Vehicle control method and vehicle control device

Abstract

To reproduce a preferred vehicular behavior of a vehicle in travel that the driver wishes to reproduce.SOLUTION: A pitching characteristic of a vehicle 1 is controlled so that a behavioral characteristic of the vehicle 1 in travel becomes a preferable behavioral characteristic in travel, the characteristic that used to exist and which a driver wishes to reproduce. In the case of controlling the pitching of the vehicle 1, distribution ratios of drive force of a front wheel 2 and that of a rear wheel 4 are changed, and a pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle 1 are controlled to realize a preferable pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle the driver wishes to reproduce. By so doing, it is possible to realize a preferable behavioral characteristic of the vehicle in travel for the vehicle 1 the driver wishes to reproduce.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for outputting a pseudo engine sound corresponding to the driving conditions (detected vehicle speed and accelerator opening) into the vehicle cabin in order to give the passengers of an electric vehicle a sense of realism and a comfortable driving experience corresponding to the driving conditions.

[0003] Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, in order to make the driving feel of a vehicle equipped with an electric motor as a drive source closer to the driving feel of a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine as a drive source, a positive target output torque is set when the accelerator opening is larger than a predetermined value, and a negative target output torque is set when the accelerator opening is smaller than the predetermined value. Here, the characteristics of the positive target output torque are set to have characteristics similar to the characteristics (torque curve) of the output torque of an internal combustion engine. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-202856 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-252526 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, there is a risk that making the output of the pseudo engine sound and the characteristics of the target output torque of the electric motor similar to the torque curve of an internal combustion engine may not be able to adequately reproduce the vehicle behavior while driving that the driver desires. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Therefore, the vehicle of the present invention controls at least one of the vehicle pitching, vehicle yawing, vehicle rolling, vehicle longitudinal movement, vehicle vertical movement, and vehicle lateral (widthwise) movement so that the vehicle's behavior (posture) characteristics while traveling become the preferred vehicle behavior (posture) characteristics that the driver wishes to reproduce. The vehicle has a first electric motor that drives the left and right front wheels and a second electric motor that drives the left and right rear wheels, and is capable of driving the front wheels and the rear wheels independently. When controlling the pitching characteristics of the vehicle, the driver can select, download, and use information stored on a cloud outside the vehicle that relates to the pitching characteristics of multiple preferred vehicles that the driver wishes to reproduce, thereby changing the distribution ratio between the driving force of the front wheels and the driving force of the rear wheels, and controlling the pitching characteristics of the vehicle to match the pitching characteristics of the preferred vehicle that the driver wishes to reproduce. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize the behavior (posture) characteristics of a vehicle while it is running that the driver desires to reproduce. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating an example of a system configuration of a vehicle to which the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing pitching of a vehicle during acceleration. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a characteristic diagram showing a schematic diagram of the change in pitch rate over time. [Figure 4] 1 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the general configuration of a vehicle to which the present invention is applied; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the relationship between the acceleration of the vehicle and the pitch angle, which is the pitching angle of the vehicle to be reproduced. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the timing of a vehicle's gear shift to be reproduced. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of control of a vehicle in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the yawing of a vehicle during cornering. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a model of rolling of a vehicle during cornering. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows an example of the system configuration of a vehicle 1 to which the present invention is applied.

[0011] The vehicle 1 has a first drive motor 3 that drives left and right front wheels (wheels) 2, a second drive motor 5 that drives left and right rear wheels (wheels) 4, a battery 6 that can supply power to the first drive motor 3 and the second drive motor 5, a generator 7 that can supply power to the first drive motor 3, the second drive motor 5, and the battery 6, an internal combustion engine 8 that drives the generator 7, and a control unit 9 that controls the first drive motor 3 and the second drive motor 5. Here, reference numeral 2a in FIG. 1 indicates the left front wheel. Reference numeral 2b in FIG. 1 indicates the right front wheel. Reference numeral 4a in FIG. 1 indicates the left rear wheel. Reference numeral 4b in FIG. 1 indicates the right rear wheel.

[0012] The first drive motor 3 corresponds to the first electric motor and is, for example, a synchronous motor using a permanent magnet in the rotor. The first drive motor 3 is the drive source for the vehicle 1 and drives the left and right front wheels 2 with AC power supplied via an inverter (not shown).

