Vehicle Motion Planning Around Future Actuator Limits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle motion control methods fail to consider the future limits of actuators, such as temperature rise and power source exhaustion, leading to sudden loss of ride quality and handling stability.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle motion control device and method that calculates future actuator limits, particularly suspension actuator temperature rise, to maintain optimal vehicle attitude and stability by planning vehicle motion within achievable actuator ranges.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If damping force of shock absorber is adjusted to maintain ride quality and handling stability, then vehicle control performance is improved, but temperature rise of hydraulic oil inside the shock absorber occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveride quality and handling stabilityVSAvoidtemperature of hydraulic oil
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs preliminary actions by predicting future actuator limits before they are reached. It calculates predicted actuator output values based on planned vehicle motion and compares them with predicted actuator limit values, allowing the system to adjust control strategies in advance to prevent temperature rise and power source exhaustion, rather than reacting after the problem occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the vehicle motion plan based on real-time actuator state. When the predicted actuator output approaches the predicted limit, the control device modifies the vehicle motion plan to reduce the demand on the actuator, creating a dynamic adaptation that maintains ride quality while preventing actuator failure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If actuator operation is increased to maintain vehicle attitude control, then vehicle motion control accuracy is improved, but actuator limit is reached sooner

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle motion control accuracyVSAvoidactuator operation duration
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs preliminary actions by predicting future actuator limits before they are reached. It calculates predicted actuator output values based on planned vehicle motion and compares them with predicted actuator limit values, allowing the system to adjust control strategies in advance to prevent temperature rise and power source exhaustion, rather than reacting after the problem occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the actuator's current state (temperature, remaining power) to continuously adjust the vehicle motion plan. The control device monitors the actuator output value against the limit value and modifies the motion plan in real-time to maintain control accuracy while extending actuator operational duration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If vehicle motion plan is optimized for ideal conditions, then ride quality is improved, but actuator limits are exceeded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveride qualityVSAvoidactuator limit exceeded
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control device applies preliminary anti-action by predicting actuator limits before they are exceeded and adjusting the vehicle motion plan in advance to prevent the harmful outcome. It calculates the difference between predicted actuator output and predicted limit values, and modifies the motion plan proactively to ensure actuator limits are not exceeded, thereby preventing ride quality degradation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

4Temperature

If damping amount is adjusted to suppress temperature rise, then hydraulic oil temperature control is improved, but ride quality and handling stability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature of hydraulic oilVSAvoidride quality and handling stability
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the vehicle motion plan based on real-time actuator state. When the predicted actuator output approaches the predicted limit, the control device modifies the vehicle motion plan to reduce the demand on the actuator, creating a dynamic adaptation that maintains ride quality while preventing actuator failure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the actuator's current state (temperature, remaining power) to continuously adjust the vehicle motion plan. The control device monitors the actuator output value against the limit value and modifies the motion plan in real-time to maintain control accuracy while extending actuator operational duration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4371792B1Vehicle motion control device and vehicle motion control method
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 ASTEMO LTD
  • EP4371792B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4371792B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4371792B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a vehicle motion control device capable of performing highly accurate vehicle motion control in consideration of limits that will occur in actuators in the future. The vehicle motion control device includes: an actuator characteristic change estimation unit configured to estimate a characteristic change of an actuator at a future time from a current time; a controllable range estimation unit configured to calculate a controllable range of a vehicle motion from a characteristic change calculated by the actuator characteristic change estimation unit, a target track of a vehicle, and a current vehicle state; a vehicle motion planning unit configured to create a motion plan within a controllable range calculated by the controllable range estimation unit; an evaluation value calculation unit configured to calculate an evaluation value based on a motion plan created by the vehicle motion planning unit; and a determination unit configured to determine whether or not an evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value calculation unit is minimum. The controllable range estimation unit refers to a target track of the vehicle and calculates a controllable vehicle motion range at a future time in consideration of a characteristic including at least an output range of an actuator regarding a vehicle motion from a current time. The vehicle motion planning unit creates a motion plan with reference to a predetermined evaluation function within the controllable vehicle motion range calculated by the controllable range estimation unit.