Vehicle control system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device which appropriately adjusts attenuation force of a shock absorber.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device includes an adjustment part (step motor 139) for adjusting attenuation force of a shock absorber of a vehicle 200, and a determination part (central control device 110) for determining a correction value of adjustment of the attenuation force by the adjustment part. The determination part determines positive correction values (J1' to J4'), on the basis of one or more acquisition values excluding a maximum value among a plurality of acquisition values (Jmax1 to Jmax12) which are accelerations of the vehicle 200 acquired from an acceleration sensor 115 and are acquisition values that are jerks acquired by calculating the accelerations, and have positive values as higher ranks, and a prescribed positive reference value (J4), and determines a negative correction value (j5'), on the basis of one or more acquisition values excluding a maximum value among a plurality of acquisition values (Jmin1 to Jmin12) having negative absolute values as higher ranks, and a prescribed negative reference value (J5), and the adjustment part adjusts the attenuation force, on the basis of the positive correction values and the negative correction values.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device capable of determining a correction value for adjusting a damping force.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, the damping force of a shock absorber disposed between a wheel and a vehicle body of a vehicle has been adjusted according to the running state of the vehicle. As a device for adjusting the damping force in this way, for example, a suspension control device that adjusts the damping force of a shock absorber based on whether an acceleration or a rate of change in acceleration (jerk) is greater than a reference value has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the value (absolute value) of the acceleration in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the acceleration in the left-right direction generated when the driver of the vehicle operates the steering wheel, or the jerk obtained from these accelerations may instantaneously increase due to false detection such as noise. In this case, if the damping force of the shock absorber is adjusted based on the value of the acceleration or jerk generated by the false detection, the damping force will not match the running state of the vehicle.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device capable of appropriately adjusting the damping force of a shock absorber.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In one embodiment, the vehicle control device includes an adjustment unit for adjusting the damping force of the vehicle's shock absorber, and a determination unit for determining a correction value for the damping force adjustment by the adjustment unit. The determination unit determines a positive correction value based on one or more acquired values, excluding the maximum value among a plurality of acquired values ​​which are the vehicle's acceleration obtained from an acceleration sensor or the jerk calculated from said acceleration, and a predetermined positive reference value. It also determines a negative correction value based on one or more acquired values, excluding the maximum value among a plurality of acquired values ​​which are the negative absolute values, and a predetermined negative reference value. The adjustment unit then adjusts the damping force based on the positive correction value and the negative correction value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above embodiment, the damping force of the shock absorber can be appropriately adjusted. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram schematically showing a vehicle in one embodiment. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing a central control device in one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an actuator driver and suspension system in one embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the central control unit in one embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of an actuator driver in one embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the calculation of a positive correction value for damping force adjustment in one embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the calculation of a negative correction value for damping force adjustment in one embodiment. [Figure 8] This graph illustrates the adjustment of the damping force before correction in one embodiment. [Figure 9] This graph illustrates the adjustment of the corrected damping force in one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic conceptual diagram showing a vehicle 200 in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the central control device 110 in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an actuator driver 120 and a suspension system 130 in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] As illustrated in Figure 1, the vehicle 200 on which the vehicle suspension system 100 is implemented comprises a plurality of wheels 202 and a vehicle body 201 supported by these wheels 202.

[0014] The cabin 205 (passenger compartment), including the driver's seat, is located in the center of the body 201, and a total of four wheels 202 are located on the front, rear, left, and right sides of the body 201.

