Path correction for lane change analysis

• US 6,353,777 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2000
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Harmison, David Wayne, Holmes, Jerry Alan, Metzger, James Christopher, Boyd, Kenneth James
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/639,570
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/37, 180/41, 280/5.5
• 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 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/019 characterised by the type of sensor or the arrangement thereof B60G17/01941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/104 lateral or transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/824 Travel path sensing; Track monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/91 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/188 Spectral analysis; Transformations
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/702 Improving accuracy of a sensor signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/704 predicting unorthodox driving conditions for safe or optimal driving

Abstract

A vehicle response apparatus has a sensor 24 coupled to a training classifier 14 that is used to determine a vehicle response using a standard path. The trained classifier 14 is trained to have a frequency response so that as data from a driven path is input to the classifier 14, classifier 14 generates data as if the path was the standard path.

Claims

1. A method of determining a vehicle response comprising the steps of:

training a translator by inputting vehicle properties;

determining a standard path; and

,

determining the vehicle response as a function of said translator and said standard path.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of determining the vehicle response comprises the steps of determining a corrected wheel travel as a function of said translator and said standard path.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said step of determining the vehicle response comprises calculating a maximum extension of a vehicle suspension.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of training comprises performing a plurality of test runs and recording driver inputs and said vehicle response thereto.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising calculating performance metrics according to said vehicle response.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said translator has a non-linear frequency response function.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said translator has a linear frequency response function.

8. A response apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a sensor having a sensor output corresponding to a traveled path of the vehicle; and

,

a training classifier having a response function program therein and a standard path input coupled to the sensor, said response function corresponding to a standard path, said classifier having an output corresponding to a vehicle response through a standard path as a function of said response function and said sensor output.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said training classifier has a non-linear frequency response function.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said training classifier has a linear frequency response function.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said sensor comprises a lateral acceleration sensor.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 further comprising a second sensor.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said second sensor comprises a measured wheel travel sensor.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said trained classifier calculates performance metrics according to said vehicle response.

15. A method of determining a vehicle response of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

applying sensor data to a translator having a response function therein;

translating the sensor data to standard path data in the translator; and

,

determining the vehicle response as a function of said response function and said sensor data.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein said response function is a frequency response function.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said frequency response function comprises a non-linear frequency response function.

18. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said frequency response function comprises a linear response function.

19. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising the step of training a translator by inputting test sensor data.

20. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein said step of determining a vehicle response comprises the steps of determining a corrected wheel travel as a function of said translator and said standard path.

21. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein said step of determining a vehicle response comprises calculating a maximum extension of a vehicle suspension.