System and method for determining a wheel departure angle for a rollover control system

• US 7,194,351 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• 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): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/610,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20040064236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 701/79, 701/36, 701/38, 701/45, 701/110, 701/37, 340/440, 340/689, 180/282, 180/197, 280/755, 280/735, 280/5.515, 280/5.505, 280/5.507, 280/5.513
• US Class Current: 701/79
• 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 2400/41 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 2800/702 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 2800/96 : 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 2021/01313 : 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 21/013 : 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 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 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 8/243 : for roll-over protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/246 : Change of direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 : related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 : computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence

Abstract

A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle includes roll rate sensor (34) generating a roll rate signal, a lateral acceleration sensor (32) generating a lateral acceleration signal, a pitch rate sensor (37) generating a pitch rate signal, a yaw rate sensor (28) generating a yaw rate signal and a controller (26). The controller (26) is coupled to the roll rate sensor (34), the lateral acceleration sensor, the yaw rate sensor and the pitch rate sensor. The controller (26) determines a roll velocity total from the roll rate signal, the yaw rate signal and the pitch rate signal. The controller (26) also determines a relative roll angle from the roll rate signal and the lateral acceleration signal. The controller (26) determines a wheel departure angle from the total roll velocity. The controller (26) determines a calculated roll signal from the wheel departure angle and the relative roll angle signal.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:

determining a total roll angle velocity;

determining a wheel departure angle in response to a total roll angle velocity; and

controlling the vehicle in response to the wheel departure angle.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a relative roll angle;

and

wherein controlling the vehicle comprises controlling the vehicle in response total roll angle velocity and the relative roll angle.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein determining a relative roll angle comprises determining a relative roll angle in response to a roll rate and a lateral acceleration.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity is performed when the relative roll angle is within a first predetermined threshold and the wheel departure angle is within a second predetermined threshold.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined thresholds are a function of a roll gradient.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate and a yaw rate.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate, a yaw rate and a pitch rate.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate, a yaw rate and a pitch rate.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate and a previous wheel departure angle.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate, a previous wheel departure angle and a time constant.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity is performed in response to a wheel lift status.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity is performed in response to a brake precharge status.

14. A method of controlling a safety system of an automotive vehicle comprising:

determining a total roll angle velocity;

determining a wheel departure angle in response to a total roll angle velocity;

determining a relative roll angle; and

controlling the safety system in response to the wheel departure angle and the relative roll angle.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising:

determining a total roll angle velocity;

determining a wheel departure angle in response to a total roll angle velocity;

determining a relative roll angle; and

controlling the safety system in response to the wheel departure angle and the relative roll angle during wheel lift and for a predetermined time thereafter.

16. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein controlling the safety system comprises controlling at least one of an active brake control system, an active rear steering system, an active front steering system, an active anti-roll bar system, and an active suspension system.

17. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity is performed when the relative roll angle is within a first predetermined threshold and the wheel departure angle is within a second predetermined threshold.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the first threshold and second thresholds are a function of a roll gradient.

19. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate.

20. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate and a yaw rate.

21. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate, a yaw rate and a pitch rate.

22. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate, a yaw rate and a pitch rate.

23. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate and a previous wheel departure angle.

24. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity comprises determining is response to a roll rate, a previous wheel departure angle and a time constant.

25. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity is performed in response to a wheel lift status.

26. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein determining a total roll angle velocity is performed in response to a brake precharge status.

27. A control system comprising:

a roll rate sensor generating a roll rate signal;

a lateral acceleration sensor generating a lateral acceleration signal;

a yaw rate sensor generating a yaw rate signal; and

a controller coupled to the roll rate sensor, the lateral acceleration sensors, and the yaw rate sensor, said controller determining a total roll velocity total from the roll rate signal, the yaw rate signal and a pitch rate signal, said controller determining a relative roll angle from the roll rate signal and the lateral acceleration signal, said controller determining a wheel departure angle from he total roll velocity, said controller determining a calculated roll signal from the wheel departure angle and the relative roll angle signal.

28. A control system as recited in claim 27 further comprising a longitudinal acceleration sensor generating a longitudinal acceleration signal, said controller determining the total roll velocity as a function of the longitudinal acceleration signal.

29. A control system as recited in claim 28 wherein said controller determines a calculated pitch rate as a function of the longitudinal accelerator, said total roll velocity being a function of the calculated pitch rate.