JP2024090302A - Control apparatus and control method for lean vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a control apparatus that can appropriately assist in setting a traveling mode of a lean vehicle, and a control method that can appropriately assist in setting a traveling mode of a lean vehicle.SOLUTION: A control apparatus (20) comprises: a determination unit that performs a bad road determination process for determining whether or not a road being traveled by lean vehicle (100) is a bad road; and an execution unit that executes assisting operation for setting of a traveling mode of the lean vehicle (100) on the basis of a result of the bad road determination process. The determination unit performs a bad road determination process on the basis of traveling road information as information on scattering components on the traveling road contained in an electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver mounted on the lean vehicle (100).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a control device for a lean vehicle and a control method for a lean vehicle.

Conventional control devices for lean vehicles include a determination unit that performs a rough road determination process to determine whether the road on which the lean vehicle is traveling is rough, and an execution unit that executes an operation to assist in setting the driving mode of the lean vehicle based on the results of the rough road determination process (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2020-157802 A

In conventional lean vehicle control devices, the judgment unit performs rough road judgment processing based on the detection results of the behavior of the wheels of the lean vehicle. To more appropriately support the driving mode setting of the lean vehicle, it is important to ensure the accuracy of the rough road judgment processing.

The present invention has been made against the background of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to obtain a control device that can appropriately support the setting of the driving mode of a lean vehicle. Also, the present invention aims to obtain a control method that can appropriately support the setting of the driving mode of a lean vehicle.

The control device according to the present invention is a control device for a lean vehicle, and includes a judgment unit that performs a bad road judgment process to judge whether the road on which the lean vehicle is traveling is a bad road, and an execution unit that executes an assist operation for setting the driving mode of the lean vehicle based on the result of the bad road judgment process, and the judgment unit performs the bad road judgment process based on road information, which is information on the scattered components on the road contained in electromagnetic wave echoes received by at least one receiver mounted on the lean vehicle.

The control method according to the present invention is a control method for a lean vehicle, and includes a determination step in which a determination unit of a control device performs a rough road determination process to determine whether or not the road on which the lean vehicle is traveling is a rough road, and an execution step in which an execution unit of the control device executes an assist operation for setting the driving mode of the lean vehicle based on the result of the rough road determination process, and in the determination step, the determination unit performs the rough road determination process based on road information, which is information on the scattered components on the road contained in electromagnetic wave echoes received by at least one receiver mounted on the lean vehicle.

In the control device and control method according to the present invention, the judgment unit performs a rough road judgment process based on road information, which is information on the scattered components on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver mounted on the lean vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately support the driving mode setting of the lean vehicle.

1 is a diagram showing a state in which an assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a lean vehicle; 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a support system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an output of a receiver of an environmental sensor in the assistance system according to the embodiment of the present FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an output of a receiver of an environmental sensor in the assistance system according to the embodiment of the present FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation flow of a control device of the support system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The control device and control method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The configurations, operations, etc. described below are merely examples, and the control device and control method according to the present invention are not limited to such configurations, operations, etc.

For example, the following describes a case where the control device and control method according to the present invention are used in an assistance system for a motorcycle, but the control device and control method according to the present invention may also be used in an assistance system for lean vehicles other than motorcycles. A lean vehicle refers to a vehicle whose body leans to the right when turning to the right, and leans to the left when turning to the left. Lean vehicles include, for example, motor cycles (motor cycles, motor tricycles), bicycles, etc. Motor cycles include vehicles powered by an engine, vehicles powered by an electric motor, etc. Motor cycles include, for example, motorcycles, scooters, electric scooters, etc. Bicycles refer to vehicles that can be propelled on the road by the driver's pedaling force applied to the pedals. Bicycles include ordinary bicycles, electrically assisted bicycles, electric bicycles, etc.

Furthermore, in the following, the same or similar descriptions are appropriately simplified or omitted. Furthermore, in each drawing, the same or similar parts are given the same reference numerals or the reference numerals are omitted. Furthermore, illustrations of detailed structures are appropriately simplified or omitted.

