Estimation device, vehicle, and estimation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11891145-B2
Application number	US-202217952442-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2022
Priority date	Sep 29, 2021
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

An estimation device estimates a stroke quantity indicating a displacement in an up-and-down direction of a vehicle, in a multistage elastic member in which a plurality of members, each having a different load displacement characteristic indicating a relationship between a load and the displacement, are disposed. The estimation device comprises: a load calculation unit configured to calculate a variable ground contact load received by a wheel of the vehicle from a ground contact surface; a state quantity estimation unit configured to estimate the stroke quantity generated in the multistage elastic member; and a characteristic change unit configured to change a setting of the initial value to an estimated load displacement characteristic.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An estimation device that estimates a stroke quantity indicating a displacement in an up-and-down direction of a vehicle, in a multistage elastic member in which a plurality of members, each having a different load displacement characteristic indicating a relationship between a load and the displacement, are disposed, the estimation device comprising:
a load calculation unit configured to calculate a variable ground contact load received by a wheel of the vehicle from a ground contact surface, based on a detection signal of a wheel speed sensor for detecting a wheel speed of the vehicle;
a state quantity estimation unit configured to estimate the stroke quantity generated in the multistage elastic member, based on the multistage elastic member and the variable ground contact load, the multistage elastic member having a load displacement characteristic of any one of the plurality of members set as an initial value; and
a characteristic change unit configured to change a setting of the initial value to an estimated load displacement characteristic, in a case where the estimated load displacement characteristic corresponding to the stroke quantity that is estimated by the state quantity estimation unit and the load displacement characteristic that is set as the initial value are different from each other,
wherein the state quantity estimation unit corrects the stroke quantity, based on a result of an estimation operation in which the estimated load displacement characteristic that is changed by the characteristic change unit is set as a changed initial value.

2. The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the multistage elastic member includes a spring of a first member and a spring of a second member, and
inclinations are discontinuous at a connection point where a straight line indicating a first load displacement characteristic having a first elastic coefficient of the first member as an inclination is connected with a straight line indicating a second load displacement characteristic having a combined elastic coefficient as an inclination acquired by combining the first elastic coefficient with a second elastic coefficient of the second member.

3. The estimation device according to claim 2 , wherein in a case where the state quantity estimation unit estimates a stroke quantity that falls within a stroke range of the second load displacement characteristic as the estimated load displacement characteristic by an arithmetic operation in which the first load displacement characteristic is set as an initial value,
the characteristic change unit changes the first load displacement characteristic that is set as the initial value to the second load displacement characteristic.

4. The estimation device according to claim 3 , wherein the state quantity estimation unit corrects the stroke quantity that is estimated by the arithmetic operation in which the first load displacement characteristic is set as the initial value, based on a result of an estimation operation in which the second load displacement characteristic is set as a changed initial value.

5. The estimation device according to claim 2 , wherein in a case where the state quantity estimation unit estimates a stroke quantity that falls within a stroke range of the first load displacement characteristic as the estimated load displacement characteristic by an arithmetic operation in which the second load displacement characteristic is set as an initial value,
the characteristic change unit changes the second load displacement characteristic that is set as the initial value to the first load displacement characteristic.

6. The estimation device according to claim 5 , wherein the state quantity estimation unit corrects the stroke quantity that is estimated by the arithmetic operation in which the second load displacement characteristic is set as the initial value, based on a result of an estimation operation in which the first load displacement characteristic is set as a changed initial value.

7. The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the multistage elastic member includes a spring of a first member and rubber of a third member, and
inclinations are discontinuous at a connection point where a straight line indicating a first load displacement characteristic having a first elastic coefficient of the first member as an inclination is connected with a third load displacement characteristic having a combined elastic coefficient as an inclination acquired by combining the first elastic coefficient with a third elastic coefficient of the third member.

8. The estimation device according to claim 7 , wherein in a case where the state quantity estimation unit estimates a stroke quantity that falls within a stroke range of the third load displacement characteristic as the estimated load displacement characteristic by an arithmetic operation in which the first load displacement characteristic is set as an initial value,
the characteristic change unit changes the first load displacement characteristic that is set as the initial value to the third load displacement characteristic.

9. The estimation device according to claim 8 , wherein the state quantity estimation unit corrects the stroke quantity that is estimated by the arithmetic operation in which the first load displacement characteristic is set as the initial value, based on a result of an estimation operation in which the third load displacement characteristic is set as a changed initial value.

10. The estimation device according to claim 7 , wherein in a case where the state quantity estimation unit estimates a stroke quantity that falls within a stroke range of the first load displacement characteristic as the estimated load displacement characteristic by an arithmetic operation in which the third load displacement characteristic is set as an initial value,
the characteristic change unit changes the third load displacement characteristic that is set as the initial value to the first load displacement characteristic.

11. The estimation device according to claim 10 , wherein the state quantity estimation unit corrects the stroke quantity that is estimated by the arithmetic operation in which the third load displacement characteristic is set as the initial value, based on a result of an estimation operation in which the first load displacement characteristic is set as a changed initial value.

12. The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the multistage elastic member includes a spring of a first member, a spring of a second member, and a rubber of a third member,
inclinations are discontinuous at a connection point where a straight line indicating a first load displacement characteristic having a first elastic coefficient of the first member as an inclination is connected with a straight line indicating a second load displacement characteristic having a combined elastic coefficient as an inclination acquired by combining the first elastic coefficient with a second elastic coefficient of the second member, and
inclinations are discontinuous at a connection point where the straight line indicating the second load displacement characteristic is connected with a third load displacement characteristic having a combined elastic coefficient as an inclination acquired by combining the second elastic coefficient with a third elastic coefficient of the third member.

13. The estimation device according to claim 12 , wherein in a case where the state quantity estimation unit estimates, as the estimated load displacement characteristic, either one of a stroke quantity that falls within a stroke range of the second load dis

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawasaki Yohei
• Wada Yosuke
• Miyagishi Shunichi

Classifications

• B62J45/414 Primary

  Acceleration sensors · CPC title

• B60G17/06

  Characteristics of dampers {, e.g. mechanical dampers}(B60G17/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62J45/412

  Speed sensors · CPC title

• B62K25/04 Primary

  for mounting axles resiliently on cycle frame or fork (for sidecars, forecars or the like B62K27/06) · CPC title

• B60G2400/252

  vertical · CPC title