Vehicle control devices

Abstract

To provide a control device for a vehicle that is able to control an active suspension at a higher degree of freedom.SOLUTION: A control device for a vehicle includes: a detection device 4 that detects state information that is information on current or future acceleration generated in a carrier member 2; and a controller 5 that controls an active suspension 3, based on the state information and changes a carrier state in at least one direction selected from a vertical direction, a roll direction, and a pitch direction. When executing, on the active suspension 3, a rotation process for changing the carrier state in at least one of the roll direction and the pitch direction, based on the state information, the controller 5 executes a gravity center approach process for changing the carrier state in a direction approaching the gravity center position of the vehicle in the vertical direction, based on the state information together with the execution of the rotation process or before the execution of the rotation process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a vehicle control device. [Background technology]

[0002] In some cases, an active suspension is positioned between the seat and the vehicle body to suppress vibrations in the vehicle seat. The active suspension is configured to allow control of the force acting between the seat and the vehicle body. A controller controls the active suspension in response to vibration input to the seat so that the seat vibration is suppressed. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-509673 describes an active suspension with two degrees of freedom of motion provided in a seat. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2006-509673 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] From the perspective of occupant comfort, the vehicle control system controls the active suspension to suppress changes in the occupant's posture on the seat. For example, if the vehicle's posture changes in one direction in the roll direction, the vehicle control system uses the active suspension to change the seat's posture in the other direction in the roll direction. Similarly, if the vehicle's posture changes in one direction in the pitch direction, the vehicle control system uses the active suspension to change the seat's posture in the other direction in the pitch direction. By changing the seat's posture, the vehicle control system attempts to counteract the accelerations acting on the occupant in the longitudinal, lateral, and longitudinal directions.

[0005] Here, carrier components such as seats and beds are positioned away from the vehicle's center of gravity (also called the vehicle's center of gravity point) due to the vehicle's structure. Furthermore, the active suspension is structurally configured to allow relative movement of the carrier components relative to the vehicle body. Therefore, when the vehicle's posture changes in the roll direction, the carrier components move relative to the vehicle body to one side in the left-right direction due to the effects of gravity and centrifugal force. Similarly, when the vehicle's posture changes in the pitch direction, the carrier components move relative to the vehicle body to one side in the front-rear direction. In other words, when the active suspension changes the posture of the carrier components in the roll direction or the pitch direction, the carrier components move relative to the vehicle body in the left-right direction or the front-rear direction.

[0006] To avoid interference between carrier members and objects inside the vehicle (e.g., interior walls) due to the relative movement of carrier members, it may be necessary to limit the amount of control of the active suspension in the roll or pitch direction. Such configurations that limit control in the roll or pitch direction have room for improvement from the standpoint of occupant comfort.

[0007] Furthermore, if the carrier component is a seat, the position of the occupant's head changes as the roll or pitch direction relative to the seat is controlled. Stabilizing the position of the occupant's head when the vehicle tilts is also one of the challenges.

[0008] One object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can control an active suspension with a greater degree of freedom. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can stabilize the position of the occupant's head on the seat when the vehicle is tilted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A vehicle control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises: a carrier member mounted on a vehicle so as to be movable relative to the vehicle body, on which an occupant or an object to be transported is placed; an active suspension disposed between the carrier member and the vehicle body, capable of changing the carrier state, which is the relative position and orientation of the carrier member with respect to the vehicle body; a detection device for detecting state information, which is information relating to the current or future acceleration occurring in the carrier member; and a controller that controls the active suspension based on the state information and changes the carrier state in at least one of the vertical, roll, and pitch directions. When the controller performs a rotation process on the active suspension to change the carrier state in at least one of the roll and pitch directions based on the state information, it performs a center of gravity approach process based on the state information to change the carrier state in the vertical direction that approaches the center of gravity of the vehicle, either at the same time as or before the execution of the rotation process.