Embodiment
The support system according to the embodiment will be described below.

<Support system configuration>
The configuration of the support system according to the embodiment will be described.
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which an assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a lean vehicle, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the assistance system 1 is mounted on a lean vehicle 100. The assistance system 1 includes at least an environmental information detection system 11 for detecting environmental information of the lean vehicle 100, a driving state information detection system 12 for detecting driving state information of the lean vehicle 100, and a control device (ECU) 20. The control device 20 receives outputs from various detection systems (not shown) for detecting other information (e.g., information on braking operation by the driver 200, information on accelerator operation by the driver 200, etc.) as necessary. Each part of the assistance system 1 may be used exclusively for the assistance system 1, or may be shared with other systems.

The environmental information detection system 11 includes, for example, at least one environmental sensor 11a facing the front of the lean vehicle 100, at least one environmental sensor 11b facing the right of the lean vehicle 100, at least one environmental sensor 11c facing the left of the lean vehicle 100, and at least one environmental sensor 11d facing the rear of the lean vehicle 100. In FIG. 1, the environmental sensor 11c is illustrated as being located on the front side of the page, but in reality, the environmental sensor 11c is located on the back side of the page. The environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d are mounted on the lean vehicle 100. The environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d are, for example, ultrasonic sensors, radar, Lidar sensors, etc. The environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d detect information related to the distance and/or direction to an object (e.g., a vehicle, an obstacle, road equipment, a person, an animal, etc.) located within the detection range (e.g., information such as a relative position, a relative distance, a relative speed, a relative acceleration, a relative jerk, a passing time difference, and a predicted time until a collision) in a non-contact manner. In other words, the environmental information detection system 11 detects information on a surrounding object that is an object located around the lean vehicle 100 as environmental information using the environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d. The detection principle of the environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d will be described later. Some of the environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d may be shared with other environmental sensors. In addition, some of the environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d may be omitted, and other environmental sensors may be added, as necessary.

The driving state information detection system 12 includes, for example, a wheel speed sensor 12a and an inertial sensor (IMU) 12b. The wheel speed sensor 12a detects the rotation speed of the wheels of the lean vehicle 100. The wheel speed sensor 12a may detect other physical quantities that can be substantially converted to the rotation speed of the wheels of the lean vehicle 100. The inertial sensor 12b detects the three-axis acceleration and the three-axis (roll, pitch, yaw) angular velocity occurring in the lean vehicle 100. The inertial sensor 12b may detect other physical quantities that can be substantially converted to the three-axis acceleration and the three-axis angular velocity occurring in the lean vehicle 100. The inertial sensor 12b may also detect only a part of the three-axis acceleration and the three-axis angular velocity. In addition, some of the wheel speed sensor 12a and the inertial sensor 12b may be omitted, or other sensors may be added, as necessary.

The control device 20 includes at least a determination unit 21 and an execution unit 22. All or each unit of the control device 20 may be provided together in one housing, or may be provided separately in multiple housings. In addition, a part or all of the control device 20 may be configured, for example, as a microcomputer, a microprocessor unit, etc., may be configured with updatable firmware, etc., or may be a program module executed by instructions from a CPU, etc.

Each of the environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d has at least one transmitter 11x that transmits electromagnetic waves toward objects in the vicinity of the lean vehicle 100, and at least one receiver 11y that receives electromagnetic wave echoes that are scattered by the objects in the vicinity and return.

Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams showing an example of the output of the receiver of the environmental sensor of the assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figures 3 and 4, the horizontal axis represents the time difference between when an electromagnetic wave is transmitted by the transmitter 11x and when an electromagnetic wave echo is received by the receiver 11y, and the vertical axis represents the intensity of the electromagnetic wave echo received by the receiver 11y. Figure 3 shows a case where the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a paved road, and Figure 4 shows a case where the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is an unpaved road.

