Vehicle motion control device

• US 20050012392A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advics Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Advics Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kato, Toshihisa, Nagaya, Junya
• Granted Patent: US 7,669,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 303/191
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0124 Roll-over conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/922 EBV - Electronic brake force distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/952 Electronic driving torque distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 Overturn, rollover
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17554 specially adapted for enhancing stability around the vehicles longitudinal axle, i.e. roll-over prevention road vehicle drive control systems for roll-over prevention otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/243 for roll-over protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/246 Change of direction

Abstract

In the roll-over preventing control, a vehicle motion control device 10 causes inner-wheel braking force, according to the absolute value of an actual lateral acceleration Gy, only on the rear wheel at the inner side of the turning direction when the absolute value |Gy| of the actual lateral acceleration is not less than a rear-wheel-side reference value Gyr and not more than a front-wheel-side reference value Gyf thereby causing height lowering force at the vehicle rear-side section of the inner side of the turning direction. In addition, when the absolute value |Gy| of the actual lateral acceleration becomes not less than the front-wheel-side reference value Gyf, the inner-wheel braking force according to the absolute value |Gy| of the actual lateral acceleration is kept to be caused on the rear wheel at the inner side of the turning direction and outer-wheel braking force according to the absolute value |Gy| of the actual lateral acceleration is also caused on the front wheel at the outer side of the turning direction, thereby forcibly generating a yawing moment on the vehicle in the direction opposite to the turning direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle motion control device comprising:

index obtaining means for obtaining an excessive roll angle occurrence tendency index value that indicates a degree of tendency that an excessive roll angle occurs on the vehicle; and

inner-wheel braking force controlling means that exerts inner-wheel braking force for generating force, that is for decreasing a height of a vehicle body at the section above the wheel at the inner side of the turning direction, on the wheel at the inner side of the turning direction, when the vehicle is in the turning state and the degree of tendency that the excessive roll angle occurs, that is indicated by the obtained excessive roll angle occurrence tendency index value, becomes equal to or greater than a first predetermined degree.

2. A vehicle motion control device claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner-wheel braking force controlling means is configured to give the inner-wheel braking force on the rear wheel at the inner side of the turning direction as the inner wheel.

3. A vehicle motion control device claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner-wheel braking force controlling means is configured to change the value of the inner-wheel braking force according to the degree of tendency that an excessive roll angle occurs, that is indicated by the excessive roll angle occurrence tendency index value.

4. A vehicle motion control device claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

outer-wheel braking force controlling means that exerts outer-wheel braking force, for generating a yawing moment in the direction opposite to the turning direction on the vehicle, on the wheel at the outer side of the turning direction, when the vehicle is in the turning state and the degree of tendency that the excessive roll angle occurs, that is indicated by the obtained excessive roll angle occurrence tendency index value, becomes equal to or greater than a second predetermined degree.

5. A vehicle motion control device claimed in claim 4, wherein the degree of tendency, corresponding to the second predetermined degree, that an excessive roll angle occurs is set greater than the degree of tendency, corresponding to the first predetermined degree, that an excessive roll angle occurs.

6. A vehicle motion control device claimed in claim 4, wherein the outer-wheel braking force controlling means is configured to give the outer-wheel braking force on the front wheel at the outer side of the turning direction as the outer wheel.

7. A vehicle motion control device claimed in claim 4, wherein the outer-wheel braking force controlling means is configured to change the value of the outer-wheel braking force according to the degree of tendency that an excessive roll angle occurs, that is indicated by the excessive roll angle occurrence tendency index value.

8. A vehicle motion control device claimed in claim 1, wherein the index obtaining means is configured to obtain a value, as the excessive roll angle occurrence tendency index value, based upon at least one of a lateral acceleration that is a component of an acceleration exerted on the vehicle in the side-to-side direction of the vehicle body, a yaw rate exerted on the vehicle, a roll angle caused on the vehicle, a roll angle speed that is a rate of change with time of the roll angle, an operation amount of a steering that changes a turning angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle and an operation speed of the steering.