Safety system and method for a vehicle

• US 8,344,867 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2009
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Le, Jialiang, Clark, Todd, Rao, Manoharprasad K.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US12/499,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20110006890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 340/440, 340/437, 340/438
• US Class Current: 340/440
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value

Abstract

A system and method for activating a safety system when a vehicle may be involved in a spin, roll, and/or a spin-to-roll condition. The system and method include determining a side slip angle of the vehicle using the arctangent of the ratio of a lateral and longitudinal velocity. The system and method also include receiving a roll rate signal and determining a roll angle using the roll rate signal. The system and method also include determining a roll warning threshold that is a function of a relationship between the roll rate signal and the roll angle. Lastly, the system and method include activating the safety system when a side slip angle threshold and/or the roll warning threshold are exceeded.

Claims

1. A method for activating an advanced warning system in response to a potential crash condition of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a roll rate signal from a rotational sensor, the roll rate signal being indicative of a roll rate the vehicle overturns in a lateral direction;

determining a roll angle using the roll rate signal, the roll angle being indicative of the angle the vehicle overturns in a lateral direction;

determining a first and second roll-over value indicative of the relationship between the roll rate signal and the roll angle; and

adjusting a roll warning threshold using the first and second roll-over values, the roll warning threshold being adjusted in response to the vehicle experiencing at least a potential roll condition; and

activating a safety system when the roll rate and roll angle exceed the roll warning threshold, wherein the roll warning threshold is determined using a functional relationship between the roll rate and the roll angle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a first and second roll-over value indicative of the relationship between the roll rate signal and the roll angle; and

adjusting the roll warning threshold using the first and second roll-over values, the roll warning threshold being adjusted in response to the vehicle experiencing a potential spin-to-roll condition.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving signals indicative of a longitudinal, lateral, and vertical acceleration of the vehicle; and

receiving signals indicative of an angular velocity about the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical axis of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

determining a longitudinal and lateral velocity of the vehicle using the longitudinal and lateral acceleration signals; and

determining a side slip angle of the vehicle using the arctangent of the ratio between the lateral and longitudinal velocities.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining a side slip angle threshold of a vehicle, wherein the side slip angle threshold is indicative of a spin-to-roll condition; and

activating a safety system when the side slip angle exceeds the side slip angle threshold and the roll rate and roll angle exceed the roll warning threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of activating the advanced safety system further includes activating at least one of a visual and audible warning system and activating a seatbelt pre-tensioning system.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the longitudinal and lateral velocities of the vehicle are determined using the kinematic relationship between the longitudinal, lateral and vertical accelerations and the longitudinal, lateral and vertical angular velocities of the vehicle.

8. A method for activating a safety system in response to a potential crash condition of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a roll rate signal from a rotational sensor, the roll rate signal being indicative of a roll rate the vehicle overturns in a lateral direction;

determining a longitudinal and lateral velocity of the vehicle;

determining a side slip angle of the vehicle using the arctangent of the ratio between the lateral and longitudinal velocities;

determining a roll angle using the roll rate signal, the roll angle being indicative of the angle the vehicle overturns in a lateral direction;

adjusting a roll warning threshold using the first and second roll-over values, the roll warning threshold being adjusted in response to the vehicle experiencing a potential roll condition;

activating a safety system in response to the side slip angle exceeding a side slip angle threshold and the roll rate and roll angle exceeding the roll warning threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving signals indicative of a longitudinal, lateral, and vertical acceleration of the vehicle;

receiving signals indicative of an angular velocity about the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical axis of the vehicle;

determining the longitudinal and lateral velocity of the vehicle using the longitudinal and lateral acceleration signals; and

determining the side slip angle of the vehicle using the arctangent of the ratio between the lateral and longitudinal velocities.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining a first and second roll-over value indicative of the relationship between the roll rate signal and the roll angle; and

adjusting the roll warning threshold using the first and second roll-over values, the roll warning threshold being adjusted in response to the vehicle experiencing a potential spin-to-roll condition.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining a side slip angle threshold of a vehicle, wherein the side slip angle threshold is indicative of a spin-to-roll condition; and

activating an advanced safety system when the side slip angle exceeds the side slip angle threshold and the roll rate and roll angle exceed the roll warning threshold.

12. A system for activating a safety system in response to a potential crash condition of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a rotational sensor configured to generate a roll rate signal, the roll rate signal being indicative of a roll rate the vehicle overturns in a lateral direction; and

a controller configured to;

determine a roll angle using the roll rate signal, the roll angle being indicative of the angle the vehicle overturns in a lateral direction;

determine a first and second roll-over value indicative of the relationship between the roll rate signal and the roll angle;

adjust a roll warning threshold using the first and second roll-over values, the roll warning threshold being adjusted in response to the vehicle experiencing a potential roll condition

activate a safety system when the roll rate and roll angle exceed the roll warning threshold.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a first and second roll-over value indicative of the relationship between the roll rate signal and the roll angle; and

adjust the roll warning threshold using the first and second roll-over values, the roll warning threshold being adjusted in response to the vehicle experiencing a potential spin-to-roll condition.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the rotational sensor is further configured to generate a longitudinal, lateral, and vertical acceleration signal, and the rotational sensor further being configured to generate signals indicative of an angular velocity about the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical axis of the vehicle;

and

the controller further being configured to;

determine a longitudinal and lateral velocity of the vehicle using the longitudinal and lateral acceleration signals; and

determine a side slip angle of the vehicle using the arctangent of the ratio between the lateral and longitudinal velocities.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a side slip angle threshold of a vehicle, wherein the side slip angle threshold is indicative of a spin-to-roll condition; and

activate a safety system when the side slip angle exceeds the side slip angle threshold and the roll rate and roll angle exceed the roll warning threshold.