Vehicle control devices

Abstract

To provide a control device for a vehicle which can keep and improve comfort of a specific crew member who is sleeping or going to sleep.SOLUTION: A control device for a vehicle comprises: a vibration information detection device 4 which detects information regarding vibration of a seat 2; a drowsiness detection device 6 which detects a status regarding drowsiness of a crew member seated on a seat 2; and a controller 5 which controls an active suspension 3. The controller 5 determines whether a specific crew member being a crew member other than a driver in manual operation is sleeping or going to sleep or not, based on the detection result of the drowsiness detection device 6, determines whether the vibration of the seat 2 is less than a specified value or not, based on the detection result of the vibration information detection device 4, and controls, when the specific crew member is determined to be sleeping or going to sleep and the vibration of the seat 2 is determined to be less than the specified value, the active suspension 3 so that the vibration of the seat 2 is the specified value or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device for controlling an active suspension. [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 Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Active suspension is controlled to suppress seat vibrations. However, for occupants who are sleeping or trying to sleep in their seats, a certain level of vibration may be more comfortable.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can maintain and improve comfort for a specific occupant who is sleeping or about to sleep. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle control device of the present invention comprises: an active suspension having an actuator positioned between the vehicle seat and the vehicle body and changing the relative position of the seat with respect to the vehicle body; a vibration information detection device for detecting information regarding the vibration of the seat; a drowsiness detection device for detecting the drowsiness state of an occupant seated in the seat; and a controller for controlling the active suspension. The controller determines, based on the detection result of the drowsiness detection device, whether a specific occupant, who is not the driver during manual driving, is sleeping or about to fall asleep. The controller also determines, based on the detection result of the vibration information detection device, whether the vibration of the seat is below a predetermined value. Furthermore, if the controller determines that the specific occupant is sleeping or about to fall asleep, and that the vibration of the seat is below the predetermined value, it controls the active suspension so that the vibration of the seat is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when a passenger who is not the driver (a designated passenger) is sleeping or attempting to sleep on the seat during manual driving, the vibration of the seat is maintained above a predetermined value. It is known that passengers find it easier to sleep in a seat that generates a predetermined vibration than in a seat that does not vibrate. For example, if a designated passenger is sleeping and the vehicle speed decreases, causing the seat vibration to decrease, the passenger's sleep may become lighter, and they may wake up. However, according to the present invention, since the seat vibration is maintained above a predetermined value in specific situations, the comfort of the designated passenger who is sleeping or attempting to sleep on the seat can be maintained and improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows an example of control for the vehicle control device of this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a conceptual diagram of the filter in this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing a configuration of a first modified example of this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device, 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.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control device 1 comprises an active suspension 3, a vibration information detection device 4, a controller 5, and a drowsiness detection device 6. The active suspension 3 is positioned between the seat 2 and the vehicle body 10. The active suspension 3 is installed, for example, on a bottom surface forming member of the vehicle body 10. The active suspension 3 is configured to control the forces acting between the seat 2 and the vehicle body 10. The active suspension 3 is configured to control, for example, the relative position of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10 (e.g., moving force or holding force), the damping force between the vehicle body 10 and the seat 2, and the spring constant (elastic force) between the vehicle body 10 and the seat 2. The active suspension 3 includes an actuator 33, which is configured to adjust at least the relative position (displacement) of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body. The seat 2 connected to the active suspension 3 is also called the active seat.

[0011] 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 an actuator 33. The actuator 33 changes the vertical relative position of the seat 2 with respect to the vehicle body 10. The seat 2 moves vertically by the drive of the actuator 33. The actuator 33 includes an electric motor as a drive source and a reduction mechanism. Note that the drive source of the actuator 33 may be, for example, a hydraulic drive source. One or more actuators 33 are installed for one seat 2. Note that by arranging a plurality of actuators 33 for one seat 2 apart from each other, the seat 2 can be tilted, and for example, it is also possible to cope with rocking in the roll direction and rocking in the pitch direction.

