Vehicle estimate navigation apparatus, vehicle estimate navigation, and vehicle estimate navigation program

• US 8,301,327 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Nakao, Yukio, Wada, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murshed, Nagi
• Application Number:
  US12/872,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/025 Differential odometers

Abstract

A vehicle estimate navigation apparatus including: a speed vector calculation means for calculating, based on GPS information by a GPS receiver mounted in a running vehicle, a speed vector of a running speed of the vehicle; a tire rotation information detection means for detecting rotation information of tires attached to the vehicle; a tire rotation speed calculation means for calculating rotation speeds of the tires based on tire rotation information obtained by the tire rotation information detection means; a speed calculation means for calculating a vehicle speed based on the speed vector information; a yaw rate calculation means for calculating a vehicle yaw rate based on the speed vector information; a first parameter calculation means for calculating a first parameter of a first relational expression between the vehicle speed calculated by the speed calculation means and the tire rotation speed, the vehicle speed being obtained based on a formula model for calculating a tire ground speed based on the tire rotation speeds obtained by the tire rotation speed calculation means; and a second parameter calculation means for calculating a second parameter of a second relational expression between the yaw rate calculated by the yaw rate calculation means and the tire rotation rate, the yaw rate being obtained based on a formula model for calculating a tire ground speed based on the tire rotation speeds obtained by the tire rotation speed calculation means.

Claims

1. A vehicle estimate navigation apparatus comprising:

a speed vector calculation means for calculating, based on GPS information by a GPS receiver mounted in a running vehicle, a speed vector of a running speed of the vehicle;

a tire rotation information detection means for detecting rotation information of tires attached to the vehicle;

a tire rotation speed calculation means for calculating rotation speeds of the tires based on tire rotation information obtained by the tire rotation information detection means;

a speed calculation means for calculating a vehicle speed based on the speed vector information;

a yaw rate calculation means for calculating a vehicle yaw rate based on the speed vector information;

a first parameter calculation means for calculating a first parameter of a first relational expression between the vehicle speed calculated by the speed calculation means and the tire rotation speed, the vehicle speed being obtained based on a formula model for calculating a tire ground speed based on the tire rotation speeds obtained by the tire rotation speed calculation means; and

a second parameter calculation means for calculating a second parameter of a second relational expression between the yaw rate calculated by the yaw rate calculation means and the tire rotation rate, the yaw rate being obtained based on a formula model for calculating a tire ground speed based on the tire rotation speeds obtained by the tire rotation speed calculation means.

2. The vehicle estimate navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first parameter calculation means and the second parameter calculation means are respectively configured so as to always calculate the first parameter and the second parameter when GPS information is received and to use, when the GPS information cannot be received, the latest calculated parameter to calculate the vehicle speed and the yaw rate based on the tire rotation speed.

3. The vehicle estimate navigation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the calculation of the first parameter and the second parameter when the GPS information is received is configured to be carried out whenever every predetermined time is reached.

4. The vehicle estimate navigation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the calculation of the first parameter and the second parameter when the GPS information is received is configured to be carried out whenever the pulse number from the tire rotation information detection means reaches a predetermined value.

5. The vehicle estimate navigation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the calculation of the first parameter and the second parameter when the GPS information is received is configured to be carried out for each one rotation of the tires.

6. The vehicle estimate navigation apparatus of claim 5, wherein the calculation of the vehicle speed and the yaw rate using the latest parameter based on the tire rotation speed, when the reception of GPS information is impossible, is performed for each one rotation of the tires.

7. The vehicle estimate navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein when assuming that the vehicle speed obtained by the speed calculation means is V and the sum of the rotation angular velocities of the inner and outer wheels is x, the first relational expression is V=A1×

x+B1 in which A1 and B1 are the first parameters; and

when assuming that the yaw rate obtained by the yaw rate calculation means is Y, the square of the sum of the rotation angular velocities of the inner and outer wheels is z, and a difference between the rotation angular velocities of the inner and outer wheels is y, the second relational expression is Y=A2×

y/(B2×

z+C2) in which A2, B2, and C2 are the second parameters.

