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.

Abstract: For determination of a relative movement of a chassis and a body of a wheeled vehicle, which is movably joined to the chassis, three linear accelerations of the wheeled vehicle, which extend perpendicular to each other, respectively, as well as at least two rotational speeds of one respective rotational movement or a component of a rotational movement about a coordinate axis of the wheeled vehicle are measured (in measuring device 1), the at least two coordinate axes running perpendicular to each other, respectively. A momentary position of the relative movement is determined (in evaluation unit 9) using the three linear accelerations and the at least two rotational rates.

Abstract: A throttle control system for a vehicle includes a suspension sensor that detects suspension amplitudes of a suspension system of the vehicle, a grade sensor that detects an angular position of the vehicle, and a controller that receives first operational data from the suspension sensor and second operational data from the grade sensor and regulates a throttle of the vehicle based on the first and second operational data.

Abstract: An automobile rollover detection system comprising a control module to receive a first set and a second set of signals, to determine a first threshold in response to the first set of signals, to determine a second threshold in response to the second set of signals, to provide a first signal in response to the first threshold, to provide a second signal in response to the second threshold, and to provide a control signal in response to the first and second signals. The control signal may activate an occupant restraint system in response to the detection of an automobile rollover event. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.

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.

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 for measuring the travel speed (VDEB) of a front wheel in relation to the body shell, a means (51, 52) for detecting an impact when the travel speed exceeds a determined threshold, a means for determining a corrected lateral acceleration of the vehicle, a means for inhibiting the impact detected when the corrected lateral acceleration is greater than or equal to a determined lateral acceleration inhibition threshold in terms of absolute value, and a means (53, 54) for calculating a set value (ERP) for the actuator of the shock absorber of the rear wheel located on the same side as the above-mentioned front wheel when an impact is detected.

Abstract: A driving dynamics control system for vehicles. The control system including at least one driving dynamics controller that is fed setpoint specifications and driving state variables as input data. The control system also includes a plurality of actuators that can be controlled and/or regulated to modify the dynamics of the vehicle, such as steering, adjustable independently of the driver, on a front and/or rear axle of the vehicle, a chassis adjustable independently of the driver, a brake adjustable independently of the driver, and a drive train adjustable independently of the driver. The driving dynamics controller determines a central control specification from the setpoint specifications and the driving state variables and sends it to a distribution algorithm that distributes the control specification into manipulated variables for driving the actuators.

Abstract: A tilt angle detecting apparatus removes an unnecessary component included in an angular velocity detecting signal (an input ?) inputted from an angular velocity sensor 1 with the deadband (??o to +?o) of an unnecessary component removing means 2, performs integration processing on the angular velocity detecting signal (an output ?) which is allowed to pass through the passband (input ?>?o or input ?<??o) of the unnecessary component removing means 2 and which is outputted from the unnecessary component removing means by using an arithmetic processing means 3, performs a process of resetting the integral value to zero using a fixed integral value resetting value which is determined in such a way as to be suited to the above-mentioned deadband by using an integral value resetting means 4 after the integration processing, and outputs a signal showing the roll angle ?v of a vehicle.

Abstract: The disclosed terrain model is a generative, probabilistic approach to modeling terrain that exploits the 3D spatial structure inherent in outdoor domains and an array of noisy but abundant sensor data to simultaneously estimate ground height, vegetation height and classify obstacles and other areas of interest, even in dense non-penetrable vegetation. Joint inference of ground height, class height and class identity over the whole model results in more accurate estimation of each quantity. Vertical spatial constraints are imposed on voxels within a column via a hidden semi-Markov model. Horizontal spatial constraints are enforced on neighboring columns of voxels via two interacting Markov random fields and a latent variable. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.

Abstract: A method that detects whether the vibration level of the wheel is within the resonating frequency range by utilizing discrete velocity measurements. The method includes continuously measuring velocity levels of a wheel relative to a sprung mass vehicle component. These measurements are continuously recorded over a period of time. A periodic algorithm is provided, and the periodic algorithm and the velocity measurements are utilized to determine an output value. The output value is utilized to determine whether the vibration level of the wheel is within the resonating frequency range.

