TRAVEL DIRECTION STABILIZATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES

• US 20110054741A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephan Stabrey
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: STABREY, Stephan
• Granted Patent: US 8,958,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/083 using active brake actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/087 using active steering actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/16 Curve braking control, e.g. turn control within ABS control algorithm
• 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 10/16 Axle differentials, e.g. for dividing torque between left and right wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/082 Vehicle operation after collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/003 in order to control vehicle yaw movement, i.e. around a vertical axis B62D6/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for influencing the direction of travel of a vehicle. In order to lower the risk of accidents in driving situations in which the driver reacts incorrectly, for example because of being surprised, it is provided that the driving operation be monitored in reference to the occurrence of an event due to which the travel direction of the vehicle changes, deviating from the travel direction specified at the steering wheel, and when such an event is detected that an automatic intervention in the driving operation be performed whereby the vehicle is moved back approximately into the original direction of travel in which it was moving before the event occurred.

Claims

1. A method for influencing a direction of travel of a vehicle which is moving in a certain direction on a roadway, the method comprising:

monitoring a driving operation in reference to an event due to which the travel direction of the vehicle changes, deviating from the travel direction specified at a steering wheel;

determining a relative yaw angle by which the vehicle has rotated relative to the roadway as a result of the event; and

executing an automatic intervention into the driving operation, by which the vehicle is substantially rotated back by the relative yaw angle.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, to detect an event, performing a plausibility test in which a relationship between a yaw behavior of the vehicle and a steering response of a driver is determined.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting an event with the aid of a sensor system for collision detection, by analyzing at least one of an airbag sensor and a sensor for detecting a tire defect.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a yaw angle by which the vehicle has rotated away from an original direction as a result of the event.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a change of the vehicle yaw angle over time since an occurrence of the event is integrated in order to determine the change in yaw angle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a velocity of the vehicle after an occurrence of the event is integrated, and an angle is determined, with allowance for a curvature of the roadway, by which a direction of the roadway has changed since the occurrence of the event.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a vehicle that was moving on a straight path in a certain direction before an occurrence of the event is guided back to a straight line in the same direction after the occurrence of the event.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the automatic intervention is carried out with the aid of at least one of a brake system, a steering system and an active differential of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the automatic intervention is carried out in conjunction with a control or regulation.

10. A device for influencing a direction of travel of a vehicle which is moving in a certain direction on a roadway, the device comprising:

means for monitoring a driving operation in reference to an event due to which the travel direction of the vehicle changes, deviating from the travel direction specified at a steering wheel;

means for determining a relative yaw angle by which the vehicle has rotated relative to the roadway as a result of the event; and

means for executing an automatic intervention into the driving operation, by which the vehicle is substantially rotated back by the relative yaw angle.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the device is a controller for the vehicle.