Control device and control program

Abstract

A control device (10) comprises: a driving force acquisition unit (31) that acquires a driving force applied to a road surface by a vehicle (100); a longitudinal acceleration acquisition unit (32) that acquires longitudinal acceleration, which is the acceleration along a front-rear direction of the vehicle; an angle calculation unit (61) that calculates, on the basis of the driving force and the longitudinal acceleration, a trajectory angle (θ), which is the angle formed by the trajectory of a rotation center axis of a wheel (104) of the vehicle with respect to the road surface; and a height estimation unit (62) that estimates, on the basis of the trajectory angle, step heights (H, H1-H3), which are the heights of steps (200) provided on the road surface.

Description

Control device and control program CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-097275, filed on June 13, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a control device and a control program.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2019-093761 describes a device that can estimate the height of a step when a vehicle wheel comes into contact with the step. With this device, if the step is a wheel chock, it is possible to generate an appropriate braking force to stop the vehicle before the wheel goes over the step. Furthermore, if the step is not a wheel chock, it is possible to generate the appropriate driving force necessary to go over the step, allowing the vehicle to go over the step while preventing it from jumping out.

[0004] In the above-described device, after the wheel comes into contact with the bump, the driving force is gradually increased and the height of the bump is estimated based on the torque value at the moment the wheel starts to move. The "moment when the wheel starts to move" in the above case is determined based on the measurement value of the vehicle speed sensor.

[0005] However, after detailed investigation by the inventors, the following problem was discovered. That is, it is difficult for a general vehicle speed sensor to detect extremely low vehicle speeds, for example, below 1 km / h. For this reason, in the device described in Patent Document 1, the timing at which it is determined that the wheels have started to move may be delayed from the timing at which the wheels actually start to move. In this case, the timing at which the height of the step can be accurately estimated is delayed, and as a result, the timing at which braking force is generated is delayed, which may result in a situation where the wheels go over the wheel chock.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a control device and a control program that can accurately and quickly estimate the height of a step.

[0007] The control device according to the present disclosure includes a driving force acquisition unit that acquires the driving force applied by the vehicle to the road surface, a longitudinal acceleration acquisition unit that acquires longitudinal acceleration, which is the acceleration along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, an angle calculation unit that calculates a trajectory angle, which is the angle that the trajectory of the rotational center axis of a wheel of the vehicle makes with respect to the road surface, based on the driving force and the longitudinal acceleration, and a height estimation unit that estimates a step height, which is the height of a step provided on the road surface, based on the trajectory angle.

[0008] The control program of the present disclosure is a control program for causing a computer to execute processing including a driving force acquisition step for acquiring the driving force applied by a vehicle to a road surface, a longitudinal acceleration acquisition step for acquiring longitudinal acceleration, which is acceleration along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, an angle calculation step for calculating, based on the driving force and the longitudinal acceleration, a trajectory angle, which is the angle that the trajectory of the rotation center axis of a wheel of the vehicle makes with respect to the road surface, and a height estimation step for estimating, based on the trajectory angle, a step height, which is the height of a step provided on the road surface.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, a control device and a control program are provided that can accurately and quickly estimate the height of a step.

[0010] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle equipped with a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a state in which a wheel is in contact with a step. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the control device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the control device. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a height estimation process and a configuration related thereto. FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of a trajectory and a trajectory angle of the rotation center axis of a wheel when a vehicle travels towards a step. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a both-wheel / one-wheel determination process and a configuration related thereto according to a first example. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a both-wheel / one-wheel determination process and a configuration related thereto according to a second example. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a both-wheel / one-wheel determination process and a configuration related thereto according to a third example. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a front-wheel / rear-wheel determination process and a configuration related thereto. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a step determination process and a configuration related thereto. FIG. 11 is a front view showing an example of a state in which one wheel is running over a step. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of an immediately-start determination process and a configuration related thereto. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of a mode determination process and a configuration related thereto. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of an instruction unit and a configuration related thereto. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a control process flow. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a both-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to a first example. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of both wheels / one wheel determination processing according to a third example. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of front wheel / rear wheel determination processing. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of immediately after starting determination processing. FIG. 13 is a first timing chart showing a first operation example of the control device. FIG. 14 is a second timing chart showing a first operation example of the control device. FIG. 15 is a first timing chart showing a second operation example of the control device. FIG. 16 is a second timing chart showing a second operation example of the control device. FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating a third operation example of the control device. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating a fourth operation example of the control device. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating a fifth operation example of the control device. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating a sixth operation example of the control device. FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram illustrating a seventh operation example of the control device. FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram illustrating an eighth operation example of the control device. FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating a ninth operation example of the control device.

[0011] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same components in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0012] 1, a control device 10 according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 100 and configured as a device for controlling the vehicle 100. Prior to describing the control device 10, the configuration of the vehicle 100 will be described.

[0013] The vehicle 100 is a vehicle that travels based on the driving operation of the driver. However, in cases such as when a wheel 104 comes into contact with a bump (described later), part of the driving operation (e.g., braking) may be automatically performed by the control device 10. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 102, a plurality of wheels 104, a rotating electric machine 106, a battery 108, and a sensor group 130.

[0014] The vehicle body 102 is the main body of the vehicle 100, and is referred to as the "body." There are four wheels 104. That is, the vehicle 100 is a four-wheeled vehicle. The wheels 104 include a left front wheel 104, a right front wheel 104, a left rear wheel 104, and a right rear wheel 104. Hereinafter, the front wheels 104 will be referred to as "front wheels," and the rear wheels 104 will be referred to as "rear wheels." Furthermore, the wheels 104 on both the left and right sides will be referred to as "two wheels," and one of the two wheels will be referred to as "one wheel." As an example, the front wheels are driven wheels, and the rear wheels are driven wheels. The rear wheels rotate by the driving force of a rotating electric machine 106, which will be described later, and cause the vehicle 100 to travel.

[0015] As described above, the vehicle 100 of this embodiment is configured as a rear-wheel drive vehicle. The vehicle 100 may be configured as a front-wheel drive vehicle or a four-wheel drive vehicle. In the case of a four-wheel drive vehicle, in addition to the rotating electric machine 106 for driving the rear wheels, a rotating electric machine for driving the front wheels may be separately provided.

[0016] The wheels 104 are provided with braking devices 110. The braking devices 110 are hydraulically or electrically operated braking devices that apply braking force to the wheels 104. The operation of the braking devices 110 is controlled by a brake ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 112, which will be described later.

[0017] The rotating electric machine 106 is a device that receives a supply of electric power from a battery 108 (described later) and generates a driving force for rotating the rear wheels, i.e., a driving force required for the vehicle 100 to travel. The rotating electric machine 106 is a so-called "motor generator." The driving force generated by the rotating electric machine 106 is transmitted to the rear wheels via a powertrain mechanism 114, causing the rear wheels to rotate. Note that the exchange of electric power between the battery 108 and the rotating electric machine 106 is performed via an inverter (not shown), which is a power converter. The inverter controls the operation of the rotating electric machine 106 in response to instructions from the control device 10.

[0018] The rotating electric machine 106 generates a driving force for accelerating the vehicle 100, and can also generate a braking force by regeneration to decelerate the vehicle 100. Braking of the vehicle 100 can be performed by the rotating electric machine 106 or by the brake device 110 described above.

[0019] The battery 108 is a storage battery for supplying driving power to the rotating electric machine 106. In this embodiment, a lithium ion battery is used as the battery 108. Regenerative power generated by the rotating electric machine 106 during braking is supplied to the battery 108 via an inverter and charged into the battery 108.

[0020] The vehicle 100 is provided with a brake ECU 112 separate from the control device 10. As will be described later, both the control device 10 and the brake ECU 112 are configured as computers having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The CPU, ROM, and RAM can communicate with each other bidirectionally via a network provided in the vehicle 100. The brake ECU 112 performs processing to control the operation of the brake device 110 in response to instructions from the control device 10.

[0021] The control device 10 and the brake ECU 112 do not have to be separated into two devices as in the present embodiment. For example, the functions of the brake ECU 112 may be integrated into the control device 10. There are no particular limitations on the specific configuration for realizing the functions of the control device 10 described below.

[0022] The sensor group 130 includes a plurality of sensors that detect various physical quantities in the vehicle 100. Each sensor outputs a signal corresponding to the detected physical quantity. The plurality of sensors are provided in various parts of the vehicle 100, but in FIG. 1 , the plurality of sensors are schematically depicted as a single block as the sensor group 130. The sensor group 130 is connected to the control device 10 so as to be able to communicate with the control device 10.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a state in which the wheel 104 is in contact with a step 200. The step 200 is provided on the road surface, and a height H (hereinafter referred to as "step height H") exists between the step 200 and the road surface. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the step 200 is, for example, a bollard. A bollard is an example of a step that should not be overcome (in other words, a step that should not be overcome). Here, a bollard is exemplified as an example of a step that should not be overcome, but the step may also be a curb. Furthermore, the step that should not be overcome may be of any type.

[0024] If the vehicle 100 attempts to proceed toward the step 200 from the state shown in FIG. 2 , the wheel 104 will run over the step 200. Note that while FIG. 2 shows a step that should not be overcome, the step 200 may also be a step that should be overcome (in other words, a step that should be overcome). Examples of steps that should be overcome include a low curb and a gently sloping speed bump. As will be described in detail later, the control device 10 estimates the step height H when the wheel 104 runs over the step 200, and controls the driving force and braking force of the vehicle 100 based on the estimated step height H. The "ground contact length L," "trajectory angle θ," and "trajectory angle θ1" shown in FIG. 2 will be described later.

[0025] 3, the control device 10 has, as its hardware configuration, a CPU 12, a ROM 14, a RAM 16, and a storage 18. The CPU 12, the ROM 14, the RAM 16, and the storage 18 are connected to each other via a bus (not shown) so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0026] The CPU 12 executes various programs to control the vehicle 100. Specifically, the CPU 12 reads various programs stored in the ROM 14 or the storage 18, and executes the programs using the RAM 16 as a work area. The CPU 12 then performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs to control the vehicle 100.

[0027] The ROM 14 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 16 temporarily stores programs or data as a work area. The storage 18 is configured with a recording medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory. The storage 18 stores various programs including an operating system and various information used to control the vehicle 100.

[0028] A control program 20 is stored in the ROM 14. The control program 20 may be stored in the storage 18. The CPU 12 reads out the control program 20 and executes it using the RAM 16 as a work area. The CPU 12 then executes control processing for controlling the vehicle 100 in accordance with the control program 20. The control processing is executed by the CPU 12 operating as an acquisition unit 30, a calculation unit 50, an estimation unit 60, a determination unit 70, and an instruction unit 90 in accordance with the control program 20.

[0029] 4, the acquisition unit 30 acquires various physical quantities detected by each sensor based on signals from the sensor group 130. The calculation unit 50 performs a calculation process based on the various physical quantities acquired by the acquisition unit 30 to generate calculated values. The estimation unit 60 performs an estimation process based on the various physical quantities acquired by the acquisition unit 30 to generate estimated values. The estimation process performed by the estimation unit 60 includes a height estimation process. The height estimation process will be described later.

