Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for preventing sudden acceleration of a vehicle having an automatic transmission by detecting the sudden acceleration with use of transmission state information and rpm. A controller determines that sudden acceleration occurs if the rpm abruptly increases within a first reference time when the transmission maintains a stop or park state, output voltage of an accelerator pedal detected by an ACC detecting unit is less than a predetermined level after inputting a start key. In addition, the controller determines the sudden acceleration if the transmission changes to a driving state and the rpm abruptly increases within a second reference time. When the vehicle drives at a high speed, the controller detects sudden acceleration only when the transmission changes by repeatedly counting the rpm. The controller may also be a central processor unit in an engine control unit of the vehicle.

Abstract: An ABS actuator bracket 5 is formed by a bracket base 20 on which an ABS actuator 2 is mounted and vehicle body attachment elements 21a to 21c which is attached to a vehicle body panel 4. A space portion 32 having a distance L corresponding to the dimension of a vehicle part such as a harness (main harness 33) is provided between the vehicle body panel 4 and the ABS actuator bracket 5 in a state in which the ABS actuator bracket 5 is attached to the vehicle body panel 4, so that the vehicle part is arranged so as to pass through the space portion 32.

Abstract: During wheel speed sneakdown conditions, a deceleration threshold in an anti-lock brake system control algorithm is incrementally increased to enhance the anti-lock braking system effort.

Abstract: A hydraulic brake pressure controller and method for pressure increase in a wheel cylinder of a hydraulic brake pressure controller is adapted to obtain favorable ABS control performance in light of the vehicle driving road surface and the stepping force of the brake pedal involves adjusting the pressure increase output time of the pulse pressure increase from a master cylinder to the wheel cylinder based on the pressure differential between the master cylinder hydraulic pressure and the wheel cylinder hydraulic pressure of each wheel cylinder. The wheel cylinder hydraulic pressure of each wheel cylinder is calculated based on an estimated vehicle deceleration obtained from an estimated vehicle speed.

Abstract: The invention is based on a system for changing a signal representing rotational motion in a motor vehicle with first means for generating a first signal representing the rotational motion and a second means for generating at least one second signal representing additional information (direction of rotation, air gap, and/or brake lining wear). In addition, a third means is provided, by means of which the first signal (rotational speed signal) can be changed as a function of the second signal (direction of rotation, air gap, and/or brake lining wear). The essence of the invention is that the first means is designed in such a way that the first signal (rotational speed signal) assumes at least two first current values and/or two first voltage values.

Abstract: When it is detected that a vehicle is running on a road surface which has a coefficient of friction sufficiently low as to invite ready road wheel slippage, a control which enables the vehicle to automatically follow a preceding vehicle at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, is inhibited. In one embodiment, when a request for vehicle follow-up is issued by the driver, and the follow-up is inhibited, the driver is informed of the low frictional coefficient of the road and is required to issue a confirmation that follow-up is required before its implementation can be carried out.

Abstract: A vehicle braking system including a controller, in an initial anti-skid cycle, performs a first determination to select a high or a low control mode in accordance with wheel speed parameters. The controller in a second, or subsequent anti-skid cycle, performs a second determination to determine whether a near &mgr; test is to be performed in accordance with wheel speed parameters. The controller consequent upon selection of low control mode performs a near &mgr; test. The near &mgr; test includes performing a rise in the brake pressure and then selecting a high or low mode in accordance with the speed of the wheels resulting from the rise in brake pressure in the near &mgr; test.

Abstract: A road surface condition determination system for an automotive vehicle comprises wheel-speed sensors, and a control unit being configured to be electrically connected to the wheel-speed sensors for data-processing a wheel-speed data signal. The control unit calculates a wheel-speed fluctuation of each of the road wheels on the basis of a previous value of the wheel-speed data signal and a current value of the wheel-speed data signal, and calculates an absolute value of the wheel-speed fluctuation of each of the road wheels. A integration circuit is provided to produce a first integrated value of the absolute values of the wheel-speed fluctuations of the road wheels. A smoothing circuit is provided to make a smoothing operation to the integrated value to produce a smoothed value. A road-surface condition determining section is also provided to determine a road surface condition on the basis of the smoothed value.

Abstract: A device for monitoring an acceleration sensor located in a vehicle and detecting an acceleration quantity that describes an acceleration acting upon the vehicle. The device includes an averaging device that is used to generate a mean value of the acceleration quantity for a definable period of time. The mean value is largely independent of driving maneuvers performed with the vehicle. The device also includes a monitoring device in which a comparison between the mean value of the acceleration quantity and a threshold value is carried out to monitor the acceleration sensor.

Abstract: A two-piece anti-lock brake sensor bracket has a first bracket member or mounting bracket which is welded to an axle housing adjacent a wheel hub. A second bracket member which is a sensor holder is snap-fit onto the first bracket member. An anti-lock brake sensor is mounted in the second bracket member. A snap-fit design for attaching the two bracket members also provides a quick-release, allowing the second bracket member to be detached from the first bracket member. The sensor holder has protrusions which engage with apertures in the mounting bracket. This two piece design can accommodate variations in tone wheel diameter and position with only minor modifications. Additionally, this design is “universal” in that the same type of two-piece bracket assembly works with reduced envelope brakes. Therefore, manufacturing and assembly costs are reduced.

Abstract: A wheel module for the control of the braking force on a wheel of a vehicle with an electrically controlled braking system (EBS), in which the need for data transfer to other wheel modules, or to a central module, if present, is reduced considerably. All magnitudes required for an ABS regulation of a wheel such as, for example, vehicle reference speed, are calculated directly in the wheel module according to the invention, so that these magnitudes need not be transmitted from a central module via a data bus.

