Vehicle control method, controller, vehicle, storage medium and program product

Abstract

A vehicle control method, a controller, a vehicle, a storage medium and a program product. The vehicle control method can comprise: acquiring driver intent information; on the basis of the driver intent information, controlling two rear wheels of a vehicle to be in a splayed shape; and on the basis of the driver intent information, determining a target steering direction, and on the basis of the target steering direction, controlling the directions of driving forces of the two rear wheels to be opposite, so as to realize vehicle steering.

Description

Vehicle control method, controller, vehicle, storage medium and program product

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application number 202410385098.0, filed with the Patent Office of China on March 29, 2024, entitled “Vehicle Control Method, Controller, Vehicle, Storage Medium and Program Product,” the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this disclosure. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of vehicle control technology, and in particular to a vehicle control method, a controller, a vehicle, a storage medium, and a program product. Background Art

[0004] When a vehicle is driving, it often encounters special road conditions such as narrow roads, obstacles, U-turns and dead ends. When ordinary vehicles are driving on special road conditions, the turning radius is large when the front wheels are turned, and multiple adjustments are required to complete the turning. The whole process takes a long time, and there is a greater risk of collision between the vehicle and surrounding objects during the adjustment process.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, in a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a vehicle control method, the method comprising:

[0007] Obtain driver intention information;

[0008] According to the driver's intention information, the two rear wheels of the vehicle are controlled to form a figure eight shape;

[0009] A target steering direction is determined according to the driver's intention information, and according to the target steering direction, the driving forces of the two rear wheels are controlled in opposite directions to make the vehicle turn.

[0010] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a controller, comprising:

[0011] a first memory having a computer program stored thereon;

[0012] The first processor is configured to execute the computer program in the memory to implement the vehicle control method.

[0013] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a vehicle, comprising the controller described in the second aspect.

[0014] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which implements the above-mentioned vehicle control method when executed by a processor.

[0015] In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer program product, comprising computer program instructions, which will only implement the above-mentioned vehicle control method when executed by a processor.

[0016] Through the above technical solution, the vehicle's two rear wheels are controlled to form a figure-eight shape based on driver intention information, a target turning direction is determined based on the driver's intention information, and the driving forces of the two rear wheels are controlled in opposite directions based on the target turning direction to enable the vehicle to steer. Because each rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled by an independent motor, the turning angle, turning angle direction, driving force, and driving force of each rear wheel can be different. Therefore, by independently controlling the rear wheels to form a figure-eight shape and controlling the driving forces of the two rear wheels in opposite directions based on the target turning direction, the vehicle can be steered with a smaller turning radius, providing flexible steering control.

[0017] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following detailed description, they are used to explain the present disclosure but do not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings:

[0019] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the direction of wheel torque in a conventional vehicle stationary steering control.

[0020] FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b are schematic diagrams of a conventional vehicle on-the-spot steering control.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a conventional vehicle equipped with a four-motor drive system.

[0022] 4a-4c are schematic diagrams of a conventional on-the-spot steering control of a vehicle equipped with a four-motor drive system.

[0023] FIG5 is a flowchart showing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] 6a-6b are schematic diagrams showing a vehicle turning clockwise according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] 7a-7b are schematic diagrams showing a vehicle turning counterclockwise according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG8 shows a motion coordinate system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] 9a-9b are schematic diagrams showing a vehicle turning center according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a vehicle control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG11 is a block diagram showing a vehicle control system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG12 is a block diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following describes the specific embodiments of the present disclosure in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0032] As mentioned in the background art, when ordinary vehicles are driving on special road conditions, they need to adjust the vehicle multiple times to complete the turn, and the whole process takes a long time.

[0033] In the related art, a method for controlling vehicle in-situ steering is provided. As shown in FIG1 , when the driving mode is a creeping mode, the vehicle speed is less than a preset speed, the steering angle is greater than a preset angle, and the duration reaches a preset time, it is turned on by pressing a button. After being turned on, the controller responds to the vehicle's in-situ steering function start signal to obtain the vehicle's driving mode, vehicle speed, steering angle, and steering direction; when it is determined based on the driving mode, vehicle speed, and steering angle that the vehicle meets the in-situ steering function start conditions, the front wheel steering is consistent with the target steering direction, and the target wheel is determined based on the steering direction; when the front wheel turns left, the target wheel is the left rear wheel, and when the front wheel turns right, the target wheel is the right rear wheel. Applying braking force to the target wheel or locking the target wheel forms a differential torque at the rear wheel, causing the vehicle to turn in place. However, the inventors found that this method fixes the target wheel as the steering center, resulting in limited vehicle steering flexibility and application scenarios.

[0034] A method for controlling stationary steering. As shown in Figures 2a and 2b, when a stationary steering signal is detected and the vehicle speed is zero, the accelerator and brake pedal positions are both zero, and the vehicle is in parking, the front wheels are controlled to turn relative to each other at a preset angle, forming an inward-facing angle, increasing the torque generated by the front wheels. The electronic parking device locks the rear wheels on the same side as the target steering direction and distributes torque according to a preset program, causing the vehicle to steer around the locked wheels. However, the inventors discovered that this method's fixed steering center limits the vehicle's steering flexibility and application scenarios.