[0013] The second drive motor 5 corresponds to the second electric motor and is, for example, a synchronous motor using a permanent magnet in the rotor. The second drive motor 5 is the drive source for the vehicle 1 and drives the left and right rear wheels 4 with AC power supplied via an inverter (not shown).

[0014] The first and second drive motors 3, 5 function as generators when the vehicle 1 decelerates. The first and second drive motors 3, 5 are capable of charging the battery 6 via an inverter (not shown) with regenerative energy generated when the vehicle decelerates as electric power.

[0015] The battery 6 is, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery, and is a secondary battery that can be charged with power generated by the generator 7 and regenerative power generated by the first and second drive motors 3, 5 as DC power.

[0016] The generator 7 is, for example, a synchronous motor that uses a permanent magnet in the rotor. The generator 7 converts rotational energy generated in the internal combustion engine 8 into electrical energy (power) and is capable of supplying the power to the battery 6 via an inverter (not shown). The generator 7 is also capable of supplying power to the first and second drive motors 3 and 5 via inverters (not shown). The generator 7 also functions as a starter motor when the internal combustion engine 8 is started.

[0017] The control unit 9 corresponds to a control section, and controls the output torque of the first and second drive motors 3 and 5.

[0018] The control unit 9 is a well-known digital computer equipped with a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an input / output interface.

[0019] The control unit 9 receives detection signals from various sensors, such as a vehicle speed sensor 10 that detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, an acceleration sensor 11 that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 1, an accelerator opening sensor 12 that detects the accelerator pedal operation amount (amount of depression of the accelerator pedal), and a steering angle sensor 13 that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel.

[0020] In order to reproduce the driving behavior characteristics (posture characteristics) of a vehicle that is no longer in production in vehicle 1, adjustments can be made by replacing or installing mechanical parts such as the suspension and roll bar. However, factors that are affected by vehicle specifications, such as the anti-squat angle and anti-lift angle, cannot be easily changed in vehicle 1. Furthermore, only one type of vehicle behavior characteristics (posture characteristics) can be reproduced by replacing or installing mechanical parts. For example, it is not easy to change the characteristics depending on the driver's mood.

[0021] The behavior characteristics of vehicle 1 while it is running can be controlled by, for example, controlling the pitching of vehicle 1, the yawing of vehicle 1, the rolling of vehicle 1, the forward / backward movement of vehicle 1, the up / down movement of vehicle 1, and the left / right (widthwise) movement of vehicle 1, and by controlling the posture of vehicle 1, it is possible to imitate the behavior (posture) characteristics of a vehicle that is no longer in production and that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0022] Therefore, the control unit 9 controls the pitching characteristics of the vehicle 1 so that the behavior characteristics of the vehicle 1 while it is running become the behavior characteristics of a vehicle that the driver previously liked and wants to reproduce.

[0023] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows pitching of the vehicle 1 during acceleration. The dashed characteristic line in Figure 2 shows the state of the vehicle 1 before increasing the driving force distribution to the front wheels 2 during acceleration. The solid characteristic line in Figure 2 shows the state of the vehicle 1 after increasing the driving force distribution to the front wheels 2 during acceleration.

[0024] The vehicle 1 can increase the pitching angle in the direction of the thick arrow D1 in Figure 2 and the amount of change in the pitching angle in the direction of the thick arrow D1 in Figure 2 by increasing the driving force distribution to the front wheels 2 during acceleration, thereby controlling the behavior characteristics while driving.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a characteristic diagram that shows a schematic representation of the change in pitch rate, which is the amount of change in pitch (the amount of change in pitch angle). The solid line in Fig. 3 shows the state before the pitching of vehicle 1 is controlled. The dashed line in Fig. 3 shows the case where the pitching characteristics of vehicle 1 are controlled so that the amount of change in pitching increases in order to imitate the behavior characteristics of a favorite vehicle from the past.

[0026] The vehicle 1, which is a current vehicle, is normally controlled so that the amount of change in pitching is flat (the amount of change is small), so it is controlled so that, for example, a large pitching is produced.

[0027] When controlling the pitching characteristics of the vehicle 1, the distribution ratio of the driving force of the front wheels 2 and the driving force of the rear wheels 4 is changed, and the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle 1 are controlled to be the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce. Note that it is also possible to control only either the pitching angle or the pitching change amount.

[0028] In other words, the control unit 9 changes the distribution ratio between the driving force of the front wheels 2 and the driving force of the rear wheels 4, and controls the pitching characteristics of the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle's behavior (posture) characteristics while driving are what the driver wants to reproduce.