[0010] Furthermore, in a second embodiment of the present invention, the controller performs a head stabilization process at the same time as or before the execution of the rotation process. The head stabilization process is a process in which the controller calculates the direction and amount of movement of the occupant's head on the seat as predicted values ​​due to the execution of the rotation process, and changes the relative position of the seat with respect to the vehicle body upward or downward based on the predicted values ​​so that the position of the head after the execution of the rotation process approaches the area above the seat at the initial position of the seat. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] By bringing the carrier member closer to the vehicle's center of gravity through the center of gravity approach process, the relative movement of the carrier member in the lateral direction relative to the vehicle body due to the vehicle's roll direction tilt, and the relative movement of the carrier member in the longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle body due to the vehicle's pitch direction tilt, are suppressed. This reduces the limitations on the amount of control during rotation processing. In other words, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the active suspension can be controlled with a higher degree of freedom.

[0012] The head stabilization treatment can prevent the occupant's head from moving significantly away from its initial seated position. In other words, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the position of the occupant's head on the seat can be stabilized when the vehicle is tilted. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a conceptual diagram showing the state of the seat when the vehicle of this embodiment is tilted. [Figure 3] This graph shows examples of setting the first and second gains in this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing an example of control in this embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a conceptual diagram showing a modified example of the detection device of this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device 1, which is one embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition to the embodiments described below, the present invention can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. The vehicle of this embodiment has wheels 8 arranged on the front, rear, left, and right sides.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control device 1 includes a seat 2 as a carrier member, an active suspension 3, a detection device 4, and a controller 5. The carrier member is mounted on the vehicle so as to be relatively movable with respect to the vehicle body 10, and is a member on which an occupant or a transported object is placed. The carrier member can also be said to be a member that supports an occupant or a transported object, for example, inside the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the carrier member is the seat 2. The seat 2 is a member for an occupant to sit on. In addition to the seat 2, the carrier member may be, for example, a bed for an occupant to lie on inside a vehicle (such as an ambulance), a stretcher base, or a pedestal for placing a precision machine or the like (transported object).

[0016] The active suspension 3 is disposed between the seat 2 and the vehicle body 10. The active suspension 3 is installed, for example, on the bottom surface forming member of the vehicle body 10. The active suspension 3 has a plurality of actuators 33 that change the seat state (corresponding to the "carrier state"), which is the relative position and attitude of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10. The active suspension 3 is configured to be able to control the force acting between the seat 2 and the vehicle body 10. In addition to controlling the seat state, the active suspension 3 may be configured to be able to control the damping force between the vehicle body 10 and the seat 2 and / or the spring constant (elastic force) between the vehicle body 10 and the seat 2. The seat 2 connected to the active suspension 3 is also called an active seat.

[0017] Conceptually explaining an example of the active suspension 3, the active suspension 3 includes a shock absorber 31 as a damper element, a suspension spring 32 as a spring element, and a plurality of actuators 33. The plurality of actuators 33 are configured to be able to change the vertical relative position, roll relative attitude, and pitch relative attitude of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10.

[0018] In this embodiment, at least three actuators 33 are spaced apart and installed for one sheet 2, that is, for one active suspension 3. For example, three actuators 33 installed in parallel and spaced apart from each other for one sheet 2 can move the sheet 2 in the vertical direction (heave direction), and can further change the posture of the sheet 2 in the roll direction and / or the pitch direction. According to the three actuators 33, the sheet 2 can be tilted, and it becomes possible to cope with the sway in the roll direction and the sway in the pitch direction. Each actuator 33 includes an electric motor as a drive source and a speed reduction mechanism. Note that the drive source of the actuator 33 may be, for example, a hydraulic drive source.

[0019] The shock absorber 31 generates a damping force between the vehicle body 10 and the sheet 2. The shock absorber 31 may be a variable type in which the damping force (which may also be a damping coefficient or a damping ratio) can be changed, or a non-variable type in which the damping force cannot be changed. The suspension spring 32 generates an elastic force between the vehicle body 10 and the sheet 2 according to the spring constant. The suspension spring 32 may be a variable spring constant type or a non-variable spring constant type.

