Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a device enabling avoidance or prevention of a problem in which a vehicle gets stuck and enabling evacuation of the vehicle from being subsided to be reliably and easily performed.SOLUTION: A vehicular control device is provided, comprising a controller controlling drive power for traveling of a vehicle. The controller comprises: a subsidence calculation unit calculating a subsidence amount of a vehicle body toward underneath of a road surface while outputting drive power (step S3); a determination unit determining a possibility of getting stuck on the basis of the calculated subsidence amount and a predetermined determination reference value (step S4); and a signal output unit outputting a signal for decreasing the vehicular drive power on the basis of the determination result of the determination unit (step S5, S6).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for controlling the driving force of a vehicle, and more particularly to a device for performing control to prevent the vehicle from becoming stuck. [Background technology]

[0002] A stuck vehicle is a condition in which the drive wheels become stuck in a depression or other such pothole, making it impossible for the vehicle to move under its own power. This condition is likely to occur on sandy, muddy, or snowy roads. For example, if excessive drive torque is applied to the drive wheels while driving on sandy roads, the drive wheels will scrape up sand on the road surface and dig a pothole, causing the drive wheels to gradually become stuck deeper in the pothole until they are unable to escape. Patent Document 1 describes a device designed to prevent this situation.

[0003] The device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to obtain a driving force suitable for sandy terrain. More specifically, it determines that the road is sandy by detecting downward movement of the driven drive wheels. If this determination is confirmed, the drive torque of the drive wheels is controlled so that it does not exceed a preset threshold. The drive torque is limited to a level that prevents the drive wheels from slipping on sandy terrain. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-18874 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The device described in Patent Document 1 detects downward movement of the drive wheels to determine whether the road is sandy. This downward movement is detected, for example, by a stroke sensor provided for each wheel. Therefore, the device described in Patent Document 1 can determine that the road is sandy when one of the drive wheels slips, digs a depression in the sand, and then moves downward.

[0006] However, to reliably and accurately determine whether a vehicle is on sand, it is necessary to determine that the vehicle is on sand when the downward movement of the drive wheels reaches a certain level. Therefore, with the device described in Patent Document 1, by the time the vehicle is determined to be on sand, the drive wheels may already be deeply stuck in a depression in the sand, making it impossible for the vehicle to escape on its own. In other words, it is difficult to avoid or prevent the vehicle from becoming stuck.

[0007] Furthermore, in the device described in Patent Document 1, after determining that the vehicle is on sandy ground, the drive torque is controlled to prevent slippage of the drive wheels. However, since slippage inevitably occurs between the drive wheels and the road surface in order for the vehicle to travel, if the drive torque is controlled as described in Patent Document 1, the running resistance may become greater than the drive force, making it impossible to escape from or travel on sandy ground.

[0008] Furthermore, since the stroke sensor detects the downward movement of the drive wheels, if the vehicle body moves downward, for example, if both left and right drive wheels get stuck in sand, the detection value of the stroke sensor may not increase, and the downward movement of the drive wheels may not be detected.

[0009] The present invention has been made in light of the above technical problems, and aims to provide a control device that can detect a state that could lead to a stuck state and prevent the stuck state from occurring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle control device having a controller for controlling driving force for running. It is a position The controller includes a subsidence calculation unit that calculates the amount of subsidence of the vehicle body below the road surface while the driving force is being output, and a stall calculation unit that calculates the amount of subsidence based on the calculated amount of subsidence and a predetermined reference value. There is a possibility that a signal output unit that outputs a signal to reduce the driving force of the vehicle based on the result of the determination by the determination unit; The present invention is characterized by the following features.

[0011] In the present invention, the vehicle may have a sensor that measures the distance to the road surface, and the subsidence calculation unit may be configured to determine the amount of subsidence based on the distance measured by the sensor.

[0012] In the present invention, the sinking calculation section may calculate the amount of sinking based on a driving state quantity including at least one of a wheel speed, a vehicle body speed, and a longitudinal acceleration.

[0013] In the present invention, the determination unit determines whether the calculated sinkage amount is equal to or greater than the determination reference value, and also whether any wheel has been slipping at a rate of rotation equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times for a predetermined period of time or longer, whether the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined speed, or whether road surface information of the current location of the vehicle is available. There is a possibility that The possibility may be determined.

[0014] In the present invention, the signal output unit There is a possibility that If the determination unit determines that there is a possibility of the vehicle being driven, a signal for setting the driving force of the vehicle to zero may be output.

