JP7615869B2 - Driving control device for saddle riding type vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a driving control device for a saddle-type vehicle.

When a saddle-type vehicle such as a motorcycle moves straight at medium to high speeds, the vehicle body and steering wheel may vibrate at a frequency of approximately 1 Hz to 10 Hz. This phenomenon is generally called the weave phenomenon or the wobble phenomenon. More specifically, the weave phenomenon is a phenomenon in which vibrations in a direction in which yaw and roll are coupled occur in the saddle-type vehicle when the saddle-type vehicle moves straight at medium to high speeds. The wobble phenomenon is a phenomenon in which the steering shaft of the steering wheel of the saddle-type vehicle vibrates when the saddle-type vehicle moves straight at medium to high speeds. The frequency of vibration in the weave phenomenon is approximately 1 Hz to 4 Hz, and the frequency of vibration in the wobble phenomenon is approximately 5 Hz to 10 Hz. Both the weave phenomenon and the wobble phenomenon are factors that reduce the straight-line stability of the saddle-type vehicle.

The following Patent Document 1 describes a caster angle variable device for motorcycles that increases the caster angle to improve the maneuverability of the vehicle when the vehicle speed and shaking state reach a certain level or higher. This caster angle variable device for motorcycles is equipped with an actuator that displaces the front wheel fork of the motorcycle to change the caster angle.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-270472

To prevent a decrease in the straight-line stability of a saddle-type vehicle when it is traveling at medium to high speeds, it is desirable to suppress the weave or wobble phenomenon. However, it is undesirable for the saddle-type vehicle to become larger or heavier in order to suppress the weave or wobble phenomenon. For example, if the caster angle variable device described in Patent Document 1 is applied to a saddle-type vehicle in order to suppress the weave or wobble phenomenon, adding an actuator for displacing the front wheel fork to the saddle-type vehicle may result in the saddle-type vehicle becoming larger or heavier.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems described above, and the object of the present invention is to provide a driving control device for a saddle-type vehicle that can suppress the weave or wobble phenomenon and suppress a decrease in straight-line stability during medium to high speed driving while avoiding an increase in size or weight of the saddle-type vehicle.

In order to solve the above problems, a first cruise control device of the present invention is a cruise control device that controls the traveling of a saddle-type vehicle, and includes a vehicle speed determination unit that determines whether the traveling speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed reference value, a traveling state determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a steady traveling or accelerating state, an angular velocity determination unit that determines whether a test angular velocity, which is a yaw angular velocity or a roll angular velocity of the vehicle detected by an angular velocity detection device provided on the vehicle, exceeds a predetermined first angular velocity reference value, and a frequency determination unit that determines whether a frequency of a periodic change in the test angular velocity is within a predetermined frequency reference range. and a driving control unit that performs speed suppression control to reduce the driving speed or driving acceleration of the vehicle when the result of the judgment by the judgment unit indicates that the vehicle's driving speed exceeds the speed reference value, the vehicle is in a steady driving or accelerating state, the test angular velocity exceeds the first angular velocity reference value, and the frequency of the periodic change in the test angular velocity is within the frequency reference range, wherein the angular velocity judgment unit judges whether the test angular velocity is equal to or less than a predetermined second angular velocity reference value that is greater than the first angular velocity reference value, and the driving control unit does not perform the speed suppression control if the result of the judgment by the angular velocity judgment unit indicates that the test angular velocity is not equal to or less than the second angular velocity reference value .
In order to solve the above problem, a second cruise control device of the present invention is a cruise control device for controlling the traveling of a saddle-ride type vehicle, comprising: a vehicle speed determination unit for determining whether the traveling speed of the vehicle has exceeded a predetermined speed reference value; a traveling state determination unit for determining whether the vehicle is in a steady traveling or accelerating state; an angular velocity determination unit for determining whether a test angular velocity, which is a yaw angular velocity or a roll angular velocity of the vehicle detected by an angular velocity detection device provided on the vehicle, has exceeded a predetermined first angular velocity reference value; and a frequency determination unit for determining whether a frequency of a periodic change in the test angular velocity is within a predetermined frequency reference range, and and a driving control unit that performs speed suppression control to reduce the vehicle's driving speed or driving acceleration when the wave number is within the frequency reference range, wherein the angular velocity judgment unit removes an offset from the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within a second predetermined time output from the angular velocity detection device, calculates a test angular velocity signal waveform integrated area which is the sum of the area of a portion surrounded by a positive part of the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within the second predetermined time from which the offset has been removed and a time axis, and the absolute value of the area of a portion surrounded by a negative part of the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within the second predetermined time from which the offset has been removed and the time axis, and judges whether the test angular velocity signal waveform integrated area exceeds a predetermined area reference value, and the driving control unit does not perform the speed suppression control if the angular velocity judgment unit determines that the test angular velocity signal waveform integrated area does not exceed the area reference value.
In order to solve the above problem, a third cruise control device of the present invention is a cruise control device that controls the traveling of a saddle-ride type vehicle, and includes a vehicle speed determination unit that determines whether the traveling speed of the vehicle has exceeded a predetermined speed reference value; a traveling state determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a steady traveling or accelerating state; an angular velocity determination unit that determines whether a test angular velocity, which is a yaw angular velocity or a roll angular velocity of the vehicle detected by an angular velocity detection device provided on the vehicle, has exceeded a predetermined first angular velocity reference value; and a frequency determination unit that determines whether a frequency of a periodic change in the test angular velocity is within a predetermined frequency reference range. and a driving control unit that performs speed suppression control to reduce driving acceleration, wherein the angular velocity determination unit removes an offset from a signal waveform of the test angular velocity within a third predetermined time output from the angular velocity detection device, calculates a test angular velocity signal waveform integrated area which is the sum of an area of a portion surrounded by a positive part of the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within the third predetermined time from which the offset has been removed and a time axis, and an absolute value of an area of a portion surrounded by a negative part of the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within the third predetermined time from which the offset has been removed and the time axis, calculates an average integrated area of the test angular velocity signal waveform by dividing the integrated area of the test angular velocity signal waveform by the third predetermined time, and determines whether the average integrated area of the test angular velocity signal waveform exceeds a predetermined area average reference value, and the driving control unit does not perform the speed suppression control if the angular velocity determination unit determines that the average integrated area of the test angular velocity signal waveform does not exceed the area average reference value.