[0020] The detection device 4 is a device that detects state information, which is information regarding the current or future acceleration generated in the sheet 2. The state information, that is, the state of the sheet 2, can be represented by, for example, acceleration, speed, or displacement amount. If the displacement amounts at three positions of the sheet 2 can be calculated, the posture of the sheet 2 can be grasped.

[0021] The detection device 4 of this embodiment is configured to include three acceleration sensors 41, 42, and 43 that detect the acceleration in the vertical direction. The three acceleration sensors 41 to 43 are each installed on the sheet 2 at intervals from each other. For example, the acceleration sensor 41 is installed at the right front portion of the bottom surface of the sheet 2, the acceleration sensor 42 is installed at the left front portion of the bottom surface of the sheet 2, and the acceleration sensor 43 is installed at the right rear portion or the left rear portion of the bottom surface of the sheet 2.

[0022] At least three acceleration sensors 41-43 are installed on the sheet 2, and by treating the sheet 2 as a rigid body, it is possible to calculate state variables (e.g., displacement and orientation) of any plane of the sheet 2. The first-order time integral of acceleration is velocity, and the second-order time integral of acceleration is displacement. In this way, the detection device 4 of this embodiment detects information (acceleration, velocity, or displacement) related to the current acceleration generated at three positions on the sheet 2.

[0023] The controller 5 is composed of an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising one or more processors 51 and one or more memories 52. The memories 52 are communicated with the processors 51. The memories 52 may be internal or external memory. The controller 5 is communicated with the active suspension 3 and the detection device 4. For example, when a seating sensor (not shown) that determines whether or not an occupant is seated in a seat 2 determines that an occupant is present, the controller 5 controls the active suspension 3 corresponding to the seat 2 that was determined to have an occupant.

[0024] The controller 5 controls the active suspension 3 based on the detection results (state information) of the detection device 4. Based on the state information, the controller 5 changes the seat state in at least one of the vertical, roll, and pitch directions. The controller 5 controls the active suspension 3 to reduce vibration of the seat 2 and changes in the occupant's posture. Hereinafter, this control will be referred to as normal vibration damping control. In normal vibration damping control, for example, the posture of the seat 2 is controlled to counteract the acceleration in the front, rear, left, and right directions applied to the occupant due to the tilt of the vehicle.

[0025] Controller 5 controls three actuators 33 to control the vertical position, roll orientation, and pitch orientation of the seat 2. Controller 5 sets the current value of the control current supplied to each actuator 33. Controller 5 supplies the control current to the electric motor of each actuator 33 via the corresponding drive circuit (not shown). The current value of the control current correlates with the amount of extension or contraction of the actuator 33. The amount of extension or contraction of the actuator 33, i.e., the amount of displacement of the corresponding part of the seat 2 due to the operation of the actuator 33, can also be called the control amount of the actuator 33. As a normal vibration damping control, Controller 5 performs feedback control, for example, based on the detected values ​​of acceleration sensors 41-43, so that each detected value approaches a target value.

[0026] (Center of gravity approach processing) The controller 5 is configured to perform a center of gravity approach process when performing a rotation process on the active suspension 3, either simultaneously with or before the rotation process. The rotation process is a process in which the controller 5 changes the seat state in at least one of the roll direction and pitch direction based on state information. The center of gravity approach process is a process in which the controller 5 changes the seat state in the vertical direction that approaches the vehicle's center of gravity, based on state information. In the vehicle structure of this embodiment, the vehicle's center of gravity is located below the position of the seat 2. Therefore, the center of gravity approach process in this embodiment is a process in which the controller 5 changes the seat state downward.

[0027] For example, when a vehicle turns, accelerates or decelerates, or travels on an uneven road (such as a road with steps), the vehicle tilts relative to the road surface in the roll direction and / or pitch direction (see Figure 2). In this case, the seat 2 inside the vehicle also tilts relative to the road surface in the same way as the vehicle, and moves relative to the corresponding direction (forward, backward, left, or right) due to gravity and centrifugal force. The detection device 4 detects this change in the state of the seat 2 and transmits it to the controller 5. The controller 5 then controls the active suspension 3 in a manner that suppresses the tilt of the seat 2 and cancels out the lateral and / or longitudinal acceleration caused by the vehicle's tilt. The controller 5 also performs rotational processing to maintain the occupant's posture in response to the vehicle's sway. This rotational processing can also be called posture maintenance processing.

