Process for driving stability control with control via pressure gradients
First Claim
1. In a yaw control system of a vehicle having a plurality of wheel brakes, a method for determining pressure adjustments for the brakes, individually, and applying the pressure adjustments to adjust a yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle by the brakes, comprising the steps of:
- (1) detecting a condition in which an increase in the brake pressure applied to a first one of the brakes is required to apply the yawing moment to the vehicle while a driver of the vehicle is actuating the brakes to apply a first braking force to the vehicle;
(2) determining a reduction in pressure that is applied to a second one of the brakes, such that a total braking force applied to the vehicle does not exceed the first braking force when the pressure applied to the first brake is increased; and
(3) reducing pressure in the second brake before initiating the increase in the pressure applied to the first brake.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control process for the driving stability control of a motor vehicle is provided. The signal sent out by a control law unit to generate the necessary additional torque is sent to a distribution logic unit, which subsequently sends the pressure signals used to actuate the individual wheel brakes. The superimposition of these pressure signals and the pressure signal characterizing the driver'"'"'s desire to brake (as well as the subsequent superimposition of these adjusting signals to adjusting signals arriving from other brake pressure controllers, such as ABS, TSC, EBV) leads to interfaces in which differing physical variables must be compared or superimposed. The necessary conversion of these variables is expensive and increases the inaccuracy of the control system. Simplified interfaces are provided, to achieve improved processing of the brake pressure desired by the driver, and possibly to avoid the conversion of the individual signal variables. Pressure gradient signals are sent, to the output of the distribution logic unit, and are superimposed with corresponding gradient signals from other brake pressure control circuits. A priority circuit processes the pressure signals of the individual wheels such that commands to reduce the pressure are processed first, after which the commands to hold pressure, and finally the commands to build up pressure are processed.
81 Citations
26 Claims
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1. In a yaw control system of a vehicle having a plurality of wheel brakes, a method for determining pressure adjustments for the brakes, individually, and applying the pressure adjustments to adjust a yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle by the brakes, comprising the steps of:
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(1) detecting a condition in which an increase in the brake pressure applied to a first one of the brakes is required to apply the yawing moment to the vehicle while a driver of the vehicle is actuating the brakes to apply a first braking force to the vehicle; (2) determining a reduction in pressure that is applied to a second one of the brakes, such that a total braking force applied to the vehicle does not exceed the first braking force when the pressure applied to the first brake is increased; and (3) reducing pressure in the second brake before initiating the increase in the pressure applied to the first brake.
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2. A method for controlling driving stability of a vehicle which has sensors for measuring a velocity, a steering angle and a measured yaw variable, and a plurality of brakes to which respective braking pressures are applied, individually, comprising the steps of:
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(a) measuring the velocity, the steering angle and the measured yaw variable; (b) determining a desired yaw variable from the velocity and the steering angle; (c) determining a difference between the measured yaw variable and the desired yaw variable; (d) determining a control value representing the rate of change with respect to time of a yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle based on the difference, so that the measured yaw variable approaches the desired yaw variable; (e) determining pressure adjustments based on the control value that are applied to each brake, individually, to adjust the yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle by the brakes, including the steps of; (1) detecting a condition in which an increase in the brake pressure applied to a first one of the brakes is required to apply the yawing moment to the vehicle while a driver of the vehicle is actuating the brakes to apply a first braking force to the vehicle, (2) determining a reduction in pressure that is applied to a second one of the brakes, such that a total braking force applied to the vehicle does not exceed the first braking force when the pressure applied to the first brake is increased, and (3) reducing pressure in the second brake before initiating the increase in the pressure applied to the first brake. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for controlling driving stability of a vehicle which has sensors for measuring a velocity, a steering angle and a measured yaw variable, and a plurality of brakes to which respective braking pressures are applied, individually, each brake having valve means for adjusting the brake pressure applied to the brake comprising the steps of:
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(a) measuring the velocity, the steering angle and the measured yaw variable; (b) determining a desired yaw variable from the velocity and the steering angle; (c) determining a difference between the measured yaw variable and the desired yaw variable; (d) determining a control value representing the rate of change with respect to time of a yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle based on the difference, so that the measured yaw variable approaches the desired yaw variable; (e) determining pressure adjustments based on the control value that are applied to each brake, individually, to adjust the yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle by the brakes, (f) calculating first valve switch timing values, based on the pressure adjustments, for opening and closing the valve means of each brake, individually, so as to perform the pressure adjustments; (g) providing second valve switch timing values from an antilock braking system for controlling each brake, individually; (h) providing third valve switch timing values from a traction slip control system for controlling each brake, individually; (i) providing fourth valve switch timing values from a brake effort proportioning system for distributing braking pressure between the brakes of a front axle of the vehicle and the brakes of a rear axle of the vehicle; and (j) applying criteria to the first, second, third and fourth valve switch timing values, to determine prioritized valve switch timing values that are used to open and close the valve means of each brake.