[0030] The determination unit 70 performs a determination process based on the various physical quantities acquired by the acquisition unit 30 and the estimated values ​​estimated by the estimation unit 60, and generates a determination result. The determination processes performed by the determination unit 70 include a both-wheel / one-wheel determination process, a front-wheel / rear-wheel determination process, a step determination process, an immediately-after-start determination process, and a mode determination process. Each determination process will be described later. The instruction unit 90 controls the vehicle 100 based on the calculation values ​​calculated by the calculation unit 50 and the determination result determined by the determination unit 70. Specifically, the instruction unit 90 outputs instructions to the inverter and brake ECU 112.

[0031] Next, the height estimation process and the related configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The height estimation process is a process for estimating the step height H.

[0032] The sensor group 130 includes a current sensor 131, a longitudinal acceleration sensor 132, and a wheel speed sensor 133. The current sensor 131 is a sensor for detecting the value of a drive current flowing through the rotating electric machine 106. The longitudinal acceleration sensor 132 is a sensor for detecting longitudinal acceleration, which is acceleration along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100. The wheel speed sensor 133 is a sensor for detecting the rotation speed of the wheels 104 as the wheel speed. The wheel speed sensor 133 is provided individually for each of the four wheels 104, but in FIG. 5 , the wheel speed sensor 133 is schematically depicted as a single block.

[0033] The acquisition unit 30 has a driving force acquisition unit 31, a longitudinal acceleration acquisition unit 32, and a vehicle speed acquisition unit 33. The driving force acquisition unit 31 acquires the value of the driving current based on a signal from the current sensor 131, and acquires the driving force by calculating the driving force that the vehicle 100 is applying to the road surface based on the value of the driving current. The longitudinal acceleration acquisition unit 32 acquires the longitudinal acceleration based on a signal from the longitudinal acceleration sensor 132. The vehicle speed acquisition unit 33 acquires the rotation speed of the wheels 104 based on a signal from the wheel speed sensor 133, and acquires the vehicle speed by calculating the traveling speed of the vehicle 100 in the longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle speed") based on the rotation speed of the wheels 104.

[0034] The estimation unit 60 includes an angle calculation unit 61 and a height estimation unit 62. The angle calculation unit 61 executes an angle calculation process to calculate a trajectory angle θ (see FIG. 2) based on the driving force, the longitudinal acceleration, and the vehicle speed.

[0035] Here, the trajectory angle θ will be explained with reference to Figure 2. The trajectory angle θ is the angle that the trajectory of the rotation center axis AX of the wheel 104 of the vehicle 100 forms with respect to the road surface. θ1 is the trajectory angle when the wheel 104 is assumed to be an ideal disk (i.e., a rigid disk). The reason why the trajectory angle θ is smaller than the trajectory angle θ1 is because the wheel 104 has a tire, and the tire is deformed when the wheel 104 goes over the step 200.

[0036] Continuing the explanation, returning to FIG. 5, in the angle calculation process, the angle calculation unit 61 calculates the vertical load F ｚCalculate the vertical load F ｚ is, for example, a force applied downward to the wheel 104. ｚ is calculated as the sum of the forces acting on each of the two wheels.

[0037]

[0038] "m" in the first term on the right side of equation (1) is the weight of the vehicle 100. "g" is the gravitational acceleration. "l" is the wheelbase length of the vehicle 100. ｒ " is the length in the front-rear direction from the center of gravity of the vehicle 100 to the rotation center axis AX of the rear wheel. ｘ " is the vertical acceleration acquired by the vertical acceleration acquisition unit 32. "h" is the height from the road surface to the center of gravity of the vehicle 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "center of gravity height"). The first term on the right side of equation (1) represents the downward component of the force applied to each wheel 104 as a dynamic load when the vehicle 100 is traveling.

[0039] The second term on the right side of equation (1) is "d ｓ " is the damping coefficient of a damper (not shown) provided on the vehicle 100. ｓ " is the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit 33. ｏｌｄ " is the value of the trajectory angle θ calculated in the previous control process. When the angle calculation process is executed for the first time, "θ ｏｌｄ For example, 0 is used as the value of ". The second term on the right side of equation (1) represents the force applied to each wheel 104 as the damper expands or contracts.

[0040] The angle calculation unit 61 calculates the vertical load F ｚ After calculating, the trajectory angle θ is calculated using the following equation (2).

[0041]

[0042] "F" on the right side of equation (2) ｍｇ " is the driving force acquired by the driving force acquisition unit 31, that is, the driving force that the driving wheels of the vehicle 100 apply to the road surface.

[0043] As described above, the angle calculation unit 61 calculates the trajectory angle θ at the current position of the vehicle 100 based on the driving force acquired by the driving force acquisition unit 31, the longitudinal acceleration acquired by the longitudinal acceleration acquisition unit 32, and the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit 33.

[0044] The graph shown by the solid line in Figure 6(A) represents the relationship between the travel distance (horizontal axis) of the vehicle 100 and the height (vertical axis) of the rotation center axis AX of the wheel 104 when the vehicle 100 travels toward the step 200. The height of the rotation center axis AX of the wheel 104 is represented by the amount of change in the height direction of the rotation center axis AX. The graph can be said to represent the trajectory of the rotation center axis AX while the vehicle 100 is traveling. 0 shown in Figure 6(A) represents the trajectory angle θ when the vehicle 100 is at position x1. Such a trajectory angle θ can be defined corresponding to each position of the vehicle 100.

[0045] The graph shown by the solid line in Fig. 6(B) represents the relationship between the travel distance (horizontal axis) of the vehicle 100 and the trajectory angle θ (vertical axis) when the vehicle 100 advances toward the step 200. The trajectory angle θ reaches a maximum value θ when the position of the vehicle 100 moves from x1 to x2. ｍａｘ The position x2 corresponds to the peak of the trajectory angle θ (i.e., the point of maximum load) when the wheel 104 tries to climb over the step 200 before the wheel 104 reaches the top of the step 200. The distance from the position x1 to the position x2 can be called the climbing distance. The "rate of change κ of the trajectory angle θ" and the "declining gradient K of the trajectory angle θ" shown in FIG. 6(B) are θ " will be discussed later.

[0046] As mentioned above, the "path angle θ" refers to the angle that the path of the rotation center axis AX of the wheel 104 or the like makes with respect to the road surface. However, the "path of the rotation center axis AX" referred to here refers to the path of the rotation center axis AX when the vehicle 100 is viewed in the left-right direction. The path of the rotation center axis AX reflects the shape of the step 200 indicated by the dashed-dotted line in Figure 6(A). The path of the rotation center axis AX and the shape of the step 200 differ from each other because the tire is deformed when the wheel 104 goes over the step 200.

[0047] 5 , the height estimation unit 62 estimates a step height H, which is the height of the step 200, based on the trajectory angle θ. Specifically, the height estimation unit 62 estimates a first step height H1, a second step height H2, and a third step height H3 as the step height H.

[0048] For example, the height estimation unit 62 may calculate the first step height H1 as the step height H by multiplying the maximum value θ of the trajectory angle θ by ｍａｘ The height estimation unit 62 estimates a second step height H2 as the step height H based on the rate of change κ of the trajectory angle θ, the contact length L of the wheel 104, and the dynamic radius R of the wheel 104. The height estimation unit 62 estimates a third step height H3 as the step height H based on the maximum value θ of the trajectory angle θ. ｍａｘ and the downward gradient K of the trajectory angle θ θ and the ground contact length L of the wheel 104. The method for calculating the first step height H1, the second step height H2, and the third step height H3 will be described later.

[0049] Then, the height estimation unit 62 executes a first selection process and a second selection process after estimating the first step height H1, the second step height H2, and the third step height H3. In the first selection process, the height estimation unit 62 selects the maximum value among the first step height H1 and the second step height H2 as the step height H. On the other hand, in the second selection process, the height estimation unit 62 selects the maximum value among the first step height H1, the second step height H2, and the third step height H3 as the step height H.

[0050] Next, a method for calculating the first step height H1 will be described. In this calculation method, the maximum value θ of the trajectory angle θ when the vehicle 100 goes over the step 200 is calculated. ｍａｘ The first step height H1 is estimated from the above equation (3). The trajectory angle θ1 when the wheel 104 is assumed to be an ideal disk is calculated using the trajectory angle θ according to the following equation (3).

[0051] When the wheel 104 is assumed to be an ideal disk, the step height H is calculated using the trajectory angle θ1 by the following formula (4): Then, from formulas (3) and (4), the first step height H1 is calculated by the following formula (5):

[0052] In this way, in the method for calculating the first step height H1, the maximum value θ of the trajectory angle θ when the vehicle 100 goes over the step 200 is calculated. ｍａｘ Since the first step height H1 is estimated from the maximum value θ of the trajectory angle θ, the estimation accuracy of the first step height H1 is high. ｍａｘ Therefore, the first step height H1 (maximum height) is obtained when the trajectory angle θ reaches the maximum value θ after the vehicle 100 starts to climb over the step 200. ｍａｘ It takes time to become like this.

[0053] Next, a method for calculating the second step height H2 will be described. In this calculation method, the second step height H2 is estimated from the rate of change κ of the trajectory angle θ. The maximum value θ of the trajectory angle θ ｍａｘ is expressed by the following equation (6), and the rate of change κ of the trajectory angle θ is expressed by the following equation (7).

[0054] Then, from equations (6) and (7), the second step height H2 is calculated by the following equation (8).

[0055] In this way, in the calculation method of the second step height H2, the second step height H2 is estimated from the rate of change κ of the trajectory angle θ. Therefore, the wheel 104 contacting the step 200 is detected when the trajectory angle θ reaches the maximum value θ ｍａｘ It can be detected quickly before it becomes a problem.

[0056] Next, a method for calculating the third step height H3 will be described. For example, when the vehicle 100 goes over the step 200 obliquely in a plan view, the trajectory angle θ is smaller than when the vehicle 100 goes over the step 200 vertically, and therefore the step height H is estimated to be lower.

[0057] Therefore, in this calculation method, the third step height H3 is estimated assuming that the vehicle 100 goes over the step 200 obliquely in a plan view. That is, the third step height H3 is calculated by the downward gradient K of the trajectory angle θ. θ The downward gradient K of the trajectory angle θ is calculated using the following equation (9). θ is calculated in the same manner as the rate of change κ of the trajectory angle θ.

[0058] Next, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process will be described. The two-wheel / one-wheel determination process is a process for determining whether both wheels or one wheel is climbing up the step 200. The two wheels referred to here refer to both left and right front wheels when traveling forward, and both left and right rear wheels when traveling backward. In this embodiment, first to third examples of the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process will be exemplified as the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process.

[0059] First, with reference to FIG. 7, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the first example and the related configuration will be described.

[0060] In addition to the wheel speed sensor 133, the sensor group 130 also includes a lateral acceleration sensor 134 and a yaw rate sensor 135. The lateral acceleration sensor 134 is a sensor for detecting lateral acceleration, which is acceleration along the lateral direction of the vehicle 100. The yaw rate sensor 135 is a sensor for detecting yaw rate, which is the rotational angular velocity around a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of the vehicle 100.

