System for detecting inclination angle of vehicle body

• US 6,694,226 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Maeda, Hiroyuki, Takahata, Osamu, Tobaru, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU V
• Application Number:
  US10/189,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20020173882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 701/38, 701/41, 701/45, 701/80, 701/71-76, 701/82, 701/124, 701/90-91, 701/110-111, 701/1, 701/23, 701/24, 340/429, 340/438, 340/440-441, 340/465-467, 280/5.502, 280/5-06-
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0521 Roll rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/104 lateral or transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/20 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/41 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/9124 Roll-over protection systems, e.g. for warning or control
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01306 monitoring vehicle inclination
• 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 21/0133 by integrating the amplitude of the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 Overturn, rollover

Abstract

A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle, comprises: a first detecting mechanism which continuously detects an angle of inclination of the vehicle with respect to a direction of the force of gravity; a second detecting mechanism which continuously detects an amount of change in angle of inclination of the vehicle by integrating a sensed angular speed of the vehicle; and a calculator which calculates an angle of inclination of the vehicle based on the sum of a first output from said first detecting mechanism and a second output from said second detecting mechanism.

Claims

1. A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle, comprising:

first detecting means for continuously detecting an angle of inclination of the vehicle with respect to a direction of the force of gravity;

second detecting means for continuously detecting an amount of change in angle of inclination of the vehicle by integrating angular speed of the vehicle; and

an adding means for adding a first output from said first detecting means and a second output from said second detecting means to calculate an angle of inclination of the vehicle.

2. A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle according to claim 1, further including a low-pass filter adapted to remove a high-frequency component of said first output before said first output is added by said adding means, and a high-pass filter adapted to remove a low-frequency component of said second output before said second output is added by said adding means.

3. A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle according to claim 1, further including a lateral movement sensor and a rolling angular speed sensor, an output of said lateral movement sensor being provided to said first detecting means, and an output of said rolling angular speed sensor being provided to said second detecting means.

4. A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first detecting means detects an initial value of a rolling angle of the vehicle and a first amount of change in the rolling angle during traveling of the vehicle, and said first output from said first detecting means is based on both the initial value of the rolling angle and the first amount of change in the rolling angle.

5. A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first detecting means comprises a lateral acceleration sensor and continuously detects the initial value of a rolling angle of the vehicle based on an output from the lateral acceleration sensor at a time point of turning on of an ignition switch of the vehicle, said second detecting means comprises a rolling angular speed sensor, and said adding means adds an integration value output by said second detecting means from the time point of turning on of the ignition switch to the initial value output by the first detecting means.

6. A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle, comprising:

a first detecting mechanism which continuously detects an angle of inclination of the vehicle with respect to a direction of the force of gravity;

a second detecting mechanism which continuously detects an amount of change in angle of inclination of the vehicle by integrating a sensed angular speed of the vehicle; and

a calculator which calculates an angle of inclination of the vehicle based on the sum of a first output from said first detecting mechanism and a second output from said second detecting mechanism.

7. A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle according to claim 6, further including a low-pass filter adapted to remove a high-frequency component of said first output before said first output is used by said calculator, and a high-pass filter adapted to remove a low-frequency component of said second output before said second output is used by said calculator.

8. A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle according to claim 6, further including lateral movement sensor and a rolling angular speed sensor, an output of said lateral movement sensor is provided to said first detecting mechanism, and an output of said rolling angular speed sensor being provided to said second detecting mechanism.

9. A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said first detecting mechanism detects an initial value of a rolling angle of the vehicle and a first amount of change in the rolling angle during traveling of the vehicle, and said first output from said first detecting mechanism is based on both the initial value of the rolling angle and the first amount of change in the rolling angle.

10. A system for detecting an angle of inclination of a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said first detecting mechanism comprises a lateral acceleration sensor and continuously detects the initial value of a rolling angle of the vehicle based on an output from the lateral acceleration sensor at a time point of turning on of an ignition switch of the vehicle, said second detecting mechanism comprises a rolling angular speed sensor, and said calculator adds an integration value output by said second detecting mechanism from the time point of turning on of the ignition switch to the initial value output by the first detecting mechanism.