[0012] The shock absorber 31 generates a damping force between the vehicle body 10 and the seat 2. The shock absorber 31 may be a variable type whose damping force (which may also be a damping coefficient or a damping ratio) can be changed, or a non-variable type whose damping force cannot be changed. The suspension spring 32 generates an elastic force between the vehicle body 10 and the seat 2 according to the spring constant. The suspension spring 32 may be a variable spring constant type or a non-variable spring constant type. The active suspension 3 may include, for example, a link mechanism (such as a configuration like a pantograph) such that the movable part of the seat 2 has freedom only in the vertical direction. In this case, for example, the actuator 33 may be connected in parallel to the shock absorber 31 and the suspension spring 32 that act on the operation of the link mechanism.

[0013] The vibration information detection device 4 is a device that detects information regarding the vibration of the seat 2. The vibration information detection device 4 in the present embodiment is an acceleration sensor that detects the vertical acceleration installed on the seat 2 as information regarding the vibration of the seat 2. The vibration information detection device 4 transmits the detection result to the controller 5. The controller 5 calculates the vertical acceleration, speed, or displacement amount of the seat 2 as the vibration of the seat 2 based on the detection result of the vibration information detection device 4. Although not described in detail below, the vibration information detection device 4 may be a device that detects, as information regarding the vibration of the seat 2, in addition to the above, for example, the vertical acceleration of the vehicle body 10, information regarding the road surface on which the target wheel is scheduled to travel, or information regarding the vehicle speed which is the speed of the vehicle.

[0014] The controller 5 is configured by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) including one or more processors 51 and one or more memories 52. The memory 52 is communicably connected to the processor 51. The memory 52 may be an internal memory or an external memory. The controller 5 is communicably connected to the active suspension 3, the vibration information detection device 4, and the drowsiness detection device 6. The controller 5 controls the active suspension 3 corresponding to the seat 2 determined to have an occupant when, for example, a seating sensor (not shown) that determines the presence or absence of an occupant on the seat 2 determines that there is an occupant.

[0015] The controller 5 is configured to control the active suspension 3 based on the detection result of the vibration information detection device 4. The controller 5 controls the active suspension 3 so as to reduce the vibration of the seat 2 (normal vibration control described later). The controller 5 controls the actuator 33 and controls the relative position of the seat 2 in the vertical direction. The controller 5 sets the current value of the control current supplied to the actuator 33. The controller 5 supplies the control current to the electric motor of the actuator 33 via a drive circuit (not shown). The current value of the control current correlates with the expansion and contraction amount of the actuator 33. The expansion and contraction amount of the actuator 33, that is, the displacement amount of the seat 2 due to the operation of the actuator 33 can also be said to be the control amount of the actuator 33.

[0016] The drowsiness detection device 6 is a device that detects the drowsiness status of an occupant seated in seat 2. More specifically, the drowsiness detection device 6 is a device that detects whether an occupant on seat 2 is sleeping or about to sleep. In this embodiment, the drowsiness detection device 6 is an image sensor installed inside the vehicle cabin that captures images of the occupant on seat 2. Based on the image data captured by the drowsiness detection device 6, the occupant's drowsiness level is determined. The drowsiness level is set to include at least three stages, for example, "sleeping," "about to sleep (looks sleepy)," and "not sleeping (not sleepy at all)."

[0017] More specifically, the drowsiness detection device 6 includes a camera 61 that images the occupant and an ECU 62 that determines the drowsiness level based on the image data. The camera 61 is installed, for example, in the rearview mirror, dashboard, or instrument panel inside the vehicle. The camera 61 detects the occupant's state. The ECU 62 evaluates the occupant's drowsiness state from the image data of the occupant (e.g., an image of the occupant's face) using a known drowsiness estimation algorithm. For example, the ECU 62 detects the degree to which the occupant's eyes are open and the number of times they close their eyes from the image data, and determines a preset drowsiness level. The drowsiness detection device 6 transmits the detection result (determination result) to the controller 5. The drowsiness detection device 6 may also be configured to operate when the presence of an occupant is determined by the seating sensor. The drowsiness detection device 6 can also be called an occupant state monitor.

[0018] (Sleep assistance control and normal vibration damping control) As shown in Figure 2, the controller 5 is configured to perform drowsiness detection processing S1, vibration detection processing S2, sleep assistance control S3, and normal vibration damping control S4. Drowsiness detection processing S1 is a process in which the controller 5 determines, based on the detection result of the drowsiness detection device 6, whether a specific occupant, who is not the driver during manual driving, is sleeping or about to sleep. A specific occupant is a non-driver (passenger) or an occupant seated in the driver's seat during automatic driving that does not require operation. A specific occupant can also be described as an occupant who is not driving or an occupant who does not need to drive.

