61 predicts the time when a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs for the rear wheel 3R located at the rear side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 when it detects that a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs for the front wheel 3F located at the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 based on the detection value of the stroke sensor 37 or a sensor capable of detecting the torque transmitted from the wheel to the road surface.

[0053] More specifically, the prediction processing unit 61 determines whether or not a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels 3F has occurred from the detection result of the stroke sensor 37 (step S121), and if it is determined that a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels 3F has occurred (S121 / Yes), it predicts the time when a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels 3R ​​will occur from the axle distance between the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​and the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 (step S123). More specifically, the prediction processing unit 61 determines that a difference in the stroke amount between the left and right wheels 3LF and 3RF has occurred when the absolute value or differential value of the difference (s1-s2 in the example shown in FIG. 2) detected by the stroke sensor 37 exceeds a threshold value. In this case, the torque control processing unit 63 sets the driving torque of the rear wheel 3R to zero and increases the driving torque of the front wheel 3F by the amount of the driving torque of the rear wheel 3R before it was reduced (step S113) at the second time when it is predicted that a difference in the suspension stroke amount will occur between the left and right sides of the rear wheel 3R, and executes a process to restore the driving torque of the front wheel 3F and the rear wheel 3R to their original state once the rear wheel 3R has passed the relevant point.

[0054] In the above modified example, it is not predicted that a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount will occur at the front wheel 3F, but a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount will occur at the rear wheel 3R based on the actual left-right difference in suspension stroke amount at the front wheel 3F, so the prediction accuracy for the rear wheel 3R is high. For example, the processing of the modified example shown in Fig. 5 may be combined with the processing of the example shown in Fig. 4, and the time at which a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount will occur at the rear wheel 3R, predicted based on the detection result of the surrounding environment sensor 31, may be corrected based on the time at which the stroke sensor 37 actually detects a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount at the front wheel 3F.

[0055] Furthermore, when the prediction processing unit 61 predicts the magnitude of the left-right difference in the suspension stroke amount based on the detection result of the surrounding environment sensor 31, the magnitude of the left-right difference predicted for the rear wheel 3R may be corrected based on the magnitude of the left-right difference in the suspension stroke amount actually detected for the front wheel 3F by the stroke sensor 37. As described above, instead of the stroke sensor 37, a sensor capable of detecting the torque transmitted to the road surface from the left front wheel 3LF, the right front wheel 3RF, the left rear wheel 3LR, and the right rear wheel 3RR may be used.

[0056] <<2. Second embodiment>> Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the second embodiment, the control device is configured to predict a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right sides occurs based on information acquired from a forward vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle.

[0057] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the vehicle control system of this embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle in the example of FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the time when a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs is predicted based on information exchanged by the vehicles 1A and 1B through communication. The vehicles 1A and 1B have a configuration in which a communication means 39 for inter-vehicle communication is added to the vehicle similar to that described in the first embodiment. The communication means 39 is a communication means used for so-called inter-vehicle communication, and may transmit and receive information directly between the vehicles 1A and 1B by radio, for example, or may transmit and receive information via a network such as the Internet.

[0058] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, when a situation is predicted in which a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right sides will occur in the vehicle (second vehicle) 1B traveling in front, or when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right sides actually occurs in the vehicle 1B, the time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right sides will occur in the vehicle (first vehicle) 1A traveling behind is predicted, and the driving torque driving the front wheels 3F or the rear wheels 3R ​​is reduced according to that time.

[0059] <2-1. Example of control device configuration> Figures 8 and 9 are block diagrams showing configuration examples of the control device. The configurations of the control devices 50A and 50B provided in the vehicles 1A and 1B shown in Figures 6 and 7, respectively, will be further described below. The control devices 50A and 50B may be a common device provided with both of the components described below. In this case, the roles of the vehicles 1A and 1B are interchangeable, and when the vehicle 1A is traveling ahead, it is possible to predict the time when a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs in the vehicle 1B.