[0029] This allows the vehicle 1 to produce driving sensation characteristics through the vehicle's posture by changing the pitching angle and pitching change amount in order to realize the so-called ride feel, which is the behavioral characteristics of the vehicle while driving that the driver wants to reproduce.

[0030] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 can control pitching characteristics by changing the drive force distribution ratio between the front and rear wheels 2, 4 without increasing the number of mechanical parts.

[0031] The control unit 9 controls the pitching characteristics of the vehicle 1 in accordance with acceleration / deceleration according to the accelerator opening so as to achieve the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle that the driver desires to reproduce.

[0032] The vehicle 1 can reduce the discomfort felt by the driver by changing the pitching angle and the pitching change amount of the vehicle 1 in accordance with acceleration / deceleration (accelerator opening).

[0033] The control unit 9 may, for example, control the pitching angle of the vehicle 1 and the amount of change in pitching of the vehicle 1 in accordance with the spring rate, center of gravity height, anti-scatter angle, and anti-lift angle of the vehicle's suspension that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0034] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the general configuration of the vehicle 1. G in FIG. 4 indicates the center of gravity of the vehicle. Cf in FIG. 4 is the front wheel link instantaneous rotation center. Cr in FIG. 4 is the rear wheel link instantaneous rotation center. Reference numeral 14 in FIG. 4 is a suspension for the front wheels 2. Reference numeral 15 in FIG. 4 is a suspension for the rear wheels. The spring rates of these suspensions 14, 15 are the spring rates of the vehicle 1.

[0035] The anti-lift angle θ1 of the vehicle 1 is the angle between a line passing through the center of the front wheel 2 and parallel to the road surface and a line passing through the center C1 of the front wheel 2 and the front wheel link instantaneous rotation center Cf.

[0036] The anti-squat angle θ2 of the vehicle 1 is the angle between a line passing through the center of the rear wheel 4 and parallel to the road surface and a line passing through the center C2 of the rear wheel 4 and the rear wheel link instantaneous rotation center Cr.

[0037] The vehicle 1 adjusts the pitching angle and pitching change amount to the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce in accordance with the spring rate, center of gravity height, and anti-squat angle of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce as desired.

[0038] The pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle are mechanically determined by the vehicle specifications. Therefore, the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle 1 are calculated from the vehicle information that the driver wants to reproduce, and the torque distribution ratio of the front and rear wheels 2, 4 is adjusted, thereby realizing the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce.

[0039] The change characteristic of the pitching angle of the vehicle 1 in response to acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle is set to be the change characteristic of the pitching angle in response to acceleration of the vehicle that the driver has arbitrarily set and that the driver desires to reproduce.

[0040] In addition, the change characteristic of the amount of change in pitching of the vehicle 1 in response to acceleration / deceleration is set to be the change characteristic of the amount of change in pitching of the vehicle in response to acceleration of the vehicle that the driver has arbitrarily set and that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0041] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the relationship between the acceleration of the vehicle and the pitch angle, which is the pitching angle of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce.

[0042] The control unit 9 sets the pitching angle characteristic of the vehicle 1 relative to the acceleration of the vehicle 1 so that the pitching angle characteristic relative to the acceleration of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce is the one shown in Figure 5 (characteristic lines A1, A2, and A3 shown by the solid line, dashed line, and dot-dash line, respectively, in Figure 5).

[0043] The characteristic of the pitching change amount relative to the vehicle acceleration is similar to the characteristic of the pitching angle relative to the vehicle acceleration.

[0044] The vehicle 1 can seamlessly reproduce the driving characteristics of the preferred vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce by matching the pitching characteristics (pitching angle and amount of change) of the vehicle 1 in response to acceleration to the pitching characteristics (pitching angle and amount of change) of the preferred vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce.

[0045] The vehicle 1 may be configured to change the pitching angle and pitching change amount at the timing of a gear change or engagement of a lock-up clutch that is arbitrarily set by the driver and that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0046] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a model of the timing of a vehicle's gear change that the driver wants to reproduce.

[0047] The solid characteristic lines L1 to L3 in Figure 6 show the relationship between vehicle speed and vehicle driving force for each accelerator pedal depression. Characteristic line L1 shows the case where the accelerator pedal depression is 90%. Characteristic line L2 shows the case where the accelerator pedal depression is 50%. Characteristic line L3 shows the case where the accelerator pedal depression is 20%.

[0048] The dashed characteristic lines P1 to P4 in Figure 6 indicate the timing at which the gear ratio is changed. The characteristic line P1 indicates the timing at which the gear ratio is changed from first gear to second gear. The characteristic line P2 indicates the timing at which the gear ratio is changed from second gear to third gear. The characteristic line P3 indicates the timing at which the gear ratio is changed from third gear to fourth gear. The characteristic line P4 indicates the timing at which the gear ratio is changed from fourth gear to fifth gear.

[0049] In FIG. 6, the intersections of the characteristic lines L1 to L3 and the characteristic lines P1 to P4 indicate the timing of gear changes.

[0050] By changing the pitching angle and pitching change amount at the timing of the gear change determined according to the accelerator opening and gear ratio of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce, vehicle 1 can accurately reproduce the behavior of a vehicle with a manual transmission or an automatic transmission, even if it is an electrically driven vehicle without a transmission (an electric vehicle such as a series hybrid).

[0051] The control for making the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle 1 the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce is maintained even when a road surface input is received.

[0052] In other words, when a road surface input of a predetermined value or more is received, the control of the pitching characteristics of the vehicle 1 to achieve the desired vehicle behavior characteristics during driving that the driver wishes to reproduce is stopped.

[0053] The road surface input is an input that the vehicle 1 receives from the road surface due to unevenness of the road surface, etc. The vehicle 1 usually receives a certain amount of road surface input while traveling. Therefore, when a particularly large road surface input (special road surface input) that is larger than a predetermined value is received, the control unit 9 stops controlling the pitching of the vehicle 1.

[0054] The vehicle 1 can maintain control so that the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle are as desired by the driver even when there is input from the road surface, thereby preventing impairment of drivability. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 can suppress swaying of the vehicle posture, thereby suppressing car sickness in the driver.

[0055] The control unit 9 may be configured to download and use information on the pitching angles and pitching change amounts of multiple preferred vehicles that the driver wants to reproduce, which is stored on a cloud outside the vehicle, at will, depending on the driver's driving preferences and mood.

[0056] In this case, the vehicle 1 can easily change settings related to the ride feel of the vehicle in accordance with the preferences and mood of the driver.

[0057] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the control flow of the first embodiment described above.

[0058] In step S1, a preferred vehicle whose behavior characteristics are to be reproduced is selected.

[0059] In step S2, pitching control of the vehicle 1 is performed to control the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle 1 so that the pitching angle and pitching change amount of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce in response to acceleration and deceleration.

[0060] In step S3, the pitching angle characteristics and pitching change amount characteristics of vehicle 1 relative to the acceleration of vehicle 1 are set so that they are the pitching angle characteristics and pitching change amount characteristics of vehicle 1 relative to the acceleration of vehicle 1 that the driver wants to reproduce.

[0061] In step S4, it is determined whether the road surface input is equal to or less than a predetermined value. If the road surface input is equal to or less than the predetermined value in step S4, the process proceeds to step S5. If the road surface input is greater than the predetermined value in step S4, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0062] In step S5, the pitching control of the vehicle 1 continues.

[0063] In step S6, the pitching control of the vehicle 1 is stopped.

[0064] Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0065] A vehicle 21 of the second embodiment will now be described. The vehicle 21 of the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the vehicle 1 of the first embodiment described above, but is configured so that different driving forces can be distributed to the four wheels, front, rear, left and right.

[0066] The vehicle 21 of the second embodiment reproduces the behavior characteristics of a previously preferred vehicle while driving by controlling yawing.

[0067] The control unit 9 of the second embodiment controls the yawing characteristics of the vehicle 21 so that the behavior characteristics of the vehicle 21 while traveling become the behavior characteristics of a vehicle that the driver previously preferred and wants to reproduce.

[0068] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the yawing of vehicle 21 during cornering (cornering in the direction of arrow E1 in Figure 8). The dashed characteristic line in Figure 8 shows the state of vehicle 21 before the driving force distribution to the outside wheels 2b, 4b (on the outer side of the corner) is increased during cornering. The solid characteristic line in Figure 8 shows the state of vehicle 21 after the driving force distribution to the outside wheels 2b, 4b (on the outer side of the corner) is increased during cornering.