[0015] The vehicle suspension system 100 includes a plurality of suspension devices 130 disposed between each of a plurality of wheels 202 and a vehicle body 201, a plurality of actuator drivers 120 that operate a step motor 139 shown in FIG. 3 which functions as a damping force adjustment actuator and is attached to the suspension device 130, and a central control device 110 provided inside a cabin 205 that remotely controls the plurality of actuator drivers 120 by wireless communication. In this case, the actuator (step motor 139) may be built in a hydraulic shock absorber or may be an additional device attached to the hydraulic shock absorber. Thus, the vehicle control device according to the present embodiment includes the central control device 110 and the actuator driver 120, and is, for example, detachably disposed on the vehicle 200. In order to be detachable, for example, it may be disposed so as to be retrofittable by releasing a fixation or inserting / removing a cable. Here, the configuration of the vehicle suspension system 100 is merely an example, and the configuration can be appropriately changed, for example, such that the central control device 110 controls the actuator driver 120 by wired communication instead of wireless communication.

[0016] In the example of FIG. 1, two suspension devices 130 provided for two wheels 202 on the front side are operated by one common actuator driver 120, and two suspension devices 130 provided for two wheels 202 on the rear side are operated by one common actuator driver 120.

[0017] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the central control device 110 includes a microcomputer 111, a non-volatile memory 112, an operation interface 113, a display 114, an acceleration sensor 115, a GPS device 116, a wireless communication function unit 117, and an antenna 118.

[0018] The microcomputer 111 is composed of a microprocessor or the like, and executes a control program 111a stored in the non-volatile memory 112 to perform overall control of the vehicle suspension system 100 as illustrated in the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 described later.

[0019] The non-volatile memory 112 stores information such as the control program 111a and control data 111b of the microcomputer 111 in a non-volatile and rewritable manner.

[0020] The operation interface 113 is composed of, for example, button switches, dials, keyboards, etc. that are operated by the user, and is used for inputting commands from the user to the central control device 110.

[0021] The display 114 visualizes and outputs the current operating status, control information, and various sensor information of the vehicle suspension system 100.

[0022] The acceleration sensor 115 detects the acceleration acting on the vehicle 200 and inputs it to the microcomputer 111. This acceleration is, for example, the acceleration in the traveling direction of the vehicle 200 and the horizontal left-right direction orthogonal to this traveling direction.

[0023] The GPS device 116 is a receiver of the global positioning system, and measures the position information and speed information of the vehicle 200 and inputs them to the microcomputer 111.

[0024] The wireless communication function unit (RF) 117 exchanges information input and output from the microcomputer 111 with the actuator driver 120 via wireless communication.

[0025] The antenna 118 transmits and receives radio waves for the wireless communication of the wireless communication function unit 117. The antenna 118 may be built into the central control device 110.

[0026] The power supply 119 supplies power to operate the central control device 110. In this case, the power supply 119 may be a battery (not shown) provided in the vehicle 200.

[0027] On the other hand, the actuator driver 120 shown in FIG. 3 includes a microcomputer 121, a non-volatile memory 122, a motor driver circuit 123, a wireless communication function unit 124, an antenna 125, and a power supply 126.

[0028] Furthermore, the suspension system 130 includes a shock absorber, for example, a hydraulic shock absorber, to dampen vibrations. This shock absorber has a cylinder 131, a piston 132, a piston rod 133, hydraulic fluid 134, a gas chamber pressurized tank 135, a free piston 136, a bypass passage 137, a needle valve 138, and a stepper motor 139. The suspension system 130 may also be further equipped with springs (not shown) to support the weight of the vehicle and absorb shocks. Also, the suspension system 130 shown in Figure 3 is merely an example, and can be modified as appropriate, for example, by adopting a twin-tube type instead of the single-tube type shown in Figure 3.

[0029] In the actuator driver 120, the microcontroller 121 is composed of a microprocessor or the like, and by executing the control program 121a, it controls the rotation of the stepper motor 139 in the suspension system 130 based on instructions from the central control unit 110, as illustrated in the flowchart described later, and controls the operating characteristics of the suspension system 130 (in this case, the damping characteristics as a hydraulic shock absorber).

[0030] The non-volatile memory 122 stores information such as the control program 121a of the microcontroller 121 in a rewritable, non-volatile manner.

[0031] The motor driver circuit 123 controls the rotation direction and amount of the stepper motor 139 of the suspension system 130 by outputting a drive current based on commands from the microcontroller 121.