[0015] In the present invention, the signal output unit may output a notification signal to notify a driver of the vehicle that there is a possibility that the vehicle may become stuck. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the control device of the present invention, when the vehicle body sinks below the road surface due to the driving wheels digging into the road surface while the vehicle is traveling on sandy, muddy or snowy roads with the driving force output, the control device controls the vehicle body to stop the vehicle from stalling based on the amount of sinking and a predetermined judgment reference value. There is a possibility that The possibility of There is a possibility that If the possibility of getting stuck is confirmed, a signal to reduce the driving force is output. Therefore, if the driving force is reduced due to the vehicle body sinking, or if the driving force becomes zero and the drive wheels stop rotating, the vehicle stops in a state where it is likely to get stuck without becoming stuck. In other words, a situation where it becomes even more difficult to escape is prevented from occurring. When the vehicle is stopped due to a decrease in driving force, the body sinks somewhat, so it can be extricated from the sinking state by taking so-called rescue measures, such as digging the road surface to scrape out the drive wheels, inserting a travel aid such as a sand ladder under the drive wheels, or implementing special control such as constant wheel speed control for traveling on rough terrain, sand, or muddy roads. In this case, the vehicle remains in the state it was in before becoming stuck, so it can be easily and reliably extricated from the sinking state and resume driving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a drive system of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a control system for the driving force. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control executed in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] (a) is a schematic diagram of the state when the tire begins to dig into the road surface, (b) is a schematic diagram showing the state when the tire has dug into the road surface, and (c) is a schematic diagram showing the state when the driving force is cut off due to the possibility of the tire becoming stuck. [Figure 5](a) is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of sinking and driving force as well as running resistance, and (b) is a diagram related to (a) that shows the drivable and non-drivable areas with wheel speed on the horizontal axis and the amount of sinking on the vertical axis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The present invention will be described below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples of specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0019] The vehicle in the embodiment of the present invention may be any of a vehicle using an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine as a driving force source, a so-called EV vehicle using a motor as a driving force source, and a hybrid vehicle (HEV vehicle) using an internal combustion engine and a motor as driving force sources. Furthermore, the vehicle may be a two-wheel drive vehicle in which either two front or two rear wheels are driven wheels, or a four-wheel drive vehicle (4WD vehicle) or all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) in which four or all front or rear wheels are driven wheels. Figure 1 shows a schematic example of a four-wheel drive vehicle based on a rear-wheel drive vehicle that uses an internal combustion engine as a driving force source.

[0020] In a vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1, a transmission 3 is connected to the output side of an engine 2, which is a driving force source. The transmission 3 may be either a stepped or continuously variable transmission, and may be a conventionally known vehicle transmission. A transfer case 4 is connected to the output side of the transmission 3. The transfer case 4 is a known power transmission device that distributes torque output by the engine 2 to rear wheels 5 and front wheels 6. The transfer case 4 may have an appropriate configuration, such as a configuration that can switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, a configuration that incorporates a differential mechanism that enables front-rear differential, or a configuration that further includes a mechanism for limiting the differential, as needed. Therefore, the transfer case 4 and a rear differential gear 7, which is a final reduction gear for the rear wheels 5, are connected by a rear propeller shaft 8. Furthermore, the transfer case 4 and a front differential gear 9, which is a final reduction gear for the front wheels 6, are connected by a front propeller shaft 10.

[0021] Like a typical vehicle, the vehicle 1 is equipped with an accelerator pedal 11 for accelerating and decelerating, and a brake pedal 12 for braking. Furthermore, although not specifically shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 is also equipped with a steering device such as a steering wheel, brakes for braking the wheels 5 and 6, rotation speed sensors for detecting the rotation speed (wheel speed) of the wheels 5 and 6 for anti-lock brake control and traction control, a shift device including a shift lever for gear shifting, and a navigation system that searches for the vehicle's position and the route to the destination and displays them on a map, as well as acquires and displays information about roads.