[0061] The acquisition unit 30 has a lateral acceleration acquisition unit 34 and a yaw rate acquisition unit 35 in addition to the vehicle speed acquisition unit 33. The lateral acceleration acquisition unit 34 acquires the lateral acceleration based on a signal from the lateral acceleration sensor 134. The yaw rate acquisition unit 35 acquires the yaw rate based on a signal from the yaw rate sensor 135. The yaw rate in this case is an actual yaw rate obtained directly based on the detection result of the yaw rate sensor 135. Note that the yaw rate acquisition unit 35 may acquire the wheel speeds of both wheels based on signals from the wheel speed sensor 133 and calculate the yaw rate based on the acquired wheel speeds to acquire the yaw rate. The yaw rate in this case is a yaw rate estimated from the detection result of the wheel speed sensor 133, and is a wheel speed yaw rate corresponding to the wheel speed.

[0062] The determination unit 70 has a height determination unit 71, a proportional value calculation unit 72, and a two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73. The height determination unit 71 determines whether the step height H (for example, a first step height H1) estimated by the height estimation unit 62 is higher than a predetermined specified height. The specified height is set to a value (for example, 2 cm) that can detect that the wheel 104 has come into contact with the step 200 before climbing over it. When the height determination unit 71 determines that the step height H is higher than the specified height, the proportional value calculation unit 72 calculates a lateral acceleration proportional value δ, which is a value obtained by comparing the lateral acceleration with the yaw rate. Ｇ is calculated based on the lateral acceleration and yaw rate.

[0063] Lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ is calculated by the following equation (10). Here, "Gy" is the lateral acceleration acquired by the lateral acceleration acquisition unit 34. "K" is a coefficient. "Vx" is the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit 33. "r" is the yaw rate acquired by the yaw rate acquisition unit 35. "const" is a zero division prevention coefficient. The zero division prevention coefficient const is a coefficient for preventing the denominator of equation (10) from becoming 0 when, for example, Vx×r<1, and its value is, for example, 1. The value of the zero division prevention coefficient const is set, for example, depending on the level of noise in the wheel speed sensor 133, the lateral acceleration sensor 134, and the yaw rate sensor 135.

[0064]

[0065] The both-wheel / one-wheel determining unit 73 determines whether both wheels or one wheel is climbing up the step 200 based on the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ Specifically, the two-wheel / one-wheel determining unit 73 determines whether the vehicle is on one wheel or both wheels based on the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ It is determined whether the absolute value of the lateral acceleration proportional value δ is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. Ｇ The threshold value corresponding to the lateral acceleration proportional value δ obtained when both wheels are climbing up the step 200 is Ｇ is set to the maximum value of

[0066] Then, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 calculates the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ If the absolute value of is equal to or less than the threshold value, it is determined that both wheels are climbing up the step 200, and the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ If the absolute value of is greater than the threshold value, it is determined that one wheel is climbing up onto the step 200.

[0067] In this way, in the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the first example, when one wheel is on the step 200, the vehicle 100 tilts to the left or right in comparison with when both wheels are on the step 200, and therefore the tilt of the vehicle 100 is detected as lateral acceleration. Then, in order to cancel the lateral acceleration that occurs when the vehicle 100 turns, as described above, the lateral acceleration proportional value δ, which is a value obtained by comparing the lateral acceleration with the yaw rate, is used. Ｇ is calculated, and the lateral acceleration ratio value δ at which the inclination of the vehicle 100 appears is calculated. Ｇ The judgment is made using

[0068] Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the second example and the related configuration will be described.

[0069] As described above, the sensor group 130 includes the wheel speed sensor 133 and the yaw rate sensor 135. The acquisition unit 30 includes a wheel speed acquisition unit 36, an actual yaw rate acquisition unit 37, and a wheel speed yaw rate acquisition unit 38. The wheel speed acquisition unit 36 ​​acquires the wheel speeds of both wheels based on signals from the wheel speed sensor 133. The actual yaw rate acquisition unit 37 acquires the actual yaw rate based on signals from the yaw rate sensor 135. The wheel speed yaw rate acquisition unit 38 acquires the wheel speeds of both wheels based on signals from the wheel speed sensor 133, and calculates the wheel speed yaw rate based on the acquired wheel speeds, thereby acquiring the wheel speed yaw rate.

[0070] As described above, the determination unit 70 has a height determination unit 71, a proportional value calculation unit 72, and a two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73. As in the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the first example, the height determination unit 71 determines whether the step height H (for example, a first step height H1) estimated by the height estimation unit 62 is higher than a specified height. When the height determination unit 71 determines that the step height H is higher than the specified height, the proportional value calculation unit 72 calculates a yaw rate proportional value δ, which is a value obtained by comparing the wheel speed yaw rate with the actual yaw rate. ｒ is calculated based on the actual yaw rate and the wheel speed yaw rate.

[0071] Yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ is calculated by the following formulas (11) and (12). ｗｈｅｅｌ " is the wheel speed yaw rate acquired by the wheel speed yaw rate acquisition unit 38. "r" is the yaw rate acquired by the actual yaw rate acquisition unit 37 (i.e., the actual yaw rate). "const" is a zero division prevention coefficient. The zero division prevention coefficient const is a coefficient for preventing the denominator of equation (11) from becoming 0, and its value is, for example, 1. The value of the zero division prevention coefficient const is set, for example, depending on the level of noise in the wheel speed sensor 133 and the yaw rate sensor 135.

[0072] "V Ｌ " is the wheel speed of the left wheel 104 acquired by the wheel speed acquisition unit 36. Ｒ " is the wheel speed of the right wheel 104 acquired by the wheel speed acquisition unit 36.ｗｈｅｅｌ " is the average value of the wheel speeds of both wheels calculated by the wheel speed yaw rate acquisition unit 38. ｆｌｇ " is "V Ｌ >0.8km / h, the value is "1", otherwise the value is "0". ｆｌｇ " is "V Ｒ If the speed is greater than 0.8 km / h, the value is "1", otherwise the value is "0". "tr" is the tread of both wheels.

[0073]

[0074] The two-wheel / one-wheel determining unit 73 determines whether both wheels or one wheel is climbing up the step 200 based on the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ Specifically, the two-wheel / one-wheel determining unit 73 determines whether the vehicle is on one wheel or both wheels based on the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ It is determined whether the absolute value of the yaw rate proportional value δ is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. ｒ The threshold value corresponding to is the yaw rate proportional value δ obtained when both wheels are climbing up the step 200. ｒ is set to the maximum value of

[0075] The two-wheel / one-wheel determining unit 73 then calculates the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ If the absolute value of is equal to or less than the threshold value, it is determined that both wheels are climbing up the step 200, and the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ If the absolute value of is greater than the threshold value, it is determined that one wheel is climbing up onto the step 200.

[0076] In this way, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the second example utilizes the fact that the vehicle 100 tilts to the left or right when one wheel is on the step 200 and when both wheels are on the step 200, and the tilt of the vehicle 100 is detected as a yaw rate. Then, in order to cancel the yaw rate that occurs when the vehicle 100 turns, as described above, the yaw rate proportional value δ, which is a value obtained by comparing the wheel speed yaw rate with the actual yaw rate, is used. ｒ Calculate the yaw rate proportional value δ other than the turning ｒ The judgment is made using

[0077] Next, with reference to FIG. 9, a two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to a third example and related configurations will be described.

[0078] As described above, the sensor group 130 includes the wheel speed sensor 133, the lateral acceleration sensor 134, and the yaw rate sensor 135. As described above, the acquisition unit 30 includes the vehicle speed acquisition unit 33, the lateral acceleration acquisition unit 34, the wheel speed acquisition unit 36, the actual yaw rate acquisition unit 37, and the wheel speed yaw rate acquisition unit 38.

[0079] The determination unit 70 has a vehicle speed determination unit 74 in addition to the above-mentioned height determination unit 71 and both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73. Furthermore, the determination unit 70 has a first proportional value calculation unit 72A and a second proportional value calculation unit 72B instead of the above-mentioned proportional value calculation unit 72. The vehicle speed determination unit 74 determines whether the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed. The threshold speed is set to the maximum value in the extremely low speed range (for example, 1 km / h).

[0080] Similar to the proportional value calculation unit 72 in the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the first example described above, when the height determination unit 71 determines that the step height H is higher than the specified height, the first proportional value calculation unit 72A calculates a lateral acceleration proportional value δ , which is a value obtained by comparing the lateral acceleration with the yaw rate. Ｇ Similar to the proportional value calculation unit 72 in the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the second example described above, the second proportional value calculation unit 72B calculates a yaw rate proportional value δ, which is a value obtained by comparing the wheel speed yaw rate with the actual yaw rate, when the height determination unit 71 determines that the step height H is higher than the specified height. ｒ is calculated based on the actual yaw rate and the wheel speed yaw rate.

[0081] When the vehicle speed determination unit 74 determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the threshold speed, the both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines whether both wheels or one wheel are climbing up the step 200 based on the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ On the other hand, when the vehicle speed determination unit 74 determines that the vehicle speed is not equal to or less than the threshold speed (i.e., the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed), the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 performs the two-wheel / one-wheel determination based on the yaw rate proportional value δｒ Execute based on.

[0082] In this way, in the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the third example, the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ However, taking into consideration that the wheel speed sensor 133 cannot detect the wheel speed at extremely low speeds, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination is performed by calculating the lateral acceleration proportional value δ when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the threshold speed. Ｇ If the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed, the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ Execute based on.

[0083] Next, the front wheel / rear wheel determination process and the related configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The front wheel / rear wheel determination process is a process for determining whether the front wheel or the rear wheel is climbing up the step 200.

[0084] The sensor group 130 includes the longitudinal acceleration sensor 132 and the wheel speed sensor 133, as well as a shift position sensor 136. The shift position sensor 136 is a sensor for detecting the position of a shift lever equipped in the vehicle 100.

[0085] In addition to the vehicle speed acquisition unit 33, the acquisition unit 30 has a front wheel speed acquisition unit 36A, a rear wheel speed acquisition unit 36B, an actual acceleration acquisition unit 39, and a shift position acquisition unit 40. The front wheel speed acquisition unit 36A acquires the wheel speed of the front wheels based on signals from wheel speed sensors 133 corresponding to the front wheels. The rear wheel speed acquisition unit 36B acquires the wheel speed of the rear wheels based on signals from wheel speed sensors 133 corresponding to the rear wheels. The actual acceleration acquisition unit 39 acquires the actual acceleration along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 100 (i.e., vertical acceleration) based on signals from the vertical acceleration sensor 132. The shift position acquisition unit 40 acquires the position of the shift based on signals from the shift position sensor 136.

[0086] In addition to the height determination unit 71 and vehicle speed determination unit 74 described above, the determination unit 70 also has a shift position determination unit 75, a parameter selection unit 76, an acceleration estimation unit 77, a gradient acceleration calculation unit 78, and a front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79.

[0087] The shift position determination unit 75 determines the position of the shift. If the shift position determination unit 75 determines that the position of the shift is a position for forward travel (e.g., D position, B position, or S position), the parameter selection unit 76 selects parameters for forward travel. On the other hand, if the shift position determination unit 75 determines that the position of the shift is a position for reverse travel (i.e., R position), the parameter selection unit 76 selects parameters for reverse travel.

