Method and device for measuring slope of driving road

• US 5,703,776 A
• Filed: 04/05/1995
• Issued: 12/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Soung, Gwang-Geong
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US08/417,016
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.1, 364/424.01, 364/426.02, 364/426.01, 364/423.098, 364/424.094, 364/424.091, 364/424.089, 364/424.083, 364/424.085 , 364/426.025, 364/426.029, 364/426.042, 364/426.043, 477/68, 477/34, 477/37, 477/121, 477/131, 477/120, 477/504, 477/97, 477/11, 477/18, 477/44, 477/92, 477/32, 477/48, 73/509, 73/146, 73/178 R, 73/514.37, 73/9, 280/707
• US Class Current: 701/65
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/82 Ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0657 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/142 of driving resistance calculated from weight, slope, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/18 dependent on the position of the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/30 Intake manifold vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/44 dependent on machine speed of the machine, e.g. the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/54 dependent on signals from the brakes, e.g. parking brakes
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/70 dependent on the ratio established

Abstract

A device and method for measuring the slope of a road on which a vehicle travels, which includes a gear position sensing member for outputting a corresponding signal after sensing the gear position, or a car speed sensing member for outputting a corresponding signal after a driving speed of the vehicle, an engine revolution sensing member for outputting a corresponding signal after sensing the engine revolution number, a loading degree sensing member for outputting a corresponding signal after sensing the loading degree which is changed by a driving condition of the vehicle, a brake pedal sensing member for outputting a corresponding signal after sensing the brake pedal operation which is changed by the operation of the brake pedal, and an engine controlling member connected to the gear position sensing member, or the car speed sensing member, the engine revolution sensing member, the loading degree sensing member, and the brake pedal sensing member, whereby the engine controlling member calculates an engine torque when the error value is within the setting value, and finally measures the slope of a road surface by using the calculated engine torque.

Claims

1. A device for measuring the slope of a road surface on which a vehicle travels, said device comprising:

a gear position sensing member for outputting a corresponding electrical signal after sensing a position of a transmission gear member;

an engine revolution sensing member for outputting a corresponding electrical signal after sensing a number of an engine revolution;

a loading degree sensing member for outputting a corresponding electrical signal after sensing a loading degree which is changed by a driving state of the vehicle;

a brake pedal operating state sensing member for sensing an operating state of a brake pedal, which is changed by an operating state of a brake pedal; and

an engine controlling member connected to said gear position sensing member, said engine revolution sensing member, said loading degree sensing member, and said brake pedal operating state sensing member, whereby the engine controlling member measures the slope of the road surface by using a calculated engine torque after the engine controlling member judges the position of the transmission gear member by said gear position sensing member, and if the transmission gear member does not change and if the brake pedal is not operated, the engine controlling member calculates an error set value of the engine revolution and loading degree by comparing sensed engine revolution and loading degree data with a predetermined set value of the engine revolution and leading degree, and the engine controlling member calculates an engine torque if said calculated error set value of the engine revolution and loading degree is less than said predetermined set value, wherein said calculated engine torque is used to measure the slope of the road surface on which the vehicle travels.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said loading degree sensing member utilizes a throttle valve opening degree sensing member for outputting a corresponding electrical signal after sensing a throttle valve opening degree.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said loading degree sensing member utilizes a device for outputting a corresponding electrical signal of a fuel quantity which sprays to a combustion room of a vehicle engine.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein said loading degree sensing member utilizes a device for outputting a corresponding electrical signal of a pressure in a surge tank.

5. The device of claim 1, said engine controlling member utilizes the following expression:

##EQU3## wherein TQ is an engine torque, I is a gear ratio of a geared gear, η

is a coefficient of efficiency, A is a coefficient of an air resistance of the car body, C is a coefficient of tire driving of the car, M is the total weight of the car body, M₁ is an inertia power of rolling parts, dt is quality of time change, dv is quality of driving speed change, R is radius of the tire, and G is gravity.

6. A device for measuring the slope of a road on which a vehicle travels, said device comprising:

a car speed sensing member for outputting a corresponding electrical signal after sensing a car speed of the vehicle;

an engine revolution sensing member for outputting a corresponding electrical signal after sensing a number of an engine revolution;

a loading degree sensing member for outputting a corresponding electrical signal after sensing a loading degree which is changed by a driving state of the vehicle;

a brake pedal operating state sensing member for sensing, an operating state of a brake pedal, which is changed by an operating state of a brake pedal; and

an engine controlling member connected to said car speed sensing member, said engine revolution sensing member, said loading degree sensing member, and said brake pedal operating state sensing member, whereby the engine controlling member measures the slope of the road by using a calculated engine torque after the engine controlling member judges the position of the transmission gear member by said engine revolution sensing member and said loading degree sensing member, and if the transmission gear member does not change, the engine controlling member calculated an error set value of the engine revolution and loading degree by comparing sensed engine revolution and loading revolution and loading degree data with a predetermined set value of engine revolution and loading degree, and the engine controlling member calculates an engine torque if said calculated error set value of the engine revolution and loading degree is less than said predetermined value, wherein said calculated engine torque is used to measure the slope of the road surface on which the vehicle travels.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said loading degree sensing member utilizes a throttle valve opening degree sensing member for outputting a corresponding electrical signal after sensing a throttle valve opening degree.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said loading degree sensing member utilizes a device for outputting a corresponding electrical signal of a fuel quantity which sprays to a combustion room of a vehicle engine.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein said loading degree sensing member utilizes a device for outputting a corresponding electrical signal of a pressure in a surge tank.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein said engine controlling member utilizes the following expression:

##EQU4## wherein TQ is an engine torque, I is a gear ratio of a geared gear, η

is a coefficient of efficiency, A is a coefficient of an air resistance of the car body, C is a coefficient of tire driving of the car, M is the total weight of the car body, M₁ is an inertia power of rolling parts, dt is quality of time change, dv is quality of driving speed change, R is radius of the tire, and G is gravity.

11. A method for measuring a value of the slope of a road on which a vehicle travels, said method comprises the steps of:

judging a change of a transmission gear member;

judging an engine revolution and a loading degree by using a signal which transmitted to an engine rotating number and a loading degree sensing members, respectively;

judging an operation state of said transmission gear member;

judging an error set value of said engine revolution and said loading degree by comparing sensed engine revolution and loading degree data with a predetermined set value of engine revolution and loading degree if the position of said change and if said brake pedal is not operated gear member does not change; and

judging an engine torque according to the engine revolution and loading degree if said error set value of the engine revolution and the loading degree is less than said predetermined set value, wherein said calculated engine torque is used to measured the slope of the rod surface on which the vehicle travels.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said judgment of said geared change speed gear member utilizes an electrical signal output from a gear position sensing member.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said judgment of said gear change speed gear member utilizes an electrical signal output from a car speed sensing member and an engine revolution sensing member.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said calculation of an angle of the slope of the road utilizes the following expression:

##EQU5## wherein TQ is an engine torque, I is a gear ratio of a geared gear, η

is a coefficient of efficiency, A is a coefficient of an air resistance of the car body, C is a coefficient of tire driving of the car, M is the total weight of the car body, M₁ is an inertia power of rolling parts, dt is quality of time change, dv is quality of driving speed change, R is radius of the tire, and G is gravity.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said measurement of a value of the slope of the road equals a former value of the slope of the road if said brake pedal is operated, said brake pedal generates a signal which is transmitted to a brake pedal operation sensing member.