[0022] The vehicle is provided with an electronic control unit (ECU) 13 that controls the driving force output by the engine 2. Like the electronic control units described below, the ECU 13 is primarily composed of a processing unit (CPU) and memory elements (ROM, RAM), and is configured to output command signals by performing programmed calculations using input data and pre-stored data. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic control system centered around the ECU 13. Examples of input signals (detected data) to the ECU 13 include the accelerator opening, which is the amount of operation (depression amount or depression angle) of the accelerator pedal 11, and a target vehicle speed control start signal from a target vehicle speed selection switch 14. A shift signal corresponding to a shift position selected by a shift device 15 that operates the transmission 3 is input to the ECU 13 via a transmission electronic control unit (ECT-ECU) 16. The driver inputs the destination, route, etc. of the vehicle 1 into a navigation system 17, and this user-input information is input to the ECU 13 via a navigation electronic control unit (navigation-ECU) 18. A proximity signal from a clearance sensor 19, which detects the distance between the vehicle 1 and surrounding structures, etc., is input to the ECU 13 via a safety electronic control unit (S-ECU) 20. The clearance sensor 19 and safety electronic control unit 20 constitute a safety system, which is configured to issue a warning to the driver D depending on the distance, such as when the distance between the vehicle 1 and an obstacle falls below a predetermined value.

[0023] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 is configured so that the drive type can be selected between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, and also so that four-wheel drive with a low gear ratio (H4) and four-wheel drive with a high gear ratio (L4) can be selected, and an L4 signal from a selection switch 21 that selects between these drive states is input to the ECU 13 via a four-wheel drive electronic control unit (4WD-ECU) 22. The vehicle 1 also has a drive wheel speed constant control system that maintains the vehicle speed at a low speed when traveling on muddy roads, rocky roads, sandy ground, etc., and transmits drive power to wheels with better grip, and a speed signal from a speed selection dial 23 in that control system is input to the ECU 13 via the 4WD-ECU 22.

[0024] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 is provided with a subsidence amount sensor 24, the output signal of which indicates the distance to the road surface and is input to the ECU 13. The subsidence amount sensor 24 is used to determine the amount of subsidence of the vehicle 1 (particularly the vehicle body) below the road surface, and is configured to measure the distance to the road surface using sound waves, laser light, or the like, and is attached to an appropriate location on the vehicle body. Wheel speed sensors (revolution number sensors) 25 are provided to detect the rotation speeds of the wheels 5, 6, and the detection signals thereof are input to the ECU 13. The wheel speed sensors 25 may be sensors used in an antilock brake system or a traction control system (not shown). Furthermore, longitudinal acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor 26 is input to the ECU 13. If a control ON / OFF switch 27 is provided to turn on / off drive force control when subsidence occurs, as described below, the ON / OFF signal thereof is input to the ECU 13.

[0025] The ECU 13 is configured to control the driving force and braking force based on the above-mentioned input signals (input data), and examples of command signals for this control are as follows: The brakes 28 that brake the wheels 5, 6 are, for example, controlled by hydraulic pressure, and an electronic brake control unit (brake ECU) 29 is provided to output hydraulic pressure commands. The brake ECU 29 is configured to output hydraulic pressure commands to reduce the braking force so that the drive wheels 5, 6 do not lock, or to increase the braking force so that the drive wheels 5, 6 do not slip on the road surface (so that the slip ratio does not become excessive), under anti-lock brake control or traction control, as well as to output hydraulic pressure commands to maintain a selected target vehicle speed, and a target vehicle speed control start signal for this purpose is input from the ECU 13 to the brake ECU 29.

[0026] Furthermore, an engine electronic control unit (EFI-ECU) 30 is provided that controls the output torque of the engine 2. This EFI-ECU 30 not only controls the running / stopping of the engine 2 and the torque output according to the accelerator pedal position, but also calculates the engine torque required to maintain a target vehicle speed and outputs a torque command to the engine 2. Therefore, the ECU 13 commands the EFI-ECU 30 to output a target driving force.

[0027] The ECU 13 corresponds to the controller in the embodiment of the present invention and is configured to control the driving force when there is a possibility of the vehicle being stuck. To perform this control, it includes a sinking calculation unit 31, a determination unit 32, and a signal output unit 33. Fig. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an example of this control. The routine shown here is executed when, for example, the control ON / OFF switch 27 is provided and the switch 27 is turned on. Alternatively, it is executed when the L4 signal, which sets the four-wheel drive state with a large driving force, is input to the 4WD-ECU 22.