[0060] 8 includes a prediction processing unit 61A and a torque control processing unit 63. These units may be functions realized by a processor such as a CPU executing a computer program, or some of them may be configured by analog circuits.

[0061] The prediction processing unit 61A predicts the time when a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels will occur based on information received from the vehicle 1B traveling ahead of the vehicle 1A via the communication means 39 while the vehicle 1A is traveling straight ahead. Specifically, the prediction processing unit 61 predicts the time when a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels will occur at the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​of the vehicle 1A based on information on the road surface height or road surface unevenness of the road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1A received from the vehicle 1B, or information on the position where a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​of the vehicle 1B occurs, the distance from the vehicle 1B to the vehicle 1A, and the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1A. The distance from the vehicle 1B to the vehicle 1A may be determined using, for example, the front imaging cameras 31LF, 31RF or the LiDAR 31S included in the surrounding environment sensor 31, or may be determined using the GNSS sensor 35.

[0062] As in the first embodiment, the torque control processing unit 63 reduces the driving torque that drives the front wheels 3F or the rear wheels 3R ​​in accordance with the time when a difference between the left and right suspension stroke amounts occurs for at least one of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R.

[0063] 9 includes a determination processing unit 65 and an information transmission unit 67. Each of these units may be a function realized by a processor such as a CPU executing a computer program, or a part of the units may be configured by an analog circuit.

[0064] The determination processor 65, like the prediction processor described in the above first embodiment, determines whether or not there is a location where a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount occurs in the vehicle 1A traveling behind, based on the detection result of the surrounding environment sensor 31 provided in the vehicle 1B. Alternatively, as in the example described above as a modified example of the first embodiment, the determination processor 65 may determine that there is a location where a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount occurs in the vehicle 1A traveling behind, when it is determined from the detection result of the stroke sensor 37 that a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount occurs in the front wheels 3F or the rear wheels 3R.

[0065] When the determination processing unit 65 determines that there is a location where a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount occurs in the vehicle 1A traveling behind, the information transmitting unit 67 transmits information about the location where the left-right difference in suspension stroke amount occurs to the vehicle 1A using the communication means 39. The information transmitting unit 67 transmits, for example, information about the distance from the vehicle 1B to a location on the road where there is a difference in road surface height or road surface unevenness. In this case, the vehicle 1A can predict the time when a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount will occur in the vehicle 1A based on the distance from the vehicle 1B to the location and the distance from the vehicle 1A to the vehicle 1B.

[0066] Alternatively, the information transmitting unit 67 may transmit information indicating that a difference has occurred in the left and right suspension stroke amounts of either or both of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​of the vehicle 1B. In this case, the vehicle 1A can predict the time when a difference will occur in the left and right suspension stroke amounts of the vehicle 1A based on the wheelbase distance between the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​of the vehicle 1B and the distance from the vehicle 1A to the vehicle 1B.