3 and 4, the electromagnetic wave echo received by the receiver 11y includes a scattered component C1 from objects (e.g., vehicles, obstacles, road facilities, people, animals, etc.) surrounding the lean vehicle 100, and a scattered component (so-called ground clutter) C2 from the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling. In the environmental information detection system 11, the electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver 11y of the environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d is subjected to, for example, a known constant false alarm probability processing (CFAR processing), etc., to extract the scattered component C1 from the surrounding objects, and the time difference information corresponding to the scattered component C1 is converted into distance information, and information related to the distance and/or direction from the lean vehicle 100 to the surrounding objects (e.g., information such as relative position, relative distance, relative speed, relative acceleration, relative jerk, passing time difference, and predicted time until collision) is detected.

The judgment unit 21 performs a rough road judgment process to judge whether the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a rough road based on the output of the environmental information detection system 11. When the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a road with a relatively smooth surface such as a paved road, the intensity I2 of the scattered component C2 on the road becomes small as shown in FIG. 3, and when the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a road with a relatively rough surface such as an unpaved road, the intensity I2 of the scattered component C2 on the road becomes large as shown in FIG. 4. Also, when the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a road with a relatively smooth surface such as a paved road, the amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road becomes small as shown in FIG. 3, and when the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a road with a relatively rough surface such as an unpaved road, the amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road becomes large as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, the determination unit 21 performs a bad road determination process based on road information, which is information on the scattered component C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver 11y of the environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d of the environmental information detection system 11.

For example, when the road information indicates that the intensity I2 of the scattered component C2 on the road exceeds the reference intensity, and/or when the amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road exceeds the reference amplitude, the determination unit 21 determines that the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a bad road. In other words, the bad road determination process may be a process for determining whether the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a road surface on which the intensity I2 and/or the amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 is larger than the reference road surface condition, and is not limited to a process for determining whether the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is an unpaved road. The intensity I2 and/or the amplitude A2 may be an average value of values acquired over a reference time. In addition, in order to prevent the determination result from being frequently switched, the reference intensity to be compared in the process in which the intensity I2 is increasing may be set to be larger than the reference intensity to be compared in the process in which the intensity I2 is decreasing, and the reference amplitude to be compared in the process in which the amplitude A2 is increasing may be set to be larger than the reference amplitude to be compared in the process in which the amplitude A2 is decreasing. Furthermore, the reference intensity and/or reference amplitude may be fixed values, or may be variable values that are set based on the running state information of the lean vehicle 100.

Here, the judgment unit 21 may switch between enabling and disabling the bad road judgment process based on the driving state information of the lean vehicle 100. The judgment unit 21 may switch between enabling and disabling the bad road judgment process by changing the operating state of the environmental information detection system 11, or may switch between enabling and disabling the bad road judgment process by changing whether or not to allow the bad road judgment process to be executed in the judgment unit 21 while the environmental information detection system 11 is operating, or may switch between enabling and disabling the bad road judgment process by changing whether or not to accept the detection result of the environmental information detection system 11 or the result of the bad road judgment process.

For example, when the driving condition information indicates that the lean vehicle 100 is driving at a speed lower than the first reference speed, the determination unit 21 disables the bad road determination process. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the determination of whether the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is driving is a bad road from being made with low accuracy depending on the road surface condition of a limited area of the road.

For example, when the driving condition information indicates that the lean vehicle 100 is driving at a speed exceeding the second reference speed, the judgment unit 21 disables the rough road judgment process. The second reference speed is greater than the first reference speed. With such a configuration, when the lean vehicle 100 is driving at a high speed, it is prevented from being judged with low accuracy whether the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is driving is a rough road.

For example, when the driving state information indicates that the lean vehicle 100 is driving with a turning angle exceeding the reference turning angle, the judgment unit 21 disables the bad road judgment process. The turning angle means the degree of turning that occurs in the lean vehicle 100. The state in which the lean vehicle 100 is driving straight is defined as having a turning angle of 0. In addition, the state in which the lean vehicle 100 is turning with a large bank is defined as having a higher turning angle than the state in which the lean vehicle 100 is turning with a small bank. The turning angle may be the roll angle itself occurring in the lean vehicle 100 or a physical quantity corresponding thereto, or the lateral acceleration itself occurring in the lean vehicle 100 or a physical quantity corresponding thereto, or the yaw angular velocity itself occurring in the lean vehicle 100 or a physical quantity corresponding thereto. This configuration prevents the lean vehicle 100 from being accurately determined to be on a bad road when the vehicle's posture is unstable.