[0019] If the detection result (sleepiness level) of the drowsiness detection device 6 corresponds to "sleeping," the controller 5 determines that the specific occupant on seat 2 is sleeping. If the detection result (sleepiness level) of the drowsiness detection device 6 corresponds to "trying to fall asleep," the controller 5 determines that the specific occupant on seat 2 is trying to fall asleep. Note that the processing of the ECU 62 of the drowsiness detection device 6 may be performed by the controller 5. Also, the ECU 62 may be part of the controller 5.

[0020] Furthermore, if each of the active suspensions 3 of multiple seats 2, including the driver's seat, is controlled by the controller 5, the controller 5 also determines whether the occupant is the driver and whether the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode (a driving mode in which the driver does not need to operate). The controller 5 can perform the above determination based, for example, on the detection results of the drowsiness detection device 6 and driving status information. Driving status information is information indicating whether the current driving status is, for example, manual driving or autonomous driving. Driving status information is stored, for example, in other on-board ECUs (e.g., autonomous driving ECU) and / or control systems. The controller 5 obtains driving status information from the on-board ECU and determines whether the vehicle is in manual driving or autonomous driving mode.

[0021] Whether an occupant is the driver can be determined based on the detection result of the drowsiness detection device 6 (image sensor), or, for example, based on the detection result of the seating sensor. The controller 5 determines that an occupant seated in the driver's seat is the driver. The controller 5 is set not to execute sleep assistance control S3 on seat 2 where a driver is seated while manually driving. In other words, the controller executes sleep assistance control S3 only on seat 2 where a specific occupant is seated.

[0022] Thus, the drowsiness detection device 6 is an image sensor that captures images of the occupant, and at least one of the drowsiness detection device 6 and the controller 5 determines the occupant's drowsiness level based on the captured data of the occupant. The drowsiness level includes at least three stages: sleeping, trying to sleep, and not sleeping. The controller 5 determines whether the occupant is sleeping or trying to sleep based on the drowsiness level.

[0023] The vibration determination process S2 is a process in which the controller 5 determines whether the vibration of the sheet 2 is below a predetermined value based on the detection result of the vibration information detection device 4. The magnitude of vibration can be expressed as displacement (amplitude), velocity, or acceleration. The detection result can also be called the detected value. The controller 5 calculates the magnitude of the vibration of the sheet 2 based on the vertical acceleration of the sheet 2 detected by the vibration information detection device 4. The controller 5 can calculate the vertical acceleration, vertical velocity (first-order time integral of acceleration), and vertical displacement (second-order time integral of acceleration) of the sheet 2 based on the detected value of the vibration information detection device 4. The predetermined value is set to the vertical acceleration, velocity, or displacement (amplitude) to correspond to this calculated value.

[0024] Controller 5 compares, for example, the vertical amplitude of the calculated sheet 2 with a predetermined value set as an amplitude threshold. Controller 5 determines whether the amplitude of the calculated value is less than the predetermined value. The comparison between the vibration and the predetermined value may be performed over the entire frequency band of the vibration, or only over a specific frequency band of the vibration. As shown in Figure 3, vibrations in a specific frequency band can be obtained by applying a filter 8 to the vibration signal. Filter 8 is, for example, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, or a band-pass filter.

[0025] For example, there is evidence that low-frequency vibrations induce drowsiness in infants. Based on this evidence, the vehicle control device 1 may be configured to detect only low-frequency vibrations by applying a low-pass filter to the detected values ​​of the vibration information detection device 4. In this case, the controller 5 determines whether the low-frequency vibrations of the seat 2 are below a predetermined value. The vehicle control device 1 may also be configured to detect vibrations in a specific frequency band, depending on the findings adopted by the designer.

[0026] Thus, the controller 5 may determine, based on the detection results of the vibration information detection device 4, whether or not the vibration of a specific frequency band among the vibrations of the seat 2 is below a predetermined value. In this case, if the controller 5 determines that a specific occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and also determines that the vibration of a specific frequency band among the vibrations of the seat 2 is below a predetermined value, it controls the active suspension so that the vibration of the specific frequency band in the seat 2 becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value. The term "vibration of the seat 2" is a concept that includes "vibration of a specific frequency band among the vibrations of the seat 2."

