IP Library Granted Patent US 12,630,147
Granted Patent B2
US 12,630,147 · App. 18/841,298 · Granted May 19, 2026

Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Inventors: Kenta Maeda (Tokyo, JP); Takahiro Ito (Tokyo, JP); Kentarou Ueno (Hitachinaka, JP); Shuji Ohshita (Hitachinaka, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
B60W30/025B60W40/08B60W50/0097B60W50/14G06V20/59G06V40/10B60W2050/146B60W2420/403B60W2520/16B60W2520/18B60W2540/223
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,630,147
App. No.
18/841,298
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method that take into consideration individual differences and the effect of vehicle motion, not only in the horizontal direction but also in the front-rear direction, on the head movement of a passenger, and further reduce the head movement of the passenger through vehicle motion that coordinates the front-rear and horizontal directions. The vehicle control device includes: a head movement prediction model that finds, relative to the head movement of a passenger in a first direction caused by vehicle motion in the first direction, the change in the head movement of the passenger in the first direction caused by the vehicle motion in a second direction different from the first direction; and a vehicle motion generation unit that generates the vehicle motion on the basis of the head movement prediction model.

Claims (25)

1 . A vehicle control device comprising:

a head movement prediction model that finds, relative to a head movement of a passenger in a left-right or roll direction caused by vehicle motion in the left-right or roll direction, a change in the head movement of the passenger in the left-right or roll direction caused by the vehicle motion in a front-rear or pitch direction different from the left-right or roll direction; and

a vehicle motion generation unit that generates the vehicle motion in the front-rear or pitch direction to reduce the head movement in the left-right or roll direction on the basis of the head movement prediction model;

wherein the head movement prediction model is a dynamic model of a spring-mass-damper having parameters different for each passenger; and

wherein the vehicle motion generation unit generates the vehicle motion in the front-rear or pitch direction to suppress a motion sickness susceptibility index calculated from an output of the dynamic model.

2 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a head movement characteristic learning unit is provided in the head movement prediction model, the head movement characteristic learning unit learning a characteristic of the head movement of each passenger corresponding to the vehicle motion.

3 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the head movement characteristic learning unit learns the characteristic of the head movement of the passenger on the basis of a head posture acquired when a predetermined vehicle motion is generated.

4 . The vehicle control device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the vehicle motion generation unit generates, as the predetermined vehicle motion in the head movement characteristic learning unit, the vehicle motion in which at least one of the front-rear direction or pitch direction and the left-right or roll direction of the vehicle are combined.

5 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the head movement characteristic learning unit identifies each riding posture pattern expected to be adopted by the passenger, and learns the characteristic of the head movement of the passenger corresponding to the vehicle motion.

6 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the head movement characteristic learning unit sets a predetermined parameter before the learning, and corrects the predetermined parameter by the learning for each passenger.

7 . The vehicle control device according to claim 6 ,

wherein a large parameter value is set as the predetermined parameter, and by the learning, the large parameter value is corrected in the direction in which the parameter value becomes smaller.

8 . The vehicle control device according to claim 7 ,

wherein after the large parameter value is set as the predetermined parameter, and by the learning, the large parameter value is corrected in the direction in which the parameter value becomes smaller to complete the learning, the corrected parameter value is corrected again in the direction in which the parameter value becomes larger.

9 . The vehicle control device according to claim 6 ,

wherein as the predetermined parameter, an average value of the parameters that are statistically acquired is set.

10 . The vehicle control device according to claim 6 ,

wherein after the predetermined parameter is corrected to complete the learning, and the vehicle travels for elapse of a predetermined time on the basis of the corrected parameter, the corrected parameter is corrected again.

11 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a display device that promotes the vehicle motion in the front-rear or pitch direction to a driver is provided.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2024
From: MAEDA, KENTA; ITO, TAKAHIRO; UENO, KENTAROU; OHSHITA, SHUJI
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 068389/0234 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-033175 · Mar 4, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250162572A1 · May 22, 2025
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