[0067] <2-2. Processing operation example> Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 are flowcharts showing the operations of the control devices 50A and 50B of the vehicles 1A and 1B according to this embodiment. Fig. 10 shows the operation of the control device 50B of the vehicle 1B that is executed first, and Fig. 11 shows the operation of the control device 50A of the vehicle 1A that is executed later.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 10, in the control device 50B of the vehicle 1B, when the drive system of the vehicle 1 is started (step S101), the processing unit 51 monitors the suspension stroke amount of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​of the vehicle 1B, or acquires information on the road surface shape ahead in the traveling direction (step S201). The determination processing unit 65 determines whether or not there is a location where a difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs between the left and right (step S203), and if it is determined that there is a location where a difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs between the left and right (S203 / Yes), the information transmitting unit 67 transmits information on the location where a difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs between the left and right to the vehicle 1A (step S205). As described above, specifically, when the surrounding environment sensor 31 detects that there is a difference in road surface height or road surface unevenness ahead in the traveling direction, or when the stroke sensor 37 detects a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right at the front wheels 3F or the rear wheels 3R, the determination processing unit 65 determines that there is a location where a difference in the suspension stroke amount occurs between the left and right, and the information transmitting unit 67 transmits information to the vehicle 1A.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 11, in the control device 50A of the vehicle 1A, when the drive system of the vehicle 1 is started (step S101), the processing unit 51 judges whether the vehicle 1 is traveling straight (step S105), and if the vehicle 1 is traveling straight (S105 / Yes), executes the following processing. The processing unit 51 judges whether information from the vehicle 1B is received by the communication means 39 (step S207), and if information from the vehicle 1B is received (S207 / Yes), the prediction processing unit 61A predicts the time when a difference between the left and right suspension stroke amounts will occur (step S209). The processing after the time when a difference between the left and right suspension stroke amounts will occur is predicted is the same as in the first embodiment, and the torque control processing unit 63 sets the drive torque of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​to zero at the time when a difference between the left and right suspension stroke amounts is predicted to occur (steps S111, S113).

[0070] <2-3.Effects> As described above, in the second embodiment of the present disclosure, when a situation in which a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels occurs in the vehicle 1B traveling ahead is predicted, or when a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels actually occurs, the time when a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels occurs in the following vehicle 1A is predicted. This makes it possible to prevent a difference in the magnitude of torque transmitted to the road surface between the left and right wheels due to the difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels, which causes a decrease in running stability. Compared to the first embodiment in which processing is completed within one vehicle, while processing is required for both vehicles 1A and 1B, the timing at which a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels occurs is predicted earlier, so that the configuration of this embodiment is useful, for example, when the vehicle speed is high or the detectable range of the surrounding environment sensor 31 is not sufficiently wide in front of the vehicle.

[0071] <<3. Third embodiment>> Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the third embodiment, the control device is configured to predict a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right occurs based on information acquired from a server that is an external device.

[0072] 12 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the vehicle control system of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right sides occurs is predicted based on information exchanged between the vehicle 1C and the server 2. The vehicle 1C has a communication means 39, for example, similar to that described in the second embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the communication means 39 transmits and receives information to and from the server 2 via a network such as the Internet.

[0073] The function of the vehicle 1C that transmits information to the server 2 is the same as that of the vehicle 1B described in the second embodiment above. That is, the processing unit of the control device of the vehicle 1C includes a determination processing unit that determines whether or not there is a location on the road where a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount occurs, based on the detection result of the surrounding environment sensor 31 or the stroke sensor 37, and an information transmission unit that transmits information about the location to the server using the communication means 39 when the determination processing unit determines that there is a location on the road where a left-right difference in suspension stroke amount occurs.

[0074] On the other hand, the function of the vehicle 1C that receives information from the server 2 is the same as that of the vehicle 1A described in the second embodiment. That is, the processing unit of the control device of the vehicle 1C includes a prediction processing unit that predicts the time when a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels occurs based on the information received from the server 2 using the communication means 39, and a torque control processing unit that reduces the drive torque that drives the front wheels 3F or the rear wheels 3R ​​in accordance with the time when a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels occurs in at least one of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R. However, in this embodiment, the prediction processing unit specifies the distance to the point where a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels occurs based on the position information detected by the GNSS sensor 35 in the vehicle 1C that receives the information, rather than the distance to the vehicle ahead (the vehicle 1B in the second embodiment).

[0075] 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device of the vehicle 1C according to this embodiment. Note that the process when the vehicle 1C transmits information about the server 2 is the same as that in the second embodiment, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0076] In the control device of the vehicle 1C, when the drive system of the vehicle 1 is started (step S101), the processing unit 51 receives information on a location where a difference in suspension stroke amount occurs between the left and right from the server 2 (step S301). Here, the information received from the server 2 may be information extracted from information transmitted to the server 2 by other vehicles according to the position of the vehicle 1C detected by the GNSS sensor 35, for example. When the vehicle 1C is traveling straight (step S105 / Yes) and the vehicle 1C passes through a location where a difference in suspension stroke amount occurs between the left and right (step S303 / Yes), the prediction processing unit predicts the time when a difference in suspension stroke amount occurs between the left and right for each of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1C (step S305).

