PROACTIVE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20130085639A1
• Filed: 10/04/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Gjoni, Ermal, Sethi, Lalit Kumar, Hernandaz, Hector, Gammouh, Roy
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/122 Pre-actuation in case of ESP control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/02 Active Steering, Steer-by-Wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17555 specially adapted for enhancing driver or passenger comfort, e.g. soft intervention or pre-actuation strategies

Abstract

A method of controlling stability of a vehicle comprises monitoring vehicle information with an electronic control unit. An approaching unstable driving condition is detected from the vehicle information with an electronic control unit. A signal is sent from the electronic control unit to at least one vehicle system to apply at least one proactive vehicle stability control action prior to the occurrence of the unstable driving condition.

Claims

1. A method of controlling stability of a vehicle comprising:

monitoring vehicle information with an electronic control unit;

detecting an approaching unstable driving condition from the vehicle information with an electronic control unit prior to the occurrence of the unstable driving condition; and

sending at least one output signal of a first signal series from the electronic control unit to at least one vehicle system to apply at least one proactive vehicle stability control action prior to the occurrence of the unstable driving condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring the vehicle information includes monitoring at least one of;

a GPS system, a weather sensor, a wheel sensor, a steering sensor and a brake sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the at least one output signal of the first signal series from the electronic control unit to the at least one vehicle system to apply at least one proactive vehicle stability control action includes sending a first output signal to activate at least one of a visual, auditory and haptic warning for the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sending the at least one output signal of the first signal series from the electronic control unit to the at least one vehicle system includes sending a second output signal to a steering system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sending the at least one output signal of the first signal series from the electronic control unit to the at least one vehicle system includes sending a third output signal to a brake system to pre-charge at least one vehicle brake.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sending the at least one output signal of the first signal series from the electronic control unit to the at least one vehicle system includes sending a fourth output signal to the brake system to apply at least one vehicle brake.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a second signal series to at least one vehicle system to apply at least one vehicle stability control reaction to correct an unstable driving condition when a current unstable driving condition is detected from the monitored vehicle information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first signal series and the second signal series are sent by the electronic control unit for an electronic stability control system.

9. A method of controlling stability of a vehicle comprising:

monitoring vehicle information with an electronic control unit;

detecting an approaching unstable driving condition from the vehicle information prior to the occurrence of the unstable driving condition; and

sending a signal to at least one vehicle system to apply at least one proactive vehicle stability control action prior to the occurrence of the unstable driving condition.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitoring the vehicle information includes monitoring at least one of;

a GPS system, a weather sensor, a wheel sensor, a steering sensor and a brake sensor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the detecting an approaching unstable driving condition and the sending a signal to at least one vehicle system are performed by an electronic control unit.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the detecting an approaching unstable driving condition includes utilizing GPS and road map information to determine a current vehicle position, contour of an approaching road and current weather conditions for the approaching road.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the sending the signal to the at least one vehicle system to apply at least one proactive vehicle stability control action includes sending a signal to activate at least one of;

a visual warning, an auditory warning, a haptic warning, a steering system action, a brake system pre-charge, and a brake system action.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting a current unstable driving condition from the monitored vehicle information; and

sending a second signal to apply at least one vehicle stability control reaction to correct an unstable driving condition.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the detecting an approaching unstable driving condition and the detecting a current unstable driving condition are performed by an electronic control unit for an electronic stability control system.