[0035] A vehicle steering system and method, as shown in FIG3 , includes a front-wheel steering device, a rear-wheel steering device, a steering domain controller, and a vehicle controller. The vehicle controller is configured to output a zero-radius steering command or a four-wheel steering command to the steering domain controller, which controls the two steering devices. As shown in FIG4a , FIG4b , and FIG4c , the steering method includes the following steps: when a zero-radius steering command is output, the steering domain controller controls the two front-wheel rotation transmission assemblies and the two rear-wheel rotation transmission assemblies to each output a rotational motion with different directions, so that the four wheels are tangential to the same circumference; when a four-wheel steering command is output, the steering domain controller controls the two front-wheel rotation transmission assemblies and the two rear-wheel rotation transmission assemblies to each output a rotational motion with the same direction. At high speeds, the steering direction of the front wheels is the same as that of the rear wheels; at low speeds, the steering direction of the front wheels is different from that of the rear wheels. However, the inventors discovered that this system requires both four-wheel independent steering and a four-motor drive system, making the overall structure complex and costly.

[0036] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a vehicle control method, a controller, a vehicle, a storage medium, and a program product, which can control a vehicle to turn with a smaller turning radius, thereby flexibly controlling the vehicle steering.

[0037] FIG5 is a flow chart of a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , the vehicle control method may include:

[0038] In step S51 , driver intention information is acquired.

[0039] It is understood that the driver's intention information may include information such as steering wheel angle and accelerator pedal depth. Based on the driver's intention information, information such as the direction and angle of the vehicle's current road conditions, and the total torque required to be distributed by the vehicle can be determined. The steering wheel angle can be determined using steering wheel angle information detected by a steering wheel angle sensor on the vehicle, and the accelerator pedal depth can be determined using an accelerator pedal signal detected by an accelerator pedal sensor on the vehicle.

[0040] In step S52, the two rear wheels of the vehicle are controlled to form an eight-shaped shape according to the driver's intention information.

[0041] It is worth noting that the vehicle's two coaxial front wheels can be controlled by the same motor, resulting in the same steering, steering angle, driving force, and driving force direction for both front wheels. However, each rear wheel is controlled by an independent motor, resulting in the same or different steering, steering angle, driving force, and driving force magnitude for each rear wheel. The steering and steering angle of each wheel can be controlled based on driver intent to create a figure-eight (S) pattern for the two rear wheels.

[0042] In step S53, the target steering direction is determined according to the driver's intention information, and the driving forces of the two rear wheels are controlled to be opposite according to the target steering direction to make the vehicle turn.

[0043] It is worth noting that when the driver's intention information is the steering wheel angle, the steering direction of the vehicle in the road conditions, that is, the target steering direction, can be determined based on the steering wheel angle. The driving forces of the two rear wheels on the vehicle are controlled in opposite directions according to the target steering direction, thereby reducing the steering angle of the vehicle during the steering process, so that the vehicle can turn around any point outside or inside the vehicle body at a smaller steering angle.

[0044] For example, when the vehicle turns, the front axle drive motor operates, driving the left and right front wheels in the same direction. The two rear steering motors operate to independently control the steering of the two rear wheels, causing them to form a figure eight. The two rear drive motors operate to control the driving forces of the two rear wheels in opposite directions according to the vehicle's turning direction, allowing the vehicle to turn at a smaller steering angle.

[0045] It's worth noting that by controlling the vehicle's two rear wheels in a figure-eight position based on the driver's intention and directing the driving forces of the two rear wheels in opposite directions based on the target steering direction, the vehicle can be steered around any point outside or inside the vehicle. This entire vehicle control process occurs within a single timeframe. Based on the driver's intention, the steering angle, steering direction, driving force, and direction of each wheel are determined to ensure the vehicle safely navigates the current road conditions. During steering control, the steering angle, steering direction, driving force, and direction of each wheel are continuously corrected based on wheel operating status information.

[0046] It is understood that the wheel operating status information may include information such as the current wheel speed and wheel angle of each wheel on the vehicle. The current wheel speed of each wheel can be detected by a wheel speed sensor on the vehicle, and the wheel angle of each wheel can be detected by a wheel angle sensor on the vehicle.

[0047] For example, when a vehicle needs to pass a U-turn, the target turning angle, target turning angle direction, target driving force and target driving force direction of each wheel of the vehicle when passing the U-turn are determined based on the driver's intention information, the wheel working status information of each wheel on the vehicle is obtained in real time, and the turning angle, turning angle direction, driving force and driving force direction of each wheel of the vehicle are corrected at preset time intervals to avoid the vehicle being unable to safely pass the current road when the road conditions change. On the basis of ensuring safe driving of the vehicle, the vehicle is controlled to turn around any point outside or inside the vehicle body.

[0048] In the disclosed embodiments, because each rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled by an independent motor, the steering and driving force direction of each rear wheel can be different. Therefore, the steering and steering angle of each wheel can be controlled based on the driver's intention, allowing the two rear wheels to form a figure-eight shape. Furthermore, the driving force of the two rear wheels can be controlled in opposite directions based on the vehicle's target steering direction, allowing the vehicle to steer around any point inside or outside the vehicle body with a small turning radius. This provides flexible steering control. This helps the driver safely and stably navigate road conditions such as narrow turns, obstacles, U-turns, parking in a garage, and driving into a dead end.