The road information used in the bad road judgment process by the judgment unit 21 may be information on the scattered component C2 on the road contained in the multiple electromagnetic wave echoes received by the multiple receivers 11y, which are different from each other. The multiple receivers 11y are mounted on the lean vehicle 100 facing in different directions. In other words, when the environmental information detection system 11 is equipped with one or more environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d, the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road may be obtained for each electromagnetic wave echo received by all the receivers 11y or a portion of the multiple receivers 11y.

For example, when the road information indicates that the intensity I2 of the scattered component C2 on the road exceeds a reference intensity in each electromagnetic wave echo received by all receivers 11y, and/or when the amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road exceeds a reference amplitude, the determination unit 21 determines that the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a rough road. In such a configuration, it is preferable that the determination unit 21 disables the rough road determination process when the traveling state information indicates that the lean vehicle 100 is traveling at a turning angle that exceeds a reference turning angle.

For example, when the road information indicates that the intensity I2 of the scattered component C2 on the road exceeds a reference intensity and/or the number of electromagnetic wave echoes in which the amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road exceeds a reference amplitude exceeds a reference number, the determination unit 21 determines that the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a rough road. In addition, in such a configuration, it is preferable that the determination unit 21 disables the rough road determination process when the traveling state information indicates that the lean vehicle 100 is traveling at a turning angle that exceeds the reference turning angle.

The road information used in the bad road judgment process by the judgment unit 21 may be information in which the scattered component C2 on the road contained in each of the multiple electromagnetic wave echoes received by the different receivers 11y is weighted according to the turning direction of the lean vehicle 100 and/or the mounting position of the receiver 11y on the lean vehicle 100. In other words, when the environmental information detection system 11 is equipped with one or more environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road are obtained for each electromagnetic wave echo received by all receivers 11y or multiple receivers 11y that are a part of the receivers 11y, and these are weighted according to the turning direction of the lean vehicle 100 and/or the mounting position of each receiver 11y on the lean vehicle 100.

For example, the determination unit 21 acquires the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road for each of the electromagnetic wave echoes received by the multiple receivers 11y mounted on the lean vehicle 100 while facing in different directions, and determines the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road included in the electromagnetic wave echo received by the receiver 11y facing the side opposite to the side on which the lean vehicle 100 turns and travels (for example, the receiver 11y of the environmental sensor 11c when the lean vehicle 100 turns to the right). A weighted average process is performed so that the weight of the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by the receiver 11y facing the same side as the lean vehicle 100 turning and leaning, (for example, the receiver 11y of the environmental sensor 11b when the lean vehicle 100 is turning to the right) is higher than the weight of the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by the receiver 11y facing the same side as the lean vehicle 100 turning and leaning, and the result is compared with a reference intensity and/or reference amplitude to perform a rough road judgment process.

For example, the determination unit 21 acquires the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road for each electromagnetic wave echo received by multiple receivers 11y mounted on the lean vehicle 100 while facing in different directions, performs weighted averaging processing in which the weight of the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by the receiver 11y mounted at a higher position is higher than the weight of the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by the receiver 11y mounted at a lower position, and performs rough road determination processing by comparing the result with a reference intensity and/or reference amplitude.

In addition, the road information used in the bad road judgment process by the judgment unit 21 may be information on the scattered component C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver 11y selected from among the multiple receivers 11y according to the turning direction of the lean vehicle 100 and/or the mounting position of the receiver 11y on the lean vehicle 100. In other words, when the environmental information detection system 11 is equipped with one or more environmental sensors 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d, the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road may be acquired for the electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver 11y selected from all receivers 11y or a part of the multiple receivers 11y according to the turning direction of the lean vehicle 100 and/or the mounting position of each receiver 11y.