[0069] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 21 can increase the yawing angle in the direction of the thick arrow D2 in Figure 8 and the amount of change in the yawing angle in the direction of the thick arrow D2 in Figure 8 (yawing change amount) by increasing the driving force distribution to the outside wheels 2b, 4b while cornering, thereby controlling the behavior characteristics while driving.

[0070] When controlling the yawing characteristics of the vehicle 21, the distribution ratio between the driving force of the wheels 2a, 4a on the inside (inside of the corner) during cornering and the driving force of the wheels 2b, 4b on the outside (outside of the corner) during cornering is changed, and the yawing angle and amount of yawing change of the vehicle 21 are controlled to be the yawing angle and amount of yawing change of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce. Note that it is also possible to control only either the yawing angle or the amount of yawing change.

[0071] This allows the vehicle 21 to produce the driving sensation characteristics through the vehicle posture by changing the yawing angle and the amount of yawing change in order to realize the so-called ride feel, which is the behavioral characteristics of the vehicle while driving that the driver wants to reproduce.

[0072] In addition, the vehicle 21 can control the yawing characteristics by changing the control without increasing the number of mechanical parts, by changing the distribution ratio between the driving force of the wheels 2a, 4a on the inside (inside of the corner) and the driving force of the wheels 2b, 4b on the outside (outside of the corner) during cornering.

[0073] The control unit 9 of the second embodiment controls the yawing characteristics of the vehicle 21 in accordance with the steering angle and vehicle speed so as to achieve the yawing angle and yawing change amount of the vehicle that the driver desires to reproduce.

[0074] The vehicle 21 can reduce the discomfort felt by the driver by changing the yawing angle and the amount of change in yawing of the vehicle 21 in accordance with the steering angle and the vehicle speed.

[0075] The control unit 9 of the second embodiment may, for example, control the yaw angle of the vehicle 21 and the amount of change in yaw of the vehicle 21 in accordance with the spring rate, center of gravity height, anti-scatter angle, and anti-lift angle of the vehicle suspension that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0076] The change characteristics of the yawing angle with respect to the steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle 21 are set to be the change characteristics of the yawing angle with respect to the vehicle acceleration that the driver has arbitrarily set and that the driver desires to reproduce.

[0077] In addition, the change characteristics of the amount of change in yawing with respect to the steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle 21 are set to be the change characteristics of the amount of change in yawing with respect to the acceleration of the vehicle that the driver has arbitrarily set and that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0078] The vehicle 21 can seamlessly produce the driving characteristics of the preferred vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce by matching the yawing characteristics (yawing angle and amount of change) of the vehicle 21 to the yawing characteristics (yawing angle and amount of change) of the preferred vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce.

[0079] The vehicle 21 may be configured to change the yawing angle and the amount of change in yawing at the timing of gear changes or engagement of the lock-up clutch that the driver desires to reproduce, as set by the driver.

[0080] The control that makes the yaw angle and yaw change amount of the vehicle 21 the yaw angle and yaw change amount of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce is maintained even when there is road surface input.

[0081] The control unit 9 of the second embodiment may be configured to download and use information on the yaw angles and yaw change amounts of multiple preferred vehicles that the driver wishes to reproduce, which is stored on a cloud outside the vehicle, at will, depending on the driver's driving preferences and mood.

[0082] A vehicle 31 of the third embodiment will now be described. The vehicle 31 of the third embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the vehicle 1 of the first embodiment described above, but is configured so that different driving forces can be distributed to the four wheels, front, rear, left and right.

[0083] The vehicle 31 of the third embodiment controls the rolling characteristics to reproduce the behavior characteristics of a previously preferred vehicle while driving.

[0084] The control unit 9 of the third embodiment controls the rolling characteristics of the vehicle 31 so that the behavior characteristics of the vehicle 31 while it is running become the behavior characteristics of a vehicle that the driver previously preferred and wants to reproduce while it is running.

[0085] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the rolling of a vehicle 31 while cornering (while cornering in the direction of arrow E2 in Figure 9) as viewed from the rear of the vehicle. The dashed characteristic line in Figure 9 shows the state of the vehicle 31 before the driving force distribution to the outside wheels 4b, 2b (on the outside of the corner) is increased while cornering. The solid characteristic line in Figure 9 shows the state of the vehicle 31 after the driving force distribution to the outside wheels 4b, 2b (on the outside of the corner) is increased while cornering.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle 31 can increase the driving force distribution to the inside wheels 2a, 4a (on the inside of the corner) while cornering, thereby increasing the rolling angle in the direction of the thick arrow D3 in FIG. 8 and the amount of change in the rolling angle in the direction of the thick arrow D3 in FIG. 8 (amount of change in rolling), thereby controlling the behavior characteristics while driving.

