Vehicle stability monitoring system and method and article of manufacture for determining vehicle stability

• US 7,610,127 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust), Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jalics, Laci J., D'Silva, Siddharth H., Krage, Mark K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diacou; Ari M.
• Application Number:
  US11/371,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20070213885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31, 340/438
• US Class Current: 701/31
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/03 Vehicle yaw rate
• 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 8/17551 determining control parameters related to vehicle stability used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A vehicle stability monitoring system and a method and an article of manufacture for determining vehicle stability are provided. The vehicle stability monitoring system includes a plurality of vehicle sensors generating a plurality of signals. The vehicle stability monitoring system further includes a computer operably communicating with the plurality of vehicle sensors. The computer is configured to calculate a first value indicative of vehicle stability at a first predetermined time based on the plurality of signals.

Claims

1. A method for determining vehicle stability, comprising:

generating a steering wheel angle value associated with a vehicle, utilizing a steering wheel angle sensor;

generating a lateral acceleration value associated with the vehicle, utilizing a lateral acceleration sensor;

generating a yaw rate value associated with the vehicle, utilizing a yaw rate sensor;

determining a first vector having the steering wheel angle value, the lateral acceleration value, and the yaw rate value, utilizing a computer communicating with the steering wheel angle sensor, the lateral acceleration sensor, and the yaw rate sensor;

determining a normalized data vector based on the steering wheel angle value, the lateral acceleration value, and the yaw rate value, in the first vector, utilizing the computer;

determining a first Mahalanobis distance value based on the normalized data vector and a correlation matrix, utilizing the computer;

generating a first signal to induce a first output device to output a first light indicating a stable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is less than or equal to a threshold value, utilizing the computer; and

generating a second signal to induce a second output device to output a second light indicating an unstable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is greater than the threshold value, utilizing the computer.

2. A vehicle stability monitoring system, comprising:

a steering wheel angle sensor configured to generate a steering wheel angle value associated with a vehicle;

a lateral acceleration sensor configured to generate a lateral acceleration value associated with the vehicle;

a yaw rate sensor configured to generate a yaw rate value associated with the vehicle;

a computer operably communicating with the steering wheel angle sensor, the lateral acceleration sensor, and the yaw rate sensor;

the computer configured to determine a first vector having the steering wheel angle value, the lateral acceleration value, and the yaw rate value;

the computer further configured to determine a normalized data vector based on the steering wheel angle value, the lateral acceleration value, and the yaw rate value, in the first vector;

the computer further configured to determine a first Mahalanobis distance based on the normalized data vector and a correlation matrix; and

the computer further configured to generate a first signal to induce a first output device to output a first light indicating a stable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is less than or equal to a threshold value.

3. The vehicle stability monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the computer is further configured to generate a second signal to induce the first output device to output a second light indicating an unstable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is greater than the threshold value.

4. The vehicle stability monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the computer is further configured to generate a second signal to induce a second output device to output a second light indicating an unstable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is greater than the threshold value.

5. The vehicle stability monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the first output device comprises at least one of an LED or an LCD.

6. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer storage medium having a computer program encoded therein for determining vehicle stability, the computer storage medium comprising;

code for determining a first vector having a steering wheel angle value associated with a vehicle, a lateral acceleration value associated with the vehicle, and a yaw rate value associated with the vehicle;

code for determining a normalized data vector based on the steering wheel angle value, the lateral acceleration value, and the yaw rate value, in the first vector;

code for determining a first Mahalanobis distance value based on the normalized data vector and a correlation matrix;

code for generating a first signal to induce a first output device to output a first light indicating a stable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is less than or equal to a threshold value; and

code for generating a second signal to induce a second output device to output a second light indicating an unstable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is greater than the threshold value.