Attitude Change Suppressive Control (e.g., Antiroll Or Antipitch) Patents (Class 701/38)
  • Publication number: 20100191420
    Abstract: A damping force control apparatus for a vehicle computes an actual roll angle ? and an actual pitch angle ? in step S11, and computes a difference ?? between a target pitch angle ?a and the actual pitch angle ? in step S12. In step 13, the apparatus computes a total demanded damping force F which must be cooperatively generated by shock absorbers so as to decrease the computed ?? to zero. In step S14, the apparatus distributes the total demanded damping force F in proportion to the magnitude of a lateral acceleration G such that a demanded damping force Fi on the turn-locus inner side becomes greater than a demanded damping force Fo on the turn-locus outer side. In step S15, the apparatus controls the damping force of each of the shock absorbers to the damping force Fi or the damping force Fo. Thus, throughout a turn, a posture changing behavior in which the turn-locus inner side serves as a fulcrum can be maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Motohiko Honma, Yuichi Mizuta, Taisuke Hayashi, Wataru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7756619
    Abstract: An active vibration insulator includes an electromagnetic actuator, a controller, and a bad-roads processor. The electromagnetic actuator generates vibrating forces depending on electric-current supplies. The controller carries out vibrating-forces generation control. In the vibrating-forces generation control, the electric-current supplies are made variable so as to actively inhibit vibrations generated by an on-vehicle vibration generating source of a vehicle from transmitting to a specific part of the vehicle based on cyclic pulsating signals output from the on-vehicle vibration generating source. Thus, the controller lets the electromagnetic actuator generate the vibrating forces. The bad-roads processor stops the vibrating-forces generation control effected by the controller when the vehicle travels on bad roads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ichikawa, Takayoshi Yasuda, Hideki Oshima, Takehiko Fushimi, Daichi Mizushima, Kenichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20100174452
    Abstract: A control device for a compressed air system of a vehicle or for a component of a compressed air system of a vehicle includes at least one processor calculating a prediction of the occurrence and/or duration of overrun condition phases of the vehicle based on altitude position data of a route traveled by or still to be traveled by the vehicle. The control device controls the compressed air system, a component of the compressed air system, or a component intended to operate the compressed air system, based on the calculated prediction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas LEINUNG
  • Patent number: 7751959
    Abstract: A suspension system includes four electronically controlled actuators, one at each of the four wheels. The actuators are each controlled by an electronic control unit. The left front and right front actuators are mechanically connected with each other. The left rear and the right rear actuators are also mechanically connected with each other. The only connection between the front two actuators and the rear two actuators is an electronic communication through the electronic control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Boon, Koen Reybrouck
  • Publication number: 20100168961
    Abstract: A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a controller (26) that determines whether or not a potential load change has occurred in a load change detector (59). A load change detector (59) may be coupled to various sensors to determine whether or not a change in load has occurred. If a change in load has occurred an adaptively determined roll condition parameter such as a roll acceleration coefficient, a roll rate parameter or a roll gradient may be reset. If a potential load change has not occurred, then a newly determined value for an adaptive roll condition may be included in a revised adaptive roll condition average. A safety device (44) may be controlled in response to the revised adaptive roll condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: David Messih, Jianbo Lu
  • Publication number: 20100168960
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle (6) for transporting a wind turbine blade (5). The vehicle (6) comprises blade connection means (14) for connecting a first end (24) of the blade (5) to the vehicle (6), wherein the blade connection means (14) comprise tilting means (19) for elevating an opposite end (25) of the blade (5) and wherein a tip end (9) of the blade (5) is orientated in a forward direction of the vehicle (6). The invention further relates to a control system for controlling the tilting means (19) of a vehicle (6) and a method for transporting a wind turbine blade (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Gunnar Kamp Storgaard Pederson
  • Patent number: 7747367