Abstract: A method for actively suspending a real plant in a vehicle includes modifying a control signal on the basis of a difference between a property of the real plant, as indicated by the response of the real plant to the control signal, and a property of a nominal plant.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a pitch state estimator is provided. The pitch state estimator generates a pitch state signal for establishing the orientation used in the control of a ground-traversing vehicle. The vehicle has a support for supporting a load which is preferably a human passenger. In one embodiment, the pitch state estimator includes a pitch sensor connected to the vehicle producing a pitch signal representing an estimate of a pitch angle of the vehicle. The pitch angle is associated with a coordinate system referenced to gravity. The pitch state estimator also includes at least one inertial reference sensor connected to the vehicle producing an inertial orientation signal with respect to the vehicle. Further included is a state estimator module for receiving the pitch signal and the inertial orientation signal and calculating a pitch state signal from the inertial orientation signal and the pitch signal sensor.

Abstract: A motion control system for a vehicle including includes control means for controlling a yaw moment of the vehicle, first detection means for detecting a longitudinal velocity (V) of the vehicle, second detection means for detecting a lateral jerk (Gy_dot) of the vehicle, and third detection means for detecting a yaw angular acceleration (r_dot) of the vehicle. The yaw moment of the vehicle is controlled by the control means so that a difference between the yaw angular acceleration (r_dot) detected by the third detection means and a value (Gy_dot/V) obtained by dividing the lateral jerk (Gy_dot) of the vehicle detected by the second detection means by the longitudinal velocity (V) detected by the first detection means, becomes small.

Abstract: In a vehicular control object determination system, locus correlation degree calculator calculates a degree of correlation between a future travel locus of a vehicle estimated by first travel locus estimator based on a vehicle speed and a yaw rate and a future travel locus of the vehicle estimated by second travel locus estimator based on a past travel locus of the vehicle calculated by travel locus calculator. When control object determiner determines a control object based on the travel locus estimated by the first travel locus estimator and predetermined control object determination conditions, the control object determination conditions are modified according to the degree of correlation, that is, the degree of reliability of the travel locus estimated by the first travel locus estimator, thereby achieving both accuracy with which the control object is determined and determination of the control object at a distance.

Abstract: A suspension system for a vehicle, including (a) four displacement force generators (152) each configured to generate a displacement force forcing sprung and unsprung portions of the vehicle toward or away from each other; and (b) a control unit (200) configured to control the displacement force that is to be generated by each displacement force generator. The control unit is capable of executing a plurality of vibration damping controls concurrently with each other, by controlling the displacement force, so as to damp a composite vibration containing a plurality of different vehicle-body vibrations which are to be damped by the respective vibration damping controls.

Abstract: An integrated stability control system using the signals from an integrated sensing system for an automotive vehicle includes a plurality of sensors sensing the dynamic conditions of the vehicle. The sensors include an IMU sensor cluster, a steering angle sensor, wheel speed sensors, any other sensors required by subsystem controls. The signals used in the integrated stability controls include the sensor signals; the roll and pitch attitudes of the vehicle body with respect to the average road surface; the road surface mu estimation; the desired sideslip angle and desired yaw rate from a four-wheel reference vehicle model; the actual vehicle body sideslip angle projected on the moving road plane; and the global attitudes. The demand yaw moment used to counteract the undesired vehicle lateral motions (under-steer or over-steer or excessive side sliding motion) are computed from the above-mentioned variables.

Abstract: There is provided a vehicle suspension. More specifically, in one or more embodiments, there is provided an apparatus including an actuator system having a combination of actuators including a linear electromagnetic actuator and a rotary electromagnetic actuator, wherein the actuator system provides force between the sprung mass and an unsprung mass of a vehicle.

Abstract: A body-roll restraining system with high utility equipped with active stabilizer devices on a front-wheel side and a rear-wheel side of the vehicle and configured to generate roll restraining forces whose directions are opposite to each other, and maybe configured such that the roll restraining forces are changeable owing to an operation of an actuator, The system having a road-surface-unevenness-dependent-roll restraining control. The above-indicated road-surface-unevenness-dependent-roll restraining control is executable in addition to a control which was conducted in conventional stabilizer devices to restrain the roll that arises from turning of the vehicle, and thus the ride comfort of the vehicle is enhanced.

Abstract: A method and system of detecting power hop of a vehicle involves generating signals, including a current signal and a previous signal, indicative of the current longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, calculating the period and amplitude of the signals, determining if the combined period and amplitude of the current signal exceeds a first predetermined value, and determining whether the combined period and amplitude of the current signal exceeds a second predetermined value greater than the first predetermined value. The method may also involve determining if the amplitude of the current signal exceeds a predetermined percentage of the amplitude of the previous signal. Power hop is detected when the combined period and amplitude of the current signal exceeds the first predetermined value as well as the second predetermined value, and possibly also when the amplitude of the current signal exceeds the predetermined percentage of the amplitude of the previous signal.

Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle electronic stability control (“ESC”) system utilizing values for a variable obtained from a primary source and a redundant source includes the steps of receiving a first value for the variable from the primary source, receiving a second value for the variable from the redundant source, generating a normalized value as a function of the first value and the second value, determining whether the primary source is operating correctly, utilizing the first value for operation of the vehicle ESC system if the primary source is operating correctly, and utilizing the second value for operation of the vehicle ESC system if the primary source is not operating correctly and the second value is not greater in absolute value than the normalized value.

Abstract: A seat apparatus for a vehicle having a side support portion that is controlled depending on a road condition, includes a distance calculating means for calculating a distance of a straight portion between a first curve, on which a vehicle is supposed to be driven, and a second curve, on which the vehicle is supposed to be driven after the first curve, based on an electronic map data, a first controlling level calculating means for calculating a first controlling level at which the side support portion is controlled when the vehicle is driven on the first curve, a second controlling level calculating means for calculating a second controlling level at which the side support portion is controlled when the vehicle is driven on the straight portion, and a driving means for operating the side support portion based on the first controlling level and the second controlling level.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus including a road wheel speed detecting section, a vehicle body speed detecting section, a slip ratio calculating section configured to calculate slip ratios which are ratios of respective road wheel speeds with respect to vehicle body speed, an anti-skid brake control section configured to control wheel cylinder fluid pressures for respective wheel cylinders such that the slip ratios fall within a predetermined range, a wheel cylinder fluid pressure acquiring section, damping force variable shock absorbers which are disposed between the respective road wheels and the vehicle body and constructed to variably adjust respective damping force characteristics thereof, and a damping force variable shock absorber control section configured to set the damping force characteristics in accordance with the acquired wheel cylinder fluid pressures.

Abstract: A stabilizer system for a vehicle includes a stabilizer bar and an actuator and that executes a control actively changing stiffness of the stabilizer bar in accordance with roll moment acting on a body of the vehicle. Each of a situation in which the vehicle is running straightforward and a situation in which a torque generating direction of a motor of the actuator changes in opposite direction plural times is identified as a specific situation. In the specific situation, a control of changing an operation mode of the motor such that presence or absence of occurrence of resistance of the actuator against its operation by external input force is changeable, and a control of limiting a supply current to the motor such that the torque generating direction of the motor is inhibited from coinciding with a direction away from a neutral position are executed.

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.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (8) and a method for improved automatic ride level control of utility vehicles on an inclined underlying surface. In particular, the invention relates to the use of a lateral acceleration sensor (15) for sensing the inclination of a utility vehicle in the stationary state or with a reduced speed in conjunction with a chassis (4) of adjustable height.

Abstract: A vibration control system for a structure having a first structural member and a second structural member. The vibration control system having a liquid spring operably interposed between the first structural member and the second structural member. The liquid spring uses a compressible liquid to seamlessly generate spring and/or damping forces in the suspension system in response to relative displacement between the first structural member and the second structural member. A second volume of compressible liquid is located in a second chamber. The second volume is removably connected to the liquid spring by a fluid passage. A valve is coupled to the fluid passage, the valve selectively operable to place the second volume in communication with the liquid spring. A controller is electrically coupled to the valve. The controller emitting a control signal to control the valve.

Abstract: A method is provided for detecting a rollover event of a vehicle. A lateral kinetic energy of the vehicle is determined in response to vehicle longitudinal velocity and vehicle side slip angle. A lateral acceleration of the vehicle is measured. A tire normal force is measured. A rollover potentiality index is determined in response to the lateral kinetic energy and the lateral acceleration. A rollover index is determined by weighting the rollover potentiality index by a factor of the lateral acceleration and by a factor of the tire normal force. A comparison is made to determine if the rollover index is above a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle motion control device capable of controlling the driving force distribution to the wheels with superior stability and response while effectively utilizing the tire grip.

Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle includes determining a desired sideslip angle in the moving road plane, determining an actual sideslip angle in the moving road plane, a desired yaw rate in the moving road plane, and an actual yaw rate in the moving road plane. A controller controls the vehicle system in response to the desired slip angle, the actual sideslip angle, the desired yaw rate and the actual yaw rate in the moving road plane.