[0028] First, vehicle information is input (acquired) (step S1). The vehicle information includes data stored in advance in the ECU 13, data learned during driving, and the like, and includes data used in the control described below. Examples of vehicle information include the minimum ground clearance determined by the vehicle 1 specifications, changes in minimum ground clearance due to changes in the suspension or wheels, tire type (normal tires or studless tires, etc.), whether anti-skid devices such as chains are installed, wheel speed, vehicle speed, longitudinal acceleration (acceleration G) at the time the wheel speed and vehicle speed are measured, the distance to the road surface or the amount of vehicle subsidence obtained by the subsidence amount sensor 24, the duration of a slip in which the rotation speed of any wheel (wheel speed) is excessively large compared to the vehicle speed, and road information (road surface information) as so-called navigation data regarding the road at the current location, such as whether the road is sandy or snow-covered. The vehicle speed is the ground speed of the vehicle 1 and can be calculated from the wheel speeds, for example, or a value obtained by the anti-lock brake system (ABS) may be used. Furthermore, it can be calculated from the integrated value of the longitudinal acceleration, or it can be measured directly using a ground speed sensor.

[0029] Based on this vehicle information, the stuck limit subsidence amount is calculated (step S2). Here, stuck means a restrained state in which the vehicle 1 cannot escape or travel on its own. A typical example is a state in which the vehicle body comes into contact with the road surface and the drive wheels are lifted up, and if this is considered the stuck limit, the minimum ground clearance can be used as the stuck limit subsidence amount. Furthermore, when the load is heavy or when the vehicle is being towed, the stuck limit subsidence amount may be predetermined to an appropriate value smaller than the minimum ground clearance.

[0030] Following or in parallel with step S2, the current amount of subsidence is calculated (step S3). As an example, the current amount of subsidence can be found based on the measurement (detection value) by the subsidence amount sensor 24. Even when the vehicle 1 is traveling smoothly on a paved road, sandy ground, or the like, the subsidence amount sensor 24 measures the distance (height) H to the road surface S (see FIG. 4(a)). When one of the drive wheels 5 (or 6) spins and the road surface S is dug up, the vehicle body B together with the drive wheel 5 (or 6) sinks below the road surface (see FIG. 4(b)). As a result, the distance H1 between the subsidence amount sensor 24 attached to the vehicle body B and the road surface S becomes smaller (H>H1), and the amount of subsidence is calculated as the difference (H-H1) between these measurement values ​​H and H1.

[0031] Note that, since sinking of the vehicle body B occurs when the drive wheels 5, 6 dig into the road surface S, the amount of sinking can also be calculated (estimated) based on such behavior of the drive wheels 5, 6. That is, since spinning of the drive wheels 5, 6 can be detected as a state in which the wheel speed is high even though the vehicle speed or vehicle body speed is almost zero, the amount by which the spinning drive wheels 5, 6 dig into the road surface S, i.e., the amount of sinking, can be estimated based on drive state quantities such as the wheel speed, vehicle body speed, and longitudinal acceleration (longitudinal G), as well as the duration of slippage that can be determined from these. In step S3, such an estimated value may be used as the current amount of sinking.

[0032] The subsidence calculation unit 31 calculates the current amount of subsidence as described above.

[0033] Next, the possibility of the vehicle getting stuck is determined based on the stuck limit subsidence amount calculated in step S2 and the current subsidence amount calculated in step S3 (step S4). This determination can be made based on the result of comparing the difference or ratio between the stuck limit subsidence amount and the current subsidence amount, or a value obtained by correcting these depending on the road surface condition or type, with a previously prepared reference value. The reference value is essentially a value that is established when the vehicle 1 has the strength to escape from the subsidence state on its own if the vehicle 1 sinks, and can be determined in advance by experiments or simulations using an actual vehicle. In addition, the stuck There is a possibility that The determination of the possibility may be a determination of whether or not there is a possibility of stuckness occurring, or may be a determination of the possibility of stuckness occurring by quantifying the possibility and determining the numerical value.

[0034] Here, the relationship between the driving area of ​​the vehicle 1 and the amount of sinking will be explained. When the drive wheels 5, 6 sink below the road surface, the area of ​​contact between the drive wheels 5, 6 and the road increases, resulting in an increase in running resistance. On the other hand, the force that propels the vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the driving force, gradually decreases as the drive wheels 5, 6 sink. This relationship between the amount of sinking and the running resistance and driving force is shown in Figure 5(a). In Figure 5(a), the vertical axis represents the amount of sinking, and the horizontal axis represents the running resistance and driving force. Note that Figure 5(b) shows the drivable area and the non-drivable area corresponding to Figure 5(a).