[0028] Simultaneously with executing the rotation process, the controller 5 changes the relative position of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10 downward as a center of gravity approach process. For example, when the controller 5 tilts the seat 2 to one side in the roll direction relative to the vehicle body 10 as a rotation process, it calculates the control amount for each of the three actuators 33. As an example of calculation, since the controller 5 performs the center of gravity approach process along with the rotation process, it adds or subtracts the same control amount corresponding to the downward movement to each control amount calculated in the rotation process to calculate the final control amount. As shown in Figure 2, the seat 2 as a whole moves downward relative to the vehicle body 10 while changing its posture to one side in the roll direction.

[0029] According to this embodiment, when rotation processing is performed, center of gravity approach processing is performed. As the seat 2 approaches the vehicle's center of gravity, the relative movement of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10 in the left-right direction due to the vehicle's roll direction tilt (change in posture), and the relative movement of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10 in the front-rear direction due to the vehicle's pitch direction tilt, are suppressed (see Figure 2). The center of gravity approach processing can also be described as movement suppression processing that suppresses the front-rear, front-back, left-right movement of the seat 2.

[0030] For example, if the vehicle tilts to the left and the controller 5 attempts to tilt the seat 2 to the right, and the center of gravity approach processing is not performed, the amount of tilt to the right (control amount) must be limited, otherwise the occupant or seat 2 may interfere with the interior wall of the vehicle. In this case, the controller 5 will reduce the control amount of seat 2 to avoid interference. This limitation reduces the control degrees of freedom of seat 2, and the accuracy of maintaining the seat 2's posture decreases.

[0031] However, according to this embodiment, the relative movement of the seat 2 is reduced by the center of gravity approach processing, thus reducing the limitations on the control amount in the rotation processing that takes interference into consideration. When the rotation processing is performed sufficiently, the seat 2 takes a position that cancels out the acceleration due to the tilt of the vehicle, and occupant comfort is improved. The tilt angle of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10 is greater when both rotation processing and center of gravity approach processing are performed than when only rotation processing is performed. In this way, the limitations on rotation processing are reduced by the center of gravity approach processing, making it possible to improve occupant comfort. According to this embodiment, the active suspension 3 can be controlled with a higher degree of freedom.

[0032] (Interference direction determination process) The controller 5 further determines, based on the state information, whether the change in the relative position of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10 is a change in the interference direction, which is the direction towards a predetermined object of interference. This determination process is also called the interference direction determination process. For example, the controller 5 determines whether the direction of movement of the seat 2 is left or right based on the difference in the detected values ​​of acceleration sensors 41 and 42 located on the left and right. The controller 5 also determines whether the direction of movement of the seat 2 is forward or backward based on the difference in the detected values ​​of acceleration sensors 41 and 43 located at the front and rear. If the controller 5 determines that the change in the relative position of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10 is a change in the interference direction, it increases the amount of change in the seat state during the center of gravity approach process compared to when it determines that the change in the relative position of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10 is not a change in the interference direction.

[0033] For example, around the left rear seat 2 inside the vehicle, there may be interior walls to the left and rear of seat 2. In this case, the objects of interference are the left interior wall and the rear interior wall. In other words, the interference direction of the left rear seat 2 is to the left and rear (see Figure 2). If the controller 5 determines, based on the state information, that seat 2 moves relative to the vehicle body 10 to the left, it determines that the change is a change in the direction of interference. Also, if the controller 5 determines, based on the state information, that seat 2 moves relative to the vehicle body 10 to the rear, it determines that the change is a change in the direction of interference. The controller 5 has pre-set interference directions for each seat 2 on which the active suspension 3 is installed.