[0088] For example, when the wheel 104 contacts the step 200, the load transfer is reversed between forward and reverse, so when the vehicle is moving forward, the longitudinal acceleration toward the front is set to a positive value, and when the vehicle is moving backward, the longitudinal acceleration toward the rear is set to a positive value. Also, since the dampers of the front wheels and the rear wheels have different damping coefficients, a correction parameter for the damper component for forward movement is used when the vehicle is moving forward, and a correction parameter for the damper component for backward movement is used when the vehicle is moving backward. Also, when the vehicle is moving forward, the wheel speed used in the both-wheel / one-wheel determination process is the front wheel speed, and when the vehicle is moving backward, the wheel speed used in the both-wheel / one-wheel determination process is the rear wheel speed.

[0089] The height determination unit 71 determines whether the step height H (for example, the maximum value of the first step height H1 and the second step height H2) estimated by the height estimation unit 62 is higher than a predetermined specified height (for example, 10 mm). If the height determination unit 71 determines that the step height H is higher than the specified height, the vehicle speed determination unit 74 determines whether the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed (for example, 1 km / h).

[0090] When the vehicle speed determination unit 74 determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the threshold speed, the acceleration estimation unit 77 estimates the estimated acceleration along the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 based on the front wheel speed or the rear wheel speed. The gradient acceleration calculation unit 78 calculates the gradient acceleration, which is the difference between the actual acceleration and the estimated acceleration.

[0091] When the vehicle speed determination unit 74 determines that the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the threshold speed, the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 performs a front wheel / rear wheel determination, which is a determination as to whether the front wheels or the rear wheels are climbing up the step 200, based on the estimated step height H estimated from the gradient acceleration. ｓｌｏｐｅand the step height H.

[0092] Specifically, the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 calculates the estimated step height H ｓｌｏｐｅ is lower than the step height H. Then, the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines whether the estimated step height H ｓｌｏｐｅ is lower than the step height H, it is determined that the rear wheel is climbing up onto the step 200. On the other hand, the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the estimated step height H ｓｌｏｐｅ is equal to or greater than the step height H, it is determined that the front wheel is climbing up onto the step 200.

[0093] Estimated step height H ｓｌｏｐｅ is calculated by the following formula (13): ｘ " is the actual acceleration (i.e., vertical acceleration) acquired by the actual acceleration acquisition unit 39. ｘｖｓｐｄ " is the estimated acceleration estimated by the acceleration estimation unit 77.

[0094]

[0095] When the front wheels run over the step 200 while moving forward, the vehicle 100 nose-ups, and when the rear wheels run over the step 200, the vehicle 100 nose-dives. In the vehicle 100, the vertical acceleration sensor 132 is on an equivalent spring, so when the vehicle nose-ups, the gradient acceleration is an upward gradient, and when the vehicle nose-dives, the gradient acceleration is a downward gradient. Therefore, as described above, the estimated step height H estimated from the gradient acceleration is ｓｌｏｐｅ By comparing the value of the distance .theta..times ...

[0096] On the other hand, when the vehicle speed determination unit 74 determines that the vehicle speed is not below the threshold speed (i.e., the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed), the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 performs front wheel / rear wheel determination based on the front wheel speed and rear wheel speed.

[0097] Specifically, the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines whether the front wheels have decelerated before the rear wheels or whether the rear wheels have decelerated before the front wheels, based on the front wheel speed and the rear wheel speed. If the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the front wheels have decelerated before the rear wheels, it determines that the front wheels have climbed up onto the step 200. On the other hand, if the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the rear wheels have decelerated before the front wheels, it determines that the rear wheels have climbed up onto the step 200.

[0098] For example, if the front wheels run over the step 200 while moving forward, the front wheels first contact the step 200, causing the front wheels to decelerate, while the rear wheels continue to rotate due to inertia. After that, the tires or suspension of the front wheels deform, and then deceleration is transmitted from the front wheels to the vehicle body 102, causing the rear wheels to start decelerating. Therefore, if the front wheels decelerate before the rear wheels, it can be determined that the front wheels have made contact. On the other hand, if the rear wheels run over the step 200, the rear wheels decelerate first, and then the front wheels start decelerating. Therefore, if the rear wheels decelerate before the front wheels, it can be determined that the rear wheels have made contact.

[0099] Next, the step determination process and the related configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 11. The step determination process is a process for determining whether or not the step 200 corresponds to a step that should be overcome when the wheel 104 comes into contact with the step 200.

[0100] The determination unit 70 has a height correction unit 80 and a step determination unit 81 in addition to the above-mentioned two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 and front-wheel / rear-wheel determination unit 79 .

[0101] The height correction unit 80 corrects the step height H based on the determination result of the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73. Specifically, when the first selection process is executed by the height estimation unit 62, the height correction unit 80 corrects the step height H selected by the first selection process based on the determination result of the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73.

[0102] For example, when the both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines that one wheel is running up the step 200, the height correction unit 80 performs a correction to double the step height H selected by the first selection process. On the other hand, when the both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines that both wheels are running up the step 200, the height correction unit 80 uses the step height H selected by the first selection process as is.

[0103] In addition, when the second selection process is executed by the height estimation unit 62, the height correction unit 80 corrects the step height H selected by the second selection process based on the judgment result of the both wheels / one wheel judgment unit 73.

[0104] For example, when the both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines that one wheel is running up the step 200, the height correction unit 80 performs a correction to double the step height H selected by the second selection process. On the other hand, when the both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines that both wheels are running up the step 200, the height correction unit 80 uses the step height H selected by the second selection process as is.

[0105] Here, with reference to FIG. 12, the reason why the step height H is doubled when the two-wheel / one-wheel determining unit 73 determines that one wheel is climbing up onto the step 200 will be described.

[0106] When it is determined that one wheel is climbing up the step 200, the vehicle 100 tilts, and the height of the step 200 estimated at the center of gravity position where the vertical acceleration sensor 132 is located (i.e., the center of gravity height h) becomes lower than the actual step height H. Here, "Wg" is the width from the wheel 104 to the center of gravity, and "W" is the width between the two wheels. The width Wg is half of the width W. Therefore, when it is determined that one wheel is climbing up the step 200, the center of gravity height h becomes half of the actual step height H. Since the step height H estimated by the height estimation unit 62 described above corresponds to the center of gravity height h, when it is determined that one wheel is climbing up the step 200, the step height H needs to be doubled.

[0107] 11 , the explanation will be continued. The height correction unit 80 corrects the step height H based on the determination result of the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79. Specifically, when the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the front wheels are running over the step 200 while the vehicle 100 is moving forward, the height correction unit 80 executes a height determination to determine whether the step height H selected by the second selection process in the current control process (hereinafter referred to as the "current step height H") is higher than the step height H selected by the second selection process in the previous control process (hereinafter referred to as the "previous step height H"); and when the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the rear wheels are running over the step 200, the height correction unit 80 cancels the height determination.

[0108] Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 is moving backward, if the front / rear wheel determination determines that the rear wheels are running up on the step 200, the height correction unit 80 executes the height determination, and if the front / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the front wheels are running up on the step 200, the height correction unit 80 cancels the height determination.

[0109] When the height correction unit 80 determines that the current step height H is higher than the previous step height H, it adopts the current step height H as the step height H. On the other hand, when the height correction unit 80 determines that the current step height H is not higher than the previous step height H (i.e., the current step height H is less than the previous step height H), it adopts the previous step height H as the step height H.

[0110] When the first selection process is executed by the height estimation unit 62, the step determination unit 81 determines whether the vehicle 100 should climb over the step 200 based on the step height H corrected by the height correction unit 80 and the determination result of the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79.

[0111] Specifically, when the vehicle 100 is moving forward and the front wheel / rear wheel judgment unit 79 judges that the front wheels are climbing up the step 200, the step judgment unit 81 executes a climbing judgment to judge whether the vehicle 100 should climb up the step 200, and when the front wheel / rear wheel judgment unit 79 judges that the rear wheels are climbing up the step 200, the step judgment unit 81 cancels the climbing judgment.

[0112] In addition, when the vehicle 100 is moving backward, if the front wheel / rear wheel judgment determines that the rear wheels are running over the step 200, the step judgment unit 81 executes the running over judgment, and if the front wheel / rear wheel judgment unit 79 determines that the front wheels are running over the step 200, the step judgment unit 81 cancels the running over judgment.

[0113] In the step-crossing determination, the step determination unit 81 determines whether the step height H is higher than a predetermined threshold height. The threshold height can be set arbitrarily. For example, the threshold height is set to 50 mm. If the step determination unit 81 determines that the step height H is not higher than the threshold height (i.e., the step height H is equal to or less than the threshold height), it determines that the step is one that should be crossed. On the other hand, if the step determination unit 81 determines that the step height H is higher than the threshold height, it determines that the step is not one that should be crossed.

[0114] Next, the immediately-start determination process and the related configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 13. The immediately-start determination process is a process for determining whether or not the vehicle 100 has just started moving.

[0115] As described above, the sensor group 130 includes the wheel speed sensor 133. The acquisition unit 30 also includes the vehicle speed acquisition unit 33 and the wheel speed acquisition unit 36, as described above.

[0116] In addition to the height determination unit 71, the determination unit 70 also includes a condition determination unit 82, a wheel speed determination unit 83, and an immediately-after-start determination unit 84. The condition determination unit 82 determines whether the current state of the vehicle 100 satisfies the conditions for executing the estimation process (hereinafter referred to as "estimation permission conditions"). Examples of the estimation permission conditions include a vehicle speed of 1 km / h or less and an accelerator pedal depression of 50% or more.

[0117] When the condition determination unit 82 determines that the current state of the vehicle 100 satisfies the estimation permission condition, the height determination unit 71 determines whether the step height H estimated by the height estimation unit 62 (for example, the maximum value of the first step height H1 and the second step height H2) is higher than a predetermined specified height (for example, 30 mm). When the height determination unit 71 determines that the step height H is higher than the specified height, the wheel speed determination unit 83 determines whether the wheel speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed. The threshold speed is set to the maximum value of the extremely low speed range (for example, 1 km / h).

[0118] If the wheel speed determination unit 83 determines that the wheel speed is equal to or lower than the threshold speed, the immediately-after-start determination unit 84 determines that the vehicle 100 has just started moving.

[0119] Next, the mode determination process and related configurations will be described with reference to Fig. 14. The mode determination process is a process for determining a mode for controlling the driving force and braking force (hereinafter referred to as "control mode").

[0120] As described above, the sensor group 130 includes the wheel speed sensor 133. The acquisition unit 30 also includes the vehicle speed acquisition unit 33 as described above.

[0121] The determination unit 70 has a mode determination unit 85. The mode determination unit 85 determines the control mode to be selected based on the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit 33, the step height H corrected by the height correction unit 80, the determination result of the step determination unit 81, and the determination result of the immediately-after-start determination unit 84. Specifically, the determination unit 70 performs the following processes.

