System and method for determining desired yaw rate and lateral velocity for use in a vehicle dynamic control system

• US 7,451,032 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Brown, Todd A., Eisele, Daniel D., Lopez, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US10/860,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 701/38, 701/45, 701/70, 701/37, 701/91, 701/124, 701/74, 340/440, 340/446, 340/429, 340/52, 280/735, 182/282, 180/197, 303/146
• US Class Current: 701/70
• 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 2210/22 Banked curves
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/02 Side slip angle, attitude angle, floating angle, drift angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/03 Vehicle yaw rate
• 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 8/17552 responsive to the tire sideslip angle or the vehicle body slip angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/101 Side slip angle of tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/11 Pitch movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/112 Roll movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/114 Yaw movement
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/005 treating sensor outputs to obtain the actual yaw rate
• 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 control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a lateral acceleration sensor (32) for generating a lateral acceleration signal, a yaw rate sensor (28) for generating a yaw rate signal, and a safety system. The safety system (44) and the sensors are coupled to a controller (26). The controller (26) determines a front lateral tire force and a rear lateral tire force from the vehicle yaw rate signal and the vehicle lateral acceleration signal; determines a calculated lateral velocity from the front lateral tire force, the rear lateral tire force, and a bank angle; determines a calculated yaw rate from the front lateral tire force and the rear lateral tire force; and controls the safety system in response to the calculated lateral velocity and the calculated yaw rate.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle, said control system comprising:

a yaw rate sensor operable to generate a vehicle yaw rate signal;

a lateral acceleration sensor operable to generate a vehicle lateral acceleration signal;

a safety system; and

a controller coupled to said yaw rate sensor, said lateral acceleration sensor, and said safety system;

wherein said controller is operable to determine a front lateral tire force and a rear lateral tire force from said vehicle yaw rate signal and said vehicle lateral acceleration signal;

determine a calculated lateral velocity from said front lateral tire force, said rear lateral tire force, and a bank angle;

determine a calculated yaw rate from said front lateral tire force and said rear lateral tire force; and

control said safety system in response to said calculated lateral velocity and said calculated yaw rate.

2. A control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said safety system comprises a rollover control system.

3. A control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said safety system comprises a yaw stability control system.

4. A control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said calculated yaw rate is determined from said front lateral tire force, a first distance from a front axle to a center of gravity, a second distance from a rear axle to said center of gravity, and a rear lateral velocity.

5. A control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said rear lateral tire force is determined in response to a rear tire slip angle and a rear cornering compliance.

6. A control system as recited in claim 5, wherein said rear tire slip angle is determined from a vehicle lateral velocity, a yaw rate signal, and a vehicle longitudinal velocity.

7. A control system as recited in claim 5, wherein said rear tire slip angle is determined from a vehicle lateral velocity, a yaw rate signal, a vehicle longitudinal velocity, and a rear steering angle.

8. A control system as recited in claim 7, wherein said rear steering angle is determined by a gain from body roll due to a steering angle of a rear axle.

9. A control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said front lateral tire force is determined in response to a front tire slip angle and a front cornering compliance.

10. A control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said front lateral tire force is determined in response to a front tire slip angle, a front cornering compliance, and a front steering angle.

11. A control system as recited in claim 10, wherein said front steering angle is determined in response to a driver input steering angle, a first gain from a body roll angle due to a steering angle of a front axle, and a second gain from a body pitch angle due to a steering angle of said front axle.

12. A control system as recited in claim 10, wherein said front tire slip angle is determined from a vehicle longitudinal velocity, a vehicle lateral velocity, and a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor.

13. A method of controlling a safety system for a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a vehicle yaw rate signal;

(b) generating a vehicle lateral acceleration signal;

(c) operating a controller to determine a front lateral tire force and a rear lateral tire force from said vehicle yaw rate signal and said vehicle lateral acceleration signal;

(d) operating said controller to determine a calculated lateral velocity from said front lateral tire force, said rear lateral tire force, and a bank angle;

(e) operating said controller to determine a calculated yaw rate from said front lateral tire force and said rear lateral tire force; and

(f) operating said controller to control said safety system in response to said calculated lateral velocity and said calculated yaw rate.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein step (b) is at least partially accomplished with a lateral acceleration sensor.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein step (a) is at least partially accomplished with a yaw rate sensor.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said calculated yaw rate is determined from said front lateral tire force, a first distance from a front axle to a center of gravity, a second distance from a rear axle to said center of gravity, and a rear lateral velocity.

17. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said rear lateral tire force is determined in response to a rear tire slip angle and a rear cornering compliance.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein said rear tire slip angle is determined from a vehicle lateral velocity, a yaw rate signal, and a vehicle longitudinal velocity.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein said rear tire slip angle is determined from a vehicle lateral velocity, a yaw rate signal, a vehicle longitudinal velocity, and a rear steering angle.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said rear steering angle is determined by a gain from body roll due to a steering angle of a rear axle.

21. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said front lateral tire force is determined in response to a front tire slip angle and a front cornering compliance.

22. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said front lateral tire force is determined in response to a front tire slip angle, a front cornering compliance, and a front steering angle.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein said front tire slip angle is determined from a vehicle longitudinal velocity, a vehicle lateral velocity, and a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor.

24. A method of controlling a safety system for a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a front lateral tire force and also a rear lateral tire force based on input from both a vehicle yaw rate sensor and a vehicle lateral acceleration sensor;

(b) determining a calculated lateral velocity from said front lateral tire force, said rear lateral tire force, and a bank angle;

(c) determining a calculated yaw rate from said front lateral tire force and said rear lateral tire force; and

(d) controlling said safety system in response to said calculated lateral velocity and said calculated yaw rate.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said calculated lateral velocity is also determined from a mass of said vehicle.

26. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said calculated yaw rate is determined from said front lateral tire force, a first distance from a front axle to a center of gravity, a second distance from a rear axle to said center of gravity, and a rear lateral velocity.

27. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said rear lateral tire force is determined in response to a rear tire slip angle and a rear cornering compliance.

28. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein said rear tire slip angle is determined from a vehicle lateral velocity, a yaw rate signal, and a vehicle longitudinal velocity.

29. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein said rear tire slip angle is determined from a vehicle lateral velocity, a yaw rate signal, a vehicle longitudinal velocity, and a rear steering angle.

30. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein said rear steering angle is determined by a gain from body roll due to a steering angle of a rear axle.

31. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said front lateral tire force is determined in response to a front tire slip angle and a front cornering compliance.

32. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said front lateral tire force is determined in response to a front tire slip angle, a front cornering compliance, and a front steering angle.

33. A method as recited in claim 32, wherein said front steering angle is determined in response to a driver input steering angle, a first gain from a body roll angle due to a steering angle of a front axle, and a second gain from a body pitch angle due to a steering angle of said front axle.

34. A method as recited in claim 32, wherein said front tire slip angle is determined from a projection of a longitudinal velocity and a lateral velocity.

35. A method as recited in claim 32, wherein said front tire slip angle is determined from a vehicle longitudinal velocity, a vehicle lateral velocity, and a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor.