SEMI-STATIONARY SURFACE

• US 20180215373A1
• Filed: 01/27/2017
• Published: 08/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Varnhagen, Scott, Cohen, Schuyler, Strom, Johannes, Atmeh, Ghassan, Kassar, Alice
• Granted Patent: US 10,703,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/001 of tables or trays
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/025 related to comfort of drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions

Abstract

A computer is programmed to predict, based at least in part on a stored road topology for a predetermined vehicle route, a vehicle body orientation based on lateral, longitudinal, and vertical accelerations predicted for the route. The computer is programmed to, based on the predicted vehicle body orientation, adjust at least one of an orientation of the vehicle body and an orientation of an object in the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the route.

Claims

1. A computer, programmed to:

predict, based on a stored road topology for a predetermined vehicle route, a vehicle body orientation based on lateral, longitudinal, and vertical accelerations predicted for the route; and

based on the predicted vehicle body orientation, adjust at least one of an orientation of the vehicle body and an orientation of an object in the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the route.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein adjusting at least one of the orientation of the vehicle body and the orientation of the object in the vehicle further includes causing a compensating acceleration of at least one of the vehicle body and the object, wherein the compensating acceleration evens out at least one of the predicted lateral, longitudinal, and vertical accelerations.

3. The computer of claim 1, wherein adjusting at least one of the orientation of the vehicle body and the orientation of the object in the vehicle further includes leveling at least one of the vehicle body and the object.

4. The computer of claim 1, wherein an orientation includes a roll, a pitch, a vertical position, and a yaw.

5. The computer of claim 1, further programmed to predict a future vehicle body orientation based on a current vehicle body orientation.

6. The computer of claim 1, further programmed to predict a future vehicle body orientation based on a rate of change of a current vehicle body orientation.

7. The computer of claim 1, further programmed to predict a future vehicle body orientation by

receiving a dynamic model of the vehicle body;

identifying a current vehicle body orientation;

predicting the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical accelerations; and

estimating a change of the current vehicle body orientation based at least in part on the received dynamic model, the identified current vehicle body orientation, and the predicted lateral, longitudinal and vertical accelerations.

8. The computer of claim 1, wherein the road topology includes at least one of a road longitudinal slope, a road lateral slope, road curvature coordinates, and location coordinates of a pothole.

9. The computer of claim 1, further programmed to:

receive a dynamic model of a table movably mounted to the vehicle body;

identify a current table orientation;

predict a change of the table orientation based on the current table orientation and the predicted lateral, longitudinal and vertical accelerations; and

adjust the table orientation based on the predicted change of the table orientation.

10. The computer of claim 9, further programmed to identify the current table orientation based on data received from a table orientation sensor.

11. A method, comprising:

predicting, based at least in part on a stored road topology for a predetermined vehicle route, a vehicle body orientation based on lateral, longitudinal, and vertical accelerations predicted for the route; and

based on the predicted vehicle body orientation, adjusting at least one of an orientation of the vehicle body and an orientation of an object in the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the route.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting at least one of the orientation of the vehicle body and the orientation of the object in the vehicle further includes causing a compensating acceleration of at least one of the vehicle body and the object, wherein the compensating acceleration evens out at least one of the predicted lateral, longitudinal, and vertical accelerations.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein causing the compensating acceleration further includes:

determining an actuation instruction, wherein the compensating acceleration caused by the determined actuation instruction evens out at least one of the predicted lateral, longitudinal, and vertical accelerations; and

actuating a vehicle actuator based on the determined actuation instruction.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting at least one of the orientation of the vehicle body and the orientation of the object in the vehicle further includes leveling at least one of the vehicle body and the object.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein leveling includes maintaining at least one of a zero pitch and a zero roll of at least one of the vehicle body and the object.

16. The method of claim 11, further includes predicting a future vehicle body orientation based on a current vehicle body orientation.

17. The method of claim 11, further includes predicting a future vehicle body orientation based on a rate of change of a current vehicle body orientation.

18. The method of claim 11, further includes predicting a future vehicle body orientation by:

receiving a dynamic model of the vehicle body;

identifying a current vehicle body orientation;

predicting the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical accelerations; and

estimating a change of the current vehicle body orientation based at least in part on the received dynamic model, the identified current vehicle body orientation, and the predicted lateral, longitudinal and vertical accelerations.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the road topology includes at least one of a road longitudinal slope, a road lateral slope, road curvature coordinates, and location coordinates of a pothole.

20. The method of claim 11, further includes:

receiving a dynamic model of a table movably mounted to the vehicle body;

identifying a current table orientation;

predicting a change of the table orientation based on the current table orientation and the predicted lateral, longitudinal and vertical accelerations; and

adjusting the table orientation based on the predicted change of the table orientation.