SENSOR DRIFT AMOUNT ESTIMATING DEVICE

• US 20110040464A1
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ono, Eiichi, Yamaguchi, Katsuyuki, Yasutomi, Taisuke, Miura, Yumiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/06 Sensor zero-point adjustment; Offset compensation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/062 loosing zero-point calibration of yaw rate sensors when travelling on banked roads or in case of temperature variations
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• 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: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 7/04 involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Abstract

On the basis of a sensor signal corresponding to a detected value of a motion state amount of vehicle motion, an attitude angle estimating means of a sensor drift amount estimating device computes a derivative amount of an attitude angle with respect to a vertical axis of a vehicle body, and integrates the computed derivative amount of the attitude angle, and estimates the attitude angle. On the basis of the sensor signal and the attitude angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means, a computing means computes a derivative amount of the attitude angle obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion. A drift amount estimating means estimates a sensor drift amount of the sensor signal by using a relationship that, when taking a sensor drift amount of the sensor signal into consideration, the derivative amount of the attitude angle computed by the attitude angle estimating means, and a value that considers a sensor drift amount in the derivative amount of the attitude angle computed by the computing means, are equal.

Claims

1. A sensor drift amount estimating device comprising:

attitude angle estimating means for, on the basis of a sensor signal corresponding to a detected value of a motion state amount of vehicle motion, computing a derivative amount of an attitude angle with respect to a vertical axis of a vehicle body, and integrating the computed derivative amount of the attitude angle, and estimating the attitude angle;

computing means for, on the basis of the sensor signal and the attitude angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means, computing a derivative amount of the attitude angle obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion; and

drift amount estimating means for estimating a sensor drift amount of the sensor signal by using a relationship that, when taking a sensor drift amount of the sensor signal into consideration a derivative amount of the attitude angle that is computed by the attitude angle estimating means, and a value that considers the sensor drift amount in the derivative amount of the attitude angle computed by the computing means, are equal.

2. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 1, further comprising correcting means for correcting the sensor signal on the basis of the sensor drift amount estimated by the drift amount estimating means,

wherein the attitude angle estimating means estimates the attitude angle on the basis of the sensor signal corrected by the correcting means.

3. A sensor drift amount estimating device comprising:

vehicle speed estimating means for, on the basis of a sensor signal corresponding to a detected value of a motion state amount of vehicle motion, computing a derivative amount of vehicle speed, and integrating the derivative amount of the vehicle speed, and estimating the vehicle speed;

computing means for, on the basis of the sensor signal and the vehicle speed estimated by the vehicle speed estimating means, computing a derivative amount of the vehicle speed obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion; and

drift amount estimating means for estimating a sensor drift amount of the sensor signal by using a relationship that, when taking a sensor drift amount of the sensor signal into consideration, a derivative amount of the vehicle speed that is computed by the vehicle speed estimating means, and a value that considers the sensor drift amount in the derivative amount of the vehicle speed computed by the computing means, are equal.

4. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 3, further comprising correcting means for correcting the sensor signal on the basis of the sensor drift amount estimated by the drift amount estimating means,

wherein the vehicle speed estimating means estimates the vehicle speed on the basis of the sensor signal corrected by the correcting means, and estimates a slip angle on the basis of the estimated vehicle speed.

5. A sensor drift amount estimating device comprising:

attitude angle estimating means for, on the basis of sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values of vertical acceleration, longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, roll angular velocity, and yaw angular velocity of vehicle motion, computing respective derivative amounts of a roll angle and a pitch angle with respect to a vertical axis of a vehicle body, and integrating the respective computed derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle, and estimating the roll angle and the pitch angle;

computing means for, on the basis of the sensor signals and the roll angle and the pitch angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means, computing respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion; and

drift amount estimating means for estimating respective sensor drift amounts of a sensor signal corresponding to a detected value of the vertical acceleration and a sensor signal corresponding to a detected value of the roll angular velocity, by using a relationship that, when taking sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals into consideration, respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle that are computed by the attitude angle estimating means, and values that consider the sensor drift amounts in the respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle computed by the computing means, are equal.

6. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 5, further comprising correcting means for, on the basis of the sensor drift amounts estimated by the drift amount estimating means, respectively correcting the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the vertical acceleration and the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the roll angular velocity,

wherein the attitude angle estimating means estimates the roll angle and the pitch angle on the basis of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the longitudinal acceleration, the lateral acceleration, and the yaw angular velocity, and the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the vertical acceleration and the roll angular velocity corrected by the correcting means.

11. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 5, wherein the attitude angle estimating means computes the respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle that were corrected on the basis of a changed amount of the sensor drift amount estimated by the drift amount estimating means and a sensor drift amount estimated in the past for each of the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the roll angular velocity and the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the vertical acceleration, and integrates the respective computed derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle, and estimates the roll angle and the pitch angle.

7. A sensor drift amount estimating device comprising:

vehicle speed estimating means for, on the basis of sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values of longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, and yaw angular velocity of vehicle motion, computing respective derivative amounts of longitudinal velocity and lateral velocity, and integrating the respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity, and estimating the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity;

computing means for, on the basis of the sensor signals and the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity estimated by the vehicle speed estimating means, computing respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion; and

drift amount estimating means for estimating sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the longitudinal acceleration, the lateral acceleration, and the yaw angular velocity by using a relationship that, when taking sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals into consideration, respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity that are computed by the vehicle speed estimating means, and values that consider the sensor drift amounts in the respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity computed by the computing means, are equal.

8. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 7, further comprising correcting means for, on the basis of the sensor drift amounts estimated by the drift amount estimating means, correcting the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the longitudinal acceleration, the lateral acceleration, and the yaw angular velocity,

wherein the vehicle speed estimating means estimates the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity on the basis of the sensor signals corrected by the correcting means, and estimates a slip angle on the basis of the estimated longitudinal velocity and lateral velocity.

12. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 7, wherein the vehicle speed estimating means computes the respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity that were corrected on the basis of a changed amount of the sensor drift amount estimated by the drift amount estimating means and a sensor drift amount estimated in the past for each of the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the longitudinal acceleration and the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the lateral acceleration, and integrates the respective computed derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity, and estimates the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity.

9. A sensor drift estimating device comprising:

attitude angle estimating means for, on the basis of sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values of longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, vertical acceleration, roll angular velocity, and yaw angular velocity of vehicle motion, computing respective derivative amounts of a roll angle and a pitch angle with respect to a vertical axis of a vehicle body, and integrating the respective computed derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle, and estimating the roll angle and the pitch angle;

vehicle speed estimating means for, on the basis of sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values, computing respective derivative amounts of longitudinal velocity and lateral velocity, and integrating the respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity, and estimating the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity;

computing means for, on the basis of the sensor signals and the roll angle and the pitch angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means, computing respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion, and, on the basis of the sensor signals and the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity estimated by the vehicle speed estimating means, computing respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion; and

drift amount estimating means for estimating respective sensor drift amounts of the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the vertical acceleration and the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the roll angular velocity by using a relationship that, when taking sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals into consideration, respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle that are computed by the attitude angle estimating means, and values that consider the sensor drift amounts in the respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle computed by the computing means, are equal, and for estimating sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the longitudinal acceleration, the lateral acceleration, and the yaw angular velocity by using a relationship that, when taking sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals into consideration, respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity that are computed by the vehicle speed estimating means, and values that consider the sensor drift amounts in the respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity computed by the computing means, are equal.

10. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 9, further comprising correcting means for, on the basis of the sensor drift amounts estimated by the drift amount estimating means, correcting sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values,

wherein the attitude angle estimating means estimates the roll angle and the pitch angle on the basis of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values corrected by the correcting means, and

the vehicle speed estimating means estimates the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity on the basis of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values corrected by the correcting means, and estimates a slip angle on the basis of the estimated longitudinal velocity and lateral velocity.

19. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 9, wherein the drift amount estimating means estimates sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the longitudinal acceleration, the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity, and, on the basis of the estimated sensor drift amounts and the sensor drift amounts that were estimated a preceding time, updates the sensor drift amounts.

20. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 19, wherein the drift amount estimating means updates the sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration on the basis of the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration and the sensor drift amount, estimated the preceding time, of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration, only when an absolute value of the roll angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means becomes small, by updating the sensor drift amount by using the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration.

21. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 19, wherein the drift amount estimating means updates the sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity on the basis of the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity and the sensor drift amount, estimated the preceding time, of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity, only when an absolute value of the roll angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means becomes small, by updating the sensor drift amount by using the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity.

22. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 19, wherein the drift amount estimating means updates the sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration on the basis of the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration and the sensor drift amount, estimated the preceding time, of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration, only when an absolute value of the pitch angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means becomes small, by updating the sensor drift amount by using the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration.

23. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 19, wherein

the drift amount estimating means updates the sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration on the basis of the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration and the sensor drift amount, estimated the preceding time, of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration, when an absolute value of the roll angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means becomes small, by updating the sensor drift amount by using the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration, and

when an absolute value of the roll angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means becomes large, by updating the sensor drift amount by using the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration, the drift amount estimating means makes an extent of effect of the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration, in the updating of the sensor drift amount, small as compared with a case in which the absolute value of the roll angle becomes small by updating, and updates the sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the lateral acceleration.

24. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 19, wherein

the drift amount estimating means updates the sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity on the basis of the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity and the sensor drift amount, estimated the preceding time, of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity, when an absolute value of the roll angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means becomes small, by updating the sensor drift amount by using the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity, and

when an absolute value of the roll angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means becomes large, by updating the sensor drift amount by using the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity, the drift amount estimating means makes an extent of effect of the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity, in the updating of the sensor drift amount, small as compared with a case in which the absolute value of the roll angle becomes small by updating, and updates the sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the yaw angular velocity.

25. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 19, wherein

the drift amount estimating means updates the sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration on the basis of the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration and the sensor drift amount, estimated the preceding time, of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration, when an absolute value of the pitch angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means becomes small, by updating the sensor drift amount by using the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration, and

when an absolute value of the pitch angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means becomes large, by updating the sensor drift amount by using the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration, the drift amount estimating means makes an extent of effect of the estimated sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration, in the updating of the sensor drift amount, small as compared with a case in which the absolute value of the pitch angle becomes small by updating, and updates the sensor drift amount of the sensor signal corresponding to the longitudinal acceleration.

13. A sensor drift amount estimating device comprising:

attitude angle estimating means for, on the basis of sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values of vertical acceleration, longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, roll angular velocity, pitch angular velocity, and yaw angular velocity of vehicle motion, computing respective derivative amounts of a roll angle and a pitch angle with respect to a vertical axis of a vehicle body, and integrating the respective computed derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle, and estimating the roll angle and the pitch angle;

computing means for, on the basis of the sensor signals and the roll angle and the pitch angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means, computing respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion; and

drift amount estimating means for estimating respective sensor drift amounts of the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the pitch angular velocity and the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the roll angular velocity, by using a relationship that, when taking sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals into consideration, respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle that are computed by the attitude angle estimating means, and values that consider the sensor drift amounts in the respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle computed by the computing means, are equal.

14. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 13, further comprising correcting means for, on the basis of the sensor drift amounts estimated by the drift amount estimating means, respectively correcting the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the pitch angular velocity and the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the roll angular velocity,

wherein the attitude angle estimating means estimates the roll angle and the pitch angle on the basis of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the vertical acceleration, the longitudinal acceleration, the lateral acceleration, and the yaw angular velocity, and the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the pitch angular velocity and the roll angular velocity corrected by the correcting means.

17. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 13, wherein the attitude angle estimating means computes the respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle that were corrected on the basis of a changed amount of the sensor drift amount estimated by the drift amount estimating means and a sensor drift amount estimated in the past for each of the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the roll angular velocity and the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the pitch angular velocity, and integrates the respective computed derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle, and estimates the roll angle and the pitch angle.

15. A sensor drift estimating device comprising:

attitude angle estimating means for, on the basis of sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values of longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, vertical acceleration, roll angular velocity, pitch angular velocity, and yaw angular velocity of vehicle motion, computing respective derivative amounts of a roll angle and a pitch angle with respect to a vertical axis of a vehicle body, and integrating the respective computed derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle, and estimating the roll angle and the pitch angle;

vehicle speed estimating means for, on the basis of sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values, computing respective derivative amounts of longitudinal velocity and lateral velocity, and integrating the respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity, and estimating the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity;

computing means for, on the basis of the sensor signals and the roll angle and the pitch angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means, computing respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion, and, on the basis of the sensor signals and the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity estimated by the vehicle speed estimating means, computing respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion; and

drift amount estimating means for estimating respective sensor drift amounts of the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the pitch angular velocity and the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the roll angular velocity by using a relationship that, when taking sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals into consideration, respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle that are computed by the attitude angle estimating means, and values that consider the sensor drift amounts in the respective derivative amounts of the roll angle and the pitch angle computed by the computing means, are equal, and for estimating sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the longitudinal acceleration, the lateral acceleration, and the yaw angular velocity by using a relationship that, when taking sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals into consideration, respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity that are computed by the vehicle speed estimating means, and values that consider the sensor drift amounts in the respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity computed by the computing means, are equal.

16. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 15, further comprising correcting means for, on the basis of the sensor drift amounts estimated by the drift amount estimating means, correcting sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values,

wherein the attitude angle estimating means estimates the roll angle and the pitch angle on the basis of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values corrected by the correcting means, and

the vehicle speed estimating means estimates the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity on the basis of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values corrected by the correcting means, and estimates a slip angle on the basis of the estimated longitudinal velocity and lateral velocity.

18. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 15, wherein the vehicle speed estimating means computes the respective derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity that were corrected on the basis of a changed amount of the sensor drift amount estimated by the drift amount estimating means and a sensor drift amount estimated in the past for each of the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the longitudinal acceleration and the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the lateral acceleration, and integrates the respective computed derivative amounts of the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity, and estimates the longitudinal velocity and the lateral velocity.

26. A sensor drift amount estimating device comprising:

lateral velocity estimating means for, on the basis of sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values of lateral acceleration and yaw angular velocity of vehicle motion, and either a sensor signal corresponding to a detected value of vehicle speed or an estimated value by a vehicle speed estimating means that estimates the vehicle speed, computing a derivative amount of lateral velocity, and integrating the derivative amount of the lateral velocity, and estimating the lateral velocity;

computing means for, on the basis of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity, and either the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the vehicle speed or the estimated value, computing a derivative amount of the lateral velocity obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion; and

drift amount estimating means for estimating sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity, by using a relationship that, when taking into consideration sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity, a derivative amount of the lateral velocity computed by the lateral velocity estimating means, and a value that considers the sensor drift amounts in the derivative amount of the lateral velocity computed by the computing means, are equal.

27. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 26, further comprising correcting means for correcting the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity, on the basis of the sensor drift amounts estimated by the drift amount estimating means,

wherein the lateral velocity estimating means estimates the lateral velocity on the basis of the sensor signals corrected by the correcting means.

28. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 26, wherein the drift amount estimating means derives, for each of a plurality of vehicle speed regions obtained by dividing a predetermined vehicle speed range, a relational expression that is weighted and that expresses a relationship between a deviation between the derivative amount of the lateral velocity computed by the lateral velocity estimating means and the derivative amount of the lateral velocity computed by the computing means, and the vehicle speed, and the sensor drift amounts, and, on the basis of the derived relational expression of each of the plurality of vehicle speed regions, estimates the sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity.

32. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 28, wherein, the greater a number of times that either the detected value or the estimated value of the vehicle speed is included in a corresponding vehicle speed region, the greater a weighting of the relational expression is made to be, and, the greater a number of times that either the detected value or the estimated value of the vehicle speed is not included in a corresponding vehicle speed region, the smaller the weighting of the relational expression is made to be.

29. A sensor drift amount estimating device comprising:

slip angle estimating means for, on the basis of sensor signals corresponding to respective detected values of lateral acceleration and yaw angular velocity of vehicle motion, and either a sensor signal corresponding to a detected value of vehicle speed or an estimated value by a vehicle speed estimating means that estimates the vehicle speed, computing a derivative amount of a slip angle, and integrating the derivative amount of the slip angle, and estimating the slip angle;

computing means for, on the basis of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity, and either the sensor signal corresponding to the detected value of the vehicle speed or the estimated value, computing a derivative amount of the slip angle obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion; and

drift amount estimating means for estimating sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity by using a relationship that, when taking into consideration the sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity, a derivative amount of the slip angle computed by the slip angle estimating means, and a value that considers the sensor drift amounts in the derivative amount of the slip angle computed by the computing means, are equal.

30. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 29, further comprising correcting means for correcting the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity, on the basis of the sensor drift amounts estimated by the drift amount estimating means,

wherein the slip angle estimating means estimates the slip angle on the basis of the sensor signals corrected by the correcting means.

31. The sensor drift amount estimating device of claim 29, wherein the drift amount estimating means derives, for each of a plurality of vehicle speed regions obtained by dividing a predetermined vehicle speed range, a relational expression that is weighted and that expresses a relationship between a deviation between the derivative amount of the slip angle computed by the slip angle estimating means and the derivative amount of the slip angle computed by the computing means, and the vehicle speed, and the sensor drift amounts, and, on the basis of the derived relational expression of each of the plurality of vehicle speed regions, estimates the sensor drift amounts of the sensor signals corresponding to the respective detected values of the lateral acceleration and the yaw angular velocity.