[0032] The wireless communication function unit (RF) 124 enables wireless communication with the central control unit 110 described above.

[0033] The antenna 125 transmits and receives radio waves between the central control unit 110 and the wireless communication unit 124 for wireless communication. The antenna 125 may be built into the actuator driver 120.

[0034] The power source 126 is, for example, a battery (not shown) installed in the vehicle 200.

[0035] On the other hand, the suspension system 130 has a fixed portion 133a of the piston rod 133 fixed to the side of the vehicle body 201 of the vehicle 200, and a fixed portion 131a of the cylinder 131 fixed to the side of a chassis (not shown) that supports the wheel 202, thereby dampening vibrations generated from shocks etc. acting from the wheel 202 to the vehicle body 201, and variably controlling the ride comfort and handling performance of the vehicle 200.

[0036] Furthermore, in the suspension system 130, the hydraulic fluid 134 sealed between the piston 132 and the cylinder 131 passes through the bypass passage 137 and enters and exits the gas chamber pressurized tank 135, thereby generating a damping force on the piston rod 133.

[0037] The gas chamber pressurized tank 135 has a spring 136a on its rear side that biases the free piston 136 toward the hydraulic fluid 134. In addition, a gas such as nitrogen gas is sealed inside the gas chamber pressurized tank 135 at an appropriate pressure, and the free piston 136 completely separates the sealed gas from the hydraulic fluid 134.

[0038] The bypass passage 137 is equipped with a needle valve 138 that changes the opening degree of the bypass passage 137 to a predetermined position, and the opening degree of the bypass passage 137 by the needle valve 138 is controlled by the rotation direction and amount of the stepper motor 139. Depending on the configuration of the suspension system 130, two stepper motors 139 may be provided for each suspension system 130.

[0039] Furthermore, if the opening of the bypass passage 137 is small, the flow resistance of the hydraulic fluid 134 increases, and the damping force of the suspension device 130 increases. Conversely, if the opening of the bypass passage 137 is large, the damping force decreases.

[0040] In other words, the actuator driver 120 controls the stepper motor 139 based on commands from the central control unit 110, thereby arbitrarily setting and changing the damping characteristics of the suspension system 130. To put it another way, the stepper motor 139 functions as an example of an adjustment unit that adjusts the damping force of the shock absorber of the vehicle 200. The central control unit 110 then indirectly controls the stepper motor 139 by controlling the actuator driver 120.

[0041] The following describes an example of the operation of the vehicle suspension system 100 of this embodiment.

[0042] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the central control unit 110.

[0043] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the actuator driver 120.

[0044] In this embodiment, the control data 111b stored in the non-volatile memory 112 of the central control unit 110 consists of, for example, a control table. As will be described in detail later, the damping characteristic setting values ​​of the suspension devices 130 provided on the front and rear wheels 202, corresponding to the jerk (rate of change) value (and acceleration value) obtained by calculation from the acceleration of the vehicle 200 detected by the acceleration sensor 115, are stored for each individual actuator driver 120 identification information (driver ID). In this embodiment, at least one of the jerk and acceleration value is sufficient to determine the correction value for damping force adjustment, which will be described later.

[0045] Furthermore, the control data 111b may also store, for each individual actuator driver 120 identification information (driver ID), the set values ​​of the damping characteristics of the suspension systems 130 provided on the front and rear wheels 202, corresponding to the travel speed of the vehicle 200 detected by the GPS device 116.

[0046] The suspension system 130 is arranged in two units, one on each side, at the front of the vehicle 200, and two more units, one on each side, at the rear of the vehicle 200. For four-wheeled vehicles, simultaneous control of all four hydraulic shock absorbers (front and rear wheels), independent control of the two front wheels and the two rear wheels, or independent control of all four shock absorbers can be accommodated by changing the control program 121a of the microcontroller 121 of the actuator driver 120 according to the application. Similarly, the type of hydraulic shock absorber (simultaneous extension and contraction, individual extension and contraction, and individual damping force adjustment for extension, contraction, and high / low speed) can also be accommodated by changing the control program 121a according to the application.