[0049] In order to facilitate those skilled in the art to better understand the vehicle control method provided by the present disclosure, the steps involved in the method are described in detail below.

[0050] In a possible embodiment, each rear wheel of the vehicle is steered by an independent steering motor and driven by an independent drive motor.

[0051] It is worth noting that each rear wheel of the vehicle in the present disclosure corresponds to an independent steering motor and an independent drive motor, so that the steering, driving force and driving force direction of each rear wheel of the vehicle can be different. Therefore, by independently controlling the steering, driving force and driving force direction of each rear wheel on the vehicle, the vehicle can be turned with a smaller turning radius.

[0052] In a feasible implementation, in step S52, controlling the two rear wheels of the vehicle to form a figure eight shape according to the driver's intention information may include:

[0053] determining, based on the driver's intention information, a first target turning angle for the vehicle's outer rear wheel and a second target turning angle for the vehicle's inner rear wheel;

[0054] When the target steering direction is clockwise, the outer rear wheel is controlled to rotate in a first direction by a first target angle, and the inner rear wheel is controlled to rotate in a second direction by a second target angle, so that the outer rear wheel and the inner rear wheel are turned relative to each other and form an inverted figure eight, with the first direction being opposite to the target steering direction and the second direction being the same as the target steering direction;

[0055] When the target steering direction is counterclockwise, the outer rear wheel is controlled to rotate toward the third direction by a first target angle, and the inner rear wheel is controlled to rotate toward the fourth direction by a second target angle, so that the outer rear wheel and the inner rear wheel are turned relative to each other and form an inverted figure eight. The third direction is opposite to the target steering direction, and the fourth direction is the same as the target steering direction.

[0056] It should be noted that the outer turning direction and the inner turning direction can be determined according to the target turning direction of the vehicle. The direction corresponding to the target turning direction on the vehicle is the inner turning direction, and the rear wheel that turns in the inner turning direction of the vehicle is the inner turning rear wheel; the direction opposite to the target turning direction on the vehicle is the outer turning direction, and the rear wheel that turns in the outer turning direction of the vehicle is the outer turning rear wheel. For example, when the target turning direction is clockwise turning, the outer turning rear wheel is the left rear wheel of the vehicle, and the inner turning rear wheel is the right rear wheel of the vehicle; when the target turning direction is counterclockwise turning, the outer turning rear wheel is the right rear wheel of the vehicle, and the inner turning rear wheel is the left rear wheel of the vehicle. Among them, the inverted V shape can be understood as the distance between the two rear wheels near the rear of the vehicle being less than the distance between the two wheels near the front of the vehicle, that is, the two rear wheels are in the shape of "丷".

[0057] Exemplarily, according to the driver intention information, the first target angle a1 of the left rear wheel of the vehicle and the second target angle a2 of the right rear wheel of the vehicle are determined. As shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b, when the target turning direction is clockwise turning, the left rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled to rotate counterclockwise (to the left of the vehicle) by an angle a1, and the right rear wheel is controlled to rotate clockwise (to the right of the vehicle) by an angle a2, so that the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel of the vehicle rotate relatively and are in the shape of "丷". As shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b, when the target turning direction is counterclockwise turning, the right rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled to rotate clockwise (to the right of the vehicle) by an angle a2, and the left rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled to rotate counterclockwise (to the left of the vehicle) by an angle a1.

[0058] In a feasible implementation manner, determining the first target angle of the outer turning rear wheel of the vehicle and the second target angle of the inner turning rear wheel of the vehicle according to the driver intention information may include:

[0059] Determining the target turning angle and the total torque of the vehicle according to the driver intention information;

[0060] Respectively determining the first target angle of the outer turning rear wheel of the vehicle and the second target angle of the inner turning rear wheel of the vehicle according to the target turning angle and the total torque.

[0061] It should be noted that the target turning angle of the vehicle can be the steering wheel angle when the vehicle turns, and the total torque can be the total torque that needs to be distributed to each wheel of the vehicle when the vehicle turns. For example, when the driver intention information includes the steering wheel angle and the accelerator pedal depth, the steering wheel angle is used as the target turning angle of the vehicle, and the torque corresponding to the accelerator pedal depth is used as the total torque of the vehicle.

[0062] It's worth noting that the vehicle's steering control strategy is developed based on the target steering angle and total torque. This strategy includes the torque and steering angle applied to each wheel during steering. Because the steering wheel angle and throttle pedal pressure constantly change during driving, the wheel speeds and steering angles also vary accordingly. When steering, the steering control strategy can be adjusted based on the wheel speeds and steering angles, resulting in different steering strategies for different road conditions.

[0063] In one feasible implementation, determining a first target steering angle for an outer rear wheel and a second target steering angle for an inner rear wheel of the vehicle, respectively, based on the target steering angle and the total torque, may include:

[0064] According to the target steering angle, the total torque and the vehicle's motion equations, a first target steering angle for the outer rear wheel and a second target steering angle for the inner rear wheel are determined respectively.

