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

• US 7,877,199 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• 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): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diacou; Ari M
• Application Number:
  US12/652,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/124
• 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 for a vehicle comprising:

sensing a roll rate of said vehicle over time;

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

determining each said change in mass onboard said vehicle as a function of said roll acceleration coefficient; and

adaptively controlling said safety system substantially according to each said change in mass over time.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of determining and updating said roll acceleration coefficient is at least partly accomplished with a roll rate sensor.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein determining and updating said roll acceleration coefficient comprises determining said roll acceleration coefficient in response to a lateral acceleration signal.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein determining said roll acceleration coefficient comprises determining said roll acceleration coefficient in response to a lateral acceleration signal and a roll acceleration signal.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein determining said roll acceleration coefficient comprises determining said roll acceleration coefficient in response to a lateral acceleration signal, a longitudinal acceleration signal and a roll acceleration signal.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining said roll acceleration coefficient comprises determining said roll acceleration coefficient in response to a lateral acceleration signal, longitudinal acceleration signal, a roll acceleration signal, a yaw rate signal and a roll rate signal.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a roll rate coefficient and wherein determining each said change in mass onboard said vehicle further comprises determining each said change in mass as a function of said roll acceleration coefficient and said roll rate coefficient.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein said roll rate coefficient is determined and updated iteratively.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein said roll rate coefficient is determined as a function of roll stiffness of said vehicle and also roll damping of said vehicle.

10. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein said roll rate coefficient is determined as a function of a suspension damper on said vehicle.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein adaptively controlling said safety system comprises controlling a roll stability control system.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein adaptively controlling said safety system comprises adaptively adjusting a roll angle determination in response to each said change in mass as determined over said time.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein adaptively controlling said safety system comprises adjusting control gains in response to each said change in mass as determined over said time.