Enhanced crosswind compensation

• US 9,132,835 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yang, Hsin-Hsiang, Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Lu, Jianbo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US13/957,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20150039183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/38, 701/48, 701/41, 701/42, 701/72, 180/6.2, 180/6.44, 180/234, 180/411, 280/91.1, 280/93.501
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0523 Yaw rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/41 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/841 Wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/22 Spring constant
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/16 Running
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/9122 ARS - Anti-Roll System Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/96 ASC - Assisted or power Steering control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/025 related to comfort of drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/04 responsive only to forces disturbing the intended course of the vehicle, e.g. forces acting transversely to the direction of vehicle travel

Abstract

A device may estimate crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition. The device may, if the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilize the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the automatic correction including at least one of a steering angle adjustment and suspension stiffness adjustment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

estimating crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and

when the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilizing the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the correction including a steering angle adjustment and a suspension stiffness adjustment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an offset steering angle proportional to the estimated crosswind force; and

providing the offset steering angle to an active power steering system to make the correction for the detected crosswind condition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication to a variable roll-stiffness system of the vehicle to tighten the suspension and reduce crosswind-induced roll based on the crosswind effect to make the correction for the detected crosswind condition.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a first forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of vehicle uncertainty and a second forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of crosswind estimation, the first and second forgetting factors accounting for relatively slower-changing vehicle uncertainty and relatively faster-changing crosswinds; and

applying the driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to a recursive-least-squares heuristic specialized according to the first and second forgetting factors to estimate crosswind.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving updated driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and updated crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and

applying the updated driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to the recursive-least-squares heuristic according to the first and second forgetting factors.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of receiving the driver steering inputs at least in part from a steering wheel sensor, and receiving the crosswind disturbance inputs at least in part from a vehicle yaw rate sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the crosswind estimation no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

utilize the vehicle controller to reset the corrections.

8. A computing device storing an application executable by a processor of the computing device to provide operations comprising:

estimating crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and

when the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilizing the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the correction including a steering angle adjustment and a suspension stiffness adjustment.

9. The computing device of claim 8, further executing the application to provide operations comprising:

determining an offset steering angle proportional to the estimated crosswind force; and

providing the offset steering angle to the active power steering system to make correction for the detected crosswind condition.

10. The computing device of claim 8, further executing the application to provide operations comprising providing an indication to a variable roll-stiffness system of the vehicle to tighten the suspension and reduce crosswind-induced roll based on the crosswind effect to make correction for the detected crosswind condition.

11. The computing device of claim 8, further executing the application to provide operations comprising:

identifying a first forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of vehicle uncertainty and a second forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of crosswind estimation, the first and second forgetting factors accounting for relatively slower-changing vehicle uncertainty and relatively faster-changing crosswinds; and

applying the driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to a recursive-least-squares heuristic specialized according to the first and second forgetting factors to estimate crosswind.

12. The computing device of claim 11, further executing the application to provide operations comprising:

receiving updated driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and updated crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and

applying the updated driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to the recursive-least-squares heuristic according to the first and second forgetting factors.

13. The computing device of claim 8, further executing the application to provide operations comprising at least one of receiving the driver steering inputs at least in part from a steering wheel sensor, and receiving the crosswind disturbance inputs at least in part from a vehicle yaw rate sensor.

14. The computing device of claim 8, further executing the application to provide operations comprising:

determining that the crosswind estimation no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

utilizing the vehicle controller to reset the corrections.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions of a software program, the software program being executable by a processor of a computing device to provide operations comprising:

estimating crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and

when the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilizing the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the correction including at least one of a steering angle adjustment and suspension stiffness adjustment.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising:

determining an offset steering angle proportional to the estimated crosswind force; and

providing the offset steering angle to the active power steering system to make correction for the detected crosswind condition.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising providing an indication to a variable roll-stiffness system of the vehicle to tighten the suspension and reduce crosswind-induced roll based on the crosswind effect to make correction for the detected crosswind condition.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising:

identifying a first forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of vehicle uncertainty and a second forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of crosswind estimation, the first and second forgetting factors accounting for relatively slower-changing vehicle uncertainty and relatively faster-changing crosswinds; and

applying the driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to a recursive-least-squares heuristic specialized according to the first and second forgetting factors to estimate crosswind.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising:

receiving updated driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and updated crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and

applying the updated driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to the recursive-least-squares heuristic according to the first and second forgetting factors.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising at least one of receiving the driver steering inputs at least in part from a steering wheel sensor, and receiving the crosswind disturbance inputs at least in part from a vehicle yaw rate sensor.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising:

determining that the crosswind estimation no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

utilizing the vehicle controller to reset the corrections.