[0047] Then, the microcontroller 111 (control program 111a) issues a command to the actuator driver 120 to change the damping characteristics to a corresponding value based on the jerk value obtained from the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 115, for example.

[0048] Furthermore, if a setting value for the damping characteristics is manually entered for each specific driver ID via the operation interface 113, the control target actuator driver 120 may be commanded prioritizing that setting value.

[0049] The operation examples of the vehicle suspension system 100 will be explained below with reference to Figures 4 and 5, etc.

[0050] As illustrated in the flowchart of Figure 4, the microcontroller 111, which executes the control program 111a, waits for a transmission event to occur to the actuator driver 120 (step 401). This transmission event, which will be described in more detail later, occurs, for example, when the jerk value mentioned above reaches one of several adjustment conditions.

[0051] When the microcontroller 111 detects a transmission event, it determines the opening degree information of the needle valve 138 according to the setting of the control data 111b or the input value from the operation interface 113 (step 402).

[0052] Subsequently, the opening degree information is transmitted from the wireless communication function unit 117 to the actuator driver 120 along with the driver ID (step 403).

[0053] Then, the microcontroller 111 waits for a response from the actuator driver 120 indicating that the setting is complete (step 404), displays the received setting value on the display 114 (step 405), and returns to the event waiting step 401.

[0054] On the other hand, as illustrated in Figure 5, in the actuator driver 120, the microcontroller 121 that executes the control program 121a waits for the reception of a wireless command signal from the central control unit 110 that includes its own driver ID (step 501).

[0055] Then, if there is no command to the driver ID, the power supply to the motor driver circuit 123 (stepper motor 139) is stopped (step 502).

[0056] Then, when the microcontroller 121 receives a command including its own driver ID, it instructs the motor driver circuit 123 to rotate the stepper motor 139 in the direction and amount of rotation to achieve the opening degree of the needle valve 138 based on the received opening degree information (step 503). As a result, the needle valve 138 opens to the degree commanded by the central control unit 110, and the damping characteristics of the suspension device 130 are set according to that opening degree.

[0057] Then, when the microcontroller 121 receives confirmation from the motor driver circuit 123 that the setting is complete, it transmits the setting result along with its own driver ID to the central control unit 110 (step 504).

[0058] As described in step 405 above, the transmission in step 504 results in the current settings being displayed on the display 114 of the central control unit 110.

[0059] Next, we will explain how to determine the correction value for damping force adjustment, referring to Figures 6 to 9.

[0060] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the calculation of the positive correction value for damping force adjustment.

[0061] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the calculation of the negative correction value for damping force adjustment.

[0062] Figure 8 is a graph illustrating the adjustment of the damping force before correction.

[0063] Figure 9 is a graph illustrating the adjustment of the damping force after correction.

[0064] First, when the vehicle 200 is powered on, the microcontroller 111 acquires acceleration data from the acceleration sensor 115 in at least one of the following directions: left-right and forward-moving. For example, the sampling rate for acceleration acquisition is approximately 20Hz to 100Hz, and the microcontroller 111 acquires 5 data points and then obtains the median value. The number of data points can be arbitrarily set to 2 or more. The microcontroller 111 acquires at least one median data point and calculates its average value. This average value is used as the G value for control. The microcontroller 111 also calculates the jerk, which is the rate of change over time, from this G value and uses it for control as well. The microcontroller 111 loops this calculation and continuously updates the jerk value in real time.

[0065] As shown in Figure 6, the microcontroller 111 extracts the average of two or more (for example, the 6th to 10th) of the top 12 positive jerk values ​​(Jmax1 to Jmax12) from the most recent period (for example, 60 seconds) as Jmaxave.

[0066] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the microcontroller 111 extracts the average value of two or more (for example, the 6th to 10th) of the 12 jerk values ​​(Jmin1 to Jmin12) whose absolute values ​​of negative jerk values ​​are the highest over the most recent period as Jminave.

