Vehicle turning motion control

• US 20050269874A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishimoto, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,020,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 303/146
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/122 Pre-actuation in case of ESP control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/16 Curve braking control, e.g. turn control within ABS control algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/24 Curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02

Abstract

A vehicle turning motion control apparatus includes a turning condition sensing section to sense a turning condition of the vehicle; and a vehicle deceleration control section to initiate a deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle when the turning condition exceeds a deceleration start threshold. The control apparatus further includes a running state sensing section configured to sense a running state of the vehicle, and a threshold setting section configured to set the deceleration start threshold in accordance with the running condition.

Claims

1. A vehicle turning motion control apparatus for a vehicle. comprising:

a turning condition sensing section configured to sense a turning condition of the vehicle;

a vehicle deceleration control section configured to initiate a deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle when the turning condition surpasses a deceleration start threshold;

a running state sensing section configured to sense a running state of the vehicle; and

a threshold setting section configured to set the deceleration start threshold in accordance with the running state.

2. The vehicle turning motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the running state sensing section is configured to ascertain a yaw rate of the vehicle;

and the threshold setting section is configured to vary the deceleration start threshold in a direction to advance a deceleration start timing to initiate the deceleration control by the deceleration control section as a variation of the yaw rate increases.

3. The vehicle turning motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the running state sensing section is configured to ascertain a lateral acceleration of the vehicle;

and the threshold setting section is configured to vary the deceleration start threshold in a direction to advance a deceleration start timing to initiate the deceleration control by the deceleration control section as a variation of the lateral acceleration increases.

4. The vehicle turning motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the running state sensing section is configured to ascertain a speed difference between a vehicle body speed of the vehicle and a limit turning speed;

and the threshold setting section is configured to vary the deceleration start threshold in a direction to advance a deceleration start timing to initiate the deceleration control by the deceleration control section as a variation of the speed difference increases.

5. The vehicle turning motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the running state sensing section is configured to ascertain a vehicle body speed of the vehicle;

and the threshold setting section is configured to vary the deceleration start threshold in a direction to advance a deceleration start timing to initiate the deceleration control by the deceleration control section as the vehicle body speed becomes higher.

6. The vehicle turning motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the threshold setting section is configured to determine the deceleration start threshold by modifying a base threshold in accordance with the running state of the vehicle so as to advance the deceleration start timing when the vehicle body speed is in a higher vehicle speed region, and by setting the deceleration start threshold equal to the base threshold in a lower vehicle speed region.

7. The vehicle turning motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the threshold setting section is configured to determine a base threshold from a turning ability limit defining a limit of a stable vehicle turning performance region, and to determine the deceleration start threshold by modifying the base threshold in accordance with the running state of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle turning motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the threshold setting section is configured to determine the deceleration start threshold by modifying the base threshold in accordance with a variation of the running state of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle turning motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the vehicle deceleration control section is configured to perform a preliminary deceleration control operation during a period from a time when the turning condition surpasses the deceleration start threshold to a time when the turning condition surpasses the base threshold.

10. The vehicle turning motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle deceleration control section comprises a hydraulic brake system;

and the threshold setting section is configured to vary the deceleration start threshold so as to compensate for a delay in brake pressure rise in the hydraulic brake system by advancing a deceleration start timing to initiate the deceleration control in accordance with the running state.

11. The vehicle turning motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the turning condition sensing section is configured to determine, as a parameter representing the turning condition, a first turning motion variable representing an actual turning radius of the vehicle, and a second turning motion variable representing an actual turning speed of the vehicle;

wherein the vehicle deceleration control section is configured to initiate the deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle when at least one of first and second conditions is met, the first condition being a condition which is met when the first turning motion variable representing the turning radius of the vehicle becomes smaller than a first variable threshold, the second condition being a condition which is met when the second tuning motion variable representing the tuning speed of the vehicle becomes higher than a second variable threshold; and

wherein the threshold setting section is configured to set the first variable threshold and the second variable threshold in accordance with the running state.

12. A vehicle turning motion control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an actuator section to decelerate the vehicle in an automatic deceleration control;

a sensor section to sense vehicle operating conditions of the vehicle, and to provide input information on the vehicle operating condition; and

a controller to calculate, from the input information supplied from the sensor section, a first turning motion variable representing an actual turning radius of the vehicle and a second turning motion variable representing an actual turning speed of the vehicle;

to determine an automatic deceleration control start timing in accordance with the first and second turning motion variables;

to initiate the automatic deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle with the actuator section at the automatic deceleration start timing, the controller being further configured to calculate a parameter representing a speed of turning motion of the vehicle, from the input information supplied from the sensor section, and to advance the automatic deceleration start timing when the parameter is greater than a predetermined value.

13. A vehicle turning motion control process for a vehicle, the vehicle turning motion control process comprising:

sensing a turning condition of the vehicle;

decelerating the vehicle by initiating a deceleration control when the turning condition surpasses a deceleration start threshold;

sensing a running state of the vehicle; and

setting the deceleration start threshold in accordance with the running state.