JP7805345B2 - Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program.

In recent years, various measures have been implemented to improve the safety of saddle-type electric vehicles that use electric motors as a power source. For example, a known device for preventing false starts on electric scooters prevents the vehicle from starting even if the throttle is operated if the brakes are not applied (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Furthermore, certain countries and regions have established rules regarding power supply control that require vehicles to be equipped with a device that automatically cuts off the power supply to the electric motor when the brakes are applied.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-328970

When starting a saddle-type vehicle designed in accordance with the above-mentioned power control rules, the moment the occupant applies the brakes (brake on) and operates the accelerator (accelerator on), and then releases the brakes (brake off), neither braking nor driving force is applied to the vehicle. As a result, when starting uphill, if the accelerator pedal is opened too little, the vehicle may roll back. On the other hand, if the accelerator pedal is opened too much, driving force will be suddenly applied the moment the brakes are released, causing the occupant to feel a sudden acceleration and resulting in a poor ride.

The embodiments of the present application have been made in consideration of the above points, and aim to provide a vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program that can improve the operability of a saddle-ride type vehicle when starting.

A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention employ the following configuration.
(1) A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a torque setting unit (112) that sets a target torque of a motor (5) according to the amount of operation of the accelerator (2) when the brake (3) is released and the saddle-ride vehicle (1) starts moving while the saddle-ride vehicle (1) is stopped and the brake (3) and accelerator (2) are simultaneously operated; a torque control unit (114) that gradually increases the torque of the motor (5) so that the set target torque is reached when a predetermined initial movement time has elapsed after the saddle-ride vehicle (1) starts moving; and a time adjustment unit (113) that changes the length of the initial movement time according to the number of rotations of the motor (5) during the initial movement time.

In aspect (2), in the vehicle control device according to aspect (1) above, the time adjustment unit (113) shortens the initial movement time when the rotation speed of the motor (5) during the initial movement time is negative, assuming that the rotation speed of the motor (5) when the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) moves forward is positive.

In aspect (3), in the vehicle control device according to aspect (1) or (2) above, the time adjustment unit (113) extends the initial activation time if the rate of increase in the rotation speed of the motor (5) during the initial activation time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

In aspect (4), the vehicle control device according to any one of aspects (1) to (3) above further includes a notification unit (116) that notifies the driver of the accelerator (2) of the amount of operation corresponding to at least one of the inclination of the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) and the weight of the occupant of the saddle-ride type vehicle (1).

(5) Another aspect of the vehicle control method of the present invention involves a computer setting a target torque for the motor (5) according to the amount of operation of the accelerator (2) when the brake (3) is released and the saddle-ride vehicle (1) starts moving while the saddle-ride vehicle (1) is stopped and the brake (3) and accelerator (2) are simultaneously operated, gradually increasing the torque of the motor (5) so that the set target torque is reached after a predetermined initial movement time has elapsed after the saddle-ride vehicle (1) starts moving, and changing the length of the initial movement time according to the number of rotations of the motor (5) during the initial movement time.

(6) Another aspect of the program of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to, when the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) is stopped and the brake (3) and accelerator (2) are simultaneously operated, set a target torque for the motor (5) according to the amount of operation of the accelerator (2) when the brake (3) is released and the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) starts moving, gradually increase the torque of the motor (5) so that the set target torque is reached after a predetermined initial movement time has elapsed after the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) starts moving, and change the length of the initial movement time according to the number of rotations of the motor (5) during the initial movement time.

According to the above-described configurations (1) to (6), it is possible to improve the operability when starting the saddle-ride type vehicle.
Furthermore, according to the configuration (2) described above, if there is a torque shortage when the brakes are released, the torque can be increased quickly, which can prevent the vehicle from sliding downhill, for example, on a slope.
Furthermore, according to the configuration (3) described above, if more torque than necessary is output when the brake is released, the torque can be increased slowly up to the target torque, thereby suppressing the feeling of sudden acceleration.
Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned configuration (4), the occupant can grasp the appropriate amount of accelerator operation.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment. 1 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment; 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. 10 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between time and torque when the motorcycle according to the embodiment starts moving. 10 is a graph showing another example of the relationship between time and torque when the motorcycle according to the embodiment starts moving (revolution speed<0). 10 is a graph showing another example of the relationship between time and torque (rotation speed≧threshold value) when the motorcycle according to the embodiment starts moving.

The vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Overall vehicle configuration>
FIG. 1 shows a scooter-type motorcycle 1 as an example of a saddle-ride type vehicle according to an embodiment. In FIG. 1, the X-axis indicates the vehicle length direction, the Y-axis indicates the vehicle height direction, and the Z-axis indicates the vehicle width direction. The motorcycle 1 has a front wheel, which is a steering wheel, and a rear wheel, which is a drive wheel. The front wheel is supported by a front fork and can be steered by a handlebar (steering handle). A grip portion 2 and a brake 3 are provided on both the left and right sides of the handlebar. A rider (driver) can generate a driving force for the motorcycle 1 by operating, for example, a throttle grip (accelerator 2) provided on the right grip portion 2. The rider can also generate a braking force for the motorcycle 1 by operating at least one of the left and right brakes 3.

The rear wheel is supported on the rear end of the swing arm 7 and can be driven by a motor 5 (electric motor) that generates the driving force for propelling the motorcycle 1 and a reduction mechanism 6 that reduces the driving force of the motor 5. The motor 5 is driven by power supplied from the battery 4. The motor 5 is arranged with its drive shaft aligned along the vehicle width direction. The motor 5 includes a rotor that rotates integrally with the drive shaft and a stator that surrounds the outer periphery of the rotor and is fixed to the unit case (neither is shown). The motor 5 is driven at variable speeds, for example, using VVVF (variable voltage variable frequency) control. The motor 5 is controlled to change speeds as if it had a continuously variable transmission, but this is not limited to this. The motor 5 may also be controlled to change speeds as if it had a stepped transmission.

The reduction mechanism 6 includes a small-diameter gear mounted on the drive shaft of the motor 5 so as to rotate integrally with it, and a large-diameter gear that meshes with the small-diameter gear (neither is shown). The large-diameter gear is mounted on an output shaft that is positioned rearward of and parallel to the motor drive shaft so as to rotate integrally with it. One axial end (e.g., the left end) of the output shaft protrudes outside the unit case, and this protruding portion is connected to the rear wheel so as to transmit power via a transmission device that uses, for example, an endless belt or chain. Note that the motor output shaft may also be capable of transmitting power directly to the rotating shaft of the rear wheel without using a belt or chain.

The battery 4 is mounted below the seat. The battery 4 includes multiple unit batteries 4a, 4b (for example, two at the front and two at the back in the X-axis direction). The multiple unit batteries 4a, 4b have the same configuration. The unit batteries 4a, 4b are inclined parallel to each other and arranged at a fixed interval along the X-axis direction. The battery 4 generates a predetermined high voltage by connecting the unit batteries 4a, 4b in series. Each unit battery 4a, 4b is configured as a rechargeable energy storage device, for example, a lithium-ion battery.

The motorcycle 1 is provided with a control unit, the PCU (Power Control Unit) 10, on its body. The PCU 10 has a flat, rectangular parallelepiped shape with a narrow vertical width. The PCU 10 controls the supply of power from the battery 4 to the motor 5, and controls the drive of the motor 5 in accordance with the amount of operation of the accelerator 2 (accelerator opening).

<Configuration of vehicle control device>
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle control device 100 according to an embodiment. The vehicle control device 100 is, for example, an ECU (Electric Control Unit). The vehicle control device 100 and a PDU (Power Driver Unit) 200 constitute a PCU 10, which is an integrated control unit. The PDU 200 includes an inverter that converts direct current (DC) supplied from the battery 4 into alternating current (AC) and supplies the AC current to the motor 5. The PDU 200 controls the supply of current to the stator windings of the motor 5. The motor 5 performs power running in accordance with control by the PDU 200, causing the motorcycle 1 to travel. The operation of the PDU 200 is controlled by the vehicle control device 100.

The vehicle control device 100 includes, for example, a control unit 110 and a memory unit 120. The control unit 110 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 111, a torque setting unit 112, a time adjustment unit 113, a torque control unit 114, a power supply control unit 115, and a notification unit 116. Each functional unit included in the control unit 110 is realized by, for example, a hardware processor (computer) such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in the storage unit 120 (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium), or may be stored on a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the storage unit 120 when the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) is inserted into a drive device.

The acquisition unit 111 acquires detection signals from, for example, the brake sensor 20, accelerator sensor 30, rotation speed sensor 40, incline sensor 50, and weight sensor 60. The acquisition unit 111 acquires a detection signal of the rider's brake 3 operation from the brake sensor 20 (front brake sensor, rear brake sensor). The brake sensor 20 is, for example, a hydraulic pressure sensor or a stroke sensor. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires a detection signal of the rider's accelerator 2 operation from the accelerator sensor (accelerator position sensor) 30. The accelerator sensor 30 is, for example, a magnetic sensor using a contactless Hall element. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires a detection signal of a state quantity related to the speed of the motorcycle 1 (motor 5 rotation speed) from the rotation speed sensor 40. The rotation speed sensor 40 is, for example, a motor 5 rotation speed sensor.

