Vehicle Drive Unit Speed Control During Predicted Collision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control apparatuses, such as those described in JP-A-2005-178443, can be annoying to users as they continue to operate at unintended speeds during emergency situations, leading to unintended operation of mechanisms like seat adjustments or window closures.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control apparatus that includes a drive unit, an operating portion, a collision predicting portion, and a control portion to adjust the driving speed of the drive unit based on user input and collision predictions, allowing for precise control of mechanisms like seat recline or window operation, minimizing annoyance by varying and potentially reversing the driving speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the drive unit operates at high speed during predicted collision to quickly position the mechanism, then the response time is improved, but the user experience deteriorates due to unintended continuous operation at high speed
Solution Approach 1:
The drive unit's operating speed is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control portion adjusts the driving speed based on real-time conditions: operating at first (high) speed during predicted collision for rapid positioning, then switching to second (low) speed when the operating portion is activated to provide user control. This dynamic speed adjustment resolves the contradiction between fast response and user comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback from the operating portion to modulate the drive unit's operation. When the operating portion is operated by the user during high-speed operation, this input is detected and fed back to the control portion, which then reduces the driving speed. This feedback mechanism allows the system to respond to user intent and adjust accordingly, improving ease of operation while maintaining initial rapid response capability.
2Productivity
If the drive unit continues operating at high speed to complete the positioning task, then the productivity is improved, but harmful effects increase due to unintended operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by preparing to counteract the high-speed operation before it becomes harmful. The control portion is pre-programmed to monitor the operating portion's state and automatically reduce driving speed when user input is detected during collision prediction. This preemptive measure prevents unintended continuous high-speed operation while maintaining the ability to achieve rapid positioning when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The driving speed is made dynamic with two distinct operating modes: first speed (high) for rapid positioning during predicted collision, and second speed (low) when user input is detected. This dynamic switching eliminates the harmful effect of unintended continuous high-speed operation while preserving the productivity benefit of fast positioning when appropriate.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control apparatus includes a drive unit that drives a mechanism provided in a vehicle, an operating portion that is operated by an occupant and instructs the drive unit to drive, a collision predicting portion that predicts a collision, and a control portion that controls the drive unit. The control portion controls the drive unit to place the mechanism in a predetermined state when the collision is predicted by the collision predicting portion, and controls the drive unit to vary a driving speed of the drive unit when the operating portion is operated while the drive unit is being controlled. The invention also relates to a control method of this vehicle control apparatus.