Vehicle stability control system

• US 10,384,672 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Katzourakis, Diomidis, Mees, Huibert, Gadda, Christopher D., Solyom, Stefan, Huennekens, Johannes A.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US15/592,440
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 701 37
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/043 about the roll axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0033 Single-track, 2D vehicle model, i.e. two-wheel bicycle model
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/22 Suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/20 Sideslip angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/112 Roll movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/114 Yaw movement

Abstract

A control system for a vehicle includes an internal vehicle reference model that determines reference states for the vehicle that represent an expected vehicle response, sensors that determine measured states for the vehicle, and a vehicle motion control system that determines desired states for the vehicle. A stability determining module identifies a reference deviation between the reference states and the measured states, identifies a desired deviation between the desired states and measured states, and outputs a command for reducing the reference deviation and the desired deviation. Actuators are operable to reduce the reference deviation and the desired deviation in response to the command.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle, comprising:

actuator systems that are operable to cause motion of the vehicle;

sensors that determine measured states for the vehicle;

a vehicle motion control system that determines a vehicle trajectory and a vehicle velocity profile, determines desired states for the vehicle based on the vehicle trajectory and the vehicle velocity profile, wherein the desired states correspond to following the vehicle trajectory and the vehicle velocity profile in an autonomous control mode, and generates control outputs for causing operation of the actuator systems according to the desired states;

a stability control system that;

determines reference states for the vehicle using an internal vehicle reference model, wherein the reference states for the vehicle represent an expected vehicle response to the control outputs,

determines that a reference deviation between the reference states and the measured states is greater than a reference deviation threshold,

determines that a desired deviation between the desired states and the measured states is greater than a desired deviation threshold, and

outputs stability control commands to the actuator systems for reducing the reference deviation and the desired deviation.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the reference states include a reference lateral stability state, the desired states include a desired lateral stability state, and the measured states include a measured lateral stability state.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the reference states include a reference yaw stability state, the desired states include a desired yaw stability state, and the measured states include a measured yaw stability state.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the reference states include a reference roll stability state, the desired states include a desired roll stability state, and the measured states include a measured roll stability state.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the internal vehicle reference model calculates the reference states using a single track vehicle dynamics model.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the internal vehicle reference model includes a set of functions that are calibrated based on physical characteristics of the vehicle to generate the reference states based on inputs that represent current operating characteristics of the vehicle.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the stability control commands include a first command that is output to the actuator systems for reducing the reference deviation and a second command that is output to the actuator systems for reducing the desired deviation, wherein the second command is output subsequent to a determination, by the stability control system, that the reference deviation has been reduced such that the reference deviation is less than the reference deviation threshold.

8. A control system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle motion control system that determines a desired path for the vehicle and outputs a braking command based on the desired path;

a stability control system that is operable to;

determine reference states that represent an expected future vehicle response to execution of the braking command,

determine, subsequent to execution of the braking command, measured states that represent an actual vehicle response to execution of the braking command,

determine a reference deviation based on a difference between the reference states and the measured states, and

output a braking intervention command for applying braking to reduce the reference deviation; and

a braking system that applies braking in response to the braking command and the braking intervention command.

9. The control system of claim 8, wherein the stability control system determines the reference states using an internal vehicle reference model.

10. The control system of claim 9, wherein the internal vehicle reference model calculates the reference states using a single track vehicle dynamics model.

11. The stability control system of claim 9, wherein the internal vehicle reference model includes a set of functions that are calibrated based on physical characteristics of the vehicle to generate the reference states based on inputs that represent current operating characteristics of the vehicle.

12. The control system of claim 8, wherein the reference states include a reference lateral stability state and the measured states include a measured lateral stability state.

13. The control system of claim 8, wherein the reference states include a reference yaw stability state and the measured states include a measured yaw stability state.

14. The control system of claim 8, wherein the reference states include a reference roll stability state and the measured states include a measured roll stability state.

15. The control system of claim 8, wherein the desired path includes a desired trajectory and a desired velocity profile.

16. A control system for a vehicle, comprising:

a stability control system that is operable to;

determine reference states that represent an expected vehicle response,

determine measured states that represent an actual vehicle response,

identify an unstable condition based on a difference between the reference states and the measured states,

determine a stability intervention to reduce the difference between the reference states and the measured states,

in response to a determination that a brake torque required for the stability intervention is greater than a maximum brake torque value, determine a first component of the stability intervention and a second component of the stability intervention,

output a braking intervention command to satisfy the first component of the stability intervention, and

output a supplemental intervention command to satisfy the second component of the stability intervention;

a braking system that applies braking in response to the braking intervention command; and

a vehicle motion control system that causes operation of an additional actuator system to reduce the difference between the reference states and the measured states in response to the supplemental intervention command from the stability control system.

17. The control system of claim 16, wherein the first component of the stability intervention includes braking torques that are limited by the maximum brake torque value.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein the stability intervention has a magnitude determined to decrease the difference between the reference states and the measured states, and the first component and the second component, when combined, are equivalent to the stability intervention.

19. The control system of claim 16, wherein the additional actuator system is at least one of a suspension system, a steering system, or a propulsion system.

20. The control system of claim 16, wherein the stability intervention is at least one of a yaw rate correction or a roll rate correction.