[0035] As shown in Figure 5(a), even when the amount of sinking is nearly zero, some rolling resistance exists due to friction between the tires and the road surface, road gradient, wind pressure, and the like. When the drive wheels 5 and 6 dig into the road surface and the amount of sinking increases, the rolling resistance gradually increases in accordance with the increase in the amount of sinking. When the driving force is greater than the changing rolling resistance, the vehicle 1 can travel. Because the driving force propels the vehicle 1 forward and backward, the driving force gradually decreases as the amount of sinking increases, as shown in Figure 4(c) above. Therefore, once the amount of sinking reaches a certain level, the rolling resistance that increases in accordance with the amount of sinking exceeds the driving force that decreases as the amount of sinking increases, and the vehicle 1 can no longer travel. In other words, the region in Figure 5(a) where the driving force exceeds the rolling resistance is the region in which the vehicle can travel even when sinking occurs. This is shown in Figure 5(b).

[0036] The force that actually propels vehicle 1 is the difference between the driving force and the running resistance. In FIG. 5(a), there is a state where the difference between driving force and running resistance is the largest within the range of the amount of sinkage that allows driving. The wheel speed at which the slip ratio generates such a driving force is the optimal wheel speed. For example, if vehicle body B starts to sink and the accelerator pedal 11 is depressed heavily to escape, the torque applied to the driving wheels 5 and 6 increases, causing the wheel speed to increase. The increased slip ratio causes the driving wheels 5 and 6 to dig into the road surface, increasing the amount of sinkage. In other words, the state of vehicle 1 gradually approaches the impassable region shown in the upper part of FIG. 5(b), and eventually the vehicle sinks to the point where it can no longer drive. This is the state in which vehicle 1 is stuck.

[0037] The relationship between the amount of sinking and the running resistance and driving force can be found by running tests using an actual vehicle or simulations using a vehicle model, so the amount of sinking corresponding to the above-mentioned optimum wheel speed or a nearby amount of sinking can be set as the amount of sinking that may cause the vehicle to become stuck. In step S4 described above, the possibility of the vehicle becoming stuck may be determined in this manner.

[0038] The likelihood of sinking due to the spinning of the drive wheels 5 and 6 and the amount of sinking that allows the vehicle to escape on its own vary depending on the condition or composition of the road surface, such as sand or snow. Therefore, in order to more reliably avoid getting stuck or escape on its own, it is necessary to consider the amount of sinking as well as the amount of sinking based on the road surface condition. There is a possibility that That is, in step S3, in addition to the calculated amount of sinking being equal to or greater than the judgment reference value, it is determined that the vehicle is in a stall state based on at least one of the following: a slip of any wheel at a predetermined number of revolutions or more continues for a predetermined period of time or more; the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined speed; and road surface information of the current location of the vehicle. There is a possibility that The possibility of

[0039] The determination unit 32 determines the possibility that the vehicle 1 will get stuck by any of the means described above.

[0040] If the determination in step S4 is negative because there is no possibility of the vehicle becoming stuck, or because the numerical value indicating the possibility of the vehicle becoming stuck is less than a predetermined value, the routine shown in Fig. 3 is temporarily terminated without any particular control being performed. On the other hand, if the determination in step S4 is positive because there is a possibility of the vehicle becoming stuck, or because the numerical value indicating the possibility of the vehicle becoming stuck is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the driver D of the vehicle 1 is notified that there is a possibility of the vehicle 1 becoming stuck (step S5). There is a possibility that The notification means may be any appropriate means as needed, such as visual means such as displaying characters or symbols on a monitor that displays map information in a navigation system, auditory means such as uttering words or sounding a warning sound, or tactile means such as slightly vibrating the steering wheel or seat.

[0041] At the same time, the driving force is cut off (step S6). That is, a signal is output to reduce to zero the force that occurs between the driving wheels 5, 6 and the road surface S and that moves the vehicle 1. Note that this control is a control that does not cause the driving wheels 5, 6 to slip or spin, so it is also possible to control the driving force to be reduced to a level close to zero rather than to be completely reduced to zero. Furthermore, since the control to reduce the driving force in this way essentially involves reducing the torque transmitted from the engine 2 to the driving wheels 5, 6, it may be performed by stopping the engine 2 or putting it into an idling state, or by switching the transmission 3 into a neutral state.

[0042] The signal output unit 33 outputs a signal for informing the driver D and a signal for cutting or reducing the driving force.

[0043] Therefore, in the control device according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the vehicle body B sinks on a sandy, muddy, or snowy road, the vehicle 1 stops in a state where it may become stuck, in other words, in a state where it has enough capacity to escape from the sinking state. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 1 from becoming completely stuck and being unable to move or travel.

