METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREDICTING VEHICLE ROLLOVER DURING A TRIP-OVER EVENT

• US 20100274450A1
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Kwon, O. K., O'Brien-Mitchell, Bridget M., McLenon, Edward, Ryu, Jihan, Nardi, Flavio, Moshchuk, Nikolai K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle includes wheels, force sensors adapted for a vertical force and lateral force of each wheel, an onboard device, and a controller. The controller calculates vehicle values using the vertical force and lateral force, compares the values to a corresponding threshold, and automatically deploys the device when each element value does not exceed a corresponding threshold. A method for determining when to deploy an airbag includes measuring a vertical and lateral force at each wheel, and measuring a yaw rate and roll angle. A lateral velocity is calculated using the lateral force, and a lift of each wheel is calculated using the vertical force. The roll angle, roll rate, and stopping time are processed to generate a point on a 3D rollover plane. A rollover energy rate is calculated, and the airbag deploys when the point, rollover energy rate, and lift do not exceed a threshold.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

a plurality of force sensors each adapted for measuring a vertical force and a lateral force at a different one of the plurality of wheels;

a deployable device; and

a controller in communication with the plurality of force sensors;

wherein the controller has an algorithm configured for calculating a set of vehicle values using the vertical force and the lateral force, for comparing the set of vehicle values to a corresponding minimum threshold, and for automatically deploying the device when each value of the set of vehicle values does not exceed a corresponding calibrated threshold.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the corresponding calibrated threshold includes:

a three-dimensional roll plane threshold value, a roll energy rate threshold value, and a wheel lift threshold value.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising a yaw rate sensor adapted for measuring a yaw rate of the vehicle and a roll angle sensor adapted for measuring a roll angle of the vehicle;

wherein the algorithm is adapted for calculating the roll energy rate as a function of the roll angle, the yaw rate, and an estimated mass of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the controller is operable for estimating a lateral velocity of the vehicle as a function of each of the estimated mass of the vehicle, the vertical force, the lateral force, and the yaw rate;

for calculating a stopping time using the lateral velocity; and

for using the stopping time to determine the three-dimensional roll plane threshold value.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the controller is adapted for determining the estimated mass of the vehicle as a function of the vertical forces measured by the force sensors when the vehicle is at a standstill.

6. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

a plurality of sensors including a roll angle sensor connected to a vertical axis of the vehicle and a set of force sensors each connected to a different one of the wheels and adapted for measuring a vertical force and a lateral force at each of the plurality of wheels;

a deployable side curtain airbag; and

a controller in communication with the set of force sensors, the controller having an algorithm that is adapted for deploying the side curtain airbag in response to a threshold comparison between each of;

a three-dimensional (3D) rollover plane defined by the roll angle, the roll angle rate, and a calculated stopping time;

a calculated roll energy rate of the vehicle; and

a lift status of each of the plurality of wheels;

wherein the algorithm is configured for estimating a lateral velocity of the vehicle using a lateral force value from the set of force sensors, for calculating the calculated stopping time as a function of the lateral velocity, and for calculating the roll energy rate as a function of the roll angle.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the controller is operable for determining the lift status by comparing a vertical force of each wheel to a calibrated minimum threshold.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein roll energy rate is also a function of the mass, the roll angle, and the cross moment of inertia of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the calculated stopping time is determined as a function of an estimated lateral velocity of the vehicle, and wherein the estimated lateral velocity of the vehicle is a function of each of the lateral force of each of the plurality of wheels, the estimated mass of the vehicle, the yaw rate of the vehicle, and a calibrated lateral velocity.

10. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the set force sensors are configured as one of:

a piston-in-cylinder device, a foil strain gage device, and a piezoelectric sensor device.

11. A method for determining when to deploy an airbag in a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, the method comprising:

measuring a vertical force and a lateral force at each of the plurality of wheels;

measuring a yaw angle of the vehicle using a yaw angle sensor;

measuring a roll angle of the vehicle using a roll angle sensor;

calculating an estimated lateral velocity of the vehicle using the lateral force;

calculating a lift of each wheel using the vertical force;

processing the roll angle, roll rate, and stopping time of the vehicle to thereby generate a point on a 3D rollover plane;

calculating a rollover energy rate of the vehicle; and

automatically deploying the airbag when the point, the rollover energy rate, and the lift each have values less than a corresponding calibrated minimum threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating a rollover energy rate includes estimating a mass of the vehicle as a function of the vertical force at each wheel when the vehicle is at a standstill.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating a lift of each wheel includes comparing a vertical force at each wheel to a calibrated minimum force.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating an estimated lateral velocity of the vehicle includes estimating a mass of the vehicle as a function of the lateral force at each wheel when the vehicle is moving.