Method for detecting laterally inclined bends

• US 6,175,781 B1
• Filed: 05/12/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Maier, Holger, Gesele, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/310,606
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/37, 701/38, 701/80, 701/65, 701/94, 280/5.502, 280/5.506, 303/139, 303/140
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0162 mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking B60G17/0164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0511 Roll angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0194 transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/24 Steering, cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/70 Estimating or calculating vehicle parameters or state variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/702 Improving accuracy of a sensor signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/22 Banked curves
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/04 responsive only to forces disturbing the intended course of the vehicle, e.g. forces acting transversely to the direction of vehicle travel
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/44 for measuring angular speed G01P3/56 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for detecting laterally inclined bends being traversed by a vehicle uses a bend-specific value, such as the rotation rate, lateral acceleration or steering angle of the vehicle, the bend-specific value being simultaneously determined by a plurality of different measuring systems. The plurality of determined values are sorted by magnitude to obtain an indication of whether a laterally inclined bend is being encountered by the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a laterally inclined bend traversed by a vehicle comprising the steps of:

selecting a vehicle operating condition parameter;

determining a plurality of values of the selected parameter simultaneously by means of a like plurality of different measuring systems which are based on different physical methods; and

detecting the laterally inclined bend by a comparison of magnitudes of absolute values of the plurality of values simultaneously determined by the different measuring systems.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating condition parameter comprises a rotation rate (Ψ

) of the vehicle and wherein the plurality of values of the rotation rate are determined by;

a rotation rate sensor producing a first rotation rate value (Ψ

_D),

a lateral acceleration sensor producing a lateral acceleration (a_M) and a speed sensor producing a vehicle speed (v), a_M and v used to calculate a second rotation rate value (Ψ

_AM), and

a steering angle sensor producing a steering angle δ

_M and a speed sensor producing a vehicle speed (v), δ

_M and v used to calculate a third rotation rate value (Ψ

_F).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating condition parameter comprises a lateral acceleration (a) of the vehicle and wherein the plurality of values of the acceleration are determined by:

a lateral acceleration sensor producing a first lateral acceleration value (a_M),

a rotation rate sensor producing a rotation rate (Ψ

_M) of the vehicle, and a speed sensor producing a vehicle speed (v), Ψ

_M and v used to calculate a second lateral acceleration value (a_Ψ

) and

a steering angle sensor producing a steering angle (δ

_M) of the vehicle, and a speed sensor producing a vehicle speed (v), δ

_M and v used to calculate a third lateral acceleration value (a_δ

).

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the measured lateral acceleration (a_M) is rectified to a corrected lateral acceleration (a_K) by correcting the measured lateral acceleration value (a_M) by gravitational acceleration (g).

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the two signs of the corrected lateral acceleration value (a_K) and the rotation rate value ({dot over (Ψ

)}_D), simultaneously measured by the rotation rate sensor, are used to assess the inclination of the roadway.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating condition parameter comprises a steering angle (δ

) of the vehicle and wherein the plurality of values of the steering angle are determined by;

a steering angle sensor producing a first steering angle value (δ

_M),

a lateral acceleration sensor producing a lateral acceleration (a) of the vehicle, and a speed sensor producing a vehicle speed (v), (a) and (v) used to calculate a second steering angle value (δ

_a), and

a rotation rate sensor producing a rotation rate (Ψ

), and a speed sensor producing a vehicle speed (v), Ψ and

v used to calculate a third steering angle value (δ

_Ψ

).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the simultaneously determined plurality of values of the selected parameter are sorted in terms of magnitude, and the sequence of the magnitudes determined in different ways indicates one of a laterally inclined right-hand bend, a laterally inclined left-hand bend, or the absence of a laterally inclined bend.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a counter raises its value on each occasion when a laterally inclined bend is detected.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a counter lowers its value on each occasion when an absence of a laterally inclined bend is detected.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a determination of a laterally inclined bend is relayed to a vehicle dynamics stability controller, a vehicle safety device or to a vehicle driver when a count value of the counter falls outside a defined range of values.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a determination of a laterally inclined bend is relayed to a vehicle dynamics stability controller, a vehicle safety device or to a vehicle driver only when a count value of the counter falls outside a defined range of values.