Method and apparatus for vehicle rollover prediction and prevention

• US 6,954,140 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Holler, Gusztav
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie Bichngoc
• Application Number:
  US10/472,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20040102894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/440, 340/441, 701/70, 701/71, 701/72, 701/79, 180/197
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/01908 Acceleration or inclination sensors characterised by the use of gyroscopes B60G21/08
• 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 2400/104 lateral or transversal with regard to vehicle
• 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 2400/38 Speed of engine rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/02 Retarders, delaying means, dead zones, threshold values, cut-off frequency, timer interruption
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/044 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0124 Roll-over conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/224 automatically, based on dangerous living style
• 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 2800/9124 Roll-over protection systems, e.g. for warning or control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/922 EBV - Electronic brake force distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 Overturn, rollover
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17554 specially adapted for enhancing stability around the vehicles longitudinal axle, i.e. roll-over prevention road vehicle drive control systems for roll-over prevention otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/243 for roll-over protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/246 Change of direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 : related to roll-over prevention

Abstract

A rollover prevention device and method detects an impending rollover situation for a vehicle (10) having a high center of gravity (cg). The system alerts the operator to potentially dangerous driving conditions and/or automatically slows the velocity of the vehicle (10) to prevent rollover. An electronic control unit for receives output signals from wheel velocity, engine revolution, and engine load sensors and then calculates lateral acceleration, wheel slip difference, and drive torque from the signals. A lateral acceleration limit is defined by plotting lateral acceleration, wheel slip difference and drive torque as a three dimensional surface.

Claims

1. A vehicle rollover prediction and prevention system for a vehicle comprising:

a plurality of wheel velocity sensors for producing wheel velocity signals;

an engine revolution sensor for producing an engine revolution signal;

an engine load sensor for producing an engine load signal;

a rollover prevention device; and

an electronic control unit for receiving signals from the wheel velocity sensors, engine revolution sensor, and engine load sensors and for calculating lateral acceleration, wheel slip difference, and drive torque;

wherein the electronic control unit defines at least one lateral acceleration limit based on the calculated lateral acceleration, wheel slip difference and drive torque and activates the rollover prevention device when the lateral acceleration exceeds the lateral acceleration limit.

2. A vehicle rollover prediction and prevention system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rollover prevention device includes at least one of an electronic engine controller, an electronic brake controller, and an operator warning system.

3. A vehicle rollover prediction and prevention system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the electronic control unit defines at a first lateral acceleration limit for rollover warning and a second lateral acceleration limit for rollover intervention.

4. A vehicle rollover prediction and prevention system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the operator warning system is activated when the calculated lateral acceleration exceeds the first lateral acceleration.

5. A vehicle rollover prediction and prevention system as claimed in claim 3 wherein at least one of the electronic engine controller and the electronic brake controller are activated when the calculated lateral acceleration exceeds the second lateral acceleration limit.

6. A method for vehicle rollover prediction and prevention comprising:

receiving output signals from a plurality of wheel velocity sensors, an engine revolution sensor, and an engine load sensor;

calculating lateral acceleration, wheel slip difference, and drive torque from the output signals of the wheel velocity sensors, engine revolution sensor, and engine load sensor;

plotting lateral acceleration, wheel slip difference, and drive torque as a three dimensional surface;

defining a lateral acceleration limit by extrapolation of the three dimensional surface; and

activating the rollover prevention device when the calculated lateral acceleration exceeds the lateral acceleration limit.

7. The method for vehicle rollover prediction and prevention as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rollover prevention device includes at least one of an electronic engine controller, an electronic brake controller, and an operator warning system.

8. A vehicle rollover prediction and prevention system as claimed in claim 7 wherein defining the lateral acceleration limit includes defining at least one of a first lateral acceleration limit for rollover warning and a second lateral acceleration limit for rollover intervention.

9. A vehicle rollover prediction and prevention system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the operator warning system is activated when the calculated lateral acceleration exceeds the first lateral acceleration limit.

10. A vehicle rollover prediction and prevention system as claimed in claim 8 wherein at least one of the electronic engine controller and the electronic brake controller are activated when the calculated lateral acceleration exceeds the second lateral acceleration limit at least one of the electronic engine controller and the electronic brake controller.

11. A device for vehicle rollover prediction and prevention comprising:

means for receiving output signals from a plurality of wheel velocity sensors, an engine revolution sensor, and an engine load sensor;

means for calculating lateral acceleration, wheel slip difference, and drive torque from the output signals of the wheel velocity sensors, engine revolution sensor, and engine load sensor;

means for plotting lateral acceleration, wheel slip difference, and drive torque as a three dimensional surface;

means for defining a lateral acceleration limit by extrapolation of the three dimensional surface; and

means for activating the rollover prevention device when the calculated lateral acceleration exceeds the lateral acceleration limit.