IP Library Granted Patent US 12686377
Granted Patent B2
US 12686377 · App. 18/416,140 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Vehicle control device, analysis device, and analysis method

Inventors: Ichiji Yamada (Kariya, JP); Akira Kato (Kariya, JP)
Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
B60W10/22B60W30/025B60W40/06B60W40/08G06N7/01G06V20/588G06V20/597B60W2420/403B60W2520/18B60W2710/226
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12686377
App. No.
18/416,140
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle control device includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a road surface condition in a traveling direction of a vehicle and occupant information on an occupant of the vehicle; an analysis unit configured to obtain an optimum vehicle characteristic based on the road surface condition and the occupant information such that a probability density distribution of changes in the road surface condition does not overlap a probability density distribution of changes in a vehicle characteristic; and a control unit configured to control the vehicle using the optimum vehicle characteristic obtained by the analysis unit.

Claims (42)

1 . A vehicle control device comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a probability density distribution of changes in the road surface condition and a probability density distribution of changes in a vehicle characteristic;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a road surface condition in a traveling direction of a vehicle and occupant information on an occupant of the vehicle;

an analysis unit configured to obtain a vehicle characteristic based on the road surface condition and the occupant information such that the probability density distribution of changes in the road surface condition does not overlap the probability density distribution of changes in a vehicle characteristic; and

a control unit configured to control the vehicle using the vehicle characteristic obtained by the analysis unit.

2 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

the storage unit is further configured to store vehicle characteristic determination information in which the occupant information is associated in advance with the vehicle characteristic in a range in which the probability distribution of the changes in the road surface condition does not overlap the probability distribution of the changes in the vehicle characteristic, wherein

the analysis unit obtains the vehicle characteristic based on the road surface condition and the occupant information in the vehicle characteristic determination information.

3 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the analysis unit obtains an overlapping region between the probability density distribution of the changes in the road surface condition and the probability density distribution of the changes in the vehicle characteristic based on the road surface condition and the occupant information while changing the vehicle characteristic during traveling of the vehicle, and

the vehicle control device further comprises a learning unit configured to execute learning processing of determining, as the vehicle characteristic, a vehicle characteristic that is obtained by the analysis unit and at which the overlapping region is not present.

4 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein

the storage unit is further configured to store a probability density distribution of the overall power of the sprung acceleration and a probability density distribution of the roll rate,

the vehicle characteristic includes a spring constant of a sprung portion of a suspension, the spring constant being used for determining overall power of a sprung acceleration of the suspension of the vehicle, the overall power serving as an index of a high-frequency vibration, and for determining a roll rate serving as an index of a roll size of the vehicle,

the analysis unit obtains a spring constant such that the probability density distribution of the changes in the road surface condition does not overlap the probability density distribution of the overall power of the sprung acceleration and the probability density distribution of the changes in the road surface condition does not overlap the probability density distribution of the roll rate, and

the control unit performs damping force control of the suspension based on the spring constant.

5 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein

the storage unit is further configured to store a probability density distribution of the sprung transmission ratio in the high-frequency vibration and a probability density distribution of the sprung transmission ratio in the low-frequency vibration,

the vehicle characteristic includes a damping coefficient of a shock absorber of a suspension, the damping coefficient being used for determining a sprung transmission ratio that is an index of a high-frequency vibration and a low-frequency vibration and that indicates a ratio of a sprung displacement of the suspension of the vehicle to a road surface displacement,

the analysis unit obtains a damping coefficient such that the probability density distribution of the changes in the road surface condition does not overlap the probability density distribution of the sprung transmission ratio in the high-frequency vibration and the probability density distribution of the changes in the road surface condition does not overlap the probability density distribution of the sprung transmission ratio in the low-frequency vibration, and

the control unit performs damping force control of the suspension based on the damping coefficient.

6 . The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein

the storage unit is further configured to store a probability density distribution of the overall power of the sprung acceleration and a probability density distribution of the roll rate,

the vehicle characteristic includes a spring constant of a sprung portion of a suspension, the spring constant being used for determining overall power of a sprung acceleration of the suspension of the vehicle, the overall power serving as an index of a high-frequency vibration, and for determining a roll rate serving as an index of a roll size of the vehicle,

the analysis unit obtains a spring constant such that the probability density distribution of the changes in the road surface condition does not overlap a probability density distribution of the overall power of the sprung acceleration and the probability density distribution of the changes in the road surface condition does not overlap a probability density distribution of the roll rate, and

the control unit performs damping force control of the suspension based on the spring constant.

7 . The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein

the storage unit is further configured to store a probability density distribution of the sprung transmission ratio in the high-frequency vibration and a probability density distribution of the sprung transmission ratio in the low-frequency vibration,

the vehicle characteristic includes a damping coefficient of a shock absorber of a suspension, the damping coefficient being used for determining a sprung transmission ratio that is an index of a high-frequency vibration and a low-frequency vibration and that indicates a ratio of a sprung displacement of the suspension of the vehicle to a road surface displacement,

the analysis unit obtains a damping coefficient such that the probability density distribution of the changes in the road surface condition does not overlap a probability density distribution of the sprung transmission ratio in the high-frequency vibration and the probability density distribution of the changes in the road surface condition does not overlap a probability density distribution of the sprung transmission ratio in the low-frequency vibration, and

the control unit performs damping force control of the suspension based on the damping coefficient.

8 . An analysis device comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a probability density distribution of changes in the road surface condition and a probability density distribution of changes in a vehicle characteristic,

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a road surface condition in a traveling direction of a vehicle and occupant information on an occupant of the vehicle; and

an analysis unit configured to obtain an vehicle characteristic based on the road surface condition and the occupant information such that the probability density distribution of changes in the road surface condition does not overlap the probability density distribution of changes in a vehicle characteristic.

9 . An analysis method executed by a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle, the analysis method comprising:

storing a probability density distribution of changes in the road surface condition and a probability density distribution of changes in a vehicle characteristic,

acquiring a road surface condition in a traveling direction of the vehicle and occupant information on an occupant of the vehicle; and

obtaining an optimum vehicle characteristic based on the road surface condition and the occupant information such that the probability density distribution of changes in the road surface condition does not overlap the probability density distribution of changes in a vehicle characteristic.

10 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires the road surface condition in the traveling direction of the vehicle using an image capture device to capture an image in front of the vehicle.

11 . The vehicle control device according to claim 8 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires the road surface condition in the traveling direction of the vehicle using an image capture device to capture an image in front of the vehicle.

12 . The analysis method according to claim 9 , wherein the road surface condition in the traveling direction of the vehicle is acquired using an image capture device to capture an image in front of the vehicle.