Load sensor for a vehicle electronic stability system

• US 8,260,535 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Incorporated (Bombardier Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Incorporated (Bombardier Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dagenais, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US11/864,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20090084623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/124
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 Overturn, rollover
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/06 Wheel load; Wheel lift
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/02 Vehicle mass
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1706 for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/18 responsive to vehicle weight or load, e.g. load distribution using electrical circuitry on regulation means B60T8/17; B60T8/30 takes precedence; responsive to weight and speed condition B60T8/58
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/24 responsive to vehicle inclination or change of direction, e.g. negotiating bends using electrical circuitry or regulation means B60T8/17
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/246 Change of direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/05 characterised by a single rear wheel

Abstract

A vehicle comprising a seat defining a driver seat portion and a passenger seat portion, an electronic stability system, adapted to receive inputs from a load sensor, a wheel rotation sensor and a lateral acceleration sensor, the electronic stability system adapted to provide outputs to at least one of the brake system for braking the vehicle, and the engine control unit to change the power output transmitted to the wheels by the engine, the electronic stability system using a first calibration to determine the outputs when the load sensor is in a non-loaded state and a second calibration to determine the outputs when the load sensor is in a loaded state.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a frame;

an engine supported by the frame, the engine generating a torque to produce power and propel the vehicle;

an electronic control unit electrically connected to the engine to control the output of the engine;

three wheels connected to the frame, at least one of the three wheels being operatively connected to the engine;

a brake system adapted to generate a brake pressure, the brake system being in operative association with at least one of the three wheels for braking the vehicle;

a straddle-type seat supported by the frame, the seat having a driver seat portion and a passenger seat portion;

an electronic stability system disposed onboard the vehicle; and

at least one of a wheel rotation sensor operatively connected to the electronic stability system and a lateral acceleration sensor electrically connected to the electronic stability system;

the electronic stability sensor receiving inputs from a load sensor and the at least one of the wheel rotation sensor and the lateral acceleration sensor;

the electronic stability system providing outputs to at least one of the brake system for braking the vehicle and the engine control unit to change the power output transmitted to the wheels by the engine;

the electronic stability system using a first calibration to determine the outputs when the load sensor is in a non-loaded state and a second calibration to determine the outputs when the load sensor is in a loaded state;

the load sensor being a passenger presence sensor having at least a passenger presence state corresponding to the loaded state of the load sensor and a non-passenger presence state corresponding to the non-loaded state of the load sensor.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the passenger presence sensor is associated with the passenger seat portion for sensing the absence or the presence of a passenger sitting on the passenger seat portion.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the passenger presence sensor associated with the passenger seat portion is located in the passenger seat portion below a position corresponding to a position of a sitting bone of a passenger sitting on the passenger seat portion in a normal sitting position, facing forward with legs on each side of the seat.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the load sensor is a hall effect sensor.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a roll sensor disposed on the vehicle, the roll sensor providing to the ESS a roll angle signal, the roll angle signal influencing the calibration if the roll angle signal is higher than a predetermined roll angle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a suspension, wherein the load sensor determines a position of the suspension of the vehicle, the position of the suspension being used to determine a start mass of the vehicle, the start mass of the vehicle being used by the electronic stability system to determine the electronic stability system outputs.

7. A method of controlling a three-wheeled vehicle, the three-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a frame;

three wheels attached to the frame; and

a straddle seat, supported by the frame, defining a driver portion and a passenger portion adjacent to the driver portion, the method comprising;

determining a state of a load sensor associated with a portion of vehicle;

selecting a first calibration should the load sensor be in a non-loaded state, the first calibration defining parameters utilized by the electronic stability system for maximizing stability and performance of the vehicle using a driver-and-vehicle combined mass;

selecting a second calibration should the load sensor be in a loaded state, the second calibration defining parameters utilized by the electronic stability system for maximizing the stability and the performance of the vehicle using a driver-and-passenger-and-vehicle combined mass; and

defining an output of the electronic stability system based, at least in part, on the selected calibration, and controlling the stability of the vehicle using the output of the electronic stability system.