METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING VEHICLE OPERATING CONDITIONS AND PROVIDING A WARNING OR INTERVENTION IN RESPONSE TO THE CONDITIONS

• US 20050090938A1
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ranelli, Ronald J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0213 Road vehicle, e.g. car or truck

Abstract

A control system (12) for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a GPS system (16) that generates a vehicle position for a vehicle relative to a surface, a plurality of driver inputs (40), and a plurality of vehicle inputs (50). A controller (14) is coupled to the GPS system (16), the driver inputs (40) and the vehicle inputs (50). The controller determines a predicted path in response to the plurality of driver inputs and the vehicle inputs and a desired path in response to the GPS system (16). The controller performs a comparison of the predicted path and the desired path and generates a control signal in response to the comparison.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle comprising:

a GPS system generating a vehicle position signal for a vehicle relative to a surface;

a plurality of driver inputs;

a plurality of vehicle inputs; and

a controller coupled to the GPS system, the plurality of driver inputs and the plurality of vehicle inputs, said controller determining a predicted path in response to the plurality of driver inputs and the vehicle inputs and a desired path in response to the GPS system, said controller performing a comparison of the predicted path and the desired path, said controller generating a control signal in response to the comparison.

2. A control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said controller performs the comparison using colinearity of a confidence level.

3. A control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said controller performs the comparison using a linear regression model, said threshold corresponding to an estimated error.

4. A control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the linear regression model is a function of pitch angle, yaw angle and vehicle speed.

5. A control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of vehicle inputs includes vehicle speed.

6. A control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the pitch angle and yaw angle are determined in the GPS receiver.

7. A control system as recited in claim 1 further comprising an audible indicator, said audible indicator operating in response to the control signal.

8. A control system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a visual indicator, said visual indicator operating in response to the control signal.

9. A control system as recited in claim 1 further comprising an intervention module, said intervention module operating in response to the control signal.

10. A control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the intervention module generates a vehicle speed restriction.

11. A control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the intervention module generated a change in a center of gravity by controlling a suspension component.

12. A control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the intervention module generated a change in a center of gravity by controlling a shock absorber.

13. A control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the intervention module generates a steering angle change.

14. A control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the intervention module generates a gas tank load shift.

15. A control system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a road condition input, said controller generating the predicted path in response to the road condition input.

16. A control system for a vehicle comprising:

a driving condition database having driving conditions therein;

a GPS system generating a vehicle position signal for a vehicle relative to a surface;

a plurality of driver inputs;

a plurality of vehicle inputs; and

a controller coupled to the GPS system, the plurality of driver inputs and the plurality of vehicle inputs, said controller determining a predicted condition in response to the plurality of driver inputs, the vehicle inputs and the driving conditions and a desired condition in response to the GPS system and the driving conditions,

said controller performing a chaos-theory based comparison of the predicted path and the desired path, said controller generating controlling an intervention module or an indicator in response to the comparison.

17. A control system as recited in claim 16 wherein the predicted condition comprises a predicted path and the desired condition comprise a desired path.

18. A control system as recited in claim 16 wherein said controller performs the chaos theory based comparison using colinearity of a confidence level.

19. A control system as recited in claim 16 wherein said controller performs the comparison using a linear regression model, said threshold corresponding to an estimated error.

20. A control system as recited in claim 19 wherein the linear regression model is a function of pitch angle, yaw angle and vehicle speed.

21. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:

generating a vehicle position signal for a vehicle relative to a surface;

generating a plurality of driver inputs;

generating a plurality of vehicle inputs;

determining a predicted path in response to the plurality of driver inputs and the vehicle inputs and a desired path in response to the vehicle position;

performing a comparison of the predicted path and the desired path; and

generating a control signal in response to the comparison.