Wheel lift identification for an automotive vehicle using passive and active detection

• US 20040064246A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lu, Jianbo, Meyers, Joseph Carr, Brown, Todd Allen, Mattson, Keith Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 7,132,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/124
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0162 mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking B60G17/0164 takes precedence
• 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 2300/026 Heavy duty trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0521 Roll rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0523 Yaw rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/104 lateral or transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/106 longitudinal with regard to vehicle, e.g. braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/208 of wheel rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/32 Torque on propulsion shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/41 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/4122 Neutral position detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/61 Load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/12 Strain gauge
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/174 Radar
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/28 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0194 transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/215 by applying a braking action on each wheel individually
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/24 Steering, cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/70 : Estimating or calculating vehicle parameters or state variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/702 : Improving accuracy of a sensor signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/85 : System Prioritisation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 : Suspension Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/9122 : ARS - Anti-Roll System Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/9124 : Roll-over protection systems, e.g. for warning or control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 : ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/922 : EBV - Electronic brake force distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/952 : Electronic driving torque distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/96 : ASC - Assisted or power Steering control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/962 : Four-wheel steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0233 : Vehicle tilting, overturning or roll over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 : Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01122 : Prevention of malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 : monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 : comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 : Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 : Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 : including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 : responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 : Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/22 : Banked curves
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 : Overturn, rollover
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/06 : Wheel load; Wheel lift
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 : Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 : Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 : Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 : Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• 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 8/17551 : determining control parameters related to vehicle stability used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/243 : for roll-over protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/246 : Change of direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 : using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 : related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 : computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence

Abstract

A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) used for detecting lift of a wheel includes a passive wheel lift detector (58) that generates a passive wheel lift signal, an active wheel lift detector (60) that generates an active wheel lift signal, and an integrated wheel lift detector (62) coupled to the passive wheel lift detector (58) and the active wheel lift detector (60). The integrated wheel lift detector (62) generates a final wheel lift signal in response to the passive wheel lift signal and the active wheel lift signal. The final wheel lift signal may be used to control a safety device such as a rollover prevention system.

Claims

1. A system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a passive wheel lift detector generating a passive wheel lift signal;

an active wheel lift wheel lift detector generating an active wheel lift signal; and

an integrated wheel lift detector coupled to the passive wheel lift detector and the active wheel lift detector, said integrated wheel lift detector generating a final wheel lift signal in response to the passive wheel lift signal and the active wheel lift signal.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a safety device, said controller controlling the safety device in response to the final wheel lift signal.

3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said integrated wheel lift detector comprises conflict removal logic, said final wheel lift signal generated in response to the conflict removal logic.

4. A system as recited in claim 3 wherein said conflict removal logic comprises when the state of the active wheel lift signal is less than or equal to a possibly grounded state and the passive wheel lift signal is greater than or equal to a possibly lifted state, generating a no indication status for the final wheel lift signal.

5. A system as recited in claim 3 wherein said conflict removal logic comprises, when active wheel lift signal is greater than or equal to a possibly lifted state and the passive wheel lift signal is less than or equal to a possibly lifted state, generating a no indication signal.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said integrated wheel lift detector comprises a consistency check logic, said final wheel lift signal generated in response to consistency check logic.

7. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein the consistency check logic is performed in response to suspension characteristics.

8. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein the consistency check logic performs a front/rear wheel lift check.

9. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein the consistency check logic is performed in response to relative roll angle and roll rate.

10. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein the consistency check logic is performed in response to a turn direction, relative roll angle and roll rate.

11. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the integrated wheel lift detector comprises brake pressure inhibit logic, said final wheel lift signal is generated in response to the brake pressure inhibit logic.

12. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the integrated wheel lift detector comprises open throttle detection logic inhibiting the active wheel lift detector upon detection of a wide open throttle.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising generating a final wheel lift status in response to the conflict removal logic and wherein preventing the vehicle from rolling over comprises preventing the vehicle from rolling over in response to the final wheel lift status.

20. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein said conflict removal logic comprises when the state of the active wheel lift signal is less than or equal to a possibly grounded state and the passive wheel lift signal is greater than or equal to a possibly lifted state, generating a no indication status for the final wheel lift signal.

21. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein said conflict removal logic comprises, when active wheel lift signal is greater than or equal to a possibly lifted state and the passive wheel lift signal is less than or equal to a possibly lifted state, generating a no indication signal.

13. A method of controlling a vehicle comprising:

passively detecting wheel lift and generating a passive wheel lift signal in response thereto;

actively detecting wheel lift and generating a passive wheel lift signal in response thereto; and

preventing the vehicle from rolling over in response to the active wheel lift signal and the passive wheel lift signal.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising inhibiting actively detecting wheel lift when a request for brake pressure is generated.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein inhibiting comprises inhibiting actively detecting wheel lift when a request for brake pressure is generated by the roll control system.

16. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein inhibiting comprises inhibiting actively detecting wheel lift when a request for brake pressure is generated by the vehicle operator.

17. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein inhibiting comprises inhibiting actively detecting wheel lift in response to a throttle status.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the throttle status comprises a wide open throttle status.

22. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising generating a final wheel lift signal in response to consistency check logic and wherein preventing the vehicle from rolling over comprises preventing the vehicle from rolling over in response to the final wheel lift status.

23. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein the consistency check logic is performed in response to suspension characteristics.

24. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein the consistency check logic performs a front/rear wheel lift check.

25. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein the consistency check logic is performed in response to relative roll angle and roll rate.

26. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein the consistency check logic is performed in response to a turn direction, relative roll angle and roll rate.

27. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle having a first wheel a second wheel, a third wheel and a fourth wheel comprising:

generating a first passive wheel lift signal, a second passive wheel lift signal, a third passive wheel lift signal, a fourth passive wheel lift signal;

generating first active wheel lift signal, a second active wheel lift signal, a third active wheel lift signal, a fourth active wheel lift signal; and

generating a first final wheel lift signal in response to the first passive wheel lift signal and the first active wheel lift signal;

generating a second final wheel lift signal in response to the second passive wheel lift signal and the second active wheel lift signal;

generating a third final wheel lift signal in response to the third passive wheel lift signal and the third active wheel lift signal;

generating a fourth final wheel lift signal in response to the fourth passive wheel lift signal and the fourth active wheel lift signal.

28. A method as recited in claim 27 further comprising performing an front/rear wheel consistency check.

29. A method as recited in claim 28 further wherein performing a front/rear wheel check comprises comparing the first final wheel lift signal and the third final wheel lift signal, in response to comparing the first final wheel lift signal and the third final wheel lift signal, when the first final signal and the second final signal are inconsistent, generating a no indication status for the first final wheel lift signal and the second final wheel lift signal.

30. A method as recited in claim 28 wherein performing an opposite wheel check comprises comparing the second final wheel lift signal and the fourth final wheel lift signal, in response to comparing the second final wheel lift signal and the fourth final wheel lift signal, when the second final signal and the fourth final signal are inconsistent, generating a no indication status for the first final wheel lift signal and the second final wheel lift signal.

31. A method as recited in claim 28 further comprising inhibiting at least one of generating first active wheel lift signal, a second active wheel lift signal, a third active wheel lift signal, a fourth active wheel lift signal when a request for brake pressure is generated.

32. A method as recited in claim 31 wherein inhibiting comprises inhibiting at least one of generating first active wheel lift signal, a second active wheel lift signal, a third active wheel lift signal, a fourth active wheel lift signal when a request for brake pressure is generated by the roll control system.

33. A method as recited in claim 31 wherein inhibiting comprises inhibiting at least one of generating first active wheel lift signal, a second active wheel lift signal, a third active wheel lift signal, a fourth active wheel lift signal when a request for brake pressure is generated by the vehicle operator.

34. A method as recited in claim 31 wherein inhibiting comprises inhibiting at least one of generating first active wheel lift signal, a second active wheel lift signal, a third active wheel lift signal, a fourth active wheel lift signal in response to a throttle status.

35. A method as recited in claim 34 wherein the throttle status comprises a wide open throttle status.

36. A method as recited in claim 27 controlling the a safety device in response to the first final wheel lift signal, the second final wheel lift signal, the third final wheel lift signal and the fourth final wheel lift signal.