For example, the determination unit 21 selects at least one receiver 11y (for example, the receiver 11y of the environmental sensor 11c when the lean vehicle 100 is turning to the right) from among the multiple receivers 11y mounted on the lean vehicle 100 facing in different directions, and performs a rough road determination process by comparing the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by the receiver 11y with a reference intensity and/or reference amplitude.

For example, the determination unit 21 selects at least one receiver 11y mounted at a height higher than the reference height from among multiple receivers 11y mounted on the lean vehicle 100 while facing in different directions, and performs a rough road determination process by comparing the intensity I2 and/or amplitude A2 of the scattered component C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by that receiver 11y with the reference intensity and/or reference amplitude.

1 and 2, the execution unit 22 may output control commands to, for example, a braking device 30 that generates a braking force on the lean vehicle 100, a driving device 40 that generates a driving force on the lean vehicle 100, an alarm device 50 that issues an alarm to the driver 200 (for example, an alarm that acts on the auditory sense, an alarm that acts on the visual sense, an alarm that acts on the tactile sense, etc.), and may execute a behavior control operation of the lean vehicle 100, or may execute an alarm operation for the driver 200 of the lean vehicle 100. The alarm device 50 may be provided in the lean vehicle 100, or may be provided in a wearable item 110 (for example, a helmet, goggles, gloves, etc.) of the driver 200 that is connected to the lean vehicle 100 so as to be able to communicate with the lean vehicle 100. The execution unit 22 may also execute a behavior control operation of other vehicles located in the vicinity of the lean vehicle 100, or may execute an alarm operation for the driver 200 of the other vehicles. The driver 200 may also be notified by a haptic operation that causes an instantaneous change in acceleration or deceleration in the lean vehicle 100 and/or other vehicles. In such a configuration, the braking device 30 or the driving device 40 performs the function of the notification device 50.

Here, the execution unit 22 executes an assist operation for setting the driving mode of the lean vehicle 100 based on the result of the bad road judgment process in the judgment unit 21. The driving mode setting is a setting that changes the functions and/or the control parameters of the lean vehicle 100 during driving.

When the bad road determination process determines that the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a bad road, the execution unit 22 automatically changes the functions and/or control parameters of the lean vehicle 100 during traveling to those suitable for bad roads, thereby assisting in setting the traveling mode. The execution unit 22 outputs control commands that reflect the traveling mode setting to, for example, the braking device 30, the drive device 40, the notification device 50, etc., and performs, for example, behavior control operations of the lean vehicle 100 and/or other vehicles, notification operations for the driver 200 of the lean vehicle 100 and/or other vehicles, etc.

In addition, when the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is determined to be a bad road by the bad road determination process, the execution unit 22 proposes to the driver 200 of the lean vehicle 100 that the functions and/or control parameters of the lean vehicle 100 during traveling be changed to those suitable for the bad road, thereby supporting the driving mode setting. The execution unit 22 outputs a control command to cause the setting input device 60 of the lean vehicle 100 to make the proposal (for example, output of a message, illustration, sound, etc.). When the setting input device 60 accepts approval by the driver 200 of the lean vehicle 100, the execution unit 22 confirms the driving mode setting. The execution unit 22 outputs a control command reflecting the driving mode setting to, for example, the braking device 30, the drive device 40, the notification device 50, etc., and performs, for example, behavior control operations of the lean vehicle 100 and/or other vehicles, notification operations for the driver 200 of the lean vehicle 100 and/or other vehicles, etc. The setting input device 60 may be provided in the lean vehicle 100, or may be provided in an article of wear 110 (e.g., a helmet, goggles, gloves, etc.) of the driver 200 that is communicatively connected to the lean vehicle 100.

As a specific example, the execution unit 22 executes a slip suppression operation (e.g., anti-lock brake control, traction control, skid suppression control, etc.) and/or a suspension control operation of the lean vehicle 100 and/or the other vehicle based on the output of the driving condition information detection system 12 as a behavior control operation of the lean vehicle 100 and/or the other vehicle.

