Vehicle Motion Control With Direct Steering Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle cruise control systems face challenges in achieving fast processing speed and accurate vehicle behavior control, particularly in autonomous driving systems, where timely control of driving, braking, and steering devices is crucial to prevent driver discomfort due to sudden acceleration and deceleration.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a dedicated arithmetic unit with integrated driving and braking force calculation units, a steering controller, and microcomputers to directly control driving, braking, and steering devices, allowing for fast response and simplified control paths by coordinating the devices through direct communication and shared information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a conventional multi-layer control system with domain controllers and integrated controllers is used, then the control system is well-structured and manageable, but the processing speed for vehicle behavior control becomes slower and the control path becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the steering control function from the conventional multi-layer control system and places it directly in the arithmetic unit. This extraction eliminates unnecessary intermediate control layers for steering, allowing direct calculation and output of steering control signals, thereby reducing control path complexity and increasing processing speed for steering operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the control system by giving different control paths to different functions: steering control is handled directly by the arithmetic unit with high priority, while driving and braking controls follow the conventional path through microcomputers. This segmentation allows critical steering operations to bypass complex control layers, resolving the contradiction between system structure and processing speed.
2Device complexity
If the arithmetic unit calculates all control signals and outputs them through microcomputers, then the control path is simplified, but the processing speed decreases due to communication network delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the steering control signal generation and output functions from the conventional microcomputer-based control path and implements them directly in the arithmetic unit. This allows the arithmetic unit to calculate steering control signals and output them immediately without waiting for microcomputer processing or communication network transmission, significantly reducing control response time while maintaining a simplified control path.
3Speed
If the steering controller directly outputs control signals to the steering device, then the processing speed increases and control path is simplified, but coordination with driving and braking devices becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the steering controller provides information to the driving force calculation unit and braking force calculation unit about steering operations. This feedback allows the driving and braking control systems to coordinate their actions with steering, ensuring optimal vehicle behavior while maintaining the fast direct control path for steering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the control information flow by having the steering controller output control signals directly to the steering device while simultaneously providing steering information to the driving and braking calculation units. This merging of information flows enables coordinated control of all traveling devices without requiring complex communication protocols or intermediate processing steps.
Data Source
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AI summary
An arithmetic unit (110) includes: a vehicle exterior environment recognition unit (111); a route setting unit (112 to 115); a vehicle motion determination unit (116) configured to determine a target motion to follow a set route; a driving force calculation unit (117) and a braking force calculation unit (118) which are configured to calculate target physical amounts, i.e., a target driving force and a target braking force, corresponding to the target motion; and a steering controller (129) configured to calculate another target physical amount, i.e., a target steering amount, corresponding to the target motion, directly output a control signal to a steering device, and output, to the driving force calculation unit (117) and the braking force calculation unit (118), information for use to perform control that allows the driving and braking devices to coordinate with the steering device.