[0077] Here, whether or not the vehicle 1C passes through a point where a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs, and the distance from the vehicle 1C to that point are determined based on position information of the vehicle 1C detected by the GNSS sensor 35. The processing after predicting the time when a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs is similar to that in the above-described first embodiment, and the torque control processing unit 63 sets the drive torque of the front wheels 3F and the rear wheels 3R ​​to zero at the time when it is predicted that a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount will occur (steps S111, S113).

[0078] As described above, in the third embodiment of the present disclosure, the time when a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs in the vehicle 1C is predicted based on information provided by the server 2. This makes it possible to prevent a difference in the magnitude of torque transmitted to the road surface between the left and right wheels due to the left and right suspension stroke amount difference, and thus to prevent a decrease in driving stability. Compared to the first embodiment in which processing is completed within one vehicle, while processing via the server 2 is required, the timing at which the time when a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount occurs is predicted is earlier, so that the configuration of this embodiment is useful, for example, when the vehicle speed is high or the detectable range of the surrounding environment sensor 31 is not sufficiently wide in front of the vehicle.

[0079] In addition, compared to the second embodiment, although communication via the server 2 is required, this has the advantage that predictions can be made at an early timing as described above even if other vehicles are not traveling ahead in real time.

[0080] Although the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs can conceive of various modified or amended examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0081] For example, in the above embodiment, all of the functions of the control device are installed in the vehicle, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. For example, some or all of the functions of the control device may be provided in a server device that can communicate via a mobile communication means, and the control device may be configured to transmit and receive data to and from the server device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C: vehicle, 2: server, 3F: front wheel, 3LF: left front wheel, 3RF: right front wheel, 3R: rear wheel, 3LR: left rear wheel, 3RR: right rear wheel, 4F: suspension, 41LF, 41RF: arm, 42LF, 42RF: spring, 11F: front wheel drive motor, 11R: rear wheel drive motor, 13: inverter unit, 31: surrounding environment sensor, 31LF, 31RF: forward imaging camera, 33: vehicle state sensor, 35: GNSS sensor, 37: stroke sensor, 39: communication means, 50, 50A, 50B: control device, 51: processing unit, 53: memory unit, 61, 61A: prediction processing unit, 63: torque control processing unit, 65: judgment processing unit, 67: information transmission unit.

Claims

1. In a control device for a vehicle having at least two pairs of left and right wheels, one or more processors; and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; the one or more processors: a prediction process for predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between left and right wheels of any one of the at least two pairs occurs when the vehicle is traveling straight ahead; a torque control process for reducing a driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels in accordance with the predicted time; A vehicle control device that executes the above.

2. the one or more processors: predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels of any one of the pair of left and right wheels will occur based on information on the road surface height or road surface unevenness of the road ahead in the traveling direction detected by an ambient environment sensor that detects the environment around the vehicle, and the vehicle speed of the vehicle; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. the one or more processors: When it is detected that a difference has occurred in the suspension stroke amounts of any one pair of left and right wheels located at the front of the at least two pairs in the traveling direction of the vehicle, based on a detection value of a sensor capable of detecting the suspension stroke amounts of the wheels or the torque transmitted from the wheels to a road surface, a time is predicted at which a difference will occur in the suspension stroke amounts of another pair of left and right wheels located at the rear of the traveling direction of the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

4. the one or more processors: predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels of any one of the pair of left and right wheels will occur based on information on the road surface height or road surface unevenness of the road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, obtained from a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle, or information on a position where a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels occurs while the preceding vehicle is traveling, the distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle, and the vehicle speed of the vehicle; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