Here, when the bad road determination process determines that the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a bad road, the execution unit 22 executes a support operation for setting a driving mode related to the slip suppression operation and/or the suspension control operation. For example, the execution unit 22 may automatically set a driving mode that interrupts or ends the ongoing slip suppression operation and/or the suspension control operation, and may also suggest the setting of the driving mode to the driver 200. The execution unit 22 may also automatically set a driving mode in which the start of the slip suppression operation and/or the suspension control operation is prohibited or suppressed, and may also suggest the setting of the driving mode to the driver 200. The execution unit 22 may also automatically set a driving mode that increases or decreases the deceleration or acceleration caused or occurring by the slip suppression operation, and may also suggest the setting of the driving mode to the driver 200. The execution unit 22 may also automatically set a driving mode that reduces or increases the degree of damping that is generated or occurring in the suspension control operation, and may also suggest the setting of the driving mode to the driver 200.

As another specific example, the execution unit 22 performs automatic acceleration/deceleration operations of the lean vehicle 100 and/or other vehicles based on the output of the environmental information detection system 11 as a behavior control operation of the lean vehicle 100 and/or other vehicles. The automatic acceleration/deceleration operation is, for example, a speed tracking control (so-called adaptive cruise control) for a preceding vehicle performed in a state where the driver 200 does not operate the brakes or the accelerator, or a speed tracking control for a preceding vehicle performed in a state where the driver 200 operates the brakes or the accelerator. The execution unit 22 acquires information on the relative distance, relative speed, or passing time difference between the lean vehicle 100 or the other vehicle and the preceding vehicle. The execution unit 22 outputs a control command to the braking device 30 or the drive device 40 to generate acceleration/deceleration according to the information on the relative distance, relative speed, or passing time difference, and causes the lean vehicle 100 or the other vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle at a speed. The braking device 30 may be controlled to generate or increase deceleration, or may be controlled to generate or increase acceleration. The driving device 40 may be controlled to generate or increase acceleration, or may be controlled to generate or increase deceleration. When the automatic acceleration/deceleration operation is being performed, the execution unit 22 outputs a control signal to the notification device 50 as necessary, to cause a notification to the driver 200 as a notification operation.

Here, when the bad road determination process determines that the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a bad road, the execution unit 22 executes a support operation for setting a driving mode related to the automatic acceleration/deceleration operation. For example, the execution unit 22 may automatically set a driving mode that interrupts or ends the automatic acceleration/deceleration operation that is being performed, and may also suggest the setting of that driving mode to the driver 200. The execution unit 22 may also automatically set a driving mode in which the start of the automatic acceleration/deceleration operation is prohibited or suppressed, and may also suggest the setting of that driving mode to the driver 200. The execution unit 22 may also automatically set a driving mode that reduces or increases the deceleration and/or acceleration that is caused or occurring in the automatic acceleration/deceleration operation, and may also suggest the setting of that driving mode to the driver 200.

As another specific example, the execution unit 22 performs a collision suppression operation of the lean vehicle 100 and/or the other vehicle as a warning operation and/or a behavior control operation for the driver 200 of the lean vehicle 100 and/or the other vehicle based on the output of the environmental information detection system 11. The execution unit 22 acquires information on the predicted time until a collision occurs between the lean vehicle 100 or the other vehicle and a surrounding object (e.g., a vehicle, an obstacle, road equipment, a person, an animal, etc.) located around the lean vehicle 100 (e.g., forward, right, left, rear, etc.), that is, information on the possibility of collision. When it is determined that the collision possibility exceeds a standard, the execution unit 22 outputs a control signal to the notification device 50 to generate a warning for the driver 200. When it is determined that the collision possibility exceeds a standard, the execution unit 22 outputs a control command to the braking device 30 or the drive device 40 to generate an acceleration/deceleration to suppress the collision in the lean vehicle 100 or the other vehicle. The brake device 30 may be controlled to cause or increase deceleration, and may also be controlled to cause or increase acceleration. The drive device 40 may be controlled to cause or increase acceleration, and may also be controlled to cause or increase deceleration.

