Motor Vehicle Drive Control System and Sensor Unit for the Same

• US 20080195279A1
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Hatano, Yasuo, Hattori, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/04 Tire deformation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1725 Using tyre sensors, e.g. Sidewall Torsion sensors [SWT] for tyre pressure and temperature detection B60C23/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/123 by piezo-resistive elements, e.g. semiconductor strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions

Abstract

What are provided are a motor vehicle drive control system, which easily detect accelerations, generated in the up and down, front and rear, and left and right of a motor vehicle body, in high degree of accuracy, and performs the stability control of a motor vehicle, and its sensor unit. Sensor units 100 provided in four corners of the front and rear, and left and right of the motor vehicle body detect accelerations generated in X-, Y-, and Z-axis directions, and digital values of detection result are transmitted to a monitoring device 200 as digital information via an electromagnetic wave. The monitoring device 200 outputs this digital information to a stability control unit 700. The stability control unit 700 performs the correction control of drive of a subthrottle actuator 412 or a brake drive actuator 640 on the basis of the acceleration values obtained.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle drive control system providing control means which drives each drive actuator of an engine throttle, a steering, and brakes according to detection result of operation states of a motor vehicle to perform stability control at the time of motor vehicle traveling, comprising:

a plurality of sensor units which are provided in the front and rear, and left and right of a motor vehicle body respectively, detect first acceleration generated in a fore-and-aft direction of the motor vehicle body, second acceleration generated in a left-and-right direction of the vehicle body, and third acceleration generated in a up-and-down direction of the motor vehicle body, convert detection result into digital values, and transmit digital information including the digital values; and

a monitoring device which receives the digital information transmitted from the sensor units, and acquires the detection result of the first to third accelerations every sensor unit, wherein the control means has means of performing correction control of drive of a predetermined drive actuator among the respective drive actuators on the basis of the detection result of the first to third accelerations acquired by the monitoring device.

2. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 1, wherein the each sensor unit is provided in each of the front and rear, and left and right of a motor vehicle body except a wheel.

3. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 2, wherein the each sensor unit is provided in an arm which supports an axle.

4. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 1, wherein the each sensor unit is provided in each of a plurality of bodies of rotation which are provided in a motor vehicle body side, fix wheels, and rotate the wheels.

5. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 4, wherein the each sensor unit is provided in a brake disc which rotates with an axle.

6. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 1, further comprising a central sensor unit which is provided in a center section of the motor vehicle body, detects first acceleration applied in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body, second acceleration applied in a right-and-left direction of the vehicle body, and third acceleration applied in a up-and-down direction of the vehicle body, converts the detection result into digital values, and transmits digital information including the digital values;

wherein the monitoring device has means of receiving digital information transmitted from the central sensor unit, and acquiring the detection result of the first to third accelerations by the central sensor unit; and

the control means has means of performing correction control of drive of the predetermined drive actuator on the basis of detection result of the first to third accelerations acquired by the monitoring device.

7. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit has:

means of wave-receiving an electromagnetic wave at a first frequency;

means of transforming into electrical drive energy the wave-received electromagnetic wave energy at the first frequency; and

means of operating by the electrical energy and transmitting the digital information using an electromagnetic wave at a second frequency; and

the monitoring device has;

means of radiating an electromagnetic wave at the first frequency;

means of wave-receiving the electromagnetic wave at the second frequency; and

means of extracting the digital information from the wave-received electromagnetic wave at the second frequency.

8. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 7, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are the same frequencies.

9. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit has:

means of operating with electrical energy supplied using a cable, and transmitting the digital information using the cable, and

the monitoring device comprises;

means of receiving the digital information, which is transmitted, using the cable.

10. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit has memory means where identification information unique to itself is contained, and means of transmitting the identification information included in the digital information;

and

the monitoring device has means of identify the sensor unit by the identification information.

11. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises a semiconductor acceleration sensor having a silicon piezo type diaphragm detecting accelerations in directions which are orthogonal mutually.

12. The motor vehicle drive control system according to claim 1, wherein the each sensor unit is provided in each of four corners of the front and rear, and left and right of a motor vehicle body.

13. A sensor unit which is provided in each of the front and rear, and left and right of a motor vehicle body or in a center section of the motor vehicle body, and detects acceleration generated in connection with motor vehicle traveling, comprising:

means of detecting first acceleration generated in a fore-and-aft direction of a motor vehicle body, second acceleration generated in a left-and-right direction of the motor vehicle body, and third acceleration generated in a up-and-down direction of the motor vehicle body;

means of converting detection result of the first to third accelerations into a digital value; and

means of transmitting digital information containing the digital value.

14. The sensor unit according to claim 13, further comprising:

means of wave-receiving an electromagnetic wave at a first frequency;

means of transforming into electrical drive energy the wave-received electromagnetic wave energy at the first frequency; and

means of operating by the electrical energy and transmitting the digital information using an electromagnetic wave at a second frequency.

15. The sensor unit according to claim 14, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are the same frequencies.

16. The sensor unit according to claim 13, further comprising means of operating with electrical energy supplied using a cable, and transmitting the digital information using the cable.

17. The sensor unit according to claim 13 further comprising:

memory means where identification information unique to itself is contained; and

means of transmitting the identification information included in the digital information.

18. The sensor unit according to claim 13, further comprising a semiconductor acceleration sensor having a silicon piezo type diaphragm detecting accelerations in directions which are orthogonal mutually.