[0065] It is worth noting that the vehicle's set of motion equations can include the vehicle's motion equations along the vehicle's forward direction, the vehicle's motion equations along the vehicle's width direction, and the vehicle's yaw motion equations. Specifically, the vehicle's acceleration along the vehicle's forward direction can be controlled by the corresponding motion equations, the vehicle's acceleration along the vehicle's width direction can be controlled by the corresponding motion equations, and the vehicle's yaw angular velocity can be controlled by the yaw motion equations. Therefore, based on the target steering angle and total torque, the present disclosure determines the steering angle of each wheel and distributes the driving force to each wheel using the set of motion equations consisting of the vehicle's motion equations along the vehicle's forward direction, the vehicle's motion equations along the vehicle's width direction, and the vehicle's yaw motion equations. In other words, the vehicle's acceleration and yaw angular velocity are controlled by the steering angle and driving force of each wheel, thereby flexibly controlling the vehicle's steering and improving the vehicle's maneuverability.

[0066] In one feasible implementation, determining a first target steering angle for the outer rear wheel and a second target steering angle for the inner rear wheel based on the target steering angle, the total torque, and the vehicle's motion equations may include:

[0067] According to the target steering angle and the total torque, the steering angle and the torque are distributed to each wheel of the vehicle to obtain a distribution result;

[0068] The allocation result that satisfies the motion equation group is used as the target allocation result, and a first target turning angle for turning the outer rear wheel and a second target turning angle for turning the inner rear wheel are obtained according to the target allocation result.

[0069] It is worth noting that the steering angle and torque of each wheel can be distributed according to the target steering angle and the total torque to obtain a distribution result. When the initial steering angle and the initial driving force of each wheel in the distribution result satisfy the motion equations, the steering angle of each wheel on the vehicle is determined to be the corresponding initial steering angle, and the driving force of each wheel on the vehicle is determined to be the corresponding initial driving force; when the initial steering angle and the initial driving force of each wheel on the vehicle do not satisfy the motion equations, the initial steering angle and the initial driving force of each wheel on the vehicle are redistributed according to the target steering angle and the total torque until the initial steering angle and the initial driving force of each wheel in the distribution result satisfy the motion equations.

[0070] It is worth noting that in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the turning angle and driving force of each wheel on the vehicle are determined by a set of motion equations. The acceleration and yaw angular velocity of the vehicle are controlled by the turning angle and driving force of each wheel on the vehicle to achieve flexible steering of the vehicle.

[0071] In one feasible implementation, the vehicle's motion equations can be constructed as follows:

[0072] Constructing a first motion equation based on the vehicle's mass and the vehicle's longitudinal acceleration in the vehicle's forward direction;

[0073] Constructing a second equation of motion based on the vehicle's overall mass and the vehicle's lateral acceleration across the vehicle's width;

[0074] Construct the yaw motion equation based on the vehicle's yaw moment of inertia and yaw angular velocity;

[0075] The first motion equation, the second motion equation and the yaw motion equation are used as a group of motion equations corresponding to the vehicle.

[0076] It is worth noting that a motion coordinate system parallel to the ground is established with the vehicle's center of mass as the coordinate origin, the vehicle's forward direction is the x-axis, and the vehicle's width direction is the y-axis; based on the vehicle's total mass and the vehicle's longitudinal acceleration on the x-axis, the first motion equation of the corresponding vehicle along the x-axis is constructed; based on the vehicle's total mass and the vehicle's lateral acceleration on the y-axis, the second motion equation of the corresponding vehicle along the y-axis is constructed; based on the vehicle's total yaw moment of inertia and yaw angular velocity, the yaw motion equation of the corresponding vehicle is constructed; the first motion equation, the second motion equation and the yaw motion equation are used as the motion equation group of the corresponding vehicle.

[0077] For example, see Figure 8. With the center of mass of the vehicle as the origin, a motion coordinate system parallel to the ground is established. x is the longitudinal direction of the vehicle's motion, i.e., the vehicle's forward direction; y is the lateral direction of the vehicle's motion, i.e., the vehicle's width. The angle between the wheel driving force and the x-axis is defined as the wheel turning angle. During the vehicle's steering process, the driving forces of the left front wheel, right front wheel, left rear wheel, and right rear wheel are F1, F2, F3, and F4, respectively, and the turning angles are δ1, δ2, δ3, and δ4, respectively. Then, the longitudinal force F along the x-axis is xi =F i cosδ i , the lateral force F of the vehicle along the y-axis yi =F i sinδ i , where i=1, 2, 3, 4.