[0027] Normal vibration damping control S4 is a type of control of the active suspension 3 performed by the controller 5. Specifically, normal vibration damping control S4 is the controller 5 controlling the active suspension 3 to reduce vibrations of the seat 2 based on the detected values ​​of various on-board sensors (e.g., vibration information detection device 4) that detect vibration information. For example, normal vibration damping control S4 is a feedback control in which the controller 5 controls the active suspension 3 so that the detected or calculated value of the on-board sensor approaches a target value.

[0028] When the normal vibration damping control S4 is executed, the value detected by the acceleration sensor (vibration information detection device 4) installed on the seat 2 becomes a value reduced by the active suspension 3. The on-board sensor used in the normal vibration damping control S4 is not limited to the vibration information detection device 4, but may also be an acceleration sensor or vehicle height sensor installed on the vehicle body 10 that detects vertical acceleration. In this way, the controller 5 is configured to execute the normal vibration damping control, which controls the active suspension 3 to reduce the vibration of the seat 2.

[0029] Sleep assistance control S3 is a type of control of the active suspension 3 performed by the controller 5. Specifically, sleep assistance control S3 is when the controller 5 determines that a specific occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the vibration of the seat 2 is below a predetermined value, and controls the active suspension 3 so that the vibration of the seat 2 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The target value of the vibration of the seat 2 in sleep assistance control S3 may be set to a predetermined value. In this case, sleep assistance control S3 controls the active suspension 3 so that the vibration of the seat 2 becomes equal to the predetermined value. In this embodiment, sleep assistance control S3 is performed together with normal vibration damping control S4. Hereinafter, the case in which the controller 5 determines that a specific occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the vibration of the seat 2 is below a predetermined value, will also be referred to as a predetermined case.

[0030] The controller 5 performs vibration addition processing and / or control amount adjustment processing in order to make the vibration of the seat 2 equal to or greater than a predetermined value in a predetermined case. The vibration addition processing is a process in which the controller 5 controls the actuator 33 to apply a certain vibration (a predetermined vibration) to the seat 2 so that the vibration of the seat 2 equals or greater than a predetermined value. In a predetermined case, the controller 5 applies vibration to the seat 2 using the actuator 33 as part of the vibration addition processing so that the vibration of the seat 2 equals or greater than a predetermined value.

[0031] The controller 5 can determine the vibration status of sheet 2 (amplitude, velocity, acceleration, frequency, etc.) based on the values ​​detected by the vibration information detection device 4. Comparison of vibration with predetermined values ​​can be performed, for example, by unifying the values ​​of both vibrations using amplitude, velocity, or acceleration, and then comparing the magnitudes of both.

[0032] As an example of vibration addition processing, the controller 5 calculates the difference between the current vibration and a predetermined value, i.e., the vibration deficiency in sleep assistance. Based on the vibration deficiency, the controller 5 controls the actuator 33. The controller 5 may, for example, add a control amount corresponding to the deficiency to the control amount of the normal vibration damping control S4 and then control the actuator 33. The controller 5 may also add only vertical vibration to the seat 2. This is because it is known that if vibration in the roll direction or pitch direction is added to the seat 2, the occupant's head will move more easily, reducing occupant comfort.

[0033] In the vibration addition process, the controller 5 may control the actuator 33 to increase the amplitude by matching the phase with the current vertical vibration of the sheet 2. When the sheet 2 is vibrating with a small amplitude due to or without the normal vibration damping control S4, the vibration addition process is executed so that an upward force is applied to the sheet 2 by the actuator 33 in time with the upward movement of the sheet 2. Similarly, a downward force is applied to the sheet 2 by the actuator 33 in response to the downward movement of the sheet 2. This increases the amplitude of the vibration of the sheet 2. The controller 5 controls the actuator 33 so that a desired vibration occurs in the sheet 2, whether in accordance with the vibration or not. In the vibration addition process, the controller 5 may add vibrations of a specific frequency band to the sheet 2.