    Abstract: A vehicle physical quantity estimating device including: a longitudinal vehicle body velocity estimating unit, estimating a longitudinal vehicle body velocity based on vehicle wheel velocities of each wheel; a longitudinal/lateral acceleration state value deviation computing unit, computing deviations in longitudinal and lateral acceleration state values based on output sensor signals corresponding to detected values of the vehicle motions of triaxial accelerations and triaxial angular velocities output from a sensor, and the estimated longitudinal vehicle body velocity; a low pass filter, letting only signals corresponding to motions that need attention pass through from the longitudinal/lateral acceleration state value deviation computing unit 14; and an attitude angle estimating unit, estimating the attitude angle based on the sensor signal(s), and signal(s) representing the deviations in longitudinal and lateral acceleration state values after low pass filter processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventor: Eiichi Ono
  • Patent number: 7747368
    Abstract: A damping force control apparatus with adjustable shock absorbers is disclosed. An electronic control unit calculates estimated roll angle and estimated pitch angle of a vehicle body based on detected sprung accelerations, calculates a target pitch angle from the estimated roll angle, and determines target damping force required for front-wheel-side shock absorbers such that the stimulated pitch angle coincides with the target pitch angle; calculates rear-wheel-side jack-up force exerted on the rear-wheel-side vehicle body based on detected vehicle speed detected yaw rate and detected lateral acceleration, and determines the force in the direction for overcoming the calculated jack-up force as target damping force of rear-wheel-side shock absorbers; and controls the operation of each actuator based on the rear-wheel-side and front-wheel-side target damping forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Tomida, Yusuke Mizuguchi
  • Publication number: 20100152970
    Abstract: A height controlling apparatus for controlling at least one actual height as a relative position of (a) a body of a vehicle and (b) at least one wheel of the vehicle relative to each other, the apparatus including at least one height controlling actuator which changes the at least one actual height; and an actuator control device which controls the at least one height controlling actuator so that the at least one actual height approaches at least one target height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio Onuma, Masaaki Tabata, Takenari Yamaguchi, Masaki Kanatani, Atsushi Mizuta, Hideki Ohashi, Koutaro Okimura
  • Patent number: 7739019
    Abstract: A rough road detection system for a vehicle comprises a first acceleration sensor that measures vertical acceleration of a component of the vehicle. An adaptive acceleration limits module determines a first acceleration limit based upon a speed of the vehicle. A limit comparison module generates a rough road signal based on a comparison of the first acceleration limit from the adaptive acceleration limits module and the measured acceleration from the first acceleration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Dominique Robert, Herve Scelers, Pascal Tissot
  • Publication number: 20100145574
    Abstract: A roll control system (16) for an automotive vehicle (10) is used to actively detect if one of the plurality of the driven wheels (12) is lifted. The system generates a pressure request to determine if the wheel has lifted. By comparing the change in wheel speed of a driven wheel to a change in wheel speed threshold the wheel lift status can be determined. The wheel speed change threshold may be dependent upon various vehicle operating conditions such as powertrain torque, braking torque and/or longitudinal force on the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: Keith Glenn Mattson, Todd Allen Brown, Joseph Carr Meyers, Michael Edward Brewer
  • Publication number: 20100138108
    Abstract: A suspension controller for controlling, based on a value detected by at least one sensor which is provided in a vehicle and which is configured to detect a detected portion, a suspension provided for a wheel of the vehicle which is located on a rear side of the detected portion and which is distant from the detected portion by a longitudinal distance in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, such that the suspension works in accordance with a control command value that is prepared based on the value detected by the at least one sensor. The suspension controller includes a gain determiner configured to determine a gain, for controlling the suspension based on the determined gain. The gain determiner is configured to determine the gain such that the determined gain is smaller when a previewable time is shorter than a threshold length of time, than when the previewable time is not shorter than the threshold length of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Kajino
  • Publication number: 20100131154
    Abstract: A method for estimating the normal force at a wheel of a vehicle and the vertical acceleration of the vehicle that has particular application for ride and stability control of the vehicle. The method includes obtaining a suspension displacement value from at least one of a plurality of suspension displacement sensors mounted on the vehicle and estimating a spring force acting on a spring of a suspension element of the vehicle, a damper force acting on a damper of the suspension element of the vehicle, and a force acting at a center of a wheel. The method further includes determining a normal force at the wheel of the vehicle and a vertical acceleration of the vehicle based on the spring force, the damper force and the force at the center of the wheel of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Nikolai K. Moshchuk, Flavio Nardi, Jihan Ryu, Kevin A. O'Dea
  • Patent number: 7725226
