Device for determining the centre of rotation of a vehicle about a vehicle vertical axis

• US 7,522,991 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Schmid, Michael, Lich, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/532,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20060150717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 701/124, 701 45- 48, 701/36, 307/9.1, 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/436, 180/271, 180/282
• US Class Current: 701/124
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• 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 2230/02 Side slip angle, attitude angle, floating angle, drift angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/20 Sideslip angle
• 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 device for determining a center of rotation of a vehicle around the vehicle'"'"'s vertical axis determines the center of rotation as a function of a yaw rate and a float angle.

Claims

1. A device for determining a center of rotation of a vehicle around a vertical axis of the vehicle, comprising:

an arrangement for determining the center of rotation as a function of a yaw rate and a float angle.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement for determining the center of rotation additionally takes into account at least one of a float angle variation and a lateral velocity.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an arrangement for determining the yaw rate as a function of linear vehicle-dynamic quantities.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an arrangement for determining the float angle as a function of linear vehicle-dynamic quantities.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor system situated at a rear area of the vehicle to detect the float angle.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the sensor system includes at least one of an optical, an ultrasound-based, a radar-based and a positioning based system.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory in which data relating to the yaw rate and the float angle are stored, the arrangement determining the center of rotation as a function of the data.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is connected to an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) so that the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) takes the center of rotation into account when determining vehicle-dynamic quantities.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is connected to a passenger protection system (RHS) so that the passenger-protection system (RHS) takes the center of rotation into account when activating passenger protection devices.

10. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an arrangement for determining the yaw rate as a function of linear vehicle-dynamic quantities,

wherein the arrangement for determining the center of rotation additionally takes into account at least one of a float angle variation and a lateral velocity.

11. The device according to claim 10, further comprising:

an arrangement for determining the float angle as a function of linear vehicle-dynamic quantities.

12. The device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a sensor system situated at a rear area of the vehicle to detect the float angle.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the sensor system includes at least one of an optical, an ultrasound-based, a radar-based and a positioning based system.

14. The device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a memory in which data relating to the yaw rate and the float angle are stored, the arrangement determining the center of rotation as a function of the data.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein the device is connected to an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) so that the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) takes the center of rotation into account when determining vehicle-dynamic quantities.

16. The device according to claim 12, wherein the device is connected to a passenger protection system (RHS) so that the passenger-protection system (RHS) takes the center of rotation into account when activating passenger protection devices.

17. The device according to claim 10, wherein the sensor system includes at least one of an optical, an ultrasound-based, a radar-based and a positioning based system.

18. The device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a memory in which data relating to the yaw rate and the float angle are stored, the arrangement determining the center of rotation as a function of the data.

19. The device according to claim 10, wherein the device is connected to an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) so that the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) takes the center of rotation into account when determining vehicle-dynamic quantities.

20. The device according to claim 10, wherein the device is connected to a passenger protection system (RHS) so that the passenger-protection system (RHS) takes the center of rotation into account when activating passenger protection devices.

21. The device according to claim 1, wherein the center of rotation is computed with respect to a center of mass of the vehicle.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein a variation of the center of rotation is determined based on a linear correlation between the center of mass and the center of rotation as a function of the yaw rate.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the determination of the variation of the center of rotation is conditioned the float angle exceeding a threshold value.

24. A device for determining a center of rotation of a vehicle around a vertical axis of the vehicle, comprising:

an arrangement for determining the center of rotation as a function of a yaw rate and a float angle, for determining the yaw rate as a function of linear vehicle-dynamic quantities, and for determining the float angle as a function of linear vehicle-dynamic quantities, wherein the arrangement includes a sensor system situated at a rear area of the vehicle to detect the float angle;

a memory in which data relating to the yaw rate and the float angle are stored, the arrangement determining the center of rotation as a function of the data;

wherein the arrangement for determining the center of rotation additionally takes into account at least one of a float angle variation and a lateral velocity,

wherein the center of rotation is computed with respect to a center of mass of the vehicle,

wherein a variation of the center of rotation is determined based on a linear correlation between the center of mass and the center of rotation as a function of the yaw rate, and

wherein the determination of the variation of the center of rotation is conditioned the float angle exceeding a threshold value.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein the device is connected to an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) so that the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) takes the center of rotation into account when determining vehicle-dynamic quantities.

26. The device according to claim 24, wherein the device is connected to a passenger protection system (RHS) so that the passenger-protection system (RHS) takes the center of rotation into account when activating passenger protection devices.