[0067] Incidentally, if no damping force adjustment correction is performed in this embodiment, the microcontroller 111, as shown in Figure 8, sets the damping force adjustment to the first stage when the detected jerk value is J1 or greater, to the third stage when it is J2 or greater (the damping force increases with each additional stage), to the fifth stage when it is J3 or greater, to the eighth stage when it is J4 or greater, and to the -1st stage (the damping force weakens) when the absolute value is greater than the negative value J5. Note that the J-point values ​​J1 to J5 are examples of predetermined reference values ​​and also function as damping force adjustment conditions.

[0068] The microcontroller 111 determines the positive correction coefficient CFmax as the value obtained by dividing the positive average value Jmaxave by APmax (J4, which is the maximum value of the positive reference value).

[0069] Furthermore, the microcontroller 111 determines the negative correction coefficient CFmin (a positive value) as the value obtained by dividing the negative average value Jminave by ANmin (J5, which is the maximum absolute value of the negative reference value).

[0070] Then, as shown in Figure 9, the microcontroller 111 multiplies the positive correction coefficient CFmax mentioned above by the positive J-point values ​​J1 to J4, which are the adjustment conditions, to determine the correction values ​​J1' to J4'. The microcontroller 111 also multiplies the negative correction coefficient CFmin mentioned above by the negative J-point value J5, which is the adjustment condition, to determine the correction value J5'. In this way, the microcontroller 111 (central control device 110) functions as an example of a determination unit that determines the correction values ​​for the damping force adjustment by the adjustment unit (actuator driver 120).

[0071] Therefore, the microcontroller 111 controls the damping force adjustment to the first stage when the detected jerk value is J1' or greater, to the third stage when it is J2' or greater, to the fifth stage when it is J3' or greater, to the eighth stage when it is J4' or greater, and to the -1st stage (weakening the damping force) when the absolute value is greater than negative J5'.

[0072] In the above explanation, we described an example using Jmaxave, which is the average of two or more (e.g., the 6th to 10th) jerk values ​​excluding the maximum value from the 12 jerk values ​​with the highest positive jerk values ​​(Jmax1 to Jmax12), and Jminave, which is the average of two or more (e.g., the 6th to 10th) jerk values ​​excluding the maximum value from the 12 jerk values ​​with the highest absolute values ​​of negative jerk values ​​(Jmin1 to Jmin12). However, instead of the average values ​​Jmaxave and Jminave, you may use other values ​​such as any single jerk value excluding the maximum value.

[0073] Alternatively, the jerk values ​​Jmax1~Jmax12, Jmin1~Jmin12 and J-point values ​​J1~J5 may all be replaced with acceleration values, and the correction coefficients CFmax, CFmin and correction values ​​may be calculated as described above.

[0074] Furthermore, in order to calculate the correction coefficients CFmax and CFmin from the jerk values ​​Jmax1 to Jmax12 and Jmin1 to Jmin12, the correction coefficients CFmax and CFmin may be calculated using methods other than dividing by APmax (the maximum value of the positive reference value) or ANmin (the maximum value of the absolute value of the negative reference value).

[0075] Alternatively, instead of calculating the correction values ​​J1' to J5' using the correction coefficients CFmax and CFmin, the correction values ​​J1' to J5' may be calculated directly from the J-point values ​​J1 to J5 using the jerk values ​​Jmax1 to Jmax12 and Jmin1 to Jmin12.

[0076] Furthermore, the calculation of the correction values ​​J1' to J5' mentioned above may be performed only within one or more predetermined ranges of the vehicle's travel speed obtained from the GPS device 116 or the like. Also, if there are multiple predetermined ranges, the J-point values ​​(J1 to J5) may differ in each range. In addition, the J-point values ​​may be different for each suspension device 130.

