Method for determining vehicle status variables

• US 6,614,343 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Latarnik, Michael, Fennel, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/529,142
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/429, 340/438, 340/440, 340/441, 701/1, 701/38, 701/72, 701/41
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/113 Tyre related sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0523 Yaw rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0533 Yaw acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/10 Acceleration; Deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/41 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/64 Wheel forces, e.g. on hub, spindle or bearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/02 Side slip angle, attitude angle, floating angle, drift angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/03 Tire sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1725 Using tyre sensors, e.g. Sidewall Torsion sensors [SWT] for tyre pressure and temperature detection B60C23/00
• 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 2050/0034 Multiple-track, 2D vehicle model, e.g. four-wheel model
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/02 Steering position indicators ; Steering position determination; Steering aids

Abstract

In a method for determining vehicle status quantities on the basis of the forces acting on the individual wheel and detected by means of tire sensors, where the measured quantities represent the longitudinal and lateral tire forces as well as the vertical tire forces, the angular yaw velocity and acceleration, the steering angle, the side slip angle of the vehicle as well as the vehicle velocity and acceleration are established by inclusion of corrective quantities established, estimated and/or calculated in corrective step. By means of the corrective steps, the quantities dependent on wheel forces, intermediate quantities, or components are weighted in dependence on further measured quantities which have been established by conventional sensor devices, etc., and/or which represent the vehicle situation.

Claims

1. A method for detemining vehicle status quantities, in which the forces acting on the individual wheels and tires are measured and evaluated for the establishment of control quantities for an automotive control system, comprising the steps of:

measuring tire force quantities including longitudinal and lateral tire forces, vertical tire forces of the wheels,

establishing vehicle status quantities including the angular yaw velocity or the angular yaw acceleration, the steering angle and the side slip angle of the vehicle as well as the vehicle velocity or the vehicle acceleration by using corrective quantities determined, estimated or calculated in corrective steps,

weighting the tire force quantities or components of these quantities in the corrective steps in dependence on at least one of the following measured, or calculated non-tire force quantities rotary wheel speed, cornering, straight ride, friction coefficient.

2. A method according to claim 1, further including measuring or deriving at least one of the following quantities, engine torques, the engine speed, or the transmission gear, and

weighting the vehicle status quantities or the components of these quantities.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle status quantities or components of these quantities are weighted in by first factors separate corrective steps which are independent of each other, whereby the vehicle status quantities, weighted in separate corrective step are combined with corresponding vehicle status quantities from other weighted corrective steps, and wherein the combine quantities are further processed as corrected quantities.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein vehicle status quantities weighted on separate, corrective steps are weighted by second factors and that the weighted quantities are combined to create the vehicle status quantities.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the angular yaw velocity of the vehicle, the longitudinal component of the vehicle velocity, and the lateral component of the vehicle velocity are weighted by first factors in separate corrective steps and are summed with at least one measured, non-tire force quantity and the summation thereof is weighted, for the creation of the vehicle status quantities.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein, for determining the vehicle status quantities the vehicle status quantities established on the basis of the tire force quantities are updated in a series of steps by correlation with the current non-tire force quantities, according to the equations:

${\mathrm{\psi <br><br>}}_1<br><br>\left(t_{n+1}\right)=\mathrm{\psi <br><br>}<br><br>\left(t_n\right)+{\int <br><br>}_{\mathrm{tn}}^{\mathrm{tn}+1}<br><br>\mathrm{\psi <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br><br><br>t$

or, respectively, $v_{\mathrm{x1}<br><br>\left(\mathrm{y1}\right)}<br><br>\left(t_{n+1}\right)=v_{x<br><br>\left(y\right)}<br><br>\left(t_n\right)+{\int <br><br>}_{\mathrm{tn}}^{\mathrm{tn}+1}<br><br>v_{x<br><br>\left(y\right)}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br><br><br>t$

with

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the quantities ψ

₁(t_n+1), v_x1(t_n+1), v_y1(t_n+1) established on the basis of the tire forces are used as for calculating calculated and evaluated by a current estimate based on the momentary, current status quantitiesψ

(t_n), v_x(t_n), v_y(t_n), as initial values for the next computing step.