Device for determining initial correction factor for correcting rotational velocity of tire

• US 5,959,202 A
• Filed: 12/15/1997
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Nakajima, Mikao
• Primary Examiner(s): FELBER, JOSEPH LEON
• Application Number:
  US08/990,532
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 73/146.2, 340/444, 702/148, 702/140, 701/70
• US Class Current: 73/146.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/04 Special adaptations of driving means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/02 of speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/56 for comparing two speeds

Abstract

A device for finding correction factors for correcting outputs of rotational velocity detectors used for detecting the rotational velocities of four tires mounted on a vehicle. The device judges whether or not the vehicle is traveling linearly. If the vehicle is traveling linearly, an initial correction factor K₁ for eliminating the effect of a difference in effective rolling radius between the right and left front tires, and an initial correction factor K₂ for eliminating the effect of a difference in effective rolling radius between the right and left rear tires, are calculated on the basis of the outputs of the rotational velocity detectors. When it is judged that the vehicle is coasting linearly, an initial correction factor K₃ for eliminating the effect of a difference in effective rolling radius between the front tire and the rear tire is calculated.

Claims

1. A device for determining a correction factor for correcting an output of a rotational velocity detector, the detector for detecting the rotational angular velocities of four tires mounted on a vehicle, the device comprising:

means for judging whether or not the vehicle is traveling linearly; and

means for calculating initial correction factors K1 and K2 when the linear travel judging means judges that the vehicle is traveling linearly, wherein the initial correction factor K1 is for eliminating an effect of a difference in effective rolling radius depending on an initial difference between right and left front tires on the rotational velocity of the tires and the initial correction factor K2 is for eliminating an effect of a difference in effective rolling radius depending on an initial difference between right and left rear tires on the rotational velocities of the tires on the basis of the output of the rotational velocity detector.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising:

coasting judging means for judging whether or not the vehicle is coasting, and means for calculating an initial correction factor K3 when the linear travel judging means judges that the vehicle is traveling linearly and the coasting judging means judges that the vehicle is coasting, wherein the initial correction factor K3 is for eliminating an effect of a difference in effective rolling radius on the rotational velocities of the tires, depending on an initial difference between a front tire and a rear tire on the same side of the vehicle, and wherein the initial correction factor K3 is calculated on the basis of the calculated initial correction factors K1 and K2 and the output of the rotational velocity detector.

3. A device according to claim 1, further comprising:

cornering judging means for judging whether or not the vehicle is cornering, means for determining a slip factor Rs, and means for calculating an initial correction factor K3 when the cornering judging means judges that the vehicle is cornering, wherein the initial correction factor K3 is for eliminating an effect of a difference in effective rolling radius on the rotational velocities of the tires, depending on an initial difference between a front tire and a rear tire on the same side of the vehicle, and wherein the initial correction factor K3 is calculated by substituting the output of the rotational velocity detector, the calculated initial correction factors K1 and K2 and the determined slip factor Rs into a preset correction factor expression.

4. A device according to claim 3, further comprising:

means for calculating a judging value D for judging whether a drop in air pressure of at least one of the tires has occurred, on the basis of the output of the rotational velocity detector, wherein the means for determining the slip factor Rs includes means for substituting a lateral acceleration LA of the vehicle and the judging value D into a slip factor expression, to find the slip factor Rs.

5. A device according to claim 3, further comprising:

means for judging whether or not the slip factor Rs has a value within a preset range, and

means for inhibiting the calculation of the initial correction factor K3 if the slip factor judging means judges that the slip factor Rs takes a value within the preset range.

6. A device according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for calculating a lateral acceleration LA of the vehicle on the basis of the output of the rotational velocity detector,

means for calculating a judging value D for judging whether there has been a drop in air pressure of at least one of the tires on the basis of the output of the rotational velocity detector,

means for substituting a lateral acceleration LA of the vehicle and the judging value D thus calculated into a slip factor expression, to find a slip factor Rs, and

means for calculating an initial correction factor K3 when the cornering judging means judges that the vehicle is cornering, wherein the initial correction factor K3 is for eliminating an effect of a difference in effective rolling radius on the rotational velocities of the tires, depending on an initial difference between a front tire and a rear tire on the same side of the vehicle, and wherein the initial correction factor K3 is calculated by substituting the output of the rotational velocity detector, the calculated initial correction factors K1 and K2, and the determined slip factor Rs into an initial correction factor expression.

