Leaning Vehicle Brake Assist for Braking vs Steering Avoidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing brake assist control systems for leaning vehicles do not differentiate between scenarios where the rider addresses obstacles with braking force alone versus those requiring a change in traveling direction, leading to suboptimal braking force control.

Innovation Solution

A brake assist control device that differentiates between scenarios by adjusting the assisting braking force based on the leaning angular speed, angular acceleration, and brake operation amount, providing distinct control strategies for when the rider addresses obstacles with or without changing the vehicle's direction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the brake assist control device applies the same assisting braking force for identical brake operation amounts regardless of riding state, then the control system is simple, but the braking performance is suboptimal for different obstacle handling scenarios

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebraking performanceVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The brake assist control device dynamically adjusts the assisting braking force based on real-time riding state parameters (leaning angle, leaning angular speed, brake operation amount). The control strategy changes from static to dynamic, allowing the system to adapt braking force to different obstacle handling scenarios - either pure braking or braking combined with direction change, thereby improving braking performance without requiring complex hardware modifications

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the control parameter from a single brake operation amount to multiple parameters including leaning angle, leaning angular speed, and brake operation amount. By monitoring changes in these parameters over time, the system determines the rider's intent and adjusts the assisting braking force accordingly, achieving scenario-specific optimization through parameter-based control differentiation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the brake assist control device differentiates between different obstacle handling scenarios, then the braking control is optimized, but the control logic becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol adaptabilityVSAvoidcontrol logic complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system achieves scenario differentiation by monitoring changes in riding state parameters (leaning angle, leaning angular speed, brake operation amount) rather than using complex scenario recognition algorithms. The control logic determines whether the rider is handling an obstacle through pure braking or combined braking and direction change by analyzing parameter variations, thereby improving adaptability with relatively simple control logic

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The brake assist control device continuously monitors riding state parameters and provides feedback to adjust the assisting braking force in real-time. By establishing a feedback loop that detects changes in leaning angle and angular speed during brake operation, the system automatically adapts to different obstacle handling scenarios, achieving high controllability through feedback-based parameter adjustment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3967563B1Leaning vehicle comprising brake assist control device
Publication Date: 2023.09.13 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3967563B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3967563B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3967563B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A brake assist control device (1011) is configured to acquire (i) at least one of a leaning angular speed that is a time change rate of the leaning angle of the leaning vehicle (1001) or a leaning angular acceleration that is a time change rate of the leaning angular speed of the leaning vehicle (1001), (ii) a margin acquired based on the relationship between the obstacle (2001) and the host vehicle (1001), and (iii) a brake operation amount indicating an amount of a brake operation by the rider. The brake assist control device (1011) controls the assisting braking force so that a first braking force which is the maximum braking force generated in response to a first brake operation amount performed by the rider in a first scene being larger than a second braking force which is the maximum braking force generated in response to the first brake operation amount performed by the rider in a second scene, based on the at least one of the leaning angular speed or the leaning angular acceleration, the margin acquired based on the relationship between the obstacle (2001) and a host vehicle (1001), and the brake operation amount performed by the rider, the first scene being a scene in which the rider deals with an obstacle (2001) by a braking force generated by a brake operation by the rider without changing a traveling direction of the leaning vehicle (1001), and the second scene being a scene in which the rider deals with the obstacle (2001) by both a change of the traveling direction of the leaning vehicle and the braking force generated by the brake operation by the rider.