The present invention makes it possible to suppress the weave or wobble phenomenon while avoiding an increase in the size or weight of the saddle-type vehicle, thereby preventing a decrease in straight-line stability when the saddle-type vehicle is traveling at medium to high speeds.

1 is a block diagram showing a cruise control system including a cruise control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a flowchart showing a vibration suppression process in the driving control device in FIG. 1 . 10 is a flowchart showing a vibration suppression process in a driving control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the area of a signal waveform. 10 is a flowchart showing a vibration suppression process in a driving control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

The driving control device of the embodiment of the present invention is a driving control device that controls the driving of a saddle-type vehicle, and includes a vehicle speed determination unit that determines whether the driving speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed reference value, a driving state determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a steady driving or accelerating state, an angular velocity determination unit that determines whether the test angular velocity exceeds a predetermined first angular velocity reference value, and a frequency determination unit that determines whether the frequency of the periodic change of the test angular velocity is within a predetermined frequency reference range. Here, the test angular velocity is the yaw angular velocity or roll angular velocity of the vehicle detected by an angular velocity detection device provided in the vehicle. Furthermore, the driving control device of this embodiment includes a driving control unit that performs speed suppression control to reduce the driving speed or the acceleration of the vehicle when the results of the determinations made by the vehicle speed determination unit, the driving state determination unit, the angular velocity determination unit, and the frequency determination unit indicate that the driving speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed reference value, the vehicle is in a steady driving or accelerating state, the test angular velocity exceeds the first angular velocity reference value, and the frequency of the periodic change of the test angular velocity is within the frequency reference range.

The weave or wobble phenomenon occurs when the vehicle is traveling at a medium to high speed. The vehicle speed determination unit of the cruise control device of this embodiment determines whether the vehicle's traveling speed exceeds a speed reference value. By setting the speed reference value to, for example, about 100 km/h to 130 km/h, it is possible to recognize that the vehicle's traveling speed is medium to high, that is, that the vehicle's traveling speed is a speed at which the weave or wobble phenomenon may occur.

The vibrations that occur in the vehicle due to the weave phenomenon are vibrations in the direction of a combination of yaw and roll. The vibrations that occur in the steering shaft of the vehicle due to the wobble phenomenon include vibrations in the yaw direction and roll direction. The angular velocity determination unit of the driving control device of this embodiment determines whether the subject angular velocity, i.e., the yaw angular velocity or roll angular velocity of the vehicle, exceeds the first angular velocity reference value. This makes it possible to recognize that vibrations due to the weave phenomenon or wobble phenomenon are occurring in the vehicle. The sensitivity of the angular velocity determination unit to recognize vehicle vibrations changes depending on the value set as the first angular velocity reference value. That is, when the first angular velocity reference value is set to a large value, the angular velocity determination unit does not determine that the vehicle is vibrating unless the amplitude of the vehicle vibration is large, whereas when the first angular velocity reference value is set to a small value, the angular velocity determination unit determines that the vehicle is vibrating even if the amplitude of the vehicle vibration is small.

The frequency of vehicle vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon is approximately 1 Hz to 10 Hz. The vehicle vibrations appear as periodic changes in the angular velocity to be tested. The frequency determination unit of the driving control device of this embodiment determines whether the frequency of the periodic changes in the angular velocity to be tested is within a frequency reference range. For example, by setting the frequency reference range to 1 Hz to 10 Hz, it is possible to recognize that the frequency of the vehicle vibrations is within the range of 1 Hz to 10 Hz, that is, that the frequency of the vehicle vibrations is within the frequency range of the vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon.

The driving control device of this embodiment uses a vehicle speed determination unit, an angular velocity determination unit, and a frequency determination unit to determine whether the vehicle's driving speed has exceeded a speed reference value, whether the test angular velocity has exceeded a first angular velocity reference value, and whether the frequency of the periodic change in the test angular velocity is within a frequency reference range. Based on these determination results, it is possible to recognize with high accuracy that a weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the vehicle.

When the driving determination unit of the driving control device of this embodiment recognizes that the weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the vehicle and that the vehicle is in a steady driving or accelerating state, it performs speed suppression control to reduce the vehicle's driving speed or driving acceleration. By performing speed suppression control to reduce the vehicle's driving speed or driving acceleration, it is possible to reduce or eliminate vehicle vibration caused by the weave or wobble phenomenon. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in straight-line stability when the saddle-type vehicle is driving at medium to high speeds.

In addition, in the driving control device of this embodiment, the driving state determination unit determines whether the vehicle is in a steady driving or accelerating state, i.e., whether the vehicle is not decelerating. Then, if the result of the determination by the driving state determination unit is that the vehicle is not in a steady driving or accelerating state, i.e., the vehicle is decelerating, the driving determination unit does not perform speed suppression control. As a result, when the vehicle is decelerating, speed suppression control is performed to reduce the vehicle's driving speed, which can prevent the vehicle's driving speed from decreasing significantly in a short period of time and the vehicle's driving stability from decreasing.

In addition, according to the driving control device of this embodiment, the weave or wobble phenomenon occurring in the vehicle can be suppressed by reducing the vehicle's running speed or acceleration, so there is no need to add large or heavy parts to the vehicle, such as an actuator that displaces the front wheel fork of the vehicle, in order to suppress the weave or wobble phenomenon occurring in the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size or weight of the saddle-type vehicle.

(Drive control system)
Fig. 1 shows the configuration of a cruise control system 1 provided in a saddle-riding type vehicle. The cruise control system 1 is a system that controls the traveling of the saddle-riding type vehicle. In Fig. 1, the cruise control system 1 includes an engine 11 that is a power source for traveling the saddle-riding type vehicle. The engine 11 includes a throttle valve 12 that controls the amount of air supplied to a combustion chamber of the engine 11, and an injector 13 that injects fuel into the air supplied to the combustion chamber of the engine 11 to generate an air-fuel mixture.

The driving control system 1 also includes a front wheel brake cylinder 15 that brakes the front wheels of the saddle riding type vehicle, a front wheel brake hydraulic device 16 that generates front wheel brake hydraulic pressure to operate the front wheel brake cylinder 15, a rear wheel brake cylinder 17 that brakes the rear wheels of the saddle riding type vehicle, a rear wheel brake hydraulic device 18 that generates rear wheel brake hydraulic pressure to operate the rear wheel brake cylinder 17, and a brake control device 19. The brake control device 19 is a device that controls the braking of the front and rear wheels of the saddle riding type vehicle by controlling the front wheel brake hydraulic device 16 and the rear wheel brake hydraulic device 18. The brake control device 19 controls the braking of the front and rear wheels in response to the brake operation of the driver of the saddle riding type vehicle, and also performs anti-lock brake control, traction control, anti-skid control, etc.

