Unified control of vehicle dynamics using force and moment control

• US 6,892,123 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BWI Company Limited SA (Shougang Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hac, Aleksander B.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US10/331,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 701/37, 701/38, 701/41, 701/48, 701/72, 701/73, 701/78, 701/80, 701/82, 701/91, 701/83, 701/90, 180/408, 180/422, 280/5.504, 280/5.507, 280/5.518
• US Class Current: 701/48
• 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 2600/182 Active control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/85 System Prioritisation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/9123 Active Body Control [ABC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/06 Active Suspension System
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/08 Coordination of integrated systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0297 Control Giving priority to different actuators or systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/035 Bringing the control units into a predefined state, e.g. giving priority to particular actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/003 in order to control vehicle yaw movement, i.e. around a vertical axis B62D6/007 takes precedence

Abstract

In an unified control of a plurality of active chassis systems a role of each chassis system in applying a corrective net force and a corrective moment to a vehicle is determined. In determining the roles, control influence coefficients and a control authority of each active chassis system is determined. An activation status of each active chassis system based on the control influence coefficients and the control authority is subsequently determined.

Claims

1. In a vehicle including a plurality of active chassis systems, a method of determining a role of each active chassis system in applying at least one corrective input to the vehicle, said method comprising:

determining at least one control influence coefficient and a control authority for each active chassis system; and

determining an activation status of each active chassis system based, at least partially, on each determined control influence coefficient and each determined control authority.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of active chassis systems includes at least one of an active brake control system, an active front steer system, an active rear steer system, an active front and rear system and an active suspension system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one cornering stiffness coefficient to thereby determine the at least one control influence coefficient for at least one of the plurality of active chassis systems.

4. A vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of active chassis systems; and

a supervisory controller operable to determine at least one control influence coefficient and a control authority for each active chassis system, said supervisory controller further operable to determine an activation status of each active chassis system based, at least partially, on each determined control influence coefficient and each determined control authority.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the plurality of active chassis systems includes at least one of an active brake control system, an active front steer system, an active rear steer system, an active front and rear system and an active suspension system.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein said supervisory controller is further operable to determine at least one cornering stiffness coefficient to thereby determine the at least one control influence coefficient for at least one of the plurality of active chassis systems.

7. The vehicle of claim 4, further comprising:

a plurality of chassis controllers,

wherein each chassis controller corresponds to one of the plurality of active chassis systems, and

wherein each chassis controller is operable to control the activation status of a corresponding active chassis system in response to receiving at least one control signal from the supervisory controller indicative of the activation status of a corresponding active chassis system.

8. A vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of active chassis systems; and

a supervisory controller including

means for determining at least one control influence coefficient and a control authority for each active chassis system, and

means for determining an activation status of each active chassis system based, at least partially, on each determined control influence coefficient and each determined control authority.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the plurality of active chassis systems includes at least one of an active brake control system, an active front steer system, an active rear steer system, an active front and rear system and an active suspension system.