OCCUPANT CONTROL SYSTEM INTEGRATED WITH VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROLS

• US 20060253240A1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lu, Jianbo, Rao, Manoharprasad K., Meyers, Joseph C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,561,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/035 Bringing the control units into a predefined state, e.g. giving priority to particular actuators

Abstract

A control system for an automotive vehicle includes a plurality of dynamics sensors (14) generating a plurality of dynamic condition signals and a plurality of environment sensors (16) generating a plurality of environment signals. Vehicle systems such as a driver warning system, a powertrain control module, a restraint control module, and chassis control module are also provided. A controller (12) is coupled to the plurality of sensors and classifies the operation of the vehicle as controllable stable, controllable unstable, or uncontrollable in response to the plurality of dynamic condition signals and the plurality of environment signals. The controller (12) selects a level of control for the vehicle systems in response to classifying. The level of control is different in response to the respective classification.

Claims

1. A control system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a plurality of dynamic sensors generating a plurality of dynamic condition signals;

a plurality of environment sensors generating a plurality of environment signals;

a vehicle system; and

a controller coupled to the plurality of dynamic sensors and the plurality of environment sensors, said controller classifying an operation of the vehicle as controllable stable, controllable unstable, or uncontrollable in response to the plurality of dynamic condition signals and the plurality of environment signals, said controller selects a level of control in response to classifying, said level of control different in response to the respective classification.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a vehicle dynamics control module.

3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the controller generates a vehicle operation state and classifies in response to the vehicle operation state.

4. A system as recited in claim 3 wherein the controller determines the vehicle operation state in response to a vehicle state.

5. A system as recited in claim 4 wherein the vehicle state is determined in response to a vehicle attitude and directional velocity.

6. A system as recited in claim 4 wherein the vehicle state is determined in response to a normal loading and directional velocity.

7. A system as recited in claim 4 wherein the vehicle state is determined in response to a force and torque estimation.

8. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the controller determines the vehicle operation state in response to a road state.

9. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein the road state is determined in response to a road bank determination or a road inclination determination.

10. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein the road state is determined in response to a road bank determination or a road inclination determination, and a surface friction determination and a road curvature determination.

11. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the controller determines the vehicle operation state in response to a driver intention determination.

12. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the controller determines the vehicle operation state in response to a dominated dynamics determination of a dynamic control direction of the vehicle.

13. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the controller generates a vehicle operation state, a road state and a driver intention determination and classifies in response to the vehicle operation state, the road state and the driver intention determination.

14. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the controller generates an external hazard determination and classifies in response to the external hazard determination.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the external hazard determination is generated in response to a moving object classification, an accident avoidance determination or a pre-crash determination.

16. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the controller generates a plurality of stability indices and classifies in response to the plurality of stability indices.

17. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle system comprises a chassis control module.

18. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the chassis control module is coupled to at least one of a traction control system, a suspension height control system, a seat feel control system, a body attitude and motion control system, and a steering control system.

19. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle system comprises a powertrain control module.

20. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle system comprises a restraint control module.

21. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle systems comprise a plurality of vehicle systems.

22. A method of controlling a vehicle comprising:

determining a vehicle operating state;

determining a driver'"'"'s intent;

determining an environment state from an external hazard sensing system;

determining a vehicle dynamics state;

in response to the environment state, the dynamics state and the driver'"'"'s intent, classifying an operation of the vehicle as controllable stable, controllable unstable or uncontrollable; and

controlling a vehicle system to a control level in response to classifying, said control level different in response to the respective classification.

23. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein controlling comprises generating a warning signal in response to classifying.

24. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein controlling the vehicle system comprises controlling a chassis control module.

25. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein the chassis control module is coupled to a traction control system.

26. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein the chassis control module is coupled to a suspension height control system.

27. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein the chassis control module is coupled to a seat feel control system.

28. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein controlling the vehicle system comprises controlling a powertrain control module.

29. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein controlling the vehicle system comprises controlling a restraint control module.

30. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein controlling the vehicle comprises controlling a seatbelt pretensioner.

31. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein the chassis control module is coupled to a steering control system.

32. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein the chassis control module is coupled to a body attitude and motion control system.

33. A method as recited in claim 22 further comprising determining a dynamic comfort index and wherein controlling a seatbelt pretensioner comprises controlling the seatbelt pretensioner in response to the dynamic comfort index.

34. A method of controlling a seatbelt pretensioner comprising:

during an active safety event,

determining a body-seat separation angle;

determining a comfort dynamics index; and

activating the seatbelt pretensioner in response to the comfort dynamics index.