The driving control system 1 also includes an accelerator position sensor 21, a throttle position sensor 22, a vehicle speed sensor 23, and an inertial measurement device 24. The accelerator position sensor 21 is a device that detects the amount of operation of the accelerator grip by the driver of the saddle-riding vehicle. The throttle position sensor 22 is a device that detects the opening of the throttle valve 12. The vehicle speed sensor 23 is a device that detects the traveling speed of the saddle-riding vehicle, for example, by measuring the rotation speed of the front or rear wheels. The inertial measurement device 24 is a device that detects the behavior of the saddle-riding vehicle by detecting the translational motion (acceleration) and rotational motion (angular velocity) in each direction of three axes in a three-dimensional space. The inertial measurement device 24 has an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration in the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the saddle-riding vehicle, and a gyro or angular velocity sensor that detects the angular velocity (yaw angular velocity, roll angular velocity, and pitch angular velocity) around the axis in the up-down direction, the axis in the front-rear direction, and the axis in the left-right direction of the saddle-riding vehicle. The inertial measurement unit 24 is a specific example of an angular velocity detection device as described in the claims.

The driving control system 1 also includes a control unit 31. The control unit 31 corresponds to what is called an ECU (engine control unit, or electronic control unit). The control unit 31 includes a driving control device 32 that performs processing, judgment, calculation, command output, etc. related to driving control of the saddle-riding vehicle, a throttle control unit 42 that controls the throttle valve 12 according to commands from the driving control device 32, a fuel control unit 43 that controls the injector 13 according to commands from the driving control device 32, and a memory unit 45 that stores programs and data. The driving control device 32, the throttle control unit 42, and the fuel control unit 43 are each composed of an integrated circuit including a CPU (central processing unit), for example. The memory unit 45 is composed of a semiconductor memory, for example.

The accelerator position sensor 21, the throttle position sensor 22, and the vehicle speed sensor 23 are electrically connected to the control unit 31. A detection signal indicating the operation amount of the accelerator grip detected by the accelerator position sensor 21, a detection signal indicating the opening of the throttle valve 12 detected by the throttle position sensor 22, and a detection signal indicating the traveling speed of the saddle-riding type vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 23 are each input to the driving control device 32 of the control unit 31. The brake control device 19 is also electrically connected to the control unit 31. The brake control device 19 controls the braking of the front and rear wheels of the saddle-riding type vehicle based on a command from the driving control device 32. The inertial measurement device 24 is also electrically connected to the brake control device 19. The inertial measurement device 24 outputs detection signals indicating the acceleration in the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction of the saddle-riding type vehicle, as well as detection signals indicating the yaw angular velocity, the roll angular velocity, and the pitch angular velocity of the saddle-riding type vehicle. These detection signals output from the inertial measurement device 24 are input to the brake control device 19. In addition, these detection signals output from the inertial measurement device 24 are input to the driving control device 32 of the control unit 31 via the brake control device 19.

The cruise control system 1 also has a function of reducing or eliminating the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle caused by the weave or wobble phenomenon when the weave or wobble phenomenon occurs in the saddle-type vehicle. Specifically, the cruise control device 32 in the cruise control system 1 functions as a vehicle speed determination unit 33, a driving state determination unit 34, an angular velocity determination unit 35, a frequency determination unit 36, and a cruise control unit 37, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the memory unit 45. The vehicle speed determination unit 33, the driving state determination unit 34, the angular velocity determination unit 35, the frequency determination unit 36, and the cruise control unit 37 perform vibration suppression processing. The vibration suppression processing is a process of recognizing that the weave or wobble phenomenon has occurred in the saddle-type vehicle and reducing or eliminating the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle caused by the weave or wobble phenomenon.

(Vibration suppression processing)
Fig. 2 shows the vibration suppression process in this embodiment. The vibration suppression process is executed while the saddle riding type vehicle is traveling. In the vibration suppression process shown in Fig. 2, first, the vehicle speed determination unit 33 determines whether or not the traveling speed of the saddle riding type vehicle has exceeded a predetermined speed reference value based on the traveling speed of the saddle riding type vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 23 (step S1).

The speed reference value is set to a speed at which the weave or wobble phenomenon may occur in the saddle-type vehicle. The running speed of the saddle-type vehicle at which the weave or wobble phenomenon occurs varies depending on the size or specific structure of the saddle-type vehicle, but in many saddle-type vehicles, the weave or wobble phenomenon occurs when the running speed exceeds 100 km/h to 130 km/h. Therefore, it is preferable to set the speed reference value to a value approximately within the range of 100 km/h to 130 km/h. In addition, it is preferable to set the speed reference value for each type of saddle-type vehicle product. The speed reference value can be determined by experimentation to determine the speed at which the weave or wobble phenomenon occurs for each type of saddle-type vehicle product.

The speed reference value is set in consideration of distinguishing the weave or wobble phenomenon from other vibration phenomena that occur when the saddle-type vehicle is traveling, such as low-speed shimmy. The traveling speed of a saddle-type vehicle at which low-speed shimmy occurs varies depending on the size or type of the saddle-type vehicle, but is generally about 30 km/h to 100 km/h. Therefore, by setting the speed reference value to a value within the range of approximately 100 km/h to 130 km/h, the weave or wobble phenomenon can be distinguished from the low-speed shimmy phenomenon. In this embodiment, the speed reference value is set to, for example, 100 km/h.

When the vehicle speed determination unit 33 determines that the traveling speed of the saddle riding vehicle exceeds the speed reference value (step S1: YES), the traveling state determination unit 34 determines whether the saddle riding vehicle is in a steady traveling or accelerating state, i.e., whether the saddle riding vehicle is not decelerating, based on the opening degree of the throttle valve 12 detected by the throttle position sensor 22 (step S2). Note that the determination of whether the saddle riding vehicle is in a steady traveling or accelerating state may be made based on the operation amount of the accelerator grip detected by the accelerator position sensor 21, or the control state of the front wheel brake hydraulic device 16 and the rear wheel brake hydraulic device 18 by the brake control device 19.