    Abstract: In a target rotational angle determining routine, based on a roll moment and longitudinal acceleration that are calculated, target rotational angles of actuators on a subject side (one of front-wheel and rear-wheel sides) and a counterpart side are obtained using a common map. An actual rotational angle on the counterpart side is read. It is determined whether the absolute value of a difference obtained by subtracting the actual rotational angle supplied from the counterpart side from the target rotational angle on the counterpart side that is obtained by the subject side is equal to or greater than a set angle difference ??0. If YES, it is determined that roll stiffness on the counterpart side is insufficient, and the target rotational angle on the subject side is changed so that a roll stiffness distribution ratio between the front-wheel side and the rear-wheel side comes close to a set distribution ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Urababa, Tomoyuki Iida
  • Patent number: 7715965
    Abstract: A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a controller (26) that determines whether or not a potential load change has occurred in a load change detector (59). A load change detector (59) may be coupled to various sensors to determine whether or not a change in load has occurred. If a change in load has occurred an adaptively determined roll condition parameter such as a roll acceleration coefficient, a roll rate parameter or a roll gradient may be reset. If a potential load change has not occurred, then a newly determined value for an adaptive roll condition may be included in a revised adaptive roll condition average. A safety device (44) may be controlled in response to the revised adaptive roll condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: David Messih, Jianbo Lu
  • Patent number: 7715963
    Abstract: In a stabilizer control apparatus for controlling a torsional rigidity of a stabilizer of a vehicle, an actual lateral acceleration and a calculated lateral acceleration are obtained. Then, influence amount caused by the calculated lateral acceleration is set to be greater than influence amount caused by the actual lateral acceleration, when the vehicle is moving straight, whereas the influence amount caused by the actual lateral acceleration is set to be increased, with the turning operation of the vehicle being increased, to actively control the rolling motion of the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Shingo Urababa, Shuuichi Buma
  • Publication number: 20100106370
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Keith Mattson, David Messih, Erik Chubb, Albert Salib
  • Publication number: 20100106369
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Keith Mattson, David Messih, Erik Chubb, Albert Salib
  • Publication number: 20100106368
    Abstract: A damping force control apparatus includes a damping force control device controlling a damping force of a shock absorber provided between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass of each wheel of a vehicle, a detection device detecting at least an acceleration of the sprung mass in an up-down direction and a relative displacement between the sprung mass and the unsprung mass, a damping coefficient calculation device calculating a damping coefficient to be applied to the damping force control by the damping force control device based on detected results of the detection device, a sensed acceleration increment calculation device calculating a sensed acceleration increment corresponding to an increment of sense according to the Weber Fechner law on the basis of the detected results of the detection device, and a modification device modifying the damping coefficient in accordance with a sensed acceleration increment calculated by the sensed acceleration increment calculation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji HIDAKA, Akihito Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7706941
    Abstract: A method and system for coordinating a vehicle stability control system with a suspension damper control sub-system includes a plurality of dampers, each of which are controlled directly by the suspension damper control sub-system. A plurality of sensors sense a plurality of vehicle parameters. A supervisory controller generates vehicle damper commands based on the plurality of vehicle parameters for each of the dampers. A damper controller in electrical communication with the supervisory controller receives the vehicle damper commands and generates sub-system damper commands based on a portion of the plurality of vehicle parameters for each of the dampers. The damper controller also determines if any of the vehicle damper commands for any one of the dampers has authority over the corresponding sub-system damper command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Loren E. Majersik, Kerfegar K. Katrak, Steven D. Palazzolo, Mark A. Seifert
  • Patent number: 7706945
    Abstract: A vehicle lateral control system that integrates both vehicle dynamics and kinematics control. The system includes a driver interpreter that provides desired vehicle dynamics and predicted vehicle path based on driver input. Error signals between the desired vehicle dynamics and measured vehicle dynamics, and between the predicted vehicle path and the measured vehicle target path are sent to dynamics and kinematics control processors for generating a separate dynamics and kinematics command signals, respectively, to minimize the errors. The command signals are integrated by a control integration processor to combine the commands to optimize the performance of stabilizing the vehicle and tracking the path. The integrated command signal can be used to control one or more of front wheel assist steering, rear-wheel assist steering or differential braking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Weiwen Deng, Yong H. Lee
