Vehicle wheel rotation detecting system and method

• US 6,559,634 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Noritaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): KINDER, DARRELL D
• Application Number:
  US09/956,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 324/161, 324/173, 324/174, 324/207.25, 324/207.21, 324/166, 303/92, 188/181, 701/29, 701/70
• US Class Current: 324/174
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation

Abstract

In a vehicle wheel rotation detecting system, a signal input portion of an ECU accurately detects a vehicle wheel speed and a rotating direction of the vehicle wheel speed of the respective wheels. On the basis of the detected results, the respective computers are operated to perform ABS control, TC control and VSC control. When a computing result of the vehicle wheel speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a change in the rotating direction is inhibited. This may prevent an error in the result of detection of the wheel rotating direction owing to an external magnetic filed and the like so as to further optimize the vehicle state control.

Claims

1. A vehicle wheel rotation detecting system, comprising:

a rotating member that rotates together with a vehicle wheel;

a detected portion, that is provided in the rotating member;

a first detector that generates a signal in response to a passage of the detected portion; and

a second detector that detects a rotating direction of the vehicle wheel in accordance with an output of the first detector, the rotating direction being adapted to be used by an on-board system;

wherein

when a rotating speed of the vehicle wheel is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a change in an output of the rotating direction is inhibited.

2. The vehicle wheel rotation detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the detected portion is at least one protrusion comprising a magnetic material.

3. The vehicle wheel rotation detecting system according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of protrusions of said at least one protrusion are formed at predetermined intervals on an outer periphery of the rotating member.

4. The vehicle wheel rotation detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the first detector comprises a pair of elements, and the second detector detects the rotating direction of the vehicle wheel on the basis of a difference in phases of pulse signals output from the pair of elements.

5. The vehicle wheel rotation detecting system according to claim 4, wherein the pair of elements comprise a semiconductor magnetic sensor.

6. The vehicle wheel rotation detecting system according to claim 1, further comprising a rotating speed detector that detects a rotating speed of the vehicle wheel on the basis of an interval of pulses of the signal generated from the first detector.

7. A vehicle wheel rotation detecting method comprising the steps of:

obtaining information of a rotating direction of a vehicle wheel on the basis of a signal generated by a detector in response to a passage of a detected portion, the detected portion mounted on a rotating member that rotates together with the vehicle wheel; and

calculating a rotating speed of the vehicle wheel on the basis of the detected signal;

wherein

when the rotating speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a change in an output of the rotating direction is made invalid, and a previously detected rotating direction is maintained.

8. A vehicle wheel rotation detecting method according to claim 7, wherein the rotating direction of the vehicle wheel is detected on the basis of a difference in phases of pulse signals output from a pair of elements that comprise the detector.

9. A vehicle wheel rotation detecting method according to claim 7, wherein the rotating speed of the vehicle wheel is detected on the basis of an interval of pulses of the signal generated from the detector.