[0078] It can be obtained that the motion equation of the vehicle along the x-axis can be:

[0079] ma x =F x1 +F x2 +F x3 -F x4 ;

[0080] The equation of motion of the vehicle along the y-axis can be:

[0081] ma y =F y3 +F y4 -F y1 -F y2 ;

[0082] The vehicle's yaw motion equation can be expressed as:

[0083] I z ω=(F x1 -F x2 +F x3 +F x4 )B / 2+(F y1 +F y2 )L f +(F y3 +F y4 )L r ;

[0084] Among them, m represents the vehicle mass, a x Characterizes the vehicle's longitudinal acceleration, F x1 Represents the longitudinal force of the left front wheel along the x-axis, F x2 Represents the longitudinal force of the right front wheel along the x-axis, F x3 Represents the longitudinal force of the left rear wheel along the x-axis, F x4 Represents the longitudinal force of the right rear wheel along the x-axis, a y Characterizes the vehicle's lateral acceleration, Fy1 Represents the lateral force of the left front wheel along the y-axis, F y2 Represents the lateral force of the right front wheel along the y-axis, F y3 Represents the lateral force of the left rear wheel along the y-axis, F y4 Represents the lateral force of the right rear wheel along the y-axis, I z represents the vehicle's yaw moment of inertia, ω represents the yaw angular acceleration, B represents the wheelbase, L f Represents the distance from the front axle to the center of mass of the vehicle, L r Represents the distance from the vehicle's rear axle to its center of mass.

[0085] It is worth noting that, in the above-mentioned set of motion equations, except for the turning angle of the front wheels of the vehicle being the same as the steering wheel angle, other parameters can be set arbitrarily, and the set parameters can be brought into the above-mentioned motion equations. By adjusting other parameters except the turning angle of the front wheels of the vehicle, so that the set other parameters and the turning angle of the front wheels of the vehicle satisfy the above-mentioned set of motion equations, the vehicle acceleration and yaw angular velocity can be controlled, thereby flexibly controlling the vehicle steering.

[0086] In summary, compared to a vehicle in which the four wheels are controlled by independent motors, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, there is no need to calculate the turning angle and torque of each vehicle in the distribution of the vehicle's torque. The calculation involves less data and is simpler.

[0087] In a feasible implementation, in step S53, according to the target steering direction, controlling the driving forces of the two rear wheels in opposite directions to cause the vehicle to steer may include:

[0088] When the target steering direction is clockwise, the driving force of the vehicle's outer rear wheel and the driving force of the vehicle's inner rear wheel are controlled to form a clockwise torque, so that the vehicle turns clockwise;

[0089] When the target steering direction is counterclockwise, the driving force of the vehicle's outer rear wheel and the driving force of the vehicle's inner rear wheel are controlled to form a counterclockwise torque to turn the vehicle counterclockwise.

[0090] It is worth noting that, as shown in Figures 6a and 6b, when the target steering direction is clockwise, the driving force controlling the left rear wheel of the vehicle is in the opposite direction to the driving force controlling the right rear wheel of the vehicle, thereby generating a clockwise torque. As shown in Figures 7a and 7b, when the target steering direction is counterclockwise, the driving force controlling the right rear wheel of the vehicle is in the opposite direction to the driving force controlling the left rear wheel of the vehicle, thereby generating a counterclockwise torque.

[0091] It should be noted that when the vehicle is moving forward and turning, it can make a circular turning motion around any point outside the vehicle body. By changing the turning center, front wheel angle, rear wheel angle, driving force of the front wheel, and driving force of each rear wheel, the vehicle can travel along different curved paths. Correspondingly, when the vehicle is reversing and turning, it can also make a circular turning motion around any point outside the vehicle body, which helps the driver quickly complete operations such as parking in the garage.

[0092] It should be understood that the turning point during vehicle turning can be any point inside the vehicle or any point outside the vehicle. When the turning point is inside the vehicle, the front wheel angle of the vehicle is larger, and the yaw direction changes, resulting in a smaller turning angle when the vehicle turns around the turning point inside the vehicle body than when it turns around the turning point outside the vehicle body. During normal vehicle driving, restricted by the lane direction, the vehicle cannot directly control its turning according to the method with the turning point inside the vehicle, which violates traffic rules and is prone to safety accidents. For example, when the current road is a narrow straight road, if the vehicle turns around any point inside the vehicle body, it cannot move straight ahead. Therefore, in the embodiments of the present application, it is preferred to select a turning point outside the vehicle body. However, in road conditions such as dead ends where the vehicle cannot move forward, a turning point inside the vehicle body can be selected.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 9a, taking a four-wheel vehicle making a circular turning motion around any point outside the vehicle body as an example, the target turning path of the vehicle can be a circle tangent to the inner front wheel of the vehicle during turning. During the circular turning motion of the vehicle, both front wheels of the vehicle turn to the right, and the driving forces of both front wheels are forward, so the vehicle turns to the right; the two rear wheels of the vehicle turn relative to each other to form a "丷" shape, the driving force of the left rear wheel is forward, and the driving force of the right rear wheel is backward. By controlling the rear wheel angle and driving force magnitude, while the front wheels drive the vehicle to turn right forward, the rear axle of the vehicle rotates clockwise at a greater angular velocity; by controlling the angles and driving forces of the four wheels, the inner front wheel can always be tangent to the target circular path and complete the turning along the target circle. Through the same control method, the vehicle can make an extreme turn around any point outside the vehicle body.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 9b, taking a four-wheel vehicle making a stationary turn around the center of mass point inside the vehicle body as an example. The front wheels of the vehicle turn to the right, the driving force of the front wheels is forward, and the turning angle is large enough so that the driving force of the right front wheel of the vehicle moves from the right side of the center of mass to the left side of the center of mass, and the torque generated by the driving force of the right front wheel of the vehicle becomes clockwise; the left rear wheel of the vehicle turns to the left, the driving force of the left rear wheel is forward, the right rear wheel of the vehicle turns to the right, and the driving force of the right rear wheel is backward. At this time, the torque directions T fl 、T fr 、T rl and T rr are all clockwise, and the vehicle can make an extreme turn clockwise around the center of mass of the vehicle. The same method can be used to achieve stationary turning when the front wheels turn to the left, which will not be elaborated here.

