Control apparatus for vehicle and control method for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10618508-B2
Application number	US-201815958144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2018
Priority date	Jun 29, 2017
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a decider; and a rotation speed controller. The decider is configured to decide on a basis of a traveling state of the vehicle that a wheel which is spun is coupled to a drive source to increase a number of driving wheels. The rotation speed controller is configured to decide increase a rotation speed of the drive source in advance in accordance with an information of a vehicle behavior unstableness degree which is acquired from an outside of the vehicle before the wheel is coupled to the drive source.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control apparatus for a vehicle, the control apparatus comprising:
a processor coupled to a memory storing instructions, the processor being configured to decide, on a basis of a traveling state of the vehicle that a wheel which is spun is coupled to a drive source, to increase a number of driving wheels; and
a rotation speed controller configured to increase a rotation speed of the drive source in advance in accordance with information of a vehicle behavior unstableness degree which is acquired from an outside of the vehicle before the wheel is coupled to the drive source,
wherein the rotation speed controller controls the rotation speed of the drive source such that the rotation speed of the drive source becomes a target rotation speed of the drive source in a target spot where the wheel, which is spun to the drive source in a future, is coupled, the target rotation speed being set on a basis of an estimated vehicle speed in the target spot.

2. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the vehicle behavior unstableness degree on a basis of an external information acquired from the outside of the vehicle, and
wherein the processor determines the vehicle behavior unstableness degree on a basis of a first information indicating a danger degree of a road surface and a second information indicating a reliability of the first information.

3. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the first information is acquired from another vehicle, a weather forecast, or a live camera installed on a road.

4. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the rotation speed controller starts the drive source in a spot before the target spot such that the rotation speed of the drive source becomes a same as the target rotation speed in the target spot.

5. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the rotation speed controller increases the rotation speed of the drive source around the target spot in advance to a rotation speed decided from the target rotation speed and the vehicle behavior unstableness degree.

6. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the information of the vehicle behavior unstableness degree includes information indicating an unstableness degree of a vehicle behavior corresponding to a road surface condition under which the vehicle travels.

7. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the rotation speed controller starts the drive source in a spot before the target spot such that the rotation speed of the drive source becomes a same as the target rotation speed in the target spot.

8. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the rotation speed controller increases the rotation speed of the drive source around the target spot in advance to a rotation speed decided from the target rotation speed and the vehicle behavior unstableness degree.

9. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the information of the vehicle behavior unstableness degree includes information indicating an unstableness degree of a vehicle behavior corresponding to a road surface condition under which the vehicle travels.

10. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation speed controller starts the drive source in a spot before the target spot such that the rotation speed of the drive source becomes a same as the target rotation speed in the target spot.

11. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation speed controller increases the rotation speed of the drive source around the target spot in advance to a rotation speed decided from the target rotation speed and the vehicle behavior unstableness degree.

12. The control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the information of the vehicle behavior unstableness degree includes information indicating an unstableness degree of a vehicle behavior corresponding to a road surface condition under which the vehicle travels.

13. A control method for a vehicle, the control method comprising:
deciding, on a basis of a traveling state of the vehicle that a wheel which is spun is coupled to a drive source, to increase a number of driving wheels; and
increasing a rotation speed of the drive source in advance in accordance with information of a vehicle behavior unstableness degree which is acquired from an outside of the vehicle before the wheel is coupled to the drive source,
wherein the rotation speed of the drive source is controlled by a processor such that the rotation speed of the drive source becomes a target rotation speed of the drive source in a target spot where the wheel, which is spun to the drive source in a future, is coupled, the target rotation speed being set on a basis of an estimated vehicle speed in the target spot.

14. A control apparatus for a vehicle, the control apparatus comprising:
a circuitry configured to:
decide, on a basis of a traveling state of the vehicle that a wheel which is spun is coupled to a drive source, to increase a number of driving wheels, and
increase a rotation speed of the drive source in advance in accordance with information of a vehicle behavior unstableness degree which is acquired from an outside of the vehicle before the wheel is coupled to the drive source,

wherein the circuitry controls the rotation speed of the drive source such that the rotation speed of the drive source becomes a target rotation speed of the drive source in a target spot where the wheel, which is spun to the drive source in a future, is coupled, the target rotation speed being set on a basis of an estimated vehicle speed in the target spot.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Ienaga Hiroshi
• Sakaguchi Shinichi
• Kobayashi Takahiro
• Yoneda Takeshi
• Ogasahara Junya

Classifications

• B60K28/165 Primary

  acting on elements of the vehicle drive train other than the propulsion unit and brakes, e.g. transmission, clutch, differential · CPC title

• B60L2240/10

  Vehicle control parameters · CPC title

• B60W10/08

  including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators · CPC title

• B60W2510/081

  Speed · CPC title

• B60W2555/20

  Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain · CPC title