Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834214-B2
Application number	US-201415036426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2014
Priority date	Feb 5, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A suspension characteristic is changed depending on a travel state by a simple structure. An ECU uses a vehicle speed-spring constant setting part to calculate a target spring constant depending on a vehicle speed, and uses a spring constant-frequency setting part to calculate a set frequency corresponding to the target spring constant. An oscillation input calculation part generates a signal representing an oscillation input oscillating at the set frequency. A superimposition part sets a value acquired by superimposing the oscillation input on a target driving force to a new target driving force. As a result, the wheel exhibits a minute oscillation in a longitudinal direction, resulting in an input of the minute oscillation to a suspension bush. The suspension bush changes in a spring constant and a damping coefficient depending on the frequency of the input minute oscillation. As a result, the suspension characteristic can be changed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
travel state amount acquisition means comprising one or more sensors configured to acquire a travel state amount that is a state amount relating to a travel state of the vehicle;
oscillation applying means comprising a motor configured to apply an oscillation for changing a characteristic of a suspension rubber bush to the suspension rubber bush;
an ECU (electronic control unit) configured to:
set, based on the travel state amount acquired by the travel state amount acquisition means, a frequency of the oscillation to be applied to the suspension rubber bush; and
control an operation of the oscillation applying means so as to apply the oscillation at the frequency set by the ECU to the suspension rubber bush.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the motor is built into a wheel of the vehicle, for generating a driving force for rotating the wheel; and
the ECU is configured to control the oscillation applying means to oscillate the driving force at the set frequency.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the ECU is configured to:
determine a target driving force for the motor depending on a driver operation amount;
superimpose an oscillation component at the set frequency on the determined target driving force to determine a final target driving force; and
control the driving force based on the final target driving force.

4. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the travel state amount acquisition means acquires a vehicle speed as the travel state amount; and
the ECU sets, when the vehicle speed is high, the frequency to a higher value than when the vehicle speed is low.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the ECU sets, as the frequency, such a frequency that a spring constant of the suspension rubber bush is a target spring constant set depending on the vehicle speed.

6. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the travel state amount acquisition means acquires an attitude change rate of a vehicle body of the vehicle as the travel state amount; and
the ECU sets, when a magnitude of the attitude change rate is large, the frequency to a higher value than when the magnitude of the attitude change rate is small.

7. A vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the ECU sets, as the frequency, such a frequency that a damping coefficient of the suspension rubber bush is a target damping coefficient set depending on the attitude change rate of the vehicle body.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fukudome Hideki

Classifications

• B60W2710/226

  Damping · CPC title

• B60W30/18 Primary

  Propelling the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W2520/125

  Lateral acceleration · CPC title

• F16F2230/18

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• F16F15/002

  characterised by the control method or circuitry (control of mechanical oscillations per se G05D19/00) · CPC title