Abstract: A suspension ECU 13 calculates a target characteristic changing coefficient a_new for changing a target characteristic, which is represented by a quadratic function, by use of the maximum actual roll angle ?_max generated in a vehicle body during the current turning state and a turning pitch angle ?_fy_max which is a fraction of an actual pitch angle ? generated as a result of turning, and changes the target characteristic by use of the coefficient a_new. Subsequently, the suspension ECU 13 calculates the difference ?? between the actual pitch angle ? and a target pitch angle ?h corresponding to the actual roll angle ? on the basis of the changed target characteristic, and calculates a total demanded damping force F to be cooperatively generated by the shock absorbers so as to reduce the difference ?? to zero.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that includes at least one image sensor, and at least one processor. The processor is configured to receive at least a portion of at least one image from the at least one image sensor, wherein an aim of the at least one image sensor is a function of the at least one image. The processor is further configured to generate at least one vehicle equipment control signal as a function of at least one feature extracted from at least a portion of at least one image.

Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.

Abstract: A rollover risk assessment system includes sensors and a processor for estimating rollover risk associated with maneuvering on varying terrain.

Abstract: A method and system for predicting a future position of a horizon time Th of an automotive vehicle. The method determines the position of the vehicle at time T0 using GPS and the speed, acceleration and angle of the steering wheel at time T0 from appropriate sensors on the vehicle. A nonlinear mathematical model utilizing these factors is then created while the position of the vehicle at time T0+Th is determined through numerical integration of the mathematical model using an adjustable step size Tstep. The step Tstep is modified adaptively in accordance with the accuracy requirements of the vehicle.

Abstract: A body-roll restraining system with high utility equipped with active stabilizer devices on a front-wheel side and a rear-wheel side of the vehicle and configured to generate roll restraining forces whose directions are opposite to each other, and maybe configured such that the roll restraining forces are changeable owing to an operation of an actuator, The system having a road-surface-unevenness-dependent-roll restraining control. The above-indicated road-surface-unevenness-dependent-roll restraining control is executable in addition to a control which was conducted in conventional stabilizer devices to restrain the roll that arises from turning of the vehicle, and thus the ride comfort of the vehicle is enhanced.

Abstract: A target roll angle of the vehicle is computed based on an actual lateral acceleration at the centroid of the vehicle, and the lateral acceleration of the vehicle at the centroid is corrected by use of lateral acceleration correction amounts based on a yaw rate of the vehicle, whereby the lateral accelerations of the vehicle at the front wheel position and the rear wheel position are computed. Subsequently, target anti-roll moments at the front wheel position and the rear wheel position are computed based on the target roll angle and the accelerations of the vehicle at the front wheel position and the rear wheel position, and active stabilizer apparatuses of the front and rear wheels are controlled based on these target anti-roll moments.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus having a vehicle state quantity detection unit for detecting vehicle state quantity such as a roller angular velocity, a lateral jerk calculation unit for calculating lateral jerk of a vehicle based on the vehicle state quantity, and a control unit for carrying out the vehicle control based on the lateral jerk.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating vehicle states, such as vehicle roll-rate, vehicle roll angle, vehicle lateral velocity and vehicle yaw-rate, for use in rollover reduction. The system includes an extended Kalman filter observer responsive to a steering angle signal, a yaw-rate signal, a roll-rate signal, a speed signal and a lateral acceleration signal that calculates an estimated yaw-rate signal, an estimated roll-rate, an estimated roll angle and an estimated lateral velocity. The system also includes a lateral velocity estimation processor responsive to the roll-rate signal, the estimated roll angle signal, the estimated lateral velocity signal and the lateral acceleration signal that calculates a modified lateral velocity estimation signal when the vehicle is operating in a non-linear region.

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 method of controlling a controllable chassis system or a safety system (44) for a vehicle (10) includes determining an added mass placed on the vehicle and relative to a known vehicle mass. A vehicle characteristic is adjusted in response to the added mass. A control system (18) for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a sensor (20, 28-42) that generates a signal. A controller (26) determines added mass on the vehicle (10) in response to the signal and adjusts a vehicle characteristic in response to the added mass.

Abstract: A vehicle crash sensing system and method are provided for sensing a vehicle crash event. The system includes a linear acceleration sensor located on a vehicle for sensing linear acceleration along a first sensing axis and generating a linear acceleration signal. The system has linear crash sensing logic for determining a crash event along the first sensing axis as a function of the sensed linear acceleration. The system also has signal processing circuitry for processing the linear acceleration signal and generating a processed linear acceleration signal. The system has an angular rate sensor located on the vehicle for sensing an angular roll rate of the vehicle about a second sensing axis and generating a roll rate signal. The system further includes rollover crash sensing logic for determining a rollover event of the vehicle about the second sensing axis as a function of the processed linear acceleration signal and the roll rate signal.