[0034] For example, when controller 5 performs rotation processing, if sheet 2 moves relative to it in the interference direction, it sets the gain in the calculation of the control amount for center of gravity approach processing to the first gain. When controller 5 performs rotation processing, if sheet 2 moves relative to it in a direction other than the interference direction (also called the non-interference direction), it sets the gain in the calculation of the control amount for center of gravity approach processing to the second gain, which is smaller than the first gain (first gain > second gain). Each gain is a value that is multiplied in the calculation of the control amount and is set to be greater than or equal to 0 and less than 1 (0 ≤ gain < 1). The larger the multiplier, the larger the final control amount. The first gain can also be called the interference direction gain, and the second gain can also be called the non-interference direction gain.

[0035] Figure 3 is a graph showing an example of setting the first and second gains. The horizontal axis represents the amount of movement of sheet 2 in the forward, backward, left, and right directions (or the control amount of the rotation process), and the vertical axis represents the magnitude of the gain. In this example, the first and second gains are constant values ​​regardless of the control amount when the control amount of the rotation process is less than a predetermined value. When the control amount of the rotation process exceeds a predetermined value, the first and second gains increase as the control amount increases. In this example, the control amount of the center of gravity approach process also increases as the control amount of the rotation process increases.

[0036] Thus, when sheet 2 moves relative to sheet 2 in the interference direction, controller 5 moves sheet 2 relatively significantly downward, and when sheet 2 moves relative to sheet 2 in the non-interference direction, controller 5 moves sheet 2 relatively slightly downward. In other words, the control amount for the center of gravity approach process is set to be relatively large when sheet 2 moves in the interference direction and relatively small when sheet 2 moves in the non-interference direction. Note that the control amount for the center of gravity approach process or the second gain when sheet 2 moves in the non-interference direction may be set to 0. In other words, controller 5 may be configured not to perform the center of gravity approach process when sheet 2 moves relative to sheet 2 in the non-interference direction. To put it another way, controller 5 may perform the center of gravity approach process only when sheet 2 moves relative to sheet 2 in the interference direction.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, the controller 5 calculates the control amount for the rotation process on the sheet 2 based on the state information (S1). The controller 5 determines, based on the state information, whether the relative movement direction of the sheet 2 is the interference direction or not (S2). If the relative movement direction of the sheet 2 is the interference direction (S2: Yes), the controller 5 calculates the control amount for the center of gravity approach process using the first gain (S3). On the other hand, if the relative movement direction of the sheet 2 is the non-interference direction (S2: No), the controller 5 calculates the control amount for the center of gravity approach process using the second gain (S4). The controller 5 executes the rotation process and the center of gravity approach process based on the calculated control amounts for the rotation process and the center of gravity approach process (S5).

[0038] The vehicle control device 1 is equipped with an image sensor 6 that detects the conditions inside the vehicle (positions of occupants and objects). The controller 5 may set interference targets (or interference directions) based on the detection results of the image sensor 6, in addition to or instead of pre-set interference targets (or interference directions). If the controller 5 determines, based on the detection results of the image sensor 6, that other occupants or objects (e.g., luggage) are present around the seat 2, it sets them as interference targets.

[0039] Further, the controller 5 may calculate the amount of movement of the occupant's head in the left - right direction and / or the front - rear direction on the seat 2 based on the roll angle and pitch angle of the vehicle body 10 and the roll angle and pitch angle of the seat 2 in the calculation of the control amount of the centroid approach process. The controller 5 may determine the control amount of the centroid approach process based on the calculation result of the occupant's movement amount. For example, when the controller 5 calculates the control amount of the centroid approach process based on the amount of movement of the occupant's head in the left - right direction, the following formula (1) is used. F H =α(φ b H b +φ s H s ) ·····(1)

[0040] F H is the control amount of the centroid approach process. φ b is the roll angle of the vehicle body 10. φ s is the roll angle of the seat 2. H b is the vertical separation distance between the center of gravity above the spring (the center of gravity of the vehicle body 10) and the occupant's head. H s is the vertical separation distance between the connection position of the active suspension 3 and the vehicle body 10 and the occupant's head. α is a gain. The larger the amount of movement of the occupant's head to the left and right, the larger the control amount F H That is, the amount of movement of the seat 2 downward becomes larger. Thereby, the amount of movement of the occupant's head due to the rotation process is reduced, and it is suppressed that the occupant interferes with an object in the vehicle. By using the pitch angle instead of the roll angle, the amount of movement of the occupant in the front - rear direction can be calculated.

