Abstract: A system and method using a frontal distance sensor for detecting an obstacle in front of a vehicle determines the distance between the front of the vehicle and an obstacle in front of the vehicle and calculates the relative speed between the vehicle and the obstacle. If the relative speed is below a value representing a safety risk and the vehicle is decelerating, it is determined that the combustion engine torque is not required because the vehicle will likely continue to decelerate, and the combustion engine is turned off, even before the vehicle has come to a complete stop.

Abstract: The present invention features a system and method for estimating body states of a vehicle. The system includes at least two sensors mounted to the vehicle. The sensors generate measured vehicle state signals corresponding to the dynamics of the vehicle. A signal adjuster transforms the measured vehicle states from a sensor coordinate system to a body coordinate system associated with the vehicle. A filter receives the transformed measured vehicle states from the signal adjuster and processes the measured signals into state estimates of the vehicle, such as, for example, the lateral velocity, yaw rate, roll angle, and roll rate of the vehicle.

Abstract: A system and method protects against rollover in a vehicle by employing an array of linear acceleration sensors. A control module includes, among other things, a model of the vehicle dynamics and a model of the array of sensors. A state vector is estimated based on the detected accelerations, the model of the vehicle dynamics and the model of the sensors. A control signal is generated based on the state vector, and the roll moment of the vehicle is reduced based on the control signal.