If the driving state determination unit 34 determines that the saddle-type vehicle is in a steady driving or accelerating state (step S2: YES), the angular velocity determination unit 35 determines whether the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement device 24 has exceeded a predetermined yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value (step S3).

The vibrations that occur in the saddle-type vehicle due to the weave phenomenon are vibrations in the direction of a combination of yaw and roll. Also, the vibrations that occur in the steering shaft of the steering of the saddle-type vehicle due to the wobble phenomenon include vibrations in the yaw direction and the roll direction. Therefore, the magnitude (amplitude of vibration) of the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle in the weave phenomenon or the wobble phenomenon can be recognized based on the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement device 24. Also, the sensitivity of the recognition of the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle by the angular velocity judgment unit 35 changes depending on the value set as the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value. That is, when the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value is set to a large value, the angular velocity judgment unit 35 does not judge that the saddle-type vehicle is vibrating unless the amplitude of the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle is large, whereas when the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value is set to a small value, the angular velocity judgment unit 35 judges that the saddle-type vehicle is vibrating even if the amplitude of the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle is small. In order to suppress vibrations caused by the weave or wobble phenomenon as soon as they occur, it is preferable to set the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value to a small value. In this embodiment, the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value is set to a value that is included in the range of 0.14 rad/s to 0.21 rad/s, for example. The first angular velocity reference value is a specific example of the first angular velocity reference value described in the claims.

If the angular velocity determination unit 35 determines that the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement device 24 exceeds the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value (step S3, YES), the angular velocity determination unit 35 then determines whether the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement device 24 is equal to or lower than a predetermined yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value (step S4).

The yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value is set to a value greater than the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value. The yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value is set in consideration of distinguishing the vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon from the vibrations that occur when the saddle-type vehicle collides or comes into contact with another object, or when the driver performs extreme operation of the saddle-type vehicle. The yaw angular velocity of the saddle-type vehicle caused by the vibrations that occur when the saddle-type vehicle collides or comes into contact with another object, or when the driver performs extreme operation of the saddle-type vehicle, may be greater than the yaw angular velocity of the saddle-type vehicle caused by the vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon. Therefore, the yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value is set to a large value that exceeds the range of yaw angular velocities of the saddle-type vehicle that are considered to be caused by the vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon. In this embodiment, the yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value is set to, for example, 1.75 rad/s. The yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value is a specific example of the second angular velocity reference value in the claims.

If the angular velocity determination unit 35 determines that the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 is equal to or lower than the yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value (step S4: YES), the frequency determination unit 36 determines whether the frequency of the periodic change in the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 is within a predetermined frequency reference range (step S5).

The frequency of the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle can be recognized based on the frequency of the periodic change in the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement device 24. The frequency reference range is set to match the frequency range of the vibration in the weave or wobble phenomenon, or to include a part or all of the frequency range of the vibration in the weave or wobble phenomenon. The frequency range of the vibration in the weave or wobble phenomenon varies depending on the size or specific structure of the saddle-type vehicle, but is 1 Hz to 10 Hz in many saddle-type vehicles. Therefore, it is preferable to basically set the frequency reference range to 1 Hz to 10 Hz. It is also preferable to set the frequency reference range for each type of saddle-type vehicle product. The frequency reference range can be determined by experimentally measuring the frequency of the vibration in the weave or wobble phenomenon for each type of saddle-type vehicle product. In this embodiment, the frequency reference range is set to 1 Hz to 10 Hz.

The frequency reference range is preferably set with consideration given to distinguishing the weave or wobble phenomenon from other vibration phenomena that occur when the saddle-type vehicle is traveling. For example, if there is an overlap between the frequency range of vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon and the frequency range of vibrations in other vibration phenomena, the frequency reference range may be set to a range that excludes the overlapping portion from the frequency range of vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon.

If the frequency determination unit 36 determines that the frequency of the periodic change in the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 is within the frequency reference range (step S5: YES), the angular velocity determination unit 35 determines whether the number of times that the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 has exceeded the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value within a first predetermined time period has exceeded a predetermined reference number of times (step S6).

The first predetermined time and the reference number of times are set in consideration of identifying the vibration in the weave or wobble phenomenon from continuous kickbacks or sudden steering operations that occur in the saddle-type vehicle. For example, the number of continuous kickbacks or the number of displacements of the saddle-type vehicle due to sudden steering operations can be confirmed by experiment, and the first predetermined time and the reference number of times can be set based on the results. For example, it is rare for kickbacks to occur more than three times within one second. Therefore, if the number of times that the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement device 24 exceeds the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value within one second exceeds three times, it is highly likely that the displacement occurring in the saddle-type vehicle is not continuous kickbacks. In this embodiment, the first predetermined time is set to one second, and the reference number is set to three times. Note that the first predetermined time may be set to be shorter or longer than one second, and the reference number may be set to about two, four, or five times, based on the results of the experiment.

If all six judgments in steps S1 to S6 are YES, that is, as a result of the judgments by the vehicle speed judgment unit 33, the running state judgment unit 34, the angular velocity judgment unit 35, and the frequency judgment unit 36, the running speed of the saddle riding type vehicle exceeds the speed reference value, the saddle riding type vehicle is in a steady running or accelerating state, the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 exceeds the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value, the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 is equal to or less than the yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value, the frequency of the periodic change in the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 is within the frequency reference range, and the number of times that the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 exceeds the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value within a first predetermined time exceeds the reference number of times, the running control unit 37 starts speed suppression control to reduce the running speed or the running acceleration of the saddle riding type vehicle (step S7). That is, if all six judgments in steps S1 to S6 are YES, it is considered that the weave phenomenon or the wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle riding type vehicle. In this case, the travel control unit 37 starts speed suppression control to reduce the travel speed or travel acceleration of the saddle riding type vehicle. This reduces or eliminates vibrations of the saddle riding type vehicle caused by the weave or wobble phenomenon.

Methods for reducing the traveling speed or acceleration of a saddle-type vehicle include (1) reducing the opening of the throttle valve 12 in the saddle-type vehicle, (2) reducing or cutting off the supply of fuel to the engine 11, and (3) applying the rear wheel brakes.

When method (1) is adopted, the cruise control unit 37 outputs a command to the throttle control unit 42 to reduce the opening of the throttle valve 12 as speed suppression control. The throttle control unit 42 reduces the opening of the throttle valve 12 in response to the command.

