Wheel lifted and grounded identification for an automotive vehicle

• US 7,602,279 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2008
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• 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): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/020,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 625 Days
• Field of Search: 340/446, 340/440, 340/438, 340/441, 340/465, 340/429, 340/467, 701/36, 701/38, 701/40, 701/45, 701/70, 701/80, 701/74
• US Class Current: 340/446
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/22 Banked curves
• 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: B60W 2040/1307 Load distribution on each wheel suspension
• 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 2520/26 Wheel slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/045 Improving turning performance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/103 Side slip angle of vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models

Abstract

A control system (18) for an automotive vehicle (10) has a first roll condition detector (64A), a second roll condition detector (64B), a third roll condition detector (64C), and a controller (26) that uses the roll condition generated by the roll condition detectors (64A-C) to determine a wheel lift condition. Other roll condition detectors may also be used in the wheel lift determination. The wheel lift conditions may be active or passive or both.

Claims

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

determining a first wheel lift condition;

determining a second wheel lift condition;

determining a third wheel lift condition; and

generating a wheel lift flag in response to said first wheel lift condition, said second wheel lift condition, and said third wheel lift condition.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a wheel lift flag comprises generating a wheel lift flag for each of the plurality of wheels.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the first wheel lift condition to a first threshold;

comparing the second wheel lift condition to a second threshold; and

comparing the third wheel lift condition to a third threshold;

wherein generating a wheel lift flag comprises generating a wheel lift flag in response to comparing said first wheel lift condition to a first threshold, comparing said second wheel lift condition to a second threshold, and comparing said third wheel lift condition to a third threshold.