The acquisition unit 111 also acquires a detection signal of the inclination of the motorcycle 1 from the inclination sensor 50. The inclination sensor 50 is, for example, a gyroscope provided on the vehicle body. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires a detection signal of the weight of the rider on the motorcycle 1 and the weight of luggage carried on the motorcycle 1 from the weight sensor 60. The weight sensor 60 is, for example, a load cell provided below the seat.

The torque setting unit 112 sets the torque to be generated by the motor 5 based on the acquired detection signal of the accelerator sensor 30 and torque reference information TD (torque map) pre-stored in the memory unit 120. The torque reference information TD pre-defines the relationship between the accelerator operation amount (accelerator opening) and the torque to be generated by the motor 5. Furthermore, when the occupant applies the brakes (brake on) and operates the accelerator (accelerator on) and then releases the brakes (brake off) to start moving (initial operation), the torque setting unit 112 sets the torque (target torque) to be generated by the motor 5 when a predetermined initial time (e.g., 100 ms) has elapsed after the brakes are released, based on the acquired detection signal of the accelerator sensor 30 and the torque reference information TD pre-stored in the memory unit 120.

The torque setting unit 112 is an example of a "torque setting unit." That is, when the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) is stopped and the brake (3) and accelerator (2) are simultaneously operated, the torque setting unit 112 sets the target torque of the motor (5) according to the amount of operation of the accelerator (2) when the brake (3) is released and the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) starts moving.

The time adjustment unit 113 adjusts the length of the initial activation time according to the acquired detection signal (motor rotation speed) of the rotation speed sensor 40 during the initial activation time. During the initial activation time, the time adjustment unit 113 determines whether the motor rotation speed indicated by the acquired detection signal of the rotation speed sensor 40 is positive or negative, and if the motor rotation speed is negative, the time adjustment unit 113 shortens the length of the initial activation time. On the other hand, during the initial activation time, the time adjustment unit 113 determines the increase in the motor rotation speed (increase rate per unit time) indicated by the acquired detection signal of the rotation speed sensor 40 (determines whether it is greater than a threshold value), and if the increase rate of the motor rotation speed is large (greater than the threshold value), the time adjustment unit 113 lengthens the length of the initial activation time.

The time adjustment unit 113 is an example of a "time adjustment unit." That is, the time adjustment unit 113 changes the length of the initial movement time depending on the rotation speed of the motor (5) during the initial movement time. Furthermore, when the rotation speed of the motor when the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) moves forward is positive, the time adjustment unit 113 shortens the initial movement time if the rotation speed of the motor during the initial movement time is negative. Furthermore, the time adjustment unit (113) extends the initial movement time if the rate of increase in the rotation speed of the motor during the initial movement time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

The torque control unit 114 controls the motor 5 to generate a torque corresponding to the set torque (target torque). After starting when the brake is released from a brake-on and accelerator-on state, the torque control unit 114 gradually increases the torque and controls the torque of the motor 5 so that the torque generated by the motor 5 reaches the target torque after a predetermined initial time has elapsed. For example, the torque control unit 114 gradually increases the torque every unit time (e.g., 10 ms).

The torque control unit 114 is an example of a "torque control unit." That is, the torque control unit 114 gradually increases the torque of the motor (5) so that it reaches a set target torque after a predetermined initial time has elapsed after the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) starts moving.

The power supply control unit 115 controls the PDU 200 and controls the power supplied from the battery 4 to the motor 5. In addition, the power supply control unit 115 performs control to cut off the power supply from the battery 4 to the motor 5 when the brake and accelerator are both on.

The notification unit 116 notifies the rider of the appropriate accelerator operation amount based on the acquired detection signals from the slope sensor 50 and weight sensor 60, and accelerator operation amount reference information AD pre-stored in the storage unit 120. The accelerator operation amount reference information AD pre-defines the relationship between the slope and weight and the appropriate accelerator operation amount. The notification unit 116 notifies the rider, for example, by displaying the appropriate accelerator opening amount on a display device or the like placed in a position visible to the rider in front of the motorcycle 1.

The notification unit 116 is an example of a "notification unit." That is, the notification unit 116 notifies the driver of the accelerator operation amount corresponding to at least one of the inclination of the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) and the weight of the occupant of the saddle-ride type vehicle (1).

The storage unit 120 is realized, for example, by a hard disk drive (HDD), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), read-only memory (ROM), or random access memory (RAM). The storage unit 120 stores, for example, torque reference information TD, accelerator operation amount reference information AD, programs, and various other information.