When method (2) is adopted, the driving control unit 37 outputs a command to the fuel control unit 43 to reduce the fuel injection amount or to cut fuel as speed suppression control. In response to the command, the fuel control unit 43 reduces the fuel injection amount of the injector 13 or prevents fuel from being injected from the injector 13.

When the method (3) is adopted, the driving control unit 37 sends a command to the brake control device 19 to apply the rear wheel brake as speed suppression control. In response to the command, the brake control device 19 controls the rear wheel brake hydraulic device 18 to generate rear wheel brake hydraulic pressure, operates the rear wheel brake cylinder 17, and applies the rear wheel brake. By applying the rear wheel brake without applying the front wheel brake, it is possible to prevent the weight during braking from being applied to the front side of the saddle-type vehicle, and to effectively suppress steering vibration caused by vibration of the front wheel due to the weave phenomenon or wobble phenomenon. Note that both the front wheel brake and the rear wheel brake may be applied, and the timing of applying the front wheel brake may be delayed compared to the timing of applying the rear wheel brake. Also, it is possible to apply both the front wheel brake and the rear wheel brake, and the front wheel brake may be weaker than the rear wheel brake.

In this embodiment, method (1) is used, but method (2) or (3) may also be used, or any two of methods (1) to (3) may be combined, or three of methods (1) to (3) may be combined.

In addition, the speed suppression control gradually reduces the traveling speed or acceleration of the saddle riding type vehicle. In other words, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the traveling stability of the saddle riding type vehicle due to a sudden decrease in the traveling speed or acceleration.

In addition, an indicator showing that the speed suppression control is being executed may be provided in a place visible to the driver, such as a meter of the saddle-type vehicle, and the indicator may be turned on or blinked when the speed suppression control is started in step S7. This makes it possible to inform the driver that the speed suppression control has been started.

On the other hand, if any of the six judgments in steps S1 to S6 is NO, that is, as a result of the judgments by the vehicle speed judgment unit 33, the running state judgment unit 34, the angular velocity judgment unit 35, and the frequency judgment unit 36, the running speed of the saddle riding type vehicle does not exceed the speed reference value, the saddle riding type vehicle is not in a steady running or accelerating state (i.e., the saddle riding type vehicle is in a decelerating state), the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 does not exceed the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value, the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 is not equal to or less than the yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value, the frequency of the periodic change in the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 is not within the frequency reference range, or the number of times that the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 has exceeded the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value within the first predetermined time does not exceed the reference number of times, the driving control device 32 returns the process to step S1. In other words, if any of the six judgments in steps S1 to S6 is NO, it is considered that the weave phenomenon or wobble phenomenon is not occurring in the saddle riding type vehicle. In this case, speed suppression control is not performed.

Now, after all six judgments in steps S1 to S6 are YES and speed suppression control is started in step S7, the driving control unit 37 judges whether a control stop condition for stopping the speed suppression control is satisfied, and if this control stop condition is satisfied (step S8: YES), the speed suppression control is stopped (step S9).

As control stop conditions for stopping the speed suppression control, there are, for example, the following five conditions.
(a) The traveling speed of the saddle riding type vehicle becomes equal to or lower than the speed reference value (b) The yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 becomes equal to or lower than the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value (c) The yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 exceeds the yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value (d) The frequency of the periodic change of the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 becomes outside the frequency reference range (e) The number of times that the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 exceeds the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value within the first predetermined time becomes equal to or lower than the reference number When at least one of the control stop conditions (a) to (e) is satisfied, the traveling control unit 37 stops the speed suppression control. Specifically, while the speed suppression control is being performed, the vehicle speed determination unit 33, the angular velocity determination unit 35, and the frequency determination unit 36 repeatedly perform the same determination processes as those in steps S1, S3, S4, S5, and S6. Then, as a result of the determination process by the vehicle speed determination unit 33, the angular velocity determination unit 35, and the frequency determination unit 36, if the traveling speed of the saddle riding type vehicle becomes equal to or lower than the speed reference value, if the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 becomes equal to or lower than the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value, if the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 exceeds the yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value, if the frequency of the periodic change in the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 falls outside the frequency reference range, or if the number of times that the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 exceeds the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value within a first predetermined time becomes equal to or lower than the reference number of times, the traveling control unit 37 stops the speed suppression control. If at least one of the above five control stop conditions is satisfied, it is considered that the vibration of the saddle riding type vehicle due to the weave phenomenon or the wobble phenomenon has sufficiently decreased or disappeared, so the speed suppression control is immediately stopped to prevent the traveling speed of the saddle riding type vehicle from being unnecessarily reduced. In addition, when the speed suppression control is stopped, the indicator indicating that the speed suppression control is being executed is turned off. After the speed suppression control is stopped, the process returns to step S1. Note that any one, any two, or all three of the above conditions (c), (d), and (e) may be excluded from the control stop conditions for stopping the speed suppression control. Also, the control stop condition may be only the above condition (a) or only the above condition (b).

As described above, the cruise control device 32 of the first embodiment of the present invention reduces the running speed or running acceleration of the saddle riding type vehicle when it is recognized that the weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle riding type vehicle as a result of the judgment in steps S1 to S6 in FIG. 2. This reduces or eliminates the vibration of the saddle riding type vehicle caused by the weave or wobble phenomenon, and suppresses or eliminates the weave or wobble phenomenon occurring in the saddle riding type vehicle. In other words, the running speed of the saddle riding type vehicle at which the weave or wobble phenomenon occurs varies depending on the size or specific structure of the saddle riding type vehicle, but in many saddle riding type vehicles, the weave or wobble phenomenon occurs when the running speed exceeds 100 km/h to 130 km/h. Therefore, for example, in a saddle-type vehicle that tends to cause the weave or wobble phenomenon when the traveling speed exceeds 130 km/h, the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle caused by the weave or wobble phenomenon can be reduced or eliminated by reducing the traveling speed to 130 km/h or less. Also, in a saddle-type vehicle that tends to cause the weave or wobble phenomenon when the traveling speed exceeds 100 km/h, the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle caused by the weave or wobble phenomenon can be reduced or eliminated by reducing the traveling speed to 100 km/h or less. By reducing or eliminating the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle caused by the weave or wobble phenomenon, it is possible to suppress a decrease in straight-line stability when the saddle-type vehicle is traveling at medium to high speeds.

