System and method for dynamically determining vehicle loading and vertical loading distance for use in a vehicle dynamic control system

• US 7,668,645 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Messih, David, Lu, Jianbo, Mattson, Keith, Chubb, Erik, Salib, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolda; Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diacou; Ari M
• Application Number:
  US10/966,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/38, 701/39, 701/45, 701/68, 701/70, 701/301, 701/440
• US Class Current: 701/124
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/016 characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input B60G17/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/61 Load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0124 Roll-over conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0194 transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/915 Suspension load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• 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 2230/03 Overturn, rollover
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/02 Vehicle mass
• 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 8/24 responsive to vehicle inclination or change of direction, e.g. negotiating bends using electrical circuitry or regulation means B60T8/17
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/241 Lateral vehicle inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 related to roll-over prevention
• 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 40/10 : related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 : Load or weight

Abstract

A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a roll rate sensor (34) for generating a roll rate signal, a lateral acceleration sensor (32) for generating a lateral acceleration signal, a longitudinal acceleration sensor (36) for generating a longitudinal acceleration signal, and a yaw rate sensor (28) for generating a yaw rate signal. A safety device or system (44) and the sensors are coupled to a controller. The controller (26) determines an added mass and the height of the added mass on the vehicle, or a roll gradient, a roll acceleration coefficient, and/or a roll rate parameter that take into account the added mass and height from the roll rate, the lateral acceleration, the longitudinal acceleration, and the yaw rate of the vehicle, and controls the safety system in response thereto.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a safety system onboard a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing the roll rate of said vehicle over time;

(b) determining and updating a roll gradient parameter as a function of said roll rate so that said roll gradient parameter substantially includes the effect of each change in mass onboard said vehicle that occurs over said time;

(c) determining each said change in mass onboard said vehicle as a function of said roll gradient parameter; and

(d) adaptively controlling said safety system substantially according to each said change in mass as determined over said time.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein step (a) is at least partially accomplished with a roll rate sensor.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said safety system is at least part of a roll stability control (RSC) system.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said roll gradient parameter is also determined as a function of the sensed lateral acceleration of said vehicle.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said roll gradient parameter is also determined as a function of both the sensed lateral acceleration of said vehicle and a determined roll acceleration of said vehicle.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said roll gradient parameter is also determined as a function of the sensed lateral acceleration of said vehicle, the sensed longitudinal acceleration of said vehicle, and a determined roll acceleration of said vehicle.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said roll gradient parameter is also determined as a function of the sensed lateral acceleration of said vehicle, the sensed longitudinal acceleration of said vehicle, a determined roll acceleration of said vehicle, and the sensed yaw rate of said vehicle.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of adaptively controlling said safety system is at least partially accomplished by a roll angle determination that is iteratively adjusted according to said roll gradient parameter as determined and updated.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of adaptively controlling said safety system is at least partially accomplished by control gains that are adjusted according to said roll gradient parameter as determined and updated.

10. A method as set forth in claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of:

determining and updating a roll acceleration parameter as a function of said roll rate so that said roll acceleration parameter substantially includes the effect of each said change in mass onboard said vehicle that occurs over said time;

wherein each said change in mass onboard said vehicle is also determined as a function of said roll acceleration parameter.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said roll acceleration parameter is determined and updated iteratively.

12. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein step (a) is at least partially accomplished with a roll rate sensor.

13. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said roll acceleration parameter is also determined as a function of the sensed lateral acceleration of said vehicle.

14. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said roll acceleration parameter is also determined as a function of the sensed lateral acceleration of said vehicle and a determined roll acceleration of said vehicle.

15. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said roll acceleration parameter is also determined as a function of the sensed lateral acceleration of said vehicle, the sensed longitudinal acceleration of said vehicle, and a determined roll acceleration of said vehicle.

16. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said roll acceleration parameter is also determined as a function of the sensed lateral acceleration of said vehicle, the sensed longitudinal acceleration of said vehicle, a determined roll acceleration of said vehicle, the sensed yaw rate of said vehicle, and said roll rate of said vehicle.

17. A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said method further comprising the step of:

determining a roll rate parameter;

wherein the step of adaptively controlling said safety system is at least partially accomplished according to said roll gradient parameter, said roll acceleration parameter, and said roll rate parameter.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17, wherein said roll rate parameter is determined iteratively.

