Wheel lifted and grounded identification for an automotive vehicle

• US 7,688,191 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2008
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US12/020,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 793 Days
• Field of Search: 340/446, 340/438, 340/440, 340/441, 340/465, 701/36, 701/38, 701/40, 701/41, 701/42, 701/45
• 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 of controlling an automotive vehicle having a wheel comprising:

determining an actual road torque applied to the wheel;

determining a calculated road torque;

generating a wheel lift signal in response to the calculated road torque and the actual road torque; and

controlling a system of the automobile vehicle in response to the generated wheel lift signal.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an actual road torque comprises determining an actual road torque as a function of wheel acceleration.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an actual road torque comprises determining an actual road torque as a function of wheel acceleration and driving torque.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an actual road torque comprises determining an actual road torque as a function of wheel acceleration and braking torque.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an actual road torque comprises determining an actual road torque as a function of wheel acceleration, driving torque and braking torque.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a calculated road torque comprises determining a calculated road torque in response to normal loading.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a calculated road torque in response to normal loading comprises determining a heave normal load and a non-heave normal load, and determining a total normal load as a function of the heave normal load and non-heave normal load.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a calculated road torque comprises determining a calculated road torque in response to normal loading and longitudinal wheel slip.