[0122] For example, the determination unit 70 sets each threshold value so as to maintain a step height at which control intervention is not desired and a vehicle speed at which control intervention is not desired. Furthermore, if the estimated step height is less than the control intervention threshold, the determination unit 70 selects a mode in which control is not intervened and driving force is output as requested by the driver. Furthermore, if the vehicle speed exceeds the control permissible vehicle speed, the determination unit 70 selects a mode in which control is not intervened and driving force is output as requested by the driver, regardless of the step height. Furthermore, the determination unit 70 selects a mode in which control is limited to a low vehicle speed when the estimated step height is equal to or greater than the control intervention threshold and less than the run-over prevention threshold and less than the control permissible vehicle speed, or when the estimated step height is equal to or greater than the run-over prevention threshold and the wheel speed is less than the control permissible vehicle speed and the vehicle has not been determined to be immediately after starting.

[0123] Next, the instruction unit 90 and related configurations will be described with reference to Fig. 15. The instruction unit 90 outputs instructions to the inverter. Note that the instruction unit 90 may output instructions to the brake ECU 112 in cooperation with the brake device 110 in order to more actively stop the vehicle 100 using the brake device 110.

[0124] The sensor group 130 includes an accelerator sensor 137 and a brake sensor 138. The accelerator sensor 137 is a sensor for detecting the opening degree of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle 100. The brake sensor 138 is a sensor for detecting the operation amount of a brake pedal of the vehicle 100.

[0125] The acquisition unit 30 includes an opening degree acquisition unit 41 and an operation amount acquisition unit 42. The opening degree acquisition unit 41 acquires the opening degree of the accelerator pedal based on a signal from the accelerator sensor 137. The operation amount acquisition unit 42 acquires the operation amount of the brake pedal based on a signal from the brake sensor 138.

[0126] The instruction unit 90 generates instructions for the inverter and brake ECU 112 based on the opening degree acquired by the opening degree acquisition unit 41, the operation amount acquired by the operation amount acquisition unit 42, and the judgment result of the mode judgment unit 85, and outputs the instructions.

[0127] Next, the operation of the control device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. First, the flow of the control process will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Note that in the following description, steps performed by the acquisition unit 30 will be omitted. When the control process is started, the control process proceeds to step ST10 and step ST50.

[0128] In step ST10, the angle calculation unit 61 executes an angle calculation process to calculate the trajectory angle θ (see FIG. 2) based on the driving force, the longitudinal acceleration, and the vehicle speed. After the process of step ST10, the control process proceeds to step ST12, step ST14, and step ST16.

[0129] In step ST12, the height estimation unit 62 calculates the first step height H1 as the step height H by multiplying the maximum value θ of the trajectory angle θ by ｍａｘ and is estimated based on the ground contact length L of the wheel 104 and the dynamic radius R of the wheel 104. After the process of step ST12, the control process proceeds to step ST18 and step ST20.

[0130] In step ST14, the height estimation unit 62 estimates a second step height H2 as the step height H based on the rate of change κ of the trajectory angle θ, the ground contact length L of the wheel 104, and the dynamic radius R of the wheel 104. After processing in step ST14, the control process proceeds to steps ST18 and ST20.

[0131] In step ST16, the height estimation unit 62 estimates the third step height H3 as the step height H by multiplying the maximum value θ of the trajectory angle θ by ｍａｘ and the downward gradient K of the trajectory angle θ θ and the ground contact length L of the wheel 104. After the process of step ST16, the control process proceeds to step ST20.

[0132] In step ST18, the height estimation unit 62 executes a first selection process to select the maximum value of the first step height H1 and the second step height H2 as the step height H. After the process of step ST18, the control process proceeds to step ST22.

[0133] In step ST20, the height estimation unit 62 executes a second selection process to select the maximum value from the first step height H1, the second step height H2, and the third step height H3 as the step height H. After the process of step ST20, the control process proceeds to step ST28.

[0134] In step ST22, the determination unit 70 executes a both-wheel / one-wheel determination process to determine whether both wheels or one wheel is climbing up the step 200. As the both-wheel / one-wheel determination process, any of the both-wheel / one-wheel determination processes according to the first to third examples is executed. If it is determined in step ST22 that one wheel is climbing up the step 200, the control process proceeds to step ST24. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST22 that both wheels are climbing up the step 200, the control process proceeds to step ST26.

[0135] In step ST24, the height corrector 80 corrects the step height H selected in the first selection process to double it. After the process of step ST24, the control process proceeds to step ST34.

[0136] In step ST26, the height corrector 80 directly adopts the step height H selected in the first selection process. After the process of step ST26, the control process proceeds to step ST34.

[0137] In step ST28, the determination unit 70 executes a both-wheel / one-wheel determination process to determine whether both wheels or one wheel is climbing up the step 200. As the both-wheel / one-wheel determination process, any of the both-wheel / one-wheel determination processes according to the first to third examples is executed. If it is determined in step ST28 that one wheel is climbing up the step 200, the control process proceeds to step ST30. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST28 that both wheels are climbing up the step 200, the control process proceeds to step ST32.

[0138] In step ST30, the height corrector 80 corrects the step height H selected in the second selection process to double it. After the process of step ST30, the control process proceeds to step ST36.

[0139] In step ST32, the height corrector 80 directly adopts the step height H selected in the second selection process. After the process of step ST32, the control process proceeds to step ST36.

[0140] In step ST34, the determination unit 70 executes a front / rear wheel determination process to determine whether the front wheels or the rear wheels are climbing up the step 200. If it is determined in step ST34 that the front wheels are climbing up the step 200 during forward travel, the control process proceeds to step ST38. Similarly, if it is determined in step ST34 that the rear wheels are climbing up the step 200 during reverse travel, the control process proceeds to step ST38. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST34 that the rear wheels are climbing up the step 200 during forward travel, the control process proceeds to step ST54. Similarly, if it is determined in step ST34 that the front wheels are climbing up the step 200 during reverse travel, the control process proceeds to step ST54.

[0141] In step ST36, the determination unit 70 executes a front / rear wheel determination process to determine whether the front wheels or the rear wheels are climbing up the step 200. If it is determined in step ST36 that the front wheels are climbing up the step 200 when traveling forward, the control process proceeds to step ST44. Similarly, if it is determined in step ST36 that the rear wheels are climbing up the step 200 when traveling backward, the control process proceeds to step ST44. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST36 that the rear wheels are climbing up the step 200 when traveling forward, the control process proceeds to step ST54. Similarly, if it is determined in step ST36 that the front wheels are climbing up the step 200 when traveling backward, the control process proceeds to step ST54.

[0142] In step ST38, the step determination unit 81 executes a step-over determination by determining whether the step height H is higher than a predetermined threshold height (e.g., 50 mm). If it is determined in step ST38 that the step height H is higher than the threshold height, the control process proceeds to step ST40. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST38 that the step height H is equal to or less than the threshold height, the control process proceeds to step ST42. Note that if it is determined in step ST34 above that the rear wheels are climbing over the step 200 when traveling forward or that the front wheels are climbing over the step 200 when traveling backward, the control process proceeds to step ST54, thereby canceling the step-over determination executed in the process of step ST38.

[0143] In step ST40, the step determination unit 81 determines that the step is one that must be overcome. After the process of step ST40, the control process proceeds to step ST52.

[0144] In step ST42, the step determination unit 81 determines that the step is not one that should be overcome. After the process of step ST42, the control process proceeds to step ST52.

[0145] In step ST44, the height correction unit 80 performs height determination by determining whether the current step height H selected in the current control process is higher than the previous step height H selected in the previous control process. If it is determined in step ST44 that the current step height H is higher than the previous step height H, the control process proceeds to step ST46. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST44 that the current step height H is not higher than the previous step height H (i.e., the current step height H is less than the previous step height H), the control process proceeds to step ST48. Note that if it is determined in step ST36 above that the rear wheels are climbing up on the step 200 during forward travel or that the front wheels are climbing up on the step 200 during reverse travel, the control process proceeds to step ST54, and the height determination performed in the process of step ST44 is canceled.

[0146] In step ST46, the height corrector 80 adopts the current step height H as the step height H. After the process of step ST46, the control process proceeds to step ST52.

[0147] In step ST48, the height corrector 80 adopts the previous step height H as the step height H. After the process of step ST48, the control process proceeds to step ST52.

[0148] In step ST50, the determination unit 70 executes a process for determining whether or not the vehicle 100 has just started moving. After the process of step ST50, the control process proceeds to step ST52.

[0149] In step ST52, the determining unit 70 executes a mode determining process to determine the control mode. After the process of step ST52, the control process proceeds to step ST10.

[0150] In step ST54, the CPU 12 ends the estimation process. After the process of step ST54, the control process proceeds to step ST10. When the control process proceeds to step ST10 after the estimation process is completed, a new control process is executed from the beginning.

[0151] Next, the flow of the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the first example will be described with reference to FIG.

[0152] In step ST60, the height determination unit 71 determines whether the step height H (for example, the first step height H1) estimated by the height estimation unit 62 is higher than a predetermined specified height (for example, 2 cm). If it is determined in step ST60 that the step height H is higher than the specified height, the control process proceeds to step ST62. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST60 that the step height H is not higher than the specified height (i.e., the step height H is equal to or less than the specified height), the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST66.

[0153] In step ST62, the proportional value calculation unit 72 calculates the lateral acceleration proportional value δ, which is a value obtained by comparing the lateral acceleration with the yaw rate. Ｇis calculated based on the lateral acceleration and the yaw rate. After the process of step ST62, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST64.

[0154] In step ST64, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 calculates the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ In step ST64, it is determined whether the absolute value of the lateral acceleration proportional value δ is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. Ｇ If it is determined that the absolute value of lateral acceleration proportional value δ is equal to or less than the threshold value, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST66. Ｇ The absolute value of is not equal to or less than the threshold value (i.e., the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ If it is determined that the absolute value of is greater than the threshold value, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST68.

[0155] In step ST66, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines that both wheels are climbing up onto the step 200. After the processing of step ST66, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination processing proceeds to step ST60.

[0156] In step ST68, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines that one wheel is climbing up onto the step 200. After the processing of step ST68, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination processing proceeds to step ST60.

[0157] Next, the flow of the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the second example will be described with reference to FIG.

[0158] In step ST70, the height determination unit 71 determines whether the step height H (for example, the first step height H1) estimated by the height estimation unit 62 is higher than a predetermined specified height (for example, 2 cm). If it is determined in step ST70 that the step height H is higher than the specified height, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST72. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST70 that the step height H is not higher than the specified height (i.e., the step height H is equal to or less than the specified height), the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST76.

[0159] In step ST72, the proportional value calculation unit 72 calculates a yaw rate proportional value δ, which is a value obtained by comparing the wheel speed yaw rate with the actual yaw rate. ｒ is calculated based on the actual yaw rate and the wheel speed yaw rate. After the process of step ST72, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST74.

[0160] In step ST74, the two-wheel / one-wheel determining unit 73 calculates the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ In step ST74, it is determined whether the absolute value of the yaw rate proportional value δ is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. ｒ If it is determined that the absolute value of δ is equal to or less than the threshold value, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST76. ｒ The absolute value of is not less than the threshold value (i.e., the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ If it is determined that the absolute value of is greater than the threshold value, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST78.

[0161] In step ST76, the both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines that both wheels are climbing up onto the step 200. After the processing of step ST76, the both-wheel / one-wheel determination processing proceeds to step ST70.