Here, when the bad road determination process determines that the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a bad road, the execution unit 22 executes a support operation for setting a driving mode related to the collision prevention operation. For example, the execution unit 22 may automatically set a driving mode that interrupts or ends the ongoing collision prevention operation, or may suggest the setting of that driving mode to the driver 200. The execution unit 22 may also automatically set a driving mode in which the start of the collision prevention operation is prohibited or suppressed, or may suggest the setting of that driving mode to the driver 200. The execution unit 22 may also automatically set a driving mode that reduces or increases the deceleration that is caused or occurring in the collision prevention operation, or may suggest the setting of that driving mode to the driver 200.

<Operation of the support system>
The operation of the support system according to the embodiment will be described.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an operation flow of the control device in the support system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The control device 20 executes the operation flow shown in FIG. 5 while the lean vehicle 100 is traveling.

(Determination step)
In step S101, the determination unit 21 performs a rough road determination process to determine whether or not the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is a rough road. The determination unit 21 performs the rough road determination process based on road information, which is information on the scattered components C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver 11y mounted on the lean vehicle 100.

(Execution steps)
Next, in step S102, the execution unit 22 executes an assist operation for setting the driving mode of the lean vehicle 100 based on the result of the bad road determination process performed in step S101.

<Effects of the support system>
The effects of the support system according to the embodiment will be described.
In the control device 20, the determination unit 21 performs a rough road determination process based on road information, which is information on scattered components C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver 11y mounted on the lean vehicle 100. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately support the setting of the driving mode of the lean vehicle 100.

Preferably, when the road information indicates that the scattered component C2 on the road has an intensity I2 that exceeds a reference intensity and/or when the scattered component C2 on the road has an amplitude A2 that exceeds a reference amplitude, the determination unit 21 determines that the road is a rough road. With such a configuration, the rough road determination process is appropriately performed.

Preferably, the judgment unit 21 switches between enabling and disabling the bad road judgment process based on the driving state information of the lean vehicle 100. With such a configuration, the bad road judgment process is performed appropriately.

Preferably, the road information is information in which the scattered components C2 on the road contained in each of the multiple electromagnetic wave echoes received by the different receivers 11y are weighted according to the turning direction of the lean vehicle 100 and/or the mounting position of the receiver 11y on the lean vehicle 100. With such a configuration, the rough road judgment process can be performed appropriately.

Preferably, the road information is information on the scattered component C2 on the road contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver 11y selected from among the multiple receivers 11y according to the turning direction of the lean vehicle 100 and/or the mounting position of the receiver 11y on the lean vehicle 100. With such a configuration, the rough road judgment process is performed appropriately.

Although the embodiments have been described above, only a part of the embodiments may be implemented, or a part of the embodiments may be modified in a different manner. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the description of the embodiments.

For example, in the above, a case has been described in which a common environmental information detection system 11 is used for the rough road judgment process and the automatic acceleration/deceleration operation and/or collision prevention operation of the lean vehicle 100, but the present invention is not limited to such a case. Different environmental information detection systems 11 may be used for the rough road judgment process and the automatic acceleration/deceleration operation and/or collision prevention operation of the lean vehicle 100.

In the above, a case has been described in which the execution unit 22 executes an automatic acceleration/deceleration operation, a collision prevention operation, a slip prevention operation, and/or a suspension control operation, but the present invention is not limited to such a case. The execution unit 22 may execute only a slip prevention operation and/or a suspension control operation without executing the automatic acceleration/deceleration operation and the collision prevention operation. In such a case, the environmental information detection system 11 is used exclusively for the bad road judgment process.

In the above, the execution unit 22 has been described as supporting a driving mode setting related to an automatic acceleration/deceleration operation, a collision suppression operation, a slip suppression operation, and/or a suspension control operation, but the present invention is not limited to such a case. When the execution unit 22 performs a collection operation and/or an analysis operation of various information while the lean vehicle 100 is traveling, the execution unit 22 may support the setting of those operations as a driving mode setting. When the road on which the lean vehicle 100 is traveling is determined to be a bad road by the bad road determination process, the execution unit 22 may fully automatically set a driving mode that interrupts or ends those operations, or may suggest the setting of that driving mode to the driver 200. In addition, the execution unit 22 may fully automatically set a driving mode in which the start of those operations is prohibited or suppressed, or may suggest the setting of that driving mode to the driver 200.