<Processing flow>
Next, the processing of the vehicle control device 100 when starting the motorcycle 1 after releasing the brake from a brake-on and accelerator-on state will be described. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing by the vehicle control device 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 explains an example of a situation in which the motorcycle 1 starts from a stopped state on a slope.

First, the acquisition unit 111 acquires the detection signal (accelerator data) from the accelerator sensor 30 and the detection signal (brake data) from the brake sensor 20 (step S101). Here, the accelerator data indicates the amount of accelerator operation by the occupant at that time, and the brake data indicates the off state in which the brake operation by the occupant has been released.

Next, the torque setting unit 112 sets the target torque to be generated by the motor 5 based on the acquired accelerator data and the torque reference information TD previously stored in the memory unit 120 (step S103).

Next, the torque control unit 114 controls the motor 5 to generate torque corresponding to the set target torque (step S105). FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between time and torque when the motorcycle 1 according to the embodiment starts moving. In FIG. 4, the actual torque value is the torque generated in the motor 5 in response to the control of the torque control unit 114. The command torque value is the torque corresponding to the amount of accelerator operation by the rider (command from the rider). Time Tm_0 indicates the time from when the brake is on and the accelerator is on to when the brake is released (start time). Time Tm_ta (time Tm_0 to initial movement time Tm_ta) indicates the initial movement time (e.g., 100 ms). Torque Tq_ta indicates the target torque. As shown in FIG. 4, the torque control unit 114 controls the torque Tq to gradually increase from 0 during the initial movement time Tm_ta. During the initial movement time Tm_ta, the actual torque generated in the motor 5 in response to the control of the torque control unit 114 is smaller than the command torque value. After the initial action time Tm_ta has elapsed, the torque control unit 114 performs control so that the command torque value and the actual torque value match.

In other words, after starting when the brake is released from a brake-on and accelerator-on state, the torque control unit 114 gradually increases the torque generated by the motor 5, and controls the torque of the motor 5 so that the torque reaches the target torque after a predetermined initial start time (e.g., 100 ms) has elapsed. By performing such torque control, it is possible to suppress the sudden feeling of acceleration when starting.

Next, the acquisition unit 111 acquires the detection signal (rotation speed data) from the rotation speed sensor 40 during the initial activation time (step S107). Next, the time adjustment unit 113 adjusts the length of the initial activation time according to the acquired rotation speed data (motor rotation speed) during the initial activation time. During the initial activation time, the time adjustment unit 113 determines whether the acquired motor rotation speed is positive or negative (determines whether the rotation speed is < 0) (step S109).

If the time adjustment unit 113 determines that the acquired motor rotation speed is negative during the initial movement time (step S109; YES), it shortens the length of the initial movement time (step S111). Figure 5 is a graph showing another example of the relationship between time and torque when the motorcycle 1 according to the embodiment starts moving (rotation speed < 0). In the example shown in Figure 5, at time Tm_1, the motor rotation speed is negative (rotation speed < 0), and it can be determined that the motorcycle 1 is rolling downhill. When the motor rotation speed becomes negative (rotation speed < 0) in this way, the time adjustment unit 113 shortens the length of the initial movement time by changing the initial movement time Tm_ta to an initial movement time Tm_ta1 that is shorter than the initial movement time Tm_ta. By controlling (shortening) the initial movement time in this way, torque can be quickly increased if there is a shortage of torque when the brakes are released, which can prevent the vehicle from rolling downhill significantly, for example, on a slope.

If the time adjustment unit 113 determines that the acquired motor rotation count is not negative during the initial activation time (step S109; NO), it determines whether the rate of increase per unit time of the motor rotation count is equal to or greater than a threshold value (step S115). If the time adjustment unit 113 determines that the acquired motor rotation count is equal to or greater than a threshold value during the initial activation time (step S115; YES), it extends the length of the initial activation time (step S117). On the other hand, if the time adjustment unit 113 determines that the acquired motor rotation count is not equal to or greater than the threshold value during the initial activation time (step S115; NO), it does not change the length of the initial activation time.

Figure 6 is a graph showing another example of the relationship between time and torque (rpm ≥ threshold) when starting motorcycle 1 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 6, at time Tm_2, the rate of increase in motor rpm is equal to or greater than the threshold (rpm ≥ threshold). When the rate of increase in motor rpm is equal to or greater than the threshold, time adjustment unit 113 extends or shortens the length of the initial movement time by changing initial movement time Tm_ta to initial movement time Tm_ta2, which is longer than initial movement time Tm_ta. By controlling (extending) the initial movement time in this way, if more torque than necessary is output when the brake is released, the torque can be slowly increased to the target torque, thereby suppressing the feeling of sudden acceleration.