[0087] When controlling the rolling characteristics of the vehicle 31, the distribution ratio between the driving force of the wheels 2a, 4a on the inside (inside of the corner) during cornering and the driving force of the wheels 2b, 4b on the outside (outside of the corner) during cornering is changed, and the rolling angle and amount of change in rolling of the vehicle 31 are controlled to be the rolling angle and amount of change in rolling that the driver wants to reproduce. Note that it is also possible to control only either the rolling angle or the amount of change in rolling.

[0088] This allows the vehicle 31 to produce driving sensation characteristics through the vehicle posture by changing the rolling angle and amount of rolling change in order to realize the so-called ride feel, which is the behavioral characteristics of the vehicle while driving that the driver wants to reproduce.

[0089] In addition, the vehicle 31 can control the rolling characteristics by changing the control without increasing the number of mechanical parts, by changing the distribution ratio between the driving force of the inside wheels 2a, 4a (inside of the corner) and the driving force of the outside wheels 2b, 4b (outside of the corner) (while cornering).

[0090] The control unit 9 of the third embodiment controls the rolling characteristics of the vehicle 31 in accordance with the steering angle and vehicle speed so as to achieve the desired vehicle rolling angle and rolling change amount that the driver desires to reproduce.

[0091] The vehicle 31 can reduce the discomfort felt by the driver by changing the roll angle and the amount of change in the roll of the vehicle 31 according to the steering angle and the vehicle speed.

[0092] The control unit 9 of the third embodiment may, for example, control the rolling angle of the vehicle 31 and the amount of change in rolling of the vehicle 31 in accordance with the spring rate, center of gravity height, anti-scatter angle, and anti-lift angle of the vehicle suspension that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0093] The change characteristics of the rolling angle with respect to the steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle 31 are set to be the change characteristics of the rolling angle with respect to the vehicle acceleration that the driver has arbitrarily set and that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0094] In addition, the change characteristics of the amount of change in rolling relative to the steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle 31 are set to be the change characteristics of the amount of change in rolling relative to the vehicle acceleration that the driver has arbitrarily set and that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0095] By matching the rolling characteristics (rolling angle and amount of change) of the vehicle 31 to the rolling characteristics (rolling angle and amount of change) of a preferred vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce, the vehicle 31 can seamlessly reproduce the driving characteristics of the preferred vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce.

[0096] The vehicle 31 may be configured to change the angle of rolling and the amount of change in rolling at the timing of gear changes or engagement of the lock-up clutch that the driver has arbitrarily set and that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0097] The control for making the roll angle and the amount of change in roll of the vehicle 31 the vehicle roll angle and amount of change in roll that the driver wants to reproduce is maintained even when there is road surface input.

[0098] The control unit 9 of the third embodiment may be configured to download and use information on the rolling angles and amounts of rolling change of a plurality of preferred vehicle models that the driver wishes to reproduce, which is stored on a cloud outside the vehicle, in accordance with the driver's driving preferences and mood.

[0099] A description will now be given of a vehicle according to the fourth embodiment. The vehicle according to the fourth embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment described above.

[0100] The vehicle of the fourth embodiment reproduces the behavior characteristics of a favorite vehicle while it is running by controlling the movement of the vehicle along the longitudinal direction while it is running.

[0101] The control unit 9 of the fourth embodiment controls the longitudinal movement of the vehicle while it is running so that the vehicle's running behavior characteristics become those of a preferred vehicle that the driver wishes to reproduce.

[0102] In the vehicle of the fourth embodiment, in order to realize the so-called ride quality, which is the behavioral characteristics of the vehicle while driving that the driver wants to reproduce, the characteristics of the driving sensation can be expressed through the posture of the vehicle by controlling the movement of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction, for example by slowing down.

[0103] In addition, in the case where the behavior characteristics of a previously preferred vehicle while in motion are reproduced by controlling the vehicle's movement in the fore-and-aft direction while in motion, the present invention can also be applied to a vehicle having, for example, a single drive motor that drives the front wheels 2 or the rear wheels 4.

[0104] A description will now be given of a vehicle according to the fifth embodiment. The vehicle according to the fifth embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment described above, but is configured such that the spring characteristics of the suspensions 14, 15 of the vehicle are variable.

