IP Library Granted Patent US 11,618,436
Granted Patent B2
US 11,618,436 · App. 17/060,353 · Granted Apr 4, 2023

Controlling driving force distribution ratio in response to prediction of oversteer

Inventors: Harunobu Horiguchi (Tokyo, JP); Ryoichi Mizutani (Tokyo, JP); Akihisa Osada (Tokyo, JP); Yohei Kawashima (Tokyo, JP); Yuki Sugimoto (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
B60W30/045B60W10/10B60W10/20B60W30/18145B60W40/08B60W50/0097B60W50/087B60W2540/00G05D1/0061
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,618,436
App. No.
17/060,353
Granted
Apr 4, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus includes a steering device, a steering controller, a steering input member, a front-rear driving force distribution unit, and a behavior controller. The steering device steers front wheels of a vehicle. The steering controller controls and causes the steering device to perform steering automatically. The steering input member receives a steering operation inputted by a driver. The front-rear driving force distribution unit changes a front-rear driving force distribution ratio. The behavior controller predicts, if a steering operation is performed via the steering input member during the automatic steering, a behavior of the vehicle to be exhibited after steering corresponding to the steering operation, and causes, if an oversteer behavior is predicted to occur, the front-rear driving force distribution unit to change the driving force distribution ratio to a front-wheel biased distribution ratio as compared with a case where the oversteer behavior is not predicted to occur.

Claims (30)

1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a steering device including an actuator and configured to steer front wheels of a vehicle;

a steering controller configured to control the steering device and cause the vehicle to perform steering automatically, on a basis of a target travel path of the vehicle;

a steering input member configured to receive a steering operation inputted by a driver;

a front-rear driving force distribution unit configured to change a front-rear driving force distribution ratio that is a distribution ratio between driving force to be transmitted to a road surface from the front wheels of the vehicle and driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from rear wheels of the vehicle; and

a behavior controller configured to predict, in a case where a steering operation is performed via the steering input member while the steering controller is causing the steering to be performed automatically, a behavior of the vehicle to be exhibited after steering corresponding to the steering operation, and to cause, in a case where an oversteer behavior of a predetermined magnitude or more is predicted to occur, the front-rear driving force distribution unit to change the front-rear driving force distribution ratio to a front-wheel biased distribution ratio as compared with a case where the oversteer behavior is not predicted to occur.

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

a left-right driving force distribution unit configured to change a left-right driving force distribution ratio that is a distribution ratio between driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a left front wheel of the front wheels and driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a right front wheel of the front wheels or a distribution ratio between driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a left rear wheel of the rear wheels and driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a right rear wheel of the rear wheels,

wherein the behavior controller is configured to cause, in the case where the oversteer behavior is predicted to occur, the left-right driving force distribution unit to change the left-right driving force distribution ratio to a turning-inner-wheel biased distribution ratio as compared with the case where the oversteer behavior is not predicted to occur.

3. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a steering device including an actuator and configured to steer front wheels of a vehicle;

a steering controller configured to control the steering device and cause the steering device to perform steering automatically, on a basis of a target travel path of the vehicle;

a steering input member configured to receive a steering operation inputted by a driver;

a left-right driving force distribution unit configured to change a left-right driving force distribution ratio that is a distribution ratio between driving force to be transmitted to a road surface from a left front wheel of the front wheels of the vehicle and driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a right front wheel of the front wheels of the vehicle or a distribution ratio between driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a left rear wheel of the vehicle and driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a right rear wheel of the vehicle; and

a behavior controller configured to predict, in a case where a steering operation is performed via the steering input member while the steering controller is causing the steering to be performed automatically, a behavior of the vehicle to be exhibited after steering corresponding to the steering operation, and to cause, in a case where an oversteer behavior of a predetermined magnitude or more is predicted to occur, the left-right driving force distribution unit to change the left-right driving force distribution ratio to a turning-inner-wheel biased distribution ratio as compared with a case where the oversteer behavior is not predicted to occur.

4. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a steering device including an actuator and configured to steer front wheels of a vehicle;

a steering controller configured to control the steering device and cause the steering device to perform steering automatically, on a basis of a target travel path of the vehicle;

a steering input member configured to receive a steering operation inputted by a driver;

a front-rear driving force distribution unit configured to change a front-rear driving force distribution ratio that is a distribution ratio between driving force to be transmitted to a road surface from the front wheels of the vehicle and driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from rear wheels of the vehicle; and

a behavior controller configured to predict, in a case where a steering operation is performed via the steering input member while the steering controller is causing the steering to be performed automatically, a behavior of the vehicle to be exhibited after steering corresponding to the steering operation, and to cause, in a case where an understeer behavior of a predetermined magnitude or more is predicted to occur, the front-rear driving force distribution unit to change the front-rear driving force distribution ratio to a rear-wheel biased distribution ratio as compared with a case where the understeer behavior is not predicted to occur.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising

a left-right driving force distribution unit configured to change a left-right driving force distribution ratio that is a distribution ratio between driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a left front wheel of the front wheels and driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a right front wheel of the front wheels or a distribution ratio between driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a left rear wheel of the rear wheels and driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a right rear wheel of the rear wheels,

wherein the behavior controller is configured to cause, in the case where the understeer behavior is predicted to occur, the left-right driving force distribution unit to change the left-right driving force distribution ratio to a turning-outer-wheel biased distribution ratio as compared with the case where the understeer behavior is not predicted to occur.

6. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a steering device including an actuator and configured to steer front wheels of a vehicle;

a steering controller configured to control the steering device and cause the steering device to perform steering automatically, on a basis of a target travel path of the vehicle;

a steering input member configured to receive a steering operation inputted by a driver;

a left-right driving force distribution unit configured to change a left-right driving force distribution ratio that is a distribution ratio between driving force to be transmitted to a road surface from a left front wheel of the front wheels of the vehicle and driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a right front wheel of the front wheels of the vehicle or a distribution ratio between driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a left rear wheel of the vehicle and driving force to be transmitted to the road surface from a right rear wheel of the vehicle; and

a behavior controller configured to predict, in a case where a steering operation is performed via the steering input member while the steering controller is causing the steering to be performed automatically, a behavior of the vehicle to be exhibited after steering corresponding to the steering operation, and to cause, in a case where an understeer behavior of a predetermined magnitude or more is predicted to occur, the left-right driving force distribution unit to change the left-right driving force distribution ratio to a turning-outer-wheel biased distribution ratio as compared with a case where the understeer behavior is not predicted to occur.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 2, 2020
From: HORIGUCHI, HARUNOBU; MIZUTANI, RYOICHI; OSADA, AKIHISA; KAWASHIMA, YOHEI; SUGIMOTO, YUKI
To: SUBARU CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053964/0803 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP JP2019-204397 · Nov 12, 2019 · national
JP JP2020-151314 · Sep 9, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210139016A1 · May 13, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,679,388