ATTITUDE SENSING SYSTEM FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE RELATIVE TO THE ROAD

• US 20060235575A1
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Chubb, Erik, Brown, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/101 Side slip angle of tyre

Abstract

A system (18) for controlling a system (44) of an automotive vehicle (10) includes a roll sensor (34). The controller (26) determines a lateral velocity of the vehicle in response to the roll rate. The controller (26) controls a vehicle system in response to the lateral velocity.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a vehicle system comprising:

determining a vehicle roll rate;

determining a lateral velocity of the vehicle in response to the roll rate; and

controlling the vehicle system in response to the lateral velocity.

2. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 1 further comprising adjusting the lateral velocity in response to tire relaxation.

3. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a longitudinal velocity, determining a side slip angle in response to the lateral velocity and the longitudinal velocity, and controlling a vehicle system in response to the side slip angle.

4. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a global roll angle in response to the roll rate and wherein determining a lateral velocity comprises determining a lateral velocity in response to the global roll angle.

5. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 4 wherein determining the global roll angle comprises determining the global roll angle in response to a global pitch angle.

6. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 4 wherein determining the global roll angle comprises determining the global roll angle in response to a global pitch angle, a yaw rate and the roll rate.

7. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 6 wherein determining the lateral velocity comprises determining the lateral velocity in response to a global roll angle determined in response to the roll rate, a longitudinal velocity, a yaw rate and a lateral acceleration.

8. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 6 further comprising determining a global pitch angle from a longitudinal velocity in response to from wheel speed sensors.

9. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 6 further comprising determining the global pitch angle from a longitudinal velocity in response to wheel speed sensors and a slip rate.

10. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a yaw rate and wherein determining lateral velocity comprises determining a lateral velocity in response to yaw rate and the roll rate.

11. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 1 wherein controlling the vehicle system comprises controlling a vehicle safety system.

12. A method of controlling a vehicle as recited in claim 1 wherein controlling a vehicle comprises controlling a dynamic control system.

13. A method of controlling a vehicle as recited in claim 12 wherein the dynamic control system comprises a roll stability control system.

14. A method of controlling a vehicle as recited in claim 13 wherein the dynamic control system comprises a yaw stability control system.

15. A method of controlling a vehicle system comprising:

determining an upper bound pitch angle and a lower bound pitch angle;

determining an upper bound roll angle corresponding to the upper bound pitch angle and a lower bound roll angle corresponding to the lower bound pitch angle;

determining a lower bound lateral velocity corresponding to the lower bound roll angle and an upper bound lateral velocity corresponding to the upper bound roll angle;

determining a linear lateral velocity of the vehicle;

when the lower bound lateral velocity is below the linear lateral velocity, adjusting the lower bound to the linear lateral velocity to form an adjusted lower bound lateral velocity; and

controlling the vehicle system in response to the adjusted lower bound lateral velocity.

16. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 15 further comprising when the linear lateral velocity crosses zero, adjusting the upper bound lateral velocity to the linear lateral velocity.

17. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 15 further comprising adjusting the global roll angle to form an adjusted global roll angle in response to the maximum bound roll angle in response to the adjusted lower bound and wherein controlling comprises controlling the vehicle system in response to the adjusted global roll angle.

18. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 17 further comprising determining a side slip angle in response to the adjusted global roll angle and controlling a vehicle system in response to the side slip angle.

19. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 15 further comprising determining an adjusted lateral velocity in response to tire characteristics.

20. A method of controlling a vehicle as recited in claim 15 wherein controlling a vehicle system comprises controlling a vehicle safety system.

21. A method of controlling a vehicle as recited in claim 15 wherein controlling a vehicle comprises controlling a dynamic control system.

22. A method of controlling a vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein the dynamic control system comprises a roll stability control system.

23. A method of controlling a vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein the dynamic control system comprises a yaw stability control system.

24. A method of controlling a vehicle system as recited in claim 15 wherein the linear lateral velocity corresponds to tire properties of the vehicle.

25. A system for controlling a vehicle system of an automotive vehicle comprising:

a roll rate sensor generating a roll rate signal; and

a controller coupled to the roll rate sensor, said controller determining a lateral velocity of the vehicle in response to the roll rate signal, said controller controlling the vehicle system in response to the lateral velocity.

26. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein said controller adjusts the lateral velocity in response to tire relaxation.

27. A system as recited in claim 25 further comprising a longitudinal velocity sensor generating a longitudinal velocity signal, said controller determining a side slip angle in response to the lateral velocity and the longitudinal velocity signal.

28. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein said controller determines a global roll angle in response to the roll rate and wherein determining a lateral velocity comprises determining a lateral velocity in response to the global roll angle.

29. A system as recited in claim 28 wherein said controller determines the global roll angle in response to a global pitch angle.

30. A system as recited in claim 28 wherein said controller determines the global roll angle in response to a global pitch angle, a yaw rate and the roll rate signal.

31. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein said controller determines the lateral velocity in response to a global roll angle determined in response to the roll rate signal, a longitudinal velocity, a yaw rate and a lateral acceleration.