[0077] Alternatively, instead of calculating the correction values ​​J1' to J5', the number of damping force adjustment steps at each J-point value may be changed. In this way, instead of changing the multiple adjustment conditions (J1 to J5) for adjusting the damping force, the damping force at each adjustment condition (for example, the number of steps as described above) may be changed.

[0078] In the embodiment described above, the vehicle control device includes a step motor 139, which is an example of an adjustment unit for adjusting the damping force of the shock absorber of the vehicle 200, and a central control device 110 (microcontroller 111), which is an example of a determination unit for determining the correction value of the damping force adjustment by the actuator driver 120. The microcontroller 111 determines positive correction values ​​(J1'~J4') based on one or more acquired values ​​(Jmax1~Jmax12) excluding the maximum value among multiple acquired values ​​(acceleration of the vehicle 200 acquired from the acceleration sensor 115 or jerk calculated from said acceleration) with a predetermined positive reference value (J4), and determines negative correction values ​​(J5') based on one or more acquired values ​​(Jmin1~Jmin12) excluding the maximum value among multiple acquired values ​​with a predetermined negative absolute value (J5), and the stepper motor 39 (actuator driver 120) adjusts the damping force based on the positive correction values ​​(J1'~J4') and the negative correction value (J5').

[0079] In this way, by using one or more acquired values ​​excluding the maximum value from among multiple acquired values ​​(Jmax1 to Jmax12) where the positive value is the highest, and one or more acquired values ​​excluding the maximum value from among multiple acquired values ​​(Jmin1 to Jmin12) where the negative absolute value is the highest, it is possible to adjust the damping force in situations where the positive or negative absolute value temporarily becomes large and requires damping force adjustment, compared to using the overall average of the acquired values. Furthermore, compared to using only the maximum value, it is possible to avoid adjusting the damping force due to false detection. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the damping force of the shock absorber can be appropriately adjusted.

[0080] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the microcontroller 111 determines multiple positive correction values ​​(J1' to J4') based on the positive mean (Jmaxave) of two or more acquired values ​​(Jmax6 to Jmax10) excluding the maximum value from a plurality of acquired values ​​(Jmax1 to Jmax12) where the positive value is the highest, and multiple positive reference values ​​(J1 to J4). It also determines at least one negative correction value (J5') based on the negative mean (Jminave) of two or more acquired values ​​(Jmin6 to Jmin10) excluding the maximum value from a plurality of acquired values ​​(Jmin1 to Jmin12) where the negative absolute value is the highest, and at least one negative reference value (J5).

[0081] Therefore, it becomes possible to more accurately identify situations where damping force adjustment is necessary, allowing for more appropriate adjustment of the shock absorber's damping force.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the microcontroller 111 takes the quotient obtained by dividing the above positive average value (Jmaxave) by the maximum value (J4) of the multiple positive reference values ​​(J1 to J4) as the positive correction coefficient (CFmax), and determines multiple positive correction values ​​(J1' to J4') based on this positive correction coefficient and the multiple positive reference values ​​(J1 to J4). It also takes the quotient obtained by dividing the negative average value (Jminave) by the value (J5) that maximizes the absolute value of at least one negative reference value (J5) as the negative correction coefficient (ANmin), and determines at least one negative correction value (J5') based on this negative correction coefficient and at least one negative reference value (J5).

[0083] In this way, by using the maximum values ​​(J4, J5) of the reference values ​​(or the absolute values ​​of the reference values), the damping force of the shock absorber can be adjusted more appropriately.

[0084] In this embodiment, the stepper motor 139 (actuator driver 120) adjusts the damping force by a specified damping force (number of stages) corresponding to each adjustment condition when the acquired value reaches any of the multiple adjustment conditions (J1 to J4, J5), and the microcontroller 111 changes the multiple adjustment conditions based on positive correction values ​​(J1' to J4') and negative correction values ​​(J5').

[0085] By correcting the timing of damping force adjustment in this way, the damping force can be adjusted with simpler control compared to correcting the damping force itself.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple acquired values ​​with higher positive values ​​(Jmax1 to Jmax12) and the multiple acquired values ​​with higher negative absolute values ​​(Jmin1 to Jmin12) are acquired values ​​from a recent period.