8. The vehicle estimate navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotation speed is a rotation speed of a following wheel tire.

9. A vehicle estimate navigation comprising:

a speed vector calculation step of calculating, based on GPS information by a GPS receiver mounted in a running vehicle, a speed vector of a running speed of the vehicle;

a tire rotation speed calculation step of calculating rotation speeds of the tires based on tire rotation information obtained by the tire rotation information detection means for detecting rotation information of tires attached to the vehicle;

a speed calculation step of calculating a vehicle speed based on the speed vector information;

a yaw rate calculation step of calculating a vehicle yaw rate based on the speed vector information;

a first parameter calculation step of calculating a first parameter of a first relational expression between the vehicle speed calculated in the speed calculation step and the tire rotation speed, the vehicle speed being obtained based on a formula model for calculating a tire ground speed based on the tire rotation rates obtained in the tire rotation speed calculation step; and

a second parameter calculation step of calculating a second parameter of a second relational expression between the yaw rate calculated in the yaw rate calculation step and the tire rotation speed, the yaw rate being obtained based on a formula model for calculating a tire ground speed based on the tire rotation speeds obtained in the tire rotation speed calculation step.

10. The vehicle estimate navigation of claim 9, wherein the first parameter calculation step and the second parameter calculation step are respectively configured so as to always calculate the first parameter and the second parameter when GPS information is received and to use, when the GPS information cannot be received, the latest calculated parameter to calculate the vehicle speed and the yaw rate based on the tire rotation speed.

11. The vehicle estimate navigation of claim 10, wherein the calculation of the first parameter and the second parameter when the GPS information is received is configured to be carried out whenever every predetermined time is reached.

12. The vehicle estimate navigation of claim 10, wherein the calculation of the first parameter and the second parameter when the GPS information is received is configured to be carried out whenever the pulse number from the tire rotation information detection means reaches a predetermined value.

13. The vehicle estimate navigation of claim 10, wherein the calculation of the first parameter and the second parameter when the GPS information is received is configured to be carried out for each one rotation of the tires.

14. The vehicle estimate navigation of claim 13, wherein the calculation of the vehicle speed and the yaw rate using the latest parameter based on the tire rotation speed, when the reception of GPS information is impossible, is performed for each one rotation of the tires.

15. The vehicle estimate navigation of claim 9, wherein when assuming that the vehicle speed obtained in the speed calculation step is V and the sum of the rotation angular velocities of the inner and outer wheels is x, the first relational expression is V=A1×

x+B1 in which A1 and B1 are the first parameters; and

when assuming that the yaw rate obtained in the yaw rate calculation step is Y, the square of the sum of the rotation angular velocities of the inner and outer wheels is z, and a difference between the rotation angular velocities of the inner and outer wheels is y, the second relational expression can be Y=A2×

y/(B2×

z+C2) in which A2, B2, and C2 are the second parameters.

16. The vehicle estimate navigation apparatus of claim 9, wherein the rotation speed is a rotation speed of a following wheel tire.

17. A vehicle estimate navigation program causing, in order to carry out an estimate navigation, a computer to function as:

a speed vector calculation means for calculating, based on GPS information by a GPS receiver mounted in a running vehicle, a speed vector of a running speed of the vehicle,

a tire rotation speed calculation means for calculating rotation speeds of tires based on tire rotation information obtained by the tire rotation information detection means for detecting rotation information of the tires attached to the vehicle;

a speed calculation means for calculating a vehicle speed based on the speed vector information;

a yaw rate calculation means for calculating a vehicle yaw rate based on the speed vector information;

a first parameter calculation means for calculating a first parameter of a first relational expression between the vehicle speed calculated by the speed calculation means and the tire rotation speed, the vehicle speed being obtained based on a formula model for calculating a tire ground speed based on the tire rotation speeds obtained by the tire rotation speed calculation means; and

a second parameter calculation means for calculating a second parameter of a second relational expression between the yaw rate calculated by the yaw rate calculation means and the tire rotation rate, the yaw rate being obtained based on a formula model for calculating a tire ground speed based on the tire rotation rates obtained by the tire rotation speed calculation means.