[0041] The vertical movement due to the centroid approach process may give the occupant a slight sense of discomfort. Therefore, as described above, by changing the control amount of the centroid approach process when the movement direction of the seat 2 is the interference direction and when it is the non - interference direction, it is possible to secure the necessary control freedom with the minimum necessary centroid approach process.

[0042] Furthermore, in order to minimize any discomfort that may be caused to the occupant by the center of gravity approach process, restrictions may be placed on the movement of seat 2 (movement speed and movement frequency) due to the center of gravity approach process. If restrictions are placed on the center of gravity approach process, the amount of control for the rotation process will also need to be limited. If the priority is to suppress discomfort caused by vertical movement, the movement of the center of gravity approach process will be partially restricted, and the movement of the rotation process will be restricted accordingly. However, even in this case, the degree of freedom of the rotation process will be improved compared to when the center of gravity approach process is not performed.

[0043] (Head stabilization treatment) The controller 5 may be configured to perform a head stabilization process that controls the active suspension 3 based on state information, either at the same time as or before the rotation process is performed, so that the position of the head after the rotation process is close to the area above the seat 2 at the initial position of the seat 2 (hereinafter referred to as the initial seating area) (see Figures 1 and 2). The initial position of the seat 2 is the position of the seat 2 when the seat 2 is not moving relative to the vehicle body 10 (uncontrolled, stationary state). The initial seating area is, for example, demarcated by the front end, rear end, left end, and right end of the initial position of the seat 2.

[0044] The head stabilization process involves the controller 5 calculating the direction and amount of movement of the occupant's head on the seat 2 as predicted values ​​due to the execution of the rotation process, and changing the seat state (the relative position of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10) upward or downward based on the predicted values ​​so that the occupant's head approaches the initial seating area after the rotation process is executed. The predicted values ​​(predicted values ​​for the position of the occupant's head) may be set in advance based on the relationship between the control amount and control direction of the rotation process.

[0045] For example, as shown in Figure 2, when the vehicle tilts to the left, the seat 2 is tilted to the right by rotation processing to correspond to the lateral acceleration to the left acting on the occupant. At this time, the seat 2 moves relative to the vehicle body 10 to the left, and the occupant's body tilts relative to the right. The position of the occupant's head can be calculated, for example, by assuming that the occupant is sitting perpendicular to the seat surface of the seat 2, using the occupant's sitting height, the amount of movement of the seat 2, and the tilt angle of the seat 2. In the controller 5, the occupant's sitting height is set to a predetermined value.

[0046] Controller 5 calculates the position of the occupant's head as it changes due to the rotation process based on predicted values, and performs head stabilization processing as necessary. For example, if Controller 5 determines that the occupant's head is located outside the initial seating area as a result of the rotation process, it performs head stabilization processing. Even if Seat 2 moves relatively to the left, if Seat 2 tilts significantly to the right due to the rotation process, the occupant's head may be located to the right of the initial seat position. In this case, Controller 5 can move the occupant's head to the left (i.e., in the direction closer to the initial seating area) by moving Seat 2 relatively upward through head stabilization processing.

[0047] Here, if the center of gravity approach process is performed along with the rotation process, the direction of movement of seat 2 due to the center of gravity approach process and the direction of movement of seat 2 due to the head stabilization process may be opposite. In this case, the relative vertical movement of seat 2 is performed by the control amounts that cancel each other out in the vertical direction. The control amount for the center of gravity approach process may be canceled out by the control amount for the head stabilization process.

