INTEGRATED VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM USING DYNAMICALLY DETERMINED VEHICLE CONDITIONS

• US 20100017059A1
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lu, Jianbo, Rupp, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 Overturn, rollover
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• 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 8/17551 determining control parameters related to vehicle stability used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17554 specially adapted for enhancing stability around the vehicles longitudinal axle, i.e. roll-over prevention road vehicle drive control systems for roll-over prevention otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/24 responsive to vehicle inclination or change of direction, e.g. negotiating bends using electrical circuitry or regulation means B60T8/17
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/105 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/11 Pitch movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/112 Roll movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/114 Yaw movement

Abstract

A vehicle includes a control system that is used to control a vehicle system. The control system determines a roll condition in response to a yaw rate sensor and a pitch rate sensor without having to use a roll rate sensor. A relative roll angle, relative pitch angle, global roll angle, and global pitch angle may also be determined. A safety system may be controlled in response to the roll condition, roll angle, or the pitch angles individually or in combination.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a vehicle system vehicle comprising:

determining a longitudinal acceleration;

determining a longitudinal moment due to longitudinal tire forces in response to the longitudinal acceleration;

determining a first coefficient related to vehicle mass and spring pitch rate;

determining a second coefficient related to vehicle spring rate and pitch inertia;

determining a normalized vertical suspension force induced pitch moment using the first coefficient, the second coefficient and the longitudinal moment;

determining a relative pitch angle in response to the normalized vertical suspension force induced pitch moment; and

controlling the system in response to the relative pitch angle.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of determining a first coefficient further comprises determining the first coefficient in response to a vertical displacement of a vehicle center.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein controlling the system comprises controlling a safety system.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein controlling a safety system comprises controlling a yaw control system.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein controlling a safety system comprises controlling a rollover control system.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein controlling the system comprises actuating braking on the vehicle.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein controlling the system comprises actuating steering on the vehicle.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein controlling the system comprises deploying a rollover curtain.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein controlling the system comprises deploying an airbag.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining a lateral acceleration;

determining a lateral moment due to lateral tire forces in response to the lateral acceleration;

determining a first coefficient related to vehicle mass and spring roll rate;

determining a second coefficient related to vehicle spring rate and roll inertia;

determining a normalized vertical suspension force induced roll moment using the first coefficient, the second coefficient and the lateral moment;

determining a relative roll angle in response to the normalized vertical suspension force induced roll moment; and

controlling the system in response to the relative roll angle.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the step of determining a first coefficient further comprises determining the first coefficient in response to a vertical displacement of a vehicle center.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein controlling the system comprises controlling a safety system.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein controlling a safety system comprises controlling a yaw control system.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein controlling a safety system comprises controlling a rollover control system.

15. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein controlling the system comprises actuating braking on the vehicle.

16. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein controlling the system comprises actuating steering on the vehicle.

17. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein controlling the system comprises deploying a rollover curtain.

18. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein controlling the system comprises deploying an airbag.

19. A method as claimed in claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

determining a vehicle global roll angle from a roll rate signal and a pitch rate signal;

determining a vehicle global pitch angle from a roll rate signal and a pitch rate signal; and

controlling the system in response to the global roll angle and the global pitch angle.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

determining the global roll angle from a vehicle lateral velocity; and

determining the global pitch angle from a vehicle lateral velocity.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein controlling the system comprises controlling a safety system.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein controlling a safety system comprises controlling a yaw control system.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein controlling a safety system comprises controlling a rollover control system.

24. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein controlling the system comprises actuating braking on the vehicle.

25. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein controlling the system comprises actuating steering on the vehicle.

26. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein controlling the system comprises deploying a rollover curtain.

27. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein controlling the system comprises deploying an airbag.