Abstract: The present invention is directed to a road condition estimation apparatus for estimating a road condition for use in a vehicle having steering control unit for actuating a device mechanically independent of a manually operated steering member to steer each wheel.

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.

Abstract: In a stabilizer control apparatus for a vehicle, a stabilizer includes a pair of stabilizer bars disposed between a right wheel and a left wheel of the vehicle, and an actuator having an electric motor disposed between the stabilizer bars. A turning determination device is provided for determining a turning operation of the vehicle. And, a controller is provided for controlling the electric motor in response to the result determined by the turning determination device. The electric motor is substantially prohibited from being fed with electric current, when the turning operation of the vehicle is being decreased.

Abstract: In a stabilizer control apparatus for a vehicle, a stabilizer includes a pair of stabilizer bars disposed between a right wheel and a left wheel of the vehicle, and an actuator having an electric motor and a speed reducing mechanism disposed between the stabilizer bars. A turning determination device is provided for determining change in turning operation of the vehicle. And, a controller is provided for changing a control parameter of the electric motor in response to the result determined by the turning determination device, to control a torsional rigidity of the stabilizer. As for control parameters of the electric motor, may be employed a desired value of electric current for actuating the electric motor, for example.

Abstract: A first ECU 30 detects a steering torque applied to a steering system, estimates a self-aligning torque generated in a front wheel on the basis of the steering torque, and estimates a side force for the front wheel on the basis of lateral acceleration and a yaw rate. The first ECU 30 estimates a grip factor ? for the front wheel on the basis of a change of the self-aligning torque to the side force. The first ECU 30 judges whether the grip factor is below a second OS (oversteer) start threshold value. A second ECU 40 controls the transfer ratio according to the vehicle state when the grip factor is less than the second OS start threshold value.

Abstract: In accordance with a vehicle motion control apparatus, a steering angle (?h) of a steering wheel is determined on the basis of a rotation angle (?pm) of an assist motor (24m) detected by a rotation angle sensor (24s) and a rotation angle (?vm) of a gear ratio variable motor (32m) detected by a rotation angle sensor (32s), and a VGRS control process (40a) of a gear ratio variable mechanism is executed on the basis of the determined steering angle (?h). Accordingly, since the steering angle (?h) of the steering wheel is determined on the basis of the rotation angle (?vm) used for the VGRS control process (40a) of the gear ratio variable mechanism and the rotation angle (?pm) used for an EPS control process (30a) of an EPS actuator, it is possible to obtain the steering angle (?h) of the steering wheel without a steering angle sensor. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of the parts of a vehicle motion control apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a vehicle motion control apparatus, which includes a steering factor detection unit for detecting at least one of steering factors including a steering torque and steering effort applied to a steering system, an aligning torque estimation unit for estimating an aligning torque produced on at least a wheel of the vehicle on the basis of the steering factor, a vehicle state variable detection unit for detecting a state variable of the vehicle, a wheel factor estimation unit for estimating at least one of wheel factors including a side force and slip angle applied to the wheel on the basis of the vehicle state variable, and a grip factor estimation unit for estimating a grip factor of at least a tire of the wheel, in accordance with the estimated alignment torque and the estimated wheel factor.

Abstract: In a steering apparatus, in accordance with a grip limit control process (30b?), it is determined whether or not a grip degree ? estimated by a grip degree estimation arithmetically operating process (30a) is less than a predetermined grip degree (??), and in the case that it is determined that an estimated grip degree (?) is less than the predetermined grip degree (??), the process applies such a feeling that a steering operation by a steering wheel suddenly becomes light to a driver, by suddenly increasing an assist quantity by a motor (M), thereby notifying the driver of the matter that the grip degree of a steered wheel is close to a limit. Therefore, it is possible to transmit to the driver a probability that a side slip is generated by further turning the steering wheel 21 in the same direction as the current direction, thereby calling the driver's attention for steering.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a wheel grip factor estimation apparatus, which includes a steering factor detection unit for detecting at least one of steering factors including a steering torque and steering effort applied to a steering system extending from a steering wheel to a suspension of a vehicle, an aligning torque estimation unit for estimating an aligning torque produced on at least a wheel of the vehicle on the basis of the steering factor detected by the steering factor detection unit, and a vehicle state variable detection unit for detecting a state variable of the vehicle. The apparatus further includes a wheel factor estimation unit for estimating at least one of wheel factors including a side force and slip angle applied to the wheel on the basis of the vehicle state variable, and a grip factor estimation unit for estimating a grip factor of at least a tire of the wheel, in accordance with a relationship between the estimated alignment torque and the estimated wheel factor.

Abstract: A vehicle motion control apparatus is provided for performing a vehicle stability control on the basis of a parameter indicative of lateral margin for a tire on a road. The apparatus includes a steering control device for controlling a relationship between a steering angle and a tire angle to be varied, and a decelerating control device for controlling a vehicle speed to be decreased. The parameter indicative of lateral margin for the tire is monitored, and the steering control device and the decelerating control device are controlled on the basis of the monitored parameter.