In addition, according to the driving control device 32 of this embodiment, the weave or wobble phenomenon that occurs in the saddle-type vehicle can be suppressed or eliminated by reducing the running speed or acceleration of the saddle-type vehicle, so there is no need to add large or heavy parts to the vehicle, such as an actuator that displaces the front wheel fork of the vehicle, in order to suppress or eliminate the weave or wobble phenomenon that occurs in the saddle-type vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size or weight of the saddle-type vehicle.

The driving control device 32 of this embodiment also determines whether a weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle-type vehicle based on the yaw angular velocity. Since vibrations caused by the weave phenomenon are vibrations in a direction in which yaw and roll are coupled, and vibrations caused by the wobble phenomenon include vibrations in both the yaw and roll directions, it is possible to accurately determine whether a weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle-type vehicle based on the yaw angular velocity.

The driving control device 32 of this embodiment also determines whether the weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle-type vehicle by determining whether the traveling speed of the saddle-type vehicle exceeds a speed reference value. This makes it possible to distinguish the vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon from the vibrations in the low-speed shimmy phenomenon, etc. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of determining whether the weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle-type vehicle.

The driving control device 32 of this embodiment also determines whether a weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle-type vehicle by determining whether the frequency of the periodic change in the yaw angular velocity of the saddle-type vehicle is within a frequency reference range. This makes it possible to distinguish the weave or wobble phenomenon from other vibration phenomena. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of determining whether a weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle-type vehicle.

The driving control device 32 of this embodiment also determines whether the yaw angular velocity of the saddle-type vehicle is equal to or lower than the upper yaw angular velocity reference value. This makes it possible to distinguish vibrations caused by the weave or wobble phenomenon from vibrations that occur when the saddle-type vehicle collides with or comes into contact with another object, or when the driver performs extreme operation of the saddle-type vehicle. This makes it possible to further improve the accuracy of determining whether the weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle-type vehicle.

The driving control device 32 of this embodiment also determines whether the number of times that the yaw angular velocity of the saddle-riding vehicle exceeds the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value within a first predetermined time exceeds a predetermined reference number of times. This makes it possible to distinguish the vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon from continuous kickbacks or sudden steering operations that occur in the saddle-riding vehicle. This makes it possible to further improve the accuracy of determining whether the weave or wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle-riding vehicle.

The driving control device 32 of this embodiment also determines whether the saddle-ride type vehicle is in a steady-state or accelerating state, and does not perform speed suppression control if the saddle-ride type vehicle is not in a steady-state or accelerating state, i.e., if the saddle-ride type vehicle is decelerating. This prevents the saddle-ride type vehicle's driving speed from decreasing significantly in a short period of time and the driving stability of the saddle-ride type vehicle from decreasing when the saddle-ride type vehicle is decelerating by performing speed suppression control to reduce the saddle-ride type vehicle's driving speed.

The driving control device 32 of this embodiment employs a method of reducing the opening of the throttle valve 12 in the saddle-riding vehicle as a method of speed suppression control for reducing the driving speed or acceleration of the saddle-riding vehicle. This allows speed suppression to begin early. In addition, since gradual speed suppression is possible, it is possible to ensure steering stability and traffic safety. Even if a method of reducing or cutting the supply of fuel to the engine 11 is adopted as a method of speed suppression control, it is possible to realize early start of speed suppression and gradual speed suppression. In addition, when a method of applying the rear wheel brakes is adopted as a method of speed suppression control, as described above, it is possible to suppress the load during braking from being applied to the front side of the saddle-riding vehicle, and steering vibration caused by vibration of the front wheels due to the weave or wobble phenomenon can be effectively suppressed.

Figure 3 shows the vibration suppression process in the driving control device of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the process in Figure 3, the same steps as those in the vibration suppression process in the first embodiment shown in Figure 2 are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be simplified or omitted.

In the vibration suppression process of the second embodiment, the judgment content for deciding whether or not to start the speed suppression control is partially different from that in the vibration suppression process of the first embodiment. That is, in the vibration suppression process of the first embodiment, the angular velocity judgment unit 35 judges whether the number of times that the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 exceeds the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value within a first predetermined time exceeds a predetermined reference number (step S6 in FIG. 2). In contrast, in the vibration suppression process of the second embodiment, the angular velocity judgment unit 35 does not make this judgment, but instead judges whether the area (integral value) of the signal waveform of the yaw angular velocity output from the inertial measurement unit 24 within a second predetermined time exceeds a predetermined area reference value (step S21 in FIG. 3).

Here, the signal waveform W in FIG. 4 is a simplified representation of the signal waveform of the yaw angular velocity output from the inertial measurement unit 24, with the offset removed from the signal waveform. The area of the signal waveform W within the second predetermined time T is the area of the hatched portion in FIG. 4. In other words, the area of the signal waveform W within the second predetermined time T is the sum of the area of the portion surrounded by the positive portion of the signal waveform W within the second predetermined time T and the time axis, and the absolute value of the area of the portion surrounded by the negative portion of the signal waveform W within the second predetermined time T and the time axis.

The second predetermined time and area reference value are set in consideration of identifying vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon occurring in the saddle-type vehicle from continuous kickbacks or sudden steering operations occurring in the saddle-type vehicle. The second predetermined time and area reference value are determined by experimentally generating a weave or wobble phenomenon in the saddle-type vehicle and analyzing the signal waveform of the yaw angular velocity of the saddle-type vehicle at that time.

In the vibration suppression process of the second embodiment, the driving control unit 37 starts speed suppression control to reduce the driving speed or driving acceleration of the saddle-type vehicle when all six judgments of steps S1 to S5 and S21 in FIG. 3 are YES, that is, when the judgments by the vehicle speed judgment unit 33, the driving state judgment unit 34, the angular velocity judgment unit 35 and the frequency judgment unit 36 result in that the driving speed of the saddle-type vehicle exceeds the speed reference value, the saddle-type vehicle is in a steady driving or accelerating state, the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 exceeds the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value, the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 is equal to or lower than the yaw angular velocity upper limit reference value, the frequency of the periodic change in the yaw angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement unit 24 is within the frequency reference range, and the area of the yaw angular velocity signal waveform output from the inertial measurement unit 24 within a second specified time period exceeds a specified area reference value. On the other hand, if any of the six determinations in steps S1 to S5 and S21 in FIG. 3 is NO, speed suppression control is not performed.

