Method and System for Coordinating a Vehicle Stability Control System with a Suspension Damper Control Sub-System

• US 20080082234A1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Katrak, Kerfegar K., Palazzolo, Steven D., Seifert, Mark A., Majersik, Loren E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,706,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0162 mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking B60G17/0164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/102 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/41 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/94 Electronic Stability Program (ESP, i.e. ABS+ASC+EMS)
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability

Abstract

A method and system for coordinating a vehicle stability control system with a suspension damper control sub-system includes a plurality of dampers, each of which are controlled directly by the suspension damper control sub-system. A plurality of sensors sense a plurality of vehicle parameters. A supervisory controller generates vehicle damper commands based on the plurality of vehicle parameters for each of the dampers. A damper controller in electrical communication with the supervisory controller receives the vehicle damper commands and generates sub-system damper commands based on a portion of the plurality of vehicle parameters for each of the dampers. The damper controller also determines if any of the vehicle damper commands for any one of the dampers has authority over the corresponding sub-system damper command. The damper controller then determines a modified sub-system damper command for each of the dampers in which the corresponding vehicle damper command has authority, wherein the modified sub-system damper command is based on the vehicle damper command and the sub-system damper command.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating a vehicle stability control system of a vehicle with a suspension damper control sub-system that is in electrical communication with the vehicle stability control system, the vehicle having a plurality of dampers, each of the dampers controlled directly by the suspension damper control sub-system, the method comprising:

generating vehicle damper commands for each of the dampers, the vehicle damper commands being generated for receipt by the suspension damper control sub-system;

generating sub-system damper commands for each of the dampers;

determining if any of the vehicle damper commands for any one of the dampers has authority over the corresponding sub-system damper command; and

determining a modified sub-system damper command for each of the dampers in which the corresponding vehicle damper command has authority, the modified sub-system damper command being determined based on the vehicle damper command and the sub-system damper command.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining if any of the vehicle damper commands for any one of the dampers has authority over the corresponding sub-system damper command includes determining if any of the dampers is traveling in a direction deemed critical for vehicle control.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein generating the vehicle damper commands includes generating an enumeration value indicating a direction of travel to be deemed critical and wherein determining if any one of the dampers is traveling in a direction deemed critical for vehicle control comprises:

determining a direction of damper travel for each of the dampers; and

determining if the direction of travel for any of the dampers corresponds to the enumeration value.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle damper command includes an arbitration value indicating a weight to be given to the vehicle damper command and wherein determining the modified sub-system damper command includes determining the modified sub-system damper command based on the vehicle damper command, the sub-system damper command and the arbitration value.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the modified sub-system damper command is determined by:

SSDC*(1−

Arb. Value)+(VDC*Arb. Value),

where;

SSDC is sub-system damper command,

Arb. Value is the arbitration value, and

VDC is vehicle damper command.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein determining the arbitration value includes:

determining an intended behavior of the vehicle based on an action taken by an operator of the vehicle;

determining an actual behavior of the vehicle in response to the action taken by the operator based on the vehicle parameters; and

determining a difference between the intended behavior of the vehicle and the actual behavior of the vehicle.

7. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the arbitration value has a value ranging from 0 to 1.0.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle damper commands, the sub-system damper commands and the modified sub-system damper commands include current signals.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

controlling each of the plurality of dampers based on one of the corresponding sub-system damper command and the corresponding modified sub-system damper command.

10. A system for coordinating a vehicle stability control system of a vehicle with a suspension damper control sub-system that is in electrical communication with the vehicle stability control system, the vehicle having a plurality of dampers, each of the dampers controlled directly by the suspension damper control sub-system, the system comprising:

a supervisory controller for generating vehicle damper commands; and

a damper controller in electrical communication with the supervisory controller for;

receiving the vehicle damper commands;

generating sub-system damper commands;

determining if any of the vehicle damper commands for any one of the dampers has authority over the corresponding sub-system damper command; and

determining a modified sub-system damper command for each of the dampers in which the corresponding vehicle damper command has authority, the modified sub-system damper command being determined based on the vehicle damper command and the sub-system damper command.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the damper controller, in determining if any of the vehicle damper commands for any one of the dampers has authority over the corresponding sub-system damper command, is further operative to determine if any of the dampers is traveling in a direction deemed critical for vehicle control.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein the supervisory controller, in generating the vehicle damper commands, is further operative to generate an enumeration value indicating a direction of damper travel to be deemed critical and wherein the damper controller, in determining if any one of the dampers is traveling in a direction deemed critical for vehicle control, is further operative to determine a direction of travel for each of the dampers and determine if the direction of travel for any of the dampers corresponds to the enumeration value.

13. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the vehicle damper command includes an arbitration value indicating a weight to be given to the vehicle damper command and wherein the damper controller, in determining the modified sub-system damper command, is further operative to determine the modified sub-system damper command based on the vehicle damper command, the sub-system damper command and the arbitration value.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the damper controller determines the modified sub-system damper command according to:

SSDC*(1−

Arb. Value)+(VDC*Arb. Value),

where;

SSDC is sub-system damper command,

Arb. Value is the arbitration value, and

VDC is vehicle damper command.

17. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the vehicle damper commands, the sub-system damper commands and the modified sub-system damper commands include current signals.

18. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the damper controller is further operative to control each of the plurality of dampers based on one of the corresponding sub-system damper command and the corresponding modified sub-system damper command.

15. The system as recited in 13 wherein the supervisory controller, in determining the arbitration value, is further operative to determine an intended behavior of the vehicle based on an action taken by an operator of the vehicle, determine an actual behavior of the vehicle in response to the action taken by the operator based on the vehicle parameters, and determine a difference between the intended behavior of the vehicle and the actual behavior of the vehicle.

16. The system as recited in 13 wherein the arbitration value has a value ranging from 0 to 1.0.