[0105] The vehicle of the fifth embodiment reproduces the behavior characteristics of a favorite vehicle while it is running by controlling the vertical movement of the vehicle while it is running.

[0106] The control unit 9 of the fifth embodiment changes the spring characteristics of the vehicle's suspensions 14, 15 while the vehicle is running, and controls the vertical movement of the vehicle while it is running so that the vehicle's running behavior characteristics become the driving behavior characteristics of a vehicle that the driver would like to reproduce.

[0107] In the vehicle of the fifth embodiment, in order to realize the so-called ride quality, which is the behavioral characteristics of the vehicle while driving that the driver wants to reproduce, the spring characteristics of the vehicle's suspensions 14, 15 are changed to control the movement of the vehicle in the vertical direction, thereby making it possible to express the characteristics of the driving sensation through the posture of the vehicle.

[0108] In the vehicle of the fifth embodiment, for example, the spring characteristics of one of the suspensions 14, 15 may be changed while the vehicle is running so that the vertical movement of the vehicle while running becomes the desired behavior characteristic of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce. In addition, when the vertical movement of the vehicle while running is controlled to reproduce the behavior characteristic of a previously preferred vehicle while running, the present invention can also be applied to, for example, a vehicle having a single drive motor that drives the front wheels 2 or the rear wheels 4, or a vehicle in which the front wheels 2 or the rear wheels 4 are driven by an internal combustion engine.

[0109] A vehicle according to the sixth embodiment will now be described. The vehicle according to the sixth embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment described above, but is configured so that each of the four wheels (front, rear, left and right) can be steered.

[0110] The vehicle of the sixth embodiment reproduces the behavior characteristics of a favorite vehicle while it is running by controlling the movement of the vehicle in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) while it is running.

[0111] The control unit 9 of the sixth embodiment controls the left-right movement of the vehicle while it is running so that the vehicle's running behavior characteristics become the running behavior characteristics of a vehicle that the driver previously preferred and wants to reproduce.

[0112] The vehicle of the sixth embodiment reproduces the behavior characteristics of a favorite vehicle while driving by controlling the left-right movement of the vehicle while driving.

[0113] The control unit 9 of the sixth embodiment changes the steering direction of the four front, rear, left and right wheels 2a, 2b, 4a and 4b while the vehicle is running, and controls the movement of the vehicle in the left and right directions while the vehicle is running, so that the vehicle's running behavior characteristics become the running behavior characteristics of a vehicle that the driver would like to reproduce in the past.

[0114] In the vehicle of the sixth embodiment, in order to realize the so-called ride quality, which is the behavioral characteristics of the vehicle while driving that the driver wants to reproduce, the characteristics of the driving sensation can be expressed through the posture of the vehicle by controlling the movement of the vehicle in the left and right direction while driving.

[0115] In addition, when reproducing the behavioral characteristics of a previously preferred vehicle while driving by controlling the movement of the vehicle in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) while driving, the present invention can also be applied to vehicles that have a single drive motor that drives the front wheels 2 or rear wheels 4, or vehicles that drive the front wheels 2 or rear wheels 4 with an internal combustion engine.

[0116] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

[0117] For example, by controlling at least one of the vehicle pitching, vehicle yawing, vehicle rolling, vehicle longitudinal movement, vehicle vertical movement, and vehicle lateral (widthwise) movement, the vehicle behavior (posture) characteristics while driving that the driver desires to reproduce may be realized.

[0118] Furthermore, when reproducing the behavior characteristics of a favorite vehicle while it is running, the respective controls of the first to sixth embodiments described above may be suitably combined to reproduce the characteristics.

[0119] Although the vehicles in the above-described embodiments are series hybrid vehicles, the present invention can also be applied to vehicles other than series hybrid vehicles. That is, the present invention can be applied to vehicles other than series hybrid vehicles, as long as the vehicle is capable of varying the distribution ratio between the driving force of the front wheels and the driving force of the rear wheels, the vehicle is capable of varying the distribution ratio between the driving force of the wheels on the right side of the vehicle and the driving force of the wheels on the left side of the vehicle, and the vehicle is capable of steering all of the wheels of the vehicle.