[0162] In step ST78, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines that one wheel is climbing up onto the step 200. After the processing of step ST78, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination processing proceeds to step ST70.

[0163] Next, the flow of the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process according to the third example will be described with reference to FIG.

[0164] In step ST80, the vehicle speed determination unit 74 determines whether the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold speed (e.g., 1 km / h). If it is determined in step ST80 that the vehicle speed is equal to or less than the threshold speed, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST82. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST80 that the vehicle speed is not equal to or less than the threshold speed (i.e., the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed), the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST84.

[0165] In step ST82, the height determination unit 71 determines whether the step height H (for example, the first step height H1) estimated by the height estimation unit 62 is higher than a predetermined specified height (for example, 2 cm). If it is determined in step ST82 that the step height H is higher than the specified height, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST86. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST82 that the step height H is not higher than the specified height (i.e., the step height H is equal to or less than the specified height), the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST94.

[0166] In step ST86, the first proportional value calculation unit 72A calculates the lateral acceleration proportional value δ, which is a value obtained by comparing the lateral acceleration with the yaw rate. Ｇ is calculated based on the lateral acceleration and the yaw rate. After the process of step ST86, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST88.

[0167] In step ST88, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 calculates the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ In step ST88, it is determined whether the absolute value of the lateral acceleration proportional value δ is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. Ｇ If it is determined that the absolute value of δ is equal to or less than the threshold value, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST94. Ｇ The absolute value of is not equal to or less than the threshold value (i.e., the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ If it is determined that the absolute value of is greater than the threshold value, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST90.

[0168] In step ST90, the second proportional value calculation unit 72B calculates the yaw rate proportional value δ , which is a value obtained by comparing the wheel speed yaw rate with the actual yaw rate. ｒ is calculated based on the actual yaw rate and the wheel speed yaw rate. After the process of step ST90, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST92.

[0169] In step ST92, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 calculates the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ In step ST92, it is determined whether the absolute value of the yaw rate proportional value δ is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.ｒ If it is determined that the absolute value of δ is equal to or less than the threshold value, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST94. ｒ The absolute value of is not less than the threshold value (i.e., the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ If it is determined that the absolute value of is greater than the threshold value, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination process proceeds to step ST96.

[0170] In step ST94, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines that both wheels are climbing up onto the step 200. After the processing of step ST94, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination processing proceeds to step ST80.

[0171] In step ST96, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines that one wheel is climbing up onto the step 200. After the processing of step ST96, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination processing proceeds to step ST80.

[0172] Next, the flow of the front wheel / rear wheel determination process will be described with reference to FIG.

[0173] In step ST100, the shift position determination unit 75 determines the position of the shift. If the position of the shift is a forward position (e.g., D position, B position, or S position) in step ST100, the front / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST102. On the other hand, if the position of the shift is a reverse position (i.e., R position) in step ST100, the front / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST104.

[0174] In step ST102, the parameter selection unit 76 selects parameters for forward travel. After the process of step ST102, the front wheel / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST106.

[0175] In step ST104, the parameter selection unit 76 selects parameters for reverse travel. After the process of step ST104, the front wheel / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST106.

[0176] In step ST106, the height determination unit 71 determines whether the step height H (for example, the maximum value of the first step height H1 and the second step height H2) estimated by the height estimation unit 62 is higher than a predetermined specified height (for example, 10 cm). If it is determined in step ST106 that the step height H is higher than the specified height, the front wheel / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST108. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST106 that the step height H is not higher than the specified height (i.e., the step height H is equal to or less than the specified height), the front wheel / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST100.

[0177] In step ST108, the vehicle speed determination unit 74 determines whether the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold speed (e.g., 1 km / h). If it is determined in step ST108 that the vehicle speed is equal to or less than the threshold speed, the front wheel / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST110. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST108 that the vehicle speed is not equal to or less than the threshold speed (i.e., the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed), the front wheel / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST112.

[0178] In step ST110, the acceleration estimation unit 77 estimates the estimated acceleration along the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 based on the front wheel speed or the rear wheel speed. Next, the gradient acceleration calculation unit 78 calculates the gradient acceleration, which is the difference between the actual acceleration and the estimated acceleration. Then, the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 calculates the estimated step height H estimated from the gradient acceleration. ｓｌｏｐｅ In step ST110, it is determined whether the estimated step height H ｓｌｏｐｅ is determined to be lower than the step height H, the front wheel / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST114. ｓｌｏｐｅ is not lower than the step height H (i.e., the estimated step height H ｓｌｏｐｅ is equal to or greater than the step height H), the front wheel / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST116.

[0179] In step ST112, the front / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the rear wheels are climbing up onto the step 200. After the processing of step ST112, the front / rear wheel determination processing proceeds to step ST100.

[0180] In step ST114, the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the front wheel is climbing up onto the step 200. After the processing of step ST114, the front wheel / rear wheel determination processing proceeds to step ST100.

[0181] In step ST116, the front / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines whether the front wheels have decelerated before the rear wheels based on the front and rear wheel speeds. If it is determined in step ST116 that the front wheels have decelerated before the rear wheels, the front / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST118. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST116 that the rear wheels have decelerated before the front wheels, the front / rear wheel determination process proceeds to step ST120.

[0182] In step ST118, the front / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the rear wheels are climbing up onto the step 200. After the processing of step ST118, the front / rear wheel determination processing proceeds to step ST100.

[0183] In step ST120, the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the front wheel is climbing up onto the step 200. After the processing of step ST120, the front wheel / rear wheel determination processing proceeds to step ST100.

[0184] Next, the flow of the immediately after start determination process will be described with reference to FIG.

[0185] In step ST130, the condition determination unit 82 determines whether or not the current state of the vehicle 100 satisfies the estimation permission condition. If it is determined in step ST130 that the current state of the vehicle 100 satisfies the estimation permission condition, the immediately-after-start determination process proceeds to step ST132. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST130 that the current state of the vehicle 100 does not satisfy the estimation permission condition, the immediately-after-start determination process executes the process of step ST130 again.

[0186] In step ST132, the height determination unit 71 determines whether the step height H (for example, the maximum value of the first step height H1 and the second step height H2) estimated by the height estimation unit 62 is higher than a predetermined specified height (for example, 30 mm). If it is determined in step ST132 that the step height H is higher than the specified height, the immediately-after-start determination process proceeds to step ST134. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST132 that the step height H is not higher than the specified height (i.e., the step height H is equal to or less than the specified height), the immediately-after-start determination process proceeds to step ST130.

[0187] In step ST134, the wheel speed determination unit 83 determines whether the wheel speed is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold speed (e.g., 1 km / h). If it is determined in step ST134 that the wheel speed is equal to or less than the threshold speed, the immediately-after-start determination process proceeds to step ST136. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST134 that the wheel speed is not equal to or less than the threshold speed (i.e., the wheel speed exceeds the threshold speed), the immediately-after-start determination process proceeds to step ST130.

[0188] In step ST136, the immediately-after-start determination unit 84 determines that the vehicle 100 has just started moving. After the process of step ST136, the immediately-after-start determination process proceeds to step ST130.

[0189] Next, an example of the operation of the control device 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0190] The first operation example shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 is an example in which the vehicle 100 is driven forward with the throttle wide open while one front wheel is in contact with the step 200. In the first operation example, the vehicle 100 is configured as a four-wheel drive vehicle 100. In the first operation example, when the estimation process is started after the accelerator pedal is depressed, it is determined that the front wheel is in contact with the step 200. If the estimated step height H then exceeds a control intervention threshold, control for limiting the vehicle speed (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle speed limit control") is initiated. Once the vehicle speed limit control is initiated, control for suppressing the driving force is executed. Subsequently, if it is determined that one wheel is in contact with the step 200 and the estimated step height H exceeds a step-over prevention threshold, control for preventing the vehicle from going over the step 200 (hereinafter referred to as "step-over prevention control") is initiated. The initiation of the step-over prevention control reduces the driving force.

[0191] 24 and 25 is an example in which the vehicle 100 is driven forward with the throttle wide open with one front wheel clear of the step 200. In the second operation example, the vehicle 100 is configured as a four-wheel drive vehicle 100. In the second operation example, the estimation process is started after the accelerator pedal is depressed, and when the front wheels come into contact with the step 200, it is determined that the front wheels are in contact with the step 200. Thereafter, when the estimated step height H exceeds the control intervention threshold, the vehicle speed limit control is started. When the vehicle speed limit control is started, the driving force is reduced and the vehicle is decelerated by the regenerative torque.

[0192] The third operation example shown in Fig. 26 is an example in which the vehicle 100 is driven forward (started) with both front wheels in contact with a curb (for example, a step 200 with a step height H of 150 mm). Note that in the third to ninth operation examples described below, the vehicle 100 is configured as a front-wheel drive vehicle 100. In the third operation example, it is determined that the curb corresponds to a step that the vehicle cannot go over, and control is performed to reduce the driving force and stop the vehicle 100 (i.e., go-over prevention control).

[0193] 27 is an example in which the vehicle 100 is moved forward (started) with both front wheels in contact with a curb (for example, a step 200 with a step height H of 90 mm). In the fourth operation example, it is determined that the curb corresponds to a step that must be overcome, and control is performed to suppress the driving force and continue traveling at an extremely low speed.

[0194] 28 is an example in which the vehicle 100 is moved forward (accelerated) in a state in which a gap exists between the curb (for example, a step 200 with a step height H of 150 mm) and both front wheels. In the fifth operation example, the curb is determined to be a step that must be overcome, and control is performed to decelerate the vehicle using regenerative torque and suppress the driving force, allowing the vehicle to continue traveling at an extremely low speed.

[0195] 29 is an example in which both front wheels of the vehicle 100 come into contact with a curb (for example, a step 200 with a step height H of 150 mm) while the vehicle 100 is traveling at a speed of, for example, 9 km / h or more. In the sixth example, the curb is determined to be a step that must be overcome, and control is performed to continue traveling using the torque requested by the driver without limiting the driving force.

[0196] 30 is an example in which the vehicle 100 is moved forward (started) with both front wheels in contact with a speed bump (for example, a gently sloping step 200 with a step height H of 40 mm). In the seventh example, the speed bump is determined to be a step that must be overcome, and control is performed to continue traveling without restricting the driving force.

[0197] 31 is an example in which the left rear wheel comes into contact with a curb due to an inside wheel difference when the vehicle 100 turns left after starting. In the eighth operation example, when only the rear wheel comes into contact with the curb due to an inside wheel difference, it is determined that only the rear wheel has come into contact with the curb, and control is performed to continue driving without restricting the driving force.

[0198] 32 is an example in which the vehicle 100 is caused to move backward (start) with both the left and right rear wheels in contact with a curb (for example, a step 200 with a step height H of 150 mm). In the ninth example, the curb is determined to be a step that the vehicle 100 cannot go over, and control is performed to reduce the driving force and stop the vehicle 100.

[0199] Next, the effects of the control device 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0200] In the control device 10 according to this embodiment, the angle calculation unit 61 calculates the trajectory angle θ based on the driving force and the longitudinal acceleration (step ST10), and the height estimation unit 62 estimates the step height H based on the trajectory angle θ (steps ST12 to ST16). Because the driving force and the longitudinal acceleration can be obtained even at extremely low speeds, the step height H can be estimated more accurately and quickly than when the step height H is estimated based on the torque value at the timing when the wheel 104 starts moving.