Abstract: In wheel ground-contact state judging device and method, a detector directly detects a lateral force acting in a direction perpendicular to the wheel center plane of a wheel. An acceleration sensor detects an acceleration in the lateral direction of a vehicle. A calculator calculates a cornering force acting on each wheel on the basis of the acceleration in the lateral direction thus detected. A judging unit compares the detected lateral force with the calculated cornering force to judge whether the ground-contact state of the wheel is good or not.

Abstract: A rollover judgment apparatus includes a threshold change functional unit 5 for changing a determination threshold on the basis of a roll angular velocity ?, a tilt angle ?v of a vehicle which is acquired by integrating the roll angular velocity ?, a lateral direction acceleration Gy, and a steering wheel angle ?s, an ?×? map judging unit 6 for judging whether or not the vehicle will roll over on the basis of the determination threshold changed by the threshold change functional unit 5, and the tilt angle of the vehicle, a safing functional unit 7 for detecting a tip-up of the vehicle in relation to a motion of the vehicle, and a curtain air bag deploying unit 9 for controlling expansion of a curtain air bag on the basis of an output of the ?×? map judging unit 6 and an output of the safing functional unit 7.

Abstract: A control system for controlling a safety system of an automotive vehicle having a transmission and a differential. The system includes left and right wheel speed sensors associated with respective vehicle wheels and generating left and right wheel speed signals, and a transmission output shaft speed sensor generating a transmission output shaft speed signal. A controller is coupled to the wheel speed sensors and the transmission output speed sensor, and determines a reference wheel speed for one of the left or right wheels as a function of the other of the left or right wheel speed signal and the transmission output shaft speed signal. The controller controls the safety system in response to the determined reference wheel speed.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a vehicle roll stability indicator that estimates the propensity for vehicle rollover. The system determines vehicle kinematics from vehicle sensors, such as roll rate, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, vehicle speed, etc. From these kinematic values, the system estimates a roll angle of the vehicle and a bank angle of the vehicle. From the estimated bank angle, the system provides a corrected roll angle. From the corrected roll angle, the system determines a roll energy of the vehicle and a roll energy rate of the vehicle. From the roll energy and the roll energy rate, the system calculates a roll stability indicator that defines the potential that the vehicle will tip-up or roll over. From the roll stability indicator, vehicle stability control systems can take suitable action.

Abstract: In a rollover stability method for a vehicle in a situation which is critical with respect to the driving dynamics, a critical rollover situation is detected by analyzing a control variable and the stabilization intervention is activated or de-activated as a function of the control variable. The regulation intervention is maintained even in driving situations featuring relatively low transverse acceleration if the control variable or a characteristic property of the stability algorithm is calculated as a function of the steering angle and/or the longitudinal vehicle velocity.

Abstract: A vehicle stability control system uses a physical quantity corresponding to a driver accelerator input to control engine power produced by an engine and to controllably drive an engine load device for regulating the engine power to produce a desired drive force. The vehicle stability control system includes a vibration detector and a corrector. The vibration detector determines a vibration that occurs during running of the vehicle to disturb the stability of the vehicle. The corrector drives the engine load device to suppress the vibration in response to the vibration determined by the vibration detector.

Abstract: A control system (10) for a vehicle (16) includes a sensor (35-47) that generates a sensor signal and a stability control system (26). Tire monitoring sensors (20) in each wheel generate tire signals including temperature, pressure and acceleration. The controller (26) is coupled to the sensors (20, 25-47), and generates a first roll condition signal as a function of the sensor signal, and generates a second roll condition signal as a function of the tire signals. The first or second roll condition signals control the rollover control system to mitigate a vehicle rollover event.

Abstract: A method and system for orienting the attitude of a vehicle. The method includes determining a path of travel of the vehicle, determining a slope of the terrain over the path of travel, and adjusting a height of at least one adjustable support of the vehicle.

Abstract: A control system (24) for controlling a safety system (40) of an automotive vehicle includes a plurality of wheel speed sensors (30) generating a plurality of wheel velocity signals, a steering angle sensor (39) generating a steering actuator angle signal, a yaw rate sensor (28) generating a yaw rate signal, a lateral acceleration sensor (32) generating a lateral acceleration signal and a controller (26). The controller (26) generates a final reference vehicle velocity in response to the plurality of wheel speed signals, the steering angle signal, the yaw rate signal and the lateral acceleration signal. The controller (26) controls the safety system in response to the final reference vehicle velocity.