Arrangement for Determining an Absolute Tilt Angle in Relation to the Horizontal

• US 20090025998A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Brandmeier, Thomas, Feser, Michael, Paggel, Jens, Lauerer, Christian
• Application Number:
  US12/088,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20090025998A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0511 Roll angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0194 transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/702 Improving accuracy of a sensor signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01306 monitoring vehicle inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0133 by integrating the amplitude of the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 : Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 : Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/109 : Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/00 : Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels

Abstract

A system determines an absolute tilt angle in relation to the horizontal, especially for use in a motor vehicle. The system includes at least one sensor element having a main axis of sensitivity and disposed such that its main axis of sensitivity lies in the plane of the tilt angle to be detected. The at least one sensor element produces a sensor signal depending on the tilt angle in relation to the horizontal. The sensor signal is a measured acceleration of the system. The system also includes a device for detecting an acceleration component of the measured acceleration and a processing unit to which the measured acceleration and the acceleration component are supplied in order to determine an acceleration component-corrected acceleration from which the absolute tilt angle of the system in relation to the horizontal can be determined.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A arrangement for determining an absolute tilt angle in relation to a horizontal, comprising:

at least one sensor element having a main axis of sensitivity and being disposed with said main axis of sensitivity lying in a plane defined by the tilt angle to be detected, said at least one sensor element producing a sensor signal in dependence on the tilt angle in relation to the horizontal, the sensor signal being a measured acceleration of the arrangement;

a device for determining an acceleration component of the measured acceleration;

a processing unit connected to receive the measured acceleration and the acceleration component for determining a corrected acceleration corrected by the acceleration component, from which the absolute tilt angle of the arrangement in relation to the horizontal can be determined.

15. The arrangement according to claim 14, configured for implementation in a motor vehicle.

16. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the acceleration component is determined in a direction different from a movement direction of the motor vehicle.

17. The arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the acceleration component is a transverse acceleration and/or a centrifugal acceleration of the arrangement moved in the movement direction.

18. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein said device for determining the acceleration component is configured to determine the acceleration component from at least one of the following parameters:

a speed of the arrangement;

a curve radius, on which the arrangement is located;

a yaw rate;

a steering angle.

19. The arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said at least one sensor element is disposed with said main axis of sensitivity at an angle in the tilt plane in relation to the horizontal.

20. The arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said at least one sensor element is a first sensor element with a first main axis of sensitivity and a second sensor element with a second main axis of sensitivity.

21. The arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the absolute tilt angle α

of the arrangement in relation to the horizontal is calculated according to the formula

22. The arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the first main axis of sensitivity of said first sensor element and the second main axis of sensitivity of said second sensor element extend at an angle of 90°

in relation to one another.

23. The arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the first main axis of sensitivity of said first sensor element and the second main axis of sensitivity of said second sensor element each enclose an angle of 45°

with a vertical of the arrangement, when the absolute tilt angle in relation to the horizontal is 0°

.

24. The arrangement according to claim 14, which further comprises an additional device for tilt angle calculation, configured to perform an integration over a rotational speed determined by a rotational speed sensor.

25. The arrangement according to claim 24, wherein a last-determined absolute angle is used as a start value for the integration of the rotational speed.

26. The arrangement according to claim 24, which comprises a switch-over device configured to determine, according to predetermined criteria, whether the tilt angle of the arrangement in relation to the horizontal is to be determined or not by said additional device by using rotational speed signals and the second device is accordingly activated or not.

27. An occupant protection method in a means for transportation, the method which comprises:

providing the arrangement according to claim 14 in the means for transportation; and

considering the absolute tilt angle in a decision whether measures for stabilizing the means for transportation should be taken.

28. An occupant protection method in a motor vehicle, the method which comprises:

providing the arrangement according to claim 14 in a motor vehicle and coordinating with an occupant protection system in the motor vehicle; and

including the absolute tilt angle in a decision whether a protective device of the occupant protection system should be triggered and/or measures for stabilizing the motor vehicle should be taken.