Vehicle control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10597019-B2
Application number	US-201715647994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2017
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a controller (i) configured to set first brake fluid pressure associated with wheels on one of left and right sides out of a plurality of wheels to be higher than second brake fluid pressure associated with wheels on the other side in order to turn a vehicle in one direction, and configured (ii) to then increase the second brake fluid pressure by using a fluid pressure difference between the first brake fluid pressure and the second brake fluid pressure, and (iii) to set the first brake fluid pressure to be lower than the second brake fluid pressure while holding the second brake fluid pressure in order to turn the vehicle in another direction, which is different from the one direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle control apparatus in a vehicle including a braking apparatus configured to apply a braking force corresponding to a brake fluid pressure, to each of a plurality of wheels,
the braking apparatus includes: a pump configured to generate brake fluid pressure, a first braking mechanism configured to apply braking force corresponding to the first brake fluid pressure to the first wheels on one of the left side or the right side of the vehicle; a second braking mechanism configured to apply braking force corresponding to the second brake fluid pressure to the second wheels on the other of the left side of the right side of the vehicle; a first holding solenoid valve configured to communicate a discharge port of the pump with the first braking mechanism when it is open: a second holding solenoid valve configured to communicate the discharge port with the second braking mechanism when it is open: a first fluid passage, which connects a discharge port side of the first holding solenoid valve and a discharge port side of the second holding solenoid valve; and a master cylinder cut solenoid valve disposed in a second fluid passage, which connects a suction port of the pump and the first fluid passage,
said vehicle control apparatus comprising:
a controller (i) configured to set a first brake fluid pressure associated with first wheels on one of a left side or a right side of the vehicle, from among the plurality of wheels, to be higher than a second brake fluid pressure associated with second wheels on the other of the left side or the right side of the vehicle, from among the plurality of wheels, in order to turn the vehicle in one direction, and configured (ii) to then increase the second brake fluid pressure by using a fluid pressure difference between the first brake fluid pressure and the second brake fluid pressure, and (iii) to set the first brake fluid pressure to be lower than the second brake fluid pressure while holding the second brake fluid pressure in order to turn the vehicle in another direction, which is different from the one direction,
wherein said controller is configured ii) to open the first holding solenoid valve and to close the second holding solenoid valve and the master cylinder cut solenoid valve in a period in which the first brake fluid pressure is set to be higher than the second brake fluid pressure, (ii) to open the first holding solenoid valve and the second holding solenoid valve, thereby communicating the first braking mechanism with the second braking mechanism through the first fluid passage, and to close the master cylinder cut solenoid valve in a period in which the second brake fluid pressure is increased by using the fluid pressure difference, and (iii) to close the second holding solenoid valve and to open the first holding solenoid valve and the master cylinder cut solenoid valve, thereby communicating the first braking mechanism with the suction port, in a period in which the first brake fluid pressure is set to be lower than the second brake fluid pressure.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a period in which said controller increases the second brake fluid pressure by using the fluid pressure difference is a predetermined period from a pressure reduction start time point after the first brake fluid pressure reaches a predetermined fluid pressure.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to set the first brake fluid pressure to be higher than the second brake fluid pressure in such a manner that a yaw moment is generated in the one direction, in order to avoid departure of the vehicle from a driving lane on which the vehicle is currently traveling, if there is a possibility that the vehicle departs from the driving lane.

4. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said controller is configured to set the first brake fluid pressure to be higher than the second brake fluid pressure in such a manner that a yaw moment is generated in the one direction, in order to avoid departure of the vehicle from a driving lane on which the vehicle is currently traveling, if there is a possibility that the vehicle departs from the driving lane.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ito Hironori
• Nagae Akira
• Inomata Ryo
• Ikeda Masayuki

Classifications

• B60W2710/182

  Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc · CPC title

• B60W10/188 Primary

  hydraulic brakes · CPC title

• B60W30/025

  related to comfort of drivers or passengers · CPC title

• B60W2520/14

  Yaw · CPC title

• B60T8/26 Primary

  characterised by producing differential braking between front and rear wheels {(using electrical circuitry or regulation means B60T8/17)} · CPC title