[0087] This allows for more accurate identification of situations requiring damping force adjustment, enabling more appropriate adjustment of the shock absorber's damping force.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the acquired value may be the acceleration of the vehicle 200 obtained from the acceleration sensor 115, but it is the jerk (rate of jerk) obtained by calculation from this acceleration.

[0089] This allows for more accurate identification of situations requiring damping force adjustment, enabling more appropriate adjustment of the shock absorber's damping force.

[0090] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle control device is detachably mounted on the vehicle 200.

[0091] This allows for the installation of vehicle control devices on existing 200 vehicles to meet the driver's needs.

[0092] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the configurations exemplified in the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 100 Vehicle Suspension Systems 110 Central Control Unit 111 Microcontroller 111a Control Program 111b Control data 112 Non-volatile memory 113 Operating Interface 114 displays 115 Accelerometer 116 GPS device 117 Wireless communication function unit 118 Antenna 119 Power supply 120 Actuator Drivers 121 Microcontroller 121a Control Program 122 Non-volatile memory 123 Motor Driver Circuit 124 Wireless Communication Function Unit 125 Antenna 126 Power supply 130 Suspension system (shock absorber) 131 Cylinder 131a Fixed part 132 Pistons 133 Piston Rod 133a Fixed part 134 Hydraulic oil 135 Gas chamber pressurized tank 136 Free Piston 136a Spring 137 Bypass passage 138 Needle valve 139 Stepper Motor 200 vehicles 201 Car body 202 Wheels 205 Cabin

Claims

1. An adjustment unit for adjusting the damping force of the vehicle's shock absorber, The system comprises a determination unit that determines a correction value for the damping force adjustment by the adjustment unit, The aforementioned determination unit, Based on one or more acquired values, excluding the maximum value among multiple acquired values ​​that are the vehicle's acceleration obtained from an acceleration sensor or the jerk calculated from said acceleration, and a predetermined positive reference value, a positive correction value is determined. Based on one or more acquired values, excluding the maximum value among a plurality of acquired values ​​whose negative absolute value is the highest, and a predetermined negative reference value, the negative correction value is determined. The adjustment unit adjusts the damping force based on the positive correction value and the negative correction value. A vehicle control device characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned determination unit, Based on the positive average of two or more acquired values ​​excluding the maximum value among the multiple acquired values ​​in which the positive value is the highest, and the multiple positive reference values, a plurality of positive correction values ​​are determined. Based on the negative mean of two or more acquired values ​​(excluding the maximum value among the multiple acquired values ​​whose negative absolute value is the highest) and at least one of the negative reference values, at least one of the negative correction values ​​is determined. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized by its features.

3. The aforementioned determination unit, The positive average value is divided by the maximum value of the plurality of positive reference values ​​to obtain the quotient, which is used as the positive correction coefficient. Based on this positive correction coefficient and the plurality of positive reference values, the plurality of positive correction values ​​are determined. The negative average value is divided by the value that maximizes the absolute value of the at least one negative reference value, and the quotient obtained by this division is defined as the negative correction coefficient. Based on this negative correction coefficient and the at least one negative reference value, the at least one negative correction value is determined. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, characterized by its features.

4. The adjustment unit adjusts the damping force with a specified adjustment damping force corresponding to each adjustment condition when the acquired value reaches any of the multiple adjustment conditions. The determination unit modifies the plurality of adjustment conditions based on the positive correction value and the negative correction value. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized by its features.

5. The multiple acquired values ​​in which positive values ​​are the most frequent, and the multiple acquired values ​​in which negative absolute values ​​are the most frequent, are acquired values ​​from a recent period. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized by its features.

6. The aforementioned acquired value is the jerk, which is obtained by calculation from the acceleration. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized by its features.

7. The vehicle control device is detachably disposed in the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized by its features.

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