[0034] The control variable adjustment process is a process in which the controller 5 adjusts the control gain used in calculating the control variable of the actuator 33 in normal vibration damping control S4, or adjusts the control variable itself. The control variable corresponds, for example, to the value of the control current supplied to the electric motor of the actuator 33. In normal vibration damping control S4, the controller 5 calculates a state variable (e.g., displacement) of the sheet 2 based on the detected vibration, and calculates the control variable by multiplying that state variable by the control gain. The controller 5 can adjust the control variable of the actuator 33 by adjusting the value of the control gain (0 < control gain ≤ 1). For example, the smaller the control gain, the smaller the control variable.

[0035] When the vibration is below a predetermined value due to the execution of normal vibration damping control S4, the controller 5 reduces the control gain in the control amount adjustment process so that the vibration of the seat 2 becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value. As the control gain decreases and the control amount of the actuator 33 decreases, the damping force against the input vibration decreases, and the vibration of the seat 2 increases.

[0036] Controller 5 may reduce the control gain or control amount only for vibrations in a specific frequency band during the control amount adjustment process. For example, Controller 5 can obtain a control amount for a specific frequency band by applying a bandpass filter to the control amount in the normal vibration damping control S4 when the control amount adjustment process is not performed. Controller 5 may reduce the control amount for the specific frequency band or set the control amount to zero. If the control amount is set to zero, the normal vibration damping control S4 is not performed for vibrations in the specific frequency band. In this way, Controller 5 can reduce or set to zero the control amount for vibrations in a specific frequency band that is considered to contribute to improving comfort.

[0037] Control amount F for actuator 33 se For example, it is calculated using the following equations (1) to (3). F se1 This is the lower control variable. The lower control variable is the control variable for vibrations of the vehicle body 10 below seat 2. Z se1is the vertical displacement of the part of the vehicle body 10 installed on the seat 2. C se is the damping coefficient of the shock absorber 31. k se is the spring constant of the suspension spring 32. The characteristics such as the damping coefficient and spring constant of the active suspension 3 are preset. s is the Laplace operator. α1 is the velocity term gain. β1 is the displacement term gain. F se2 is the upper control quantity. The upper control quantity is the control quantity for the vibration of the seat 2. Z se2 is the vertical displacement of the seat 2. α2 is the velocity term gain. β2 is the displacement term gain. F se is the control quantity of the actuator 33 at the time of calculation. Z se1 and Z se2 are calculated based on the detection results of various vehicle-mounted sensors, such as the vertical acceleration sensor installed on the seat 2 and / or the vertical acceleration sensor installed on the vehicle body 10. The controller 5 can adjust any of the control gains α1, α2, β1, β2. F se1 =α1C se Z se1 s + β1k se Z se1 ·····(1) F se2 =α2C se Z se2 s + β2k se Z se2 ·····(2) F se =F se1 +F se2 ·······(3)

[0038] Thus, when the controller 5 determines that a specific occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and determines that the vibration of the seat 2 is less than a predetermined value in the state where the normal vibration control S4 is executed, as a control quantity adjustment process, the control quantity or control gain for the actuator 33 in the normal vibration control S4 is reduced so that the vibration of the seat 2 becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the controller 5 performs normal vibration damping control S4 and determines whether a specific occupant is sleeping or about to sleep based on the detection result of the drowsiness detection device 6 (S1). If the controller 5 determines that the specific occupant is sleeping or about to sleep (S1: Yes), it determines whether the vibration of the seat 2 is below a predetermined value based on the detection result of the vibration information detection device 4 (S2). If the controller 5 determines that the vibration is below a predetermined value (S2: Yes), it performs sleep assistance control while continuing normal vibration damping control S4 (S3). In sleep assistance control S3, at least one of vibration addition processing and control amount adjustment processing is performed. Note that the controller 5 may temporarily suspend normal vibration damping control S4 when executing sleep assistance control S3.

[0040] On the other hand, if the controller 5 determines that a specific occupant is not sleeping or is not trying to sleep (S1: No), or if it determines that the vibration is above a predetermined value (S2: No), it does not execute sleep assistance control S3 and continues to execute normal vibration damping control (S4). The controller 5 performs this process at predetermined intervals. If the drowsiness determination process S1 is No or the vibration determination process S2 is No, the controller 5 continues to execute normal vibration damping control S4. In addition, for the seat 2 in which the driver is seated during manual driving, the controller 5 does not execute sleep assistance control S3 and continues to execute normal vibration damping control S4. The execution order of the drowsiness determination process S1 and the vibration determination process S2 may be the reverse of the order shown in Figure 2.

