Method and device for determining the inertial position of a vehicle

• US 6,178,375 B1
• Filed: 05/17/1999
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Breunig, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donnelly, Arthur D.
• Application Number:
  US09/308,473
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/103, 701/37, 701/220, 701/221, 701/124, 701/72, 701/79, 280/5.507, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/124
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01306 monitoring vehicle inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01325 Vertical acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value

Abstract

The method of determining respective rotational position angles (αx,αy,αz) of a vehicle includes measuring respective accelerations (ax, ay, az) of the vehicle (FZ) in the x, y and z directions; calculating first position angle values (φx1,φx2) and second position angle values (φy1,φy2) from the measured accelerations according to equations (1) and (2):

φx1=arcsin {ay/g} φy1=arcsin {ax/g}  (1)

φx2=arccos{az/g} φy2=arccos{az/g}  (2)

wherein g is the acceleration of gravity; determining respective inertial position angles (φx,φy) as the smaller of the first position angle values (φx1,φx2) and of the second position angle values (φy1,φy2); measuring corresponding rotation rates (ωx,ωy,ωz) of the vehicle and determining the respective rotational position angles (αx,αy,αz) by integration of corresponding rotation rates with the respective inertial position angles (φx,φy) as initial values.

Claims

1. A method for determining respective inertial position angles (φ

x,φ

y) of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of;

a) measuring respective accelerations (ax, ay, az) of the vehicle (FZ) in a direction of a longitudinal axis (x) thereof, in a direction of a transverse axis (y) thereof and in a direction of a vertical axis (z) thereof; and

b) calculating first position angle values (φ

x1,φ

x2) and second position angle values (φ

y1,φ

y2) from said respective measured accelerations assuming only gravity acts on said vehicle according to equations (1) and (2);

2. A method of determining respective rotational position angles (α

x,α

y,α

z) of a vehicle;

said method comprising the steps of;

a) measuring respective accelerations (ax, ay, az) of the vehicle (FZ) in a direction of a longitudinal axis (x) thereof, in a direction of a transverse axis (y) thereof and in a direction of a vertical axis (z) thereof; and

b) calculating first position angle values (φ

x1,φ

x2) and second position angle values (φ

y1,φ

y2) from said respective measured accelerations assuming only gravity acts on said vehicle according to equations (1) and (2);

3. An arrangement for determining respective inertial position angles (φ

x,φ

y) of a vehicle, said arrangement comprising;

means for measuring respective accelerations (ax, ay, az) of the vehicle (FZ) in a direction of a longitudinal axis (x) thereof, in a direction of a transverse axis (y) thereof and in a direction of a vertical axis (z) thereof; and

means for determining first position angle values (φ

x1,φ

x2) and second position angle values (φ

y1, φ

y2) from said respective measured accelerations assuming only gravity acts on said vehicle according to equations (1) and (2);

4. An arrangement for determining respective rotational position angles (α

x,α

y,α

z) of a vehicle;

said method comprising the steps of;

means for measuring respective accelerations (ax, ay, az) of the vehicle (FZ) in a direction of a longitudinal axis (x) thereof, in a direction of a transverse axis (y) thereof and in a direction of a vertical axis (z) thereof; and

means for calculating first position angle values (φ

x1, φ

x2) and second position angle values (φ

y1, φ

y2) from said respective measured accelerations assuming only gravity acts on said vehicle according to equations (1) and (2);