[0201] Furthermore, in the control device 10, the step determination unit 81 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 should go over the step 200 based on the step height H estimated by the height estimation unit 62 (steps ST38 to ST42). Therefore, it is possible to accurately and quickly determine whether or not the vehicle 100 should go over the step 200.

[0202] In the control device 10, the height estimation unit 62 calculates the maximum value θ of the trajectory angle θ. ｍａｘ The step height H (i.e., the first step height H1) is estimated based on the ground contact length L of the wheel 104 and the dynamic radius of the wheel 104 (step ST12). ｍａｘ is a value when the vehicle 100 goes over the step 200, the step height H can be estimated more accurately.

[0203] Furthermore, in the control device 10, the height estimation unit 62 estimates the step height H (i.e., the second step height H2) based on the rate of change κ of the trajectory angle θ, the ground contact length L of the wheel 104, and the dynamic radius of the wheel 104 (step ST14). The rate of change κ of the trajectory angle θ can be obtained before the vehicle 100 goes over the step 200, so that it is possible to quickly detect that the wheel 104 has come into contact with the step 200 before the trajectory angle θ reaches its maximum value. This makes it possible to quickly estimate the step height H before the vehicle 100 goes over the step 200.

[0204] In the control device 10, the height estimation unit 62 calculates the maximum value θ of the trajectory angle θ. ｍａｘand the downward gradient K of the trajectory angle θ θ and the ground contact length L of the wheel 104, the step height H (i.e., the third step height H3) is estimated (step ST16). Therefore, even when the vehicle 100 goes over the step 200 obliquely in a plan view, the step height H can be accurately estimated.

[0205] Furthermore, in the control device 10, the height estimation unit 62 estimates the first step height H1, the second step height H2, and the third step height H3, and selects the largest value among the first step height H1, the second step height H2, and the third step height H3 as the step height H (step ST20). Therefore, the step height H can be estimated more accurately than when only one of the first step height H1, the second step height H2, and the third step height H3 is estimated.

[0206] Furthermore, in the control device 10, the height estimation unit 62 estimates the first step height H1 and the second step height H2 and selects the largest value of the first step height H1 and the second step height H2 as the step height H (step ST18). Then, the step determination unit 81 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 should climb over the step 200 based on the step height H and a predetermined threshold height (steps ST38 to ST42). Therefore, compared to when only the first step height H1 or the second step height H2 is estimated, the step height H can be estimated more accurately, and therefore it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the vehicle 100 should climb over the step 200.

[0207] In the control device 10, in the two-sided / one-sided determination process according to the first example, the proportional value calculation unit 72 calculates a lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ The two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines whether both wheels are climbing up the step 200 or whether only one wheel 104 is climbing up the step 200, based on the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ(Steps ST64 to ST66). When one wheel is riding on the step 200, the vehicle 100 tilts to the left or right compared to when both wheels are riding on the step 200, so the tilt of the vehicle 100 can be detected as lateral acceleration. Then, the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ By calculating the above, it is possible to cancel the lateral acceleration that occurs when the vehicle 100 turns. This makes it possible to accurately determine whether the vehicle is turning on both wheels or one wheel.

[0208] In the control device 10, in the two-sided / one-sided determination process according to the second example, the yaw rate proportional value δ, which is a value obtained by comparing the wheel speed yaw rate with the actual yaw rate, is calculated. ｒ The two-wheel / one-wheel determining unit 73 determines whether the vehicle is in a two-wheel or one-wheel state by calculating the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ (Steps ST74 to ST76). ｒ By calculating the above, it is possible to cancel the lateral acceleration that occurs when the vehicle 100 turns. This makes it possible to accurately determine whether the vehicle is turning on both wheels or one wheel.

[0209] In the control device 10, in the two-sided / one-sided determination process according to the third example, the first proportional value calculation unit 72A calculates the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ (step ST86), and the second proportional value calculation unit 72B calculates the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ (step ST90). When the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 determines whether the vehicle is on one wheel or both wheels, and calculates the lateral acceleration proportional value δ Ｇ (step ST88, step ST94 and step ST96), and if the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed, the two-wheel / one-wheel determination is performed based on the yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ (steps ST92, ST94 and ST96). ｒ However, at extremely low speeds, the wheel speed sensor 133 cannot detect the wheel speed. Ｇand yaw rate proportional value δ ｒ By switching between these, it is possible to accurately determine whether the vehicle is in both wheels or one wheel state, regardless of the vehicle speed.

[0210] Furthermore, in the control device 10, the height correction unit 80 corrects the step height H based on the determination result of the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit 73 (steps ST24, ST26, ST30, and ST32). Therefore, it is possible to obtain an accurate step height H compared to when the step height H is not corrected.

[0211] In the control device 10, when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed, the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 performs a front wheel / rear wheel determination, which is a determination as to whether the front wheels or the rear wheels are climbing up the step 200, based on the estimated step height H estimated from the gradient acceleration. ｓｌｏｐｅ and the step height H (steps ST110 to ST114), and if the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed, the front / rear wheel determination is performed based on the front and rear wheel speeds (steps ST116 to ST120). The front and rear wheel speeds can be obtained with high accuracy at vehicle speeds higher than extremely low speeds, but cannot be detected at extremely low speeds. Therefore, by switching the front / rear wheel determination depending on the vehicle speed, the front / rear wheel determination can be performed accurately regardless of the vehicle speed.

[0212] Furthermore, in the control device 10, when the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the front wheels are running over the step 200 while the vehicle 100 is moving forward, the step determination unit 81 executes a step-over determination to determine whether or not the vehicle 100 should run over the step 200 (steps ST38 to ST42), and when the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the rear wheels are running over the step 200, the step-over determination is canceled (step ST54). Therefore, for example, when only the rear wheels come into contact with the curb due to an inside wheel difference, the vehicle 100 can continue moving forward as requested by the driver.

[0213] Similarly, in the control device 10, when the front / rear wheel determination determines that the rear wheels are climbing up the step 200 while the vehicle 100 is moving backward, the step determination unit 81 executes a climbing-up determination (steps ST38 to ST42), and when the front / rear wheel determination unit 79 determines that the front wheels are climbing up the step 200, the step determination is canceled (step ST54). Therefore, for example, when only the front wheels come into contact with the curb due to an inside wheel difference, the vehicle 100 can continue to move backward as requested by the driver.

[0214] Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described.

[0215] In the above embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured as an electric vehicle that runs using the driving force of the rotating electric machine 106. However, the vehicle 100 may also be a vehicle that runs using the driving force of an internal combustion engine, or may be a hybrid vehicle that runs using the driving forces of both the rotating electric machine 106 and the internal combustion engine. In this case, the driving force acquisition unit 31 may acquire the driving force that the vehicle 100 is applying to the road surface based on signals from torque sensors provided on the wheels 104, for example.

[0216] In the above embodiment, the control device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 100, but may be mounted on an external device other than the vehicle 100. The external device may be communicably connected to the vehicle 100, and the vehicle 100 may travel in response to commands from the external device. The external device may be a dedicated command device or a server.

[0217] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control device 10 has an acquisition unit 30, an estimation unit 60, a judgment unit 70, and an instruction unit 90, but it may also be divided into a first control device having the acquisition unit 30, the estimation unit 60, and the judgment unit 70, and a second control device having the instruction unit 90.

[0218] The first control device and the second control device may both be mounted on the vehicle 100, or one of them may be mounted on an external device. The first control device and the second control device may be mounted on the same external device, or may be mounted on different external devices.

[0219] The apparatus and methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer having a processor programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the apparatus and methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer having a processor configured with dedicated hardware logic circuitry. Alternatively, the apparatus and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured with a processor executing a computer program in combination with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium.