[0048] Controller 5 may perform head stabilization processing only if it determines, as a result of rotation processing and center of gravity approach processing, that the occupant's head is located outside the initial seating area. It can also be said that Controller 5 performs center of gravity approach processing that takes the occupant's head position into consideration so that the occupant's head does not move away from the initial seating area even when rotation processing is performed. In other words, Controller 5 may incorporate head stabilization processing into center of gravity approach processing (executing both simultaneously). Alternatively, Controller 5 may perform only head stabilization processing among head stabilization processing and center of gravity approach processing in response to rotation processing. Thus, Controller 5 performs at least one of center of gravity approach processing and head stabilization processing in response to rotation processing based on state information. An example of calculating the position of the occupant's head can be found in equation (1) above.

[0049] By configuring the controller 5 to perform head stabilization processing, it can move the seat 2 relatively upward or downward in response to rotation processing, thereby preventing the occupant's head from leaving the initial seating area. This ensures that even when the vehicle tilts forward, backward, left, or right and rotation processing is performed, the distance between the occupant and objects (e.g., interior walls) inside the vehicle can be appropriately maintained. The controller 5 may also move the seat 2 relatively upward or downward as part of the head stabilization processing so that the occupant's head remains within the initial seating area or within a predetermined area including the initial seating area.

[0050] (Variation of detection device) The detection device 4 is not limited to the above, but may also include, for example, a device for detecting information on the road surface on which the target wheel is scheduled to travel (road surface information). The road surface information includes, for example, the vertical displacement of the road surface, the velocity (time derivative of displacement), and / or the acceleration (time derivative of velocity). In other words, the road surface information is information related to the vertical displacement of the road surface on which the wheel is scheduled to travel. The target wheel can be set as appropriate.

[0051] As an example, the detection device 4, as shown in Figure 5, includes an ECU 44 and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 45. The memory of the ECU 44 stores a road surface information map Mp, which includes map information and road surface information associated with the map information. Based on the road surface information map Mp and the vehicle's position information, the ECU 44 can detect the amount of unsprung weight when the vehicle has traveled X meters or t seconds later. Note that the ECU 44 may be the same ECU as the controller 5.

[0052] Based on the detection results of the detection device 4, the controller 5 calculates the state of the seat 2 (e.g., relative direction of movement and amount of movement) as a predicted value when the target wheel is traveling on the planned road surface and normal vibration damping control is performed. Based on the predicted value, the controller 5 performs the center of gravity approach process together with or before the rotation process. This achieves the same effect as in the above embodiment. Since the controller 5 can calculate the relative direction of movement of the seat 2 in advance, it can perform the center of gravity approach process even before the rotation process is performed. For example, if it is known in advance that the seat 2 will move significantly relative to the center of gravity, the controller 5 may perform the center of gravity approach process gradually (at a low speed) in advance.

[0053] Furthermore, the road surface information may also be the detection result of a surrounding monitoring device including a camera and / or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). In other words, the detection device 4 may include a surrounding monitoring device. The controller 5 may detect irregularities on the road surface and calculate predicted values ​​based on the detection result of the surrounding monitoring device.

[0054] (others) The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the detection device 4 may be configured to include a device for detecting future turns and acceleration / deceleration in autonomous driving. The detection device 4 may be configured to include, for example, an autonomous driving ECU. The autonomous driving ECU recognizes where, in what direction, and to what extent the vehicle will be turned. In other words, the autonomous driving ECU has prior knowledge of the timing of turns and acceleration / deceleration. The controller 5 obtains information from the autonomous driving ECU regarding the timing of turns, the direction of turns, the amount of turns (steering angle), the timing of acceleration, the acceleration at that timing, the timing of deceleration, and the deceleration at that timing. As a result, the controller 5 can perform rotation processing and center of gravity approach processing (and / or head stabilization processing) in accordance with or prior to the timing of turns or acceleration / deceleration.

[0055] Furthermore, the detection device 4 may also consist of three or more acceleration sensors installed spaced apart on the vehicle body 10 to detect vertical acceleration. Even with this configuration, by treating the vehicle body 10 as a rigid body, it is possible to calculate state variables (e.g., displacement and posture) of any plane of the vehicle body 10. The controller 5 can calculate the state variables of the seat 2 based on the state variables of the vehicle body 10. This allows the controller 5 to perform rotation processing and center of gravity approach processing (and / or head stabilization processing). The detection device 4 may also consist of acceleration sensors installed on the carrier member or the vehicle body 10 to detect longitudinal acceleration and / or acceleration sensors to detect lateral acceleration.

