Method and device for assisting a motor vehicle server in the vehicle stabilization

• US 8,078,361 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Berthold, Thomas, Raste, Thomas, Bauer, Urs, Galkowski, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US10/581,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: 701 41- 44, 180/442, 180/446, 188/350, 303146-150
• US Class Current: 701/42
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/003 in order to control vehicle yaw movement, i.e. around a vertical axis B62D6/007 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for assisting an operator of a vehicle in adjusting a nominal steering angle at steerable wheels of the vehicle for the vehicle stabilization. An additional steering torque is applied to the steering line of the vehicle, which is determined dependent on a difference between a nominal steering angle and an instantaneous steering angle. The method is characterized in that a value of a load moment acting on the steering line of the vehicle is estimated, and that the additional steering torque is established dependent on the estimated value for the load moment.

Claims

1. A method for assisting an operator of a vehicle in adjusting a nominal steering angle at steerable wheels of the vehicle for vehicle stabilization, the method comprising:

determining a steering torque of a steering line of the vehicle dependent on a difference between the nominal steering angle and an instantaneous steering angle;

estimating a value of a load moment acting on the steering line of the vehicle based upon a hand moment, a motor moment, a steering column steering angle and a steering angle velocity of a steering column; and

applying an additional torque to the determined steering torque of the steering line of the vehicle, wherein the additional steering torque is established dependent on the estimated value for the load moment;

wherein the additional steering torque is composed of at least two additive components, with a first component being determined dependent on the difference between the nominal steering angle and the instantaneous steering angle, and a second component is established dependent on the estimated value of the load moment.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the load moment is estimated by a disturbance variable observer unit.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a component of the nominal steering angle is determined in an inverse vehicle model dependent on a disturbance yaw torque.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a component of the nominal steering torque is determined dependent on a deviation between a yaw angle of the vehicle and a predetermined value of the yaw angle.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein a component of the nominal steering angle is an estimated track steering angle.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein a component of the additional steering torque has a predefined amount.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the component of the additional steering angle with the predefined amount is set for a predetermined duration after a start of a braking operation.

8. A device for assisting an operator of a vehicle in adjusting a nominal steering angle on at least one steerable wheel of the vehicle for vehicle stabilization, the device comprising:

a control unit for determining a deviation between the nominal steering angle and an instantaneous steering angle of the vehicle;

a torque adjusting device that adjusts an additional steering torque, wherein the additional steering torque is determined based on deviation between the nominal steering angle and the instantaneous steering angle;

one or more sensors mounted in the steering line of the motor vehicle;

an estimation device for estimating a load moment that acts on the steering line based on signals from the one or more sensors mounted in the steering line of the motor vehicle, wherein the load moment is vehicle based upon a hand moment, a motor moment, a steering column steering angle and a steering angle velocity of a steering column;

a device for establishing at least one component of the additional steering torque for the estimated load moment; and

an adder for adding the additional steering torque to the steering torque established by the deviation between the nominal steering angle and the instantaneous steering angle, wherein the torque adjusting device is driven by an output of the adder.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors includes at least one of a steering angle sensor, a sensor for measuring a hand steering moment representative of a steering request from the operator, and a sensor for measuring the additional steering torque.

10. A device according to claim 8, wherein the estimation device for estimating the load moment is designed as a disturbance variable observer unit.

11. A device according to claim 8, wherein the torque adjusting devices comprises a servo motor of an electric power steering system.

12. A device according to claim 8, wherein the torque adjusting device comprises a hydraulic power steering system.

13. A device according to claim 8, wherein the torque adjusting device comprises a steer-by-wire steering system.

14. A device according to claim 8, further comprising a pilot control which connects to the adder and transmits an additional steering torque with a predetermined value to the adder for a predetermined period.

15. A device according to claim 8, further comprising a detector for detecting a driving condition, wherein dependent on a detected driving condition the detector submits an activation signal to a multiplier, which multiplies the activation signal by the additional steering torque established.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein the activation signal adopts a value of 1 when the detector identifies a braking operation on an inhomogeneous roadway.