Lean Vehicle Rider Support Using Dynamic Reference Regions

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional support systems for lean vehicles do not adequately account for changes in road width occupied by the vehicle during different traveling states, making it difficult to appropriately support the rider's driving.

Innovation Solution

A control device and method that acquires travel locus and occupied road width information to set a reference region, determining the position of objects within this region and adjusting the positional relationship between the vehicle and targets based on the vehicle's traveling state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If conventional support operation is simply applied to the lean vehicle without taking into account changes in road width, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of supporting the rider's driving deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomplexity of support operationVSAvoidreliability of rider support
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The reference region is dynamically adjusted based on the lean vehicle's traveling state. The control device changes the reference region according to whether the vehicle is traveling straight or turning, and adjusts the width based on the absolute value of the lean angle. This dynamic adaptation allows the support operation to remain reliable while maintaining reasonable system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of reference region width based on the lean angle. When the absolute value of the lean angle exceeds a threshold, the reference region width is increased. This parameter change allows the system to account for varying road width occupation without fundamentally changing the support operation structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the reference region width is fixed, then the ease of operation is improved, but the adaptability to different traveling states deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of reference region settingVSAvoidadaptability to traveling state changes
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The reference region width is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control device automatically adjusts the width based on the lean angle magnitude, making the system adaptable to different traveling states while maintaining ease of operation through automated adjustment without manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-adjustment of the reference region width based on its own traveling state (lean angle). The control device automatically determines the appropriate width without external input, making the system both easy to operate and highly adaptable to different conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4697302A1Control device and control method
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP4697302A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4697302A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4697302A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An object of the invention is to obtain a control device and a control method capable of appropriately supporting the rider's driving of a lean vehicle. A control method for a lean vehicle (1) includes: allowing an acquisition section of a control device (20) to acquire travel locus information corresponding to information of a travel locus of the lean vehicle (1) and occupied road width information corresponding to information of a road width occupied by the traveling of the lean vehicle (1); allowing a setting section of the control device (20) to set a reference region on the basis of the travel locus information and the occupied road width information; and allowing an execution section of the control device (20) to execute a rider support operation for supporting the adjustment of a positional relationship between the lean vehicle (1) and a positional relationship adjustment target, wherein the execution section executes a first determination of determining whether a position of at least one object is included in the reference region and sets the positional relationship adjustment target on the basis of the determination result of the first determination, and wherein the acquisition section sets the occupied road width information for setting the reference region used in the first determination on the basis of traveling state information of the lean vehicle (1).