[0095] In a feasible implementation, controlling the driving force of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle's steering to form a clockwise torque with the driving force of the inner side of the vehicle's steering may include:

[0096] Controlling the driving force direction of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle's steering to be forward, and controlling the driving force direction of the inner side of the vehicle's steering to be backward.

[0097] It should be noted that, as shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b, controlling the driving force direction of the left rear wheel of the vehicle to be forward and controlling the driving force of the right rear wheel of the vehicle to be backward can make the driving force of the left rear wheel and the driving force of the right rear wheel form a clockwise torque, and this clockwise torque can make the vehicle turn clockwise.

[0098] In a feasible implementation, controlling the driving force of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle's steering to form a counterclockwise torque with the driving force of the inner rear wheel of the vehicle's steering may include:

[0099] Controlling the driving force direction of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle's steering to be backward, and controlling the driving force direction of the inner side of the vehicle's steering to be forward.

[0100] It should be noted that, as shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b, controlling the driving force direction of the left rear wheel of the vehicle to be backward and controlling the driving force direction of the right rear wheel of the vehicle to be forward can make the driving force of the left rear wheel and the driving force of the right rear wheel form a counterclockwise torque, and this counterclockwise torque can make the vehicle turn counterclockwise.

[0101] In a feasible implementation, the method may further include:

[0102] When steering during the vehicle's forward movement, controlling the front wheels of the vehicle to rotate in the target rotation direction;

[0103] When steering during the vehicle's reverse movement, controlling the front wheels of the vehicle to rotate in the opposite direction of the target steering direction.

[0104] It should be understood that when steering during the vehicle's forward or reverse movement, the front wheels' steering is consistent with the steering of the steering wheel, and the rear wheels steer relatively, forming a "丷" shape; when steering during the vehicle's forward movement, the driving force directions of the front wheels and the outer rear wheels of the steering are the same, and opposite to the driving force direction of the inner rear wheel of the steering; when steering during the vehicle's reverse movement, the driving force direction of the front wheels is opposite to that of the outer side of the steering, and the same as the driving force direction of the inner rear wheel of the steering.

[0105] Exemplarily, for the vehicle in four steering scenarios, the steering and driving force directions of each wheel are illustrated by examples:

[0106] Case 1, as shown in Figure 6a, when the vehicle turns clockwise while moving forward, the two front wheels of the vehicle turn right, and the driving force directions of the two front wheels are forward, the left rear wheel of the vehicle turns left and the driving force direction of the left rear wheel is forward, and the right rear wheel of the vehicle turns right and the driving force direction of the right rear wheel is backward. At this time, the vehicle moves forward and turns right.

[0107] Case 2: As shown in Figure 6b, when the vehicle turns clockwise during the backward process, the two front wheels of the vehicle turn left, and the driving force direction of the two front wheels is backward, the left rear wheel of the vehicle turns left, and the driving force direction of the left rear wheel is forward, and the right rear wheel of the vehicle turns right, and the driving force direction of the right rear wheel is backward.

[0108] Case 3, as shown in Figure 7a, when the vehicle turns counterclockwise while moving forward, the two front wheels of the vehicle turn left, and the driving force directions of the two front wheels are forward, the left rear wheel of the vehicle turns left, and the driving force direction of the left rear wheel is backward, and the right rear wheel of the vehicle turns right, and the driving force direction of the right rear wheel is forward. At this time, the vehicle is moving backward and turning right.

[0109] Case 4, as shown in Figure 7b, when the vehicle turns counterclockwise during the reverse process, the two front wheels of the vehicle turn right, and the driving force direction of the two front wheels is backward, the left rear wheel of the vehicle turns left, and the driving force direction of the left rear wheel is backward, the right rear wheel of the vehicle turns right, and the driving force direction of the right rear wheel is forward. At this time, the vehicle is moving backward and turning left.

[0110] Based on the same inventive concept, as shown in FIG10 , the present disclosure provides a controller, comprising:

[0111] a first memory having a computer program stored thereon;

[0112] The first processor is configured to execute the computer program in the memory to implement the vehicle control method.

[0113] In the disclosed embodiments, because each rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled by an independent motor, the steering and driving force direction of each rear wheel can be different. Therefore, based on the driver's intention, the steering and turning angle of each wheel can be controlled, allowing the two rear wheels to form a figure-eight shape. Furthermore, the driving force of the two rear wheels can be directed in opposite directions based on the vehicle's target turning direction, allowing the vehicle to steer around any point inside or outside the vehicle body with a small turning radius. This provides flexible steering control. This helps the driver safely and stably navigate road conditions such as narrow turns, obstacles, U-turns, parking in a garage, and driving into a dead end.

