System for dynamically determining the wheel grounding and wheel lifting conditions and their applications in roll stability control

• US 6,904,350 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lu, Jianbo, Brewer, Michael Edward, Meyers, Joseph Carr, Brown, Todd Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/609,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20040030473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/74, 701/75, 701/36, 701/45
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0162 mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking B60G17/0164 takes precedence
• 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 2300/026 Heavy duty trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0521 Roll rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0523 Yaw rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/104 lateral or transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/106 longitudinal with regard to vehicle, e.g. braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/208 of wheel rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/32 Torque on propulsion shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/41 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/4122 Neutral position detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/61 Load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/12 Strain gauge
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/174 Radar
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/28 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0194 transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/215 by applying a braking action on each wheel individually
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/24 Steering, cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/70 : Estimating or calculating vehicle parameters or state variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/702 : Improving accuracy of a sensor signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/85 : System Prioritisation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 : Suspension Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/9122 : ARS - Anti-Roll System Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/9124 : Roll-over protection systems, e.g. for warning or control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 : ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/922 : EBV - Electronic brake force distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/952 : Electronic driving torque distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/96 : ASC - Assisted or power Steering control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/962 : Four-wheel steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0233 : Vehicle tilting, overturning or roll over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 : Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01122 : Prevention of malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 : monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 : comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 : Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 : Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 : including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 : responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 : Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/22 : Banked curves
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 : Overturn, rollover
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/06 : Wheel load; Wheel lift
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 : Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 : Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 : Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 : Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• 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: B60T 8/243 : for roll-over protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/246 : Change of direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 : using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 : related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 : computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for controlling an automotive vehicle (10) having a plurality of wheels (12a), (12b), (13a), (13b) includes determining a yaw rate, determining a lateral acceleration, determining a roll rate, determining longitudinal acceleration; and determining a calculated angle relative to the vehicle. The method further includes generating a wheel lift signal or a wheel grounded signal as a function of yaw rate, lateral acceleration, roll rate and longitudinal acceleration, adjusting the calculated angle in response to the wheel lift or wheel grounded signal, and controlling a safety system in response to the calculated vehicle angle.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an automotive vehicle having a plurality of wheels comprising:

determining a yaw rate;

determining a lateral acceleration;

determining a roll rate;

determining longitudinal acceleration;

determining a calculated angle relative to the vehicle;

generating a wheel lift signal or a wheel grounded signal as a function of yaw rate, lateral acceleration, roll rate and longitudinal acceleration;

adjusting the calculated angle in response to the wheel lift or wheel grounded signal; and

controlling a safety system in response to the calculated vehicle angle.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a calculated angle comprising determining the calculated vehicle angle in response to the roll rate signal.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the calculated angle comprises a wheel departure angle.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the calculated angle comprises a reference bank angle.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the calculated angle comprises a relative roll angle.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a pitch acceleration and, wherein generating wheel lift or wheel grounded signal comprises determining wheel lift or wheel grounded signal as a function of yaw rate, lateral acceleration, roll rate, longitudinal acceleration and pitch acceleration.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising controlling the safety system to counteract wheel lift.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a wheel lift signal is performed in response to a two wheel averaging method.

9. A method of operating a control system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

detecting a wheel grounded condition; and

adjusting a reference bank angle toward a linear bank angle in response to the wheel grounded condition.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein adjusting comprises adjusting the reference bank angle to the linear bank angle.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein adjusting comprises incrementally adjusting the reference bank angle to the linear bank angle.

12. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein detecting a wheel grounded condition comprises detecting an absolutely grounded condition.

13. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising determining a yaw rate;

determining a lateral acceleration;

determining a roll rate;

determining longitudinal acceleration;

wherein determining a wheel grounded condition comprises determining a wheel grounded condition in response to the lateral acceleration, the roll rate, the yaw rate and the longitudinal acceleration.

14. A method of operating a control system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

detecting a wheel grounded condition; and

setting a wheel departure angle to about zero in response to the wheel grounded condition.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein detecting that a wheel grounded condition comprises detecting a front inside wheel, and a rear inside wheel are absolutely grounded.

16. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein detecting a wheel grounded condition comprises detecting that a front outside wheel, and a rear outside wheel are absolutely grounded or possibly grounded.

17. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein detecting a wheel grounded condition comprises detecting a front inside wheel and a front outside wheel is absolutely grounded or possibly grounded, or a rear inside wheel is absolutely grounded and a rear outside wheel is absolutely grounded or possibly grounded.

18. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising determining a calculated steering angle, wherein setting a wheel departure angle to about zero comprises setting a wheel departure angle to about zero in response to the calculated steering angle.

19. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising adjusting the roll signal for control in response to the wheel departure angle after setting the wheel departure to about zero.

20. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising setting the wheel departure angle to about zero in response to a transition maneuver.

21. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising determining a yaw rate;

determining a lateral acceleration;

determining a roll rate;

determining longitudinal acceleration;

wherein determining a wheel grounded condition comprises determining a wheel grounded condition in response to the lateral acceleration, the roll rate, yaw rate and longitudinal acceleration.

22. A method of operating a control system for a vehicle comprising:

determining a wheel lift condition; and

adjusting a roll signal for control in response to the wheel lift condition.

23. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein the roll signal for control is a function of a reference bank angle, adjusting the roll signal for control comprises adjusting a reference bank angle.

24. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein adjusting a reference bank angle comprises subtracting a wheel departure angle from the reference bank angle.

25. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein the step of subtracting is performed when a front inside wheel is absolutely lifted or a rear inside wheel is absolutely lifted.

26. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein adjusting a reference bank angle comprises subtracting a wheel departure angle and a relative roll angle from the reference bank angle.

27. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein adjusting a reference bank angle comprises subtracting a wheel departure angle and a relative roll angle increased by a factor from the reference bank angle.

28. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein the step of subtracting is performed when a front inside wheel is absolutely lifted and a rear inside wheel is absolutely lifted.

29. A method as recited in claim 22 further comprising determining a yaw rate;

determining a lateral acceleration;

determining a roll rate;

determining longitudinal acceleration;

wherein determining a wheel lift condition comprises determining a wheel lift condition in response to the lateral acceleration, the roll rate, yaw rate and longitudinal acceleration.

30. A method of operating a control system for a vehicle comprising:

determining a front inside wheel lift state;

determining a rear inside wheel lift state;

when the front inside wheel lift state is lifted and the rear inside wheel lift state is not grounded or the rear wheel lift state is lifted and the front inside wheel lift state is not grounded, calculating a wheel departure angle.

31. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein the front inside wheel lift state being lifted is an absolutely lifted state.

32. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein the rear wheel lift state being lifted is an absolutely lifted state.

33. A method of operating a control system for a vehicle;

providing a first wheel lift detection method;

providing a second wheel lift detection method;

determining a vehicle configuration or setting; and

switching between the first wheel lift detection method and second wheel lift detection method in response to the vehicle configuration or setting.