Vehicle suppressing OS or US by stagedly different devices

• US 7,890,239 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujita, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Kyung J
• Application Number:
  US11/541,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 701/93, 701/70, 701/41, 340/438, 475/8, 475/18, 475/19, 477/1, 342/70, 342/71
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/14 Central differentials for dividing torque between front and rear axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/045 Improving turning performance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering

Abstract

To suppress an oversteered condition or an understeered condition by letting the movement of the vehicle follow the operational intention of the driver as faithfully as possible by making the best use of the respective characteristics of changes of the driving force distribution between front and rear wheels, modification of the steering angle and selective braking of a selected wheel or wheels under a simple control calculation, a change of the driving force distribution between the front and rear wheels is first executed according to the progress of the oversteered or understeered condition, and when it further progresses, a modification of the steering angle, and further a selected braking of a selected wheel or wheels is further executed.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising a turning behavior detecting device for detecting at least either of an oversteered condition or an understeered condition of the vehicle in a turn running thereof, a driving force distributing device for distributing an output of a power source between front and rear wheels, and a steering angle modifying device for modifying a steering angle input by a driver, wherein an order is predetermined between the driving force distributing device and the steering angle modifying device with regard to putting into operation according to either of the oversteered condition or the understeered condition of the vehicle such that when at least either of the oversteered condition or the understeered condition of the vehicle detected by the turning behavior detecting device is above a first determined standard condition but not above a second determined standard condition more promoted from the first standard condition, the driving force distributing device is given a priority over the steering angle modifying device, the distribution of the output of the power source between the front and rear wheels is changed by the driving force distributing device so that the oversteered or the understeered condition is suppressed, and when the oversteered or the understeered condition of the vehicle is above the second standard condition, the steering angle input by the driver is modified by the steering angle modifying device so that the oversteered or the understeered condition of the vehicle is suppressed.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a braking control device for selectively braking a selected wheel or wheels, so that when the oversteered or the understeered condition is above a third determined standard condition more promoted from the second standard condition, a selected wheel or wheels are selectively braked by the braking control device so as to suppress the oversteered or the understeered condition.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the changes of the distribution of the output of the power source between the front and rear wheels by the driving force distributing device is made variably according to the promotion of the oversteered or the understeered condition of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein modification of the steering angle by the steering angle modifying device is made variably according to the promotion of the oversteered or the understeered condition of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the selective braking of the selected wheel or wheels by the braking control device is made variably according to the promotion of the oversteered or the understeered condition of the vehicle.