[0041] According to this embodiment, when a specific occupant is sleeping or attempting to sleep on seat 2, the vibration of seat 2 is maintained above a predetermined value. There is evidence that occupants find it easier to sleep on seat 2 that is vibrating above a predetermined value than on seat 2 that is not vibrating. For example, if a specific occupant is sleeping and the vehicle speed decreases, causing the vibration of seat 2 to decrease, the occupant's sleep may become lighter, and they may wake up. However, according to this embodiment, since the vibration of seat 2 is maintained above a predetermined value, the comfort of the specific occupant who is sleeping or attempting to sleep on seat 2 can be improved.

[0042] For example, even in vehicles where the vibration level is constantly changing, by implementing the normal vibration damping control S4 and sleep assistance control S3, it is possible to appropriately move the occupants while avoiding unnecessary energy, such as shaking them more than necessary, thereby improving occupant comfort and sleep quality. According to the control quantity adjustment process, the desired vibration is achieved by utilizing the vibration originally input to seat 2, which is superior from the standpoint of energy efficiency.

[0043] (First modified example of a vibration information detection device) The vibration information detection device 4 is not limited to the above, and may, for example, be a device that detects information about the road surface on which the target wheels are scheduled to travel. In this case, as shown in Figure 4, the vibration information detection device 4 is configured to include an ECU 41 having one or more processors and one or more memories, and a position detection device 42 that detects the position of the vehicle. Note that the ECU 41 may be the same ECU as the controller 5. The memory may be internal or external memory.

[0044] In this embodiment, all wheels 9 are set as target wheels. The vibration information detection device 4 acquires information about the road surface to be traveled on (hereinafter also referred to as road surface information). The road surface information includes, for example, the vertical displacement of the road surface, velocity (time derivative of displacement), and / or acceleration (time derivative of velocity). In other words, the road surface information is information related to the vertical displacement of the road surface to be traveled on. The target wheels can be set as appropriate.

[0045] The ECU41's memory stores a road surface information map Mp, which includes map information and road surface information associated with the map information. In this embodiment, the road surface information in the road surface information map Mp is the unsprung state quantity, which is the unsprung state quantity of the vehicle. In other words, in the road surface information map Mp, the unsprung state quantity is associated (linked) with the position on the map. In the road surface information map Mp, for example, information on the unsprung state quantity is associated with each area of ​​map information where the road is divided into areas of a predetermined shape. By referring to the road surface information map Mp, it is possible to determine the unsprung state quantity when the vehicle travels to any given position on the map. The unsprung state quantity is, for example, the vertical displacement of the unsprung mass, the vertical velocity of the unsprung mass, or the vertical acceleration of the unsprung mass for each wheel 9.

[0046] The ECU 41 can detect the amount of unsprung weight when the vehicle has traveled X meters or t seconds later, based on the road surface information map Mp and the vehicle's position information. The position detection device 42 is mounted on the vehicle and includes a receiver that receives the vehicle's position information from artificial satellites. The receiver is, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver. The ECU 41 calculates the amount of unsprung weight t seconds later, based on, for example, the road surface information map Mp, the vehicle's position, the vehicle's direction of travel, and the vehicle's speed. The ECU 41 transmits the acquired information on the amount of unsprung weight to the controller 5. The controller 5 executes normal vibration damping control S4 after t seconds, based on the amount of unsprung weight corresponding to the road surface condition t seconds later. In other words, the controller 5 executes normal vibration damping control S4 when the target wheel travels on the planned road surface, based on the amount of unsprung weight corresponding to the planned road surface. This normal vibration damping control S4 can be called feedforward control. When this type of control is applied to the active suspension 7 of the undercarriage, it is called preview vibration damping control.

[0047] The controller 5 calculates a predicted value of the vibration of the seat 2 when the target wheel travels on the planned road surface, based on information about the planned road surface. More specifically, the controller 5 calculates the vibration of the seat 2 as a predicted value when the target wheel travels on the planned road surface and normal vibration damping control S4 is performed, based on the detection results of the vibration information detection device 4. The controller 5 determines whether the predicted value is less than a predetermined value.

