METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE STABILITY OF A VEHICLE, IN PARTICULAR A UTILITY VEHICLE

• US 20110112723A1
• Filed: 02/24/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabco GmbH (Wabco Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wabco GmbH (Wabco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Reich, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,483,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 Overturn, rollover
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/03 Vehicle yaw rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/313 with less than three sensors (yaw rate, steering angle, lateral acceleration)
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17554 specially adapted for enhancing stability around the vehicles longitudinal axle, i.e. roll-over prevention road vehicle drive control systems for roll-over prevention otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/04

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling the stability of a vehicle, in particular a utility vehicle, in which an anti-tilt control method is carried out in which at least one lateral acceleration signal (ay), one steering wheel angle signal (LRW) and one vehicle speed signal (v) are sensed and control signals (S1, S2) for vehicle interventions are formed therefrom and output, and a yaw control method is carried out during which the steering wheel angle signal (LRW), the lateral acceleration signal (ay) and the vehicle speed signal (v) are sensed, a yaw rate setpoint value signal (ψs) and a yaw rate actual value signal (ψi) are determined and compared with one another and a yaw control process is carried out during which control signals (S3, S4, S5) for vehicle interventions are formed and output.

Claims

1. Method for controlling the stability of a vehicle, in particular a utility vehicle, in which

an anti-tilt control method is carried out in which at least one lateral acceleration signal (ay), one steering wheel angle signal (LRW) and one vehicle speed signal (v) are received and control signals (S1, S2) for vehicle interventions are formed therefrom and output, and

a yaw control method is carried out during which the steering wheel angle signal (LRW), the lateral acceleration signal (ay) and the vehicle speed signal (v) are received, a yaw rate setpoint value signal (ψ

s) and a yaw rate actual value signal (ψ

i) are determined and compared with one another, and a yaw control process is carried out during which control signals (S3, S4, S5) for vehicle interventions are formed and output.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the yaw rate actual value signal (ψ

i) is determined, in particular estimated, from at least the lateral acceleration signal (ay) and the vehicle speed signal (v) without using a yaw rate sensor or a yaw rate measurement signal.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the yaw control method,

a yaw rate setpoint value signal (ψ

s) is determined from the steering wheel angle signal (LRW) and the vehicle speed signal (v),

the yaw rate actual value signal (ψ

i) is estimated from the lateral acceleration signal (ay) and the vehicle speed signal (v), and the yaw rate setpoint value signal (ψ

s) and the yaw rate actual value signal (ψ

i) are compared and a yaw controller (20) is actuated as a function of the comparison.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the yaw rate actual value signal (ψ

i) is estimated from a ratio between the lateral acceleration (ay) and the vehicle speed (v).

5. Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the yaw controller (20) actuates a controller (21) for an engine torque and/or at least one brake controller (22, 23).

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the brake controller (22, 23) is a brake slip controller (22), preferably of the rear axle of the traction vehicle, which acts per side of the vehicle, and/or a brake controller (23) of a trailer.

7. Method according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the yaw control method is carried out only when understeering of the traction vehicle or an inclination of the traction vehicle to understeer is detected.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that, when understeering of the traction vehicle or an inclination of the traction vehicle to understeer is detected, the wheel on a rear axle or on both rear axles which is on the inside of a bend is braked.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the anti-tilt control method, a vehicle mass signal (m) is additionally received, a tilting limit of the vehicle is estimated from the vehicle mass signal (m), and in a downstream comparison device (10) a tilting state and/or a risk of tilting and/or a probability of tilting are determined from at least the estimated tilting limit and tilting dynamics which are estimated from the steering wheel angle signal (LRW) and the vehicle speed signal (v).

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that a reference value of a control system, preferably of a brake control system (ABS, EBS) is used as a vehicle speed signal (v).

11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, during the comparison of the estimated tilting limit with the estimated tilting dynamics, the lateral acceleration signal (ay) is additionally received, and an anti-tilt controller (12) is actuated on the basis of the result of the comparison.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the anti-tilt controller (12) actuates a deceleration controller (14) for one or more brakes, preferably all the brakes, of the traction vehicle and of the trailer vehicle.

13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the anti-tilt controller (12) actuates a controller (15) for an engine torque.

14. Device for controlling the stability of a vehicle, which has:

an anti-tilt control system (2), which receives at least one lateral acceleration signal (ay) from a lateral acceleration sensor (4), a steering wheel angle signal (LRW) from a steering wheel angle sensor (5) and a vehicle speed signal (v) and forms control signals (S1, S2) for vehicle interventions therefrom and outputs said control signals, and a yaw control system (3) which receives the lateral acceleration signal (ay), the steering wheel angle signal (LRW) and the vehicle speed signal (v), determines a yaw rate setpoint value signal (ψ

s) and a yaw rate actual value signal (ψ

i) and compares them with one another, carries out a yaw control process, and outputs control signals (S3, S4, S5) for vehicle interventions.

15. Device according to claim 14, characterized in that the yaw control system (3) is embodied without including a yaw rate sensor or a yaw rate measurement signal.

16. Device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the yaw control system (3) has:

a device (16) for determining a yaw rate setpoint value signal (ψ

s), which device (16) receives at least the steering wheel angle signal (LRW) and the vehicle speed signal (v),

a device (17) for determining a yaw rate actual value signal (ψ

i), which device (17) receives at least the lateral acceleration signal (ay) and the vehicle speed signal (v), and

a comparison device (18) which receives the yaw rate setpoint value signal (ψ

s) and the yaw rate actual value signal (ψ

i) and compares them with one another, and a yaw controller (20) which receives an output signal (c5) of the comparison device (18).

17. Device according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the device (17) for determining the yaw rate actual value signal (ψ

i) estimates the yaw rate actual value signal (ψ

i) from a ratio between the lateral acceleration (ay) and the vehicle speed (v).

18. Device according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the yaw controller (20) actuates a controller (21) for an engine torque and/or at least one controller (22, 23) for a braking intervention.

19. Device according to claim 18, characterized in that the yaw controller (20) actuates a controller (22) for brake slip control per side, preferably of the rear axle of the traction vehicle, and/or a brake controller (23) of a trailer.

20. Device according to one of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that the yaw control system (3) carries out the yaw control method only when understeering of the traction vehicle or a tendency of the traction vehicle to understeer is detected.

21. Method according to claim 20 and claim 19, characterized in that, when understeering or the tendency of the traction vehicle to understeer is detected, the yaw controller (20) actuates the controller (22) in order to brake the wheel on the inside of a bend of a rear axle or of both rear axles.

22. Device according to one of claims 14 to 21, characterized in that the anti-tilt control system (2) receives a vehicle mass signal (m), for example from a further brake control system (ABS, EBS), in particular a brake slip control system.

23. Device according to one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that the anti-tilt control system (2) has:

a device (8) for estimating a tilting limit, which device (8) receives a vehicle mass signal (m),

a device (9) for estimating tilting dynamics, which device (9) receives the steering wheel angle signal (LRW) and the vehicle speed signal (v),

a comparison device (10) for receiving the output signals (c1, c2) of the device (8) for estimating a tilting limit and the device (9) for estimating tilting dynamics, for receiving the lateral acceleration signal (ay) and for outputting an anti-tilt comparison signal (c3),

an anti-tilt controller (12) for receiving the anti-tilt comparison signal (c3) and actuating a deceleration controller (14) for brakes and/or for actuating a controller (15) for an engine torque.

24. Device according to claim 23, characterized in that the deceleration controller (14) is a controller for one or more brakes, preferably all the brakes, of the traction vehicle and of the trailer vehicle.