Crosswind effect estimation device and control device for vehicle

1. A crosswind effect estimation device that is mounted in a vehicle and configured to estimate an effect on the vehicle due to a crosswind, the crosswind effect estimation device comprising:

a processor configured to:

i) acquire information on the crosswind in a predetermined region forward of the vehicle in a traveling direction of the vehicle,

ii) acquire information on at least one shielding object that is located on a windward side in a direction of the crosswind,

iii) estimate the effect on the vehicle due to the crosswind based on the acquired information on the crosswind and the acquired information on the shielding object,

iv) acquire information on a vehicle speed and a traveling direction of an other vehicle when the other vehicle is one of the at least one shielding object,

v) acquire information regarding one of the at least one shielding object transmitted from a road-side communication device fixed on a road-side shielding object,

vi) estimate a yaw moment to be generated in the vehicle as the effect due to the crosswind,

vii) estimate the yaw moment to be generated before the vehicle and the one of the at least one shielding object overlap each other,

viii) estimate the yaw moment to be generated when a part of the vehicle overlaps the one of the at least one shielding object, and

ix) estimate the yaw moment to be generated when the vehicle overlaps the one of the at least one shielding object over an entire length of the vehicle.

2. The crosswind effect estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to generate forecast information including a time when or a position where the effect due to the crosswind changes, based on the vehicle speed and the traveling direction of the other vehicle.

3. The crosswind effect estimation device according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to further acquire information on a length of the other vehicle, and to generate the forecast information including a time when or a position where the effect due to the crosswind is increased and a time when or a position where the effect due to the crosswind is decreased, based on an overall length of the other vehicle.

4. The crosswind effect estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to acquire information on a size of the at least one shielding object, and to estimate magnitude of the effect due to the crosswind, based on the size of the at least one shielding object.

5. A control device for a vehicle including vehicle wheels including right and left front wheels and right and left rear wheels, the control device being configured to control a drive force distribution ratio for the vehicle wheels, the control device comprising:

at least one processor configured to:

i) acquire information on a crosswind in a predetermined region forward of the vehicle in a traveling direction of the vehicle,

ii) acquire information on at least one shielding object that is located on a windward side in a direction of the crosswind,

iii) estimate an effect on the vehicle due to the crosswind to obtain an estimation result, based on the acquired information on the crosswind and the acquired information on the shielding object,

iv) control the drive force distribution ratio for the vehicle wheels, based on the obtained estimation result,

v) acquire information on a vehicle speed and a traveling direction of an other vehicle when the other vehicle is one of the at least one shielding object,

vi) acquire information regarding one of the at least one shielding object transmitted from a road-side communication device fixed on a road-side shielding object,

vii) estimate a yaw moment to be generated in the vehicle as the effect due to the crosswind,

viii) estimate the yaw moment to be generated before the vehicle and the one of the at least one shielding object overlap each other,

ix) estimate the yaw moment to be generated when a part of the vehicle overlaps the one of the at least one shielding object, and

x) estimate the yaw moment to be generated when the vehicle overlaps the one of the at least one shielding object over an entire length of the vehicle.

6. The control device according to claim 5 , wherein:

the vehicle is a four-wheel-drive vehicle in which one of i) the right and left front wheels and ii) the right and left rear wheels are main drive wheels and the other of i) the right and left front wheels and ii) the right and left rear wheels are auxiliary drive wheels; and

the at least one processor is configured to control a drive force transmission device configured to transmit a drive force to the auxiliary drive wheels.

7. The control device according to claim 5 , wherein:

the drive force distribution ratio between right and left wheels among the vehicle wheels is variable; and

the at least one processor is configured to control the drive force distribution ratio between the right and left wheels such that the effect due to the crosswind is reduced.