[0048] If the controller 5 determines that a specific occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the predicted value is less than a predetermined value, it controls the active suspension 3 so that the vibration of the seat 2 when the target wheel travels on the planned road surface is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (i.e., it performs sleep assistance control S3). The same effect as described above is achieved with this first modified configuration.

[0049] Furthermore, when preview vibration damping control is performed by the active suspension 7 of the undercarriage, the active suspension 3 is controlled in consideration of this during normal vibration damping control S4. In this case, the predicted value can be said to be the vibration of the seat 2 that occurs as a result of the preview vibration damping control and normal vibration damping control S4. In addition, the road surface information may 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 vibration information detection device 4 may be a surrounding monitoring device. The controller 5 may detect road surface irregularities, etc., based on the detection result of the surrounding monitoring device and calculate the predicted value.

[0050] (Second modified example of the vibration information detection device) The vibration information detection device 4 is not limited to the above, but may be a device that detects information related to vehicle speed, for example, a wheel speed sensor provided on each wheel 9. The vehicle speed can be calculated based on the wheel speeds of multiple wheels 9. In this case, in the vibration determination process S2, the controller 5 determines that the vibration of the seat 2 has fallen below a predetermined value when the vehicle speed falls below a predetermined vehicle speed. Generally, there is a positive correlation between vehicle speed and the vibration of the seat 2. That is, generally, the lower the vehicle speed, the smaller the vibration of the seat 2. Thus, the controller 5 may simply determine the magnitude of the vibration of the seat 2 using the vehicle speed. Note that the vehicle speed may be calculated based on GNSS information.

[0051] (others) The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the drowsiness detection device 6 is not limited to the above, but may be a device that transmits a sleep-inducing signal to the controller 5 in response to the occupant's operation, indicating that the occupant is about to fall asleep. In this case, when the controller 5 receives a sleep-inducing signal from the drowsiness detection device 6, it determines that the occupant is about to fall asleep. The drowsiness detection device 6 may be, for example, a switch that can be operated by the occupant (e.g., a button switch, an on / off switch, or a touch panel switch). A specific occupant turns on the switch when they want to sleep. This satisfies one of the execution conditions for sleep assistance control S3.

[0052] Furthermore, the vibration information detection device 4 may be an acceleration sensor (hereinafter also referred to as a vertical acceleration sensor) installed on the vehicle body 10 that detects vertical acceleration. The controller 5 may consider the vibration of the vehicle body 10 as the vibration of the seat 2. Alternatively, the controller 5 may calculate the vibration of the seat 2 from the vibration of the vehicle body 10. For example, if three or more vertical acceleration sensors are installed at different locations on the vehicle body 10, the controller 5 can calculate the vibration of the seat 2 based on the detected values ​​of these vertical acceleration sensors. The controller 5 may also calculate the vibration state (e.g., acceleration, velocity, or displacement) of the location on the vehicle body 10 where the seat 2 is installed. Thus, the vibration information detection device 4 may be the seat 2 or a vertical acceleration sensor installed on the vehicle body 10.

[0053] The active suspension 3 is installed on at least one of the multiple seats 2. If the seat 2 on which the active suspension 3 is installed is not the driver's seat, for example, if the active suspension 3 is installed only on the passenger seat, the active suspension 3 is subject to sleep assistance control S3 regardless of the driving mode (autonomous or manual). In this case, the controller 5 does not need to determine whether the occupant on the seat 2 is a specific occupant or not. The controller 5 may also be composed of multiple ECUs. Furthermore, the term "ECU" in this disclosure is synonymous with "computer" and can be replaced with "computer". The drowsiness detection device 6 is not limited to image sensors or switches, but may be other known devices that detect the occupant's drowsiness status (information regarding the occupant's drowsiness). [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1...Vehicle control device, 2...Seat, 3...Active suspension, 33...Actuator, 4...Vibration information detection device, 5...Controller, 6...Drowsiness detection device, 10...Vehicle body.