19. A method as set forth in claim 17, wherein said roll rate parameter is determined as a function of the roll stiffness of said vehicle and also the roll damping of said vehicle.

20. A method as set forth in claim 17, wherein said roll rate parameter is determined as a function of a suspension damper on said vehicle.

21. A method as set forth in claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

determining a roll rate parameter;

wherein the step of adaptively controlling said safety system is at least partially accomplished according to said roll gradient parameter and said roll rate parameter.

22. A method as set forth in claim 21, wherein said roll rate parameter is determined iteratively.

23. A method as set forth in claim 21, wherein said roll rate parameter is determined as a function of the roll stiffness of said vehicle and also the roll damping of said vehicle.

24. A method as set forth in claim 21, wherein said roll rate parameter is determined as a function of a suspension damper on said vehicle.

43. A method as set forth in claim 17, wherein said roll gradient parameter is a roll gradient, said roll acceleration parameter is a roll acceleration coefficient, and said roll rate parameter is a roll rate coefficient.

25. A method of controlling a safety system for a vehicle comprising:

determining and updating a roll gradient parameter so that said roll gradient parameter substantially includes the effect of each change in mass onboard said vehicle that occurs over time;

determining a roll acceleration coefficient;

determining each said change in mass and a height of the change in mass from the roll gradient and the roll acceleration coefficient; and

adaptively controlling the safety system in response to the change in mass and height as determined over said time.

26. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll gradient comprises determining a roll gradient from a roll rate sensor.

27. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll acceleration coefficient comprises determining a roll acceleration coefficient from a roll rate sensor.

28. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein the height corresponds to a change in a center of gravity position.

29. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein controlling the safety system comprises controlling a roll stability control system.

30. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll gradient comprises determining the roll gradient in response to a lateral acceleration signal.

31. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll gradient comprises determining the roll gradient in response to a lateral acceleration signal and a roll acceleration.

32. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll gradient comprises determining the roll gradient in response to a lateral acceleration signal, a longitudinal acceleration signal and a roll acceleration.

33. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll gradient comprises determining the roll gradient in response to a lateral acceleration signal, longitudinal acceleration, a roll acceleration, and a yaw rate.

34. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll gradient comprises determining the roll gradient in response to a lateral acceleration signal, longitudinal acceleration, a roll acceleration, a yaw rate and a roll rate.

35. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll acceleration coefficient comprises determining the roll acceleration coefficient in response to a lateral acceleration signal.

36. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll acceleration coefficient comprises determining the roll acceleration coefficient in response to a lateral acceleration signal and a roll acceleration.

37. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll acceleration coefficient comprises determining the roll acceleration coefficient in response to a lateral acceleration signal, a longitudinal acceleration signal and a roll acceleration.

38. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll acceleration coefficient comprises determining the roll acceleration coefficient in response to a lateral acceleration signal, longitudinal acceleration, a roll acceleration and a yaw rate.

39. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll acceleration coefficient comprises determining the roll acceleration coefficient in response to a lateral acceleration signal, longitudinal acceleration, a roll acceleration, a yaw rate and a roll rate.

40. A method as recited in claim 25 further comprising determining a roll rate parameter.

41. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll rate parameter comprises determining the roll rate parameter as a function of vehicle roll stiffness and roll damping.

42. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein determining a roll rate parameter comprises determining the roll rate parameter as a function of a suspension damper.

44. A method of controlling a safety system onboard a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing the roll rate of said vehicle over time;

(b) determining and updating a roll gradient parameter as a function of said roll rate so that said roll gradient parameter substantially includes the effect of a mass that is added onboard said vehicle over said time;

(c) determining the amount of said added mass onboard said vehicle as a function of said roll gradient parameter;

(d) determining at least one aspect of the location of said added mass onboard said vehicle as a function of said roll gradient parameter; and

(e) adaptively controlling said safety system substantially according to said added mass and also said location of said added mass onboard said vehicle as determined over said time.

45. A method as set forth in claim 44, wherein said at least one aspect of said location of said added mass onboard said vehicle includes the height of said added mass onboard said vehicle.