  • Patent number: 7706942
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension control system includes a level change recognition section that recognizes a change in level in a road, e.g. roadside curb, a travel path prediction section that predicts the travel path of the host vehicle, a ride-up judgment section which predicts that a wheel or wheels will ride up over the change in level, based on the predicted travel path, and a vehicle suspension element control section that controls the operation of the vehicle suspension or of an element thereof when ride up over the change in level is predicted. The system reliably reduces the jolting sensation which would otherwise occur when a wheel rides up over the change in level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayuki Miyajima
  • Patent number: 7688191
    Abstract: A control system (18) for an automotive vehicle (10) has a first roll condition detector (64A), a second roll condition detector (64B), a third roll condition detector (64C), and a controller (26) that uses the roll condition generated by the roll condition detectors (64A-C) to determine a wheel lift condition. Other roll condition detectors may also be used in the wheel lift determination. The wheel lift conditions may be active or passive or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Michael Edward Brewer, Todd Allen Brown, Joseph Carr Meyers
  • Patent number: 7686309
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for a suspension system for a vehicle includes at least one first pair of wheel rams (11, 12) at a first end of the vehicle and at least one second pair of wheel rams (13, 14) at a second end of the vehicle, each rams including a compression chamber (45-48) and a rebound chamber (49-52); and the system includes first and second diagonal circuits with respect to said vehicle. The hydraulic system includes at least one first and second modal resilience devices (81, 82). These devices each including at least one resilient means (107-110), at least one moveable member (105-106) and at least first and second (89, 90 and 91, 92) system modal chambers. Motion of the moveable member of each modal resilience device due to roll or pitch motion of the vehicle is controlled by the respective at least one resilient means to thereby provide respective roll or pitch resilience in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Kinetic Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Raymond Andrew Munday, James Lind Taylor, Richard Monk
  • Publication number: 20100076649
    Abstract: A suspension ECU 13 computes an actual roll angle ? and an actual pitch angle ? of a vehicle, and computes a difference ?? between a target pitch angle ?a and the actual pitch angle ?. The ECU then computes a total demanded damping force F which must be cooperatively generated by shock absorbers 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d so as to decrease the computed ?? to zero, and distributes the total demanded damping force F in proportion to the magnitude of a lateral acceleration Gl such that a demanded damping force Fi on the turn-locus inner side becomes greater than a demanded damping force Fo on the turn-locus outer side. Further, the ECU 13 determines whether or not the vehicle body is vibrating in the vertical direction as a result of input of a road surface disturbance, calculates a vibration-suppressing damping force Fd needed for damping the vibration, and determines the demanded damping forces Fi and Fo by use of the vibration-suppressing damping force Fd.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ikuhide Iyoda, Motohiko Honma
  • Patent number: 7680573
    Abstract: A suspension control system and a suspension control method for a vehicle control the suspension based on the condition of the road surface traveled by the vehicle in addition to information pertaining to a corner obtained from a navigation device when the vehicle approaches the corner. A microprocessor controls damping forces of suspension devices on the basis of a degree of irregularity of the road surface detected immediately preceding entry of the automobile into a turn around the corner, and corner information from the navigation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Fumiharu Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7676307
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle (10) is described for use in conjunction with the safety system (44) of the vehicle (10). A tire sensor or plurality of tire sensors generates tire force signals. The tire force signals may include lateral tire forces, longitudinal (or torque) tire forces, and normal tire forces. Based upon the tire force signals, a safety system (44) may be activated. The tire force sensors may be used to monitor various conditions including but not limited to sensing a roll condition, wheel lift detection, a trip event, oversteering and understeering conditions, pitch angle, bank angle, roll angle, and the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Paul Schmitt, Keith Mattson, Erik Chubb, Michael Brewer, Albert Salib, Todd Brown, Todd Mory, Daniel Eisele, Michael Lopez
  • Publication number: 20100057297