Claims

1. An active suspension system having an actuator positioned between the vehicle's seat and the vehicle body, which changes the relative position of the seat with respect to the vehicle body, A vibration information detection device for detecting information regarding the vibration of the aforementioned sheet, A sleepiness detection device for detecting the sleepiness state of an occupant seated in the aforementioned seat, A controller for controlling the active suspension, Equipped with, The aforementioned controller, Based on the detection results of the drowsiness detection device, it is determined whether the specific occupant, who is not the driver during manual driving, is asleep or attempting to fall asleep. Based on the detection results of the vibration information detection device, it is determined whether the vibration of the sheet is less than a predetermined value. If it is determined that the specified occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the vibration of the seat is less than the predetermined value, the active suspension is controlled so that the vibration of the seat becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value. The aforementioned controller, Based on the detection result of the seating sensor that determines whether or not the occupant is seated in the seat, it is determined whether or not the occupant seated in the seat is the driver, and it is also determined whether or not the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode. Based on the determination result and the detection result of the sleepiness detection device, it is determined whether the specified occupant is sleeping or attempting to sleep. Vehicle control device.

2. An active suspension system having an actuator positioned between the vehicle's seat and the vehicle body, which changes the relative position of the seat with respect to the vehicle body, A vibration information detection device for detecting information regarding the vibration of the aforementioned sheet, A sleepiness detection device for detecting the sleepiness state of an occupant seated in the aforementioned seat, A controller for controlling the active suspension, Equipped with, The aforementioned controller, Based on the detection results of the drowsiness detection device, it is determined whether the specific occupant, who is not the driver during manual driving, is asleep or attempting to fall asleep. Based on the detection results of the vibration information detection device, it is determined whether the vibration of the sheet is less than a predetermined value. If it is determined that the specified occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the vibration of the seat is less than the predetermined value, the active suspension is controlled so that the vibration of the seat becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value. If the controller determines that the specific occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the vibration of the seat is less than the predetermined value, it controls the active suspension to increase the amplitude of the vertical vibration of the seat in phase with the vibration. Vehicle control device.

3. If the controller determines that the specific occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the vibration of the seat is less than the predetermined value, it applies vibration to the seat using the actuator so that the vibration of the seat becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

4. If the controller determines that the specific occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the vibration of the seat is less than the predetermined value, it applies only vertical vibration to the seat using the actuator so that the vibration of the seat becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned controller, Normal vibration damping control is performed to control the active suspension in order to reduce the vibration of the seat. If it is determined that the specified occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the vibration of the seat is less than the predetermined value while the normal vibration damping control is being performed, the control amount or control gain for the actuator in the normal vibration damping control is reduced so that the vibration of the seat becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned controller, Based on the detection results of the vibration information detection device, it is determined whether the vibration of a specific frequency band among the vibrations of the sheet is less than the predetermined value. If it is determined that the specified occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the vibration of the seat in the specified frequency band is less than the predetermined value, the active suspension is controlled so that the vibration of the seat in the specified frequency band becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

7. The vibration information detection device is configured to include an acceleration sensor installed on the seat or the vehicle body that detects vertical acceleration, The controller calculates the vertical acceleration, velocity, or displacement of the sheet as the vibration of the sheet based on the detection results of the vibration information detection device. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

8. The vibration information detection device detects information related to the vehicle speed as information related to the vibration of the seat, The controller determines that the vibration of the seat has fallen below a predetermined value when the vehicle speed falls below a predetermined vehicle speed. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

9. The vibration information detection device detects information about the road surface on which the target wheel is scheduled to travel, as information about the vibration of the seat, The aforementioned controller, Based on the information of the planned road surface, a predicted value representing the vibration of the seat when the target wheel travels on the planned road surface is calculated, and it is determined whether the predicted value is less than the predetermined value. If it is determined that the specified occupant is sleeping or about to sleep, and that the predicted value is less than the predetermined value, the active suspension is controlled so that the vibration of the seat when the target wheel travels on the planned road surface is greater than or equal to the predetermined value. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

10. The drowsiness detection device is an image sensor that captures images of the occupant, At least one of the drowsiness detection device and the controller determines the drowsiness level of the occupant based on the occupant's imaging data. The aforementioned sleepiness level includes at least three stages: sleeping, trying to sleep, and not sleeping. The controller determines, based on the drowsiness level, whether the occupant is sleeping or about to sleep. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The drowsiness detection device is a device that transmits a sleep-inducing signal to the controller in response to the occupant's operation, indicating that the occupant is about to fall asleep. When the controller receives the sleep-inducing signal from the sleep detection device, it determines that the occupant is about to fall asleep. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images