5. the one or more processors: predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels of any one of the pair of left and right wheels will occur based on information on the road surface height or road surface unevenness of the road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, or information on a position where a difference in suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels of a pair of left and right wheels occurs while another vehicle is traveling, and position information of the vehicle; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

6. the one or more processors: setting the driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels to zero at the predicted time; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

7. the one or more processors: When the vehicle is a vehicle capable of separating transmission paths of drive torque to the at least two pairs of left and right wheels from each other, a vehicle capable of transmitting drive torque independently to each of the at least two pairs of left and right wheels, or a vehicle capable of transmitting drive torque to either of the at least two pairs of left and right wheels, The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein only the drive torque that drives the pair of left and right wheels that has a difference in the suspension stroke amount between the left and right wheels is reduced.

8. the one or more processors: predicting a magnitude of a left-right difference occurring in suspension stroke amounts of any one of the pair of left and right wheels, and setting a reduction amount of a drive torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels based on the magnitude of the left-right difference; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

9. If the vehicle is a vehicle capable of transmitting drive torque independently to each of the at least two pairs of left and right wheels, or a vehicle capable of controlling the distribution of drive torque transmitted to the at least two pairs of left and right wheels, the one or more processors: adding a driving torque corresponding to a reduction amount of the driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels to the driving torque for driving the other pair of left and right wheels; The vehicle control device according to claim 8.

10. the one or more processors: when a margin that can be added to the driving torque that drives the other pair of left and right wheels is smaller than the amount of decrease in driving torque that drives any one of the pair of left and right wheels, correcting the amount of decrease in driving torque that drives any one of the pair of left and right wheels to an amount equivalent to the margin; The vehicle control device according to claim 9.

11. A vehicle comprising the vehicle control device according to claim 1.

12. A vehicle control system including control devices for first and second vehicles having at least two pairs of left and right wheels, The control device of the second vehicle traveling ahead of the first vehicle, transmitting information on the road surface height or road surface unevenness of the road ahead in the traveling direction of the second vehicle, or information on a position where a difference in the suspension stroke amount between a pair of left and right wheels occurs while the second vehicle is traveling, to a control device of the first vehicle; The first vehicle control device one or more processors; and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; the one or more processors: a prediction process for predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between left and right wheels of any one of the at least two sets will occur based on information received from a control device of the second vehicle and a distance from the first vehicle to the second vehicle while the first vehicle is traveling straight ahead; a torque control process for reducing a driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels in accordance with the predicted time; A vehicle control system that performs the following:

13. A vehicle control system including a control device for a vehicle having at least two pairs of left and right wheels, and an external server that transmits information to the control device, The external server transmits to the control device information on the road surface height or road surface unevenness of the road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, or information on the position where a difference in the left and right suspension stroke amount between a pair of left and right wheels occurs while another vehicle is traveling; The control device one or more processors; and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; the one or more processors: a prediction process for predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between left and right wheels of any one of the at least two pairs of left and right wheels will occur based on the information received from the external server and position information of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling straight ahead; a torque control process for reducing a driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels in accordance with the predicted time; A vehicle control system that performs the following:

14. A computer program applied to a control device for a vehicle having at least two pairs of left and right wheels, the computer program comprising: a prediction process for predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between left and right wheels of any one of the at least two pairs occurs when the vehicle is traveling straight ahead; a torque control process for reducing a driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels in accordance with the predicted time; A computer program that executes

15. A computer program applied to a control device for a vehicle having at least two pairs of left and right wheels, the computer program comprising: a prediction process for predicting a time when a difference in suspension stroke amount between left and right wheels of any one of the at least two pairs occurs when the vehicle is traveling straight ahead; a torque control process for reducing a driving torque for driving any one of the pair of left and right wheels in accordance with the predicted time; A non-transitory tangible recording medium on which a computer program that executes the above is recorded.

Images