Vehicle gradient analyzing apparatus

• US 7,680,578 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiemer, Marcus, Barrho, Joerg, Matsunaga, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead; Brian J
• Application Number:
  US11/052,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20060100767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 701/80, 701/94, 701/65, 180/170
• US Class Current: 701/80
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/04 Vehicle reference speed; Vehicle body speed
• 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 2050/0043 Signal treatments, identification of variables or parameters, parameter estimation or state estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road

Abstract

A system 10 for determining high accuracy gradient information includes linearization means 20, a sum unit 45, and state space model and observer means 50 for calculating a road gradient χRoad. The linearization means 20 includes an air resistance calculation unit 30 and a rolling resistance calculation unit 40. The means 50 includes a state space model 60 and a state space observer 70. The sum unit 45 determines a total sum wheel force ΣFLij of wheel forces FLij. The linearization means 20 calculates an air resistance force FW and a rolling resistance force FR based on a vehicle velocity vCoG using approximation equations, calculates a linearized total sum force FSum by subtracting the air resistance force FW and the rolling resistance force FR from the wheel forces FLij, and inputs the linealized total sum force FSum to the state space model and observer means 50.

Claims

1. A system for determining a gradient of a road on which a vehicle drives, comprising:

a linearization unit;

a sum unit; and

a state space model and observer unit, wherein

the sum unit sums up wheel forces in a forward/backward direction, which are applied to respective wheels of the vehicle, to calculate a total sum wheel force, and

the linearization unit comprises;

an air resistance calculation unit for calculating an air resistance force based on a velocity of the vehicle using a non-linear approximation equation;

a rolling resistance calculation unit for calculating a rolling resistance force based on the velocity of the vehicle using the non-linear approximation equation; and

a subtraction unit for subtracting the air resistance force and the rolling resistance force from the total sum wheel force to calculate a linearized total sum force, and wherein

the state space model and observer unit comprises;

a state space model for applying a method of linear control theory to the total sum force; and

an observer unit for calculating the gradient of the road based on a velocity difference between a modeled velocity of the vehicle calculated based on the linearized total sum force using the state space model, and an actually measured velocity of the vehicle.

2. The road gradient determination system according to claim 1, wherein the observer unit comprises:

a comparator for calculating the velocity difference;

a coefficient block for selecting an observer matrix such that the velocity difference becomes “

0”

;

an adder for adding the linearized total sum force to the output of the observer matrix; and

an integrator for integrating an output signal from the adder to determine values of the modeled velocity and the gradient;

wherein a gradient value outputted from the integrator is determined as the gradient of the road when the velocity difference is sufficiently small.