Abstract: A steering control apparatus obtains a steered amount by which a steered wheel is steered based on a left-and-right braking force difference control amount, a vehicle state control amount, and a steering control amount. The apparatus changes the magnitude of the braking force difference control amount and the magnitude of the vehicle state control amount according to a vehicle speed or to time elapsed from when braking started to be applied to the left and right wheels. Accordingly, the vehicle driving on ?-split road is prevented from being deflected toward a side of higher friction coefficient due to the left-and-right braking force difference when the braking is applied.

Abstract: A suspension control device includes a wheel grip state estimation device for estimating grip state of vehicle wheels based on variations of aligning torque of wheels to be steered, a vehicle rolling control device for controlling vehicle rolling, and a control parameter setting device for setting a control parameter of the vehicle rolling control device based on at least estimated grip state of the wheel grip state estimation device.

Abstract: A first ECU 30 detects a steering torque applied to a steering system, estimates a self-aligning torque generated in a front wheel on the basis of the steering torque, and estimates a side force for the front wheel on the basis of lateral acceleration and a yaw rate. The first ECU 30 estimates a grip factor ? for the front wheel on the basis of a change of the self-aligning torque to the side force. The first ECU 30 judges whether the grip factor is below a second OS (oversteer) start threshold value. A second ECU 40 controls the transfer ratio according to the vehicle state when the grip factor is less than the second OS start threshold value.

Abstract: A grip factor estimating apparatus includes a steering torque detecting unit M1, and an assist torque detecting unit M2. When a self-aligning torque estimating unit M6 estimates self-aligning torque generated in front wheels on the basis of detection result of the detecting unit, the quantity of influence of longitudinal force on self-aligning torque is removed on the basis of longitudinal force acting on the front wheels and estimated by a longitudinal force estimating unit M15 and a front wheel slip angle estimated by a front wheel slip angle estimating unit M9y. A grip factor estimating unit M12 estimates the grip factor of the front wheels on the basis of change in self-aligning torque in accordance with the side force.

Abstract: In vehicle roll sensing of the present invention, a self-aligning torque (SAT) estimator estimates a composite value of SATs generated on tire contact patch of right and left wheels. A slip angle computer detects a vehicle speed and a steering angle and computes a slip angle of the wheel from the measured vehicle speed and steering angle. An SAT model value computer estimates an SAT model value as a composite value of SATs of the right and left wheels when no load shifts between the right and left wheels on the basis of the slip angle. A load shift ratio estimator estimates a load shift state of the right and left wheels on the basis of the composite value of the SATs of the wheels and the SAT model value. A vehicle rollover estimator estimates a rollover of the vehicle on the basis of the estimated load-shift state.

Abstract: A stabilizer control device includes a pair of stabilizer bar positioned between right, left wheels of a vehicle, an electric motor, an actuator positioned between said pair of the stabilizer bar, the actuator comprising the electric motor, and a control means for controlling the electric motor in accordance with a turning state of the vehicle. At least one motor relay positioned in parallel with corresponding number of coil of the electric motor. The motor relay is short circuited when electric power is not supplied to the electric motor.

Abstract: The vehicle operation control apparatus multiplies the variable gain G controlled based on the vehicle velocity V, the steering angle &thgr;h, the steering angle velocity &ohgr;h and the actual steering angle &thgr;T with the steering angle &thgr;h, and controls the actual steering angle &thgr;T of the driven wheels on a result of this multiplication. Consequently, the additional turning time gear ratio Ga1 or the turning-back gear ratio Ga2, set up individually, can be selected depending on the turning direction of the steering wheel. Therefore, the steering feeling both at the time of additional turning and turning-back can be improved.

Abstract: An operating characteristics control device for a vehicle includes a physical constitution detecting device for detecting a physical constitution of a passenger, an operation device operated by the passenger, a condition changing device operated by the operation device and changing the condition of the vehicle and an operating characteristic setting device for setting a characteristic showing a relationship between an operating force applied to the operation device and the condition of the vehicle changed by the operation of the condition changing device in response to the physical constitution of the passenger detected by the physical constitution detecting device.

Abstract: An antiskid braking control system includes a wheel factor estimating means for estimating at least a wheel factor such as a side force of a vehicle front wheel and a front wheel slip angle based upon a vehicle state variable, a grip factor estimating means for estimating a grip factor of at least the vehicle front wheel based upon a change of a aligning torque depending upon the front wheel factor, and a control parameter adjusting means for adjusting a control parameter based upon the grip factor estimated.

Abstract: A vehicle control device incorporating an electric power steering is provided, wherein an extraordinary yaw motion acting on a vehicle is detected and is suppressed or moderated, so that the stability of the vehicle in a straight-ahead steering is improved. The causes of the extraordinary yaw motion are one of lateral wind, asymmetrical surface state of the road, lateral slant of the road and the like. A countermeasure against the extraordinary yaw motion is taken by applying a counter (opposite direction) yaw motion on the vehicle or switching over the control mode from a proportional control to a proportional integral control.