[0220] The above describes one embodiment of the present disclosure, but the present invention is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various modified forms within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0221] The features of the present disclosure are as follows. (Supplementary Note 1) A control device (10) comprising: a driving force acquisition unit (31) that acquires a driving force applied by a vehicle (100) to a road surface; a longitudinal acceleration acquisition unit (32) that acquires longitudinal acceleration, which is acceleration along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; an angle calculation unit (61) that calculates, based on the driving force and the longitudinal acceleration, a trajectory angle (θ), which is an angle formed by a trajectory of a rotation center axis of a wheel (104) of the vehicle with respect to the road surface; and a height estimation unit (62) that estimates, based on the trajectory angle, a step height (H, H1 to H3), which is the height of a step (200) provided on the road surface. (Supplementary Note 2) The control device according to Supplementary Note 1 further comprises a step determination unit (81) that determines whether or not the vehicle should go over the step based on the step height. (Supplementary Note 3) The height estimation unit calculates the step height (H1) by calculating the maximum value of the trajectory angle (θ ｍａｘ), a ground contact length (L) of the wheel, and a dynamic radius (R) of the wheel. (Supplementary Note 4) The control device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the height estimation unit estimates the step height (H2) based on a rate of change (κ) of the trajectory angle, a ground contact length (L) of the wheel, and a dynamic radius (R) of the wheel. (Supplementary Note 5) The height estimation unit estimates the step height (H3) based on a maximum value of the trajectory angle and a downward gradient (K θ The control device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 4, wherein the height estimation unit estimates a first step height (H1) as the step height based on a maximum value of the trajectory angle, the contact length of the wheel, and a dynamic radius of the wheel, estimates a second step height (H2) as the step height based on a rate of change of the trajectory angle, the contact length of the wheel, and a dynamic radius of the wheel, estimates a third step height (H3) as the step height based on a maximum value of the trajectory angle, a downward gradient of the trajectory angle, and the contact length of the wheel, and selects the maximum value of the first step height, the second step height, and the third step height as the step height. (Supplementary Note 7) The control device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the height estimation unit estimates a first step height as the step height based on a maximum value of the trajectory angle, a ground contact length of the wheel, and a dynamic radius of the wheel; estimates a second step height as the step height based on a rate of change of the trajectory angle, a ground contact length of the wheel, and a dynamic radius of the wheel; and selects the maximum value of the first step height and the second step height as the step height; and the step determination unit determines whether or not the vehicle should go over the step based on the step height and a predetermined threshold height. (Supplementary Note 8) The control device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the height estimation unit estimates a first step height as the step height based on a maximum value of the trajectory angle, a ground contact length of the wheel, and a dynamic radius of the wheel; Ｇ) based on the lateral acceleration and the yaw rate, and a both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit (73) that determines whether both the left and right wheels are climbing up the step or only one wheel is climbing up the step based on the lateral acceleration proportional value. (Supplementary Note 9) The control device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 7 further comprises: a wheel speed acquisition unit (36) that acquires a wheel speed that is the speed of the wheel; an actual yaw rate acquisition unit (37) that acquires an actual yaw rate of the vehicle; a wheel speed yaw rate acquisition unit (38) that acquires a wheel speed yaw rate that is a yaw rate corresponding to the wheel speed; and a yaw rate proportional value (δ) that is a value obtained by comparing the wheel speed yaw rate with the actual yaw rate. ｒa proportional value calculation unit (72, 72B) that calculates a yaw rate proportional to the actual yaw rate and the wheel speed yaw rate, and a both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit that determines whether the wheels on both the left and right sides are climbing up on the step or whether only the wheel on one side is climbing up on the step, based on the yaw rate proportional value. (Supplementary Note 10) A vehicle speed acquisition unit acquires a vehicle speed, which is the speed of the vehicle; a lateral acceleration acquisition unit acquires a lateral acceleration, which is the acceleration in the lateral direction of the vehicle; a wheel speed acquisition unit acquires wheel speeds, which are the speeds of the wheels on both the left and right sides; an actual yaw rate acquisition unit acquires an actual yaw rate of the vehicle; a wheel speed yaw rate acquisition unit acquires a wheel speed yaw rate, which is the yaw rate corresponding to the wheel speed; a first proportional value calculation unit (72A) that calculates a lateral acceleration proportional value, which is a value obtained by comparing the lateral acceleration with the actual yaw rate or the wheel speed yaw rate, based on the lateral acceleration and the actual yaw rate or the wheel speed yaw rate; and a second proportional value calculation unit (72B) that calculates a yaw rate proportional value, which is a value obtained by comparing the wheel speed yaw rate with the actual yaw rate, based on the actual yaw rate and the wheel speed yaw rate. The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7, further comprising: a two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit that, when the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold speed, performs a both-wheel / one-wheel determination, which is a determination of whether both the left and right wheels or only one wheel is running up the step, based on the lateral acceleration proportional value, and, when the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed, performs the both-wheel / one-wheel determination based on the yaw rate proportional value. (Supplementary Note 11) The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 8 to 10, further comprising a height correction unit (62) that corrects the step height based on the determination result of the both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit.(Supplementary Note 12) A vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle speed, which is the speed of the vehicle; a front wheel speed acquisition unit (36A) that acquires a front wheel speed, which is the speed of the front wheels; a rear wheel speed acquisition unit (36B) that acquires a rear wheel speed, which is the speed of the rear wheels; an actual acceleration acquisition unit (39) that acquires an actual acceleration along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; an acceleration estimation unit (77) that estimates an estimated acceleration along the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the front wheel speed or the rear wheel speed; a gradient acceleration calculation unit (78) that calculates a gradient acceleration, which is the difference between the actual acceleration and the estimated acceleration; and an estimated step height (H) estimated from the gradient acceleration when the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold speed. ｓｌｏｐｅand a front wheel / rear wheel determination unit (79) that performs the front wheel / rear wheel determination based on the front wheel speed and the rear wheel speed when the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed, and when the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed, performs the front wheel / rear wheel determination based on the front wheel speed and the rear wheel speed. (Supplementary Note 13) The control device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 12, further comprising a step determination unit (81) that determines whether the vehicle should go over the step based on the step height, wherein, when the vehicle is moving forward, when the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit determines that the front wheels have run over the step, the step determination unit performs a crossing determination that is a determination whether the vehicle should go over the step, and when the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit determines that the rear wheels have run over the step. (Supplementary Note 14) A control device as described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 13, further comprising a step determination unit (81) that determines whether or not the vehicle should climb over the step based on the step height, wherein the step determination unit, when the vehicle is moving backward and the front wheel / rear wheel determination determines that the rear wheels are climbing over the step, executes a climbing-over determination that determines whether or not the vehicle should climb over the step, and cancels the climbing-over determination when the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit determines that the front wheels are climbing over the step. (Supplementary Note 15) A control program (20) for causing a computer (10) to execute processing including: a driving force acquisition step for acquiring a driving force applied by a vehicle to a road surface; a longitudinal acceleration acquisition step for acquiring longitudinal acceleration, which is acceleration along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; an angle calculation step for calculating, based on the driving force and the longitudinal acceleration, a trajectory angle, which is the angle that a trajectory of a rotation center axis of a wheel of the vehicle makes with respect to the road surface; and a height estimation step for estimating, based on the trajectory angle, a step height, which is the height of a step provided on the road surface.

Claims

1. A control device (10) comprising: a driving force acquisition unit (31) that acquires a driving force applied by a vehicle (100) to a road surface; a vertical acceleration acquisition unit (32) that acquires vertical acceleration, which is acceleration along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; an angle calculation unit (61) that calculates a trajectory angle (θ), which is the angle that a trajectory of a rotation center axis of a wheel (104) of the vehicle makes with respect to the road surface, based on the driving force and the vertical acceleration; and a height estimation unit (62) that estimates a step height (H, H1 to H3), which is the height of a step (200) provided on the road surface, based on the trajectory angle.

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a step determination unit (81) that determines whether or not the vehicle should overcome the step based on the step height.

3. The height estimation unit estimates the step height (H1) as the maximum value of the trajectory angle (θ ｍａｘ 3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the wheel contact distance is estimated based on the wheel contact distance (L) and the wheel dynamic radius (R).

4. A control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the height estimation unit estimates the step height (H2) based on the rate of change (κ) of the trajectory angle, the contact length of the wheel, and the dynamic radius of the wheel.

5. The height estimation unit estimates the step height (H3) by multiplying the maximum value of the trajectory angle and the downward gradient of the trajectory angle (K θ The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the estimation is based on a ground contact length of the wheel and a ground contact distance of the wheel.

6. The control device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the height estimation unit estimates a first step height (H1) as the step height based on the maximum value of the trajectory angle, the ground contact length of the wheel, and the dynamic radius of the wheel, estimates a second step height (H2) as the step height based on a rate of change of the trajectory angle, the ground contact length of the wheel, and the dynamic radius of the wheel, estimates a third step height (H3) as the step height based on the maximum value of the trajectory angle, the downward gradient of the trajectory angle, and the ground contact length of the wheel, and selects the maximum value of the first step height, the second step height, and the third step height as the step height.

7. The control device described in claim 2, wherein the height estimation unit estimates a first step height as the step height based on the maximum value of the trajectory angle, the contact length of the wheel, and the dynamic radius of the wheel, estimates a second step height as the step height based on the rate of change of the trajectory angle, the contact length of the wheel, and the dynamic radius of the wheel, and selects the maximum value of the first step height and the second step height as the step height, and the step determination unit determines whether or not the vehicle should overcome the step based on the step height and a predetermined threshold height.

8. A lateral acceleration acquisition unit (34) for acquiring a lateral acceleration which is an acceleration along a lateral direction of the vehicle; a yaw rate acquisition unit (35) for acquiring a yaw rate of the vehicle; and a lateral acceleration proportional value (δ) which is a value obtained by comparing the lateral acceleration with the yaw rate. Ｇ 8. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a proportional value calculation unit (72, 72A) that calculates a lateral acceleration proportional value (α) based on the lateral acceleration and the yaw rate; and a both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit (73) that determines whether the wheels on both the left and right sides are climbing up the step or whether only the wheel on one side is climbing up the step based on the lateral acceleration proportional value.

9. A wheel speed acquisition unit (36) for acquiring a wheel speed, which is the speed of the wheel; an actual yaw rate acquisition unit (37) for acquiring an actual yaw rate of the vehicle; a wheel speed yaw rate acquisition unit (38) for acquiring a wheel speed yaw rate, which is a yaw rate corresponding to the wheel speed; and a yaw rate proportional value (δ ｒ 9. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a proportional value calculation unit (72, 72B) that calculates a proportional value of the actual yaw rate and the wheel speed yaw rate based on the actual yaw rate and the wheel speed yaw rate; and a both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit that determines whether the wheels on both the left and right sides are climbing up the step or whether only the wheel on one side is climbing up the step based on the yaw rate proportional value.

10. A vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle speed that is the speed of the vehicle, a lateral acceleration acquisition unit that acquires a lateral acceleration that is the acceleration along the lateral direction of the vehicle, a wheel speed acquisition unit that acquires a wheel speed that is the speed of the wheels on both the left and right sides, an actual yaw rate acquisition unit that acquires an actual yaw rate of the vehicle, a wheel speed yaw rate acquisition unit that acquires a wheel speed yaw rate that is a yaw rate corresponding to the wheel speed, a first proportional value calculation unit (72A) that calculates a lateral acceleration proportional value that is a value obtained by comparing the lateral acceleration with the actual yaw rate or the wheel speed yaw rate based on the lateral acceleration and the actual yaw rate or the wheel speed yaw rate, and a second proportional value calculation unit (72B) that calculates a yaw rate proportional value that is a value obtained by comparing the wheel speed yaw rate with the actual yaw rate based on the actual yaw rate and the wheel speed yaw rate. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a both-wheel / one-wheel determination unit that, when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed, performs a both-wheel / one-wheel determination, which is a determination of whether both the left and right wheels are climbing up the step or whether only the wheel on one side is climbing up the step, based on the lateral acceleration proportional value, and, when the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed, performs the both-wheel / one-wheel determination based on the yaw rate proportional value.

11. The control device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising a height correction unit (62) that corrects the step height based on the determination result of the two-wheel / one-wheel determination unit.

12. A vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle speed, which is the speed of the vehicle; a front wheel speed acquisition unit (36A) that acquires a front wheel speed, which is the speed of the front wheels; a rear wheel speed acquisition unit (36B) that acquires a rear wheel speed, which is the speed of the rear wheels; an actual acceleration acquisition unit (39) that acquires an actual acceleration along the front-rear direction of the vehicle; an acceleration estimation unit (77) that estimates an estimated acceleration along the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the front wheel speed or the rear wheel speed; a gradient acceleration calculation unit (78) that calculates a gradient acceleration, which is the difference between the actual acceleration and the estimated acceleration; and, when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed, a front wheel / rear wheel judgment, which is a judgment as to whether the front wheels or the rear wheels are climbing up the step, is performed based on an estimated step height (H 2 ) estimated from the gradient acceleration. ｓｌｏｐｅ 12. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a front wheel / rear wheel determination unit (79) that performs the front wheel / rear wheel determination based on the front wheel speed and the rear wheel speed when the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed and the step height.

13. A control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a step determination unit (81) that determines whether or not the vehicle should climb over the step based on the step height, wherein the step determination unit executes a climb-over determination, which is a determination of whether or not the vehicle should climb over the step, when the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit determines that the front wheels have climbed over the step while the vehicle is moving forward, and cancels the climb-over determination when the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit determines that the rear wheels have climbed over the step.

14. A control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a step determination unit (81) that determines whether or not the vehicle should climb over the step based on the step height, wherein the step determination unit executes a climb-over determination, which is a determination of whether or not the vehicle should climb over the step, when the front wheel / rear wheel determination determines that the rear wheels have climbed over the step while the vehicle is moving backwards, and cancels the climb-over determination when the front wheel / rear wheel determination unit determines that the front wheels have climbed over the step.

15. A control program (20) for causing a computer (10) to execute processing including: a driving force acquisition step for acquiring the driving force applied by a vehicle to a road surface; a vertical acceleration acquisition step for acquiring vertical acceleration, which is acceleration along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; an angle calculation step for calculating, based on the driving force and the vertical acceleration, a trajectory angle, which is the angle that the trajectory of the rotational center axis of a wheel of the vehicle makes with respect to the road surface; and a height estimation step for estimating, based on the trajectory angle, a step height, which is the height of a step provided on the road surface.

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