Integrated sensing system for an automotive system

• US 7,092,808 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• 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, Brown, Todd Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/739,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 180/244, 180/197, 180/124.159, 180/271, 180/282, 180/408, 342/70, 702/151, 701/45, 701/70, 701/38, 701/91, 340/440, 340/429, 340/436, 280/5.5, 280/5.502, 280/5.507, 280/735
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0124 Roll-over conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/922 EBV - Electronic brake force distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01325 Vertical acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• 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: B60R 21/01336 using filtering
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 Overturn, rollover
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/06 Sensor zero-point adjustment; Offset compensation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/08 Coordination of integrated systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/09 Complex systems; Conjoint control of two or more vehicle active control systems
• 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 8/1755 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 8/17554 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 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/18 : Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/125 : Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/18 : Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/26 : Wheel slip

Abstract

An integrated sensing system for an automotive vehicle includes a plurality of sensors sensing the dynamic conditions of the vehicle. The sensors include a sensor cluster, a steering angle sensor, wheel speed sensors, any other sensors required by subsystem controls. The outputs from the sensing system are used to drive various vehicle control systems and to warn the drivers for certain abnormal operating conditions. The vehicle controls coupled with the integrated sensing system controller achieve control objectives including: fuel economy, chassis controls, traction controls, active safety, active ride comfort, active handling, and passive safety.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a housing;

a steering wheel angle sensor generating a steering angle signal;

a sensor cluster within said housing generating a plurality of signals including a roll rate signal, a pitch rate signal, a yaw rate signal, a longitudinal acceleration signal and a lateral acceleration signal;

an integrated controller receiving said plurality of signals and generating a low pass filtered lateral velocity signal, a low pass filtered roll angle signal and a low pass filtered pitch angle signal, said controller generating a dynamic pitch angle signal in response to the yaw rate signal and the pitch rate signal, said controller generating a dynamic roll angle signal in response to the roll rate signal, the yaw rate signal and the pitch rate signal, said integrated controller generating a vehicle pitch angle signal in response to the low pass filtered pitch angle signal and the dynamic pitch angle signal and a vehicle roll angle signal in response to the low pass filtered roll angle signal and the dynamic roll angle signal, said controller generating a vehicle lateral reference velocity signal in response to the low pass filtered lateral velocity signal, the vehicle roll attitude signal and the vehicle pitch attitude signal, the yaw rate signal and the steering angle signal;

a dynamic system controller receiving said lateral vehicle reference velocity signal and generating a dynamic control signal in response thereto; and

a braking system controller receiving said dynamic control signal and further generating a braking signal in response thereto.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said sensor cluster comprises at least three angular rate sensors and at least three linear acceleration sensors.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein said integrated controller further comprises a reference signal unit generating an attitude reference computation,

a road profile unit generating a road profile signal,

an attitude unit generating a vehicle attitude signal,

a global attitude unit generating a global position signal,

a directional unit generating a vehicle direction signal,

a directional velocity unit generating a vehicle direction velocity signal,

a sensor plausibility unit generating a sensor plausibility signal,

an abnormal state unit generating an abnormal state signal including information regarding abnormal vehicle conditions,

a sensor signal compensating unit generating a mounting sensor error correction signal,

a force and torque estimation unit generating force and torque signal in response to forces and torques applied to the vehicle,

a car body to fixed body unit generating a body fixed to rollover fixed foam signal,

a normal loading unit generating a normal signal, and

a vehicle parameter unit generating a vehicle parameter determination signal,

wherein said integrated controller generates said vehicle reference velocity from at least one of said attitude reference computation, said road profile signal, said vehicle attitude signal, said global position signal, said vehicle direction signal, said sensor plausibility signal, said abnormal state signal, said mounting sensor error correction signal, or said force and torque signal.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein said dynamic control system comprises at least one of power-train controls, brake controls, steering controls, transmission controls, and suspension controls, tire under inflation and unbalanced tires warning systems, on-line conditioning systems, and systems for calibration of errors in sensors due to mounting errors and vehicle loading variations.

5. A system as in claim 2, further comprising a yaw sensor which is the component of a sensor cluster.

6. A system as in claim 5, wherein said sensor cluster is generating vehicle dynamic signals including a roll rate signal, a yaw rate signal, a pitch rate signal, a longitudinal acceleration signal, a lateral acceleration signal, and a vertical acceleration signal.

7. A vehicle system comprising:

an IMU sensor cluster comprising at least three angular rate sensors and at least three linear acceleration sensors, said sensor cluster generating vehicle dynamic signals including a roll rate signal, a yaw rate signal, a pitch rate signal, a longitudinal acceleration signal, a lateral acceleration signal, and a vertical acceleration signal; and

an integrated controller comprising a plurality of processing units receiving said vehicle dynamic signals and generating a plurality of vehicle control signals in response thereto, said plurality of processing units comprising

a reference signal unit generating an attitude reference computation,

a road profile unit generating a road profile signal,

an attitude unit generating a vehicle attitude signal,

a global attitude unit generating a global position signal,

a directional unit generating a vehicle direction signal,

a directional velocity unit generating a vehicle direction velocity signal,

a sensor plausibility unit generating a sensor plausibility signal,

an abnormal state unit generating an abnormal state signal including information regarding abnormal vehicle conditions,

a sensor signal compensating unit generating a mounting sensor error correction signal,

a force and torque estimation unit generating a force and torque signal in response to forces and torques applied to the vehicle,

a car body to fixed body unit generating a body fixed to rollover fixed form signal,

a normal loading unit generating a normal bad signal, and

a vehicle parameter unit generating a vehicle parameter determination signal; and

a vehicle safety system receiving said attitude reference computation, said road profile signal, said vehicle attitude signal, said global position signal, said vehicle direction signal, said sensor plausibility signal, said abnormal state signal, said mounting sensor error correction signal, and said force and torque signal, said integrated controller controlling said vehicle safety system in response to said attitude reference computation, said road profile signal, said vehicle attitude signal, said global position signal, said vehicle direction signal, said sensor plausibility signal, said abnormal state signal, said mounting sensor error correction signal, and said force and torque signal.