In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the cruise control unit 37 judges whether or not a control stop condition for stopping the speed suppression control is satisfied after starting the speed suppression control, and if this control stop condition is satisfied (step S22: YES), the cruise control unit 37 stops the speed suppression control (step S9). There are, for example, five control stop conditions for stopping the speed suppression control, four of which are the same as the above conditions (a) to (d) in the first embodiment. However, the remaining condition is that the area of the signal waveform of the yaw angular velocity output from the inertial measurement unit 24 within the second predetermined time period is equal to or less than the area reference value. If at least one of these five control stop conditions is satisfied, the cruise control unit 37 stops the speed suppression control.

The second embodiment of the present invention can achieve substantially the same effects as the first embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, the cruise control device 32 of the second embodiment of the present invention recognizes the occurrence of a weave or wobble phenomenon in a saddle-type vehicle based on the area of the yaw angular velocity signal waveform output from the inertial measurement device 24 within a second predetermined time exceeding a predetermined area reference value. As a result, even if the yaw angular velocity signal of the saddle-type vehicle is unstable and it is difficult to determine whether the number of times that the yaw angular velocity of the saddle-type vehicle exceeds the yaw angular velocity lower limit reference value within the first predetermined time exceeds the predetermined reference number, the vibration of the saddle-type vehicle due to the weave or wobble phenomenon can be identified from continuous kickbacks or sudden steering operations that occur in the saddle-type vehicle, and the occurrence of the weave or wobble phenomenon in the saddle-type vehicle can be recognized with high accuracy.

Figure 5 shows the vibration suppression process in a driving control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the process in Figure 5, steps that are the same as those in the vibration suppression process in the second embodiment shown in Figure 3 are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be simplified or omitted.

In the vibration suppression process of the second embodiment, the angular velocity determination unit 35 determines whether the area of the signal waveform of the yaw angular velocity output from the inertial measurement unit 24 during a second predetermined time period exceeds a predetermined area reference value (step S21 in FIG. 3). In contrast, in the vibration suppression process of the third embodiment, the angular velocity determination unit 35 does not perform this determination, but instead determines whether the area average value (average value of integrals) of the signal waveform of the yaw angular velocity output from the inertial measurement unit 24 during a third predetermined time period exceeds a predetermined area average reference value (step S31 in FIG. 5).

The average area value of the signal waveform of the yaw angular velocity output from the inertial measurement device 24 within the third predetermined time is the value obtained by dividing the area of the signal waveform of the yaw angular velocity output from the inertial measurement device 24 within the third predetermined time by the third predetermined time. The third predetermined time and the average area reference value are set in consideration of distinguishing the vibrations in the weave or wobble phenomenon occurring in the saddle-type vehicle from continuous kickbacks or sudden steering operations occurring in the saddle-type vehicle. The third predetermined time and the average area reference value are determined by experimentally generating a weave or wobble phenomenon in the saddle-type vehicle and analyzing the signal waveform of the yaw angular velocity of the saddle-type vehicle at that time.

In the vibration suppression process of the third embodiment, if any of the six determinations in steps S1 to S5 and S31 in FIG. 5 are YES, the travel control unit 37 starts speed suppression control to reduce the travel speed or travel acceleration of the saddle riding type vehicle. On the other hand, if any of the six determinations in steps S1 to S5 and S31 in FIG. 5 are NO, the speed suppression control is not executed.

In the third embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the driving control unit 37 judges whether or not a control stop condition for stopping the speed suppression control is satisfied after starting the speed suppression control, and if this control stop condition is satisfied (step S32: YES), the speed suppression control is stopped (step S9). There are, for example, five control stop conditions for stopping the speed suppression control, four of which are the same as the above conditions (a) to (d) in the first embodiment. However, the remaining condition is that the area average value of the signal waveform of the yaw angular velocity output from the inertial measurement unit 24 within the third predetermined time period becomes equal to or less than the area average reference value. If at least one of these five control stop conditions is satisfied, the driving control unit 37 stops the speed suppression control.

The third embodiment of the present invention can achieve substantially the same effects as the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the above embodiments, the occurrence of the weave phenomenon or the wobble phenomenon in the saddle-type vehicle is determined based on the yaw angular velocity of the saddle-type vehicle, but the occurrence of the weave phenomenon or the wobble phenomenon in the saddle-type vehicle may be determined based on the roll angular velocity of the saddle-type vehicle. In this case, in the vibration suppression process shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 or FIG. 5, in step S3, it is determined whether the roll angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement device 24 exceeds the roll angular velocity lower limit reference value, in step S4, it is determined whether the roll angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement device 24 is equal to or lower than the roll angular velocity upper limit reference value, and in step S5, it is determined whether the frequency of the periodic change in the roll angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement device 24 is within the frequency reference range. In addition, in step S6 of the vibration suppression process shown in FIG. 2, it is determined whether the number of times that the roll angular velocity detected by the inertial measurement device 24 has exceeded the roll angular velocity lower limit reference value within a first predetermined time exceeds a reference number. In step S21 of the vibration suppression process shown in FIG. 3, it is determined whether the area of the signal waveform of the roll angular velocity output from the inertial measurement device 24 within a second predetermined time exceeds a predetermined area reference value. In step S31 of the vibration suppression process shown in FIG. 5, it is determined whether the area average value of the signal waveform of the roll angular velocity output from the inertial measurement device 24 within a third predetermined time exceeds a predetermined area average reference value. In this case, the decision to stop the speed suppression control after the speed suppression control is started may also be made based on the roll angular velocity of the saddle-riding type vehicle. It may also be determined whether a weave phenomenon or a wobble phenomenon is occurring in the saddle-riding type vehicle based on both the yaw angular velocity and the roll angular velocity of the saddle-riding type vehicle.

The saddle-type vehicle may also be provided with a means for allowing the operator of the saddle-type vehicle to select whether or not to perform vibration suppression processing. For example, an on/off button for vibration suppression processing may be provided on the handlebar of the saddle-type vehicle.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the driving control device of the present invention is applied to a saddle-type vehicle whose driving power source is an engine (internal combustion engine), but the present invention can also be applied to a saddle-type vehicle whose driving power source is an electric motor. In this case, the driving control unit of the driving control device reduces the driving speed or driving acceleration of the saddle-type vehicle by controlling the torque or rotation speed of the electric motor.