    Abstract: A first observer gain of an actual damping force estimating observer 21 calculates a dynamic characteristic compensating signal, and a second observer gain of an actual vehicle model state amount estimating observer 23 calculates a vehicle model compensating signal, from an output deviation corresponding to a difference between a sprung speed (observation output) provided from a vehicle 2 and an estimated sprung speed (estimated observation output) provided from a vehicle approximation model of the actual vehicle model state amount estimating observer 23. The dynamic characteristic compensating signal is input into a dynamic characteristic providing unit of the actual vehicle model state amount estimating observer 23, and is used for adjustment of the setting of the dynamic characteristic providing unit. Therefore, it is possible to curb time lag occurrence in a control, and thereby perform a vibration control with improved accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Noriaki ITAGAKI, Nobuyuki Ichimaru, Takahide Kobayashi, Tatsuya Gankai, Takanori Fukao
  • Patent number: 7672766
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for controlling the suspension of the body shell of a motor vehicle. According to the invention, the device comprises: a means (21) for calculating a set modal stress (F1) for the shock absorber as a function of at least one absolute modal body shell speed (Vmod), a means (34) for calculating a set modal stress (F2) for the shock absorber as a function of a relative modal body shell speed (Vmod2) in relation to the mid-plane of the wheels, a means (22) for detecting a bias on the vehicle, and a means (23) for calculating a weighting coefficient ? for calculating a set modal stress (F) for the shock absorber using formula F=(1??)·F1+?·F2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventor: Francois Poilbout
  • Patent number: 7672765
    Abstract: A system and method for providing a vehicle roll stability indicator that dynamically estimates the probability for vehicle rollover. The system determines vehicle kinematics from various vehicle sensors. From these kinematic values, the system estimates a roll angle of the vehicle and a bank angle of the vehicle. The estimated bank angle is used to correct the roll angle. The system determines a roll energy of the vehicle and a roll energy rate of the vehicle from the corrected roll angle. The system also calculates a tire lateral load transfer of the relative forces on the vehicle tires, and the duration that any of the tires have been off of the ground. From the roll energy, the roll energy rate, the tire lateral load transfer and the wheel airborne duration, the system calculates the roll stability indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technnology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolai K. Moshchuk, Shih-Ken Chen, Flavio Nardi
  • Patent number: 7668645
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Keith Mattson, David Messih, Erik Chubb, Albert Salib
  • Patent number: 7668637
    Abstract: A technique for determining a slip angle of a motor vehicle, while compensating for bank angle of the motor vehicle, includes a number of steps. Initially, a first lateral velocity of a motor vehicle is determined, without consideration of a bank angle and is derived from an integral of a first lateral velocity derivative (vy dot). A second lateral velocity of the motor vehicle is also determined, with consideration of the bank angle and is derived from an integral of a second lateral velocity derivative. A third lateral velocity of the motor vehicle is also determined, with consideration of the bank angle and the first and second lateral velocities and is derived from an integral of a third lateral velocity derivative. A longitudinal velocity of the motor vehicle is also determined. A slip angle of the motor vehicle is then determined, based upon the third lateral velocity and the longitudinal velocity or the first lateral velocity and the longitudinal velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Inventor: Kevin Austin O'Dea
  • Patent number: 7664582
    Abstract: In an automobile of the invention, a cornering drag estimator 61 estimates a cornering drag from measurements of steering angle ? and vehicle speed V. A gain multiplier 62 multiplies the estimated cornering drag by a preset gain K to reduce the estimated cornering drag. A phase adjuster 63 adjusts the phase of the rest of the estimated and reduced cornering drag. An implementation system 70 receives the sum of the output of the gain multiplier 62 and the output of the phase adjuster 63 and regulates the throttle opening of an engine according to the received sum. This adjusts the phase and the degree of reduction of the estimated cornering drag. This arrangement of the invention attains the adequate levels of pitching and rolling, which may be caused in the vehicle in the turning state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shoji Inagaki
  • Patent number: 7664587
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a vehicle rollover includes a sensor suite for sensing vehicle dynamics data, the sensor suite being connected to a processor which is configured in such a way that the processor detects a vehicle rollover as a function of the vehicle dynamics data and the rollover sensor suite. The processor has means for dividing an operating state of the vehicle into chronologically successive phases. In particular, the processor has means for determining, for each phase, a float angle and a transverse vehicle velocity from the vehicle dynamics data; the float angle and the transverse vehicle velocity being used, together with the data from the rollover sensor suite, for detection of the vehicle rollover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Mario Kroeninger, Michael Schmid, Robert Lahmann