[0114] Based on the same inventive concept, the present disclosure also provides a vehicle control system, which may include a perception module, a control module, and an execution module.

[0115] As shown in Figure 11, the perception module may include a steering wheel angle sensor, an accelerator pedal sensor, four wheel speed sensors, and four wheel angle sensors. The control module may include a vehicle controller, a front axle steering motor controller, a front axle drive motor controller, two rear-wheel steering motor controllers, and two rear-wheel drive motor controllers. The execution module may include a front axle steering motor, a front axle drive motor, two rear-wheel steering motors, and two rear-wheel drive motors.

[0116] The steering wheel angle sensor and accelerator pedal sensor sense the driver's intention and transmit it to the vehicle controller. The vehicle controller then determines the driver's target steering direction and the total torque to be distributed based on the received steering wheel angle and accelerator pedal signals. Wheel speed sensors and wheel angle sensors sense the operating status of the wheels and transmit signals to the vehicle controller to form a feedback mechanism. The vehicle controller can adjust the steering control strategy in real time based on the wheel operating status, determining and adjusting the steering direction, steering angle, driving force, and driving force direction of each wheel.

[0117] The vehicle controller formulates a steering control strategy based on information transmitted by the perception module and issues commands to the steering motor controllers and drive motor controllers. The front axle steering motor controller receives commands to control the front axle steering motor, steering the front wheels in unison. The front axle drive motor controller controls the front axle drive motor, driving the front wheels forward or backward with the driving force directed in the same direction. The two rear-wheel steering motor controllers each control the rear-wheel steering motors, independently steering the rear wheels in a figure-eight pattern. The two rear-wheel drive motor controllers control the rear-wheel drive motors, independently steering the rear wheels in opposite directions.

[0118] In the disclosed embodiments, because each rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled by an independent motor, the steering and driving force direction of each rear wheel can be different. Therefore, based on the driver's intention, the steering and turning angle of each wheel can be controlled, causing the two rear wheels to form a figure-eight shape. The driving force of the two rear wheels can be controlled in opposite directions based on the vehicle's target steering direction. Furthermore, based on the wheel's operating status information, the steering, turning angle, driving force direction, and driving force of each wheel can be adjusted during the vehicle's steering process, allowing the vehicle to steer around any point outside or inside the vehicle body with a small turning radius, thereby providing flexible steering control. This system can help the driver safely and stably steer the vehicle in road conditions such as narrow turns, obstacles, U-turns, parking in a garage, and driving into a dead end.

[0119] Based on the same inventive concept, the present disclosure provides a vehicle comprising the above-mentioned controller.

[0120] In the disclosed embodiments, because each rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled by an independent motor, the steering and driving force direction of each rear wheel can be different. Therefore, based on the driver's intention, the steering and turning angle of each wheel can be controlled, allowing the two rear wheels to form a figure-eight shape. Furthermore, the driving force of the two rear wheels can be directed in opposite directions based on the vehicle's target turning direction, allowing the vehicle to steer around any point inside or outside the vehicle body with a small turning radius. This provides flexible steering control. This helps the driver safely and stably navigate road conditions such as narrow turns, obstacles, U-turns, parking in a garage, and driving into a dead end.

[0121] FIG12 is a block diagram of a vehicle 1100 according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, vehicle 1100 may be a hybrid vehicle, a non-hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, or another type of vehicle. Vehicle 1100 may be an autonomous vehicle or a semi-autonomous vehicle.

[0122] 12 , vehicle 1100 may include various subsystems, such as an infotainment system 1110, a perception system 1120, a decision-making control system 1130, a drive system 1140, and a computing platform 1150. Vehicle 1100 may also include more or fewer subsystems, and each subsystem may include multiple components. Furthermore, each subsystem and each component of vehicle 1100 may be interconnected via wired or wireless means.

[0123] In some embodiments, the infotainment system 1110 may include a communication system, an entertainment system, a navigation system, and the like.

[0124] The perception system 1120 may include several sensors for sensing information about the environment surrounding the vehicle 1100. For example, the perception system 1120 may include a global positioning system (which may be a GPS system, a BeiDou system, or other positioning systems), an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a laser radar, a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic radar, and a camera.

[0125] The decision control system 1130 may include a computing system, a vehicle controller, a steering system, a throttle, and a braking system.

[0126] Drive system 1140 may include components that provide power to vehicle 1100. In one embodiment, drive system 1140 may include an engine, a power source, a transmission system, and wheels. The engine may be an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, an air compression engine, or a combination thereof. The engine is capable of converting energy provided by the power source into mechanical energy.

[0127] Some or all functions of the vehicle 1100 are controlled by a computing platform 1150. The computing platform 1150 may include at least one second processor 1151 and a second memory 1152. The second processor 1151 may execute instructions 1153 stored in the second memory 1152.

[0128] The second processor 1151 can be any conventional processor, such as a commercially available CPU. The processor can also include a graphics processor (GPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a system on chip (SOC), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a combination thereof.

[0129] The second memory 1152 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile memory device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0130] In addition to the instructions 1153 , the second memory 1152 may also store data, such as road maps, route information, and vehicle location, direction, speed, etc. The data stored in the second memory 1152 may be used by the computing platform 1150 .