Next, the torque control unit 114 determines whether the torque of the motor 5 has reached the target torque (step S113). If the torque control unit 114 determines that the torque of the motor 5 has not reached the target torque (step S113; NO), the torque control unit 114 returns to step S109 and repeats the subsequent processing. On the other hand, if the torque control unit 114 determines that the torque of the motor 5 has reached the target torque (step S113; YES), the torque control unit 114 ends the processing of this flowchart.

As described above, the vehicle control device 100 according to this embodiment is equipped with a torque setting unit 112 that sets a target torque for the motor 5 according to the amount of operation of the accelerator 2 when the brake 3 is released and the saddle-ride vehicle 1 starts moving while the saddle-ride vehicle 1 is stopped and the brake 3 and accelerator 2 are simultaneously operated; a torque control unit 114 that gradually increases the torque of the motor 5 so that the set target torque is reached after a predetermined initial movement time has elapsed after the saddle-ride vehicle 1 starts moving; and a time adjustment unit 113 that changes the length of the initial movement time according to the number of rotations of the motor 5 during the initial movement time, thereby improving the operability of the saddle-ride vehicle 1 when starting moving.

One embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to that described above, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1. Motorcycles (saddle-type vehicles)
2 Grip part (accelerator)
3 Brake 4 Battery 5 Motor 6 Speed reduction mechanism 7 Swing arm 20 Brake sensor 30 Accelerator sensor 40 Rotation speed sensor 50 Inclination sensor 60 Weight sensor 100 Vehicle control device 110 Control unit 111 Acquisition unit 112 Torque setting unit 113 Time adjustment unit 114 Torque control unit 115 Power supply control unit 116 Notification unit 120 Storage unit

Claims (5)

a torque setting unit (112) that sets a target torque of the motor (5) according to an amount of operation of the accelerator (2) when the brake (3) is released and the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) starts moving while the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) is stopped and the brake (3) and accelerator (2) are simultaneously operated;
a torque control unit (114) that gradually increases the torque of the motor (5) so that the torque reaches the set target torque when a predetermined initial time has elapsed after the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) has started;
a time adjusting unit (113) that changes the length of the initial start time in accordance with the number of rotations of the motor (5) during the initial start time;
Equipped with
When the rotation speed of the motor (5) during the initial movement time is negative in a case where the rotation speed of the motor (5) when the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) moves forward is positive, the time adjustment unit (113) shortens the initial movement time.
Vehicle control device. a torque setting unit (112) that sets a target torque of the motor (5) according to an amount of operation of the accelerator (2) when the brake (3) is released and the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) starts moving while the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) is stopped and the brake (3) and accelerator (2) are simultaneously operated;
a torque control unit (114) that gradually increases the torque of the motor (5) so that the torque reaches the set target torque when a predetermined initial time has elapsed after the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) has started;
a time adjusting unit (113) that changes the length of the initial start time in accordance with the number of rotations of the motor (5) during the initial start time;
Equipped with
The time adjustment unit (113) extends the initial start time when the rate of increase in the number of rotations of the motor (5) during the initial start time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.
Vehicle control device. a notification unit (116) that notifies the driver of an operation amount of the accelerator (2) according to at least one of the inclination of the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) and the weight of a passenger of the saddle-ride type vehicle (1),
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 . The computer
When the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) is stopped and the brake (3) and accelerator (2) are simultaneously operated, when the operation of the brake (3) is released and the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) starts moving, a target torque of the motor (5) is set according to the amount of operation of the accelerator (2),
gradually increasing the torque of the motor (5) so as to reach the set target torque when a predetermined initial time has elapsed after the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) has started;
The length of the initial start time is changed according to the number of rotations of the motor (5) during the initial start time.
When the computer sets the rotation speed of the motor (5) as positive when the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) moves forward, if the rotation speed of the motor (5) during the initial movement time is negative, the computer shortens the initial movement time.
Vehicle control method. On the computer,
When the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) is stopped and the brake (3) and accelerator (2) are simultaneously operated, when the operation of the brake (3) is released and the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) starts moving, a target torque of the motor (5) is set according to the amount of operation of the accelerator (2),
gradually increasing the torque of the motor (5) so as to reach the set target torque when a predetermined initial time has elapsed after the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) has started;
The length of the initial start time is changed according to the number of rotations of the motor (5) during the initial start time ,
When the rotation speed of the motor (5) during the initial movement time is negative in a case where the rotation speed of the motor (5) is positive when the saddle-ride type vehicle (1) moves forward, the computer shortens the initial movement time.
program.