7. A device according to claim 1, further comprising:

coasting judging means for judging whether or not the vehicle is coasting, means for calculating an initial correction factor Kx when the linear travel judging means judges that the vehicle is traveling linearly and the coasting judging means judges that the vehicle is coasting, wherein the initial correction factor Kx is for eliminating an effect of a difference in effective rolling radius on the rotational velocities of the tires, depending on an initial difference between a front tire and a rear tire on the same side of the vehicle, and wherein the initial correction factor Kx is calculated on the basis of the calculated initial correction factors K1 and K2 and the output of the rotational velocity detector;

cornering judging means for judging whether or not the vehicle is cornering;

means for determining a slip factor Rs,

means for calculating an initial correction factor Ky when the cornering judging means judges that the vehicle is cornering, wherein the initial correction factor Ky is for eliminating an effect of a difference in effective rolling radius on the rotational velocities of the tires, depending on the initial difference between the front tire and the rear tire, and wherein the initial correction factor Ky is calculated by substituting the output of the rotational velocity detector, the calculated initial correction factors K1 and K2 and the determined slip factor Rs into a preset initial correction factor expression; and

means for judging which of the calculated initial correction factors Kx and Ky is higher in precision,

means for taking the initial correction factor Kx or Ky, which is judged to be higher in precision as a final initial correction factor K3 for eliminating the effect on the rotational velocities of the tires of the difference in effective rolling radius depending on the initial difference between the front tire and the rear tire.

8. A device according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for calculating a judging value D for judging whether a drop in air pressure of the tires has occurred, on the basis of the output of the rotational velocity detector, wherein the means for judging value D into a slip factor expression, to find the slip factor Rs.

9. A device according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for judging whether or not the slip factor Rs has a value within a preset range, and

means for inhibiting the calculation of the initial correction factor K3 if the slip factor judging means judges that the slip factor Rs has a value with the preset range.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein

the means for calculating the initial correction factor Kx includes means for subjecting a first plurality of data to averaging,

the means for calculating the initial correction factor Ky includes means for subjecting a second plurality of data to averaging, and

the means for judging which of the initial correction factors Kx and Ky is higher in precision includes means for judging the precision on the basis of the numbers of the data which have been subjected to the respective averaging.

11. A device according to claim 1, further comprising:

coasting judging means for judging whether or not the vehicle is coasting,

means for calculating an initial correction factor Kx when the linear travel judging means judges that the vehicle is traveling linearly and the coasting judging means judges that the vehicle is coasting, wherein the initial correction factor Kx is for eliminating an effect of a difference in effective rolling radius on the rotational velocities of the tires, depending on an initial difference between a front tire and a rear tire on the same side of the vehicle, and wherein the initial correction factor Kx is calculated on the basis of the calculated initial correction factors K1 and K2 and the output of the rotational velocity detector;

means for calculating a lateral acceleration LA of the vehicle on the basis of the output of the rotational velocity detector,

means for calculating a judging value D for judging whether a drop in air pressure of the tires has occurred, on the basis of the output of the rotational velocity detector,

means for substituting a lateral acceleration LA of the vehicle and the judging value D thus calculated into a slip factor expression, to calculate a slip factor Rs, and

cornering judging means for judging whether or not the vehicle is cornering on the basis of the calculated lateral acceleration LA of the vehicle,

means for calculating an initial correction factor Ky when the cornering judging means judges that the vehicle is cornering, wherein the initial correction factor Ky is for eliminating an effect of a difference in effective rolling radius on the rotational velocities of the tires, depending on an initial difference between the front tire and the rear tire, and wherein the initial correction factor Ky is calculated by substituting the output of the rotational velocity detector, the calculated initial correction factors K1 and K2, and the calculated slip factor Rs into an initial correction factor expression; and

means for judging which of the calculated initial correction factors Kx and Ky is higher in precision,

means for taking the initial correction factor Kx or Ky, which is judged to be higher in precision as a final initial correction factor K3 for eliminating the effect on the rotational velocities of the tires of the difference in effective rolling radius depending on the initial difference between the front tire and the rear tire.