  • Publication number: 20100036557
    Abstract: A vehicle (10) includes a control system (18) that is used to control a vehicle system. The control system determines a wheel normal loading in response to heave motion wheel loading, attitude-based wheel loading, and vertical motion induced wheel loading. The various wheel loadings may be indirectly determined from the sensors of the various dynamic control system outputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Inventor: Jianbo Lu
  • Publication number: 20100032914
    Abstract: A body leaning control system includes a support mechanism arranged to support at least a pair of traveling members that contact a traveling surface and are provided at opposite sides of the vehicle body to be movable up and down relative to the vehicle body, a resistance applying mechanism arranged to apply to the support mechanism a resistance to up-and-down motions of the pair of wheels, a lean information detecting device arranged to detect information on a lean amount of the vehicle body, and a controller arranged to perform control, based on detection results received from the lean information detecting device, to set the resistance of the resistance applying mechanism to a first resistance when the lean amount of the vehicle body is increasing, and to set the resistance of the resistance applying mechanism to a second resistance smaller than the first resistance when the lean amount of the vehicle body is decreasing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo Hara, Yasuhiro Oomura
  • Publication number: 20100025944
    Abstract: A body leaning control system includes a support mechanism arranged to support a pair of wheels to be movable up and down relative to a vehicle body, a resistance applying mechanism arranged to apply to the support mechanism a resistance to up-and-down motions of the pair of wheels, a lean amount acquiring device arranged to detect a lean amount of the vehicle body, and a controller arranged, based on detection results received from the lean amount acquiring device, to set the resistance of the resistance applying mechanism to a first resistance when the lean amount of the vehicle body exceeds a first angle, and to set the resistance of the resistance applying mechanism to a second resistance smaller than the first resistance when the lean amount of the vehicle body is at the first angle or less. This system can conveniently inhibit the vehicle body from leaning in excess of the first angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo Hara, Yasuhiro Oomura
  • Publication number: 20100030425
    Abstract: A method and system for positioning a vehicle chassis in approximate alignment with a predetermined datum are provided. The vehicle includes a first longitudinal end adapted to be pivotally connected to a substantially fixed point and a second longitudinal end including at least one axle and an operatively associated two-corner fluid suspension system. According to the method, the fluid suspension system controls the alignment of the vehicle chassis to be aligned with an artificial horizon represented as the predetermined datum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: FIRESTONE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory A. Holbrook, Joseph A. Bounds
  • Patent number: 7657353
    Abstract: According to a roll increasing tendency estimation apparatus, a state variable is calculated in response to magnitude of a rolling moment of the vehicle, to provide a roll input magnitude, and a state variable is calculated in response to variation in time of the rolling moment, to provide a roll input velocity. A roll increasing tendency of a vehicle is estimated on the basis of a relationship between the calculated roll input magnitude and the calculated roll input velocity. On the basis of a relationship between the roll input magnitude and roll input velocity, at least one of a braking force control and a driving force control may be performed, to restrain the roll increasing tendency of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Toshihisa Kato, Hiroshi Matsuoka, Junya Nagaya
  • Publication number: 20100017066
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a control system that is used to control a vehicle system. The control system determines a roll condition in response to a yaw rate sensor and a pitch rate sensor without having to use a roll rate sensor. A relative roll angle, relative pitch angle, global roll angle, and global pitch angle may also be determined. A safety system may be controlled in response to the roll condition, roll angle, or the pitch angles individually or in combination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Jeffrey Rupp
  • Publication number: 20100017059
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a control system that is used to control a vehicle system. The control system determines a roll condition in response to a yaw rate sensor and a pitch rate sensor without having to use a roll rate sensor. A relative roll angle, relative pitch angle, global roll angle, and global pitch angle may also be determined. A safety system may be controlled in response to the roll condition, roll angle, or the pitch angles individually or in combination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Jeffrey Rupp
  • Publication number: 20100017058
