Deceleration factor estimation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9817018-B2
Application number	US-201114368894-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2011
Priority date	Dec 28, 2011
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A deceleration factor estimation apparatus estimating a deceleration factor of a vehicle includes: a driving force acquisition unit that obtains a driving force of the vehicle; a speed acquisition unit that obtains a speed of the vehicle; an acceleration acquisition unit that obtains an acceleration of the vehicle; and a deceleration factor estimation unit that estimates a plurality of deceleration factors on the basis of a relationship between the obtained driving force, speed, and acceleration, wherein the deceleration factor estimation unit switches the deceleration factor to be estimated on the basis of a travel condition of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A deceleration factor estimation apparatus, comprising:
a driving force acquisition unit that obtains a driving force of a vehicle;
a speed acquisition unit that obtains a speed of the vehicle;
an acceleration acquisition unit that obtains an acceleration of the vehicle; and
a deceleration factor estimation unit that estimates a particular deceleration factor of a plurality of different deceleration factors on the basis of a relationship between the driving force, the speed, and the acceleration, wherein
the deceleration factor estimation unit switches the particular deceleration factor to be estimated from one of the plurality of different deceleration factors to another of the plurality of different deceleration factors on the basis of the speed and the acceleration, and
the particular deceleration factor is used to assist travel by the vehicle.

2. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of different deceleration factors include a vehicle weight, and
the deceleration factor estimation unit sets the vehicle weight as the particular deceleration factor to be estimated when the speed is lower than a threshold and the acceleration is higher than a threshold.

3. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of different deceleration factors include an air resistance coefficient, and
the deceleration factor estimation unit sets the air resistance coefficient as the particular deceleration factor to be estimated when the speed is higher than a threshold and the acceleration is lower than a threshold.

4. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of different deceleration factors include a road load, and
the deceleration factor estimation unit sets the road load as the particular deceleration factor to be estimated when the speed is lower than a threshold and the acceleration is lower than a threshold.

5. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of different deceleration factors include a vehicle weight, an air resistance coefficient, and a road load, and
the deceleration factor estimation unit estimates the particular deceleration factor to be estimated by analyzing a relationship between the plurality of different deceleration factors, the driving force, the speed, and the acceleration using an equation of motion.

6. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the deceleration factor estimation unit uses set values for the deceleration factors of the plurality of different deceleration factors other than the particular deceleration factor to be estimated in the equation of motion.

7. A deceleration factor estimation apparatus comprising:
a driving force acquisition unit that obtains a driving force of a vehicle;
a speed acquisition unit that obtains a speed of the vehicle;
an acceleration acquisition unit that obtains an acceleration of the vehicle; and
a deceleration factor estimation unit that estimates a particular deceleration factor of a plurality of different deceleration factors on the basis of a relationship between the driving force, the speed, and the acceleration, wherein
the deceleration factor estimation unit switches the particular deceleration factor to be estimated from one of the plurality of different deceleration factors to another of the plurality of different deceleration factors on the basis of at least one of the speed and the acceleration,
the plurality of different deceleration factors includes an air resistance coefficient,
the deceleration factor estimation unit sets the air resistance coefficient as the particular deceleration factor to be estimated when a travel condition of the vehicle satisfies a set condition, and
the particular deceleration factor is used to assist travel by the vehicle.

8. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the set condition of the travel condition of the vehicle is satisfied when the speed is higher than a threshold.

9. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the set condition of the travel condition of the vehicle is satisfied when the acceleration is equal to or lower than a threshold.

10. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the plurality of different deceleration factors include a vehicle weight, the air resistance coefficient, and a road load, and
the deceleration factor estimation unit estimates particular deceleration factor to be estimated by analyzing a relationship between the plurality of different deceleration factors, the driving force, the speed, and the acceleration using an equation of motion.

11. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the deceleration factor estimation unit uses set values for the deceleration factors of the plurality of different deceleration factors other than the particular deceleration factor to be estimated in the equation of motion.

12. A deceleration factor estimation apparatus comprising:
a driving force acquisition unit that obtains a driving force of a vehicle;
a speed acquisition unit that obtains a speed of the vehicle;
an acceleration acquisition unit that obtains an acceleration of the vehicle; and
a deceleration factor estimation unit that estimates a particular deceleration factor of a plurality of different deceleration factors on the basis of a relationship between the driving force, the speed, and the acceleration, wherein
the deceleration factor estimation unit switches the particular deceleration factor to be estimated from one of the plurality of different deceleration factors to another of the plurality of different deceleration factors on the basis of at least one of the speed and the acceleration,
the plurality of different deceleration factors includes a road load,
the deceleration factor estimation unit sets the road load as the particular deceleration factor to be estimated when a travel condition of the vehicle satisfies a set condition, and
the particular deceleration factor is used to assist travel by the vehicle.

13. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the set condition of the travel condition of the vehicle is satisfied when the speed is lower than a threshold.

14. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the set condition of the travel condition of the vehicle is satisfied when the acceleration is higher than a threshold.

15. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the plurality of different deceleration factors include a vehicle weight, an air resistance coefficient, and the road load, and
the deceleration factor estimation unit estimates the particular deceleration factor to be estimated by analyzing a relationship between the plurality of different deceleration factors, the driving force, the speed, and the acceleration using an equation of motion.

16. The deceleration factor estimation apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the deceleration factor estimation unit uses set values for the deceleration factors of the plurality of different deceleration factors other than the particular deceleration factor to be estimated in the equation of motion.

Assignees

• Sannodo Shinya
• Otake Hirotada
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sannodo Shinya
• Otake Hirotada

Classifications

• B60W2530/16

  Driving resistance · CPC title

• B60W2520/105

  Longitudinal acceleration · CPC title

• B60W2530/10

  Weight · CPC title

• B60W2510/085

  Power · CPC title

• B60W40/1005

  Driving resistance · CPC title