[0044] Also, staff There is a possibility that The driver is notified of the possibility of the vehicle 1 becoming stuck and the driving force is reduced or cut, which prompts the driver to perform recovery or rescue operations to escape from the situation. For example, the vehicle may dig deep around the sunken drive wheels 5, 6, insert a running aid such as a sand ladder or a mat under the drive wheels 5, 6, or even initiate constant drive wheel speed control to maintain the rotation speed of the drive wheels 5, 6 at a predetermined rotation speed. Since such recovery or rescue operations are performed when the vehicle 1 still has sufficient power to escape from the sunken state, the control device of the embodiment of the present invention not only avoids or prevents the vehicle 1 from becoming stuck, but also ensures that the vehicle can easily and reliably escape from a situation that could lead to the vehicle becoming stuck.

[0045] Since drive force is required to escape from a sinking state that could lead to a stuck state, after step S6, it is determined whether a drive force restoration operation has been performed (step S7). This operation is an operation to cancel the control that automatically or forcibly reduced or cut off the drive force in step S6. For example, it may be an operation to touch the touch panel to erase the notification display performed by the control in step S5, an operation to turn on or off an appropriate confirmation switch, or an operation to turn off the switch for executing the control shown in FIG. 3. If the determination in step S7 is negative, the control of step S6 continues. Conversely, if the determination in step S7 is positive, a drive force restoration process is executed to restore the drive force that was forcibly reduced or cut (step S8). Thereafter, the routine shown in FIG. 3 ends.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the vehicle that can be equipped with the control device according to the present invention is not limited to an engine vehicle that uses only an internal combustion engine as a driving force source, as described above, but may be an electric vehicle that includes a motor or a motor-generator as a driving force source. In the case of an electric vehicle, the driving force can be controlled more quickly and delicately than in an engine vehicle, so that the vehicle can be easily driven. There is a possibility that In addition, in an electrically powered vehicle, the output torque of the motor is smaller than that of the engine, and the output torque may be limited by the remaining charge of the power storage device. There is a possibility that The standard values ​​for determining the possibility of a vehicle may be different from those for engine vehicles. There is a possibility that The performance varies greatly depending on the road surface condition. There is a possibility that The reference value for determining the possibility may be updated successively based on road information obtained from a navigation system or road information received from an external source. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1 vehicle 2 engines 3-speed 4 Transfer 5 Rear wheels (drive wheels) 6 Front wheels (drive wheels) 11 Accelerator pedal 12 Brake pedal 13 Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 14 Target speed selection switch 16 Transmission Electronic Control Unit (ECT-ECU) 17 Navigation system 18 Navigation Electronic Control Unit (Navi-ECU) 19 Clearance sensor 20 Safety Electronic Control Device 21 Selector switch 22 Four-wheel drive electronic control unit (4WD-ECU) 23 Speed ​​selection dial 24 Subsidence sensor 25 Wheel speed sensor 26 Acceleration sensor 27 Switch 28 Brake 29 Brake ECU 30 Electronic Engine Control Unit (EFI-ECU) 31 Subsidence calculation section 32 Judgment section 33 Signal output section B body D Driver S road surface

Claims

1. A vehicle control device having a controller that controls driving force for running, The controller a subsidence calculation unit that calculates the amount of subsidence of the vehicle body below the road surface while the driving force is being output; a determination unit that determines the possibility of the vehicle becoming stuck based on the calculated amount of subsidence and a predetermined determination reference value; a signal output unit that outputs a signal to reduce the driving force of the vehicle based on the determination result by the determination unit; A vehicle control device comprising:

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, the vehicle has a sensor for measuring a distance to a road surface; The subsidence calculation unit calculates the amount of subsidence based on the distance measured by the sensor. A vehicle control device characterized by:

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The vehicle control device, wherein the sinking calculation unit calculates the amount of sinking based on a driving state quantity including at least one of a wheel speed, a vehicle body speed, and a longitudinal acceleration.

4. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The vehicle control device is characterized in that the judgment unit judges the possibility of the vehicle becoming stuck based on at least one of the following: the calculated amount of subsidence is equal to or greater than the judgment reference value; a slip of any wheel at a rate of more than a predetermined number of revolutions continues for more than a predetermined time; the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined speed; and road surface information for the current location of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A vehicle control device characterized in that the signal output unit outputs a signal to set the driving force of the vehicle to zero when the determination unit determines that there is a possibility of the vehicle being stuck.

6. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The vehicle control device, wherein the signal output unit outputs a notification signal to notify a driver of the vehicle that the vehicle may become stuck.

Images