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a control system that is used to control a vehicle system. The control system determines a roll condition in response to a yaw rate sensor and a pitch rate sensor without having to use a roll rate sensor. A relative roll angle, relative pitch angle, global roll angle, and global pitch angle may also be determined. A safety system may be controlled in response to the roll condition, roll angle, or the pitch angles individually or in combination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Jeffrey Rupp
  • Publication number: 20100010710
    Abstract: A system and a device are provided for influencing the driving behavior of a vehicle by way of first and second closed-loop controls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Johannes Kopp, Martin Moser, Reinhold Schneckenburger, Christian Urban
  • Patent number: 7644934
    Abstract: When the side acceleration acting upon a vehicle body is comparatively small, the roll rigidities of a front wheel suspension device and a rear wheel suspension device are mainly controlled based upon their roll angles; while, when this side acceleration is comparatively large, the roll rigidities of the front wheel suspension device and the rear wheel suspension device are mainly controlled based upon the correlation between the roll rigidity of the front wheel suspension and the roll rigidity of the rear wheel suspension device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichi Mizuta
  • Patent number: 7647148
    Abstract: A roll stability control system (18) for an automotive vehicle (10) includes an active anti-roll bar system (62) and a rollover sensor (40) that generates a roll attitude signal indicative of a pending rollover of the vehicle. A controller (26) controls the active anti-roll bar system (62) to prevent the vehicle from rolling over in response to the roll attitude signal. The controller (26) may also control a brake system (60). The brake system may be used in addition to the active anti-roll bar system to prevent rollover of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Jianbo Lu
  • Publication number: 20100004820
    Abstract: Embodiments of a suspension for a vehicle is provided. The suspension includes, for example, a frame and a locking assembly. The locking assembly inhibits tipping of a frame of the vehicle when tipping of the frame is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: INVACARE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert Bekoscke, Damon Jurkiewicz, Gerald Fought
  • Publication number: 20090312908
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: at least three wheels, of which at least two wheels are situated on either side of the centre of gravity of the vehicle's longitudinal axis and wherein at least one of the wheels has a steering effect on the direction of the vehicle, a frame having a tilting frame section, rotatable in the longitudinal axis relative to the road surface, a steering element mounted so as to rotate relative to the tilting frame section, one or more tilting elements connected to the tilting frame section and the wheels for exerting a tilting movement between the tilting frame section and the road surface, a speed sensor, a steering sensor for determining the force/torque or size of the steering wheel movement for achieving a change in the direction of the steerable wheel or wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: BRINKS WESTMAAS B.V.
    Inventor: Christopher Ralph Van Den Brink
  • Publication number: 20090312907
    Abstract: A method of controlling at least one anti-roll bar actuator on board a vehicle. The method controls the at least one anti-roll actuator as a function of a measurement of lateral acceleration of the vehicle and controls the vehicle as a function of a value of a static gain in relation to a transfer function between an angle of a vehicle steering control member and a rate of yaw of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: RENAULT S.A.S.
    Inventor: Richard Pothin
  • Patent number: 7630816
    Abstract: In rollover prevention control, an inner front wheel braking force is generated only in a front wheel located on the radially inner side of a turning locus in a relatively early stage where the absolute value of actual lateral acceleration is between a first value and a second value. When the absolute value becomes greater than the second value, in addition to the inner front wheel braking force, an inner rear wheel braking force is generated in a rear wheel located on the radially inner side of the turning locus. When the absolute value becomes greater than a third value, in addition to the inner rear wheel breaking wheel, an outer wheel braking force is generated in the front wheel located on the radially outer side of the turning locus. Thus, an increase in the roll angle is suppressed, and a desired turning locus tracing performance is maintained satisfactorily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Yasutake, Toshihisa Kato, Shinji Tsugawa
  • Patent number: 7621538
    Abstract: An operating module for localized signal processing at a corner of a vehicle includes a housing, a valve assembly or a sensor, and a signal processing device. The operating module can be used in operative association with an air spring assembly. The operating module can be in communication with other components and/or systems. A vehicle suspension system and method are also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Inventors: Daniel L. Nordmeyer, Graham R. Brookes