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11. A control system for controlling driving stability of a vehicle which has a velocity, a steering angle, a sensor for providing signals representing a measured yaw variable, and a plurality of brakes to which respective braking pressures are applied, individually, comprising:
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vehicle model means responsive to a first value representing the velocity and a second value representing the steering angle for providing a value representing a desired yaw variable; comparing means responsive to the signals representing the measured yaw variable and the value representing the desired yaw variable for determining a difference therebetween; yawing moment control means responsive to the difference for determining a control value representing the rate of change with respect to time of a yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle, such that the measured yaw variable value approaches the desired yaw variable value; distribution logic means responsive to the control value for determining pressure adjustments that are applied to each brake, individually, to adjust the yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle by the brakes, including logic means for; (1) detecting a condition in which the distribution logic means determines that an increase in the brake pressure applied to a first one of the brakes is required to apply the yawing moment to the vehicle while a driver of the vehicle is actuating the brakes to apply a first braking force to the vehicle, and (2) determining a reduction in pressure that is applied to a second one of the brakes, such that a total braking force applied to the vehicle does not exceed the first braking force when the pressure applied to the first brake is increased, and (3) initiating the reduction in pressure in the second brake before initiating the increase in the pressure applied to the first brake. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A control system for controlling driving stability of a vehicle which has a velocity, a steering angle, a sensor for providing signals representing a measured yaw variable, and a plurality of brakes to which respective braking pressures are applied, individually, comprising:
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vehicle model means responsive to a first value representing the velocity and a second value representing the steering angle for providing a value representing a desired yaw variable; comparing means responsive to the signals representing the measured yaw variable and the value representing the desired yaw variable for determining a difference therebetween; yawing moment control means responsive to the difference for determining a control value representing the rate of change with respect to time of a yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle, such that the measured yaw variable value approaches the desired yaw variable value; distribution logic means responsive to the control value for determining pressure adjustments that are applied to each brake, individually, to adjust the yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle by the brakes, said distribution logic means including means for determining the pressure adjustments according to the equation;
##EQU34## where xx is a position of one of the brakes and is selected from the group consisting of front-right, front-left, rear-right, and rear-left, .increment.Pxx is the change in pressure for wheel xx, cxx is a constant for brake xx, M is the rate of change with respect to time of the yawing moment applied to the vehicle, g1 is a weighting factor, Pbrake is a brake pressure applied by a driver of the vehicle, and Pxxist is an actual brake pressure applied to brake xx.
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19. A control system for controlling driving stability of a vehicle which has a velocity, a steering angle, a sensor for providing signals representing a measured yaw variable, and a plurality of brakes, each brake having valve means for adjusting the brake pressure applied to the brake, individually, comprising:
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vehicle model means responsive to a first value representing the velocity and a second value representing the steering angle for providing a value representing a desired yaw variable; comparing means responsive to the signals representing the measured yaw variable and the value representing the desired yaw variable for determining a difference therebetween; yawing moment control means responsive to the difference for determining a control value representing the rate of change with respect to time of a yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle, such that the measured yaw variable value approaches the desired yaw variable value; distribution logic means responsive to the control value for determining pressure adjustments that are applied to each brake, individually, to adjust the yawing moment that is applied to the vehicle by the brakes valve switch timing means, responsive to the pressure adjustments determined by the distribution logic means, for calculating first valve switch timing values for opening and closing the valve means of each brake, individually, so as to perform the pressure adjustments; an anti-lock braking system that provides second valve switch timing values for controlling each brake, individually; a traction slip control system that provides third valve switch timing values for controlling each brake, individually, brake effort proportioning means for providing fourth valve switch timing values for distributing braking pressure between the brakes of a front axle of the vehicle and the brakes of a rear axle of the vehicle; and prioritizing means, responsive to the first, second, third and fourth valve switch liming values, for applying criteria to determine prioritized valve switch timing values that are used to open and close the valve means of each brake.
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20. Control process for controlling the driving stability of a vehicle, in which the input variables, which are determined essentially by the desired travel curve, are converted into the desired value of a yaw angle variable on the basis of a vehicle model defined by calculated variables, and this desired value is compared in a comparison unit with the actual value of the yaw angle variable, which was determined by means of a sensor, wherein the difference value determined is sent to a control law unit, in which a torque variable is calculated, and it is used to set pressure variables, which generate an additional yawing moment via the wheel brakes of the vehicle, and this additional yawing moment causes the measured yaw angle variable to approach the calculated yaw angle variable, characterized in that the instantaneous velocity of the additional yawing moment and, if desired, in the form of a pressure signal, the driver'"'"'s desire to brake are sent as the output variable of the control law unit to a distribution logic unit, and that the distribution logic unit sends pressure gradients associated with the individual brakes of the vehicle, and these pressure gradients are subsequently converted into valve-switching rime signals, via which the brake valves on the wheels are actuated, and the pressure in the individual wheel brakes can be individually controlled,
wherein the distribution logic unit is provided with a logic block, which controls the value of the pressure gradient sent out such that the pressure gradients that bring about the pressure build-up on the wheel brake are sent out only when a corresponding reduction in pressure on another wheel below the brake pressure desired by the driver has taken place within the yawing moment control activity.
Specification