Abstract: A method and a speed control system for controlling a speed of a vehicle utilizes a speed sensor for sensing a speed of the vehicle and generating a corresponding speed signal. A control unit determines one of a quick or slow acceleration status of the vehicle based on the speed signal. The control unit also determines a mode of operation of the speed control system and filters the speed signal based on the acceleration status and the mode of operation of the speed control system. The speed of the vehicle is then controlled based on the filtered speed signal.

Abstract: A method operates a motor vehicle such as an off-road vehicle with a brake system in which wheels on the same axle can be braked independently of one another. Vehicle-movement-stabilizing braking interventions are performed automatically by the brake system. For at least one vehicle-movement dynamics characteristic variable which is indicative of the tendency of the vehicle to tilt about the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, an associated tilting-prevention threshold value is prescribed. The respective characteristic-variable instantaneous value is continuously acquired and compared with the tilting-prevention threshold value. The wheels which are on the outside during cornering are, for the purpose of preventing tilting, braked as soon as an associated characteristic-variable instantaneous value exceeds the associated tilting-prevention threshold value.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a brake system which is equipped with anti-lock control (ABS) and a system for electronic control of brake force distribution (EBV). The system includes two brake circuits in a black/white brake circuit split-up, the EBV function or control is principally released only when the vehicle deceleration exceeds a predetermined limit value (GWN). To identify a front-axle brake circuit failure, acceleration criteria, i.e., criteria responsive to the acceleration behavior of the vehicle wheels, are predetermined and monitored. Further, slip range monitoring in conjunction with acceleration range monitoring is performed.

Abstract: A brake control system which employs an antiskid control and wheel lock protection differential reference controller to provide antiskid and antilock brake control. The differential reference controller is capable of estimating both wheel velocity and vehicle velocity based on a single wheel speed sensor input. To reduce the effects of wheel speed noise, the differential reference controller estimates the wheel velocity and vehicle velocity by carrying out parallel processes using identical processing functions. The estimated wheel velocity and vehicle velocity are subtracted providing a differential output indicative of the slip velocity. Only unique parameters for each process, derived from physical constants, are different. In this way, the wheel speed noise is introduced into both processes and canceled when the results are subtracted to obtain the slip velocity.

Abstract: A method of predicting a minimum stopping distance required to stop a subject vehicle by a braking system thereof, including: (a) a step of obtaining measurement data for each of at least one sample vehicle which is braked by a braking system thereof operated with its full braking capacity, the measurement data including a weight and a running speed of the sample vehicle, a stopping distance through which the sample vehicle has run to be stopped, a tire radius of the sample vehicle, and optionally a tire width of the sample vehicle; (b) a step of obtaining at least one predicting equation on the basis of the measurement data in a statistical manner, the equation providing a predicted value of the minimum stopping distance on the basis of a weight, a running speed and a tire radius of the subject vehicle, and optionally a tire width of the subject vehicle; and (c) a step of calculating the predicted value of the minimum stopping distance, by substituting the weight, the running speed, the tire radius of the ru

Abstract: A vehicle includes a plurality of axles including front and rear axles on which wheels are mounted at opposite ends thereof, wheel brakes mounted to the wheels, wheel speed detectors for detecting wheel speeds of the wheels, actuators for operating the wheel brakes, and a friction coefficient determining device for determining a friction coefficient of a travel road surface based on detection values detected by the wheel speed detectors. When each of the wheels is braked, the operations of the actuators are controlled such that braking forces are generated only in the wheel brakes in one of the axles at least at an initial stage of the braking, and the determination of the friction coefficient by the friction coefficient determining device is carried out at the initial stage. Thus, the determination of the friction coefficient by the friction coefficient determining device is more facilitated.

Abstract: An antiskid braking system for controlling hydraulic braking pressure to alleviate a lock of wheels so as thereby to control a skid of the wheel and alters the hydraulic braking pressure by repeating at least a pressure reducing phase and a pressure increasing phase so as to render the wheels loose to be locked more for a leading period of time from a commencement of antiskid braking control than for a succeeding period of time of antiskid braking control, or otherwise, if the control of hydraulic braking pressure for the gradual alleviation of the wheel lock is performed in consecutive cycles, in the first cycle of antiskid braking control than in any other remaining cycle.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a vehicle motion control system for maintaining vehicle stability by controlling the braking force applied to each wheel, in response to a condition of the vehicle in motion. A predetermined pressure increasing characteristic is provided for the hydraulic braking pressure which is supplied from a pressure control apparatus to wheel brake cylinders, on the basis of the vehicle condition, when the braking force controller initiates the control of the braking force to actuate the pressure control apparatus. And, a predetermined pressure decreasing characteristic is provided for the hydraulic braking pressure, when the braking force controller terminates the control of the braking force. The braking force controller is arranged to control the hydraulic braking pressure supplied from the pressure control apparatus to each wheel brake cylinder in accordance with the pressure increasing characteristic and the pressure decreasing characteristic to maintain the stability of the vehicle.

Abstract: An antiskid braking system performs antiskid braking control, by periodically increasing and reducing hydraulic braking pressure according to a wheel speed so as to control a vehicle going into a skid, at a control gain greater in a low speed range of vehicle speeds less than a specified speed when a vehicle speed at a time of commencement of braking is low than when the vehicle speed at the time is high.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting wheel speed in a motor vehicle. The apparatus includes first, second, and third sensors for outputting pulse signals in response to rotations of rotary shafts of front left and right wheels and a drive shaft, respectively, and a rotational angular velocity calculating member for calculating first, second, and third rotational angular velocities of the first and second rotary shafts and the drive shaft from the pulse signals, respectively.