VEHICLE INSTABILITY DETECTION AND PREVENTION SYSTEM

• US 20090164060A1
• Filed: 02/16/2009
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Solidica, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Solidica, Inc.
• Inventors: Lehner, Chad, Gupta, Anu, Svinicki, John, Fortson, Frederick O.
• Application Number:
  US12/371,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164060A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01304 monitoring rough road condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01306 monitoring vehicle inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems

Abstract

An intelligent system and method detects and informs operators of unstable vehicle conditions. An accelerometer and gyro based micro-controller system dynamically computing the center of mass, speeds, positions, angles, stability factors, Velocity-Road Roughness Index, Dynamic Stability Function, and other parameters critical in determining the dynamics of vehicle motion. The apparatus may be integrated into an overall vehicle network and may incorporate a method for detecting and warning vehicle operators of unstable driving conditions which may include rollover, high velocity turns, sideslope conditions, rough roads, slip, and other dynamic events.

Claims

1. A system for detecting vehicle instability, comprising:

a multi-axis accelerometer operative to measure lateral, horizontal, and vertical accelerations of a vehicle;

one or more gyroscopes to sense angular velocities and angular accelerations with respect to the vehicle'"'"'s yaw, pitch, and roll axes;

a processor operative to execute multiple algorithms to detect vehicle instability conditions including rollover, high-velocity turns, side slope conditions, rough roads, slip, and other dynamic events based upon inputs from the accelerometer or gyroscopes; and

wherein the accelerometer, gyroscopes and processor are disposed in a self-contained unit that does not require any external inputs or modification to the vehicle for the operation of the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to compute parameters at least including center of mass, vehicle speed, accelerations, vehicle position, vehicle angles, stability factors, Velocity-Road Roughness Index (VRRI) and Dynamic Stability Prediction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the accelerometers are operative to measure vehicle vibrations which are proportional to speed and road roughness.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to:

derive VRRI as an empirically determined parameter that quantifies vehicle speed and road roughness into a single value; and

compare VRRI to other measured quantities to determine vehicle instability.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the side slope conditions are computed by examining high lateral accelerations in conjunction with VRRI over a specified time period.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the algorithms executed by the processor outputs a Dynamic Instability Predictor which is determined by correlating the VRRI to rapid changes in gyro accelerations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the algorithms executed by the processor includes a lateral acceleration function which correlates lateral acceleration and time against a calibrated value to determines if the vehicle could become unstable.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to determine changes in center of mass by measuring the vibrational response of a vehicle and comparing that against the vibrational response of a calibrated unweighted vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to detect incipient instability conditions during the operation of a vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1, further including an electronic interface enabling the system to communicate as a node on an existing vehicle network.

11. The system of claim 1, further including a real-time clock for keeping time stamps associated with data acquisition or control of the system.

12. The system of claim 11, further including a satellite positioning system or other interface enabling date and time to be coordinated and stored in conjunction with vehicle position, velocity, heading, and other telemetric data.