[0056] Furthermore, the actuators 33 may be positioned according to the location of the object of interference. For example, when controlling the carrier member with three degrees of freedom in the vertical, roll, and pitch directions, three actuators 33 are required, but the controllable area changes depending on their position. Relatively, many of the actuators 33 of the carrier member may be positioned on the side farther from the object of interference. For example, for the right rear seat 2, which has objects of interference set to the right and rear, actuators 33 are positioned at the right front, left front, and left rear, respectively. This suppresses the relative movement of the seat 2 in the direction of interference, and allows for a relatively large center of gravity approach in the non-interference direction.

[0057] Furthermore, the controller 5 may be composed of multiple ECUs. Also, the term "ECU" in this disclosure is synonymous with "computer" and can be replaced with "computer". [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 1...Vehicle control device, 2...Seat (carrier component), 3...Active suspension, 4...Detection device, 5...Controller, 6...Image sensor, 10...Vehicle body.

Claims

1. A carrier member mounted on a vehicle so as to be movable relative to the vehicle body, on which occupants or transported objects are placed, An active suspension is provided between the carrier member and the vehicle body, which can change the carrier state, which is the relative position and orientation of the carrier member with respect to the vehicle body. A detection device for detecting state information, which is information relating to the current or future acceleration applied to the carrier member, A controller that controls the active suspension based on the aforementioned state information and changes the carrier state in at least one of the vertical, roll, and pitch directions, Equipped with, When the controller performs a rotation process on the active suspension to change the carrier state in at least one of the roll direction and the pitch direction based on the state information, it performs a center of gravity approach process to change the carrier state in the vertical direction that approaches the center of gravity of the vehicle, based on the state information, together with or before the execution of the rotation process. Vehicle control device.

2. Based on the state information, the controller determines whether the change in the relative position of the carrier member with respect to the vehicle body is a change in the interference direction, which is a change in the direction of approaching a predetermined object of interference. If it is determined that the change in the relative position of the carrier member with respect to the vehicle body is a change in the interference direction, the amount of change in the carrier state during the center of gravity approach process is increased compared to when it is determined that the change in the relative position of the carrier member with respect to the vehicle body is not a change in the interference direction. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

3. The vehicle further includes an image sensor for detecting the interior conditions of the vehicle, The controller sets the interference target based on the detection result of the image sensor. The vehicle control device according to claim 2.

4. The carrier member is a sheet, The controller, together with or before executing the rotation process, performs the center of gravity approach process and head stabilization process on the active suspension based on the state information. The head stabilization process involves the controller calculating the direction and amount of movement of the occupant's head on the seat as predicted values ​​due to the execution of the rotation process, and changing the carrier state upward or downward based on the predicted values ​​so that the position of the head after the execution of the rotation process approaches the area above the seat in the initial position of the seat. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A seat mounted on the vehicle so as to be movable relative to the vehicle body, on which an occupant or transported object is placed, An active suspension positioned between the seat and the vehicle body, which can change the seat state, which is the relative position and orientation of the seat with respect to the vehicle body, A detection device for detecting state information which is information relating to the current or future acceleration occurring on the sheet, A controller that controls the active suspension based on the state information and changes the seat state in at least one of the vertical, roll, and pitch directions, Equipped with, When the controller performs a rotation process on the active suspension to change the seat in at least one of the roll direction and the pitch direction based on the state information, it performs a head stabilization process based on the state information at the same time as or before the execution of the rotation process, The head stabilization process involves the controller calculating the direction and amount of movement of the occupant's head on the seat as predicted values ​​due to the execution of the rotation process, and changing the seat state upward or downward based on the predicted values ​​so that the position of the head after the execution of the rotation process approaches the area above the seat in the initial position of the seat. Vehicle control device.

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