System and method incorporating feedforward for motor vehicle chassis control

• US 6,567,731 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BWI Company Limited SA (Shougang Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chandy, Ashok
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TO, TUAN C
• Application Number:
  US09/935,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20030045978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/37, 701/28, 180/140, 180/142, 180/79.1, 180/197, 180/410, 180/168, 180/118, 180/338, 702/167, 290/40.C, 73/13.7, 73/13.8, 73/15.9
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/11 Feedforward signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/1875 Other parameter or state estimation methods not involving the mathematical modelling of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/1877 Adaptive Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 Suspension Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/96 ASC - Assisted or power Steering control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/97 Engine Management System [EMS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/02 Active Steering, Steer-by-Wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/86 Optimizing braking by using ESP vehicle or tire model
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0012 Feedforward or open loop systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0057 Frequency analysis, spectral techniques or transforms
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00

Abstract

A control system for a plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems comprises a reference model, a state estimator, a feedforward controller, and a feedback controller. The reference model computes desired states of the chassis subsystems. The state estimator estimates actual states of the vehicle. The feedforward controller computes a control value based on input from the reference model, and the feedback controller computes a control value by comparing the estimates of actual states with the desired states.

Claims

1. A control system for a plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems, the control system comprising:

a reference model which computes desired states of the chassis subsystems;

a state estimator which estimates actual states of the vehicle;

a feedforward controller which computes a control value based on input from the reference model;

a feedback controller which computes a control value by comparing the estimates of actual states with desired states; and

means for affecting the chassis subsystems based on the control value computed by the feedforward controller and based on the control value computed by the feedback controller.

2. The control system of claim 1 further comprising:

direct driver control of one of the chassis subsystem.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems comprises a brake subsystem.

4. The control system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems comprises a powertrain subsystem.

5. The control system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems comprises a steering subsystem.

6. The control system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems comprises a suspension subsystem.

7. A method of controlling a plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems, the method comprising:

computing desired states of the chassis subsystems;

estimating actual states of the vehicle;

computing a control value based on the desired states of the chassis subsystems;

computing a control value by comparing the estimates of actual states with desired states; and

affecting the chassis subsystems based on the control value computed by the feedforward controller and based on the control value computed by the feedback controller.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

allowing a driver of the motor vehicle to directly control one of the chassis subsystems.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems comprises a brake subsystem.

10. The methods of claim 7 wherein the plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems comprises a powertrain subsystem.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems comprises a steering subsystem.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of motor vehicle chassis subsystems comprises a suspension subsystem.

13. A control system for a first motor vehicle chassis subsystem, the control system comprising:

a reference model which computes a desired state of a second chassis subsystem;

a state estimator which estimates actual states of the vehicle;

a feedforward controller which computes a control value based on input from the reference model;

a feedback controller which computes a control value by comparing the estimates of actual states with the desired state; and

means for affecting the first chassis subsystem based on the control value computed by the feedforward controller and based on the control value computed by the feedback controller.