1 Assistance system, 11 Environmental information detection system, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d Environmental sensor, 11x Transmitter, 11y Receiver, 12 Driving state information detection system, 12a Wheel speed sensor, 12b Inertial sensor, 20 Control device, 21 Determination unit, 22 Execution unit, 30 Braking device, 40 Driving device, 50 Notification device, 60 Setting input device, 100 Lean vehicle, 110 Wearing, 200 Driver.

Claims (15)

A control device (20) for a lean vehicle (100), comprising:
A determination unit (21) that performs a rough road determination process to determine whether or not the road on which the lean vehicle (100) is traveling is a rough road;
an execution unit (22) that executes an assist operation for setting a driving mode of the lean vehicle (100) based on a result of the bad road determination process;
Equipped with
The determination unit (21) performs the bad road determination process based on road information, which is information on a scattered component (C2) on the road contained in an electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver (11y) mounted on the lean vehicle (100).
Control device. When the road information is information indicating that the scattered component (C2) has an intensity (I2) exceeding a reference intensity and/or when the scattered component (C2) has an amplitude (A2) exceeding a reference amplitude, the determination unit (21) determines that the road is a bad road.
The control device according to claim 1 . The determination unit (21) switches between validity and invalidity of the bad road determination process based on running state information of the lean vehicle (100).
The control device according to claim 1 or 2. When the running state information indicates that the lean vehicle (100) is running at a speed lower than a reference speed, the determination unit (21) disables the bad road determination process.
The control device according to claim 3. When the running state information indicates that the lean vehicle (100) is running at a speed higher than a reference speed, the determination unit (21) disables the bad road determination process.
The control device according to claim 3. When the driving state information indicates that the lean vehicle (100) is driving at a turning angle exceeding a reference turning angle, the determination unit (21) disables the bad road determination process.
The control device according to claim 3. The roadway information is information in which the scattered components (C2) contained in each of the electromagnetic wave echoes received by the different receivers (11y) are weighted according to the turning direction of the lean vehicle (100) and/or the mounting position of the receiver (11y) on the lean vehicle (100).
The control device according to claim 1 or 2. The roadway information is information on the scattered components (C2) contained in the electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one of the receivers (11y) selected from among the plurality of receivers (11y) according to the turning direction of the lean vehicle (100) and/or the mounting position of the receiver (11y) on the lean vehicle (100).
The control device according to claim 1 or 2. The assist operation is an operation of fully automatically setting the driving mode.
The control device according to claim 1 or 2. The assistance operation is an operation to prompt the driver (200) of the lean vehicle (100) to set the driving mode.
The control device according to claim 1 or 2. The driving mode setting is a setting that is reflected in the slip suppression operation and/or suspension control operation of the lean vehicle (100) and/or other vehicles.
The control device according to claim 1 or 2. The driving mode setting is a setting that is reflected in the behavior control operation of the lean vehicle (100) and/or other vehicles based on environmental information of the lean vehicle (100).
The control device according to claim 1 . The driving mode setting is a setting that is reflected in an informing operation for a driver (200) of the lean vehicle (100) and/or another vehicle based on environmental information of the lean vehicle (100).
The control device according to claim 1 . The environmental information is obtained based on an output of the receiver (11y).
14. A control device according to claim 12 or 13. A method for controlling a lean vehicle (100), comprising:
A determination step (S101) in which a determination unit (21) of a control device (20) performs a rough road determination process to determine whether or not the road on which the lean vehicle (100) is traveling is a rough road;
An execution step (S102) in which an execution unit (22) of the control device (20) executes an assist operation for setting a driving mode of the lean vehicle (100) based on a result of the bad road determination process;
Equipped with
In the determination step (S101), the determination unit (21) performs the bad road determination process based on road information, which is information on a scattering component (C2) on the road contained in an electromagnetic wave echo received by at least one receiver (11y) mounted on the lean vehicle (100).
Control methods.

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