[0120] The above-described embodiments relate to a vehicle control method and a vehicle control device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1...Vehicle 2...Front wheel 2a…Left front wheel 2b…Right front wheel 3...First drive motor 4...Rear wheel 4a…Left rear wheel 4b…Right rear wheel 5...Second drive motor 6...Battery 7...Generator 8...Internal combustion engine 9...Control unit 10...Vehicle speed sensor 11...Acceleration sensor 12...Accelerator opening sensor 13...Steering angle sensor

Claims

1. A vehicle control method for controlling at least one of pitching of a vehicle, yawing of a vehicle, rolling of a vehicle, longitudinal movement of a vehicle, vertical movement of a vehicle, and lateral movement of a vehicle so that behavior characteristics during driving of a vehicle become behavior characteristics during driving that a driver desires to reproduce, comprising: the vehicle has a first electric motor that drives left and right front wheels and a second electric motor that drives left and right rear wheels, and is capable of driving the front wheels and the rear wheels independently; In controlling the pitching characteristics of a vehicle, the driver can select and download information on a plurality of preferred vehicle pitching characteristics that the driver wishes to reproduce, stored on a cloud outside the vehicle, and use the information to change the distribution ratio between the driving force of the front wheels and the driving force of the rear wheels, thereby controlling the pitching characteristics of the vehicle to match the preferred vehicle pitching characteristics that the driver wishes to reproduce.

2. 2. A vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle pitching characteristics are controlled to be those desired by the driver in accordance with acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle.

3. 3. A vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein the pitching characteristics of the vehicle are controlled in accordance with the spring rate, center of gravity height, and anti-scatter angle of the vehicle suspension that the driver desires to reproduce.

4. The change characteristic of the pitching angle of the vehicle with respect to the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle is a change characteristic of the pitching angle with respect to the acceleration of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce, 4. A vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein the change characteristic of the amount of change in pitching of the vehicle in response to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle is a change characteristic of the amount of change in pitching of the vehicle in response to acceleration or deceleration that the driver desires to reproduce.

5. 5. A vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein the pitching angle of the vehicle is changed at the timing of gear changes or engagement of a lock-up clutch that the driver desires to reproduce.

6. 6. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein the control for making the pitching characteristics of the vehicle match the pitching characteristics of the vehicle that the driver desires to reproduce is maintained even when a road surface input is received.

7. It is possible to distribute different driving force to each of the four wheels (front, rear, left and right), 7. A vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein when controlling the yawing characteristics of the vehicle, the ratio of distribution of driving force to the four wheels (front, rear, left, and right) is changed, and the yawing characteristics of the vehicle are controlled to become the yawing characteristics of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce.

8. It is possible to distribute different driving force to each of the four wheels (front, rear, left and right), 8. A vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein, in the case of controlling the rolling characteristics of the vehicle, a distribution ratio of driving force to the four wheels (front, rear, left, and right) is changed to control the rolling characteristics of the vehicle to be the rolling characteristics of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce.

9. 9. A vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein the driving force of the vehicle is changed to control the longitudinal movement of the vehicle so as to reproduce a desired longitudinal movement of the vehicle that the driver desires to reproduce.

10. Each of the four wheels (front, rear, left and right) is steerable. A vehicle control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the steering direction of four wheels (front, rear, left, and right) is changed to control the vehicle's movement along the left and right direction to be the desired movement along the left and right direction of the vehicle that the driver wants to reproduce.

11. The spring characteristics of the vehicle suspension are configured to be variable, The vehicle control method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the spring characteristics of the suspension are changed to control the vertical movement of the vehicle so that the vertical movement of the vehicle matches the driver's preference.

12. A vehicle control device having a control unit that controls at least one of pitching of a vehicle, yawing of a vehicle, rolling of a vehicle, movement in a front-rear direction of a vehicle, movement in an up-down direction of a vehicle, and movement in a left-right direction of a vehicle so that behavior characteristics during driving of a vehicle become behavior characteristics during driving that a driver desires to reproduce, the vehicle has a first electric motor that drives left and right front wheels and a second electric motor that drives left and right rear wheels, and is capable of driving the front wheels and the rear wheels independently; When controlling the pitching characteristics of a vehicle, the driver can select, download, and use information on multiple preferred vehicle pitching characteristics that the driver wishes to reproduce, which is stored on a cloud outside the vehicle, thereby changing the distribution ratio between the driving force of the front wheels and the driving force of the rear wheels, and controlling the pitching characteristics of the vehicle to match the preferred vehicle pitching characteristics that the driver wishes to reproduce.

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