The present invention may be modified as appropriate without going against the gist or concept of the invention as can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and driving control devices involving such modifications are also included in the technical concept of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 Engine 12 Throttle valve 13 Injector 17 Rear wheel brake cylinder 18 Rear wheel brake hydraulic device 19 Brake control device 22 Throttle position sensor 23 Vehicle speed sensor 24 Inertial measurement device (angular velocity detection device)
31 Control unit 32 Travel control device 33 Vehicle speed determination section 34 Travel state determination section 35 Angular velocity determination section 36 Frequency determination section 37 Travel control section 42 Throttle control section 43 Fuel control section

Claims (7)

A driving control device that controls driving of a saddle-type vehicle,
a vehicle speed determination unit that determines whether or not the traveling speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed reference value;
a running state determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a steady running or accelerating state;
an angular velocity determination unit that determines whether a test angular velocity, which is a yaw angular velocity or a roll angular velocity of the vehicle detected by an angular velocity detection device provided in the vehicle, exceeds a predetermined first angular velocity reference value;
a frequency determination unit that determines whether or not a frequency of the periodic change in the test angular velocity is within a predetermined frequency reference range;
a travel control unit that performs a speed suppression control to reduce the travel speed or travel acceleration of the vehicle when the travel speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed reference value, the vehicle is in a steady travel or accelerating state, the test angular velocity exceeds the first angular velocity reference value, and a frequency of a periodic change in the test angular velocity is within the frequency reference range as a result of the determinations made by the vehicle speed determination unit, the travel state determination unit, the angular velocity determination unit, and the frequency determination unit,
the angular velocity determination unit determines whether the test angular velocity is equal to or less than a predetermined second angular velocity reference value that is greater than the first angular velocity reference value;
The driving control unit does not perform the speed suppression control when the angular velocity determination unit determines that the test angular velocity is not equal to or less than the second angular velocity reference value . the angular velocity determination unit determines whether or not the number of times that the test angular velocity has exceeded the first angular velocity reference value within a first predetermined time period has exceeded a predetermined reference number of times;
The driving control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the driving control unit does not perform the speed suppression control when, as a result of the judgment by the angular velocity judgment unit, the number of times that the test angular velocity has exceeded the first angular velocity reference value within the first predetermined time does not exceed the reference number of times. A driving control device that controls driving of a saddle-type vehicle,
a vehicle speed determination unit that determines whether or not the traveling speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed reference value;
a running state determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a steady running or accelerating state;
an angular velocity determination unit that determines whether a test angular velocity, which is a yaw angular velocity or a roll angular velocity of the vehicle detected by an angular velocity detection device provided in the vehicle, exceeds a predetermined first angular velocity reference value;
a frequency determination unit that determines whether or not a frequency of the periodic change in the test angular velocity is within a predetermined frequency reference range;
a travel control unit that performs a speed suppression control to reduce the travel speed or travel acceleration of the vehicle when the travel speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed reference value, the vehicle is in a steady travel or accelerating state, the test angular velocity exceeds the first angular velocity reference value, and a frequency of a periodic change in the test angular velocity is within the frequency reference range as a result of the determinations made by the vehicle speed determination unit, the travel state determination unit, the angular velocity determination unit, and the frequency determination unit ,
the angular velocity determination unit removes an offset from the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within a second predetermined time output from the angular velocity detection device, calculates an integrated area of the test angular velocity signal waveform obtained by adding together an area of a portion surrounded by a positive portion of the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within the second predetermined time from which the offset has been removed and a time axis, and an absolute value of an area of a portion surrounded by a negative portion of the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within the second predetermined time from which the offset has been removed and the time axis, and determines whether the integrated area of the test angular velocity signal waveform has exceeded a predetermined area reference value;
The driving control unit is characterized in that, when the angular velocity determination unit determines that the integrated area of the test angular velocity signal waveform does not exceed the area reference value, the driving control unit does not perform the speed suppression control . A driving control device that controls driving of a saddle-type vehicle,
a vehicle speed determination unit that determines whether or not the traveling speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed reference value;
a running state determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a steady running or accelerating state;
an angular velocity determination unit that determines whether a test angular velocity, which is a yaw angular velocity or a roll angular velocity of the vehicle detected by an angular velocity detection device provided in the vehicle, exceeds a predetermined first angular velocity reference value;
a frequency determination unit that determines whether or not a frequency of the periodic change in the test angular velocity is within a predetermined frequency reference range;
a travel control unit that performs a speed suppression control to reduce the travel speed or travel acceleration of the vehicle when the travel speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed reference value, the vehicle is in a steady travel or accelerating state, the test angular velocity exceeds the first angular velocity reference value, and a frequency of a periodic change in the test angular velocity is within the frequency reference range as a result of the determinations made by the vehicle speed determination unit, the travel state determination unit, the angular velocity determination unit, and the frequency determination unit ,
the angular velocity determination unit removes an offset from the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within a third predetermined time output from the angular velocity detection device, calculates a test angular velocity signal waveform integrated area obtained by adding together an area of a portion surrounded by a positive portion of the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within the third predetermined time from which the offset has been removed and a time axis, and an absolute value of an area of a portion surrounded by a negative portion of the signal waveform of the test angular velocity within the third predetermined time from which the offset has been removed and the time axis, calculates an average integrated area of the test angular velocity signal waveform by dividing the integrated area of the test angular velocity signal waveform by the third predetermined time, and determines whether the average integrated area of the test angular velocity signal waveform exceeds a predetermined area average reference value;
The driving control unit is characterized in that it does not perform the speed suppression control when the angular velocity judgment unit determines that the integrated area average value of the test angular velocity signal waveform does not exceed the area average reference value . 5. The cruise control device according to claim 1 , wherein the cruise control unit reduces the travel speed or the travel acceleration of the vehicle by reducing an opening degree of a throttle valve in the vehicle during the speed suppression control. 6. The driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the driving control unit reduces the driving speed or the driving acceleration of the vehicle by reducing or cutting off the supply of fuel to an engine in the vehicle during the speed suppression control. 7. The driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the driving control unit, in the speed suppression control, reduces the driving speed or the driving acceleration of the vehicle by controlling a brake control device in the vehicle to generate rear wheel brake fluid pressure.

Images