[0131] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second processor 1151 may execute the instruction 1153 to complete all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned parking trajectory planning method.

[0132] In another exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium including program instructions is also provided. When executed by a processor, these program instructions implement the steps of the above-described vehicle communication method. For example, the computer-readable storage medium may be the aforementioned second memory 1152 including the program instructions. These program instructions may be executed by the second processor 1151 of the vehicle 1100 to implement the above-described vehicle communication method. In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided. The computer program product includes a computer program executable by a programmable device, and the computer program has a code portion for executing the above-described autonomous driving method when executed by the programmable device.

[0133] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the technical concept of the present disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0134] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present disclosure will not further describe various possible combinations.

[0135] In addition, the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be arbitrarily combined, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the present disclosure, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A vehicle control method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtain driver intention information; According to the driver's intention information, the two rear wheels of the vehicle are controlled to form a figure eight shape; A target steering direction is determined according to the driver's intention information, and according to the target steering direction, the driving forces of the two rear wheels are controlled in opposite directions to make the vehicle turn.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of controlling the driving forces of the two rear wheels in opposite directions according to the target steering direction so as to cause the vehicle to steer comprises: When the target steering direction is clockwise, controlling the driving force of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle and the driving force of the inner rear wheel of the vehicle to form a clockwise torque so as to make the vehicle turn clockwise; When the target steering direction is counterclockwise, the driving force of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle and the driving force of the inner rear wheel of the vehicle are controlled to form a counterclockwise torque, so that the vehicle turns counterclockwise.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The controlling the driving force of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle and the driving force of the inner rear wheel of the vehicle to form a clockwise torque includes: The driving force direction of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled to be forward, and the driving force direction of the inner rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled to be backward.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The controlling the driving force of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle and the driving force of the inner rear wheel of the vehicle to form a counterclockwise torque includes: The driving force direction of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled to be rearward, and the driving force direction of the inner rear wheel of the vehicle is controlled to be forward.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the vehicle turns while moving forward, controlling the front wheels of the vehicle to rotate in the target turning direction; When the vehicle turns in the reverse process, the front wheels of the vehicle are controlled to rotate in the opposite direction of the target turning direction.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The controlling the two rear wheels of the vehicle to form a figure eight shape according to the driver's intention information includes: determining, based on the driver's intention information, a first target turning angle of the vehicle's outer rear wheel and a second target turning angle of the vehicle's inner rear wheel; When the target steering direction is clockwise, the outer rear wheel is controlled to rotate in the first direction. a first target turning angle, and controlling the inner-steering rear wheel to rotate in a second direction by the second target turning angle, so that the outer-steering rear wheel and the inner-steering rear wheel turn relative to each other and form an inverted figure eight, the first direction being opposite to the target turning direction, and the second direction being the same as the target turning direction; When the target steering direction is counterclockwise, the outer steering rear wheel is controlled to rotate toward a third direction by the first target turning angle, and the inner steering rear wheel is controlled to rotate toward a fourth direction by the second target turning angle, so that the outer steering rear wheel and the inner steering rear wheel are turned relative to each other and form an inverted figure eight, the third direction is opposite to the target steering direction, and the fourth direction is the same as the target steering direction.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The determining, based on the driver's intention information, a first target turning angle of the vehicle's outer rear wheel and a second target turning angle of the vehicle's inner rear wheel includes: determining a target steering angle and a total torque of the vehicle based on the driver's intention information; A first target turning angle of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle and a second target turning angle of the inner rear wheel of the vehicle are determined according to the target steering angle and the total torque.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The determining, based on the target steering angle and the total torque, a first target steering angle of the vehicle's outer rear wheel and a second target steering angle of the vehicle's inner rear wheel, respectively, comprises: A first target steering angle for the outer rear wheel and a second target steering angle for the inner rear wheel are determined according to the target steering angle, the total torque and the motion equations of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The determining, based on the target steering angle, the total torque, and the set of motion equations of the vehicle, respectively, a first target steering angle of the outer rear wheel and a second target steering angle of the inner rear wheel includes: performing steering angle distribution and torque distribution on each wheel of the vehicle according to the target steering angle and the total torque to obtain a distribution result; The allocation result that satisfies the group of motion equations is used as a target allocation result, and a first target turning angle of the outer rear wheel and a second target turning angle of the inner rear wheel are obtained according to the target allocation result.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The equations of motion of the vehicle are constructed in the following way: Constructing a first motion equation based on the vehicle mass and the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle in the vehicle forward direction; constructing a second motion equation based on the vehicle mass and the lateral acceleration of the vehicle across the vehicle width; Constructing a yaw motion equation according to the vehicle's yaw moment of inertia and yaw angular velocity; The first motion equation, the second motion equation and the yaw motion equation are used as a group of motion equations corresponding to the vehicle.

11. The vehicle control method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: Each rear wheel of the vehicle is steered by an independent steering motor and driven by an independent drive motor.

12. A controller, characterized in that: include: a first memory having a computer program stored thereon; A first processor is configured to execute the computer program in the memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle includes the controller of claim 12.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is implemented.

15. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions, characterized in that The computer program will only implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 when executed by a processor.

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